My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

"Your Majesty, is there some good news in Ye City?"

Seeing the joy on Liu Bei's face, Zhang Fei asked curiously.

Liu Bei raised the memorial in his hand and laughed heartily:
"A Dou is cured! A Dou is cured! This is truly a blessing from Heaven for the Han Dynasty, solving a tremendous problem for me!"

Is A Dou alright?

The ministers were completely bewildered.

Overjoyed, Liu Bei then remembered to circulate Zhuge Liang's memorial among his ministers.

After everyone saw it, they were all pleasantly surprised and excited, and the imperial tent immediately erupted in cheers.

After reading the memorial, Xiao He's eyes lit up.

In his memorial to the throne, Zhuge Liang declared that Liu Shan's dementia had suddenly been cured, and that he had completely returned to normal mentally and seemed to be much smarter than before the onset of the disease.

"Yuanhua, Kongming said that the Prince of Jin's dementia has been cured, but why didn't you tell me about it?"

Liu Bei's excited gaze turned to Hua Tuo.

Hua Tuo hurriedly explained that Liu Shan's dementia had indeed disappeared for seven or eight days before he left the capital.

However, Liu Shan's dementia was always intermittent, and this time he only disappeared for a few days longer, which is not enough to prove that Liu Shan's condition has been cured.

Therefore, Hua Tuo advised Zhuge Liang to observe further. If Liu Shan did not fall ill for half a month, it could be confirmed that he had recovered, and then the good news could be reported to the emperor.

Hua Tuo, having rushed from Ye City, was unaware of Liu Shan's subsequent situation and naturally dared not hastily report the good news, lest Liu Bei be disappointed.

Unexpectedly, Zhuge Liang, seeing that the deadline had arrived, sent someone ahead of time to rush to Jiguan Pass to deliver the good news.

"That's it, that's it..."

Liu Bei suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly asked:
"Yuanhua, has Adou's dementia really been cured just like that?"

Hua Tuo smiled, cupped his hands, and said:
"I said back then that His Highness Prince Jin's dementia was incurable and that we could only hope for a miracle to heal himself."

"His Highness Prince Jin has recovered completely for half a month now, without any relapse. This proves that Prince Jin is blessed by God, and his dementia has indeed healed itself!"

Upon receiving Hua Tuo's affirmation, Liu Bei breathed a sigh of relief and was overjoyed. He excitedly jumped off the bed, as if his illness had been cured at that moment.

The main tent erupted in cheers, and all the ministers were overjoyed.

Xiao He couldn't help but smile as well.

Old Liu's ecstatic outburst and subsequent erratic behavior were entirely understandable.

Liu Shan was Liu's eldest son, born late in life, and was naturally doted on. However, he unfortunately fell into the water and was frightened, which caused him to suffer from dementia. As a father, how could Liu not be extremely saddened?

Now that his son has recovered, how could Old Liu, as a father, not weep with joy?

Most importantly, after Liu Bang became emperor, he posthumously honored Lady Gan, the mother of Liu Shan, as empress.

Liu Shan was both the son of the deceased empress and the eldest son, thus possessing the status of the eldest legitimate son.

It is perfectly reasonable, legal, and indisputable that the eldest son should be the crown prince!

Whether it's Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, or the other ministers, regardless of who they previously supported as the crown prince, they will now naturally switch their support to Liu Shan as the crown prince without hesitation!
In other words, Liu Bei's dilemma of who to appoint as crown prince was thus resolved with Liu Shan's recovery!

In terms of official matters, the selection of the crown prince has now been finalized.

On a personal level, her eldest son, who had suffered from dementia for many years, had fully recovered.

With two pieces of good news at hand, how could Liu Bei not be overjoyed?

Xiao He also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he did not participate in the discussion on choosing an heir, it did not mean that he had no stance and did not truly care who the crown prince was.

After all, the Han Dynasty was won by him and a group of heroes who assisted Liu Bei in a bloody battle.

This career embodies more than a decade of his hard work.

Throughout history, countless dynasties have perished after only two generations because they chose the wrong successor.

The Qin Dynasty, the Western Jin Dynasty, the Sui Dynasty... the list goes on and on.

Or, in the struggle for the throne, brothers turned against each other, and bloodshed ensued in the court, with countless heads rolling on the ground.

Both Liu Yong and Liu Li had their strengths and weaknesses, and overall they could be considered qualified successors. Xiao He didn't really care who became the crown prince or who would inherit the throne, nor was he worried that they would ruin the foundation laid by Liu Yong.

Xiao He's only concern was that the two princes, in their struggle for the throne, would follow in the footsteps of the Cao and Yuan brothers, causing the officials to form factions and fight amongst themselves, plunging the court into a bloody storm.

Now that worry is gone.

Liu Shan has returned, and the position of crown prince is now a foregone conclusion.

All of Xiao's worries and concerns vanished at that moment.

In terms of military strategy and tactics, Liu Shan may not have been as good as Liu Yong, and in terms of moral character, he may not have been as good as Liu Li.

However, judging from Liu Shan's performance in the original history, he was absolutely not incompetent and was more than capable of being a ruler who could maintain the status quo.

If that's the case, then what is there to worry about?
"His Highness Prince Jin's full recovery is truly a blessing for the Han Dynasty and for Your Majesty. Your Majesty, I congratulate you!"

Xiao He immediately stepped forward, smiling broadly as he cupped his hands in congratulations to Old Liu.

Zhang Fei and the other ministers all realized what was happening, stood up, and congratulated Liu Bei with great joy.

Liu Bei smiled broadly, waved his hand to signal his ministers to rise, and then looked at Hua Tuo with a smile:

"Yuanhua, quickly prescribe some medicine for me so that I can recover soon and return to the capital."

At this moment, Liu Bei clearly wished he could grow wings and fly back to Ye City immediately.

Hua Tuo chuckled and cupped his hands in greeting, saying:
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will do my utmost to ensure that Your Majesty can return to the capital and reunite with Your Highnesses as soon as possible."

Hua Tuo immediately prescribed the medicine, and Liu Bei took it with peace of mind.

A few days later, Liu Bei had basically recovered from his illness and couldn't wait to set off again to return to the capital.

The 200,000-strong army entered Henan County from Jiguan Pass, and several days later entered Jizhou, before heading north straight for Ye City.

That afternoon.

On the official road south of Ye City, countless battle flags surged like waves, and countless Han soldiers came from the south, their ranks stretching endlessly.

Outside the South Gate.

Zhuge Liang, Mi Zhu, Xun Yu, and other ministers who remained in charge had long since gathered in front of the city gate to welcome the emperor's return.

In addition to the ministers, the princes were also among them.

The young prince at the front stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm as still water, his slightly narrowed eyes watching the slowly approaching Han army.

Not far behind him, Zhuge Liang slightly turned his head, subtly observing him.

"Since His Highness Prince Jin recovered from his dementia, his demeanor and gaze seem quite different from before..."

Zhuge Liang quietly observed Liu Shan, his mind racing, a hint of speculation flashing in his eyes.

While I was pondering, the imperial carriage arrived ahead.

Liu Bei, clad in golden armor, arrived first, spurring his horse and whipping it on.

Xiao He, Zhang Fei, and other ministers followed behind.

Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome your return to the capital!

Once he came to his senses, Zhuge Liang hurriedly stepped forward and bowed in respect.

The remaining officials rushed forward and kowtowed, welcoming the emperor's return with a thunderous roar.

Liu Shan looked Liu Bei up and down, took a deep breath, and bowed slightly.

"Your son respectfully welcomes Your Majesty's triumphant return!"

not far away.

Upon seeing this scene, Xiao He's eyes flickered slightly.

According to the rites, when the emperor returned to the capital in triumph, all the officials and princes had to perform the kowtow ceremony.

Only Liu Shan, the Prince of Jin, bowed respectfully but did not kneel in obeisance.

Everyone bowed their heads to the ground, except for Liu Shan, who stood alone, somewhat like a crane standing among chickens. (End of Chapter)