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

Chapter 463 Without any merit, how can the nobility group submit to you? Kongming: Our Crown Prince has undergone a complete transformation!
Liu Shan volunteered for the mission.

He was to replace Liu Bei and lead the main force of the Han army to attack Wei!
This unexpected move not only surprised the officials, but also surprised Liu, the father.

For this campaign against Wei, the main force of the Han army north of the Yellow River must number at least 300,000.

Apart from the Linxian Ferry, the Longmen Ferry feigned attack army directly commanded at least 250,000 troops attacking Puban Pass.

You, Liu Shan, have become smarter, but you were raised in a pampered environment and have never had any experience commanding troops.

What gives you the confidence to volunteer to lead an army of 250,000 to attack Wei?
After his initial surprise, Liu Bei immediately shook his head slightly:
"Your Highness, I am very pleased that you have the heart to share my burdens."

"But you have no experience in commanding troops. This campaign against Wei is of great importance, and I am afraid you are not up to the task."

Liu Bei remained clear-headed and did not impulsively grant Liu Shan's request to serve.

Liu Shan, however, did not give up and said solemnly:

"As the Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty, how can I, at this critical juncture of conquering Wei and destroying Cao, watch my soldiers fight valiantly on the front lines while I lie in the capital and reap the benefits?"

"If I take over command of the army in place of my father, I will surely inspire the soldiers and make them fight bravely and sacrifice themselves for the country. Only then will our army be able to advance swiftly and be invincible in our campaign against Wei."

"Furthermore, it is precisely because my son has no experience in commanding troops that he needs more training. This is the meaning of the saying 'true gold is refined in fire'."

"Although I command the three armies, I would never dare to be presumptuous or act arbitrarily. I will be as receptive to advice as my father and will listen to the opinions of the Grand Marshal and others in everything I do."

"With their assistance, I believe that this campaign against Wei will be a great success, and I will live up to your expectations, Father."

Liu Shan spoke eloquently and logically, providing ample reasons.

Liu Bei calmed down, tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, and fell into deep thought.

Xiao He's eyes flickered slightly, but he had already discerned the underlying meaning in Liu Shan's words.

Beneath his outwardly passionate and righteous demeanor, the Crown Prince's true intention was to use this battle as an opportunity to establish his authority within the army.

Throughout history, emperors of three or four dynasties could be raised in luxury and lack prestige in the military without any problems.

The second emperor, however, could not.

Because his father was the founding monarch!
Most founding monarchs, led by a group of strategists and generals, swept away all rivals and eventually conquered the entire land before establishing a new dynasty.

The process of establishing the nation and conquering the country naturally gave rise to a group of founding nobles.

Old Liu was no exception this time.

Generals such as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Gan Ning, and Huang Zhong.

Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Fa Zheng, Lu Su, Mi Zhu, and Xiao He himself—these were all strategists.

In a broad sense, these people can all be classified as members of the founding nobles group.

Any one of these founding nobles could be considered a hero of their time.

These people's status and reputation were not inherited through bloodlines, but earned through the sharpness of their blades, their exceptional wisdom, their numerous military achievements, and by stepping over the corpses of countless others.

Your father, Liu Bei, was a man of great martial prowess and strategic vision. He led us through thick and thin, building this foundation for us. Naturally, we submit to him.

But you, Liu Shan, have grown up in a pampered environment, never commanded an army, never fought a battle, and never achieved any merit. What makes you think I should submit to you?
We only show you respect because of your father, and we reluctantly address you as Your Highness the Crown Prince.

Liu Shan had neither experience in commanding troops nor military merit and prestige. Even if he inherited the throne and ascended to the throne, how could he control these meritorious groups?

If Liu Shan is to gain the respect of the masses and win the heartfelt awe of the meritorious group, then it is necessary to establish Liu Shan's authority in the army.

Leading the army to conquer Wei and destroy Cao was the perfect opportunity for him to establish his authority.

Even though Zhao Yun and other generals led the charge, and Xiao He and other strategists provided the advice and plans, Liu Shan was only nominally the commander-in-chief of the three armies. The credit for the conquest of Wei should still be attributed to Liu Shan. With such a great achievement, Liu Shan naturally established his prestige within the army.

After inheriting the throne, Liu Shan would naturally have the confidence to control these founding heroes.

Xiao He speculated that this must be the underlying motivation behind Liu Shan's initiative to volunteer for the campaign against Wei.

It must be said that this Crown Prince is truly far-sighted.

The Liu Shan before us is clearly on a completely different level than the original Liu Shan…

“What the Crown Prince said is not without reason.”

Liu Bei nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Zhang Fei and the others, and asked:

"Yide, Bowen, do you both think the Crown Prince is capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility?"

Judging from his tone, Liu Shan clearly understood the underlying meaning of his son's words and was inclined to let Liu Shan lead the army to attack Wei.

Since the emperor had made it so clear, Xiao He had no reason to disagree, and so he said:
"His Highness the Crown Prince is wise and decisive, and has the demeanor of His Majesty."

"If Your Majesty commands the Crown Prince to lead the three armies to attack Wei, I will do my utmost to assist Your Highness in recovering Guanzhong and destroying Cao Wei."

Zhang Fei then jumped up and declared boldly:
"Your Majesty, rest assured. Although the Crown Prince has never commanded troops before, with us protecting him, we will easily conquer Guanzhong and destroy the Cao traitor!"

In this campaign against Wei, Xiao He, the Grand Marshal, and Zhang Fei, the General of Chariots and Cavalry, will definitely lead the army.

And he was destined to be Liu Shan's right-hand man, becoming the de facto commander of the Han army.

Since both of them had expressed their opinions, the other officials naturally dared not object and unanimously agreed that Liu Shan should lead the army.

Liu Bei smiled and then slammed his hand on the table:
"Very well, since all of you have no objections, then it is settled. The Crown Prince will lead the main force of our Han army on my behalf to capture Puban Pass, recover Guanzhong, and conquer Wei and destroy Cao!"

The choice of the commander-in-chief for the campaign against Wei was thus decided.

Then Liu Bei had to instruct Liu Shan not to underestimate the enemy or be arrogant, and not to engage in empty talk. He should listen to the opinions of Xiao He, Zhang Fei and others in everything he did.

Liu Shan, on the other hand, was quite humble. He solemnly promised to keep Liu Bei's instructions in mind and said that he was taking command of the army with a learning attitude and would learn military strategy and tactics from Xiao He and Zhang Fei.

Liu Bei was naturally quite satisfied with his son's performance, so he ordered the crown prince to arrange his own time to summon Xiao He and other ministers to the Eastern Palace where the crown prince resided to discuss the specific details of the campaign against Wei.

Liu Shan then immediately invited Xiao He and other important officials to the Eastern Palace the next day to discuss the matter of attacking Wei.

With the Emperor's decree and the Crown Prince's personal invitation, everyone had no reason to refuse and gladly accepted.

Seeing Liu Shan's various behaviors, Liu Bei on the dragon throne was quite satisfied and announced the end of the court session with great satisfaction.

The officials took their leave.

After leaving the Golden Palace, Xiao He met Zhuge Liang and they left the palace together, chatting casually along the way.

When no one was around, Zhuge Liang suddenly lowered his voice and asked:

"Bowen, what do you think of our crown prince compared to before?"

Xiao He was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said:

"From what I've seen in the few days since I returned to the capital, His Highness the Crown Prince is quick-witted, intelligent, and has an extraordinary vision. He has naturally changed a lot compared to before."

Zhuge Liang smiled, but said with a profound meaning:

"When you go to the East Palace to discuss matters tomorrow, Bowen, you will find that the Crown Prince's changes are not just drastic, but can be described as a complete transformation!"

(End of this chapter)