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

At this moment, Cao Cao was naturally filled with resentment, which surged like a turbulent tide.

The territory controlled by the Wei Kingdom was no more than two provinces.

These two states are poor in resources and weak in national power, like a candle flickering in the wind, which may be extinguished at any time.

Cao Cao went to great lengths to build this Puban defense line.

The Wei Kingdom had limited financial resources, so every penny had to be carefully calculated.

This defensive line was built with money he saved by scrimping and saving, squeezing it out bit by bit.

He originally thought that this defensive line could become the Great Wall of Wei, making it difficult for the Han army to cross.

But now, reality has struck him like a heavy slap in the face.

After resisting the Han army for less than two months, some people suggested abandoning the defensive line and surrendering without a fight.

How could this not break his heart?
The pain of cutting off flesh was bearable, but abandoning the defense line was excruciating, unbearable to him.

"Xu Gongming, have you gone mad?"

Before Cao Cao could recover from his shock and anger, Xu Chu's thunderous voice boomed through the tent.

His face flushed red, his eyes widened, his hair stood on end in anger, and he pointed at Xu Huang, demanding in a stern voice:

"If we abandon the Puban defense line, the Guanzhong Plain will be flat as a pancake. What will we use to stop the big-eared bandits?"

"If that big-eared thief easily sets foot on the Guanzhong Plain, our Great Wei will be plunged into an abyss of no return!"

Xu Chu's words were like a sharp dagger, hitting the crux of the problem.

Puban Pass, a pass that cost countless resources, is certainly a pity to abandon.

But what is even more unacceptable is that, after losing this line of defense, what will Wei use to resist the 250,000-strong Han army that will surge in like a tide?
With only 60,000 troops?

These 60,000 soldiers were nothing but a drop in the ocean compared to the 250,000 Han troops; they wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps in the Han army's teeth!

Cao Cao was startled and quickly turned his gaze to Xu Huang.

His eyes were filled with questioning and anger.

He seemed to be asking:
You, Xu Huang, are a renowned general of your time, so why are you so reckless as to make such an absurd suggestion?

Do you know what disastrous consequences this will bring to the State of Wei?
Xu Huang looked at Cao Cao's angry eyes, sighed inwardly, shook his head helplessly, and slowly said:
"At this point, it is inevitable that the main force of the Han army will land on the west bank."

"The Yellow River was once a natural barrier for us to stop the Han army, but now it has lost its function."

"How could we possibly withstand the Han army's attack with just Puban Pass and a single river defense barrier?"

"The only solution now is to abandon Puban Pass and retreat to the Wei River line to rebuild our defenses. Only then will we have a chance to stop the Han army north of the Wei River."

Xu Huang, his face full of bitterness and helplessness, spoke of his predicament.

He knew that his suggestion would surely displease Cao Cao.

But for the sake of the survival of the Wei state, he had no choice but to tell the truth.

Actually, the key issue is that the Wei army has too few troops.

The Puban defense line was indeed strong, but it could only be most effective when combined with the natural barrier of the Yellow River.

The Yellow River, like a giant dragon, stretched between the Wei Kingdom and the Han army.

It was this natural barrier that allowed the Wei army to ambush the Han army while they were crossing the river, defeating them with fewer troops and blocking their advance into Guanzhong with 60,000 soldiers.

To put it bluntly, without the natural barrier of the Yellow River, the Puban defense line was like a paper tiger, nothing at all, and completely unable to withstand the Han army's offensive.

As Cao Cao listened to Xu Huang's words, his emotions gradually calmed down.

After careful consideration, he was beginning to be persuaded by Xu Huang.

After all, reality is stark: the Han army's strength cannot be underestimated. If they stubbornly cling to the Puban defense line, they risk total annihilation. Then, with their troops gone and the Puban defense line breached, wouldn't the Wei kingdom truly be doomed?

Just then, Jia Xu also sighed, slowly cupped his hands, and said to Cao Cao:
"Your Majesty, Sima Zhongda's strategy for defending against the enemy is good, but unfortunately he overlooked the fact that the timing of events is unpredictable."

"Timing can sometimes be the key to victory or defeat."

“If he had not made such a mistake, he should have reminded His Majesty to send troops to monitor the Yellow River at all times, and to break through the ice immediately if any signs of freezing were found.”

"In this way, the Han army would not have had the opportunity to cross the river on ice."

"Now that the Han army has successfully crossed the Yellow River while it is frozen, Sima Zhongda is to blame for this."

Upon hearing Jia Xu's words, large beads of sweat instantly rolled down Sima Yi's forehead.

He gave Jia Xu a resentful glare, cursing inwardly:

"That old poisoner is kicking me when I'm down, pointing the finger at my strategic miscalculation."

However, what Jia Xu said was indeed true, and Sima Yi felt guilty and dared not utter a word to defend himself.

At such a moment, any explanation seems pale and powerless.

Changing the subject, Jia Xu pointed south and said sternly:
"Therefore, I agree with what General Xu said. Without the natural barrier of the Yellow River, it would be difficult for my single defensive line to withstand the 250,000-strong Han army."

"If we do not change our strategy, we will surely be defeated."

"The best course of action now is to retreat south of the Wei River, making it our natural barrier."

"Although the Wei River is not as wide as the Yellow River, it can still provide us with certain defensive advantages at this time."

"In that case, we might still have a chance to make amends!"

Jia Xu's words undoubtedly added fuel to the fire of Xu Huang's advice.

Cao Cao slowly turned his head, his fierce gaze shooting towards Sima Yi.

That gaze was like a sharp knife, as if it wanted to pierce through Sima Yi, clearly blaming Sima Yi for his oversight.

If it weren't for your miscalculation, Sima Yi, how could the Wei Kingdom have fallen into such a passive situation?
Jia Xu's "kicking someone when they're down" clearly had an effect.

Sima Yi felt a chill run down his spine, as if a coldness rushed from the soles of his feet to his head.

His eyes darted around as he quickly thought of a way to remedy the situation.

If he were to abandon Puban Pass and retreat to the Wei River line, it would mean that his strategy of keeping the enemy outside the country's borders would completely fail.

This was undoubtedly a heavy blow to him.

Having made such a grave mistake, could he still maintain his position in the Wei court and in front of Cao Cao?
It's one thing for him to fall out of favor, but the real question is, can he really stop the Han army by retreating to the Wei River?

Sima Yi knew that the Wei River was only about the same width as the Zhang River.

For major rivers like the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, crossings can only be done at narrow, calm river crossings.

As for the Wei River, a small water system, the Han army could cross it from any point if they wanted to!
It's impossible to defend against.

Once the Wei River falls, the Han army will advance directly to the walls of Chang'an.

If Chang'an falls, the Wei Kingdom is doomed!
If the State of Wei were to fall, could he survive alone?
Thinking of this, Sima Yi suddenly straightened his back, as if he had made up his mind.

He took a deep breath, cupped his hands in resentment, and said:

"Your Majesty, Xu Huang and Jia Xu's strategy is a strategy that will lead to the downfall of the nation!"

"Those two must have sensed the danger and intended to betray us and join the big-eared traitor, hoping to help him destroy our Great Wei!"

"These treacherous officials and villains, Your Majesty, please execute them!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Huang and Jia Xu's expressions changed drastically. (End of Chapter)