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

"Sima Yi, how dare you slander me? How could I possibly want to surrender to Liu Bei?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Huang instantly flew into a rage, his eyes widening like two burning flames as he roared at Sima Yi.

This roar made everyone's eardrums ache, which showed how furious he was.

Anger flashed in Jia Xu's eyes, but it vanished in an instant, like a shooting star, hidden and unleashed.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze deep and sharp, as if he had already seen through the intention behind Sima Yi's "slanderous" words.

Cao Cao also looked at Sima Yi with surprise, his eyes filled with doubt and confusion.

He never expected that at this crucial moment, Sima Yi would make such a shocking statement, denouncing Xu Huang and Jia Xu as traitors.

Sima Yi, his face contorted with indignation and his expression impassioned, said in a stern voice:
"Even the Yellow River couldn't stop Liu Bei's army, let alone the mere Wei River?"

"The Yellow River is a natural barrier, a gift from heaven, yet it has been easily breached by the Han army."

"The Wei River is just a small water system with a narrow channel and a gentle current. It is no match for the iron hooves of the Han army."

"It is obvious to anyone with eyes that abandoning Puban and retreating to the Wei River would be a dead end."

"Xu Huang and Jia Xu knew this all along, yet they still advised His Majesty to abandon Puban and retreat south. If they didn't intend for the Great Wei to perish, what other purpose could they have?"

Sima Yi's words were sharp, and at first glance, the logic seemed sound.

Cao Cao's heart skipped a beat, and he turned to look at Xu Huang and the other two, a hint of suspicion creeping into his eyes.

Xu Huang was completely enraged. He took a step forward, clenched his fists, and shouted:

"Retreating to the Wei River, though the chances are slim, still offers a chance to hold off the Han army."

"Although the Wei River is not as wide as the Yellow River, it can still slow down the Han army's advance to some extent."

"We can build a defensive line at the mouth of the Wei River and take advantage of the terrain to continue to fight the Han army."

"If we hold Puban Pass, our army will face a fierce attack from 250,000 Han troops. With our current strength, we simply cannot hold it."

"Once Puban Pass falls, our army will lose both men and city, and be completely wiped out. Our Great Wei will collapse in an instant!"

"I am trying to buy time for the Great Wei and find a turning point. Do you want the Great Wei to perish immediately?"

Xu Huang's words were like thunder, making everyone's eardrums buzz.

Sima Yi snorted coldly and said arrogantly:
"Our Puban Pass is still standing, our river defenses are still intact, and our 60,000-strong army has only lost a few thousand men. Why can't we hold our line?"

"Puban Pass has been built over many years, and its city walls are sturdy. The fortifications along the river are also impregnable. As long as we hold our ground and do not venture out, it will be no easy task for the Han army to break through the strong defenses of Puban Pass."

Sima Yi stubbornly stuck to his own views and remained confident in the defensive capabilities of Puban Pass.

Xu Huang was speechless and didn't know how to refute it for a moment.

Sima Yi stopped arguing with him, bowed to Cao Cao, and said confidently:

"Your Majesty, I dare to assert that this year will be another warm winter, and this temperature drop is merely a coincidence."

"This cold air came quickly and went quickly. The temperature will surely warm up in a few days, and the Yellow River will melt."

"Although the Han army has temporarily crossed the Yellow River, as long as we are united and hold the Puban defense line, the Han army's retreat will be cut off once the Yellow River thaws."

"Whether it's Liu Shan or Xiao He, if they don't want their entire army to be wiped out while crossing the river, they have no choice but to retreat to the east bank!"

"Then we'll be able to turn the tide!"

Sima Yi delivered a lengthy and passionate speech, which truly gave Cao Cao a glimmer of hope amidst his despair.

He is gambling!

After the extreme cold, temperatures will surely rise, and the ice on the Yellow River will melt back into water.

He was gambling that fate was on Wei's side, entrusting the fate of the Wei state to this elusive divine will.

Cao Cao's expression brightened, and his eyes suddenly lit up with excitement, as if he had seen a ray of dawn in the darkness.

He could almost see the Han army trapped in a desperate situation with their retreat cut off by the Yellow River, and a sense of joy welled up in his heart.

"Your Majesty, the weather is unpredictable. Who can guarantee that it will warm up in a few days?"

Xu Huang, however, sharply reminded Cao Cao again, like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the glimmer of joy in Cao Cao's heart. "If the weather doesn't warm up, and our army is pinned down at Puban Pass by the Han army and unable to retreat, what will we do then?"

"At that time, we will be in a dilemma. Your Majesty, please be careful."

Xu Huang's words were like a warning bell ringing in Cao Cao's ears.

Cao Cao's initial elation faded, and he began to re-examine Sima Yi's strategy.

Seeing this, Sima Yi wanted to offer further advice.

This is a crucial moment to persuade Cao Cao. If they fail to strike while the iron is hot, their plan may be rejected.

Cao Cao waved his hand, interrupting him before he could finish speaking.

He closed his eyes slightly and fell into deep thought.

In this life-or-death moment, he needs to calmly weigh the pros and cons and make the most correct decision.

After a while.

Cao Cao was still unable to make a decision, so he turned to Jia Xu and asked:

"Wenhe, what do you think? Should I gamble or not?"

All eyes were on Jia Xu.

At this moment, Jia Xu became the focus of everyone's attention.

Sima Yi frowned, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

His conflict with Jia Xu has become public, and just now, in order to make a desperate gamble, he went to extremes and accused Jia Xu of intending to surrender to the Han.

At this time, how could Jia Xu possibly support him?
Jia Xu remained silent.

He knew that his vote was crucial and could very well determine Cao Cao's decision.

If you gamble, the weather is unpredictable, what if you lose?

The State of Wei will be plunged into an abyss of no return, and I will become the sinner who brought about the downfall of my country.

If we don't gamble, we must retreat to the Wei River.

But as Sima Yi said, could the Wei River alone really stop hundreds of thousands of Han troops?

The Wei River has limited defensive capabilities, and the Han army could easily find a place to cross the river and break through the defenses.

Unless you win the gamble, it's just a matter of dying sooner or later, so what's the difference?
After weighing his options for a long time, Jia Xu took a deep breath, a breath that seemed to inhale the fate of the entire Wei Kingdom.

He slowly cupped his hands and said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, I think we might as well use Sima Zhongda's plan and take a gamble."

"I'm betting that the fate of our Great Wei still rests on its shoulders, and that His Majesty is still destined to rule!"

"Anyway, given the situation has come to this point, how can we turn things around if we don't dare to take a gamble?"

"If we win the gamble, the State of Wei will turn the tide; if we lose..."

After a moment's hesitation, Jia Xu sighed deeply:

"If we lose the bet, we can only say that it is fate, and there is nothing we can do to change it."

"Man proposes, God disposes..."

Xu Huang's expression changed drastically, and he looked at Jia Xu in surprise, clearly not expecting that Jia Xu would stand on Sima Yi's side.

Sima Yi was also surprised, never expecting that Jia Xu would be so clear about separating public and private matters and not let personal grudges interfere with state affairs.

Cao Cao then fell into a long silence.

"Man proposes, God disposes; man proposes, God disposes; man proposes, God disposes..."

He muttered to himself, repeating those eight words over and over, his gaze fixed on the ice surface where hundreds of thousands of Han soldiers were surging toward the west bank.

After a long time.

Cao Cao slammed his cane into the ground and shouted:
"My mind is made up. We will defend Puban Pass to the death and will never retreat!" (End of Chapter)