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

Everyone's tense nerves finally relaxed at this moment, and they breathed a long sigh of relief.

In that life-or-death moment, Cao Cao finally made what others considered the most correct choice.

However, this choice came a little too late.

If a decision had been made sooner, the situation might not have escalated to such a critical point.

Even so, compared to continuing to stubbornly hold out and ultimately suffering a tragic end of total annihilation, the choice at this moment is undoubtedly a thousand times better.

After all, as long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood.

Xu Huang leaped to his feet and shouted:
"Retreat! His Majesty has decreed that the entire army abandon the pass and retreat south—"

Immediately afterwards, the sound of gongs rang out, like a clarion call of hope.

Upon hearing this voice, the Wei soldiers on the city wall felt as if they had received a pardon. Their exhausted and terrified faces instantly lit up with a joy at surviving a calamity.

They threw down their weapons and fled in disarray, abandoning the pass.

Along the ten-mile-long river defense wall, the 60,000 Wei troops were like a pile of loose sand, retreating in complete disarray and fleeing at the mere sight of the enemy.

They were already terrified by the Han army's powerful offensive, and at this moment they had only one thought in their minds—to escape.

The scene resembled a flood bursting its banks!
"Your Majesty, let's go."

Xu Chu, his face full of anxiety, grabbed Cao Cao and earnestly tried to persuade him.

His eyes were full of worry.

If Cao Cao did not leave at this moment, he would be surrounded by the Han army, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

Although Cao Cao had already issued the order to abandon the pass, his feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, frozen in place, his face still full of reluctance.

His gaze lingered on the pass that was about to be lost, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

This was the defensive line he had painstakingly built, the place where his hope of resisting the Han army lay.

Now, how can he bear to give up so easily?

Jia Xu frowned slightly and gave Xu Chu a wink.

Xu Chu sighed helplessly and had no choice but to order his guards to forcibly carry Cao Cao down the pass.

Cao Cao was immediately enraged and shouted hysterically:

"I won't leave! I must cover the retreat for my troops! Let me go!"

However, while he shouted passionately, his body betrayed him. He only struggled symbolically a few times before letting the Tiger Guards carry him down from the city wall.

Perhaps deep down he understood that his struggle was futile and that leaving was the only option.

More than a thousand Tiger Guards, like a solid barrier, surrounded Cao Cao's imperial carriage and mingled with the fleeing soldiers, escaping in panic to the south.

Now that the Han army had closed in, how could Cao Cao be allowed to withdraw so easily?

Generals Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, and others, each leading their own troops, attacked Puban Pass like fierce tigers, relentlessly pursuing the enemy.

They had only one goal in mind—to completely annihilate the Wei army.

Heading south from Puban Pass, the blood of countless Wei soldiers stained the pristine snowfields red.

...

The next day, at dawn, the wind and snow suddenly stopped, and the sky cleared.

The world, which had been shrouded in wind and snow, instantly brightened. Sunlight shone on the snow, reflecting a dazzling light.

Such beautiful scenery, however, cannot conceal the traces left by the brutal war that just ended.

Liu Shan, accompanied by Xiao He, had already ascended Puban Pass to hear reports from his generals on the battle results.

In this battle, Li Tong and more than ten other Wei generals were all killed.

These Wei generals were among the few remaining top generals under Cao Cao's command, and their deaths undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the Wei army's fighting strength. Of the 60,000 Wei soldiers, more than 20,000 were killed or wounded, and more than 10,000 were captured.

Cao Cao led only 30,000 troops and fled south in haste to Linya City.

"Congratulations, Your Highness, on annihilating half of the main force of the Wei army in one battle and capturing Puban Pass in one fell swoop."

Xiao He smiled broadly, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Liu Shan, and said with a joyful expression:

"When the good news reaches Ye City, His Majesty will surely be overjoyed."

Although Liu Shan tried his best to control his emotions, he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips, and his eyes clearly burned with a hint of smugness.

After this battle, he could be considered to have accomplished a great feat.

Even though the battles were fought by Zhang Fei and other generals, and the tactics and strategies were all decided by Xiao He, he was still the one who made the final decision.

In a war, the role of the decision-maker is crucial, and Liu Shan, as the supreme commander of this campaign, naturally held an irreplaceable position.

The credit for this battle undoubtedly belongs to him.

"After this battle, I'll see which of my father's nobles will dare to underestimate me because I know nothing about military affairs, and who will dare to disobey me..."

Liu Shan was secretly pleased with himself, as if he could already see the scene of those nobles bowing down to him.

However, he feigned humility and said self-deprecatingly:
"Grand Marshal, you flatter me. If you hadn't predicted that the Yellow River would freeze over, how could I have defeated Cao Cao and marched into Guanzhong?"

His tone was sincere and humble, showing no desire for credit, and he continued:
"This achievement shall be shared by me, the Grand Marshal, and all the generals and soldiers."

Seeing that the Crown Prince did not covet credit and generously shared the credit with the generals, everyone secretly praised him.

Liu Shan's move undoubtedly won the respect and support of his generals.

"Grand Marshal, what should our next tactic be?"

Liu Shan then humbly sought advice from Xiao He.

Xiao pointed south and sneered:
"If Puban Pass is lost, Cao Cao will surely head south straight for Weikou, relying on the Wei River to block our army and ensure that Tongguan Pass is not lost."

At this moment, Xiao He seemed to have seen through Cao Cao's inner thoughts.

"His Highness naturally ordered the three armies to rest briefly before heading south along the Yellow River, heading straight for the mouth of the Wei River."

He continued, his tone firm and confident:
"If we capture Weikou, then Cao Cao will have no choice but to abandon Tongguan and retreat to Chang'an."

"Only by taking Tongguan can our army's provisions be transported into Guanzhong via the main road, and our hundreds of thousands of troops will be free from worries about food supplies!"

He emphasized his point at the end, wanting Liu Shan to realize the importance of capturing Weikou.

Liu Shan agreed wholeheartedly and immediately issued an order to reward the soldiers with wine and meat. After a day of rest, the army headed straight for Weikou.

"Your Highness, we have captured 10,000 Wei soldiers. What do you suggest we do with them?"

Zhang Fei chuckled and reminded him again.

Ten thousand prisoners—it's not a lot, but it's not a small number either.

Following Liu Bei's usual practice, without them even asking, these 10,000 surrendered Wei soldiers were all appeased, reorganized into the Han army, and put to use for his own purposes.

However, since Liu Shan is currently in charge of the army and is unaware of Liu Bei's usual practice, he naturally needs to consult with Liu Bei first.

Otherwise, it would seem that these veteran officials were not respecting Liu Shan, the crown prince, enough.

Although Zhang Fei was carefree and easygoing, he still understood basic social etiquette.

A ruthless glint flashed in Liu Shan's eyes. After a moment's thought, he coldly said:
"These Wei soldiers aided and abetted the tyrant, and resisted stubbornly; they all deserve to die!"

"By my order, behead them all to deter those Wei people who still follow the traitor Cao!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed. (End of Chapter)