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

"Listen to their words and observe their actions..."

Xiao He let out a profound sigh.

Then, he slowly turned his gaze to the south, his eyes revealing a profound and meaningful look.

"Right now, we should prioritize destroying Wei. We can discuss other matters after the world is unified."

Currently, hundreds of thousands of troops are attacking Guanzhong, and the destruction of Wei has reached its most critical moment.

Everything must give way to the destruction of Wei!
Although Liu Shan showed signs of becoming like Yang Guang, he still presented himself as a wise ruler who readily accepted their advice.

What can you do in this situation?
Could it be that the puppet state of Wei has given up its campaign and is about to write to Liu Shan, deposing him as crown prince and installing someone else in his place?
Leaving aside the issue of deposing and establishing a new crown prince, this is a matter of great importance concerning the foundation of the country, and it is not something that can be easily accomplished.

Moreover, just because you suspect that Liu Shan will turn bad in the future, you should advise Liu Shan to depose him?

That's not appropriate either.

Furthermore, Liu Shan is currently the commander-in-chief of the three armies, leading hundreds of thousands of troops to attack Wei.

Changing generals at this critical moment is a major taboo in military strategy.

The best option, of course, is to observe Liu Shan first and finish the war against Wei first.

Zhao Yun followed Xiao He's gaze and looked south. He seemed to understand something, nodded slightly, and then said no more.

He was well aware that they bore the heavy responsibility of destroying Cao Cao and could not afford to be negligent or distracted in the slightest.

At that moment, 250,000 Han soldiers were immersed in jubilation within the city of Puban.

They drank wine from large bowls, ate large chunks of meat, and celebrated their success in breaking through the barrier.

The aroma of wine filled the air, mingling with the soldiers' cheers and laughter.

At the same time, a report of victory, carried by a fast horse at a speed of eight hundred li, sped toward Ye City like a bolt of lightning.

Ye City, both inside and outside the imperial city, was covered with thick snow, resembling a silver-clad ice and snow world.

This cold wave swept across the entire northern region.

It wasn't just Puban Pass that experienced a drop in temperature and snowfall; Jizhou also saw heavy snowfall for two consecutive days.

Outside the Golden Hall, Liu Bei stood quietly, his gaze fixed on the direction of Puban, a glint of light in his eyes.

His eyes held both concern for the battle at the front and anticipation of victory.

He seemed to see the heroic scene of the Han soldiers fighting bravely on the battlefield, and he saw the moment when Puban Pass collapsed under their fearless attack.

"It's so cold, Your Majesty. Please don't let your health get too cold. You should go back to the palace and warm up."

Zhuge Liang's caring voice rang out from behind.

Zhuge Liang was dressed in a plain-colored robe, wearing a turban, holding a feather fan, and his eyes revealed wisdom.

Liu Bei, however, paid no attention. He slowly turned his head, a hint of expectation in his eyes:
"Prime Minister, with this heavy snow and plummeting temperature, the river at Puban Pass must be frozen over by now."

For Liu Bei, whether the Yellow River was frozen or not was directly related to whether the Han army could successfully cross the river to fight, which was his biggest concern at the moment.

Zhuge Liang was well aware of Liu Bei's worries. He smiled slightly, a confident smile, and nodded gently.

"According to the report sent back from Liyang, the Yellow River in the Liyang section is frozen, and the river surface in the Puban Pass section should also be frozen."

"I estimate that there should be good news coming back from Hedong in the next two days."

Liu Bei nodded slightly, a deep expectation flashing in his eyes.

With Zhuge Liang's confident answer, his worries dissipated considerably.

He turned and slowly walked back into the hall.

Just as Liu Bei arrived at the sand table and was about to carefully analyze the battle, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded.

Jiang Wan burst into the hall, holding a memorial aloft. His face beamed with excitement, as if the memorial in his hands were a priceless treasure. "Your Majesty, news of victory at Puban! News of victory at Puban—"

Jiang Wan stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and held the memorial high, her voice trembling with excitement.

Liu Bei's spirits lifted, and his eyes lit up instantly.

He snatched the report and eagerly unfolded it.

After glancing at it excitedly a few times, Liu Bei could no longer contain his joy and burst into laughter:
"They've won! The Crown Prince and Bowen have truly won."

"Bowen is truly a sage descended to earth, possessing an uncanny understanding of the changing seasons. This winter is indeed going to be a harsh one!"

"With Puban fallen, the puppet Wei dynasty will surely perish! Hahaha—"

Upon hearing Liu Bei's laughter, Zhuge Liang and the other ministers were all greatly encouraged.

They all gathered around, and Liu Bei then announced the victory to his ministers, allowing them to share in the joy of this triumph.

It turned out that the temperature had plummeted and the Yellow River had frozen over, so Liu Shan decisively ordered the entire army to cross the river on the ice.

Two hundred and fifty thousand Han troops, like an iron torrent, swept across the frozen Yellow River and launched a fierce attack on Puban Pass.

Thanks to the valiant fighting of the Han soldiers, Puban Pass was finally breached, and more than 30,000 enemy soldiers were annihilated!

Left with no other option, Cao Cao could only lead his remaining troops south.

The entire course of the battle was clearly described in the victory report, with every detail presented to everyone.

Zhuge Liang breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled:
"Your Highness, on your first command of troops, you have achieved a resounding victory, severely damaging the Cao traitor and kicking down the gates of Guanzhong in one fell swoop. This is a blessing for our great Han Dynasty!"

Zhuge Liang knew that Liu Shan's command of troops in this battle was not only a test of his personal abilities, but also related to the future of the Han Dynasty.

Now that Liu Shan has made such great contributions as the crown prince, it proves that he is worthy of the position.

The fact that the crown prince is virtuous and capable is naturally a blessing for the country.

Liu Bei stroked his fine beard, grinning from ear to ear.

At this moment, the huge weight that had been hanging over his heart finally lifted.

To be honest, he knew he was taking a certain risk by choosing to let Liu Shan command the troops.

After all, his son had never commanded troops and had no authority in the army.

If it weren't for establishing Liu Shan's authority and paving the way for his future succession to the throne, as well as the crucial task of conquering Wei, he would never have dared to let Liu Shan command the troops.

His biggest worry was that Liu Shan, being young and impetuous, had made the mistake of acting arbitrarily and failed to listen to the opinions of Xiao He, Zhang Fei, and others.

It is important to understand that on the battlefield, every decision can affect the outcome of the entire battle.

If Liu Shan did not heed the advice of experienced generals and acted blindly, it could very well lead to serious consequences.

Now that the good news has arrived, all his worries were unnecessary.

Liu Shan had achieved great success and established his prestige in the army.

With the capture of Puban Pass, the gateways to Yong and Liang provinces were wide open, and the destruction of Wei was now a foregone conclusion.

This is a win-win situation, a happy ending for everyone.

Liu Bei laughed heartily, and with a wave of his hand, he shouted:

"Issue my decree to commend the meritorious soldiers on the front lines."

"They have made great contributions in this battle and deserve a generous reward."

"Furthermore, at the same time, order the Crown Prince to rest briefly before immediately advancing into Guanzhong."

"In this battle, we will not withdraw our troops until we have annihilated the false Wei and executed the traitor Cao!" (End of Chapter)