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

Cao Cao felt confident again.

The land, which was originally covered by ice and snow, unexpectedly saw a warming of temperatures.

The thick ice began to melt quietly, giving him the illusion that his fate was not yet over and that he was favored by destiny.

Cao Cao stood outside the camp, gazing up at the gradually clearing sky, pondering to himself:

Even God couldn't stand it anymore and decided to help me. How could I possibly lose?
This is his current state of mind.

The melting ice and snow were a turning point bestowed upon him by heaven, a signal to reverse the tide, making him firmly believe that he could hold out in Yongzhou and resist the Han army's offensive.

Xu Huang's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition surged into his mind.

Previously, he had tried his best to persuade Cao Cao.

From the critical situation to the disparity in troop strength, from the painful lessons of the past to the slim hope for the future, he talked until he was almost hoarse, and finally persuaded Cao Cao to give up Yongzhou and retreat to Liangzhou.

He believed that Cao Cao would recognize reality and make a wise choice.

But now, a sudden change in the weather and the melting of the snow have made Cao Cao determined to defend Yongzhou to the death.

This change instantly rendered Xu Huang's painstaking efforts futile.

He knew, of course, that Cao Cao's move was tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock, putting the remaining forces of Wei in a desperate situation.

As a subject, how could he stand by and watch Cao Cao head towards utter ruin?

After hesitating for a moment, Xu Huang gritted his teeth and decided to try to persuade Cao Cao again.

He knew all too well that this move might anger Cao Cao and could even bring him death, but for the sake of the Wei dynasty and the lives of countless soldiers, he could no longer care about such things.

"Your Majesty, even if the temperature rises and the ice and snow melt, how could the mere Wei River possibly stop the Han army?"

Xu Huang's voice was urgent and tinged with accusation.

"The Han army was nominally commanded by Liu Shan, but the one in actual power was Xiao He."

"Your Majesty knows better than anyone else what kind of strength this person possesses. Haven't we suffered enough losses because of his schemes?"

Xu Huang felt a chill run down his spine when he mentioned Xiao He.

Xiao He's wisdom enabled them to defeat Cao Wei's million-strong army and lose most of the country!
Those crushing defeats are still vivid in our minds, haunting the hearts of everyone in the Wei Kingdom like a nightmare.

"Back then, we controlled the entire north and had a million soldiers under our command, but we still couldn't stop Xiao He!"

"With just the Wei River and a few tens of thousands of soldiers, what makes Your Majesty so confident that you can stop him and hundreds of thousands of Han troops?"

Xu Huang became more and more agitated as he spoke, trying to use these bloody lessons to awaken Cao Cao's rationality and make him realize how ridiculous his confidence was.

"Your Majesty, you must not deceive yourselves. Retreat to Liangzhou!"

In the end, Xu Huang went all out and, in order to offer honest advice, dared to call Cao Cao "self-deceiving."

He certainly understood that this "disrespectful" remark might thoroughly enrage Cao Cao, but he also knew that if he did not speak frankly and remonstrate, Cao Cao would surely fall into an irrecoverable predicament.

Cao Cao was struck on the back and instantly became furious.

He turned and glared angrily at Xu Huang, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Xu Gongming, how dare you mock me in public! What are you trying to do!"

When the emperor was angry, everyone was shocked.

The atmosphere instantly became tense. All the officials bowed their heads and dared not utter a sound, for fear that Cao Cao's anger would affect them.

Xu Huang showed no sign of backing down. His face was filled with sorrow, and his voice was low but firm as he said:

"Your Majesty, I would never dare to satirize you. I am merely offering loyal advice for the sake of the Great Wei dynasty."

"Aren't there enough examples and bloody lessons from the past?"

"Your Majesty, you must not harbor any more illusions. Our Great Wei only has this few troops left, and we cannot afford any more losses. If we are defeated in this battle, we will have nothing left!" With that, Xu Huang knelt down, adopting a posture of remonstrating to the death.

His eyes were filled with pleading helplessness; he desperately hoped that Cao Cao would listen to him and change this wrong decision.

Cao Cao was furious, his blood boiling with rage.

He actually turned around, drew Xu Chu's sword, and was about to attack Xu Huang in front of everyone.

The officials around him were terrified and knelt down to beg for mercy.

"Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down!"

Even Xu Chu hurriedly grabbed Cao Cao's hand, fearing that he might do something irreversible in a fit of anger.

Jia Xu, unable to bear it any longer, quickly cupped his hands and advised:
"Your Majesty, although Xu Gongming's words may have offended you, he was wholeheartedly devoted to the cause of our Great Wei. I beg Your Majesty to forgive his offense against the imperial authority, considering his loyalty."

Several ministers, including Yang Fu, hurriedly pleaded for Xu Huang's life.

Xu Huang was extremely loyal. If Cao Cao really killed Xu Huang, he would not only lose a valuable general, but also discourage the soldiers and shake the already crumbling foundation of Wei.

Cao Cao's anger was finally suppressed, and his mind finally calmed down a bit.

Looking at Xu Huang kneeling on the ground, he couldn't help but feel a little hesitant.

Xu Huang was indeed not someone to be killed.

At present, the only generals in the Wei Kingdom who can be called famous are Xu Huang and Zhang He.

If he were to kill Xu Huang in a fit of anger, wouldn't that be like cutting off his own arm?
This person, as infuriating as he may be, we still have to use him...

After weighing the pros and cons, Cao Cao had no choice but to swallow his anger, throw his long sword to the ground, and give Xu Huang a disgruntled look.

"Fine, considering your concern for the nation, I will forgive your disrespect, but this will not be allowed to happen again!"

The ministers breathed a sigh of relief, and the atmosphere eased somewhat.

Xu Huang had already lost his spirit by this time.

He truly hadn't expected that Cao Cao would not only ignore his loyal advice and remonstrate, but would also be so enraged as to draw his sword and attack him.

Xu Huang was both frightened and disheartened.

He pondered to himself, "I was so devoted to the Great Wei, yet I have ended up like this. Is this the consequence of being loyal to Cao Wei?"
Faced with Cao Cao's warning, he could only sigh inwardly and silently shut his mouth.

Xu Huang understood that it would be futile to persuade Cao Cao at this point, and he could only make further plans.

This setback, however, spurred Cao Cao on and strengthened his resolve to retreat to the Wei River.

Retreating to Weikou might allow them to rely on the natural barrier of the Wei River to hold off the Han army for a while.

This was his last chance to prevent the downfall of Cao Wei.

Taking a deep breath, Cao Cao's face was as resolute as iron, and he waved his hand, shouting:

"My mind is made up. Issue an edict: the entire army shall retreat and defend the Wei River."

"I will never give up Yongzhou and hand it over to that damned son of the Big-Eared Thief!"

The emperor had made his decision, and the ministers, having learned from Xu Huang's example, naturally dared not object.

Xu Huang shut his mouth, and Jia Xu merely shook his head inwardly; neither dared to utter another sound.

Only Sima Yi breathed a sigh of relief, and a proud smile returned to his lips.

"Xiao He, do you see? Even the heavens are on my side now!"

"With me, Sima Yi, here, I will never let you help that scoundrel Liu Bei take Yongzhou and destroy Cao Wei!"

Sima Yi gazed towards Puban Pass, gritting his teeth and silently vowing an oath. (End of Chapter)