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

Deposing the crown prince is by no means a trivial matter that can be easily accomplished.

In the power structure of an empire, the position of crown prince is the cornerstone of the edifice, affecting the entire nation and its very foundation.

If handled improperly, it could trigger turmoil in the court and even endanger the safety of the nation.

Liu Shan was no ordinary person; he was a deep and cunning individual.

Given the current situation both inside and outside the court, Liu Shan's reputation among the court and the public is quite good.

He successfully won Lao Liu's favor by using his disguise.

Old Liu placed high hopes on him, regarding him as the sole heir to the future empire, and treated him with utmost care and protection.

Moreover, influential ministers in the court, such as Zhuge Liang and his father-in-law Guan Yu, were quite satisfied with Liu Shan's performance.

They all believed that Liu Shan possessed the potential to be a wise and virtuous ruler and was capable of shouldering great responsibilities in the future.

In the Battle of Puban, Liu Shan personally commanded the troops, leading them to cross the Yellow River and inflict heavy losses on the Wei army.

In the Battle of Wei River, he took the lead and personally led a large army to reinforce Zhang Fei, which startled Cao Cao and allowed him to defend the pontoon bridge.

These two achievements earned Liu Shan considerable prestige within the army.

It can be said that Liu Shan has successfully portrayed the image of a wise and virtuous crown prince.

Under these circumstances, how easy would it be to remove Liu Shan from the position of crown prince?
Even though Xiao He was the greatest meritorious official of the Han Dynasty, possessing extremely high prestige and power in the court, and Emperor Liu listened to him almost without question, he would never easily agree to the matter of deposing the crown prince.

To rashly offer advice to Liu Bei to depose a crown prince who had rendered meritorious service and had no faults would undoubtedly be an extremely dangerous gamble.

This would not only draw him into a media storm and make him the target of public criticism, but would also cause him to lose Lao Liu's trust and respect.

Once the emperor develops doubts and dissatisfaction with a minister, that minister's position in the court will be in jeopardy.

The past achievements and glory will vanish like bubbles.

So, what reasons could be used to persuade Liu Bang to depose Liu Shan?
Should we bluntly tell Lao Liu that his precious son will be ambitious and greedy in the future, disregarding the lives of ordinary people and causing chaos in the world in order to satisfy his own selfish desires?

Your son will also carry out a massacre of those meritorious officials who have made outstanding contributions, causing panic in the court.

Even if Xiao Hezhen were a god descended to earth, possessing the ability to foresee the future and accurately predict everything that would happen, Lao Liu would not easily believe his words.

After all, the bond between father and son is a blood-is-thicker-than-water emotion, how could a meritorious official destroy it with just a few words?
Liu Bang's love and expectations for Liu Shan were deeply ingrained. He preferred to believe everything he saw and heard with his own eyes rather than Xiao He's so-called prophecies.

Moreover, such a major event as deposing the crown prince cannot be accomplished by one person alone.

We must gather enough allies to form a powerful force in order to gradually advance the plan.

This requires sufficient patience and strategy; we must proceed slowly and gradually, and not be too hasty.

Otherwise, if it alerts Lao Liu, the entire plan will be in vain.

Among the many potential allies, Zhao Yun was the first to be chosen.

The reason is actually quite simple: during a previous military council meeting, Liu Shan had already expressed his dissatisfaction with Zhao Yun.

At that time, Zhao Yun put forward some opinions that differed from Liu Shan's. Although Liu Shan did not show any anger on the spot, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

It is believed that someone as perceptive as Zhao Yun could clearly sense the change in Liu Shan's attitude towards him.

Zhao Yun's words just now revealed his dissatisfaction with Liu Shan's actions. He questioned Liu Shan's magnanimity, believing that Liu Shan was not as generous and open to advice as he appeared on the surface.

Zhao Yun was known for his loyalty, integrity, and patriotism, so naturally he had extremely high expectations of the monarch's virtue and talent.

If Zhao Yun felt that Liu Shan becoming crown prince would be harmful to the Han Dynasty, he would certainly stand up against it without hesitation and become a member of the group supporting the plan to depose the crown prince.

As Zhao Yun was a general of chariots and cavalry, he had followed Liu Bei for many years and was a loyal minister who helped him rise to power and a pillar of the state.

With his help, Xiao He's plan to depose the crown prince naturally became more successful.

Moreover, Zhao Yun was just the beginning.

Besides Zhao Yun, Xiao He would also find opportunities to win over and persuade other influential officials to stand on his side.

As expected, Zhao Yun didn't have many concerns when faced with Xiao He's question.

With a worried expression, he spoke frankly:

"In my opinion, His Highness the Crown Prince appears to have the demeanor of an emperor, seemingly receptive to advice and humble and benevolent, but in reality, he is quite different from an emperor."

"In fact, he went against the emperor's wishes."

Xiao He's lips curled up slightly, secretly pleased.

Clearly, Zhao Yun had keen insight and saw through Liu Shan's weakness.

This shows that Zhao Yun, at least in his understanding of Liu Shan, shared the same stance as himself.

This strengthened his resolve to depose the crown prince and gave him hope that the plan would succeed.

"Why do you say that, Zilong?"

Xiao He remained calm and continued to ask questions, as he needed to further probe Zhao Yun's intentions.

Zhao Yun took a deep breath and slowly said:

"His Highness the Crown Prince speaks of benevolence and righteousness, yet in the Battle of Puban, he didn't even blink before ordering the massacre of over ten thousand surrendered soldiers."

"On the surface, this move was intended to intimidate the puppet Wei and instill fear in the enemy, but in reality, it reveals the Crown Prince's ruthlessness and his willingness to use any means to achieve his goals."

"If it were the emperor, let alone the fact that these 10,000 prisoners have already surrendered, laid down their weapons, and expressed their willingness to serve the Han Dynasty, even if they did not surrender, the emperor would never kill them. Instead, he would give them travel expenses and let them return home."

"This one incident alone made Yun realize that His Highness the Crown Prince was all talk and no action, but in reality, he was cruel and ruthless."

After a pause, Zhao Yun continued:

"Furthermore, a few days ago, the Crown Prince wanted to use grain as bait to lure and annihilate the Wei cavalry. Yun merely pointed out the flaw in the plan and reminded him that the plan was risky and might be discovered by the enemy, leading to our army being in a passive situation."

"His Highness the Crown Prince was clearly displeased, and his face showed displeasure."

"Such a clear-cut matter, if it were His Majesty, he would surely heed our advice without hesitation. Not only would he not be displeased, but he would also be pleased with our loyal advice, believing that we are truly thinking of the Han Dynasty."

"This one incident alone shows that the Crown Prince is not one to humbly accept advice."

"And today, His Highness the Crown Prince bypassed us and directly presented the victory report to the Emperor, which is clearly..."

Zhao Yun, as expected, was loyal, upright, and frank, and immediately poured out all his negative views about Liu Shan to Xiao He. (End of Chapter)