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

Zhang Fei stared wide-eyed, his mouth agape, completely dumbfounded, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Is this still my own nephew, who is always open to advice and is humble and gentle?

In the past, Liu Shan always listened attentively to the opinions of his uncles, discussing matters big and small with them.

But now, he openly ignored the earnest advice of his uncles and directly invoked the supreme authority of the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies and the Crown Prince, issuing the order to divide the troops in an unquestionable and forceful manner.

What surprised Zhang Fei even more was that Liu Shan really intended to personally lead the army to fight!

Moreover, their attitude was firm, making it clear that they were not allowed to accompany and assist these three uncles who called themselves "old guys".

He couldn't help but wonder:
What is this child trying to do?

Could it be that he was blinded by a moment of passion?
"Your Highness, you—"

Zhang Fei was about to speak, but before he could finish his sentence...

"Uncle Yide!"

Liu Shan quickly interrupted Zhang Fei's impending advice, and said solemnly:

“I know what you want to say, but what I want to say is that I am no longer the ignorant child under your wings who needed to be protected at every turn.”

"I have grown up and it is time for me to take on the responsibilities I should have and contribute my strength to the revival of the Han Dynasty."

"Please believe me, Uncle. My plan for this battle is not just empty talk or wishful thinking, nor is it arrogant or ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth."

"After careful consideration and a comprehensive analysis of the situation, I am confident that I can capture Hanzhong, defeat Zhang Lu, and secure Hanzhong for the court!"

Upon hearing these words, Zhang Fei was speechless and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

The moment he uttered the words "Uncle Yide," it seemed to possess an invisible magic, instantly softening his heart and silencing all the objections he had prepared.

He suddenly realized that Liu Shan was sincerely asking for his understanding and support as a junior and as a nephew.

Zhang Fei instantly understood; Liu Shan simply wanted an opportunity to prove himself.

Prove what?
This is, of course, proof that he has grown into a man, possessing not only exceptional strategic skills in literature but also outstanding talent in martial arts, thus embodying the qualities of being both learned and skilled in martial arts.

He longed for the opportunity to lead an army to eliminate the Han traitors and win every battle, just like his father Liu Bei.

What he wanted was a real victory, one won through his own strength.

Instead of hiding behind those old guys, reaping the benefits without any real victory.

Only in this way could he truly establish his prestige in the army and make the soldiers follow him wholeheartedly.

Having said all that, what else could Zhang Fei do?
Even though he felt that the decision was somewhat inappropriate and was vaguely worried that something unexpected might happen to Liu Shan on this trip, he could no longer object or question it at this moment.

From the perspective of a subject, he had to offer loyal advice to the crown prince and fulfill his duties to ensure that the crown prince's decisions were flawless.

From the uncle's perspective, it seems reasonable to occasionally indulge his nephew.

After all, which elder doesn't want to see their younger generation brave enough to take responsibility and make their own way in the world?

"Very well, Your Highness is, after all, the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies. Since you have made up your mind, how can we, your subjects, object?"

"Your subject will certainly give full support to the Crown Prince's decision and guard the Chang'an camp well for the Crown Prince's expedition."

Zhang Fei sighed, his heart filled with a mixture of worry and helplessness, but in the end he relented.

Liu Shan was overjoyed to hear Zhang Fei agree. However...

Zhao Yun, standing to the side, grew anxious. He never expected that Zhang Fei would agree to Liu Shan's risky decision.

In his view, Liu Shan's actions were too impulsive and lacked thorough consideration, so he pretended to continue opposing him and planned to persuade Liu Shan again.

"Zi Long!"

Just then, Xiao He gave a low shout, shook his head slightly, and his eyes revealed a profound meaning, implying that Zhao Yun no longer needed to object.

Compared to Zhang Fei, he and Zhao Yun were, after all, outsiders to Liu Shan.

In Liu Shan's mind, there was naturally a distinction between those who were close to him and those who were distant.

He would humbly plead with his uncle, showing respect from a junior to an elder, but he would never use the same attitude to plead with his subjects.

During his conversation with them, Liu Shan clearly expressed his dissatisfaction with Zhao Yun, and Zhao Yun should have been able to sense the displeasure in his eyes.

If Zhao Yun were to offer further advice now, wouldn't he be making a fool of himself and only making Liu Shan more resentful of him?

Furthermore, although Zhang Fei, as the General of the Cavalry, was nominally below him as the Grand Marshal, his actual status was above him.

He is the emperor's sworn brother and has a life-and-death bond with Liu Bei!

If Zhang Fei hadn't been not surnamed Liu and bound by the rule that "Emperor Gaozu was not of the Liu clan but became king, and the whole world attacked him," given his achievements and status, Liu would surely have bestowed upon him the title of king, allowing him to enjoy unparalleled glory.

In other words, Zhang Fei was the actual commander of these 350,000 Han troops, and the top leader in the army.

Now that the top leader is on Liu Shan's side, what's the point of their opposition?

It was all in vain.

Zhao Yun's mind raced, and he instantly understood Xiao He's implication. Although he was still worried about Liu Shan's safety, he had to grit his teeth and swallow back the words of persuasion that were on the tip of his tongue.

"Since His Highness the Crown Prince has decided to divide his troops and march south, we, your subjects, naturally dare not have any objections. We will certainly do our duty and guard the main camp well."

"However, although Your Highness does not require us to accompany you, you still need strategists and capable generals to serve you. I wonder which generals Your Highness would like to appoint?"

Although Xiao He saw through Liu Shan's thoughts, for the sake of the overall situation, he still had to remind Liu Shan to be more cautious and thorough in his use of personnel.

Liu Shan seemed to have been prepared, and without hesitation, he named a series of people:

Zhang Yan, Qian Zhao, Jia Kui, Man Chong, Xun Yun, Zhong Yu, Wen Qin...

Liu Shan compiled a long list.

Zhang Fei didn't see anything wrong with it, but Xiao He immediately noticed the unusual nature of the list.

The people Liu Shan selected were mostly surrendered generals from Cao Wei, and they were all from the north.

For example, Man Chong, who was the first to be captured and surrendered to the Laos, was from Shanyang.

Qian Zhao was from Youzhou, Jia Kui was from Hedong, and Xun Yun was Xun Yu's son, from Yingchuan...

Liu Shan basically didn't choose any of the military generals from Jingzhou, such as Huang Zhong, who rose to power, or the strategists and generals from Jiangdong, such as Lu Xun.

In short, Liu Shan excluded all the southerners and chose a team composed entirely of northerners.

What exactly is Liu Shan trying to do? (End of Chapter)