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

Liu Bei sat down abruptly, still maintaining his imperial dignity, but his face darkened.

Several important court officials, including Zhuge Liang and Xun Yu, who were on either side of the emperor, all keenly sensed the emperor's anger.

Everyone's expression changed slightly, and their bodies tensed up involuntarily.

"Your Majesty, what exactly has the Crown Prince done wrong to provoke such a furious reaction from you?"

Zhuge Liang rose slightly, bowed deeply, and cautiously asked.

Liu Bei tilted his head slightly, a hint of displeasure in his eyes, and gave Chen Dao a wink.

Chen Dao understood immediately, quickly stepped forward, picked up Xiao He's memorial, and respectfully handed it over with both hands.

Zhuge Liang accepted the document with both hands and then passed it around to Xun Yu and the others to read.

As the memorial was passed from hand to hand, everyone's heart became tense.

Zhuge Liang's brows furrowed more and more, and several deep wrinkles gradually appeared on his forehead. His eyes were filled with shock.

He suddenly raised his head, looked at Liu Bei, and said incredulously:
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is actually leading an army of 100,000 to attack Hanzhong first?"

"This...this is no small matter. Hanzhong is a strategically important location, easy to defend but difficult to attack!"

"Was the Crown Prince's action merely an impulsive act?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's already gloomy face grew even more unpleasant.

He slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne, his eyes burning with fierce anger, and said in a deep voice:

"Yeah, that brat is really overestimating himself. Does he really think he won those two battles entirely on his own?"

"Hmph! It was only because Bowen was planning for him from behind, and Yide, Zilong and others were leading the troops and charging into battle that he won those two victories. He was just reaping the benefits without lifting a finger."

"Just for such a dubious achievement, he became so arrogant that he dared to personally lead a large army to take Hanzhong. He is truly arrogant and conceited to the extreme!"

"Didn't he even consider that Hanzhong was not so easy to capture? Such rash action would put my 100,000 troops in danger?"

"Cough cough cough~~"

Liu Bei became increasingly agitated as he spoke, and unable to contain his emotions, he began to cough.

Lately, his health has been deteriorating. This sudden outburst of anger caused him to feel a tightness in his chest, as if a heavy stone was pressing on his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.

Upon seeing this, Chen Dao was greatly alarmed and hurriedly stepped forward to offer tea and water.

Liu Bei forced himself to take a sip, which helped him catch his breath a little, but the anger on his face remained.

After reading the report, Xun Yu pondered for a moment.

Then he slowly raised his head and looked at Liu Bei:
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince's actions do appear somewhat hasty on the surface."

"Hanzhong is a place that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. If the Crown Prince rashly sends troops to take it, there is indeed a great risk involved."

"However, if Zhang Lu really wants to lead his army out of Sichuan, Your Highness the Crown Prince can take advantage of the situation to defeat him and indeed recover Hanzhong in one fell swoop."

"In this way, we can not only recover the strategic location of Hanzhong, but also take the opportunity to turn around and destroy the pseudo-Wei, which is not a bad plan to kill two birds with one stone."

Xun Yu's words were clearly an attempt to defend Liu Shan.

However, upon closer examination, his words do not lack merit.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's anger subsided somewhat, but he still spoke with displeasure:
"What Wenruo said makes sense. If we can take advantage of the situation and seize Hanzhong, it is not impossible."

"However, this Crown Prince is stubborn and self-willed. He refused to let Bowen accompany the army on the expedition, and even Yide and Zilong were excluded by him."

"How can I feel at ease with this action?"

"Doesn't he know that war is not child's play? A slight misstep can lead to total defeat?"

Xun Yu smiled faintly, as if everything was under his control.

“Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince does indeed possess the fearlessness of a newborn calf. I suspect that His Highness made this choice primarily to prove to Your Majesty and the people that he has the ability to command an army independently.” “After all, as the Crown Prince, he will inherit the throne and shoulder the heavy responsibility of governing the Han Dynasty.”

"He longs to demonstrate his talent and courage through this battle, so that he can truly establish his prestige, gain the trust and respect of the people, and finally reassure His Majesty to entrust the Han Dynasty to him."

"Your Majesty, I believe that the Crown Prince should be given a chance to prove himself."

After listening to Xun Yu's reasonable analysis, Liu Bei seemed to gradually understand Liu Shan's motives, and the anger on his face gradually dissipated.

Seeing this, Xun Yu pressed his advantage, saying:
"Moreover, the enemy Your Highness is about to annihilate is not a treacherous hero like Cao Cao, but Zhang Lu."

"Although Zhang Lu has some strength, he is still worlds apart from Cao Cao."

"Although His Highness did not order the Grand Marshal and others to accompany him, the strategists and generals he selected, such as Man Chong and Zhang Yan, are all extraordinary individuals."

"I believe that with His Highness the Crown Prince's decisiveness and strategic acumen, coupled with the assistance of people like Man Chong, dealing with Zhang Lu will be a piece of cake."

"Your Majesty, please put your mind at ease."

Xun Yu's words subtly and lavishly praised Liu Shan, leaving no room for rebuttal.

After his words of comfort and reassurance, Liu Bei's anger had largely dissipated.

He closed his eyes slightly and remained silent, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

Liu Bei was considering the chances of success of this operation, and he was also worried about Liu Shan's safety.

Zhuge Liang listened quietly to Xun Yu, and at this moment he couldn't help but glance at him, a subtle look flashing in his eyes.

Liu Bei may not have noticed, but he keenly sensed that Xun Yu seemed to be deliberately protecting Liu Shan, the crown prince.

However, upon further reflection, he realized that as a surrendered official of Cao Wei, it was only natural for him to want to align himself with the future emperor.

After all, Liu Bei's health was deteriorating day by day, like a candle flickering in the wind, which could be extinguished at any moment.

The new emperor's ascension to the throne is only a matter of the next two years.

Moreover, Liu Shan's position as crown prince seemed extremely secure, and his future succession to the throne should be a foregone conclusion.

It is only natural to align oneself with the future emperor, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Thinking of this, Zhuge Liang's doubts lessened somewhat.

However, as Zhuge Liang continued to examine Xiao He's memorial closely, he suddenly discovered something unusual.

In his memorial, Xiao He deliberately listed all the strategists and generals appointed by Liu Shan, leaving none out.

Under normal circumstances, it seems unnecessary.

In a memorial to the emperor, at most one or two people should be listed, and the rest can be mentioned only briefly.

Why did Xiao He go to such lengths to list out all the names of these dozen or so people in detail?
Is there some hidden story behind this?

Zhuge Liang became suspicious and frowned.

The names of each person on the memorial flashed through my mind.

These people seem to…

They're all from the north!

Like Xun Yu, he was a surrendered official of Cao Wei!

Liu Shan, as the crown prince of the Han Dynasty, had a falling out with veteran ministers of Jingzhou and Xiangyang, such as Xiao He and Zhao Yun, on the front lines. As a result, he chose a group of surrendered officials from Cao Wei to attack Zhang Lu!

What does he mean?
Zhuge Liang's thoughts raced, various ideas colliding in his mind.

Suddenly, his expression changed, as if struck by lightning, and he shivered violently.

A sense of foreboding washed over me. (End of Chapter)