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

Guan Yu's trust in his son-in-law Xiao He was naturally deep-rooted, rock-solid, unreserved, and unwavering.

In his eyes, with Xiao He's wisdom, it seemed that all the problems in the world could be solved by him and all the complex situations could be easily controlled by him.

Back then, Cao Cao was incredibly powerful, with countless brave warriors and strategists, dominating the entire north.

Even a figure as powerful as Cao Cao was gradually driven to a dead end and plunged into a desperate situation on the verge of destruction by Xiao He's ingenious strategies and endless schemes.

Then look at Liu Shan, he was just an arrogant young man, what was he anyway?

Cao Cao was already struggling to cope with Xiao He's schemes, so if Xiao He wanted to deal with Liu Shan, it would be as easy as taking something out of a bag.
Just then, Xiao He sighed meaningfully and slowly said:
"Father-in-law, dealing with the Crown Prince is not as simple as dealing with Cao Cao."

Guan Yu was slightly taken aback.

If dealing with Cao Cao was so easy, why would dealing with Liu Shan be more difficult?

Guan Yu's eyes revealed a hint of doubt as he waited for Xiao He to continue.

"To be honest, dealing with Cao Cao is much simpler, and we can use all kinds of strategies without any scruples. No matter how insidious or ruthless the scheme is, we can use it on Cao Cao without any worries."

"Because Cao Cao is our enemy, it is only natural to use any means against him."

“The Crown Prince is different. After all, he is the Crown Prince, the Emperor’s own son. Can we use the same schemes and tricks we used against Cao Cao on him?”

"If we really did that, what would the emperor think?"

Guan Yu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but then he suddenly realized the deeper meaning behind Xiao He's words.

After a moment's hesitation, he nodded slightly and said solemnly:

“Bowen is right. Dealing with the Crown Prince has actually tied your hands and feet. You really have to be extra careful with your actions.”

Xiao He nodded slightly and continued:

"Moreover, we are at a critical moment in the campaign to destroy Zhang Lu and overthrow the puppet state of Wei. This is a major event concerning the unification of the country."

"If we focus all our energy on scheming against the Crown Prince, wouldn't we be losing sight of the bigger picture and jeopardizing the long-term goal of national unification?"

"So what I mean is, we should still prioritize recovering Hanzhong and defeating Cao Cao. As for the Crown Prince, I reckon he will not be willing to let the merit of recovering Hanzhong go to waste."

"He was young and ambitious, and eager to establish his prestige and prove his ability, so he would inevitably try every means to gain merit and establish authority."

“I reckon that since he has conceived the idea of ​​gaining merit and establishing his authority, and supporting the surrendered officials of Cao Wei, he will not give up easily and will definitely use more methods next.”

"The more moves he makes, the more chances he will make mistakes. The more eager he is to succeed, the more mistakes he will make. The more disappointed the emperor will be in him, and the more he will be able to see his true colors."

"All we need to do is patiently wait for the emperor to develop the idea of ​​deposing the crown prince. Then we can go with the flow and give him a push from the sidelines."

"In this way, we can achieve our goal without offending the emperor."

After listening, Guan Yu stroked his beautiful beard and carefully pondered Xiao He's words, his expression gradually becoming clear.

"Yes, Bowen is right. The matter of deposing Adou should indeed be decided by the Emperor. As important officials of the Han Dynasty, we have received great favors from the Emperor and should prioritize the great cause of the country. We must not let momentary anger ruin the Emperor's great cause of unifying the world!"

"Let's do as Bowen says."

Guan Yu approved of Xiao He's strategy, and they then turned their attention to how to conquer Nanzheng.

Nanzheng, as the capital of Han China, is nestled against mountains and beside water, with tall and sturdy city walls.

Moreover, Zhang Lu had been operating here for many years, stockpiling large quantities of grain and weapons. The Han Chinese garrison in the city also numbered over 20,000.

This is a city that should not be underestimated.

"Zhang Lu has now led half of the Xiegu troops back to Nanzheng, which means that the Hanzhong army in Xiegu is less than 20,000."

"I reckon that once the Crown Prince hears the news, he must be launching a fierce attack day and night. The Hanzhong army at Xiegu should not be able to hold out for more than a few days."

"If we wait for the Crown Prince to arrive with his army, we will all be under his control. Wouldn't the credit for recapturing Hanzhong nominally belong to him?"

A hint of apprehension flickered across Guan Yu's brow as he looked at Xiao He and said:
"Bowen, you must come up with a brilliant plan, preferably one that can quickly conquer Nanzheng, lest you end up benefiting the Crown Prince."

Xiao He's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Zhao Yun:

"What, Zilong, didn't you tell your father-in-law about Mengqi?"

Zhao Yun looked somewhat embarrassed and gave a helpless smile:
"You instructed me beforehand that this matter must be kept secret and not leaked, so I didn't tell the General."

Guan Yu looked bewildered, his heart filled with doubt, and hurriedly asked:
"Bowen, what about Mengqi? Are you hiding something from me?"

Xiao He smiled slightly and said:

“Zilong, your father-in-law is no ordinary person. Now that things have come to this, how can we not let him know?”

Upon seeing this, Zhao Yun revealed the whole story of Lai Long's actions and Xiao He's prior arrangements to Guan Yu without any further concealment.

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu suddenly understood and looked at Xiao He with delighted surprise:
"So Zilong deliberately let Ma Qi go. Bowen, you've already persuaded him to surrender and let him return to Hanzhong, just so he could be our inside man to break through Nanzheng?"

"That was a brilliant move! Not bad, not bad at all, that's definitely your style."

Xiao He smiled faintly and said self-deprecatingly:
"Otherwise, how dare He lead a mere 50,000 troops deep into Hanzhong and besiege Nanzheng?"

"If we cannot quickly conquer Nanzheng, and when our supplies run out and we are forced to retreat, wouldn't we be doing all the work for our Crown Prince?"

"I naturally have to make arrangements in advance to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Guan Yu finally understood, and felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders, a relieved smile appearing on his face.

Then he laughed heartily, stroked his beard, and praised:
"Bowen is still as far-sighted as ever. With such a plan, I can rest assured."

Just then, Zhou Cang hurriedly entered the tent, cupped his hands, and reported:

"Reporting to the General, a man in black has infiltrated our camp from Nanzheng City. He claims to be named Ma Dai and wishes to pay his respects to the Grand Marshal."

Say Cao Cao and Cao Cao will arrive.

It seems that Ma Chao is even more impatient than they are.

They had just arrived at the city gates and the encirclement was not yet fully set up when Ma Chao sent his younger brother out of the city to meet them in secret.

"It seems that this Ma Chao of Xiliang can't stand it for even a day longer. He can't wait to help us break through Nanzheng and destroy Zhang Lu."

Xiao He chuckled, revealing Ma Chao's true intentions.

Guan Yu smiled and then waved his hand:

"If that's the case, then quickly invite Ma Dai here for a while." (End of Chapter)