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

"His Majesty!"

Cao Cao's close advisors, such as Jia Xu and Xiahou Ba, were all terrified by the perilous scene before them.

They hastily spurred their warhorses, approaching Cao Cao as swiftly as arrows released from a bow.

"Don't worry about me, I won't die, keep going~~"

Cao Cao was seriously injured at this moment, and the excruciating pain was like a surging tide, constantly attacking him and almost completely overwhelming his will.

Despite the excruciating pain, he forced himself to lie on the horse's back and roar at his ministers with all his might.

At this moment, Cao Cao had only one thought in his mind:
Escape for your life.

Even if they ultimately meet a tragic end by being shot and killed by an arrow, they must never become prisoners of the Han army.

Seeing Cao Cao's attitude, Jia Xu, though deeply worried, had no choice but to obey the order.

The crowd then surrounded Cao Cao and fled.

Behind them, on the plains, blood splattered, and shouts of battle and screams filled the air.

Twenty thousand of Cao Cao's soldiers were slaughtered, leaving corpses strewn across the fields and rivers of blood flowing, a scene resembling a living hell.

……

Chang'an City.

At this time, on all the gates of Chang'an, the banners with Chinese characters symbolizing the majesty of the Han Dynasty were already raised high, fluttering in the setting sun, proclaiming to the world the resurgence of the Han Dynasty.

Inside the palace hall.

Xiao He, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu have all gathered here.

Before long, Zhang He, filled with trepidation and with a look of fear on his face, slowly stepped forward.

Despite his merits, he was, after all, a surrendered general with an uncertain future, and his heart was naturally filled with anxiety.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang He approached Xiao He and Guan Yu, knelt on one knee, and respectfully bowed:

"Zhang He, a criminal, pays his respects to the Grand Marshal and the General."

Upon seeing this, Guan Yu bowed slightly, a gentle smile appearing on his face.

He reached out and gently helped Zhang He up, then comforted him:
"Junyi, you are mistaken. Without your help, how could we have captured Chang'an so quickly and recovered this former capital of the Han Dynasty?"

"You are a meritorious subject of the Han Dynasty, what crime have you committed?"

Guan Yu's comforting words gradually calmed Zhang He's anxious heart.

“At that time, everyone was fighting for their own master. Your fighting for the Cao family was your duty as a subject.”

"Now that you have abandoned darkness and embraced light, and surrendered to the Han Dynasty with the merit of surrendering the city, the past is like fleeting clouds, wiped clean."

"General Zhang, just wait patiently for the Emperor's decree of reward."

Xiao He smiled and comforted Zhang He gently, giving him an unprecedented sense of peace.

With both the Grand Marshal and the General personally making their promises, Zhang He's concerns vanished like smoke.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Zhang He immediately faced the direction of Ye City, bowed deeply, and said with deep feeling:
"Having wasted half my life and made mistakes, I am finally able to return to the Han Dynasty and serve Your Majesty. I have no regrets in this life."

"Your subject will certainly risk his life for Your Majesty and for the Great Han Dynasty, going through fire and water without hesitation!"

The resounding oath echoed throughout the hall.

At this moment, Zhang He seemed to be saying goodbye to his past.

After Zhang He, the rest of the civil and military officials of Cao Wei surrendered.

Guan Yu and the others comforted them one by one.

After appeasing the surrendered generals, it was time to tally the results of the battle. In the Battle of Chang'an, 20,000 Wei soldiers were annihilated under the powerful offensive of the Han army.

Immediately afterwards, Ma Chao set up an ambush in the west of the city and launched an interception, in which another 20,000 Wei troops were wiped out in this sudden interception.

Then came Zhao Yun's ambush, which annihilated another 20,000 Wei troops.

After three battles, Cao Cao's nearly 60,000 Wei troops, which he had cobbled together in Chang'an, were almost completely wiped out.

These 60,000 Wei soldiers were Cao Cao's last remaining assets, but with the fall of Chang'an, they were all lost.

In this battle, the Han army achieved a great victory.

"The only pity is that although Yun shot that traitor Cao with an arrow, it is unknown whether he was killed. I'm afraid that the traitor Cao still escaped to Liangzhou alive."

Zhao Yun frowned slightly and said with a hint of regret.

Clearly, there was a hint of resentment in his eyes, as if he regretted not being able to personally kill Cao Cao.

Xiao He smiled faintly, unconvinced, and said:
"If Zilong can kill Cao Cao, that would be the best outcome. If he doesn't, it won't affect the overall situation. Right now, the pseudo-Wei only has a small part of Liangzhou left, and they have lost all their usable troops."

"Even if Cao Cao is lucky enough to survive, he will only be clinging to life, like a grasshopper in autumn, he won't be able to jump around for more than a few days."

"Our army will march west to Liangzhou, and within a day, we will be able to wipe it out and completely destroy Cao Wei."

Xiao He's words were full of self-confidence, as if he could wipe out Cao Wei with a flick of his wrist.

Guan Yu wholeheartedly agreed, nodding slightly, and then smiled as well:
"Next, let the soldiers rest for a while. After days of bloody battles, the soldiers are exhausted and need time to recover their strength."

"At the same time, we will divide our forces to take over the cities west of Chang'an, and bring the entire Guanzhong region completely under the control of the Han Dynasty."

"We will immediately submit a memorial to the Emperor, reporting the good news that Guanzhong has been recovered, and requesting His Majesty's instructions on whether to continue westward to Liangzhou and completely annihilate Cao Wei."

As Guan Yu spoke, he looked at Xiao He for his opinion.

Xiao He nodded in agreement, but then suddenly changed the subject, a meaningful smile playing on his lips:

"Father-in-law, don't forget that His Highness the Crown Prince is, after all, the commander of our army that is attacking Wei. How can we not report to the Crown Prince after we have recaptured Chang'an?"

Guan Yu was taken aback. Looking at Xiao He's meaningful smile, he suddenly realized what was going on.

His own son-in-law was deliberately trying to make Liu Shan uncomfortable.

According to Liu Shan's wishful thinking, he originally planned to first break through Yangping Pass, kill Zhang Lu, and then return to Guanzhong to achieve the merit of recovering Chang'an.

In Liu Shan's plan, the recapture of Chang'an should have been his for the taking, the most important step for him to establish his power and suppress the powerful nobles of Jingzhou.

But they did not do as Liu Shan wished.

Liu Shan is currently blocked by the Yizhou coalition forces at Yangping Pass, resulting in a stalemate with no progress made.

But they took Chang'an City by surprise and captured it first.

Liu Shan's wishful thinking was thwarted; he not only failed to claim credit, but he didn't even get a share of the spoils.

If this good news were to reach Yangping Pass, Liu Shan would be furious.

If Liu Shan gets angry, he will definitely lose his composure.

If you lose your composure, you're bound to make mistakes and reveal your true colors.

This would make it easier for them to depose Liu Shan from his position as crown prince.

Having understood this point, Guan Yu smiled coldly, then waved his hand and said:
"Very well, as Bowen has said, I will immediately write a report of victory and send it to Yangping Pass."

"How can we not share this joyous occasion of our recapture of Chang'an with our Crown Prince?"

Guan Yu stroked his beard and sneered, his words carrying a hint of mockery and sarcasm.

His gaze drifted towards Yangping Pass, and he could almost picture Liu Shan's furious reaction upon receiving news of their recapture of Chang'an. (End of Chapter)