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

"How could this be? How could this be?!"

Liu Shan murmured softly, his voice weak and trembling. His expression was blank and astonished, his eyes empty and lifeless, revealing endless despair and confusion.

Xun Yun, Man Chong, and the others beside him were also stunned, their eyes filled with disbelief and horror.

Everyone seemed frozen in place, unable to recover from the immense shock for a long time.

No one could have predicted that the battle to retake Dingjun Mountain, which started with an unwavering determination to win, would end in such a tragic and humiliating defeat.

Fifty thousand elite Han soldiers—that was the elite force cultivated by the Han Dynasty through countless battles!

They should have been invincible and unstoppable, but now they were routed by less than 20,000 Yizhou soldiers and suffered heavy losses.

Even the highly decorated general Zhang Yan met his end at Pang De's hands.

This was undoubtedly an unprecedented and devastating defeat for the Han Dynasty since its founding.

No, to be precise, it was a defeat so devastating that had never been suffered since Emperor Liu Bei rose to power in Xiangyang and established his empire.

Zhang Yan became the highest-ranking general to be lost under the emperor's command.

His death was not only a great loss to the Han army, but also a heavy blow to the morale of the Han troops.

Shame!
This is simply a shame!
If this news were to spread, it would shock the entire nation and cause unease throughout the Han Dynasty.

When Emperor Liu Bei heard this terrible news, how could he not be furious? How could he not be greatly disappointed in his crown prince, and even harbor resentment towards him?
Liu Bei had placed high hopes on Liu Shan, hoping he would inherit his mantle. But this crushing defeat was like a resounding slap in the face to Liu Bei.

How could the emperor not be furious!
Thinking of the potentially serious consequences, Liu Shan couldn't help but tremble, and a layer of cold sweat instantly soaked his forehead.

"That's impossible! How could that scoundrel Pound have such a profound and far-sighted plan?"

Xun Yun's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief, and he exclaimed:
"I don't believe it! I absolutely refuse to believe it!"

Xun Yun started shouting almost hysterically.

He naturally found this cruel reality hard to accept.

He was so confident that his battle plan was foolproof, but reality so cruelly shattered his illusions.

After all, Zhang Yan's strategy of setting up two camps, east and west, to attack Dingjun Mountain was his own idea.

Now that Zhang Yan has been defeated by Pang De and the Han army has suffered such a heavy blow, how can he, the one who offered the plan, easily escape responsibility?
"This must be a conspiracy by that old scoundrel Sima Yi!"

"Sima Yi, this man is cunning and treacherous. I have said long ago that only the Grand Marshal can control him, but Your Highness refuses—"

Man Chong wanted to take this opportunity to complain about Liu Shan, but when the words reached his lips, he realized it was inappropriate and had to swallow them back.

Seeing Liu Shan's distraught appearance, he knew that blaming Liu Shan at this moment would be of no use.

The most urgent task is to come up with a solution to salvage this crisis.

Liu Shan staggered back to his seat and slumped down, looking utterly exhausted.

"Tell me, what should I do now? What should I do now?"

Liu Shan spread his hands, his face full of helplessness and confusion, and earnestly asked his ministers for advice.

At this moment, the Han prince resembled a lost child.

He was completely disheartened, his mind was in complete chaos, and he was utterly at a loss!
Inside the hall, a flurry of discussion broke out, and for a moment no one could come up with a solution.

This crushing defeat was like a heavy mountain pressing down on everyone's hearts, making it hard for them to breathe.

"Your Highness!"

Man Chong broke the silence, cupping his hands and speaking sternly:

"With the war progressing to this point, our army has suffered heavy losses, morale is low, the army is in chaos, and our supply lines are in danger of being cut off by the enemy."

"Now, our army is like a frightened bird; the slightest disturbance will cause it to collapse without a fight."

"In my opinion, the situation is extremely critical at this point. It is no longer possible for us to launch a strong attack on Yangping Pass. If we continue to garrison troops here, not only will we fail to capture Yangping Pass, but we will also be in danger of being completely annihilated!"

"In my opinion, the best course of action now is to immediately retreat eastward to Nanzheng and then make further plans. Only then will we have a chance of survival." Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked and turned their astonished gazes to Man Chong.

Everyone's face was filled with disbelief, as if they couldn't believe that Man Chong would make such a suggestion.

Withdrawing troops would mean defeat, would mean admitting their incompetence.

Liu Shan's expression changed, and he looked at Man Chong with a look of surprise and panic.

Xun Yun jumped up in agitation, his face full of anger as he questioned:

"Man Boning, do you know what it means if His Highness withdraws his troops back to Nanzheng?"

A bitter smile appeared on Man Chong's lips.

He certainly knew what Liu Shan's withdrawal meant.

This was not merely a defeat in battle, but a major political setback that would have a significant negative impact on Liu Shan's position as crown prince.

This means that Liu Shan's plan to seize credit, which began when he divided his troops in Chang'an, will end in complete failure.

Not only did they fail to achieve anything, but they also suffered heavy losses, causing the Han army to lose its prestige, bringing shame to the emperor, and becoming a laughing stock for the people!
The mighty Han army, invincible in battle and unconquerable in attack, has suffered a crushing defeat, tarnishing its reputation.

The prestige of Emperor Liu Bei would also be greatly damaged.

What will the people of the world think of him?

It turns out that our Crown Prince is an incompetent person who knows nothing about military affairs and has no strategy...

They would think that Liu Shan was not worthy of inheriting the Han Dynasty's legacy, but was just a mediocre person who coveted fame and fortune and was fond of grandiose achievements.

Their trust in the imperial court will also be shaken as a result.

What would the emperor think of him?

My son can't even beat the people of Shu. He's such a mediocre and incompetent good-for-nothing, yet he's greedy for credit and competitive!
What would Xiao He, Guan Yu, Zhuge Liang, and other prominent figures from Jingzhou do?
Naturally, they all submitted memorials, taking advantage of the situation to kick Liu Shan while he was down, launching a massive attack and accusation against him, and inciting Liu Bei to depose him as crown prince.

At that time, Liu Shan's position as crown prince was truly in jeopardy.

"Since you know the consequences, why did you still advise His Highness to withdraw his troops back to Nanzheng?"

Xun Yun glared angrily at Man Chong and questioned him with a face full of indignation.

Man Chong sighed bitterly and said helplessly:
"If Your Highness does not retreat now, our entire army may be wiped out here."

"At that time, the entire Hanzhong will collapse and Zhang Lu will surely take it back."

"With an army of 100,000 wiped out and Hanzhong lost again, Your Highness, how can you face His Majesty with such a disgrace?"

"Would Your Highness be able to retain your position as Crown Prince at that time?"

Xun Yun was speechless. He opened his mouth, but ultimately could not utter a word.

Although he was unwilling and angry, he had to admit that Man Chong's words made sense.

Under the current circumstances, withdrawal may truly be the only option.

Liu Shan was so shocked that he trembled all over and broke out in a cold sweat.

As Man Chong said.

If it really comes to that, his position as crown prince will not only be in jeopardy.

It's a foregone conclusion that it will definitely not be preserved!
If the troops are withdrawn and returned to Nanzheng, there is still a glimmer of hope for a turnaround.

After all, it would take time for the news to reach Luoyang.

During this period, he still had a glimmer of hope to turn the tide.

With this in mind, Liu Shan dared not hesitate any longer and immediately shouted:
"Pass on my order: immediately break camp and retreat to Nanzheng!"

"Immediately~~" (End of Chapter)