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

The flickering candlelight inside the tent illuminated the astonished faces of Xiao He and Guan Yu.

In an instant, their eyes lit up at the same time, and they looked at each other.

Guan Yu suddenly reached out and took the battle report that was presented to him. His hands trembled slightly as he unfolded it and then eagerly began to examine it closely.

His brows furrowed as his gaze moved across the battle report, deepening with each glance, as if gripped tightly by an invisible force.

His originally resolute face was now filled with surging anger, which grew stronger the more you looked at him. His eyes were wide open, as if they were about to spit fire.

"The crown prince is ruining the country!"

Guan Yu slammed his hand on the table, the sound like thunder echoing through the tent.

"Never before has our Great Han suffered such a crushing defeat! The Crown Prince has utterly disgraced our national prestige and military might!"

Enraged, Guan Yu swung his hands forcefully and threw the silk scroll containing the news of the disastrous defeat at Yangping Pass onto the table.

Seeing this, Xiao He turned slightly to the side and gave a glance to Ma Su, who was standing to the side.

Ma Su understood immediately, quickly stepped forward, bent down, and carefully picked up the silk scroll.

He cleared his throat and then read it aloud to the public.

As Ma Su read the report, the details of the Battle of Dingjun Mountain gradually came to light.

Zhang Yan was beheaded, Liu Shan's army was defeated, and tens of thousands of soldiers died in battle...

The tent erupted in shock and uproar, with everyone whispering and discussing amongst themselves.

This news was truly astonishing, like a bolt from the blue, catching everyone off guard.

Since the emperor's surprise attack on Xiangyang, the Han army had been victorious in every battle. Even when they suffered occasional defeats, they were only minor and had never suffered such heavy losses.

A defeat like that at Dingjun Mountain, which resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of soldiers and the death of a general from Anbei, was unprecedented and unparalleled.

This was undoubtedly a major blow to the morale of the Han army.

Such astonishing news, once it is released, will surely shake the world.

The emperor would surely be furious.

The one who commanded the Han army and suffered this crushing defeat was none other than the headstrong Crown Prince.

Immediately, discussions arose among the crowd, with many expressing reservations about Liu Shan.

"If I'm not mistaken, this plan must be Sima Yi's doing. Our Crown Prince has underestimated his enemy."

Xiao He's gaze was profound, and he succinctly revealed the secret in his words, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Although he was not on the front lines in Hanzhong, he could guess that Sima Yi had woven an invisible net, and Liu Shan, due to underestimating the enemy, had plunged headlong into this net.

"The Crown Prince has ruined the country; Man Chong, Xun Yun, and others have all ruined the country!"

Enraged, Guan Yu's magnificent beard danced wildly, and he slammed his fists heavily against the table.

At this moment, Xiao He was surprisingly calm, slightly raising his head and looking at Guan Yu:

"Father-in-law, please calm down. Although the defeat at Yangping Pass was a pity because of the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers, it may not be a bad thing for the future of our Han Dynasty."

Guan Yu was taken aback, and his gaze quickly turned to Xiao He.

The father-in-law and son-in-law locked eyes, and in that instant, Guan Yu understood the deeper meaning behind Xiao He's words.

The loss of tens of thousands of soldiers and the damage to the prestige of the Han army were indeed heartbreaking losses.

However, Liu Shan's prestige plummeted, and his original plan to seize Yangping Pass and claim credit was completely thwarted, which was actually a good thing. Liu Shan's underestimation of the enemy led to this disastrous defeat, which naturally caused the Han army soldiers to lose faith in him and also made the people of the world see his incompetence.

Once this news reaches Luoyang, Emperor Liu Bei will surely be furious and extremely disappointed in Liu Shan.

The emperor may have already harbored the intention to depose the crown prince, but he has been hesitant to make a decision.

This crushing defeat will undoubtedly strengthen the emperor's resolve to depose the crown prince.

The deposition of Liu Shan effectively removed a major potential threat to the future of the Han Dynasty.

In the long run, isn't this a good thing for the Han Dynasty?

"In this light, what Bowen said is not without reason."

Guan Yu nodded slightly, the anger between his brows gradually subsiding, and his previously furrowed brows slowly relaxed.

At this moment, Zhao Yun stepped forward, his expression serious, and said:
"That is true, but our army has suffered such a great defeat, and the Crown Prince has retreated to Nanzheng. The Yizhou army will surely take advantage of this to advance eastward, intending to capture Nanzheng and recover Hanzhong."

"If the people of Yizhou succeed, wouldn't Hanzhong be lost again after being gained? This would be a great loss for our great Han."

Zhao Yun prioritized public interest over personal interests. Although he also wanted to depose Liu Shan, upon learning of the loss of Hanzhong, he immediately put the affairs of the state first.

Guan Yu's brows furrowed again, and he nodded slightly:
"Zilong is absolutely right. The Crown Prince may neglect public duty for private reasons, but we cannot do the same and jeopardize the Emperor's great cause of unifying the world!"

"As subjects, we cannot let personal grievances delay important matters."

Clearly, as a great general of the Han Dynasty, Guan Yu was also concerned with the public good and did not want to neglect the affairs of the country and Liu Bei's ambition to unify the world just to depose Liu Shan.

Xiao He, however, remained calm and composed, simply smiling faintly as he slowly said:
"This matter is actually easy. We can send a troop south from Chencang and pretend to attack the rear of Yangping Pass. This will surely arouse Zhang Ren's suspicion."

"Upon learning this, Zhang Ren was filled with apprehension and would surely leave a large force at Yangping Pass, thus leaving him without enough troops to attack Nanzheng."

"Although the Crown Prince was defeated, he still has 60,000 to 70,000 troops under his command. Even if things go badly, he should be able to hold Nanzheng without any problem."

“Nanzheng is a fortified city. As long as the Crown Prince holds firm and does not venture out, Zhang Ren will find it difficult to breach it in a short time.”

"Let's let the Crown Prince and Zhang Ren stall like this. After we recover Liangzhou and destroy the pseudo-Wei, we'll march south, take Yangping Pass in one fell swoop, and conquer the pseudo-Shu!"

Xiao He spoke eloquently and quickly came up with a solution that would satisfy both sides.

Guan Yu was overjoyed and immediately understood.

Xiao He's plan not only ensured the safety of Hanzhong but also kept Liu Shan confined to Nanzheng, preventing him from vying for credit.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, they can calmly and leisurely attack Liangzhou and destroy the pseudo-Wei state.

In this way, the Wei Kingdom was destroyed, Hanzhong was saved, and the only one who was most hurt was Liu Shan.

This was Xiao He's plan.

After understanding the deeper meaning, Guan Yu said happily:
"Excellent, excellent, Bowen's plan is indeed a win-win situation!"

"Alright, we'll proceed according to your plan."

Guan Yu made a decisive decision.

At that moment, Guan Yu issued an order, commanding Generals Gan Ning and Zhang He to lead 30,000 troops south from Chencang to feign an attack on Yangping Pass.

Guan Yu and Xiao He continued to stay in Chang'an, waiting for Ma Chao to capture Jieting before setting off with an army of 200,000 men straight to Liangzhou!

"Brother, rest assured, I will risk my life to ensure that you live to see the day when the world is unified."

Guan Yu stood at the tent entrance, gazing in the direction of Luoyang, and silently made a vow in his heart:
"The empire you've built, I, your foolish brother, will never allow to be ruined by your good-for-nothing son!" (End of Chapter)