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

Upon seeing this, Budugen felt a sense of foreboding and hurriedly asked:

"Where are your emperor and your son?"

Mentioning Cheng Gongyi, Cheng Gongying felt a piercing pain surge up like a tidal wave, instantly overwhelming him.

His body trembled slightly, and his lips quivered.
"My son, Cheng Gongyi, died by Zhuge Dan's sword..."

Cheng Gongying was heartbroken and wept uncontrollably.

Upon hearing this, Budugen's eyes widened in anger, and he burst into a tirade of curses:

"It's Zhuge Dan again! He killed tens of thousands of soldiers and your son. He is our common enemy!"

The thunderous roar echoed throughout the camp, causing the surrounding soldiers to tremble.

As soon as he finished speaking, several Xianbei scouts came galloping in like ghosts, shouting:
"Your Majesty, the Wei emperor Cao Pi has been captured by Zhuge Liang and escorted back to Wuyuan."

Budugen's expression changed instantly, as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over his head, chilling him to the bone.

Cao Pi was captured alive?
The news struck him like a bolt from the blue, causing a huge uproar in his mind.

So, who should I ally with?
He had originally hoped to join forces with Cao Pi to achieve great things, but now that Cao Pi had been captured, all his plans had come to naught.

In that case, wouldn't I have made a wasted trip?
They also lost nearly 10,000 soldiers!

This is a huge loss.

Budugen inwardly groaned, his expression shifting between anger, frustration, and helplessness.

How could Cao Pi have been captured alive?

Budugen couldn't help but complain, his voice full of resentment and doubt.

Behind him, Cheng Gongying heard the news of Cao Pi's capture and her body stiffened again, as if struck by an invisible lightning bolt.

Cao Pi was captured by the Han army, and his fate was sealed.

Of the six thousand Wei soldiers, he was now all alone.

At this moment, he was all alone in the northern frontier, with no relatives or friends to turn to.

At this moment, Cheng Gongying felt as if he had been abandoned by the whole world. His body froze, and he stood there motionless like a cold stone.

Cheng Gongying slowly knelt down, her eyes filled with confusion and despair, and murmured:
"Heavens, why have you treated me this way?"

Ding Mi hurriedly stepped forward, steadily supporting Cheng Gongying, and said:
“Brother Cheng, this is all the will of Heaven. It proves that Heaven does not want you to die, but wants you to live and achieve something.”

"Since Heaven has arranged things this way and given you this opportunity, why don't you seize the moment and serve under the Great Khan?"

"The Great Khan has lofty ambitions. If you can assist him in achieving a great and earth-shattering feat, you will surely be remembered in history!"

"Moreover, when the Great Khan marches south in the future and crushes the false Han with overwhelming force, wouldn't that be a way of avenging your emperor and wiping out his hatred?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Gongying's body trembled slightly, and her previously dim eyes instantly lit up, as if she had seen a glimmer of hope in the darkness.

Just then, Budugen seized the opportunity and said with great enthusiasm:
"Yes, Lord Cheng, your wisdom and strategy are unparalleled, you are a genius of our time. If you could assist me, with your strategies, you would surely be able to kill Xiao He in one fell swoop and avenge your emperor!"

"You shall submit to my command, and I will certainly not treat you unfairly!"

Taking advantage of the situation, Budugen sought to recruit Cheng Gongying into his camp.

He had long heard of Cheng Gongying's extraordinary wisdom and resourcefulness.

Ding Mi had mentioned to him many times that Cheng Gongying's wisdom was far beyond that of ordinary people, perhaps even ten times that of him.

It was precisely for this reason that when Budugen first met Cheng Gongying, he had the idea of ​​poaching him and wanting to bring this prodigy under his wing.

Now that Cao Pi has been captured, the situation has changed, which undoubtedly gives him an excellent opportunity to recruit Cheng Gongying again.

Budugen was overjoyed and extended a warm invitation:
"That's right, I must avenge my son! I will personally kill Zhuge Dan, Liu Bei, and Xiao He!"

"Sweat!"

Cheng Gongying suddenly became solemn, knelt on one knee, and bowed respectfully to Budugen:
"I am willing to serve under the Great Khan and do my utmost to help him conquer the Central Plains and wipe out the false Han!"

Cheng Gongying finally submitted, a decision that filled Budugen with ecstatic joy.

Although he was a Xianbei Khan, he had always admired Han culture.

Budugen knew very well that if he wanted to unify the various Xianbei tribes, then graze his horses in the Central Plains, and achieve that grand undertaking, he would need the help of a wise strategist with extraordinary abilities.

That's why he valued Ding Mi so much before.

However, Budugen also understood that although Ding Mi's intelligence was of a certain level, he was only a second-rate talent.

But dandelion, that is the truly top-tier existence.

Now that he has gained Cheng Gongying's allegiance, how could Budugen not be overjoyed?

"With your assistance, I am like a tiger with wings. How can I not accomplish my great cause!"

While laughing, Budugen hurriedly stepped forward and helped Cheng Gongying up.

"Cheng Gongqing, from now on I will listen to you. If you can help me cross the Great Wall, I will definitely avenge you!"

"If we join hands, we will surely achieve great things!"

Budugen's words were full of lofty ambitions.

Budugen's ambition, like a blazing flame, instantly ignited the passion in Cheng Gongying's heart.

Cheng Gongying laughed wildly, his voice echoing across the fields:

"Very well, I, Cheng Gongying, will do my utmost to assist the Great Khan in destroying that false Han!"

The two looked at each other and laughed, their hearty laughter echoing in the air.

...

In Chang'an, springtime has arrived, and all things are reviving, full of vitality.

Zhang Fei and Xiao He led an army of 50,000 men back in triumph.

At this time, Liu Bei personally traveled to Chang'an to welcome these two meritorious officials.

On the day Xiao He and Zhang Fei returned to the capital, Liu Bei held a grand banquet in the palace to welcome them back.

This was not just a simple welcoming banquet, but a grand victory celebration, intended to commemorate their glorious achievement in successfully destroying the State of Wei.

At the victory banquet, Liu Bei sat in the main seat, his expression both dignified and amiable, and slowly read out the imperial edict of rewards, bestowing generous rewards upon the meritorious officials.

Those generals who had contributed to the campaign received their due rewards according to the magnitude of their merits, and the hall erupted in cheers.

As the meritorious minister, Xiao He received extremely high rewards, with Liu Bei increasing his fiefdom to as many as 30,000 households.

After the bestowal of rewards was completed, all the officials looked delighted and rose to kowtow to Liu Bei in gratitude for his great favor.

"Your Majesty, we thank you for your divine grace!"

As the Grand Marshal, Xiao He naturally took the lead in expressing his gratitude.

"Your Majesty, we thank you for your divine grace!"

"Your Majesty, we thank you for your divine grace!"

The ministers rose to their feet and shouted in unison.

Liu Bei smiled, raised his hand to signal everyone to stand up, and then said:
"You have rendered outstanding service to me in eliminating the false Wei and restoring the Han Dynasty. Your contributions are invaluable!"

"You shouldn't be thanking me; I should be thanking you!"

"Gentlemen, please accept my bow!"

With that, Liu Bei stood up and solemnly bowed to all his ministers.

Upon seeing this, the ministers immediately bowed again in a great uproar.

Afterwards, the emperor and his ministers looked at each other and burst into laughter.

At this moment, Liu Bei seemed to have improved his spirits and energy after receiving the news of the victory over Wei, and he looked radiant.

The atmosphere at the banquet was quite pleasant, with everyone toasting and chatting freely.

However, Xiao He, Zhang Fei, and the others knew very well that Liu Bei's reign was merely a final burst of energy before his death, and that his remaining days were numbered. Although the pseudo-Wei state had been destroyed, the Shu state still existed, like a nail firmly embedded in the territory of the Han Dynasty.

They must destroy the Shu Kingdom before Liu Bei's time comes, thus fulfilling his great dream of unifying the world.

At that moment, Xiao He seized the opportunity and mentioned the campaign to conquer Shu to Liu Bei.

His expression was solemn as he slowly analyzed the situation:
"The current situation is quite complicated. Although the Shu army has withdrawn from Yangping Pass, the Crown Prince's army is still blocked below Baishui Pass and cannot smoothly move south into Shu territory."

"If we want to destroy the Shu Kingdom, we will probably have to mobilize the entire nation's army to march south into Sichuan. However, the terrain in Shu is complex, and transporting grain is extremely difficult. If we mobilize too many troops, I'm afraid even the current strength of our Han Dynasty will not be able to support it."

Liu Bei nodded slightly, deeply agreeing.

Changing the subject, Xiao He said:
"Why should we mobilize the entire nation's military force for a mere muddle-headed and incompetent Liu Zhang?"

Xiao He's tone exuded confidence.

"Your subject dares to suggest that the 60,000-strong Jingxiang army under General Wei Wenchang's command is sufficient to wipe out the false Shu!"

Xiao He has revealed his strategic vision almost without reservation.

He planned to have Wei Yan lead the Jingxiang army up the Yangtze River, directly attack Shu, and destroy Liu Zhang.

"Although Liu Zhang was a mediocre ruler, weak and incompetent, his subordinates were not incompetent, and there were many heroes and outstanding individuals among them."

"I have also heard that Zhang Ren and others are all fierce generals of our time."

"And Huang Quan and the others are all exceptionally intelligent and resourceful individuals, not to be underestimated."

"Moreover, the terrain of Shu is treacherous, with the natural barrier of the Qinling Mountains. If we want to launch a westward expedition from Jingxiang to Shu, we will have to cross many treacherous gorges, which is no easy task."

"Can Wen Chang really conquer the pseudo-Shu territory with only 60,000 troops?"

Although Liu Bei listened to Xiao He's advice, he still had many concerns in his heart.

Faced with Liu Bei's question, Xiao He did not answer directly. Instead, he rose from his seat, stepped forward solemnly, and bowed respectfully, saying:
"Your subject requests permission to secretly travel to Jingzhou and Xiangyang to devise strategies for Wen Chang and jointly conquer the Shu region!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was overjoyed.

The campaign against Liu Zhang and the conquest of Shu were indeed fraught with difficulties.

However, as long as Xiao He, the military genius and Grand Marshal, personally takes action, then all the aforementioned difficulties will no longer be a problem.

"I see. It seems you, Bowen, already had a plan in mind and had devised a strategy to take Shu!"

Liu Bei suddenly realized what was happening and said with a delighted expression:

"With you personally leading 60,000 troops to conquer the pseudo-Shu territory, it will be more than enough!"

"In your opinion, Bowen, when would be the most appropriate time to attack Shu?"

Xiao He answered without hesitation:

"I will secretly set off tomorrow to Jingzhou to meet with General Wen Chang and discuss the grand plan to conquer Shu."

Liu Bei agreed wholeheartedly and nodded in approval:

“Bowen is absolutely right. Then this battle will be entrusted to you and Wenchang.”

"Bowen, which other generals do you need to send to assist in the battle?"

Xiao He hesitated for a moment, then said:
"In this battle, we must catch Liu Zhang off guard. If we send our famous generals to Jingzhou and Xiangyang, it will surely arouse Liu Zhang's suspicion."

"I believe that, apart from Wen Chang, the main force in this battle should be the young rising stars."

"In this way, we can lull Liu Zhang into a false sense of security and make him lower his guard."

Liu Bei agreed with Xiao He's request and ordered Zhang Bao, Deng Ai, and other young generals to come from all directions to Jingzhou and Xiangyang to receive orders from Wei Yan.

Xiao He himself set off two days later, secretly heading towards Jiangling.

...

It was late spring of that year.

Xiao and his group finally arrived at Jiangling, a city they had been away from for a long time.

After many years, stepping into this city full of memories again, Xiao He couldn't help but feel a surge of inexplicable emotions.

Upon learning the news, Wei Yan had already prepared a lavish banquet in the prefectural capital to welcome Xiao He, the Grand Marshal of the Han Dynasty.

"Da Sima!"

Wei Yan, with a solemn expression, was the first to raise his cup to Xiao He in thanks:

"This cup of wine is a toast to you, to your merit in destroying Wei!"

"You've gone too far with your words."

Xiao He smiled faintly:
"The great achievement of destroying Wei is the result of Your Majesty's divine martial prowess, strategic brilliance, and decisive action."

"I have only done my duty and dare not take credit."

Wei Yan's lips curled into a hearty smile, and he said loudly:

"Grand Marshal, you are truly humble and open-minded, which is admirable. Come, let us drink this cup together to show our respect!"

Xiao He smiled slightly, then tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became increasingly harmonious and lively.

It's time to get down to business.

Xiao He then slowly took out the heavy imperial edict from his bosom and handed it to Wei Yan.

Wei Yan solemnly accepted the imperial edict and carefully unfolded it. As his gaze swept over each word on the edict, a glint of excitement flashed in his eyes.

"Excellent! His Majesty actually wants me to lead the campaign against Shu! I, Wei Yan, have finally waited for this day!"

As he spoke, Wei Yan excitedly raised the imperial edict high and showed it to the generals present.

Wei Yan had been guarding Jingzhou for a long time. Although he successfully blocked the Shu army's invasions many times and made many contributions, it was hard to compare with the merit of expanding the territory in his heart.

However, he regrets that he was unable to participate in those earth-shattering battles that destroyed Wei and recovered Liangzhou, which expanded the territory.

This fueled his ambition, making him yearn to achieve a monumental feat that would shake the world, thus proving that his title as General Wei was not undeserved but truly deserved.

Now, the opportunity has finally arrived as he wished.

The campaign against Liu Zhang, the capture of Yizhou, and the annihilation of this last rebel for the emperor were undoubtedly great achievements worthy of being recorded in history.

In fact, not long ago, when Liu Bei transferred Deng Ai and other generals to Jingzhou, Wei Yan had already made a vague guess that Liu Bei might be sending him to attack Shu.

Now, the imperial edict brought by Xiao He has finally confirmed his speculation.

With the great achievement of expanding territory within reach, Wei Yan was overjoyed.

"Since the Emperor has issued an edict, I, Guan, am willing to be the vanguard, fight my way into Chengdu, and capture Liu Zhang alive!"

Guan Suo suddenly jumped up from his seat, his face full of excitement as he volunteered to fight.

His shout immediately resonated with the young military officers, who eagerly stood up, all wanting to be the vanguard.

"Don't be anxious, don't be anxious."

Seeing this, Wei Yan quickly gestured for everyone to quiet down:

"You will have your chance to make a contribution someday, there's no need to rush."

"Right now, how to successfully take over Shu is the first problem we need to consider. We need to discuss this thoroughly with the Grand Marshal first."

The generals, however, seemed to disregard the Shu army.

In their view, pacifying Shu and capturing Liu Zhang alive was a piece of cake, and there was no need to worry too much.

"Although Liu Zhang is weak, you must not underestimate him or be careless."

Seeing his generals so careless with their enemy, Wei Yan couldn't help but feel worried. He calmly looked at Xiao He:
"Grand Marshal, in your opinion, how should we deploy our troops to ensure a foolproof campaign against Shu?"

Xiao He answered. His gaze slowly turned to Deng Ai, who was standing to the side, and he asked:
"Shi Zai, do you have any good strategies for this campaign against Shu?" (End of Chapter)