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

The already weak and incompetent Liu Zhang had now completely lost his spirit.

What ancestral teachings, what family glory that was once revered and passed down through generations, what vast empire, what the infamy of a fallen monarch—all were like fleeting clouds, ruthlessly cast to the winds.

At this moment, he had only one strong and persistent thought in his mind, and that was:
live.

Not only must we survive, but we must also live a prosperous life.

As for the Shu Kingdom's territory, in his eyes it was nothing but an illusory dream, gone and gone.

“I have carefully considered all that you have said.”

Liu Zhang's expression was solemn, and his voice carried a hint of helplessness.

"There is absolutely no hope of holding Chengdu. If I insist on defending it to the death, I will be leading you all into a fire pit and disregarding the lives of more than 100,000 innocent civilians."

"I simply cannot do it!"

"At present, surrendering to the Han Dynasty is our only hope and the only way to save the lives of more than 100,000 people."

After Liu Zhang finished speaking, his gaze was firm, and he resolutely said:
"Huang Gongheng, immediately send an envoy to the Han camp to express my willingness to open the city gates and surrender. There must be no mistake!"

Huang Quan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy stone had finally been lifted off his feet.

He quickly stepped forward, bowed deeply to Liu Zhang, and praised him profusely:
"Your Majesty is wise! This is a move that protects the people and is in line with the times!"

"Father!"

"King of Shu!"

At this moment, Zhang Ren and Liu Chan were still unwilling to give up.

Seeing this, Liu Zhang frowned, waved his hand, and shouted:

"You don't need to persuade me anymore. My mind is made up, and there is no room for negotiation. I advise you to see the situation clearly and surrender to the Han willingly. Don't make any more futile struggles, lest you bring greater disaster upon yourselves and the people of this city!"

Liu Chan and Zhang Ren were speechless after Liu Zhang's words. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with helplessness, and could no longer utter a word.

As for the other civil and military officials in the hall, they each had their own plans.

In their view, as long as they can save their lives and the wealth they have worked so hard to accumulate, what difference does it make who they are loyal to?

It's just a matter of changing masters and continuing to live one's life.

Therefore, when Liu Zhang announced his decision to surrender to the Han, they were all secretly delighted.

With the plan settled, the officials all left, leaving the main hall empty except for Zhang Ren and Liu Chan.

They were like lone geese abandoned in the wilderness, appearing exceptionally helpless.

"How can I accept handing over the legacy of my ancestors so easily!"

Liu Chan knelt on the ground, his hands clenched into fists, his hatred surging like a tide in his heart.

Liu Chan was indeed unwilling. He knew in his heart that he was the heir apparent of Shu, the hope of Shu's future, and could become a local emperor in the future.

But now, Liu Zhang wants to surrender to Liu Bei, which means that the Shu kingdom will be out of his reach. He can only watch helplessly as the throne that was once within his grasp slips further and further away.

From now on, he would have to become a subject of Liu Bei, a subject of a fallen kingdom, and live a life of hardship, dependent on others and having to be subservient to them.

This was undoubtedly a huge humiliation and blow to him, who was proud and arrogant.

Liu Chan was naturally unwilling, but he also felt helpless and could only beat his chest and stomp his feet, letting out painful howls.

"Your Highness, the Shu Kingdom should rightfully belong to you, but now you're giving it away to Liu Bei for nothing. How can anyone accept this?"

Zhang Ren leaned closer to Liu Chan and began to incite him.

"I've heard that Liu Bei is respectful to the virtuous and talented, and might even make good use of an old minister like me. But Your Highness, are you willing to hand over the foundation of the Shu Kingdom and then live a life of mere survival?"

These words were like a sharp knife, stabbing deeply into Liu Chan's heart, causing him a sharp pain.

These words were like a raging flame, burning the resentment that already existed in Liu Chan's heart into a raging fire.

"boom!"

Liu Chan's fist slammed heavily into the ground, producing a dull thud, as if it were an outpouring of his inner anger.

"Of course I don't want to, but what can I do? My father has already decided to surrender to Liu, and I can't stop him. What else can I do but follow my father to surrender?"

Zhang Ren saw the resentment in Liu Chan's heart, his eyes darted around, and a bold idea suddenly sprouted in his mind.

After a moment's hesitation, Zhang Ren cupped his hands and said:
"Your Highness, to be honest, this old minister is unwilling to become a minister who leads a fallen kingdom, unwilling to watch the land of Shu fall into the hands of others. If you have the courage, this old minister is willing to help you ascend the throne, to make you the King of Shu, and to restore the glory of Shu!"

"With you leading the men of Shu, we will surely be able to defend Chengdu, make Liu Bei retreat in the face of difficulties, and let the land of Shu belong to us forever!"

This statement came out.

Liu Chan's expression changed instantly; his previously calm face was now filled with astonishment. He abruptly turned his head and looked at Zhang Ren with surprise.

After a wave of surprise and doubt washed over him, Liu Chan gradually calmed down and began to ponder the meaning behind Zhang Ren's words.

After a moment, he finally realized what Zhang Ren meant.

This old minister, who was usually loyal to him, was now inciting him to launch a thrilling coup, to overthrow Liu Zhang from the throne of Shu, and then to ascend the throne as the new master of Shu!
A glint flashed in Liu Chan's eyes, as if a bolt of lightning had struck. Then, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and an excited smile quietly appeared.

That smile contained a thirst for power.

However, this excitement was fleeting, passing in an instant before turning into shock.

Liu Chan's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief as he said:
"What? You want me to stage a coup and betray my father? As his son, how could I do such a treasonous thing! I absolutely cannot do it!"

Having said that, Liu Chan feigned great anger, his face turning bright red, and angrily rebuked Zhang Ren:
"How could you, as a subject, come up with such a terrible idea? Aren't you trying to put me in a position of being unrighteous and immoral?"

Zhang Ren, however, remained calm and slowly rose, bowing respectfully to Liu Chan.

"Your Highness, please do not be angry. Let this old minister explain in detail. The King of Shu now intends to give away the foundation that your grandfather worked so hard to build to Liu Bei. This is a great act of filial impiety!"

"His actions are disrespectful and unfilial to your ancestor, and have failed to live up to his expectations. If you, the Crown Prince, can step forward and protect this family business from falling into the hands of others, then you will be a true loyal and filial son!"

“If you raise an army to save your ancestral family business and allow the Shu Kingdom to continue, you will surely be praised by your descendants for thousands of years and leave a good name for generations to come. Who would dare to criticize your wise move, Your Highness?” Zhang Ren’s words seemed to be giving Liu Chan a way out and a reasonable reason to launch a coup.

As Liu Chan listened, he felt secretly pleased. His originally firm attitude began to waver slightly. He was about to agree when he suddenly swallowed his words back.

He knew in his heart that although Zhang Ren had built a good platform, it was not sturdy.

If he were to easily change his attitude and launch a mutiny based solely on Zhang Ren's few words, it would only lead to much discussion and accusations that he is easily swayed and lacks independent judgment, and he would likely end up with a bad reputation.

So Liu Chan shook his head, looking troubled:

"What you say makes sense, but even if I have done right by my grandfather, I will still have failed my father! He is, after all, my biological father. If I were to launch a coup and remove him from the throne, wouldn't that be a great act of filial impiety?"

"I simply cannot do something that goes against human ethics."

After saying that, Liu Chan shook his head firmly again in refusal.

Seeing this, Zhang Ren panicked and immediately knelt on the ground, begging:
"Your Highness, you launched this coup not for your own selfish gain, but to protect Chengdu and the Shu Kingdom!"

"Just imagine, if Chengdu fell into Liu Bei's hands, what kind of suffering would the people of Shu endure? They would live in misery, lose their homes, and be displaced."

"If you step forward, you will save not only your family's fortune, but also the millions of people of Shu! Your actions are truly acts of benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and filial piety; they are a great act of kindness that saves the people from suffering! I urge you, Your Highness, to consider the well-being of the people and not hesitate any longer!"

Zhang Ren's words portrayed Liu Chan as someone who was high above others and dedicated to the country and its people.

This hat made Liu Chan feel incredibly comfortable.

He began to waver, hesitated for a long time, and struggled with his thoughts, his eyes flashing with a complex expression.

Finally, Liu Chan waved his hand helplessly and sighed deeply:
"So be it! For the sake of the common people, for the sake of the countless lives in Shu, I am willing to bear this infamy and give it a try!"

He finally nodded in agreement to Zhang Ren's proposal.

Seeing this, Zhang Ren breathed a sigh of relief, as if a huge weight had finally been lifted from his heart.

He quickly stood up and praised Liu Chan again:
"Your Highness is wise. This is a blessing for the Shu Kingdom and a boon for its people! With Your Highness's benevolent actions, the Shu Kingdom will surely be able to turn danger into safety."

Liu Chan concealed the helplessness on his face, but then looked troubled:

"But the current situation is fraught with difficulties. Even if I were to take control of Chengdu, how could I possibly repel the Han army and defend the city?"

Zhang Ren remained silent, his brows furrowed, lost in thought.

After a long while, a glint of light suddenly flashed in his eyes, as if a bright lamp had suddenly lit up in the darkness.

He raised his head, his face radiating confidence:
"If Your Highness trusts me, this old minister has a plan that can turn the tide and reverse this situation!"

Liu Chan looked doubtful, secretly pondering to himself:

Zhang Ren was a military general, not a strategist. He was known for his bravery and skill in battle, but he did not show any outstanding talent in strategy.

In the current situation, even the resourceful Huang Quan couldn't come up with a way to break the deadlock, so how could Zhang Ren come up with a way to turn the tide?

This is really hard to believe.

Therefore, Liu Chan asked with suspicion:
"Old General, what...what good plan do you have? Please tell me."

Seeing Liu Chan's suspicion, Zhang Ren wasn't angry. Instead, he stepped forward, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously:

"The King of Shu has already decided to give up resistance and surrender to the Han Dynasty. In this way, Wei Yan will definitely lower his guard and think that Chengdu is powerless to resist, and will swagger into Chengdu."

"We can turn the tables on Wei Yan and launch a surprise attack after he enters Chengdu, catching him off guard."

"At that time, we will wait in comfort and rely on Chengdu as our base to fight a desperate battle with the Han army. We will surely be able to defeat them and defend Chengdu."

After saying this, Zhang Ren explained his plan in detail.

As Liu Chan listened to Zhang Ren's plan, the doubt on his face gradually turned into excitement. The excitement spread like wildfire, eventually turning into ecstasy.

He slammed his hand on the table:
"Brilliant! General, I never expected you to come up with such a brilliant plan! This strategy is flawless and truly amazing!"

"If my father had valued you and listened to your good advice, how could the Shu Kingdom have fallen to this state!"

Liu Chan slammed his fist on the table in praise of Zhang Ren, his eyes filled with admiration and appreciation for him.

Zhang Ren stood calmly, slowly raising his right hand to gently stroke his long, slightly graying beard, a confident and composed smile playing on his lips.

At this moment, Liu Chan was immersed in the excitement brought by Zhang Ren's plan, but this excitement did not last long before a trace of worry quietly shrouded his heart like a dark cloud.

He frowned, a hint of unease in his eyes, and said:
"However, that Xiao He is cunning and treacherous, always full of tricks and meticulous in his thinking. Will he be able to see through the old general's plan?"

Upon hearing Liu Chan's concerns, Zhang Ren remained calm and composed, his gaze resolute as he said:
"Xiao He is indeed the reincarnation of a military genius. His wisdom and strategy are outstanding. He often comes up with unexpected moves on the battlefield, making it difficult for people to defend against him. However, he is, after all, a person of flesh and blood. He is not an omnipotent god. He will inevitably make mistakes."

"Now that the King of Shu has decided to surrender, Xiao He will think that the overall situation is settled, and thus lower his guard and enter the city easily without any precautions."

"I doubt he expected the Crown Prince to launch a coup at this crucial moment and seize power in Shu. He also certainly didn't expect us to be so reckless and launch a surprise attack!"

"This old minister believes that this plan will surely succeed!"

Zhang Ren spoke these words with a domineering and firm tone.

Zhang Ren's words, like a spring breeze, gradually dispelled Liu Chan's worries.

Liu Chan stood up and paced slowly in the tent, his brows furrowed as he fell into deep thought.

He constantly weighed the pros and cons in his mind, considering the feasibility and risks of this plan.

Seeing that Liu Chan was still somewhat hesitant, Zhang Ren spoke again:
"Your Highness! Those who achieve great things must have courage and boldness; these are essential qualities for accomplishing great deeds."

"The situation we are in now is extremely critical. Only by fighting with our backs to the wall and risking everything can we have a chance to turn the tide."

“If the young master lacks the courage and is filled with cowardice and retreat, then he should follow the King of Shu and surrender to Liu Bei.”

"It's nothing more than the Crown Prince living a life of dependence on others and having to be mindful of their feelings. I'm sure that's not what the Crown Prince wants."

Zhang Ren's sarcastic words struck Liu Chan's heart like a heavy hammer, shattering any remaining hesitation he had. (End of Chapter)