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

"You betrayed me, and I have nothing to say. But even if you come to power, can you defend Chengdu? You are no match for Liu Bei! If you continue to resist, more people will die in the war. Can you bear to see the people of Shu suffer like this?"

"Liu Chan, Zhang Ren, stop now. Don't let these innocent people pay the price for your ambitions."

Liu Zhang pleaded earnestly, his voice filled with helplessness.

At this moment, he had naturally given up the idea of ​​resistance and only hoped to persuade his son and ministers to turn back from the wrong path.

Liu Chan snorted coldly, his eyes revealing a blind confidence:

“My father’s incompetence does not mean I am incompetent. Since I dared to stage a coup and seize the throne, I am confident that I can defend Chengdu. Not only can I defend it, but I can also repel the Han army and let Liu Bei know that our Shu Kingdom is not so easy to bully!”

His furious voice echoed throughout the palace.

Liu Zhang was startled and looked at his son in surprise.

Clearly, he hadn't expected his son to be so arrogant.

Even with his own powerful army, he couldn't defeat Liu Bei. Did Liu Chan really have that ability?

Liu Zhang felt that his son was throwing an egg against a rock, pushing the Shu Kingdom into an abyss of no return.

"King of Shu, don't underestimate the Crown Prince. We have already devised a brilliant plan that will surely turn the tide and defeat the Han army! We will definitely drive Wei Yan and Xiao He out of Shu, recover the lost territory, and bring Shu back into our hands!"

Zhang Ren said domineeringly, his eyes flashing with determination, as if he was determined to win.

These domineering words startled Liu Zhang, and a look of astonishment flashed in his eyes. He wondered what ingenious plan his son and Zhang Ren had devised to so confidently defeat the Han army.
Do they really have some secret weapon or ingenious plan that no one knows about?
"What exactly are you planning to do? Tell me now, stop playing coy!"

Liu Zhang jumped up and shouted excitedly, his voice becoming shrill.

He desperately wanted to know the answer; he didn't want to see the Shu Kingdom destroyed by him and his son.

Liu Chan, however, did not reveal his true intentions, and coldly said:

"Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. Please, Father, hand over the seal and remain here to witness my unparalleled achievements. Father, please wait here in peace for my good news!"

Looking at his confident son, Liu Zhang felt a strange sense of confidence welling up inside him.
Could it be that my son really has some brilliant plan to turn the tide and save the day?

If that's really the case, then entrusting this hard-earned business to him would be an excellent choice.

Although he lost his supreme power, he was able to enjoy a life of wealth and leisure under his son's protection.

Anyway, life goes on no matter how you live it. Living under his son's wing, relying on the bond between father and son, would surely be more comfortable and pleasant than living under Liu Bei's wing.

Liu Zhang pondered the matter repeatedly, his thoughts tangled and intertwined like a jumbled mess. After weighing the options carefully, he finally made a decision.

He slowly took out the seal of office, a symbol of power and status, from his robes and solemnly handed it to Liu Chan. His eyes held a complex mix of emotions as he slowly said:

"Your father is getting old and his energy is waning. It's time for you to take over this position. Take it, and I hope you can achieve something that will impress your father."

Liu Chan steadily accepted the seal of office, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth revealing a barely perceptible smile that seemed to conceal endless ambition and scheming.

Seeing this, Zhang Ren secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then his expression hardened, and he shouted loudly:

"Guards, take the Prince of Shu away and treat him well. Do not neglect him in the slightest!"

The surrounding soldiers responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"

Immediately afterwards, armored soldiers from both sides surged forward like a tide, instantly surrounding Liu Zhang in the middle.

This show of force clearly indicates that they intend to place him under house arrest.

Seeing this, Liu Zhang shook his head helplessly, sighed inwardly, and then slowly rose from the throne that symbolized supreme power, leaving with heavy steps and a somber expression.

After seeing Liu Zhang off, Liu Chan swaggered and sat down in the seat that originally belonged to his father, his face beaming with pride and arrogance.

It was as if the world was already under his control.

The next day, sunlight shone on the thick city wall of the North Gate, and the previously tightly closed gate slowly opened under the tense gaze of the crowd.

A group of people marched out slowly, their steps neat yet somewhat heavy.

Liu Zhang, riding on his horse, was dejected, as if all his energy had been drained away, and he had lost all his former prestige.

His personal guards, each with their hands on their swords, scanned their surroundings warily, not daring to relax their vigilance in the slightest, always on alert for any potential danger.

Liu Chan was also among this group of people. At this moment, he was wearing heavy armor, the thick armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

He gripped his sword, its blade gleaming coldly, and his eyes flashed with murderous intent as he stared intently at his father, Liu Zhang.

In his mind, if Liu Zhang made any disobedient move, he would not hesitate to take action, even at the cost of killing his father, rather than let Liu Zhang ruin his carefully planned overall strategy.

In his view, the great cause of the world was far more important than the bond between father and son.

The group of people slowly headed towards the Han camp.

As they approached the Han camp, they saw that the camp's gates were wide open, as if welcoming their arrival.

Wei Yan personally led a group of men to welcome Liu Zhang.

Upon seeing the "Wei" flag fluttering in the wind, Liu Chan's eyes lit up instantly, his excitement overflowing.

As he had predicted, based on his previous calculations, Wei Yan would personally come out of the camp to greet Liu Zhang in order to show his willingness to appease him.

Moreover, it seems that the troops Wei Yan led consisted only of his personal guards, and they were completely unprepared.

In his eyes, this situation was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

Liu Chan sneered inwardly, the sneer seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, and a murderous intent rose up, filling the surrounding air.

Liu Zhang seemed to have guessed what Liu Chan was thinking, and a wave of worry washed over him. He quickly reminded him:
"Chan'er, you must think this through. There's more than just Wei Yan in the Han army; there's also Xiao He. This man is incredibly cunning and resourceful. Do you think you can fool him? In the end, I fear you'll meet a tragic end, dying without a proper burial!"

Liu Chan's sneer vanished, and he glared fiercely at Liu Zhang, coldly saying:
"The arrow is on the string, it has to be released, so stop babbling and shut up!"

Liu Zhang reluctantly shut his mouth, not daring to utter another word.

The horse and rider continued to move forward slowly, each step seemingly carrying an invisible pressure.

Before long, several thousand Han soldiers arrived and quickly formed ranks in front of them. Their orderly formation resembled an impregnable city wall, inspiring awe.

Then, a troop of Han cavalry galloped in like a whirlwind, the leading soldier shouting loudly:

"Generals Xiao He and Wei Yan have come in person to receive Liu Zhang and urge him to surrender immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Chan's eyes widened instantly, filled with shock and excitement.

Not only did Wei Yan come, but Xiao He also came!

This is a golden opportunity!

If a surprise attack is launched now, Xiao He and Wei Yan can be killed in one fell swoop.

At that time, the Han army that invaded Shu will inevitably collapse due to the lack of a leader. It will be an unprecedented victory, and I will be remembered in history for it.

Liu Chan was as excited as a madman. With a "whoosh," his long sword was drawn, its sharp blade gleaming blindingly in the sunlight. Meanwhile, inside the north gate, Zhang Ren had already amassed over ten thousand soldiers hidden within the city walls—this was the plan he had presented to Liu Chan.

His plan was to have Liu Chan escort Liu Zhang as a pretense of surrender, luring Wei Yan to come and greet him. At the crucial moment, he would lead the Shu army to attack and kill Wei Yan before he could react.

With Wei Yan dead, the Han army would inevitably fall into chaos and disperse without a fight, thus preserving the Shu region.

At this moment, everything is proceeding smoothly according to Zhang Ren's ingenious calculations.

The messengers sent by Liu Chan, like arrows released from a bow, had already rushed to various places with secret orders, quickly spreading the news.

Now is the perfect time to launch that fatal blow.

Zhang Ren stood inside the city gate, took a deep breath, the air echoing in his chest, and suddenly raised the gleaming longsword in his hand, its tip pointing straight ahead, and shouted:

"Soldiers of Shu! We must never become slaves of a conquered nation, at the mercy of others! How can we easily surrender Shu? Everyone, listen to my command! Follow me and charge out! Slaughter all those Han traitors and let them know the might of the Shu army!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Ren leaped onto his warhorse, dragging his long sword, and charged out of the city gate like a black lightning bolt.

He seemed like a war god descended to earth.

Deeply inspired by Zhang Ren's impassioned words and courageous actions, the Shu soldiers, their eyes burning with anger and fighting spirit, surged out of the city gates like a tidal wave, closely following behind Zhang Ren.

More than 10,000 Shu troops, like an unstoppable torrent of steel, rushed towards the direction where the Han army was located.

The earth is shaking.

The army swept past Liu Zhang, the wind it stirred up ruffling his clothes.

At this moment, Liu Zhang finally understood from the chaos what kind of conspiracy his son and Zhang Ren were plotting.

He looked up and saw his own army surging out like a tide, while the Han army led by Wei Yan numbered only a few thousand.

On the surface, Liu Chan and Zhang Ren's plan seemed poised for great success, with victory seemingly just around the corner.

A surge of excitement welled up in Liu Zhang's heart, as if he could see the hope for the revival of the Shu Kingdom.

At this moment, his hatred for his son Liu Chan had long since vanished, and he even secretly hoped that his son's plan would be successfully implemented.

Zhang Ren, sword in hand, charged ahead on horseback, his gaze fixed like two sharp swords on the fluttering "Wei" battle flag.

In his heart, there was only one firm thought:

Kill Wei Yan!

To accomplish the task at hand.

If Wei Yan is killed, the Han army will inevitably fall into chaos, and the Shu Kingdom will have a chance to turn the tide and win.

Inside the Han army formation, Wei Yan and Xiao He stood side by side, their expressions calm, a hint of sarcastic smirk on their lips, quietly watching the Shu army surge forward like a tide.

Despite the large number and imposing presence of the Shu troops, the two men were not afraid at all.

In their view, this was nothing more than a farce that they had already anticipated.

Wei Yan turned his head slightly, looked at Xiao He, and said with emotion:
"Everything is exactly as you expected. I just wonder if this plan was Liu Zhang's idea or his son's?"

Xiao He smiled and said disapprovingly:
"Liu Zhang was weak and incompetent, so it was only natural for him to surrender the city. However, there were quite a few stubborn people in the city who were not convinced. Whether these people would truly submit to the Han Dynasty remained an unknown."

"Therefore, I had long predicted that Liu Zhang's surrender might be unexpected, and what I am seeing now proves that I was right."

Previously, Xiao He had analyzed the situation.

Knowing that Liu Zhang was weak-willed, he believed that surrendering the city was the best option when faced with the strong pressure from the Han army.

However, within the Shu Kingdom, there were many loyal soldiers who refused to submit to the Shu army.

They might be secretly plotting to try and reverse the situation through some extreme means.

Therefore, Xiao He kept a close eye on the situation in the city and was prepared to deal with any unexpected events.

"Wen Chang, send a signal to Zhang Bao!"

Xiao said coldly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

Wei Yan nodded, and then the command flag behind him rose, sending a clear signal through the air.

Wei Yan and Xiao He stood side by side on their horses, quietly watching the Shu army surge forward like a tide.

Thirty steps!
The vanguard of the Shu army had approached to within thirty paces of the Han army's lines, and their rousing shouts grew ever clearer.

Twenty steps!
The distance between the two sides shortened further, and the weapons of the Shu army gleamed coldly in the sunlight, sending chills down one's spine.

Ten steps!

With only ten steps remaining, the Shu soldiers were about to rush towards the Han army, and a fierce battle seemed imminent.

At this critical moment, an unexpected incident suddenly occurred.

The Shu soldiers charging forward suddenly felt their legs buckle, as if their bodies had lost their support and they sank uncontrollably.

Suddenly, a trench, two zhang wide and twenty bu long, appeared before them like a giant mouth.

Hundreds and thousands of Shu soldiers had no time to stop and, due to inertia, fell into the trenches one after another.

In an instant, cries of sorrow rose and fell, their echoes reverberating through the heavens.

In an instant, thousands of Shu soldiers fell to their deaths in the pit, their blood staining the soil of the trench red.

Upon seeing this, the Shu troops hurriedly stopped, but due to the dense formation, they quickly became crowded in front of the trench and fell into chaos.

The warhorses neighed, the soldiers panicked, pushed and shoved each other, and the whole scene was chaotic.

Zhang Ren managed to rein in his horse in time, preventing it from falling into the pit.

He reined in his horse, stared wide-eyed at the bottomless pit before him, utterly astonished.

His mind went blank, filled with confusion and shock:

"What happened? Why is there a pit out of nowhere?"

Suddenly, he shivered, as if a bolt of lightning had struck his mind, making him instantly understand the mystery.

Xiao He must have guessed that a mutiny would occur in the city, and he and Liu Chan had already seized power.

Xiao He had even guessed that they would launch a surprise attack today, dealing a fatal blow to the Han army.

Therefore, Xiao He had this trap dug last night in advance, just to annihilate the vanguard when they charged.

Thinking of this, Zhang Ren couldn't help but feel a wave of despair.

He knew they had lost this battle. (End of Chapter)