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

On the north bank of the Wei River, the Han army camp stands majestically.

Inside the camp, the Han soldiers who remained were immersed in a jubilant celebration, with cheers and shouts rising and falling.

At that moment, a report of victory spread like lightning across the night sky throughout the Han camp.

It turned out to be good news sent back by Crown Prince Liu Shan. The letter said that he had arrived at the pontoon bridge in time. Cao Cao was so frightened that he lost his nerve and led his remaining troops to flee to Chang'an in a sorry state.

The Battle of Wei River ended in a complete victory for the Han army.

How could the Han soldiers not be excited and cheer?

In the big tent.

Zhao Yun smiled and turned his gaze to Xiao He, asking:

"Grand Marshal, in your opinion, what will Cao Cao do next?"

Xiao He sat upright to the side, holding a bowl of steaming hot tea in his hands. He took a small sip and slowly put the bowl down.

"Cao Cao now faces two paths. The best course of action is to abandon Chang'an and retreat to Liangzhou."

"Liangzhou is located in the northwest, and the Longshan Mountains act as a natural barrier. If he can take advantage of this terrain, he can still prolong his life for a few more days and perhaps find a chance to catch his breath."

"The worst option is to hold Chang'an and continue to dream of defeating our army and protecting Yongzhou."

"If the traitorous Cao Cao insists on holding Chang'an, he will undoubtedly be digging his own grave."

At this point, Xiao He paused slightly, a cold smile appearing on his lips:
"As for the middle course... he has no other choice now, it's just the best and worst options."

Zhao Yun nodded slightly.

After a moment of contemplation, he asked again:

"Based on the Grand Marshal's understanding of Cao Cao, will he choose the best or worst strategy?"

Xiao He's lips curled into a cold smile, a smile tinged with disdain and mockery.
"If Cao Cao had chosen the better strategy, he wouldn't have retreated to Weikou in the first place, only to suffer another defeat and lose territory, ending up in a miserable state."

"Now, Cao Cao has almost nothing left. His former ambitions have been worn down by the setbacks of reality, and he no longer has the courage to make tough decisions."

The implication is that Cao Cao was reluctant to give up Chang'an and would choose to defend it as a cornered beast.

Zhao Yun wholeheartedly agreed, nodding emphatically, his eyes gleaming with determination:

"The Grand Marshal is absolutely right. If Cao Cao makes this choice, it will actually be a good thing for us."

"We can annihilate him and the remnants of the Wei army in Chang'an in one fell swoop, thus destroying Wei and realizing the great unification of our Han Dynasty!"

Zhao Yun's voice was impassioned and stirring, as if he had already seen the dawn of unifying the world.

Xiao He gently put down the teacup in his hand, smiled slightly, and said:

"That's all for later. Let's draft a victory report now, detailing the Battle of Wei River. After the Crown Prince has reviewed it, we'll send it to Ye City to report the victory to the Emperor."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Su leaned closer and lowered his voice:
"Grand Marshal, it is said that His Highness the Crown Prince has already written a report of victory and sent it to Ye City ahead of time."

Xiao He's eyes flickered slightly, and he involuntarily exchanged a glance with Zhao Yun.

They both saw a hint of surprise and confusion in each other's eyes.

This Crown Prince's actions this time are truly unconventional.

Initially, Liu Shan respected these "old ministers" quite a bit.

Whether it was routine reports or important news of victory, they would be respectfully asked to draft them.

He would listen carefully to their opinions, and only after reviewing and confirming them himself would he send them to Liu Bei in Ye City. At that time, in their eyes, Liu Shan was a humble, studious, and respectful crown prince.

Unexpectedly, in this great victory at the Wei River, Liu Shan bypassed them and personally wrote the victory report to Liu Shan!

Moreover, their opinions were not even sought for the content of the victory report.

The changes are truly perplexing.

"Grand Marshal, what is the meaning of His Highness the Crown Prince's words?"

Zhao Yun couldn't understand Liu Shan's motives and looked at Xiao He with a blank expression.

Xiao He smiled faintly, but his smile held a profound meaning:

“Zilong, have you forgotten? Our Crown Prince is the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies. In name, he has the right to submit a memorial to the Emperor without consulting you or me.”

"He has only acted this way in the past out of respect for us."

Zhao Yun's heart skipped a beat, as if he suddenly understood something, and he immediately grasped the implication in Xiao He's words.

In the Battle of Wei River, Liu Shan, as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, naturally made significant contributions.

Now that he feels he has established his reputation and is powerful enough, he intends to take control of the military and no longer wants to be controlled by these "old fogies".

Thinking of this, Zhao Yun frowned and couldn't help but sigh:
"Back then, he claimed that he was inexperienced and said that all the reports and war reports submitted to the emperor were drafted by us and he only needed to glance at them."

"At that time, he was so sincere and his words were so humble that we agreed."

"If the Crown Prince wants to reclaim this power, he can simply say so. Can we object? Why does he need to do it this way? It's really unnecessary..."

Zhao Yun was also a straightforward person, and he frankly expressed his displeasure without any attempt to hide it, revealing his dissatisfaction and disappointment with Liu Shan's actions.

Xiao He could tell that Zhao Yun also had some reservations about Liu Shan's actions as crown prince.

So he made up an excuse to send Ma Su away temporarily.

After Ma Su left, the tent was empty except for the two old comrades-in-arms.

Xiao He looked upstream and asked with a playful tone:
"Zilong, do you think our Crown Prince can be considered a wise and magnanimous ruler?"

This question, seemingly casual, actually contained a thought that Xiao He had kept hidden in his heart for a long time.

He began to put that idea into action.

Because, in Xiao He's view, Liu Shan's recent behavior gave him a vague sense of unease.

He felt that Yang Guang's shadow was becoming increasingly prominent in Liu Shan.

Yang Guang's scourge extended far beyond the country, causing the once prosperous Sui Dynasty to rapidly decline and ultimately perish.

Under his tyranny, the people suffered terribly, and millions were killed as a result of his tyranny.

Moreover, in order to consolidate his power, he showed no mercy to meritorious officials and nobles, and carried out mass killings, causing panic throughout the court.

If Liu Shan were to succeed to the throne and truly follow Yang Guang's example, would I, as the most meritorious official of Shu Han, have a good end?
Thinking of this, Xiao He felt a chill run down his spine.

For the country, if Liu Shan had become a tyrant like Yang Guang, the Han dynasty would have been plunged into utter ruin, the people would have suffered the ravages of war once again, and the country would have faced the danger of disintegration.

From a personal perspective, one's life, wealth, and status will all be destroyed in an instant.

Therefore, whether considering the interests of the Han Dynasty or his own, Xiao He had to remove Liu Shan from the position of Crown Prince! (End of Chapter)