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

Xiao He told Zhao Yun the whole plan, which he had carefully considered, without reservation.

Xiao He always remained wary of others and dared not easily entrust his true feelings to them.

Even his father-in-law Guan Yu, with whom he was related by marriage, was not someone Xiao He dared to completely trust without reservation.

Family bonds can sometimes become incredibly fragile.

Zhao Yun, however, was an exception.

Zhao Zilong of Changshan is someone who would entrust his back to another without hesitation in the face of life and death, someone who would entrust his life to another.

Zhao Yun listened quietly, nodding slightly, already understanding Xiao He's deeper meaning.

In short, Xiao He's plan was to make Emperor Liu Bei see through the true nature of his son, Liu Shan.

Given Liu Bei's formidable courage, if he had discovered that Liu Shan's succession to the throne posed a significant threat to the Shu Han dynasty, which would have ended after only two generations, he would have acted decisively, like a warrior cutting off his own arm, to abolish the old order and establish a new one, selecting a wise and virtuous crown prince to ensure the dynasty's long-term stability.

As for how to make Liu Bei see Liu Shan's true nature, that depends on Xiao He's next plan and strategy.

"Very well, Grand Marshal's strategy is flawless, I will follow your advice."

Zhao Yun had no doubts whatsoever; his eyes were full of determination as he unconditionally chose to believe Xiao He.

Xiao He nodded slightly, his thoughts returning from long-term planning to the present reality.

His gaze fell upon the city of Weikou on the opposite bank, and a surge of heroic spirit welled up within him. He roared:

"We'll sharpen our knives before we start chopping vegetables. Our army will cross the river immediately, capture Weikou in one fell swoop, and then take Tongguan!"

It was late winter, and the cold wind was biting, but it could not stop the Han army's advance.

Under the fierce offensive of the Han army, Wei's eastern defense line collapsed completely, as if it were made of paper.

The strategic passes of Tongguan, Weikou, Wuguan, and Shangluo were abandoned by the Wei army without a fight.

The various Wei armies, like frightened birds, all retreated towards the Chang'an line.

With Tongguan and Wuguan falling into enemy hands, Guanzhong was completely wide open, allowing the Han army to advance unimpeded.

Guan Yu's southern army marched in a grand procession through these two passes into the Guanzhong Plain.
The two Han armies in the north, totaling about 350,000 men, advanced side by side along both banks of the Wei River like two giant dragons, their banners obscuring the sun and their war drums shaking the heavens, marching majestically straight toward Chang'an.

At the same time, the recapture of Tongguan meant that the main road between Luoyang and Chang'an was now open.

The grain and military supplies of the Guandong prefectures no longer need to go through the circuitous route to Bingzhou; they can be directly transported from Luoyang along the Tongguan Avenue to Guanzhong.

In this way, Wei's attempt to halt the Han army's advance through the tactic of seizing grain was thwarted without a fight.

Liu Shan's victory report quickly reached Ye City.

Emperor Liu Bei was overjoyed to learn of the smooth progress of the battle at the front and immediately issued an edict to reward the generals and soldiers on the front lines.

At the same time, Liu Bei issued an edict to encourage the Han army soldiers to continue their westward advance to Chang'an, determined to wipe out the puppet Wei regime in one fell swoop and restore the old capital.

With the destruction of Wei imminent, the entire court and the public were thrilled.

In stark contrast, the people of Wei were filled with fear and chaos.

The people were terrified and spread rumors that the Han army was about to arrive, as if the end of the world was about to come.

Upon hearing the news of the fall of Weikou, all the counties east of Chang'an, including Gaoling, Wannian, Xiabang, and Baling, surrendered without resistance.

The people of Chang'an were filled with fear, and countless families and ordinary citizens fled the city.

On the streets, pedestrians hurried by, vehicles and horses made a ruckus, and everywhere was a scene of panicked escape.

Before the Han army even reached the city walls, Chang'an was already teetering on the brink of collapse, like a towering building about to crumble. The Imperial Palace, the Golden Hall.

Cao Cao sat listlessly on the dragon throne, his hand supporting his forehead, his eyes closed, and his brows furrowed.

His face was filled with fatigue and worry, and his former dignity and domineering presence had long since vanished.

"His Majesty personally led back more than 26,000 troops, more than 10,000 troops withdrew from Weikou City, and about 30,000 troops withdrew from Wuguan and Tongguan. Adding the original 10,000 garrison troops in Chang'an, we now have less than 70,000 troops available for deployment."

With a somber expression, Yang Fu slowly and deliberately recounted the grim situation facing the State of Wei.

"After the fall of Wuguan and Tongguan, Guan Yu's more than 100,000 Han troops were able to enter Guanzhong without hindrance. After the two Han armies from the north and south joined forces, their strength was at least 350,000."

"Although we have destroyed all the cities along the Wei River as Your Majesty instructed, in order to slow down the Han army's westward advance, I estimate that the Han army will be at the gates of Chang'an within six days at the latest."

Yang Fu continued, each word like a heavy boulder pressing on everyone's hearts.

"Your Majesty, the enemy's forces are vastly outnumbered, and the situation for defending Chang'an is far from optimistic..."

Although Yang Fu did not say it explicitly in his last sentence, he was clearly hinting at something to Cao Cao:
If we can't hold Chang'an, we might as well abandon it and retreat to Liangzhou.

Cao Cao remained silent with his eyes closed.

His mind was in turmoil, a jumble of thoughts swirling within him.

Crown Prince Cao Pi was alarmed, knowing that the situation in Chang'an was extremely precarious and that if a decision was not made in time, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Immediately, he knelt down, cupped his hands, and earnestly pleaded:
"Father, Chang'an cannot be defended. The Han army outnumbers ours five to one. If we insist on defending Chang'an, we will surely suffer the same fate as Ye and Jinyang, and be trapped and die in Chang'an by the Han army!"

"At that time, our Wei Kingdom will be doomed!"

"Father, let's abandon Chang'an, retreat west to Liangzhou, preserve our strength, and then make further plans!"

"As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. Only in this way can we have a chance to make a comeback!"

Cao Pi's voice was choked with emotion, and tears welled in his eyes.

He naturally understood that if Cao Cao wanted to defend Chang'an to the death, he, as the crown prince, would also have to defend it to the death.

At that time, they will be trapped in a desperate situation, and their fate will be uncertain.

He didn't want to die in vain.

With Cao Pi taking the lead, a group of the crown prince's trusted ministers knelt down in unison, urging Cao Cao to abandon Chang'an and move west.

Cao Cao remained silent with his eyes closed, his heart filled with painful struggle.

Cao Pi panicked, scrambled up the jade steps, grabbed Cao Cao's leg, and pleaded tearfully:
"Father, the Han army will arrive in the blink of an eye. There is no time to hesitate any longer. Every moment of delay increases our danger."

"I implore Father Emperor to prioritize the well-being of the nation and abandon Chang'an, retreating to Liangzhou."

Cao Cao was already furious, and Cao Pi's pressure made him unable to contain his anger any longer.

"boom!"

Enraged, Cao Cao kicked Cao Pi to the ground and pointed at his nose, cursing:
"If it weren't for the incompetence of Sima Yi, whom you recommended, who suffered defeat after defeat, how could I have ended up in this state today!"

"You cowardly dog, you want to force me to abandon the capital just to survive?"

"Chang'an is the very foundation of our Wei Kingdom. How can we easily abandon it? You cowardly rat, you only know how to save your own life and completely disregard the survival of the nation!"

"I'm going to kill you, you cowardly and incompetent piece of trash!"

Enraged, Cao Cao lost his temper and drew his sword, intending to kill Cao Pi! (End of Chapter)