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

Chapter 543 How could the Crown Prince of my Great Han be a narrow-minded person? Liu Shan: I can't stand not killing, slaughter him!
Everyone was shocked.

Their crown prince actually wants to massacre 10,000 surrendered soldiers!
are you crazy?
Such heinous acts are something only Cao Cao could do. How could you do such a thing?

You are the Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty.

Your father, Liu Bei, was a benevolent and righteous man throughout his life, but he never killed indiscriminately.

As the son of a benevolent ruler, how could you be so ruthless and insane as to massacre ten thousand surrendered soldiers?
If this gets out, how will the world speak ill of you!
How will the Emperor view you?

"Your Highness, please calm your anger! Since ancient times, prisoners of war have been killed, not surrendered!"

"Moreover, these soldiers from Hanzhong were previously serving their own masters and were enemies of our Great Han. Now that they have chosen to join our Great Han, they are now citizens of our Great Han."

"I know Your Highness harbors resentment, but there is absolutely no need to vent your anger on these surrendered soldiers."

"Although this may vent one's anger, it will cause the world to say that Your Highness is intolerant and will make people think that Your Highness has lost the benevolence and righteousness of an emperor."

"Massacring these ten thousand surrendered soldiers would be a complete loss."

Man Chong was outspoken and didn't give Liu Shan any face. He knelt down and offered his advice directly.

If Liu Bei had heard these words, he would have been enlightened.

Liu Shan, however, was clearly not the kind of person who readily accepted advice or had a broad mind.

The phrase "lacking the capacity to tolerate others" not only failed to sway Liu Shan but also seemed to add fuel to the fire.

"Man Boning, are you mocking me for being narrow-minded?"

Liu Shan's expression changed drastically, his eyes widened, and he glared angrily at Man Chong.

Man Chong was startled, clearly realizing that his honest advice had touched a nerve with the Crown Prince.

After a slight hesitation, Man Chong gritted his teeth, cupped his hands, and said:

"How dare I mock Your Highness? I only want to tell Your Majesty that a crown prince must have a broad mind and magnanimity."

"If Your Highness were to massacre these ten thousand surrendered soldiers in a fit of anger, it would only make the Emperor think that Your Highness is ruthless and narrow-minded, which would not be a good thing for Your Highness."

"Although Your Highness is the Crown Prince, you are still just a Crown Prince. Throughout history, not every Crown Prince has been able to live to see the day of his ascension to the throne!"

Liu Shan was jolted awake, suddenly becoming more lucid.

Man Chong is threatening him.

To be precise, it was a reminder to him.

Your position as crown prince is not necessarily secure; there is still a possibility that you could be deposed in the future.

By murdering these 10,000 surrendered soldiers, you may have angered the emperor, who will be greatly disappointed in you.

If they are disappointed in you, they might strip you of your position as crown prince.

Man Chong's cold water immediately calmed Liu Shan down a bit.

"Yes, Your Highness, please consider the well-being of the nation and absolutely refrain from doing anything that could threaten the position of Crown Prince."

"If the Crown Prince cannot inherit the throne in the future, what will become of our Great Han Dynasty?"

Xun Yun knelt down, pleading almost in tears, and also flattered Liu Shan profusely.

With the reasoning explained to this extent and the steps laid out to this degree, most people would be persuaded.

But Liu Shan was no ordinary person.

He understood the reasoning somewhat, but he couldn't swallow his anger.

"What you say is indeed true, but all my good deeds have been ruined by these treacherous dogs from Hanzhong. If I don't kill them all, I won't be able to quell the hatred in my heart."

Liu Shan gritted his teeth, the urge to kill still lingering.

Upon seeing this, Yang Ang was terrified and hurriedly knelt down, pleading repeatedly.

Man Chong was already helpless.

Despite all our efforts to persuade him, His Highness the Crown Prince remained unmoved.

He was at a loss now.

Xun Yun turned around a few times, a strange glint flashing in his eyes, then whispered in someone's ear:

"Your Highness, I have a plan that can both kill these 10,000 surrendered soldiers and deceive the public, silencing any gossip."

Liu Shan's eyes lit up, and he quickly ordered Xun Yun to continue.

Xun Yun coughed a few times and whispered his entire plan in his ear.

As Liu Shan listened, the anger on his face gradually subsided, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "Very well, I'll do as you say!"

...

At nightfall.

The noise echoed throughout the southern canyon of Xingshi Mountain.

Tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers from Hanzhong mutinied under cover of night, broke out of the prisoner-of-war camp, and fled towards Hanzhong.

"Brothers, don't stop! Charge into Hanzhong in one go and surrender to the Grand Marshal of Han in Nanzheng."

"If we stay here, we will surely be slaughtered by that Han prince!"

Yang Ang spurred his horse into a gallop, yelling wildly at his subordinates behind him.

This morning, at a critical moment, Liu Shan changed his mind and temporarily imprisoned him and his 10,000 soldiers in a prisoner-of-war camp.

However, the Han soldiers outside the camp were sharpening their knives, seemingly ready to attack them at any moment.

Yang Ang became increasingly panicked. Seeing that the Han army's defenses were lax, he incited 10,000 surrendered soldiers to rise up in rebellion, break through the Han army's surveillance, and try to escape back to Hanzhong.

It seems that the Han army has not caught up with him, and he appears to have a chance to escape.

Yang Ang was completely unaware that on a hill in the canyon...

Liu Shan stood with his hands behind his back, coldly looking down at the Hanzhong soldiers who were running wildly through the valley.

"Zihua, you are truly my Zhang Liang!"

Liu Shan glanced at Xun Yun beside him, clicking his tongue in approval.

This was precisely Xun Yun's plan.

Didn't you, Liu Shan, want to slaughter all ten thousand surrendered soldiers and vent your anger?

I will grant your request.

As the crown prince, it was certainly inappropriate for you to order the massacre of surrendered soldiers.

Let's change our approach and force these surrendered soldiers to your death.

Xun Yun then suggested spreading rumors throughout the prisoner-of-war camp, claiming that the Han army was digging burial pits and would bury them all alive at dawn.

The soldiers in Hanzhong were naturally filled with fear and anxiety, all trying to find a way to survive.

At this point, in order to save his own life, Yang Ang would inevitably make a desperate gamble and incite 10,000 surrendered soldiers from Hanzhong to rebel.

Liu Shan then ordered the removal of the soldiers monitoring Hanzhong from the prisoner camp, allowing these surrendered soldiers to escape.

There is only one road leading south through Xiegu Valley, and the only way to reach Hanzhong is by following the valley path.

Liu Shan then ordered Zhang Yan and his generals to set up heavy ambushes on both sides of the valley leading south, waiting for the surrendered soldiers from Hanzhong to come to their doorstep.

It's surely right to surround and kill surrendered soldiers who then rebelled.

Whether it's Xiao He or the people of the world, you can't keep saying that I, Liu Shan, am cruel and lack the benevolence and righteousness of an emperor.

This was Xun Yun's strategy of killing two birds with one stone.

This satisfied Liu Shan's desire to vent his anger without incurring the infamy of killing surrendered soldiers, which would have drawn criticism from the people and displeasure from Emperor Liu Bei.

"Pass on my order: fire arrows and kill these treacherous dogs from Hanzhong, leave no one alive!"

Liu Shan's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he gave the order without hesitation.

Xun Yun immediately issued the order.

A signal fire was lit atop the hill.

Upon seeing this, the ambushing Han archers immediately drew their bows, nocked arrows, and began firing wildly into the valley.

In an instant, tens of thousands of sharp arrows, like a net covering the sky, covered the valley.

Wails and screams suddenly erupted.

Like the wailing of a fierce ghost, it echoed through the Xie Valley.

Yang Ang and his 10,000 soldiers from Hanzhong were shot down without knowing when the enemy was at the scene.

Blood stains the valley...

Hearing the wails coming from the valley, Liu Chan let out a long breath, a satisfied, cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

(End of this chapter)