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

"Your Majesty's heart is clear; I am willing to go through fire and water for Your Highness, even unto death!"

One of the generals knelt on one knee, his gaze resolute as iron, to show Liu Shan his determination.

"Your Majesty, I am also willing to don armor and wield weapons, personally leading my elite troops to fight for Your Highness at Yangping Pass once more!"

Another general followed closely behind, full of passion and enthusiasm, and volunteered to fight.

Jia Kui, Qian Zhao, and other generals came to their senses and stepped forward one after another. Some clasped their hands in a fist salute, while others knelt on one knee, all eagerly requesting to fight.

Upon seeing this, Liu Shan's tense nerves finally eased slightly, and a look of relief gradually appeared on his fierce and stern face.

"These northerners have finally understood the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold,' realizing that they and I are in the same boat, sharing both prosperity and adversity."

"They've finally decided to go all out for me..."

Liu Shan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, filled with pride, he raised his arms and shouted:

"You are all heroes of our time. I do not believe that the Grand Marshal and his men could conquer Chang'an, while you cannot even take down a small place like Yangping Pass!"

"Gentlemen, time is of the essence, and we cannot afford to slack off in the slightest. Let us immediately conquer Yangping Pass and secure this final credit!"

Liu Shan's words resonated like the beating of war drums, inspiring his generals.

Upon hearing this, all the generals were filled with fervor.

Thus, tens of thousands of Han soldiers, without even having time to enjoy a hot meal, rushed towards Yangping Pass once again like a tidal wave, urged on by their officers.

The war drums thundered, dust billowed, and the sounds of battle shook the heavens!
A crucial battle has begun once again.

On top of the watchtower.

Liu Shan, perched high above, gazed down at the soldiers surging toward Yangping Pass like a tidal wave, a proud smile playing on his lips.

His gaze then shifted northward, towards Chang'an, and he coldly snorted:
"Xiao Bowen, Guan Yu, I am destined by Heaven to accomplish a great feat that will last for ages, to create a new world and become an emperor for all time."

"You are nothing but stumbling blocks on my path to great achievements. No one can stop me! Don't even think about it!"

"You dare to oppose me? I, Liu Shan, will make you regret it!"

Liu Shan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, making a silent vow.

……

Meanwhile, in Liangzhou, at Jieting.

In the dead of night, all was quiet except for the howling of the biting wind.

Exhausted and defeated Wei soldiers finally crossed the treacherous Longshan Mountains.

The Longshan Mountains are steep and the roads are rugged; they endured great hardship.

At this moment, upon entering this small gateway city of Liangzhou, the remnants of the Wei army, numbering less than five thousand, were already ragged, haggard, and their eyes were full of exhaustion.

At this time, Cao Pi, the crown prince of Wei, had already led more than 10,000 Wei troops to Jieting, waiting to receive Cao Cao as he entered Liangzhou.

He knew that his father Cao Cao's safety was related to the survival of the Wei Kingdom. If anything happened to him, the Wei Kingdom would be doomed.

"Father, Father, who injured you like this?"

Inside the hall, when Cao Pi saw Cao Cao being carried into the hall, his expression changed drastically, and he rushed forward in a panic.

Cao Cao's eyes were tightly closed, his face as pale as paper, his lips trembling slightly, and he was covered in wounds, his clothes stained with blood—a gruesome sight too painful to behold. Cao Pi's heart ached, and he gripped Cao Cao's hand tightly, tears streaming down his face.

The ministers around him did not have time to explain the cause and effect to Cao Pi in detail. They first carefully carried Cao Cao into the room, settled him on the bed, and then quickly summoned the imperial physician to treat him.

It wasn't until late at night that Jia Xu managed to find a moment to recount to Cao Pi the details of the fall of Chang'an and Cao Cao's injury.

"Your Highness, we had already escaped to safety, but Xiao He secretly sent Zhao Yun with cavalry to cross the river upstream and ambush us on our westward route."

"We were caught off guard by his attack. Unfortunately, His Majesty was shot in the spine with an arrow that penetrated deep into his bone marrow. Although he barely survived, he has remained unconscious."

"Furthermore, the imperial physician has said that even if His Majesty wakes up, I'm afraid..."

Jia Xu hesitated, then shook his head and sighed repeatedly, his eyes filled with helplessness.

Cao Pi's face was ashen. He grabbed Jia Xu's shoulder and asked in a trembling voice:
"Tell me quickly! Even if Father wakes up, what will happen? Tell me, tell me now!"

At this moment, Cao Pi's voice was hoarse and urgent, and his eyes were filled with fear, as if he was afraid to hear the worst news.

Jia Xu sighed and cupped his hands in greeting:

"The imperial physician said that even if His Majesty wakes up, he may never be able to stand up again. His spine is severely damaged, and he may be paralyzed for life."

Cao Pi gasped, feeling as if struck by lightning.

He can never stand up again...

Doesn't this mean that if Cao were to wake up, he would become a cripple?
How can a cripple who can't even stand up be expected to ride a horse across the battlefield and command an army?

If he cannot command the three armies, how can he lead the remaining troops of Liangzhou to block the Han army's subsequent attack and preserve Liangzhou, the only remaining corner of Wei?
"How could this happen? How could this happen? This, this..."

Cao Pi panicked and was thrown into disarray. He didn't know how to deal with this sudden change, let alone how to save the Wei Kingdom from its predicament.

The loss of Guanzhong and the near annihilation of nearly 60,000 Wei troops was already a heavy blow to Cao Pi.

Those 60,000 Wei soldiers were the last elite force of the Wei Kingdom.

Now, they have been wiped out in the Battle of Chang'an.

Cao Cao's current injuries are only making matters worse for him.

At this moment, Cao Pi was completely bewildered and at a loss. He sat there blankly, his mind a jumble of confusion.

"Your Highness!"

Just then, Jia Xu stood up, his expression solemn, and his gaze resolute as he bowed to Cao Pi:
"Today, the emperor is seriously injured and unconscious, and the invasion of the false Han is imminent. Our Great Wei has reached a critical juncture of life and death."

"A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. We implore Your Highness to immediately ascend the throne and honor His Majesty as the Retired Emperor. Only in this way can the people's hearts be stabilized, and Your Highness lead us to defend the Longshan defense line to the death, so that Liangzhou may not fall!"

"Your Highness, His Majesty is currently unconscious. Only you can take charge of the situation and lead us through this difficult time."

"Only if you inherit the throne can the ministers and soldiers see hope, stabilize the morale of the army, and resist the enemy's attack."

Jia Xu's words of advice to Cao Pi to ascend the throne resounded in Cao Pi's ears like a thunderclap.

Cao Pi was horrified and his face changed color. He was greatly surprised.

He never expected that Jia Xu would urge him to ascend the throne at this time!
Even while Cao Cao was still alive, they persuaded him to ascend the throne and declare himself emperor without authorization, and even wanted to honor Cao Cao as the retired emperor.

Isn't this tantamount to a coup d'état?
Such a heinous act would surely earn him the contempt of the world.

Cao Pi swallowed hard and hurriedly shook his head, saying:
"With Father Emperor still alive, how dare I inherit the throne? Wenhe's words are absolutely unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable!" (End of Chapter)