The Wei Kingdom's border defense strategies and measures, as well as the extraordinary wisdom displayed by Cao Mengde, were astounding. Furthermore, the combat capabilities displayed by the Wei army far exceeded the expectations of the Shu Kingdom's generals.
After learning the detailed battle situation on the front line, Grand Tutor Jia couldn't help but feel a little worried. He began to think carefully about whether it would be possible for the State of Gan to find a suitable opportunity to invade the State of Wei and achieve its goal of suppressing the State of Wei if every army of the State of Wei could possess such a strong fighting capacity.
At the same time, some generals of Shu Kingdom had secretly sent people to contact the former King of Shu, Liu Yu. Although Shu Kingdom still had a certain advantage in terms of numbers, they knew clearly that the combat effectiveness of Shu Kingdom soldiers could not be compared with that of Wei Kingdom soldiers.
Faced with such a huge disparity in combat power, the Shu generals had to start thinking carefully and looking for strategies to survive. After all, when they personally went to the battlefield, they also faced the risk of their lives.
Furthermore, the soldiers under their command are not just their subordinates; they are their loved ones and their staunch support. If all of these soldiers were tragically killed, it would be not only a military loss for the generals, but also a profound emotional blow. In such a situation, if all their soldiers were killed, the generals' existence would become meaningless, and they would face unprecedented difficulties.
Moreover, the former King of Shu, Liu Yu, was the legitimate heir to the Shu Kingdom, while the current King of Shu, Liu Buchu, was actually just a usurper. In this case, why should we continue to be loyal to Liu Buchu and why should we continue to fight desperately against the Wei army?
So these generals decided to surrender to the former King of Shu, Liu Yu.
On the Wei side, when Liu Yu learned that the generals of Shu were willing to abandon Liu Buchu and welcome the return of him, the former King of Shu, Liu Yu was very happy.
He thought with deep emotion: There are still people who can see the general trend of the times. If Shu and Wei really fight to the death, even if he can eventually regain the throne of King Shu, it will definitely be impossible for Shu and Wei to maintain the harmonious relationship they once had.
After all, once a full-scale war breaks out, it is inevitable that people will lose their lives. Regardless of which side the soldiers are on, each of them has their own family and relatives. If the death toll caused by the war is too high, the families and relatives of these soldiers will fall into deep grief, and may even develop hatred and hostility towards each other.
Liu Yu knew that his intelligence was limited, and his father-in-law, Cao Mengde, an old fox, was also here, so he had someone he could rely on. Therefore, Liu Yu decided to go to Cao Mengde and confess his concerns and problems to him.
Liu Yu faced Cao Mengde and said firmly, "Just last night, I received messages from several old friends who once fought alongside me to reclaim Shu. They expressed their desire to join my side and no longer wanted to serve Liu Buchu, nor to continue fighting against the Wei soldiers."
Cao Mengde pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke, "This isn't surprising. People instinctively seek profit and avoid harm. It's perfectly normal for them to have such thoughts after witnessing the strength of our Wei soldiers."
Our intelligence department has learned that the Shu King has assembled a million troops on the Wei-Shu border. If this news is true, then the Shu Kingdom's domestic forces must be very few, and the defenses of other border areas are bound to become weak.
Under these circumstances, it was entirely foreseeable that some internal strife and conflict would arise within Shu. Any general with a bit of foresight could have foreseen this. Furthermore, the fact that the newly appointed King of Shu, Liu Buchu, had only recently ascended the throne and had barely secured his position when he launched such a large-scale war undoubtedly made it difficult for the Shu ministers to fully pledge their loyalty.
After listening to Cao Mengde's words, Liu Yu nodded vigorously. He agreed with Cao Mengde's opinion very much.
After observing Liu Yu's reaction, Cao Mengde continued, "Another point we must consider: if we refuse these men's surrender and insist on fighting them to the death, then facing a million-strong enemy force, our Wei State will also be under tremendous pressure. To resist such a large force, our soldiers will inevitably suffer heavy casualties."
Liu Yu said, "I think so too. However, some of Shu's armies are still controlled by Liu Buchu and those aristocratic families. If the generals who want to join me make any unusual moves, they will definitely find out, and then there is a high possibility of causing civil unrest in the Shu army."
Cao Mengde also knew this, so he had a plan in mind long ago. However, this plan was a bit risky. Of course, the risk here only meant that Liu Yu would be in danger, and it did not pose any substantial harm to the Wei State.
Cao Mengde said to Liu Yu, "There is a solution, it just depends on whether you dare to do it."
Liu Yu said bluntly: "I may not have intelligence, but I definitely have courage. Please tell me if you have any good ideas, father-in-law."
There was a hint of determination in Liu Yu's tone. He was well aware of the complexity of the current situation in Shu. Although he was eager to end this unnecessary war and this unnecessary farce as soon as possible, he had to act with caution.
He was well aware that the Shu army was not entirely under his control; Liu Buchu and the other aristocratic families still held considerable military power. If any of these generals learned that a Shu general was attempting to defect to him, they would absolutely not let him go, inevitably causing unrest and chaos within Shu.
Liu Yu's answer was full of confidence. He did not deny his lack of wisdom, but he also did not hide his courage. Although Liu Yu's intelligence level was not particularly outstanding, his feelings for the people of Shu were extremely sincere and deep.
Cao Mengde continued, "You can sneak to the Shu army camp in the middle of the night. Have the generals who have expressed their willingness to submit to you lead you into the Shu army. There you can meet with those generals in person and have them join you in the battle."
At the same time, I will command the Wei army to put pressure on the Shu army. This will prevent Liu Buchu and those generals who have devotedly followed him from taking care of other matters."
Liu Yu said with emotion: "Thank you, father-in-law."
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