Cao Pi knew that the situation was beyond saving. If the Cao family was to survive, they had no choice but to surrender now.
After all, the Cao family still had a large army led by Cao Ren and Cao Zhen, which they could use as a bargaining chip.
But if Cao Ren and Cao Zhen's army were completely wiped out, the Cao family would likely face extermination.
Of course, by Cao Pi's own reckoning, he could still kill the Emperor Xian and clear away every obstacle for Liu Bei.
But Cao Pi couldn't tell whether Liu Bei was truly benevolent or merely pretending, so he abandoned that idea.
Then, before everyone's eyes, Cao Pi personally took off his black imperial robe and respectfully presented the Imperial Seal to Liu Bei.
Looking at the Imperial Seal before him, Liu Bei felt as though his life were a dream.
Just as Cao Cao had once only wanted to be a capable minister of Great Han, Liu Bei had initially only hoped to become a marquis and a general.
After establishing a foothold, Liu Bei had thought that becoming a king would be more than enough. He had never expected to become emperor in the end.
"Big Brother! What are you waiting for?"
When Zhang Fei saw Liu Bei staring at the Imperial Seal without taking it, he wanted to grab it himself and stuff it into his big brother's hands.
"Third Brother, don't!"
Liu Bei snapped out of it and stopped Zhang Fei from acting rashly. Then he said to Cao Pi,
"My dear nephew, I'll have to trouble you to issue an edict throughout the realm, ordering the commanderies and counties to surrender of their own accord!"
Liu Bei said this because he understood what the people in those regions