With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 105, Cao Pi's Growth Plan
"Fengxiao, Zixiu and His Majesty have been getting close lately. What do you think of this?"

After taking Nanyang, Cao Cao was in a very good mood and was having tea and chatting with Guo Jia.

Guo Jia smiled. "Could it be that you have some concerns, my lord?"

Cao Cao sighed, "I wouldn't say I'm too worried. From what I've observed, His Majesty has no ill intentions. He's also given Zixiu a lot of guidance lately. Zixiu has become much more sensible recently, and he's become more approachable. He's also gradually building up some prestige in the army."

“But…” Cao Cao paused, looking at Guo Jia, hesitant to speak.

Guo Jia knew what he wanted to say, so he said, "My lord, I think your worries are completely unnecessary. I have often interacted with His Majesty. His Majesty is gentle and has not shown any malice. If we deliberately distance ourselves from him, it will be very disadvantageous. I once advised you to maintain the appearance of harmony between the emperor and his subjects. The fact that the eldest son is close to His Majesty is actually very beneficial to you. In this way, no one will dare to criticize you behind your back for bullying the emperor or having rebellious intentions."

Cao Cao nodded. "I've thought of what you've said, but I still feel uneasy."

Guo Jia laughed and said, "My lord, you are overthinking it. We have now successfully captured Nanyang and our strength has increased considerably. In a few years, I'm afraid only Yuan Shao can rival you in the north. As long as you can defeat Yuan Shao and unify the north, then we will no longer need to worry about the emperor."

“Even if Your Majesty is very close to the eldest son, the eldest son is still a member of the Cao family. He has the blood of Lord Ming flowing in his veins, and he will never betray Lord Ming under any circumstances.”

How to treat the emperor was such a sensitive topic that only Guo Jia could freely discuss it with Cao Cao.

Cao Cao nodded. "Cheng Yu's reminder is quite reasonable. Sometimes I find His Majesty a bit unpredictable."

Cao Cao stood up, put his hands behind his back, walked a few steps in the room, and sighed deeply.

Guo Jia said, "My lord thinks the same way. Even though His Majesty doesn't do anything intentionally, he always manages to win the approval of others."

Cao Cao turned around, his eyes showing approval. "Yes, if Your Majesty is unwilling and resists me, or tries to gather allies to deal with me, I think it will be easier for me to deal with you."

Guo Jia laughed, “Like a wild beast locked in a cage, no matter how much it struggles, it will eventually lose its temper, because the outcome is already predetermined from the moment it is locked in the cage.”

"Yes, but what about now?"

Guo Jia squinted, a hint of humor in his smile. “His Majesty is indeed very interesting. He is indeed in a cage now. Although he can travel freely and go on campaigns with the army, everything His Majesty possesses was given to him by you, Lord Ming. If you want to take it back, His Majesty will have nothing. But His Majesty’s performance has indeed been somewhat unexpected.”

"On the contrary, it makes one feel as if the wild beast in the cage has become friends with the person guarding the cage."

Cao Cao said, "Cheng Yu has foresight. It seems that we must strengthen our forces as soon as possible and strive to control the north. Otherwise, how can this cage keep him in check?"

"His Majesty is very intelligent. As we often say, a wise man knows when to yield. He has never had any thoughts of seizing power and ruling in his own right. He probably just wants to maintain this harmonious relationship between the emperor and his ministers. This is actually beneficial to everyone. Rest assured, Your Excellency, the Imperial Household Department has been closely monitoring His Majesty's every move. Even places like Tianxiang Pavilion, which he once pointed out, His Majesty has been visiting less lately."

"However, the matter of Jia Xu is rather troublesome, my lord. His Majesty seems to dislike this person very much."

Cao Cao sighed helplessly, "That's true. I can't expect His Majesty to treat Jia Xu as kindly as I do, can I? His Majesty is free-spirited and straightforward, so it seems that His Majesty cares a lot about Jia Xu's rebellion. But why doesn't His Majesty dislike Zhang Xiu?"

Guo Jia blurted out, "Because His Majesty knows very well that Zhang Xiu is just a military man, and the real strategist is Jia Xu. Therefore, all of His Majesty's dissatisfaction is directed at Jia Xu alone. Now, rumors are spreading throughout the city that His Majesty is neglecting Jia Xu, and there are more and more voices that are unfavorable to Jia Xu."

Guo Jia and Cao Cao were both masters at manipulating people's hearts. They knew very well that if the emperor disliked Jia Xu, many others would naturally follow suit and dislike Jia Xu as well.

Sure enough, after practicing swordsmanship today, Liu Xie and Cao Pi chatted and mentioned the Battle of Wancheng.

“Zihuan, about what happened in Wancheng last year, not to mention you, even I was very scared at the time. You were only eleven years old then, and it was already quite good that you were able to escape safely on horseback.”

Although Cao Pi was still young and not yet of age to come of age, he already had a courtesy name.

Because there are no fixed rules for choosing a courtesy name, many people choose one at a very young age.

For example, if one's parents die early, one can make their own decisions; they can choose a name themselves or ask a respected person to bestow a name upon them.

For example, when someone was about to travel far away, it was a very important event in ancient times, signifying that a person could become independent. At this time, a courtesy name could also be chosen.

For example, people with special status or fame, who have a certain influence, can also have their courtesy names given early on.

Sons of feudal lords and talented individuals could be given exceptions. Cao Chong died at the age of thirteen, yet he also had a courtesy name, Cang Shu.

Cao Pi lowered his head, his face sullen, glanced at Liu Xie, and said somewhat angrily, "My father has often scolded me for this matter, saying that I disregarded brotherhood and ran away alone, which is unbecoming of a son of the Cao family."

He and Cao Ang were two extremes. Cao Ang was sunny and cheerful, and approachable, while Cao Pi was somewhat gloomy at heart, didn't talk much, wasn't very polite when he spoke, and was a bit vengeful.

The incident at Wancheng created a stark contrast between Cao Ang and Cao Pi. Cao Cao would often think back to that night, and the more he thought about it, the more he liked Cao Ang, and the less he liked Cao Pi.

Liu Xie gently advised, "You are still young. Cao Cao is strict with you because he hopes you will become a great person in the future. Take it slow. I believe that one day he will look at you with new eyes."

Not far away, Fu Shou, dressed in a white dress, walked over.

Fu Shou had a beautiful face, with red lips and white teeth. Her slender figure was dressed in a gorgeous long dress, and a jade pendant that shimmered with light was worn at her waist.

She walked gracefully, her steps light and exuding an air of nobility.

As Empress, Fu Shou rarely smiled in front of outsiders, maintaining her unique dignity and nobility.

Cao Pi glanced at it quickly, then lowered his head shyly. After a while, he mustered his courage and looked at it again with longing.

He was still young and didn't know much, but he was already amazed by her beauty. She was more beautiful and had a better temperament than the women in Tianxiang Pavilion.

Liu Xie noticed Cao Pi's actions. The teenage boy was at the age of youthful restlessness. Liu Xie pretended not to see him and greeted Fu Shou with a smile.

"Your Majesty, you have just finished practicing your swordsmanship. I have already had hot water prepared. Your Majesty should take a bath as soon as possible."

Liu Xie stood up with a smile, glanced at Cao Pi, and said, "Zihuan, it's getting late, you should go back too."

After saying this, Liu Xie and Fu Shou left.

Cao Pi deliberately lagged behind, mustered his courage, and watched the captivating figure gradually disappear into the distance.

The personality of teenagers is at its most malleable.

A few days later, Liu Xie discussed with Cao Cao again and transferred Cao Anmin to guard the North Palace.

Cao Cao naturally wouldn't object, but Zhao Yun even grumbled a little about it.

"Your Majesty, the North Palace is where Your Majesty lives. How can such an important place be easily handed over to the Cao family?"

Liu Xie smiled and said, "I have never cared about Bei Gong's military power. Giving it to Cao Anmin will make Cao Cao more at ease with me. At the same time, I have another purpose."

As Liu Xie spoke, he glanced at Cao Pi, who was sparring with Wang Yue in the distance.

“Cao Anmin is unlearned and incompetent. I have been observing him for a long time. He is a devil among women and a demon among lustful men. His presence will help Cao Pi’s growth.”

Zhao Yun suddenly realized that they were both from the Cao family. Now that Cao Pi was learning swordsmanship here and Cao Anmin was responsible for guarding the area, the relationship between the two brothers would naturally get better and better.

If you want someone to go astray, you have to find them a bad teacher.

Cao Anmin was a regular at Tianxiang Pavilion. He had even helped Cao Cao find women in Wancheng. It's easy to imagine that his relationship with Cao Pi, who perfectly inherited Cao Cao's lustful genes, would inevitably ignite Cao Pi's wicked desires.

“Your Majesty, it would be good if Cao Anmin could corrupt Cao Pi, but why make Wang Yue teach him so diligently? I can see that Cao Pi is very talented and works very hard to learn swordsmanship. If this continues, he will definitely make amazing progress in swordsmanship when he grows up.”

Faced with Zhao Yun's question, Liu Xie smiled meaningfully, "If Cao Pi is mediocre, how can he be qualified to compete with Cao Ang? Practicing swordsmanship will not only make him stronger, but also increase his fighting spirit."

“My goodwill toward Cao Ang does not mean that I want the Cao family to prosper. Although Cao Ang’s position is unshakeable, Cao Pi can be allowed to compete for it. As long as he competes, there will be internal strife, which will deplete the Cao family’s strength.”

Liu Xie looked at Zhao Yun and said earnestly, "Zilong, we must have enough patience and a long-term vision. If we can't control Cao Cao, we can control the second generation of the Cao family. If we are lucky, I can control both Cao Cao and his son. If we are unlucky, we can let Cao Ang succeed to the throne. That is also a good option."

Zhao Yun nodded. "Your Majesty's plans are beyond my capabilities. This Jia Xu is probably the third person Your Majesty needs to deal with."

The first was Cheng Yu, the second was Cao Hong.

Liu Xie laughed, "Let me put it this way: even if I hadn't intervened last time, Cao Ang and Dian Wei still wouldn't have survived and would have died that night. Cao Cao would still have heavily relied on Jia Xu. Jia Xu is extremely capable, and Cao Cao is very magnanimous. If I hadn't stopped him, Jia Xu would have become Cao Cao's ally. Jia Xu's abilities are no less than Guo Jia's!"

(End of this chapter)