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

Chapter 138, Guan Yu earnestly persuades Liu Bei

Liu Xie said to Guan Yu, "If Cao Cao is strong enough to defeat Yuan Shao and unify the north in a short time, he will no longer have to be subservient to me. But if I can become strong enough to control him early on, Cao Cao will not become like Wang Mang."

"The reason I want to keep the three of you by my side is precisely this: the more power around me, the better. As long as you are here, Cao Cao will be wary of whatever he does."

"He not only has to consider whether he can control me, but also whether he will bear the infamy. The stronger the forces around me, the more wary Cao Cao will be. Conversely, the stronger Cao Cao's forces are, the less he will take me seriously. From the very first day I arrived in Xuchang, the game between me and Cao Cao has already begun!"

Guan Yu said excitedly, "Your Majesty's willingness to tell me all this today shows your trust in me. When I return, I will do my best to persuade my brother to stay in Xuchang!"

As the two were talking, several familiar faces appeared in the distance.

It's not surprising to run into acquaintances in Xudu. With so many people gathered there, you're bound to bump into some every day.

Approaching were Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, and Song Xian, whom Liu Xie referred to as the "Three Surrenderers of Xiapi."

All three were granted official positions, but Cao Cao had not yet assigned them any tasks. They spent their days idly, inevitably going out to drink and make merry.

"Are the women of Tianxiang Pavilion made of gold? The gold and silver bestowed by Lord Cao have all been spent in just a few days," Hou Cheng complained as he walked, oblivious to everyone else.

Wei Xu also looked distressed. "Who says otherwise? But the women at Tianxiang Pavilion are really good. They have fair skin and tender flesh, and are very beautiful. There are even women from the Western Regions. Last night I spent ten thousand coins. It was an absolute ecstasy."

Tianxiang Pavilion was incredibly expensive. Even someone like Cao Anmin couldn't resist secretly selling off a lot of the treasures he had obtained from tomb raiding in order to make ends meet.

Hou Cheng and his two companions were captivated by the women at Tianxiang Pavilion on their very first day in Xudu.

Before long, they threw all the gold and silver that Cao Cao had rewarded them into Tianxiang Pavilion.

As they drew closer and recognized Liu Xie, the three quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Liu Xie glanced at you indifferently, "So it's the three of you."

Although Liu Xie was an approachable person, he felt a deep-seated disgust for such traitors.

These three men thought that by capturing Lü Bu alive and surrendering to Cao Cao, they would enjoy endless wealth and honor. However, they never dreamed that Lü Bu would become the emperor's brother-in-law, which made their situation very awkward.

"Hou Cheng, I've come to ask you all: have you seen Lü Bu these past few days?"

Hou Cheng nodded and replied, "I've met you twice."

"Now you are all serving me and the court. I hope you can get along well and not have any grudges."

"We understand," Hou Cheng and the other two replied verbally, but inwardly they were groaning.

Every time they met Lü Bu, they were met with indifference.

Lü Bu hated them to the core, wishing he could devour them alive.

Guan Yu watched coldly from the side, his eyes full of disdain.

Looking across the world, there are not many people that Guan Yu can admire. Naturally, Guan Yu looks down on such treacherous, cowardly, and cunning villains as they are.

After a brief greeting, Liu Xie waved his hand and said, "Alright, you may go now."

After the three men left, Guan Yu snorted, "Your Majesty, why bother with such traitors who seek personal gain at the expense of their lord?"

Liu Xie simply smiled and didn't offer any further explanation. Although everyone respected heroes, even villains had their uses.

For example, in this campaign against Lü Bu, Hou Cheng and the other two played a significant role, at least from Cao Cao's perspective.

Even Chen Deng and his son's surrender of Xuzhou could not be considered entirely aboveboard.

Anyone who can play a role is a useful person.

These people were all benefactors of Cao Cao, so even if Liu Xie disliked them, he wouldn't go so far as to deal with them.

……

Man Chong rushed to the School Affairs Office and met Guo Jia. He said with a somewhat nervous expression, "Fengxiao, the spies just sent word that Sun Ce wants to launch a surprise attack on Xuchang."

"Sun Ce?" Guo Jia put down what he was doing and glanced at Man Chong.

Man Chong said, "Do you think we should inform Cao Cao about this and ask him to return to Xuchang as soon as possible?"

Man Chong was very worried. Cao Cao had gone to Guandu and was confronting Yuan's troops. If Sun Ce suddenly led his troops to attack Xuchang at this time, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Guo Jia was silent for a moment, then waved his hand, "No need. My lord will soon return to Xuchang. As for Sun Ce, he acts rashly and unprepared. Although he has a million troops, he is like a lone wolf in the Central Plains. He is not worth worrying about and will surely die at the hands of a villain in the future."

Guo Jia's calculations about Sun Ce were based entirely on his judgment of Sun Ce's temperament.

"Fengxiao said that Cao Cao would return soon, why is that?"

Guo Jia stood up, casually picked up the feather fan on the table, and waved it gently, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance.

“Bo Ning, Yuan Shao has always been indecisive. In my opinion, this is just a bluff. If I were Yuan Shao, I would either not fight or fight quickly. Both of these methods would leave Cao Cao helpless.”

Man Chong thought about it carefully and nodded with a look of respect. "That's right, Fengxiao is right. Yuan Shao has four provinces. As long as he recuperates and continues to strengthen his power, the gap between us and Yuan Shao will only widen. The longer it drags on, the less chance we have of winning. Not fighting is advantageous to Yuan Shao, while a quick battle is even more advantageous to him."

Guo Jia said, "The art of war says, 'If your forces are ten times ours, surround them; if they are five times ours, attack them; if they are twice ours, divide them.' Yuan Shao's forces are several times ours, yet he only sent a small contingent to hold out against us at Liyang. What does this tell us?"

Guo Jia paused for a moment, then smiled contemptuously, “This shows that even Yuan Shao himself hasn’t made up his mind. He treats war as child’s play, so it won’t be long before Cao Cao returns.”

After a while, Guo Jia left the Imperial Academy and came specifically to see Liu Xie.

Not only did Cao Cao value Liu Xie, but Guo Jia was no exception.

Liu Xie had been wandering around outside for half a day and was about to return to the palace when Zhao Yun was carrying a basket filled with some vegetables.

Guo Jia walked over and joked, "Your Majesty, are you going to buy groceries?"

The emperor would stroll outside the palace, usually empty-handed, but this time he brought a basket of vegetables.

Liu Xie said, "There was nothing I could do. I happened to pass by Liu Bei and Lü Bu's mansions on my way back. Look, their first batch of vegetables has already been harvested. First, Liu Bei gave me some, and just as I was about to leave, Lü Bu gave me some more. I couldn't refuse their hospitality, so I had no choice but to accept them all."

Guo Jia burst into laughter, "Your Majesty, you are in for a treat today! Who in the world can enjoy vegetables grown by both the Imperial Uncle and Marquis Wen at the same time?"

Liu Xie nodded. "That's true." "Fengxiao, you've come to see me, is there something you need?"

"Here's the thing, our spies just brought news that Sun Ce is planning to launch a surprise attack on Xuchang. Your Majesty, what do you think of this?"

Guo Jia was shocked when he heard Liu Xie make the ten victories and ten defeats statement to Cao Cao.

Guo Jia's feelings were very complicated. He felt both awe and admiration for Liu Xie, and inevitably, he also had the idea of ​​competing with him.

Therefore, he really wanted to hear Liu Xie's opinion.

Liu Xie smiled but did not answer directly. "Fengxiao, you should already have a plan, right? You certainly won't take Sun Ce seriously."

"Your Majesty, Sun Ce has risen rapidly. In just two years, he swept through the six counties of Jiangdong and was known as the Little Conqueror. How could I not keep such a person in mind?"

"Oh? Did I misspoke? Should we immediately recall Cao Cao, quickly prepare the army for war, and guard against Sun Ce?"

Guo Jia rolled his eyes and laughed, "Your Majesty, why bother to tease me? Please speak your mind."

Liu Xie sighed, "Fengxiao, you already know the answer in your heart, so why do you have to keep asking me?"

"Hmm? Does Your Majesty know what I'm thinking?" Guo Jia's eyes widened in surprise.

At this moment, he even felt that Liu Xie was somewhat terrifying. Not only could he control people's hearts, but he could also see through what he was thinking.

Liu Xie suddenly said, "Sun Ce is reckless and unprepared; he will surely die at the hands of a villain!"

After saying that, he led Zhao Yun over.

"Just as I thought, Your Majesty..." Guo Jia followed up again, "Your Majesty, how much longer do you think Sun Ce can live?"

Guo Jia asked this question intentionally. No matter how capable Liu Xie was, he didn't believe that Liu Xie could accurately calculate a person's lifespan.

Guo Jia was already quite skilled at predicting the course of events based on the personalities of Sun Ce and Yuan Shao, but he didn't believe anyone could predict a person's lifespan.

Liu Xie stopped in his tracks. "Fengxiao, you did this on purpose, didn't you?"

Guo Jia was quite frank, nodding with a smile.

Liu Xie glared at him unhappily, "You're deliberately making things difficult for me. However, considering how long we've known each other, I'll make an exception and help you with your calculations."

Liu Xie casually took a few vegetable leaves from the basket Zhao Yun was carrying, closed his eyes, and muttered something he himself couldn't understand.

Guo Jia looked at him quietly. He had seen divination using tortoise shells, but he had never seen divination using vegetable leaves.

After a while, Liu Xie suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze as bright as the stars, "Two months from now, not long after Cao Cao returns, Sun Ce will die."

Liu Xie even calculated when Cao Cao would return.

Guo Jia looked at Liu Xie with suspicion, not saying a word, even he himself was unsure.

Two months? Is that accurate?
"Alright, Fengxiao, although I am the Son of Heaven and blessed by the gods, if I continue to reveal heavenly secrets, it will shorten my lifespan." Liu Xie smiled mysteriously and walked away.

The implication is that I am very capable, but I cannot make calculations frequently.

After Liu Xie left, Guo Jia stood there for a long time before muttering, "If His Majesty is right this time, it will be terrifying!"

…………

Liu Bei's residence!
Today, Liu Bei sent Liu Xie some vegetables again. The meal he prepared for dinner was also made by Liu Bei himself. It must be said that enjoying the fruits of his labor tasted quite special, giving him a great sense of accomplishment.

Although they were already married, Liu Bei still spent a lot of time with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, eating and sleeping together.

The two ladies ate and slept in the backyard, while the three of them dined in the main hall, chatting as they ate.

Now that no one was restraining Zhang Fei, he drank bowl after bowl of wine, and soon his breath reeked of alcohol.

Remembering Liu Xie's instructions, Guan Yu couldn't help but advise, "Brother, His Majesty hopes that you will stay in Xuchang. Why don't you reconsider?"

Liu Bei glanced at Guan Yu and sighed, "Yun Chang, I am already over forty years old, yet I have drifted through half my life without achieving anything. Now, I can only live under someone else's roof. Cao Cao has occupied large swathes of land in Guanzhong and the Central Plains, Yuan Shao owns four provinces, Sun Ce is at the height of his power, and Liu Biao has firmly established himself in the nine commanderies of Jingzhou. Whenever I think of these things, my heart aches as if it were being torn apart."

"I am well aware of Your Majesty's intentions. We should preserve our lives and wait for the right time. There may be a good opportunity in the future. But if we are by Cao Cao's side, no matter how great our abilities are, we will have no chance to use them."

"Didn't you see His Majesty? His Majesty doesn't even dare to touch military and political affairs. Cao Cao is so cunning. If we lie in wait under his nose, we don't know how long we'll have to wait before we have a chance to turn things around. Moreover, we could be exposed by him at any time and bring about our own death."

Although Liu Xie had been preparing and doing things, there were some things he did not tell Liu Bei.

For example, digging secret passages is a highly confidential matter, known to very few people.

It's impossible for Liu Xie to have told Liu Bei all this so early on.

The secret passage was of great importance, even concerning Liu Xie's life and death. Moreover, even Liu Xie himself did not know when the secret passage would be completed.

Liu Xie was always cautious in his actions and would never casually reveal all his cards to others.

Liu Bei had had enough of staying in Xuchang. If he stayed with Cao Cao, he would be constantly watched by Cao Cao, and who knows what might happen.

"Yun Chang, only by leaving Xudu can we exert our abilities and accumulate strength. One day, perhaps we can welcome His Majesty back and return the old capital."

“Brother is right. Staying in Xudu, we can’t do anything. It’s really boring,” Zhang Fei complained loudly.

Guan Yu said, "But compared to His Majesty, what are the grievances we have suffered? His Majesty has been enduring for more than three years in Xuchang, while we have only been here for half a year."

Guan Yu, unwilling to give up, pleaded again, "Brother, His Majesty really wants to keep you in Xuchang. He said that with you and Lü Bu there, His Majesty will have the confidence to face Cao Cao. Even without soldiers, Cao Cao won't dare to do anything. Plus, with Zhao Yun, brother, the situation isn't as bad as you think."

"Brother is leaving, but when will we be able to welcome His Majesty back to the old capital? Five years? Eight years? Or ten years?"

Faced with Guan Yu's question, Liu Bei was unable to answer.

Since the coalition of eighteen warlords against Dong Zhuo, Liu Bei's life has been tumultuous for ten years. In the end, after a ten-year cycle, he has returned to the starting point and is now penniless.

If Liu Bei were given another ten years, how far would he go? Liu Bei had no answer in his heart.

(End of this chapter)