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

Chapter 147, Killing Two Birds with One Stone

Jia Xu squinted, pondered for a moment, and then pointed north.

He said with certainty, "Cao Cao will definitely take advantage of the Battle of Guandu; he will have a legitimate reason to weaken Your Majesty's power."

Liu Xie asked doubtfully, "Would he send Lü Bu and Zhao Yun to Guandu to assist in the battle? To have them deal with Yuan Shao, and then use Yuan Shao to eliminate them?"

Jia Xu shook his head. "Simply sending Lü Bu and Zhao Yun to Guandu would be too troublesome. Cao Cao only needs to take His Majesty with him when he goes on campaign. Perhaps this time he will also ask Prince Chen to send troops. In the past, Cao Cao did not want His Majesty to go on campaign. After the incident at Xutian, Cao Cao will definitely not feel comfortable leaving His Majesty in Xudu again."

"Because once Cao Cao leaves, given His Majesty's influence, Cao Cao in Xuchang will be very worried."

Liu Xie remained silent for a while, his expression somewhat solemn. His struggle with Cao Cao was gradually becoming clearer and more intense.

Liu Xie then nodded and said, "You're right. As long as I accompany the army on the expedition, Cao Cao won't have to worry about anything happening in Xuchang. When the people around me are fighting against Yuan Shao, Cao Cao can also legitimately send them into battle. If anyone dies in battle, it will be a happy event for Cao Cao."

Jia Xu said, "Even if Cao Cao himself couldn't think of this method, Guo Jia would have advised him to do it. This is a plan to kill two birds with one stone. It can weaken Your Majesty by using Yuan Shao's hand, and conversely, it can use Your Majesty's hand to fight against Yuan Shao!"

This move was not only brilliant, but also perfectly legitimate. Liu Xie couldn't very well prevent Lü Bu and Zhao Yun from fighting, could he? They couldn't hide them anyway. Everyone knew Lü Bu's martial arts skills, and Cao Cao had also witnessed Zhao Yun's abilities.

During the Battle of Wancheng, Zhao Yun even saved Cao Cao's life.

"Can it be cracked?"

Jia Xu sighed, "Your Majesty can only adapt to the situation. Cao Cao hopes to defeat Yuan Shao, and Your Majesty certainly hopes to defeat Yuan Shao as well. If you lose to Yuan Shao, it will be a lose-lose situation for both Your Majesty and Cao Cao."

"However, in my opinion, Lü Bu and Zhao Yun are both tiger generals of our time and will not lose their lives so easily. This move, although risky, also has many benefits. Your Majesty is unfathomable and will surely be able to turn misfortune into good fortune. Perhaps you can even enhance your prestige through this battle."

If Liu Xie can perform exceptionally well, or if Zhao Yun, Lü Bu, and others can achieve meritorious service, Liu Xie's influence will inevitably increase significantly, and thus, he will have even more supporters.

Jia Xu looked at Liu Xie and smiled, "Cao Cao wants to weaken Your Majesty, but perhaps that will actually benefit Your Majesty. Your Majesty performed amazingly in the battles of Wancheng and Xuzhou. I still have full confidence in Your Majesty in the upcoming Battle of Guandu."

Jia Xu smiled slyly, and Liu Xie snorted and teased, "Wenhe and I are on the same side, so naturally you have full confidence in me."

Liu Xie had the advantage of foresight, and since he wasn't alone, he had some confidence.

The likes of Lü Bu, Zhao Yun, and Tian Yu cannot be ignored, and perhaps Guan Yu could also join the expedition.

Liu Biao entered the secret room from outside and said, "Your Majesty, news has just arrived that Liu Bei has gone north, while Zhang Fei has gone east."

Liu Xie now has his own intelligence system.

Within Xuchang, intelligence was gathered using the Hongyun Restaurant and Tianxiang Pavilion, primarily targeting the civil and military officials around Cao Cao.

Outside of Xudu, they used the wandering knights they had recruited to gather information on the latest developments in various regions.

"Liu Bei went north, presumably to Hebei, to seek refuge with Yuan Shao. As for Zhang Fei?"

Jia Xu shook his head. "Zhang Fei is reckless and has no one to guide him. It's not surprising that he goes wherever he wants."

Liu Xie smiled. Although Guan Yu had killed Cao Cao, Liu Bei's situation was not much different from the original story. Although he had not taken Xuzhou, the hunting trip in Xutian still forced him to go north to seek refuge with Yuan Shao.

As for Zhang Fei, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will eventually become an outlaw in Mangdang Mountain and take refuge there temporarily.

Liu Xie had to admire Jia Xu; it wasn't surprising that he, with his advantage of time travel, could guess Liu Bei's whereabouts.

However, Jia Xu was able to deduce Liu Bei's exact whereabouts entirely based on his understanding of the situation and people's hearts, which was already quite remarkable.

"Your Majesty, there is one more thing."

"Is there anything else?" Liu Xie asked hurriedly.

Liu Biao said, "Yuan Shu can no longer stay in Shouchun. He is going to Hebei with the imperial seal to seek refuge with Yuan Shao."

"So that's what it was about?"

Perhaps the butterfly effect really did occur; Yuan Shu should have died last year.

But he actually survived until the year of the Battle of Guandu. Of course, even if he had lived a few months longer, his fate was already sealed.

"Let Lü Bu take Lu Xun with him to intercept Yuan Shu."

Jia Xu did not object, saying, "After the incident at Xutian, even if Your Majesty makes Lü Bu and Zhao Yun do nothing, Cao Cao will not let his guard down. Instead, it would be better to give them some tasks in a legitimate way so that they can accumulate some prestige."

"If Your Majesty doesn't do something, it won't make sense. In any case, Cao Cao has already set his sights on you."

Liu Xie nodded and sighed, "Yes, I really can't retreat any further, because I have no way out!"

After bidding farewell to Jia Xu, Liu Xie arrived at the training ground. Zhao Yun, still somewhat worried, advised, "Your Majesty, you are still injured. Why don't you skip training today?"

Liu Xie shook his head. "It's just a superficial wound. Cao Cao didn't dare to use his full strength in front of so many people. However, his reminder is also very reasonable. He said that I have never experienced the danger of life-and-death battles, so it is difficult for my swordsmanship to improve further."

"Your Majesty, do you mean to say?"

Zhao Yun thought that when Liu Xie practiced swordsmanship in the future, he would take it seriously like a real battlefield, and that bloodshed was not good.

In that case, neither Zhao Yun nor Wang Yue would dare to spar with Liu Xie. What if they hurt the emperor?
Liu Xie smiled and said, "Zilong, Cao Cao is right. I have never been on the battlefield. If I have the chance, I would very much like to experience it."

The usual sparring and practice are completely different from the life-and-death struggle on the battlefield. Cao Cao's words also aroused Liu Xie's fighting spirit. Even though he was the emperor, he could not be afraid of the battlefield.

He practices swordsmanship for killing; if he never has the opportunity to kill, he will indeed find it difficult to achieve great success.

Today's sword duel with Cao Cao further solidified Liu Xie's determination to become stronger. When he sparred with Zhao Yun again, Zhao Yun clearly felt that Liu Xie's swordsmanship was even more formidable, and his entire aura was quite different from before.

Liu Xie was like a sword in his hand—calm and sharp!
The two exchanged blows, the sound of their swords slicing through the air echoing repeatedly, their clashes becoming increasingly powerful and resounding.

Liu Xie attacked even more fiercely, forcing Zhao Yun to retreat and dodge several times, leaving Zhao Yun with no choice but to respond seriously.

Soon Liu Xie was covered in sweat, but he didn't stop and continued to make moves. Zhao Yun didn't complain at all and accompanied him time and time again until night fell and it was almost dark before the two stopped fighting.

"Zilong, thank you for your hard work."

Zhao Yun shook his head. "Your Majesty, you are too kind." Having been in Xudu for so long, what impressed Zhao Yun the most was not how powerful Liu Xie was, but how kind and approachable he always was to everyone around him.

Regardless of the other party's official rank or social status, Liu Xie never treated them differently. He would not look down on even an unknown soldier.

Of course, once someone is identified as an opponent or an enemy, that's a different story.

Liu Xie never regretted the deaths of Cao Chun, Cao Hong, Cheng Yu, and others.

Liu Xie once said to Zhao Yun, "Benevolence and righteousness have their limits!"
If you treat everyone well, whether they are your own people or your enemies, then you are the most foolish person in the world.

After returning home and quickly freshening up, Liu Xie, accompanied by Consort Dong and Zhao Yun, headed to Dong Cheng's residence, the residence of the emperor's brother-in-law.

Someone hurriedly told Cao Cao about this, and Cao Cao had no appetite at all that night, staying in his study and not eating dinner.

"If I remember correctly, this is the first time His Majesty has visited the Imperial Brother's residence since arriving in Xuchang."

Guo Jia and Man Chong were both present. Guo Jia nodded, "Yes, although His Majesty can freely enter and leave the palace, this should be the first time he has taken the initiative to get close to Dong Cheng!"

Cao Cao snorted, "I must say, Your Majesty is quite patient, even more so than Liu Bei when he was growing vegetables."

Liu Bei only planted the trees for half a year, but Liu Xie spent three and a half years before visiting Dong Cheng's house for the first time.

"Fengxiao, Boning, what do you think His Majesty's intentions are?" Cao Cao stroked his beard and asked in a deep voice.

Guo Jia said, "My lord, it is obvious that although His Majesty may not immediately assume personal rule, he has realized that his relationship with you has been made clear, so he needs to prepare for assuming personal rule in advance."

"So, Your Majesty intends to take power back from me?" Cao Cao let out a cold laugh, just like the one he used when he provoked Liu Xie at the hunting grounds.

Cao Cao shook his head and said with great confidence, "I don't think Your Majesty would dare to do that."

Man Chong said, “My lord, what Fengxiao means is that His Majesty needs to make preparations in advance. He must win over those who support him, stabilize people’s hearts first, and then gradually increase the power in their hands. Dong Cheng is the emperor’s brother-in-law. He is someone His Majesty values ​​very much. Appeasing Dong Cheng will naturally encourage many Han officials and ignite their hope.”

Cao Cao snorted, "Dong Cheng is nothing more than a military man under Niu Fu, the former son-in-law of Dong Zhuo. He only got his position through nepotism. I don't care about him at all. Even if Your Majesty lets Dong Cheng lead the troops, so what?"

Guo Jia nodded. “What you say is absolutely right. Dong Cheng is just a bit reckless. He has been away from the battlefield for many years, and his strength seems to have diminished. He is indeed not worth worrying about. There are three people around His Majesty who should be given the most attention.”

"Which three people are they?"

Guo Jia's eyes gleamed with wisdom as he slowly said, "Lu Bu, Zhao Yun, and Prince Chen, and if you don't kill Guan Yu, you should at least include him. These are the people we should truly value."

Man Chong agreed, saying, "That's right. These people are His Majesty's right-hand men. With Lü Bu and Zhao Yun inside and Prince Chen outside, if they were to join forces from within and without and seize Xuchang, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Guo Jia said confidently, "Therefore, once you really start a war with Yuan Shao, bring all these people to the battlefield. Firstly, to ensure that Xuchang is firmly under our control. Secondly, it would be best to use Yuan Shao to cut off some of His Majesty's arms."

Cao Cao's eyes lit up. "Fengxiao's words are exactly what I want. His Majesty has always liked to accompany the army on expeditions, and this time is no exception."

Man Chong asked worriedly, "What if His Majesty doesn't want to go?"

Cao Cao's face immediately darkened, and he said in an unyielding tone, "Even if he doesn't go, I will make him go!"

Cao Cao made up his mind. He knew that Lü Bu, Zhao Yun, and Chen Wang would be difficult to win over. If they could not be used by him, he would use Yuan Shao to get rid of them.

…………

The General's Residence!
"Father, look who's here."

As soon as she got home, Consort Dong shouted excitedly.

This was the first time Dong Guiren had returned home since arriving in Xudu more than three years ago, and one can imagine how excited she was.

Dong Cheng hurriedly led his men out to greet him. Upon seeing Liu Xie, he couldn't help but get teary-eyed, and his body trembled uncontrollably from the overwhelming excitement.

"This old minister pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Dong Cheng knelt respectfully on the ground, and all the servants in the mansion knelt down in unison.

Liu Xie hurried a few steps forward and helped Dong Cheng up, saying, "Imperial Brother-in-law, we're all family, please get up quickly."

Then, Liu Xie took his hand, and the two entered the front hall together.

Don't underestimate the simple gesture of holding hands. Liu Bei and Cao Cao often did this, as it represented closeness and being treated as one of their own.

As soon as he entered the room, Dong Cheng said excitedly, "Your Majesty, through today's Xutian incident, Cao Cao's true colors have been completely revealed. I wonder what Your Majesty's plans are? This old minister is not talented, but his health is still good enough to help Your Majesty eliminate the traitor."

Liu Xie frowned. Dong Cheng's loyalty was indeed beyond question, but he was too impulsive. He had only just entered the room and had already spoken so bluntly.

Liu Xie glanced at Zhao Yun, who then stepped outside and stood guard.

Consort Dong wanted to stay, but Liu Xie waved his hand, "You haven't been home for so long, go and see your mother first. I have important matters to discuss with the Imperial Uncle."

Consort Dong agreed and quietly withdrew.

Only Liu Xie and Dong Cheng remained in the room. Liu Xie suddenly pointed outside and said, "Imperial Uncle, Cao Cao should already know that I am meeting with you."

Dong Cheng gritted his teeth in anger and said bitterly, "Cao Cao is truly despicable. He has been sending people to monitor His Majesty's every move."

"Your Majesty, Cao Cao has long harbored rebellious intentions, and today is irrefutable proof. Please make plans as soon as possible."

Dong Cheng was very emotional. Ever since Liu Xie arrived in Xuchang, Dong Cheng had regretted it. He thought he could rule the world together with Cao Cao, but in the end, the emperor became a figurehead, and so did he.

For more than three years, Dong Cheng was filled with regret and anger every moment.

"Imperial brother-in-law, let's not bring up the past anymore. You are my family, and I know what's important."

Upon hearing the words "family" and "you," Dong Cheng couldn't stop the tears from flowing. "This old minister will go through fire and water to serve Your Majesty!"

(End of this chapter)