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

Chapter 158, Yuan Shao, the Man Who Caused Chaos in the World

Liu Xie said solemnly, "Others put their money in banks for safety and reliability, but only when we quickly eliminate the enemy and bring peace to the world will their money be even safer!"

"Your Majesty's reminder is correct; I will do as you say immediately." He would readily adopt any advice that was useful to Cao Cao.

"Next, does anyone have anything to add?" Liu Xie asked, appearing eager to learn.

Everyone fell silent, glancing at Cao Cao from time to time. If they were discussing this privately, they would naturally speak freely and enthusiastically, but in front of Liu Xie, no one dared to speak freely.

The atmosphere was somewhat awkward. Guo Jia smiled and stood up. "Your Majesty, what you just said is very useful, but in my opinion, the most crucial thing is Your Majesty yourself!"

"Oh? Fengxiao, what do you mean by that?" Liu Xie probably guessed what Guo Jia was going to say.

“Once Cao Cao goes to war with Yuan Shao, Yuan Shao will surely use the name of his family’s four generations of high-ranking officials to attack Cao Cao and raise the banner of “cleansing the court of corrupt officials.” But if Your Majesty personally leads the expedition, any words or excuses Yuan Shao may use will be immediately crushed. The people of the world will naturally see who is loyal and who is treacherous.”

This was something Cao Cao and Guo Jia had planned long ago. Once war broke out, even if Liu Xie was unwilling, they would force him to go to Guandu.

"Slap!" Liu Xie's face suddenly darkened, and he slammed his hand heavily on the table. The sound was crisp and shocking, startling everyone.

Guo Jia looked at Liu Xie in surprise, thinking to himself: Could it be that His Majesty has already guessed that Cao Cao intends to use Yuan Shao to deal with him? That's why he doesn't want to go to Guandu.

No one dared to speak; the emperor was angry, and that was no small matter.

Zhao Yun stood behind Liu Xie, motionless, with his hand on his sword, looking at everyone expressionlessly.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

After waiting for a while, seeing that Liu Xie was staring wide-eyed and not speaking for a long time, Xun Yu mustered up his courage and called out twice.

Liu Xie suddenly stood up, glanced at everyone, and said angrily, "Gentlemen, what virtue or ability does Yuan Shao have? How dare he raise the banner of 'purging the court of corrupt officials'? Rest assured, in this decisive battle against Yuan Shao, I will personally go to the front lines and fight alongside the army. I will never return to Xuchang until Yuan Shao is dead!"

Guo Jia nodded and praised, "Your Majesty's determination is truly a blessing for the nation and a boon for the world. It seems that Yuan Shao will surely be defeated by Your Majesty."

Cao Cao breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought that Liu Xie was on guard and unwilling to go to Guandu.

His resolute attitude actually saved Cao Cao a lot of trouble.

Cao Cao was secretly pleased. As long as His Majesty goes, not only will Yuan Shao suffer a heavy blow, but His Majesty will also at least lose an arm.

"Your Majesty, why were you so angry just now?" Xun Yu asked with concern, noticing that Liu Xie's face remained gloomy.

Liu Xie gritted his teeth and said, "Wenruo, the world is in chaos, and the current situation of warlords dividing the country and harboring their own ambitions is caused by Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu!"

"Huh?" Not only Xun Yu was stunned, but Cao Cao and the others were also stunned.

"Your Majesty, how did you come to the conclusion that Yuan Shao was the one who brought chaos to the world?"

Cao Cao couldn't help but interject, "Some say it's He Jin, some say it's Dong Zhuo, how could it be Yuan Shao?"

Liu Xie snorted and said disdainfully, "Lord Cao, how did Dong Zhuo enter Luoyang? Who recruited him? It was He Jin! And He Jin was nothing but a brave man, a butcher with only brute strength. What strategies could he have? It was Yuan Shao who suggested that Dong Zhuo enter the capital."

Guo Jia said, "If Your Majesty says so, there is some truth to it. As we all know, He Jin used to value Yuan Shao highly, and he adopted almost all of Yuan Shao's suggestions."

Liu Xie nodded and said, "The Yuan family has produced many loyal ministers for four generations of high-ranking officials, but in the generation of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, two usurpers emerged."

"Yuan Shu openly declared himself emperor. Yuan Shao, who valued his reputation, did not openly declare himself emperor, but he had long harbored rebellious intentions. He invited Dong Zhuo to the capital, which was Yuan Shao's deliberate act. Don't forget, Dong Zhuo was also a protégé and former official of the Yuan family. It's just a pity that Dong Zhuo, this wolf, was unwilling to be controlled by others and did not take the Yuan family seriously."

Liu Xie looked at Xun You and said, “Gongda, you once plotted to assassinate Dong Zhuo in Luoyang, and Cao Cao also served by Dong Zhuo’s side. You should know him very well. Dong Zhuo is wild and unruly. He will not submit to anyone. We cannot erase Yuan Shao’s mistakes just because Yuan Shao miscalculated.”

Following Liu Xie's words, everyone present was an extremely intelligent and capable person, and they quickly figured out Yuan Shao's true motive, which was truly terrifying to think about.

Guo Jia said, "Your Majesty, so Yuan Shao's initial idea was to use Dong Zhuo to clean up the mess. He Jin died at the hands of the Ten Attendants. As long as Dong Zhuo obeyed Yuan Shao's orders, the power of the imperial relatives and eunuchs would be eliminated in one fell swoop. Then, with his unparalleled prestige and achievements, Yuan Shao would become the most popular candidate and would replace He Jin as the Grand General!"

Liu Xie nodded and said, "That's right. From beginning to end, it was Yuan Shao who was plotting. The Yuan family has held high office for four generations, and Yuan Shao was originally only second to He Jin. Eliminating He Jin and the eunuchs would naturally be the most advantageous situation for Yuan Shao. I suspect that the struggle between He Jin and the eunuchs was deliberately orchestrated by Yuan Shao!"

Liu Xie's remarks were not his own achievement. Before his transmigration, he often discussed these ideas with some friends, drawing on the strengths of various perspectives. He then shared these insights with Guo Jia and others.

Liu Xie then looked at Cao Cao and said, “Lord Cao, you once suggested to He Jin that a mere minor official could be used to kill the Ten Changshi. When Jia Xu persuaded Li Jue and Guo Si to launch a counterattack on Chang’an, he also gave the same advice: a mere village head could be used to cut off their heads.”

Cao Cao squinted and pondered for a while, "According to Your Majesty, it was all Yuan Shao's scheme."

Liu Xie nodded. "So many years have passed, and I have been pondering this matter repeatedly. Yuan Shao was not incompetent. At that time, Luoyang had no less than 20,000 troops. Since Jian Shuo's death, all the troops were in He Jin's hands. There was no need to invite Dong Zhuo to the capital. Yuan Shao clearly did it on purpose. He first instigated a conflict between He Jin and the Ten Attendants, and then used Dong Zhuo to clean up the mess. The plan was meticulous and perfect. It's just a pity that he overlooked human nature. After Dong Zhuo entered the capital, his ambition swelled completely. Yuan Shao's perfect plan ultimately only benefited Dong Zhuo."

"Simply for the sake of instigating the conflict between the Ten Attendants and He Jin, I can give Yuan Shao the highest praise. He truly outmaneuvered both the Ten Attendants and He Jin. The Ten Attendants had already submitted, pleading with Empress He time and time again, and even He Jin had promised to let them go. However, Yuan Shao struck first, impersonating He Jin's orders, and issued orders to various prefectures and counties to arrest all the families and relatives of Zhang Rang and others in various places, completely cutting off the Ten Attendants' escape route. This was the most brilliant move! It forced the Ten Attendants to have no way out but to take drastic measures against He Jin!"

Liu Xie sneered, "Now you all know why I was so angry just now, right? The culprit behind the chaos in the Han Dynasty today is Yuan Shao. When the warlords were attacking Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao secretly plotted to instigate Liu Yu to declare himself emperor. This is no secret now. If you really want to compare, Yuan Shao is only wearing a more glamorous and hypocritical cloak than Yuan Shu. In all the world, if you ask who among the many warlords is most loyal to the Han Dynasty and who has the least disloyal intentions, there is only one person!"

As he spoke, Liu Xie pointed at Cao Cao, "Only Lord Cao has no selfish motives, he is wholeheartedly devoted to the country and to me!"

Cao Cao's face immediately turned red. Guan Yu had almost killed him in the Xutian incident. How could he still have the nerve to admit that he had no selfish motives? Cao Cao looked very embarrassed, and Guo Jia and the others remained silent. Only Xun Yu looked worried and sighed heavily.

Deep down, Xun Yu really didn't want Cao Cao to usurp the throne. Wouldn't it have been better to just be a law-abiding Han official?

Help the emperor stabilize the realm, and you'll have status, fame, loyalty, and righteousness—you'll have it all.

Xun Yu believed that this was the highest honor for a subject, and for Cao Cao, it was not difficult at all, as long as he had no selfish motives!

"Gentlemen, no matter who it is, anyone who dares to harbor disloyal thoughts will eventually perish. Yuan Shu is a prime example, and Yuan Shao's days are numbered."

Although the conversation was about Yuan Shao, Cao Cao felt uneasy, sensing that Liu Xie was taking the opportunity to warn him to behave himself and not follow the example of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

Usurpation will never end well!
Cao Cao actually had no intention of usurping the throne. He wanted to be a powerful minister who held absolute power and made all the decisions.
Usurpation is bad for one's reputation, and Cao Cao still cherished the hard-won good reputation he had today.

However, there is no clear line between a powerful minister and a usurper; the line is very thin. If one is not careful, one can go from being the Duke of Zhou to being Wang Mang.

It wasn't until almost dark that Liu Xie got up to leave, and Cao Cao personally saw him off at the gate of the mansion.

After Liu Xie left, Cao Cao looked at Guo Jia and the others and said, “Your Majesty’s words have enlightened me. After careful consideration, I realize that Yuan Shao’s actions in Luoyang back then were indeed inappropriate at the time. But now, I understand. It turns out that from the very beginning, Yuan Shao’s plan was to become the supreme general above all others.”

Guo Jia nodded and said, "That's right. His Majesty was only nine years old at the time, but this matter has probably lingered in his mind for many years. Now that His Majesty has grown up, he has also figured it out. Yuan Shao instigated the maternal relatives and eunuchs, hoping to reap the benefits, but unfortunately, as His Majesty said, no matter how clever the scheme, it cannot predict people's hearts. Dong Zhuo, this disciple of the Yuan family, not only did not listen to the Yuan family's manipulation, but instead rode on everyone's heads."

Cao Cao nodded. "Your Majesty seems to know everything. He even knows that Yuan Shao instigated Liu Yu to declare himself emperor. It's unbelievable!"

Guo Jia advised, "In any case, my lord, there is no need to worry too much. His Majesty has already agreed to accompany the army on the expedition."

Fortunately, Cao Cao had Yuan Shao as an opponent; otherwise, he would have been in a real dilemma, wanting to control Liu Xie but not wanting to bear the infamy. It was a difficult situation!

Cao Cao recalled the scene of confronting Liu Xie at Xutian once again. He had to admit that Liu Xie had grown up and that no matter how big the cage was, it would be difficult to keep him in!

After a while, Xun Yu and the others took their leave as it was getting late. Cao Cao left Guo Jia behind, and the two returned to the room and sat down.

Cao Cao said, "Fengxiao, I still have some doubts about this matter of conscription."

"What does Your Excellency mean?"

"As you can see, the situation between His Majesty and me is clear, yet His Majesty is urging me to recruit soldiers on a large scale. Logically speaking, he should be the one recruiting soldiers the most."

Guo Jia frowned and sighed, "This is also what I find puzzling."

The hunting trip in Xutian had escalated to the point of near-disruption, and Cao Chun ended up as a scapegoat.

If Lü Bu and Zhao Yun were to say that Liu Xie did not want to provide them with men and increase their military strength, probably no one would believe it.

But Liu Xie once again surprised everyone.

Cao Cao thought for a while and said, "But this is also good. If Your Majesty allows Lü Bu and Zhao Yun to recruit soldiers, it will really be difficult for me to stop you."

Next, Cao Cao followed Liu Xie's advice and began to conscript soldiers and procure large quantities of grain from various places. Money makes things easier, and even if the price of grain was higher than usual, Cao Cao was willing to spend the money.

Cao Cao was busy, and Liu Xie rarely went out shopping anymore. One day, he summoned Liu Ye, and the group went to the outskirts of the city.

Liu Ye didn't know exactly what Liu Xie was planning to do. There was a manor outside the city. After entering, Liu Ye found several catapults set up in the courtyard.

"Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

Liu Xie smiled and said, "We are about to go to war with Yuan Shao. As the saying goes, 'A skilled craftsman must first sharpen his tools.' These are all old-fashioned catapults. I want to further improve them. I can't do this alone, so I asked you for help. Ziyang, if the power of this thing is further improved, it will be of great help to our army. Don't worry, I will definitely remember your contribution after it is done."

The reason Liu Xie summoned Liu Ye was because, historically, it was Liu Ye who, during the Battle of Guandu, improved upon the old-fashioned catapult and invented the trebuchet.

At that time, with the war raging intensely, Liu Ye had a flash of inspiration and invented the trebuchet.

Now, Liu Xie has been discussing things with him in advance, so there is plenty of time and everything he needs can be provided. In addition, Liu Xie is a time traveler, so this time, he wants to not only build the Thunder Chariot ahead of schedule, but also further enhance its power.

After Liu Ye understood Liu Xie's intention, his mood became much more excited.

However, Liu Ye also had some doubts in his heart. Why did His Majesty specifically ask me for help? Could it be that His Majesty knows that I have some knowledge of siege equipment?

Liu Ye was not only intelligent, but also had a strong interest in siege equipment, unlike Xun Yu and Guo Jia.

In their leisure time, they enjoyed writing and engaging in refined pursuits. For example, Xun Yu was particularly fond of incense; he was so passionate about it that his fragrance could be smelled from a hundred paces away. Xun Yu was a representative of the refined and scholarly aristocracy, a model of the gentleman.

Guo Jia liked women, and Man Chong liked criminal law... Man Chong enjoyed everything from cases of all sizes to the use of various instruments of torture on prisoners, and he appreciated the different reactions of prisoners during torture.

(End of this chapter)