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

Chapter 247, The Way of Man

Liu Xie instructed Cao Ang: "When Prince Chen goes to Xiangyang, you will lead three thousand armored soldiers to escort him. You are going on behalf of the court. If Liu Biao continues to refuse, you can appropriately intimidate him."

Cao Ang clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, "This humble general obeys the order!"

Cao Cao had no reason to stop it. After the court session ended, Cao Cao walked on the road and said to Guo Jia, "His Majesty really knows how to order people around. He made me, an old man, come up with ideas for him and even sent Zixiu to lead troops to support the Prince of Chen."

Guo Jia sighed and said, "My lord, when the emperor had no real power, he could command the world with just a nominal title. Now that His Majesty holds real power, he is naturally even more powerful. Not to mention Liu Biao, even you, my lord, are in a passive position everywhere."

Cao Cao sighed helplessly.

Guo Jia continued, “In the previous contest between Your Majesty and Lord Ming, Your Majesty had always concealed your strength. After all, to maintain harmony between the ruler and his ministers, you couldn’t afford to damage the relationship. You had to be mindful of everything you did. But now it’s completely different. Whether it’s Liu Biao or anyone else, Your Majesty no longer needs to worry about them.”

Cao Cao stopped and turned to look at Guo Jia. "Are you saying that His Majesty has been yielding to me all along?"

Guo Jia laughed, “We’re in the same boat. Aren’t you, my lord, also concerned about the face of the Han dynasty?”

If Cao Cao had no scruples, how could the emperor have had a chance to turn the tide?

“My lord, His Majesty will not be so accommodating to anyone other than you. His Majesty will surely unleash his full power and abilities in the future. Lu Bu and his ilk have been holding back for a long time, so no matter who His Majesty targets in the future, they will all be unable to withstand it.”

Cao Cao was still somewhat displeased and snorted coldly, "In that case, I should thank him."

Guo Jia shook his head and did not reply. He understood Cao Cao's predicament; he had always been unwilling to accept defeat.

As the saying goes, two tigers cannot share one mountain.

Despite Liu Xie's excellence, Cao Cao still refused to submit. His ambition always convinced him that he was the only one worthy of possessing the world.

Of course, with the successive deaths of Cheng Yu, Man Chong, Cao Chun, and others, Cao Cao's momentum and confidence are not what they used to be. Most of the time, he is just being stubborn and verbally defiant.

Guo Jia understood Cao Cao's temperament best. When Cao Cao was stubborn, he would go along with him and never contradict him.

The next day, Cao Ang was fully armed, wearing a gleaming silver armor, and his three thousand elite Cao soldiers were also ready to go.

When their son was about to depart, Cao Cao and Lady Ding came to see him off.

These three thousand soldiers were all brought back by Cao Cao himself; the emperor hadn't sent a single soldier. Cao Cao was somewhat dissatisfied with this.

Cao Cao thought to himself: "Your Majesty, you are really something. You used my son and my troops to help you ask Liu Biao for more soldiers and supplies."

However, seeing his son's heroic bearing, shining like a star in the ranks, Cao Cao's initial dissatisfaction was quickly replaced by the pride of a father.

Cao Cao strode up to Cao Ang, who hurriedly jumped off his horse and respectfully called out, "Father!"

Cao Cao straightened his son's clothes and nodded with satisfaction, "Not bad, I was just like you back then."

Madam Ding, standing behind him, almost couldn't help but laugh.

Are you praising your son, or yourself?
Cao Ang was Cao Cao's most admired and proudest son. He was tall and handsome, and skilled in both literature and martial arts. In particular, his physique and appearance were exactly what Cao Cao had always dreamed of.

Cao Cao was less than 1.7 meters tall and had an extremely ordinary appearance, but when Cao Ang was in his mother's womb, it was as if all of Cao Cao's flaws had been perfectly filtered out, making him tall, handsome, and imposing.

Every time Cao Cao saw Cao Ang, he was very happy and proudly thought, "This is my son. Only I, Cao Cao, could have given birth to such an outstanding son."

Cao Cao liked it more and more as he looked at it. Before leaving, Cao Cao took his son's hand and whispered, "When you pass through Runan, don't forget to stop and pay your respects to Liu Bei. Don't let anyone say that my son, Cao Cao's son, has been impolite."

Cao Ang nodded. "I've got it."

Cao Cao patted him on the shoulder twice more, "Alright, let's go!"

Cao Ang bowed to his mother again, then mounted his horse and waved, "Let's go!"

The procession left Xuchang slowly and orderly. Cao Cao and Lady Ding watched for a long time until the procession was out of sight, and then they reluctantly turned back.

On the way back, Cao Cao suddenly burst into laughter, "With a son like this, what more could a man ask for? A son should be like Cao Zixiu."

Madam Ding laughed, but said, "How can you praise your own son like that?"

Cao Cao laughed heartily, "Zixiu is both a scholar and a warrior, loyal, filial, benevolent, and righteous. I have seen countless people, and I have never seen anyone's child who is better than Zixiu."

Cao Ang kept his father's teachings in mind and stopped to pay a visit to Liu Bei when he passed through Runan.

Liu Bei received Cao Ang and Chen Wang very politely and personally saw them off. Three thousand elite cavalrymen passed by in neat and majestic formation. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were fine, but as Liu Bei watched, he felt a little uneasy.

If the goal is to intimidate Liu Biao, why go to such lengths? They could simply send troops from Runan.

Liu Bei stayed in Runan and kept a close eye on the situation in Jingzhou.

Previously, Liu Bei had no interest in Jingzhou, but now that Jingzhou was in turmoil, Liu Biao's reputation was severely damaged, and he had fallen out with the Cai family, which gave Liu Bei an opportunity.

"Brother, what are you thinking about?" Guan Yu couldn't help but ask when he saw Liu Bei deep in thought.

Liu Bei sighed and said, "Your Majesty need not summon Cao Ang. If we want to intimidate Liu Biao, wouldn't it be better for us to do it ourselves?"

Zhang Fei, who always listened to Liu Bei, immediately said, "That's right, Brother is right. Cao Ang is still a greenhorn. What good will he do? Can he intimidate the civil and military officials of Jingzhou?"

Guan Yu shook his head. "Third brother, His Majesty's move must have a deeper meaning. You and I just need to do our own jobs."

As for Liu Bei's idea, Guan Yu did not refute it, but he believed that the emperor must have had his reasons for doing so.

After a while, Liu Bei said again, "I'm still a little worried. Second brother, third brother, you must send someone to keep a close eye on the situation in Xiangyang."

"Yes!" The two nodded in agreement.

After Liu Bei arrived in Runan, his family members, along with Mi Zhu and others, also came with him.

Liu Xie was extremely magnanimous towards Liu Bei, never considering keeping his family members as hostages, nor did he try to win over any of his subordinates.

For example, Liu Xie greatly admired Chen Dao, who was skilled in both literature and martial arts, and was an excellent commander of troops.

Cao Cao deliberately sent his son to visit Liu Bei to sow discord and make Liu Bei feel resentful. However, when Cao Ang arrived in Xiangyang, he immediately stunned the civil and military officials of Jingzhou.

Upon receiving the news, Liu Biao was still somewhat bewildered and hurriedly asked his attendants, "Prince Chen just left not long ago, why has he returned again, and with such a grand display of force, sent Cao Ang with his troops?"

After a moment's thought, Kuai Yue's eyes lit up, and he said, "This is precisely the emperor's brilliance. Cao Ang's arrival with his troops not only shows that the emperor has real power, but also that Cao Cao is now willing to obey the emperor's orders. This is the most terrifying thing. We are now facing not only the emperor of Xuchang, but also the powerful Cao Cao."

Pang Ji nodded. "That's right. Cao Ang is Cao Cao's eldest son. He is fully qualified to represent Cao Cao. His arrival in Jingzhou is equivalent to Cao Cao's arrival in Jingzhou."

Liu Biao gasped in shock. If he had been somewhat lucky to be facing just one emperor before, now that Cao Cao was also there, Liu Biao felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his whole body chilled to the bone.

It is only natural for a son to represent his father, especially since Cao Ang was Cao Cao's eldest son.

"Cao Ang is now the General Who Conquers the West. Cao Cao greatly admires this son. He even gave up his horse in Wancheng, showing his gratitude for saving his father."

As everyone continued to add details about Cao Ang's deeds, Liu Biao became increasingly uncertain.

Finally, he sighed helplessly and asked, "Gentlemen, should we let them lead their troops into the city?"

Kuai Yue countered, "My lord, if we don't let them into the city, what reason do we have?"

"Don't forget, there's a fierce tiger in the city. Gan Ning is not someone to be trifled with."

"But Cao Ang has brought so many soldiers this time. What if we open the city gates and let them in, and then suddenly seize our city?" The older Liu Biao got, the more timid he became.

He now values ​​Jingzhou more than any treasure, and Liu Biao is really worried about Cao Ang bringing so many troops with him.

Kuai Yue was very disappointed by Liu Biao's current behavior. He couldn't help but recall Liu Biao's boldness and courage when he single-handedly entered Jingzhou.

It feels like Liu Biao has suddenly become a different person.

As I've gotten older, I've become so timid and prone to anxiety.

Kuai Yue advised, "My lord, the court must have a just cause for its actions. Rest assured, Cao Ang has no intention of seizing Jingzhou this time."

There always needs to be a reason to go to war, right?

After much persuasion, Liu Biao finally dispelled his concerns and ordered the city gates to be opened.

Cao Ang led his troops directly into Xiangyang City. This not only startled Liu Biao, but also caused the people in the city to speculate, wondering what had happened and why so many troops had suddenly arrived.

When King Chen met Liu Biao, he didn't stand on ceremony and immediately raised his voice, "Jing Sheng, although you personally killed Cai Mao, His Majesty is still somewhat disappointed when this matter reaches his ears. After all, such a thing actually happened under your rule, and someone actually replaced Cai Mao. It's outrageous!"

Cao Ang stood behind King Chen, his hand on his sword. He had come to support King Chen, so he naturally wouldn't be polite to Liu Biao.

The purpose of marching the troops into the city was to force Liu Biao to submit and hand over his 20,000 soldiers.

This would not only strengthen Liu Xie's power, but also quickly weaken Liu Biao's power.

Even Liu Biao's prestige in Jingzhou will be further weakened.

When it comes to the Cai family, Liu Biao has a lot of grievances to share. He originally meant well and really wanted to spare Cai Mao's life, but unexpectedly, Cai Mao was captured by Gan Ning.

In order to protect himself, Liu Biao had no choice but to turn against Cai and pin all the blame on the Cai family.

This caused Liu Biao great losses. The Cai family resented him, and Lady Cai repeatedly quarreled with him. The couple became irreconcilable enemies. Even other families gradually distanced themselves from Liu Biao. Many people even openly resigned, preferring to stay at home rather than serve Liu Biao anymore.

Liu Biao hurriedly said a few kind words and promised to reflect on his actions and properly govern Jingzhou.

Prince Chen then changed the subject, saying, "The north is not yet pacified, and the remnants of Yuan Shao in Hebei still dare to resist stubbornly. You already know His Majesty's intentions when Kuai Yue went to Xuchang last time. It looks like the war will start after the New Year, and this matter cannot be delayed any longer."

Liu Biao understood; they had come to collect a debt. But the problem was, he didn't owe any money.

Liu Biao resorted to his old tricks and sighed, "King Chen, I can still gather some money and provisions, but 20,000 troops is really a problem for me. The troops in Jingzhou are scattered in various places, and so many cities and ferry crossings need to be garrisoned. We also have to guard against Sun Quan in Jiangdong. 20,000 is just too many. I really can't gather them all at once."

Liu Biao thought to himself: Anyway, I didn't say I wouldn't give it, but it just doesn't feel right.

Throughout history, this trick of stalling and being shameless has been used by many people with great success.

King Chen nodded, inwardly cursing Liu Biao for being cunning. "Your Majesty is not unable to understand the difficulties in Jingzhou. Before His Majesty came, he instructed me to give as much as I could. Anyway, I don't have anything else to do for the time being. I will stay in Xiangyang to supervise this matter with all my might."

Liu Biao was dumbfounded. He never expected that the emperor would use the same method against him.

Didn't you try to drag this out indefinitely? I'm staying in Xiangyang and refusing to leave.

This unconventional approach greatly surprised Liu Biao.

"Alright, let's get down to business. Now, take stock of how much we can come up with and send some people to transport it to Xudu."

As he spoke, Prince Chen stood up and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards Xudu, saying, "As subjects, we should do our utmost to fulfill the tasks entrusted to us by Your Majesty."

"This……"

Liu Biao stammered, his mind still reeling.

"What? You can't even muster a single soldier?" King Chen's face immediately darkened.

Liu Biao shook his head, cold sweat breaking out on his brow. "It's not that bad."

Prince Chen snorted coldly, "Didn't you hear what I just said? His Majesty said that he understands your predicament and will give you whatever you have first, and we'll find a way to raise the rest."

Prince Chen strode out, urging as he went, "Stop dawdling, hurry up. Gather the first batch of troops and supplies today and send them to Xuchang immediately."

Cao Ang glanced back at Liu Biao and coldly urged, "Governor Liu, please hurry up. No one is allowed to delay the matters His Majesty has entrusted to us!"

Liu Biao had no choice but to stand up and look to Pang Ji and Kuai Yue for help.

What should we do? You all need to think of a solution quickly!

(End of this chapter)