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

Chapter 43, Meeting Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu (Please continue reading)

After Cao Cao entered the city, he immediately sent someone to deliver the news to Liu Xie. Cao Cao also said to Guo Jia, "I did not expect that Your Majesty's first expedition would be so successful. I really don't know whether Your Majesty benefited from my success or I benefited from Your Majesty's success."

Cao Cao was busy appeasing Zhang Xiu's soldiers, while Liu Xie was soon brought to Wancheng.

Liu Xie remained calm, letting Cao Cao arrange everything.

To demonstrate the emperor's favor, Cao Cao, accompanied by Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu, came to pay homage to Liu Xie.

Upon meeting, Cao Cao laughed and said, "Your Majesty is blessed with great fortune. The royal army has just arrived in Nanyang, and Zhang Xiu has already surrendered. This is truly a cause for celebration."

Liu Xie smiled and praised, "This is all thanks to Cao Cao. I was just out with the troops to relax."

After exchanging pleasantries with Cao Cao, Liu Xie turned to look at Zhang Xiu.

Zhang Xiu was about nine feet tall, with a tiger-like physique and a wolf-like waist. His eyes were bright and piercing. He was wearing armor and helmet, exuding a heroic aura.

Liu Xie nodded, "Indeed, General Zhang has taken the initiative to abandon the darkness and join the court, which greatly pleases me. The world is in chaos and warlords are vying for power. The court is in dire need of capable people. I hope that you will be loyal to the court and do your best to pacify the world."

Zhang Xiu immediately clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, saying, "This humble general will certainly follow Lord Cao and serve the court!"

Cao Cao was very satisfied, and Zhang Xiu, even in front of the emperor, did not forget to express his loyalty to him.

Liu Xie then looked at Jia Xu, narrowed his eyes, and smiled meaningfully.

Jia Xu stood there with his head slightly lowered. He had a kind expression, but his clothes were very simple, making him look as unassuming as an ordinary passerby.

His face was constantly exposed to the wind and sand of the Northwest, resulting in very obvious wrinkles, and his beard was not well-groomed.

If he were dressed in even more shabby clothes, no one would doubt that he was a farmer who tilled the land and chopped wood.

But it was precisely this unassuming man who, with just a single sentence, plunged the world into chaos and ruined all of Wang Yun's efforts.

Li Jue and Guo Si's counterattack on Chang'an accelerated the collapse of the Han Dynasty, shortening its lifespan by several decades.

The person who started all of this was Jia Xu.

But if you say he was bad, it was precisely Jia Xu who, during the chaos caused by Li Jue and Guo Si, did his best to mediate and took care of Liu Xie, thus maintaining the last bit of dignity of the Han Dynasty.

Even when Liu Xie fled eastward, Jia Xu offered his assistance.

Therefore, it is difficult to judge whether Jia Xu was a good person or a bad person.

Liu Xie remained silent for a long time, simply watching Jia Xu quietly.

Jia Xu lifted his robe and knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, I, Jia Xu, pay my respects and beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."

Cao Cao had previously met with Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu separately, and he particularly admired Jia Xu.

Jia Xu had already confessed his crimes, and Cao Cao, who was interested in recruiting him, quickly stepped forward with a smile and pleaded on his behalf, "Your Majesty, Jia Xu has already confessed his crimes to me. I believe that the masterminds behind the past events were Li Jue and Guo Si, and Jia Xu had little to do with them. He was able to persuade Zhang Xiu to surrender, which is a great achievement. I hope Your Majesty will not hold it against him anymore."

Liu Xie smiled and shook his head, then stood up, walked to Jia Xu, and, under the surprised gazes of everyone, personally helped Jia Xu up from the ground.

"Lord Cao, you flatter me. I have long since forgiven him. On the contrary, I am grateful to him. Without Minister Jia's help, I would have almost lost my life."

Jia Xu was deeply moved and quickly said, "Your Majesty flatters me. It is only my duty as a subject. Seeing the two traitors Li Jue and Guo Si bullying Your Majesty and disrespecting the court, how could I sit idly by?"

Emperor Xian of Han (Liu Xie) didn't even bother to mention that Jia Xu's words had almost destroyed the Han Dynasty. Even without Jia Xu's intervention, Emperor Xian wouldn't have lost his life. The reason he praised Jia Xu so highly was simply to appease him.

Anyway, there's no point in dwelling on the past!

"I knew that Minister Jia was loyal to me. After our parting in Chang'an, our relationship as ruler and subject will continue!"

Liu Xie held Jia Xu's hand and smiled warmly, which made Jia Xu feel somewhat at a loss.

He knew that the emperor was just a pawn in Cao Cao's hands, and getting too close to the emperor would not do him any good.

With great difficulty, he managed to break free of her grasp. Jia Xu cupped his hands in greeting and stepped aside.

Cao Cao didn't think much of it. He had also heard that Jia Xu had taken care of the emperor on several occasions in Chang'an.

Next, Cao Cao hosted a banquet to entertain Zhang Xiu and others. Liu Xie, being the emperor, was naturally also invited.

Although Liu Xie had little real power, he was often placed in the most honored position, receiving the worship and respect of the crowd.

Liu Xie sometimes thought that being the emperor wasn't so bad after all.

Even if it's a puppet, it's the most noble puppet in the world!
Xu Huang and Zhao Yun stood on either side of Liu Xie.

The banquet started off in a very lively atmosphere, with the generals from Cao Cao's camp and Xiliang chatting and laughing, getting along very well. But gradually, as they drank more and more, everyone became more and more casual.

Cao Cao asked curiously, "General Zhang is also a rare and outstanding general. I wonder if he has any remarkable achievements in his life?"

Military generals naturally all like to achieve merit on the battlefield and become famous throughout the world. When Cao Cao asked this question, everyone looked at Zhang Xiu with anticipation.

Zhang Xiu thought to himself, "I am a military general from Xiliang. Whether I follow Dong Zhuo or my uncle Zhang Ji, I am opposing the warlords of Guandong. I cannot say these things. The more I say them, the more Cao Cao will resent me."

With a quick thought, Zhang Xiu brought up the rebellion of Bian Zhang and Han Sui, saying, "Back then, Bian Zhang's men killed one of our Zuli county magistrates. I once led several dozen cavalrymen into the enemy camp, killed the murderer, and almost took Bian Zhang's life!"

Cao Cao immediately praised, "General Zhang, you are truly a brave and valiant man."

This achievement was nothing special to Cao Cao's generals. Cao Ren glanced at Dian Wei, knowing his straightforwardness, and then provoked him, saying, "Dian Wei, go and show us your skills, let the generals of Xiliang see the power of our Central Plains warriors."

Dian Wei didn't think much of it. He immediately picked up his large iron halberd, went to the open space in the middle, and without saying a word, swung the pair of large iron halberds around in front of everyone.

The eighty-pound iron halberd flew up and down in Dian Wei's hands, generating astonishing force.

An expert can tell a lot with just one move. Dian Wei was as strong as an ox, and he wielded his iron halberd with ease, making it whistle through the air. He was very powerful, and everyone applauded and cheered.

Zhao Yun and Xu Huang secretly praised Cao Cao, saying that he was indeed surrounded by many talented people.

After wielding his iron halberd once, Dian Wei looked at Zhang Xiu provocatively and said, "Everyone says that Xiliang is full of fierce warriors. I wonder if General Zhang has anyone who can wield these iron halberds of mine."

Dian Wei was completely instigated by Cao Ren; he himself had no bad intentions.

Cao Ren, Cao Hong, and others joined in the commotion, and Zhang Xiu's expression gradually darkened. He snorted coldly, "What, do you think I don't have any capable people around me?"

Immediately, he shouted outside, "Where is Hu Che'er?"

(End of this chapter)