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

Chapter 76, Cao Cao Uses a Borrowed Knife to Kill

Liu Xie stood up, put his hands behind his back, and looked down at the street with a deep gaze.

Zhao Yun waited quietly without disturbing them. The two dined at the restaurant without anyone bothering them.

"Zilong, if I were to dismiss all those who are openly close to me, have you considered what would happen to Cao Cao?"

Zhao Yun thought for a moment and replied, "If that's the case, then all the civil and military officials, including all the guards, inside and outside Xuchang are Cao Cao's men. I dare not think any further."

"Zilong, even if Cao Cao is a loyal subject now, the consequences would be unimaginable if he were to lose all restraint. The role of Prince Chen and the Imperial Uncle is to remind Cao Cao to be a Han subject."

Liu Xie turned around and said earnestly, "Every time Cao Cao enters the palace and sees the Imperial Brother-in-law, he feels a little uneasy. He also feels uneasy when he thinks of Prince Chen. That's the role of Prince Chen and the Imperial Brother-in-law. Prince Chen and the Imperial Brother-in-law are not static; they can be replaced by others. This kind of open leverage is not only needed by me, but also by Cao Cao!"

Zhao Yun finally understood: if everyone inside and outside the palace was Cao Cao's man, even if Cao Cao was a loyal subject, no one would believe him! Cao Cao himself would gradually lose control!

The presence of King Chen and the emperor's brother-in-law in the open might seem somewhat offensive at first glance, but this was precisely to remind Cao Cao of their presence.

"The situation of Prince Chen is far more dangerous than that of the Emperor's brother-in-law. Therefore, I have taken precautions for him by having him personally deliver Zhang Kai's head to Xuchang. In this way, Prince Chen will never be in danger of losing his life, because he is Cao Cao's benefactor!"

Zhao Yun nodded repeatedly, praising, "Your Majesty is thoughtful and acts with great meaning. Even if Cao Cao wants to harm Prince Chen, he won't go too far!"

"Since they are both members of the Han imperial family, why doesn't Your Majesty appoint Lord Liu as your open ally?" Zhao Yun had never forgotten Liu Bei, and he felt that Liu Bei was the more perfect candidate.

Liu Xie shook his head and sighed, "Liu, Guan, and Zhang are too strong. Cao Cao will never grant my request. Even if Liu Bei has no troops or power, just based on the three brothers' impressive record of defeating Lü Bu at Hulao Pass, once the three of them openly join forces with me, Cao Cao will definitely intervene."

Openly befriending Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei would definitely not be a good move for Liu Xie.

Cao Cao wasn't stupid, nor were his top strategists. Could they really get Liu Bei, Liu Bei, and Liu Bei to join forces with the emperor?
Doesn't Cao Cao worry that the scene of Lü Bu killing Dong Zhuo will be repeated in Xuchang?
They didn't even need armored soldiers; all they needed was for Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei to get close to Cao Cao, and Cao Cao would be finished!
Lü Bu could kill Dong Zhuo with a single halberd strike, and Guan Yu could also cleave Cao Cao in two with a single sword stroke.

The topic returned to the war against Chen, and Liu Xie said, "Since Cao Cao wants to watch from the sidelines, then I must help the King of Chen."

Liu Xie immediately wrote a letter to Prince Chen, instructing him to take precautions, as reinforcements would arrive soon.

He wrote another letter to Liu Bei, requesting that Guan Yu be sent to Chen State to assist him!
In order to force Cao Cao to send troops as soon as possible, Liu Xie also ordered Wang Cai and Ma Kui to send people to spread the news in Xuchang.

Soon, people on the street started talking about it.

"Have you heard? Yuan Shu has led his troops to Yuzhou and intends to attack Prince Chen."

"Which one is it, Prince Chen?"

"Don't you know? It's the King of Chen, the ruler of the State of Chen, who avenged Cao Sikong's father's death!"

"Is there any need to say more? Chen was originally part of Yuzhou, and the King of Chen has been kind to Cao Sikong. Cao Sikong will definitely volunteer to fight Yuan Shu immediately."

"That's for sure. Don't forget, Cao Sikong is the most loyal minister of the Han Dynasty in His Majesty's eyes!"

Hongyun Restaurant and Tianxiang Pavilion took the lead in spreading the news, and soon it spread throughout the streets and alleys. Public opinion is indeed a powerful weapon!
…………

Xiaopei
Upon receiving Liu Xie's letter, Liu Bei took it very seriously. After washing his hands and burning incense, the three brothers gathered together, dismissed the servants, and read the letter together.

The letter was brief. After reading it, Liu Bei nodded. "Lu Bu has recently broken ties with Yuan Shu. His Majesty instructed us to simply observe the situation and remain stationed in Xiaopei."

Then, Liu Bei turned to Guan Yu and said, "Yun Chang, His Majesty wants you to go to Chen immediately. Yuan Shu's assassination attempt on the King of Chen failed, and his military campaign is detrimental to the King of Chen. You should go to the King of Chen and lend him a hand."

Guan Yu raised his phoenix eyes, a sharp glint in them, and immediately nodded, "Since it is His Majesty's order, I will set off immediately!"

Liu Bei gave a few words of advice, then looked at Zhang Fei, his expression suddenly becoming somewhat serious.

Zhang Fei was puzzled by the stare and asked, "Brother, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Liu Bei said seriously, "I didn't expect His Majesty to understand your temperament so well. His Majesty repeatedly instructed that his contact with us must not be told to anyone under any circumstances, especially you. You must be careful with your words and actions, and you must not say a single word after you leave."

Zhang Fei liked to drink, which made him prone to making mistakes. He was far less cautious than Liu Bei and Guan Yu, so Liu Xie was not at ease with him and had to remind Liu Bei.

Liu Bei cautioned, "His Majesty said that if you leak even a single word of this, he will never contact us again!"

Zhang Fei was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. He opened his mouth and muttered softly, "It can't be that... serious, can it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Fei noticed that Liu Bei and Guan Yu's expressions changed instantly.

Liu Bei said with a stern face, "This concerns His Majesty's life and safety, and whether the Han Dynasty can be restored. Third brother, even if the lives of the three of us brothers were tied together, it would be no match for His Majesty's noble health. From now on, even if you get drunk, you must keep your mouth shut."

Guan Yu also said, "This is not as simple as losing a city while drunk. If something goes wrong, His Majesty will be in danger, and my two brothers and I will become traitors to the Han Dynasty!"

Having said all that, Zhang Fei realized the seriousness of the matter and hurriedly nodded.

"I understand. Even if I get drunk in the future, I promise I will never say a careless word!"

Although Zhang Fei liked to drink and had a bad temper, he could still tell what was important!

Liu Xie's advance instructions can be seen as a preventative measure!
Cao Cao has been urging the establishment of military farms these days. He doesn't want to deal with Yuan Shu for the time being and wants to observe the situation for a while longer.

In the very first battle, King Chen suffered two defeats, losing several thousand soldiers and two cities. When the news reached Xuchang, Cao Cao was not worried; in fact, he was quite pleased with himself.

The King of Chen had 30,000 troops, but suffered several thousand casualties. This was definitely good news for Cao Cao!

Although Cao Cao was not planning to take action for the time being, he had already discussed it with Guo Jia and Xun Yu beforehand. He would decisively send troops if the Prince of Chen suffered too many losses.

(End of this chapter)