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

Chapter 113, Hair Cutting in Place of Head Plus Version
At first glance, Cao Cao stood there proudly and imposingly, without moving, displaying a dignified posture of willingly accepting punishment. But Liu Xie knew very well that it was all an act.

Cao Cao would naturally not be willing to be killed, and Liu Xie would not really want to take his life.

When Liu Xie took the Qinggang Sword from Cao Cao, the atmosphere suddenly became tense. Cao Cao's loyal followers, led by Cao Ren and Xiahou Yuan, all glared angrily, and some even reached for the swords at their waists.

Cao Cao was also somewhat uneasy. He looked at Liu Xie while his mind raced, and his hands gradually clenched.

Guo Jia wanted to persuade him further, but Liu Xie waved his hand, "Gentlemen, military law is merciless. There's no need to persuade him anymore. No matter who violates military orders, they cannot be forgiven!"

"Lord Cao, am I right?"

Cao Cao gritted his teeth and nodded, "Not bad!"

"Then I will personally carry out the execution for Lord Cao. What does Lord Cao think?"

The more Cao Cao thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Was His Majesty setting a trap for him? Once the trap was set, His Majesty could kill him legitimately, and no one could find fault with it.

However, with so many people in front of him, Cao Cao really couldn't object, so he could only say, "Your Majesty is willing to accept the punishment. It is my good fortune that Your Majesty personally carries out the punishment!"

Next, Liu Xie gently removed Cao Cao's helmet. Everyone watched nervously and anxiously. Cao Cao didn't dare to move an inch, but his palms were already sweating.

Does His Majesty find the helmet cumbersome and worry about the trouble of chopping it off?

Cao Ren and Xiahou Dun exchanged glances, and unconsciously moved closer together, both staring intently at Liu Xie with cold glints in their eyes!
Just as everyone's nerves were about to snap, Liu Xie grabbed a lock of hair from Cao Cao's forehead, swung his sword sharply, and Cao Cao felt a chill run down his spine. The next moment, Liu Xie had already raised the severed hair high and looked at the generals and soldiers.

Liu Xie said loudly, "Lord Cao is my right-hand man, shouldering the heavy responsibility of helping me restore the Han Dynasty. Although he violated military orders and should be beheaded, considering that the world is not yet settled and there are many rebels, I will temporarily spare Lord Cao's life by offering his hair instead of his head. If he violates the laws and military orders again in the future, he will be executed without mercy for both crimes!"

Cao Cao finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had already prepared himself for the worst; if the emperor dared to kill him, he would risk everything and be a rebel.

However, although he survived, Liu Xie's establishment of authority and bestowal of favors left Cao Cao with a huge debt of gratitude, which made Cao Cao very unhappy.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Yun hurriedly knelt down and shouted, "Your Majesty is benevolent and righteous, long live the Emperor!"

With Zhao Yun taking the lead, the lower-ranking soldiers, unaware of the reason, all knelt down and cheered "Long live the Emperor!"

"Your Majesty is benevolent and righteous, long live the Emperor!"

"Your Majesty is benevolent and righteous, long live the Emperor!"

Liu Xie then summoned a messenger and gave him a few instructions.

The messenger spurred his horse and galloped back and forth through the ranks, shouting: "Lord Cao has violated military orders. His Majesty has cut off his hair in lieu of his head and spared his life for now. All soldiers must obey military orders. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

Despite his anger, Cao Cao had no choice but to kneel on the ground and kowtow to express his gratitude to the emperor, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing my life. I will swear to serve you to the death in the future."

Taking the opportunity, Liu Xie whispered to comfort him, "Lord Cao, I had no choice. Just now I was really worried that you would draw your sword and commit suicide. The Han Dynasty cannot be without Lord Cao, and I cannot be without Lord Cao."

While trying to persuade him, Liu Xie held Cao Cao's hand tightly.

Cao Cao gritted his teeth and managed to squeeze out a single tear that looked like a tear of emotion. "Your Majesty's intentions are truly appreciated."

Cao Cao thought to himself, "Do I need you to save me? I never wanted to die. I was supposed to be the star of the show today, cutting off my hair in place of my head. I had already planned how to perform, but you stole all the limelight."

Despicable! Utterly despicable!
Cao Cao cursed inwardly, greatly dissatisfied!
After getting up, Cao Cao was about to reach for his own Qinggang sword when Liu Xie raised the sword.

"This sword will remain with me for now. Listen carefully, soldiers. I am not showing favoritism. From now on, whenever you see this sword, you will remember what happened today. No matter who dares to violate military orders or the law again, I will not let them off lightly!"

Cao Cao sighed helplessly. The Qinggang Sword was a precious sword that could cut through iron like mud, and yet His Majesty had taken it away just like that.

Moreover, Liu Xie suddenly bestowed upon this sword a sacred mission.

From now on, anyone who sees this sword will have to think twice. Even Cao Cao was almost killed by this sword.

"Lord Cao, you have no objections, do you? I am doing this to demonstrate your strict military discipline and to set an example for everyone."

Cao Cao quickly shook his head, "Your subject has no objection."

Looking again at the Qinggang Sword in Liu Xie's hand, Cao Cao felt a faint sense of fear!
Liu Xie sheathed his sword and patted Cao Cao's shoulder twice. "Lord Cao, rest assured, I have absolute faith in you. You are the most loyal minister in the world, and I would never kill you."

Cao Cao nodded blankly, and then Liu Xie turned and left.

Watching Liu Xie's departing figure, Cao Cao's expression shifted between light and shadow, and an indescribable feeling rose from the depths of his heart.

Guo Jia hurried over to offer some words of comfort, but Cao Cao first waved his hand and ordered the troops to continue advancing. Then he whispered to Guo Jia, "Fengxiao, what do you think?"

Guo Jia shook his head. "In my opinion, His Majesty really didn't intend to kill you, Ming Gong. Perhaps His Majesty just arrived from behind and saw you holding a sword. He was genuinely worried that you would be tortured."

Cao Cao sighed, "Regardless of what Your Majesty is thinking, this time, in front of tens of thousands of soldiers, Your Majesty has both established your authority and shown your favor. Your Majesty's methods are indeed brilliant."

Cao Cao was supposed to be the one in the limelight, but Liu Xie stole the spotlight instead, which made him very unhappy.

Liu Bei had witnessed all of this silently, and his emotions remained unsettled for a long time.

Liu Bei thought to himself: I'm afraid everyone has underestimated His Majesty.

Logically, even if Cao Cao wasn't killed, it could have been said that cutting off his hair in lieu of his head would allow Cao Cao to atone for his sins by performing meritorious service in the future, thus offsetting his crimes and preventing anyone from pursuing the matter further.

However, Liu Xie said that if he committed the same crime again, the two crimes would be considered the same, without mentioning any meritorious service to atone for his sins.

The more Liu Bei thought about it, the more he admired the emperor's methods. In this way, Cao Cao would always have a handle on him, which was in the emperor's hands.

In the future, if Cao Cao does anything reckless, Liu Xie can, from a moral standpoint, combine the two crimes and punish Cao Cao!

Having figured this out, Liu Bei seemed to feel much better about being reprimanded by the emperor.

Even the powerful Cao Cao was ultimately controlled by the emperor.

The group continued their journey, and halfway there they encountered Guan Yu and Zhang Fei again. Liu Bei was overjoyed and cuddled the two brothers affectionately.

Liu Xie also called Guan Yu to his side and asked him some questions with concern.

A few days later, the entourage arrived safely at Xiaopei. As soon as they entered the city, Liu Xie, without taking a break, immediately asked, "Where is General Xiahou? Where is General Xiahou?"

A soldier hurriedly led the way, and Liu Xie followed in haste to the government office in Xiaopei, where he saw Xiahou Dun, whose left eye was covered by a strip of cloth.

The strip of cloth still bore traces of blood, making Xiahou Dun, whose face was already fierce, look even more menacing. The sudden appearance of so many people angered Xiahou Dun; his eyes had just been blinded, and he couldn't get over the shock. He didn't want to be surrounded by a crowd.

Liu Xie waved his hand behind him, signaling the others to leave.

Liu Xie walked closer and asked, "General Xiahou, how badly are you injured? Let me take a look."

Xiahou Dun was about to refuse, but Cao Cao, who arrived shortly after, waved his hand at him and said, "Yuanrang, His Majesty is skilled in medicine. Let His Majesty take a look at you."

Although he knew there was nothing seriously wrong, Liu Xie still carefully removed the gauze and checked him over.

The eyes are different from other parts of the body; they are filled with nerves and blood vessels. Xiahou Dun did not treat them carefully, but simply tied a piece of gauze around them and hurriedly finished the job.

Upon seeing Xiahou Dun, Liu Xie couldn't help but think of Sima Shi.

Although Sima Shi was not blind, a tumor had grown inside his eyes. When the condition was severe, his eyes would bleed and pus would flow out, which was very frightening. In the end, his eyeballs bulged out.

His eyes were shot out, and Xiahou Dun had already gouged out the eyeballs; all that was left was to clean out the remaining rotten flesh.

This was no problem for Liu Xie. Lu Xun brought out a medicine box, and as soon as he opened it, a bright, cold light flashed out. Inside were more than a dozen knives of various sizes, as well as silver needles for acupuncture.

"General Xiahou, I need to clean you up to prevent any remaining disease."

Just as Xiahou Dun was about to refuse, Liu Xie glanced at Zhao Yun, who strode over and forcefully pressed Xiahou Dun's head down.

Cao Cao knew that Liu Xie meant no harm, so he quickly reassured him, "It's alright!"

"Your Majesty, what are you going to do?"

Xiahou Dun, however, felt a little panicked. The thought of the emperor going to cut flesh out of his eyes with a knife made him extremely resistant.

Xiahou Dun was not afraid of death in battle, but this kind of thing would be unpleasant for anyone.

Liu Xie smiled and said, "General Xiahou, it will be ready in a moment. Sorry for the inconvenience!"

After saying this, Liu Xie gave Zhao Yun a wink. In front of Cao Cao, Zhao Yun swiftly delivered a chop to Xiahou Dun's neck. Xiahou Dun's head rolled back, and he immediately lost consciousness.

Then, Liu Xie laid him flat on the ground, quickly brandished his knife, and immediately began to attack.

Cao Cao glanced at it twice, then quickly turned his head away and used the knife to gouge into his eye. Cao Cao got goosebumps all over his body, and even his eye felt uncomfortable, as if it had been gouged out by a knife.

After removing the flesh, disinfecting it, and re-bandaging it, Liu Xie remained expressionless and performed the actions skillfully. Afterwards, he said to Cao Cao, "Don't worry, Lord Cao. I learned from the divine physician Hua and would never treat treating illnesses and saving lives as a joke. If you ever feel unwell in the future, you can also ask me for treatment."

Cao Cao quickly shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, I am in good health and need not trouble yourself."

Liu Xie smiled and said, "In life, everyone is bound to get sick and feel unwell at times. There will inevitably be times when we need your help. Don't worry, I am as close as Cao Gong, and I will not charge you for your medical treatment."

Cao Cao's lips twitched. Was I really worried about that little bit of money?

After a while, Xiahou Dun woke up and found that everything was over and he felt fine, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

…………

Upon learning that Cao Cao's army had arrived in Xiaopei with great force, Chen Gong hurriedly went to see Lü Bu, only to find that Lü Bu was in the inner palace. Chen Gong rushed into the inner palace.

The inner palace was not originally intended for receiving guests; it was the place where Lü Bu and his wife and daughters lived.

Before he could get close, he heard voices coming from inside, accompanied by the sounds of string and wind instruments. Chen Gong's face immediately darkened and his expression became serious.

It turned out that Lü Bu was hosting a banquet for Chen Gui and his son. The room was filled with the aroma of wine and meat, and there were beautiful women dancing in the hall. The dancer was wearing a red dress and was very beautiful. She was none other than Diao Chan, Lü Bu's concubine.

Diao Chan was slender and graceful, dressed in red, her sleeves fluttering as she danced; she was indeed stunningly beautiful.

At this moment, she was like a fairy, her figure graceful and elegant, dancing like a butterfly.

Not only was Lü Bu engrossed in watching, but Chen Gui and his son also frequently glanced at him.

Outside, a large army was pressing in, and war clouds were gathering, but here, there was singing and dancing. Chen Gong was both angry and anxious, his hands clenching tightly from time to time, and his eyes were almost spitting fire.

Diao Chan's dance displays the gentle beauty of women, which is indeed pleasing to the eye and can make people forget all their troubles, but now is not the time to appreciate it.

With a cold snort, Chen Gong directly advised, "My lord, Cao Cao has raised tens of thousands of troops and has already arrived at Xiaopei. My lord should quickly reorganize the army and prepare for battle. How can you be greedy for beautiful women and indulge in drinking and pleasure here?"

Chen Gong's straightforward words immediately brought the lively atmosphere in the room to an abrupt halt. Diao Chan glanced at Lü Bu, stopped dancing, and quietly withdrew.

Lu Bu was somewhat displeased and scolded, "Gongtai, you are overthinking it. Cao Cao has come from afar, and we are waiting in comfort. We have nothing to fear. Chen Deng has just returned from Guangling with his troops and has come to help me resist Cao Cao. Come, come, sit down and have a drink together."

Chen Deng was the governor of Guangling and had just returned to the city. Lü Bu greatly admired Chen Deng and his son.

The fact that Lü Bu was able to invite them to a banquet in the inner palace shows how much he valued them.

Chen Gong glanced at Chen Deng and his son a few times, then coldly snorted, "Cao Cao's arrival is ill-intentioned; my lord, you must not be careless."

Chen Deng and his son could clearly sense the ill intent in Chen Gong's eyes, but they didn't care and instead comforted Lü Bu.

Lu Bu has always lacked his own opinions. Chen Gong ruined his drinking mood, and he was very pleased with a few pleasing words from Chen Deng and his son, which made him even less likely to take Cao Cao seriously.

After Cao Cao occupied Xiaopei, he immediately marched on Pengcheng. After two months of fierce fighting, he successfully captured Pengcheng and then directly led his army of 30,000 men toward Xuzhou. For a time, the entire Xuzhou was shrouded in an atmosphere of terror.

On the main road, dust flew everywhere, and tens of thousands of Cao Cao's troops waved their banners and gleamed their swords and spears. Cao Cao's troops were in high spirits and came rushing in. Lü Bu had no choice but to brace himself and prepare to meet the enemy.

First, Chen Gong was stationed at a fortress outside the city to form a pincer movement with Xuzhou, but unexpectedly, he was tricked by Chen Deng and his son.

Chen Deng first suggested that Lü Bu transfer his family and provisions to Xiapi as a way out.

Lü Bu felt that Chen Deng was genuinely planning for him and followed his plan. Then, Chen Deng devised a scheme to lure Lü Bu out of Xuzhou. As soon as Lü Bu left, Chen Deng closed the gates of Xuzhou.

Even the fortress that Chen Gong was stationed at was tricked into handing over to Cao Cao by Chen Deng.

Left with no other option, Lü Bu had to retreat to Xiapi, where Cao Cao quickly led his troops to attack.

(End of this chapter)