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

Chapter 126, Lu Bu, why don't you grow vegetables too?
How to deal with Chen Gong was a dilemma for Cao Cao. He was questioned by Liu Xie in court, and it was obviously inappropriate to try to handle the matter quietly.

I can't exactly tell everyone that I haven't made up my mind yet, and that I should let Chen Gong do nothing and observe first.

Liu Xie just watched Cao Cao quietly, and Lü Bu and the others also turned their gazes toward him.

Cao Cao frowned immediately. It was definitely not feasible to assign Chen Gong to the Secretariat, nor was it appropriate to send him to a post outside the capital. Only by keeping him in Xuchang, where he could be kept under control at any time, could Cao Cao feel most at ease.

After much deliberation, Cao Cao made a decision: "Let Chen Gong serve as the Minister of State. He is well-read, knowledgeable, and his ability to govern the country is highly commendable."

Liu Xie nodded. "That's excellent."

Jia Xu served as a Minister, as did Zheng Tai; in terms of official rank alone, a Minister was indeed a high-ranking position.

Cao Cao's arrangement, in name, was not a neglect of Chen Gong, and it made him appear more respectable on the surface. Even if ordinary people knew about it, it wouldn't cause any controversy.

But anyone with eyes can see that this is just a grand show.

After the court session ended, Liu Bei hurriedly left with his two brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Walking along the road, Zhang Fei couldn't help but ask, "Brother, His Majesty has recognized you as his uncle, why aren't you happy at all? Haven't you been thinking about this day and night, hoping that His Majesty would acknowledge your status?"

Liu Bei looked around warily and said in a low voice, "Let's go back first."

Xudu was ultimately Cao Cao's territory. As Liu Bei walked along the road, he found everyone he looked at suspicious, as if they were all watching him.

Cao Cao arranged a small courtyard for him; it wasn't small, but rather a three-section courtyard.

After Cao Hong's death, the houses and land deeds that Cao Hong held all fell into Cao Cao's hands without any doubt.

Cao Cao can now freely give away these residences as rewards to win over others and make them work for him.

The house was in Cao Hong's hands, and Cao Hong was only thinking about how to sell it for a good price.

But for Cao Cao, money was a trivial matter. His primary concerns were how to appease the people and how to recruit as many talented individuals as possible.

Once inside the courtyard, Liu Bei quickly closed the door before turning to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei and instructing them: "Cao Cao was already wary of us, and now that His Majesty has recognized him as an imperial uncle and bestowed upon him imperial favor, Cao Cao must be very dissatisfied. Second brother, third brother, from now on, you and I must be careful in our words and actions and pay close attention to our conduct."

Guan Yu remained silent after hearing this.

Zhang Fei clenched his fists in anger and said with dissatisfaction, "Brother, we have only just arrived in Xuchang. Does Cao Cao dare to kill us? If he really dares to do that, I will use my eighteen-foot spear to stab a hole in him."

Liu Bei glared at him, his face immediately darkening, and he sternly rebuked him, "Stop talking nonsense!"

Zhang Fei was most afraid of Liu Bei getting angry, so he immediately shrank back in fear and muttered, "Fine, whatever my brother says."

The next day, Liu Bei went to the market, bought some farming tools, and personally turned over a vacant patch of land in his yard with a hoe.

They worked all day long, sweating profusely. With nothing else to do, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei practiced their martial arts in the courtyard to pass the time.

Next, Liu Bei began his farming life, hoeing the ground, fertilizing, planting vegetables, and watering them, working with great dedication.

Liu Bei's every move was naturally reported to Cao Cao at any time, and Cao Cao was initially a little confused.

However, Liu Bei's low profile somewhat lowered Cao Cao's guard.

On this day, Liu Xie took Lü Lingqi for a walk around the neighborhood and found a nice courtyard for Lü Bu.

Zhao Yun pointed to the courtyard next door and reminded him, "Your Majesty, that's my uncle's courtyard over there."

After Liu Bei became the Imperial Uncle, Zhao Yun's address to Liu Bei changed from "Lord Liu" to "Imperial Uncle Liu".

Zhao Yun has always held Liu Bei in high esteem.

Liu Xie nodded. "That's good. Let Lü Bu and Liu Bei be neighbors. In the future, he can learn more from Liu Bei, temper his temper, and properly restrain his rough and impetuous habits."

Lu Lingqi naturally had no objections. After arriving in Xudu, Liu Xie personally took her to choose a residence for Lu Bu, which made Lu Lingqi very happy.

After choosing a suitable residence, Liu Xie had Lü Bu's family move in.

Only now did Liu Xie have the opportunity to see Diao Chan for the first time.

Whether Diao Chan was the most beautiful woman in the world, Liu Xie didn't know, but she was indeed beautiful, more beautiful than flowers, and could make fish sink and geese fall from the sky!
Diao Chan had a graceful figure, delicate features, and captivating eyes. She wore a gorgeous silk dress, the hem of which was faintly visible and swayed lightly.

Her beauty is captivating, as dazzling as a night sky studded with stars, instantly catching the eye.

Diao Chan walked gracefully towards them, every movement exuding captivating charm.

Lu Bu stood before Liu Xie, still silent, harboring some resentment.

Aside from his noble title, he was stripped of all his other military positions. Lü Bu couldn't understand it at all.

"Thank you so much, Your Majesty, for your kindness in personally helping us choose a residence." Diao Chan bowed gracefully, expressing her gratitude to Liu Xie.

Lady Yan was also very happy. Her daughter marrying Liu Xie was much more respectable than marrying Yuan Shu's son. She could laugh in her dreams.

Liu Xie waved his hand gently, "Ladies, please step aside. I need to speak with Lü Bu alone."

Madam Yan obediently withdrew, not forgetting to take her daughter with her.

Diao Chan looked at Lü Bu again with deep affection, seemingly realizing what the two were about to say, and a hint of worry appeared in her eyes.

Having been married to Lü Bu for so many years, Diao Chan knew his temperament very well.

Lu Bu was too straightforward and direct, and Diao Chan was really afraid that Lu Bu would lose his temper and clash with Liu Xie.

Liu Xie smiled gently at Diao Chan and gave her a reassuring look.

Standing to the side, Gao Shun hesitated, unsure whether he should leave.

Liu Xie glanced at him and nodded. "You can stay."

In the end, only four people remained in the room: Liu Xie, Zhao Yun, Lü Bu, and Gao Shun.

To be honest, looking at the three men beside him, Liu Xie couldn't help but feel a little proud. With just these three men, Liu Xie was even confident that even if he broke ties with Cao Cao now, these three men could still protect him and help him break out of Xuchang!
"Fengxian, I know you must have a lot to say to me right now, and you must be very dissatisfied with me, isn't that right?"

Liu Xie's first words struck at the very core of Lü Bu's being.

Lu Bu was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously panicked. He stared blankly at Liu Xie, his unease showing on his face without any attempt to hide it.

“Your Majesty, it is not that I am dissatisfied with Your Majesty… it is simply that I wish to serve Your Majesty.”

Liu Xie waved his hand, "You don't need to explain. Did I say something wrong? I dismissed you from your military post in court and sent you home to reflect on your mistakes. You must feel that you have lost face and have some complaints about me."

Lu Bu stammered, "This... Your Majesty's words leave me speechless. I truly cannot understand it."

Although Lü Bu looked flustered and was dissatisfied, Liu Xie was quite pleased with his behavior at this moment.

Because he cared about Liu Xie's status as emperor. Given Lü Bu's volatile personality, if it were anyone else, all his dissatisfaction would have been enough for him to draw his sword or overturn the table without being considered excessive.

However, when facing Liu Xie, Lü Bu panicked and dared not openly contradict him.

Liu Xie patted him on the shoulder, "Fengxian, let me ask you a question first."

"Your Majesty, please speak freely." Lü Bu's voice was very soft; he dared not speak loudly to Liu Xie.

To Liu Xie, Lü Bu's expression was rather endearing.

He was over nine feet tall, possessed unparalleled martial arts skills, and was a man who looked down on the world. The way he kept his thoughts to himself made Liu Xie feel very close to him.

Looking across the world, how many people truly care about the emperor's status?

This is something ingrained in their bones. For example, Yang Biao would get very excited whenever he saw Liu Xie.

For example, Xun Yu would feel uneasy whenever he saw Liu Xie, because he knew very well that everything he did was to help Cao Cao.

People like Guo Jia, Man Chong, Mao Jie, Cao Ren, and Xiahou Yuan could work for Cao Cao with a clear conscience, but Xun Yu could not.

Cao Cao, even now, always addresses Liu Xie as "you" and has never used the formal "you" in his manner.

Since arriving in Xuchang, three whole years had passed, and Liu Xie had never heard Cao Cao utter a single "you" (formal) from him.

Although Cao Cao was a Han official, he always had a restless spirit in his bones.

Cao Cao never felt ashamed for usurping the emperor's power; he didn't feel even a shred of self-reproach.

Cao Cao wanted to be a Han official and a loyal subject, but he was constantly struggling and contradicting himself. The idea of ​​disloyalty was always stirring in Cao Cao's heart, taking root and sprouting, and his ambition gradually grew stronger.

Lü Bu's flustered and uneasy behavior precisely demonstrates that he deeply respected the emperor and the Han Dynasty.

Even though he did so many wrong things, at least he didn't dare to openly disrespect the Han Dynasty.

"Fengxian, I want to ask you, are you willing to obey my orders?"

Liu Xie's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a gentle yet formidable power.

Gao Shun's eyes widened as well; clearly, Liu Xie's question had a deeper meaning.

Lu Bu thought he had done something treasonous, so he hurriedly knelt on the ground and said in a panic, "Your Majesty, what are you saying? You are the supreme ruler of the world, the current emperor. Whatever your command, I will obey without question and without complaint."

Liu Xie helped him up. "Well said, but you just said you had no complaints..."

Liu Xie stopped speaking and looked at Lü Bu.

Lu Bu's face immediately turned red, quite embarrassed.

“Fengxian, you don’t need to hide it. You’ve always been straightforward, so hiding it won’t help. The old ways of keeping your emotions hidden don’t suit you.”

Liu Xie sat down directly, looked at Lü Bu and Gao Shun, and said earnestly, "You should know that back in Xiapi, Cao Cao wanted to kill you. Although I spared your lives, think about it, would Cao Cao be satisfied? Would he be happy?"

"This?" Lu Bu immediately recalled the scene at the White Gate Tower, and his face turned ferocious.

"That's right. I begged him for mercy in every way possible that day, disregarding my dignity, but Cao Cao still insisted on killing me."

Lu Bu immediately gritted his teeth, filled with resentment.

Lu Bu would never forget what happened that day, even in death.

Liu Xie said, "Yes, Cao Cao wanted to kill you so badly back then, but I saved you. How could he be willing to accept that? If I were to immediately give you an important position as soon as I returned to Xuchang, wouldn't that be adding fuel to the fire and provoking him for no reason?"

Although Lü Bu was rough and impulsive, after thinking it through, he felt ashamed and said, "Your Majesty, I misunderstood you."

"From now on, you must do whatever Liu Bei does. Stay at home, spend time with your wife and family. You've managed to save your life, so you must cherish it."

"But Your Majesty, I've heard that Liu Bei has been growing vegetables at home. Are you suggesting that I grow vegetables too?"

Lu Bu's emotions were too direct. One moment he was angry, the next he was uneasy.

He gets emotional over just one sentence.

Like a gourd in water, if you don't want it to float, you have to keep pressing it down.

"What? You just promised to obey my orders, and now you're refusing to do the very first thing I told you?"

"This……"

"Your Majesty, I possess many skills, why do you want me to learn from Liu Bei and grow vegetables at home?" Lü Bu said, unable to understand.

Liu Xie's face darkened, and his voice turned cold. "If you don't listen, I won't force you. Why don't you go and join Cao Cao?"

Lu Bu hurriedly shook his head, "That won't do. Cao Cao is so eager to kill me. I begged him so much back then, but he still wouldn't spare me."

Liu Xie sneered, "If he refuses to take you in, you might as well become his godfather, just like you did with Dong Zhuo and Ding Yuan back then."

Liu Xie's words filled Lü Bu with shame and indignation, making him wish he could find a crack in the ground to hide in immediately.

"His Majesty."

Liu Xie reprimanded him without any politeness: "If you are not content to stay at home and want to live a life of glory now, I cannot help you unless you go and become Cao Cao's godfather."

Lu Bu's face flushed red and then turned pale. Several times he clenched his fists, as if he wanted to lash out immediately.

Fearing that he might harm Liu Xie, Zhao Yun stepped closer and stared coldly at Lü Bu.

"What? You're upset because I said a few words to you? You know it's embarrassing. Let me tell you, you want glory, but I can't give you that right now. I can only save your life. But as long as you obey my orders, I can make you achieve all the glory you had in the past."

When dealing with someone like Lü Bu, you can reprimand him, but you can't just keep lecturing him; you also need to coax him occasionally.

After hesitating for a long time, Lü Bu finally nodded, "Your Majesty, I am willing to obey your orders."

Liu Xie took the Qinggang sword from his waist and held it in his hand.

"Do you see that, Fengxian? This sword can cut through iron like mud. I can use it to kill whoever I want."

To prove the sharpness of the Qinggang Sword, Liu Xie stood up, swung the sword, and the table in front of him snapped in two with a crack.

Lu Bu secretly praised, "What a fine sword! It is indeed sharp!"

"Your skills are exceptional, so I will compare you to this sword. It is indestructible and can kill anyone, but how can a sword that kills be drawn so easily?"

What Lü Bu lacked most was calmness and patience.

Lü Bu nodded hastily, "Your Majesty understands me best."

Being compared to a precious sword made Lü Bu feel proud.

Liu Xie waved his hand, "I'll stop here for today. Think about it carefully."

Liu Xie then left.

Liu Xie didn't expect to change Lü Bu, but he had to make Lü Bu obey orders!

A sword can only be drawn when its master wants to kill someone!
(End of this chapter)