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

Chapter 131, Guo Jiacheng got married.
Cao Cao ordered Prince Chen to send troops to attack the Black Mountain bandits Sui Gu, and he needed to issue the decree through Liu Xie, so Liu Xie guessed Cao Cao's intention.

Everyone tacitly agreed, and it was inconvenient for anyone to break the unspoken understanding.

Anyway, Sui Gu was a scourge to the region and was once a member of the Black Mountain bandits; he would be wiped out sooner or later.

Liu Xie had no objection to the campaign against Sui Gu; however, he was very dissatisfied with Cao Cao's motive of taking the opportunity to weaken the Prince of Chen.

But Cao Cao spoke with such righteous indignation in front of the court officials that Liu Xie could not find a reason to refute him.

After the court session, Liu Xie met with Jia Xu and told him about the matter.

Upon hearing this, Jia Xu sneered, "Cao Cao is under a lot of pressure right now. He has to keep an eye on His Majesty, as well as Lü Bu and Liu Bei. He also can't let his guard down with Prince Chen. His Majesty can't stop him from sending troops to attack Sui Gu. But Prince Chen can only win this battle, he can't afford to lose."

"Cao Cao is clearly trying to weaken the Prince of Chen's military strength. If Cao Cao succeeds, the Prince of Chen's military strength will be gradually depleted. Once the Prince of Chen has no troops, His Majesty will lose an arm and external support, and Cao Cao will become even more unscrupulous."

Then, Jia Xu said, "Since this time we are only dealing with the Black Mountain bandits, we can take this opportunity to let Gan Ning train his troops properly. Of course, in order to satisfy Cao Cao, I suggest that we take this opportunity to eliminate the old, weak and disabled soldiers. The number of soldiers can be reduced, but the combat strength must be strengthened."

Liu Xie understood immediately, "Wenhe is talking about downsizing, isn't he?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean! The strength of Prince Chen's troops makes Cao Cao uneasy, so let's reduce the number of troops in Prince Chen's hands appropriately. It was 30,000 before, now it's 20,000, even if it's reduced to 10,000, it's acceptable. But in any case, Prince Chen must have troops in his hands. As long as he has troops in his hands, Cao Cao will be wary, and he won't dare to easily turn against His Majesty."

Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun; having soldiers in your hands gives you the confidence to speak!

Without soldiers, Liu Xie lacked the confidence to challenge Cao Cao.

But with Chen Wang's army, Cao Cao would have to think twice before doing anything. If pushed too far, Liu Xie would have Lü Bu, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei inside the city, and Chen Wang outside. If they made a move, they could make Cao Cao suffer greatly.

Jia Xu stood up. "What Cao Cao fears most right now is that His Majesty and Prince Chen will collude from within and without to stage a coup in Xuchang. As long as he is afraid, he won't dare to make things too difficult for His Majesty. The stronger the power that His Majesty controls, the safer he will be!"

“In the past, Cao Cao did not want to take action. Now he neither wants to nor dares to. So what about the future? I believe that Your Majesty will one day completely control the situation.”

"Your Majesty has so much power, yet you still magnanimously refrain from interfering in military and political affairs. This has already given Cao Cao enough face. Cao Cao is so smart; he would not easily do something that would result in mutual destruction."

Liu Xie finally nodded and said, "Alright then, let Gan Ning give it his all this time."

Lu Xun was sent there again. Liu Xie wanted him to assist Prince Chen and fight alongside Gan Ning. Liu Xie would not waste any opportunity that would help him grow and develop.

The next day, right after the morning court session, Guo Jia came to Liu Xie's side and whispered, "Your Majesty, I am getting married. Please come to my residence for a celebratory drink."

Liu Xie was somewhat surprised, "Huh? So fast? How come I didn't hear a word about it?"

"I was originally planning to find you a stunningly beautiful woman, but I never expected that you, Fengxiao, would have already found one yourself. I wonder which family she belongs to; I must go to your residence to see her."

Guo Jia said, "She's not a particularly beautiful girl, just an ordinary, respectable woman."

Marry a virtuous wife!

Despite Guo Jia's usual frivolous and dissolute lifestyle, Liu Xie greatly admired his judgment this time.

Guo Jia only invited a few people to the banquet, and the wedding was not a grand affair.

After the initial meeting, Guo Jia openly and generously brought his wife, Wang, to Liu Xie's presence.

Ms. Wang is of medium height, without makeup, and has a dignified demeanor. Although her features are not particularly delicate, she is gentle and virtuous, and is the type that is pleasing to the eye in the long run.

She had a slightly wider face, her black hair was casually tied up, and a not-so-expensive hairpin was inserted in her hair. She was somewhat shy and not good with words. After quickly exchanging greetings, she went to prepare tea.

"Fengxiao, Wang Shi looks like she knows how to manage a household. She should be a good wife. With her helping you with household chores and taking care of your daily life, I am quite pleased."

Guo Jia said, "Yes, I like elegance and refinement when I'm out, but I feel more comfortable at home when things are simple and quiet."

Liu Xie actually completely agreed with Guo Jia's idea.

Men may be unrestrained and philandering outside, but a virtuous wife at home is absolutely paramount.

But the thought of getting rid of him in the future, and that Jia Xu had already put Guo Jia on his kill list, made Liu Xie feel somewhat heavy-hearted.

This damn politics! This damn loyalty!
If anyone is to blame, it's Guo Jia for being too loyal to Cao Cao!

Guo Jia assisted Cao Cao and was loyal to him. From his perspective, what he did was perfectly justifiable.

But Liu Xie's stance represents the stance of the Han Dynasty!

Cao Cao's underhanded tactics against Liu Xie never ceased, and several suggestions to weaken the Prince of Chen came from Guo Jia.

After chatting for a while, Guo Jia habitually took out the Five-Stone Powder again. The Five-Stone Powder he was currently taking was all given to him by Liu Xie, and he no longer bought it from the street.

"The Five-Stone Powder made by Your Majesty is fragrant and melts in the mouth. Its wonderful effects have not diminished, and its original toxicity has been greatly reduced. We should promote it more widely so that it can benefit more people."

Liu Xie nodded, "That's exactly what I was thinking too!" If it can reduce the toxicity to some extent, it will at least be beneficial to people.

Guo Jia jokingly said, "Actually, Your Majesty could find someone to sell this item. I'm sure it would be so popular that people would throng to the door and scramble for it."

Liu Xie thought for a moment and said, "I have no intention of selling it for money. Since this item is beneficial, I can just sell it to cover the cost."

Guo Jia shook his head. "Your Majesty, you are sorely mistaken. Even if you mean well, does Your Majesty know what kind of people are taking Five-Stone Powder?"

“They are all from aristocratic families. They are not short of money and care a lot about their reputation. This item has been improved by His Majesty. If the price is too low, it will not only arouse people’s doubts about its usefulness, but it will also be unworthy of His Majesty’s status.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Xie's eyes lit up.

He was the emperor, he personally made the improvements, and he sold them to wealthy people. Selling them too cheaply would be too degrading.

It's like a small safety pin; it might only be worth a penny on a street stall, but if you put an LV label on it, it can sell for a thousand or ten thousand dollars and still find buyers.

The things the emperor made were so cheap that they became a joke.

After thinking it over, Liu Xie nodded quickly, "It's perfect. Lord Xun and Lord Cao often worry about the expenses of the palace. I will use this to do my part."

Back at Tianwu Pavilion, everyone was busy. Liu Xie had Xun Yu help him recruit many skilled craftsmen.

Wu Pu and Fan A were both disciples of Hua Tuo, so Liu Xie taught them the method of making Wushi Powder.

Wu Pu immediately nodded and said, "Your Majesty, this is a great thing that will benefit all the people. We will do our best to do it."

Liu Xie instructed, "I will continue to make improvements in the future, and you should also take some time to help me with the deliberations." "Yes, sir!"

They were all medical officers, with exceptional expertise in the efficacy and pharmacology of medicines. In addition to commanding medical teams when they were away on military missions, they continued to study medicine under Hua Tuo after returning to Xuchang, and would also take time to help out at Tianwu Pavilion.

Tianwu Pavilion is home to a diverse array of talents, from skilled blacksmiths to experts in medicine, but what Liu Xie is most interested in is the development of agricultural tools.

Lu Jun walked over and said, "Your Majesty, the physical sample of the hand-operated bellows that you designed earlier has been made."

Lu Jun is now in charge of the Tianwu Pavilion. He is Lu Xun's father and Lu Kang's nephew. He is upright and meticulous in his work. Liu Xie is quite at ease entrusting the Tianwu Pavilion to him.

The fact that Lu Kang was enshrined in the Lingyan Pavilion shows that Liu Xie had taken the entire Lu Kang clan under his wing, and that he had not only gained Lu Xun.

"Go, go and have a look."

Tianwu Pavilion has a workshop for iron smelting. Lu Jun led the way, and Liu Xie followed curiously.

In the very center of the ironware workshop, there was a large furnace, with charcoal burning red-hot inside. As soon as you stepped inside, a wave of heat hit you.

Beside the furnace, the previous water-cooled blower had been replaced with a hand-operated bellows. A strong young man was pushing and pulling it with all his might. The bellows kept making noise, and the flames in the furnace roared and leaped, becoming increasingly hot.

"This bellows is more convenient, time-saving, and labor-saving than the previous water-type bellows. The temperature of the furnace fire has also been increased significantly. Several blacksmiths have already tried it and found that this method can produce better ironware."

Lu Jun was also quite excited and praised it enthusiastically.

Liu Xie listened attentively and watched intently. The most important thing in iron smelting is the temperature of the charcoal fire; the higher the temperature, the better the ironware that can be smelted.

Liu Xie bent down and tested the bellows himself, as if he had regained many memories from before he traveled through time.

In the rural areas of the 1980s, every household used a stove to cook, and each family had a large iron pot for boiling water and steaming buns.

Basically, there will be a hand-operated bellows next to the stove.

The principle behind this thing is not complicated. Liu Xie simply drew a sketch and explained the structure to Lu Jun and the others. They then began to research and experiment repeatedly, and a few months later, they made it.

If Liu Xie were to do it himself, it would be troublesome, because he only knows a little bit about it.

Liu Xie could only express his envy of those talented people who traveled back to ancient times and could easily create glass, gunpowder, and telescopes.

He felt that time travel only gave him some precognitive advantages; if those advantages were removed, he was no different from anyone else.

Knowing about gunpowder, one can make gunpowder; knowing about glass, one can make glass. Liu Xie knew he couldn't do that.

But now he is the emperor and can mobilize a lot of resources. He only needs to provide ideas, even if it is just a vague impression or a simple drawing, and many people will help him to repeatedly refine and test them.

After trying it out, Liu Xie was very satisfied with the effect of the bellows, and then said to Lu Jun, "Tell Xun Lingjun about the bellows, and promote its widespread use as soon as possible."

"Here."

After Liu Xie left the Tianwu Pavilion, Zhao Yun was filled with awe. "Your Majesty, you are truly a wise and virtuous ruler. If you could wield great power and act freely, it would surely be a blessing for the nation and the people!"

Liu Xie smiled and said, "Don't worry, Cao Cao won't stop things that benefit the country and its people!"

Sure enough, Xun Yu reported this to Cao Cao, who strongly supported it. The bellows were quickly popularized in Xuchang, and every blacksmith shop that used it praised it highly.

Especially after hearing that this item was made by the emperor himself, everyone praised it highly.

A few days later, Mi Heng returned to Xudu from Youzhou. As soon as he entered the city, he saw many young noblemen holding exquisite porcelain vases and praising something.

Mi Heng slowed his pace and listened intently.

"This Five-Stone Powder has now been renamed Bliss Powder. Not only is the name elegant, but it was also created by the emperor himself."

"Bliss, bliss, earthly bliss, this name is so fitting. After taking the Bliss Powder, one feels as happy as an immortal."

"A bottle costs 1,000 coins and is a limited edition. Even if you have money, you might not be able to buy it. It is made by a sage and must be a masterpiece!"

Mi Heng himself regularly took Wushi San, so after a brief inquiry, he understood the whole story.

Mi Heng smiled and shook his head, "I never imagined that Your Majesty would have such supernatural abilities, even able to develop and improve Five-Stone Powder."

Upon entering the palace, Mi Heng immediately went to see Liu Xie.

Liu Xie was practicing swordsmanship. He practiced for an hour every day, and he never stopped, even when he was away with his troops.

Mi Heng stood aside, not disturbing them, and watched quietly.

Liu Xie doesn't usually practice with the Qinggang Sword, as it's too sharp. Zhao Yun has already broken several of his swords while sparring with it.

There was no way around it; the Qinggang Sword was just too sharp, capable of cutting through iron like mud, and ordinary swords could hardly match it.

Liu Xie's moves were sharp, and Zhao Yun held nothing back; the two exchanged blows with astonishing speed.

This was the first time Mi Heng had ever seen Liu Xie's swordsmanship up close.

Brush brush!
The sword flashed, and a series of blindingly cold lights flashed before Mi Heng's eyes.

The sound of weapons clashing rang incessantly in my ears.

Liu Xie gripped his longsword, his eyes flashing, and launched a fierce attack on Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun swung his sword backhand, clashing with Liu Xie's sword. With a clang, sparks flew.

The two exchanged blows, their moves sharp and their skills exquisite.

The sword light was like a ghost, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, sometimes flashing like lightning.

Zhao Yun brandished his longsword, unleashing a violent surge of energy that forced Liu Xie to retreat continuously. However, Liu Xie remained unfazed, fighting with increasing ferocity and overwhelming force. His sword flashed through the air like lightning, each attack aimed directly at Zhao Yun's vitals. The two figures clashed rapidly.

Suddenly, a young eunuch walked over, carrying a tray with tea and snacks.

Liu Xie glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, his face immediately darkening. With his next move, the longsword suddenly flew out of his hand and, by sheer coincidence, struck the eunuch's leg.

Ah!
The little eunuch screamed, dropped the tray in his hands, and collapsed in pain!
(End of this chapter)