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

Chapter 132, A Hoeing Competition with Lü Bu
The contest between Liu Xie and Zhao Yun had to be stopped.

Liu Xie walked over with a stern expression, first examining the injured eunuch, and then reprimanded him: "Fortunately, his meridians were not damaged. How many times have I told you, swords and spears in the training ground have no eyes. Without my order, you are not allowed to approach lightly!"

"This servant knows she was wrong," the little eunuch hurriedly confessed.

The eunuchs and palace maids in the distance were all trembling with fear, thinking to themselves that they should not get too close in the future.

Liu Xie beckoned over and called two men to carry the injured eunuch away to the Imperial Hospital for treatment.

Zhao Yun knew Liu Xie's intention; he didn't want anyone to approach the training ground.

Zhao Yun offered a few words of comfort, then changed the subject, praising, "Your Majesty's swordsmanship has improved rapidly; you can hold your own against me for more than ten rounds each time."

Liu Xie said calmly, "In these chaotic times, sword practice can not only strengthen the body, but also temper one's character and spirit. I do not want to be regarded as a useless person. Look at Cao Cao, even though he held the position of one of the Three Dukes, he still led his troops into battle."

Although Zhao Yun was dissatisfied with Cao Cao's actions in many ways, it must be said that as a regional warlord, Cao Cao's willingness to take the lead in battle was commendable.

Then, Liu Xie walked towards Mi Heng.

Mi Heng quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have returned to report to you. I heard on the way that General Gongsun is dead."

Liu Xie nodded. "This was expected. Yuan Shao's strength far surpasses Gongsun Zan's, and his defeat was already inevitable. However, I am very curious to know what Gongsun Zan did before he died."

Mi Heng's mission was merely to deliver a message; he was simply acting as an envoy. He was not entirely clear on what Gongsun Zan did after he left.

At noon, Liu Xie went to Wang Cai's restaurant. He hadn't been there for some time. Wang Cai was very excited to see Liu Xie and immediately treated him to a lavish meal.

Liu Xie chatted with him briefly before leaving.

On the way back, Liu Xie suddenly said, "Zilong, Lü Bu and Liu Bei have been growing vegetables at home for some time now. I would like to go and take a look."

Zhao Yun laughed and said, "To be honest, Your Majesty, I also want to go and see them. I've heard that they haven't left their homes these days, and it really has been quite a while since I've seen them."

Liu Xie first went to Liu Bei's house. As he got closer, he noticed that there were several more vendors outside Liu Bei's mansion than before. These vendors kept glancing at Liu Bei and Lü Bu's courtyard. Liu Xie smiled and pretended not to see them.

Hearing the knock, Zhang Fei, who was idly strolling in the courtyard, strode to the door and muttered, "My brother spends all his time at home growing vegetables, and yet someone still comes to visit. I'd like to see who it is."

Upon opening the door, Zhang Fei was overjoyed to see Liu Xie and Zhao Yun standing outside. "So it's you! Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Zhang Fei turned around and excitedly shouted into the courtyard, "Big brother, second brother, look who's here!"

Zhang Fei shouted excitedly as he led the way inside, "Your Majesty, you are both a distinguished guest and a rare guest!"

Before long, Liu Bei and Guan Yu arrived. They turned over the ground in the front yard, and Liu Bei was busy in the back yard.

Upon seeing Liu Xie, Guan Yu was genuinely happy, but Liu Bei was somewhat flustered.

He glanced instinctively toward the main entrance.

"Your Majesty, please come inside." Guan Yu hurriedly gestured and led Liu Xie into the main hall.

Liu Xie waved his hand gently, "Yun Chang, no rush. I heard that Xuan De has been busy in the courtyard lately, tending to his plants. I was quite curious, so I took some time to come and see."

Liu Bei, expressionless, called Zhang Fei to his side and whispered a few words of advice. Zhang Fei snorted, reluctantly walked to the front door, and slammed it shut.

Liu Xie strolled around the front and back yards, nodding with a smile. Since it wasn't spring yet, there were no visible changes. The vegetables he planted would only start growing next year.

But the vegetable garden was indeed turned over very evenly, showing that Liu Bei was quite skilled at farm work.

Finally, Liu Xie was invited to the main hall, where Lady Mi and Lady Gan also came out to pay their respects.

Liu Shan was not yet born. After exchanging a few words, Liu Bei dismissed them.

It's clear that Liu Bei didn't value his wife much, but that's not surprising, given that he was a figure on par with Cao Cao.

For Liu Bei, matters of love and romance were merely a dispensable seasoning; his true ambition lay in establishing merit, conquering the world, and achieving great things!

"Xuande, I am quite pleased that you are able to stay at home and focus on growing vegetables without any distractions."

After taking a sip of tea, Liu Xie looked at Liu Bei and suddenly smiled, "Actually, I understand Xuande's thoughts, but have you thought about it? You are a member of the Han imperial family and an imperial uncle of the Han Dynasty. No matter what you do, Cao Cao will never let his guard down against you."

"You just told Yide to close the gate, which means you don't want others to see that I have come to your residence. If you don't want me to visit, I won't come here again."

Guan Yu looked at Liu Bei and immediately showed displeasure. He couldn't wait for Liu Xie to come over, and he was very excited every time he saw him.

As a loyal subject of the Han Dynasty, how could I not wish to see Your Majesty?

Liu Bei was somewhat embarrassed and hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, I meant no harm. Xuchang is a place of great turmoil. For both me and Your Majesty, it is a land of thorns and wolves."

"Your Majesty must be careful, and so must I. My status as a member of the Han imperial family has already made Cao Cao wary. Now, I have also gained Your Majesty's favor and become your Imperial Uncle. Your Majesty, Cao Cao is a hero of this chaotic era. He is exceptionally capable and commands tens of thousands of soldiers. I must be cautious."

Liu Bei is cautious in his actions, and he only wants to keep a low profile right now.

Liu Xie sighed and stood up. "Xuande, I know your good intentions. You grow vegetables so that you can lie low and wait to escape this cage and leave Xudu as soon as possible, is that right?"

There were no outsiders here, and Liu Xie wasn't worried that these words would reach other people's ears.

He trusted Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. Others might leak secrets, but the three brothers would never do so.

Liu Bei was taken aback. "Your Majesty, how...how do you know all this?"

"You're unhappy in Xudu, feeling like this is a cage, and you want to leave. I understand. But I'm different from you. You can grow vegetables, you can find a chance to leave, but what about me?"

Upon hearing these words, Guan Yu felt as if his heart was being torn apart. He hurriedly replied, "If Your Majesty is not doing well, I can protect Your Majesty and help you leave Xuchang. If Cao Cao tries to stop you, I will certainly take his head and fight my way out for Your Majesty!"

Liu Bei was immediately filled with shame; Liu Xie's words were somewhat malicious.

If you, Liu Bei, are unhappy and want to keep a low profile and escape from Xuchang, then what about me?

If you just pack your bags and leave, it feels a bit like you don't care whether the emperor lives or dies.

Liu Xie patted Guan Yu on the shoulder with relief, "Yun Chang, don't worry, I'm fine. No matter how bold Cao Cao is, he won't dare to do anything to me now. But people always change. As Cao Cao's territory expands and his strength increases, he will despise me more and more."

Guan Yu was somewhat agitated, his phoenix eyes wide open, shooting out frightening beams of cold light.

Liu Bei, however, felt that Xuchang was too dangerous. He dared not think about protecting the emperor and leaving together; even if he did, he could not do it.

After thinking for a while, Liu Bei said with a serious expression, "Your Majesty, as long as I can leave, I can serve as Your Majesty's external aid and help Your Majesty deal with Cao Cao and pacify the world in the future."

Liu Bei wanted to serve the Han Dynasty and Emperor Xie, but the first prerequisite was to have his own territory and strength.

Otherwise, it's all just empty talk!
Liu Xie looked at Liu Bei and saw that he was full of sincerity; indeed, his words came from the bottom of his heart.

He could use the vegetable gardening to deceive Cao Cao, but there was no need to continue the pretense in front of Liu Xie.

"Xuande, have you ever considered that staying in Xuchang might actually be a good choice for you?" "Stay in Xuchang?"

Liu Bei shook his head. “Your Majesty, I am naturally willing to follow you and listen to your teachings day and night. However, as you have seen, Cao Cao is targeting me at every turn and is always on guard against me. Even though I have the ambition to restore the Han Dynasty, I have no way to do so. Staying here will not be of any benefit to Your Majesty.”

After a brief conversation with Liu Bei, Liu Xie understood that Liu Bei had a very strong desire to leave Xudu, and even if Liu Xie tried to persuade him to stay, he did not want to remain in Xudu.

Liu Bei felt that staying in Xuchang would mean he couldn't do anything, wasting time and having no opportunity to use his talents.

He didn't want to spend all his time growing vegetables; it would never end.

When Liu Xie left, Liu Bei personally saw him off, glancing left and right outside the gate as if afraid of being watched.

In fact, they had been watching for a long time. It was no secret that Liu Xie came to see Liu Bei in broad daylight.

Afterwards, Liu Xie went to Lü Bu's house.

Unlike Liu Bei, Lü Bu didn't close the gate at all, and Liu Xie walked straight in.

Lu Bu was standing in the courtyard, staring blankly at the hoe in his hand. He really had no patience. After turning the soil for a while, he didn't want to do it anymore and angrily threw the hoe aside.

There was a jar of fine wine on the table next to him. Lü Bu walked over, picked it up, and took a big gulp of wine.

Turning his head, he saw Liu Xie. Lü Bu hurriedly put down the wine jar and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

Then, Lü Bu instructed his servants, "Summon the lady to come and pay her respects to His Majesty."

Lu Bu's straightforwardness made Liu Xie feel much more at ease with him.

Being with someone who has no guile is definitely much more relaxing.

Although both Lü Bu and Liu Bei grew vegetables at home, their situations were completely different.

Lu Bu was immediately delighted, eager to host a banquet and have a good drink with Liu Xie.

But Liu Bei was thinking, "Why has His Majesty come? He shouldn't be here at this time." Liu Bei was more concerned about the negative impact that Liu Xie's visit would have.

This would make Cao Cao more vigilant, and Liu Bei would feel even more uneasy.

"How's it going?" Liu Xie asked, pointing to the courtyard.

Lu Bu spread his hands, somewhat embarrassed, "Your Majesty, I really can't do this tilling and planting. It's too difficult. It's much more enjoyable to go into battle and kill the enemy."

"Difficulter than killing someone?" This was something Liu Xie found fascinating.

Gao Shun shook his head, almost bursting out laughing himself.

Liu Xie joked, "I just came from Liu Bei's place. Liu Bei has almost finished turning over the vegetable garden in his backyard, but you haven't even finished turning over half of your front yard. Stop thinking about fighting and killing all day long."

Lu Bu shook his head repeatedly, looking aggrieved. "Your Majesty, I'll do anything you ask me to do, except grow vegetables."

Liu Xie walked over, picked up the hoe that Lü Bu had thrown on the ground, and said with a smile, "Fengxian, how about we make a bet?"

"Your Majesty, please tell me, what kind of bet are you making?"

Liu Xie pointed to the two uncultivated vegetable plots in front of him and said, "I and Fengxian will have a contest. If I win, you must never complain again."

"Ah? Your Majesty wants to have a contest with me in tilling the land?"

Lu Bu was speechless, his eyes widening in astonishment.

Diao Chan and Lady Yan also came over.

Liu Xie nodded. "So? Dare to make a bet?"

Provoked by Liu Xie's words, Lü Bu immediately became energetic. He was burly and had superhuman strength. No matter how he was compared to Liu Xie, Lü Bu felt that he had a great advantage.

Besides, he had been working on turning the soil for several days, but the emperor had never done any farm work.

“Very well, since Your Majesty is willing to compete, I will gladly oblige. Gao Shun, bring me another hoe.”

Zhao Yun sighed helplessly. Sometimes he couldn't understand it either. His Majesty seemed to have never been exposed to anything before, yet he seemed to know everything.

They said they'd build bellows, and they did; they said they'd build horseshoes, and they did.

Zhao Yun had never seen Liu Xie touch a hoe before, but when Liu Xie said he wanted to have a contest with Lü Bu, Zhao Yun didn't doubt it at all.

Because Liu Xie always manages to bring surprises.

"Okay, we can start."

Seeing that everything was almost done, Liu Xie called out and gestured to Lü Bu.

With his tiger-like physique and wolf-like waist, Lü Bu was incredibly strong and powerful. He roared and swung his hoe, slamming it into the ground with tremendous force, just like cleaving a halberd.

But this is tilling the land, not killing someone.

On the contrary, Liu Xie remained calm and his movements were gentler, with each movement being evenly forceful. He flipped the opponent not too deeply, but not too shallowly either.

Liu Xie moved with elegance, using his waist and abdomen to exert force simultaneously, one stroke after another. His breathing and movements seemed to have reached a tacit understanding, steady and orderly.

Both Zhao Yun and Gao Shun came from poor backgrounds and had done farm work as children. An expert can tell a lot just by looking at their work.

The two men could tell at a glance that Liu Xie not only knew how to do it, but was also very skilled at it.

Liu Xie applied force evenly and maintained the correct posture, while Lü Bu was panting heavily, trying to use all his strength each time, which resulted in a lot of wasted energy and his progress was quickly surpassed by Liu Xie.

Seeing that he had been overtaken, Lü Bu became increasingly anxious. However, the more anxious he became, the more flustered he felt, and the more stiff his movements became. In the end, he lost the contest.

"How is it, Fengxian?"

Lü Bu, quite frankly, threw the hoe on the ground and said, "I am willing to accept defeat, and I am completely convinced."

Liu Xie nodded with satisfaction and praised, "Fengxian, I admire this about you. You are not hypocritical or pretentious. You accept defeat openly and honestly. This is the true nature of a person."

"Your Majesty, please have some tea." After a while, Diao Chan instructed a servant to bring tea. Diao Chan smiled and presented the tea to Liu Xie.

Liu Xie accepted it with a smile; Lü Bu was truly blessed with good fortune.

Even though Liu Xie wasn't obsessed with women, he still found it pleasing to the eye and felt much happier whenever he saw a beautiful woman like Diao Chan.

(End of this chapter)