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

Chapter 146, Cao Chun willingly faces death.

The standoff continued outside the gate, with Cao Cao's men and Liu Xie's men keeping a watchful eye on each other and refusing to give way.

Upon entering the Lingyan Pavilion, Cao Cao saw Liu Xie. There were only two people in the room: Liu Xie and Lu Xun.

Cao Cao was even more convinced that Liu Xie would not harm him!
Liu Xie was painting on the wall, his brush moving swiftly. Cao Cao recognized him at a glance; Liu Xie was painting Guan Yu.

The scene was so lifelike that Cao Cao broke out in a cold sweat; he had almost died at Guan Yu's hands just now.

He had silkworm eyebrows, phoenix eyes, a long beard with five strands, a cold and resolute face, and that chilling Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

The painting was so lifelike that even Cao Cao felt the chilling killing intent emanating from the Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

Cao Cao knelt down again, "Your Majesty, I know my crime. I was indeed drunk, which led me to offend Your Majesty."

Everyone here is a smart man, and Liu Xie didn't expect him to tell the truth. He couldn't very well let Cao Cao admit that he just wanted to get rid of Liu Xie.

"Your Majesty, Cao Chun is seriously injured and is on the verge of fainting. I beg Your Majesty to lend a helping hand and save his life."

Liu Xie strode out, ignoring the tense situation outside, and went straight to Cao Chun.

After a quick check, the severed arm injury was not enough to kill him, but he was bleeding from his waist and abdomen, which meant that his internal organs had been injured.

Cao Chun's face was deathly pale, devoid of any color. With such severe injuries and excessive blood loss, Liu Xie sighed. Even if he could be saved, he probably wouldn't have much of a chance.

Liu Xie was not a saint, so his chances were slim to begin with. Cao Chun was the mainstay of the Cao family, and saving him would only create more enemies for the Cao family.

Seeing Liu Xie's furrowed brows, Cao Cao felt a pang of despair. Zhang Xiu had killed Cao Hong, and now Cao Chun was about to die at Guan Yu's hands. He had not yet achieved his ambition, but had lost two of his clan's generals. How could he not be heartbroken?
Liu Xie shook his head. "Minister Cao, I am powerless to help him. He has already lost too much blood. If we rashly try to treat him and cut open his chest and abdomen, he will lose a lot of blood again."

Cao Cao stamped his foot and sighed heavily.

Cao Chun, however, was quite magnanimous. He opened his eyes wide and comforted Cao Cao, saying, "My lord, life and death are predestined, what is there to fear?"

The Cao family had no members who were afraid of death, which earned Liu Xie's respect.

However, we cannot erase Cao Cao's problems just because of Cao Chun.

Looking at Cao Cao again, Liu Xie's expression turned serious. "Minister Cao, I have always trusted you very much, but I really can't understand what happened today. Is it just because you were drunk?"

"this?"

Seeing Liu Xie staring coldly at him, Cao Cao felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that things were unlikely to end well.

I thought that if I knelt down, confessed my guilt, and apologized, the matter would be over.

Unexpectedly, Liu Xie had no intention of letting the matter rest.

"I was indeed drunk, and Guo Jia and Cao Ren can testify to that."

Cao Cao insisted that he was drunk.

Liu Xie curled his lip and said disdainfully, "Minister Cao has quite the refined taste. He was already drunk at Chenshi (7-9 AM). Do you think accompanying me on a hunt is child's play? Besides, do you think you can just let things go like this after causing trouble while drunk?"

Admitting to being drunk is merely a pretext.

It would be difficult for Cao Cao to justify his lie. Who would be so bored and drunk so early in the morning?
Was Cao Cao crazy to attend such a grand event as the hunting trip at Xutian? Did he have to be drunk before going?
Liu Xie snorted, his voice icy, "Even if you're drunk, I trust Cao Sikong's self-control. He wouldn't easily break the proper etiquette between ruler and subject. I'm worried that you've been misled by others, and that someone is trying to sow discord between us."

Liu Xie certainly wouldn't escalate the conflict over the hunting incident in Xutian, but he couldn't just let it go either.

Cao Cao was immediately startled and understood Liu Xie's intention.

Liu Xie wanted to turn the tables and intimidate him, to make him pay a price.

The implication is that I can give you a way out, but someone has to take responsibility for this.

To put it bluntly, it was about finding a scapegoat for Cao Cao.

If Cao Cao doesn't admit to being instigated by others, then he'll have to take all the blame himself.

Xun Yu breathed a sigh of relief. This at least showed that Liu Xie did not intend to pursue Cao Cao too much.

Guo Jia, however, saw it differently; he thought of Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu died as a scapegoat that time.

Liu Xie's counterattack was both gentle and firm, giving Cao Cao a way out while simultaneously forcing him to bleed out his own flesh. It was truly a case of killing without leaving a trace!

"Minister Cao, just think about how harmonious we were before. If it weren't for the machinations of treacherous people, I would never believe that you would have acted disrespectfully towards me. But the incident at the hunting grounds has caused me immense heartache. If such treacherous people are not eliminated as soon as possible, won't such things happen again in the future? Those who sow discord between the ruler and his ministers and incite ministers to commit acts of deceiving the emperor should be severely punished, shouldn't they?"

Liu Xie looked coldly at the people behind Cao Cao, "Which one of them is so vicious and harbors such evil intentions?"

Whoever Liu Xie looked at felt a jolt of unease. This put Cao Cao in a difficult position, as he already felt guilty about killing Cheng Yu last time.

Everyone was loyal to him and did their best for him. This was tantamount to asking Cao Cao to betray his own subordinates. Could Cao Cao do such a thing?
But what could Cao Cao do?

The hunting incident at Xutian could only be downplayed. Liu Xie wasn't targeting Cao Cao; he just wanted to find a scapegoat, which is understandable.

Cao Cao didn't expect Liu Xie to swallow this resentment.

Cao Cao turned to look at Guo Jia and the others. Everyone looked embarrassed. Whoever Cao Cao's gaze fell on would be on tenterhooks, fearing that they would be chosen by Cao Cao.

Everyone was willing to risk their lives for Cao Cao, simply to achieve great deeds and bring glory and honor to their families. But at such a time, who would be willing to step forward and take the blame?

Cheng Yu serves as a cautionary tale; even now, no one dares to approach Cheng Yu's family casually.

When a person dies, their family will also be disgraced.

Liu Xie was not in a hurry; he believed that Cao Cao would make a choice.

If someone wants a way out, Liu Xie can give them one, but someone has to take responsibility for this matter.

Cao Cao did not want to betray his subordinates, but Liu Xie insisted that he do so.

"Who exactly is Cao Sikong? Tell me, is it Man Chong?"

Man Chong immediately tensed up. He wasn't afraid of dying, but he didn't want to die in such a muddled way.

"Liu Ye is a member of my imperial clan, it shouldn't be him, right?" Liu Ye had just been recruited to Xudu, and he hurriedly shook his head.

Liu Ye was not quite clear about the situation in Xudu, and he dared not easily take sides.

Before coming here, Liu Ye thought that Cao Cao controlled everything and commanded the world, and that as long as he followed Cao Cao, there would be no problem. But now, he found that things were far more complicated than he had imagined.

The waters of Xudu run deep!

Liu Xie was not as weak as he imagined; at least, Cao Cao did not gain any advantage in the hunting trip at Xutian.

Liu Xie's mention of the imperial clan relationship, whether intentional or not, was clearly an attempt to curry favor with Liu Ye and win him over. Previously, Liu Xie wouldn't have dared to openly court others, but now he dared to do so.

Once Cao Cao recognized Liu Ye's status as a member of the Han imperial family, the inherently suspicious Cao Cao dared not easily trust Liu Ye again.

"Guo Jia wouldn't do that either. He has been advising me all along, hoping that we can always live in harmony as ruler and subject."

Guo Jia nodded gratefully. He didn't want to be targeted by Liu Xie right now. He had just gotten married and didn't want to die.

Liu Xie then looked at Xun Yu, "It shouldn't be Lord Xun either. He's always been busy with government affairs, working diligently, and he only found out about the hunting trip in Xutian at the very end."

"Your Majesty, there's no need to ask anymore, it's me!"

Just when Cao Cao was in a dilemma and unable to respond, Cao Chun, who was lying on the ground, spoke up.

"Zihe, you?" Cao Cao hurried a few steps and came to Cao Chun's side in surprise.

Cao Chun coughed up blood and struggled to his feet. He was unsteady on his feet, and Cao Xiu quickly helped him up.

"It's you?" Liu Xie was also quite surprised.

Cao Cao looked at Cao Chun, his eyes filled with doubt.

But Cao Chun gave him a reassuring look, then looked firmly at Liu Xie, “Your Majesty, it was me. I was the one who advised Cao Gong to be disrespectful to you. The world is in chaos. Everything Your Majesty has achieved today is thanks to Cao Gong. The world should be ruled by the capable. I am loyal to Cao Gong. I think he is more suitable to rule the world than Your Majesty.”

Seeing Cao Chun, who was unsteady on his feet, Liu Xie understood that Cao Chun knew his days were numbered and decided to do Cao Cao one last favor.

He took all the blame upon himself!

Despite their differing stances, Cao Chun's actions still earned Liu Xie's respect.

As expected of the Cao family, every single one of them is so full of spirit.

Before him was Cao Hong, who, despite being wronged and plotted against, was still willing to risk his life to protect Cao Cao!
Now there is Cao Chun, who went all out to protect Cao Cao at the hunting grounds. Even after being seriously injured, he was still willing to die for Cao Cao!

Cao Chun looked resolutely at Liu Xie and straightened his body with force. "One should take responsibility for one's own actions, Your Majesty. I was instigated by Cao Gong. I am willing to atone for my sins with my death. Please do not blame Cao Gong any further."

As they were speaking, Cao Chun reached out and pulled the Yitian Sword from Cao Cao's waist.

He stared intently at Liu Xie, his eyes filled with both expectation and a hint of threat.

If Liu Xie refuses to forgive Cao Cao, then Cao Chun will obviously haunt him even in death.

Cao Chun was doomed to die anyway, but unexpectedly, he stepped forward. Now that things had come to this, Liu Xie could no longer let Cao Cao find someone else to take the blame.

Liu Xie nodded to Cao Chun, "I have always trusted Minister Cao, and from now on, I will continue to trust him!"

Cao Chun smiled with relief, then glanced at Cao Cao and said, "Mengde, I entrust my family to you!"

Previously, he would either address Cao Cao as "Lord" or "Lord Cao," but this time, Cao Chun addressed Cao Cao by his courtesy name as if he were family.

Cao Cao's eyes welled up with tears as he looked at Cao Chun with reluctance.

Immediately, a flash of sword light appeared, and Cao Chun committed suicide without the slightest hesitation!

There isn't a single coward or spineless member of the Cao family!

For Cao Cao's ambition of hegemony, everyone was willing to die for him!
Cao Cao was deeply grieved, but in front of Liu Xie, he could only force himself to wave his hand and say, "Collect Cao Chun's body and take it away. From now on, I will not tolerate anyone who dares to sow discord between me and Your Majesty."

It's just polite talk, but I still have to say it.

In any case, Cao Cao also knew that from this day forward, he and Liu Xie had completely revealed their cards.

Afterwards, Cao Chun's body was carried away, and Cao Cao sincerely knelt before Liu Xie again, saying, "Your Majesty, I am willing to accept my punishment."

Liu Xie pointed to the Lingyan Pavilion, "I just had a portrait of Guan Yu made. I would like to ask Cao Cao, how would you evaluate Guan Yu?"

The scapegoat problem has been solved, but Guan Yu is still being held captive by Cao Cao, and Liu Xie must rescue him.

Cao Cao wiped away his tears and replied, "Everything in Lingyan Pavilion is naturally decided by Your Majesty, and I dare not speak presumptuously."

"Speak as you please, and I will listen as I please. It doesn't matter if you're wrong."

Cao Cao turned to look at Guo Jia and Xun Yu, and the two quickly gave him a wink.

Now that Cao Cao has confessed his guilt and Cao Chun is dead, it is clear that Guan Yu cannot be falsely accused anymore.

Cao Cao understood immediately, sighed helplessly, and said, "Guan Yu is loyal and devoted to Your Majesty. Today's events are enough to demonstrate his loyalty!"

"Alright, the matter of Xutian ends here! Anyone who dares to mention it again will be executed without mercy. As for Liu Bei, Cao Gong, there is no need to worry. His family is all in Xudu. As long as Cao Gong treats them well, I believe Liu Bei will not spread rumors outside. He is very sensible in his actions."

Liu Xie also changed his address to Cao Cao back to "Lord Cao".

Cao Cao nodded. Liu Bei and Zhang Fei had fled, but Liu Bei's family, along with his former subordinates Jian Yong and Sun Qian, were still in Xuchang.

With so many hostages in his hands, Liu Bei wouldn't dare to spout nonsense unless he was completely incompetent.

Clearly, Liu Bei was no fool!
Liu Xie and Cao Cao managed to reconcile, but Liu Xie naturally didn't write about the Xutian incident in the Lingyan Pavilion, thus saving face for Cao Cao.

After leaving the hunting grounds, Zhang Fei and Liu Bei were separated by Cao Cao's troops. Liu Bei was at a loss and did not know where to go.
Anyway, he absolutely dared not go back to Xuchang, so he gritted his teeth and decided to surrender to Yuan Shao.

Afterwards, Cao Cao led his men back, as there were still a lot of things to deal with.

Cao Chun's body was settled first, and because this matter could not be publicized, Cao Chun was buried that same day.

Cao Chun's tomb was right next to Cao Hong's tomb. After Cao Chun was buried, and everyone left, Cao Cao stood alone in front of the tomb for a long time.

"Zihe, you've been loyal and devoted to me. Don't worry, this matter won't end here!"

Looking beyond the high walls of Xuchang towards the imperial city, Cao Cao's gaze sharpened once more!
…………

Upon seeing Jia Xu again, Liu Xie naturally recounted the events to him.

Jia Xu listened attentively, his expression remaining calm. "Your Majesty, the incident at Xutian was a close call, but it has brought your relationship with Cao Cao into the open."

"Furthermore, Guan Yu's performance truly exceeded my expectations. However, this has further enhanced Your Majesty's prestige, and those who support Your Majesty have also been encouraged as a result."

"Wenhe, I understand what you're saying, but now that our relationship is clear, Cao Cao will definitely be more wary of me. How do you think he will retaliate?"

Cheng Yu, Cao Hong, and Cao Chun—Liu Xie has eliminated three people, either directly or indirectly.

Next, his struggle with Cao Cao will inevitably become even more intense.

(End of this chapter)