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

Chapter 186, Cao Cao is forced to swear an oath

Even Cao Cao's idea was always simply to control the emperor as much as possible, not to kill him.

Cao Cao called for Yuan Shao, but he didn't come. This time, it was Liu Xie who called for him.

"General, I wish to have a talk with you on the battlefield."

Liu Xie called out three times in a row, while smiling and waving at Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shao hesitated, but then the emperor appeared and summoned him, putting Yuan Shao in a difficult position.

Yuan Shao felt uneasy, worried that Cao Cao would harm him.

But if I don't go, it will make me seem too arrogant, as if I don't even respect the emperor.

Yuan Shao stared wide-eyed, the smugness and arrogance that had just been on his face when facing Cao Cao gradually disappearing.

Ju Shou advised, "My lord, His Majesty's summons is unlikely to be malicious. With so many people watching, His Majesty would certainly not harm you. If you refuse to go, wouldn't that be extremely impolite?"

Xu You nodded and said, "Cao Mengde is really something, managing to control His Majesty to this extent. The more he does this, the more we, my lord, should expose Cao Cao's true intentions to His Majesty and leave a good impression. We should try our best to bring His Majesty to Ye City as soon as possible."

Xu You mistakenly believed that Liu Xie was completely manipulated by Cao Cao, which is why he openly stood up and supported Cao Cao as the emperor.

Although Xu You was a man of questionable character, he was capable. He shared the same idea as Ju Shou and Tian Feng: to bring the emperor to Ye City and thus use the emperor's name to command the world, just like Cao Cao.

If we can snatch the emperor from Cao Cao's hands, this war will be over, and the outcome will be decided.

"Alright." Yuan Shao finally gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

Cao Cao did not bring any guards, so Yuan Shao had no choice but to muster his courage and ride over alone.

Yuan Shao rode very slowly, looking back from time to time, his hesitation and unease impossible to conceal.

Cao Cao and Liu Xie were already waiting there. Cao Cao even poured wine in advance and smiled as he watched Yuan Shao approach, but in his heart he was becoming more and more disdainful.

As Yuan Shao's power grew, his courage unexpectedly dwindled.

Cao Cao whispered to Liu Xie, "After He Jin died, I still remember that Yuan Shao was the first to draw his sword and rush into Qing Suo Men, fighting a bloody battle with the remnants of the Ten Eunuchs. Thinking back to those days, Yuan Shao was so full of vigor and spirit, but now, he has almost lost all his courage and fighting spirit."

Liu Xie also laughed and sighed, "Once people lose their fighting spirit and courage, even if they have a lot of soldiers and cities, they are not worth fearing."

Liu Xie was indirectly boosting Cao Cao's morale, since the two shared the same goal: to completely crush Yuan Shao, this behemoth.

After waiting for a long time, Yuan Shao finally arrived in front of the two.

Cao Cao quickly trotted to Yuan Shao's horse, took the initiative to lead Yuan Shao's horse, and then reached out his hand to help Yuan Shao dismount.

Looking down at Cao Cao from his high vantage point, Yuan Shao seemed to have already foreseen the outcome of the battle, and was quite pleased with himself.

After dismounting, Yuan Shao reluctantly nodded to Cao Cao, then turned to Liu Xie and gave a symbolic bow, saying, "Your subject Yuan Shao greets Your Majesty."

Liu Xie smiled and said, "General, you are too kind."

As he spoke, Liu Xie pointed to the table next to him, where three stools were placed on the ground.

Yuan Shao reluctantly sat down, and then Cao Cao and Liu Xie also took their seats.

Cao Cao laughed and said, "Benchu, I have to admire you. You defeated Gongsun Zan and are now at the height of your power. You have unified the four provinces of Ji, Qing, You and Bing. I am truly far inferior to you."

Cao Cao was half-truthful and half-deceiving, half-coaxing and half-deceiving. It was an indisputable fact that Yuan Shao had more troops, more territory, and more supplies. Cao Cao had to admit that he was no match for Yuan Shao in terms of strength.

However, in terms of ability, ambition, and confidence, Cao Cao was not afraid of Yuan Shao at all.

Seeing Cao Cao adopt such a humble posture, Yuan Shao arrogantly raised his head and smiled faintly, "Mengde, since you know you are no match for me, why not surrender now and spare the people and soldiers from the ravages of war?"

Cao Cao sighed, then looked at Liu Xie and said very respectfully, "Benchu, it's not that I don't want to, but that I can't. I was entrusted by His Majesty to serve as one of the Three Dukes. Now the Han Dynasty is in decline and in turmoil. His Majesty has entrusted me with the great responsibility of stabilizing the world and restoring the state. As a subject, I should do my utmost. His Majesty has shown me great kindness and favor. Even if I am shattered to pieces, I will help His Majesty pacify the world."

Cao Cao's impassioned words were truly moving, and his voice gradually choked with emotion, his eyes becoming moist.

If Liu Xie hadn't known Cao Cao so well, he might have actually been moved to tears.

Yuan Shao remained unmoved and snorted coldly, "So, you're determined to oppose me to the very end?"

Cao Cao feigned difficulty and said helplessly, "Benchu, we have known each other for many years. To be honest, I really don't want to be your enemy. However, the emperor is in Xuchang, and the court is in Xuchang. I have no choice but to do this. If you can sincerely submit to the court, His Majesty will be overjoyed. This would be a blessing for the world and the people!"

Liu Xie was also taken aback by the word "common people".

Previously, Cao Cao always referred to the common people as "Lishu" or "Limin".

This is a very official title.

In fact, Cao Cao's change of address was entirely influenced by Cao Ang. Cao Ang was close to Liu Xie, and many of the things Liu Xie said naturally reached Cao Cao's ears.

Cao Cao also felt that the word "common people" sounded more intimate and was better than "commoners" or "commoners".

When people spend a lot of time together, they can influence each other.

Cao Cao regarded Cao Ang as a spy planted by the emperor's side, but little did he know that Liu Xie could also regard Cao Ang as a spy planted by Cao Cao's side.

When couples have been married for a long time, people will find that they are becoming more and more alike in many ways, including their tone of voice and common phrases.

When people spend a lot of time together, they can indeed attract each other and be subtly influenced by one another.

For example, I have a friend who married a woman from Shanghai. She used to say "Yes, that's right" all the time, but now she just says "Yes, yes!" all the time.

"Mengde".

Yuan Shao's voice was somewhat cold and hard as he questioned, "The court is in Xuchang, the state is in Xuchang. I think you think you are the emperor. Everyone knows that you are using the emperor to command the world. What you say about pacifying the world and helping His Majesty to restore the state is all nonsense."

Cao Cao was not angry. He smiled and said, "Benchu, His Majesty is right here. Why don't you ask His Majesty if I have bullied or held the Emperor hostage?"

Liu Xie's expression immediately changed, becoming very serious. He said to Yuan Shao, "There are some people in the world who slander Cao Cao without distinguishing right from wrong. I never thought that the General would believe such rumors. Cao Cao is loyal to me and has no disloyal intentions."

Yuan Shao clearly didn't believe it. "Oh? Is that so? Your Majesty, my uncle Liu Bei is currently under my command. He told me that Cao Cao has always looked down on Your Majesty. He was almost killed by Guan Yu at the Xutian hunting grounds."

Liu Xie's face was gloomy as he shook his head and said, "Nonsense, there is absolutely no such thing." Yuan Shao was half-believing and half-doubting, thinking to himself, "Could it be that the emperor has really been completely controlled by Cao Cao, and he is doing his best to protect Cao Cao in any way that is detrimental to Cao Cao?"

Guo Tu, Xu You, and Ju Shou all believed that Liu Xie was being controlled by Cao Cao.

"Your Majesty, has Cao Cao really treated you so well? Has he never harbored any disloyalty?" Yuan Shao stared directly at Liu Xie and asked loudly.

There is a clear distinction between ruler and subject, and a proper order of rank. Staring at the emperor is tantamount to insubordination, which is a great disrespect.

However, Yuan Shao was too arrogant and didn't care about these things at all.

Liu Xie nodded, his tone resolute and firm, "I am the Son of Heaven, and my word is law. If the General still does not believe me, I can have Cao Cao swear an oath to Heaven."

Not only was Yuan Shao surprised, but Cao Cao's eyes widened as well.

Cao Cao thought to himself: Your Majesty, you can just say a few words, why do you make me swear an oath?

Did you do that on purpose? You definitely did it on purpose!
Yuan Shao suddenly looked at Cao Cao and said provocatively, "Mengde, do you dare to swear to Heaven?"

This truly put Cao Cao in a difficult position. Cao Cao gritted his teeth, really wanting to draw his sword on the spot and kill Yuan Shao and the emperor.

The emperor's actions were extremely unethical.

However, since Cao Cao repeatedly claimed that he would assist the emperor and restore the Han Dynasty, he had to act like a loyal minister.

Cao Cao glanced sideways at Liu Xie, who remained calm and composed, giving Cao Cao an encouraging look and saying, "Lord Cao, rest assured, I have always believed in your loyalty. However, the General seems a little skeptical. Why don't you express your opinion to the General?"

As expected, Cao Cao underestimated the emperor. He increasingly regretted taking him on the expedition.

Gritting his teeth and steeling his resolve, Cao Cao decided to go all out. He looked at Yuan Shao and stood up abruptly, saying, "Benchu, swear an oath if you will. What is there to be afraid of? If I have any disloyalty to His Majesty, may the gods and the heavens punish me, and may I die without a burial place!"

Liu Xie said, "Well? General, Cao Cao is loyal to me and is willing to swear an oath. Are you loyal to me?"

Having outmaneuvered Cao Cao, Liu Xie immediately turned his attention to Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shao said, "The Yuan family has received imperial favor for generations, and I am naturally loyal to Your Majesty as well."

Taking advantage of the situation, Liu Xie pressed on, saying, "For the sake of fairness, since Lord Cao has already sworn an oath, is the General willing to take one as well?"

"This...this?" Yuan Shao did not expect the emperor's counterattack to be so swift, even requiring him to swear an oath.

If Yuan Shao did as he was told, he dared not even think about what would happen next. If the emperor demanded that he immediately hand over his territory and return it all to the court, wouldn't that be a real problem?

Yuan Shao was terrified. He dared not swear an oath, believing it must be a treacherous scheme by Cao Cao to use the emperor to force him to hand over everything.

Liu Xie was somewhat disappointed. "What's all this about? What's wrong? The Yuan family has held high office for four generations, and I've appointed you as Grand General. Does the Grand General have ulterior motives towards me?"

Cao Cao opened his mouth, wanting to correct him, "This title of Grand General wasn't bestowed by you; I gave it to Yuan Shao."

Cao Cao had just made an oath and was feeling furious and resentful. Seeing that Yuan Shao had also suffered a setback, he felt much better.

Yuan Shao stammered and was at a loss for words when Liu Xie asked him questions.

"What? Is the General plotting a rebellion? I never imagined that the Yuan family, which has held high office for four generations, would turn out like this in your generation..." Liu Xie pointed at Yuan Shao, his voice trembling, pretending to be furious.

"The Yuan family has already produced Yuan Shu, isn't that enough? General, you actually want to rebel!"

Yuan Shao was completely bewildered and didn't know what to do.

Cao Cao seized the opportunity to attack, "What's wrong, Yuan Shao? It seems you are not loyal to His Majesty. You have been appointed as a general, but I never imagined that you would harbor the same rebellious intentions as Yuan Gonglu."

Yuan Shao snorted, "Cao Cao, don't try that on me. I know you have His Majesty under your control and want to blackmail me into submission. Wishful thinking."

Turning to Liu Xie, Yuan Shao sneered, "Your Majesty, wake up! Cao Cao is a hypocrite; he's been using you all along, hasn't he?"

Liu Xie ignored him and loudly questioned, "Yuan Shao, you traitor! You harbor selfish motives and dare to slander Cao Cao! I ask you, did you incite Liu Yu to declare himself emperor? Did you secretly carve the imperial seal? Is the real imperial seal in your possession?"

Without a second thought, Yuan Shao quickly shook his head, "No, Your Majesty, please don't listen to slanderous words."

He secretly wondered how these emperors knew.
Especially regarding the Imperial Seal of the State, Liu Bei secretly presented it to him, and very few people knew about it.

“Feng Ji told me all this. Do you think I know nothing about what you have done? Let me tell you, there are many people around you who have pledged their loyalty to me. Only Liu Bei couldn’t see the situation clearly and actually threw himself into your fold.”

"What? Feng Ji is His Majesty's man?"

The matter of the Imperial Seal was so secret that Yuan Shao never told any outsiders. How did Feng Ji find out?
Yuan Shao couldn't understand it, but it was clear that he had already become suspicious of Feng Ji.

“It’s not just Feng Ji, he’s just one of them. Feng Ji also told me that Tian Feng has been arrested by you for obstructing the dispatch of troops. He also told me who among Cao Cao’s associates had written letters to you in secret. He even told me who you will appoint as your heir in the future.”

"Your Majesty actually knew who I wanted to make heir apparent?"

Liu Xie's series of words were like bombs exploding in Yuan Shao's head.

“Indeed, Feng Ji told me that you favor your third son Yuan Shang the most and have long intended to make him your heir.”

Liu Xie's rapid-fire barrage of information shocked Yuan Shao, leaving him no choice but to believe it.

Yuan Shao did not believe Liu Xie knew so much unless someone leaked the information.

As for why he framed Feng Ji, Liu Xie did it purely to disturb Yuan Shao's mind and make him suspicious.

Tian Feng and Ju Shou were both highly talented and capable, and their character was upright. Liu Xie admired them greatly and would not have framed them without reason.

As for Xu You and Guo Tu, Liu Xie might still be able to use them if he kept them around.

After much deliberation, Feng Ji was the only unlucky one left. In any case, Feng Ji and Guo Tu were of similar character; neither of them were good people.

Guo Tu was cunning, while Feng Ji was petty and jealous of others. Feng Ji played a role in Tian Feng's arrest and imprisonment, deliberately framing him.

Yuan Shao's mind was in a mess, his face turning pale and then red, and he gritted his teeth, thinking: Feng Ji, this traitor who betrayed his own side, I will never forgive him!

(End of this chapter)