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

Chapter 210, We Mustn't Let Them Feel Disheartened

Liu Biao nodded and said, "Yes, Xiahou Dun must be on guard against Liu Bei. He must suspect that Liu Bei and His Majesty are plotting something and is worried that Liu Bei will suddenly appear in Xuchang. In fact, His Majesty has not taken Liu Bei into consideration at all from the beginning of the Xuchang plan."

Jia Xu stroked his beard and smiled mysteriously, "That's right, taking Xudu will depend on people like us, because no one has noticed our existence."

Liu Biao, who was usually not talkative, also became excited, rubbing his hands together and said, "The secret passage leading to the outside of the city has been dug and we can start the operation at any time. Lu Xun's troops are also on their way to Xudu."

Jia Xu immediately ordered, "Here's what you'll do. Send someone out of the city through the secret passage and tell Lu Xun to divide his forces into two groups. One group will continue towards Xuchang, while the other will disguise itself as Liu Bei's troops and operate around the city."

"Sir, are you trying to lure Xiahou Dun's men away?" Liu Biao asked.

Jia Xu nodded. "Go ahead and get busy."

Liu Biao immediately sent someone out, and that very night, someone suddenly visited Dong Cheng's house; it was Kong Rong.

Dong Cheng was greatly surprised and welcomed Kong Rong into the hall, ordering someone to serve him tea.

Dong Cheng asked curiously, "Wenju, what brings you here?"

Kong Rong did not answer him immediately, but instead glanced at the several servants who were still serving him.

Dong Cheng understood immediately, knowing that he had something important to say. He waved his hand and instructed the servants, "Alright, all of you may leave."

After everyone had left, Dong Cheng hurriedly pressed, "Wenju, why are you being so mysterious today? Tell me quickly, what is it?"

Kong Rong's expression immediately turned serious. He lowered his voice and said, "Uncle, His Majesty has sent a secret edict, ordering us to join forces to seize Xuchang and revive the Han Dynasty."

"A secret edict? To seize Xuchang?"

Dong Cheng was first taken aback, then a surge of joy welled up inside him. "Wenju, is what you're saying true?"

Kong Rong nodded, took out a letter from his pocket, and handed it to Dong Cheng.

With trembling hands, Dong Cheng walked over, took the letter, opened it, glanced at it, and couldn't help but shed tears.

"Excellent! I've been waiting for this day for four whole years, and it's finally here!"

Before long, Dong Chengcai was already in tears, and even his voice was choked with sobs.

“Wenju, these past few years, I have been hoping that His Majesty would pull himself together and have repeatedly advised him not to favor Cao Cao. I thought His Majesty had ignored me, but I never expected that His Majesty understood everything. It turns out that he had planned it all along.”

Kong Rong nodded. "In the next few days, you need to unite Wu Shuo, Wang Zifu, Zhong Ji and others, and tell them about the secret edict. Then, we will create chaos in the city."

"So what's next? Who will deal with Xiahou Dun?"

Dong Cheng was still somewhat bewildered. After all, the defenses of Xuchang, including the inner and outer cities, numbered nearly ten thousand men, and Cao Cao had not relaxed his guard at all.

Kong Rong smiled mysteriously, "These are none of your concern; His Majesty has his own arrangements."

Kong Rong gave him several instructions before leaving to contact other people.

Liu Biao was not entirely at ease with Kong Rong and his associates, and couldn't help but ask, "Sir, capturing Xuchang is such an important matter. To be honest, I really don't trust Kong Rong and Dong Cheng. His Majesty doesn't need them involved at all. If it's just about creating chaos, I can find some people who can do it just as well, and they'll definitely do it better than them."

Jia Xu smiled, and that smile seemed to contain a great deal of meaning.

Jia Xu said, "You think His Majesty didn't think of that? The matter of Xudu is of great importance. The most important thing is to act secretly, decisively, and swiftly. These people are precisely the ones who lack these qualities."

Liu Biao slapped his thigh and agreed, saying, "That's right, that's why I don't understand. Most of these people are intellectuals. What can they do besides complain and grumble? Maybe they'll be exposed before we even take any action."

Jia Xu stood up and leisurely strolled around the room.

Then, he sat down again.

He looked at Liu Biao again and asked, "Did you see what I just did?"

Liu Biao was speechless. "Didn't you just turn around? What's the mystery behind that?"

Jia Xu laughed. Sometimes, not having any quick-witted and intelligent people around him made him feel quite bored.

He had to patiently explain, "Why did I stand up and turn around? It's because I've been inside for too long and it's too stuffy, so I needed to get up and move around."

Liu Biao maintained his straightforward expression, thinking to himself: Isn't this obvious? Of course you'll get bored if you keep it bottled up for too long.

"But what does that have to do with this matter?"

Jia Xu was quite helpless and had to explain in more detail, "Of course, this is very important. Even if Dong Cheng, Kong Rong and others can't help much, or even make mistakes, it doesn't matter, because His Majesty has already anticipated this. No matter what they do, it won't affect our plan. These people are just icing on the cake, but they have been holding back for too long. His Majesty understands them and wants them to participate."

"Indeed, their role in the Xu Du matter was very small, even negligible in the overall situation. However, Your Majesty cannot let them down. If you don't let them participate, have you considered what will happen to them after everything settles down? Who will Your Majesty rely on to reorganize the court and govern the provinces in the future? Therefore, we must not let these people lose heart."

Liu Biao finally understood. "So that's how it is. Thanks to your reminder, sir. I never imagined His Majesty had such a deeper meaning."

"Thinking about it, it makes sense. Anyway, someone like me, a nobody from the martial world, is not capable of helping His Majesty govern the country and the local areas."

Jia Xu said, "You don't need to be modest. His Majesty remembers everything you've done. I believe that after the Xuchang incident is over, His Majesty will definitely give you an important position."

Liu Biao returned Jia Xu a hearty smile, a smile unique to those in the martial arts world—unrestrained, natural, and free-spirited.

“I have never thought of receiving any reward from His Majesty when I work for him.”

Liu Biao was right; an unexpected incident had indeed occurred on Dong Cheng's side.

Dong Cheng and Wu Shuo were discussing matters at his home when, unexpectedly, Dong Cheng discovered that his servant Qin Qingtong and his concubine Yunying were having an affair that night.

Dong Cheng caught the two in the act of adultery, and Qin Qingtong was naturally beaten severely, but Dong Cheng did not have the heart to execute him.

Qin Qingtong broke free of the ropes and escaped under cover of night.

However, all of this was under the surveillance of Liu Biao and others. Qin Qingtong originally wanted to go to Xu Du Ling Man Chong to report Dong Cheng, but halfway there a dark figure suddenly appeared behind him.

Immediately afterward, the man acted swiftly, covering Qin Qingtong's mouth with his left hand to prevent him from shouting, while his right hand quickly pulled out a dagger and pressed it against Qin Qingtong's neck.

"Don't move, or I'll kill you!" A chilling voice rang in my ears.

Qin Qingtong was so frightened he almost wet his pants; his face turned pale. To save his life, he remained motionless, no longer daring to struggle.

Soon, Qin Qingtong was escorted into the secret passage and brought before Jia Xu.

Liu Biao kicked Qin Qingtong. "His Majesty was right. He ordered us to keep an eye on him. Sir, if you hadn't stopped me, I would have killed him right then and there, based on all the dirty tricks he's been up to."

Jia Xu said, "Have Kong Rong send a message to Dong Cheng, telling him not to worry and to continue with the operation as usual."

Qin Qingtong secretly escaped in the middle of the night, and Dong Cheng was completely unaware of it. It was only when Kong Rong came to question him that Dong Cheng suddenly realized what was happening.

Kong Rong gritted his teeth and stamped his feet in anger, "Imperial brother-in-law, you almost ruined everything! Why did you spare the life of such a treacherous villain?"

Dong Cheng felt extremely guilty and hurriedly asked, "This was all my negligence. By the way, where is that lackey Qin Qingtong? I must kill him with my own hands."

Kong Rong shook his head helplessly. "He has been brought under control, so you don't need to worry about him anymore. Remember, you can't make any more mistakes, otherwise, if you ruin His Majesty's important plans, we will all become criminals."

Dong Cheng nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, there won't be any more mistakes."

The next day, Jia Xu learned that Lu Xun's troops were very close to Xuchang, so he decisively decided to take action that very night.

As darkness was approaching, Xiahou Dun was leading his men to patrol the city wall as usual when suddenly a scout came running up to the wall. "General, Liu Bei's troops have been spotted thirty li east of the city."

"What? Did you see that clearly?"

Xiahou Dun's right eye immediately widened to twice its normal size, and his nerves tensed up instantly.

"Look closely, they're flying Liu Bei's banner, and they're heading towards Xuchang."

Xiahou Dun hurriedly sent someone to fetch Man Chong.

After Man Chong arrived, Xiahou Dun said, "Bo Ning, Liu Bei has appeared. I am worried that he has come with ill intentions. I want to go and see for myself. You must keep a close eye on Xuchang. If Liu Bei really comes, you must not open the city gates."

“Liu Bei has actually appeared. Guo Jijiu has been very worried about this. General, you must be extra careful.” Man Chong was also somewhat surprised.

Cao Cao was in full pursuit of the defeated Yuan army when Liu Bei appeared near Xuchang, which was definitely a bad omen.

Xiahou Dun snorted coldly and gritted his teeth, saying, "Even if Liu Bei wants to come to Xuchang, with you and me guarding this place, he can't do anything. I want to go and check for myself how many men Liu Bei brought this time, and what his intentions are."

Xiahou Dun immediately led three thousand men out of the city and sped off to the east.

Man Chong stared in the direction Xiahou Dun had left, his brows furrowed tightly, and muttered to himself, "Liu Bei, he is highly regarded by His Majesty, could he really dare to launch a sneak attack on Xuchang?"

At this time, neither Cao Cao nor the emperor were in Xuchang, so Man Chong was a little unsure of what to do. But when he thought about Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei's performance at the hunting grounds in Xutian, Man Chong's heart sank.

Guan Yu nearly killed Cao Cao, which made Liu Bei suddenly appear as a dangerous figure in Man Chong's eyes.

Upon receiving Jia Xu's message, Ji Ping hurried to the secret chamber.

Few people know the truth about Jia Xu, but Ji Ping is one of them.

Liu Xie trusted Ji Ping very much and regarded him as a confidant.

"Doctor Ji, do you have any slow-acting poisons on hand?"

"Slow poison?"

Ji Ping paused for a moment, knowing that he would have to make his move tonight, and asked, "Why do you want it to be slow? Wouldn't something strong be better? I have poison and arsenic here that can kill someone instantly."

Jia Xu shook his head. "We don't need anything too drastic. We've captured a servant from the Imperial Uncle's residence, and I'd like to make use of him a little..."

Qin Qingtong had an affair with Dong Cheng's concubine. Jia Xu briefly told Ji Ping the story.

"Now that Xiahou Dun has been lured away, and Xun Yu is not responsible for defending the city, we don't need to pay attention to him. His Majesty instructed in his letter not to make things difficult for Xun Yu. So, next, we only need to target Man Chong. I plan to have Qin Qingtong inform Man Chong, and the slow-acting poison will come in handy."

Ji Ping nodded and said, "A potent poison can be weakened with a little mixing, but I don't have an antidote."

Jia Xu smiled with narrowed eyes, "It's alright, just go and prepare it, and bring it to me in a bit."

Ji Ping was very efficient; he returned quickly, arranged everything, and sent it to Jia Xu.

Ji Ping handed a black bottle to Jia Xu and instructed him, "After some adjustments, it can sustain you for two hours. After two hours, there will be no cure, and you will surely die!"

Just as Ji Ping was about to leave, Jia Xu said again, "Imperial Physician Ji, don't be in such a hurry to leave."

Ji Ping stopped in his tracks to see what Jia Xu was up to.

Before long, Jia Xu had Qin Qingtong brought over. Qin Qingtong was terrified and asked in a trembling voice, "Who exactly are you? Please don't kill me!"

Qin Qingtong had stayed in Xudu for so long, but he never dreamed that there were secret passages and chambers underground in Xudu. It was as if he had suddenly entered another world.

"Qin Qingtong, you don't need to know who we are. You only need to know that your life is now in my hands."

As he spoke, Jia Xu gave Liu Biao a wink. Liu Biao understood immediately and drew his sword. The gleaming blade flashed before Qin Qingtong's eyes.

The light was shimmering and the atmosphere was chilling; even the air in the enclosed room seemed to have suddenly become much colder.

Qin Qingtong screamed in terror and collapsed to the ground, begging, "Spare me! Don't kill me! Please don't kill me!"

Jia Xu looked down at Qin Qingtong and coldly asked, "Do you want to live?"

Qin Qingtong nodded hurriedly, determined to seize any chance of survival. "I want to live. I'll do anything you ask."

Jia Xu gently shook the black medicine bottle in his hand and placed it on the table. "This is a slow-acting poison. Drink it, then do something for me, and I will give you the antidote afterwards. If you behave well, I will also plead for the woman you like and reward her to you."

Qin Qingtong was initially terrified, after all, it was poison. Then his eyes lit up again, "You will reward Yunying to me, right?"

Liu Biao immediately looked at him with disdain. At a time like this, he was still thinking about women. People like that shouldn't be living in this world.

(End of this chapter)