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

Chapter 213, Even Loyal Ministers Need to Be Discounted?

However, just as Man Chong was about to go out when he reached the door, a group of people suddenly appeared outside and blocked his way.

There were several hundred people, all armed with knives and spears, their faces filled with a murderous aura.

Their eyes were piercing as they stared directly at Man Chong and his group, as if they had spotted prey about to pounce and tear it apart.

The leader was a young man, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with fair skin and handsome features. He wore armor, held a long sword, and exuded an air of refined elegance that set him apart from the crowd.

Man Chong felt that this person looked vaguely familiar. After taking a closer look, he was suddenly startled and blurted out, "Are you Lu Xun from the Lu family?"

The other man raised his sword and bowed slightly to Man Chong. "Indeed, I am Lu Xun, Lu Boyan. His Majesty has sent me to ask you, Man Chong, why are you plotting a rebellion tonight?"

"You're accusing me of treason?"

Man Chong seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He had always been loyal to Cao Cao and worked diligently. In fact, he had offended many colleagues because of Man Chong’s harshness and ruthlessness.

The charge of treason was pinned on Man Chong's head, and Man Chong was not only furious but also felt extremely wronged.

Lu Xun sneered, "If it's not you who's plotting a rebellion, then is it His Majesty who's plotting a rebellion?"

"That's right, I understand now, I understand everything." Man Chong stared at Lu Xun, suddenly realizing the truth.

"I remember that you followed Lü Bu to intercept Yuan Shu and killed him. After that, Lü Bu returned, but you did not. Some people said that you went to Lujiang to pay respects to your ancestors. It seems that paying respects to your ancestors was just an excuse. I just didn't expect His Majesty to entrust such a young junior like you with such an important task."

Lu Xun shook his head. "You're only half right. Ancestral worship wasn't an excuse. I did go to Lujiang to worship my ancestors. Moreover, I made a solemn vow before the ancestral tablets of the Lu family to eliminate traitors for His Majesty and restore the Han Dynasty!"

"You were directing all of this in Xudu?" Man Chong asked incredulously.

After all, Lu Xun is too young. He is only eighteen years old this year and rarely has the opportunity to show his face. Anyone would ignore him.

Lu Xun shook his head. "I am not the one in charge of all this, but His Majesty. I am just acting on imperial orders. Alright, we don't need to waste any more time."

Lu Xun waved his hand and coldly ordered the soldiers behind him, "Except for Man Chong, anyone who resists must be killed!"

At his command, Lu Xun's soldiers roared and charged forward, and the two groups quickly engaged in fierce combat.

Lu Xun's troops, having been ordered to kill the rebels, were in high spirits, while Man Chong's troops were surrounded and filled with panic.

Lu Xun's troops have been training in Mangdang Mountain for the past few months. Prince Chen has also provided two thousand elite soldiers. Although their attire is not uniform and many of them are not wearing armor, their aura is as fierce as wolves and tigers.

In an instant, swords and spears clashed mercilessly, light and shadow flashed, and shouts of battle rose one after another. Even Lu Xun quickly joined the fight.

Liu Xie focused on cultivating Lu Xun, teaching him strategy from Jia Xu and Liu Xie, and his swordsmanship was deeply inherited from the two masters Wang Yue and Zhao Yun.

Lu Xun improved almost every day, and in terms of martial arts alone, he had long surpassed his historical counterpart.

Man Chong was just a civil official. Although he had studied swordsmanship, he had no presence in such a fierce scene.

They had intended to charge out in one fell swoop, but instead, Lu Xun and his men forced them back into the courtyard.

With Lu Xun's men all around, Man Chong retreated again and again until he was completely surrounded. The encirclement grew smaller and smaller, and the archers on the rooftops jumped down to join the battle.

…………

Liu Xie, who remained in Guandu, spent his days playing chess and practicing horseback riding and swordsmanship. He was very cooperative with Cao Cao's arrangements.

This is exactly what Guo Jia wanted to see, especially since Liu Bei's whereabouts were unknown, it was essential to keep an eye on the emperor.

It was late at night, and Liu Xie, Prince Chen, and Zhao Yun were chatting. On the table were wine and a large plate of fragrant grilled fish.

With nothing else to do, Liu Xie spent the afternoon fishing by the river and had a good catch.

After spending a lot of time with Liu Xie, everyone got used to him. Liu Xie was very approachable, liked to chat with everyone, and would share good food with them.

Liu Xie finished eating the fish, then glanced in the direction of Xudu.
Zhao Yun knew Liu Xie's plan and was somewhat uneasy. "Your Majesty, there are only one or two thousand men at Guandu. If Your Majesty wants to leave, I will fight to the death to protect Your Majesty back to Xuchang. No one can stop you. I wonder how things are in Xuchang?"

Liu Xie shook his head. "I actually want to go back, not because I don't trust them, but because it's such a big matter, and I want to be involved. However, since Cao Cao feels that he will only feel at ease if I stay in Guandu, I will do as he wishes. I want Cao Cao to understand that even without my personal involvement, I can accomplish many things!"

When Liu Xie left Xuchang, he had already entrusted the specific actions to Jia Xu, Liu Biao, Lu Xun and others. At that time, Liu Xie had already made the worst-case scenario plan.

This time, Cao Cao will definitely pay close attention to him. It would be too difficult for Liu Xie to bypass Cao Cao and lead his men back to Xuchang to personally participate in the coup.

Therefore, Liu Xie made the worst-case scenario plan, excluding himself from the plan, as well as people like Lü Bu, Zhao Yun, Gan Ning, and Liu Bei.

Liu Xie is now being watched wherever he goes, and returning to Xudu is not as simple as just talking.

But once things are settled in Xudu, Liu Xie can return to Xudu legitimately, and no one can stop him.

"Don't worry, I trust them."

Liu Xie picked up a grilled fish from the table and handed it to the two men. “Soon, good news will come. They, like me, have been waiting for several years, so they will never let me down.”

Seeing Liu Xie's composure, Zhao Yun and Prince Chen exchanged a glance, feeling somewhat relieved.

After a while, Prince Chen said, "Your Majesty, where exactly has Liu Bei gone? If he were to assist us in Xuchang, then we would be even more certain of success."

Liu Bei had tens of thousands of soldiers by his side, a force that could not be ignored.

As for Liu Bei's whereabouts, Liu Xie had been pondering it repeatedly these past few days and had a vague idea of ​​what was going on.

Liu Xie said, "As expected, Liu Bei should have gone to Runan."

Prince Chen asked in confusion, "What is he going to Runan for?"

King Chen was very dissatisfied. Most of the people around the emperor had been sent away by Cao Cao. Now was the time when people were needed. Even if Liu Bei did nothing, the tens of thousands of troops he brought out would be enough to scare Cao Cao and his men.

Whether Liu Bei led his troops to Xuchang or Guandu, the effects were immediate.

“Your Majesty, this is a time when we need capable men. If Liu Bei’s tens of thousands of troops were to join us, Your Majesty would have nothing to worry about. But instead, Liu Bei has gone into hiding.” Prince Chen was very dissatisfied and addressed Liu Bei by his name directly.

In terms of seniority, Prince Chen was a generation higher than Liu Bei, and at this moment, he was like an elder reprimanding a disobedient junior. Liu Xie sighed and said nothing more.

Liu Bei's concern must be Cao Cao. Having finally gained tens of thousands of troops by his side, Liu Bei must cherish them dearly.

Liu Bei was unaware that Liu Xie intended to attack Xuchang at this time.

Liu Bei now only wants to spend more time and effort to appease and win over these tens of thousands of troops.

Therefore, Liu Bei is not going anywhere or showing his face. He spends his days training his troops and trying to appease the people.

As for news about Guan Yu, Liu Bei did not ignore it and sent people to inquire. He learned that Guan Yu had broken through the encirclement. Although he was injured, he was healed by His Majesty and was recuperating at Guandu. Liu Bei was completely relieved.

When Liu Bei was mentioned, Zhao Yun remained silent for a long time. King Chen spoke harshly, listing Liu Bei's faults on the spot. Zhao Yun did not refute, but he was clearly very upset.

"Zilong, what are you thinking about?" Liu Xie asked.

Zhao Yun looked up at Liu Xie and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, I think there might be some misunderstanding. Your Imperial Uncle is unaware of Your Majesty's plan. Otherwise, he would have appeared in time to obey Your Majesty's orders."

King Chen laughed loudly, interrupting Zhao Yun, "Zilong, you are mistaken. Does not knowing His Majesty's plan give you the right to hide? As a subject, you should naturally be concerned about His Majesty at all times. Since Liu Bei has already left Yuan Shao's camp, he should hurry to join His Majesty. Even if he does nothing else, he should at least protect His Majesty's safety. Is that alright? Does Liu Bei not know how arrogant and domineering Cao Cao is?"

Zhao Yun wanted to defend Liu Bei, saying, "King Chen, the Imperial Uncle must be very concerned about His Majesty's safety. Perhaps he has great confidence in His Majesty and believes that His Majesty is safe and sound at Guandu."

Prince Chen was always straightforward and had a fiery temper. “Is this a reason for not showing up? Does His Majesty’s safety mean he can stay out of the way? Even if Liu Bei is hiding, sending someone to say hello isn’t unreasonable, is it? I understand that he needs to be wary of Cao Cao, but does he also need to be wary of His Majesty?”

Chen Wang became more and more agitated as he spoke, "Your Majesty has endured humiliation and hardship all these years. Surely Liu Bei knows what you have been through? As a subject, one should be mindful of the ruler's worries and suffer for him, and die for the ruler's disgrace. Does Liu Bei not know this principle? Does he think that Your Majesty is alright?"

King Chen abruptly stood up, his anger growing. "Does something only count as serious when someone holds a knife to His Majesty's throat? Just a few days ago, Cao Ren whipped me. Was he whipping me? No, he was whipping His Majesty. Why does he dare to be so arrogant? Because Cao Ren never truly considers His Majesty the rightful emperor. A subject dies for the disgrace of his sovereign—isn't that a disgrace? Shouldn't Liu Bei be constantly worried about His Majesty? Shouldn't he always be thinking of helping His Majesty seize power and assume personal rule?"

Seeing that Chen Wang's words were becoming increasingly harsh, Liu Xie hurriedly waved his hand at him and advised, "Forget it, Liu Bei's mistake was unintentional, it's not as serious as you say."

Zhao Yun lowered his head, his heart aching as if it were being torn apart.

"A subject dies for his lord's dishonor." With this one sentence, Zhao Yun could find no more reason to defend Liu Bei.

To put it bluntly, if the emperor is humiliated, his subjects should repay him with their lives as an atonement!
Liu Xie reached out and pulled Chen Wang aside, leaned down and whispered in his ear in a voice only the two of them could hear, "My old Chen Wang, what you just said went too far. A subject should die for his sovereign's disgrace. I'm afraid there are few such loyal and upright ministers in the world."

King Chen glared angrily, tears welling in his eyes; he was crying.

King Chen was both angry and bewildered. He choked up and said, "Your Majesty, what has become of this world? Even the loyal ministers you rely on have been betrayed?"

King Chen's heart was bleeding. He had thought that Liu Bei, as a member of the Han imperial family, should be far more loyal than people like Lü Bu and Zhao Yun.

King Chen believed that Liu Bei would be willing to risk his life to protect the Han Dynasty and uphold the dignity of the emperor.

But as a result, Liu Bei went into hiding.

Liu Xie nodded. "Times have changed. Now, being able to obey my orders even slightly is already considered being a loyal subject. As for what Prince Chen said about a subject dying for his sovereign's disgrace, I think that's all too distant a thing of the past..."

Liu Xie shook his head and sighed helplessly. Even if such loyal ministers existed, they were hard to find.

Deep down, Liu Xie had already lowered his standards for loyalty by a hundredfold.

In the past, loyal ministers would die for their principles, whether it was remonstrance or battle; they would work hard for their ruler and die for his disgrace.

Nowadays, a loyal minister only needs to obey the emperor's orders appropriately.

If an emperor says three sentences, and a minister listens to even one, he is considered a loyal subject.

Because times have changed. Since Dong Zhuo's usurpation of power, the emperor's position has become less important. Everyone knows he is the emperor, but how many people truly care about him?

"Alright, Prince Chen, the situation is much better now than before." Liu Xie persuaded him for a long time before Prince Chen finally stopped crying.

With a thud, Prince Chen knelt heavily before Liu Xie. "Your Majesty, rest assured, even if I die, I will forever follow Your Majesty."

Zhao Yun also knelt on the ground, saying, "Your Majesty, I swear to serve you to the death."

Liu Xie quickly helped the two up, saying, "Alright, I understand."

Liu Xie then stepped out of the tent, and the two hurriedly followed. Liu Xie stood with his hands behind his back, his deep gaze fixed on the direction of Xudu.

Although Lu Xun, Jia Xu, and others were carrying out the plan in Xuchang, it was Liu Xie who truly controlled and planned it all.

He discussed every detail with Jia Xu many times, and Liu Xie always conveyed the timing of the operation to Jia Xu through letters.

While Cao Ren was being tortured, a secret edict was sent out in front of Cao Cao. In addition to the edict, the letter contained Liu Xie's instructions for action.

Liu Xie must rely on himself to reclaim what rightfully belongs to him.

Lu Xun was personally trained by Liu Xie.

Taishi Ci was recruited by Liu Xie through repeated letters and by winning him over with sincerity.

Liu Xie had drunk with Liu Biao and the others before setting off for Guandu.

As for Jia Xu, Liu Xie believed that he had had enough of being underground.

If the plan fails, Jia Xu will never see the light of day again, and will never be able to reunite with his family.

As for people like Dong Cheng, they weren't really expected to succeed, but their enthusiasm was still commendable.

Although Liu Xie did not participate in person and did not appear in Xudu, his heart had already flown to Xudu. Like Jia Xu and others, he was full of confidence and determined to succeed.

Throughout history, has anyone ever willingly allowed someone to ride on their head?
What's more, he was the emperor of the Han Dynasty!

The Emperor will never be a slave!
An emperor should rule over all under heaven!

(End of this chapter)