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

Chapter 225, A Battle of Wits

"If Cao Cao refuses to back down, will those who support him not assist Your Majesty?" Mi Heng countered.

Ju Shou said, "There will definitely be people willing to submit to Your Majesty, perhaps many, but certainly not all! Those with influence will not easily change their stance."

"If we consider Cao Cao as a regional warlord, it will be easier to understand. There are still many people watching and hoping that Cao Cao can retake Xuchang. Some even think about going to Cao Cao's side to follow him. Many people's interests are already tied to Cao Cao's. How could they easily change their stance? Unless Cao Cao loses completely or he dies."

"With so many people watching Cao Cao, he can only advance, not retreat. He might not dare to rebel, but it's impossible for him to obediently hand over the power he holds."

"So, according to you, this matter is difficult to handle?"

Kong Rong frowned deeply. Although he had regained control of Xuchang, he still felt that he was being suppressed by Cao Cao, and he was very dissatisfied.

Ju Shou looked at Liu Xie and advised him clearly, "If Your Majesty is unwilling to back down, you can spend more time and effort to defeat the pro-Cao faction one by one. As long as more than half of the people support Your Majesty, things will be easier. I believe that within five years, you will be able to completely control Cao Cao. Of course, it is very likely that Cao Cao will turn against Your Majesty during this period."

Liu Xie did not speak, but listened quietly.

Ju Shou continued, “As I just said, Your Majesty might as well treat Cao Cao as a warlord. Your Majesty does not like infighting between the ruler and his ministers, and Cao Cao does not want to confront Your Majesty. What he urgently needs to do now is to take over Ji Province and completely annex Yuan Shao’s power, thereby expanding his own strength and prestige. Because Cao Cao needs territory, without territory, he has no place to live.”

"Your Majesty should let Cao Cao do whatever he wants. Only in this way can Cao Cao exert his greatest strength and Your Majesty play your role. When both fists are thrown, the power will increase exponentially. But if the ruler and his ministers are hindered, it is tantamount to tying their own hands and feet, which will be very disadvantageous to both of you."

Liu Xie pondered for a moment and asked, "So, does this mean Cao Cao is determined to wear me down this time? In the end, I'll have no choice but to concede."

Ju Shou nodded. "Although I previously served Yuan Shao, I have a certain understanding of Cao Cao. He absolutely cannot back down now. He has already lost the support of many people. His Majesty controls the money shops, and there are those letters exchanged with Yuan Shao. Your Majesty's usual conduct has already earned the respect of many, and the number of people in the Cao faction willing to pledge their loyalty to Your Majesty is increasing. If Cao Cao makes further concessions, how many people will still be willing to support him?"

"So what do you think he'll do next once I agree?"

"His Majesty…"

So the emperor was going to agree? Kong Rong was taken aback. He was about to speak when Liu Xie waved his hand to stop him.

Ju Shou said, “Your Majesty, you have already won a lot in this round. Everyone has seen your ability and methods. Unbeknownst to them, Cao Cao has lost a lot. All he can do now is try his best to accumulate merits and seize territory. Cao Cao is holding back a lot of energy. If Your Majesty does not let him vent it, then he can only turn his spear against you. At Wuchao, Cao Cao was probably already close to being forced to explode by Your Majesty.”

In Wuchao, the deaths of Cao Xiu, Xu Chu, and Xiahou Yuan had already pushed Cao Cao to his breaking point. Adding to this the previous deaths of Cao Chun, Cheng Yu, and others, now even Man Chong was beyond saving, and Xiahou Dun had also been arrested.

Did Cao Cao have any way out?

They either fought desperately to seize territory and expand their power, or they went all out and directly targeted the emperor.

Ju Shou then said, "I believe that Your Majesty has always wanted Cao Cao to be a loyal minister and hoped that he would use his strength to restore order to the world. Now is the opportunity, so let him do his best."

Kong Rong hurriedly corrected him, saying, "Gongyu, it is true that His Majesty wants Cao Cao to be a loyal minister, but what Cao Cao is doing now is not the behavior of a loyal minister. Even if he seizes the territory, he will keep it in his own hands and will turn his spear against His Majesty at any time in the future."

Ju Shou nodded. "I don't deny that. The reason Cao Cao wants to be the governor of Ji Province and the prime minister is because he's not content with his current position. However, while he's expanding his power, will Your Majesty just stand still? Your Majesty has so many talented and capable generals by your side. Even without Cao Cao's help, you can still hold your own in this chaotic world. The reason we agreed to Cao Cao's request is to prevent him from interfering with Your Majesty's plans. From now on, let him do his thing, and we'll do ours."

Ju Shou truly deserves to be called one of the top strategists of the Three Kingdoms period; his vision far surpasses that of Kong Rong and Mi Heng.

Kong Rong and his companions only saw Cao Cao's arrogance and his tendency to take advantage of others, but Ju Shou saw the whole world.

Ju Shou said, “Cao Cao has to admit that everything he is doing now is for Your Majesty’s benefit. He is Your Majesty’s right arm. No matter how much territory he seizes in the future, it will nominally be the territory of the Han Dynasty. Your Majesty can not only use Cao Cao to serve the Han Dynasty, but you can also unleash your talents.”

Liu Xie thought about it and realized that Ju Shou's words made a lot of sense.

Now he has a host of fierce generals by his side, including Lü Bu, Gan Ning, Zhao Yun, Taishi Ci, and Guan Yu, and top strategists such as Ju Shou, Chen Gong, Lu Xun, and Jia Xu. He is fully confident that he can carve out a place for himself in this chaotic world.

"So we're just going to agree to Cao Cao's offer?" Kong Rong said reluctantly, seeing that the emperor was somewhat tempted.

Ju Shou shook his head and sneered, "How could that be? Your Majesty is no longer the same as before. How can you just agree to whatever Cao Cao wants so readily? Cao Cao is making exorbitant demands, so Your Majesty should try your best to secure benefits."

Ju Shou picked up a twig from the ground and quickly drew a topographical map on the ground.

Then, he drew a circle around Yuzhou with great force, saying, "Xuchang belongs to Yuzhou. Cao Cao wants to be the prime minister, fine! But he must completely give up Yuzhou."

Liu Xie now only controls the states of Chen and Xu.

The entire Yu Province includes: Yingchuan Commandery, Runan Commandery, Liang State, Pei State, Chen State, and Lu State.

Runan has received reliable news that Liu Bei has already settled there.

"Your Majesty doesn't even have a single province under your control right now. Yu Province must be in your hands. This is our bottom line. In this way, Your Majesty can recruit soldiers and horses in the future, and let Lu Bu, Zhao Yun and others expand your territory."

Liu Xie slowly closed his eyes, then exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling much more relaxed.

After thinking about it, I realized that I had indeed put Cao Cao in a lot of trouble recently. If I could gain control of the entire Yu Province, it wouldn't be a bad deal.

Although the matter was settled, Liu Xie was unwilling to agree to Cao Cao's demands so easily.

Xun Yu returned to the Secretariat and sat in his seat. Facing the piles of documents and reports on the table, his gaze seemed to lose focus. He sat there blankly for a long time without moving.

Xu Yi, Ding Yi, and the others looked at him curiously. Normally, they would have surrounded him long ago to ask him all sorts of questions. However, in the corner next to him, Jia Xu was sitting there.

People came and went from time to time, receiving orders from Jia Xu before leaving.

Jia Xu was busy with his own affairs and did not disturb these people, but as soon as Jia Xu appeared, everyone in the Ministry of Personnel tensed up.

It feels like a wolf has broken into the chicken coop!

Xun Yu remained in a daze, wanting to help Cao Cao, but he hesitated when he thought of Cao Cao's conditions.

Ugh!
Xun Yu found it difficult to calm down and sat there for a full hour without moving an inch.

Jia Xu looked up and glanced in this direction. Just then, the bell rang to signal the end of the shift. Jia Xu stood up and stretched.

Then he politely nodded to the others and walked away first. Xu Yi, Mao Jie, and the others quickly got up and gathered around, chattering and asking what had happened.

Xun Yu told them about the matter, but no one had a good idea for the time being.

Whether or not the emperor agrees is entirely up to him.

Xun Yu felt deeply guilty and dragged his heavy steps back home. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he heard the sound of reading coming from not far away. The voice was clear and bright, with a slight childishness.

Since hearing the emperor recite "Exhortation to Learning," Xun Yun has become noticeably more diligent these past few days.

Tang was tidying up the room, which was spotless. After changing into casual clothes, Xun Yu went into his study.

I sat in the room, motionless for a long time, my mind a jumbled mess.

Xun Yu was well aware of Cao Cao's predicament: if he didn't advance, he would retreat; Cao Cao had no choice.

However, Xun Yu sensed a dangerous atmosphere; Cao Cao was taking a risk.

Was he satisfied after becoming prime minister?

Xun Yu had a clear judgment; obviously not. He was probably just using the position of prime minister as a stepping stone.

The following days were very calm. Liu Xie did not mention Cao Cao's intention to become prime minister again, as if the matter had been put on hold.

This made Cao Cao anxious, and Dong Zhao and the others were like ants on a hot pan, extremely worried.

Privately, Dong Zhao and his friends gathered together, discussing the matter with great concern.

“It seems that His Majesty is very likely to veto this matter,” Dong Zhao said first.

If Cao Cao cannot become prime minister, everyone will be left without a place to live.

Take Dong Zhao for example; his position as the Prefect of Wei Commandery has now become merely a figurehead.

Because Wei Commandery was still in Hebei, it did not yet belong to Cao Cao's territory.

Mao Jie also sighed, "His Majesty has always been very opinionated, how could he possibly agree so easily? There are only a few months left until the end of the year, this is troublesome, are we going to let Cao Cao spend the winter at Guandu?"

"Why don't we hold the morning court tomorrow and submit a joint memorial to persuade His Majesty? Since Lord Cao is not in Xuchang, we are the only ones who can help him," Wei Kai suggested.

Wei Ji followed Cao Cao for a long time and could definitely be considered a veteran.

Soon, everyone reached a consensus: if Cao Cao could advance further, they would feel more secure and have a more secure future.

If even a powerful figure like Cao Cao can't be shaken, what confidence do we have left?
The next day, during the morning court session, Zhang Yu had just finished announcing, "The emperor is holding court; if you have any matters to report, do so immediately."

Mao Jie spoke first, “Your Majesty, Minister Cao has made great contributions to the country and has achieved outstanding results. He is currently preparing for war and wants to help Your Majesty quell the Yuan clan’s rebellion in Hebei. The position of Minister of Works is no longer worthy of Minister Cao. The court is as it is today because of Minister Cao’s great contributions. Your Majesty cannot do without Minister Cao if you want to pacify the world. I dare to suggest that Your Majesty restore the position of Chancellor and let Minister Cao take over.”

Liu Xie was not surprised; this was the moment he had been waiting for.

We'll see who will actually stand up and support Cao Cao.

Perfect, this will bring all the fish and shrimp out of the water.

Mao Jie led the way, followed by Xu Yi, Chen Qun, and others, one after another, totaling dozens of people.

The scale of the battle was unprecedented, and of course, Dong Cheng and his men were not to be outdone, and immediately retaliated.

Dong Cheng sneered, "Imperial power is supreme. The position of prime minister was originally established to help the emperor share the burden, but instead, the prime minister usurped imperial power, fueling the ambitions and desires of certain powerful ministers. Emperor Wu of Han went to great lengths to limit the prime minister by establishing the inner court and even frequently replacing prime ministers. This has caused turmoil in the court and instability between the emperor and his ministers. Is this what you all want to see?"

Kong Rong also stepped forward aggressively, "Your Majesty is already twenty years old. He has grown up. Your Majesty is wise and benevolent, and you are diligent in governing the country. The people praise your many achievements, and we are all convinced of your merits. In my opinion, Your Majesty should take charge of the overall situation and wield the power. We only need to fulfill our duties as subjects and do our best to assist you."

Neither side would back down, and they engaged in a fierce verbal battle in the main hall, each sticking to their own version of events.

Xun Yu was caught in the middle and also had a terrible headache.

Hua Xin originally wanted to support Cao Cao, but just as he was about to speak, Liu Xie looked over. Hua Xin's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly shrank back.

Liu Xie sighed and said, "I always remember Cao Cao's achievements. In fact, no reward is too much. However, you should not forget that Cao Cao is a loyal minister of our Han Dynasty. I do not want Cao Cao to give others a handle to criticize him."

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent.

Liu Xie made his meaning very clear: it wasn't that he couldn't or didn't want to bestow titles, but rather that he feared Cao Cao would bear a bad reputation and attract criticism.

Mao Jie thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Cao is selfless and devoted to the public good. He is upright and honest, and the innocent will remain innocent."

Dong Cheng snorted and sneered, "What a fine 'selfless dedication' and 'the innocent are innocent'! If that's the case, why reinstate the prime minister system, which was abolished two hundred years ago? Why cause turmoil in the court and unrest among the people? If he wants to be prime minister, he can be prime minister. But what if one day he has selfish motives and wants to advance further?"

Liu Xie glared at Dong Cheng, thinking to himself: He's just telling the truth.

This matter has been a back-and-forth, protracted tug-of-war.

Afterwards, Xun Yu relayed the message to Cao Cao, who was also caught in a dilemma.

Guo Jia sighed, "His Majesty has softened his stance and can appoint you as Prime Minister. However, the power of the Prime Minister is too great, and His Majesty is still very worried."

Xun Yu nodded. "These days, the streets and alleys of Xuchang are talking about this matter. I don't know if someone is stirring things up, but there are more and more voices of dissatisfaction with Cao Cao."

(End of this chapter)