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

Chapter 249, Lu Xun's Marriage
Xun Yu personally witnessed how Xuchang was taken away by the emperor, and the emperor himself did not even show up.

Yet so many loyal followers risked their lives for the emperor, fearless and undaunted.

Xiahou Dun had as many as 10,000 soldiers defending the city, but he still lost completely.

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Cao Cao quickly tried to mediate and acted as a peacemaker.

"Alright, Gongda didn't mean it. You all have been very loyal and devoted to me, and I am very grateful."

After a pause, Cao Cao continued, "Today we're speaking behind closed doors. It doesn't matter if what we say is right or wrong. I believe that you won't speak carelessly after you leave here."

The implication was that no one was allowed to leak what Xun You had just said, especially not the emperor.

Everyone nodded quickly. Even Xun Yu wouldn't speak carelessly when his nephew was involved.

…………

Soon, the first batch of supplies, 50,000 bushels of grain, was transported from Jingzhou to Xudu, and Liu Biao also provided 3,000 troops.

Liu Xie handed over the three thousand men to Lü Bu, who complained, "Your Majesty, is this old Liu Biao treating the court like a beggar? There are over 100,000 troops in Jingzhou, yet he only gave us a mere three thousand."

Liu Xie waved his hand dismissively and said, "Three thousand it is fine. I don't mind if it's too few, as long as Liu Biao doesn't mind the trouble."

Ju Shou, standing to the side, laughed and said, “Your Majesty is right. Liu Biao can give as many times as he wants, but if he does that, he will be ridiculed by the people. If he is going to give, he should give generously. If he is not going to give, he should not give. Giving only a little at a time is clearly just to appease the court.”

"Not only will Liu Biao be ridiculed, but it will also consume a lot of energy. We will have Liu Biao provide all the expenses for Cao Ang's three thousand soldiers, including food and horse feed. Let him spend as much time as he wants and see how long he can last."

Chen Wang refused to leave Xiangyang, and Cao Ang's three thousand iron cavalry openly camped in the city, constantly lurking in front of Liu Biao and trying to sow discord among him.

These people ate Liu Biao's food, drank Liu Biao's drinks, and took Liu Biao's things. Every few days, Cao Ang would set up a battle formation and put on a show. Liu Biao was uneasy day and night and couldn't sleep soundly.

Liu Biao quickly ran out of steam and, in less than a month, sent all 20,000 troops to Xuchang.

Cao Ang returned safely, and Gan Ning, nearing the end of the year, also left Xiangyang.

Finally, after sending these plagues away, Liu Biao collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted, and fell ill that very day.

In recent days, Liu Biao has been dealing with the killing of Cai Mao, the falling out with the Cai family, and the need to deal with Gan Ning and Cao Ang. He is exhausted and frustrated. He is already old, and with so many worries piling up on him, how could he not collapse?
Meanwhile, Ma Teng's concerns were put to rest, and he was able to move into the city smoothly. Liu Xie even wrote a letter to Ma Chao, assuring him that everything was fine with his family in Xudu.

As the year drew to a close, Lu Xun returned from Mangdang Mountain.

When Lu Xun captured Xudu last time, he led 4,000 men into battle, and many of them remained in Mangdang Mountain. Therefore, Lu Xun went back again.

After returning, Lu Xun dismissed those who wanted to leave on the spot, and brought those who wanted to come to Xudu with him.

As the emperor's forces grew stronger, with Xu Du coming and going every day like water flowing into a great river, Cao Cao felt genuinely envious.

Liu Biao was extorted for 20,000 troops, Lu Xun brought several thousand more, and Zhang Liao returned his original troops to Lü Bu.

In addition, Liu Xie had previously detained 40,000 surrendered soldiers of Cao Cao, bringing the total number of troops to no less than 70,000.

Of course, this is just a rough estimate. Liu Xie then ordered Lü Bu to reduce the size of his elite troops and re-select them, but even after removing half of them, the force still numbered 30,000 to 40,000.

Every year-end, Xudu would hold an annual meeting where Liu Xie and his ministers would gather together to celebrate the festival.

Since Liu Xie came to Xudu, this habit has continued, just like a company holding an annual meeting or team building activities.

Whether it was the Han family troupe or the Cao family troupe, Liu Xie was extremely friendly to everyone.

It would be best to win over Cao Cao's faction, but even if that's not possible, maintaining a harmonious atmosphere would be a great achievement, just like how Guo Jia and Xun Yu had a very good impression of Liu Xie.

Liu Bei, Chen Qun, and other prefects from various regions also rushed back to Xuchang, and Luo Jun, the Chancellor of Chen State, also arrived.

After King Chen left the State of Chen, Liu Xie entrusted all the affairs of the State of Chen to Luo Jun.

His son, Luo Tong, also came along. He was nine years old after the New Year. He was smart and cute, and not shy at all. He was very polite to the emperor and the ministers.

After the banquet began, Liu Xie, as usual, spoke first. With a smile on his face, he raised a cup of wine and said loudly, "I would like to wish all of you a happy new year in advance."

These kind words immediately brought the emperor and his subjects closer together, and everyone bowed in response, "Wishing Your Majesty good health."

Liu Xie continued, “Since I moved the capital, good things have happened one after another, all thanks to the great assistance of you all. This year, Yuan Shao in Hebei was eliminated, Xiliang was stabilized, the Yellow Turbans in Runan sincerely submitted to the court, and Liu Biao in Jingzhou also sent 20,000 troops. These are all things to celebrate.”

“Of course, the one with the greatest merit is Cao Cao.” Liu Xie paused, looking at Cao Cao.

Liu Xie raised his voice, "Cao Cao personally led a large army to attack Yuan Shao. After months of bloody battles, he severely damaged Yuan Shao's army. Although Yuan Shao was killed by Guan Yu, if it weren't for Cao Cao's repeated fierce battles that greatly weakened Yuan Shao, Guan Yu would have had a hard time succeeding."

Guan Yu was always arrogant, and only the emperor dared to downplay his achievement of killing Yuan Shao, instead emphasizing Cao Cao's accomplishments.

If it were anyone else, who would dare say that Guan Yu only managed to kill Yuan Shao because of Cao Cao's influence? Guan Yu would definitely be furious with them.

Liu Bei glanced at Cao Cao sideways, feeling somewhat resentful.

Cao Cao did indeed make contributions in the Battle of Guandu, but his achievements were even less than those of the emperor, yet they were so highly praised.

When Cao Cao controlled Xuchang, it was understandable that the emperor praised him like this, but now that he was still defending Cao Cao like this, Liu Bei was not convinced.

Dong Cheng, Kong Rong, and others also harbored resentment, thinking: "The emperor has already seized power, yet he is still so humble towards Cao Cao. Why should we give the credit to Cao Cao?"

Dong Cheng looked at Cao Cao and deliberately snorted.

To Cao Cao, people like Dong Cheng and Kong Rong were like fleas and flies—just a nuisance buzzing around all day, and Cao Cao didn't take them seriously at all.

What Cao Cao truly cared about was Liu Xie. Liu Xie repeatedly praised him in public, bombarding Cao Cao with sweet words, making Cao Cao enjoy this honor while also keeping him secretly wary.

However, Cao Cao had already gotten used to it. Just as Guo Jia said, no matter what, the image of a loyal minister had already been established by the emperor. Even if he could not control everything in the future, Cao Cao would have no worries.

Liu Xie then gave a toast, and the banquet began. Everyone toasted each other and chatted warmly with their familiar colleagues.

Even if he stood up, walked over, and talked to others, Liu Xie didn't care.

Liu Xie also walked among the group and chatted with everyone for a few minutes. He spent more time with Ma Teng, who was new to the area. People from Guandong were not very friendly with people from Guanxi, so Liu Xie spent more time with Ma Teng.

Liu Xie also arranged for Zhang Xiu, Ma Teng, Jia Xu, and others to sit together. They were all from Liangzhou, and regardless of whether they had interacted before, being fellow Liangzhou natives in Xuchang would at least make them feel closer. Fellow townsmen meeting each other, tears welling up in their eyes.

For example, if a person from Suzhou and a person from Nanjing, both from Jiangsu Province, meet in Shandong Province, they will definitely feel very close.

After a while, Liu Xie came to Cao Cao's side. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Liu Xie pointed to Lu Xun not far away and said, "Today I want to secure a marriage. Cao Cao, please give me your opinion."

Cao Cao was puzzled and hurriedly asked, "I wonder which family's daughter Your Majesty intends to protect for Lu Xun?"

Lu Xun was someone Cao Cao hadn't paid much attention to before, but now he was starting to take him very seriously.

Cao Cao had thoroughly investigated the details of Liu Xie's capture of Xuchang, and Lu Xun played a crucial role in the process.

Previously, Lu Xun had remained inconspicuous, so Cao Cao naturally overlooked him. However, he did not expect that Lu Xun would grow so rapidly in just a few years.

He became a leader among the younger generation and was entrusted with important responsibilities by the emperor, becoming a leader in his own right!
Liu Xie smiled and said, "She is Xiahou Yuan's niece, named Xiahou Xue."

Cao Cao was taken aback. Although Xiahou Yuan was no longer alive, Cao Cao was still very familiar with the situation of Xiahou Yuan's family.

The Cao family and the Xiahou family were as close as family. Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, was adopted from the Xiahou family to the Cao family.

Xiahou Yuan's death made Cao Cao feel even more indebted to Xiahou Yuan's descendants.

When Xiahou Yuan was at Guandu, he mentioned Xiahou Xue to Cao Cao, saying that she had been kidnapped by bandits and her whereabouts remained unknown. Xiahou Yuan was still worried about this matter until his death.

Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun were not biological brothers. Xiahou Yuan's niece was entrusted to him by his brother before his death.

In order to raise his niece, Xiahou Yuan even painfully abandoned his youngest son.

Because Xiahou Yuan had too many children, eight in total, his family was extremely poor in his early years. Every day when he opened his eyes, there were so many mouths waiting to be fed, and life was really tough.

"Your Majesty, where is Xue'er now?" Cao Cao's emotions suddenly became somewhat agitated.

Liu Xie clapped his hands, and soon Cao Ying led a slender young woman over.

Zhang Fei was drinking, but he complained that the wine cup was too small and he couldn't enjoy his drink to the fullest, so he had someone bring him a large bowl, which he then gulped down with relish.

Upon seeing Xiahou Xue enter, Zhang Fei's eyes widened immediately.

Although Xiahou Xue was thin, she had a slender figure and a very pretty appearance.

She had a pair of captivating big eyes. Although her family was poor and she often helped with firewood gathering, she possessed the air of someone from a scholarly family. She was very quiet, with beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and her thin lips were slightly upturned, making her look very energetic.

During this time, she stayed at Mangdang Mountain, and Lu Xun specially arranged for people to take care of her, and her complexion improved significantly.

"Third brother, what's wrong?"

Seeing Zhang Fei staring blankly at the woman not far away, Liu Bei quickly asked a question.

It took Zhang Fei a while to come to his senses, and he hurriedly shook his head, "It's nothing."

Despite saying that, Zhang Fei's gaze quickly returned to Xiahou Xue.

Liu Bei sighed, mistakenly thinking that Zhang Fei was thinking about women, and said, "When we get back, I will arrange a marriage for you. You have been following me for so long, it's time for you to settle down and start a family."

As a man, Liu Bei had been through it all, and he could fully understand.

But little did Liu Bei know that Zhang Fei had never taken a fancy to any other woman, except for Xiahou Xue.

It wasn't love at first sight. Zhang Fei was a rough man, but he had once considered this frail woman to be his woman.

Zhang Fei was very satisfied with Xiahou Xue's appearance, temperament, and family background.

Once Zhang Fei sets his sights on someone, he feels that she should be his woman.

However, Zhang Fei completely ignored Xiahou Xue's feelings; she was forcibly taken away by Zhang Fei on the mountain.

Both Zhang Fei's appearance and his actions left a terrifying shadow on Xiahou Xue.

Fortunately, Xiahou Xue did not see Zhang Fei. With such a lively banquet and so many people, Xiahou Xue was somewhat timid. She simply let Cao Ying lead her until they arrived in front of Cao Cao and the emperor.

Liu Xie did not go to see Zhang Fei. He only said, "She was indeed kidnapped before, but fortunately Lu Xun rescued her. She had been staying in Mangdang Mountain until these past few days when she finally arrived in Xuchang."

Cao Cao breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn't really approve of the marriage.

Lu Xun was not one of Cao Cao's men after all.

Xiahou Yuan is dead, and Cao Cao should be in charge of making decisions for his children.

Liu Xie knew what Cao Cao was thinking, so he advised, "Lord Cao, I think the two of them are very destined for each other and have spent so much time together in Mangdang Mountain. If they can become a couple, it will surely be a beautiful story. But if you give Xiahou Xue to someone else, there will inevitably be people who will gossip behind her back. After all, she disappeared for more than half a year. If someone says something they shouldn't, wouldn't that ruin the girl's reputation?"

A young woman was suddenly kidnapped and disappeared for so long.

It's inevitable that some people will speculate wildly, wondering if their innocence has been violated or their virginity has been lost.

But if she had married Lu Xun, it would have been a beautiful story.

No one would suspect that Lu Xun had taken liberties with her.

While Cao Cao was still hesitating, Liu Xie took the initiative to ask Xiahou Xue in front of him, "Miss Xiahou, I intend to betroth you to Lu Xun. If you are willing, I will arrange your wedding today."

Xiahou Xue blushed instantly and shyly lowered her head.

Cao Ying also chimed in, "Sister, if you agree, just nod your head. A man like Lu Xun, who is both scholarly and martial, and is refined and handsome, is a rare find."

Xiahou Xue's face turned even redder, almost as if it were about to bleed. After hesitating for a moment, she finally gave a soft "hmm".

She and Lu Xun spent half a year together, and Lu Xun always kept proper etiquette and respected her. What woman wouldn't like such a perfect husband?

Compared to the brutish and frightening Zhang Fei, the handsome and refined Lu Xun clearly captivated Xiahou Xue more.

(End of this chapter)