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

Chapter 257, Zhuge Liang's prediction of a tripartite balance of power.
"Uncle, how do you know? Hasn't Prime Minister Cao always been working for the court?" Zhuge Liang asked.

In fact, Zhuge Liang could roughly guess Cao Cao's true situation.

Liu Bei immediately shook his head and sighed, his emotions clearly becoming somewhat agitated, saying, "Cao Cao is nominally a Han subject, but in reality, he is a traitor to Han!"

Zhuge Liang looked at Liu Bei in surprise. He hadn't expected Liu Bei to evaluate Cao Cao in this way. It seemed that Liu Bei harbored deep hostility towards Cao Cao.

Liu Bei continued, "Ever since we welcomed you to Xuchang, Cao Cao has taken control of everything, effectively sidelining the court. He decides all matters, big and small, in the court. Tell me, what else is he but a traitor to the Han?"

Zhuge Liang said, “Uncle, times have changed. His Majesty has now regained control of the Han Dynasty. Even if Cao Cao was somewhat arrogant before, that is all in the past. His Majesty is kind-hearted and magnanimous. Everyone in the world knows that Prime Minister Cao is a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty. Prime Minister Cao will surely be gradually influenced and will sincerely serve the court in the future.”

Logically speaking, Liu Bei shouldn't have said these things to Zhuge Liang.

Even the emperor wouldn't casually speak ill of Cao Cao outside; he had to consider the overall situation.

But Liu Bei's opening statement was astonishing, calling Cao Cao a traitor to the Han dynasty.

Liu Bei shook his head again. "Mr. Kongming, you are far from Xuchang and do not know the truth. His Majesty is kind and magnanimous, and it is true that he is humble towards Cao Cao, but it is also a helpless move. Cao Cao is absolutely unwilling to submit. Now that he has become the prime minister, he has quite a few followers and supporters. If he is allowed to continue to grow stronger, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Zhuge Liang couldn't really refute him, so he nodded and said, "Uncle, your loyalty to the country and your concern for the nation are truly admirable. But I think that even if Cao Cao was able to control the court before, he probably won't have that opportunity again in the future. Your Majesty selects virtuous and capable officials, works diligently to govern, and has many talented people around you. With a loyal and upright pillar like Uncle assisting you, what is there to worry about?"

Zhuge Liang felt that Liu Bei was being overly pessimistic. Even if Cao Cao was powerful, he wouldn't dare to openly defy the imperial court.

"That's true, but we still have to be careful. The Han Dynasty's current situation is hard-won. I worry about it day and night and dare not slacken my efforts in the slightest." As Liu Bei spoke, tears streamed down his face.

"The Han Dynasty has suffered many calamities. Your Majesty has been through many twists and turns, and has been wantonly bullied by Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Yang, Cao Cao and others. Whenever I think of these things, my heart is torn apart. I only hate that my strength is too weak to punish the wicked and protect the Han Dynasty."

Liu Bei was so worried about the Han Dynasty that his eyes were red from crying. Zhuge Liang had never seen anyone so devoted to the Han Dynasty, and he was deeply moved by it.

After a while, Zhuge Liang comforted him again: "Uncle, you really don't need to worry too much. His Majesty has taken back Xuchang and now has pacified Qingzhou. With you in charge of Jingzhou, it's as if he has submitted to the court. Even if Cao Cao is ambitious, His Majesty will not lose to him."

Liu Bei then chatted with Zhuge Liang, intending to test him to see if Zhuge Liang was truly capable or if he was exaggerating.
As a result, after a brief interaction, Zhuge Liang spoke eloquently and logically, fully demonstrating his talent.

He had unique insights into astronomy, geography, the myriad aspects of life, constellations, and the Eight Trigrams, which impressed Liu Bei.

Finally, when discussing the overall situation of the world, Zhuge Liang also expressed his concerns: "In the future, the court will not only have Sun Quan of Jiangdong as a powerful enemy. I boldly predict that there will probably be a three-way balance of power, and in addition to Sun Quan, another powerful enemy will emerge."

Liu Bei gritted his teeth and said angrily, "My opinion is the same as yours, sir. That formidable enemy will definitely be Cao Cao, without a doubt!"

Zhuge Liang looked up at the window and shook his head. "I have been observing the stars for several days and nights, but the sky is dim and I still cannot decipher the mystery. Whether it is Cao Cao or not, I dare not say!"

Liu Bei bowed again, sincerely inviting him, "The overall situation of the world is still uncertain, and I dare not be careless. I hope that you will come down the mountain to help me, to work together to restore the country and serve the Han Dynasty."

Zhuge Liang politely declined, saying, "I am still young and need to continue to focus on my studies. In addition, I have just gotten married and do not want to devote myself to officialdom at the moment."

They couldn't just refuse outright, and Zhuge Liang could see that Liu Bei was very sincere.

Liu Bei was well-mannered and approachable. Despite his status as a royal uncle, he traveled a long and arduous journey to Longzhong.

If Zhuge Liang hadn't already been "on his side," he really would have been persuaded.

A hint of disappointment flashed in Liu Bei's eyes, and his body seemed to bend over considerably.

But he still managed a gentle smile, cupped his hands and said, "I hope you will reconsider and come to visit again another day."

Liu Bei returned empty-handed. On the way back, Zhang Fei complained the whole way, feeling that Zhuge Liang was too arrogant and presumptuous.

Liu Bei didn't take it to heart. His greatest strength was his ability to endure and his great patience.

Upon returning to Xiangyang, Liu Bei said as soon as he entered the city, "We were unable to invite Zhuge Liang this time. We three brothers will go to Longzhong to invite him another day."

"Huh? We have to go again?" Zhang Fei grinned, clearly not wanting to go anymore.

Liu Bei stepped forward and said firmly, "If you don't want to go, Third Brother, you can stay here. Your Second Brother and I will go."

Zhang Fei sighed, "Then I'll go with him. Whatever my brother does, I'll naturally follow."

…………

A few days later, Cao Cao cut off Yuan Shang's head and sent it to Xuchang.

Cao Cao continued his advance and completely pacified Ji Province in less than a month. Then, he set his sights on Bing Province, personally leading a large army straight to Huguan Pass.

On the march, Guo Jia said to Cao Cao, "My lord, I find this Liu Bei increasingly interesting. He actually gave up the governorship of Yu Province to go to Jing Province to assist Liu Qi."

Cao Cao snorted, his gaze turning cold. "Liu Bei is the best at hiding his true intentions. He spent his days in Xuchang, cultivating vegetables in his courtyard, which made me lower my guard. I thought that as long as he stayed put, he wouldn't pose a threat to us. But unexpectedly, he went to Yuan Shao and had a stroke of good luck. First, Guan Yu killed Yuan Shao, then Liu Bei seized Runan, and now he's gone to Jingzhou. I'm afraid he's up to something again."

Guo Jia smiled with narrowed eyes, a mysterious smile. "Liu Bei appears benevolent on the outside, but is treacherous on the inside. In front of outsiders, he always appears compassionate and worried about the Han Dynasty. He is the exact opposite of you, my lord. You are upright and bold, and dare to take responsibility, while Liu Bei has always been under the banner of supporting the Han Dynasty. In reality, his loyalty to the Han Dynasty is probably not even half that of Guan Yu!"

Cao Cao immediately thought of Guan Yu.

When Guan Yu was at Xutian, he angrily brandished his sword and almost beheaded Cao Cao. However, Cao Cao did not hate Guan Yu; on the contrary, he respected him greatly.

Cao Cao nodded. "Indeed, Guan Yu is loyal to His Majesty, while Liu Bei is too self-serving. He was implicated by Guan Yu in Xutian. Guan Yu dared to draw his sword against me, but Liu Bei did not. He gained 30,000 troops from Yuan Shao, but then ran to Runan to build his own base, and now he has gone to Jingzhou."

Guo Jia said, "Therefore, no matter what Liu Bei does, it's never without reason. He always has his reasons. He went to Jingzhou because Jingzhou was obviously more attractive to him than Yuzhou. Liu Biao is dead, and Liu Qi is far inferior to Liu Bei in terms of both ability and reputation. At this time, Liu Bei is already the master of Jingzhou. Given time, Liu Bei's influence in Jingzhou will be deeply rooted in people's hearts."

"Are we just going to let him get Jingzhou?" Cao Cao sneered, looking at Guo Jia with anticipation in his eyes.

Guo Jia and Cao Cao exchanged a smile and Guo Jia said, “Rest assured, my lord, I have already sent people to Jingzhou. Any news from Jingzhou will be relayed back immediately. The banner of the Han Dynasty may bring Liu Bei success, but it may also destroy him!” “What do you mean?” Cao Cao was as clever as he was and had a vague idea of ​​what was going on.

Guo Jia nodded, and the two smiled at each other. This pair of partners, who had the best understanding of each other, could often guess what the other was thinking with just a glance.

…………

Liu Xie returned to Xudu, and soon after, Jia Xu also led his troops back from Qingzhou.

Everything returned to normal, and Liu Xie rarely missed the morning court sessions, which were held five days a week. Gradually, he also developed the habit of getting up early every day.

In his spare time, he either practiced swordsmanship or rode horses. Except for major matters that required his approval, Liu Xie completely relinquished his responsibilities and left everything else to Xun Yu and others.

Lu Xun walked to the training ground with a smile that day. Liu Xie stopped his moves, took a handkerchief from Zhang Yu, and wiped the sweat from his face.

"Boyan, you look well. Could it be that you have some good news to share?"

Lu Xun smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, Cao Cao has sent people to bring Mr. Ju and General Yan's families."

Liu Xie clapped his hands in praise, "That's wonderful!"

Liu Xie had always valued Ju Shou and Yan Rou highly, but considering that their families were still in Ji Province, he did not publicly appoint them.

"Come, take me to see him."

As Liu Xie spoke, he walked briskly toward the city gate, and in his heart, he couldn't help but express his gratitude to Cao Cao.

No matter what Cao Cao did, Liu Xie would remember it.

Cao Cao was not a narrow-minded person. He could secretly compete with the emperor, but he would never deliberately control the families of Yan Rou and Ju Shou. Cao Cao disdained to do such underhanded tricks.

Yan Rou and Ju Shou's families were well taken care of; General Li Dian personally escorted them to Xudu.

After a brief greeting to Liu Xie, Li Dian left.

Liu Xie knew that Cao Cao was very busy. After conquering Ji Province, he was about to conquer Bing Province. He couldn't wait to rest for even a moment. Liu Xie was naturally happy to see Cao Cao working so hard to "conquer the world" for him.

Liu Xie warmly received the families of Ju Shou and Yan Rou and made proper arrangements for their accommodations, which moved both Ju Shou and Yan Rou deeply.

Ju Shou became Liu Xie's strategist, and Yan Rou also took command of a cavalry unit, responsible for patrolling and guarding Xudu.

Next, Ju Shou officially got into character. He was very curious about the secret passages under Xudu from the beginning, and Liu Xie personally led him on a tour.

Some of the secret passages took two years to dig, and some took three years. Considering the possibility of collapse, they were all reinforced at Jia Xu's request.

The secret passages lead to the Prime Minister's residence and to the outside of the city. They are interconnected and densely packed. The passages are also very wide, allowing four or five people to pass side by side. Even if soldiers were hidden inside, they could accommodate several thousand people.

Ju Shou glanced through it and advised Liu Xie, "Your Majesty, the secret passage was dug to take you by surprise. Now that Xuchang is under your control, there is no need for the secret passage to exist. Cao Cao must know about its existence. Just in case, Your Majesty should seal the secret passage as soon as possible."

Liu Xie thought for a moment and nodded, "What you say makes sense, sir."

"Zilong, I'm leaving this matter to you." As soon as Liu Xie finished speaking, Jia Xu said, "Your Majesty, it would be better to leave the secret passage intact."

Liu Xie looked at Jia Xu, and Ju Shou was also somewhat puzzled.

Jia Xu nodded to Ju Shou, first affirming his point, "What you just said makes some sense. The secret passage is no longer a secret, and it's inevitable that some people will try to exploit it. I've been prepared for this, and there are people closely monitoring the passage. If anyone tries to use it for anything, they will definitely regret it. Your Majesty can rest assured. Besides, it would be a real pity to abandon the excavation of the passage after spending so much time on it."

Both of them made sense, and Ju Shou suggested sealing off the secret passage so that it would never be used again.

Jia Xu felt that since it had taken several years to complete the excavation, it should be left intact so that he could be on guard even if someone tried to raid the secret passage.

Jia Xu added, "There's another point: the secret passage is underground, making it easier to do many things discreetly and less likely to be discovered."

"Then let's keep it." Liu Xie nodded in agreement.

Ju Shou did not persist in his argument; Jia Xu's suggestion was clearly more comprehensive than his own.

The next morning at court, Liu Xie formally introduced Ju Shou and Yan Rou to everyone. Xun Yu was also pleased for the emperor, who valued talent. The emperor and Cao Cao were remarkably similar in their approach.

We welcome all kinds of talent!

Regardless of background, even if someone was a surrendered general, as long as they had ability, Liu Xie would not show favoritism and would value them highly.

Then, Liu Xie looked at everyone and said, "Qingzhou and Jizhou have been pacified, and everything is developing in a good direction. Now is the time to use people. From now on, officials at all levels can directly recommend talents to the court. I will hold a palace examination and set questions to test their abilities. Those with outstanding abilities can be selected for employment."

Liu Xie's proposal immediately won everyone's approval, which was good news for any official.

Who doesn't hope that their children will have the opportunity to stand out from the crowd?
In the past, the imperial court selected talents by combining local recommendations of filial and incorruptible individuals with central government recruitment.

The number of candidates recommended for the position of Filial Piety and Incorruptibility is far too small. In areas with a population of 200,000 or more, only one person is recommended each year; in areas with a population of 400,000 or more, two are recommended. And so on.
With a population of less than 200,000, only one person could be recommended for the civil service position every two years.
With a population of less than 100,000, only one person is recommended for the civil service examination every three years.

Not only are there few spots available, but they are also monopolized and divided up by powerful and wealthy families, making it very difficult for ordinary people to be selected.

As for the imperial court's recruitment, the number of people selected was far too small; not many could be chosen in a year.

Liu Xie's proposal today gives everyone a chance to participate, from the prime minister down to a small village head, everyone has the opportunity to make a recommendation.

(End of this chapter)