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

Chapter 262, Liu Bei's Suspicion
Jia Xu shook his head. “Your Majesty, Prime Minister Cao and Your Majesty are as close as family. This is a small matter. There’s no need to go to such lengths. Going back and forth would probably take a lot of time. Besides, Prime Minister Cao is currently advancing towards Huguan. State affairs are of utmost importance. Your Majesty can decide on such a small matter. I think the marriage should be settled as soon as possible.”

Xun Yu's expression turned sour, because he knew Cao Cao would definitely not be willing to do this.

Liu Xie paced back and forth in the room for a few moments, pondered for a moment, and nodded, saying, "Very well, I will take charge of this matter for Cao Cao. Later, I will send someone to Cao Cao with a letter explaining the reasons."

Men are known for their decisiveness and efficiency, and with Liu Xie's approval, the matter was settled.

Afterwards, Liu Xie called Xun Yu outside alone.

"Wenruo, I completely understand your concerns. Are you afraid that Cao Cao will be resistant and will oppose us?"

Xun Yu frowned and remained silent, which was tantamount to acquiescence.

Liu Xie said, "I am doing this for Cao Cao's sake. No matter what, I hope he will be loyal to the country and to me. I know that Cao Cao has never been quite content, so I am going to help him."

Xun Yu raised his head and looked at the emperor with a puzzled expression. There was no need for Liu Xie to hide anything from him, because Xun Yu knew better than anyone else what was going on between him and Cao Cao.

"If I want Cao Cao to be a loyal minister, I need to do two things at once. First, I need to demonstrate my ability and methods. Second, I need to demonstrate my magnanimity and courage. Wenruo, by marrying Cao Cao's daughter, not only helped the court but also Cao Cao himself, making his image as a loyal minister even more deeply rooted in people's hearts."

Xun Yu remained silent. He had learned a great deal about the emperor's methods over the years.

Liu Xie suddenly turned his head, looked directly at Xun Yu, and asked seriously, "Wenruo, tell me, do you hope that Cao Cao will be a loyal minister?"

This question stumped Xun Yu.

Xun Yu was somewhat flustered, "Why does Your Majesty say such a thing?"

Liu Xie smiled, and after a while said, "Wenruo, there's no need for us to hide anything from each other. I know that Cao Cao is still somewhat unwilling."

But regardless of Cao Cao's thoughts, Xun Yu's stance has at least aligned with Liu Xie's.

Since the capital was moved to Xuchang, Xun Yu had been a Han official, and the image of Xun Lingjun, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, was deeply rooted in people's hearts. It would be difficult for him to change his status and become Cao Cao's subordinate again.

Xun Yu had to consider not only his own interests but also those of his family. From any perspective, serving the Han dynasty was his best choice.

Liu Xie was not in a hurry, and quietly looked at him with expectation in his eyes.

Finally, Xun Yu nodded.

Liu Xie smiled with satisfaction, "If you want Cao Cao to be a loyal minister, you must treat him as such at all times. That's why I readily agreed to this marriage. Wenruo, I hope you can work with me from now on to ensure that Cao Cao doesn't go astray."

If you want Cao Cao to be a loyal subject, you must first treat him as a loyal subject. Xun Yu thought about it and found that he could not refute this argument.

Since Cao Cao was regarded as a loyal minister, marrying his daughter to him became reasonable.

Let alone marrying off a daughter, it wouldn't matter if he were to marry off the whole family, because Cao Cao was a loyal minister, the most loyal minister of the Han Dynasty!
"Write a letter to Lord Cao about this matter and try to persuade him on my behalf."

Xun Yu nodded, "I will do as you say immediately."

Now that Cao Cao is not in Xuchang, Lady Ding does not like to be in charge of the household, so Lady Bian takes care of all the big and small matters in the house.

Faced with the emperor's decree to grant them marriage, Lady Bian had no reason to object.

The wedding was held in Xuchang a few days later, presided over by Liu Xie himself, and attended by all the officials of the court.

Liu Xun was deeply moved and, when he left Xuchang, once again expressed his loyalty to Liu Xie.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, upon returning, I will certainly persuade my father that the people of Yizhou will forever follow Your Majesty and have no disloyalty!"

When passing through Jingzhou, Liu Xun remembered Liu Bei's hospitality and took the initiative to visit him.

Xu Shu had already taken up his post as Liu Bei's strategist.

Upon meeting Liu Xun, Liu Bei was initially very pleased, but when he learned that Liu Xun had married Cao Cao's daughter, Liu Bei's brows immediately furrowed.

Cao Cao was a thorn in Liu Bei's side.

In Cao Cao's eyes, Liu Bei was too pretentious and extremely cunning.

The two seemed destined to be rivals, and neither could stand the other.

Cao Cao had previously usurped power from the emperor and held absolute authority, and his ambitions remained unchanged. Liu Bei kept these things in mind. In addition, he had accumulated a great deal of enmity with Cao Cao.

During a hunt in Xutian, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei nearly lost their lives.

Liu Bei knew that Cao Cao hated him, hated him for deliberately planting vegetables in Xuchang as a strategy of concealing his true intentions, and hated him for his unexpected rise to prominence after Yuan Shao's death.

Liu Bei was surprised that Cao Cao's daughter had married Liu Xun. Even though it was an imperial marriage, Liu Bei still found it hard to understand.

But Liu Bei was Liu Bei after all; he remained very friendly, warmly entertained Liu Xun, and personally escorted him out of Xiangyang.

After Liu Xun left, Liu Bei sighed and said to Xu Shu beside him, "Your Majesty's actions are truly perplexing. We should always be on guard against Cao Cao and not let our guard down, but Your Majesty has repeatedly promoted Cao Cao's reputation and highlighted his achievements."

Xu Shu shook his head and said, "My lord, I think His Majesty's methods are very clever. Cao Cao is no ordinary person, yet His Majesty has him under control. Isn't this a great thing for the world and for the Han Dynasty?"

Liu Bei gave a soft hum, “A man as arrogant and domineering as Cao Cao, who once usurped the emperor’s power, has been repeatedly praised and shaped into a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty by Your Majesty. Your Majesty may have good intentions, but even today, Cao Cao’s ambition remains unchanged. I am just worried that Your Majesty’s good intentions may be in vain.”

Liu Bei was angry for one reason: he did not believe that Cao Cao could be a loyal subject willingly.

On the other hand, even if Cao Cao had truly become a loyal subject, Liu Bei felt that it was too lenient of him.

He had done so many wrong things before, undermining the court and the emperor, yet nothing happened to him. He even became a loyal minister admired by the people. How come all the good things in the world fell on Cao Cao's head? The more Liu Bei thought about it, the more indignant he became.

Xu Shu, however, advised, "My lord, I admire His Majesty's magnanimity. The one who has truly sacrificed the most is actually His Majesty."

"Oh? Yuanzhi, how do you know?" Liu Bei asked.

Xu Shu thought for a moment and said, "I had the honor of meeting His Majesty once in Longzhong. His Majesty was sincere, approachable, and extremely cultured."

"What? His Majesty actually visited Longzhong? When was that?" Liu Bei was taken aback.

Xu Shu also realized that he had said the wrong thing, because Liu Xie had instructed everyone to keep it a secret.

But considering that Liu Bei was now his lord, there was no need to hide it from him, so Xu Shu told Liu Bei about Liu Xie's attendance at Zhuge Liang's wedding.

Liu Bei suddenly realized and muttered to himself, "No wonder I couldn't persuade Zhuge Liang to come even after visiting him three times. It turns out he already has someone else in mind."

Liu Bei wouldn't hold a grudge; he wouldn't be jealous of the emperor, no matter who he was jealous of. Liu Bei was quite magnanimous.

However, the thought that the emperor had come to Jingzhou without informing him, arriving and leaving quietly, made Liu Bei feel somewhat disappointed.

The emperor had come all this way, arriving right at his doorstep in Xiangyang, yet he hadn't even bothered to meet him. The more Liu Bei thought about it, the more conflicted he became, and he couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.

Xu Shu, oblivious to Liu Bei's disappointment, continued the previous topic, saying, "Before Your Majesty assumed personal rule, you were extremely humble and tolerant towards Cao Cao, which is enough to show your magnanimity. If it were anyone else, once in power, they would surely be eager for revenge and to settle old scores. But Your Majesty generously wiped the slate clean and continued to work hard, hoping to make Cao Cao a true loyal subject of the Han Dynasty. For the sake of the Han Dynasty and the world, Your Majesty has shown such sincerity and tolerance towards Cao Cao, which is truly admirable."

Xu Shu's opinion displeased Liu Bei, but he couldn't show it.

The emperor's leniency towards Cao Cao was something Liu Bei felt was excessive.

At noon, Guan Yu returned from outside, accompanied by two people. One of them was Zhou Cang, whom Liu Bei had met in Xuchang before, and the other was a young man, around twenty years old, with thick eyebrows and fierce eyes, and an extraordinary bearing.

"Yun Chang, who is he?" Liu Bei asked, pointing to the young man.

Guan Yu quickly introduced, "Brother, this is my newly adopted son, named Guan Ping."

Guan Ping hurriedly knelt down in front of Liu Bei, kowtowed and bowed, saying, "Nephew greets Uncle."

As for Zhou Cang, Guan Yu explained with a smile, "His Majesty sent Zhou Cang here. His Majesty said that Zhou Cang greatly admires me and is willing to follow me, so he sent him from Xudu."

Xu Shu was genuinely happy. Zhou Cang and Guan Ping were both very robust and full of strength. With these two joining, Liu Bei's power became even stronger.

Liu Bei smiled and nodded, but he was somewhat dissatisfied.

The emperor came to Longzhong without informing him, and now he has sent Zhou Cang to Guan Yu's side.

Liu Bei couldn't help but be suspicious. Could it be that His Majesty was dissatisfied with him and sent Zhou Cang to monitor him?
This idea suddenly popped into Liu Bei's mind, and he couldn't suppress it.

…………

Cao Cao led tens of thousands of troops across mountains and rivers to face the majestic and treacherous Taihang Mountains. Without any hesitation, Cao Cao resolutely embarked on the campaign to conquer Bingzhou. The hardships of the journey alone are enough to evoke a sense of awe.

Many mountain paths are winding, narrow trails. Cao Cao, halfway there, lamented the treacherous nature of the mountain roads and wrote the poem "A Journey Through Bitter Cold."

Heading north to the Taihang Mountains, how arduous and majestic!
The winding, narrow path was so steep that even cartwheels would break.

How desolate the trees are!
The north wind howls mournfully.

Bears crouched down in front of me, while tigers and leopards howled on either side of the road.

Few people live in the valley, and the snow falls softly and gently!
I crane my neck and sigh deeply, for my journey ahead is filled with many worries.

Why am I so distressed?

I long to return eastward.

The water is too deep for the bridge to stand, and I'm hesitating in the middle of the road.

Lost and confused, I found no way to go, and at dusk I had nowhere to rest.

The journey has been long, and both men and horses are hungry.

He carried a bag to fetch firewood, and held an axe to make porridge.

The poem about Dongshan is so poignant; it fills me with sorrow.

The environment was harsh, the mountain roads were difficult to traverse, and the north wind howled. It took two months just to march on the road.

Cao Cao had also lost weight and his face had darkened considerably, causing his soldiers to complain bitterly.

However, Cao Cao shared weal and woe with everyone. No matter how much resentment the soldiers had in their hearts, seeing that Cao Cao was always with them, no one dared to openly stand up and vent their grievances.

This is the charm that made Cao Cao superior. Even after he became prime minister and was no longer young, as long as he could still walk, he would still be with his soldiers. No matter how hard or tiring it was, Cao Cao would never leisurely hide behind them.

Upon arriving at their destination, Huguan Pass appeared before them. Cao Cao couldn't help but gasp, inwardly cursing that Gao Gan had indeed chosen a good location.

Huguan is like a sleeping giant, lying between mountains, surrounded by mountains and endless pine forests that form a vast ocean.

The pass stands tall, with rugged rocks and sheer cliffs. The defenders on the city walls only need to hold their ground to the death to inflict heavy casualties on the attacking side.

No matter how dangerous the situation, Cao Cao did not hesitate at all and decisively launched an attack.

The battle was extremely fierce, and the mountain climate was very harsh, but Cao Cao had no complaints and always led from the front, remaining at the forefront.

On this day, Guo Jia came over with a letter in his hand. "My lord, this is a letter from Wenruo."

Cao Cao took it, glanced at it quickly, and grinned bitterly, "Well, His Majesty not only married off my daughter, but also sent Wenruo to persuade me. Hahaha, his methods are truly brilliant."

They'll marry my daughter off, and then use my people to persuade me in return.

Laughing, Cao Cao tore the letter to shreds in a few quick rips.

Guo Jia thought Cao Cao was angry, but Cao Cao just snorted and said, "Such a trivial matter is not worth my time."

Although Cao Cao loved his children dearly, he was also quite ruthless. What was a daughter to him?

It's no big deal. Besides, you can't stop this kind of thing anyway.

Liu Xun was a member of the Han imperial family, so it wouldn't be a disservice for his daughter to marry him. Cao Cao also trusted the emperor's judgment in people, and the fact that he was willing to marry his daughter to Liu Xun shows that Liu Xun's abilities and character were quite good.

"Is there anything else?"

Cao Cao turned to leave, but the battle was still raging and he had no time to waste.

Guo Jia called him back, "My lord, there is one more thing."

"What's the matter?"

"Our spies in Jingzhou have gathered some information about Liu Biao."

"Liu Biao? He's already dead, what valuable information could he possibly have?" Cao Cao was clearly not very interested.

Guo Jia continued, "We have a spy who infiltrated Lady Cai's inner circle and discovered that Lady Cai had secretly sent someone to buy medicine, but after Liu Biao died, the maid who bought the medicine disappeared."

"Oh?" Cao Cao's eyes widened immediately, and he looked at Guo Jia with suspicion. "Fengxiao, are you saying that Liu Biao's death is related to Lady Cai?"

Guo Jia smiled and replied, "Although Liu Biao is over sixty years old, his servants say he was still in good health before. He couldn't possibly have been scared to death by His Majesty's repeated intimidation, could he? It's highly likely that Lady Cai secretly poisoned him and killed him."

(End of this chapter)