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

Chapter 274, Who Will Be the Governor of Jingzhou?
Originally, according to Liu Bei's plan, he would not let Liu Qi go to Xuchang, nor would he let the emperor treat him. As long as Liu Qi could not hold on and died soon, everyone would be happy, and Liu Bei would not bear any responsibility whatsoever.

However, the change came too suddenly, forcing Liu Bei to take drastic measures and eliminate Liu Qi ahead of time.

Soon, Liu Qi stopped struggling completely, and his arms fell limply to his sides.

Liu Bei waited a while longer, then carefully looked down to check, confirming that Liu Qi was indeed dead. Liu Bei felt a little flustered.

Liu Qi was no ordinary man; he was the Governor of Jingzhou and a member of the Han imperial family!

Killing members of the Han imperial family, to put it bluntly, is tantamount to treason and rebellion.

After a period of panic, Liu Bei was filled with anxiety. Fortunately, only he and Liu Qi were in the room.

Liu Bei was Liu Bei after all; he quickly regained his composure and began to calmly respond.

Even after Liu Qi died, his eyes remained wide open, filled with resentment and a frenzied hatred.

Liu Bei quickly smoothed Liu Qi's eyes and then stroked Liu Qi's face a few times to make sure that Liu Qi looked like he had died peacefully.

After carefully checking several times to make sure there were no flaws, Liu Bei hugged Liu Qi tightly and burst into tears by the bedside.

“My dear nephew, my dear nephew… why did you suddenly leave us like this?”

Liu Bei cried very emotionally, and tears streamed down his face, falling onto Liu Qi's clothes and soaking them.

Soon, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and the others heard the commotion and rushed in.

Everyone noticed that Liu Qi had closed his eyes, and Liu Bei was holding Liu Qi, crying his heart out.

Everyone could accept Liu Qi's death because he had been ill for so long and everyone was already mentally prepared.

Liu Bei's reaction was deeply moving; even fathers and sons might not cry with such emotion and sorrow.

After a while, Madam Cai, Kuai Yue, Pang Ji and others also arrived one after another.

After everyone calmed Liu Bei down, Kuai Yue pointed to the bloodstains on Liu Bei's body and asked, "Uncle, please accept our condolences. This blood on your body is..."

Liu Bei looked down and hurriedly explained, "This bloodstain is on my nephew. He was very ill and had great difficulty speaking before he died. He vomited blood when he was excited. My heart was breaking. My nephew was so young, and I never expected him to pass away so soon. How unjust is Heaven!"

As he spoke, Liu Bei shed tears again.

It's normal for a patient to vomit blood, so Kuai Yue naturally didn't think much of it.

Liu Qi was so ill that he was skin and bones, so naturally no one would suspect that Liu Bei had harmed him.

More and more people arrived, including many wise and capable individuals. Liu Bei felt somewhat uneasy, fearing that he might reveal a weakness.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly.

Guo Yuan rushed to see Guo Jia, "Fengxiao, Liu Qi is dead. What should we do next?"

Guo Jia wasn't surprised at all. He smiled and asked, "Did Liu Qi die with his eyes open or closed?"

"His eyes were closed."

"Heh, what a Liu Bei, he really has the heart to harm Liu Qi." Guo Jia sneered.

"Fengxiao, do you really think Liu Bei killed Liu Qi?" Guo Yuan found it hard to believe.

Guo Jia nodded. "I'll have Lady Cai tell Liu Qi that Liu Bei poisoned him and Liu Biao. Think about it, under these circumstances, no matter what happens when he meets Liu Bei for the last time, Liu Qi won't die with his eyes closed. There will inevitably be a dispute with Liu Bei. Can Liu Bei explain the poisoning clearly? Since Liu Qi died with his eyes closed, it must be because Liu Bei silenced him!"

Guo Yuan was still surprised and couldn't help but say, "I never imagined that someone who is usually so kind and gentle could be so ruthless."

"As for what happens next, tell Lady Cai to fully cooperate with Liu Bei, seize every opportunity to help him take over Jingzhou as he wishes."

To destroy someone, first make them go mad!
Guo Yuan didn't quite understand and asked, "Fengxiao, is this necessary? Now that we have a handle on Liu Bei, why not make it public and completely ruin his reputation in Jingzhou? Why help him become the governor of Jingzhou?"

Guo Jia gently shook his head. "Now is the time when Liu Bei is most vigilant and on guard. If things get out of hand, it will not benefit Liu Bei, nor will it benefit us. Cao Cao's troops are all in the north at the moment. No matter what happens in Jingzhou, Cao Cao will be unable to reach them. Do you want to give His Majesty an easy opportunity? His Majesty will not miss such an opportunity once he receives the news."

Guo Yuan agreed wholeheartedly, believing that as long as trouble broke out in Jingzhou, the emperor would immediately send people to quell the situation.

Guo Jia understood the emperor very well; even Cao Cao was no match for the emperor, so he absolutely could not let the emperor benefit from his efforts.

"Fully cooperate with Liu Bei and let him take over as governor of Jingzhou. This will not only dispel Liu Bei's concerns, but also buy time for Cao Cao. Once the north is completely pacified, Liu Bei will gradually relax."

Guo Yuan was completely convinced and praised, "No wonder His Majesty praised you as a genius of our time. Every step you take is calculated with such precision. It seems that Jingzhou will sooner or later fall into Cao Cao's hands."

"By the way, Lady Cai was too close to Liu Qi before. Will Liu Bei become hostile towards her? After all, Liu Bei didn't really poison her. Since Liu Biao and his son had the same symptoms, once Liu Bei calms down, he will definitely unravel the mystery and carefully sort out the matter. It will be difficult for Lady Cai to escape his suspicion."

Guo Jia laughed, “That’s why I had Lady Cai fully cooperate with Liu Bei as the governor of Jingzhou. Even if Liu Bei suspects her, he can’t kill her because of his status, can he? Besides, Lady Cai’s position in the Cai family is very important. Liu Bei would never dare to act rashly without being fully prepared.”

After a pause, Guo Jia smiled mysteriously, "Even if Liu Bei has some suspicions, Liu Qi did die at his hands after all. Would Liu Bei dare to make a fuss? Even if he wanted to consult someone, he probably wouldn't dare to speak up."

"Next, I will have Lady Cai show weakness to Liu Bei and fully cooperate with him in becoming the governor of Jingzhou. Even if Liu Bei wants to get rid of Lady Cai, he will not do it immediately."

Lady Cai was, after all, Liu Biao's woman, and Guo Jia believed that Liu Bei would not dare to touch her easily.

As expected, Guo Jia once again guessed Liu Bei's thoughts. While handling Liu Qi's funeral, he calmly considered the matter. The more Liu Bei thought about it, the more he felt that Lady Cai was problematic.

Since Liu Qi and Liu Biao had the same symptoms, it can be concluded that they died of poisoning.

Considering that Liu Biao personally killed Cai Mao and implicated dozens of members of the Cai family, Lady Cai's motive for murder becomes even more obvious.

Liu Qi is dead. Such a big event, the news quickly spread to Xudu.

Upon receiving the news, Liu Xie hurriedly summoned Ju Shou, Chen Gong, Lu Xun, and Jia Xu to discuss the matter.

Jia Xu squinted and was the first to express his doubts, "At the end of last year, Liu Qi fell ill. How could he suddenly be gone in just half a year? Don't you all find this strange?" Liu Xie nodded, "That's right. Even if there is something strange about this matter, we cannot send people to investigate it in a big way. Jingzhou cannot be without a master for a day. I suggest that we send people to investigate in secret how Liu Qi died."

Ju Shou also agreed, saying, "Your Majesty is right. Whether it's Liu Biao or Liu Qi, the successive deaths of father and son have given us an opportunity. Who does Your Majesty wish to appoint as the Governor of Jingzhou?"

"Is there any need to say more? Liu Bei has been staying in Jingzhou for the past year, laying a solid foundation and accumulating a good reputation. No one is more suitable than him."

It was Lu Xun who spoke; he knew what the emperor meant.

Although Liu Xie was not entirely satisfied with Liu Bei, from the current perspective, there was indeed no one more suitable than Liu Bei.

Sending someone directly to the site without any prior experience will inevitably be less effective.

Ju Shou pondered for a moment and said, "Even if His Majesty wants Liu Bei to be the governor of Jingzhou, he cannot announce it directly. I think it is better to send Prince Chen to Jingzhou first, on the one hand to express the court's condolences, and on the other hand, to gather everyone together and let them decide for themselves who should be the governor of Jingzhou."

Chen Gong countered, "Is it necessary? Even if they were to discuss it among themselves, Liu Bei would still be the most popular choice."

Everyone looked at Ju Shou, who nodded. "That's still better than the court appointing him directly. Let them choose for themselves. This will naturally reduce the people of Jingzhou's resistance to the court. If Liu Bei is popular, it will be a success for him."

Since Jingzhou previously belonged to Liu Biao, there were bound to be some loyal former officials who remained loyal to him. If these officials were directly appointed, some would inevitably become dissatisfied.

Liu Xie thought about it and realized that Ju Shou's suggestion was indeed reasonable. Letting them decide for themselves would be more democratic.

Regardless of their choice, Liu Bei was the most promising candidate.

It's just a different approach, one that's easier for everyone to accept.

As for the cause of Liu Qi's death, everyone suggested that we send people to investigate slowly. The key now is to select a candidate for Governor of Jingzhou and stabilize the situation.

Of course, there's another point: whatever the cause of Liu Biao and Liu Qi's deaths, it wasn't entirely a bad thing for Liu Xie.

The most important thing is that Liu Bei successfully takes over Jingzhou and remains loyal to the court.

Liu Xie was not entirely satisfied with Liu Bei. He had initially wanted to keep Liu Bei in Xuchang, but Liu Bei insisted on going to Runan, and now he had gone to Jingzhou. Liu Xie was somewhat dissatisfied with Liu Bei's actions.

However, there was nothing that could be done. Since Liu Bei was doing so well in Jingzhou, Liu Xie could only hope that he could stabilize the situation there.

It wasn't that Liu Xie had no one else to send, nor that only Liu Bei could be the governor of Jingzhou. Rather, sending someone else would be tantamount to slapping Liu Bei in the face, making it seem as if the court didn't trust him.

Soon, King Chen arrived in Jingzhou.

After the condolences, King Chen gathered together the most influential people in Jingzhou, including Liu Bei, Lady Cai, and Kuai Yue.

King Chen sighed, bowed slightly towards Xudu, and said, "His Majesty was indeed very surprised and heartbroken upon receiving the news of Liu Qi's passing. He lamented the loss of another young talent to the Han imperial family. However, Liu Qi is no longer here, and Jingzhou cannot be without a ruler for even a day. Therefore, His Majesty hopes that you will all share your thoughts and recommend a suitable candidate."

Sure enough, letting everyone choose for themselves immediately improved the atmosphere a lot.

Everyone actually wants to be able to express their own thoughts, and if the court makes direct appointments, some people will inevitably feel resistant.

Wang Wei, an old man from Jingzhou, was loyal to Liu Biao. He immediately stood up and said, "Since the eldest son is no longer here, I suggest that Liu Cong take over as governor of Jingzhou."

Han Song also responded positively, "That's right, the second young master has come of age, and with the elder brother gone, he should be the one to take over."

Liu Bei remained calm and composed, sitting quietly in his seat, showing no sign of urgency.

But Liu Bei's heart also began to clench, and his gaze quickly turned to Lady Cai.

Liu Bei thought to himself, "Could this be Lady Cai's motive—poisoning Liu Qi in order to put Liu Cong on the throne?"

No one gets up early without a reason; there must be a motivation to do anything.

As more and more people supported Liu Cong, Liu Bei became increasingly suspicious that Lady Cai was the real mastermind behind Liu Qi's death.

Liu Bei even forgot that he had personally strangled Liu Qi to death.

Seeing that more and more people were supporting Liu Cong, Zhang Fei couldn't stand it anymore and snorted, "You guys need to understand, Jingzhou doesn't belong to Liu Biao. Do you expect Liu Biao's descendants to inherit it generation after generation? Jingzhou belongs to the imperial court. My elder brother is the current imperial uncle. No one is more suitable than him in terms of status and position."

Liu Bei glared at Zhang Fei and said, "Yide, step back. Everyone, please speak freely today. The Second Young Master is kind-hearted and has an extraordinary appearance. He has the demeanor of Brother Jingsheng back then. If he takes over, I will do my best to assist him and lend him a helping hand."

Liu Bei's magnanimity and gentleness left a good impression on everyone, and soon, Ma Liang stepped forward.

Ma Liang said, "I think what Yide said is right. Liu Huangshu is benevolent, wise, and loves the people like his own children. I recommend Liu Huangshu to be the governor of Jingzhou."

The Iranian also immediately expressed his agreement, saying, "I agree."

Even Pang Ji and Kuai Yue expressed their support for Liu Bei. Gradually, more and more people supported Liu Bei, and soon his voice overwhelmed Liu Cong's.

Prince Chen watched quietly as the atmosphere grew increasingly intense, with clear divisions between the two sides. Some of the military officers were particularly loud, and they were almost arguing.

Zhang Fei was very pleased with himself and grinned, "That's right, no one is more suitable than my elder brother."

Turning to look at Guan Yu, Zhang Fei asked, "Second Brother, what do you think?"

Guan Yu nodded, "That's right, elder brother, your benevolence and righteousness are renowned throughout the world, and your wisdom and virtue are admired by all. You are indeed the best candidate!"

Liu Bei's popularity was growing, and Xu Shu was very happy. As long as Liu Bei was officially recognized as the emperor, Xu Shu would feel at ease.

Just then, Lady Cai stood up and said, "Prince Chen, I have something to say."

As she spoke, Lady Cai glanced at Liu Bei, seemingly unintentionally.

Liu Bei's heart skipped a beat and suddenly stopped beating.

Liu Bei stared directly at Lady Cai. Was she about to reveal that he had poisoned her?
Although it wasn't Liu Bei who poisoned her, once it's made public, it will be difficult for Liu Bei to explain himself clearly.

Why do things happen just because we're afraid of them?
(End of this chapter)