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

Chapter 283, Xu Du is not at peace.
Since arriving in Wu County, Guan Yu rarely went out. For some reason, Guan Yu had an innate aversion to Sun Quan, and he looked down on Sun Quan from the bottom of his heart.

After Liu Bei arrived, Sun Quan hosted a small banquet every three days and a large banquet every five days. Sun Quan's generosity and hospitality made Liu Bei feel at home.

Sun Quan took meticulous care of him, but despite this, Guan Yu still couldn't develop any goodwill towards Sun Quan.

Guan Yu tried several times to persuade Liu Bei to leave Jiangdong, but Liu Bei wouldn't listen.

With such a major incident, Liu Bei would find it difficult to face it head-on.

On this day, when Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei returned from Sun Quan's residence, a drunkard staggered and accidentally bumped into Guan Yu.

Guan Yu was arrogant towards superiors but kind to inferiors. Seeing that the other person was dressed simply and was just an ordinary person, Guan Yu was not angry at all. Instead, he kindly helped the other person up.

Zhang Fei glared at him fiercely and muttered, "Don't you have eyes when you walk? Watch where you're going!"

Zhang Fei and Guan Yu were the opposite. Guan Yu was arrogant towards his superiors, while Zhang Fei was respectful. Zhang Fei had genuine respect for those with status and position, but he would beat and scold ordinary people, even his own subordinates, and would whip them at the drop of a hat.

Guan Yu glared at Zhang Fei with a stern face. Suddenly, Guan Yu felt something in his sleeve. The drunk man staggered over, and Guan Yu pulled a letter out of his sleeve.

Guan Yu was taken aback, and Liu Bei and Zhang Fei also noticed it.

Guan Yu looked back, but the drunkard had already gone far away.

Guan Yu hurriedly put the letter away. After the three of them returned to their lodgings and dismissed the servants, Guan Yu took out the letter again and opened it in front of Liu Bei.

The familiar font came into view, and the familiar, warm tone permeated the text.

"I am aware of the events in Jingzhou. Although I do not know the full details, I know that Xuande has been wronged. Cao Cao has indeed gone too far this time. No matter what happened, I only want to say one thing to Xuande: no matter how the world views you, I will forgive and forget. If Xuande has time, you can write to me and tell me the details!"

After reading the letter, Guan Yu's eyes welled up with tears of emotion. He hurriedly looked at Liu Bei and said in a choked voice, "Brother, did you see that? His Majesty knows that you have been wronged, but he has not blamed you."

Guan Yu was so excited that he continued, "I knew His Majesty would help you. We shouldn't have come to Jiangdong at all."

Liu Bei also cried, his eyes blurry with tears. He held the letter in his hands, his hands trembling, and read it carefully three more times. The more he read, the more tears welled up in his eyes, and he couldn't stop them.

Zhang Fei laughed too, "That's great! With His Majesty backing us up, Brother doesn't need to fear Cao Cao anymore."

Liu Bei shook his head. He was happy, but he also knew in his heart that after such a big incident, it would be harder than climbing to heaven to overturn the verdict!
Liu Bei sighed and said, "Things are not that simple, but with His Majesty's letter, I feel much more at ease."

Guan Yu hurriedly urged, "Then brother, don't hesitate any longer. Quickly write a letter to His Majesty about what happened, or we should leave Jiangdong as soon as possible."

Liu Bei shook his head. "I think we should consult His Majesty first."

Liu Bei hurriedly wiped away his tears, and Guan Yu brought him pen and ink.

Liu Bei picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and was about to write a letter when he hesitated again.

Liu Bei frowned and thought for a while before finally starting to write.

Even though his reputation was ruined, and even though the whole world suspected that he was the one who harmed Liu Biao and his son, the emperor did not abandon him.

While Liu Bei was writing the letter, Guan Yu reminded him, "Brother, since His Majesty trusts you so much, you must tell His Majesty the whole story!"

"Don't hide anything, don't conceal anything," Liu Bei's hand trembled slightly.

In the letter, Liu Bei did not admit that he had prevented Liu Qi from going to Xudu. Instead, he used a very euphemistic way of saying that he was worried that Liu Qi's health would not be able to handle it, so he did not let him go to Xudu. He changed the word "prevented" to "does not recommend Liu Qi to go to Xudu".

As for how Liu Qi died, it was naturally because Lady Cai and Cao Cao conspired to poison him. Liu Bei did not explain that he strangled Liu Qi.

Even after writing the letter, Liu Bei still felt somewhat uneasy.

If Liu Bei were to tell the emperor the whole truth, including just the incident of strangling Liu Qi, he worried that the emperor would change his opinion of him and might even stop trusting him altogether.

After finishing the letter, Guan Yu asked again, "Brother, is everything written? Are you sure there's nothing missing?"

Liu Bei nodded firmly, "Yun Chang, don't worry. It's rare that His Majesty can still trust me so much at a time like this. How could I dare to hide anything from him?"

Guan Yu nodded with satisfaction, "That's right."

Liu Bei then asked, "But now that the letter is finished, how do we send it out?"

When Liu Bei sent a messenger to deliver a letter to the emperor, he worried that the letter might fall into Sun Quan's hands. Although he had come to seek refuge with Sun Quan, Liu Bei also knew that Sun Quan did not completely trust him.

Guan Yu thought for a moment and said, "Since the letter was obtained on the street, there should be people sent by the imperial court nearby. I will go out and try again."

Guan Yu took the letter and went to the street. Sure enough, after waiting for a while, someone appeared.

A man dressed as a wandering swordsman walked over from the opposite side. Upon seeing Guan Yu, he examined him carefully and then asked in surprise, "This brave warrior, you have a peculiar appearance, with phoenix eyes, silkworm eyebrows, and a long beard. Could you be Guan Yu, Guan Yunchang, who once slew Yuan Shao?"

Guan Yu nodded politely to him, "That's right, it is indeed me, Guan Yu!"

The man chatted briefly with Guan Yu, and then, taking advantage of a moment when no one was looking, he leaned closer to Guan Yu and said in a low voice, "General Guan, I am Zhan Fei from the Dragon Guard, and I am a subordinate of Commander Liu Biao!"

Guan Yu was relieved that they had finally made contact. He hurriedly handed the letter to Zhan Fei, who quietly put it away. After exchanging a few more words of admiration, Zhan Fei parted ways with Guan Yu.

Before parting, Zhan Fei told Guan Yu that their people were nearby and they could contact them anytime if they received any news.

Guan Yu was overjoyed to meet his own people in this unfamiliar place of Jiangdong; it was like seeing family.

However, Liu Bei's letter contained a lot of exaggeration, shifting the blame as much as possible onto Cao Cao and Lady Cai, which somewhat betrayed Liu Xie's tolerance.

The letter was sent to Youzhou as quickly as possible, but the distance between the north and south was too great. By the time Liu Xie received it, things had already changed in Xuchang.

…………

This day was the last day of the year, also known as Lunar New Year's Eve. Xuchang was covered in snow and the cold wind was biting. Despite the howling north wind, it could not dampen people's enthusiasm for the festival. From the afternoon onwards, the streets were already teeming with people and bustling with activity.

Lanterns and colorful lights along the street cast a warm glow, illuminating everyone's smiling faces. Vendors displayed all sorts of New Year's goods, their calls rising and falling, attracting passersby to stop and watch. Children, clutching candies, ran around, eating them with relish.

People were busy and happy, with every household decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. Although the temperature had plummeted, people's hearts were warm. On this special day, everyone was welcoming the new year in their own way, praying for a bright future.

It was the New Year, and although Xun Yu longed to go home and reunite with his family, he dared not relax when he thought of the emperor's absence and the heavy burden of everything in Xudu resting on his shoulders.

One by one, the people from the Secretariat left, including Jia Xu. Just as dusk fell, only Xun Yu remained in the Secretariat.

Xun Yu made an exception and extended the curfew by one hour tonight.

Since it's a rare occasion to celebrate a festival, closing the city gates a little later can make the celebration more lively.

Just as he was about to leave the Ministry of Personnel, his son Xun Yun came over with a food box in his hand. "Father, I knew you would be on duty tonight, so I brought you some wine and food. Please have some first."

Xun Yu waved his hand, "Put it down for now."

Xun Yun put down the food box and, seeing his father about to leave, quickly said, "Father, this was made by Mother herself. It will get cold soon, so please eat some."

Xun Yu and Lady Tang treated each other with respect and had always had a good relationship. Although she was now the wife of the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Lady Tang would still cook for him during festivals. Xun Yu had tried to persuade her many times, but Lady Tang always insisted on doing so.

Xun Yu felt a warmth in his heart. He looked at his son, Xun Yun, who had grown up, was sensible, and was very studious.

Xun Yu stopped and turned back to his seat. "Alright, let's eat some! Let's see what your mother has made."

Xun Yun smiled happily.

Xun Yu was always very busy, and even though they were father and son, they didn't have much time alone together.

Xun Yun poured Xun Yu a cup of wine and said, "Father, how wonderful it would be if His Majesty didn't leave Xudu. Every year at the end of the year, the court holds an annual meeting. Tonight, although the people's homes are very lively, the palace has suddenly become deserted."

Xun Yu knew what was going on, but he didn't want to tell his son the truth, nor did he want him to get involved in the struggle between the emperor and Cao Cao.

After careful consideration, Xun Yu said, "His Majesty is worried about the affairs of the state and is leading the army to conquer the Wuhuan in the north. It would indeed be very lively if His Majesty stayed in Xuchang, but His Majesty is dedicated to governing the country and will not indulge in such comforts."

Xun Yun nodded, his eyes full of respect. "Father, I am not complaining. I understand His Majesty's good intentions. His Majesty said that I lack exercise and my body is too weak. He promised that after the New Year, I can follow Wang Yue to practice swordsmanship. His Majesty will also personally teach me to ride a horse."

As Xun Yun spoke, his eyes grew brighter and brighter, filled with anticipation, and Xun Yu couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

When his son was very young, the emperor often spent time with him, making him toys, telling him interesting stories, and teaching him many principles of life from an early age.

Xun Yu was actually very moved. He could see that from the beginning until now, the emperor had always been very sincere and was not deliberately getting close to his family in order to win him over.

After quickly eating some food and wine, Xun Yu said to Xun Yun, "Alright, you should go back now. Tell your mother that I won't be back until later."

Xun Yun mimicked his father's tone and said, "Father is the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. The more festive the year, the less he can slack off. Father still has to patrol the city and keep watch over the imperial city at night."

Xun Yu glared at his son, feigning anger, then waved to him, urging him to hurry home.

Although Jia Xu left the Ministry of Personnel early, he did not relax his defenses of Xudu. He summoned Lu Xun and instructed him, "Boyan, the closer it gets to the end of the year, the less careless we must be. His Majesty's absence from Xudu this time is probably the best opportunity for others."

Lu Xun nodded. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on it."

Lu Xun selected several dozen elite soldiers, had them remove their armor and change into ordinary civilian clothes, and scattered them inside and outside the city, instructing them to keep a close watch on suspicious individuals.

Soon, someone ran to report, "Some people have been found in a forest in the north of the city, only a hundred or so steps away from the exit of the secret passage."

Lu Xun frowned immediately and hurriedly reported the matter to Jia Xu.

Jia Xu stroked his beard and said with great certainty, "At a time like this, when a group of people gather together, they must have something on their mind."

"How many of them are there?"

“There are over a thousand people!” Lu Xun replied.

"Send men to keep a close watch, but don't alert them," Jia Xu immediately instructed. "Also, remove half of the guards from the secret passage."

"Why is that?" Lu Xun stared wide-eyed in surprise, looking at Jia Xu with puzzlement.

Jia Xu laughed, "Since someone wants to take over Xuchang, let's grant their wish. Instead of guarding against thieves, let's catch them!"

Lu Xun had no choice but to comply, but just after midnight, a fierce battle suddenly broke out at the South Gate.

It turned out that as early as the afternoon, some people disguised themselves as merchants or pedestrians and sneaked into the city. They found a place to hide in the city and suddenly appeared in the middle of the night. There were as many as a hundred of them.

These men were well-trained and decisive. Under cover of darkness, they suddenly reached the city gate and killed more than a dozen guards in one fell swoop.

"Kill!" They charged toward the heavy city gate, trying to open it.

The general guarding the south gate was Xiahou Lan. Xiahou Lan was always meticulous in his work and rushed over immediately.

"Kill them! Don't let them open the city gates!" Xiahou Lan roared, raising his spear to join the battle.

While a fierce battle was taking place at the South Gate, a group of people suddenly appeared outside the city. They brandished weapons, wore yellow turbans on their foreheads, and their fierce faces were illuminated by the light of torches.

The battle inside the city ended quickly. Xiahou Lan promptly and decisively brought the situation under control, managing to capture two prisoners alive, but they were as stubborn as rocks and couldn't be questioned about anything.

Upon receiving the news, Xun Yu rushed over, and Taishi Ci and Jia Xu also arrived.

The group climbed the city wall together. From this vantage point, they could see that the Yellow Turban rebels outside the city had not dispersed. Xun Yu watched for a while, his brows furrowing tightly.
(End of this chapter)