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

Chapter 285, Uncle and Nephew Have a Heart-to-Heart Talk

"The secret passage has been blocked by Taishi Ci?" Xun You was stunned. This was not good news.

Some people advised Xun You to leave immediately through the secret passage and try to defeat Taishi Ci.

Xun You quickly calmed down and decisively abandoned the idea of ​​reclaiming the secret passage.

Xun You immediately ordered, "Concentrate your forces and seize all the city gates."

Then, pointing to the exit of the secret passage, Xun You instructed, "Seal off the exit and don't let Taishi Ci come through here."

Seeing that Xun You remained calm and composed, and did not send anyone back along the secret passage, Jia Xu realized that Xun You had no intention of retaking the passage.

Jia Xu couldn't help but nod in approval. "Lord Xun, you truly are your nephew. If it were anyone else, even if they didn't return by the original route, they would have sent someone into the secret passage to try and regain control of it. But Xun You simply ignored them."

If there is only one secret passage, then Taishi Ci's actions would be meaningless.

Taishi Ci blocked one end, and now Xun You has blocked the other end, which means that no one can use this secret passage anymore.

"No, I have to go out and see him, and persuade him to stop immediately!" Xun Yu was worried and uneasy; he really couldn't bear to see Xun You continue down the wrong path.

Jia Xu didn't try to dissuade him. He knew that Xun Yu and Xun You had a special relationship, but he still said, half seriously and half jokingly, "Lord Xun, you are uncle and nephew. He won't hurt you, but could you wait until I leave before you go out?"

Xun Yu nodded, then asked, "There are their people everywhere here, how will you leave?"

Jia Xu gave Xun Yu a reassuring look, "Don't worry, there's more than one secret passage."

Jia Xu left Lingyan Pavilion without a sound, leaving Xun Yu alone in the end.

Xun Yu took a deep breath and came down from the third floor. Dong Cheng's side was about to be overwhelmed, so Xun Yu came out of Lingyan Pavilion.

His sudden appearance quickly attracted the attention of many people.

"Stop!" Xun Yu raised his voice and shouted.

Although his voice wasn't very loud, it was still full of energy and righteousness, causing many people to stop involuntarily.

Xun You also looked over at the sound. When his gaze fell on Xun Yu, Xun You seemed to be suddenly struck by lightning, and his whole body trembled.

Xun Yu loudly questioned, "Xun You, do you know what you're doing?"

Normally, Xun Yu would definitely address him by his courtesy name, because they were family.

But at this moment, Xun Yu addressed him by his given name, his tone completely impolite.

The person Xun You least wanted to face was Xun Yu, and he stood there frozen in place.

Xun Yu beckoned to him, "Come here, I want to show you something."

Xun You didn't move, but Xun Yu countered, "I'm all alone here, while you have thousands of troops. Are you afraid of your uncle? Since you dare to cause trouble in Xuchang, is there anything in this world you're afraid of?"

Xun You thought for a moment, then stepped forward. Some soldiers wanted to follow, but Xun You stopped them.

Stepping to the entrance of Lingyan Pavilion, Xun You cautiously peered inside. Sure enough, apart from Xun Yu, there was no one else there.

Xun Yu walked straight to the corner inside, while Xun You stood at the door, quietly looking inside.

Xun You did not come in, and Xun Yu did not force him. He stopped at the corner of the wall, pointed to a portrait, and said to Xun You, "This is a portrait that His Majesty just made before he set off. Open your eyes wide and take a look. Who is depicted in this portrait?"

The room is well-lit, so you can see clearly even from a distance.

Xun You looked closely and suddenly froze.

The portrait was incredibly lifelike; the person in the painting had a square face, deep and bright eyes, and a resolute and upright gaze.

If it's not Xun You, then who is it?

Above it was a comment written by the emperor himself. Xun Yu read it aloud, word by word: "Loyal to the country, plotting to assassinate Dong Zhuo!"

"I never expected that His Majesty would still remember this matter." Xun You's emotions suddenly became somewhat agitated.

Xun Yu said, "I really didn't expect you to appear at Lingyan Pavilion twice in this way."

Xun Yu was deeply saddened, saying that Xun You appeared in the Lingyan Pavilion twice at the same time. Once, naturally, he appeared in the portrait as a meritorious official, and the other time, he led troops in a night raid on Xuchang.

“No matter what we have done, His Majesty remembers it all. Look how highly His Majesty regards you.”

Xun Yu continued, "Dong Zhuo controlled Luoyang, suppressing the emperor above and the officials below. Everything was under Dong Zhuo's control. Everyone in the court dared not speak out against him, but Xun You was not afraid of power. He secretly joined forces with He Yong and others to plot and devise a plan to assassinate Dong Zhuo. Unfortunately, the plan was exposed, and he was imprisoned by Dong Zhuo. However, he did not yield in the face of torture. Although he was a weak man, he showed his unyielding spirit."

Xun Yu looked at his nephew, his tone becoming increasingly excited, "His Majesty has written your story in the Lingyan Pavilion. Do you know what that means? It means that your story will be known throughout the world and passed down from generation to generation. Future generations will see it and admire you. As your uncle, I am truly proud of you. How many people in the world have the courage to assassinate Dong Zhuo?"

“Our Xun family has produced at least one. Cao Cao made a name for himself by assassinating Dong Zhuo, but in truth, Cao Cao never actually attempted to assassinate Dong Zhuo. You are just like Cao Cao, with courage and boldness that have impressed His Majesty. However, I never expected that you would appear here in this way today.”

Xun Yu's words were like swords, causing Xun You's heart to ache, and he was filled with deep self-reproach.

“Xun You, your plan is doomed to fail. I know you want to help Cao Cao reclaim Xuchang, but times have changed. Cao Cao will never be able to take Xuchang back.”

Xun Yu addressed Xun You by his given name directly, and he did the same to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao's actions not only angered Xun Yu, but also chilled his heart.

Xun Yu felt that even if Xun You had radical ideas, Cao Cao should not have instigated him, much less exploited him.

"Kill!"

Suddenly, shouts of battle arose from not far away, as if a large number of people had suddenly arrived. Xun You turned around and saw that Lu Xun had actually appeared with his men.

These people seemed to have suddenly emerged from the ground, appearing all at once. Lu Xun decisively and swiftly protected Dong Cheng.

Xun You was somewhat confused. Xun Yu came out of the house, looked over there, and said to Xun You, "Do you know how many secret passages there are in Xudu? Do you know how many guards there are in Xudu? Do you know how many ways they can deal with you?"

Xun Yu was heartbroken. Looking at Xun You, he suddenly felt sorry for his nephew.

"You think you can have victory in the bag just because you brought so many men? Jia Xu just told me a plan, and I'd like to tell you about it. But after hearing it, you probably won't have any confidence anymore." Lu Xun's sudden appearance had already dampened Xun You's spirits.

This indicates that there is more than one secret passage, and based on this alone, they could appear at any time from places Xun You could never have imagined.

Xun You looked at Xun Yu and listened attentively.

Xun Yu sighed and said, "Jia Xu told me that he could give you Xuchang. He only needs to send some people who need protection outside the city beforehand, and then send someone to ask Cao Cao for help, saying that you are plotting a rebellion in Xuchang. Guess what will happen next? Will Cao Cao personally lead a large army to deal with you?"

This was one of Jia Xu's plans. When Xun Yu heard it, he was completely dumbfounded.

Sure enough, Xun You was also dumbfounded!

He never expected Jia Xu to be so ruthless, actually wanting to use Cao Cao to deal with him.

Xun You couldn't help but imagine that if Jia Xu really did that, Cao Cao would surely understand that his plan to seize Xudu had failed.

It is conceivable that if the plan fails, Cao Cao can only turn his attention to Xun You.

Xun Yu looked at Xun You and said, "Tell me, what do you think of Jia Xu's plan? At that time, Cao Cao, whom you are loyal to, will lead tens of thousands of troops to besiege Xuchang. You will be infamous and die at Cao Cao's hands. Our Xun family will also be permanently stained with an indelible mark because of this."

Xun You felt a chill run through his body, as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and he was filled with boundless fear.

"I'm not afraid to tell you, there are many secret passages under Xudu. As long as Jia Xu takes the people from the palace out, the people from the Cao family out, and the ministers in the city out, you're finished."

Although Xun You would not harm Cao Cao's family, as long as Jia Xu did so, it would be tantamount to showing that Jia Xu was protecting Cao's family, which gave Cao Cao a reason to take action.

Xun You's heart finally softened, and he revealed his vulnerable side in front of his family.

"Uncle, but I have my own reasons for doing this."

Xun Yu advised, "I understand that you want to work for Cao Cao and help him salvage the situation. At the same time, you feel that His Majesty has his eye on you, and you are also trying to protect yourself. But I must tell you, you can't change anything. His Majesty's power far exceeds our imagination. Don't be so stubborn. Pull back from the brink and stop now. If you're wrong, you're wrong. It's not shameful to stop voluntarily!"

Seeing Xun You still hesitating, Xun Yu loudly questioned, "Do you think there aren't enough people dying tonight? Are you going to continue down this wrong path? Do you really want to wait for Cao Cao to lead his troops to deal with you?"

Xun Yu's words left Xun You speechless, and his body went limp, almost collapsing to the ground.

Xun You sighed helplessly, "Uncle, I was wrong, I'll stop right now!"

The thought that Jia Xu would send Cao Cao to deal with him was terrifying to Xun You.

Despite having followed Cao Cao for so many years, Xun You believed that as long as Jia Xu sent someone to ask Cao Cao for help, Cao Cao would only have one choice: to abandon Xun You.

Regardless of who caused the rebellion in Xuchang, as the prime minister, Cao Cao had the responsibility to quell it.

Is there anything more ruthless than using Cao Cao to deal with Xun You?
Although Liu Xie instructed Jia Xu before leaving that he could contact Chen Deng in Xuzhou if necessary, Jia Xu felt there was no need for it at all.

As soon as a message is sent to Cao Cao, Cao Cao will immediately come to attack.

If Xun You's plan fails, Cao Cao must steadfastly fulfill his duties as Chancellor of the Han Dynasty.

Xun You was completely discouraged. Soon he gave the order for Fang Hu to stop. Fang Hu was very puzzled, and Xun You didn't bother to explain.

Lu Xun promptly informed Jia Xu, who immediately transferred Taishi Ci to the city to take full control of the troops brought by Xun You.

Lu Xun led a squad of armored soldiers to take Xun You away, but Xun You suddenly pleaded, "I want to go into Lingyan Pavilion for a look."

Lu Xun glanced at Xun Yu, and Xun Yu nodded to Lu Xun.

Xun Yu knew that since his nephew built the Lingyan Pavilion, he had never been inside it even once.

Today, this is the first time he has actually stepped inside.

The number of portraits in the Lingyan Pavilion has increased significantly since the beginning. They include Cao Cao, Xun Yu, Guan Yu, Shi Sunrui, Lu Kang, Yang Biao, Xun You, and many others. Emperor Liu Xie would sing praises and personally write comments for each person who had made contributions to the Han Dynasty.

After walking around inside, Xun You finally came to his own portrait. As he looked at it, his eyes gradually welled up with tears. He thought of his former self, when he was single-minded and devoted to serving the court, loyal and selfless.

But now, for Cao Cao's sake, he is willing to go against the court and the emperor.

Xun You's tears flowed more and more, some tears of joy and some tears of regret.

He was fortunate enough to have His Majesty paint a portrait of him and comment on it.

Having led troops to Xudu this time, Xun You really wanted to erase this matter from his mind as soon as possible!

Xun You was eventually taken away, and Fang Hu and the others were also taken away by Taishi Ci in batches.

Upon seeing Jia Xu again, Xun Yu sighed and said, "Wenhe, I am very sorry about what happened tonight. I will not plead for my nephew. No matter how His Majesty deals with him, I will have no complaints. He has only himself to blame!"

There weren't many people that Jia Xu could admire, but Xun Yu was definitely one of them. He was fair and diligent. Although he was once particularly loyal to Cao Cao, he never neglected the emperor and always held goodwill towards the Han Dynasty.

If we're talking about who in this world wouldn't want the Han Dynasty to perish, Xun Yu is definitely one of them.

"Neither of us can make this decision on our own; we must consult His Majesty."

Jia Xu sighed. He could understand; Xun Yu certainly didn't want Xun You to be executed by the emperor.

It is even quite possible that the emperor will repeat the same tactic he used with Cheng Yu and Man Chong, handing Xun You over to Cao Cao for his personal execution.

Jia Xu wrote a letter truthfully and sent it to Youzhou as soon as possible.

Liu Xie received Jia Xu's letter and Liu Bei's letter almost simultaneously.

After reading Liu Bei's letter, Liu Xie asked Chen Gong, Zhao Yun, Lü Bu, and others, "Gentlemen, what do you think of this?"

Chen Gong followed Lü Bu the longest, and even though Lü Bu often disappointed him, Chen Gong still had deep feelings for Lü Bu.

Correspondingly, Chen Gong really couldn't bring himself to like Liu Bei.

Chen Gong let out a cold laugh and said, "Your Majesty, it is obvious that Liu Bei did not tell the truth. He only said lightly that he had advised Liu Qi not to come to Xuchang because he was too weak and worried that he could not withstand the hardships of the journey. In my opinion, Liu Bei deliberately prevented Liu Qi from coming to Xuchang. Liu Qi's death is inseparable from him!"

(End of this chapter)