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

Chapter 31, Cao Cao feigns unconsciousness

Fighting Cao Cao, taking advantage of Cao Cao, and then surrendering to Cao Cao—only Liu Bei could do something like that.

To put it nicely, this is called a true man who can bend and stretch; to put it bluntly, this is called…! (You can fill in the blanks yourself)
Zhang Fei strode over angrily. "Brother, we came to Cao Cao to seek refuge, which is an honor for him. Yet Cao Cao avoids us. He is truly arrogant. We should seek refuge elsewhere. With the three of us brothers, where in the world can't we find a place to stay?"

Liu Bei shook his head, his face full of worry, "Yide speaks so lightly, but the world is so vast, where can we go to seek refuge?"

Mi Zhu thought for a moment and said, “I think we should go to Xuchang to see Cao Cao again tomorrow. As long as we show sincerity, Cao Cao will eventually see us. Now Cao Cao represents the court, and the emperor is in Xuchang. If he insists on making things difficult for us, people will think that Cao Cao is narrow-minded and intolerant.”

Cao Cao's control over the emperor and his ability to command the world was a double-edged sword. It enhanced Cao Cao's political prestige, but it also made him consider the face of the court and prevent him from doing things arbitrarily.

For example, if Liu Bei came to seek refuge, even if Cao Cao harbored resentment, he had to consider the consequences and couldn't just kill Liu Bei directly.

The same principle applies to Liu Xie. Cao Cao can bestow titles and rewards upon the people at will, but he must also give the emperor a certain degree of respect. If he pushes too hard, Cao Cao will become the target of public criticism and be regarded as the second Dong Zhuo!
Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves rang out in the distance.

The village where Liu Bei lived was an abandoned village, where travelers and merchants often stopped to rest.

A young man in white robes rode up on a magnificent horse that galloped swiftly and quickly came to a stop.

Liu Bei looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man with a fair complexion, handsome features, thick eyebrows, and a dashing figure. He was overjoyed and quickly ran over, "Zilong, it's you! What brings you here?"

Liu Bei was so excited that he couldn't contain his excitement, thinking that Zhao Yun had come to join him.

Given the circumstances, Liu Bei couldn't help but think that he had come to Xuchang in distress and needed help just when Zhao Yun happened to appear, as if in a dream.

Liu Bei followed Gongsun Zan and had a good relationship with him. Both of them were students of Lu Zhi. Gongsun Zan also took good care of Liu Bei, appointing him as the Prefect of Pingyuan and later as the Magistrate of Gaotang.

None of that matters. What matters is that Liu Bei discovered Zhao Yun's talent in Gongsun Zan's camp.

Zhao Yun was both a scholar and a warrior, with exceptional skills. He was humble, low-key, gentle, and unrestrained. His martial prowess was in no way inferior to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. This discovery made Liu Bei feel like he had found a treasure.

Upon meeting Zhao Yun for the first time, Liu Bei made up his mind: I'm determined to win over this guy!

From then on, Liu Bei often had long talks with Zhao Yun, and they even slept side by side. Whenever he had the chance, he would keep Zhao Yun by his side.

Even when he went to Xuzhou to fight Cao Cao, he took Zhao Yun with him.

Unexpectedly, in Xuchang, a foreign land, Liu Bei met an old friend. He grabbed Zhao Yun's hands and laughed excitedly, "This must be fate. Could it be that Zilong knew I was here and came to seek refuge with me?"

Based on their friendship, Liu Bei guessed that Zhao Yun would say, "Yes, I have come to join you, and I am willing to follow you and serve you at your beck and call!"

However, Zhao Yun shook his head awkwardly, hesitated for a moment, and then replied, "My lord, I have come to seek refuge with His Majesty."

"This this…"

Liu Bei stared in shock, his eyes widening, and couldn't help but release Zhao Yun's hands.

"Zilong, I didn't hear you clearly. What did you just say?"

"My lord, I have come to seek refuge with His Majesty. And you are here?"

Liu Bei was still reluctant to believe it, but he knew that Zhao Yun never lied; he was always free-spirited, straightforward, and honest.

Liu Bei suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if his most beloved treasure had been snatched away.

Seeing that Zhao Yun was still looking at him, waiting for an answer, Liu Bei replied, "I have also come to seek refuge with Your Majesty."

Zhao Yun laughed, "Really? That's wonderful! This way, my lord and I can stand side by side again in the future." Zhao Yun genuinely believed that Liu Bei had also come to seek refuge with the emperor, but Liu Bei simply thought it sounded better that way.

After all, Xuchang is now the capital of the Han Dynasty. To say that he is surrendering to Cao Cao doesn't sound very good. It would be better to say that he is surrendering to the emperor, which sounds much more prestigious.

As a member of the Han imperial family, Liu Bei could find some solace in this.

Zhao Yun sighed, "Xudu is under lockdown now, and we can't enter the city for the time being. It seems we'll have to stay here tonight."

A glint of light flashed in Liu Bei's eyes. This was an opportunity, and he wanted to try again to persuade Zhao Yun to change his mind.

What future could one have by seeking refuge with the emperor?
Liu Bei adjusted his mindset, took Zhao Yun's hand, asked him many questions, and began to chat amiably.

How about we sleep side by side again tonight, Zilong?

…………

Cao Cao remained kneeling outside the palace. The hard, rough stone floor was uncomfortable, and he couldn't stand it for more than an hour. However, Liu Xie still did not come out.

This made Cao Cao gradually realize that this time, the emperor seemed to be truly angry.

As darkness approached, Cao Cao was clearly exhausted. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he remembered how he had tricked his father when he was a child.

When Cao Cao was young, he loved to play and didn't like to study. His uncle often complained about him, so Cao Cao would deliberately lie on the ground and pretend to be crazy to scare his father.

This trick really works.

However, Cao Cao now held a prestigious position and controlled several prefectures and counties, so he could no longer feign madness. He deliberately rolled his eyes, pretending that he couldn't bear it and fainted on the ground.

A eunuch who witnessed this scene was shocked and cried out in alarm, "Minister Cao has fainted!"

This time, Liu Xie could no longer sit idly by. He hurriedly pushed Consort Dong aside and ran out from inside.

Seeing that Cao Cao had indeed fallen to the ground, his eyes closed and his body motionless, he looked quite frightening.

Consort Dong also ran out, and was startled when she saw what was happening.

Liu Xie stepped forward, squatted down, and reached out to check Cao Cao's nostrils. He found that Cao Cao was still breathing and everything seemed normal.

Liu Xie knew in his heart that Cao Cao was putting on an act. He was in such good health that he could ride a horse and charge into battle. How could he possibly faint after kneeling for a while?

Liu Xie hurriedly shouted, "Come here! Summon the imperial physician! Treat Cao Cao immediately! It's all my fault. Cao Cao is a pillar of the nation. We must do everything we can to save him!"

After a while, the imperial physician Ling Jiping rushed over in a panic.

Liu Xie instructed, "Quickly step aside and let Ji Ping examine Lord Cao."

Ji Ping pushed through the crowd, about to take Cao Cao's pulse, when Cao Cao coughed and slowly opened his eyes.

The imperial physician took his pulse, but Cao Cao didn't think he could fool the physician.

He waved his hand weakly, "I am fine, but I have been traveling for days and haven't had time to rest, which is why I collapsed on the ground."

Liu Xie supported him with his hand, "Lord Cao, you've worked hard. I originally thought that only you could replace me and rule the world, but I didn't expect you to be so stubborn and refuse to accept the abdication!"

(End of this chapter)