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

Xun Yu looked at Jia Xu and couldn't help but ask, "Wenhe, what exactly is His Majesty's attitude towards the aristocratic families?"

Jia Xu smiled and said, "His Majesty naturally values ​​aristocratic families; otherwise, he wouldn't have sent me here to explain all this to you."

Xun Yu didn't think much of it, and the other officials in the Ministry of Personnel breathed a sigh of relief when they heard their conversation.

Most of them were from prominent families, for whom being from a prominent family was both an honor and a symbol of status.

After leaving the Imperial Secretariat, Jia Xu went to a side hall alone, where Liu Xie was holding his two-year-old son Liu Xi and comforting the child.

Liu Xie was often away from Xudu and didn't spend much time with his son. Before he knew it, the little guy was already two years old.

Lü Bu's daughter, Lü Lingqi, is also pregnant recently. Because of Cao Cao's dissatisfaction with preserving his strength, Liu Xie's bad mood has been somewhat alleviated.

Upon meeting Jia Xu, Liu Xie handed his son over to the eunuch Zhang Yu, who tactfully took the little boy and left.

Liu Xie waved his hand and said to Jia Xu, "Sit down!"

Jia Xu quickly bowed and thanked him for the seat. After sitting down, Jia Xu said, "In my opinion, Your Majesty's establishment of the academy is such a trivial matter that there is no need to explain it to the aristocratic families."

Liu Xie shook his head. "This matter is of utmost importance. We must take the reactions of the powerful families seriously. I have you pass a message to Xun Yu, and then Xun Yu will handle this matter. This will prevent any dissatisfaction from arising."

Jia Xu said, "Your Majesty is worrying too much."

Liu Xie stood up. "If it's just about establishing one academy, there's no need to make a fuss. But what if it's ten, a hundred, or even more?"

"Your Majesty understands. As long as no one objects this time, Your Majesty can continue to promote this matter. Even if more academies appear in the future, the aristocratic families will not come out to obstruct it."

Liu Xie said earnestly, "Wenhe, this world needs many scholars. It's not just officials who need scholars; all walks of life need them. My establishment of an academy this time is merely a first step. What are your thoughts on the aristocratic families?"

Jia Xu said, “The powerful families are like towering trees, their roots intertwined. They are deeply entrenched, intermarrying and bound by shared interests, which is indeed a huge obstacle for Your Majesty. No matter what, if you can get the support of the powerful families, you will surely achieve twice the result with half the effort. If the powerful families obstruct you, you will face many difficulties and achieve half the result with twice the effort. But since Your Majesty is working for the benefit of all people, you must keep the powerful families under your control in the future. If you want to control the powerful families, you cannot be too merciful.”

Jia Xu only cared about the outcome when devising strategies; he didn't care whether the process was too ruthless.

Previously, Jia Xu was relatively low-key, but ever since he followed Liu Xie, whenever Liu Xie asked him for advice, Jia Xu would never hold back and would always devise a plan.

Clearly, Jia Xu hoped that Liu Xie would take more forceful measures to intimidate some powerful families, and even, if necessary, wield the butcher's knife!

Because politics has always been dark and bloody!

Liu Xie frowned. If he weren't worried about the powerful families interfering, he would have tried every means to establish as many schools as possible in various places.

"Let's leave it at that for now. The world is not yet at peace, and we can't rush things."

Jia Xu nodded and then suggested, "Your Majesty's most urgent task is to take advantage of Cao Cao's presence in Jingzhou and quickly pacify the Central Plains."

"Indeed, that is exactly what I was thinking."

Since Cao Cao wanted to preserve his strength, Liu Xie simply let him have his way.

Suddenly remembering something, Liu Xie said, "Gan Ning is still in Changsha. What does Wenhe think? Should I give them an order?"

Jia Xu pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Your Majesty, Cao Cao and Sun Quan are now irreconcilable enemies after this battle. Gan Ning is caught in the middle and will have little chance to make a move. Perhaps Your Majesty should recall Gan Ning first."

"Once Gan Ning is recalled, the Jingnan region will inevitably become a battleground between Sun Quan and Cao Cao. Let them fight if they want, so Your Majesty can concentrate on pacifying the Central Plains. Your Majesty might as well let Liu Bei know a little about this, so as to prevent Cao Cao from taking over Jingnan first."

"Alright, I haven't seen Gan Ning for a long time either, and I haven't seen General Huang since he surrendered to the court."

"By the way, Wenhe, I heard that your family moved to Xudu a long time ago, but none of your sons have entered officialdom yet. What are your thoughts on this?"

Jia Xu had three sons: Jia Mu, Jia Fang, and Jia Ji.

Jia Xu's three sons were all grown up, but he never thought about planning their future.

Because Jia Xu had a bad reputation, he didn't have many friends in Xudu, and no one recommended his son.

Jia Xu is now serving as the magistrate of Xudu, a position that is inherently prone to offending people. In addition, he previously advised Li Jue and others to launch a counterattack against Chang'an and had followed Zhang Xiu. Therefore, in the vast city of Xudu, apart from Liu Xie taking Lu Xun as a student for him, very few people are willing to take the initiative to associate with Jia Xu on a daily basis.

"Why does Your Majesty suddenly ask these questions today? Has my son done something inappropriate?"

Liu Xie's proactive concern made Jia Xu somewhat wary.

Liu Xie laughed, "Wenhe, you're overthinking it. You serve me diligently by my side, so why can't I care about your family?"

Jia Xu seemed a little embarrassed, and Liu Xie comforted him, "You've been by my side for quite some time now, so don't worry. I'm not one to hold grudges. It's just a pity that Cao Cao is overthinking things this time. He's worried about gains and losses, afraid that if he destroys Jiangdong, I will settle accounts with him."

"Now that you are working for me, you are naturally of one mind with me. As parents, which one doesn't want their children to have a bright future? Does Wenhe not want them to get involved in officialdom?"

Jia Xu quickly shook his head, "That's not it, it's just..."

Liu Xie waved his hand to stop him, "Wenhe, you don't need to say anymore. I will test them when I have time. If they are truly talented, I will naturally arrange their placement accordingly. It would be my fault to leave talented people idle at home."

Liu Xie took the initiative to take responsibility, wanting to dispel Jia Xu's concerns.

Liu Xie could completely understand Jia Xu's reluctance to let his son enter officialdom because of his own bad reputation.

After chatting with Jia Xu for a while, Liu Xie strolled out onto the street. Since arriving in this world, Liu Xie's favorite thing to do was to go shopping.

Shopping not only helps Liu Xie relax, but also allows him to better experience the world and thus fully integrate into it.

Xuchang has a simple and honest folk culture, and its public security is much stricter than in other places. Although the streets are bustling, they are orderly and not chaotic at all.

Moreover, the common people seemed to have become accustomed to seeing the emperor, and with guards accompanying Liu Xie, there were no large crowds gathering to watch. Gradually, Liu Xie arrived at the western edge of the city, which was far from the main urban area. There were far fewer houses, making it more like the suburbs, and it became much quieter.

Liu Xie strolled along the road without a specific destination, simply wandering around.

Suddenly a woman appeared in front of them, wearing a plain dress, holding a knife in her right hand and a hen in her other hand.

Realizing her life was about to end, the hen frantically flapped and struggled, desperately trying to escape.

Seeing that the woman was dressed in fine clothes and did not seem to be a peasant woman, Liu Xie stopped in his tracks with great interest.

The next moment, the woman swiftly swung her hand and made a clean, swift cut across the chicken's neck. Blood gushed out immediately, and the chicken struggled violently, but the commotion soon subsided.

The young woman stood there quietly, motionless, watching calmly.

Her snow-white dress remained untouched by chicken blood from beginning to end.

After a while, the woman noticed that someone was watching her and looked up at Liu Xie.

The two locked eyes, and Liu Xie vaguely felt that the man looked familiar. After a while, Liu Xie smiled and walked over, his pace noticeably quicker than before.

As Liu Xie approached, his expression became noticeably agitated. The more he looked at this woman, the more she resembled Consort Tang, the wife of Liu Bian, the Prince of Hongnong. In fact, Consort Tang was Liu Xie's sister-in-law.

The woman paused for a moment, carefully examining Liu Xie. She seemed somewhat hesitant, after all, Liu Xie had changed a lot over the years. He was only a teenager when he left Chang'an, but now he was over twenty and had grown into an adult.

He became more upright and handsome, especially Liu Xie, whose aura was completely different from when he was timid and submissive.

"His Majesty!"

After a long while, the woman finally recognized Liu Xie, dropped the chicken in her hand, and bowed gracefully, saying, "Your Majesty, I, the Princess Consort of Hongnong, pay my respects."

Liu Xie wanted to reach out to help her up, but then felt that there was a difference between men and women, so he waved his hand and said, "Get up quickly. Where have you been all these years, Consort Tang? Why haven't we heard a word from you?"

Liu Bian was poisoned by Dong Zhuo and died, but Tang Ying did not die with him. For a time, she returned home. Her father, who was the governor of Kuaiji at the time, wanted her to remarry, but Tang Ying refused.

After Li Jue captured Chang'an, he saw that she was beautiful and had once been the young emperor's woman, so he had evil thoughts about her and wanted to forcibly marry her. Tang Ying resisted to the death, and in the end Li Jue had no choice but to give up.

When Liu Xie heard about Tang Ying's situation, he brought her to the palace and had her well taken care of. However, when she returned to Luoyang, she unfortunately got separated from him. Since then, Liu Xie had sent people to inquire about her, but he had never heard from her.

Unexpectedly, Tang Ying had changed a lot when they met again. Liu Xie pointed to the dead hen on the ground and laughed, "You used to be so reluctant to kill chickens, let alone do it. Now you do it so skillfully. It seems you have changed a lot over the years."

Tang Ying forced a smile. "Your Majesty, my humble abode is simple. If Your Majesty does not mind, please come in and sit down. My affairs are too numerous to recount in just a few words."

Liu Xie nodded and went into the house. Although Tang Ying's clothes and appearance were not like those of ordinary people, the furnishings in her home were very simple.

There were only three bamboo houses, without even a servant, and the houses were not properly furnished.

There were many flowers planted in front of and behind the house, all kinds of flowers, vying for beauty and fragrance.

Next, Tang Ying put aside what she was doing and recounted her experiences over the years.

It turned out that after she got separated from the group, she returned to her hometown. Although her father did not force her to remarry, the relationship between the two fathers and daughters was not good.

Given Tang Ying's sensitive identity, she rarely went out. Later, her parents died one after another from illness, leaving her with no relatives. Tang Ying then left her hometown.

A woman with no one to rely on, wandering alone in a chaotic world, the hardships she endured are unimaginable, but Tang Ying gritted her teeth and persevered.

She even learned swordsmanship from someone, and was no longer the helpless woman she once was.

After many twists and turns, Tang Ying finally arrived in Xudu.

"Now that you've come to Xuchang, why don't you come and find me?"

Liu Xie meant well, but even he felt a little embarrassed after saying those words.

Tang Ying sighed softly and replied, "I have heard many people mention Your Majesty's affairs. Your Majesty is dedicated to governing the country and has the world at your fingertips. I have been living well on my own all these years and have gotten used to it."

Tang Ying was Liu Bian's woman. If Liu Xie were to bring her to the palace, it would not only make her feel restricted, but their identities would also become very awkward.

"If you are doing well and do not want to come to the palace with me, I can completely understand. I will not force you. I'm afraid you are no longer used to the deep palace."

Tang Ying nodded. "If His Majesty hadn't called me Consort Tang today, it would have been many years since anyone called me that. I've gotten used to living the life of an ordinary person."

Liu Xie nodded again. As a time traveler, he could completely understand that freedom was more important to Tang Ying. She was much better off being free on her own than staying in the palace.

Liu Xie thought for a moment, but still couldn't help asking, "Brother Wang has been gone for many years. I know you were deeply devoted to him, but you are still young. You can't go on like this forever. What are your plans for the future?"

Tang Ying shook her head and said softly, "Your Majesty, I have really gotten used to being alone. Although I have been lonely these past few years, I am at peace. Every now and then, I will go back to Hongnong to visit my late husband."

Liu Xie was immediately filled with admiration. "Very well, from now on, don't be distant from me. If you have time, you can go to the palace to visit the Empress and the others. It's been so many years since we last met. Empress Fu and Consort Dong often mention you. Everyone misses you."

Tang Ying nodded in agreement. Liu Xie glanced at Zhao Yun, who was standing to the side, and felt that it was not appropriate for the two grown men to stay there any longer, so he smiled and said goodbye and left.

Liu Xie was really happy that at least Tang Ying was safe and sound. She was alone now, and it seemed that she was doing alright.

On the way back, Zhao Yun suggested, "Your Majesty, why don't you go back and have someone send her some money? After all, she is the Princess Consort of Hongnong. It wouldn't be good for her to live in poverty."

Liu Xie shook his head. "No need. I'm afraid money has become something external to her. Besides, if she knew it was sent by me, why would she accept it?" (End of Chapter)