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

Liu Xie raised his wine cup and laughed, "Let's not dwell on these old stories. Over the years, I have followed the Prime Minister and broadened my horizons and gained valuable experience. If the world is pacified, half of the credit will go to the Prime Minister."

Xun Yu was also happy for Cao Cao. The emperor valued Cao Cao highly. Even though Cao Cao had acted arrogantly and monopolized power, the emperor had a broad mind and remembered Cao Cao's contributions to the Han Dynasty more than any grievances he had suffered.

Wang Kui and Dian Man brought over steaming hot venison, and Liu Xie said with a smile, "Come, come, eat it while it's hot."

As the wine flowed freely, Liu Xie became interested. He stood up, looked at Cao Cao, and proposed, "Prime Minister, how about it? Would you be interested in having a swordsmanship contest with me?"

Cao Cao was taken aback for a moment, but Xun Yu became somewhat nervous and hurriedly advised, "Your Majesty, we are in high spirits with wine and conversation. If we were to have a sword fight, it might spoil your mood. Perhaps we should reschedule for another day."

Liu Xie smiled and slowly drew his Qinggang sword. Although he was smiling, it was clear that Liu Xie was very opinionated and would not easily change his mind once he decided to do something.

Cao Cao didn't think much of it and stood up as well. When they met, Cao Cao handed his sword to Dian Wei, who was standing next to him, and then took the Yitian Sword from Dian Wei.

"Since Your Majesty has such an interest, I humbly accept."

Zhao Yun looked at Liu Xie, lost in thought. In other matters, Zhao Yun might not be as perceptive as Xun Yu or Xun You, but when it came to swordsmanship, Zhao Yun had a lot to say.

Over the years, the emperor has never neglected his studies. Whether he was busy or idle, he never stopped practicing swordsmanship.

It seems like a very simple thing, but persisting in it day after day, year after year, is not so simple.

The two left the pavilion and came to an open space outside, where Liu Xie and Cao Cao stood facing each other.

Liu Xie held a long sword, his smile gradually fading, replaced by a serious expression as he fixed his gaze on Cao Cao.

Liu Xie's changing expression naturally did not escape Cao Cao's notice. Cao Cao instinctively became somewhat wary. He was always suspicious, so could His Majesty possibly be a threat to him?
This thought only lingered in his mind for a moment. How could His Majesty do such a thing? He had already expressed his submission.

Cao Cao took a deep breath and straightened his body.

With his sword held horizontally, Liu Xie reminded him, "Prime Minister, I want to have a sword duel with you, not a sword dance. Don't hold back."

Cao Cao nodded. "Your subject understands."

Liu Xie gripped the Qinggang Sword tightly, his eyes suddenly changing. He took the initiative and charged towards Cao Cao with lightning speed. A flash of cold light shot out and slashed down fiercely towards Cao Cao's chest.

Cao Cao neither dodged nor evaded, but raised his sword high to parry and counterattack. With a clang, the sound of metal clashing rang out, the sound was intense, and sparks flew.

Cao Cao was a seasoned warrior who frequently charged into battle, and among the many famous generals of the late Han Dynasty, he was one of them.

An expert can tell a lot just by looking at their work!

Liu Xie's swordsmanship was sharp, his expression cold and stern. The Qinggang sword brought a strong wind, and each strike was faster than the last. Combined with Liu Xie's agile and nimble movements, he quickly gained the upper hand.

Cao Cao also became more serious, but he was still wary of the emperor's status and did not use his full strength.

After the two fought for a while, Liu Xie suddenly said, "Prime Minister, I order you to use your full strength."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Liu Xie brought his sword down with a whoosh, the blade almost grazing Cao Cao's face.

Xun Yu, who was watching from the sidelines, broke out in a cold sweat and muttered, "Everything was fine just now, how did it suddenly turn into this?"

Zhao Yun suddenly remembered that it was in Xutian that Cao Cao had once challenged the emperor to a sword fight, which was considered a public humiliation of the emperor.

Although the emperor doesn't hold grudges, on that occasion, Liu Xie was outmatched and lost!

So this time, Liu Xie proposed a sword duel to show Cao Cao that he was no longer the same person he used to be.

Liu Xie gave the order and his swordsmanship increased rapidly, so Cao Cao had no choice but to grit his teeth and exert more force, his expression becoming increasingly serious.

Once Cao Cao got into the zone, Liu Xie smiled with satisfaction. The two exchanged blows, their two famous swords, Qinggang Sword and Yitian Sword, clashing repeatedly and emitting dazzling sparks.

The clash of swords and the flashing figures made Xun Yu's heart pound with fear, and he broke out in a cold sweat for the two of them.

However, after watching for a while, Xun Yu was also shocked. He did not expect that the emperor, who was always gentle and smiling, would have such high swordsmanship. Even he, who did not know much about swords, could see that the emperor had been suppressing Cao Cao and had the upper hand from beginning to end.

Soon, Cao Cao's clothes were torn. Shocked, Cao Cao had no choice but to show his true skills and stop holding back.

The contest between the two became increasingly intense. Cao Cao, with his own pride and unwillingness to admit defeat, was naturally very unhappy about being constantly suppressed.

However, despite Cao Cao's serious approach and increased offensive, Liu Xie maintained the upper hand, his sword moving swiftly and nearly striking Liu Xie's vitals several times.

Liu Xie sidestepped Cao Cao's attack with agile footwork, then suddenly leaped up like a soaring eagle, reaching Cao Cao with astonishing speed. He then swung his longsword, delivering a powerful blow that Cao Cao had no way to dodge.

Cao Cao stumbled and took a few steps back. Liu Xie's sword followed him like a shadow, approaching Cao Cao with incredible speed. Cao Cao felt a cold wind, leaving him no time to dodge. Xun Yu cried out in alarm, but Liu Xie had already firmly sheathed his sword.

Liu Xie quickly sheathed his sword, a move that went unnoticed by many, thus saving face for Cao Cao.

It would certainly be cool to put a sword to his neck, but it would also seem too domineering.

Although Cao Cao was fifty years old, his swordsmanship had not declined. Standing there, Cao Cao recalled the battle just now and sincerely praised, "Your Majesty's swordsmanship has indeed improved a lot over the years. I am humbled and am grateful for Your Majesty's mercy."

Cao Cao still remembers when the former emperor first arrived in Xuchang. At that time, the emperor did not know how to practice swordsmanship, and he was far inferior to Cao Cao when they went hunting in Xutian last time.

But this time, Cao Cao was impressed.

The fact that Cao Cao did not regress only proves that the emperor has made tremendous progress!
Cao Cao seemed to understand the emperor's intention in holding this sword competition: he was proving to himself that everything he had achieved today was the result of his own hard work.

The emperor has grown up and become stronger. Anyone who dares to provoke him or underestimate him will pay the price.

Liu Xie smiled and pulled Cao Cao into the pavilion again, saying, "After stretching your muscles and feeling refreshed, come on, let's continue drinking."

Cao Cao was able to take it all in stride and didn't feel he had lost face because of the sword fight.

The two drank and chatted, and the banquet lasted from noon until evening.

As the sun set, the entire world was bathed in its afterglow, and the earth was painted with a magnificent scene.

Liu Xie pointed to Xuchang and said to Cao Cao, "Prime Minister, it's rare for you to come back. It's getting late. Would you like to come into the city with me and stay for a few days so you can see your family?"

Although he had drunk quite a bit, Cao Cao was still relatively sober. He shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, I will not enter the city. Fengxiao reminded me to be careful this time to avoid any leaks."

"When will you go back?"

Cao Cao stood up and glanced reluctantly at Xu in the distance. "Your Majesty, I will set off now. If I have time at the end of the year, I will return."

Liu Xie took Cao Cao's hand and nodded, "Prime Minister, you've been traveling back and forth so much, it must have been hard work."

Cao Cao smiled and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. I acted arrogantly before, but Your Majesty was lenient and did not hold it against me. Now I want to take advantage of my good health to serve the court more."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Liu Xie said "good" three times in a row. He had been waiting for this day for far too long.

If Cao Cao had been like this from the beginning, that would have been wonderful. But it's not too late now.

Liu Xie personally saw Cao Cao off, accompanying him for quite a distance before stopping. Cao Cao truly felt the emperor's concern for him and couldn't help but feel regret. He said to Xun You, "If only Your Majesty and I could have reconciled sooner. What have we been fighting for all these years?"

Xun You shook his head. “Prime Minister, I think His Majesty said something quite right. Everything follows the law of cause and effect. There is no effect without a cause. If you and your ministers had not experienced those hardships back then, how would you know how hard-won today’s success is?”

Cao Cao nodded. "That's right. It's easy to say now, but if you asked me to start from the beginning, with thousands of troops in my hands, and not fight for anything, that would obviously be impossible."

Having figured everything out, Cao Cao felt much lighter. Fueled by the wine, he spurred his horse and galloped straight towards Jingzhou.

…………

Liaodong, Xiangping!
The governor of Liaodong, Gongsun Du, had passed away. His body was finally laid to rest amidst the farewells of all the civil and military officials. Everyone wiped away their tears and, without any controversy, unanimously supported Gongsun Du's eldest son, Gongsun Kang, to succeed him.

Gongsun Kang naturally inherited his father's title and took on the role of Governor of Pingzhou.

Gongsun Kang also possessed the same unyielding personality as his father. He resolutely implemented Gongsun Du's iron-fisted policies and paid no attention to the surrounding forces, wishing he could annex Goguryeo and other powers as soon as possible.

However, before he could even finish celebrating his new appointment, bad news arrived.

Before dawn that day, a fast horse arrived at the city of Xiangping, startling the soldiers guarding the city.

Upon seeing that it was a messenger from their own side, the soldiers guarding the city hurriedly opened the city gates, and the messenger rushed into Gongsun Kang's prefectural residence, waking up Gongsun Kang, who was still holding a woman in his arms.

Gongsun Kang hurriedly put on his clothes and went to the hall.

"What happened? You disturbed my peaceful dream." Gongsun Kang was abruptly awakened and was very displeased.

"My lord, something terrible has happened! Zhang Liao, the governor of Youzhou, has personally led an army of 30,000 and has arrived at Liucheng. They are marching towards our border." (End of Chapter)