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

Chapter 33: Should Liu Bei be spared or killed?

Liu Xie hurriedly came out and said with concern, "Lord Cao, I'm sorry to have troubled you with my safety. Rest assured, I will be careful wherever I go in the future, and nothing will happen to me!"

Liu Xie reached out and helped Cao Cao up. Cao Cao felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and fainted again with a thud.

The last time was an act, but this time it's for real. I've been kneeling for far too long!

"Imperial Physician, Imperial Physician..." Liu Xie called out hurriedly.

When Cao Cao woke up again, it was already very late at night. He was carried back to the Sikong Mansion and returned to his home.

Standing beside the bed was a charming and beautiful woman with a pair of large, alluring, and vibrant eyes, with extremely dark and bright pupils, a pointed chin, a round forehead, and her hair piled high in a bun.

Although the woman was beautiful, she dressed simply and without heavy makeup, presenting herself with exquisite taste.

She was Lady Bian, originally a courtesan. Although she sold her art but not her body, her status was still very low. However, Cao Cao fell in love with her at first sight and never looked down on her, showing her great affection.

Cao Cao rubbed his head, still feeling a bit dizzy. He glanced at Lady Bian and asked, "What time is it now?"

It is already 7:45 PM.

In ancient times, a day was divided into twelve two-hour periods, each two-hour period was divided into eight quarters, and each quarter was equivalent to fifteen minutes.

It's 8 PM.

It was completely dark when Cao Cao sat up. Just as Lady Bian was about to put her pillow behind his back, Cao Cao waved his hand and got out of bed. "Summon Guo Jia and Xun Yu. I want to see them."

Lady Bian hurriedly sent someone to deliver a message. There had been many things to do these past few days, and Xun Yu and Guo Jia hadn't had a break either. Before long, the two of them arrived together.

Upon entering the room, just as he was about to bow, Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities. Wenruo, Fengxiao, has the news of today's events been spread?"

This was what Cao Cao was most concerned about. Guo Jia shook his head. "Apart from the ministers who came to welcome you, my lord, there are only the soldiers guarding the south gate. Apart from them, no one else knows anything."

Cao Cao's expression suddenly turned serious, and a fierce glint appeared in his eyes. "Kill Deng Zhan's entire family. Have Cao Hong find an opportunity to replace all the soldiers guarding the south gate today, and then..."

At this point, Cao Cao made a murderous gesture with a fierce wave of his hand.

Guo Jia understood immediately and nodded, "Understood!"

Politics, throughout history, has been accompanied by ruthless killing.

Cao Cao showed no mercy even when massacring entire cities, and he didn't even flinch when killing a few gatekeepers.

Xun Yu was shocked, but Cao Cao then said, "Fortunately, His Majesty did not make a scene in the street, otherwise, it would have been very troublesome to deal with."

"As for those ministers, I will handle them myself!"

After making his decision, Cao Cao thought about it again to make sure nothing was overlooked before asking, "What do you think of His Majesty's extraordinary actions today?"

Guo Jia said, "I don't think it's a big deal. His Majesty still trusts you very much. After all, you are the emperor. Perhaps you're tired of staying in the city and want to go out and see the world. Military campaigns are important to you, but for His Majesty, they're just more interesting."

No one believed that Liu Xie had any intention of seizing power.

In fact, Liu Xie did not intend to seize power from Cao Cao. Competing with Cao Cao for power would only escalate the conflict, and if Cao Cao turned against him, it would bring Liu Xie no benefit whatsoever.

Cao Cao coerced the emperor to command the feudal lords, but Liu Xie only wanted to do the opposite and coerce Cao Cao to command the world!

However, the contest between the two has only just begun, and Liu Xie is currently at a significant disadvantage.

Xun Yu had a very good impression of Liu Xie after their conversation, and he did not want Liu Xie to be restricted too much, so he said, "If Your Majesty really wants to go out and see the world, that is fine, but you must ensure his safety."

Cao Cao rolled his eyes a few times, paced back and forth in the room a few times, then suddenly stopped and said, "I always feel that His Majesty is doing this on purpose; he doesn't really intend to abdicate."

Guo Jia laughed, “My lord, you and I are of the same mind. It’s like a child asking his parents for candy. His Majesty is testing your bottom line. He doesn’t want to be too restricted, so he will naturally try to gain benefits for himself. As long as his mind is not on seizing power, you can rest assured.”

Cao Cao snorted coldly, "This time, I'll let him off the hook for now. If he thinks I'm afraid of him and dares to cause trouble for people again, I'll definitely teach him a lesson."

While speaking, Cao Cao kept his eyes fixed on Xun Yu.

He knew that Xun Yu genuinely sympathized with the emperor and cared about the reputation of the Han dynasty.

Sure enough, Xun Yu's brows furrowed slightly, and Cao Cao's eyes, sharp as lightning, caught this subtle expression.

"Alright, let's drop this matter. After all, His Majesty is still a child. Young people like excitement and want to go out and see the world, which is nothing unusual."

Cao Cao waved his hand, changing the subject, and then looked at Guo Jia to inquire about Liu Bei.

Guo Jia replied truthfully, "Liu Bei has indeed suffered a defeat and now has nowhere to go, so he has come to seek refuge with you, my lord."

"Liu Bei is a member of the Han imperial family. Do you think His Majesty will try to get closer to Liu Bei and bring him into his fold?"

Cao Cao was extremely meticulous; even before meeting Liu Bei, he had already considered many things.

Guo Jia smiled and shook his head. "I'm afraid not. His Majesty trusts you greatly and has helped you many times, such as getting merchants to donate money and proposing the land reclamation policy. You can rest assured."

Cao Cao nodded and then asked, "Liu Bei has come to seek refuge. Should I keep him or kill him?"

Cao Cao was no stranger to Liu Bei. When the warlords attacked Dong Zhuo, he had already witnessed the extraordinary abilities of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. Not long ago, when Cao Cao attacked Xuzhou, Liu Bei became a stumbling block for Cao Cao to seize Xuzhou.

Xun Yu uttered a startling statement: "I believe he should be killed!"

Cao Cao was quite surprised, but secretly delighted.

Xun Yu had great sympathy for the Han dynasty and great admiration for the emperor. Logically, he should have advised against killing Liu Bei, since Liu Bei was a member of the Han imperial family.

However, Xun Yu's attitude precisely demonstrates that he was loyal to Cao Cao, and that he leaned more towards Cao Cao's side than the Han Dynasty.

Cao Cao was in a great mood and hurriedly asked, "Wenruo, tell me about it."

Xun Yu said, "Liu Bei is flexible and never willing to remain subordinate to others for long. He is a rare hero in the world. Although he is currently weak, he is by no means a fish in a pond. Once he has the opportunity, he will surely rise rapidly and soar to the sky like a dragon."

Cao Cao squinted and nodded with a smile, "Back when the warlords were fighting against Dong Zhuo, I had already seen it. At that time, facing so many warlords, Liu Bei was ranked last, yet he remained neither humble nor arrogant, and remained calm and composed. This man is definitely not simple. The battle of the three heroes against Lü Bu at Hulao Pass made the world look at him with new eyes!"

(End of this chapter)