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

Chapter 4, what are your thoughts?

Xiahou Dun sneered, "My lord, in this chaotic world, military power is the most important thing. Whoever has the strongest fist calls the shots. If we treat him as the emperor, he is the emperor; if we don't treat him as the emperor, he is nothing!"

Xiahou Yuan nodded in agreement. In any case, the generals around Cao Cao were all ruthless and capable fighters. They didn't take an emperor, who was being bullied and manipulated by so many people, seriously at all.

The general only worshipped military force and believed in strength, but Liu Xie had neither military force nor strength.

Cao Cao shook his head repeatedly, he absolutely disagreed with the generals' attitude.

He turned to Mao Jie and asked, "Xiaoxian, what do you think?"

Mao Jie was not tall and had a very serious expression; he was never one to smile.

Mao Jie shook his head and advised, "My lord, just as I told you before, we must serve the emperor to command the disobedient, and we cannot be negligent towards the emperor. The whole world is watching us. Anyone who dares to disrespect the emperor will have a disloyal heart and will inevitably incur infamy and be condemned by the people. My lord, you must think it over carefully!"

Cao Cao then looked at Xun Yu, "Wenruo, what about you?"

Xun Yu had already thought it through and said earnestly, "My lord, Xiaoxian and I think the same way. The current situation is very favorable to you. His Majesty trusts you greatly. This is much smoother than we expected before we came. You should treat him with sincerity. If the ruler and his ministers are in harmony, then nothing will be easy."

"His Majesty trusts you, and you respect His Majesty. Talented people from all over the world will surely flock to you and strive to serve you. If we treat His Majesty well, we can gather talent and popular support, which is exactly what you need most right now."

Xun Yu glanced at Cao Hong and the others, then said with a serious expression, “You all say that His Majesty has nothing, but I think he possesses the most priceless thing in the world.”

Cao Hong, unconvinced, asked, "What is it?"

Xun Yu uttered four words, one after another, "The greater good of the world!"

I am the world, and the emperor is the embodiment of righteousness!
This was ancient times; no one would say this was the world of ordinary people.

People will only say that this is the Han Dynasty's rule, and that this is the Liu family's rule.

Seeing Cao Cao deep in thought, Xun Yu reminded him again: "Your Majesty's foundation is not yet stable. This is the time to win over the people, recruit talented people, and work hard to govern. You must be cautious in everything you do. It is rare that His Majesty trusts you so much. You must make the most of this opportunity."

Cao Cao nodded, then glanced at Cao Ren and the others, and sternly instructed them: "Wenruo and Xiaoxian are absolutely right. From now on, you must all exercise strict self-restraint and maintain the proper etiquette between ruler and subject. Anyone who dares to overstep the bounds and offend the majesty of Heaven will be severely punished!"

"Here!"

Although Cao Ren and the others had some complaints, they dared not disobey Cao Cao's orders.

Cao Cao thought for a moment and then suddenly said, "From what I've observed, the Emperor is clearly somewhat flustered and nervous, yet he still has to grit his teeth and put on a brave face in front of us. That's quite interesting."

Cao Hong couldn't help but interject, "Isn't that because he considers himself a proper emperor?"

Mao Jie said, "Actually, it's not hard to understand. His Majesty is different from the Prince of Hongnong. He was exceptionally intelligent and resolute from a young age. When Dong Zhuo greeted him at Beiman Mountain, he dared to stand up and rebuke Dong Zhuo. This is not something an ordinary person could do. Moreover, I just learned that when passing through Huayin, Duan Wei came to greet him. Yang Ding and others were dissatisfied and wanted His Majesty to issue an edict to punish Duan Wei. However, His Majesty appreciated Duan Wei's loyalty and refused to issue the edict. Even though Yang Ding held military power, His Majesty did not yield. This shows that His Majesty has a certain degree of unyielding character."

Mao Jie was extremely meticulous. Just now, when Cao Cao was paying homage to the emperor, he secretly asked someone to find out what had happened during the emperor's return to the east.

Cao Cao frowned and sighed.

Xun Yu's eyes lit up, guessing Cao Cao's thoughts, "Is Your Excellency worried that His Majesty might have the idea of ​​seizing power and ruling personally after coming of age?"

Cao Cao feigned admiration, squinting at Xun Yu, "Your Majesty is exceptionally intelligent and unyielding; you truly possess the talent of a wise and virtuous ruler!"

Xun Yu was incredibly astute. He recognized the hidden malice in Cao Cao's words; they seemed like praise, but in reality, they were a sign of his growing suspicion.

While harboring suspicions about the emperor, Cao Cao was also testing Xun Yu. If Xun Yu also praised the emperor and expressed his willingness to follow such a wise ruler, then trouble would ensue, inevitably provoking Cao Cao's displeasure.

Cao Cao wanted Xun Yu to be loyal to him, not to the Han Dynasty.

Cao Cao was inherently suspicious. Even though Xun Yu was his right-hand man, it didn't mean he trusted him completely. Besides, Liu Xie had just bestowed honors upon Xun Yu.

Xun Yu pondered for a moment and then replied, "What you say is true. His Majesty is indeed exceptionally talented, with a kind face, extraordinary intelligence, and a touch of courage."

Cao Cao listened quietly, his brows twitching almost imperceptibly.

However, Xun Yu then changed the subject, saying, "This might not be a bad thing for you, my lord."

"Oh? Wenruo, please continue."

Xun Yu explained, “I think that even though His Majesty is mature beyond his years, he is still only a teenager. He is still inexperienced and his temperament is far from mature. Otherwise, he would not have rewarded us so generously. He wished he could bestow all the official positions that could be given to us. He gave the title of Grand General to you without even thinking about it.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Cao Cao's brows gradually relaxed.

"That's true, but why is that?"

Cao Cao also felt that the emperor was being a little too kind to him.

Upon meeting him, he appointed himself Grand General, practically handing over the throne to him.

Xun Yu said, “My lord, this is exactly what I wanted to say. Over the years, His Majesty has suffered countless hardships and been bullied. Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, Guo Si, and others held him in their hands and showed him no respect whatsoever. In addition, he fled all the way to Luoyang, where he was constantly on the verge of death. After experiencing so much, His Majesty’s arrival in Luoyang is like seeing the sun after the clouds have parted, and he has been freed from his suffering. How could he not be excited? How could he not be grateful to you and trust you?”

Cao Hong clapped his hands and said, "Yes, that seems to make sense."

"My lord, Dong Zhao requests an audience!"

Just as everyone was talking about Liu Xie, Cao Chun, who was on guard outside, strode in.

"Dong Zhao?" Cao Cao waved his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.

Cao Cao said calmly, "Let him in."

At this time, Cao Cao was still very wary of Dong Zhao.

A moment later, Dong Zhao walked in with a smile. Upon seeing Cao Cao, he immediately bowed and greeted him, "Greetings, General!"

Cao Cao was very familiar with him; Dong Zhao had followed Yuan Shao and Zhang Yang before.

He had previously written to Cao Cao and had advised Cao Cao to welcome the emperor.

Cao Cao does not fully trust Dong Zhao at the moment. After all, Dong Zhao is a rather flamboyant person. Although he has been corresponding with Cao Cao, Cao Cao can use someone whose stance is not clear, but he will not completely trust him.

Cao Cao feigned friendliness, smiling as he took Dong Zhao's hand, "Gongren, there's no need for formalities. We've been friends for a long time."

"My lord, then I won't stand on ceremony." Dong Zhao beamed, his address instantly becoming more intimate.

"What are your plans next, sir?" Dong Zhao glanced at everyone and asked in a low voice.

(End of this chapter)