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

Chapter 6, Each with Their Own Little Calculations

"Oh? Tell me quickly, what did you see and hear?" Cao Cao hurriedly pressed.

Cao Ren recounted everything he had just heard, adding, "His Majesty has repeatedly said that our lord is the most loyal minister of the Han Dynasty. In the short time I've been inside, I've heard him say it twice already."

Surprisingly, Cao Cao blushed slightly, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Am I really that good?

Xun Yu hurriedly said, "It seems that you have worried too much, my lord. His Majesty is not trying to put on any show. It's just that after seeing you, my lord, he feels that the Han Dynasty is saved, and he, the emperor, can finally hold his head high!"

Mao Jie nodded. "Yes, before, His Majesty was manipulated by others, and he felt that he was no longer the emperor. So he let those people do as they pleased. After meeting you, Your Majesty, he has been completely revived. Given his trust in you, how could he possibly want to seize power and rule in his own right?"

Cao Ren shook his head repeatedly, "Yes, just based on his fervent worship of our lord, our lord can rest assured."

Cao Cao's gaze swept across everyone's faces, his eyes darting around, then he laughed heartily, stroking his beard and saying, "Good, very good!"

Cao Cao was content as long as the emperor completely relinquished power and had no intention of ruling personally.

Cao Cao immediately waved his hand and made the decision: "After the capital is moved to Xuchang, I will immediately build a palace for His Majesty. He will be given all the official positions and etiquette he is entitled to."

Cao Cao felt that Liu Xie simply wanted to satisfy his vanity, to be noticed and respected like a star, which was no big deal to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao had already planned that once he arrived in Xuchang, he would build a decent palace for Liu Xie and set up a small court. Liu Xie could then act as emperor however he pleased and do whatever he wanted.

Cao Cao repeatedly and solemnly instructed, "In front of His Majesty, you must all abide by the rules and strictly observe the etiquette between ruler and subject."

Everyone nodded.

Xun Yu was very satisfied with this.

It's already quite remarkable that Cao Cao understood and respected the dignity that the Han Dynasty should have.

As for handing over power completely to Liu Xie and focusing wholeheartedly on revitalizing the Han Dynasty, no one around Cao Cao had such an idea!
Even Xun Yu didn't have it!

Some say that Xun Yu was wholeheartedly loyal to the Han Dynasty, which is true, but not entirely true!
Xun Yu was fully aware that the Han dynasty was in decline and facing collapse.

Even though the Han dynasty was on its last legs, Xun Yu wanted to maintain its dignity. As for whether Liu Xie could rule personally or whether he was a wise ruler, Xun Yu did not care at the moment.

As long as the Han dynasty survives and is not replaced, that's fine!
Xun Yu believed that the Han dynasty could not be destroyed or replaced by others, so he could only rely on Cao Cao, which is why he was willing to follow Cao Cao.

Liu Xie was very talented in his speech, and his vivid and engaging delivery captivated everyone. Even Consort Dong and Empress Fu watched him with affection, their cheeks resting on their hands.

Although Liu Xie was somewhat lively and occasionally made some expressive gestures, he naturally possessed a kind of approachable and unifying charm.

This is their man; in the eyes of both women, Liu Xie is the best.

Out of the corner of his eye, Liu Xie saw Cao Cao appear at the entrance of the palace. He raised his voice and shouted, "I hope that everyone will remember Cao Cao's merit in saving me. Cao Cao is the most loyal minister of our Han Dynasty!"

If Cao Cao is considered a loyal minister, no one would disagree. But Liu Xie added the word "first," which makes his title carry significant weight.

Dong Cheng's facial muscles twitched repeatedly, his teeth clenched in hatred.

What's wrong with Your Majesty? You've placed such unconditional trust in Cao Cao the moment you meet him. This is unacceptable.

If Cao Cao had used his power to dominate the court, wouldn't he have become another Dong Zhuo?

Dong Cheng wanted to persuade him, but he hadn't found an opportunity to do so in front of so many people.

Moreover, the emperor became more and more excited as he spoke, and he could hardly stop.

Liu Xie did all this not for the ministers, but entirely for Cao Cao.

Didn't Cao Cao want to enhance his reputation? Fine! Give him a lot, a great deal! The amount he received surprised even Cao Cao.

The title of "the most loyal minister of the Han Dynasty" is enough to make Cao Cao the most sought-after figure in the world.

People like Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Gongsun Zan are not even worthy of carrying the shoes of the greatest loyal minister of the Han Dynasty.

Cao Cao was pleased, but he also felt that it had gone a bit too far. Others might not dare to say it, but if Yuan Shao heard about it, he would be furious.

Was Cao Cao the most loyal minister of the Han Dynasty?

What about Yuan Shao then?
Second? Or third?
"Lord Cao, you've arrived! Come, come quickly!"

Upon seeing Cao Cao, Liu Xie smiled broadly, took a few steps over, and grabbed Cao Cao's hand.

"Now that Lord Cao is here, I want to tell you all that from now on, we will no longer have to live in fear or suffer from hunger. Lord Cao, am I right?"

Cao Cao hurriedly nodded, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. From now on, I will do my utmost to serve the country, even at the cost of my life!"

Liu Xie gave a thumbs up and said seriously, "With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world!"

Cao Cao frowned. "Isn't Your Majesty being too optimistic?"
Right now, I only have the small territory of Yanzhou, and it's not even stable enough.

Even Cao Cao didn't dare to boast that he was fearless of the world.

However, Liu Xie was full of confidence, as if he could handle anything as long as Cao Cao was around.

Liu Xie did indeed think that way: Cao Cao would be responsible for conquering the country, while he would be responsible for ruling it.

The division of labor between the ruler and his ministers is simple: one is responsible for doing the work, and the other is responsible for enjoying the pleasures!

Without Liu Xie's help, Cao Cao could have occupied eight-tenths of the world. Liu Xie was very confident in this, as he wanted to make Cao Cao the strongest underling in the Three Kingdoms!
Let Cao Cao conquer the land for you and wipe out all the other warlords!
Cao Cao was pleased, but he remained calm and said, "I have something I wish to discuss with Your Majesty in private."

Liu Xie nodded and waved to Dong Cheng and the others, "You may all step back now. I and Cao Cao have important matters to discuss!"

Dong Cheng stomped his feet in anger and left with everyone, feeling very unwilling.

Dong Cheng even regretted that he had gone to great lengths to invite Cao Cao to Luoyang, only to find that Cao Cao had monopolized the emperor's favor after arriving.

Now Liu Xie listens to Cao Cao and values ​​him immensely, so Dong Cheng, the emperor's brother-in-law, is almost superfluous.

Dong Cheng's intention in inviting Cao Cao was to have him help him deal with Yang Feng, Zhang Yang, and Han Xian.

Because Zhang Yang and the other two looked down on Dong Cheng from the bottom of their hearts, Dong Cheng felt isolated and helpless, so he asked Cao Cao to be his helper, so that power could be divided equally and everyone would benefit.

Zhang Yang was a scholar who looked down on Dong Cheng from the bottom of his heart. After all, Dong Cheng was a remnant of Dong Zhuo's faction and a subordinate of Niu Fu, Dong Zhuo's son-in-law.

After escorting Liu Xie to Luoyang, Zhang Yang provided some provisions and helped repair the palace before returning to his post at Yewang. He did not want to become like Li Jue and Guo Si.

Zhang Yang cherishes his reputation and wants to remotely control the situation from the sidelines, not wanting to be branded as someone who bullies and manipulates the emperor.

A renowned scholar, leading troops to control the emperor, is someone Zhang Yang doesn't want.

As for Han Xian and Yang Feng, although they bickered, they were both from the White Wave bandits and had a good personal relationship. They and Dong Cheng were completely incompatible.

Dong Cheng meant well, wanting Cao Cao to come to Luoyang to take up a high-ranking official position and make him as powerful as himself.

Little did Dong Cheng know that Cao Cao did not want power to be divided equally, but rather for one person to monopolize it. He wanted to kick Dong Cheng, Yang Feng, and all the others aside.

(End of this chapter)