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

Chapter 84, Liu Xie did as Cheng Yu wished.

Dong Cheng glared at him, snorted, turned around and strode out. A short while later, Dong Cheng returned with several armored soldiers.

Dong Cheng veiledly insulted the armored soldiers, shouting, "What are you doing? Your duty as guards is to stay by His Majesty's side at all times and protect His Majesty's safety!"

Among these armored soldiers were some of Cao Cao's confidants, but since it was broad daylight, Dong Cheng had ordered them to come over, and they dared not disobey.

Cao Cao was completely unprepared; neither Dian Wei nor Xu Chu were with him.

Cao Cao had become accustomed to Cao Cao's frequent visits to the palace and Liu Xie's special trust in him.

We were really careless this time!
Soon after, Zhao Yun also came over. His steps were firm and powerful as he passed right by Cao Cao. With each step he took, Cao Cao's heart skipped a beat.

Cao Cao looked up and saw Zhao Yun with his hand on the hilt of his sword, staring at him coldly. That gaze filled Cao Cao with a strange fear.

Just like a hunter eyeing its prey!
Cao Cao was horrified. There were so many armored soldiers in the palace, Dong Cheng had always harbored resentment towards him, and there was also the exceptionally skilled Zhao Yun. As long as Liu Xie gave the order, Cao Cao would immediately lose his head.

Cao Cao, who was always fearless, gradually lost his composure, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Liu Xie looked down at Cao Cao, taking in the expression on Cao Cao's face. Now that Cao Cao was completely unprepared, Liu Xie could indeed take him by surprise and kill him immediately.

Historically, Cao Cao was indeed frightened by Dong Cheng once, and after that, Cao Cao never dared to enter the palace lightly again.

Despite his threats, Liu Xie didn't really intend to kill him!
Liu Xie glanced at Dong Cheng and said, feigning anger, "Uncle-in-law, how can you be so disrespectful to Lord Cao? Lord Cao is a pillar of the state and a first-rate loyal minister of our Han Dynasty. I have always trusted Lord Cao very much!"

Then, looking at Cao Cao, Liu Xie smiled and said, "Lord Cao, I have already said that you and Lord Xun can handle the affairs of the court."

Liu Xie then beckoned to the side, summoning the official in charge of the imperial seal to his side.

Because the real Imperial Seal of the State is currently in Yuan Shu's hands, Xuchang had no choice but to make a temporary one.

Although all government decrees originate from the Secretariat, the emperor's imperial seal is still indispensable when conveying imperial edicts.

Liu Xie held the imperial seal in both hands and walked up to Cao Cao. "Lord Cao, I am handing over the imperial seal to you today as well. From now on, you will not need to ask me for instructions on everything. Cheng Yu is right. I only need to stay in the palace with peace of mind. As for the rest, I will leave it to you, Lord Cao and Lord Xun! You two must work together in the future and not let me down!"

"Lord Cao, please accept the seal!"

Cao Cao was somewhat bewildered. The armored soldiers around Dong Cheng and Zhao Yun already made him uneasy, but when he suddenly heard Liu Xie mention Cheng Yu's name, Cao Cao became even more terrified.

How did Your Majesty know that this was Cheng Yu's idea?
Even if Cao Cao had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare accept this imperial seal.

With a thud, Cao Cao knelt on the ground in fright, repeatedly begging for forgiveness, "Your Majesty, are you trying to kill me? The Imperial Seal is a national treasure, and I am utterly unworthy of it. Please, Your Majesty, do not play such a joke on me."

Liu Xie said, "After thinking it over, I also think that Cheng Yu's words make a lot of sense. Cao Cao is a man of great talent and strategy, and he is the most suitable person to help me share my burdens. Cheng Yu is right. I just need to stay in the palace obediently."

Although he did not abdicate this time, Liu Xie insisted on handing the imperial seal to Cao Cao, which he could not tolerate.

Liu Xie kept mentioning Cheng Yu's name, but to Cao Cao, it sounded like a sharp sword, full of murderous intent, piercing Cao Cao's heart.

The implication is that Liu Xie did all of this in the way Cheng Yu wanted.

Liu Xie did not point the finger at Cao Cao, but since it was Cheng Yu's idea, he turned the finger at Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu wanted Liu Xie to stay put and do nothing, so that Cheng Yu would bear all the consequences.

If Liu Xie can't do anything to Cao Cao, can't he at least make a move against Cheng Yu?

At this moment, Cao Cao had no helpers by his side, no one to offer advice or discuss matters with; Liu Xie had completely suppressed him.

The atmosphere of fear made it difficult for Cao Cao to even breathe.

The pressure exerted on Cao Cao by these armored soldiers and Zhao Yun alone was already terrifying.

The armored soldiers looked at him, Zhao Yun stared at him, Liu Xie looked at him, and Dong Cheng gave him a malicious look.

Completely suppressed, Cao Cao was at a disadvantage for the first time! He could hardly breathe, he could hardly think!
Now that Liu Xie is determined to hand over the imperial seal, Cao Cao, who is not made of iron, simply cannot withstand it.

More and more cold sweat poured down Cao Cao's forehead, streaming down his face. He knelt on the ground, trembling all over, his mind blank. The more anxious he became, the less he knew what to do.

If this were in the imperial court, we wouldn't be in such a passive position; at least we would have people like Guo Jia and Xun Yu to discuss things with.

Previously, the relationship between the emperor and his ministers was so harmonious that Cao Cao was quite casual when entering the palace and relaxed his guard.

Fear, panic, tension, unease—all the negative emotions surged forth like a raging flood, striking Cao Cao's heart.

Large beads of sweat streamed down his face. Cao Cao lowered his head and, after only a short while, his body swayed and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Liu Xie himself knew medicine, so he reached out and touched the tip of his nose. Unexpectedly, this time he really fainted from fright.

Liu Xie hurriedly summoned Ji Ping. The commotion quickly spread throughout the palace, and someone rushed to deliver a message to Xun Yu. After a long while, Cao Cao awoke again, and as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Liu Xie's concerned gaze.

"Lord Cao, how are you? Do you feel unwell anywhere?" Liu Xie asked kindly.

Cao Cao glanced around and saw Xun Yu, Ji Ping, and Dong Cheng, along with a number of palace maids and eunuchs gathered around.

Cao Cao blinked. He was still in the palace. Then, his eyelids rolled back, and he fainted again!
Last time, Liu Xie kindly sent someone to take him home, but this time, Liu Xie was not so kind.

He knew that Cao Cao needed time, space, and a chance to calm down and think carefully about how to deal with him.

Liu Xie, however, wouldn't let him have his way. If he wanted to think about it, he could do so in the palace.

Xun Yu hurriedly advised, "Your Majesty, what exactly happened? I am still completely baffled."

"That's right, didn't Lord Cao follow Cheng Yu's advice and tell me not to leave the palace anymore, but to stay obediently in the palace? I also think Cheng Yu meant well..."

Liu Xie recounted what had just happened.

Xun Yu was startled, then looked helpless. No wonder Cao Cao fainted. If it were anyone else, they would have been scared half to death, even if they didn't faint.

Liu Xie blamed everything on Cheng Yu, which made things difficult.

To ease tensions between Cao Cao and Liu Xie, Cheng Yu was undoubtedly the culprit and must be severely punished.

Cao Cao had to either accept the imperial seal or hand over Cheng Yu.

Last time, Liu Xie showed leniency and did not pursue Man Chong, but this time, whoever came up with the bad idea, Liu Xie will hold them accountable.

"Lord Xun, don't you think Cheng Yu's words make a lot of sense? I just need to stay in the palace obediently and do nothing. I can leave everything to you and be happy to have some peace and quiet."

The question was posed to Xun Yu, and it really put him in a difficult position to answer.

Cheng Yu's intention was to keep the emperor in the palace and prevent him from moving around too much, thus preventing Liu Xie from increasing his influence and giving Cao Cao all the opportunities to enhance his prestige!
Because whoever the emperor gets close to is more likely to develop a favorable impression of him!

Xun Yu couldn't tell Liu Xie these things; he couldn't very well say, "Cheng Yu hopes you'll obediently become a puppet."

But Liu Xie directly brought out the imperial seal, no wonder Cao Cao fainted, it's a miracle he wasn't scared to death.

Xun Yu frowned and thought for a while before advising, "Your Majesty, how did you know that this was Cheng Yu's idea?"

Liu Xie smiled and said, "Could it be that I have misunderstood him? Everyone is talking about this now, and I only heard it from others."

Xun Yu had no way to verify the information, so he kindly advised, "Your Majesty is of noble status, and Cheng Yu meant well. He hopes that Your Majesty can stay in the palace more often, as it is too dangerous outside, and he is afraid that someone might harm Your Majesty."

“Lord Xun, as I just said, Cheng Yu meant well, and I am not going anywhere now.”

Turning to Zhao Yun, Liu Xie called out, "Zilong, bring the imperial seal over. Since Cao Cao has fainted, let's give it to Xun Yu."

"Ah? Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable!" Xun Yu's eyelids rolled back, and he almost fainted as well.

Liu Xie didn't care about any of that. He took the imperial seal from Zhao Yun and, without saying a word, shoved it into Xun Yu's arms. Then he said, "I trust you. You are all loyal ministers whom I value. Don't let me down."

After saying that, Liu Xie turned and left!
After Liu Xie left, a long while passed before Cao Cao's eyelids twitched. Xun Yu gave a wry smile and whispered, "My lord, His Majesty has already left!"

Cao Cao then opened his eyes, looked around warily, and saw that Liu Xie was indeed nowhere to be seen. He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wenruo, what should we do now?" Cao Cao asked anxiously.

Recalling the oppressive feeling that Liu Xie, Dong Cheng, and Zhao Yun had just given him, Cao Cao's voice trembled slightly as he spoke.

terrible!

Fortunately, Liu Xie left; otherwise, Cao Cao wouldn't have even had the courage to wake up.

Xun Yu did not laugh at Cao Cao for feigning fainting a second time. He sighed heavily, "It hasn't been long since His Majesty abdicated, and things have turned out like this again. My lord, this time it will be difficult."

Cao Cao sat on the ground, disregarding his image, his eyes darting around rapidly. "In Wenruo's opinion, what should I do?"

"Two ways."

"Tell me quickly, what's the plan?"

Xun Yu looked directly at him and said with difficulty, "Either completely control His Majesty and stop having any illusions about harmony between the ruler and his subjects, or..."

In the end, Xun Yu wasn't ruthless enough, and he didn't say the last few words, but Cao Cao understood.

(End of this chapter)