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

Chapter 92, Treating Chen Deng
Although Cao Cao was displeased, he had no choice but to nod in approval, saying, "Your Majesty and I are of the same mind; this is the only way!"

Liu Xie smiled and said, "It is said that great minds think alike. Although I am not a hero, I can agree with Cao Cao's thoughts, which shows that we, as ruler and subject, have a good understanding."

Cao Cao responded with a smile, which would have been a testament to the harmonious relationship between the ruler and his subject.

Liu Xie then stepped down from the platform and said to Chen Deng as he walked, "I see that you don't look well and seem a bit sick. I am a student of Physician Hua, so let me examine you."

Chen Deng was taken aback. He had indeed been feeling weak lately, with his face turning red from time to time and some discomfort in his chest and abdomen.

When Liu Xie approached Chen Deng, the ministers all turned their curious gazes toward him.

The perfectly good court assembly suddenly turned into a clinic for medical treatment, which puzzled Cao Cao.

Liu Xie first carefully examined Chen Deng, using the four diagnostic methods of observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation. Liu Xie's movements were skillful and practiced, while the imperial physician Ji Ping watched attentively from the side.

No one dared to breathe loudly, watching quietly and waiting patiently. After a while, Liu Xie suddenly reached out and pressed hard on Chen Deng's stomach, causing Chen Deng's forehead to immediately crease in pain.

Liu Xie asked with a serious expression, "Do you often feel tightness in your chest, stomach discomfort, and sometimes feel powerless?"

Chen Deng stared wide-eyed in surprise. "Your Majesty, you are absolutely right. What illness do I have?"

Based on his reputation as a disciple of Hua Tuo, even if Liu Xie didn't become emperor, he could at least make a living as a traveling doctor.

"You have a parasitic disease!"

Upon hearing the name "parasite," everyone was startled. Liu Xie smiled and comforted them, "You are still young, and this illness has only recently manifested. After the court session, I will examine you carefully and prescribe some good medicine."

"Then how exactly did this illness of mine come about?" Chen Deng was still very curious.

Liu Xie laughed and said, "Xuzhou is a good place, with mountains and sea. It's probably because you often eat raw fish and shrimp. Raw and cold foods are most likely to breed pests. Over time, these pests will continue to multiply and grow in your intestines and stomach, becoming more and more numerous and larger."

Liu Xie spoke while gesturing with his hands.

As he gestured larger and more exaggeratedly, Chen Deng turned pale with fright, and the others were also skeptical.

"After you go back and drink the medicine I prescribed, those worms will be expelled from your body. Then you'll know I wasn't just scaring you. Don't go back for the next few days. I'll help you recover before you return to Xuzhou."

Liu Xie had accurately described all the symptoms, and given the inherent mystique surrounding the emperor's words, Chen Deng dared not be careless and quickly nodded in agreement.

Even Ji Ping was full of admiration, as he was not an expert in this kind of gastrointestinal disease, let alone able to diagnose it accurately in one go.

Liu Xie smiled and reassured him again, "You'll recover quickly, so don't worry too much."

Let alone in ancient times, even modern people are prone to this disease if they don't pay attention to their diet.

Back on the platform, Liu Xie spoke of Guan Yu, saying, "In the Battle of Chen, Guan Yu rushed to Chen with only a few hundred cavalry to provide relief. Although Cao Cao's army ultimately won and drove away Yuan Shu, Guan Yu still played a crucial role. I have decided to reward him and bestow upon him the title of Marquis of Hanshou and General Who Conquers the South!"

This reward surprised even Cao Cao.

Liu Xie secretly gave Cao Cao a wink, as if to say, "Didn't we agree to win over Guan Yu and sow discord between Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei?"
As usual, Liu Xie asked Cao Cao for his opinion, "Lord Cao, what do you think? If you feel the reward is too low, I will adjust it accordingly."

Still low? No, it's not low anymore.

Cao Cao hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, I have no objection. Guan Yu acted righteously to relieve the siege of Prince Chen and served the Han Dynasty. He should be granted a higher title."

Although Liu Xie had given prior notice to win over Guan Yu, Cao Cao always felt it would be better to do it himself.

The emperor bestowed titles and favors upon Cao Cao, leaving him with a slight sense of dissatisfaction.

After bestowing titles upon Chen Deng and his son, as well as Guan Yu, Liu Xie continued to be a spectator, handing the stage over to Cao Cao.

As for the governorship of Xu Province that Lü Bu had always wanted, Liu Xie knew that Cao Cao did not want to give it to him, so he did not mention it.

It is not appropriate to go against Cao Cao for the time being. If we insist on rewarding Lü Bu, it will inevitably arouse Cao Cao's dissatisfaction.

After the court session, Liu Xie kept Chen Deng behind and ordered someone to bring Hua Tuo from the medical academy.

Hua Tuo is now more motivated than before. He spends his days either teaching medicine at the medical school or writing his "Qing Nang Jing" in his spare time.

Once a person finds something they truly love to do, they become incredibly motivated, as if their whole being is burning with passion.

This is exactly the state Hua Tuo is in now!
Liu Xie then had Hua Tuo examine Chen Deng. At first, Hua Tuo didn't think Chen Deng was sick because he was so young, but after examining him carefully, he nodded repeatedly, "Your Majesty was right after all."

Only then did Liu Xie feel relieved enough to prescribe medicine for Chen Deng. That night, after taking the medicine, Chen Deng felt unbearable abdominal pain, his stomach churning violently, and he kept rolling around on the bed in pain. Finally, he went to the outhouse and vomited up a lot of worms, bright red, densely packed, wriggling and crawling on the ground.

Chen Deng's eyes widened in horror, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He simply couldn't believe that there were so many terrifying things inside his body. The more he looked, the more disgusted he felt, and the more he thought about it, the more frightened he became.

Parasites are indeed not very attractive; those with weak willpower would faint from fright.

This news quickly spread throughout Xudu. Chen Deng was very grateful, and many people were also eager to spread the word about Liu Xie's medical skills and reputation.

As night fell, Cao Cao and Guo Jia played chess and chatted idly. On the table was the chess set invented by Liu Xie.

Chess is already well-known in many circles in Shanghai, and playing chess has become an elegant form of leisure.

"I never imagined that Your Majesty, at such a young age, would possess such superb medical skills."

Cao Cao placed a chess piece down, his brows furrowed. Liu Xie's performance was increasingly drawing his attention.

Guo Jia said, “Your Majesty is benevolent and intelligent. I once asked Hua Tuo, and he said that Your Majesty’s talent for medicine is rare in ancient and modern times. In addition, Your Majesty has experienced many hardships, and your temperament is much more mature than that of your peers. Naturally, you learn things quickly. I heard that Your Majesty has recently been studying how to diagnose and treat headaches!”

"Headache?" At this time, Cao Cao did not take headache seriously.

His main concern now is how to deal with Liu Xie.

Guo Jia smiled and said, "Although Cheng Yu acted a bit hastily, I still strongly agree with his increased vigilance towards His Majesty. Let's leave this matter to the Imperial Academy, and I will take charge of it."

The Office of Investigating Affairs was established by Cao Cao specifically to spy on and monitor officials at all levels.

Guo Jia was in charge of the Imperial Academy, and even Man Chong, the magistrate of Xudu, was directly under his command.

Cao Cao nodded. "Although I need to maintain a harmonious relationship with His Majesty on the surface, His Majesty's series of actions this time must be taken seriously. If left unchecked, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Guo Jia continued playing chess, his clear eyes darting around, occasionally flashing with a glint of wisdom. "However, as much as we are wary, His Majesty and Lord Ming's bottom lines have already been laid bare this time. From now on, we must be careful to maintain the proper measure. Lord Ming's bottom line is that His Majesty cannot rule personally, while His Majesty's bottom line is that he is absolutely unwilling to be confined to the inner palace!"

Cao Cao nodded helplessly, "Let him be smug for now. As usual, let His Majesty come and go freely. I still have that much courage."

Cao Cao was well aware that his strength was still very weak at present, and the emperor was a very useful and indispensable card for him!

Guo Jia admired Cao Cao's courage the most; even after Cheng Yu's death, Cao Cao did not lose his composure.

Anyone else might have turned against the emperor long ago, but Cao Cao wouldn't care even if he had to kneel before him.

Cao Cao was very reassured that the Imperial Academy was monitoring Liu Xie's every move, and he never doubted Guo Jia's abilities!
The next day, Liu Xie went to the street as usual. He took a deep breath and turned to Zhao Yun, saying, "Zilong, do you see? For me, being able to travel freely is such a luxury. I really hope that one day I can go wherever I want and do whatever I want."

Zhao Yun's expression was somewhat heavy, and he said with self-reproach, "It is all due to our incompetence."

Liu Xie shook his head. He hadn't walked far when he noticed that someone was following him from a short distance behind.

For Liu Xie, who was used to watching spy movies, these people's tracking techniques were really clumsy and full of loopholes.

As soon as Liu Xie stopped, those people would stop immediately and pretend to be shopping. Some of them, even though they were men, would stand in front of the stalls selling women's clothing and pretend to look at them.

In the palace, Liu Xie would often use his spare time to practice his ability to distinguish between those eunuchs and palace maids who approached him with good intentions and those with malicious intent.

Liu Xie smiled dismissively, and the two continued their stroll. Suddenly, Guo Jia walked over from a distance and waved to Liu Xie from afar.

Liu Xie stopped and waited for him for a while. Guo Jia was still smiling so amiably and intimately.

He seemed to possess a natural magic, able to quickly become familiar with anyone. Despite being in charge of the most little-known school affairs office, anyone who saw him would only regard him as a free-spirited and unconventional scholar.

"Your Majesty, how have you been feeling these past few days?" Guo Jia asked in a low voice, no longer addressing Liu Gongzi as he usually did.

Because of Liu Xie's performance, Guo Jia's attention to him was successfully raised to a higher level.

Liu Xie smiled gently, "I think everyone here has been feeling a bit down these past few days, just like me. But now the storm has passed, so why dwell on the past?"

Guo Jia smiled and said meaningfully, "Actually, we all hope for harmony between the emperor and his subjects. If Your Majesty really stops holding a grudge, that would be the best outcome."

If it were someone else, they might have pretended and refused to admit that Cao Cao intended to usurp the emperor's power.

But Guo Jia never bothered to pretend. He knew Liu Xie was a smart man, and there was no need to play games with smart people.

(End of this chapter)