Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 124 Your Majesty, please do not cry when you see Kong Rong, you must show your majesty (55)

When Kong Rong returned to the inn, it was still early and the sun had not yet completely set.

"Prime Minister!"

In the inn, Taishi Ci had been waiting anxiously. When he saw Kong Rong return safely, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

If Kong Rong had not returned to the posthouse before dark, he would have fled to Jizhou with the seal.

Although he could choose to sneak into Xu County and find an opportunity to rescue Kong Rong, he knew that Kong Rong would rather he go to Jizhou to expose Cao Cao's crime of falsely establishing an emperor.

After welcoming Kong Rong in, Taishi Ci asked, "Did the Prime Minister see the emperor today?"

Kong Rong nodded and said, "Yes, His Majesty summoned me immediately. It seems like he was the emperor eight years ago. But whether he is the true emperor or not is still under discussion."

Taishi Ci was stunned for a moment, and asked in confusion: "Why did the Prime Minister say that? Is there something wrong with this emperor? If the emperor is fake, how can the Prime Minister return to the posthouse?"

Kong Rong frowned, his mind full of thoughts. Finally, he shook his head and said, "I didn't find anything wrong. His words and actions were very natural and in accordance with the etiquette of the emperor. It's just..."

He paused here, as if he wanted to say something else.

This also made Taishi Ci even more curious.

Since they looked the same, their words and actions were all right, and there was nothing wrong, why was Kong Rong still so hesitant?

"nothing."

Kong Rong hesitated for a while but still didn't say it.

Because he didn't know what to say.

If I have to describe it in one word, it would be... disappointment.

He was somewhat disappointed with the emperor. In his mind, the emperor should not be like this.

Even Emperor Ling was full of imperial majesty.

But today, not only did the emperor cry to him in front of all the ministers in the palace, but his words and expression also seemed cowardly, and he was either panic-stricken or impatient, without any dignity of an emperor.

Afterwards, he thought about what the emperor had experienced over such a long period of time, and it was not surprising that he had developed such a character.

All I can say is that it didn't meet his expectations.

It was hard for him to imagine how such a cowardly emperor could shoulder the responsibility of revitalizing the Han Dynasty.

"Today in the court, Cao Cao interrupted the emperor's speech and showed disrespect to him. I think he is definitely not a loyal minister. I'm afraid the rumor that Cao Cao used the emperor to control his disobedience is not false."

Kong Rong recalled that when he was in the court, the emperor wanted to continue exchanging a few words with him, but was interrupted by Cao Cao.

At that time, the emperor was actually a little afraid.

The fact that the emperor did not dare to get angry when his ministers easily interrupted his speech speaks volumes.

Regardless of whether this emperor was real or fake, at least Cao Cao was not a loyal minister, but an ambitious person.

Taishi Ci did not seem surprised by this and said, "How many ministers are there in the world today who are truly loyal to the Han Dynasty like the Prime Minister? Cao Cao has a bad reputation and low moral character. How could he be a good person?"

"Even if the emperor in the city is real, his purpose of welcoming the emperor is probably not pure. The prime minister needs to be more careful about him."

Compared with Yuan Shao, Cao Cao's reputation is simply too bad.

Not to mention his identity as the descendant of a eunuch, just the fact that he failed to capture Xuzhou for a long time when he attacked it a few years ago, and then massacred 100,000 civilians after taking it, made his reputation extremely bad.

You know, killing civilians is a taboo, but Cao Cao still did it, and more than once. In Xuzhou alone, he slaughtered people three times! This is enough to show how bad his moral character is.

At least Taishi Ci really disliked people like Cao Cao.

"Don't worry, I have my own sense of discretion."

Kong Rong certainly understood this in his heart, which is why he rejected the kindness shown to him by Cao Cao today.

The two chatted for a while, and Kong Rong felt a little tired, so he said, "Let's rest early. I have to go to the palace tomorrow. In a few days, we will set out for Yecheng to meet another emperor."

Tomorrow he will go to ask Yang Biao, Fu Wan and other close ministers of the emperor about the situation, and then set out for Yecheng.

……

Three days later, Kong Rong left Xu County.

Although Cao Cao and the emperor tried to persuade him to stay, he refused and set out for Jizhou with Taishi Ci.

Cao Cao was furious in his mansion that day. Kong Rong's resolute attitude to leave made him extremely angry. He was afraid that after Kong Rong went to Yecheng, some unnecessary trouble would arise.

But even though he was very angry, he could do nothing but let Kong Rong leave.

You can't kill Kong Rong or force him to stay, right?

If he dared to do so, and the world knew about it, the real emperor of Xu County would really become a fake emperor.

The news that Kong Rong left Xu County and rushed to Yecheng reached Yecheng on the fourth day after his departure.

After Guo Jia and Jia Xu received the news from Yuan Shao's mansion, they waited until nightfall and entered the palace under the cover of darkness.

It was normal for Liu Xie to summon them on weekdays, so there was no need to inform anyone; and due to Liu Xie's arrangement, there were no servants serving in the bedroom, so after being brought outside the bedroom by Zhang He, the two of them walked straight in.

Then they saw Liu Xie holding a pile of bamboo slips, studying hard under candlelight.

He looked so focused that he didn't even notice their arrival.

"Your Majesty is truly hardworking." Guo Jia couldn't help but sigh upon seeing this scene.

Since Yuan Shu's death, Liu Xie has been greatly stimulated and started to work harder to read various books, classics, and military strategies. He has finished reading all the books that were sent to him in the past few days.

She even often summoned him and Jia Xu into the palace to ask them for advice, to understand the current situation in the world, to listen to their analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the various princes, the intricate relationships between them, the aristocratic families supporting them behind the scenes, and so on.

It's like a new person.

Jia Xu smiled delightedly: "This is good news! Thanks to Yuan Shu, Your Majesty has a sense of crisis."

He has seen the changes in Liu Xie over this period of time, and he feels quite happy and relieved about it.

The more diligent and motivated the emperor is, the greater his potential is, and only by following such a monarch can there be a future.

Of course, if it is a prosperous era, then people would wish that the emperor was a waste so that the ministers could monopolize power.

Just as the two were whispering to each other, Liu Xie finally noticed them.

"Wenhe, Fengxiao, you are here?" Liu Xie raised his head, a look of surprise on his face, "You came at the right time, I just have a question I want to ask you."

After the two men saluted Liu Xie, Guo Jia said, "Your Majesty, we will discuss your advice later. I have an important matter to report about Kong Rong of Beihai."

"Kong Rong?" Liu Xie's eyes slightly stern when he heard this. He put down the bamboo slips in his hand and asked, "Didn't he go to Xu County? Did he recognize the false emperor there?"

Guo Jia shook his head and said, "Kong Beihai has been in Xu County for three days. He has now left Xu County and is on his way to Jizhou. According to the time when the news came, he will arrive in Jizhou in a few days at most."

When Liu Xie heard this, his expression immediately became serious.

Kong Rong's arrival was not a good thing for him.

"After Kong Rong met the fake emperor, did he say anything to others? Did he express his attitude?" Liu Xie asked calmly.

If he met Kong Rong, he had no confidence that he could hide the truth and arouse Kong Rong's suspicion.

Once Kong Rong pointed out that he was a fake, he would never have a chance to turn things around.

So he wished that Kong Rong would directly acknowledge the identity of Emperor Xian of Han in Xu County and inform the whole world.

In this case, Yuan Shao will be the first to disagree, and then there will still be arguments about who is true and who is false.

With Yuan Shao leading the way, he could take advantage of the situation and slowly grow stronger.

Guo Jia didn't know what Liu Xie was thinking, so he said happily, "Your Majesty, don't worry. Kong Beihai is a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty. He is upright and prudent. How could he easily admit the identity of the emperor of Xu County? According to the report of Yuan Shao's spies, the emperor of Xu County hoped that Kong Beihai would prove it for him, but was rejected. Kong Beihai said frankly that he would come to Yecheng to meet Your Majesty before making a decision."

"In addition, during the few days in Xu County, Kong Rong has been staying in the posthouse outside the city. He must return before dark and has never socialized with anyone. Looking at his character, I also admire him very much."

After hearing these words, Liu Xie felt even more heavy-hearted.

The more Kong Rong said this, the more difficult it was to fool people.

Moreover, the other party has already paid a visit to the legitimate emperor and must have learned a lot from the emperor and his close ministers.

After knowing many private matters related to the emperor, the difficulty of his dealing with the matter has undoubtedly increased a lot. He is afraid that he will really be exposed this time.

Liu Xie rolled his eyes and came up with an idea.

He sighed sadly, his expression extremely sad: "It seems that Lord Yang, Lord Fu, and my concubines were indeed coerced by Cao Cao to betray me.

Otherwise, when Kong Rong saw the fake emperor, he would expose Cao Cao's true face in public, letting everyone in the world know that it was Cao Cao who pretended to be the emperor! "

No matter what, the identity of the emperor cannot be lost.

In this case, the only blame can be put on the emperor's close ministers and concubines.

They couldn't stand Cao Cao's coercion and betrayed me!
Seeing Liu Xie was sad because of the betrayal by his close ones, Jia Xu comforted him, "Your Majesty, please don't be sad. They dare not openly break up with Cao Cao due to their own safety, but they may have explained the situation to Kong Rong in private."

"After all, if they told Kong Beihai in person, Cao Cao would be so angry that he would kill not only them but also Kong Rong to silence them."

"I think the reason why Kong Beihai did not immediately acknowledge the identity of the emperor of Xu County to the world is because he knew that he was just a fake emperor sent by Cao Cao. It was just that it was not easy to say it in Cao Cao's territory, so he hurried to Yecheng."

Jia Xu's guess is not without reason.

But that only makes sense from his perspective.

From Liu Xie's perspective, that was totally wrong.

Kong Rong was not a person who would protect himself at all. If he found out the emperor's identity, he would announce it at the first opportunity regardless of whether it was true or false.

Just for the sake of caution, he would meet both emperors before making a decision.

"What Wenhe said makes sense, but I always like to prepare for the worst."

"If that fake emperor plays me very well and even successfully deceives Kong Rong, how can I convince Kong Beihai that I am the real emperor after I meet him?"

Liu Xie was very obedient to Guo Jia and Jia Xu. If he had no ideas of his own, he would listen to the opinions of smart people.

Jia Xu thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty is the true emperor, so you can just deal with it normally... But there is one thing you must not do."

Seeing Jia Xu's hesitation and strange expression, Liu Xie asked curiously, "What's the matter?"

Jia Xu and Guo Jia, who was standing beside him, looked at each other and said in unison: "Don't cry in public!"

Hearing this, Liu Xie looked puzzled.

Pulling the ministers and crying together is the Liu family's unique skill, and the effect is great. Lu Bu was bewitched by his crying. Why can't it be used?

Seeing the confusion on Liu Xie's face, Guo Jia said solemnly: "Although Your Majesty usually pretends to be cowardly and can deceive Yuan Shao. But forgive me for being frank... Your Majesty really doesn't have the dignity of an emperor at all."

Jia Xu also added: "Feng Xiao is right. If I were Kong Beihai and saw Your Majesty acting like this, I would definitely not believe that Your Majesty is a real dragon."

"The Son of Heaven is the supreme ruler! He has a great strategy in mind, remains calm in the face of adversity, and does not change his expression when a mountain collapses in front of him. He is a man of great wisdom and martial arts, ruling over all directions, and his mighty power is so great that it makes people feel terrified."

"When Kong Rong arrives, Your Majesty must drop his disguise and be honest with him, showing his majesty."

Hearing the two's suggestions, Liu Xie was skeptical: "Is that so? But I think crying miserably will have a better effect."

Jia Xu's mouth twitched slightly: "Your Majesty, you must not do this... You can cry a little in private, but when you meet Kong Beihai, it must be a formal occasion, and you must not cry."

Whenever Jia Xu thought of the last time he met Liu Xie and how Liu Xie had snot and tears all over him, he couldn't help but tremble all over.

Although this is a means to win people's hearts, it should be used according to the occasion and the person.

If used well, it can win people's hearts, but if used poorly, it will only make people feel hypocritical and artificial.

People like him and Guo Jia obviously wouldn't fall for it.

"I listened to Wenhe's words and just stopped crying." Liu Xie felt quite regretful.

In fact, he had originally planned to cry when he saw Kong Rong, just like when he met Jia Xu and Lu Bu before, and to incorporate the technique of falling down while running in front of Lu Bu last time into the mix to enhance the visual effect.

But after thinking about it carefully, he felt that what Jia Xu said made sense.

After all, which emperor would cry to his subjects for no reason?

Especially when facing an old minister like Kong Rong who is old-fashioned and rigorous, it is more appropriate to be serious.

Those artificial means might only have the opposite effect.

Guo Jia and Jia Xu were relieved when they saw Liu Xie promised not to cry.

They were really worried that Liu Xie would pull Kong Rong and cry in the hall, which would be too inappropriate.

After talking about Kong Rong, Liu Xie took Guo Jia and the other man to sit for a while and asked them some questions he had encountered in his recent studies before letting them leave.

After the two left, Liu Xie still did not go to bed. He picked up a new bamboo scroll and continued to read by lamplight.

His efforts were not just for show to Jia Xu and Guo Jia, but were actually taken action.

"If I still stand still and just rely on my acting skills and boasting to get carried away, then Yuan Shu's fate will be my future."

"I can rely on Yuan Shao's protection to live comfortably for a while, but sooner or later I will take away his foundation, and then it will be a fight to the death."

"If I succeed, I will still have to face the heroes of the world."

"If I fail, I will surely die!"

The night gradually deepened and the sky was dotted with stars.

The lights in the house were dim.

Liu Xie was still reading at his desk.

……

Kong Rong and Taishi Ci had a smooth journey.

First, Cao Cao sent people to escort them out of Yuzhou and Yanzhou.

After arriving at the border of Jizhou, Yuan Shao's troops immediately went to take over.

No matter who it is, no one wants to see Kong Rong get into trouble in his own territory, otherwise he would be unable to defend himself.

When Yuan Shao's troops escorted Kong Rong to the point where they were about to arrive at Yecheng, Yuan Shao personally led people out of the city to greet him.

"The Prime Minister has come a long way and must have worked hard along the way."

"I have ordered people to prepare food and hot water in the inn, and the room has been tidied up. Please stay here and rest for a while."

Yuan Shao dismounted and walked to the simple carriage, giving Kong Rong enough face.

He paid attention to Kong Rong's every move in Xu County, so this time he only prepared a room in the inn, meals and hot water, and did not hold a banquet or a welcoming ceremony like Cao Cao did.

"Let my followers take the luggage to the post house. Now that I have arrived in Yecheng, I must first meet the emperor. Please, Governor Jizhou, lead the way."

Kong Rong's old voice came from the carriage.

Yuan Shao smiled and said, "Just follow the Prime Minister's advice."

Under the scorching sun, Taishi Ci took Kong Rong's seal and luggage and went to the post station alone. Kong Rong rode in a carriage and slowly entered Yecheng with Yuan Shao.

　5th update completed, 2.7 words!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)