Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 163: Break free from the shackles and soar into the sky!
Imperial Palace, Xuanshi.

Liu Xie had been waiting here with Xu You, Guo Jia, Zhang He and Gao Lan for news from Yuan Mansion.

Seeing that there was no news coming back, Guo Jia couldn't help but feel a little worried: "Why is there no news for so long? Could something have happened? It turns out that sending out the Imperial Guards is too radical."

This time Xu You mobilized the Imperial Guard to serve Yuan Xi without reporting to the emperor. Yuan Xi was not very happy about it, because the Imperial Guard was the only force in Yecheng that could protect the emperor and was also a hidden trump card.

Although Xu You had made sufficient preparations to cover up his tracks, he still felt that the exposure was too hasty. If Yuan Shao was not dead, he would definitely suspect Zhang He and Gao Lan, and even further suspect the emperor. At that time, the situation would not be very good.

"I mobilized the imperial guards without your permission. Please punish me!"

Upon hearing this, Xu You immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness.

Upon seeing this, Zhang He and Gao Lan also knelt down hastily.

Although the situation was urgent, their conspiracy was ultimately not approved by the emperor.

Lending the imperial guards to Yuan Xi without authorization, even if it was for the purpose of suppressing Yuan Shao, was still a big taboo for a subject.

If you meet a cruel and ruthless emperor, not only will your entire clan be exterminated, but your entire family will also be executed.

Liu Xie sat on the soft couch, looking at the three people who were kneeling on the ground with their heads bowed, his eyes flickering.

From a normal person's perspective, there is obviously nothing wrong with what they did.

After all, opportunities are fleeting. If you come here to ask for instructions again, the situation will change.

But from the emperor's perspective, their behavior was obviously unforgivable and must be severely punished.

Otherwise, who knows what kind of trouble will happen in the future.

Today he could dispatch the imperial guards to kill Yuan Shao without authorization, and tomorrow he could rush into the harem and launch a coup.

Punishment is necessary, but it cannot be too severe, otherwise it will chill their hearts.

Liu Xie thought for a moment, but had no idea in his mind. He was still far from being able to master the pros and cons of an emperor, the thunder and rain of an emperor.

"In slow matters, follow perseverance; in urgent matters, follow discretion."

"Although you are all thinking about the greater good, you still have to punish me."

"Now I am still employing people, so I allow you to make meritorious contributions while serving your sentence."

Xu You looked up at Zhang He and the other two and kowtowed immediately to express his gratitude.

At this time, an eunuch came in and reported: "Your Majesty, Yuan Xi has returned with the imperial guards and is now seeking an audience outside the palace."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xie, Xu You and Guo Jia's eyes all lit up!
If Yuan Xi comes back with the imperial guards, doesn’t that mean... Yuan Shao is dead?
The three of them looked at each other, and Xu You took the initiative to say, "Your Majesty, I will go and find out the situation and finish this scene."

"it is good."

Liu Xie suppressed his excitement and nodded.

After getting permission, Xu You took Zhang He and Gao Lan away.

Outside the palace gate, Yuan Xi was waiting to be summoned by the emperor.

When Zhang He and Gao Lan saw him, they went up to him and pinned him to the ground without saying a word.

"You are so bold! How dare you steal my tiger talisman and falsely pass on the emperor's decree to mobilize the guards! You should know that this is a serious crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your clan. If you want to die, don't harm our brothers!" Zhang He put a knife against Yuan Xi's neck and said sternly.

Gao Lan also had a murderous look on his face, and said coldly: "No need to waste time talking to him. He is so audacious. Just take him to see the general!"

Yuan Xi was so frightened by what the two said that he broke out in a cold sweat.

Feeling the chill of the blade on his neck, he did not dare to hesitate and said quickly: "Generals, calm down. I have no choice but to do this!"

"Yuan Shao is a traitor who held the emperor hostage. I have severed our father-son relationship and expelled him from Ye City! The emperor is now free from worry! The two generals can also be free from worry!"

Zhang He and Gao Lan were suddenly shocked.

Yuan Shao...ran away?
Zhang He grabbed Yuan Xi by the collar and asked coldly, "What do you mean? The general has left Yecheng?"

"That's right!"

Yuan Xi nodded hurriedly, fearing that Zhang He would chop off his head if he answered a moment later. "The traitor Yuan Shao was unable to withstand the attack of the imperial army, so he fled from Yecheng!"

"Don't worry, generals. I was the one who stole the tiger talisman and I also mobilized the imperial guards. I will take full responsibility for this matter and will not involve you, generals!"

"Here is the tiger talisman, return the jade intact to Zhao!"

As Yuan Xi spoke, he took out the tiger talisman from his arms and presented it with both hands.

Zhang He frowned and thought for a moment, then snorted coldly, snatched the tiger talisman, and said coldly: "I will spare your life! If you dare to do this again next time, I will kill you!"

After saying this, Zhang He led the imperial guards away.

Gao Lan turned around and returned to the palace.

Yuan Xi looked at the many guards leaving him, with a trace of reluctance in his eyes. How great it would be if such an elite army was his.

Just now, these one thousand guards attacked the city defense troops with ease, causing heavy casualties while their own casualties were very few. They were much more powerful than his Tiger Camp!
It’s a pity that it’s not his after all.

Yuan Xi sighed in his heart, dusted himself off, and got up from the ground. Then he saw Xu You walking out of the palace.

"Uncle Shi!"

When Yuan Xi saw Xu You, he was overjoyed. Xu You lied to help him lure Zhang He and Gao Lan away, so he would definitely not be let off.

He hurried forward and asked with concern, "Is your uncle all right? Has he been troubled by Zhang and Gao?"

Xu You shook his head and said, "I am Yuan Shao's trusted counselor. They didn't dare to attack me, they just scolded me a few words... Second Master, what is the situation now?"

Yuan Xi sighed when he heard this, and said unwillingly: "I still let that old thief get away. It was just one wrong move, just one wrong move!"

They were almost able to kill Yuan Shao, but unfortunately they didn't have enough people.

In addition, his cousin destroyed the city gate mechanism and blocked the pursuers, which eventually led to Yuan Shao's escape.

A trace of disappointment flashed across Xu You's eyes, and he forced a smile and said, "It's okay. It's better to escape. At least Yecheng belongs to the Second Young Master now."

"What's the point of Yecheng being mine?" Yuan Xi shook his head, his expression somewhat bitter. "As long as my father escapes from Yecheng, he will be able to lead the army back soon. How can I resist him if I don't have any soldiers?"

After today's battle, his five hundred Tiger Camp private troops were basically wiped out, with only more than one hundred left; the west gate defenders also suffered heavy casualties, with less than four hundred people left.

These remnants of the army could barely form a battalion when added together.

What is a battalion of people in front of Yuan Shao's army of tens of thousands?
Let alone defending Yecheng, it’s difficult to defend a city wall!

Xu You asked: "Second Master, did you come to the palace to see His Majesty this time? Is it because..."

Yuan Xi nodded and said, "That's right. I'm here to ask for an official position from Your Majesty. As long as Your Majesty gives me the position of Grand Commandant... No, not even Grand Commandant, any position that allows me to recruit soldiers will be fine, and I can raise an army myself!"

To recruit troops one needs to hold an official position.

How can you recruit soldiers without an official position? Who will follow you?

This is why Yuan Xi was so persistent in asking for an official position. Xu You said, "But His Majesty has rejected you twice in a row."

Yuan Xi said confidently: "This time I helped Your Majesty drive away Yuan Shao and saved Your Majesty from being held hostage by Yuan Shao. This time you will definitely agree to grant me an official position!"

The emperor was just a puppet in Yuan Shao's hands before, and he was willing to be the emperor's lackey and stood on the opposite side of Yuan Shao. Would the emperor not support him?
This is where his confidence comes from!
But after listening to this, Xu You shook his head and said, "Second Young Master, you should go back. His Majesty will not see you."

"why?"

Yuan Xi was stunned. He had severed his father-son relationship with Yuan Shao and was willing to become the emperor's running dog. Why didn't the emperor see him?

Isn't it a great achievement to help the emperor escape from the clutches of the villains?
Xu You smiled and said nothing, just waited there with Yuan Xi.

Not long after, Gao Lan came out of the palace again. He said to Yuan Xi coldly, "His Majesty does not want to see you. He asks you to go back."

Yuan Xi's face changed drastically, and he asked in disbelief: "How is it possible? General Gao, are you mistaken? Or did you not report it to His Majesty at all?"

He doesn't believe it!
He didn't believe that the emperor would not see him!
"roll!"

Gao Lan didn't want to waste any words with Yuan Xi. He spat out the word coldly, turned around and left, leaving Yuan Xi standing there in despair.

"Impossible, this is impossible. He must be seeking revenge. I want to go to the palace to see His Majesty! I want to see His Majesty!"

Yuan Xi had a ferocious look on his face and wanted to break into the palace.

Xu You stopped him immediately upon seeing this: "Second Master, calm down! It's not that Gao Lan didn't report to the emperor, but that the emperor doesn't dare to see you!"

These words finally sobered Yuan Xi up a little. He stared at Xu You and asked, "What do you mean by that, uncle?"

Just now, when Gao Lan had not come to inform him yet, Xu You said that the emperor would not see him, which means that Xu You must know something!
Xu You did not keep the secret and said directly: "Although the Second Young Master drove Yuan Shao away, he only drove him away and did not kill him. Yuan Shao may attack back at any time."

"If the emperor shows his good will to you, then when Yuan Shao recaptures Ye City in the future and learns of this, what do you think will happen to the emperor?"

"It's not that the emperor is unwilling, but that he dares not."

"To put it simply, the value you have shown now is not enough to gain the emperor's trust. Do you understand? You must first have enough troops to protect Yecheng."

After Xu You's explanation, Yuan Xi finally understood, but he couldn't help asking: "But I don't have any soldiers, how can I protect Yecheng?"

Xu You said: "It's very simple, just recruit soldiers and buy horses."

Yuan Xi said: "The emperor must first give me an official position. If not, how can I recruit soldiers and horses?"

Xu You said: "You must have enough soldiers and horses first. If you don't have enough soldiers and horses, how can the emperor dare to give you an official position?"

Yuan Xi: "I..."

Yuan Xi felt that he was stuck in a vicious circle.

He had no soldiers, so the emperor did not dare to trust him, let alone give him an official position; but if the emperor did not give him an official position, he would have no way to recruit soldiers.

There is absolutely no solution!
Finally, Xu You said, "Second Young Master, you have overlooked one thing. You can recruit soldiers without an official position. It's just that... it will cost more money."

Yuan Xi immediately understood the implication of Xu You's words. During the reign of Emperor Ling, the imperial court was unable to conquer the Yellow Turbans, so it issued an imperial edict.

Any person with lofty ideals can recruit local militia to fight against the Yellow Turbans.

However, these local militiamen had no official organization or recognition, and could not be called an army. They could only be called "Yicon", just like Gongsun Zan's Baima Yicong.

There was no limit on the number of volunteers and anyone could recruit them, but there was no food or salary from the court, so everyone had to pay for everything themselves.

Yuan Xi had always been thinking about recruiting soldiers and horses by relying on the official position conferred by the emperor, but he had forgotten this point. Xu You now reminded him of this.

"However... I am recruiting soldiers in my personal capacity, so I am afraid that not many people will come to join me."

Yuan Xi hesitated and said, he has a bad reputation.

Especially now that the matter of killing his brother and imprisoning his father has been exposed, even though he is using the name of sacrificing relatives for the sake of justice, given Yuan Shao's reputation, there probably won't be many people who believe his words.

Xu You smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. The Yuan family's foundation is basically in Yecheng. How much money is there in the treasury? A big reward will always attract brave men. As long as the second young master is willing to spend money, why worry about not having soldiers and horses?"

"Once we recruit enough soldiers, your majesty will definitely grant you an official position. By then, the emperor will issue an imperial decree, and everyone in the world will know that the second young master is a loyal and righteous man who sacrifices his relatives for the greater good. The reputation of the Yuan family, which has three officials for four generations, will be concentrated on the second young master alone."

"In this way, not to mention the Grand Marshal, even the Great General can be promoted."

The more Yuan Xi listened, the more excited he became.

General!
Ranked above the three highest officials!

If he replaced Yuan Shao and became the general, he would naturally become the core figure of the Yuan family, and talented and ambitious people from all over the world would flock to him to help him achieve great things.

By then, there will be no need to rely on the titles of four generations of ancestors who were three dukes.

He will surpass his ancestors!

"What my uncle said really enlightened me. I will go back and spend all my wealth to recruit more soldiers. I will definitely defend Yecheng for the emperor!"

After Yuan Xi finished speaking, he left the palace in a hurry.

Xu You looked at his departing back and sneered in his heart.

It is thanks to such a fool that we were able to spend all of Yuan’s wealth to recruit soldiers for Your Majesty.

Only when Yuan Xi disappeared from his sight did Xu You withdraw his gaze and return to the Xuanshi Hall.

……

After listening to Xu You's report, Liu Xie was overjoyed.

The tide is coming from Qiantang River.
Today I know who I am!
If Guo Jia and others were not in the hall, he would have wanted to roar to the sky to vent his excitement.

From today on, he is no longer the puppet held hostage by Yuan Shao!
He will officially step onto the stage of this troubled times as the Son of Heaven.

Guo Jia waved his sleeves and said excitedly, "Your Majesty, you have been trapped in the shallows for nearly two years, and today you finally soar into the sky! Congratulations to Your Majesty!"

Zhang He and Gao Lan were equally excited. They pledged loyalty to the emperor earlier than Guo Jia, and were the first batch of loyal ministers who came to his aid in times of need!
Once the emperor unifies the nine provinces and regains control of the throne, the future will be limitless.

After accepting everyone's congratulations, Liu Xie calmed down.

Although now I have escaped from the predicament and freed myself from the shackles.

But once Yuan Shao returns with his army, Yecheng will certainly not be able to be defended unless he abandons Jizhou and goes to Xuzhou.

But giving up Yecheng is equivalent to giving up Jizhou, the richest province in the world.

Before Liu Xie saw any hope at all, he still wanted to fight for it.

Now we can only hope that Gongsun Zan can put enough pressure on Yuan Shao so that he will not immediately withdraw his troops to attack Yecheng.

As long as the situation is delayed until Lu Bu's army is stationed here, it will be of no avail even if Yuan Shao defeats Gongsun Zan.

"Your Majesty, Yuan Shao's strategist Xun Chen is seeking an audience outside the palace and wants to present a great gift to Your Majesty."

(End of this chapter)