Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 216: Joining the Game, the End of Emperor Xian of Han

Originally Xu You was ready to give up persuading Cao Cao to surrender, but the sudden arrival of the imperial edict gave him hope again.

After all, the situation was like this, and it wasn't inappropriate for him to make such a proposal. It was better to serve the emperor and become a loyal minister than to be labeled a traitor. There was no other choice at the moment.

There are only these two paths before us.

Faced with what Xu You said, Cao Cao did not directly refuse as he did before, but fell into deep thought, frowning tightly, and spoke only after a long time.

"Let me think about this matter carefully."

Then he raised his head and looked at Xu You, and said in a deep voice: "Ziyuan, I know you are eager to take revenge on Yuan Shao, and you don't want to see Yuan Shao hold the emperor hostage again and unify the entire north."

"But whether to vote for the emperor or not is a matter of great importance, especially since the emperor is in a precarious situation right now. I need to consider it carefully."

"It's because you and I are close friends. If it were someone else who repeatedly advised me to surrender, I would definitely kill him."

Cao Cao could see that Xu You had some selfish motives.

Because Yuan Shao, who had unified the north and controlled four states, already had the strength to dominate the world, it would be basically impossible for Xu You to succeed in his revenge by then.

The only turning point now lies in whether he submits to the emperor and helps the emperor fight against Yuan Shao, so he can understand Xu You's anxiety, but he cannot make such a hasty decision.

Xu You had a complicated expression and remained silent.

Cao Cao patted him on the shoulder and turned away.

He needs to think carefully about how to deal with it.

……

The angel from Yecheng came to Xu County to announce the decree, and the news inevitably spread.

After Cui Lin was driven out of Xu County, he continued to curse outside the city, angrily accusing Cao Cao of being a traitor, and accusing him of disrespecting the emperor and harming loyal people. He also asked him to quickly send the queen and others to Yecheng.

After Dong Cheng learned the news, he went to the palace to see Emperor Xian of Han as soon as possible with a worried mood.

Emperor Xian of Han flew into a rage and yelled, "How dare the fake emperor lay his hands on my queen? He is so bold!!"

He was so angry in his heart. Not only did the fake emperor steal his title of emperor, but now he even went after the empress. How could a person be so shameless!
Seeing that Emperor Xian of Han was furious, he even smashed a lot of vases and overturned the table in front of him.

Dong Cheng couldn't help but shook his head, and said angrily: "How many times have I told you that as an emperor, you should remain calm in the face of adversity and remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses in front of you. Look at you, do you have the aura of an emperor at all? Moreover..."

Dong Cheng's expression was a little strange. "Fu was originally the empress of the emperor of Yecheng. What does it have to do with you? I can understand that you are too immersed in the play, but you can just lie to others, there is no need to lie to me."

"I……"

Emperor Xian of Han opened his mouth to refute, but he didn't know how to start, because in Dong Cheng's view he was just a "fake emperor."

And the queen naturally belongs to the real emperor.

Knowing that he couldn't explain this clearly, Emperor Xian of Han gave up his argument, suppressed the humiliation in his heart, and asked through gritted teeth: "How did Cao Cao respond? Did he reject the false emperor's order?"

"Do I even need to ask? Of course I refuse." Dong Cheng glanced at Emperor Xian of Han and thought his question was a bit stupid. "If he agrees, wouldn't it be equivalent to recognizing the emperor of Yecheng and admitting that he has established a fake emperor?"

Emperor Xian of Han then breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of whether Cao Cao recognized him as the true emperor or not, at least he had to support him externally.

But Dong Cheng immediately said, "Don't be so happy yet. Although Cao Cao did not accept the order, he did not kill the angel either. Do you know what this means?"

Emperor Xian of Han was startled and asked quickly, "What does it mean?"

Dong Cheng's expression was somewhat heavy, and he said in a complicated tone: "This means Cao Cao is leaving a way out! He doesn't dare to kill the angel, because killing him is equivalent to completely breaking off relations with the Emperor of Yecheng."

"And the most crucial thing is the content of this imperial edict. This is a killer move made by the Emperor of Yecheng!"

"The Emperor of Yecheng wants to use this imperial edict to tell the world that Fu Wan, Yang Biao, and even Empress Fu all support him. In this case, how can you be authentic as the Emperor?"

"This imperial edict is not only for Cao Cao, but also for you!"

Dong Cheng was well aware of the danger of this imperial edict.

The emperor of Yecheng was forcing Cao Cao to choose between surrendering and resisting to the end, but no matter what choice Cao Cao made, what Yang Biao and his men did could not be suppressed.

At present, there are more people who think that the emperor of Yecheng is the legitimate one. Now if even the emperor's close ministers and even the queen think that the emperor of Xu County is a fake, then he really is a fake.

"How could he do this!"

After listening to Dong Cheng's analysis, Emperor Xian of Han turned pale with fright, and finally realized the seriousness of the problem.

Once the false emperor's edict is issued, no matter whether Cao Cao accepts it or not, he will completely turn the false into the true!
Thinking of this, Emperor Xian of Han could no longer remain calm. He pulled Dong Cheng's sleeve and asked anxiously, "What can we do? What can we do?"

Dong Cheng's face was as gloomy as water, his eyes flickered, and after thinking for a long time, he said: "There is only one way now, but it depends on whether you dare to take the risk."

"any solution?!"

Emperor Xian of Han was overjoyed, as if he had grasped the last straw, and asked impatiently.

Dong Cheng said slowly: "Incident, seize power!"

These four words made Emperor Xian of Han's expression instantly stiffen. The joy in his eyes gradually turned into fear. He looked at Dong Cheng in disbelief and asked in a trembling voice, "You mean... to seize Cao Cao's power?"

"That's right!"

Dong Cheng's eyes were filled with murderous intent, and he whispered: "The emperor of Yecheng can seize power through an incident, so why can't we?"

"I have observed that there are only a hundred guards in Cao Cao's mansion, but we have a full eight hundred Tiger Guards in our palace."

"As long as we enter the Sikong Mansion and kill Cao Cao, Your Majesty can seize power and take over Cao Cao's military power. Anyone who refuses will be charged with treason."

Dong Cheng's idea was bold and crazy.

He wants to follow the example of the Emperor of Yecheng and launch a mutiny!

Emperor Xian of Han was already frightened by Dong Cheng's words. He said tremblingly, "But, why must it be so? What if I fail, then I..."

The shadow left by Cao Cao on him was too huge.

Can he really kill Cao Cao?

Seeing the cowardly look of Emperor Xian of Han, Dong Cheng said angrily: "Can you show some courage of an emperor? Can't you learn more from the emperor?"

"And do you think you have any choice? Didn't you see that Cao Cao didn't dare to kill the angel and left himself a way out?"

"Once this imperial edict is issued, if you do not take any action and wait for the news to spread throughout the world, you will only be confirmed as a fake emperor!"

"Your only chance is to kill Cao Cao and seize his power, win the support of various princes, and then take the opportunity to lead Cao Cao's army north to attack Yecheng and kill the emperor. Then you can completely turn the fake into the real!"

Emperor Xian of Han pursed his lips tightly, feeling hesitant.

On the one hand, he felt anticipation and longing for the bright future described by Dong Cheng, but on the other hand, he was terrified of the mutiny.

"Liu Xie, believe in yourself. If the fake emperor can succeed, you can do it too! You are the true Son of Heaven!"

"I can do it, I can do it... I will definitely do it!"

Out of deep inner reluctance, the dignity of the Emperor of Han, and the remaining bit of passion, Emperor Xian of Han hesitated again and again before finally making up his mind.

He took a deep breath, raised his head and said to Dong Cheng with a firm look: "I have one condition."

"What conditions?"

Dong Cheng frowned, feeling a little unhappy.

Can you still bargain with him about this kind of thing?
We are all on the same boat!

"It's easy!"

Emperor Xian of Han said with a piercing gaze: "I don't want to stay in this deep palace. Let me follow you to attack the Sikong Mansion!"

"With me here, those soldiers dare not take action. After killing Cao Cao, I will personally come out to intimidate those Cao Cao's generals who came to support me and stabilize the situation!"

At this moment, Emperor Xian of Han finally found the courage he had when he scolded Dong Zhuo.

He wants to enter the game with his own body, and he can win half the battle!
What's more, if he is not there to seize power, he will still be a puppet even if it succeeds.

It’s just that Cao Cao became Dong Cheng.

Dong Cheng didn't think too much about it. With Emperor Xian of Han around, Cao Cao's soldiers didn't dare to act recklessly, so he nodded with satisfaction. "Good! That's it! Very spirited!"

"This is the spirit that an emperor should have!"

"With you following the Tiger Guards to attack Sikong Mansion, our chances of successfully seizing power will be greatly increased. I was right about you!"

Dong Cheng was very satisfied with Emperor Xian of Han's awareness.

Either don't do it, or do it thoroughly.

It is completely feasible to personally follow the army to attack the Sikong Mansion and intimidate the soldiers with the status of the emperor. After all, who in the world dares to kill the emperor in the street?

There has never been such a thing since ancient times!
Thinking of this, Dong Cheng was full of confidence and said to Emperor Xian of Han: "There is no time to lose. I will gather the Tiger Guards and start the action at midnight tonight!"

After saying this, Dong Cheng stood up and walked out of the Xuan Room.

But Emperor Xian of Han suddenly called out to him.

"and many more--!"

Dong Cheng looked at Emperor Xian of Han and asked in confusion, "What else?"

Emperor Xian of Han hesitated and asked, "Will we... win?"

Dong Cheng was stunned, then nodded heavily.

"Will win!"

……

Sikong Mansion, study.

It was late at night, but Cao Cao still couldn't fall asleep.

He stayed alone in the study, frowning as he stared at the imperial edict on the table, pondering over countermeasures in his mind.

He was thinking about how to minimize the impact of this imperial edict and how to deal with Yang Biao and the other two most appropriately, but he couldn't think of a suitable solution no matter how hard he racked his brains.

This conspiracy is really unsolvable.

Unless Yang Biao and the other two choose to defect and support the Emperor of Xu County again, there is no way to solve this problem.

"Is this the end of my ambition?"

Cao Cao was hesitant.

This imperial edict came too late. If it had come before Yuan Shao defeated Gongsun Zan, he would most likely have chosen to surrender.

After all, as long as he gives up his ambition and surrenders to the emperor of Yecheng, he will have a bright future. Even if he cannot become a high-ranking official in the future, it will not be a problem for him to get the position of General Zhengxi.

If you work hard, it is possible to be one of the three highest officials.

But now the emperor of Yecheng is in danger himself. If he goes to surrender under such circumstances, it would be no different from Zhang Xiu's surrender to Yuan Shu, both of which would be courting death.

But if he didn't surrender, he would have to kill Yang Biao and the other two, completely support the emperor of Xu County, and go further and further down the path of a treacherous minister.

Tangled, really tangled.

Cao Cao sighed deeply, feeling extremely upset. He planned to ask someone to call Xu You to discuss the matter.

But just as he walked out of the study, he saw Xu Chu coming towards him in a panic, saying anxiously:

"My lord! News has come from the palace that Dong Cheng and the emperor are leading 800 tiger guards and are heading towards the Sikong Mansion!"

"All our guards stationed in the palace have been killed by them!"

Cao Cao's face suddenly changed when he heard this. He couldn't believe it and said, "The emperor and Dong Cheng are leading the army to attack us together? Are you sure you heard it right?!"

Xu Chu nodded heavily, "Yes, my lord, it is the emperor and Dong Cheng!"

Cao Cao's face suddenly turned gloomy.

There was murderous intent in his eyes!
"What a Dong Cheng! What a fake emperor! It turns out that you two are colluding with each other. How dare you!"

"It's a pity that you want to imitate the mutiny in Yecheng, but I'm not Yuan Shao!"

The emperor has eight hundred tiger guards in the palace. Although he cannot interfere, how could he not be on guard against it?
The city defense army’s camp was only a few streets away from his mansion!

Cao Cao snorted coldly and ordered, "Pass my military order! The emperor is being held hostage by Dong Cheng, let Xiahou Dun lead his troops to rescue the emperor as soon as possible!"

"No arrows are allowed to be fired, no arrows are allowed to hurt the emperor, and the rest——"

"Kill without mercy!"

Cao Cao's tone was cold and merciless.

The response was made in just an instant!

"promise!"

Xu Chu clasped his fists in response, but then asked, "My lord, what if they escape? Should we notify all the city gates to prepare for defense?"

"Dong Cheng still has 2,000 troops stationed outside the city."

Dong Cheng was the General of Chariots and Cavalry, and he had soldiers and horses under his command. Although there were only a scarce two thousand of them, they were still a threat that could not be ignored.

Cao Cao nodded and prepared to give orders.

But at this moment his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"Wait... escape?"

Cao Cao's eyes gradually lit up, and a brilliant idea emerged in his mind. He said to Xu Chu without hesitation: "Change the plan. Don't kill Dong Cheng and his men. Instead, we should fight and chase them at the same time. The goal is to drive them out of Xu County!"

"Also! Tell the guards to open the city gates and not stop Dong Cheng and the emperor from escaping!"

Xu Chu was confused and wondered if he had heard it wrong.

Drive Dong Cheng and the emperor out of Xu County?

Cao Cao didn't bother to explain to him. He slapped him on the head and scolded him, "What are you still standing there for? Go and convey my order!"

"okay!"

Although Xu Chu didn't understand, he still withdrew.

After he left, a smile appeared on Cao Cao's originally gloomy face, and his depressed mood became extremely cheerful at this moment.

Because he found a solution to the problem!
"All the troubles are because I have this fake emperor in my hands! As long as I let the fake emperor go, all the problems can be solved!"

"The one who supported the false emperor was Dong Cheng. What does that have to do with me, Cao Mengde? I was also deceived by him! He even wanted to stage a coup to seize my power!"

"And if I let the fake emperor go, I can still use the excuse that I don't know who the emperor is and not obey the order of the emperor of Yecheng and not lead the troops to support him."

"As for Yang Biao and the other two, I can neither keep them nor kill them. I just need to let them go. Whether they follow the false emperor or go to Yecheng to serve the emperor is none of my business!"

"That's right! That's it!"

Cao Cao was extremely excited.

The Emperor of Xu County no longer had any legitimacy. His initial plan to use the Emperor to control the princes failed, and no one was willing to obey the edict he issued in the name of the Emperor.

At this time, the Emperor of Xu County was of no use to him and was instead a hot potato. It would be better to get rid of this burden!

"This is the way to break the situation!"

"The Emperor of Yecheng's conspiracy is ineffective against me!"

……

At the same time, Dong Cheng and Emperor Xian of Han were leading 800 Tiger Guards and attacking the Sikong Mansion.

(End of this chapter)