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

Chapter 133, Discussing Heroes on New Year's Eve
"Fengxian, please sit down. I'd like to have a chat with you for a bit."

After Lü Bu sat down, Liu Xie pointed to Liu Bei's courtyard next door.

“Fengxian, Liu Bei is a member of the Han imperial family and my uncle. Your two previous military campaigns against Xiaopei were not exactly honorable.”

"this?"

When Lu Bu thought of what had happened before, his anger flared up instantly, and he let out a cold snort.

"Your Majesty, Liu Bei is staying in Xiaopei, but he is not at all well-behaved. He has been recruiting soldiers and buying horses without permission. Zhang Fei even stole my horses. Bai Menlou showed no mercy and almost killed me. How can Your Majesty plead for him?"

Gao Shun remained silent, standing quietly to the side.

Liu Xie shook his head. "Fengxian, in life and in business, the first thing to do is to be reasonable. I have come to ask you, you keep saying that Liu Bei is living in Xiaopei and acting restlessly, but you seem to have forgotten that when you left Yanzhou, you had nowhere to stay, and it was Liu Bei who took you in."

"this?"

Lu Bu opened his mouth, his face flushed red, and he was speechless for a moment.

Liu Xie then looked at Gao Shun and asked, "Gao Shun, am I right?"

Gao Shun actually had a courtesy name, but it was too difficult to pronounce, so he called himself Xiaofu!

One of the greatest advantages of being an emperor is that you can address anyone by their first name. Of the four great things in the world, the emperor ranks third: Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parents, and Teacher.

In ancient times, there was a strict hierarchy and order of rank. It was actually permissible for the emperor to address others by their given names.

Gao Shun, courtesy name Xiaofu, was honest and kind-hearted – according to the "Biographies of Elders of Chenliu", which is verifiable.

Gao Shun nodded. "Your Majesty is right. Indeed, Xuzhou originally belonged to Liu Bei."

Liu Xie continued, "Fengxian, you have treated Liu Bei's family members well on both occasions, which is good. But one thing is one thing, you turned against Liu Bei and took his Xuzhou. In the end, you were the one who was wrong first."

If anyone else had reprimanded Lü Bu like that, Lü Bu would have already lost his temper.

But Liu Xie was the emperor, his son-in-law, and his future patron, so Lü Bu had no choice but to obey.

"But I also know that Liu Bei is also at fault. Zhang Fei stole your horse and has been disrespectful to you on several occasions. Now that we are all in Xuchang, I think this little grudge is really not worth mentioning. I hope you can take some time to apologize to Liu Bei."

"Make me apologize to him?"

Lu Bu pursed his lips, clearly unwilling.

Liu Xie sighed, “Fengxian, you are my closest relative, and Liu Bei is a member of the Han imperial family. If the two of you cannot get along, I'm afraid the happiest person will be Cao Cao.”

Lü Bu could naturally understand such a simple truth.

Liu Xie's words, "You are my closest relative!" pleased Lü Bu greatly. After hesitating for a long time, seeing Liu Xie looking at him expectantly, Lü Bu snorted, "Alright, since it is Your Majesty's will, then I will take the time to apologize to Liu Bei."

Liu Xie nodded. "Fengxian, I am quite pleased that you are so understanding."

As the year drew to a close, good news arrived: Gan Ning had lived up to expectations and launched a fierce attack for a month, personally killing Sui Gu. However, Prince Chen's army had also suffered several thousand casualties.

Judging from the battle report sent to Xuchang, although they won, it was only a Pyrrhic victory.

Cao Cao was very satisfied. Chen Wang's troops had been reduced by more than half since the beginning, and their strength was constantly decreasing, which was exactly what Cao Cao wanted to see.

News of the movements of the various regional lords continued to arrive.

Guo Jia reported that day, "My lord, Zhang Yang, the governor of Hedong, had some connections with Lü Bu. Last year, he sent troops to the East Market to echo Lü Bu, but he was killed by his own subordinate Yang Chou. Yang Chou then died at the hands of Sui Gu, who has now been killed by Gan Ning."

"Oh?"

Cao Cao smiled and nodded, realizing that this was an excellent opportunity. He immediately ordered Dong Zhao to rush to Hanoi and take advantage of the city's vulnerability to subdue it.

"My lord, good news has also come from Guanzhong. First, Guo Si was killed by his subordinates, and now Li Jue has also been forced to retreat repeatedly by Duan Wei and has also been killed by his subordinates. His head is currently being sent to Xudu."

Cao Cao clapped his hands in praise and laughed loudly, "Good riddance! These two traitors should have died long ago. I think Your Majesty will be very pleased when their heads are sent to you."

As the old year draws to a close and the new year approaches, Liu Xie will soon be another year older. Just like last year, Liu Xie will spend New Year's Eve with his court officials.

As soon as the banquet began, Liu Xie raised his wine cup, went to Cao Cao, and offered him a toast.

The ministers were all envious of this honor, but Liu Bei remained calm and watched quietly from the side.

Lu Bu's eyes widened considerably, his face showing displeasure, and he gave a cold snort.

"Lord Cao, thanks to you, last year the court successively conquered Xuzhou, Henan and Guanzhong, and the traitors Li Jue and Guo Si were also killed one after another. The hope of the restoration of the Han Dynasty is just around the corner."

"Last year we recovered Nanyang, and this year we have taken three more places. This is all thanks to Cao Cao. Since I have Cao Cao, I can say that I am like a tiger with wings and a fish in water."

As Liu Xie spoke, he pointed to his belly and said, "With Cao Cao helping me pacify the world, I've had a lot more free time lately, and that's why I've gained weight again."

Liu Xie was good at creating a lively atmosphere. He turned the year-end banquet into a company annual meeting, giving commendations and rewards to those who deserved them, and making grand promises as they were meant to be made.

They gave Cao Cao plenty of face and tried their best to appease and win him over.

Cao Cao didn't actually contribute anything to Hanoi and Guanzhong; he simply reaped the benefits.

To put it bluntly, they were using the imperial court's name to strengthen Cao Cao's own power.

Liu Xie then announced to the public, "From this day forward, I hereby grant Cao Cao permission to establish his own staff. Apart from matters concerning military campaigns, he may handle all other matters independently and need not consult me ​​on every matter."

All three high-ranking officials had the privilege of establishing their own offices. In fact, Cao Cao had already done so long ago, but Liu Xie's public pronouncement today indicated that Cao Cao could now do so openly and legitimately.

Guo Jia and the others were very happy and stood up to toast Cao Cao.

Liu Xie then brought Liu Bei and Lü Bu to Cao Cao's side, saying, "Lord Cao, the three of you are all outstanding pillars of our Han Dynasty, the pillars that support the heavens and the seas. I hope that you will all get along well in the future, assist the court together, and serve the Han Dynasty."

Cao Cao nodded, but inwardly he wondered what the emperor's intentions were.
Liu Bei felt uneasy. All he wanted to do now was grow vegetables at home, and he didn't even want to attend today's banquet.

Liu Bei wished that everyone would forget him and ignore him.

However, Liu Bei remained hesitant, which did not align with Liu Xie's wishes.

Liu Xie wanted Cao Cao to understand that if he made concessions, Cao Cao would also have to make concessions.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Liu Bei and Lü Bu both grow vegetables; they should make it clear to Cao Cao that these two vegetable growers are no ordinary people!

Cao Cao dared not do anything to Liu Xie, but his gaze toward Liu Bei and Lü Bu turned noticeably colder.

Especially Liu Bei; Cao Cao stared at him for a long time, his superior, kingly aura radiating outwards without any concealment. Liu Bei remained expressionless, but inwardly he felt genuinely nervous and uneasy. Would he still be able to properly grow vegetables in the future?
Lu Bu, however, was fearless and met Cao Cao's unfriendly gaze head-on.

Last time at the White Gate Tower, Lü Bu abandoned all his dignity, but did not earn Cao Cao a single ounce of pity.

He only wants to stand on Liu Xie's side now, so he doesn't care about Cao Cao at all.

Even if Cao Cao had tens of thousands of soldiers, Lü Bu felt that he had the emperor behind him and had nothing to fear!

Just then, someone came to report, "Reporting, Tian Yu, a subordinate of Gongsun Zan, requests an audience."

"Tian Yu?"

Cao Cao was taken aback, but Liu Bei was surprised. He was quite familiar with Tian Yu.

Liu Bei once followed Gongsun Zan, and he knew all of Gongsun Zan's subordinates, both big and small.

Zhao Yun then turned to look at Liu Xie. Tian Yu's presence here clearly indicated that he was there for the emperor.

Before Cao Cao could speak, Liu Xie waved his hand and ordered, "Let him in."

Tian Yu was similar to Zhou Yu; he was not merely a military general, but also skilled in strategizing, making him a well-rounded individual with both literary and military talents.

Before long, Tian Yu, who had traveled a long way, appeared before everyone. Although it was the first time they had met, Tian Yu immediately recognized Liu Xie's identity as soon as he saw the crown with tassels on Liu Xie's head, and immediately knelt on the ground.

With a choked voice, Tian Yu said, "Your Majesty, Tian Yu has come to pay my respects on the orders of Lord Gongsun Zan."

Cao Cao stood to the side, holding a wine cup in his hand, looking somewhat bewildered.

What's going on? Can someone explain this to me?
The emperor was in Xuchang, and Gongsun Zan was in Youzhou. The two were separated by thousands of miles and had never even met. They were practically unrelated.

However, the fact that Tian Yu had come to see the emperor on orders was something Cao Cao couldn't understand.

Xun Yu frowned slightly. He turned to look at Mi Heng, remembering that Mi Heng had once taken a letter to Youzhou.

Ignoring the puzzled looks from the crowd, Liu Xie quickly walked a few steps to Tian Yu, reached out his hands, and helped him up from the ground.

"Tell me, what exactly did Gongsun Zan do in the end? I'm very curious to know. I believe that everyone here is also very curious to know."

In ancient times, news traveled slowly and was extremely difficult to transmit. Among the many ministers present, almost none of them knew how Gongsun Zan had died.

Even Cao Cao had only just received news that Yijing had been captured, and the specific details were unknown.

Tian Yu stood up, nodded, and said to Liu Xie, "Since receiving His Majesty's letter, my lord has completely changed his previous dejected state, given up all wine and women, and is now fighting Yuan Shao to the death with all his might..."

Tian Yu explained it in great detail. Even though he didn't witness Guan Jing's assassination attempt on Yuan Shao, everyone present felt the danger and tragedy involved.

"Although the assassination attempt failed, Guan Jing seriously injured Yuan Shao before his death, which was a significant blow to the morale of Yuan's troops."

"Gongsun Zan actually did so much, killing Ju Yi, killing Yuan Xi, and even offering his own head to assassinate Yuan Shao. I never imagined he could go to such lengths."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xie couldn't help but give a thumbs up and praise, "Although Gongsun Zan had wronged the Han Dynasty by seizing Youzhou and forcing Liu Yu to his death, he was able to heed my advice before his death and fight to the death. He even wanted to exchange his life with Yuan Shao. This tragic act is enough to avenge his shame in death."

Everyone remained silent for a long time, all stunned by Gongsun Zan's amazing performance.

Cao Cao, surprised, looked at Liu Xie again, feeling deeply incredulous.

With just a letter, Gongsun Zan was able to willingly obey orders and fight to the death.

What exactly was written in the letter? How could it possess such magical power?

Despite being thousands of miles away, he was able to control people's hearts and minds, and make Gongsun Zan fight to the death for him. Not only was Cao Cao surprised, but Guo Jia, Xun Yu and others also looked at Liu Xie with more awe.

Liu Xie then inquired about the situation after Tian Yu broke through the encirclement. Tian Yu replied truthfully that only more than two hundred people had broken through the encirclement, and now these people had all arrived in Xudu and were temporarily settled outside the city.

Liu Xie held Tian Yu's hand and said, "Tomorrow, I must make time to meet with them."

"Come, have a seat."

Someone brought over a table and a brocade stool, and Tian Yu sat down next to Liu Bei.

Liu Xie looked around at everyone and said, "Gongsun Zan's tragic death has made me think of a question. May I ask you all, who can truly be called a hero of our time?"

Liu Xie's gaze swept across the faces of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Lü Bu, and others.

This was a very novel question, and everyone became interested.

Guo Jia was the first to stand up. "Your Majesty, may I ask, do you consider Gongsun Zan to be a hero of our time?"

Tian Yu looked at Liu Xie excitedly. Liu Xie had just praised Gongsun Zan in public, and Tian Yu really wanted Liu Xie to acknowledge Gongsun Zan as a hero.

To everyone's surprise, Liu Xie shook his head. "Although Gongsun Zan died a tragic and respectable death, he was ungrateful to the people and unjust to Liu Yu. He could have competed with Yuan Shao, but he tied his own hands and was forced into a desperate situation early on, which shows that his abilities were also quite lacking."

Guo Jia nodded. "Your Majesty's assessment is quite fair. Gongsun Zan has made a name for himself, but he lacks magnanimity and strategy."

Tian Yu did not stand up to argue. To be honest, Gongsun Zan did not have many redeeming qualities, and in many ways, he was quite hated.

Even Tian Yu had considered leaving Gongsun Zan and seeking another wise ruler.

He saw Zhao Yun behind Liu Xie. Zhao Yun had followed Gongsun Zan in the past and had repeatedly offered frank advice, but ultimately left with resentment.

"Xuande, in your opinion, who is the hero of this era?"

Faced with Liu Xie's question, Liu Bei thought for a moment and said, "Yuan Shao's family has held high office for four generations and he has dominated the north. He has just defeated Gongsun Zan and can be considered a hero."

Liu Xie turned to Cao Cao and asked, "Lord Cao, can Yuan Shao be considered a hero?"

Cao Cao scoffed and said, "Yuan Shao is good at scheming but indecisive, fierce in appearance but cowardly in reality. He is afraid to risk his life for great things, but he will risk his life for small gains. He is no hero!"

Guo Jia and Xun Yu nodded repeatedly. Although Yuan Shao had a well-trained army and ample supplies, and held a strategic position in Hebei, he had a fatal flaw and his actions were difficult to convince people.

"Can Fengxiao and Yuan Shu of Huainan be considered heroes?"

What was originally a discussion of heroes over wine between Cao Cao and Liu Bei was now moved by Liu Xie to the New Year's Eve banquet.

Guo Jia shook his head. "Yuan Shu is a usurper and a traitor, and everyone has the right to kill him. He is ungrateful, heartless, and immoral. How can he be considered a hero?"

(End of this chapter)