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

Chapter 226, Joint Guarantee

Guo Jia's eyes lit up. He remembered the shills he had planted at the entrance of the money exchange when he was dealing with Cao Hong.

I can't help but wonder if His Majesty is also secretly inciting public opinion, making the people doubt Cao Cao's appointment as prime minister.

Guo Jia frowned, remained silent for a while, and then sighed, "My lord, His Majesty has now kicked the problem back to us. It is obvious that the Prime Minister's power is too great and difficult to control. At this time, His Majesty wants you to express your opinion."

Cao Cao paced back and forth in the main tent for a few moments, then said, "Fengxiao, do you mean for me to step forward and prove my loyalty?"

Guo Jia nodded. "Not only that, His Majesty is also waiting for your reply on how to limit the Prime Minister's power."

Guo Jia then smiled and said, “His Majesty is using a strategy of retreat to advance, openly telling the world that he originally wanted you, my lord, to be the prime minister, but he was afraid of causing controversy and that your power would be out of control, so he came to seek your opinion.”

Cao Cao let out a cold laugh, "It was clearly I who wanted to be the prime minister, but now it's become that he wants me to be the prime minister, but has many concerns. Anyone who doesn't know the situation would think that His Majesty is genuinely thinking of me."

At this point, Cao Cao had to step forward and show his loyalty, because he needed to become the prime minister.

If you don't want to be in that position, you don't need to express your opinion at all.

In addition, he also had to help the emperor figure out how to restrict the prime minister, which made Cao Cao increasingly annoyed.

Cao Cao's facial muscles twitched with anger. He gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty must have a mastermind by your side. What a cunning scheme! You want me to come up with ideas to restrict myself. Only Your Majesty could do something like this."

Xun Yu sighed and said, "It is a momentous matter for Your Excellency to become Prime Minister. How could His Majesty agree so easily? It is only natural that he would make some responses."

Cao Cao thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up and he ordered, "Where is the chief clerk? Bring me paper and pen."

Yang Xiu hurried over, and Xun Yu couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.

Xun Yu also found it strange that Yang Biao was loyal to the emperor, but Yang Xiu became Cao Cao's chief clerk.

Cao Cao took the paper and pen from Yang Xiu, pondered for a moment, and then wrote a lengthy and unrestrained essay entitled "Declaration of My Aspirations".

When I was first recommended as a candidate for the civil service examination, I was still young and did not consider myself the kind of person who would live in seclusion in the mountains and gain fame. I was worried that I would be seen as mediocre and incompetent by the people of the world. Therefore, I wanted to become a prefect, do a good job in politics and education, establish my reputation, and let the world know my abilities.

Later, when I served as the prime minister in Jinan, I vigorously rectified corrupt practices, selected talented individuals, and recommended officials. As a result, I offended the interests of those powerful and influential people and incurred their hatred. Fearing that this would bring disaster upon my family, I feigned illness and returned to my hometown.

...Later, I was summoned to serve as a captain, and then transferred to the position of military commander. I always hoped that I could once again serve the country by suppressing the rebels.

Your subject hopes to make contributions to the country through your own efforts, to be ennobled and appointed as a general, to become a general who conquers the west, and to have an inscription on your tombstone after your death that reads "Tomb of the late General Cao Hou, who conquered the west of the Han Dynasty." This is your lifelong ambition.

No matter what Your Majesty bestows upon me, whether I become a prefect or a general, I will serve the court diligently and wholeheartedly, and be loyal to Your Majesty...

I do not care about the size of my official position; I only hope to use my talents to help Your Majesty quell the chaos and restore order to the world as soon as possible!

Cao Cao was extremely talented in writing, and his pen moved swiftly. His "Declaration of My Aspirations" was over a thousand words long, and he completed it in one go without pausing.

After finishing writing, he paused, then had Yang Xiu hand it to Xun Yu.

"Wenruo, go back and give this to His Majesty. His Majesty will naturally understand my intentions. As for the Prime Minister's excessive power, His Majesty can find another trustworthy person to serve as the Censor-in-Chief to supervise me."

Xun Yu understood that no matter what, Cao Cao was determined to become the prime minister!

He has now demonstrated his loyalty and is not afraid of being monitored; these are all preparations he has made for becoming prime minister.

Xun Yu bid farewell to Cao Cao and returned to Xuchang, where he truthfully reported back to Liu Xie.

Liu Xie then had Zhao Yun read the "Declaration of Aspirations" aloud in the imperial court.

After listening, Kong Rong was the first to stand up and sneered, "That sounds nice, Your Majesty. Since Cao Cao's lifelong ambition is to become someone like Huangfu Song, why don't Your Majesty grant him his wish and appoint him as General Who Conquers the West? Back then, Huangfu Song quelled the rebellion of Zhang Jiao and made outstanding contributions. He was rewarded by the late emperor and appointed as General Who Conquers the West, and also became the governor of Ji Province. Your Majesty appointing Cao Cao as General Who Conquers the West would not be an insult to him."

Liu Xie smiled without saying a word. Cao Cao's "Declaration of Ambition" was intended for both the emperor and the people of the world; it was merely a statement of his loyalty.

You could say that, but to take it seriously would be too naive.

If Cao Cao were really made General Who Conquers the West, would he be willing to accept it?
Cao Cao's ambition was to become the prime minister, the head of all officials; he was only willing to submit to the emperor.

Dong Zhao seized the opportunity to speak again, "Your Majesty, Cao Cao's declaration of loyalty is the best proof. He has always been loyal to Your Majesty and to the country, and his heart is as clear as the sun and moon. In the current turmoil, half of the prefectures and counties have not yet returned to the Han Dynasty. I hope Your Majesty can prioritize the country, reward Cao Cao, and allow him to act freely to help Your Majesty pacify Hebei and bring peace to the world."

Liu Xie stood up. "How about this? To be fair, let those who support Cao Cao and are willing to believe in him do so right here in the court today."

"Joint guarantee?"

Dong Zhao was taken aback, wondering what new trick the emperor was up to.

Liu Xie smiled and said, “In order to spare Cao Cao from criticism, let’s all sign a guarantee to show that you believe that Cao Cao is only loyal to the country and only loyal to me. In fact, I have always trusted Cao Cao, but to rashly restore the old system of the prime minister is such a big matter that it must be accepted by the people. Although I am the emperor, I cannot act arbitrarily and make decisions on my own.”

Liu Xie, employing a strategy of yielding to overcome strength and retreating to advance, proposed the method of joint guarantee.

Joint guarantee – no one has ever heard of this before; it was Liu Xie's original idea.

Liu Xie smiled and said, "It's actually very simple. If you are willing to trust Cao Cao and vouch for him, even if some people criticize or disagree, I can still entrust important matters to Cao Cao with peace of mind. If not many people are willing to vouch for Cao Cao, then for the sake of stability in the court, I will have to reject this proposal."

Liu Xie simply passed the decision-making power back to Dong Zhao and the others, like a football.

Jia Xu squinted at the emperor a few times, a smile appearing on his lips.

Your Majesty's move was truly brilliant.

"You believe in Cao Cao, right? Then step forward and vouch for him."

Anyway, that's the gist of it. Anyone who can attend the court assembly is not stupid, and everyone can understand that.

Don't think it's just a simple guarantee; it's also a way of directly asking everyone to state their position.

"This……"

Dong Zhao hesitated for a moment, then mustered his courage and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to vouch for Lord Cao."

Liu Xie nodded and asked Zhang Yu to bring paper and pen.

Dong Zhao's attitude was clear and his stance firm. He took the lead and hoped to encourage others.

However, jointly guaranteeing something in the imperial court is different from offering advice and remonstrance. It only takes a few words and doesn't require much effort. Even if you say something wrong, you don't have to bear any responsibility.

However, joint guarantees must be written down in black and white, which could become a handle used against everyone and become evidence in the hands of the emperor.

If Cao Cao makes any moves in the future, those who provided guarantees will all be at risk.

Whoever signs the guarantee is openly siding with Cao Cao.

Xu Yi, Mao Jie, and Wei Kai, who had followed Cao Cao for a long time, had made their stances clear, but many newcomers hesitated. Liu Xie watched quietly from above, while Dong Cheng and others observed coldly from the sidelines. It was obvious that they were openly choosing sides in public.

Does everyone's surname include Cao or Liu?

For example, Chen Qun had previously spoken on Cao Cao's behalf and had always been very proactive, but now that it was time to publicly take sides, he hesitated.

He arrived late, and Chen Qun thought of the Battle of Xiapi. Originally, Cao Cao was going to execute Lü Bu, but the emperor only used one move to render Cao Cao powerless.

The emperor has taken a liking to Lü Bu's daughter!

Not only Cao Cao broke through his defenses, but everyone did!

From then on, Lü Bu became a member of the imperial family and stood firmly on the emperor's side.

Because Lü Bu's life was saved by the emperor, his wealth and glory were also closely tied to the emperor.

The emperor is not so simple; siding with Cao Cao could very well bring disaster upon himself.

This joint guarantee is equivalent to Liu Xie sifting through all the supporters of Cao Cao again.

He believed that someone would change their stance and stand on his side.

Hua Xin didn't dare to move. He felt that he had been being watched for the past few days and had to be careful in everything he did.

"Changwen, what do you think? Do you want to vouch for Cao Cao?" Liu Xie asked with a smile, seeing the hesitation and struggle on Chen Qun's face.

As soon as Liu Xie asked that question, Chen Qun immediately became the focus of the entire room, with everyone on both sides turning their attention to him.

Chen Qun hurriedly shook his head, sweat beading on his forehead. "Your Majesty, I have only been in Xudu for a short time and do not yet understand many things. I am but a humble subject and dare not express my opinion rashly."

Dong Zhao sighed, but there was nothing he could do.

This move by the emperor will discourage many people with weak wills.

They would naturally be willing to support Cao Cao, but the difficult part was choosing between the emperor and Cao Cao to support.

Supporting one side risks offending the other.

Although the emperor was benevolent and kind, he could be ruthless once he hardened his heart.

Liu Xie estimated that the number of people who had provided guarantees had exceeded thirty.

Xun Yu did not participate from beginning to end, and although Dong Zhao and others kept giving him meaningful glances, Xun Yu seemed not to notice.

As the most influential figure, Xun Yu knew very well that this joint guarantee was a pledge of allegiance to Cao Cao, but to the emperor, it was undoubtedly a letter of betrayal.

Openly standing up to support the restoration of the old system of prime minister, what else is this but betrayal?
Xun Yu had not stepped forward, and Liu Xie nodded with satisfaction.

Xun Yu did not want to betray the emperor, and he simply could not bring himself to vouch for Cao Cao in public.

Finally, Zhang Yu collected everyone's guarantees and handed them to Liu Xie. Liu Xie glanced at them, his face expressionless.

He then looked at the crowd, nodded, and said, "Very good. Since so many people support Lord Cao, this matter is settled. From this day forward, Lord Cao will be the Chancellor of the Han Dynasty."

Dong Zhao and the others looked at each other, their eyes brightening as they felt a guiding light in their hearts once again.

But before they could even celebrate, Liu Xie declared emphatically, "Next, I have several more appointments to announce. First, I hereby appoint Xun You as Grand Censor; and Xun Yu, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, will be enfeoffed as Marquis of Ye, with a fief of ten thousand households..."

Both of these news items were bombshells, leaving everyone utterly bewildered.

But before everyone could recover from the shock, Liu Xie's third appointment came.

"Cao Ang has come of age, has repeatedly made military achievements, and is of good character. In recognition of his merits, Cao Ang is hereby promoted to General Who Conquers the West!"

"This..." Many people were stunned.

Cao Cao, didn't you aspire to be the General Who Conquers the West? Since you're just saying it casually and trying to fool the world, then let your son be the General Who Conquers the West.

Let your son rub salt in your wounds every day!
Jia Xu smiled and said to Chen Gong beside him, "From now on, Cao Cao will probably be restless day and night."

Chen Gong nodded, coldly uttering a few words, "This is nobody's fault but theirs."

Cao Ang was Cao Cao's successor, and every time Cao Cao saw Cao Ang, it would cleanse Cao Cao's soul time and time again.

You want to be the General Who Conquers the West? Then let your son be the one.

You want to be a loyal subject? Then let your son be one.

Cao Cao must have longed for the title of Marquis of Ye, because he wanted to become the Governor of Ji Province and would inevitably make Ye his base of operations in the future.

However, Liu Xie granted Ye City to Xun Yu ahead of schedule today.

As for Xun You, his position as Imperial Censor was even more interesting. The Imperial Censor was responsible for supervising all officials, which was equivalent to the Vice Chancellor. His main duty was to supervise the Chancellor.

Xun You was Cao Cao's man, so he certainly wouldn't fulfill his duty to monitor Cao Cao.

However, if Xun You does nothing, the emperor will not forgive him.

At first glance, Liu Xie's rewards were all given to those who supported Cao Cao, but in reality, there was a deeper meaning behind it.

Liu Xie genuinely valued Xun Yu and wanted to completely pull him away from Cao Cao's side.

Liu Xie should focus on cultivating Cao Ang and use him to constantly remind and restrain Cao Cao.

As for Xun You, even though he was a member of the Xun family, Liu Xie would not be polite to him, because he was only loyal to Cao Cao.

Liu Xie valued the Xun family of Yingchuan, but he would not tolerate all members of the Xun family without any limits.

This is a matter of principle, and there's no room for negotiation!
After the court session ended, Liu Xie took the initiative to find Xun Yu and personally saw him off. When they arrived at the city gate, Liu Xie instructed him: "Wenruo, when you see Cao Cao, you don't need to hide anything. Tell him frankly that he can be the prime minister, but he must give up Yuzhou. If he agrees, I will abolish the Three Dukes."

In the imperial court, Liu Xie only announced that he would be made prime minister; he had not yet abolished the Three Dukes, nor had he agreed to let Cao Cao become the governor of Ji Province.

Upon meeting Cao Cao, Xun Yu recounted everything that had happened in the court to him, without alteration.

After hearing this, Cao Cao's tent fell into complete silence; you could hear a pin drop.

(End of this chapter)