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

Chapter 235, Liu Bei refused.
Dong Cheng's confidence grew stronger every day. The grievances he suffered in his early years and the resentment he had bottled up made him full of energy every time he faced Cao Cao. He wished he could rush over and kick or punch Cao Cao.

Cao Cao gave him a cold look and questioned, "Imperial Uncle, your status is noble, but don't speak recklessly without evidence. When did I ever intend to establish a separate court? The people I recommended are all capable and trustworthy. Mao Jie and Xu Yi's performance is evident to all. It is precisely for the sake of the stability of the state that I recommended them to take up their posts in various places, hoping to stabilize the regions as soon as possible. Stable regions mean a stable state. Is this simple truth that you, Imperial Uncle, do not understand?"

Guo Jia also spoke up, saying, "The Prime Minister is absolutely right. Only when the regions are stable can the country be stable. Regions such as Henan, Hebei, and Hebei all need capable people to be in charge."

Guo Jia couldn't resist teasing Dong Cheng with a smile, "The emperor's brother-in-law is exceptionally talented. If he were to be sent to a remote area, he would surely be able to handle the job of a prefect."

Dong Cheng snorted and didn't reply. He was now the emperor's brother-in-law in name only, so how could he possibly want to serve as an official in a local area?

Besides, apart from Yuzhou, all other places are now under Cao Cao's control. If Dong Cheng were to take up an official post in these places, could he feel at ease? His safety might not even be guaranteed.

If Cao Cao wanted, he could easily make Dong Cheng disappear without leaving any trace.

Guo Jia's words, though seemingly a joke, were actually a threat.

Kong Rong spoke up, "Prime Minister Cao hastily transferred so many people away from Xuchang, which will put many government affairs on hold. This is not conducive to the stability of Xuchang. Surely the Prime Minister has considered this?"

Before Cao Cao could speak, Guo Jia looked at Liu Xie with a friendly smile in his eyes and said, "Your Majesty is working hard to govern the country and has the ambition to conquer the world. This vacated position is just right for Your Majesty to select talented people and appoint virtuous and capable ones."

Guo Jia's meaning was quite clear: Your Majesty, don't you want to control Xuchang? With so many positions vacant, you can confidently and boldly arrange for your own people to take over.

Everyone got what they wanted, and Cao Cao would shift his focus outside of Xuchang and hand over control of the court to Liu Xie.

Dong Cheng and others strongly opposed it, and everyone turned their gaze to Liu Xie. Dong Cheng even winked at Liu Xie, signaling him to refuse.

Seeing that their argument had subsided, Liu Xie finally stood up, looked at Cao Cao with great trust in his eyes, and said, "Lord Cao has always been loyal to me, and so many people have vouched for him. I have no objection to Lord Cao's proposal!"

Dong Cheng's mouth dropped open in astonishment; he could hardly believe that the emperor had agreed.

Dong Zhao and the others all breathed a sigh of relief, fearing that the emperor would refuse.

But this is not the end. In the previous round, Cao Cao rewarded those who remained in Xuchang. Next, he will reward those who follow him.

Cao Cao then said, “Your Majesty, although Yuan Shao’s remnants are still there, Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan are not a threat. Sweeping Hebei is just around the corner. In this campaign at Guandu, Xu Huang, Yue Jin, Yu Jin and others fought bravely and showed great courage.”

Cao Cao paused for a moment, just about to explain the specific rewards.

Liu Xie then continued, "I was just about to say this. Our soldiers have fought valiantly on the battlefield for the court and deserve great rewards to boost our morale. I have been waiting for you, waiting for your triumphant return, and today is the perfect day, with everyone here..."

As Liu Xie spoke, he stepped down from the palace platform.

First, Liu Xie approached Yu Jin and asked him with concern, "Wenze, how are your injuries? Have they all healed?"

Cao Cao's words were interrupted. He was supposed to propose the rewards, and everyone would have appreciated it. However, he didn't expect that the emperor would intercept his proposal.

Watching the emperor play the emotional card right in front of him in court, Cao Cao had no choice but to suffer in silence, feeling truly displeased.

This was the emperor's privilege; in front of so many people, Cao Cao could only patiently watch from the sidelines.

Yu Jin was somewhat excited and nodded vigorously, "Thank you for Your Majesty's concern, my injuries have improved a lot."

Liu Xie smiled and nodded, "Then I can rest assured." He then punched him in the chest, a gesture usually reserved for very close comrades, but Liu Xie did it naturally.

Liu Xie looked around and said to everyone, "General Yu has always been strict in his military discipline and extremely methodical in his work. The soldiers he leads are well-disciplined and highly capable in combat. During the Battle of Wancheng, many people were thrown into disarray and did not know what to do. I remember very clearly that it was Yu Jin who stepped in in time, turned the tide, and stabilized the situation."

"I have accompanied the army on many campaigns and have had many interactions with General Yu. General Yu is not talkative, but he is extremely steady and a very capable person who does things sincerely. In the Battle of Guandu, General Yu was stationed at Yanjin. Although he was ordered to defend, he crossed the Yellow River several times at the beginning of the battle and launched surprise attacks on Hanjia and other places north of the Yellow River, causing Yuan Shao's army to suffer heavy losses, but they could not do anything about it. Later, when facing Yuan Shao's army of more than 200,000, General Yu once again volunteered to cover the rear and block Yuan Shao, which bought our army enough time to set up camp at Guandu."

"With only three thousand men, they managed to hold off two hundred thousand of Yuan's troops. I even treated General Yu's injuries after the battle. None of you can imagine how serious his injuries were at the time..."

Liu Xie spoke very seriously and in great detail about the ban.

Even those who haven't been on the battlefield can feel the thrill of being there.

Yu Jin never expected that the emperor would remember his affairs so clearly.

Although Yu Jin was usually very low-key, being praised by the emperor and having his deeds heard and recognized by so many people in the court filled him with warmth.

"Therefore, I have decided to bestow upon Yu Jin the title of General Anyuan and Marquis of Yishou!"

Yu Jin hurriedly cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "This humble general thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness."

Next, he publicly praised and personally rewarded Yue Jin, Zhang Liao, Li Dian, Dian Wei, and Liu Xie. Finally, he came to Xu Huang, but he seemed a little cold towards Xu Huang.

This was merely a show for Cao Cao, because everyone knew that Xu Huang used to serve the emperor, but now he was very close to Cao Cao.

Anyone who didn't know better would think that the emperor had been betrayed and was holding a grudge.

Liu Xie held Cao Cao's generals, especially the Five Elite Generals, in high regard.

As the emperor, Liu Xie should not simply rely on Cao Cao to bestow favors. Rather than having Cao Cao propose additional titles, it would be better for Liu Xie to take the initiative to bestow them.

Cao Cao remained expressionless, barely managing to maintain his composure, but inside he was seething with anger.

If the emperor does this, will these military generals still be loyal to him?
If one day I were to fall out with the emperor, would these people immediately turn around and stand on the opposite side?

Cao Cao was becoming increasingly insecure. In the past, emperors only had a nominal title, but now he was a real emperor.

Apart from Cao Ren and Xiahou Dun, Cao Cao was not entirely certain about the stances of the other generals.

After the court session ended, Liu Bei was summoned, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were also kept behind.

Cao Cao was walking along the road in a low mood. Guo Jia followed quietly behind him like his shadow, always keeping a distance of two body lengths.

Liu Bei knew why he stayed behind. As soon as the others left, he knelt down on the ground with a thud.

When Guan Yu and Zhang Fei saw Liu Bei kneel down, they knelt down as well. Liu Bei's voice choked with sobs, filled with self-reproach, "Your Majesty, I am guilty. Your Majesty entrusted me with such an important task and valued me so highly, yet I was unable to be by Your Majesty's side in time."

Liu Xie hurriedly helped him up, and upon closer inspection, he saw that Liu Bei was already crying, with tears welling up in his eyes.

Liu Xie gently shook his head. "Xuande, I already know about these things. The reason I kept you here is not to blame you, but because I have something to discuss with you."

Liu Bei breathed a sigh of relief; he had genuinely thought the emperor was going to question him.

"Your Majesty, please give me your orders."

Liu Xie spoke in a calm tone, as if chatting casually, and said kindly, "As you can see, Xuchang is now stable. I have told you before that I hope Xuande can stay in Xuchang and stay by my side. You are a member of the Han imperial family and my uncle. I think you are the most suitable person to take on the position of Zongzheng."

Guan Yu quickly nodded to Liu Bei, reminding him that he should agree.

It has always been the rule that members of the imperial clan should serve as the head of the clan, a high-ranking position among the Nine Ministers, whose importance is self-evident.

The power of the Imperial Clan Court was considerable; it could manage both the royal relatives and the maternal relatives.

In short, the Imperial Clan Head could manage the emperor's relatives, and he also managed the relatives of the women around the emperor.

Strictly speaking, Cao Cao also had to listen to the Imperial Clan Court, because Cao Cao was also a relative of the empress.

As for Liu Biao and Liu Zhang, who were members of the Han imperial family, the Imperial Clan Court was also able to manage them.

Zhang Fei was also happy for Liu Bei, rubbing his hands excitedly and saying, "Brother, why don't we stay in Xuchang?"

Liu Bei was in a dilemma. Staying in Xuchang was indeed very prestigious, especially when Cao Cao was not around.

However, he had no foothold or troops there, while Liu Bei had just acquired Runan, where he had tens of thousands of soldiers.

Once he became the head of the clan, Liu Bei felt that territory and troops were no longer his.

Considering his increasingly tense relationship with Cao Cao, who had more territory and manpower and was constantly expanding his power, if he stayed in Xuchang, wouldn't he be far inferior to Cao Cao?

At first glance, staying by the emperor's side meant having nothing to worry about, but Liu Bei had spent half his life wandering and was extremely insecure.

He only felt secure when he controlled the army and the territory.

Liu Bei's delayed response left Liu Xie somewhat disappointed.

"What's wrong, Xuande? Is there something you're worried about?"

It is said that the emperor's word is law, and whatever he says goes, but in reality it is not that simple.

Liu Xie kindly consulted with Liu Bei, but Liu Bei hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty, I am deeply honored by Your Majesty's favor, but I feel that Prince Chen is more suitable than me in terms of both prestige and ability."

What he said was indeed true, but the problem was that it wasn't a reason for Liu Bei's genuine refusal.

Liu Xie said, "Xuande, there's no need for us to hide anything between us, so feel free to speak frankly."

Guan Yu's face immediately showed a hint of confusion. He didn't understand and couldn't figure it out, and disappointment was also revealed on his face.

Liu Bei explained, “Your Majesty, I wish to remain in Runan. Liu Pi and Gong Du are both of humble origins, and they have only recently submitted to the court. It is inevitable that their loyalty may waver. In addition, many places have not yet submitted to the court. If I remain in Runan, I can help Your Majesty organize and train the army, and in the future, I can lend Your Majesty a helping hand.”

Liu Bei looked very troubled; this matter was indeed troubling him.

Liu Xie nodded in understanding. "In that case, I will not force you. You can stay in Runan. Let Yun Chang be the governor of Runan, and you can continue to serve as the governor of Yuzhou."

This was already giving Liu Bei a lot of face. Since he was unwilling to stay in Xuchang, Liu Xie did not want to force him any further.

Liu Bei bowed and thanked Your Majesty, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you. If Your Majesty ever needs my services, I will obey without question and will do my utmost to share Your Majesty's burdens."

Guan Yu's face gradually turned cold. As soon as he left Chengguang Hall, he couldn't help but say, "Brother, His Majesty spoke sincerely and kindly to you, but you went against his will. And this isn't the first time. Brother, I really don't understand. If you don't trust Liu Pi and Gong Du, don't you still have me and Third Brother?"

Zhang Fei shook his head, "If we can stay in the court and serve as officials, my brother is both the Imperial Uncle and the Minister of the Imperial Clan. Even Cao Cao wouldn't dare to underestimate him."

Liu Bei shook his head. "Second brother, third brother, do you think I care about personal wealth and honor? The reason I chose to stay in Runan is because I don't trust Cao Cao."

"Your Majesty's current situation is hard-won. Cao Cao still refuses to submit. As you all saw in court today, Cao Cao has transferred Mao Jie, Xu Yi, and others away from Xuchang. This is definitely not a good sign. We are staying outside precisely to protect Xuchang and be wary of Cao Cao!"

Liu Bei was full of worries, but after he finished speaking, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's dissatisfaction was completely dispelled.

Guan Yu said, "Alright then, but with my brother not by His Majesty's side, I always feel that doing this will disappoint His Majesty."

Liu Bei straightened his chest and said with righteous indignation, "My loyalty to Your Majesty is as clear as heaven and earth and as bright as the sun and moon. Your Majesty will always need us in the future. Staying in Xuchang is far less useful than staying outside Xuchang."

After Liu Bei left, Liu Xie sighed heavily.

"Zhang Yu."

"The servant is here."

"Immediately issue my decree to bestow upon Prince Chen the title of Minister of the Imperial Clan. From this day forward, if any member of the Han imperial family or relative of the empress does anything improper, Prince Chen shall have the authority to inquire about and deal with it without needing to consult me!"

Liu Xie's voice was devoid of any emotion, yet it exuded the decisiveness and imposing presence befitting an emperor.

Zhang Yu glanced at the emperor subconsciously and saw that the emperor's gentle expression had vanished, replaced by a stern face and piercing eyes. Zhang Yu's heart trembled, and he hurriedly obeyed the order.

"Slave, you obey!"

(End of this chapter)