Chapter 11: Cao Cao’s Departure
Hearing this, Guo Jia fell silent, a trace of puzzlement crossing his face as well.
“What is it? Fengxiao, do you not understand my words?” Liu Xie asked softly.
Guo Jia respectfully folded his hands and replied, “Please forgive my dullness.”
Clearly, he did not grasp Liu Xie’s meaning.
Liu Xie smiled faintly, his gaze lingering on the window as if weighed by hesitation. After a brief pause, he spoke.
“I won’t judge others; I simply speak of facts.”
“Since coming from Luoyang to Xuchang, who has benefited most from this move?”
With that, he looked again at Guo Jia.
“My lord, the greatest benefit, naturally, falls to Chancellor Cao,” Guo Jia answered, fully aware of this point.
“Indeed, my presence here benefits Chancellor Cao most.”
He gave a soft chuckle, then asked, “Tell me, Fengxiao, since I arrived, how many edicts and decrees do you imagine have truly come from my own hand?”
At this, Guo Jia knit his brows, the truth gradually dawning.
“My lord, do you mean…?” Guo Jia hesitated, uncertain whether to continue.
Liu Xie nodded gently, understanding his thoughts.
“That’s right, it is as you surmise.”
“But it matters little. As I said, the world belongs to those capable of seizing it.”
“The state of the realm today only proves that I am not suited to rule as Emperor.”
“If Chancellor Cao governs well, then so be it—let him hold the reins.”
“As for myself, well, I have wine to drink, meat to eat, and women to keep me company.”
“I shall simply pass my remaining years in peace.”
“After all, I am no eternal sovereign; in the long river of history, I am but a punctuation mark.”
With each word, Liu Xie spoke with a wry smile and helpless shrug.
Guo Jia listened, his expression grave.
He could sense Liu Xie’s helplessness, his ambition thwarted.
He also understood the Emperor’s present state, and what it said of Cao Cao.
“Well, Fengxiao, it grows late. Go and rest,” Liu Xie finished, rising and stepping out of the tavern.
Guo Jia remained seated, dazed and uncertain.
But not long after Liu Xie left, a shadow slipped away from a spot not far from Guo Jia.
The next day, in Cao’s camp.
Guo Jia had only just arrived when one of Cao Cao’s men summoned him.
“Fengxiao, how have you found Xuchang these past days?” Cao Cao asked in a gentle tone.
“Thanks to your Excellency’s concern, I am well,” Guo Jia replied with due reverence.
Cao Cao nodded lightly. “I’ve heard you spoke at length with His Majesty yesterday?”
Guo Jia was momentarily taken aback; he realized Cao Cao harbored some suspicion toward him.
“Yes, that is so, Chancellor,” he replied.
“Yesterday, I happened to meet His Majesty in the street, and at his invitation, we conversed for a while.”
Guo Jia concealed nothing, recounting his meeting with Liu Xie and all that was said.
He withheld not a word.
When he finished, Cao Cao nodded in great satisfaction.
Perhaps only he understood the true source of his contentment: not Guo Jia’s honesty, but Liu Xie’s acceptance of his situation and the words he had shared with Guo Jia.
He had always feared that Liu Xie might yet harbor resentment, and perhaps, in time, act against him.
But hearing Guo Jia’s account, he instinctively relaxed.
Especially as Guo Jia described Liu Xie’s demeanor and expression while speaking—this reassured Cao Cao all the more.
At the very least, he now knew Liu Xie harbored no hidden ambitions; that was the greatest comfort.
Within the palace.
At dawn, Liu Xie rose, stepped outside, and gazed at the distant sky, a faint, thoughtful smile on his lips.
“Your Majesty, you seem in fine spirits today?” Lady Fu Shou approached from behind, her voice gentle.
Liu Xie smiled softly.
“Naturally. From today onward, Cao Cao will not be watching me quite so closely.”
“My movements will be less restricted, and there will be much more I can do.”
Lady Fu Shou was baffled. “But why, Your Majesty?”
“Because yesterday I met with Guo Jia, and I spoke many truths to him.”
At the words “truths,” a hint of disdain curled Liu Xie’s lips.
Perhaps only Liu Xie understood: much of what he told Guo Jia was indeed heartfelt.
Yet the heart has its own calculations; his purpose was singular—to ensure those words reached Cao Cao’s ears.
He wanted Cao Cao to believe he had no ambition, thus deepening his confusion.
In the days that followed, Liu Xie continued to spend his time in idle pleasure.
He often wandered the streets as well.
At first, Cao Cao still had him watched, but soon, those sent to follow him ceased their vigilance.
Their reports to Cao Cao were always the same: nothing out of the ordinary.
Combined with Guo Jia’s account, even Cao Cao grew unconcerned.
And so, time slipped quietly by.
A month later, Cao Cao made his move.
Cao Cao led his armies out of Xuchang, heading for Xuzhou.
“It seems the great battle between Cao Cao and Xuzhou is about to begin.”
Within the palace, upon receiving news that the army had marched, Liu Xie could not help but sigh.
He knew that, in history, this battle heralded the end of the formidable Lü Bu.
That night, as ever, found him in the wine cellar behind the palace.
More than twenty men sat in a circle, waiting in anticipation.
Soon, Liu Xie arrived.
“Your Majesty, no one detected our entry this time.”
“Yes, after a month in the mountains, we finally understand your intentions.”
“That’s right, Your Majesty wants us to become special warriors!”
At Liu Xie’s arrival, the group’s excitement was palpable.
When training had first begun, some among them were resistant, doubting there was much use in Liu Xie’s methods.
But now, things were different.
After months of grueling training, each had surpassed his own limits.
In real situations, they had learned invaluable skills of survival and concealment.
“It seems your strength has grown considerably,” Liu Xie said, seating himself without a hint of formality.
“Yes, Your Majesty. We feel now that we can accomplish much.”
“Your Majesty, what is our next training?”
The men were eager, their excitement uncontained.
With composure, Liu Xie smiled.
“The next phase remains training—but it will be training in actual combat.”
“Of course, if danger arises on the way, there is a very real risk of death.”
As he spoke, Liu Xie’s expression grew solemn.