Chapter 158 The Emperor is Angry!
Chapter 158: The Emperor is angry!
call! ~
A strong wind blew through the courtyard, bringing with it a bit of hot summer air.

The chill in Guan Yu's words made people tremble: "When Brother Guan said goodbye to you, you said that although you are going to Cao's camp, you will never make a plan or offer a plot for Cao Cao..."

"Why are you willing to be Cao Cao's lobbyist today and break your promise?!"

These days, there are countless lobbyists for Cao Cao who have been turned away by Guan Yu.

At this time, Xu Shu admitted that he came to see him on the orders of Cao Mengde. Apart from persuading him to surrender, Guan Yu really couldn't think of what else Xu Shu came for.

Guan Yu's eyes were full of disappointment. He never thought that the noble and elegant man and loyal minister of the past would now become Cao Mengde's "henchman"?
Facing Guan Yu's frosty eyes, Xu Yuanzhi remained expressionless.

He did not explain anything, but just told Guan Yu what happened after he was captured: "Since Yunchang was captured, Liu Wu occupied Gong'an and took all four counties in southern Jing..."

Liu Wu occupied Gong'an? He took all four counties in southern Jing?!
boom! ~
Guan Yun’s mind was instantly filled with shocking waves!

He stood up suddenly, his eyes full of disbelief: "Impossible! How is this possible?"

"There are still tens of thousands of soldiers in Gong'an City. Big brother, you have the protection of my third brother, Chen Dao, and Mi Fang, so you will definitely be able to return to Gong'an safely. In addition, you have Zhuge Military Advisor to help you defend the city. The soldiers and civilians of Gong'an are united, so how could you lose Gong'an?"

"How did we lose the four counties of Jingnan?!"

Guan Yu breathed rapidly and gripped the handle of the Qinglong Sword tightly.

How many soldiers and horses does Liu Wu have?

How could he capture the four counties of southern Jing and break through the city of Gong'an?
Xu Shu shook his head helplessly, as if sighing, as if in admiration: "Uncle Liu's eldest son is truly a genius in the world. He can manipulate almost all the heroes in the world at his fingertips!"

"That day, General Guan was the last one to leave, so Emperor Liu had no chance to return to Gong'an..."

"Liu Wu used his trusted followers to pretend to be Gong'an reinforcements and took the emperor's uncle to Bashu. Jingnan was leaderless. Liu Wu married Jiangdong, and the Marquis of Wu assisted with 10,000 soldiers. He also sent Zhou Yu and the twelve generals of Jiangdong..."

"...Sun Qian led the Jingzhou navy and 5,000 infantrymen to surrender to Liu Wu, and Jian Yong rebelled..."

"Uncle Liu killed Sun Qian in front of the battlefield, and Gong'an City opened the gates to welcome Liu Wu into the city. Both civil and military officials surrendered, and Huang Zhong offered Changsha. The four counties in southern Jing then became Liu Wu's possession..."

Jiangdong dispatched 10,000 troops and also sent Zhou Yu and the twelve generals of Jiangdong to assist Liu Wu.

When Jian Yong rebelled, Sun Qian surrendered to Liu Wu, but was killed by his elder brother on the battlefield.

Huang Zhong presented Changsha.

All the civil and military officials in Gong'an City surrendered...

Xu Yuanzhi kept talking, and Guan Yu was dumbfounded and his red face almost turned pale.

absurd!

It's ridiculous!
These things were simply unbelievable. Guan Yu subconsciously did not believe what Xu Shu said, but he understood that if the news was true, it must have spread all over the world. He would be able to tell the truth as long as he inquired.

Xu Yuanzhi didn't need to lie to himself about this, but, but in this case...

Doesn't that mean that Jingnan has really been occupied by Liu Wu?
Big brother's legacy is gone just like that?!

Xu Shu's voice continued: "Liu Wu wanted to lead 10,000 soldiers to the north to pay homage to the emperor, but Cao Mengde did not allow it. Liu Wu was furious and raised an army to attack Xiangfan..."

"He broke the dike of the Han River, flooded Fancheng, and besieged Xiangyang. Now Xiangfan has been lost, and the 60,000 defenders have all been captured by Liu Wu!"

"Generals Cao Ren, Yu Jin, Man Chong, and Lu Chang also fell into Liu Wu's hands! Xu Gongming led 20,000 defenders from Wancheng to support Xiangfan, but was defeated by Liu Wu and all of his 20,000 troops were captured..."

"Xu Huang tried to escape back to Wancheng, but Liu Wu sent Zhao Zilong to capture him alive!"

"Liu Wu even used Xu Huang's name to trick the gate of Wancheng into opening. Now..."

Xu Yuanzhi took a deep breath and said, "Xiangyang, Zhangling and Nanyang counties have all been taken by Liu Wu. Liu Wu has taken over Jingzhou and is heading straight for the Central Plains!"

Get Jingnan,
Take Xiangfan,
Go down to Nanyang,
The troops are heading straight to the Central Plains...

Guan Erye only felt a buzzing in his head and his eyes were dazed.

These, these big things, were all done by my eldest nephew?

I know that Liu Wu is very talented, but this, but this is a bit too shocking.

Guan Yunchang was confused...

He suddenly remembered that his three brothers had struggled for so many years before they managed to take over the four counties in southern Jing. Compared with Liu Wu's achievements...

What does this mean?
Xu Shu looked at Guan Erye, who was in a daze, and sighed: "Yun Chang, now you know why I came to see you..."

……

……

The next day,

The sun is rising!

Civil and military officials, all of you come to the palace!
Cao Mengde held his sword, and many civil and military officials were behind him.

But there was one person who walked side by side with Cao Mengde: "Mingsir, you really shouldn't have killed Ma Teng!"

Cao Cao shook his head in annoyance and said, "Wen Ruo, I regret it now. It's all because of that old Qiang thief's foul mouth. Otherwise, I wouldn't have killed him."

Xun Yu sighed helplessly: "The news of Ma Teng's death has been kept secret, and I'm afraid it won't be kept secret for much longer. In order to prevent Jing and Liang from joining forces, the most important thing right now is to stabilize Liu Zilie!"

"Prime Minister Cao, you must not act on impulse this time, otherwise the Central Plains that we have worked so hard to unify will be in chaos again..."

Cao Mengde nodded to Xun Yu beside him and said, "Liu Wu is a hero. The Battle of Xiangfan completely destroyed my western defense line. It's a pity that he is not my son."

"When we were drinking wine and discussing heroes, you once said that the only talented heroes were Cao and Liu." Xun Yu smiled bitterly at the moment: "No matter what, Prime Minister always admits in his heart that Liu Bei is the same as himself. Liu Bei is Liu Wu's biological father, but he still had the four counties of Jingnan taken away and now he is fleeing to Jiangdong..."

"If Liu Zilie really changes his surname to Cao, the Prime Minister will probably be unable to use him like Uncle Liu."

"Wen Ruo is right. Liu Wu is too aggressive. I am only his adoptive father, but I have been forced to this point by him..." Cao Cao couldn't help but tease, "Fortunately, fortunately, I am not his biological father. Otherwise, I would have fled to Jiangdong like that big-eared thief."

Xun You caught up with him and said: "For now, we should stabilize Liu Wu first, and then take our time!"

"Kunyang is the gateway to Nanyang, only two hundred miles away from Xuchang. There are still three thousand garrisons there. The Prime Minister should lead the troops to Kunyang as soon as possible..."

"Just leave 5,000 soldiers in Xuchang City. Kill them decisively and there won't be any chaos in the city."

"With the addition of nearby troops, we can gather another 30,000 men to support the Prime Minister in confronting Liu Wu in Kunyang!"

Xun Yu added: "Liu Zilie is now in the limelight, so it is better for the Prime Minister to appease him. We should not fight Liu Wu again in the short term, otherwise the Central Plains will be in turmoil."

Taking one more step forward, they were about to enter the main hall. Cao Cao stopped and looked around: "I have Jian Yong in one hand, Guan Yu in the other, and Xu Shu and Xu Yuanzhi. Yuanzhi and my son Lie are also old acquaintances. In addition, I have the emperor's edict. With such a combination of grace and power, I am not afraid that Liu Wu will not submit!"

Cao Cao still had a total of about 150,000 to 160,000 troops, but they were all stationed on various borders and he had no time to deploy them in a short period of time.

Even though Cao Cao had previously used the emperor's name to order the governors of various states to lead troops to aid Xiangfan, due to the long distance, it is likely that the imperial edict may not even reach the governors' hands.

Therefore,
Cao Mengde had no choice but to take the stage himself...

"Gentlemen, follow me into the palace to meet the emperor. You should know that Liu Zilie made such a big fuss in Xiangfan just for this step we are taking now."

After saying that, Cao Cao took a step forward and walked into the hall!
Hulala! ~
The other gentlemen followed closely behind.

"Greetings to the Emperor!!~"

Sitting on the dragon throne, Liu Xie looked calm and seemed to be more confident than in the past few days: "My dear ministers, please don't be polite."

Cao Mengde walked out of the class with the steps of a dragon and a tiger, bowed and said: "Your Majesty, the governor of Jingzhou is disloyal and has invaded the Central Plains, intending to covet the sacred artifact. Now the battle in Xiangfan is raging, and the whole world is in turmoil!"

"Please ask the emperor to issue an edict to reprimand Liu Wu! So that he will repent and apologize for his crime!"

When Cao Aman said this, Liu Xie almost laughed in the hall. He just said helplessly: "Liu Jingzhou is disloyal, even the Prime Minister's 80,000 troops in Xiangfan can't resist him. I have been living in the deep palace for a long time, what can I do?"

"Now that the country is in danger, the burden of the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty is on the Prime Minister's shoulders. I can only rely on the Prime Minister!"

The words of the emperor fell.

All the courtiers in the hall looked at each other in bewilderment. They were all smart people, so who could not hear the emperor's hidden meaning?
Don't drag me into this!

Cao Mengde, you have brought trouble upon yourself, so you should bear the consequences yourself!

If you have the ability, then continue fighting with Liu Wu. What's the point of dragging me, your puppet, to the front?

Looking at the silence in the court, Liu Xie covered his face with his hands...

He couldn't help laughing.
After all, I have been a puppet for so many years, so I can still manage my facial expressions.

The emperor yawned...

Because the emperor is too sleepy!
The emperor only learned the outcome of the Battle of Xiangfan yesterday evening. He was so excited that he couldn't sleep the whole night and was extremely excited.

Hero Awu, defeated the Cao thieves!
I also wanted to stand still for a while, so I raped all three daughters of Cao Mengde, and was busy all night...

Among them, Cao Mengde’s youngest daughter, Cao Hua, entered the palace later than her two elder sisters because she was too young, and Liu Xie had never paid any attention to her.

Last night the emperor was angry and Cao Hua bled!

There were also several young daughters of Cao Cao who were engaged to the emperor. Because they were too young, they had not been sent to the palace in time, so they escaped the disaster.

Cao Cao spoke again: "Your Majesty! If you don't know how to stop Liu Zilie's army and allow him to invade the Central Plains, in order to protect your majesty's safety, I can only ask your majesty to move the capital to Yecheng, Hebei."

When Liu Xie heard that the capital was going to be moved, he panicked.

"No, it won't come to that!" the emperor said quickly.

Liu Xie had some concerns about the relocation of the capital...

Besides, Liu Wu had finally managed to reach Nanyang, which was only three or five hundred miles away from Xuchang.

If the capital was moved to Yecheng, Hebei, the emperor felt that it would be difficult for him to see Liu Wu again in this lifetime...

……

Xuchang,

Wow! ~
Large numbers of soldiers were mobilized on the river to drive away the people.

"Go back! Go back quickly!" "The whole city is under martial law. No one is allowed to leave without permission!"

"Martial law, martial law!"

"The market is closed! The market is closed! From today on, anyone who dares to open the market without official documents will be executed!"

In the city of Xuchang, the people were in a panic and hurried back to their homes.

The market, which had just opened, was in chaos.

Several spice merchants were busy loading bags of spices onto camels.

A young businessman couldn't help but complain in a low voice: "What's going on? Now even Xuchang, where Prime Minister Cao is in charge, is in chaos. Business in Xuchang is really going to be unsustainable."

"Do you still want to do business?" An older man nearby quickly packed up his goods and said in a lower voice, "Xuchang is about to be hit by another war. You should be thankful that you are still alive!"

Soldiers, military disaster?

The young businessman was stunned, but he picked up the spices faster and faster: "What does this mean?"

Without waiting for the older man to explain, several businessmen around him couldn't help but whisper the news to him:

"You don't know this? Jingzhou Governor Liu Zilie has already captured Xiangfan and Nanyang, and is about to lead his troops north to attack Xuchang!"

"I heard that Liu Zilie was blessed by Emperor Guangwu of Han. In a short time, the Han River burst its banks and flooded Fancheng, leaving only the top of the city wall!"

"I also heard that even Prime Minister Cao's brother was captured alive by Liu Zilie!"

"Xiangfan is the gateway to the Central Plains. Once you get past Xiangfan, there are no natural barriers in the area from Nanyang to Xuchang. Prime Minister Cao can only stay in Xuchang!"

"This Jingzhou governor once captured Prime Minister Cao alive. Who knows if Prime Minister Cao will be captured a second time?"

……

Xuchang, East City.

This is where many dignitaries live.

Somewhere in a mansion,

Inside the secret room, all the Han officials gathered.

"Heaven will not destroy us Han people! Heaven will not destroy us Han people!" A Han official with white hair and beard burst into tears.

The rest of the people also couldn't suppress their excitement on their faces.

Although they are weak in the imperial court, they have been able to survive until now despite Cao Mengde's repeated purges of Han officials. Naturally, they must have some foundation.

They already had the answer to why Cao Mengde lost his composure in the palace.

"Liu Zilie is indeed a descendant of the Han Dynasty. He actually conquered Xiangfan! He also took over Nanyang!"

"Xiangfan is the gateway to the Central Plains, and Nanyang Wancheng is only 500 miles away from Xuchang."

"Right now, Cao Mengde has very few soldiers in Xuchang. As long as Liu Zilie leads a large army from Wancheng and marches directly to the city of Xuchang, the entire Central Plains! The entire world will be shocked!"

"The thief Cao's luck is about to end. It's finally over."

"Liu Zilie is truly a loyal and good man of the Han Dynasty!"

"Uncle Liu has a good son, but...but he has such a good son, why did he make a seventeen-year-old boy his crown prince?"

"Alas! Liu Xuande is also confused. The most important thing right now is to restore the Han Dynasty. How can he be so ignorant of the overall situation?"

When Jian Yong was in the hall that day, it was this group of people who were the first to scold Liu Wu.

At this moment, it was still this group of people who praised Liu Wu and spoke out for Liu Wu.

The contrast between the attitudes before and after is so great that it is really astonishing.

……

Xuchang, somewhere in a quiet garden.

Those wearing tall hats, wide belts, and brocade robes gathered together.

They are old and young, all representatives of the Han family, and they are holding a secret meeting here today.

An old man at the head slowly spoke: "The sky in the Central Plains is about to change, and the situation in the world is also going to change."

"Xunzi said, 'If you want to improve every day, you must improve every day... We can't stay the same."

Everyone was silent.

The old man spoke tactfully, but how could the people present not understand what he meant?
In the beginning, these noble families supported Cao Mengde because they valued that Cao Mengde would be the first to seize the world's situation, and they wanted to place a big bet on this Prime Minister Cao.

But now, the change in the situation seems irreversible.

A young man from an aristocratic family spoke hesitantly: "Although Liu Zilie is coming with great force, Cao Mengde has been managing Xuchang for a long time, so he may not be able to..."

Before he finished speaking, there was already a chorus of scolding from all around:

"What a mess! The situation has come to this point. Are we going to risk our entire family and Cao Cao?"

"Cao Mengde only has 30,000 soldiers in Xuchang now. Can he defend Xuchang?!"

"Xiangfan has been lost, Nanyang has fallen, Cao Ren, Yu Jin, Xu Huang, Man Chong and other generals have all been captured by Liu Zilie, and Cao Cao's other generals and troops are stationed in all directions. What can he use to resist Liu Wu?!"

"Liu Zilie is a brave man. He defended Xiling with only a few thousand soldiers and was able to capture Cao Mengde alive. Now he has at least 100,000 soldiers. How can he not defeat Cao Cao?"

"I think Liu Zilie may be able to accomplish the great cause of Emperor Guangwu of Han! Those noble families in Nanyang became members of the great Han family just because they followed Emperor Guangwu of Han!"

"The opportunity is right before our eyes, and we can't miss it..."

……

……

The Imperial Palace, inside the main hall.

Cao Mengde had already left with his advisers and generals, busy coordinating the army and rushing to Kunyang to fight Liu Zilie.

The rest of the civil officials and military officers also left the court.

But the emperor still sat on the dragon throne and did not leave.

Apart from the emperor, there was only one person left in the hall at this time, Xun Yu, also known as Xun Wenruo, who was respected as Xun Lingjun.

After the court meeting, Xun Yu and the emperor seemed to have a tacit understanding and both stayed.

A talent who can assist the king, Xun Yu!
In his early years, he served under Yuan Shao. Later, when Xun Yu saw that Yuan Shao would not be able to achieve great things, he defected to Cao Cao and became Cao Mengde's most capable right-hand man.

Among the many counselors and generals under Cao Mengde, if one had to choose the one with the highest status, it would definitely be Xun Yu.

Cao Cao said that Xun Yu was his Xiao He.

But Xun Yu is also the most special one in Cao Ying, because he is a Han minister, and a well-known Han minister...

In order to realize his ideal, he joined hands with Cao Cao and created such a great cause, unifying Qingyou, Ji, Xu, Yanyu, and the eight states of Guanzhong, and even almost took over the entire Jingzhou.

But after the Battle of Red Cliff, a rift had already begun to appear between Xun Yu and Cao Cao.

He, Xun Yu, is still the same Xun Yu from back then.

But is Cao Cao still the wise ruler who cherished the Han Dynasty?

This time Cao Cao personally led the army to curb Liu Zilie's momentum, and as usual many military and political affairs in the Xuchang court were handed over to him.

"Lord Xun, Liu Wu has gone north."

The emperor spoke.

Xun Yu cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. Prime Minister Cao will be able to stabilize the situation as he did before."

"Really?" Liu Xie reached out and touched his beard. He smiled and said, "I was still a young man when I first ascended the throne, but now my beard has grown so long."

"Lord Xun, whether this situation can be stabilized or not, what difference does it make to me?"

Xun Yu frowned. He wanted to give advice, but was shocked by the emperor's next words: "Zi Lie's going north was something I discussed with him."

As soon as these words were spoken, Xun Yu was struck by lightning and his face turned pale instantly!

This……

If so, then Liu Wu was not invading the Central Plains, nor was he going north to fight for supremacy, nor was he seizing territory, but was... sent to serve the king! !

Xun Yu was stunned for a long time before he said, "May I ask your Majesty?"

"But Liu Zilie is a Han official?!"

The emperor is not a fool. He knows some things clearly.

If Liu Wu was as loyal to the Han Dynasty as Xun Yu was, it would be fine. But if he was an ambitious person who relied on his strong army to replace Cao Mengde, just like when Dong Zhuo entered the capital, then the world would be in danger!
Is Liu Zilie a Han minister?

Liu Xie had no way to answer this question, because he knew very well that what bound him and Liu Wu together was not the righteousness between a ruler and his subject, but the brotherhood.

If he used the principle of loyalty between a monarch and his subjects to pressure Liu Wu, he would probably end up like Liu Xuande...

Liu Xie knew the answer very well from the beginning. Liu Wu was not a Han minister. Liu Wu... was my younger brother.

Xun Yu asked again: "May I ask Your Majesty, is Liu Zilie a Han minister?!"

Uh-huh~
The emperor stood up and looked directly at Xun Yu: "May I ask, Lord Xun, you have assisted me for decades, but are you a Han minister?!"

　There is one more chapter, probably around one o'clock, and it will definitely be there.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)