Chapter 77: The Show Must Go On

Jia Xu was no ordinary man. Despite being caught off guard by Liu Xie’s sudden actions, he swiftly regained his composure.

“As a servant of the Han Dynasty, restoring Great Han is an inescapable duty. Your subject will undoubtedly exert all efforts to assist Your Majesty!” Jia Xu declared with unwavering conviction.

His resolute expression and fervent words would have earned him a thumbs-up from anyone, hailed as a true loyal minister!

Deeply moved, Liu Xie expressed mixed emotions, “With your assurance, dear Minister, Our worries are eased.”

“Indeed, only through adversity do we recognize steadfast loyalty!”

At that moment, an attendant cautiously approached behind Liu Xie and reminded him, “Your Majesty, it’s cold on the ground; please put on your shoes first to avoid catching a chill.”

Liu Xie had only one shoe on, leaving the other foot clad merely in a sock. Additionally, his attire was somewhat disheveled, and the imperial crown atop his head was not properly placed—clear signs of haste in his arrival.

“Oh, how impetuous We can be! In my eagerness to meet with you, dear Minister, I neglected even to dress appropriately. Truly unbecoming, and for which We apologize if it caused amusement,” Liu Xie said, slightly embarrassed, before slipping on his missing shoe.

“Your Majesty’s affection leaves me deeply humbled.” Contrary to any offense, Jia Xu appeared genuinely touched.

Yet internally, Jia Xu remained utterly unfazed. Such petty tricks to win his favor held no effect on him; he was not so easily swayed.

However, witnessing the Emperor himself resorting to such gestures to secure a subject’s loyalty left a significantly positive impression on Jia Xu, despite his lack of emotional response.

He lowered his head, silently acknowledging Liu Xie as truly worthy of being a descendant of Liu Bang. With a quick glance from the corner of his eye at Liu Xie, who was being assisted by eunuchs to put on his shoes and straighten his attire, Jia Xu slightly narrowed his eyes.

“Your Majesty has indeed grown much over these years.”

This wasn’t Jia Xu’s first encounter with Liu Xie. Previously serving under Dong Zhuo, then Li Jue and Guo Si, he had often met Liu Xie and was thus quite familiar with him.

Although several years had passed since their last meeting, Jia Xu instantly recognized the Emperor before him as the same young ruler he had known back then. Their appearance was largely unchanged, including that unmistakable timidity.

What surprised Jia Xu somewhat was that this Emperor now employed tactics to win hearts, albeit rudimentary ones—though ‘rudimentary’ is relative. While ineffective against someone like Jia Xu, such gestures could undoubtedly elicit unwavering devotion and overwhelming gratitude from loyal Han ministers.

Liu Xie had clearly come a long way from when he was merely a puppet under Dong Zhuo’s control.

As these thoughts crossed Jia Xu’s mind, Liu Xie finished dressing and once again took his hand, earnestly inviting him, “My dear minister, we have already instructed preparations for a banquet. Would you care to dine with us? As a great contributor against Cao Cao, we must properly celebrate your achievements.”

Jia Xu composed himself and smiled, “Everything shall be as Your Majesty arranges.”

Liu Xie was delighted. Just as he was about to respond, another palace official approached to report, “Your Majesty, the Great General has arrived at the palace for an audience!”

“The Great General?” Jia Xu furrowed his brow but quickly recalled.

Yuan Shao had accepted the Emperor’s appointment and now held the titles of both Great General and Grand Marshal. It seemed that this visitor must be him.

However… why so soon?

Puzzled, Jia Xu glanced at Liu Xie.

A momentary flash of panic crossed Liu Xie’s face before he regained his composure and smiled, “Bring him forth immediately!”

“No need, for I am already here,” came a voice before the official could withdraw.

Yuan Shao and Ju Shou entered the main hall together.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.” Upon entering, Yuan Shao first bowed respectfully to Liu Xie. Then, his gaze fell upon Jia Xu, feigning confusion, he asked, “And this gentleman is…”

Quickly responding with a smile, Liu Xie said, “My dear subject, this is Jia Wenhe, the Grand Mentor of Court Affairs. He has specially come to Yecheng to pay his respects to us.”

“Wenhe devised a plan that ensnared Cao Cao at Wancheng, causing that treacherous villain to lose both his eldest son and a great general—a true loyal servant of the Great Han!”

“Your Majesty flatters me,” Jia Xu modestly replied before bowing to Yuan Shao. “Jia Xu greets the Great General.”

“Sir, please rise!” Yuan Shao extended his hand to help Jia Xu stand, expressing delight and excitement on his face. “I have long heard of your esteemed reputation, and today I finally get to meet you! Upon hearing about Wancheng’s fall, this general assumed you had joined Zhang Xiu in Yangzhou. Never did I expect to find you here in Yecheng!”

Before Jia Xu could respond, Yuan Shao turned to Ju Shou with a rebuke, “Even after Sir Jia entered Yecheng and came to the palace to pay homage to His Majesty, I received no word. How could such negligence occur?”

Ju Shou bowed deeply, saying, “It is my failure, deserving punishment by the Great General.”

Witnessing this exchange, the corner of Jia Xu’s mouth twitched imperceptibly. Then, stepping forward, he addressed Yuan Shao, “Great General, please do not blame him. After leaving Wancheng, fearing reprisals from Cao Cao, I took precautions against interception. Throughout the journey, we maintained utmost secrecy, revealing no trace of our movements.”

Yuan Shao finally let it go and stepped forward, taking Jia Xu’s hand sympathetically. “I see. You must have endured much hardship on your journey, Sir.”

As Yuan Shao held his hand, veins pulsed visibly on Jia Xu’s forehead. In all his life, he had never experienced such frequent hand-holding with men as he had today.

Despite feeling deeply uncomfortable, he couldn’t show it on his face. With a forced smile, he replied, “It’s no trouble at all… truly…”

Unaware of Jia Xu’s discomfort, Yuan Shao clasped both hands around his firmly and earnestly said, “Sir, after your arduous journey, if you don’t mind, please join me briefly at my residence for a banquet to properly welcome you.”

Just as Jia Xu was about to mention that the Emperor had already extended an invitation for a feast, Liu Xie spoke up first from beside them:

“Wonderful, wonderful! Great General, ensure you treat Wenhe well; do not neglect him,” Liu Xie said with a courteous smile.

“Rest assured, Your Majesty.” A hint of approval flashed in Yuan Shao’s eyes; this young emperor indeed possessed keen insight, just as Ju Shou had suggested. Bowing respectfully to Liu Xie, he then turned to Jia Xu and said, “His Majesty has recently caught a cold and is indisposed. Perhaps we should depart the palace now, Sir.”

Jia Xu observed every expression and gesture exchanged between the two carefully. Though pondering internally, he outwardly responded, “In that case, I humbly accept your offer. Your Majesty, I shall take my leave.”

“Go ahead, go ahead.”

Thus, Jia Xu followed Yuan Shao and Ju Shou as they exited.

As he stepped out of the main hall, Jia Xu glanced back momentarily.

Liu Xie stood alone amidst the vast emptiness, a hint of melancholy on his face. However, upon noticing Jia Xu’s gaze, he quickly put on a smile and waved at him.

Jia Xu looked away and hastened to catch up with Yuan Shao.

Unbeknownst to him, after his departure, Liu Xie let out a huge sigh of relief, finally easing his tense nerves.

“Finally gone!” Liu Xie’s heart raced uncontrollably, drenched in cold sweat.

His encounter with Jia Xu had left him incredibly anxious.

This man was one of the highest intellects in the Three Kingdoms era, and more importantly, he had met the real Liu Xie multiple times. Liu Xie feared revealing himself inadvertently.

Fortunately, his performance seemed flawless; they only discussed matters concerning Wancheng, without any mention of past events. It appeared unlikely that Jia Xu would suspect his true identity.

“Thankfully, Yuan Shao arrived just in time.” Liu Xie felt immense gratitude towards Yuan Shao for being like a timely rain.

Otherwise, he would have been forced to dine with Jia Xu—a prospect that terrified him. Facing such a cunning and wily individual, Liu Xie couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t slip up. And if he did, he’d have to confront Yuan Shao’s overwhelming wrath.

Although Jia Xu had departed, one question still lingered in Liu Xie’s mind: What purpose brought the Poisonous Scholar to Yecheng?