Chapter 90: Seizing Jia Xu's Lifeline

Cao Cao’s mood mirrored the turbulent waters of the Huai River below, unable to find calm for a long while.

He was well aware of Lu Bu’s unparalleled bravery, but he never expected it to reach such absurd heights!

Shooting down an enemy general across a river—without exaggeration, this feat rivaled Emperor Yu the Great lifting cauldrons! No wonder Yuan Shu lost the decisive battle.

It wasn’t due to incompetence but rather because Lu Bu’s extraordinary strength had single-handedly shattered the morale of his entire army with one awe-inspiring arrow.

“Lu Bu’s shot truly defies belief,” Cao Cao murmured, his expression complex and filled with admiration despite himself.

As he continued reading the letter, its contents once again left him stunned.

“Zhang Xiu led troops to rescue Yuan Shu?”

“How did he end up there?”

While Lu Bu’s cross-river kill astonished Cao Cao, this news brought forth a flood of questions instead.

Naturally, Cao Cao knew about Zhang Xiu fleeing to Yangzhou. He initially assumed that Zhang Xiu aimed to take advantage of the chaos, either by seizing control of a few territories or seeking refuge under Sun Ce in Jiangdong for stability.

But what compelled him to rescue Yuan Shu?

Xun You pondered briefly before cautiously suggesting, “Could it be, my lord, that Zhang Xiu has pledged allegiance to Yuan Shu?”

Cao Cao opened his mouth to counter, but he felt inexplicably that Xun You’s suggestion seemed plausible. Otherwise, there was no explanation for Zhang Xiu’s intervention.

After a brief silence, Cao Cao slammed his hand heavily on the railing and cursed with a grim expression, “In Wancheng, I can’t believe I’ve fallen at the hands of such a fool!”

Every regional warlord sought to punish Yuan Shu, yet Zhang Xiu chose to defy this consensus—what could that be if not sheer stupidity? And here he had been defeated by such a moron!

Seeing Cao Cao’s anger, Xun You hastily changed the subject, “My lord, shall we continue attacking Shou County?”

Given these unforeseen developments, their predetermined plans would undoubtedly need revision.

However, Cao Cao remained silent, his face darkened. The current situation was a tangled mess, leaving him momentarily undecided about the best course of action. After much contemplation, he finally spoke.

“First, let’s advance our main forces towards Shou County.”

“Lu Bu will surely attack Shou County next, and after rescuing Yuan Shu, Zhang Xiu has nowhere else to go except Shou County.”

“We’ll have to take things step by step.”

Cao Cao sighed deeply. His original plan had been to let Lu Bu and Yuan Shu weaken each other, then reap the benefits afterward. However, Lu Bu’s arrow and Zhang Xiu’s sudden appearance disrupted all his strategies and arrangements. Now, adapting to circumstances as they unfolded seemed his only viable option.

The news of Lu Bu’s decisive victory over Yuan Shu at the Huai River reached Yecheng five days later, causing shock throughout the city.

Lu Bu had slain one of Yuan Shu’s top generals from across the river. As the attacking force in this river-crossing battle, they successfully traversed with less than ten thousand casualties and decimated Yuan Shu’s sixty-thousand-strong army.

Both pieces of information were utterly astounding!

Even Liu Xie, after hearing Guo Jia’s detailed account of the entire Huai River campaign, couldn’t help but marvel at Lu Bu as if he were divine.

“So, the gate-shooting feat was far from his limit,” Liu Xie sighed deeply.

Everyone thought firing an arrow through a gate to stop a battle was impressive enough, yet Lu Bu’s true capabilities far exceeded that display, revealing even greater prowess hidden beneath.

In an era of cold weapons, being able to shoot someone dead across the width of the Huai River—was he still human?

Truly deserving of your reputation, Fengxian!

Guo Jia also praised, “Lu Bu’s valor is unmatched under heaven; this battle will surely establish his awe-inspiring reputation worldwide! If Your Majesty could win him over, who among those defying our rule would stand a chance against Lu Fengxian alone?”

In the face of such overwhelming prowess, epithets like “three-surnamed slave” were rendered meaningless. Lu Bu’s demonstrated value now outweighed any concerns about his personal morals.

Naturally, Liu Xie entertained thoughts of taming Lu Bu himself. However, it was still too early to consider such matters. He couldn’t even venture outside the palace freely.

Moreover, by the time he might finally escape Yuan Shao’s control, Mr. Cao could have already eliminated Lu Bu.

“Fengxian, oh Fengxian, you must stay alive,” Liu Xie silently prayed for Lu Bu. “Wait until we seize power and appoint you as Great General!”

With these thoughts, Liu Xie turned to Guo Jia and asked, “What is the current situation with Jia Xu?”

Last time, Guo Jia mentioned intending to probe Jia Xu but never reported the outcome. Liu Xie remained uninformed up until now.

Guo Jia replied, “Your Majesty, when I visited his residence previously and subtly hinted at our intentions, he likely became aware of the relationship between Your Majesty and myself.”

“However, thus far, he has not provided any response, which is why I did not report back earlier. Nonetheless, it is certain that Jia Xu is not fully committed to Yuan Shao. In my opinion, he can be persuaded to join us, but we must proceed cautiously.”

“Additionally, I have discreetly discovered the whereabouts where his family is hidden,” Guo Jia added subtly, indicating that he had the situation well under control.

He knew persuading Jia Xu wouldn’t be easy; after all, it involved matters crucial to one’s life and fortune. It was natural for Jia Xu to carefully consider before making a decision, so Guo Jia remained patient and unhurried. He suspected that Jia Xu was also waiting for him to visit again. The next meeting might yield results.

“Woah!” Liu Xie was taken aback by this revelation, not expecting Guo Fengxiao, with his seemingly upright demeanor, to secretly investigate Jia Xu’s family.

Initially, Liu Xie hadn’t held much hope in swaying Jia Xu, merely instructing Guo Jia to give it a try on impulse. However, now it seemed there might indeed be a chance.

Historically, Jia Xu defected to Cao Cao because his family resided under Cao’s protection.

Despite his surprise, Liu Xie didn’t forget to caution Guo Jia, “Do your best but do not force the issue. Prioritize your own safety above all else.”

Jia Xu was uncertain, while Guo Jia was the trusted confidant upon whom Liu Xie currently relied. Knowing their relative importance was crucial.

“Rest assured, Your Majesty, I understand the gravity of the situation.”

Guo Jia nodded and, after a moment of hesitation, asked, “Your Majesty, how have your recent interactions with Lady Zhen been?”

He wasn’t prying into the Emperor’s private affairs; rather, he sought to analyze her character based on Liu Xie’s daily interactions and dealings with this Zhen woman.

“Her?” Liu Xie pictured Zhen Mi in his mind.

Currently, he shared a bed with Zhen Mi, having already consummated their relationship, and everything progressed as expected.

As for their day-to-day interactions… it couldn’t be described as deeply affectionate, but rather respectful and courteous. Zhen Mi showed immense respect towards him, being obedient and compliant.

Recalling their time together over recent weeks, Liu Xie said, “Everything is quite normal, nothing unusual.”

“Besides attending to her duties at night and greeting me morning and evening, she does not disturb me otherwise. She typically spends her time either in her own quarters or reading and painting in the rear garden.”

The most significant impact Zhen Mi had was prompting Liu Xie to change the meeting location with Guo Jia from the rear garden to his palace chambers.

“That’s reassuring,” Guo Jia responded, visibly relieved. Although bringing Lady Zhen into the palace aimed to curry favor with the Zhen clan, he harbored concerns about potential ulterior motives. Now, it seemed those worries were unfounded.

Upon hearing this, Guo Jia also sighed with relief. Although bringing Lady Zhen into the palace aimed to gain favor with her influential family, he genuinely feared she might harbor ulterior motives.

It seemed his concerns were unwarranted.