Chapter 12: The Battle of Xudu (1) Section 41

  Yang Biao didn't understand what connection Yuan Shao and Liu Xie had, but now he admired Liu Xie's abilities extremely. Under Cao Cao's strict surveillance, he could still cope with ease, which made him overjoyed. So he smiled and said: "Thank you, sir, for reminding me!"

  Li Chen stood up and smiled: "Sir is being polite, we are all doing things for the emperor, well, I should also take my leave!"

  Yang Biao stood up to see him off, but unexpectedly Li Chen suddenly turned his head and said: "By the way, sir, be careful of the servants in your mansion!"

  Time flies, and it's already mid-December. Xuchang welcomed its first heavy snowfall. Liu Xie sat in the Yiting Pavilion of the Imperial Garden, gazing at the fluttering snowflakes, and suddenly felt a pang of melancholy. He had been in the Great Han for over three months now, and everything was being carried out in secret to reclaim his imperial power. Yang Pei was indeed a great help to him. Two months ago, the brother-and-sister duo who performed acrobatics led a group of refugees to settle outside Xuchang City, ostensibly to cultivate land but actually to train troops. The number of people had already reached one thousand and was still growing. Liu Xie believed that this army would play a crucial role in the future. What made him even more delighted was that Kong Rong and Xi Zheng were willing to pledge their loyalty. When he thought about Xi Zheng's expression when he learned his true identity, Liu Xie couldn't help but want to smile secretly. The arrogant Xi Zheng was so shocked when he found out that Xiao Ling was actually Liu Xie that he couldn't close his mouth for half a day. However, this also earned him Xi Zheng's vow of loyalty unto death.

  Li Chen stood behind Emperor Xian of Han and saw that after deep contemplation, he actually revealed a smile. He couldn't help but remind him: "Your Majesty, are you still leaving the palace today?"

  Liu Xie suddenly realized: "Right, I almost forgot that Liu Yuan is still waiting for me! You go and prepare, we'll set off immediately!" As for the business side, over the past few months, Liu Xie had become more than just a small pawnshop owner. In order to curry favor with Liu Xie, Liu Yuan had allowed him to penetrate all the industries he was involved in. Due to limited economic capacity, Liu Xie only held 30% of each industry, but even so, his monthly income was still quite substantial.

  Li Chen and Song Jiu have become Liu Xie's trusted confidants, with Song Jiu in charge of the palace and Li Chen responsible for outside affairs. As a result, every time Liu Xie leaves the palace, he is accompanied by Li Chen. Cao Cao no longer cares about whether Liu Xie leaves the palace or not. Although Song Jiu's daily secret reports are not entirely reliable, some parts are true, such as Liu Xie's business dealings outside the palace. Cao Cao does not ask questions and instead seems to be encouraging him, frequently sending gifts of antiques, gold, and silver. In any case, Liu Xie never asks about state affairs, which is an unspoken rule, although it has not been explicitly stated.