Chapter 2 Section 8 Moving the Capital to Xuchang (5)

  The crowd had just stood still, but then Liu Xie let out a long sigh: "I ascended the throne at the age of nine, and in the blink of an eye, it has already been seven years. The joys and sorrows within, I know, and you, my ministers, also know. First, there was the disaster of Dong Zhuo, then the chaos of Li Jue and Guo Si, Luoyang is in ruins, and I have almost no place to stand!" After finishing, he raised his eyes to look at Cao Cao: "Fortunately, Heaven has pity on me, the great Han. General Cao's loyalty to the country, pacifying the rebellious parties, is truly a blessing to my Han dynasty, with merit that will last for ages!"

  Liu Xie's speech was full of emotion and eloquence, stirring the hearts of all who listened. Even Cao Cao was moved to tears, as if he himself had truly brought peace to a chaotic world and saved the emperor from danger, becoming a great hero of the Han dynasty. He quickly stepped forward and knelt down, saying: "Your Majesty's praise is misplaced, it is actually the blessing of Heaven that has helped our great Han dynasty. I was simply in the right place at the right time; if not for me, there would certainly be others who could have done the same, saving the country from danger. Our great Han dynasty will surely last for thousands and tens of thousands of generations." As soon as he finished speaking, all the civil and military officials present knelt down in response, shouting: "Our great Han dynasty will surely last for thousands and tens of thousands of generations!" The sound shook the great hall, echoing on and on.

  Liu Xie sneered inwardly, thinking that if it weren't for Cao Cao, there would still be Yuan Shao. Seeing the tacit understanding among the many officials, he suspected: "Could this have been rehearsed?" But despite his astonishment, Liu Xie smiled lightly and said: "Everyone, please rise!"

  The crowd stood up again, and Liu Xie's voice rang out: "Decree, Cao Cao, the governor of Qingzhou, is loyal to the country and has made great contributions to saving the emperor. He is specially appointed as the Grand General Wu Ping Hou, ranking above the three dukes. The year number is also changed to Jian'an!"

  Cao Cao again bowed down: "Your subject, thanks to Your Majesty's great kindness!" Then he heard Liu Xie say: "I have been busy with successive journeys recently, my heart and spirit are both exhausted, I need to calm my mind and cultivate myself, all state affairs will be handled by the Grand General, what do you think, gentlemen?"

  All the ministers in the court praised the emperor's wisdom, but only two people changed their faces. However, they couldn't help the trend of the situation and had to lower their heads and follow suit in a low voice. Liu Xie, however, firmly remembered the appearance of these two men in his heart.

  Cao Cao was overjoyed and thanked the emperor for his kindness, as he had not expected Liu Xie to hand over all the power to him.

  Liu Xie secretly sneered, if he didn't hand it over to you, you would seize it anyway. It's better to show favor to you first, Cao Cao. Let's ride a donkey and watch the opera together, see who can laugh last.

  In Xuchang city, Emperor Xian of Han and Cao Cao along with other officials were having a grand feast to celebrate, which lasted till nightfall. Empress Fu Shou retired early due to ill health. Emperor Xian ordered the imperial physician to go and examine her. The physician reported that the empress had contracted a chill and needed rest and recuperation. Emperor Xian thought to himself that it was probably due to the change of environment, so he decided to pay her a visit.