Chapter 49: Unification of the World
Liu Xie wore casual clothes and walked in big strides, because he was on a secret tour, Li Chen had instructed Guo Ding according to Liu Xie's intention, it was very likely that he didn't want to make a fuss, so there wasn't even a single gatekeeper in the government office. When Guo Ding saw Liu Xie's face, which was full and handsome, with a clear and refreshing spirit, completely different from his usual depressed air, he couldn't help but secretly praise him, and hastily went to welcome and pay respects.
Liu Xie raised his head and smiled slightly: "Please get up, if it weren't for your help this time with the Zhou family affair, I wouldn't have been able to succeed. This time, you will certainly be rewarded!"
Kuang Ting hastily waved his hand and said: "Your Majesty is serious, I can serve Your Majesty is the greatest honor, really not for reward!"
Liu Xie ignored Guo Ding's excuses and gave Li Chen a signal with his eyes. Li Chen understood, took out a brocade box from his sleeve, and Liu Xie accepted it, opening it gently to reveal a human-shaped ginseng inside. Guo Ding was shocked - this type of ginseng was extremely rare, and the one in front of him was worth a fortune. He couldn't understand what Liu Xie meant by this, but then he heard Liu Xie say: "I am not a petty person, and I reward and punish clearly. Since your family has made contributions, it is only natural to reward you. This ginseng was given to me by the great general, but I am still young and have no use for it. Why don't I give it to you instead?" After finishing speaking, he closed the brocade box and handed it to Guo Ding.
Guo Ding felt a chill in his heart. Liu Xie's attempt to win him over made him somewhat worried. Although the current emperor did not manage state affairs, this great Han dynasty was still the Liu family's domain, and Liu Xie was still the legitimate and rightful Han emperor. Moreover, many high-ranking officials in the court were dissatisfied with Cao Cao's actions, so over time, they had split into two factions. The first was the General's Faction, which consisted mainly of generals who followed Cao Cao and controlled almost all the troops within the borders of Qingzhou. The other faction was the Pro-Emperor Faction, whose members were mostly scholars from various regions and some officials who had followed Liu Xie from Chang'an to the new capital. They were dissatisfied with Cao Cao's dominance in court politics and disregard for the relationship between ruler and subject. This faction was led by Kong Rong, but the true mastermind behind it was Yang Bi. Cao Cao was restrained by these people, who were famous scholars with extremely high reputations. Although he had some reservations, fortunately, this group of people did not have military power, and more importantly, Liu Xie had not come out to support this faction, so for the time being, he did not plan to take action.
Guo Ding looked at the brocade box in Liu Xie's hand, and he understood that Liu Xie was trying to win him over. Although the Zhou family's affair was not a big deal, it was likely that Cao Cao had already heard about it. By helping Liu Xie like this, Guo Ding feared that he had already been branded as a loyalist in Cao Cao's mind. He felt that he had boarded Liu Xie's pirate ship and couldn't get off now. With a sense of helplessness, he thanked the emperor: "Then I will thank Your Majesty for the gift!" After saying this, he took the brocade box from Liu Xie's hand.
