Chapter 49: Unification of the World
Cao Cao closed the window and sat back in his chair, thinking carefully about how to respond. Although he hadn't interfered with the Zhou family's affairs, he had indeed struggled with the idea of releasing a pardon after the two Zhou brothers were caught. However, since they had attempted to hire someone to kill another person, even though no one was killed, this behavior was enough to be considered a crime. If Emperor Xian asked him about it later, Cao Cao wouldn't have a good explanation. More importantly, when he was hesitating, the three influential families of Li, Chen, and Song sent grain, money, and silver to support the military after hearing that the two Zhou brothers were caught. This greatly alleviated the military's financial difficulties, which was the real reason Cao Cao didn't take action.
Emperor Xian's actions inadvertently helped Cao Cao. However, Emperor Xian's methods secretly shocked Cao Cao. Fortunately, they were only used for business, but if applied to politics, he might become a formidable opponent. The principle that one wrong move can lead to complete failure applies to both the business world and politics. Cao Cao made up his mind to take action against Emperor Xian, but figuring out how to do so was giving him a headache.
If Liu Bei is softly banned or closed, he will inevitably face strong opposition from the ministers in the court. Even some of his own recruited staff and generals may have differing opinions. At that time, external worries are not eliminated, and internal troubles arise again, which may be detrimental to himself!
If he were to kill Liu Xie, this was absolutely impossible. He had openly welcomed the new emperor to Luoyang, and if he killed Liu Xie, not only would he lose the hearts of the people, but also invite the wrath of various warlords. Cao Cao couldn't help but close his eyes, when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. Since he couldn't move against Liu Xie, then he would have to intimidate the royalists. Those imperial loyalists had recently become increasingly arrogant and unbridled; it seemed that they needed to be taught a lesson.
The New Year's Eve of Jian'an was spent in peace and quiet, on the first day of the first month, early in the morning, several children were seen wearing new clothes, with a few small coins in their pockets, holding hands with their companions rushing to the market. Everyone had a smile on their face, walking on the street, whether familiar or not, they would make a bow and say a few auspicious words.
Liu Xie sat in the palace, the warmth of the New Year brought him back to that world where his loved ones and friends were. At this time every year, they should be on their way to visit their grandmother's house for the new year. Thinking of this, Liu Xie's nose turned sour, and he couldn't help but shed a few tears.
