Chapter 6: Overlord of Jiangdong

Liu Xie sat up against the bed, gazing at Empress Fu Shou, whose face was etched with panic, her chest heaving tremulously. He let out a deep sigh—this was the Empress, after all! She was supposed to be the most exalted woman in all the land, yet now she seemed no different from a pair of frightened little white rabbits.

If things went on like this, what was left of the dignity of being Emperor? Could he ever regain his former stature?

“Xuchang is the capital of Cao Cao, not of Liu Xie! Only a capital chosen by myself can truly be called the capital of Han. Do not be afraid, Empress. This time, I will make all the arrangements. All you need to do is stay by my side. Sooner or later, I will make you a true Empress.”

Before his words had faded, Liu Xie reached out with a commanding gesture, as if everything was under his control. With a startled cry from the Empress, a night of lavish indulgence began.

As Fu Shou gasped for breath, she couldn’t help but think to herself: In the past, whether on the ground or in bed, Liu Xie had always been cautious and timid, terrified that someone outside the door might overhear something. But these past few days, no matter what he did, there was an audacity and grandeur about him, a spirit that seemed to swallow the world.

At first, she found it difficult to adapt, but now… she had already begun to forget the Liu Xie of before. The man before her, the one lying atop her, was the Emperor as he was meant to be!

At this point, no one—not even Fu Shou or her father Fu Wan—knew what the Emperor truly intended.

Fu Wan could only vaguely surmise that Liu Xie’s orders had something to do with his desire to escape Cao Cao’s control. But since Liu Xie never spoke openly, the less he knew, the better; father and daughter had survived many years this way.

Cao Cao’s absence from Xuchang did not mean that Liu Xie was unwatched. Cheng Yu had been left behind to oversee matters in Xuchang, and also to protect Cao Cao’s young sons.

The death of Cao Ang had been a heavy blow to Cao Cao. Having learned his lesson, he no longer brought his sons with him on campaign, instead settling them all in Xuchang.

Thus, besides safeguarding Cao Pi, Cao Zhi, and the four-year-old Cao Chong, Cheng Yu also had to keep a close eye on Liu Xie.

Liu Xie had been in Xuchang for more than four years. During that time, he had been generally obedient. Though he had thrown a few tantrums at Cao Cao, in Cao Cao’s words: “His Majesty is but a youth of a dozen years or so—what more can be expected of him?”

For instance, this time, when Liu Xie flew into a rage and, with a wave of his hand, had his own father-in-law and great benefactor Dong Cheng brought down, Cao Cao simply assumed it was another childish fit of temper.

It was just that at eighteen or nineteen, his temperament was a little fiercer than before.

Moreover, this incident convinced Cao Cao that Liu Xie truly saw him as his pillar of support. For Cao Cao’s sake, Liu Xie not only struck down Dong Cheng but also cast aside his own “uncle,” Liu Bei. How willful this young Emperor was!

With the palace reporting to Cheng Yu that His Majesty and the Empress spent every night in amorous revelry until midnight; that after court, they would retire together and not rise until well past noon; that Noble Lady Dong had knelt outside His Majesty’s door for an hour only for him to remain inside with the Empress, so she left in a huff… With such reports, there was little reason for Cheng Yu to waste thought on this Emperor, who amounted to little more than a figurehead. After all, given the past few years and the current state of affairs, was he not simply a capricious and muddle-headed ruler? What was there to study?

Cheng Yu’s true concern was Yuan Shao.

Guo Jia had repeatedly anticipated the enemy and devised brilliant strategies for Cao Cao; naturally, Cheng Yu wished to match him.

While the Emperor of Xuchang indulged in nightly revels, Zhang Hong, who had quietly slipped out of Xuchang, had already arrived in Yuzhang.

Many in Xuchang remained oblivious: Yuzhang’s governor, Hua Xin, had just surrendered his entire city to Sun Ce, the young warlord from Jiangdong famed as the “Little Conqueror,” who was advancing southward with unstoppable force.

At twenty-five, Sun Ce was at the height of his vigor. Skilled in warfare, he had already defeated Liu Xun, the governor of Lujiang, and Huang Zu. When he reached Hua Xin, there was no need for battle; Yu Fan entered the city, spoke a few words, and Hua Xin surrendered at once.

With Yuzhang taken, Sun Ce’s foundation in Jiangdong was secure. He originally planned to return to Wu Commandery to consolidate his rule, but unexpectedly, Zhang Hong—who had long resided in Xuchang—arrived uninvited.

Zhang Hong had not gone to Xuchang simply as a Han official; he had originally traveled in Sun Ce’s stead to accept the Han Emperor’s investiture. When Cao Cao detained him, he had acquiesced to remain in Xuchang, though only he knew his true intentions.

In this era, it was taken for granted that wise birds choose their branches. The lords of the land showcased their talent as a matter of prestige, and none clung to the standard of chaste loyalty. Everyone was a reed in the wind, so no one mocked another for it.

In Jiangdong, Zhang Hong had been as renowned as the great Zhang Zhao—they were known as the “Two Zhangs,” a testament to their stature.

“How did you find your way here, sir? Has Cao Cao perhaps grown suspicious of your identity? That matter…”

Zhang Hong was, of course, Sun Ce’s secret agent placed beside Cao Cao. With Zhang Hong in Xuchang, not only could Sun Ce receive timely reports of Cao Cao’s movements, but Zhang Hong could even play a part in key affairs.

Sun Ce, though young, was ambitious. Though he governed from Wu, his gaze was fixed on Xuchang; clearly, he had been waiting for an opportunity.

Zhang Hong signaled to Sun Ce with his eyes, and Sun Ce immediately grasped the gravity of the situation. He dismissed his attendants, and only then did he sit opposite Zhang Hong and ask again: “Was it that Dong Cheng’s plot was uncovered by Cao Cao?”

Zhang Hong shook his head slowly, then frowned and replied, “Cao Cao is single-mindedly preparing for a decisive battle with Yuan Shao and has had no time for other matters. But for reasons unknown, the General of Chariots and Cavalry, acting in His Majesty’s name, attempted the 'belt edict' plot, which came to the Emperor’s attention. His Majesty exposed the matter in court, and Dong Cheng was seized on the spot. Cao Cao, enraged, has already departed for Xuzhou to kill Liu Bei. This plan… I fear it is no longer possible…”

“What? It was not Cao Cao who saw through it, but the Emperor himself, barely twenty years old? Dong Cheng truly was not the man for great deeds! And as for His Majesty—so inexperienced! That Cao Cao, holding the Emperor hostage to command the lords, is nothing less than a traitor to the realm. Alas! A foolish ruler indeed!”

Sun Ce slammed his table with a heavy hand and let out a long sigh.

Ever since dispatching Zhang Hong to Xuchang and successfully infiltrating Cao Cao’s inner circle, Sun Ce had been plotting his next move.

His haste in pacifying the lands around Jiangdong was not mere impatience; he needed to secure his rear before Cao Cao and Yuan Shao’s final confrontation, so that he could be free to participate in a world-shaking enterprise.