The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

Xi Yu finally returned to Youzhou after a long and dusty journey.

As soon as he stepped into the mansion, he heard that Guan Yu and Liu Bei were also taken to prison.

At this moment, a servant came hurriedly to report: "Prime Minister, Zhao Yun wants to see you!"

Xi Yu's eyes flashed, and he immediately said, "Pass it quickly!"

After a while, Zhao Yun strode into the hall, looking anxious.

Xi Yu looked at Zhao Yun and asked, "Zilong, what are you doing here?"

Zhao Yun knelt down in front of Xi Yu with a thump. He lowered his head, clenched his teeth, and his face was full of deep regret and self-blame. His voice trembled and he cried, "Prime Minister, I have made a serious mistake this time. I am guilty of an unforgivable crime. I beg you to punish me! I am willing to bear all the consequences alone, without any complaints!"

Seeing this, Xi Yu showed astonishment on his face. He hurriedly stepped forward, stretched out his hands to help Zhao Yun up, and said anxiously: "Zilong, get up quickly, don't be so impulsive!"

However, Zhao Yun shook his head stubbornly, with veins bulging on his forehead, and shouted in pain: "Prime Minister, if you do not forgive me, I will kneel here until you agree!" His eyes were full of determination, as if he had made up his mind.

Xi Yu sighed helplessly, his eyes revealing a trace of helplessness and pity, and he slowly said: "Forget it, Zilong, I forgive you, get up quickly, don't be so stubborn."

So Zhao Yun stood up, with a serious look on his face, and began to tell everything that had happened along the way.

"Prime Minister, while we were escorting the treasure, we were attacked by a group of mysterious people and the treasure was looted. And I fell into the trap of Madam Huayue and was trapped. What's worse is that Chen Shou and his son also disappeared in the chaos and our whereabouts are unknown." Zhao Yun became more and more angry as he spoke, and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

As Xi Yu listened to Zhao Yun's narration, the expression on his face gradually changed from calm to astonishment, his eyes widened. He never expected that the situation would be like this.

"This...how could this turn out like this?" Xi Yu muttered to himself, his heart full of confusion and shock.

Zhao Yun stood there, tears welling up in his eyes, and cried, "Prime Minister, I have really failed your kindness and made such a big mistake. I am ashamed to face you!"

His body was trembling slightly, and his voice was full of guilt and self-blame.

Xi Yu was so angry that his chest heaved violently, his face turned ashen, his lips were tightly closed, and he didn't say a word.

His eyes were full of anger and disappointment, and he thought to himself: "The key is that Chen Shou, a talented person, didn't come. This is a huge loss!"

After a moment of silence, Xi Yu took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, waved his hand and said, "Forget it, it's already happened, there's no point in saying more. Zhao Yun, go back."

Zhao Yun looked at Xi Yu with a determined gaze and said eagerly, "Prime Minister, I would like to have a chance to make up for my mistakes. If there is such an opportunity, I beg you to arrange for me to do something! I will do my best to live up to your high expectations!"

Xi Yu was silent for a moment, and finally nodded and said, "Okay, I promise you. You can go back first."

Zhao Yun bowed, turned and left.

After Zhao Yun went back, Xi Yu paced back and forth in the hall alone, sighing: "What's going on? All the good plans have gone to waste, alas."

Especially when thinking of Chen Shou, Xi Yu frowned tightly, his face full of regret and annoyance, and he kept muttering: "Chen Shou, Chen Shou, it would be such a pity if he didn't come. I thought he could be of use to me, but now he has ended up like this."

After thinking for a while, Xi Yu decided to meet Liu Xie.

On the streets of Youzhou, people were coming and going, and the noise was endless. People gathered in groups of three or five, whispering to each other, discussing the capture of Liu Bei and Guan Yu.

"I heard that Liu Bei and Guan Yu were famous figures, but now they have been captured in Youzhou. I don't know whether it is a blessing or a curse." A middle-aged man in coarse clothes shook his head and said.

"That's right. This matter has caused a lot of uproar, and no one knows how it will develop next." The old man next to him stroked his beard, looking worried.

The teahouse was even more lively, with tea drinkers gathered together and discussing things.

"Liu Bei and Guan Yu have always been known for their benevolence and righteousness. How did they end up in this situation?" A young scholar put down the teacup in his hand and asked in confusion.

"Who knows? Maybe he offended the prime minister." Another person said.

Xi Yu rode his horse slowly on the street, looking a little tired.

Suddenly, several scholars hurried over and blocked his way.

One of the scholars bowed and asked with eagerness and curiosity, "May I ask, Prime Minister, why was Guan Yu captured?"

Xi Yu frowned, looked at them, and said, "You all don't know a lot of things that happened in Fang County. So it's normal to have speculations. But I have important things to do right now, and I will let everyone know the truth sooner or later. Please don't block my way."

He thought to himself, "These people are so anxious. It seems that this matter has a great impact. I have to deal with it as soon as possible and give everyone an explanation."

The scholars looked at each other, as if they were determined to get to the bottom of the matter. One of them stepped forward, bowed again and said, "Sir, please explain it to us now so that we can have a clear idea."

Xi Yu's face darkened, and he swept his eyes over them fiercely, saying, "I can't do this for no reason. Guan Yu and Liu Bei are guilty, this is a fact. I am going to see His Majesty and report this matter now. If anyone stops me, don't blame me for being rude!"

He was secretly angry in his heart: "These people really don't know what's good for them. They are so entangled that they have missed important things. What should I do?"

Several scholars were intimidated by Xi Yu's aura, and fear appeared on their faces. They had no choice but to stop and give way.

Xi Yu snorted coldly, squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, and rode away in a cloud of dust. The scholars looked at his receding back and looked at each other in bewilderment.

"What should we do? It seems that this matter is not that simple." A scholar frowned and said worriedly.

"Let's not make any guesses yet and wait until we have definite news," another scholar advised.

"This is the only way. I hope the truth will come out soon." Everyone nodded and dispersed helplessly.

Liu Xie was in the palace at this moment, having a great time with a few young eunuchs.

He held a wooden stick, pretending to be a general, commanding the young eunuchs to form various formations, with an innocent smile on his face, and that laughter echoed in the empty palace.

"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister requests to see you." A servant came running in to report, and his voice broke the cheerful atmosphere.

When Liu Xie heard this, his eyes instantly lit up like bright stars, and his excitement was beyond words. He quickly dropped the stick in his hand and said anxiously, "Quick, summon him! I haven't seen Master Xi for a long time, and he must have a lot of new things to share with me."

Xi Yu quickly entered the palace. He looked solemn and walked steadily. He came to Liu Xie, knelt on his knees, clasped his hands together, touched his forehead to the ground, and performed the etiquette of monarch and subject with utmost respect. He said loudly: "Your Majesty, I, Xi Yu, pay my respects to you. May our emperor live long and long!"

Seeing this, Liu Xie rushed forward in two steps, held Xi Yu's hands tightly with both hands, and helped him up. His eyes were full of eagerness and expectation, and he said excitedly: "Hurry up, my dear Xi! I am in this palace, looking forward to seeing you every day and night. In my heart, I miss you very much! It's been a long time since we last met, and I have a lot to say to you."

After Xi Yu stood up, he bowed his head slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your kindness. While I was away, I often missed Your Majesty."

Liu Xie pulled Xi Yu aside and sat down, saying with a smile: "My dear, you must have something important to discuss with me. Tell me quickly."

Xi Yu looked around, a look of hesitation on his face.

Liu Xie understood what he meant, waved his hand to let the people around him leave, and said: "There is no one else here, my dear, please feel free to speak."

Xi Yu looked solemn and sincere at Liu Xie, and said slowly: "Your Majesty, I am afraid that what I am going to say next will make Your Majesty feel uncomfortable. Please be mentally prepared."

Liu Xie was slightly startled, and the smile on his face faded a little. He said seriously: "My dear, please feel free to speak. I can bear it."

So, Xi Yu took a deep breath and told everything about Guan Yu and Liu Bei with a serious expression.

"Your Majesty, I have demoted Guan Yu and Liu Bei to commoners. And Fang County will elect a new leader after voting. I wonder if Your Majesty agrees with my handling of the matter?" Xi Yu carefully observed Liu Xie's expression.

When Liu Xie heard this, his eyes widened, his face was full of shock, his mouth slightly open, and it took him a long time to recover. "This matter... really shocked me! Did Liu Huangshu really do such a thing?" His voice was trembling, and his heart was full of disbelief.

Xi Yu nodded solemnly and said, "It's absolutely true. Liu Bei himself has admitted it." His eyes were firm, without any evasion.

Liu Xie remained silent, his brows furrowed, his eyes revealing complex emotions.

He thought about it over and over in his mind. Although this matter made him feel extremely shocked and surprised, he also believed in Xiyu's character and knew that Xiyu could not lie.

After a long time, Liu Xie sighed, his face full of regret, and thought: "Liu Bei, Liu Bei, your actions really make me extremely regretful. I originally had high hopes for you, but I never thought..."

Then, Liu Xie sighed deeply again, looking lonely, and said slowly: "Since Xiyu, you have already investigated it clearly, then this matter will be left to you to handle." There was helplessness and fatigue in his eyes.

Xi Yu hurriedly cupped his hands, with a sincere and eager look on his face, and said: "Your Majesty, please issue an imperial decree, so that this matter can be justified and I can act with more confidence."

He thought to himself that with the imperial edict, the subsequent handling would not cause any more trouble.

Liu Xie immediately sat down at the table, picked up the pen, and prepared to draft the imperial edict.

His eyes were focused and serious, and he wrote every stroke with extreme caution.

While writing, Liu Xie suddenly showed a gratified smile on his face, and he secretly sighed in his heart: "It turns out that I am still very useful. Writing this imperial edict has helped me find my value."

The imperial edict was written in a flamboyant style: "Order Ouyang Lian to be the chief of Fang County. Hope he will work diligently and bring benefits to the people." After Liu Xie finished writing, he solemnly handed the imperial edict to Xi Yu.

Xi Yu took the imperial edict with both hands, bowed and said: "I will definitely live up to your majesty's trust."

Liu Xie immediately said to the eunuch beside him: "Go to Fangjun quickly to announce the decree."

The young eunuch took the order and left in a hurry.

In Fang County, Ouyang Lian, a filial and honest official, had just returned home, dragging his exhausted body. Before he even stepped through the threshold, he heard his wife's sharp scolding: "You are such a stubborn person. You only care about being an honest official, and you don't care about our family at all! Look, our family is so poor that we can't even afford to eat!"

As she said this, the wife angrily threw some worn-out clothes at home at Ouyang Lian's face as he was about to enter the house. Ouyang Lian was embarrassed by this sudden "attack", his face was full of helplessness and guilt.

The wife opened her eyes wide and shouted at the top of her lungs: "If you keep going like this, we won't be able to live like this!"

Ouyang Lian frowned, walked forward and gently took his wife's hand, and comforted her softly: "Madam, how can I be an official without integrity? This is the duty of an official."

The wife couldn't help crying and said with a sob: "You can't give your salary to others!"

Captain Ouyang sighed and said, "Madam, they are a widow with a child, and their life is so difficult. What's wrong with me helping them? How can I watch them suffer and do nothing?"

After hearing this, the wife cried even harder, sobbing, "You are always so kind, but we can't even make a living, what are you going to do for us?"

Ouyang Lian embraced his wife, patted her back, and said firmly: "Don't cry, my lady. The difficulties are only temporary. I believe that as long as I stick to the right path, our lives will get better one day."

At this time, there was a sudden knock on the door.

He hurriedly pulled his wife, who was still sobbing and with tears on her face, and knelt down to receive the order.

The young eunuch cleared his throat, unfolded the imperial edict, and read aloud: "The Emperor, in compliance with the Will of Heaven, decrees that Ouyang Lian be appointed as the chief of Fang County. I hope he will live up to the Emperor's grace and bring benefits to the region. I decree this!"

Ouyang Lian opened his eyes wide, his mouth slightly open, his face full of disbelief, as if he was frozen, he simply couldn't believe his ears.

His wife beside him also stopped crying, with a look of shock on her face, as if she had not yet recovered from the sadness she had just felt.

The young eunuch looked at the stunned Ouyang Lian and his wife, frowned, and said in a louder voice: "Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and thank me!"

Ouyang Lian finally woke up from his dream, and quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude, saying in a trembling voice: "Thank you for your grace, long live the emperor."

After getting up, Ouyang Lian was still a little dazed and couldn't help asking, "The court is not joking again, right?"

When the young eunuch heard this, his face darkened and he angrily scolded, "How dare you! This is an imperial decree, how can you be joking? You are being disrespectful to His Majesty!"

Ouyang Lian waved his hands quickly and said in fear: "No, no, I have no intention of offending you."

Then he looked puzzled again, "I'm just wondering, hasn't Liu Bei always been the leader?"

The young eunuch snorted and explained, "Liu Bei has been thrown into prison for making a mistake."

Ouyang Lian was surprised. "I didn't know about this. But even if it is true, how can I be a leader with my low status?"

The young eunuch said impatiently: "This is recommended by everyone, so don't refuse it. Prepare to take office as soon as possible!"

After that, the little eunuch left without looking back.

The couple stood there, staring blankly at the little eunuch's receding back, still unable to recover from this sudden surprise.

After a long while, Ouyang Lian seemed to have just woken up from a dream, and muttered to himself: "It seems that my dedication to benefiting the people is right."

The wife nodded repeatedly, her face no longer showing any complaints. She was now filled with joy, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She said, "Boss, this is really great news!"

Ouyang Lian looked at his wife's delighted expression, his heart full of emotion, and said: "Madam, we must be more diligent in the future and live up to the expectations of His Majesty and the people."

The wife held Ouyang Lian's hand tightly, her eyes firm: "Don't worry, husband, I will fully support you."

On the other side, Liu Xie frowned, looked at Xi Yu and asked, "Are we just going to throw Liu Bei and the other man into jail?" There was confusion and inquiry in his eyes. He secretly guessed Xi Yu's thoughts and believed that Xi Yu might have other punishment measures.

Xi Yu lowered his head slightly, thinking quickly in his heart, thinking that he had to give the emperor face no matter what, and then said: "Your Majesty, I plan to lock them up for a few days, and then release them to the people, and let them fend for themselves from now on."

When Liu Xie heard this answer, his tense expression finally relaxed and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Xie sat down slowly and said in a relaxed tone, "This is a good solution. As long as we don't let them cause any more trouble, it will be fine."

Xi Yu cupped his hands and replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will pay attention to this matter and make sure it goes well."

Liu Xie nodded and looked into the distance, as if he was thinking about something.

After a while, Xi Yu looked respectful, clasped his hands together, bowed slightly and said: "Your Majesty, now that everything has been reported, if Your Majesty has no other important instructions, I will take my leave and go back to take care of the follow-up matters."

Go back and take care of the follow-up matters." Liu Xie sat on the dragon throne, waved his hand gently, and said in a slightly low voice: "Well, you go."

After getting the consent, Xi Yu slowly took a few steps back, then turned around and left the palace with steady steps.

When Xi Yu's figure completely disappeared from his sight, Liu Xie let out a long sigh, and that sigh seemed to carry endless sorrow and fatigue.

His eyes became empty as he stared at the dome of the palace, his thoughts seeming to drift to a faraway place.

Liu Xie's body was trembling slightly, and he felt mixed emotions. Thinking of Liu Bei, he felt extremely heavy and helpless.

These sighs are not only a lament for the past disappointments, but also a worry about the uncertain future. (End of this chapter)