Can I get to the other side?

When Kong Rong returned to the posthouse, it was still early and the sun had not completely set.

"Prime Minister!"

In the posthouse, Taishi Ci had been waiting anxiously. Seeing Kong Rong return safely, he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

If Kong Rong had not returned to the posthouse before dark, he would have fled to Jizhou with the seal.

Although he could choose to sneak into Xu County and find an opportunity to rescue Kong Rong, he knew that Kong Rong would rather he go to Jizhou to expose Cao Cao's crime of pretending to be the emperor.

After welcoming Kong Rong in, Taishi Ci asked, "Did the Prime Minister see the emperor today?"

Kong Rong nodded and said, "Yes, His Majesty summoned me as soon as possible. It may be a shadow of eight years ago. But whether it is the real emperor remains to be discussed."

Taishi Ci was stunned for a moment, and asked in confusion, "Why did the Prime Minister say that? Is there something wrong with this emperor? If the emperor is fake, how can the Prime Minister return to the posthouse?"

Kong Rong frowned, with a thousand thoughts in his mind, but finally shook his head and said, "I didn't find anything wrong. His words and deeds are very natural, and they are all in line with the etiquette of the emperor, but..."

He stopped here, as if he wanted to say something but stopped.

This made Taishi Ci even more curious.

Since they look the same, their words and deeds are all fine, and there is nothing wrong, why is Kong Rong still hesitant?

"Nothing."

Kong Rong hesitated for a while but still didn't say it.

Because he didn't know how to say it.

If I have to use one word to describe it, it is...disappointment.

He was somewhat disappointed with the emperor. The emperor in his mind should not be like this.

Even Emperor Ling was full of imperial majesty.

But today, the emperor not only cried to him in front of all the ministers in the palace, but also looked cowardly, panic-stricken, or impatient, without any majesty of the emperor.

Afterwards, he thought about the emperor's experience for such a long time, and it was not surprising that he developed such a character.

It can only be said that it was inconsistent with his expectations.

It was difficult for him to imagine how such a cowardly emperor could shoulder the responsibility of revitalizing the Han Dynasty.

"Today in the court, Cao Cao interrupted the emperor's speech and disrespected the emperor. I think he is definitely not a loyal minister. I am afraid that the rumor that Cao Cao used the emperor to control the disobedient is not false."

Kong Rong recalled that when he was in the court, the emperor wanted to continue to exchange a few words with him, but was interrupted by Cao Cao.

At that time, the emperor was actually a little afraid.

The emperor was easily interrupted by his ministers but did not dare to get angry. This is very telling.

Regardless of whether this emperor is real or fake, at least Cao Cao is not a loyal minister, but an ambitious person.

Taishi Ci did not seem surprised by this and said, "How many ministers are there in the world who are truly loyal to the Han Dynasty like the prime minister? Cao Cao has a bad reputation and low moral character. How can he be a good person?"

"Even if the emperor in the city is real, his purpose of welcoming the emperor is probably not pure. The prime minister needs to be more careful of him."

Compared with Yuan Shao, Cao Cao's reputation is simply too bad.

Not to mention his identity as the descendant of eunuchs, just talking about the attack on Xuzhou a few years ago, he could not conquer it for a long time, and after taking Xuzhou, he massacred 100,000 people, which made his reputation extremely bad.

You must know that slaughtering people is a taboo, but Cao Cao still did it, and more than once. He slaughtered three times in Xuzhou alone! It is enough to show how bad his morality is.

At least Taishi Ci really dislikes people like Cao Cao.

"Don't worry, I know my limits."

Kong Rong certainly understood this, so he rejected Cao Cao's kindness today.

The two chatted for a while, and Kong Rong was a little tired, so he said, "Rest early, I have to go to the palace tomorrow, and we will set off for Yecheng in a few days to meet another emperor."

He will ask Yang Biao, Fu Wan and other close ministers of the emperor about the situation tomorrow, and then set off for Yecheng.

...

Three days later, Kong Rong left Xu County.

Although Cao Cao and the emperor repeatedly tried to keep him, he still refused and set off on the road to Jizhou with Taishi Ci.

Cao Cao was furious in the mansion that day. Kong Rong's resolute attitude to leave made him extremely angry, fearing that Kong Rong would cause some unnecessary trouble after he went to Yecheng.

But even though he was very angry, he could do nothing and could only let Kong Rong leave.

You can't kill Kong Rong or force him to stay, right?

If he dares to do so, the world will know that the real emperor of Xu County will really become a fake emperor.

The news that Kong Rong left Xu County and rushed to Yecheng reached Yecheng on the fourth day after he set out.

After Guo Jia and Jia Xu received the news from Yuan Shao's mansion, they waited until the evening and entered the palace under the cover of darkness.

Liu Xie summoned them on weekdays, so no one needed to inform them; and because of Liu Xie's arrangement, there were no servants in the bedroom, so the two walked in directly after being taken outside the bedroom by Zhang He.

Then they saw Liu Xie holding a pile of bamboo slips and studying hard under candlelight.

He was so focused that he didn't even notice their arrival.

"Your Majesty is really hardworking." Guo Jia couldn't help but sigh when he saw this scene.

Since Yuan Shu's death, Liu Xie has been greatly stimulated and started to work harder to read various books, classics, and military strategies. He has finished reading all the books that were sent to him in the past few days.

They even often called him and Jia Xu into the palace to ask them for advice, understand the current world situation, and listen to their analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the various princes, as well as the intricate relationships between them, and the supporting families behind them. etc.

It's like a new person.

Jia Xu smiled happily: "This is a good thing! Thanks to Yuan Shu, Your Majesty has a sense of crisis."

He has seen Liu Xie's changes during this period, and he feels quite happy and relieved about this.

The more diligent and progressive the emperor is, the greater his potential is. Only with such a monarch can you have a future.

Of course, if it was a prosperous age, then I would wish that the emperor were a waste and the ministers could monopolize power.

While the two were communicating in low voices, Liu Xie finally noticed them.

"Wenhe, Fengxiao, are you here?" Liu Xie raised his head, with a look of surprise on his face, "You came just in time, I just have a question that I want to ask for advice."

After the two saluted Liu Xie, Guo Jia said: "Your Majesty, we will discuss the matter of consultation later. I have important matters to report about Kong Rong in Beihai."

"Kong Rong?" Liu Xie's eyes froze slightly when he heard this. He put down the bamboo slips in his hand and asked, "Didn't he go to Xu County? Could it be that he recognized the false emperor over there?"

Guo Jia shook his head and said: "Kong Beihai stayed in Xu County for three days. Now he has left Xu County and is on his way to Jizhou. According to the time when the news came, he will arrive in Jizhou in a few days at most."

When Liu Xie heard this, his expression immediately became serious.

Kong Rong's arrival was not a good thing for him.

"Did Kong Rong say anything to the outside world when he met the pseudo-emperor? Did he express his attitude?" Liu Xie asked calmly.

If he met Kong Rong, he had no confidence that he would be able to conceal the truth and avoid Kong Rong's suspicion.

Once Kong Rong accuses him of being a fake, he will never have a chance to stand up again.

Therefore, he wished that Kong Rong would directly recognize the identity of Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty in Xu County and inform the whole world.

In this way, Yuan Shao will be the first to refuse, and there will still be a fight over who is true and who is false.

With Yuan Shao at the front, he can fish in troubled waters and slowly develop and strengthen himself.

Guo Jiake didn't know what Liu Xie was thinking, so he said happily: "Your Majesty, don't worry, Kong Beihai is a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, and he is upright and prudent. How can he easily admit his identity as the emperor of Xu County?

According to reports from Yuan Shao's spies, the Emperor of Xu County wanted Kong Beihai to prove it, but was rejected. Kong Beihai bluntly stated that he would come to Yecheng to meet His Majesty before making a decision. "

"In addition, Kong Rong has been living in a posthouse outside the city during the past few days in Xu County. He will return before dark and has not socialized with anyone. Looking at his character, I admire him very much."

After hearing these words, Liu Xie felt more and more heavy in his heart.

The more Kong Rong is like this, the more difficult it is to fool him.

Moreover, the other party had already paid a visit to the real emperor, and must have learned a lot about the emperor and his ministers.

It would undoubtedly be much more difficult for him to deal with it when he came to see him again after knowing many secrets related to the emperor, and he was afraid that he would really be exposed this time.

With a roll of his eyes, Liu Xie had an idea in his mind.

He sighed sadly, his expression extremely sad: "It seems that Duke Yang, Duke Fu, and my concubines were indeed coerced by Cao Cao and betrayed me.

Otherwise, when Kong Rong saw the false emperor, he would expose Cao Cao's true face in public and let everyone in the world know that it was Cao Cao who pretended to be the emperor! "

No matter what, the identity of the emperor cannot be lost.

In this case, the blame can only be placed on the emperor's ministers and concubines.

They couldn't stand Cao Cao's coercion and betrayed me!

Seeing that Liu Xie was sad because of the betrayal of someone close to him, Jia Xu comforted him and said: "Your Majesty, please don't be sad. They dare not publicly quarrel with Cao Cao due to the danger of their own lives, but they may also explain the situation to Kong Rong privately."

"After all, if they had told Kong Beihai in person, Cao Cao would have killed not only them but Kong Rong in a rage."

"I think that the reason why Kong Beihai did not admit the identity of the Emperor of Xu County to the world at the first time is because he knew that he was just a fake emperor brought by Cao Cao. It was just that it was difficult to say it clearly in Cao Cao's territory, so he came in a hurry Yecheng.”

Jia Xu's guess is not unreasonable.

But that only makes sense from his perspective.

From Liu Xie's perspective, that would be a big mistake.

Kong Rong is not a person who protects his own safety at all. If he finds out the identity of the emperor, he will announce it as soon as possible regardless of whether it is true or false.

Just out of caution, he would make a decision only after meeting both emperors.

"What Wen He said is not unreasonable, but I like to prepare for the worst in everything."

"Suppose the false emperor played me well and even succeeded in deceiving Kong Rong. How do you think I can make him believe that I am the real emperor after meeting Kong Beihai?"

Liu Xie was very obedient in front of Guo Jia and Jia Xu. If he had no idea of ​​his own, he would listen to the opinions of smart people.

Jia Xu thought for a moment and said: "Your Majesty is the True Dragon Emperor, so you can deal with it normally...but there is one thing you must not do."

Seeing Jia Xu hesitating and looking strange, Liu Xie asked curiously: "What's the matter?"

Jia Xu and Guo Jia looked at each other and said in unison: "Don't cry in front of the court!"

Hearing this, Liu Xie looked puzzled.

Making his ministers cry was a unique skill of the Liu family, and it was very effective. Lu Bu became fascinated when he cried, so why couldn't he use it anymore?

Seeing the confusion on Liu Xie's face, Guo Jia solemnly said: "Although His Majesty usually pretends to be cowardly and can deceive Yuan Shao. But with all due respect... His Majesty like that really doesn't have the dignity of an emperor at all."

Jia Xu also added: "What Feng Xiao said is absolutely true. If I were Kong Beihai, and saw His Majesty making such a gesture, I would definitely not believe that Your Majesty is a real dragon."

"The Son of Heaven, the Nine-Five Supreme! You must have a strategy in your mind, and you will not be alarmed by any changes. You will not change your face even if Mount Tai collapses in front of you. You will have divine civilization and holy martial arts to control all directions. The power of the dragon is so profound that it is intimidating."

"After Kong Rong arrives, His Majesty will definitely take off his disguise and be honest and show his majesty."

After hearing the two people's suggestions, Liu Xie was dubious: "Is this so? But I think crying will have a better effect."

The corner of Jia Xu's mouth twitched slightly: "Your Majesty, you must not do this... You can cry a little in private, but meeting Kong Beihai must be a formal occasion, so you must not cry."

Jia Xu couldn't help but tremble every time he thought of the way Liu Xie wiped his body with snot and tears when he met him before.

Although this is a means to win people's hearts, it must be used according to the occasion and the person.

If used well, it can win over people's hearts; if used incorrectly, it will only make people feel hypocritical and contrived.

He and Guo Jia obviously wouldn't do this.

"I listen to Wen He and just don't cry." Liu Xie felt quite regretful.

In fact, he originally planned to cry when he saw Kong Rong, just like when he met Jia Xu and Lu Bu before. By the way, he also incorporated the falling technique he used when running in front of Lu Bu last time to enhance the visual effect.

But he thought about it carefully and felt that what Jia Xu said made sense.

After all, who would be a serious emperor who would just cry to his ministers when nothing happens?

Especially when facing a rigid and rigorous veteran like Kong Rong, it would be more appropriate to be more serious.

Those contrived methods may only have the opposite effect.

Guo Jia and Jia Xu were relieved when Liu Xie promised not to cry.

They were really worried that Liu Xie would hold Kong Rong crying in the hall, which would be really inappropriate.

After talking about Kong Rong, Liu Xie took Guo Jia and sat there for a while, and asked them some questions he had encountered recently while studying before letting them go.

After the two left, Liu Xie still didn't go to bed. Pick up a new scroll of bamboo slips and continue reading at night.

His efforts were not just pretending to show off to Jia Xu and Guo Jia, but actually taking action.

"If I still stand still and get carried away with just a little acting and rhetoric, then Yuan Shu's fate will be my future."

"I can rely on Yuan Shao's protection for a while, but sooner or later I will take away his inheritance, and then I will fight to the death."

"If I succeed, I will still have to face the heroes of the world."

"If I fail, I will die!"

The night is getting deeper and the sky is filled with stars.

The lights in the house are like beans.

Liu Xie is still studying at his desk.

…

Kong Rong and Taishi Ci had a smooth journey.

First, Cao Cao sent people to protect them from the boundaries of Yuzhou and Yanzhou.

After arriving at the border of Jizhou, Yuan Shao's troops immediately went to take over.

No matter who it is, no one wants to see anything happen to Kong Rong in their own territory, otherwise they will really be unable to argue.

When Yuan Shao's men escorted Kong Rong to Yecheng, Yuan Shao personally led people out of the city to greet him.

"The Prime Minister has come a long way and it's been a hard journey."

"I have ordered people to prepare food and hot water in the post house, and the room has been tidied. Please stay here and take a rest."

Yuan Shao dismounted and walked to the simple carriage, giving Kong Rong enough face.

He paid attention to Kong Rong's every move in Xu County, so this time he only prepared a posthouse room and food and hot water, instead of hosting a banquet and washing away the dust like Cao Cao.

"Just let my entourage take the luggage to the post house. Since I have arrived at Yecheng, I must first meet with the emperor. Please ask Jizhou Mu to lead the way."

Kong Rong's old voice came from the carriage.

Yuan Shao smiled slightly: "I will follow the instructions of the Prime Minister."

Under the scorching sun, Taishi Ci took Kong Rong's seal and luggage and went to the posthouse alone. Kong Rong followed Yuan Shao into Yecheng slowly in a carriage.

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