But he had never expected Yuan Shao to have Liu Xie inspect the army-and even speak publicly before all its officers and soldiers!
The sheer force of thousands of troops and horses standing together was no joke.
An ordinary person might well wet himself with fear.
"Relax. Have you forgotten how he performed when he met Kong Rong that day? Even I almost thought he really was the Son of Heaven."
"With acting like that, how hard could it be to fool the officers and soldiers?" Yuan Shao dismissed Ju Shou's concerns. "Gongyu, why do I get the feeling you rather dislike him?"
Although the concerns Ju Shou raised were not without reason.
Yuan Shao had still keenly noticed that Ju Shou was highly wary of Liu Xie, even faintly repulsed by him. He did not quite understand why.
Ju Shou fell silent for a moment before saying, "I do dislike him somewhat... perhaps I simply cannot stand his fawning nature."
He had never liked bootlicking petty men, and he vaguely felt that Liu Xie's eager flattery went beyond what was normal.
Understanding dawned on Yuan Shao. He shook his head and said, "You are too high-minded. In this world, snakes have their paths and rats have theirs. Small people have their own ways of surviving. Not everyone can be like you."
"He may be a lowly refugee, but as long as he is loyal to me, what does it matter? Fawning over me is merely his way of surviving. Why despise him for it? Remember, you were the one who brought him here."
"Besides, here on the frontier, the wind carries plenty of sand. Your eyes must occasionally tolerate a few grains. If you keep them shut all the time, you will take a tumble."
With that, Yuan Shao