Can I Make It to the Other Shore?

But knowing Guo Jia meant no harm, Liu Xie did not mind having another person to chat with. "What do you want to ask now?"

Guo Jia spoke frankly. "I noticed that Your Majesty does not seem particularly fond of Lord Liu. You were warm toward him on the surface, but not truly close. Why is that?"

"Lord Liu is a Han House clansman, after all, and his two sworn brothers are warriors of the highest caliber."

"Your Majesty is currently under Yuan Shao's control. If you sent them a secret edict asking for help, perhaps they could improve your present circumstances?"

That was what Guo Jia could not understand.

He could tell that Liu Xie's excitement and delight upon seeing Liu Bei and the others had been feigned, rather than heartfelt.

"Ask them for help? A Girdle Edict?"

Liu Xie finally could not resist making a sarcastic remark.

The script was simply too familiar.

In actual history, after Liu Bei joined Cao Cao, Emperor Xian of Han had indeed asked him for help. But the plot had been discovered, and Liu Bei had fled in panic with his men.

If he did the same, the outcome probably would not be much better.

In that case, why tread the same disastrous path again?

"A Girdle Edict?"

Guo Jia raised an eyebrow. It was his first time hearing the term, and he was not sure what it meant.

Liu Xie had no intention of explaining it to him. He said bluntly, "My reason for disliking Liu Bei is simple. He has ambitions-great ambitions. He will never give me his true allegiance."

"And his two sworn brothers share a deep bond with him. They are even less likely to abandon Liu Bei and follow me."

"So I can make use of them, but I cannot truly rely on them."

"As for why I do not send them an edict asking for help... they have come to borrow troops from Yuan Shao themselves. What help could they possibly offer me?"

"Besides, even if they could help me escape Yuan Shao, I would merely be a puppet somewhere else. Do you think Liu Bei would obey my every command?"

Nothing in the world was harder to fathom than the human heart.

Even though Liu Xie had read the histories thoroughly, judging someone's character and morality solely by historical accounts was still far too one-sided.

He therefore trusted his own judgment and impressions more.

Chapter 29: The Great Clans Are the Real Parasites!

From the perspective of a spectator of history, Liu Xie rather liked Liu Bei. After all, he was the only ruler in history who had sacrificed his realm for his brothers. His personal charisma and character were beyond reproach.

But he was no longer a spectator. He had leaped into the history books and become someone within their pages-Emperor Xian of Han, no less.

That made Liu Bei a major threat to him.

Liu Bei also harbored ambitions and wanted to become emperor. Fundamentally, he was no different from the likes of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao.

The only difference was his status as a Han House clansman.

"Your Majesty truly has eyes like blazing torches."

Guo Jia nodded, agreeing with Liu Xie's judgment. "Liu Xuande is certainly no creature destined to remain in a pond. He has the bearing of an enlightened ruler and surpasses Yuan Shao a hundredfold."

"It is no wonder fierce warriors like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are willing to follow such a man. Though he is down on his luck now, he will surely accomplish great things someday."

Startled by this, Liu Xie could not help asking, "How could you tell that Liu Bei was extraordinary?"

He knew Liu Bei was exceptional and ambitious because he had read the script and drawn his conclusions from history. But how had Guo Jia discerned it?

Surely today had been their first meeting.

Guo Jia answered, "I observed that Liu Xuande had an uncommon appearance and an extraordinary bearing. Even before Your Majesty, he remained composed, conducted himself with propriety, met unexpected changes without alarm, and allowed neither joy nor anger to show on his face."

"Such a man is naturally far from ordinary."

Liu Xie fell silent, feeling that his own understanding was far too shallow.

He had not been able to see any of that.

This must be that legendary aura of kings and conquerors-the destiny buff and halo of fortune that come built into a protagonist.

Too bad I don't have anything like that. Otherwise, why would I have to go to all this trouble recruiting talented people myself? I'd only need to give my mighty frame a shake.

Liu Xie was positively green with envy. If only he had something like that.

Sighing, Liu Xie turned his gaze back to Guo Jia.

"From what you said, you seem to think little of Yuan Shao. If so, why did you enter his service?"

"He does not seem to entrust you with anything important, either."

If an adviser like Shen Pei or Xu You had kept visiting the palace, Yuan Shao and Ju Shou would have noticed long ago.

Yet no one paid any attention when Guo Jia came.

Why? Because he was unimportant. No one cared.

Just like Zhang He and Gao Lan.

Guo Jia's expression remained unchanged as he answered candidly, "When Yuan Shao first campaigned against Dong Zhuo, his fame spread throughout the realm. I came because of that reputation."

"But Yuan Shao has truly disappointed me. He wishes only to imitate the Duke of Zhou in honoring worthy men, yet knows little of how to employ them. Thus, he has countless schemes but lacks a grasp of what matters, and delights in devising plans but cannot make decisions."

"When Luoyang was in peril, Ju Shou proposed bringing Your Majesty to Ye City, only to be refused. That alone makes it clear that Yuan Shao is shortsighted and lacks the generosity to accommodate others. He is certainly no enlightened ruler."

"I already intend to leave this place."

Guo Jia stated his opinion of Yuan Shao quite bluntly.

In short, it amounted to one sentence: this was not a good boss, he had no faith in this company, and he planned to get out.

Liu Xie asked, "You are not planning to go to Cao Cao, are you?"

In history, Guo Jia had joined Cao Cao after leaving Yuan Shao, which was why he asked.

He wondered whether Guo Jia would still go now.

"I do indeed have that intention."

Guo Jia did not deny it. He nodded. "When I first heard that Cao Cao had welcomed Your Majesty to Xudu, I intended to leave Yuan Shao and join Cao Cao."

"But I never expected Your Majesty to escape Cao Cao's grasp and come to Ye City, so I must reconsider where to go."

Liu Xie raised an eyebrow. "Then I have a question for you."

"Please ask, Your Majesty."

"If you join Cao Cao, is it for my sake or Cao Cao's? Are you a servant of Han, or an adviser hoping to rise by following a future emperor?"

The hall instantly fell quiet.

Guo Jia fell silent.

Liu Xie sat upright in the seat of honor, watching him with a piercing gaze as he quietly awaited his answer.

This question demanded that Guo Jia declare where he stood.

"Which does Your Majesty believe me to be?"

After a long while, Guo Jia finally spoke. He looked up at Liu Xie, his eyes like deep, shadowy pools, and tossed the question back to him.

"You are asking me?"

Liu Xie smiled. "I think you are neither. In my eyes, you are merely a scholar who wishes to fulfill his aspirations."

"You are loyal neither to the Han Dynasty nor to anyone else. You have simply mastered the art of slaying dragons, and now wish to find a true dragon to slay. That is all."

"To put it more simply, you are a blade—a useful blade. But a blade cannot kill on its own. It needs the right person to wield it, even if that person uses it to slay the dragon that is the Han Dynasty."

"Am I right?"

Liu Xie would not rest until his words shocked his listener. What he said was astonishingly bold.

Guo Jia's pupils contracted slightly, and his heart reeled.

However quick his mind and eloquent his tongue, he still found himself speechless before Liu Xie's outrageously unorthodox remarks.

"Does Your Majesty not condemn me?"

Only after hesitating for a long time did Guo Jia ask.

Liu Xie shook his head. "Why should I condemn you? You merely wish to fulfill your aspirations. The Han Dynasty is now in decline, and there is nowhere for you to display your talents. What is wrong with choosing another enlightened lord?"

"Besides, you come from a humble family and have never received the slightest benefit from our Han Dynasty. What right do I have to demand that you risk your life for it?"

"It is the likes of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao who are truly hateful. Their families have enjoyed the favor of our Great Han for generations, yet now that the Han Dynasty is in decline, they harbor treasonous ambitions! They deserve to die!"

"If I ever regain power, I will purge every one of these great aristocratic clans!"

"A pack of parasites!"

Liu Xie gave a cold snort, his face filled with loathing.

Judging the matter on its own merits, he saw nothing wrong with Guo Jia wanting to fulfill his aspirations. The fault lay with men of illustrious birth like Cao Cao and Yuan Shao.

Liu Bei, at least, was a Han House clansman and could be considered family. His ambitions were therefore tolerable. But the likes of Cao Cao were born into the nobility, enjoyed its privileges and the favor of the Great Han, yet sought to seize the Great Han's realm for themselves!

Utterly shameless!

"Your Majesty seems to detest those Great Clans?"

Hearing these words, Guo Jia could not help feeling moved. Yet questions also arose in his mind, and he could not resist asking.

It was clear from Liu Xie's words that he deeply disliked those Great Aristocratic Clans—indeed, that his dislike had reached the point of loathing.

Guo Jia found such hatred somewhat strange.

"How could I not hate them? It is these Great Clans that have brought our Great Han to its present state!"

Liu Xie spoke in a low voice, his face filled with hatred.

"They monopolize official posts and cut off every path of advancement for the Sons of Humble Families. They control the provinces, hoard grain, and indulge in boundless luxury!"

"As the saying goes, behind vermilion gates, wine and meat rot, while by the roadside lie the bones of those frozen to death."

"It was their very existence that left the common people unable to survive and brought about the Yellow Turbans Rebellion!"

"They are the true culprits behind the downfall of our Great Han!"