Cao Cao was truly furious now, and regretted all the more that he had trusted Xu Chu's intelligence back then. He should have spelled everything out for him.
He had only managed to rid himself of this Pretender Emperor with great difficulty by taking advantage of Dong Cheng's military coup. If he let him back into the city, getting rid of him again would be harder than ascending to heaven.
And he would have to keep bearing the infamy of supporting a Pretender Emperor!
Xu You's eyes flickered, and he suggested, "In that case, Aman, you might as well finish what you started and kill him!"
"Absolutely not!"
Cao Cao rejected the idea with a shake of his head, without even thinking. "Killing this Pretender Emperor would bring me a hundred harms and not a single benefit. Besides, so many people have seen him. Once word gets out, what am I to do if someone with an agenda makes an issue of it?"
"The Pretender Emperor cannot be killed, much less die on my territory!"
How could he not want to kill Emperor Xian of Han and end the trouble once and for all? But he had no desire to do something that brought nothing but harm and no benefit.
He could only think of another way.
Xu County's East Gate.
Emperor Xian of Han remained outside the city, calling for the gates to open until his voice grew hoarse. Even after darkness fell, he stubbornly refused to leave.
Late autumn had arrived, and the night was bitterly cold.
Even sheltered inside his carriage, Emperor Xian of Han shivered uncontrollably. Though he was already very sleepy, he still dared not sleep, afraid that the gates would open the moment he dozed off.
He had made up his mind to