Liu Xie said with heartfelt sincerity, "It is already so late. Why not stay here in my Bedchamber? We, sovereign and subject, could sleep foot to foot. Would that not..."
Guo Jia was moved to tears with gratitude. The Son of Heaven, the supreme sovereign himself, actually wanted to sleep foot to foot with him!
He felt a roaring fire rise in his chest.
Bowing with his hands clasped, he said in a trembling voice, "Absolutely not! Your Majesty's person is far too august. How could I dare offend you? I shall take my leave at once."
Watching Guo Jia walk away, Liu Xie revealed a satisfied smile.
This trick really worked wonders.
The old Liu family's tradition was simply too devastating against their subjects.
On Jia Xu's second day in Ye City, Yuan Shao showed everyone just how much importance he attached to him.
First, he bestowed upon him a large residence in a bustling district of Ye City, along with dozens of cartloads of wealth and goods and over a hundred servants.
Then he petitioned the Son of Heaven to appoint Jia Xu Minister of the Imperial Clan, raising him a rank from his former position as Minister of Ceremonies and formally placing him among the Nine Ministers.
None of the other advisers under Yuan Shao had received such treatment.
To avoid suspicion, even with the Son of Heaven in his grasp and imperial edicts his to draft at will, Yuan Shao had granted no prominent offices to his generals or advisers, merely bestowing some noble titles, apart from appointing himself Grand General and Grand Marshal.
Yet now he had directly nominated Jia Xu as Minister of the Imperial Clan!
Moreover, this position carried far more weight than Minister of Ceremonies. Jia Xu had received that former