Chapter 59: My Leverage

Watching Fushou sway her voluptuous hips as she left, Qiao Feng finally breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly pulling his sister back to his own chambers. After this incident, Qiao Feng realized he had underestimated Liu Xie before; this emperor, not yet twenty, clearly possessed more substance than he had imagined.

Meanwhile, in the side hall of the palace, Liu Xie and Sun Ce, along with two others, were already seated. Liu Xie understood that some matters needed to be spoken, though there was an art to how much should be revealed.

“Bo Fu, do you think that during my stay in Wu Commandery, I have acted too openly before you? If you were to kill me now, no one in the world would know that I died in Wu Commandery,” Liu Xie said abruptly, without any preamble. Sun Ce, who had just sat down and taken a sip of water, was so startled by this remark that he nearly spat his drink onto Zhou Yu beside him. He managed to recover, though his face was flushed crimson.

“Your Majesty jests. If Your Majesty lacked ability, how could you have evaded Cao Cao and made your way to our Wu Commandery? The greater Your Majesty’s talents, the more confidence I and the civil and military officials of Jiangdong possess. After all, Your Majesty has chosen Wu Commandery, and is already bound to Bo Fu in spirit and purpose,” Zhang Hong quickly interjected, seeing that Sun Ce was momentarily unprepared.

Today’s events were already clear: it seemed as though Sun Ce was pressing Liu Xie for answers, but ultimately, they had sensed a threat from Liu Xie, and the initiative remained firmly in his hands.

“Sir speaks truly. I think the same. Yet Bo Fu appears still somewhat wary of me!” Liu Xie added, feigning a heartbroken look, painting Sun Ce as petty and narrow-minded.

Sun Ce would not allow himself to be cast as such, so he calmly set down his nearly choking cup and immediately retorted, “I hold no distrust toward Your Majesty. The decision not to proclaim ascension is Your Majesty’s own. But as the conflict between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao changes swiftly, it would be best for Your Majesty to share your plans, so that we in Jiangdong might be prepared. Our court may be full of voices, but here are only four of us; let Your Majesty at least give us some clarity.”

If one boasts too much, they lose their edge—this has become Liu Xie’s motto. His ostentatious display before Sun Ce after arriving in Wu Commandery was merely to make Sun Ce realize Liu Xie’s extraordinary importance to Wu. Now, the goal was nearly achieved; to press further would make him seem uncontrollable, and if such a notion took root in Sun Ce’s mind, Liu Xie’s days would become much harder. Thus, today was the time to stop while ahead.

“Before leaving Xuchang, I did make several arrangements,” Liu Xie said. Zhang Hong and Sun Ce exchanged knowing looks, while Zhou Yu, who did not know Liu Xie well, remained indifferent. In his mind, he was still Sun Ce’s most reliable ally; the sudden appearance of an emperor was merely an embellishment for Jiangdong.

“First, among the carriages arriving in Wu Commandery in a few days are the two wives of Imperial Uncle Liu Bei. While in Xuchang, I deceived Guan Yu, persuading him to place Liu Bei’s wives in my palace, so they are traveling here together with my other consorts.”

“Liu Bei’s wives? Liu Bei was routed in Xuzhou by Cao Cao, his scant forces scattered. What use are his wives? They must be of considerable age now—even if they are still beautiful…” Sun Ce glanced reflexively at Zhang Hong and then at Zhou Yu; both shook their heads slightly, clearly uninterested regardless of the women’s beauty.

“You misunderstand, Bo Fu. If Liu Bei has the chance, he would prefer to reclaim his own wives himself. I brought them to Wu Commandery because Guan Yu is now serving as a minor general in Cao Cao’s army, while Liu Bei has sought shelter with Yuan Shao.”

The three who had been watching him closely now looked disappointed.

“We already know that Guan Yu is in Cao Cao’s army and has slain Yan Liang. Guan Yu was indeed Liu Bei’s general, but now each serves his own master. As for Liu Bei’s wives, I suspect he has nearly forgotten them,” Sun Ce remarked.

In these times, brothers could be replaced, and women, lost, might be replaced by younger ones.

“For Liu Bei, those wives may be easily forgotten. But for Guan Yu, it is not so. You may not fully understand Guan Yu—his service to Cao Cao is solely so that one day he can return these two women to Liu Bei’s side,” Liu Xie explained.

Sun Ce and the others, after a moment’s reflection, still looked disappointed.

“Liu Bei and Guan Yu are both mere rootless trees. If you had brought the wife of Cao Cao, that might be of some use,” Zhou Yu was quick to challenge.

“If I told you that not one of Jiangdong’s warriors can match Guan Yu, would you believe me?” Liu Xie asked.

At this, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu bristled further, for such a statement was, in their eyes, a grave insult to the warriors of Jiangdong.

“The warriors of Jiangdong may not equal those under Cao Cao, but we are still a land of many formidable heroes. Guan Yu, for all his prowess in slaying Yan Liang amid chaos—if he were truly so mighty, how could he have been captured by Cao Cao?” Zhou Yu persisted, unwilling to accept that Jiangdong’s might was less than that of a general without notable command achievements.

“Guan Yu was captured by Cao Cao precisely because of those two sisters-in-law. While in Xuchang, he and I spoke. There are many fierce warriors in the world—who can match Lü Bu’s valor? Yet in the end, he gained only the reputation of a turncoat and met his fate with a length of white silk. In Xuchang, I saw the many fierce generals under Cao Cao; there are plenty of talented warriors, but few capable commanders. Guan Yu is a rare commander indeed!” Liu Xie declared.

With this, Liu Xie not only extolled Guan Yu’s loyalty and righteousness, but also emphasized that he was not merely a warrior charging into battle, but a leader capable of commanding armies alone.