Chapter 80: He Is Coming

“With Your Majesty here, surely he wouldn’t dare run away, would he?”

Liu Xie sighed, thinking to himself how invaluable history books were; even after so many years, they could still analyze Guan Yu’s character with such clarity. If he hadn’t known these things, his own thinking would probably be much like Sun Ce’s and Zhou Yu’s right now—perhaps even less insightful than theirs. With these vivid character portraits in his mind, who needed some miraculous system? Wasn’t this already a ready-made golden finger? With this, wouldn’t it be sweet to secure the people’s fate and bring peace to the world for ages to come?

“You overestimate my influence. A man like Guan Yu will only ever be loyal to Liu Bei, not to me. The only way to make him serve someone else is for Liu Bei to die, and for Guan Yu, before that death, to see clearly the hypocrisy at Liu Bei’s core. The reason he must die is that, with Liu Bei’s talents, if he met Guan Yu again, he’d easily turn death into life with his tongue.”

“This…”

“Gongjin, tell Bofu this: if he doesn’t follow my advice, I’ll withdraw from all your affairs. I’ll hand Liu Bei’s two wives over to you, and I’ll simply enjoy my days in the palace. How about that?”

Zhou Yu didn’t think Liu Xie was merely venting; every time he’d come to consult him, Liu Xie had clearly been impatient and disinterested, ready to wash his hands of it all. Still, he and Sun Ce had agreed: as long as Guan Yu hadn’t arrived, Liu Xie must remain involved. After all, Liu Xie had never explained what to do when Guan Yu did arrive, and neither of them knew Guan Yu well, nor what deal had been struck between Liu Xie and Guan Yu in Xuchang.

“With these two ladies in Your Majesty’s care, you can claim to be protecting them for Guan Yu. But if they fall into Bofu’s hands, Guan Yu will start to suspect us. Please, Your Majesty, don’t speak in such a manner. Our strength in Jiangdong is still far below that of Cao Cao or Liu Biao. If we truly manage to swallow up Liu Biao, Your Majesty will have earned your share of the credit.”

Zhou Yu’s intention was obvious: while Jiangdong was under Sun Ce’s command, if Liu Xie played a significant role, Sun Ce would not treat him unfairly in the end. Zhou Yu believed Liu Xie was a clever man, and clever men knew well what their fate would be in Jiangdong—there was a world of difference between a good and a bad outcome.

“Well, in that case, Guan Yu should be arriving in the next few days. When he does, bring him to me directly. As for the matter of Liu Bei’s wives, simply claim ignorance. Leave the rest to me. What you two need to do is cultivate good relations with Cai Mao—most of Liu Biao’s navy is under his command, isn’t it? To take Liu Biao without bloodshed is impossible.”

Zhou Yu understood Liu Xie’s meaning, but there was one thing he didn’t quite grasp. He was certain he’d never mentioned to Liu Xie that Cai Mao commanded Liu Biao’s navy—so how had Liu Xie known? In the end, Zhou Yu could only conclude that he must have let it slip unintentionally.

Seeing Zhou Yu’s puzzled expression, Liu Xie feigned mystery, but inwardly he was startled, realizing he’d shown off a bit too much this time. There were some things he simply shouldn’t have known, and he ought not to have spoken of them.

Startled as he was, Liu Xie wanted to say no more and found an excuse to dismiss Zhou Yu.

After Zhou Yu left, Liu Xie breathed a secret sigh of relief. He felt that, despite his efforts at restraint, he’d still been showing off too much in front of Sun Ce and Zhou Yu. This was not good.

That night, Liu Xie appeared in the chambers of Lady Gan and Lady Mi.

Since being brought to Wu Commandery, the two women clearly knew little of what had happened. They were indeed waiting for an explanation from Liu Xie. Yet they also understood that surviving the journey itself proved how much Liu Xie valued them; it would be inappropriate to press him with questions or demands.

“How have you two ladies fared these past days?”

The two women saw that Liu Xie, both in appearance and speech, was quite changed from when they were in Xuchang—he seemed vastly more at ease, and they too could finally relax. When Guan Yu left, he’d made it clear: entrusting them to Liu Xie was absolutely reliable. This meant Liu Xie stood on Guan Yu’s side, and since they trusted Guan Yu, they trusted Liu Xie as well.

“When can we return to the side of the Imperial Uncle?” This was, of course, their chief concern. As Liu Bei’s wives, only by returning to him could they fulfill their roles and regain their status. To put it bluntly, for now, they were little more than captives.

“The Imperial Uncle has attached himself to Yuan Shao. But I have received word—Guan Yu has left Cao Cao and is coming to find you. When he arrives, if you wish to leave with him, I will not stop you!”

“Is Yun Chang truly coming?”

Hearing Guan Yu’s name, both ample-bodied ladies trembled with excitement. Liu Xie allowed himself a few appreciative glances before regaining his imperial composure.

“The men of Jiangdong told me so; they should not be mistaken. When they discovered your identities, I had already brought you into the palace as part of my own harem. The men of Jiangdong have no reason to become enemies with the Imperial Uncle for no cause. If Guan Yu comes to take you, Sun Ce will not hinder him.”

With every word Liu Xie spoke, Lady Gan and Lady Mi’s hope grew stronger, and so did their trust in him.

“In that case, we thank Your Majesty. The Imperial Uncle is a loyal minister of Han. Once we are reunited with him, we will be sure to tell him of all Your Majesty has done for us!”

The two ladies were clearly sincere, but Liu Xie inwardly chuckled, thinking their words would count for little.

“Do you know why I am here in Wu Commandery?”

Both shook their heads in confusion; clearly, they knew nothing of how they had come to be here.

“There are some things you must know, lest, when you meet Yun Chang or the Imperial Uncle in future, you find yourselves completely in the dark.”

Having said this, Liu Xie breathed a long sigh, his face full of helplessness. Then he drew closer to Liu Bei’s two wives and softly recounted the tale.

By the time Liu Xie had finished and left the two ladies, night had fallen. He departed with heavy sighs, while the two wives of Liu Bei were left in a daze.

Strolling through the gardens of the new palace, listening to the chirr of insects beneath the moonlight, Liu Xie lowered his head and muttered, “Whose world is this, in the end?”