Chapter 333 Guo Jia: Xun Yu, don’t forget that you are a loyal minister!
Wancheng.

The once empty city is now bustling with activity.

Outside the North City Gate.

Liu Xie and his two companions walked along the avenue. Pedestrians along the way dispersed to both sides. Those who were unwilling to stop were pushed away by their guards.

When the emperor goes to the countryside to experience life, he can save on everything else except security.

At the city gate, a team of horse-drawn carriages blocked the flow of people. Liu Xie and others had to stop and watch. The captain of the guard gave some instructions and went forward to check.

After a while, the captain came back. He thought of Liu Xie and bowed, "Your Majesty, the group ahead has no credentials, but they insist on saying they are old friends of our king and want to sneak into the city."

Liu Xie understood that Jinmao was ready to vigorously develop business, but there were reasons why circulation was inconvenient in this era. Some things could not be achieved overnight, and reform must be carried out step by step.

This guy has been causing trouble but nothing has happened until now, thanks to the policy. If it had happened in the past, he would have been hacked to death or buried in a mass grave.

"Forget it, go find a donkey cart." Liu Xie said, "Lindi can't walk anymore, we can go in from the east gate."

"Here."

Unexpectedly, as soon as the captain of the guard left, the road ahead became unblocked. The team of people who had been blocking the city gate made way, and a young man with a goatee walked towards this side.

The man was stopped at a distance of fifty steps from Liu Xie, but he did not give up and shouted: "I am Guo Jia!"

Liu Xie didn't even need to shout out the last sentence. He broke out in a cold sweat and ordered the deputy captain, "Let him in."

Guo Jia was also a marquis of Ting, and had met Liu Xie. If he revealed Liu Xie's identity in public, it would be a lot of fun.

A minute later, Guo Jia came to the three of them and bowed, "Guo Jia greets your Majesty and the two princes."

Liu Xie asked in disbelief: "Why are you here?"

How did Guo Jia, the source of cholera, escape from Yang Feng and Yang Ding?

Without waiting for Guo Jia to reply, Lu Xun suddenly drew out the guard's sword and shouted, "There's an assassin!"

"Clang! Clang! Clang!" The guards drew their swords one after another and stared at Guo Jia hungrily.

Liu Xie frowned but did not stop him.

Jin Lin was frightened and held Liu Xie's hand tightly, not daring to let go.

Guo Jia remained calm and said, "If the prince kills me here, the King of Wu will be despised by the world!"

Lu Xun smiled and said, "That may not be the case!"

Before he finished speaking, a hint of cunning flashed in Lu Xun's eyes. He slowly pointed the tip of the sword to the ground, not really intending to take action at this moment.

Seeing this, the guards around did not relax their vigilance, but the atmosphere relaxed a little. The cold light of swords swayed in the candlelight, reflecting the complex and difficult to discern expressions of each person.

Liu Xie took a deep breath, his eyes moved back and forth between Guo Jia and Lu Xun, and finally fixed on Guo Jia. He said in a deep voice: "Guo Fengxiao, since you dare to come here alone, you must have a backup plan. But what happened today is not trivial, you need to give me a reasonable explanation."

Guo Jia smiled slightly, that smile showed both confidence and helplessness: "Your Majesty, I escaped not to protect myself, but for the sake of the world. Yang Feng and Yang Ding are short-sighted and incapable of accomplishing great things. I want to borrow the power of King Wu to jointly conspire for the revival of the Han Dynasty, not to put King Wu in an unjust position."

He paused, his eyes becoming deep. "As for what happened today, it was actually Jia's fault. Jia didn't know that Your Majesty and the two princes were here. He wanted to find his good friend Xun Wenruo to tell him a secret that concerns the safety of the world, but he didn't expect to disturb you all."

"Now that I have met your Majesty today, I will hand this letter over to your Majesty for disposal."

As he spoke, Guo Jia took out a secret letter from his sleeve and presented it with both hands: "This is what Jia has obtained recently. The letter states that the northern barbarians are ready to move southward to invade the Central Plains. Jia knows that this matter is serious and dare not make any mistakes. I have come to meet Your Highness to discuss countermeasures."

In fact, Guo Jia knew that if he went to see Jin Mao directly, there was a high probability that he would die, and there was a small probability that his legs would be broken and he would be placed under house arrest.

Liu Xie was unaware of this. After hearing what Guo Jia said, he looked solemn. He took the secret letter, quickly read it, and frowned. Although Jin Lin didn't know what was going on, he also felt the tense atmosphere and snuggled up to Liu Xie.

"If it is true as you said, this matter is indeed urgent." Liu Xie put down the secret letter and looked at Guo Jia with complicated eyes, "But how can you guarantee that what you said is true and not a reason to provoke war again?"

Guo Jia replied calmly: "I am willing to guarantee with my own life that everything I said is true. If Your Majesty still has doubts, you can send envoys to the north to investigate, and everything will come to light."

Lu Xun stood aside, always remaining vigilant, but when he saw that Liu Xie's attitude had softened, he temporarily suppressed the murderous intent in his heart. After all, the most important thing at the moment was how to deal with the impending crisis.

"Okay, I'll trust you this time." Liu Xie finally made a decision, "But you have to remember, if you deceive me again, I will not let you off easily."

Guo Jia bowed and said: "I will do my best to repay your majesty for your kindness."

After a while, the captain of the guard came back with a donkey cart. When he saw Guo Jia, he immediately drew his sword and shouted, "Catch the wanted criminal!"

The guards immediately raised their swords that they had just put down. Guo Jia saw that the situation was not good, and jumped to Liu Xie's side with a dagger in his hand.

The situation is reversed!

Liu Xie's face was grim, he gritted his teeth and said word by word: "How dare you lie to me!"

Guo Jia felt that holding Liu Xie hostage was not enough, so he grabbed Jin Lin and shouted, "Don't come over here, swords have no eyes!"

The guards were in a dilemma.

At this time, Lu Xun came forward calmly and said, "Put down your weapons."

The captain of the guard gave the order with a grim look.

Lu Xun came in front of Guo Jia and threatened calmly: "If you don't want your three clans to be exterminated, put Jin Lin down."

"Your Majesty understands your painstaking efforts, but Jin Lin doesn't. If father finds out, even if the sky falls, your three clans will not be able to escape the fate of extinction."

After a little thought, Guo Jia realized that what Lu Xun said made sense, but as a top strategist he also had his dignity. If he was intimidated by a kid, how would he survive in the future?
A meaningful smile appeared on Guo Jia's lips, and his eyes moved over Lu Xun with a bit of admiration and a bit of competition.

"I've always heard that the adopted son of the King of Wu is extremely intelligent. Today I see that his reputation is well-deserved."

"But I, Guo Jia, never seek short-term success, but always care about long-term plans."

He gently patted Jin Lin's shoulder, signaling him not to panic, then turned to Lu Xun, his tone more calm and confident: "You threaten me, but you are just using my family background to make a fuss. However, I, Guo Jia, am alone, how can I have three clans, this is one of them."

After saying that, Guo Jia slowly released his hold on Jin Lin. Jin Lin took the opportunity to break free and escape behind Lu Xun. Although his face was pale, his eyes were firm.

Seeing this, Lu Xun did not let down his guard, but he had to admit in his heart that Guo Jia did have his strengths.

"Second," Guo Jia said, "I never kill old or young, which is unlike someone else."

"Third, the invasion of the Northern Huns was indeed true, and the Xianbei may have been involved. The news is absolutely true, but I left in a hurry and did not get the detailed information." Without Jin Lin by his side, Liu Xie was not so worried and asked, "Then don't you know that holding the emperor hostage is also a capital crime?"

A playful smile appeared on Guo Jia's lips, and his eyes moved between Liu Xie and Lu Xun, as if these threatening words were nothing but a breeze to him.

"Your Majesty, you are wrong. I am not holding you hostage, but protecting you. In this chaotic world, only those who can ensure your Majesty's safety are truly loyal to the country.

As for the death penalty, since ancient times, victors have been kings and losers have been bandits, and history is written by the victors. If my actions today can bring peace to the world, then what is there to fear about a mere "death penalty"? "

He paused for a moment, and his tone turned deep: "Besides, Your Majesty, have you ever thought that the King of Wu is acting irrationally, is he going to be the next Wang Mang?"

After saying this, Guo Jia put down the sharp blade in his hand, but held Liu Xie's hand tightly with his other hand, and said: "As long as you see Xun Yu and Xun Wenruo, you can kill them or chop them up as you wish."

When Liu Xie heard this, a complex look flashed in his eyes, showing surprise at Guo Jia's courage, as well as helplessness and worry about the current situation.

He wanted to break free from Guo Jia's tight grip, but he couldn't. He said with a tired tone, "My dear Guo, I know your loyalty very well. However, the affairs of the world cannot be reversed by one's own strength. Although the King of Wu's behavior is peculiar, it is not necessarily all evil. What I am worried about is not my personal safety, but the well-being of the Han Dynasty and the people."

"What you said about Wang Mang is indeed a lesson for us. But I also believe that people are kind-hearted. Even in this chaotic world, there are people who are willing to stand up for the people of the world."

"As for you, Lord Guo, your actions today were motivated by the desire to protect the emperor, but they ultimately exceeded the etiquette between the emperor and his subjects. I am grateful for your loyalty and bravery, and at a time when the country is in danger, I am pardoning you. However, in the future, I hope you will think twice before you act, and do not let your loyalty be tarnished."

After saying that, Liu Xie turned his head and looked at Guo Jia, and shouted: "Why don't you let go?"

"Your Majesty, please don't waste your time." Guo Jia laughed and said, "Today I am Cao Mengde's minister. If I cannot see Xun Wenruo, then Your Majesty will be buried with me!"

Lu Xun knew that Guo Jia was extremely intelligent and that ordinary words could not persuade him, so he agreed to Guo Jia's request.

So, this group of people walked into the city in a very strange posture.

The guard at the city gate looked at the captain of the guard and didn't dare to ask any more questions and just let him go.

In this way, everyone arrived outside the Prince of Wu's palace.

At this time, all the famous people in the Prince of Wu's palace were outside. They seemed to be welcoming them, but in fact they felt like the sky was about to fall.

How could something like this happen when Your Majesty went out to harvest rice!

"Mom!"

Jin Lin yelled and threw himself into Tang Ji's arms, telling her what had happened in detail.

Tang Ji actually understood, and bowed to Xun Yu who came over and said, "I'll leave everything to you, Military Advisor."

Xun Yu immediately returned the greeting and said, "I dare not."

Tang Ji invited everyone into the mansion, where they could see Cai Wenji holding a baby in her arms, Shi Yu holding the hand of a little girl, and Da Qiao with a bulging belly, about to give birth.

Among so many women, only Feng Lu has always been with Jin Mao and has never given birth.

When there were no more people outside the palace, Xun Yu stood up, looked at Guo Jia with a sigh and said, "Feng Xiao, why did you have to do this?"

Guo Jia smiled slightly, his eyes flashing with complex light, and shook his head gently, saying: "Wen Ruo, the world is like a new chess game, and every move is a variable. Although my actions this time seem impulsive, I actually have my own calculations in my heart. You know that I have always been unruly, but this action is actually for the overall consideration."

"The overall situation?" Xun Yu frowned, obviously doubting Guo Jia's explanation. "Now the palace and the outside are in turmoil because of you. What exactly do you mean by 'the overall situation'?"

"The overall situation I'm talking about is to seek justice for my lord Cao Cao!"

Guo Jia said in a clear voice: "My lord Cao Mengde fought in the north for the King of Wu, why did he end up as a bandit?"

Before Xun Yu could say anything, Liu Xie said with a disdainful smile: "Cao Cao only wanted to seize Jizhou for his own benefit. He just didn't expect Yuan Shao to be so powerful. If Cao Cao had occupied Jizhou, you would definitely not say the same thing."

"Your Majesty is indeed smart." Guo Jia praised and then sighed, "But why did you give the world to the King of Wu?"

"If you were still in office, I wouldn't have to take such a risky move."

Xun Yu realized at this time that Guo Jia had held the emperor hostage, and took the opportunity to interrupt and said, "Feng Xiao, let His Majesty go first. If you need a hostage, let me do it!"

Liu Xie was moved.

Guo Jia sighed again and said, "Wen Ruo, you haven't changed at all. I really envy you."

However, Xun Yu was struck by lightning, as if Guo Jia's words were mocking him for plotting to kill his brother Xun Chen.

At this time, the captain of the guard came to Xun Yu and whispered a few words in his ear.

Xun Yu said helplessly: "Fengxiao, you must not make any more mistakes. Your son is born, and you are no longer alone."

This time, it was Guo Jia's turn to be struck by lightning. Liu Xie took the opportunity to break free from Guo Jia's restraints and shouted as he ran, "Kill him!"

"Wait!" Xun Yu shouted, but it was too late, as swords and knives stabbed into Guo Jia's body.

"Feng Xiao!"

Xun Yu pushed the guards away. At this time, Guo Jia was spitting blood and was on his deathbed. However, he grabbed Xun Yu's hand and refused to let go. While spitting blood, he asked, "Xun Yu! Do you still remember the oath you made?"

"If one day, you are asked to choose between King Wu and His Majesty."

Guo Jia spat out a mouthful of blood and shouted with all his strength, "Who do you choose?!"

Watching Guo Jia die in his arms, Xun Yu's heart could no longer remain calm. Tears blurred his eyes and he didn't know how to respond to Guo Jia's words.

Xun Yu's chest felt like it was hit by a huge rock, and he almost suffocated from the pain. He hugged Guo Jia's gradually cooling body tightly, as if he could save his dying life.

"Fengxiao, you and I have come a long way, from youth to maturity, planning for the great cause of the world together, and we are as close as brothers. You asked me how to choose, but I already have the answer in my heart, but I have never had the chance to tell you." Xun Yu's voice trembled, with endless sorrow and self-blame, "In my heart, whether it is the King of Wu or Your Majesty, they are not as important as the friendship between you and me. I, Xun Yu, have the greatest wish in this life, to go to the world with you and protect a trace of clarity in this chaotic world."

He gently put down Guo Jia's hand, which was gradually losing its temperature. The blood that flowed from his fingertips was like their unfulfilled dream, staining his clothes red and piercing Xun Yu's heart. "But things are unpredictable, and you and I were not able to make it to the end."

Finally, the tears could not be restrained, and slid down his face, blending with the blood on Guo Jia's body. Xun Yu knew that this regret would accompany him for the rest of his life and become a wound in his heart that would never heal.

Xun Yu already had the answer in his mind as to who he would choose between the lord and the emperor.

No one could have imagined that this was Guo Jia's last evil plan since he knew he had no way to escape the pursuit.

To alienate the relationship between Jin Mao, Liu Xie and Xun Yu!

(End of this chapter)