Chapter 315: Having a death wish
The matter of establishing a new emperor was put on hold. After the court was adjourned, Xun Yu went straight back to his residence, completely ignoring Cao Cao's complicated eyes and the hand he stretched out to keep him.
"My lord, Wenruo is just depressed for the moment. He will be fine after a while." Mao Jie looked at Cao Cao, who seemed a little distraught, and walked up to him and said softly.
Cao Cao sighed when he heard this, and then suddenly asked, "By the way, why isn't Zhicai here?"
Mao Jie couldn't help but glance away when he heard this, and pretended to be calm and said, "Zhicai has caught a cold these days and is not feeling well, so he didn't come."
Cao Cao frowned slightly and was about to ask again, but Mao Jie interrupted him and said, "My lord, General Cao Ren is still on his way. We have wasted enough time going back and forth. If we don't catch up quickly, I'm afraid we will miss him."
Cao Cao nodded slightly when he heard this and said, "Send someone to tell Zixiu to arrange for my doctor to go and see Zhicai. Zhicai is weak, so don't be careless."
"promise!"
Then Cao Cao, who was worried, hurriedly set off again, preparing to catch up with Cao Ren's team.
That night, a thin figure knocked on the door of Xun Mansion.
Inside the dim house, Xun Yu stared at the faint candlelight on the table with lifeless eyes, looking dejected, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Xi Zhicai slowly stepped into the house. Every step seemed to be quite difficult. His face was extremely pale, and there was even a hint of red at the corners of his mouth.
"I did this."
Xi Zhicai staggered slowly to sit opposite Xun Yu, stretched out his right hand, and lightly grasped the faint candlelight.
"Why?" Xun Yu asked without any emotion.
"Because my lord is Cao Cao! I believe that my lord is the one who should pacify the world!" Xi Zhicai said with a burning gaze, his eyes full of fanaticism.
"You are a Han minister! Your ancestors have also received favors from the Han Dynasty. How dare you do this!" Upon hearing this, Xun Yu clenched his fists and couldn't help but question.
"Haha." Xi Zhicai sneered.
"The grace of the Han Dynasty!"
"Where is the Han Dynasty in this world today? If you care about the kindness of the Han Dynasty, why don't you go to Liu Bei?"
"This world should be ruled by people with virtue and ability. Has the Han Dynasty's actions over the years been gracious? Has it been virtuous?"
"That's because the emperor was forced by the villain, otherwise..." Xun Yu explained.
"That's incompetence!" Xi Zhicai said without hesitation.
"Incompetence is also a mistake. As the Son of Heaven, he should bear the sins of this chaotic world. Since he is unable to pacify it, how can he be qualified to be the Son of Heaven?"
"Even if the three emperors Huan, Ling and Zhi were wrong in the past, how can it be said that the current emperor is without grace and virtue?" Xun Yu retorted.
There is no need to say much about Emperors Huan and Ling. Emperor Zhi is the deceased Liu Xie. These three people indeed did not do anything that an emperor should do.
But Liu Yu was a benevolent monarch and was quite good at governing.
"Liu Yu was indeed a good emperor. If he was born in a peaceful and prosperous era, he might have been able to create another reign like that of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing. But being born in a chaotic era was his biggest mistake!"
"He has no ability to pacify the troubled times, nor does he have unconditional trust in his lord, and he is too soft-hearted. For the long-term, he must die, otherwise, we will perish with him!" Xi Zhicai said in a deep voice.
"Why is it so? The emperor and the lord are a perfect match, and their relationship is very congenial. Maybe it will become a good story like Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong..."
"Wenruo, do you believe this?" Xi Zhicai sneered.
"You have a powerful minister under your command, and you are in such a disadvantageous position. Moreover, Liu Yu is too old. You know what those Han ministers think."
"How did Luoyang become in chaos? How did Wang Yun die? You and I know the reasons behind this." "If Liu Yu is not dead, the fate of my lord, you and me will never be good. We won't even be able to wait for the day of success. As long as Yuan Shao and Sun Ce become kings, we will die without a burial place!" Xi Zhicai said with a slightly ferocious expression.
The current situation seems calm, but in fact they have already stepped on the edge of the cliff and will be smashed to pieces if they are not careful.
Liu Yu was a Achilles' heel for Cao Cao. Once his weakness was breached, the forces under Cao Cao's command would fall apart and be easily divided up by other princes.
Xi Zhicai was very clear about this, so he was willing to take this risk despite the great disgrace to the world.
It's not that he doesn't know Xun Yu's character, and it's not that he hasn't thought about the consequences, so he came alone.
"Wenruo, I know this matter will be an unsolvable knot for you. But we need your presence, and the lord needs your presence." Xi Zhicai looked at Xun Yu steadily and said sincerely.
"I was the one who led this matter. I forced the lord to agree. If you have any complaints, blame me alone."
After saying that, Xi Zhicai drew the sword from his waist at lightning speed and kissed his neck.
Ding!
The sound of a long sword falling was heard.
Xun Yu looked at Xi Zhicai with pity, also holding a long sword in his hand.
"Zhicai, why are you forcing me?" Xun Yu said angrily, throwing the sword to the ground.
No matter what, he couldn't just watch Xi Zhicai commit suicide in front of him.
Xi Zhicai's mouth was bitter: "Wen Ruo, I'm not forcing you. It's just that we don't have many chances."
"Given the current situation, I'm afraid we only have one last chance to turn the tables. If we lose, the best we can do is to establish our own territory."
"In this case, there is no way I can let go of any obstacles."
Xun Yu was silent for a long time.
"How much life do you have left?"
After listening to Xun Yu's question, Xi Zhicai said calmly, "Less than two years."
Xun Yu's hands trembled slightly, and he looked at Xi Zhicai, whose face was pale, in disbelief.
"how come……"
Xi Zhicai smiled faintly: "You must have guessed why my talent works."
"I'm betting the rest of my life on this last chance to turn the tables."
Xun Yu couldn't help but ask: "What if we lose? You have to know that defeat is not the end. The lord still needs you."
Xi Zhicai shook his head gently: "Defeat means it's over in my mind."
"As for after I leave, I have already found a young talent who is as talented as me. Although he is a little paranoid, he is also capable of assisting the lord in his next journey."
Xun Yu heard this and looked at his close friend reluctantly: "In fact, you can go to the Jixia Academy, at least..."
"Wen Ruo, you know me. Rather than living in disgrace, I would rather gamble my life on this one. I believe I won't lose."
"When I followed my lord, I talked with him about the world and promised to help him pacify this chaotic world. Since I have made such a promise, I will not break it."
"If this fails, then it is fate. No matter what the result is, I am willing to gamble my life for my lord this time!"
(End of this chapter)
