Chapter 117: Subduing Guan Yu

After a day of rest, Cao Peng arrived at Guan Yu’s location as scheduled and escorted him to the palace to pay respects to the emperor.

Upon reaching the palace gates, the sharp call of the eunuchs summoned the civil and military officials, and they proceeded into the main hall.

By now, the court officials had long been through Cao Cao’s purging.

Two-thirds of the officials were Cao Cao’s trusted confidants.

Cao Peng glanced discreetly at Guan Yu, noticing that the red-faced man seemed unusually excited.

It was clear he was someone unaccustomed to the ways of the world.

Although everyone called him General Guan, he was really just a rough and unpolished warrior.

Initially, his willingness to follow Liu Bei was simply because Liu Bei was a member of the Han imperial clan, wasn’t it?

“Your servant Guan Yu pays respects to His Majesty!” Guan Yu knelt and bowed deeply to Emperor Liu Xie, while Cao Peng exchanged a glance with the young emperor.

“I have heard from Minister Cao that General Guan is a rare hero of the age, unrestrained and unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness. Meeting you today, you indeed exude the spirit of a true hero,” Liu Xie said.

Guan Yu felt deeply gratified by these words.

He loved nothing more than being praised.

Liu Xie then shifted his tone and asked, “I heard that Liu Bei is General Guang’s elder brother?”

Guan Yu’s expression darkened, as if the inevitable had arrived. “Indeed…”

Liu Xie continued, “Then General, do you know that Liu Bei is a charlatan who deceives the world? He constantly claims to be a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, but in truth, he bribed Dong Cheng to fabricate the Han family genealogy—a grievous sin!”

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu’s face grew extremely somber.

He never imagined that his brother could be such a man.

No wonder since arriving in Xu Capital, Liu Bei’s actions always seemed suspicious to him.

Now it was clear that something was amiss.

“Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your servant truly did not know of these matters,” Guan Yu said, sweat already beading on his forehead.

If what Liu Xie said were true, Guan Yu could not bear such disgrace.

“General Guan, there is no need to be nervous. It is understandable that you were unaware,” Liu Xie said as attendants presented a genealogy scroll before Guan Yu.

The situation had reached a point where opening the Han family genealogy confirmed the truth.

Liu Bei claimed descent from Liu Hong, but there was no such branch.

“General Guan, after Dong Cheng was executed, he also confessed to a crime. You should read it,” Liu Xie added.

A document handed to him bore a clear confession: Dong Cheng accepted bribes from Liu Bei and altered the Han genealogy.

At the bottom of the confession was Dong Cheng’s signature and seal.

“This… this…” Guan Yu felt dizzy and ashamed to the core.

He never thought he had been blind, following a deceiver.

The oaths sworn at the Peach Garden Brotherhood now seemed laughably hollow.

With this thought, Guan Yu clenched his fists beneath his sleeves.

“Guan Yu, are you aware that many in the court have accused you of colluding in impersonating a Han relative?” Liu Xie said.

Guan Yu was shocked and quickly protested, “Absolutely not! This is a grave injustice.”

“Your servant deserves death for being blind and deceived by that big-eared bandit. I beg Your Majesty for a chance—I will capture that bandit alive and hand him over to the court!” he declared.

Cao Cao admired Cao Peng’s handiwork as Guan Yu’s reaction was so fervent.

Neither wealth nor honor could shake Guan Yu’s resolve.

But bringing out this young emperor, the true heir of Han, had truly intimidated Guan Yu.

It seemed there was hope to win Guan Yu over.

“Your Majesty, I am not a man who fears death, but if I must bear this stain, I would die with regret!” Guan Yu declared sternly.

Sensing the right moment, Cao Peng signaled Cao Cao.

Cao Cao immediately understood and stepped forward respectfully.

“Your Majesty, I trust General Guan’s character. He is absolutely loyal to the Han dynasty. He must have been deceived by Liu Bei and thus kept in the dark,” Cao Cao said.

Liu Xie saw Cao Cao speak and knew this act was nearing its end.

But the performance had to be thorough; it would be too obvious if Cao Cao simply concluded the matter.

Feigning doubt, Liu Xie asked, “Chancellor, why do you say this?”

“This time, Liu Bei deceived General Cao Peng’s troops and attacked Xuzhou, only to be defeated by General Cao Peng. I heard from General Cao Peng that Guan Yu could have fled with Liu Bei but chose loyalty instead, refusing to abandon his subordinates like Liu Bei did. Your Majesty, consider this: how could a loyal man be like the deceitful and treacherous Liu Bei?” Cao Cao replied.

After Cao Cao spoke, Cao Peng also stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, Chancellor’s words are reasonable. Moreover, I can attest to what he said, and I would stake my life on General Guan’s loyalty,” Cao Peng declared.

Guan Yu was deeply moved by these words.

As for Liu Xie, his eyes narrowed slightly as he shifted in his seat.

Feeling the act was complete, he said, “Since the Chancellor says so, I believe General Guan was indeed deceived by Liu Bei.”

“General Guan, I hereby appoint you as a subordinate general. Should you achieve great merit, further honors will be granted. Do not disappoint me or the Chancellor,” the emperor proclaimed.

“Your Majesty, rest assured. I will wield my great blade and personally slay that treacherous Liu Bei, rooting out traitors for the court,” Guan Yu vowed sincerely.

To Cao Peng, it was clear Guan Yu had truly severed ties with Liu Bei.

A change of heart meant everything had changed. Guan Yu no longer looked at Cao Cao with suspicion but realized he had been brainwashed by Liu Bei to view Cao Cao as a traitor.

His former admiration for Liu Bei had turned into bitter hatred.

“Rise and be at ease!” Liu Xie commanded.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Guan Yu replied.

At this point, Liu Xie’s acting was flawless.

At least, Cao Peng thought, his performance rivaled Liu Bei’s.

With matters concluded, Cao Cao looked at Cao Peng with deep admiration.

He hadn’t expected that his long-coveted Guan Yu would be won over so easily by Cao Peng’s subtle methods.

Overjoyed, Cao Cao marveled at Cao Peng’s skill in undermining rivals and felt it elevated Cao Peng to a new level.

He admitted that compared to Cao Peng, his own talent for subterfuge was insignificant.

It seemed the future of the Cao family enterprise would truly rest on Cao Peng’s shoulders.

With the imminent war against Yuan Shao, Cao Cao decided to grant Cao Peng greater military command.