Chapter 44

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Liu Bei led Chen Xi and others back with a satisfied look, just in time to see Cao Cao, who was full of anger, walking out.

"Cao An, greetings." Liu Bei dismounted and bowed to Cao Cao. He had a good impression of Cao Cao, who had risked his life to pursue Dong Zhuo, as he still maintained loyalty to the Han dynasty.

"Xuande, sigh, think of me, Cao Mengde, who devoted myself to the public good and ended up in such a state." Cao Cao said with a sigh, "The people in the tent are now enjoying music, dancing, and feasting, but who remembers the previous alliance!"

"Cao An, why don't you call me by my courtesy name? We can have more exchanges. As for the tent, to be honest, if it weren't for Zichuan's insistence on me watching a good show, I would have already returned to Tai Mountain County." Liu Bei looked very graceful.

"Alright, but this is not the place to talk. Let's go to the rear camp and discuss further." Cao Cao said with a bitter smile. Previously, he had lost many soldiers and horses while pursuing Dong Zhuo alone, and upon returning, he was mocked and ridiculed. In a fit of anger, he turned and left. Now, encountering Liu Bei, he calmed down after a conversation and was naturally happy to see the lively scene Liu Bei mentioned.

Chen Xi helplessly knelt behind Liu Bei, listening to the conversation between Cao Cao and Liu Bei intermittently. These two seemed to have a lot in common, and they were talking as if they had known each other for a long time, ready to form a brotherhood. It was clear that even before they became warlords, they had many things in common, and even after becoming warlords, their interests still aligned...

"I didn't expect Xuande to have such capable people, actually managing to subdue the Xiliang Iron Cavalry brought by Lü Bu." Cao Cao said with a hint of envy, having heard that Liu Bei quickly dealt with the Xiliang Iron Cavalry that had made him look so miserable after he left.

"Ha ha ha, Mengde, you flatter me. This is not my doing but Zichuan's." Liu Bei laughed, not expecting to be seen as having a strong army. He then explained Chen Xi's strategy to Cao Cao with a smile.

Cao Cao became more and more surprised as he listened, and finally clapped his hands in approval. The strategy was simple but effectively exploited the suspicions between Lü Bu, Dong Zhuo, and Li Ru, gradually pushing Lü Bu into a corner and finally igniting his suspicions.

"I underestimated Zichuan." Cao Cao laughed, but his face was somewhat bitter. He remembered Chen Xi's behavior at the beginning of the alliance and his wandering in the allied camp, which clearly showed that Chen Xi was looking for a new master at that time.

"I am not worthy of such praise." Chen Xi said calmly, curious about the current strange situation. The next time they met, they might be at war, and he wondered if they could still maintain some goodwill. Chen Xi still admired Cao Cao, and if he had the confidence to prevent Cao Cao from suspecting him, joining Cao Cao would be the best choice.

"Brother!" At this moment, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei rushed in, shouting, "Brother, go to the main tent quickly, something big has happened!"

"Why are you two so panicked?" Liu Bei asked, somewhat frustrated.

Liu Bei had just wanted to show off a bit, but now Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had rushed in, clearly showing a lack of discipline. However, Liu Bei had no resentment towards Guan and Zhang, as he shared everything with them, so he was just a bit frustrated.

"Brother, it's bad! It's rumored that Sun Jian has obtained the Imperial Seal and is hiding it. The leader is sending people to inform Sun Jian to go to the main tent. Brother, you should go quickly too!" Zhang Fei said in a panic.

"What?" Liu Bei was shocked and stood up, then remembered that Cao Cao was beside him and turned to look at him, finding that he had also stood up in anger. Well, in this situation, it was better to let it go, and everyone would understand that no one was being impolite.

"Mengde, you must also want to know the truth. Let's go to the main tent and see what's happening!" Liu Bei took a deep breath to calm his anger and said.

"Alright, but please wait a moment, I'll be right back!" Cao Cao said, bowed, and quickly left.

"Xuande, don't be upset." Chen Xi smiled and said, "The Imperial Seal must be real. The reason you weren't informed is that you are the only member of the Han royal family among us. They can't hide the seal in front of you."

"Zichuan, you can still laugh! What are they trying to do! Hide the Imperial Seal! Do they still respect the Han dynasty and the emperor?" Liu Bei said angrily, "The Imperial Seal is a national treasure, how can it fall into the hands of outsiders! It must be returned to the state and the emperor!"

"Return it to the emperor? The emperor is still in Dong Zhuo's hands. Even if it were returned, it wouldn't reach the emperor. Xuande, please calm down. The Imperial Seal is just Li Ru's second bait. If Luoyang was to make the allied forces fulfill their previous alliance and stop advancing, then the Imperial Seal is to divide and conquer, making the allied forces split and turn against each other! And to expose the Han dynasty's facade!" Chen Xi said without hesitation.

Liu Bei was stunned, then sat stiffly on the couch. After a long time, he turned his head to look at Chen Xi and asked, "Zichuan, is it possible for me to get the Imperial Seal?" Then, as if he had thought of something, he quickly explained, "I mean, can I keep it safe until the day we rescue the emperor?"

"Impossible, at least not now." Chen Xi shook his head and said, "Sun Jian will never hand it over, and Sun Jian may even die because of it. The Imperial Seal is just a bait, a seemingly sweet bait."

"Li Ru sees further than anyone in the main camp because he knows that the Imperial Seal is just a seal. If one day he can sweep through the Guandong warlords like Qin Shi Huang, the Imperial Seal will be just a jade seal in his hand, and it will eventually return. If he is defeated, the seal will be taken by others. It's better to discard it now and extract every bit of its value. If the seal is destroyed, when he unifies the country, someone will present him with a new jade seal, and the Imperial Seal will be remade!" Chen Xi explained helplessly, not understanding why a piece of stone was worth so much contention.

Is the Imperial Seal really that important? Chen Xi didn't think so. At most, he thought it was a pity that the legendary jade from the place where the phoenix landed was carved into a seal. A fine jade should be properly preserved, not wasted as a seal.

Speaking of Qin Shi Huang, did he really need such a seal? What a joke. Conquering the six states and unifying the world, Qin Shi Huang needed a seal to prove his achievements and identity? What a joke. He could have used a brick, and everyone would have recognized it.

If obtaining the Imperial Seal meant obtaining the empire, why would Dong Zhuo need to go through so much trouble? Similarly, why would the Second Emperor of Qin, who possessed the seal, be overthrown by Zhao Gao? The Imperial Seal does not represent the empire; it is at most a symbol. When your status no longer needs any prefix, whether you have that thing or not is not important. If it is lost, it can be remade. Why strive so hard for an illusion? Chen Xi was very puzzled.

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