"My lord's mind is as clear as a mirror, why must you test me?" Xun Yu spoke truthfully.
At this moment, Cao Cao had regained his spirits, his eyes fixed intently on Xun Yu.
Xun Yu's voice resonated again. "My lord, from raising the army at Chenliu to the present, it has been two years. During this time, you recruited Yellow Turban remnants, formed the Qingzhou soldiers, and your momentum has been like breaking bamboo, shaking all directions! However, there is now a hidden trouble..."
"That is, although you have over two hundred thousand troops and ample provisions, you can only remain entrenched in a corner of Yanzhou. If my lord wishes to achieve the great undertaking of the world, you must first conquer the Central Plains. The foremost territory in the Central Plains should be the six commanderies of Xuzhou, therefore... my lord has long had Xuzhou in your heart!"
Having said this, Xun Yu paused, slowly opening Cao Cao's eyes before continuing. "Otherwise, how could the killing intent in your lordship's cry just now be so solemn?"
Indeed, Xun Yu understood Cao Cao's thoughts best.
"Wen Ruo, you have spoken the truth. I wanted them to spread my grief, to let all the feudal lords hear it. Tao Qian killed my father, and I, Cao Cao, am heartbroken to the point of not wanting to live!"
"As my lord predicted, this news has already traveled over a hundred miles with the wind!" Xun Yu continued. "But... Xuzhou is not easy to take!"
"Continue speaking!" Cao Cao gestured for Xun Yu to proceed.
Among the strategists in Cao Cao's camp, "Yu'er" was the most cunning, but Xun Yu was the most insightful. Cao Cao most enjoyed listening to Yu'er and Xun Yu converse.
"In my opinion..." Xun Yu continued, "Taking Xuzhou is difficult in two aspects... The first difficulty is that Tao Qian, the Governor of Xuzhou, was appointed by the late emperor. This man governs with benevolence as his foundation and leads the people with kindness, earning an excellent reputation for his official conduct! Therefore, taking it is not easy!"
"The second difficulty is Yuan Shao of Jizhou, Yuan Shu of Nanyang, Gongsun Zan of Youzhou, and even Liu Biao of Jingzhou all covet Xuzhou. They hesitate to act and only probe, fearing to offend public opinion and make enemies of the various feudal lords! Therefore, can they allow my lord to take Xuzhou?"
Xun Yu's analysis was logical and well-reasoned, and Cao Cao nodded frequently in agreement.
As for the question Xun Yu posed at the end, Cao Cao directly retorted, "Then, Wen Ruo, tell me, should I take Xuzhou or not?"
Xun Yu pondered for a moment and immediately replied:
"Tao Qian ordered his subordinates to kill my lord's father. If this revenge is not taken, heaven and earth will not tolerate it... Furthermore, Tao Qian's kindness borders on foolishness, and his benevolence is akin to dim-wittedness. A person like this, can he hold Xuzhou? If my lord does not take it, someone else will eventually take it?"
"Moreover, Xuzhou is a vital town in the Central Plains, controlling the Yellow River and overlooking Mount Tai. If gained, one can traverse north and south. Heaven is sending Xuzhou to my lord, like sending a great banner to the wind, or a precious sword to its sheath. If my lord does not take it, what are you waiting for?"
True insight, this is true insight...
Cao Cao blinked several times.
He looked at Xun Yu with great interest, his mood at this moment indescribable.
Hehe, just as Yu'er had calculated, this talented scholar from Yingchuan is the second piece of the puzzle for me, Cao Cao, to achieve kingship and hegemony!
"Wen Ruo, oh Wen Ruo... hahaha..." Cao Cao patted Xun Yu's shoulder. "Listening to you speak is like drinking fine wine, intoxicating, simply a pleasure! Hahaha..."
"My lord, I still have one worry!" Xun Yu frowned slightly. "Tao Qian is no match for my lord, but my lord carries the hatred of his father's murder and the enmity of his family. It is inevitable that he will slaughter extensively in Xuzhou, even to the point of massacring the city! If so... then..."
"Hmph!" Upon mentioning this, Cao Cao flicked his long sleeve. "Tao Qian killed my father, and I have a deep hatred for him. If this enmity is not settled by massacring the city, I cannot quell the hatred in my heart!"
Cao Cao was a person of extremely clear likes and dislikes. He could use his father's death to seize Xuzhou, but... the deep hatred for his father, he would absolutely not put it aside. In his eyes, the people of Xuzhou should be buried with his father, at least thirty percent should be buried to appease the hatred in his heart.
This...
Xun Yu's expression suddenly turned grim. The father-son relationship between Cao Song and Cao Cao... even without witnessing it firsthand, through hearsay, Xun Yu knew some of it.
Although Cao Cao used to anger his father greatly every day when he was young, as he grew older, the father-son relationship between Cao Song and Cao Cao grew even deeper. The saying that filial piety comes from strict discipline and a stubborn son does not ruin the family, likely meant something like this.
Furthermore, Xun Yu understood Cao Cao's nature. Cao Cao's disposition was such that he was clear about grievances. If you kill my father, I will make your entire prefecture and tens of thousands of lives pay the price, as a warning to his spirit in heaven!
But...
"This is not good..." Xun Yu muttered to himself.
If a massacre were to occur, such a chilling event... it would be extremely detrimental to the overall situation, and Yanzhou would also face great hidden dangers.
Yet, Xun Yu knew that such a thing could not be persuaded against!
This was also the most difficult part for a military advisor of a camp. Hatred often overrides wisdom.
Alas... Xun Yu sighed deeply in his heart, his entire mood cast under a thick layer of haze.
Just as Cao Cao was filled with righteous indignation and Xun Yu was frowning in helplessness.
"Big brother... Big brother..."
A familiar voice entered the yamen.
Cao Cao suddenly turned around, not for any other reason than that this voice belonged to his cousin, Cao Ren...
Zixiao, Zixiao is still alive, this is a blessing in disguise?
...
Before Cao Cao could regain his composure...
Cao Ren had already burst into the great hall of the yamen. Looking at his disheveled hair and muddied attire...
"Zixiao..." Cao Cao grabbed his shoulder... "Zixiao, well done, you must have cut a bloody path through the bandits..."
He was afraid that Cao Ren would resent him, so he spoke thus from the beginning.
Anyone would be the same in such a situation. Even with Yu'er's prior prediction, if his father and brother did not listen, no one else could be blamed!
"Big brother..."
Cao Ren let out a long sigh, then raised his eyes and said earnestly, "Old Master is not dead, and Young Master De is also fine... It was... it was the commandant of Lu Yu's Dragon Cavalry, Dian Wei, who saved us..."
"Lu Yu... Young Master Lu Yu had already calculated that there would be several waves of bandit ambushes along the way, so... so he specifically dispatched Dian Wei to escort us!"
"If it weren't for Dian Wei single-handedly repelling the powerful enemies, my father, my younger brother, and I... even with nine lives, we would not have escaped death! It's just a pity... a pity that over a hundred carts of gold and silver fell into the hands of those bandits!"
As these words were spoken, Cao Cao was stunned. His eyes widened suddenly, as if he could not accept this news for a moment!
Not... not dead?
Father and brother are not dead? This... this is the greatest of good news!
Over a hundred carts of gold and silver, what does that matter? Digging a few more royal tombs would bring it out... Father and brother only have one life!
Haha... hahahaha...
Instantly, Cao Cao burst into laughter, his voice shaking the tiles, and the entire eaves trembled slightly from this laughter!
Yu'er, it's Yu'er again... This time, he not only predicted the enemy's moves but also deployed them skillfully...
Wait...
In his great joy, Cao Cao noticed two points, two extremely important points.
Cao Ren just mentioned that there were several waves of bandit ambushes along the way? So... besides the bandit Zhang Kai? Were there others, or rather, other forces that intended to harm his father?
In addition, if several forces were involved simultaneously? And Dian Wei could still repel the enemy single-handedly, then... how terrifying would Dian Wei's martial prowess be?
Before this, Cao Cao had only been astounded by Dian Wei's immense strength, his ability to lift the banner of the Ya Men. Now, thinking about it again, he was not just immensely strong; his martial arts were simply "worth of ten thousand men"!
Hehe, although Cao Cao had never underestimated Yu'er's discernment, the reality proved that he had still underestimated Yu'er's keen eyes!
Dian Wei had performed a great service, and Yu'er had performed a great service!
As Cao Cao was still marveling...
Xun Yu's eyes narrowed, and he eagerly asked a question.
"General Zixiao has returned safely, but where are Old Master Cao and Young Master Cao De currently residing?"
This question was crucial. After all, since Dian Wei was arranged by Lu Yu... Xun Yu needed to know if Yin Lin's thoughts were the same as his!
...
...