Heaven truly sent him, Cao Cao, a great gift.
No…
To be precise, this great gift was sown by Cao Cao himself, a testament to the good seed of the Cao family!
Since it was the Cao family's seed, and no one else could snatch it away, there was no need to panic.
"Young Master Lu, I, Cao Cao, will seek your guidance on the fourth and fifth puzzle pieces later…"
"The matter of uniting with the Yingchuan gentry is pressing. I shall take my leave now!"
Cao Cao rose abruptly.
He understood, he had realized, and what needed to be done next was to have a heart-to-heart talk with the Yingchuan talents Xun Yu and Xun You, and to entrust them with important responsibilities!
Since it was a cooperation, he, Cao Cao, had to show full, no… twenty percent, thirty percent sincerity!
This was, according to Yu'er, the third puzzle piece for achieving supremacy, and in his eyes, the most important one at the moment.
"Tap, tap, tap…"
Urgent footsteps sounded.
Cao Cao had come in a hurry and left in a hurry…
"Brother, dinner is already prepared… why…" Cai Zhaoji's words were cut short…
Cao Cao didn't stop, waved his hand, and said loudly, "No more eating, no more eating… You and Young Master Lu Yu enjoy your meal. I will visit again in a few days!"
Ah… ah…
Cai Zhaoji was slightly taken aback. She felt that her brother Cao Cao was quite strange today, coming and going in such a hurry!
…
Through the window, watching Cao Cao's departing back, Lu Yu smacked his lips.
He subconsciously murmured—
—"Cao – descendant of eunuchs – lover of married women – Merlin’s prophet – barber in the wheat fields – Mengde… I fear from today onwards, two new labels will be added!"
—"Leader of the Qiao Pei nobility, strategic partner of Yingchuan, and by the way, the 'Song of the Son of Heaven' for the fourth puzzle piece of the future!"
With this thought, Lu Yu smiled slightly, "Duke Wu's hegemony, setting sail!"
…
Chenliu Commandery, the Post Station.
Through the window, two refined men could be seen sitting opposite each other. They occasionally cast their eyes outside, as if waiting for something.
Now, the moon was already high in the sky. Perhaps neither of them knew if the person they were waiting for would arrive.
These two were the Yingchuan talents Xun Yu and Xun You, the uncle and nephew.
"Uncle, Duke Cao probably won't come today," Xun You said, looking at the sky and the time, shaking his head slightly.
This afternoon, after Xun Yu presented his "guerrilla warfare" strategy, Cao Cao had eagerly gone to find Lu Yu. Calculating the time, their lengthy discussion should be over by now.
Therefore, Xun Yu was certain that Cao Cao would visit the post station tonight.
Xun You, however, felt otherwise. After all, the uncle and nephew had not achieved any significant merits, and their reputation… was not as renowned as "Hidden Dragon," which would warrant Cao Cao's late-night visit and candlelit talk. This request seemed a bit too high.
"After all, it was 'Hidden Dragon' who spoke with Duke Cao. He possessed strategic brilliance in his heart, so it's quite normal for Duke Cao to have chatted with him for a while."
Xun Yu stroked his beard, took a sip of tea to refresh himself. "However, whether it's Duke Cao or 'Hidden Dragon,' if they cannot discern the intentions of our uncle and nephew, then our Yingchuan scholars have chosen the wrong person!"
Xun Yu did not explain directly, but Xun You understood the meaning of his words perfectly.
What was the purpose of their uncle and nephew coming here? On a small scale, it was to join Cao Cao; on a larger scale, it was to test Cao Cao for the Yingchuan talents, to see if Cao Cao was eager for talent, and if he could understand their thoughts… Both points were crucial.
The Yingchuan talents had keen eyes and would never pledge loyalty to a mediocre lord.
Moreover, Cao Cao was not the first feudal lord that Xun Yu and Xun You had tested. A year ago, they had traveled north intending to join Han Fu, to see if this Governor of Jizhou was worthy of their loyalty?
But… halfway through their journey, they learned that with the "gift of gab" from their elder brother Xun Kan, Jizhou had already fallen under Yuan Shao's control.
And all the civil and military officials, including Han Fu, had defected to Yuan Shao… Their elder brother Xun Kan had specifically sent a letter inviting Xun Yu and Xun You to join them.
Xun Yu and Xun You had indeed gone, but in reality, this pair of "adding flowers to brocade" uncle and nephew were not only not valued in Yuan Shao's camp, but also, the strategist groups under Yuan Shao were factionalized and intricate, and Yuan Shao himself was outwardly fierce but inwardly cowardly and indecisive…
Simply put, the Yuan Shao faction was too complex, and Xun Yu, Xun You… including the Yingchuan talents, could not grasp it.
It was precisely because of this that they turned their attention to the rising star Cao Cao in Yan Province.
Encountering "Hidden Dragon" and recognizing his identity was an unexpected joy, and it greatly bolstered the confidence of Xun Yu and Xun You.
But…
If Cao Cao was truly as eager for talent as rumored, and could truly discern their uncle and nephew's intentions, then tonight, no matter how late, Cao Cao would come to the post station and entrust them with important responsibilities.
If he didn't come, even with "Hidden Dragon" present, Xun Yu would have reservations about his assessment of Cao Cao.
"Gongda, I haven't misjudged him. Duke Cao will definitely come…" Xun Yu's eyes were firm. "At noon today, when Duke Cao learned that the 'guerrilla warfare' strategy came from Lu Yu, the eagerness in his eyes was enough to prove that his 'call for talent' was genuine and heartfelt!"
"For this reason, no matter how late the conversation with 'Hidden Dragon' lasted, he, Cao Cao, would come to our post station, and would have a candlelit talk with you and me, entrusting us with important responsibilities!"
As soon as he finished speaking… tap, tap, tap, hurried footsteps approached.
It was an official from the post station. He arrived before Xun Yu and Xun You, panting.
"Two esteemed sirs, Duke Cao has arrived… Duke Cao just left the Wei mansion and rushed to the post station. He is already downstairs, two esteemed sirs…"
Before the official could finish speaking…
Tap, tap… More heavy footsteps.
Cao Cao appeared at the door. "Two esteemed sirs, please forgive my late-night intrusion."
He had come, Cao Cao had truly come.
Xun Yu and Xun You exchanged glances. Xun Yu seemed to be saying, see, is Cao Cao's pursuit of talent merely for fame? And is the talent of Hidden Dragon not just a false reputation?
Xun You nodded in understanding, everything was as his uncle had predicted!
Now that Cao Cao had arrived… would it be the usual process of a candlelit talk and entrusting them with important responsibilities?
If his uncle Xun Yu could predict this, how could Cao Cao and Hidden Dragon not?
As expected, Cao Cao's words followed. "Hahaha, esteemed sirs, if you have come to Yan Province and I, Cao Cao, do not have a candlelit talk with you, I fear I won't be able to sleep!"
"Yan Province is currently in ruins and needs to be rebuilt. It is precisely now that we need wise talents like you two to govern the prefectures and assist me, Cao Cao, in this endeavor!"
Upon hearing this, Xun Yu and Xun You also burst into laughter…
Wise men always prefer to cooperate with wise men. Although it was just a trivial detail like a late-night visit, it was enough for Xun Yu and Xun You to see through Cao Cao…
Especially his "eagerness for talent" and "wise decision-making," which differed from Yuan Shao's.
Xun Yu looked at the sky and smiled in response. "It seems Duke Cao and Young Master Lu had a very pleasant conversation…"
"Hahahaha…" Cao Cao laughed heartily. "Tonight, I and you two Mr. Xuns will also have a very pleasant conversation!"
What is called hitting it off immediately…
You have culture, I have martial prowess. You have talents to govern the world, I have territory and troops. Joining hands, we will achieve a win-win cooperation.
This was something Cao Cao had realized during his conversation with Lu Yu, and he hadn't expected to apply it so quickly…
In Cao Cao's view…
As Yu'er said…
To achieve the supremacy of kings and overlords, the first puzzle piece, the Qiao Pei warriors, are already in place…
The second puzzle piece, the common people, and the third puzzle piece, the Yingchuan gentry, are on their way!
…
…