Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 114 Fengxiao? Fengxiao! What to do?
Inside the tent, the candlelight was dim. Xun You and Cao Cao stared at each other for a long time without saying a word.

After a long while, Cao Cao smiled and looked at the person in front of him meaningfully.

"So, Gongda, you also mean that Fengxiao is usable?"
But Wenruo wrote you a separate letter; what did he say to you?

"It has nothing to do with Wenruo; it is the result of You Guan's analysis of Yuan Shu's behavior."

The more he touts Guo Fengxiao as his strategist, the more it proves that he is afraid of Guo Fengxiao and afraid that he will come to serve his lord.

Whatever the enemy fears most, that's exactly what you should do, my lord.

"is it?"

Cao Cao's eyes were unfathomable, and the smile at the corner of his mouth was enigmatic.

“Gongda, do you not know the story of Zhao Kuo at Changping? Sometimes, what the enemy fears most is actually what they want you to do.”

"Lord!"

Xun You, seeing this, knew things were not going well and hurriedly tried to persuade him.

“Guo Fengxiao is a man of outstanding talent in this era. If he were truly Yuan Shu’s strategist, why would Yuan Shu not keep him by his side and instead allow him to come to Cao Cao’s camp?”

Unexpectedly, Xun You's seemingly impeccable argument was shattered by Cao Cao's casual remark, leaving him speechless.

Cao Cao glanced at him, smiled coldly, and asked him a question in return.

"Liu Ziyang is a famous scholar from the Jianghuai region. Didn't you also let him join Yuan's camp for the sake of your scheme?"
Or, as Gongda said, do you believe that Liu Ziyang has already switched sides and joined Yuan?

His letter, in which he claimed that Fengxiao was Yuan Shu's military advisor and listed numerous pieces of evidence and testimony, was all fabricated and deceptive.

Or, if Guo Jia hadn't defected to Yuan, then Gongda, do you think it was Wenruo from Luoyang who defected to Yuan?

Or did the deceased Zhicai defect to Yuan?

Or perhaps even I, his lord, am an inside man for Yuan Gonglu?
Otherwise, my request for Fengxiao to succeed Zhicai as the chief strategist is known only to Heaven and Earth. Apart from us few people involved, how did Yuan Gonglu know about it?

If he had no way of knowing, how could he have made Jiang Gan steal the book and caused such a stir throughout the world, doing so many things?
Come, tell me why.

silence.

A wordless silence.

After a long silence, Xun You let out a long sigh.

"What my lord is worried about is precisely the logical paradox that You mentioned earlier."

Yuan Gonglu's actions only made sense if Guo Fengxiao did not defect to Yuan, as his purpose was to prevent his lord from recruiting Fengxiao.

However, if Guo Fengxiao had not defected to Yuan, then Yuan would have had no way of knowing about this matter and would not have done all of this.

These two things contradict each other, and You often pondered this matter, tossing and turning, unable to sleep all night, but ultimately unable to find a solution.

"In fact, there is a solution."

You just don't dare to think about it, and you don't dare to say it.

Cao Cao's face was terribly gloomy at this moment. He stared intently at Xun You in front of him, his eyes filled with a darkness that seemed to devour people's hearts, making Xun You shudder.

"It is necessary for Guo Fengxiao not to defect to Yuan, and for Yuan Gonglu to know in advance that I intend to invite him to replace Zhicai."

The person who could satisfy both of these conditions is either: firstly, Zhi Cai would die with his eyes wide open in disgrace because of this matter, which is absolutely impossible; secondly, I am your lord, and if I wanted to surrender to Yuan, there would be no need for such trouble, which is even more impossible.

Therefore, Gongda, based on your analysis, only one person remains.

The flickering candlelight illuminated his face, his deep eyes unfathomable, and his chilling words sent a shiver down one's spine.

"Then, Gongda, can you tell me?"
Wenruo, why have you changed your mind?

Upon hearing this, Xun You was terrified. He had always trusted Xun Yu and had never doubted him, or rather, he had never even considered this possibility.

Therefore, he, who was determined to prevent Yuan Shu's conspiracy from succeeding, never imagined that his analysis of wanting to protect Guo Fengxiao and have his lord recruit him to make him even more powerful would ultimately point to such a chilling truth.

"My lord! This is absolutely impossible!"
Wenruo came to you when you were down on your luck, and we have supported each other for many years without any ulterior motives. Even I was invited here by his letter.

Right now, he is in Luoyang managing the rear for you, working tirelessly to maintain the army's logistics and stabilize domestic affairs and morale.

Given the long-standing friendship between him and your lord, how could he possibly change his mind? How could he possibly change his mind?

Cao Cao was well aware of these principles, but the more he listened, the more annoyed he became. The more urgently Xun You spoke, the more noisy it became in his ears, making him irritable and giving him a splitting headache.

Holding his increasingly painful forehead with one hand, Cao Cao's frustrated eyes grew even more ferocious.

“Yuan Rang and I grew up together and were as close as brothers, but look at us now?”
Yuan Shu's memorial appointing him as General Who Guards the North is still pending at the Ministry of Personnel in Luoyang, and he himself is stationed in Yingchuan, guarding against me for Yuan Shulu!

If it weren't for Xiahou Yuanrang, how could Yuan Shu have defended such a vast territory as Yingchuan?
Taishi Ci, who once commanded several hundred soldiers under Liu Yao?
Or were they just nameless nobody like Ling Cao or Chen Dao, whose names I'd never even heard of before?

Seeing Xun You hesitate to speak, Cao Cao became even more annoyed and continued speaking before Xun You could even open his mouth.

"I know that Gongda's claim about Yuan Rang might also be a scheme orchestrated by Yuan Shu to deceive people."

The problem is that Yuan Rang and Liu Ye are now in a binary, either-or relationship, just like Feng Xiao and Wen Ruo.

If it wasn't Yuan Rang's betrayal that revealed his intentions, then it could only be that Liu Ye actively defected to Yuan and had been cooperating with Yuan Gonglu in setting up the scheme. Otherwise, how could he have been exposed?
Yuan Rang, Liu Ye, Feng Xiao, Wen Ruo, these things are not just for you; I also often have splitting headaches over them and can't figure them out no matter how hard I try.

It can't be that Yuan Shu didn't actually have a so-called strategist, but instead dreamed of wise men every night who could foresee the future, right?

At this point, Cao Cao rubbed his forehead in anguish, finally letting out a sigh, his fierceness turning into a barely concealed sense of desolation.

"Gongda, tell me, if even Yuanrang and Wenruo can change their minds, then who in this world is worthy of trust?"

"My lord, I believe there must be something fishy about this."

Xun You wanted to offer words of comfort, but he couldn't find the words. What else could he say besides the empty phrase, "There must be something fishy about this"?

He couldn't explain what was wrong or what kind of problem it was.

He had a vague feeling that the matter was not as complicated as they thought.

It's more like... it's like Yuan Gonglu performed a magic trick in front of them, deceiving everyone in the world.

As long as one cannot see through the essence of this magic trick, one will be completely baffled, feeling as if he could predict the future and marveling at his extraordinary abilities.

For a long while, the emperor and his minister looked at each other in silence, while Xun You massaged Cao Cao's aching temples.

Before long, Cao Cao's headache subsided, and he smiled as usual, saying to Xun You:

"What I said just now was just a joke."

Xun You: "."

Cao Cao composed himself and spoke again.

"Cao Cao was able to clearly distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous."

Since Wenruo has no ill intentions towards me, we must accept reality.

According to your logic, Gongda, it's either one or the other, so the only option is for Fengxiao to surrender to Yuan.

As for why Yuan Shu would do all this now, given that Fengxiao had already surrendered to Yuan,

Whether he was afraid that I would invite Fengxiao into Cao Cao's camp, or whether he wanted me to recruit Fengxiao as my strategist, following the example of Zhao Kuo at Changping, it must have been Yuan Shu's plan.

Breaking this deadlock is easy.

Since Fengxiao cannot be used by me, I might as well get rid of him!

(End of this chapter)