The Three Kingdoms: The entire Cao Cao camp thought I was weak and frail.

Xun Hao looked at him and suddenly found it somewhat amusing. Fengxiao seemed to have always disliked Lü Bu, so when his lord captured Lü Bu and was about to kill him, would he even plead for his life?

He stopped struggling and let Guo Jia hold his shoulders, simply raising his eyes to look at him quietly.

"They're different." Xun Hao went along with him. "Your thinking of him is a business matter. My thinking of him is a personal matter."

Guo Jia: "You and he have private matters to discuss!"

"Well, you, Xun Yanruo," Guo Jia pinched Xun Hao's cheek, "I want to hear what 'private matters' you're thinking about him?"

Xun Hao dodged his hand and whispered in his ear, "I'm thinking about what method Wang Situ will use to get him to kill Dong Zhuo."

Guo Jia's heart skipped a beat.

Xun Hao's warm breath brushed against Guo Jia's ear, bringing a slight tickle. He was almost pressed against Guo Jia's ear, his posture excessively intimate, yet the words he uttered were matters of great importance to the military and the nation.

Guo Jia couldn't tell for a moment whether Xun Yan was completely unaware or doing it on purpose.

Back in the courtyard, Xi Zhicai was sitting at the stone table. Seeing the two return one after the other, he raised his eyelids and said weakly, "Finished arguing?"

Guo Jia sat down opposite him. "We didn't argue; we exchanged military intelligence."

After Xun Hao said, "You don't care about your life, but I do," how could the two still exchange military intelligence? Guo Fengxiao, could you be any more spineless?

Xi Zhicai glanced at him speechlessly, patted him on the shoulder, and left the courtyard.

A few days later, news from the front lines began to reach Puyang.

Xiahou Dun lived up to expectations and fought a brilliant ambush at "One Line Sky".

He followed Xun Yu's plan, using only rolling stones and logs to block the valley entrance, creating immense chaos, but leaving a gap at the valley's end. The reinforcements, a motley crew, were terrified by the sight and their morale collapsed. They dared not linger and, stepping over the corpses of their comrades, scrambled and fled from the valley's end.

Xiahou Dun led his cavalry in a ten-mile pursuit, achieving considerable success, before withdrawing his troops and returning to camp.

Although the reinforcements were not completely annihilated, they were thoroughly scattered and could no longer pose a threat in the short term.

Meanwhile, the battle at Shouzhang has entered its most critical phase.

Cheng Yu's plans were intricately linked, and the three armies of Cao Ren, Li Dian, and Yue Jin had already completed their deployment outside Shou Zhang City, awaiting only the signal for the final all-out attack.

As night deepened, the council hall of the Puyang Prefectural Governor's Office remained brightly lit.

"General Zilian has sent word that his several hundred elite troops, led by the guide, have arrived at the city of Shouzhang by small boat via the waterway of Daye Marsh. The former officials in the city contacted by Mr. Gongtai have also successfully met them, and the west gate can be opened at any time." Xun You reported the latest intelligence to everyone.

Cao Ren personally led several hundred elite soldiers familiar with the water, guided by local guides, in small boats covered with black cloth. Like ghosts, they silently arrived at the West Water Gate of Shouzhang City along the intricate secret waterways in the reed marshes.

Thanks to the prior contacts Chen Gong had made with former officials in the city, this surprise force successfully opened the secluded water gate and took control of a corner of the city wall.

At midnight, all was quiet.

A small lantern swayed gently from the top of Shouzhang City and floated into the dark night sky.

The lantern had a peculiar design; a small flame burned at the bottom, allowing it to rise into the air on its own without human intervention. It ascended higher and higher, becoming exceptionally conspicuous in the silent night.

This is the "Blessing Lamp," the name Xun Hao chose after he overruled all objections and rejected Guo Jia's suggestion to name it "Yanruo Lamp."

They've already plagiarized Zhuge Liang's idea; they can't plagiarize his name too.

At this moment, these prayer lanterns are both a signal of the operation's success and a clarion call for the final assault.

"Let's do it!"

Outside the city, Li Dian and Yue Jin, who had been lying in ambush for a long time, and Cao Ren's main force, which had gathered the state troops, launched a fierce attack at the same time after seeing the prayer lantern that read "May our army win a great victory and may our people be blessed."

With the help of both inside and outside forces, Shouzhang City was instantly changed to the Cao family's control.

News of the great victory at Shouzhang quickly spread throughout Yanzhou.

With lightning speed, Cao Cao captured the city in three days, beheaded the rebel leader Guan Hai, and wiped out the main force of the Yellow Turbans entrenched in Dongping County in one fell swoop. This battle not only completely consolidated his rule in Yanzhou, but also demonstrated to everyone the formidable fighting power of his troops.

At the victory banquet, Cao Cao was in high spirits and frequently raised his cup. He wrote extensively about the merits of generals such as Li Dian and Yue Jin, and sent out rewards of gold, silver, and silk in abundance.

Cheng Yu, the key figure who offered the best advice, was treated with great respect and was publicly entrusted with important responsibilities.

After several rounds of drinks, Cao Cao's gaze fell on Chen Gong.

Since entering the banquet, Chen Gong had rarely spoken, only drinking silently. Looking at the room full of laughter and merriment, and at Cao Cao and his generals who were as close as brothers, a complex feeling welled up in his heart.

He had to admit that Cao Cao was a born ruler.

He was good at recognizing and employing people, and he was not bound by convention. Under his command were top strategists from the prestigious Xun family, as well as unconventional geniuses like Guo Jia and Xi Zhicai, and brave and skilled clan generals like Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren.

With both civil and military officials in place, and with everyone united in purpose, this was a force he had never seen before.

Entrusting Yanzhou to such a person seems to be the right choice.

But for some reason, he felt that something was off. The atmosphere in Cao Cao's camp was too... casual.

Between the ruler and his subjects, there was a lack of the etiquette and boundaries he was accustomed to.

This made Chen Gong, who came from the traditional scholar class, feel a sense of unease.

"Gongtai!" Cao Cao's booming voice pulled Chen Gong back from his thoughts. "Our victory in this battle is also largely due to your efforts in contacting former officials in the city! I toast you!"

Chen Gong quickly stood up, raised his cup in return, and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. This is all thanks to Your Majesty's decisive command and the soldiers' bravery. I dare not take credit for it."

Cao Cao drank the cup to the brim, laughed heartily, and said no more. He knew that it would take time to truly win over someone like Chen Gong.

After the banquet ended, the real problem was laid out before Cao Cao.

The council chamber was brightly lit. Those who remained were Cao Cao's true core group.

"My lord," Xun You said, unfolding a bamboo scroll, his voice steady, "in the Battle of Shouzhang, our army captured over 13,000 Yellow Turban soldiers. What should be done with them?"

Thirteen thousand people.

This number sent a chill down the spines of everyone present. It was almost more than all the capable soldiers under Cao Cao's command combined.

"Is that even a question?" Xiahou Dun grumbled, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. "The Yellow Turban rebels have wreaked havoc on the countryside; their crimes are heinous! Besides, our army is already short of food supplies; how can we possibly feed so many mouths? Find a place and massacre them all! As a warning to others!"

"Absolutely not!" Xun Yu immediately objected, his brow furrowed. "Our lord has just pacified Yan Province; benevolence and righteousness should be his priority. If we were to carry out a massacre, how would we be different from the tyrannical Qin Dynasty and Dong Zhuo? We would surely lose the hearts of the people! At that time, which of the powerful families of Yan Province would dare to sincerely submit to us?"