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

After speaking, Xun Hao's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and his body swayed slightly. He had exhausted almost all his strength to finish those words.

Guo Jia stepped forward at the opportune moment, once again half-embracing him, and bowed to Huangfu Song: "General, Ahao is young and weak, and has just recovered from a serious illness. He is talking nonsense. I hope the general will forgive him."

He verbally apologized, but his body adopted a protective stance.

The front hall was deathly silent. Huangfu Song sat in the main seat, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest, producing a dull "tap-tap" sound. He stared at Xun Hao, his gaze deep and unfathomable; no one could guess what he was thinking.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice devoid of emotion: "What you say makes sense. However, with tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers, their hearts are unpredictable. If they turn against us, who will bear the responsibility?"

This was a shared concern among all the generals present.

Before Xun Hao could speak, Guo Jia preemptively interrupted, smiling as he continued, "General's concerns are quite valid. This matter is indeed thorny. However, I do have a preliminary idea."

Huangfu Song looked up at him and said, "Tell me about it."

"General, you can divide and govern these surrendered soldiers according to their place of origin," Guo Jia said eloquently. He had fully grasped Xun Hao's meaning and added to it even more perfectly. "Those from Yangdi can be handed over to local prominent families, such as the Xun family, to be looked after and settled. They have land and grain, as well as their own troops and retainers, which is sufficient to control them. Those from other prefectures can be organized into several engineering battalions under the pretext of 'work in lieu of punishment,' led by trusted captains under your command, to be responsible for repairing the cities, roads, and bridges destroyed in this battle. In this way, the population will be dispersed, making it less likely for them to cause trouble, and everyone can be put to good use, turning waste into treasure."

He paused, his peach-blossom eyes curving slightly into a sly smile: "As for military rations... why doesn't the general use local resources? Which of the prominent families in Yingchuan doesn't have several granaries? The general only needs to issue an order stating that it's a 'borrowing' of grain for land reclamation, and that it will be repaid double after the autumn harvest. I'm sure everyone will be grateful for the general's benevolence and eagerly 'borrow' grain."

These words struck a chord with Huangfu Song. He wanted to gain a reputation for benevolence, but he also worried about unrest among the surrendered soldiers and a shortage of military provisions. Guo Jia's plan perfectly solved all the problems. He distributed the hot potato to the local powerful clans, letting them contribute money and manpower, while he reaped the benefits without lifting a finger, gaining a reputation for benevolence and incidentally pocketing the credit for post-war reconstruction. It was an incredibly profitable deal.

"Hahaha!" Huangfu Song finally burst into laughter, stood up, walked over to the two men, patted Guo Jia on the shoulder, and said, "Good! What a brilliant divide-and-conquer strategy! What a brilliant substitution of labor for punishment! Fengxiao's talent is no less than Xun Wenruo's!"

He then looked at Xun Hao, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "The eight sons of the Xun family are indeed worthy of their reputation. At such a young age, they possess such courage and magnanimity; their future achievements are limitless. However, your temperament is too rigid and easily broken; you still need to learn more from your brother Fengxiao the skill of concealing your sharpness."

Xun Hao bowed his head and agreed. He knew he had indeed acted impulsively today. If Guo Jia hadn't intervened in time, packaging his "idealism" as a practical "profit plan," he probably would have been dragged out by now.

He leaned against Guo Jia, feeling that familiar warmth, and felt a wave of fear mixed with relief.

"This matter will proceed as you have suggested," Huangfu Song declared decisively.

Xun Hao breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt his vision go black, his body went limp, and he completely lost consciousness.

"Ah-Hao!"

This was the panicked cry of Guo Jia that he heard before he fainted.

When Xun Hao awoke again, it was already dusk. The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window, casting long, warm shadows in the room. A faint medicinal fragrance lingered around his nose, mixed with another scent that he was already very familiar with.

He moved his fingers and found that his hand was being enveloped by a warm, large hand. He turned his head and saw Guo Jia sitting on the edge of the bed, holding his hand in one hand and supporting his forehead with the other, seemingly asleep.

The setting sun cast a soft golden glow on his handsome profile, and his long eyelashes cast small shadows under his eyes. Gone was his usual unruliness and playfulness; at this moment, he was as quiet as a painting.

Xun Hao didn't move, just watched quietly. He could feel a gentle, continuous warmth flowing into his body from their clasped hands, repairing his depleted body. This feeling was more effective than any medicine, making him feel languid and unwilling to move.

Perhaps his gaze was too focused, for Guo Jia's eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes. A hint of confusion flashed in his peach blossom eyes at first, but they instantly became clear and bright after he saw Xun Hao.

"Awake?" Guo Jia's voice was still a little hoarse. He released his hand, felt Xun Hao's forehead, and then touched his own. "Hmm, not hot anymore. How are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

"Much better." Xun Hao sat up, and Guo Jia immediately and considerately placed a cushion behind him.

"You, you really scared me to death." Guo Jia poured him a glass of water and handed it to him, annoyed. "You dare to talk like that in front of General Huangfu? With your small frame, could he crush you with a single finger?"

Xun Hao took the water cup, lowered his head and sipped it slowly, listening to Guo Jia's scolding, but his heart felt warm. He knew that Guo Jia was doing it for his own good.

"I just... couldn't bear to watch," Xun Hao said softly.

"You have to watch, even if you can't stand it. There are plenty of things in this world that you can't stand to watch." Guo Jia sighed, sat on the edge of the bed, his expression somewhat complicated. "But, you... sometimes you really impress me. What you said was really good. Even I thought it made sense."

Xun Hao put down his water glass and looked at him: "So, that's why you're willing to help me?"

"When have I ever not helped you?" Guo Jia said matter-of-factly, with a smug smile. "General Huangfu was just taking advantage of Xun Shuanggong's absence to bully you. Even if you hadn't said anything, the Xun family wouldn't have agreed to let them massacre ten thousand people in Yangdi."

As he was speaking, a maid's voice came from outside the door: "Mr. Guo, the young master's medicine is ready."

"Bring it in," Guo Jia replied.

"Take your medicine." Guo Jia picked up the medicine bowl, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and handed it to Xun Hao's lips.

Xun Hao frowned as he looked at the dark, murky liquid. He felt better than ever before and really didn't want to drink this bitter stuff.

"Brother Fengxiao," he suddenly spoke, "could I... not take my medicine?"

"Nonsense!" Guo Jia glared. "The doctor said you've overexerted yourself this time and need to recuperate properly. You must take this medicine."

"But I feel better now," Xun Hao said, waving his arm to prove himself. "Look, I have strength again."

"That won't do either." Guo Jia's attitude was firm, and he pushed the spoon forward a little further. "Be good, listen to me, you'll only get better if you drink this."