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

Guo Jia turned around and looked at Xun Hao, a hint of amusement in his peach blossom eyes: "You see things quite clearly."

Xun Hao did not answer.

He knew this was just the beginning. Yuan Shao's escape would officially kick off the campaign by the warlords of Guandong against Dong Zhuo.

And they should leave now.

as predicted.

After Yuan Shao surrendered and fled, Dong Zhuo was filled with pride.

In his view, even the Yuan family, the most powerful clan in Guandong, had submitted to him, so the scholars of the world were no longer a threat.

A grand victory celebration banquet was held at the Prime Minister's residence. Dong Zhuo invited all the high-ranking officials and nobles, indulging in wine, meat, and revelry every night.

The martial law in the entire city of Luoyang was subsequently relaxed.

The eyes that had been watching Wang Yun's residence, whether openly or secretly, vanished without a trace overnight.

Xun Hao and Guo Jia took the opportunity to bid farewell to Wang Yun.

Wang Yun now regarded the two as his advisors, so he naturally dared not insist on keeping them any longer and politely saw them off at the gate of the mansion.

When they returned to the Xun brothers' residence in Luoyang, they found that the Xiliang soldiers who had been guarding the alley entrance had also disappeared.

Guo Jia looked around and then at Xun Hao. Their eyes met, and they understood each other perfectly.

Back inside, after confirming their safety, Guo Jia could no longer contain himself. "The time has come. Let's go and bring Wenruo and Gongda out of Luoyang."

When Xun Hao and Guo Jia entered the Xun family's residence in Luoyang without incident, Xun Yu and Xun You, who had been sitting idly in the hall, stood up almost simultaneously.

"Ah-Hao!"

Xun Yu stepped forward and grabbed Xun Hao's arm tightly, looking him up and down. Only after confirming that he was safe and sound did his lingering fear turn into reproach.

"Nonsense! How can you personally engage in such dangerous tasks!"

The joy of the reunion did not last long.

Before Xun Yu could continue his lecture, Xun Hao directly stated his purpose.

"Brother, Gongda, the martial law in Luoyang has been lifted. Let's leave this place together."

Guo Jia nodded in agreement.

Xun Yu's expression turned serious. He released his grip, took a step back, and resolutely refused: "Absolutely not. Although Dong Zhuo is cruel, the Emperor is still in the palace. We are Han officials; how can we abandon our sovereign in this time of crisis? This would be disloyalty, and absolutely unacceptable."

His words were earnest and his attitude resolute; this was his last line of defense as a scholar.

Upon hearing this, Guo Jia let out a soft chuckle.

Before Xun Hao could speak, Xun You interrupted the impending debate. His gaze wasn't on Xun Yu, but fixed directly on Xun Hao, his eyes sharp.

"Uncle, may I ask you something?"

"From spreading rumors to framing him after the assassination attempt failed, why have you repeatedly targeted Yuan Shao at such a cost?"

Xun Hao met Xun You's probing gaze with a calm and composed expression: "Yuan Shao brought Dong Zhuo into the capital, causing chaos in the capital region and widespread suffering. How is such behavior any different from that of a traitor? It is only right to target him."

This reason was impeccable, yet it failed to completely convince Xun You.

But deep within Xun Hao's heart, a voice that only he knew was echoing.

"Because I know that Yuan Shao is ambitious but incompetent, and stubborn. Furthermore, I know that after his defeat, his sons Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi, in order to survive, would actually grovel and invite the Wuhuan tribes of the three commanderies into Guanzhong, wreaking havoc in Youzhou and Jizhou, causing hundreds of thousands of Han people to perish under the swords of foreign invaders!"

"I, Xun Hao, can tolerate power struggles and the rise of ruthless heroes, but I absolutely cannot tolerate those shameless scoundrels who crane their necks to await foreign invaders, exchanging the blood and flesh of their own people for their own pathetic survival!"

This is the bottom line that he will never tolerate.

Just as Xun Yu was about to reiterate his "loyalty to the emperor," Guo Jia leaned against the door frame and lazily spoke.

"Wenruo, I ask you, are you staying here to emulate Ding Guan in court that day, splattering your blood on the court to make that traitor Dong Zhuo smile?"

Guo Jia's tone was light, but his words were as sharp as steel needles.

"Or do you want him to force you to whitewash his tyrannical actions of moving the capital to Chang'an and burning Luoyang, so that you can be condemned by history alongside him for all eternity?"

Every word is piercing to the heart.

Xun Yu's body trembled slightly, and his face turned somewhat pale. Guo Jia's words accurately struck at his greatest pain point: he "wanted to restore the Han Dynasty" but was "powerless to do so."

Xun Hao took over the conversation, his voice calm yet powerful: "Brother, as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood. True loyalty is not about making a futile attempt to stop a chariot when you know it's impossible, only to needlessly throw your life away. Rather, it's about preserving your life, accumulating strength, and waiting for the right opportunity to implement a 'roundabout' strategy."

He looked at Xun Yu and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Only by preserving ourselves and the foundation of the Xun family can we have a chance to restore order in the future. This is the greatest responsibility we can have to the Han Dynasty and the people of the world."

His words, like the resounding toll of a bell, echoed powerfully in Xun Yu's mind.

He looked at his younger brother, whose wisdom far exceeded his age, and then at Guo Jia, whose eyes were clear and discerning. The "loyalty and righteousness" he had upheld for half his life seemed so pale and out of place in their mouths and in this chaotic world.

Yes, even the emperor is a puppet, so to whom should the ministers be loyal?

After a long while, Xun Yu let out a long sigh, a sigh that seemed to drain all the strength from his body.

He bowed deeply to Xun Hao.

"I cannot match Ah Hao's foresight."

He stood up, his eyes no longer filled with confusion.

"Everything will proceed according to your plan."

Xun You, standing to the side, nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with approval and relief.

Thus, the three most outstanding members of the Xun family achieved an unprecedented unity of thought.

Once a consensus is reached, action is of utmost urgency.

The four immediately gathered around the table, spread out a simple map of Luoyang's defenses, and began discussing their specific plans to leave the city.

"Tomorrow morning, we will leave the city as a merchant caravan." Xun Hao's finger traced across the map. "However, my brother and Gongda are too conspicuous. Once they are recognized, it will surely cause trouble."

Guo Jia interjected, "I've already had the craftsmen in my household modify a carriage overnight. The carriage has a hidden compartment at the bottom, big enough for two people to lie down. As long as the inspection isn't too strict, it should be enough to fool them."

While they were discussing their escape plan, Cao Cao was also on the run.

The dust on the official road was so dry it was choking.

Cao Cao lay on his horse, his lips already cracked and chapped. He couldn't remember how many days he had been on the run; he only knew that the farther away from Luoyang he was, the better.

Dong Zhuo's wanted posters had probably already spread throughout the counties and prefectures along his route. In his bloodshot eyes, every village he passed through, every unfamiliar face, could be a hunter reporting him for the bounty.

The horse beneath him had reached its limit, foaming at the mouth and staggering.

As night fell and they could find no place to rest, he and his horse would become the wild animals' dinner.

Just when he was about to give up, a few lights faintly appeared at the end of the woods ahead.

A village.