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

Cao Cao's heart tightened, and his hand instinctively gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist.

He rode closer and saw the crooked wooden sign at the village entrance, which had two characters engraved on it: Zhongmu.

He remembered that his old friend Lü Boshe lived in this place.

Whether it's a blessing or a curse, we can only gamble.

Cao Cao dismounted, led his horse, and limped toward the brightly lit courtyard.

"Thump, thump, thump."

He knocked on the courtyard gate.

"Who is it?" came an old voice from inside the door.

"Lord Boshe, it is I, Mengde," Cao Cao's voice was hoarse.

The courtyard gate creaked open, and an elderly man with half-white hair and beard poked his head out, carrying a lantern. After seeing who it was, he looked surprised.

"Mengde? What are you doing here?"

Lu Boshe welcomed Cao Cao into the courtyard. Seeing his dusty and disheveled appearance, and noticing the extraordinary sword at his waist, he guessed what had happened.

He didn't ask any more questions, but just sighed heavily and pulled Cao Cao into the house.

"Quickly, sit down and rest."

Hot tea and pastries were quickly served. Lü Boshe's family, a few simple men and women, stood awkwardly to the side, sizing up this uninvited guest.

Cao Cao remained silent and wolfed down his food.

"Mengde, settle down here. The world is in chaos now, and the government is cracking down hard, so don't rush any further." After settling him in, Lü Boshe added, "There's no wine at home, so wait a moment while I go to the west village to buy some to welcome you back."

After saying that, Lü Boshe put on his coat and hurriedly went out the door.

Cao Cao sat in the hall, listening to the sound of the door closing outside, his vigilance remaining unchanged. He placed his sword across his lap, listening intently to all the movements within the courtyard.

Overwhelmed by fatigue from the past few days, he leaned back in his chair and drifted off to sleep.

Just then, a faint "whoosh" sound came from the direction of the backyard.

It's the sound of a knife being sharpened.

Cao Cao's eyes snapped open, all sleepiness vanishing instantly.

He held his breath and listened intently.

"...Tie it up, don't let it run away." A man's low voice came.

"Hurry up, get started, or the guests will..." another woman's voice said urgently.

"...Kill him..."

The rest of the words were carried away by the wind.

But those words were etched into Cao Cao's heart.

Kill him?

A chill rose from the soles of my feet and shot straight to the top of my head.

Lu Boshe's trip to buy wine was a pretense; his real purpose was to report him to the authorities! They wanted to catch him off guard, bind and kill him, and then exchange that thousand-gold reward for it!

Cao Cao's eyes revealed a murderous intent.

He slowly stood up, his hand gripping the sword hilt, the knuckles of which were pale from the force.

Get started first!

He carried his sword and walked silently toward the backyard. He would leave immediately after killing this family!

Just as he was about to step over the threshold, his hand accidentally touched something in his arms.

It's that brocade pouch.

Before leaving, the aloof young man solemnly handed it to him, instructing him, "Only if it is a matter of life and death, may you see it."

Xun Hao's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, flashed through his mind.

As if by some strange twist of fate, Cao Cao stopped in his tracks.

His hand left the sword hilt, trembling slightly, and he took out the small brocade pouch from his pocket.

He untied the strap and poured out a folded note.

By the dim light of the main room, he could make out the words on it.

"If in doubt, observe carefully; do not make a hasty judgment. A single wrong thought can lead to the loss of people's hearts."

These dozen or so words struck Cao Cao like a blunt object, hitting him hard on the head.

His mind, which had been dominated by murderous intent and suspicion, cleared up a little in an instant.

If in doubt, observe carefully... Do not jump to conclusions...

Cao Cao's chest heaved violently. He forcibly suppressed the urge to draw his sword, clutched the note tightly in his hand, and decided to follow the instructions in the brocade pouch and go to "observe" first.

He concealed his presence and silently crept to the window in the backyard.

I peered inside through the hole in the window paper.

Then he witnessed a scene he would never forget.

In the backyard, Lu Boshe's sons were working together to hold down a fat domestic pig that was struggling desperately.

One of them raised his gleaming butcher's knife high, ready to strike.

The phrase "tie it up... and kill it..." actually refers to this pig!

A chill ran down Cao Cao's spine and instantly spread throughout his body. Cold sweat soaked through his inner shirt.

He almost mistakenly killed the entire family of the old friend who had sincerely treated him well, because of his own suspicion.

If he hadn't looked at that brocade pouch, if he had just swung that sword...

Cao Cao dared not think any further.

He clutched the note tightly, the edge of the paper almost digging into his flesh.

At this moment, he truly realized how terrifying Xun Hao was.

That person could not only predict the course of battle, but also the hearts of men! He even foresaw the most fatal weakness in his own character—suspicion!

Cao Cao slowly straightened up and leaned against the cold wall. For the first time, he felt a sense of awe towards a person's wisdom.

After some time, Lu Boshe returned carrying a wine jug and humming a little tune.

He saw Cao Cao standing in the courtyard, beckoning to him, "Mengde, the wine is back, let's go in and have a few drinks."

Cao Cao took the wine pot from Lü Boshe, uncorked it, and took a big gulp.

As the spicy liquor went down his throat, he raised the wine jug and offered a distant toast towards Luoyang.

"Young friend Xun Hao," he murmured to himself, "if I, Cao Mengde, could have your assistance in this life, what great things could I not accomplish!"

Before dawn, a thin layer of mist shrouded Luoyang.

At the back gate of the Xun residence, an unremarkable-looking carriage sat quietly.

Guo Jia conducted a final inspection of the hidden compartment at the bottom of the carriage; the space was so narrow that only two people could curl up in it. Xun Yu and Xun You removed their official robes, changed into plain clothes, and lay down inside with solemn expressions.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you and Gongda," Xun Hao said softly, standing by the carriage.

Xun Yu's muffled voice came from inside the compartment: "Our lives are both in your and Fengxiao's hands, so how can we complain about being wronged?"

Guo Jia closed the partition, laid down a thick layer of felt, and finally weighed it down with several boxes filled with miscellaneous items. After doing all this, he clapped his hands and said to Xun Hao, "Get in the carriage."

The carriage started moving, its wheels crunching over the cobblestones, making a monotonous "creaking" sound.

Inside the carriage, Xun Hao leaned against the wall, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing. Guo Jia, meanwhile, half-lifted the curtain, vigilantly observing the activity on the street. Patrolling Xiliang soldiers passed by in twos and threes, their faces showing the exhaustion and arrogance of a hangover.

The closer you get to the north gate, the more somber the atmosphere becomes.

The queue to leave the city was very long, mostly consisting of ragged civilians and merchants in a hurry. The Xiliang soldiers guarding the gate were all fierce-looking and checked people very carefully, resorting to punches and kicks if anything displeased them.

A military officer who looked like a sergeant, with a face full of scars, was holding a long spear and knocking on each passing truck.

"Tap, tap, tap."