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

Xun Hao, dressed in colorful robes with his long hair flowing freely, stood below the eastern steps.

When the auspicious hour arrived, Zheng Xuan, as the chief guest, loudly proclaimed the commencement of the coming-of-age ceremony.

Guo Jia, dressed in black robes with his long hair tied up with a jade hairpin, had shed all his usual dashing and unrestrained airs. As the officiant, he carried a tray and slowly stepped forward. On the tray was the first crown—a black cloth crown.

He walked up to Xun Hao, and their eyes met for a fleeting moment. Guo Jia's gaze was deep, his movements steady and without the slightest tremor. He picked up the black cloth crown and carefully placed it on Xun Hao's head, smoothing the hair at his temples.

"As you begin your coming-of-age ceremony, may you cast aside your childish ambitions and embrace virtuous conduct. May you live a long and blessed life, and enjoy boundless fortune." Zheng Xuan's solemn blessing echoed within the ancestral hall.

Xun Hao rose and bowed to all the guests.

After a short rest, perform the "add more" ceremony.

Guo Jia changed into a leather cap and once again put the cap on Xun Hao. The leather cap symbolized military service and the responsibility of protecting the country.

Below the hall, Xun Yu, as the official in charge of ceremonial matters, stood with his eyes lowered, his face revealing no emotion. However, when Guo Jia's fingers paused, the knuckles of his hand holding the ceremonial tray turned slightly white.

"Add a leather cap, following the old rules. Cultivate your dignified bearing, so as to bring peace to the nation."

Finally, there is the "Three Additions" ceremony, the cap of nobility. This cap is the most solemn, symbolizing that men can now participate in clan ancestral rites.

Guo Jia, holding the ceremonial cap, placed it on Xun Hao's head for the final time. He personally adjusted Xun Hao's crown and ribbons, stepped back, and gave him a deep look. At this moment, the boy shed his immaturity and officially became an adult. The layers of crown added a touch of refined elegance to his aloof and ethereal face.

After the ceremony, Zheng Xuan gave Xun Hao a courtesy name.

"The Book of Poetry says, 'The heavens are expanding, yet they do not linger.' 'Expansion' means vastness and abundance. 'Ruo' means to follow and obey. I hereby give you the name 'Yanruo.' I hope that in the future you will follow the will of heaven, spread virtue, and become a pillar of society."

Yanruo.

Xun Hao read it aloud in a low voice, and then performed a solemn coming-of-age ceremony for Zheng Xuan and the guests.

Xun You, standing to the side, looked at the perfect couple on the stage. One had a solemn expression, while the other exuded natural grace. Then he glanced at his uncle Xun Yu, whose face was somewhat stiff below the hall, and thought to himself: Fortunately, I am the junior and do not have to participate in this hellish coming-of-age ceremony.

The leisurely days didn't last long before a letter from Xun Kan arrived from Ji Province.

"My elder brother is now serving as the chief clerk under Yuan Shao and is highly regarded! His letter is an invitation for us, especially Yanruo and me, to go to Ji Province to start a great enterprise together!" Xun Yu read the letter quickly.

In the letter, Xun Chen highly praised Yuan Shao's great talent and his respect for scholars, outlined a grand blueprint, and earnestly hoped that his brothers would come to his aid, so that together under the wise ruler, they could support the Han Dynasty and bring glory to their family.

"It seems that my elder brother is unaware that Yuan Shao's predicament in Luoyang is the work of you and Fengxiao." Xun You took the letter, glanced at it, and then turned his gaze to Xun Hao, who was quietly drinking tea to the side.

Xun Yu spread out a geomantic map, on which were densely marked the counties and powers of all the states in the land.

"Yuan Shao's family has held high office for four generations, and his reputation is the most prestigious. Now that he has raised the banner of righteousness, he should be the first choice." Xun Yu's finger landed on the location of Ji Province.

The harrowing experience in Luoyang had made him far more wary of those with mere reputations. But Yuan Shao, after all, came from a family that had produced four generations of high-ranking officials, and was the undisputed leader in the hearts of the scholars. He still harbored a sliver of hope, or rather, he was unwilling to be utterly disappointed.

Xun Hao didn't speak, but simply picked up his teacup and gently blew on the steam.

Xun You offered a different perspective: "Yuan Shu occupies Nanyang, with Jingzhou as his backing, abundant grain and strong troops, making him a powerful local force as well."

Guo Jia leaned to one side, just smiling, without saying a word.

Upon seeing this, both Xun Yu and Xun You turned their gazes toward him.

"What does Fengxiao think?"

"Let's start with Yuan Shao. This man is outwardly fierce but inwardly cowardly, fond of scheming but indecisive. He appears to be courteous to scholars and has a bustling household, but in reality, he is outwardly magnanimous but inwardly suspicious. Look at him in Luoyang. After He Jin's death, he held military power in the capital, yet he dared not confront Dong Zhuo directly. Even when we forced him into a corner, he still escaped Luoyang at the cost of the Yuan family's reputation. This is cowardice. After escaping, instead of thinking about how to unite the warlords to fight the traitor, he first thought about establishing a new emperor, challenging the legitimacy of the court. This is being fond of scheming but indecisive, ambitious but incompetent."

"As for Yuan Gonglu, he's nothing but bones in a tomb. A spoiled brat who relied on his family background, unworthy of his position, greedy and short-sighted. His troops and provisions were nothing more than a wedding dress made for someone else."

"Gongsun Zan of Youzhou is brave, but unfortunately his vision is limited to the land between the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River, and he is only interested in competing with the Hu people for a day's worth of victory. He is a good dog when it comes to guarding the land; but when it comes to conquering the world, he has neither the ambition nor the vision."

He commented on each point in detail, his voice not loud, but every word piercing to the heart. He described the character flaws and limitations in vision of those future powerful lords with great clarity, as if he had witnessed them firsthand.

Xun Hao looked at him with eyes full of admiration. This was a local strategist from the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Without any special abilities, he could arrive at conclusions that were exactly the same as those in history simply by relying on his own wisdom.

Guo Fengxiao seemed to be shining with an incomparably brilliant light.

These words rendered almost all the well-known feudal lords in the land utterly worthless.

Xun You couldn't help but press further: "If what Fengxiao says is true, is there really no one in this world capable of achieving great things?"

Guo Jia, basking in Xun Hao's adoring gaze, merely raised his eyelids lazily upon hearing this, finished the remaining tea in his cup, and offered no reply.

He turned to look at Xun Hao, who had remained silent the whole time, his peach blossom eyes carrying a hint of inquiry and a mischievous glint of anticipation.

"Good grief, they've dumped a difficult problem on me," Xun Hao thought to himself.

"Brother Fengxiao's arguments are all insightful and comprehensive."

He first praised Guo Jia, then changed the subject.

"But knowledge gained from books is ultimately superficial. Now, with eighteen warlords gathered in Suanzao, a mixed bag of talents, it is a time for heroes to emerge. We are going there not to serve, but simply to observe."

Seeing that Xun Yu and Xun You were both looking at him, he continued to explain calmly, "There are three purposes for this trip."

"Firstly, to visit my elder brother. Since he is under Yuan Shao's command, it is only right and reasonable for us to go and visit him to fulfill our family obligations."

"Secondly, observe people. Go and see for yourself whether Yuan Shao is really as Brother Fengxiao said, and also see if there are any heroes among these warlords that we have overlooked. Hearing is unreliable, seeing is believing."

"Thirdly, to make a name for ourselves. The whole world knows that the Xun family of Yingchuan is good at reading, but they don't know that the Xun family members are also willing to serve the country. If we brothers go there and do nothing, just walk through the allied camp, we can let the world know the weight of the Xun family in this chaotic world."

Xun Yu and Xun You exchanged a glance, both seeing the approval and satisfaction in each other's eyes.

Xun Yu finally made the final decision: "Yan Ruo is quite right. Let's go to Suanzao and see for ourselves the true worth of the heroes of this world!"

With the decision made, the atmosphere immediately relaxed. Everyone began discussing the details of the trip.