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

There are no superfluous decorations here; the most eye-catching feature is a huge feng shui map hanging behind the main seat.

The map was densely marked with vermilion ink, showing various passes, mountains, and roads from Suanzao to Luoyang, along with many annotations.

On a simple wooden table, there were piles of bamboo slips containing information about terrain and troop strength, and next to them were several half-eaten dry biscuits.

The entire camp was filled with a tense yet pragmatic atmosphere of preparation for war.

The generals following Cao Cao, including Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren, all possessed fierce expressions and an imposing presence, but their gazes towards Xun Hao and his companion held more curiosity than scrutiny. They had clearly heard Cao Cao mention these two men before.

"Please excuse my humble abode, gentlemen. This place is quite simple." Cao Cao casually moved the dry cakes on the table aside, gesturing for the two men to sit down, but he himself did not sit down.

Without a word of pleasantries, he turned around, pointed to the huge map, and looked worried.

"Look," he pointed heavily at Hulao Pass, "Although Dong Zhuo is tyrannical and cruel, his Xiliang soldiers are seasoned veterans with formidable fighting power. Now they occupy the natural barrier of Hulao Pass, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."

He turned to Xun Hao and Guo Jia, his eyes somber: "We, the lords, are wasting our time here, spending our days feasting and indulging in pleasure, with no ambition whatsoever. We appear powerful, but in reality, we are nothing but a disorganized mess. If Dong Zhuo were to launch a surprise attack now, our allied forces would undoubtedly be defeated!"

After saying this, he bowed deeply to the two men: "I am unworthy, and after many days of pondering, I still have no good plan. Now I am fortunate to have met two men of great talent, and I humbly request your guidance and instruction!"

His attitude was humble, his words were sincere, and there was not a trace of affectation.

"Lord Cao, there's no need for this. It's not your fault, but rather the incompetence of the gentlemen."

Guo Jia's words directly insulted all the warlords in the camp, yet singled out Cao Cao. Even Xiahou Dun, with his fiery temper, showed some displeasure upon hearing this.

Cao Cao was deeply troubled. "I understand Fengxiao's intentions. However, the allied forces number in the hundreds of thousands. If we were to disperse now, wouldn't it make us a laughingstock and embolden that traitor? Although I am weak and powerless, I am willing to be the vanguard and do my best. I only regret that the road ahead is long and I do not know where to begin."

Xun Hao raised his eyes and asked a seemingly unrelated question: "Does Lord Cao know why Alliance Leader Yuan has been delaying the advance again and again?"

Cao Cao was taken aback, then frowned and said, "I think it's because Lord Yuan is concerned about his reputation and doesn't want to lose any troops."

"That's one point, but not the main point. Let me ask you, Lord Cao, if we were to truly capture Luoyang, defeat Dong Zhuo, and welcome back the Emperor, what would we do?"

Xiahou Dun blurted out, "That would be an immense achievement! It would restore the Han Dynasty and ensure our names would be remembered in history!"

Xun Hao turned his gaze to him and asked, "Then may I ask General Xiahou, who is the current emperor?"

"It was...it was Dong Zhuo who installed him." Xiahou Dun's voice lowered. He wasn't stupid; he instantly understood what was going on.

Xun Hao continued, "When Alliance Leader Yuan first raised his army, he refused to recognize this new emperor and even considered installing Liu Yu as the new emperor. Now, if this emperor, whom he doesn't recognize, is rescued, will he, as the alliance leader, acknowledge him or not? If he acknowledges him, wouldn't he be losing face and admitting that his initial move to install another emperor was wrong? If he doesn't acknowledge him, then what is the purpose of his large-scale military campaign? Wouldn't that confirm his disloyal intentions?"

The tent was deathly silent, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.

The generals' eyes widened in surprise. They had initially thought Yuan Shao was merely hesitating, but they never imagined that behind this lay such a deadly predicament, a situation where they could neither advance nor retreat.

Guo Jia picked up the conversation, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. "That's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that as long as Dong Zhuo remains in Luoyang, Yuan Shao will be the leader of the alliance. Can he bear to be surrounded by people fawning over him?"

"But once the mission is accomplished, the traitor Dong Zhuo is eliminated, and the emperor returns to court, his reign as the leader of the alliance will be over. At that time, the court will be the one to reward those who have contributed, and the one who holds real power may not be Yuan Shao. The warlords will all go back to their own homes, and Yuan Shao will be nothing more than the governor of Bohai. Tell me, would he rather be a powerful and influential leader of the alliance, or a subject content with a corner of the country?"

"How could he... how could he do this!" Cao Ren couldn't help but exclaim, his face full of indignation and disdain.

Cao Cao stood there, silent for a long time. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, and the look of worry and indignation on his face finally turned into a deep disappointment and resolute determination.

He finally understood that this alliance was rotten to the core. Hoping that Yuan Shao would lead them to restore the Han Dynasty was like trying to catch fish by climbing a tree.

"A single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of study. I have learned a great deal!" He straightened up, the confusion in his eyes vanishing, replaced by a resolute determination. "Since our paths diverge, then I will not associate with them! However, my army is small and my generals few, and my future is uncertain. I wonder if you two gentlemen would be willing to lend me a hand?"

This question is already a formal offer of recruitment.

Inside the tent, Xiahou Dun and the others unconsciously slowed their breathing. They all knew that Cao Cao harbored great ambitions but suffered from a lack of top-notch strategists by his side. These two men before them were like a cool, aloof moon, their words incisive; the other was as unrestrained as the wind, insightful into people's hearts. If they could gain the assistance of these two, it would be like adding wings to a tiger.

Xun Hao did not agree immediately, but instead asked his elder brother for permission to make a decision.

That would be great, Cao Cao wished he could bring the entire Xun family over immediately.

In the evening, Xun Hao bid farewell to Guo Jia and returned to the Xun family's guest tent.

Xun Yu remained half-reclined on the couch, his face ashen, holding a scroll in his hands, but he didn't turn a single page for a long time.

"Brother." Xun Hao walked over and recounted everything he had seen and heard in Cao Cao's camp during the day.

He described the diligent training of Cao Cao's soldiers, the simplicity and pragmatism within Cao Cao's tent, and Cao Cao's deep concern about the war situation and his thirst for a strategy to defeat the enemy.

Xun Yu listened quietly without interrupting.

After Xun Hao finished speaking, a long silence fell inside the tent.

After a long while, Xun Yu slowly put down the book in his hand. He sat up and looked out the window at the deep night, towards the direction of Yuan Shao's camp, where the sounds of commotion could still be faintly heard.

For the first time, a faint but real light rekindled in his eyes, which had been dull and filled with disappointment.

What Xun Yu saw and heard at Cao Cao's camp was like a shot of adrenaline, injecting into his nearly withered heart.

He no longer spent his days lying in his tent, but began to frequently visit Cao Cao's camp. At first, he merely observed, but later he couldn't help but participate in their military meetings. Each in-depth conversation deepened his understanding of Cao Cao. This man, whose birth was not noble and whose military strength was far inferior to that of the Yuan brothers, possessed a wisdom and decisiveness that others could not match.