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

Cao Cao grasped Xi Zhicai's hand with a serious expression: "Since you have pledged your allegiance to me, I must take responsibility for your health! I have already arranged for a renowned physician to treat you; come with me now!"

Xi Zhicai was stunned and before he could react, Cao Cao half-dragged and half-brought him to a secluded courtyard in the backyard.

At the entrance of the courtyard, Hua Tuo was carrying his medicine chest, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

Cao Cao handed the man to Hua Tuo, saying solemnly, "Sir, this is my newly acquired assistant; I entrust his health to you!"

After saying this, he turned and left, concealing his merits and fame.

Xi Zhicai was thus "packaged" and sent to the hospital.

Hua Tuo examined his pulse and said, "Sir, your pulse is floating and without root, indicating damage to all five internal organs."

Xi Zhicai nodded; he was aware of all this himself.

"May I ask, sir, how can this be treated?"

Hua Tuo took out a row of silver needles of varying lengths from his medicine box and heated them over a candle flame.

"First, abstain from alcohol. From this day forward, not a drop of alcohol."

Xi Zhicai's smile froze on his face.

"Secondly, administer acupuncture and three bowls of herbal medicine daily without interruption."

Xi Zhicai's face turned from white to green.

He suddenly turned his head and looked towards the courtyard gate.

Unbeknownst to him, Guo Jia was leaning against the doorframe, twirling two walnuts in his hand, giving him a look of both sympathy and schadenfreude.

When the first silver needle pierced the acupoint, the strange sensation of soreness, numbness, distension, and pain all mixed together made Xi Zhicai's face contort. Looking at himself covered in needles like a hedgehog, and smelling the thick, pungent smell of medicine in the air, his resentment towards Guo Jia reached its peak.

Guo Fengxiao, if I don't avenge this, I, Xi Zhicai, swear I will not be a man!

As evening fell, Guo Jia appeared leisurely in Xi Zhicai's hospital room, carrying a food box. With a concerned smile on his face, he took out the contents of the food box one by one.

There was no roast chicken, no braised pork, only a bowl of clear rice porridge and two plates of boiled vegetables.

"Zhicai, how are you feeling? I specially asked the kitchen to make this for you; it's light and easy on the stomach." Guo Jia set out the bowl and chopsticks, looking extremely considerate.

Xi Zhicai stared at the bowl of porridge, so thin it reflected his image, and felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He gritted his teeth and forced out a few words: "Thanks to you, everything's fine."

"That's good." Guo Jia seemed oblivious to the resentment in his words, and sat down at the table, pouring himself a glass of... water.

"Dr. Hua said that for your illness, you need to abstain from alcohol and spicy food. These next few days, just stay here and don't think about anything." Guo Jia picked up his water cup and slowly took a sip. "You see, I've also given up alcohol to stay with you."

Xi Zhicai was so angry at his smug face, as if he had gotten a good deal but was still acting innocent.

"Guo Fengxiao, stop pretending! You tricked me into coming here just to see me make a fool of myself?"

"Zhi Cai, you are mistaken." Guo Jia put down his water cup, his expression becoming more serious. "I am truly looking out for you. We have known each other for many years, and I cannot bear to see your talent buried on your sickbed. Now that a wise ruler is before us, and the world is about to descend into chaos, this is precisely the time for us to make our mark. How can you ruin your life over a cup of wine?"

His words were so sincere that they seemed to have been doused with cold water, extinguishing most of Xi Zhicai's anger.

Life in Dongjun flowed by in a strange tranquility.

Xun Yu, stationed at the prefectural governor's office, managed the administration with remarkable efficiency. Under his guidance, the rescued people reclaimed wasteland, rebuilt their homes, and their faces gradually regained their vitality. In the treasury, the books salvaged from the fire, meticulously repaired by veteran scholars, were restored to their former glory, radiating the fragrance of ink and the brilliance of wisdom.

Cao Cao's reputation spread throughout the surrounding counties, thanks to the positive word-of-mouth from the well-settled refugees. More and more scholars, still hoping for the Han dynasty, came to seek refuge in this rare haven of peace amidst the chaos of the world.

Everything was thriving.

The backyard of the Dongjun Prefectural Governor's Mansion has been quite lively lately.

Every morning, you can hear Xi Zhicai's weak, angry roar.

"Guo Fengxiao, get out here right now!"

His response came from the neighboring courtyard, Guo Jia's lazy tone.

"Brother Zhicai, Doctor Hua said that you need to calm down, as anger will damage your liver."

Xi Zhicai was so angry that he coughed violently again. He vowed that the first thing he would do after he recovered was to get Guo Jia so drunk that he couldn't get out of bed for three days and three nights.

Meanwhile, Guo Jia, the instigator, was enjoying this rare moment of leisure. His greatest pleasure each day was to carry a pot of water to visit his friend who was suffering terribly from the heat of the moment.

One was pricked like a hedgehog, and the other was forbidden from drinking. They shared the same plight and even developed a sense of revolutionary camaraderie.

Xun Hao's courtyard, on the contrary, became quiet.

Under Hua Tuo's meticulous care, his health improved day by day.

With Guo Jia occasionally staying overnight, his body's "energy" was more abundant than ever before, freeing him from the constant feeling of weakness.

He sat on the veranda, holding a book, and heard Guo Jia's mischievous laughter and Xi Zhicai's weak but angry curses coming from next door.

"Hey, Brother Zhicai, look at me. To keep you company, I'm now eating simple meals and have even given up alcohol. Haven't I treated you well enough?"

"I don't believe you for a second!"

The sounds of laughter and conversation drifted over from over there, somewhat jarring.

Xun Hao told himself that it was only natural for Guo Jia to care for his friend who shared his plight. He no longer needed to cling to him all the time.

But inside, it felt like a feather was gently tickling me. A little itchy, a little empty.

Habit is a terrible thing. He had grown accustomed to Guo Jia's body temperature, to those captivating eyes that constantly followed him, and to the other man seeing him as the center of his world. Now, that center seemed to have shifted.

This feeling made him very uncomfortable.

He was lost in thought when he heard his brother's voice behind him.

"Yanruo, are you feeling better?"

Xun Yu was standing behind him at some point, and saw that Xun Hao's face was rosy and his expression was gentle.

"Yes, much better," Xun Hao replied.

Xun Yu followed his gaze and glanced at the noisy courtyard, his brows relaxing almost imperceptibly.

He patted Xun Hao on the shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of relief and satisfaction: "That's good. With Zhicai by your side, Fengxiao can finally have some peace and quiet to recuperate in peace."

Xun Hao's smile froze for a moment.

Quiet? Why is everyone being told to have some peace and quiet?

Feeling awkward, Xun Hao gave his brother a few perfunctory replies and then used the excuse of needing "quiet" to return to his room.

Xun Yu stared blankly at his somewhat angry back, feeling a bit confused.

This child, now that he's recovered from his illness, has only grown more temperamental.

Xun Hao returned to his room, the nameless anger in his heart burning even more fiercely. He wasn't the kind of person who would make things difficult for himself, so since he was unhappy, he needed to find a place to vent his frustration.