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

This kid, how old is he, yet he's already working so hard? Doesn't he know that if he does this kind of thing too much, what if it shortens his lifespan?

"You..." Guo Jia opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found himself speechless.

Xun Hao watched Guo Jia's ever-changing expression, and his heart sank deeper and deeper.

Does he despise me? Does he think I'm malicious? Does he think I'm unscrupulous?

That's true. Although Guo Jia was dissolute, he was still a man of principle at heart. As for myself, using the common people as bait, I am unworthy of being a member of the Xun family.

A strong sense of shame and grievance welled up inside Xun Hao. He didn't want to look into Guo Jia's eyes anymore; he was afraid of seeing disappointment in them.

"Yes, I am that insidious." Xun Hao suddenly took a step back, his voice trembling slightly. "For my lord's cause, for our survival, I'll do anything. If you can't stand it, just stay away from me!"

After saying that, he turned and ran without waiting for Guo Jia's reaction.

That figure looked flustered, like someone caught doing something wrong.

Guo Jia stood frozen in place, his outstretched hand hanging in mid-air.

"Huh? I didn't say you were malicious..."

He just... just felt that this kid was taking on all the dirty and tiring work, going to such lengths for his lord, and he was a little... annoyed.

Yes, I'm just annoyed.

Why should you? What kind of spell did Cao Cao cast on you? Is it worth ruining your reputation and conscience like this?

Guo Jia withdrew his hand, looked in the direction Xun Hao had disappeared, and scratched his hair in frustration.

"What kind of mess is this?"

Xun Hao ran all the way back to his courtyard. Only after closing the door and sliding down to the ground with his back against the door did he gasp for breath.

My chest felt tight and suffocated, not just because of the intense running I had just done, but also because of the feeling of loneliness that made me feel like I had been abandoned by the whole world.

In front of Guo Jia, he always subconsciously tried to present his best side. Even when he was scheming, he never displayed this cold-blooded calculation that treated human life as worthless.

Now look what's happened; the mask has been peeled off, revealing the dark core inside.

Xun Hao buried his head in his knees, feeling utterly stupid.

On the other side, Guo Jia was pacing around Xi Zhicai's room with a dark expression.

Xi Zhicai had just finished drinking his medicine and was grimacing from the bitterness when he saw Guo Jia's expression. He couldn't help but tease, "What's wrong? Did your little brother give you the cold shoulder?"

Guo Jia paused, glared at him irritably, and said, "Just drink your medicine."

He sat down at the table, poured himself a glass of water, and gulped it down, but found it bland and tasteless.

"Zhicai, tell me, if someone is so devoted to their lord that they disregard their own reputation and even their conscience, what's the point?"

Xi Zhicai wiped the medicine stains from the corner of his mouth. "You mean Yan Ruo?"

Guo Jia remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

"What's the point?" Xi Zhicai smiled. "I hope this chaotic world will end soon, I hope to meet a wise ruler and put all my knowledge to use, I hope... that I won't have lived in vain."

"But how old is he?" Guo Jia pounded the table in frustration. "This kind of dirty work of scheming is for us old hands to do. He's just a kid, yet he's reaching so far."

"If I remember correctly, the child you mentioned has already come of age," Xi Zhicai said, looking at Guo Jia and suddenly bursting into laughter.

"A good bird chooses a tree to perch on, but that's just for resting. A strategist should always hold back some of his advice. What kind of person is Cao Mengde? If Yan is so open and honest, isn't he afraid of the future..."

"Afraid of being discarded once the birds are all gone?" Xi Zhicai picked up the conversation, after all, everyone knew about Emperor Gaozu of Han's actions. "That's why you need to keep an eye on him and protect him, isn't it?"

Guo Jia remained silent.

Yes. It is precisely because Xun Hao is too innocent that I need to keep an eye on him at all times.

Guo Jia calmed himself down, sighed, and stood up.

"Alright, stop loitering around here." Xi Zhicai waved his hand. "Go and take a look. That 'child' who's already reached adulthood is frail and can't take any more stress. If you don't go soon, he might really fall ill, and you'll be the one who suffers the most."

"I really owe him something."

When Guo Jia pushed open Xun Hao's door, the room was pitch black, with no lights on.

By the moonlight streaming through the window, he saw Xun Hao huddled under a blanket at the foot of the bed, with only a wisp of his dark hair showing.

Guo Jia walked over and sat down by the bed.

The person under the covers stirred and shrank further in, clearly aware that he had arrived but not wanting to acknowledge him.

"Still angry?" Guo Jia reached out and patted the bulge through the blanket.

There was no movement.

"I really didn't mean that just now," Guo Jia softened his voice. "I just felt that Liu Dai's abilities were insufficient, and sooner or later he would not be able to hold onto his position as governor of Yanzhou. Moreover, he was impulsive and did not consider the consequences. Sooner or later he would die because of his own stubbornness. If others found out about your plan, it would affect your reputation."

The blanket was pulled back a crack, revealing a pair of wary eyes that gleamed in the darkness.

"Really? Are you worried about my reputation?" The voice was a little hoarse, with a strong nasal tone.

"More real than real gold." Guo Jia raised his hand and swore, "If I ever look down on you, may I never get to drink wine again in my life."

This solemn oath clearly pleased Xun Hao. He slowly vacated half the bed, saying, "You weren't going to get any wine anyway."

Guo Jia lay down and, through the thin undergarment, could feel the stiffness of the person beside him. He pulled the blanket over them, and the room was quiet; only their breathing could be heard.

"Yanruo, listen to me." Guo Jia turned to face him. "In this world, schemes are divided into overt schemes and covert schemes. Overt schemes are straightforward and out in the open, forcing people to jump into a trap even if they know it's a trap. Covert schemes are cunning and unpredictable, operating in the shadows, and can kill with a single blow. There is no superiority or inferiority between the two, only whether they are appropriate for the time."

Xun Hao remained silent, but his eyes, which shone brightly in the darkness, stared at him without blinking.

"Most people despise intrigue, considering it beneath them. But Yanruo, look at the world. Dong Zhuo burned cities, Yuan Shao claimed credit for others' achievements, and warlords fought each other for territory. Which of these is more noble than your scheme of using someone else to kill? There are countless examples of people using allies as bait to save their own lives; how many have killed surrendered soldiers or even massacred civilians to claim military merit? Aren't there countless examples in history?"

"In chaotic times, there is no true innocence. Although your use of Yu Du to weaken Liu Dai may seem like exploitation, it is also a strategic move to give our lord and ourselves a chance to recover and grow stronger. On this chessboard, everyone is a pawn. If you don't treat someone as a pawn, they will treat you as a stepping stone. This isn't exactly insidious; at most, it's just... seeing further than others."

After Guo Jia finished speaking, he waited quietly for Xun Hao's reaction. What puzzled him was not that Xun Hao would use such a strategy, but the lingering self-loathing that Xun Hao felt after using it.

He was born in a chaotic era, yet he restrained himself with excessively high moral standards.