Reborn Liu Bei: I'll lead this Three Kingdoms to victory!

Chapter 50 Hidden Clues

On the first day of the third month of the seventh year of Jian'an, in Yingchuan.

Xun Chen stood by the window of his study, gazing at the old locust tree in the courtyard that had just sprouted new buds.

It's been three days.

It has been three days since the boy named Sima Yi left.

During those three days, he picked up his pen countless times, wanting to write a letter to his elder brother and tell him about the people coming from the north. But each time, he would put the pen down halfway through writing.

What's the point of telling my older brother?

Telling your older brother will only make things harder for him.

Xun Chen sighed and turned back to his desk.

On the table lay a copy of "The Art of War," which he had repeatedly studied during his years of leisure in the countryside. The pages were worn and frayed, and the edges were covered with dense annotations.

"A good general's use of troops is like rolling a round stone down a thousand-foot mountain; it is all about momentum."

He drew a heavy line under that sentence with a vermilion pen.

potential.

Does Cao Cao still have any power?

He asked himself the question.

Shouchun is lost, Hefei is lost, and 20,000 soldiers have been lost at Ruxukou. The people of Jizhou are still fleeing north, the scholars of Xudu are staying at home, and even my elder brother is claiming illness and not attending court.

What kind of momentum is this?

This is called a decline.

"master."

The old servant's voice came from outside the door.

Xun Chen raised his head.

"What is it?"

"Someone came from outside, saying... to deliver a message to the master."

Xun Chen's heart tightened.

"Let him in."

A moment later, a man in black entered the study. He was in his thirties, with an ordinary face—the kind of face that would blend into a crowd and go unnoticed.

"Mr. Xun," the man in black bowed, "I come from Xiapi, and have been ordered to deliver a letter to you."

He took out a scroll of silk from his bosom and presented it with both hands.

Xun Chen took it and unfolded it.

The letter was very short, only a few lines:

"To Mr. Chen: Zhongda has returned and told me of your promise, for which I am deeply grateful. The matter of Yingchuan is not urgent. Please take care of yourself and wait for the right time. If there is any emergency, you can send someone to this place—the Earth God Temple in the east of the city. There is a hidden compartment under the base of the statue. Place a letter inside, and someone will retrieve it within three days."

Liu Bei bows deeply.

Xun Chen looked at the letter and remained silent for a long time.

He folded the letter and put it in his sleeve.

"Go back and tell your master," he said to the man in black. "I understand."

The man in black nodded and turned to leave.

Xun Chen stood by the window, watching the man's figure disappear outside the courtyard gate.

Then he took the letter out of his sleeve and read it again.

"Waiting for the right time..." he murmured. "When is that time?"

---

Noon, Xuchang.

The atmosphere in the main hall of the Prime Minister's residence was so oppressive it felt like it was about to burst into flames.

Cao Cao sat in the main seat, a thick stack of secret reports spread out before him. Each report shared a common keyword:

"Yingchuan".

"Three days ago, there were guests at Xun Chen's residence in Yingyin." His voice was like a dull knife cutting flesh. "Two days ago, people were going in and out of the land temple in the east of Yingyin City. A day ago, a clerk from the Yingchuan Prefectural Governor's Office talked with a stranger for half an hour in a tavern."

He raised his head and glanced at everyone present.

"Do you think this is a coincidence?"

No one dared to answer.

Cheng Yu lowered his eyes, Jia Xu sat motionless in the corner, and Xiahou Dun stood with his hand on his sword, his face ashen.

"Wenhe," Cao Cao said, turning to Jia Xu, "you speak."

Jia Xu raised his eyes, his voice as calm as ever.

"Prime Minister, I believe... this may not be a coincidence, but it may not be a major event either."

"What do you mean?"

"Yingchuan is a hub of scholars, and the Xun family is a prestigious clan. It's normal for someone to be active in Yingchuan, trying to gain the Xun family's support." Jia Xu paused, "The question is, how will the Xun family choose?"

Cao Cao stared at him.

What do you think they will choose?

Jia Xu remained silent for a moment.

"Lord Xun has served the Prime Minister for twenty years without ever wavering in his loyalty. As long as he is alive, the Xun family will not side with Liu Bei." His voice was soft. "But if Lord Xun is no longer here..."

He didn't continue.

Cao Cao's expression changed.

"What do you mean?"

Jia Xu lowered his head.

"I am merely stating a possibility. Please do not take offense, Prime Minister."

Cao Cao stood up and paced back and forth in the hall.

Xun Yu is not here?

Why isn't Xun Yu here?

He stayed indoors, feigning illness. His feigned illness was merely a pretext for his disapproval of the southern expedition. His disapproval of the southern expedition was simply...

Just what?

Cao Cao suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He recalled what Xun Yu had said to him that day outside the city, sitting in the carriage:

"Prime Minister, regardless of victory or defeat in this battle, Liu Bei is the winner."

He didn't believe it then.

Now he believes it.

"Issue the order." He turned around abruptly, "From today onwards, strengthen surveillance of Xun Yu's residence. Record the name, time, and appearance of anyone who enters or leaves."

Cheng Yu was taken aback.

"Prime Minister, Lord Xun, he..."

"I know," Cao Cao interrupted him, "but I don't want to be kept in the dark anymore."

---

At Shenshi (3-5 PM), in the western part of Xudu City, at Xun Yu's residence.

In the backyard, under the veranda, Xun Yu still sat beside the plum tree that had lost all its leaves.

He had been sitting here all afternoon.

A volume of the Spring and Autumn Annals lay open in front of him, but his gaze remained fixed on the north.

Xun Yun walked in from outside the courtyard, his face solemn.

"Father."

"Um?"

"There are more people outside the mansion now." He lowered his voice. "The Prime Minister's men have increased to more than a dozen."

Xun Yu remained silent.

"Father, we..." Xun Yun gritted his teeth, "Should we send someone to Yingyin to tell Second Uncle to be careful?"

Xun Yu finally turned his head and looked at him.

"You think I don't know what's going on in Yingyin?"

Xun Yun was stunned.

"Father...you know?"

Xun Yu did not answer.

He simply took a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Xun Yun.

Xun Yun took it and unfolded it.

The letter was written by Xun Chen and was delivered three days ago.

"Greetings, elder brother. A man from the north has arrived, and I have already met him. He is young, speaks with refinement, and bears a resemblance to you. I did not grant his request, but I did not refuse it either. What do you think, elder brother? Yours truly."

Xun Yun's hands were trembling after reading it.

"Father...Second Uncle..."

"He only met someone, he didn't agree to anything," Xun Yu said calmly. "If you were in his shoes, you would have met him too."

Xun Yun remained silent.

"What does Father plan to do?"

Xun Yu gazed at the star in the north.

"Wait," he said. "Wait for him to make a decision."

"Waiting for Second Uncle?"

"Wait for Cao Cao," Xun Yu said softly, "and see what he's up to."

---

At the hour of You (5-7 PM), in Xiapi.

In the secret chamber where no one could sue at night, Sima Yi and Pang Tong sat facing each other.

A thick stack of secret reports lay on the table, all sent from Yingchuan, Xudu, Yecheng and other places.

"Xun Chen has replied," Sima Yi said, pointing to a slip of paper. "He said, 'I understand.' Just those three words."

Pang Tong grinned.

"Three words are enough." He took a swig of wine. "'I understand'—those four words mean: he accepts, but can't do anything for now."

Sima Yi nodded.

"What's the next step?"

Pang Tong did not answer immediately. He stood up, walked to the huge map on the wall, and pointed to the location of Yingchuan.

"Don't touch Xun Chen for now. Let him stay put and avoid attracting attention." His finger moved upwards, stopping at Xu Du's location. "The key point is here."

"Xuchang?"

"Yes," Pang Tong nodded. "Cao Cao has begun to suspect something. He has increased the number of men outside Xun Yu's residence and strengthened surveillance in Yingchuan. What does this mean?"

Sima Yi thought for a moment.

"That means he's in a hurry."

"Yes!" Pang Tong's eyes lit up. "He's panicking! Panic leads to mistakes."

He turned around and looked at Sima Yi.

"Zhongda, do you know where a person is most likely to make a mistake when they're in a rush?"

Sima Yi remained silent for a moment.

"On the person you trust most."

Pang Tong laughed loudly.

"Good lad! You get it right away!"

He pointed to the location of Xuchang on the map.

"Who is Cao Cao's most trusted person? It's Xun Yu. But now he's starting to doubt Xun Yu. Doubt leads to suspicion, suspicion leads to testing, and testing leads to..."

"Push Xun Yu to our side," Sima Yi continued.

Pang Tong nodded.

"So what we need to do now is not to win over Xun Yu, but—" he paused, "to let Cao Cao push him himself."

Sima Yi seemed to be deep in thought.

"How do I push it?"

Pang Tong smiled.

"Didn't you meet Xun Chen when you went to Yingchuan last time? Now, have Xun Chen write a letter to Xun Yu."

"Write what?"

Pang Tong picked up a piece of paper from the table and wrote a few lines.

Sima Yi leaned closer to take a look, and his expression changed slightly.

"Brother, I am well. A messenger has come from the north, and I have already met him. He said that Governor Liu wishes to treat you as a national hero. If you are willing, I will go ahead to meet him. Chen bows respectfully."

"Sir, what if this letter falls into the hands of Cao Cao's men..."

"Then let him intercept it." Pang Tong put down his pen, a hint of coldness in his smile. "If he intercepts it, Cao Cao will be even more suspicious; the more suspicious he is, the more anxious he will become; the more anxious he becomes, the more..."

He paused.

"They drove Xun Yu into a corner."

Sima Yi remained silent.

He looked at the letter, at those words—"I am willing to treat my brother as a national hero."

This is a knife.

A knife was handed to Cao Cao.

"Sir," he finally spoke, "this letter... in case Xun Yu is truly driven to his death..."

"No," Pang Tong shook his head. "Xun Yu isn't that easy to kill. He just needs a trigger, a trigger that will make him decide to leave Cao Cao."

He folded the letter and handed it to Sima Yi.

"Send someone to Yingchuan, have Xun Chen copy it, and send it to Xudu in his own name."

Sima Yi accepted the letter.

His hands were very steady.

But deep down, he had a feeling he couldn't quite explain.

Is this the war of strategists?

Without knives or swords, just a few lines of text can determine a person's fate?

"Zhongda," Pang Tong looked at him, "don't you think this move is too ruthless?"

Sima Yi raised his head.

"The students were just thinking..." he paused, "What if one day we were also schemed against like this..."

Pang Tong smiled.

There was something complicated about that smile.

"Then let's hope that the person sitting in that position is someone we can be loyal to."

---

At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), at the Governor's Office of Xiapi.

I read the letter once, and then read it again.

"Shiyuan," I said.

"exist."

"Once this letter is sent, Xun Yu will truly have no way out."

Pang Tong nodded.

"I understand."

I looked at him.

Aren't you afraid he'll hate you?

Pang Tong remained silent for a moment.

"I'm afraid," he said, "but I'm even more afraid that he'll die in Xudu."

I was stunned.

"What do you mean?"

Pang Tong walked to the map and pointed to the location of Xuchang.

"My lord, Cao Cao is already suspicious of Xun Yu. Suspicion leads to distrust, and distrust leads to testing. Given Xun Yu's nature, he will not back down, he will not explain, he will only remain silent. In Cao Cao's eyes, silence is tantamount to acquiescence."

He turned around and looked at me.

"If things continue like this, Xun Yu only has two paths: either he will be killed by Cao Cao, or he will be forced to rebel. If he is forced to rebel, he will come to us unwillingly and with resentment. Can he be used then?"

I remained silent.

"So this letter is meant to put pressure on him," Pang Tong said softly, "to let him make a choice in advance. If he chooses correctly, he will come willingly; if he chooses incorrectly..." He paused, "...then that's beyond our control."

I looked at him.

This man, in his thirties, unremarkable in appearance, always had a gourd of wine with him.

Is he crazy?

疯。

But he was lucid even in his madness.

"Shiyuan," I finally spoke.

"exist."

"Send this letter out."

He smiled.

"promise."

---

At 9 PM, in a secret room where no one could collect the night's secrets.

Sima Yi handed the letter to Wang Wu.

"Send it to Yingchuan and personally hand it to Xun Chen. Tell him to make a copy and send it to Xudu in his own name."

Wang Wu took the letter and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Rest assured, Military Commander."

He turned to leave.

"Wang Wu."

Wang Wu turned around.

Sima Yi looked at him, an eighteen-year-old boy, with a complex light in his eyes.

Be careful.

Wang Wu smiled.

"Military Commander, when did you become so fussy and indecisive?"

Sima Yi did not laugh.

He simply watched Wang Wu disappear into the night.

Pang Tong stood beside him and took a swig of wine.

"Zhongda".

"Um?"

"What were you thinking about just now?"

Sima Yi remained silent for a moment.

"I'm thinking..." he murmured, "Are we good people or bad people?"

Pang Tong smiled.

"Good people and bad people?" He took another swig of his drink. "There are no absolutely good or bad people in this world. There are only winners and losers."

He turned around and looked at Sima Yi.

"If we win, history will record: Xun Yu abandoned darkness and embraced light, submitting to a wise ruler. If we lose, history will record: Xun Yu remained loyal and died for his principles in Xuchang."

He handed the wine gourd to Sima Yi.

"Want a sip?"

Sima Yi took it and drank a mouthful.

It was so spicy that he frowned.

Pang Tong laughed loudly.

"Good lad! He can drink a sip without spitting it out; he's got potential!"

Sima Yi returned the wine gourd to him.

"Sir," he suddenly asked, "what do you think Xun Yu will choose?"

Pang Tong remained silent for a long time.

Then he spoke, his voice very soft:

"He will choose the path that allows him to sleep peacefully."

---