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

Unaware that Xun Hao was merely imitating "Lu Yiping's" diary, Xun Yu's gaze was complex and indescribable. He carefully folded the silk cloth, put it back in its original place, and covered it with bamboo slips, as if nothing had happened.

Xun Hao's illness lingered for several days.

After being forced to drink bowls of herbal medicine, the high fever finally subsided, but the person still lacked energy and was listless all day, barely able to eat a few bites of food.

That afternoon, Xun Hao was leaning against the couch reading a book when he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps outside the courtyard.

"Sir! Great news! Great news!" A soldier rushed in, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement.

"What's all this commotion?" Xun Hao put down the bamboo slips, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Rencheng! Rencheng has fallen!" a guard excitedly reported. "The scouts just brought back news that Military Advisor Guo and General Xiahou have captured Rencheng! Military Advisor Guo is already on his way back!"

Xun Hao's heart skipped a beat.

I'm back, and all the weakness and fatigue of the past few days seem to have vanished.

"Is my lord summoning his subordinates for a meeting?" He threw back the covers and was about to get out of bed.

"Yanruo!" Xun Yu, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, grabbed him and pressed him down. "What are you doing! You're still sick, how can you get out of bed!"

"Brother, I need to go to the council hall." Xun Hao's attitude left no room for argument. "How could I be absent from such an important matter?"

"No!" Xun Yu's attitude was equally firm. "Your health is more important!"

Xun Hao looked at him, then suddenly smiled, a hint of slyness in his smile: "If you don't allow it, brother, I'll go myself. But what if I fall on the way, or catch a chill and my illness worsens? Wouldn't that be even more troublesome?"

"You..." Xun Yu was speechless, unable to utter a single word.

Looking at his brother's resolute face, he finally gave in.

"Fine, fine, I must have owed you two something in my past life!" he complained angrily, but his movements were incredibly gentle. He took a thick cloak from the side and wrapped Xun Hao up from head to toe, then half-supported and half-carried him towards the council hall.

The council chamber was already packed with people.

Cao Cao sat in the main seat, his face beaming with joy.

When Xun Yu helped Xun Hao in, Cao Cao immediately beckoned, "Yanruo is here. Quickly, come inside and be careful not to catch a cold."

Xun Yu placed Xun Hao between himself and Xun You, protecting him on both sides, before he felt at ease.

Cao Cao cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and announced loudly, "Gentlemen, you must all be aware of the victory report from Fengxiao and Miaocai! We captured Rencheng without bloodshed! This is a great achievement!"

Everyone offered their congratulations.

Cao Cao waved his hand, a look of both smugness and helplessness on his face: "Speaking of which, this is also my fault. Fengxiao wrote to me, insisting on preparing a birthday gift for me ahead of time. I told him that my birthday is still several months away, there's no rush. But he wouldn't listen, saying that as long as the sentiment is there, it doesn't matter when it's sent."

He shrugged and sighed, "Well, you know, young people are just so impatient. I couldn't stop him, so I had to let him do as he pleased. I never expected he'd actually send this huge gift of Rencheng back to me ahead of schedule!"

Upon hearing these remarks, Xiahou Dun, Cao Hong, and the others in the hall all looked like they wanted to laugh but dared not. They kept their eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought, but their shoulders were trembling incessantly.

Such a Versailles! Xun Hao listened to Cao Cao's boasting, and a trace of color returned to his pale face.

After capturing Rencheng, Guo Jia did not linger for a moment.

He left all the follow-up matters of incorporating the surrendered soldiers and pacifying the city to Xiahou Yuan and the officials accompanying the army.

He then led a group of personal guards and immediately set off on his return journey.

Seeing his impatient appearance, Xiahou Yuan couldn't help but tease, "Fengxiao, are you in such a hurry to go back because you have a beautiful bride hiding at home?"

Guo Jia, riding on his horse, turned around upon hearing this, and in his peach blossom eyes, there was a brilliance that Xiahou Yuan had never seen before.

"A beautiful woman is far more important."

He was going to see his Yanruo.

He promised to return within a month.

Now, there are still ten days left.

The news of Guo Jia's return to Puyang arrived only half an hour before he himself arrived.

Just as Cao Cao was showing off, a personal guard rushed in, his voice filled with joy: "My lord, Military Advisor Guo has returned! He's already outside the mansion!"

Cao Cao was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "Good! Excellent! Let him come directly to the council hall!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the curtain of the council chamber was suddenly lifted.

Guo Jia walked in, looking travel-worn and carrying the chill of his journey.

His gaze passed over Cao Cao, who was in the lead, and over his colleagues, landing precisely on that slender figure.

Xun Hao was sitting beside his elder brother Xun Yu. Today, he was wearing a moon-white long robe, which made his pale face and thin figure appear even more striking. He seemed to have heard the noise and was looking out of the tent.

Eyes facing each other.

Guo Jia stopped in his tracks.

I hadn't seen him for half a month, and he had lost weight. The lines of his jaw were more defined, making his face appear even smaller. The dark circles under his eyes were also more pronounced, as if he hadn't had enough rest.

He glanced at Xun Yu with a reproachful look. How did he take care of him?

"Ahem!"

A deliberately exaggerated cough broke the silent eye contact. Xun Yu sat there upright, his eyes fixed straight ahead, simply picking up his teacup and gently skimming off the foam.

His posture was as dignified and polite as ever, but everyone in the council chamber could hear the warning in that cough.

This is outrageous! He didn't pay his respects to the lord first, nor did he greet his colleagues. Instead, he stared intently at Yan Ruo as soon as he entered the room. What kind of behavior is this!

Guo Jia then seemed to wake from a dream. He withdrew his gaze and bowed deeply to Cao Cao: "Jia has captured Rencheng with General Miaocai and has come to report to the lord."

"Excellent! Excellent!" Cao Cao laughed and left his seat, personally helping Guo Jia to his feet. "Fengxiao, you've worked hard! You and Miaocai have captured this fortified city; you deserve the greatest credit! Quickly, someone, bring Fengxiao a seat!"

Cao Cao, however, didn't seem to care. He stepped down the stairs and patted Guo Jia's shoulder forcefully: "Fengxiao, this battle was brilliant! You captured a fortified city for me without losing a single soldier. You deserve the greatest credit!"

That position, right next to the head seat, was an immense honor.

Guo Jia didn't even look at them. His gaze swept between Xun Yu and Xun Hao, then he walked straight over and unceremoniously squeezed into the narrow gap between them.

"Thank you for your kindness, my lord. But I have been traveling a long way and am feeling cold. It's warmer here with so many people around."

As he spoke, he sat down with a clear conscience. He sat down so that Xun Yu was to his left and Xun Hao was to his right, leaving no space between them.

The entire council chamber fell instantly so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Xiahou Dun stared blankly at this person and that person, his face full of confusion.

Xi Zhicai leaned against the corner, almost spitting out a mouthful of tea. He quickly turned his head away, his shoulders shrugging.

Xun You helplessly held his forehead, finding it increasingly unbearable to watch.