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

Xun Yu slowly raised his head. His gaze swept over the crowd and landed precisely on Guo Jia.

Just as Xun Yu cleared his throat, preparing to speak, in that split second—

Chen Qun, who was standing next to Xun You, suddenly stumbled forward as if he had been pushed from behind, and ended up in the center of the hall.

Behind him, Xi Zhicai hurriedly withdrew his elbow.

All eyes instantly turned to Chen Qun. Chen Qun cursed inwardly, thinking that Xi Zhicai, that bastard, had elbowed him in the ribs.

Retreating now would make me, Chen Changwen, seem cowardly and afraid of trouble. As a newcomer, this is an opportunity to make a contribution, so I'll take the job!

"My lord, the people are willing to serve as our envoys."

A hint of surprise flashed in Cao Cao's eyes. He had a good impression of this talent recommended by Guo Jia, but he hadn't expected him to have such courage.

"As you can tell from this long passage, the journey to Xuzhou will be fraught with peril?"

"I understand," Chen Qun replied without hesitation. "It is precisely because of the danger that someone needs to go. If we can use our silver tongue to save the old master and avert a war, it is my duty."

What a fine example of being dutiful!

Cao Cao inwardly praised him, but his expression remained calm: "Aren't you afraid that Tao Qian will refuse to see you, leave you waiting at the inn, or even arrest you and interrogate you?"

Xiahou Dun immediately chimed in, echoing in a deep voice, "Exactly! What if that old man just refuses to see you? Wouldn't that be a complete waste of our Yanzhou's resources?"

Faced with the questioning, Chen Qun did not get angry. He didn't even change his expression; he simply turned slightly to look at Xiahou Dun, a very faint smile playing on his lips.

"General Xiahou is overthinking it." His voice was calm yet firm. "Tao Qian, he won't."

In the corner, Xun Hao nudged Guo Jia beside him with his elbow, lowered his voice, and said in a volume only the two of them could hear, "Brother Changwen, so confident."

Guo Jia glanced at Chen Qun's retreating figure and replied lazily, "More than confident, he's shameless too."

He thought his voice was quiet enough, but little did he know that Chen Qun had very sharp ears. The tall, straight figure stiffened almost imperceptibly, and even the corner of his eye twitched.

Just because I laughed at Guo Fengxiao yesterday, is it really necessary to be so hostile towards him today!

I'll remember this. Chen Qun thought to himself, he should have asked Xun Wenruo to suggest that Guo Fengxiao go to Xuzhou.

Xun Yu's brow twitched as he watched the "little actions" happening here. If he didn't speak up soon, Chen Changwen might be driven away by Guo Jia's scoundrel.

"What Changwen said was not an empty boast," Xun Yu explained. "A person's reputation is like the shadow of a tree. The Chen family enjoys a very high reputation among scholars throughout the country. Changwen is a famous scholar from Yingchuan; Tao Qian would not possibly not see him."

Cao Cao clapped his hands and laughed, rising from his seat and personally descending the steps to support Chen Qun's arm. "With Changwen as my envoy, my mind is at ease! I entrust the old master's safety entirely to you, sir!"

Chen Qun bowed deeply once more, his expression solemn.

"The group will not fail in its mission."

The following morning, a small, unorganized delegation prepared to depart from the east gate of Puyang.

There were no elaborate ceremonies; everything was kept simple in order to reach Xuzhou as quickly as possible.

Just as Chen Qun was about to board the car, a clear and melodious voice came from behind him.

"Brother Changwen, please wait a moment."

He turned around and saw Xun Hao standing there alone, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

"Yanruo?" Chen Qun was somewhat surprised, as he had no close relationship with this youngest son of the Xun family.

Xun Hao stepped forward, took out a small brocade pouch from his sleeve, and handed it over.

"The journey to Xuzhou is fraught with peril, and cannot be accomplished by mere words. Hao, prepare one item just in case."

Chen Qun took the brocade pouch, and his fingertips could feel that there seemed to be only a thin piece of silk paper inside. He had heard of Xun Yan's reputation for being good at divination.

He recalled Xun Hao's pronouncement about Sun Jian's fate in the council hall. Without asking further questions, he carefully put the brocade pouch away from his body.

"Group, noted, thank you."

Xun Hao said no more, simply nodded slightly, and turned to go back.

The convoy traveled at high speed and arrived at Xiapi, the capital of Xuzhou, several days later.

Just as Xun Yu had predicted, Tao Qian, the governor of Xuzhou, opened the main gate wide and personally went out of the city to welcome Chen Qun, a renowned scholar, after receiving the news of the envoy's arrival, giving him the utmost respect.

"Mr. Changwen, you've come from afar, thank you for your hard work." Tao Qian was nearly sixty years old, with gray hair and beard, and a gentle smile on his face, exuding the air of an elder.

"You're too kind, Magistrate Tao." Chen Qun dismounted and returned the greeting, neither humble nor arrogant. "I have come to pay my respects on the orders of my lord. I hope you will forgive any inconvenience caused."

After some pleasantries, Chen Qun was welcomed into the governor's mansion. That evening, Tao Qian hosted a grand banquet to welcome Chen Qun back.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, the atmosphere seemed harmonious.

Chen Qun put down his wine cup and was about to get to the point when a burly military officer with a fierce face suddenly raised his cup and stood up.

"I've heard that Magistrate Cao is quite the big shot these days! He's going to challenge Yuan Gonglu in the south, and he's also eyeing Xuzhou in the west. He really has a lot of energy!"

The music in the hall suddenly stopped.

All eyes were on Chen Qun.

"General Cao is too kind." His voice was clear and calm, without the slightest hint of emotion. "My lord, as the Governor of Yan Province, is duty-bound to protect the borders and ensure the safety of the people. Yuan Shu's unprovoked attack is a matter of course for my lord to be wary of. As for Xu Province, we have come here only to welcome back our patriarch; this is simply filial piety. We clearly distinguish between public and private matters, so how could there be any concern?"

"Hahaha!" Cao Bao let out a loud, boisterous laugh, and the generals around him joined in the commotion.

"I heard that Jin Shang, the newly appointed governor of Yanzhou, has arrived. Tsk tsk, I'm afraid your lord's position as governor of Yanzhou isn't very secure, is it?"

He stood up, holding his wine glass, and strolled over to Chen Qun, looking down at him.

"Someone who can't even protect the prefectures under his own jurisdiction is sending you to fetch his father. Don't you think this is unnecessary?"

"Perhaps in three to five months, your lord will be returning to his hometown of Pei. At that time, wouldn't it be much better for the old master to turn back directly than to follow you all on your journeys?"

Inside the hall, the civil and military officials of Xuzhou all wore expressions of anticipation, eager to see this renowned scholar from Cao Cao's camp rendered speechless by their own general.

Chen Qun finally raised his eyes and looked at Cao Bao.

His eyes were calm, without the slightest ripple.

"Has General Cao finished speaking?"

Cao Bao was taken aback. He had expected Chen Qun to be angry, to defend himself, and to refute him with quotations, but he never expected the other party to react so calmly.

"So what if I've said it all?"

"Now that you have finished speaking, please sit down." Chen Qun's voice remained calm. "I am an envoy, representing the face of my lord. When you speak to me, you are speaking to my lord. Please be mindful of your words."

"Do I need you to teach me how to speak?" Cao Bao slammed his hand on the table, splashing wine everywhere.