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

Chen Qun did not look at Cao Bao again. His gaze passed over everyone and calmly landed on the person in the main seat. "I have a question, and I would like to ask Prefect Tao for clarification."

"If you have any questions about the long article, please feel free to ask," Tao Qian said.

"May I ask, Your Excellency, is it now considered gentlemanly to detain the families of a former ally, using the elderly, women, and children as hostages? How valiant it was when the eighteen warlords united to attack Dong Zhuo! My lord and Your Excellency Tao are both men dedicated to restoring the Han dynasty. Now, my ally's father is passing through your territory, and instead of receiving the proper courtesy, he has been detained. What is the reason for this?"

Chen Qun stepped forward, his voice suddenly rising, his clear question echoing throughout the hall. "If this matter were to spread, how would the scholars of the world view Xuzhou? And how would the common people view you, my lord, a renowned and virtuous elder?"

"Nonsense!" Tao Qian retorted, his tone fierce but his voice weak. "The old master is an honored guest! Because bandits are rampant in Xuzhou, I was worried about his safety, so I specially invited him into the city to take good care of him. How could you say he's being detained!"

"Oh?" Chen Qun seemed to genuinely believe him. The confusion on his face turned into understanding, and he bowed deeply to Tao Qian. "So it was a misunderstanding. Since the old master is a guest, then I will escort him on his journey tomorrow. I'm sure Your Excellency won't insist on keeping such a distinguished guest."

"Mr. Changwen, there has been some misunderstanding between our two families. The old master is advanced in years and should not travel long distances; it would be best if he rested in Xiapi for a few more days. As for you, you are a guest from afar, and I will not mistreat you. Guards!"

Tao Qian called out loudly towards the door, "Send Mr. Chen to the post station to rest."

"In that case, we will not disturb you any longer, Your Excellency."

After saying that, he turned and left without the slightest hesitation. His calm and composed demeanor, however, made the Xuzhou officials in the hall feel a strange unease.

Inside the inn, Chen Qun's attendant, looking indignant, muttered a complaint: "My lord, Tao Qian is going too far!"

"Don't be impatient." Chen Qun sat down by the window. "The more he acts like this, the more it shows that he has something to hide, and the more it shows that the old master is safe for now."

The attendant asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"If he truly wanted to break ties with our lord, he would have had countless ways to embarrass me at the banquet tonight, or even to arrest and punish me directly. But he didn't. He simply left me here, which shows that he wants to keep our army tied up here, waiting for news from Yuan Shu in the south."

Wait until the battle between Yuan Shu and our lord in the south is decided. If our lord is defeated, Cao Song will be his pledge of allegiance to Yuan Shu; if our lord wins, Cao Song will not have suffered any real harm, and if our lord sends troops to Xuzhou, it would be making a mountain out of a molehill.

A fine meal was served and the price was set.

The attendant suddenly realized what was happening, but then became worried: "What should we do now? We can't just keep waiting here."

"Tao Qian, though nominally the governor, has long been sidelined by his generals and local powerful clans. Cao Bao has clearly sided with Yuan Shu, while the gentry of Xu Province remain ambiguous. The Mi family of Donghai is extremely wealthy, and its lord, Mi Zhu, is known for his foresight. The Chen family of Xiapi has been officials for generations, and its lord, Chen Gui, is mature and prudent. Tomorrow, I will pay them a visit."

East Sea, Mi Mansion.

This richest man in Xuzhou, dressed in an elegant silk robe, looked more like a Confucian businessman than a wealthy tycoon reeking of money.

"Mr. Changwen, I've long admired you." Mi Zhu personally poured tea for Chen Qun.

"Young Master Mi, you're too kind." Chen Qun picked up his teacup but didn't drink it. He got straight to the point, "Young Master Mi, you surely know why I've come here today."

Mi Zhu smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing: "Prefect Tao is the ruler of a prefecture. How dare we merchants interfere with his decisions?"

"Young Master Mi is a merchant, so naturally you consider the pros and cons," Chen Qun said, setting down his teacup and looking directly at him. "Tao Qian is old, and within Xuzhou there are arrogant and fierce generals like Cao Bao, while outside there are wolves like Yuan Shu eyeing us. May I ask, Young Master Mi, how long can the stability of Xuzhou be maintained?"

Mi Zhu's smile faded slightly.

"My lord, though of humble origins, is not as noble as the Yuan family, but he has the ambition to restore order to the world. He quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion, secured Yanzhou, established military farms and trained troops, and promoted only the talented. He is the true great ruler. Young Master Mi, is it better to bet on an old man who is nearing the end of his life, or to invest in a powerful ruler with a bright future? This calculation should not be difficult to make."

Mi Zhu remained silent.

He certainly didn't think highly of Tao Qian, and he disliked Yuan Shu even more. He had been watching Cao Cao's rise all along, but hadn't made up his mind.

"I understand your meaning, sir." After a long silence, Mi Zhu slowly spoke, "However, this matter is of great importance and cannot be decided by me alone. Chen Yuanlong of the Chen family of Xiapi has always been on good terms with me, and I may be able to... introduce him to you."

This is already a disguised form of easing off.

Chen Qun was secretly delighted, but his face remained calm: "In that case, I will trouble Young Master Mi."

Before Chen Qun went to see Chen Gui, a fast horse broke through the morning mist of Xiapi City and rushed to the governor's mansion.

"Urgent report! A message sent urgently from Jingzhou!"

Almost at the same time, hundreds of miles away in Puyang, Cao Cao also received the news in his council hall.

The scout pulled a bamboo tube sealed with sealing wax from his pocket and held it high.

Five days ago, Sun Jian led a small, isolated force deep into enemy territory in a night attack on Xiangyang. He fell into a trap set by Liu Biao's strategist, Kuai Liang, and was lured to Xian Mountain! There, he was ambushed and killed by Lü Gong, a general under Huang Zu! Sun Jian... died on the spot!

A few days ago, in this very place, Xun Hao asserted that Sun Jian was "too rigid and easily broken," and that "he would surely be defeated within two months."

The words are still ringing in my ears!

The gazes of the crowd toward Xun Hao were tinged with a hint of awe.

Cao Cao's body trembled violently at first, and then an uncontrollable surge of joy burst forth from his chest.

He suddenly stood up, snatched the bamboo tube from the scout's hand, broke the seal himself, and pulled out the silk book inside.

After a while, he raised his head and let out a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha... Hahahaha! Heaven is helping me! Heaven is helping me!"

Cao Cao walked up to Xun Hao, reached out his hand, and patted Xun Hao's shoulder heavily.

The force caused Xun Hao's body to sway. Guo Jia's eyelids twitched, and without thinking, he stepped forward and supported Xun Hao's arm.

"My lord is valiant; our Yanruo cannot withstand your palm strike." His tone carried a hint of jest as he separated Xun Hao from Cao Cao's men.

In short, he both praised Cao Cao's bravery and protected his beloved.

Xun Yu watched from the side, his eye twitching slightly.

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao was not angry at all; instead, he laughed even more heartily.

"Yanruo, I am truly blessed to have you!"

"My lord, you can't say that," Guo Jia muttered softly from the side. "Yanruo isn't yours."

The veins on Xun Yu's forehead began to throb again.

He stepped forward and stood on the other side of Xun Hao. "Guo Fengxiao, you should stop now. Yan Ruo is a member of the Xun family."

Amidst this eerie atmosphere of "struggle," a second messenger rushed in.