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

Inside the Puyang government office, the lights were bright, and people were drinking and making merry.

The melodious sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air, the dancers' long sleeves fluttered gracefully, and the laughter and cheers in the hall almost lifted the roof off.

Cao Cao was in high spirits today. He personally helped his father, Cao Song, and introduced him to his civil and military officials one by one.

Cao Cao raised his wine cup high, standing in the hall, full of vigor: "Today, with my stern father here and with all of you assisting me, I have gained control of the entire Yan Province. This is truly the greatest fortune of my life! This first cup is to toast my father, wishing him longevity and good health!"

"The second toast is to all my meritorious officials, for joining me in this great undertaking!"

"The third cup is a toast to this bright and clear world, wishing that we can sweep away all obstacles and restore peace to the land!"

Everyone stood up in unison, responded with a resounding roar, and drank it all in one gulp.

Xun Hao held his wine cup, looking at the imposing figure in the hall, then at Guo Jia beside him with a smile in his eyes, and gently nudged him with his knee on the table.

Guo Jia paused, his hand holding the wine cup. He turned his head, his peach blossom eyes gleaming in the lamplight. He didn't speak, but instead nudged Guo Jia harder with his knee.

It carried a hint of intimacy and possessiveness that only the two of them could understand.

Just as the hall was filled with celebration, a series of hurried and frantic footsteps came from outside the palace, "Chang-an-800-li-urgent dispatch!"

Before the smile on Cao Cao's face had faded, he put down his wine cup, and Xun You strode over and took the bamboo tube sealed with sealing wax from the scout's hand.

He broke the seal, pulled out the silk scroll inside, and handed it to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao's expression changed at just one glance.

It was a complex expression, a mixture of shock, ecstasy, and disbelief; his hand holding the silk scroll was trembling slightly.

"My lord?" Xun Yu stepped forward and took the silk scroll from Cao Cao's hand.

He glanced at it, then cleared his throat and read the contents aloud with barely concealed excitement.

"The traitor Dong Zhuo was assassinated by his adopted son Lü Bu in front of the Weiyang Palace!"

"The corpse was abandoned in a bustling marketplace, its navel used as a wick, and it was lit, called: a sky lantern!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence, and then it exploded with a deafening roar!

"Good! Well done! Heaven has eyes!" Xiahou Dun slammed his fist on the table, making the cups and plates rattle.

"The traitor Dong Zhuo has been executed! This is a great relief!" Cao Hong and the others shouted, raising their arms in celebration.

Xun You and Cheng Yu exchanged a glance, but there was little joy in their eyes; instead, they were deep in thought about the dramatic changes in the world's格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall situation or landscape).

With Dong Zhuo dead, Guanzhong will surely descend into chaos. Who will take the emperor's place? And what will become of the various warlords?

Amidst the wave of shock, jubilation, and discussion, only one person reacted differently.

Guo Jia.

Upon hearing the word "sky lantern," his first reaction was not to look at Cao Cao, but to turn his head sharply and fix his eyes on Xun Hao beside him.

He grabbed Xun Hao's wrist with such force that Xun Hao felt a slight pain.

Without saying a word, he pulled Xun Hao to his feet and quickly walked to a corner of the council hall behind a pillar, avoiding everyone's view.

"Brother Fengxiao?" Xun Hao asked, somewhat puzzled. The force coming from his wrist made him frown slightly.

Guo Jia did not answer. He turned his back to the noisy crowd and surrounded Xun Hao between himself and the pillar, creating a closed and oppressive space.

He lowered his voice, and his voice, which always carried a hint of a smile, was now more solemn than ever before.

"Yanruo".

He spoke slowly and deliberately, “Three months ago, you told me that Wang Yun was secretly plotting to use Lü Bu to assassinate Dong Zhuo, and that Dong Zhuo would be burned as a sky lantern after his death.”

"Half a month ago, you predicted that Sun Jian would fall into a trap and be defeated by Liu Biao. Once is one thing, but this ability to decide life and death with a single word must never be shown to others so easily again!"

This was almost a scolding tone.

Xun Hao had never seen Guo Jia like this before.

Xun Hao's tense body gradually softened under the other person's anxious gaze. He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes concealing the emotions within, and then nodded obediently.

Seeing his appearance, Guo Jia's anxiety subsided slightly. He released Xun Hao's wrist, but instead slid down to envelop Xun Hao's cool hand.

"Yanruo, promise me." His tone softened.

Xun Hao turned his hand over and gently hooked Guo Jia's finger with his own, then shook it.

He leaned closer, his warm breath brushing against Guo Jia's ear, and whispered in a volume only the two of them could hear, almost like a whisper.

"Okay, I promise."

He paused for a moment, feeling the stiff body and held breath of the person beside him, and then slightly raised the corners of his mouth to finish the sentence.

"From now on... I will only tell Brother Fengxiao."

These words carried a promise of absolute trust and complete reliance. Guo Jia looked at Xun Hao, who was so close to him, and at himself reflected in those clear eyes. His Adam's apple bobbed.

It turns out that there really is a voice in this world that can turn even the hardest steel into something as soft as silk.

Every banquet must eventually come to an end.

After the guests left and the noise subsided, Cao Cao helped his slightly tipsy father back to the backyard to rest. Xun Yu also left with his sons, telling him not to worry about the child before he left, as the baby was being well taken care of by Tang Shi.

Guo Jia was furious, but Xun Wenruo was deliberately trying to sow discord in his eyes.

Although the matter of the jade pendant has been clarified, clearing him of the injustice of "starting a relationship and then abandoning it," the origin of that child remains shrouded in mystery.

He cannot truly find peace of mind until the problem is solved.

"Still thinking about that child?" Xun Hao let him pull him along as they slowly walked back to his courtyard.

Guo Jia's throat bobbed; he neither admitted nor denied it.

This is the default.

Xun Hao looked at him like this, and a smile that he himself did not notice flashed in his eyes.

He reached out, grabbed Guo Jia's sleeve, and pulled him to his side, where they sat down together on a stone bench in the courtyard.

"I was out of my mind that day... I was furious." Xun Hao lowered his eyes, looking at their knees side by side. "Actually, I forgot to tell you something a long time ago."

Guo Jia turned his head to look at him.

"I know where that child comes from."

"His name is Guo Yi, with the single character Yi, which is taken from the word 'playing chess'."

"He is your cousin, Guo Cheng's son."

Guo Jia's breath hitched for a moment. He certainly remembered the name Guo Cheng; he was a cousin who was closely related to him by blood. Guo Cheng had been transferred to an official post in another region a few years ago, and they hadn't seen each other for several years.

"Guo Cheng and his wife shielded the infant Guo Yi with their bodies. The old servant Guo Zhong, who was with them, dug out the only bloodline of the Guo family from under them."

"That old servant carried his last hope and wandered all the way, begging his way to Yingchuan. Hearing that you were here, he finally came." He had considered countless possibilities, even whether it was a conspiracy by his political enemies, but he never imagined that the truth would be such a cruel family tragedy.

"You used deduction again?" Guo Jia's eyes blazed with anger as he regained his senses. "I've sent people to investigate Guo Cheng's matter; we'll have results in a month or two at most! Is such a trivial matter worth using such a mentally taxing method?!"