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

Zhou Yu, neither humble nor arrogant, bowed to the two men again: "Mr. Xun, you flatter me. Lord Wentai has just passed away, and I, Bofu, am overcome with grief. My words and actions may have been inappropriate, and I hope you two will forgive me."

He paused, then his tone suddenly became sharp.

"However, since Mr. Xun can offer advice to Liu Jingsheng, I wonder if he could also point out a way for my brother? If you can help us out of our current predicament, my brother and I are willing to apologize in the street for what happened today."

What a brilliant Zhou Yu!

Do I really have to offer them advice in order to get an apology?!

"OK."

To everyone's surprise, Xun Hao responded swiftly and decisively.

He leaned halfway out from behind Guo Jia and whispered, "Come closer."

Zhou Yu was taken aback.

It's definitely not advisable to announce your plan so loudly on the street.

Zhou Yu dismounted, tossed the reins to the general behind him, and walked alone toward the carriage. Reaching the carriage, he bowed slightly to the slender figure inside the curtain.

Xun Hao said softly, "Use the Imperial Seal to exchange for troops with Yuan Shu."

Zhou Yu's body stiffened abruptly upon hearing the words "Imperial Seal of the State".

This is Sun Ce's biggest secret!

When Sun Jian, the father of Sun Jian, obtained the Imperial Seal of the State from a well in Luoyang, no one outside of the father, son and a few trusted generals knew about it!

After his father's death, Sun Ce inherited the Imperial Seal, which was both a priceless treasure and a hot potato.

Xun Hao's voice continued, "Yuan Shu has long coveted this item. You can exchange it with him for three thousand of your father's old troops, and borrow some more soldiers."

"Then, they crossed the Yangtze River to the east and occupied Jiangdong."

"Your father has been operating in Jiangdong for many years and has a deep foundation. His old subordinates and the Jiangdong gentry will all support Sun Bofu. That is where you can truly stand."

Zhou Yu didn't know how he got back to his horse.

His mind was blank, buzzing.

Every word Xun Hao uttered was exactly the same as his most secret plan!

It may not be without cause.

This person truly possesses abilities beyond the comprehension of gods and ghosts!

"Gongjin? Gongjin!" Sun Ce, seeing his pale face and dazed expression, couldn't help but urge, "What did he say to you?"

Zhou Yu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

He mounted the horse, but his movements were somewhat stiff.

He did not answer Sun Ce's question, but instead faced the direction of the carriage, solemnly clasped his hands, and bowed deeply.

"We have been presumptuous today."

"Sir, you are a man of great talent. Zhou Yu is deeply grateful for your guidance."

After saying that, he didn't hesitate for a moment, suddenly pulled on the reins, and shouted at Sun Ce.

"Bo Fu, let's go!"

Sun Ce was full of doubts, but seeing his close friend's unprecedentedly solemn expression, he didn't ask any more questions. He glared at the carriage and spurred his horse to follow.

The Jiangdong generals, bewildered, followed the two and quickly disappeared at the end of the street. Only when the group was completely out of sight did Guo Jia release his grip on Xun Hao's wrist. He turned around and looked at his beloved's face, which was paler than usual, feeling both angry and heartbroken.

"you……"

He had barely opened his mouth when Xun Hao's body went limp and he fell into his arms.

"Brother Fengxiao, you scared me to death!"

Xun Hao leaned on his shoulder, his voice tinged with weariness, his warm breath brushing against his neck.

Guo Jia's full-blown reproach vanished in an instant.

He carefully helped the man to his feet, making him more comfortable, while his other hand checked his pulse.

Xun Hao was often unwell, so Guo Jia learned some basic medical skills from Hua Tuo. He had a photographic memory and soon learned to take a pulse.

At this moment, seeing that his pulse was steady, though slightly weak, Guo Jia's anxiety eased somewhat.

Upon entering the post station, Guo Jia jumped off the carriage first, while Dian Wei, holding his double halberds, stood in front of the two, cautiously scanning their surroundings.

The innkeeper jogged out to greet them and led them to the best courtyard, the "Heavenly Courtyard." Just as the group reached the corner of the courtyard, they bumped into another group.

It was Sun Ce and Zhou Yu.

The air in the courtyard seemed to freeze instantly.

Sun Ce's gaze swept over and saw Xun Hao. He snorted heavily, then turned his head and strode towards the guest room on the other side, showing that he really had no intention of making a move again.

Dian Wei's large, fan-like hand was already resting on the iron halberd. He looked at Guo Jia and asked in a deep voice, "Strategist, shall we change our allegiance?"

"No need," Guo Jia shook his head.

Xun Hao straightened his wind-blown clothes. "With Zhou Yu around, Sun Ce won't act impulsively. Zhou Gongjin is a smart man; he knows that living together will actually ensure our safety."

He paused, then added, "Zhou Yu is Sun Ce's brain."

Upon hearing this, Guo Jia couldn't help but chime in: "That's why he himself didn't grow any."

He originally whispered these words into Xun Hao's ear, but before Sun Ce and his party had gone far, every word reached Zhou Yu's ears.

Sun Ce didn't care at all; he never cared what others said about him.

Zhou Yu stopped in his tracks.

He turned around, and the composed smile was gone from his handsome and refined face. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Guo Jia, his tone still polite, but the words were sharp and confrontational.

"My brother is pure of heart and has his heart set on the battlefield, unlike some people who are full of tricks and have more cunning than a sieve."

This is a satire of Guo Jia's deep scheming.

Upon hearing this, Guo Jia raised an eyebrow, not annoyed at all, but instead laughed.

"That's not quite right." He put his arm around Xun Hao's shoulder and pulled him closer. "A brain is only a brain if it's on your own body. If it's on someone else's body, it's just an external device, and it's never very convenient to use."

Xun Hao silently gave Guo Jia a thumbs up in his heart.

External brain – that's an amazing description.

Zhou Yu's expression finally lost its composure and turned somewhat unpleasant. He realized that reasoning with the man before him was pointless.

The opponent's approach was unconventional and completely defied logic.

"you!"

"What?" Guo Jia laughed even harder. "If you have time, Brother Gongjin, why don't you teach your son Bofu more? Otherwise, when he goes to the battlefield in the future, he won't know what to do if his 'external devices' are far away."

That's a really hurtful thing to say.

Zhou Yu felt a lump in his throat and couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal for a long time.

Finally, he could only turn away and quickly catch up with Sun Ce's retreating figure.

An invisible battle ended in a complete victory for Guo Jia.

The door closed behind him, shutting him out of the outside world.

The slight, triumphant smile that had been on Guo Jia's face vanished the moment the bolt was bolted. He didn't light a lamp, but simply stared silently at Xun Hao in the dim light filtering in from the window.

Xun Hao felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. He walked to the table, poured himself a glass of water, and moistened his throat. "What's wrong?"

Guo Jia slowly stepped forward, leaning against the edge of the table behind him, completely trapping the man between himself and the table.

"Zhou Lang? That's quite an intimate way to address him."

Xun Hao's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air. So that's what he was angry about.