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

"Brother Fengxiao," Xun Hao finally spoke, his voice soft, "do you think this world can last forever?"

Guo Jia was taken aback, not expecting him to ask that. He thought for a moment and replied, "The great building is about to collapse."

"Well said." Xun Hao lifted the carriage curtain, looking at the busy people outside the window with a distant gaze. "But what I see is not only the collapse of the great edifice, but also widespread famine, the breakdown of rites and music, and people being treated like dirt."

His voice was calm, yet it carried a chilling power.

"I foresee that in the not-too-distant future, the people of this land will experience an unprecedented catastrophe. At that time, our proud poetry, books, and etiquette will become worthless. The only things we can rely on are the sword in our hands and the armor on our bodies."

Guo Jia's heart was deeply moved.

He had always thought he had seen far enough and understood everything clearly. He had seen the decay of the Han Dynasty and the inevitability of chaos. But he had never described such a tragic and desperate scene with such a calm tone as Xun Hao.

"So..." Guo Jia's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Therefore, I don't want to sit idly by and wait for death." Xun Hao lowered the carriage curtain, turned his head, and stared intently at Guo Jia with his clear eyes. "I want to find a way for more people to survive in this chaotic world. To let our family, the people of Yingchuan, and even all the people of the world, get through this harsh winter safely."

A long silence fell over the carriage.

"I understand." After a long while, Guo Jia let out a long sigh of relief. He reached out and tightly grasped Xun Hao's somewhat cold hand, saying in an unprecedentedly serious tone, "Ah Hao, whatever you want to do, I will help you. I will go through fire and water for you."

Xun Hao felt the warmth coming from his palm; that familiar warmth made his tense heartstrings relax slightly.

He knew that Guo Jia was always different to him.

In the blink of an eye, it was the fifth year of the Zhongping era, and Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, had become increasingly ruthless in his methods of accumulating wealth.

He established an official residence in the Western Garden of Luoyang, openly selling official positions and titles. The highest bidder won the positions of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers.

When the news reached Yingchuan, the entire scholarly community was in an uproar.

"Absurd! This is utterly ridiculous!"

"To regard official titles and ranks as mere commodities is no different from that of a merchant. When a nation is about to perish, monstrous calamities will surely arise!"

Amidst the anger and curses, there were also some restless thoughts.

With chaos looming, it's always better to hold power than to be a lamb to the slaughter. Why not buy an official position to both glorify one's family and protect the region?

Just when scholars across the land were quite dissatisfied with the imperial court, an imperial edict summoned Xun Kun to the Xun residence, inviting him to take up a post in the capital.

This move was less of a recruitment and more of a pacification effort. After all, the sale of official positions in the Western Garden had caused a great uproar, and scholars across the land were full of complaints. The court had to make some gestures and recruit some famous scholars to the court to silence the public.

Xun Kun paced back and forth in his residence, his brow furrowed. To go or not to go? That was the question. Luoyang was now at the center of the power struggle between He Jin and the Ten Attendants, the court was in chaos, and danger lurked everywhere. At his age, he had long lost the desire to make a name for himself, and he did not want to drag the entire Xun family into this mess.

"Father, the court has summoned us for service. If we openly refuse, it might give others grounds for criticism," Xun Yu analyzed from the side. "Perhaps... we should feign illness."

"Pretend to be ill?" Xun Kun stopped and sighed. "That's the only way."

The message was sent to the court, which responded readily without making things difficult. However, not long after, a second imperial edict arrived. This time, it was for Xun Yu.

Now, both Xun Kun and Xun Yu were in a dilemma. Xun Kun was a renowned scholar, and if he claimed illness and refused to go, the court would not dare to investigate further.

However, Xun Yu was young, and although he was talented, he was far less influential than his father.

Furthermore, Xun Yu still harbored a glimmer of hope for the Han Dynasty. He longed to enter officialdom, to display his knowledge, and to serve the country.

"Father, I want to go." Xun Yu knelt before Xun Kun, his tone firm.

"Nonsense!" Xun Kun rarely lost his temper. "Do you know what kind of place Luoyang is now? It's a den of dragons and tigers! What could you do there? You'd only become a victim of their political struggles!"

"But that's precisely why I should go. If we scholars all shrink back out of fear, what hope is there for this world?" Xun Yu argued forcefully.

The father and son argued back and forth, neither able to convince the other.

Xun Hao knew better than anyone how dangerous Luoyang was at that moment.

Emperor Ling will die next year. He Jin has brought Dong Zhuo to the capital, and the entire city of Luoyang will become a living hell. It is far too dangerous for my brother to go there.

Seeing the unwavering resolve in his brother's eyes, Xun Hao knew further persuasion was futile. He understood better than anyone how complex Xun Yu's feelings for the Han Dynasty were. It was a loyalty deeply ingrained in the bones of a scholar, a reckless courage to do what was known to be impossible. This emotion was admirable, yet also fatal.

"Since you have made up your mind, brother, I will say no more." Xun Hao lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, "But Luoyang is not like Yingchuan. People's hearts are treacherous there. Please be careful in everything you do, brother."

Seeing that he no longer objected, Xun Yu breathed a sigh of relief, reached out and gently ruffled his hair, his movements as tender as ever. "Don't worry, Gongda is also in Luoyang. We'll look after each other, nothing will happen."

The Gongda he mentioned was Xun You, another talented member of the Xun family. He was Xun Yu's cousin, and although he was a little older, Xun Yu still had to call him nephew according to seniority.

Xun Hao didn't have a deep impression of this cousin he had only met a few times and had no close relationship with. He only remembered that the historical records said he was "deeply discerning and wise," a person who was extremely good at protecting himself. It would always be good to let Xun Yu listen to his opinions more.

"Gongda is a steady and reliable person. When you go, please consult with him on many matters and do not act on your own initiative," Xun Hao instructed, his tone unconsciously carrying a touch of maturity.

Xun Yu was amused by his grown-up manner and pinched his cheek: "I know, I didn't know my little brother had become so long-winded."

Xun Hao didn't speak again, but took out a warm jade pendant from his sleeve and put it into Xun Yu's hand. This jade pendant was specially made by Ma Heng. It was of ordinary style, but it had a tiny hidden compartment inside that could hold a thin piece of paper covered with writing.

"Brother, please wear this close to your body and never take it off. If you encounter a critical situation, you may open it and take a look."

Xun Yu took the jade pendant, still warm from his younger brother's touch. Looking at Xun Hao's pale and serious face, a mix of sorrow and ambition welled up within him, finally settling into a sigh. He carefully and solemnly tucked the pendant into his robes and nodded.

The day of parting was overcast.

Xun Hao stood before the gate of his mansion, watching his elder brother's entourage slowly depart, surrounded by servants, until it disappeared at the end of the official road. The cold wind ruffled his robes, making his already thin figure appear even more forlorn.