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

Xun Hao was taken aback by his shout.

Looking at the undisguised worry and lingering fear on Guo Jia's face, the resentment he felt, thinking "I was only doing this for our future boss," instantly vanished.

Yes, he made a mistake.

He only thought about ensuring the plan would be foolproof, but forgot about the person beside him who would worry about him.

Using the "Legacy Plan" to deduce Lü Bu's whereabouts had already greatly exhausted him, and the shock he had just experienced made Guo Jia's anger the last straw, leaving him completely powerless.

He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes obscuring the emotions within them.

"Brother Fengxiao," his voice was soft, with a hint of weakness that was hard to detect, "I was wrong."

Guo Jia wanted to say something more, but he saw that Xun Hao's face was even paler than usual, and his lips were bloodless. The words "Try it again if you do it again" that were on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.

After the anger subsided, all that remained was lingering fear and heartache.

Just as Guo Jia was caught in a dilemma, Xun Hao made his move.

Following Guo Jia's grip, he leaned forward, buried his head in Guo Jia's waist and abdomen, and wrapped his arms around him.

"I was wrong, I'll never do it again."

The boy's body was still trembling slightly, his voice muffled and nasal, like a kitten that had done something wrong and was begging for forgiveness.

Guo Jia's body stiffened.

The sensation coming from her waist was Xun Hao's slender touch and slightly cool body temperature.

His rage was completely extinguished, like a bucket of snow water poured over his head, leaving only wisps of white steam.

"I'm scared." Xun Hao's voice was even lower, with a hint of grievance, as he rubbed against his waist.

Guo Jia sighed, raised his hand, and somewhat stiffly placed it on Xun Hao's head, gently rubbing it.

"You..."

What else could he say?

This little thing always manages to pinpoint his weakness and then poke at it without hesitation.

Just then, the butler's respectful voice came from outside the door.

"Young Master Guo, Young Master Xun, news has come from the Prime Minister's residence that Prime Minister Dong has believed the rumors, angrily denounced Yuan Shao for harboring evil intentions, and sent men to arrest him."

The two people inside the room both paused in their movements.

Guo Jia looked down at the person still nestled in his arms.

Xun Hao slowly raised his head, his once clear and cold eyes now filled with clarity.

The plan succeeded!

Guo Jia showed no joy whatsoever. He held Xun Hao's shoulder, pulled him away from his embrace, and carefully examined his face by the dim candlelight.

"Come here, let me take a look."

Xun Hao obediently let him pull him to sit down on the couch.

Guo Jia's gaze traveled down Xun Hao's pale face, and when he saw a glaring abrasion on Xun Hao's wrist hidden under his sleeve, his breath caught in his throat.

It was from being cut by splinters when I was thrown out of the shattered carriage.

"Does it hurt?" Guo Jia's voice was a little hoarse.

Xun Hao shook his head.

Guo Jia didn't ask any more questions. He turned around and rummaged through his bag, taking out a small porcelain bottle and a clean cloth.

He crouched down, took Xun Hao's wrist in his hand, and carefully applied the cool ointment to the wound with his fingertips. His movements were focused, and his lowered eyelids concealed all the emotions in his peach blossom eyes.

The room was very quiet.

Xun Hao looked at the man squatting in front of him.

This guy, who was usually so unserious and frivolous, was now so serious that it made his heart flutter.

"Brother Fengxiao," Xun Hao said softly, "about Wang Yun..."

"Don't speak," Guo Jia interrupted him without looking up. "Take care of your injuries first."

He carefully wrapped the wound with a cloth, tied a knot, and then raised his head, his gaze returning to Xun Hao's face.

"That old fox Wang Yun is probably feeling pretty smug right now." Guo Jia's tone returned to its usual teasing tone, but the somber look in his eyes hadn't faded. "We handed him a knife, and he not only stabbed Dong Zhuo, but also took the opportunity to stab the Yuan family in the back. Killing two birds with one stone, of course he's happy."

Xun Hao's mind worked quickly: "He's at odds with Grand Tutor Yuan Wei?"

"It's more than just incompatibility." Guo Jia stood up and paced around the room. "As leaders of the scholar class, two tigers cannot share one mountain. Yuan Kui, with his family's 'four generations of high-ranking officials,' has secured his position. Although Wang Yun comes from the Wang family of Taiyuan, he is ultimately inferior. If he wants to monopolize the reputation of the upright officials in the court, he must overshadow the Yuan family."

Guo Jia's analysis was incisive.

"Therefore, framing Yuan Shao is exactly what he wants. He cooperated so diligently, both to rid the country of a traitor and to suppress his political enemies."

Xun Hao understood.

This Minister Situ was indeed loyal to the Han Dynasty, but his ambition to exclude dissidents and seize power was also real.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.

A spy planted by the Xun family, disguised as a servant of the Prince's mansion, whispered a report outside the door.

"My lord, the Prime Minister's residence has ordered the four gates sealed off and the entire city placed under martial law! The residences of Yuan Wei and Yuan Shao are now completely surrounded by the Xiliang army!"

Guo Jia and Xun Hao exchanged a glance.

Dong Zhuo's reaction was faster and more intense than they had anticipated.

The entire city of Luoyang was immediately placed under martial law.

The atmosphere at Wang Yun's residence became tense over the next two days.

Xun Hao and Guo Jia were "protected" in the courtyard and were not allowed to leave the house.

News from the outside world poured into this small house like snowflakes.

Dong Zhuo flew into a rage in the Prime Minister's residence, smashing countless objects and declaring that he would exterminate the entire Yuan family.

Yuan Shao remained secluded in his residence, and his former students and officials, who attempted to seek his help, were blocked at the gate by the Xiliang army and had no way to plead their case.

The air in Luoyang was so heavy it was almost dripping with moisture.

Until dusk on the third day.

The latest news came as a complete shock to everyone.

Grand Tutor Yuan Wei entered the Prime Minister's residence at Dong Zhuo's "invitation".

An hour later, he came out of the Prime Minister's residence, his expression as usual.

Immediately afterwards, Dong Zhuo ordered the siege of Yuan's residence to be lifted.

Then, an edict issued in the name of the new emperor Liu Xie spread throughout Luoyang.

The imperial edict praised Dong Zhuo for being "loyal to the emperor and devoted to the country, and wholeheartedly devoted to the public good," and said that his entry into the capital with his troops was to "purge the emperor's inner circle and secure the country." The person who wrote the edict was Yuan Wei.

The Yuan family has given in.

In exchange, Yuan Shao, who was trapped in his mansion, received a pass to leave Luoyang.

That night, Yuan Shao, along with his family and entourage, fled Luoyang at full speed under the "escort" of the Xiliang army, heading straight for Ji Province.

"Oh."

After hearing the scout's report, Guo Jia let out a soft, ambiguous laugh.

"The Yuan family, with its 'four generations of high-ranking officials,' has actually knelt down like this?" He walked to the window and looked at the bare locust tree in the courtyard. "To protect Yuan Benchu, Yuan Kui has even abandoned all sense of shame."

"As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn," Xun Hao calmly replied. "Yuan Shao is the most promising member of the next generation of the Yuan family. As long as he lives, the Yuan family has hope. Compared with the future of the entire family, what is a momentary reputation?"