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

Guo Jia cupped Xun Hao's face in his hands, forcibly turning his pale face towards him and forcing his eyes to look at him: "Yanruo, you are not a god! You get tired, you feel pain, you die! Try to believe in us just this once, believe in the lord you chose, believe that we are not useless cowards who can't do anything!"

Seeing the fear and undisguised worry in Guo Jia's eyes, he finally snapped out of his obsessive self-blame. He breathed heavily, his tense body slowly relaxing, and nodded.

"Hua Tuo... find a wandering physician named Hua Tuo... perhaps he can save General Yuan Rang."

Upon learning of Xiahou Dun's name, Cao Cao immediately informed the warlords still "putting out fires" in Luoyang, hoping someone would know his whereabouts. Yuan Shu, busy inventorying the treasures unearthed from the imperial treasury, scoffed at this, dismissing it as mere ramblings from Cao Cao after his defeat. Sun Jian's men, searching the inner palace gardens, seemed intent on finding something specific, paying no heed to the news.

Only Kong Rong, upon hearing this, slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Hua Tuo! I remember now! This man traveled to Beihai a month ago and treated my headaches. His medical skills are truly superb! I will immediately send someone back to Beihai at top speed to invite him here!"

Inside Luoyang, the fire still raged. Yuan Shu's army had no interest in the charred scrolls; their target was the treasuries of the imperial palace and the mansions of high-ranking officials, where they frantically dug for gold and silver treasures amidst the ruins.

Meanwhile, in Sun Jian's army, a soldier responsible for fetching water was curiously examining a strange wooden bucket that had just been drawn from a dry well, by the light of a fire. Inside the bucket, besides half a bucket of murky muddy water, was a heavy, exquisitely carved wooden box.

As Dong Zhuo led the emperor and millions of people westward, the migrating procession, like a long gray dragon, snaked its way into the western horizon. Cao Cao, his eyes bloodshot, stared at the endless procession, at the corpses lying by the roadside, and at the numb, desperate eyes of the people. He made a decision that shocked everyone.

"Pass on my order! Divide two thousand troops to escort the scrolls and the wounded back east! The rest of you, follow me to pursue the traitor Dong Zhuo!"

His generals were alarmed upon hearing this: "My lord, our army has just suffered a defeat and is short of troops. To pursue them now would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock!"

Cao Cao whirled around, pointing to the path of death in the distance, and roared hoarsely, "Do you see that? Those are all my Han people! If we, who have raised this righteous army, cannot even save them, how can we talk about restoring the Han dynasty!"

Inside the carriage, Xun Hao overheard Cao Cao's words. He struggled to his feet and said to Guo Jia, "We can tell Lord Cao about our backup plan now."

Guo Jia glanced at him, said nothing, silently draped a thick cloak over him, and helped him out of the carriage.

Xun Hao stood on the carriage shaft, looking at Cao Cao's back, which, though not imposing, appeared incredibly resolute in the firelight. He had chosen the right person.

This man may have countless flaws, but at this moment, the light shining from him is enough to illuminate this dark era.

Cao Cao led several thousand remaining soldiers and began the pursuit, following the trail left by Dong Zhuo's army.

As Cao Cao's army entered a narrow mountain pass, the scouts ahead suddenly brought back astonishing news.

"Report! My lord! The vanguard of Dong Zhuo's army has been blocked at the Xingyang Pass, several miles ahead, and the entire migrating caravan has come to a standstill!"

This news gave the exhausted Cao army a much-needed boost.

"Heaven is on our side!" Cao Cao was overjoyed and immediately ordered the entire army to advance at a faster pace.

When they arrived, everyone was stunned by what they saw.

At the pass, several massive boulders, each weighing over a thousand kilograms, lay across the middle of the road, completely blocking the already narrow mountain path.

The Xiliang army was organizing laborers to try to move the boulder using the most primitive methods, but with little success. The overseer soldiers were brandishing whips, and curses, cries, and pleas mingled together, creating a chaotic scene.

A startling light flashed in Cao Cao's eyes. Just as he was about to give the order, an intelligence agent planted by the Xun family in Cao Cao's army quietly approached Xun Hao's carriage and whispered his report.

"Young master, everything has been done as you instructed." The man's face showed a hint of excitement and admiration. "Master Ma Heng's portable lever is indeed very useful. We only needed a few dozen people to pry these boulders off the hillside."

Inside the carriage, Xun Hao leaned against Guo Jia's chest and nodded gently, his opinion of the taciturn carpenter Ma Heng rising even higher.

Guo Jia patted him to the back to catch his breath, a knowing smile playing on his lips, and whispered in his ear, "Wenruo's actions are faster than we expected."

The plan was finalized after persuading the feudal lords to march. Xun Hao had calculated the inevitable route, while Xun Yu was responsible for contacting the remaining Xun family members in Luoyang to carry out this crucial step.

"Brother... he just did what he thought was right." Xun Hao's voice was somewhat unsteady.

"My lord, Mr. Wenruo has sent someone with a message!" A personal guard rushed over and handed Cao Cao a roll of cloth.

Cao Cao unfolded it and saw only a few words in Xun Yu's handwriting, informing him that arrangements had been made at the pass and that he should act according to the situation.

Cao Cao suddenly looked up, glancing in the direction of Xun Hao's carriage, a look of understanding and astonishment flashing in his eyes. He had initially thought it was just a coincidence, but it turned out to be deliberate!

"Pass on my orders!" Cao Cao seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. His voice trembled slightly with excitement. "The army will bypass the boulders from the flank slope. Target: the enemy's central area! Remember, our objective is not to kill the enemy, but to rescue people! Disperse the Xiliang soldiers who are driving away the civilians and liberate the people!"

"Here you go!"

Thousands of Cao Cao's troops launched an attack from the steep hillside.

The rear of Dong Zhuo's army, already in disarray due to the road blockage, was completely caught off guard by the sudden appearance of such a surprise force from their flank and rear, causing their formation to fall into chaos.

The soldiers of Cao Cao's army kept Cao Cao's orders in mind, and instead of engaging in close combat with the main force of the Xiliang army, they focused their attacks on the stragglers who were driving away and guarding the civilians.

In an instant, tens of thousands of people cried out and fled in all directions, escaping that road of death.

The Xiliang army's formation was completely disrupted. The generals wanted to organize a counterattack, but they were blocked by the tide of fleeing civilians and could not form an effective command.

Cao Cao stood on the high slope, looking at the chaotic scene and the people who had regained their freedom, his heart filled with boundless pride.

"Are you happy now?" Guo Jia asked.

"Mm," Xun Hao responded softly.

"That's good." Guo Jia pressed his head against his shoulder and whispered, "Get some sleep. There's still a tough battle ahead."