Three Kingdoms, Myth

Cao Cao opened the letter with a deep sense of hatred, but within moments, the letter slipped from his fingers, and he collapsed, overwhelmed by the shock. Cao Cao lay on the ground, gasping, unable to bear the blow.

"Master! Call for the medic!" Cheng Yu, alarmed by Cao Cao's sudden collapse, rushed forward to support him. His eyes involuntarily drifted to the letter that had fallen to the ground, and with a single glance, his pupils constricted to tiny points.

The words on that letter turned Cheng Yu's mind upside down, and in that instant, many things became clear to him. An uncontrollable anger surged through his body.

After some hurried treatment, Cao Cao slowly regained consciousness, though his appearance seemed to have aged several years. He waved away the others, leaving only Cheng Yu by his side.

"Zhongde, you saw the letter, didn't you?" Cao Cao stared at the ceiling of the military tent.

Cheng Yu lowered his head, remaining silent. He deeply regretted not advising Cao Cao to send an emissary to question Xuzhou before launching his attack.

"Do not dwell on this, my lord," Cheng Yu said awkwardly, fully aware that the situation had nothing to do with Tao Qian. They had squandered an opportunity due to unchecked rage.

"A true lord should possess the Nine Virtues: being broad-minded and respectful, gentle yet firm in judgment, humble but dignified, talented and diligent, willing to listen to others yet decisive, upright but mild-mannered, candid yet detail-oriented, incorruptible and down-to-earth, strong and courageous but aligned with righteousness!" Cao Cao murmured, repeating the words that Chen Gong had once used to admonish him.

Cheng Yu remained silent. Though Cao Cao hadn't explicitly admitted his mistake, by quoting Chen Gong's words, it was clear that he realized his error. Yet, as a lord, he couldn't bring himself to openly confess.

"My lord, what matters now is to find the real culprit and seek justice for the old master," Cheng Yu said respectfully, bowing his head.

"Give the letter to Gongda. Tell him that a lord should possess the Nine Virtues. I will take heed of it. Please inform the others not to let my status concern them." Cao Cao handed the letter to Cheng Yu calmly. "This matter ends here. Gongda will know what to do. Wenruo, Zhicai, and Gongtai are likely disappointed in me."

"Summon Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun!" Lying on his bed, Cao Cao signaled Cheng Yu to leave, then called for the Xiahou brothers.

"Brother, what did Uncle's letter say to trouble you so deeply?" Xiahou Yuan asked, clad in armor, worried as he approached Cao Cao.

"Tao Gongzu intended to give Xuzhou to me, but someone intervened, causing me to act in rage and harm so many innocent people. From this moment, stop all slaughter in Xuzhou. Anyone who disobeys this order shall be executed!" Cao Cao's eyes flashed with cold light. He knew his mistake, but he would not openly admit it.

"What!" Xiahou Dun exclaimed, stunned. "Who would dare do such a thing!"

"Don't concern yourself with that. Just carry out the order. Keep this matter between the two of you," Cao Cao instructed.

After the Xiahou brothers left, Xun You and Cheng Yu entered together. "My lord."

"Gongda, how should we handle this matter?" Cao Cao immediately asked Xun You.

"Just this once," Xun You replied, looking at Cao Cao.

"Chen Gongtai is right," Cao Cao sighed, sitting up straight and staring firmly at Xun You.

"This matter is simple," Xun You said calmly. He wasn't as devout as Xun Yu, but he had his own principles. Seeing that Cao Cao recognized his mistake, Xun You decided that this acknowledgment was enough for a lord.

"Currently, Xuzhou is in chaos. While most of it was caused by our forces, if we stop the killing now and simultaneously eliminate the bandits and rioters while conducting large-scale disaster relief, we can pin the blame on a disfavored family. The situation will resolve itself," Xun You explained with a detached expression.

"Good, let's do that!" Cao Cao's face lit up with hope. Though the situation was grim, if they could manage it properly, the repercussions could be minimized.

"Conduct relief efforts with full force. Let the surviving people of Xuzhou believe that those who accused us of slaughter were slandering us. Since the dead cannot speak, the living will acknowledge us as their saviors. My lord, simply remain silent when discussing the massacre, and show a hint of regret. That's all that's needed," Xun You suggested, appearing distant but precise.

Cheng Yu, after hearing Xun You's plan, realized that they could create a bizarre situation where, although Cao Cao was indeed responsible for the massacre, his subsequent relief efforts and the involvement of other forces would allow them to shift the blame elsewhere.

"My lord, focus on the relief efforts. The dead cannot speak, and even if the survivors witnessed the slaughter, after our aid, we can shift all the blame onto others. Moreover, since there were indeed other forces involved in the massacre, we can fully cover this up," Cheng Yu said with joy, elaborating on Xun You's plan.

Cheng Yu shared the surprising news that other forces, not just bandits and rioters, were involved. This was almost like divine intervention, giving them a scapegoat ready to take the fall.

"My lord, do not deny the massacre outright. You may admit to being momentarily enraged and ask for forgiveness, but never try to absolve yourself completely. Other lords will know the truth, but as long as no one can confirm the numbers, this matter will fade. When discussing it in the future, show a hint of helplessness and nothing more," Xun You advised, rejecting the idea of completely denying responsibility.

"Thank you, Gongda," Cao Cao said, bowing deeply to Xun You.

Cao Cao knew that Xun You had provided him with a way out. In the future, history might record that Cao Cao, in a moment of rage, killed a few people but soon realized his mistake and conducted relief efforts.

Even if tens of thousands died, the fact that he saved tens of thousands more could overshadow the massacre. Historians might gloss over this episode, portraying Cao Cao as a flawed yet redeemable leader. The narrative had been set, and the oath he made to Xun You in return was worth the cost.