Jia Xu: If This Man Remains, We Shall Die Without a Burial Ground

Leaving aside Cao Cao's thoughts, Zhang Xiu stepped out of the command tent. The world was ice and snow, and when the cold wind blew, a chill ran down his back.

Reaching out to touch himself, he discovered that cold sweat had already soaked through his inner clothes!

He looked back at Cao Cao's great tent, still shaken with lingering fear.

He had no idea how much of Cao Cao summoning him had been sincere and how much had been a test.

He could not even figure out whether he had already been exposed.

He hurried back toward his own tent, and as soon as he entered, he ordered someone to summon Jia Xu.

Anyone familiar with the Three Kingdoms surely knew Jia Xu's name.

He had first served Dong Zhuo, later urged Li Jue and Guo Si to throw the government into chaos, and was also the mastermind behind the Battle of Wan City.

Yet this Poison Scholar did not bear the sinister appearance traditionally associated with such men.

Jia Xu was slightly plump, with a round face and a kindly expression.

Had one not known his true nature, one would never have connected him to that Poison Scholar so skilled at reading hearts.

Yet that appearance was Jia Xu's greatest disguise.

Hearing Zhang Xiu's summons, Jia Xu came to Zhang Xiu's tent. Zhang Xiu rose to greet him and cried urgently:

"Sir, save me! Sir, save me!"

Seeing this, Jia Xu was slightly startled and asked:

"Why is the General so distressed?"

"What exactly happened?"

"Sir, please listen while I explain!"

Grasping Jia Xu's hand, Zhang Xiu hurriedly recounted everything that had happened in the command tent.

When he finished, he was still pale with fright.

"I thought no one knew of Sir's plan, but Qin Zixuan somehow discovered it!"

"Cao Cao tested me like that just now. Though I put on an act and placated him, whether Cao Cao believed me is still uncertain."

"Now that our plan has been exposed, what should we do?"

Listening to Zhang Xiu, Jia Xu lightly stroked his beard and narrowed his eyes.

"I was wondering why the camp had become so noisy. So Qin Tian left the camp!"

"I believed my plan had no flaws, yet this man still found a clue. He truly is an extraordinary talent!"

Seeing Jia Xu praise Qin Tian instead of answering him, Zhang Xiu anxiously said:

"Sir, please stop talking about Qin Tian!"

"Our secret has been exposed, and Cao Cao is on guard. What are we to do?"

But Jia Xu merely smiled.

"General, do not worry. There is still room to turn this around!"

"Before that, however, let me ask one more question. Does the General still wish to rebel against Cao?"

"If the General no longer wishes to rebel against Cao, you may seize this opportunity to acknowledge Cao Cao as your father. Your future glory and success would be beyond measure!"

At this, Zhang Xiu's eyes widened.

"What are you saying, Sir? My uncle treated me as his own son, and I regarded him as my own father."

"My uncle's bones are not yet cold. He left behind a widow, only for her to be humiliated by Cao Cao. He has insulted my uncle so grievously—how could I ever acknowledge that traitor as my father?"

"What I said in the tent was merely false flattery. How could it be taken seriously?"

Seeing Zhang Xiu's resolve, Jia Xu did not try to persuade him further. He only smiled.

"If that is the case, then follow the original plan and attack Cao Cao's central army tonight as before!"

Zhang Xiu frowned deeply at this.

"But Sir, Qin Tian has already seen through our plan. How could Cao's army possibly be unprepared?"

"The General is mistaken!"

A sharp glint flashed through Jia Xu's eyes.

"The crucial point of my plan lies solely with Cao Cao himself!"

"Our army is now stationed at the center, allowing us to strike directly at Cao Cao's great tent!"

"Even if Qin Tian's wisdom reached the heavens, as long as Cao Cao does not move his camp, it will have no effect on us!"

"Though Qin Tian has now discovered a clue, Cao Cao has not moved his camp."

"This shows that Qin Tian discovered the clue, but Cao Cao refused to believe him. That is why Qin Tian left the camp to force the matter, rather than being driven away by Cao Cao."

"The reason Cao Cao summoned the General was because he had grown suspicious but lacked conviction, and wanted to probe the General's intentions!"

"Fortunately, the General handled himself cleverly and did not give Cao Cao cause for suspicion."

"Therefore, if the General intends to rebel, tonight is precisely the time to act. Otherwise, whether Qin Tian returns to camp or Cao Cao comes to his senses, the General will die without a burial ground!"

Having said this, Jia Xu clasped his hands.

"There is no time to lose. General, quickly prepare a banquet. Once the wine has gone around three times tonight, it will be time to crush Cao!"

Hearing Jia Xu's analysis, Zhang Xiu immediately nodded repeatedly.

"Sir is right. I shall act according to the plan!"

Then he could not help but chuckle.

"Poor Cao Cao. He has Qin Tian to assist him, yet cannot trust him fully. He deserves to suffer defeat!"

Hearing this, Jia Xu let out a faint sigh.

"What a pity. Qin Zixuan is a peerless talent, yet Cao Cao is suspicious by nature and cannot make use of him!"

"If such a man served an enlightened lord, he could surely pacify the realm and settle this troubled age!"

Faced with Jia Xu's praise for Qin Tian, Zhang Xiu could not help asking curiously:

"I have met Qin Tian as well. Is he truly as formidable as Master Jia says?"

Jia Xu shook his head and smiled.

"Formidable? Far more than merely formidable!"

"The depth of this man's thoughts is simply terrifying!"

"Consider this, General. Several days have passed since we began our preparations. Have we heard even the slightest rumor from Cao Camp?"

"If Cao Cao had trusted him and quietly moved camp, laying an ambush in the central army, then the instant the General rebelled, we would have become a pile of white bones!"

"He knew our army intended to rebel, yet he said nothing. He only secretly informed Cao Cao because he wanted Cao Cao to eliminate the General as quickly as possible!"

"If Cao Cao had listened to him, how would you and I still have the chance to plan here?"

"This man is unlike Xun Yu. Though young, he is ruthless and vicious. If he does not act, so be it—but once he does, he strikes to kill, never leaving his enemy a chance to recover!"

"If this man were still in the camp, we would die without a burial ground!"

Listening to Jia Xu's words, Zhang Xiu could not help imagining it.

His body immediately shuddered, and lingering fear filled him as well.

"If what Sir says is true, then Qin Tian leaving Cao Cao is actually good for our army!"

"It is good—at least, it is not bad for now!"

Jia Xu nodded, though another trace of worry appeared in his eyes.

Qin Tian's departure was indeed good for them at present!

But what about the future? Qin Tian would return sooner or later.

Just as his name implied, he was jade for a crown. Whoever obtained him could wear the crown and dominate the realm!

Cao Cao could not use him well, but sooner or later, someone else would!

And whoever made good use of Qin Tian would be even more terrifying and harder to deal with than Cao Cao.

When that time came, it might not be good news for them at all!

"Achoo!"

At the same time, at Xiyang Settlement northwest of Wan City.

After leaving Cao Camp, Qin Tian and Xu Shu rode onward. In less than two hours, they had traveled forty or fifty li.

Once they had ridden beyond the range of Cao's scouting cavalry, the two slowed down.

A cold gust of wind suddenly blew over. Qin Tian sneezed and drew in his body.

Seeing this, Xu Shu asked curiously:

"Could Zixuan have caught a chill?"

"Xiyang Settlement lies west of here. Why not rest for a night before continuing north?"

Hearing this, Qin Tian shook his head.

"How can I be so delicate? Does Yuanzhi think we are out on some country excursion? We fled for our lives—where would we find time to rest?"

"Let us reach Bowang first!"

Xu Shu frowned.

"Does Zixuan fear that Cao Cao will send men to hunt us down?"

"It is not Cao Cao I fear."

Qin Tian shook his head.

"Though Cao Cao dislikes me, he will remember our old friendship and surely will not harm me."

"But besides Cao Cao, Xun Wenruo is also with the army!"

"That man has always placed the greater good first. Seeing that I am absent, he will certainly grow suspicious. Once he learns I have left, he will surely pursue us."

"I am on good terms with Wenruo. If he comes after us, it will not be easy to refuse him!"

Xu Shu nodded in understanding and gave a bitter smile.

"Zixuan's journey truly is fraught with obstacles!"

"Unlike me—I am alone, with no attachments, free to come and go!"

"You may be free, but you will have your own hardships in the future!"

Qin Tian looked at Xu Shu.

"If my guess is correct, once we reach Xiaopei, you will surely enter Liu Bei's service!"

"Right now, he has only Guan and Zhang among his generals, with neither troops nor provisions. How do you intend to assist him in achieving great ambitions?"

Xu Shu frowned at his words.

"Zixuan, you know that I excel at deploying troops and deciding victory between two armies. But when it comes to managing the overall situation, who in this realm can stand beside you?"

"From what Zixuan says, do you not intend to join Lord Liu?"

"Of course not. Liu Bei cannot yet be joined!"

Qin Tian's expression turned serious.

"In my view, he has three great weaknesses. If he does not change them, he will never accomplish great things!"

"I am only accompanying you this time to observe him."

"If he can change, then serving him would not be impossible. If he cannot, I will head south to Jiangdong and join Sun Ce instead!"

"Lord Liu has three great weaknesses?"

Xu Shu was stunned, then smiled.

"They are surely nothing more than the lack of troops and capable generals you mentioned!"

"Yuanzhi, you are mistaken. The weaknesses I speak of are not external—they lie within himself!"

Qin Tian spoke slowly.

"A shortage of troops and generals can be resolved by recruiting soldiers and buying horses!"

"A lack of money and provisions is not particularly difficult either!"

"But if it is his nature, then even if he wishes to change, it will be hard."

"If Liu Bei cannot correct himself, then for all his life he can only be called a hero of ambition. He will never accomplish great things!"

His words left Xu Shu utterly bewildered. Xu Shu hurriedly said:

"Zixuan, please explain in detail. I would like to hear more!"

Qin Tian was about to clear up Xu Shu's confusion when rapid hoofbeats sounded behind them. Then they heard Xun Yu call out:

"Are Qin Zixuan and Xu Yuanzhi ahead?"

"Xun Wenruo is here. May I ask for a meeting!"

At those words, Qin Tian looked at Xu Shu and spread his hands.

"See? Here he comes."

Xu Shu also looked toward Xun Yu, frowning.

Qin Tian's mouth was truly charmed—whatever he said came true!