What Is Vision? This Is Vision!

Hearing Xun Yu's voice, Qin Tian simply reined in his horse, turned around, and laughed.

"Why are you only arriving now, Wenruo? Tian has been waiting for you for quite some time!"

His voice carried far across the open wilderness, and Xun Yu's heart sank even further as he heard it.

If Qin Tian had asked why he had come, there might still have been room for persuasion.

But the surface meaning of Qin Tian's words was clear: I know why you came, and I have already prepared my response to whatever you will say!

Taken another way, it was Qin Tian declaring that he was definitely leaving. No matter how Xun Yu tried to persuade him, he would still go!

As Xun Yu pondered this, he rode forward with his guards and said, "Zixuan, are you truly determined to leave Lord Cao?"

Qin Tian shook his head and smiled. "If I do not leave, Lord Cao will find no room for me."

Xun Yu's brow furrowed even more deeply. "And what if Lord Cao changes his mind?"

Qin Tian shook his head again. "If Lord Cao changes his mind, that only proves he is fickle. If he can change his mind today, he may well turn against me again in the future!"

"A rift has already formed, and it cannot be mended. Even if Lord Cao employs me in the future, I will find it difficult to put my abilities to use!"

Those two sentences left Xun Yu utterly speechless.

Before coming here, he had prepared countless arguments—perhaps persuading Qin Tian with the greater good of the realm, or perhaps appealing to their friendship.

Yet Qin Tian's words made one thing clear: it was not that he wanted to leave, but that Cao Cao could not tolerate him.

Even if Xun Yu brought him back, it would be of little use!

Qin Tian had made it clear that, regardless of how Cao Cao changed, his own decision would not change again.

After thinking it over, Xun Yu said in a low voice, "Since Zixuan has already made up his mind to leave, Yu should not continue trying to persuade you!"

"But I must ask one thing. Zixuan is the strategist of our army. Since Dong Zhuo's time, it has been entirely through the plans of Zixuan and Zhicai that we have achieved what we have today!"

"Now that Zhicai has only just passed away, Lord Cao has no chief adviser at his side. If Zixuan leaves now, is that not kicking a man when he is down?"

Seeing Xun Yu change tactics, Qin Tian replied with a smile, "Why ask when you already know the answer, Wenruo? After I leave, Lord Cao will naturally have men such as Guo Fengxiao and Xun Gongda to devise strategies for him!"

"They are all extraordinary talents of the realm and can serve as Lord Cao's fine advisers. Why must he have me alone?"

"Besides, with me here, they find it difficult to display their talents. If I leave, they can finally stretch their wings. This is also what Lord Cao desires!"

What he described was precisely the reality within Cao Camp.

The current Cao Camp was no longer like the original course of events, where every strategist held up his own corner of the sky.

Because of Qin Tian's presence, he had effectively become the sole dominant strategist in Cao Camp. The three armies all regarded him as their military adviser.

When Guo Jia emerged, Cao Cao had praised him as a remarkable aide, yet he had always remained overshadowed by Qin Tian.

Although Xun You had received a high position upon arrival, serving as the Governor of Runan, he possessed no real authority.

The only person with genuine power to mobilize troops was Qin Tian, the Military Counselor-General.

His real power did not stem from his official rank, nor from his reputation, but from his prestige within the army.

Only by leaving could he make room for the other advisers. This was also Cao Cao's true intention—to marginalize him and place greater trust in other strategists.

Hearing this, Xun Yu felt as if something had clogged his chest, and he could not help but smile bitterly. "Does Zixuan resent me for recommending Guo Fengxiao?"

Of course, he knew Cao Cao's intentions. Guo Jia had been recommended by him to balance Qin Tian, but he had never imagined that these actions would leave Qin Tian with nowhere to stand.

From Qin Tian's words, it sounded as though he harbored resentment toward Guo Jia!

Yet Qin Tian was clearly not so petty. Looking at Xun Yu, he smiled. "Wenruo recommends worthy talent for the state and acts solely for the public good. How could I resent you?"

But upon hearing this, Xun Yu suddenly grew angry. "Since Zixuan knows this concerns the affairs of the state, why leave over a petty personal grievance?"

"The Han Dynasty is now torn by war on every side. We should naturally devote ourselves to serving the state. Even if there are minor resentments, compared with affairs of state, which is lighter and which is heavier?"

"Lord Cao now supports the imperial court. If Zixuan abandons Lord Cao, would that not also mean abandoning the court? Could it be that you intend to join another man's banner and become a rebel?"

Before he had even finished speaking, Xu Shu could no longer restrain himself and angrily rebuked him, "Lord Xun, your words are mistaken! How does Zixuan's departure make him a rebel against the court?"

"Since when has Cao Mengde been able to act on behalf of the imperial court?"

Ever since joining Old Cao's service, he had long been displeased with him.

Now Xun Yu was trying to use the greater good of the realm to morally coerce them. Naturally, Xu Shu could not endure it.

Startled by his outburst, Xun Yu raised his brow. Just as he was about to argue, he heard Qin Tian say with a smile, "The two of you need not quarrel. How about hearing what I have to say?"

Upon hearing this, both men turned to look at Qin Tian.

Facing their gazes, Qin Tian smiled. "Today's matter arose because I wish to leave. Since you two have brought it up, let me ask you both something."

"Think carefully: what is the cause of the chaos in the realm today?"

"Is it because the warlords have risen up and the imperial court is weak, or because the Han Dynasty's fortune has run out, and the time has come for a change of dynasty?"

Hearing his words, both men stiffened.

Anyone with clear eyes could see that the answer was obviously the latter.

But Xun Yu was utterly loyal to the Han Dynasty, and he immediately said in a deep voice, "If Zixuan means to speak such vile words, I do not wish to hear them!"

Seeing this, Qin Tian simply rode forward on his own and said, "Whether Wenruo wishes to hear it or not, this is the truth and cannot be disputed!"

"The Han Dynasty's fortune has run out. There is no saving it!"

Without waiting for either man to refute him, Qin Tian said leisurely, "Yet what has run its course is not the Liu clan, but the old system passed down through four hundred years of the Han Dynasty!"

"As the saying goes, the Han inherited the Qin system. The Han Dynasty's four hundred years of rule and virtue have long taken root in the hearts of the people. Yet it has come to this today for no reason other than the people's shifting loyalties."

"Consider this: the Han lasted only four hundred years, while the Zhou Dynasty endured for eight hundred. After the Zhou fell, even Confucius hoped to restore the rites of Zhou, showing that the Zhou had won the hearts of the people far more deeply than the Han."

"And yet, in the end, the feudal lords rose up and the Warring States fell into chaos."

"How similar is that to the present day?"

"Over these four hundred years, great aristocratic clans have risen, land annexation has become severe, and powerful local families have emerged everywhere."

"How similar are these times to the conditions of the Spring and Autumn Annals and Warring States?"

"The root cause can be summed up in one sentence: the grand trend of the realm is that what has long been divided must unite, and what has long been united must divide!"

"Why does it divide? Because its system no longer wins the hearts of the people. The system must be changed before the realm can be united under one state again!"

At this point, he looked at the two men and smiled. "You are both outstanding talents of the state, both devoted to restoring the Han Dynasty and setting right the chaos of the realm."

"Then let me ask you: in this realm, who possesses the will to reform the system?"

"Is it Lord Cao?"

He looked at Xun Yu and smiled. "Wenruo merely hopes that Lord Cao will sweep aside the warlords and return authority to the Son of Heaven. But by then, the realm will already be settled, with all factions intertwined in confusion. How could reform still be carried out?"

"If Lord Cao wishes to reform, he must begin now and overturn the current imperial system. Alas, Lord Cao has the ability, but not the will!"

"Is it Liu Xuande?"

He turned to Xu Shu and smiled. "There is a saying among the Han: the laws of one's ancestors must not be violated. Liu Bei is a member of the Han imperial clan. Does he possess the resolve and courage to alter the laws of his ancestors?"

After looking at them both, Qin Tian smiled calmly. "Therefore, if no one reforms the system, then even if you two truly assist an enlightened lord in dominating the realm, several decades from now, the realm will once again collapse into division."

"By then, you and I will be dead, and the Han Dynasty will be riddled with wounds. If foreign tribes take advantage of the situation and invade, how will our descendants resist them?"

"You two are men of wisdom and strategy. Have you ever considered such a possibility?"

When he finished, both men were struck dumb. As they looked at Qin Tian's handsome face, towering waves surged within their hearts.

Their eyes had seen only the present situation.

But Qin Tian had already seen through to the heart of the matter—he had seen the situation a hundred years from now!

What was vision? This was vision!

Compared to Qin Tian's vision, the matter they had been arguing over was insignificant beyond measure!