Guan Yunchang Cuts the Robe and Severes Ties

The soldiers of the Cao Army had grown somewhat sluggish after waiting all morning, but upon receiving the order to engage, they assembled rapidly. As the various commanders selected their elite troops to form ranks and advance, Cao Cao called Wenyuan to his side on the way to meet Guan Yu.

"Wenyuan, how much do you know about Lan Ziyu?" Cao Cao asked, opening with a topic unrelated to the war.

Zhang Liao had expected an inquiry regarding strategies to break the enemy. He had already drafted a mental outline of tactics, so he was surprised to be asked about Lan Ziyu instead. After a brief moment of reflection, he replied, "This man was originally a farm boy outside Xiaopei City. He knows how to grow various vegetables and fruits, can tell stories, is skilled in the culinary arts, and is well-acquainted with Gao Shun and Miss Lu."

"Does he have any other special talents? For instance, is he proficient in divination?"

It was not unusual for a farmer to grow produce or cook, and Cao Cao already knew that Lan Ziyu could spin tales. He only wanted to know if the man could predict the future; after all, what worried Cao Cao most now was whether the State of Wei he had built with such toil could endure.

Losing to an opponent in war was merely a matter of inferior skill, but having the fruits of victory snatched away from within was something Cao Cao could not accept. The twelve prophecies were primarily about the Cao family and Sima Yi. Could Sima Yi, who possessed the "eagle-gaze and wolf-glance," truly stab him in the back?

There were currently two points that forced Cao Cao to be suspicious, and they were the core reasons he struggled with the authenticity of