Cao Cao took Xu You's hand and said earnestly, "Xun Yu is only my adviser, but you, Ziyuan, are my closest friend. I'm not Yuan Benchu. How could I fail to distinguish between those close to me and those who aren't?"
"But I am, after all, a regional lord who holds Yan Province and Yu Province now. There were too many people outside earlier for me to favor you too openly. See? As soon as Xun Yu left, I came to apologize."
As he spoke, Cao Cao began winking and making faces at Xu You.
"I specifically ordered someone to buy you a six-courtyard mansion today. I also prepared ten beautiful maidservants and fifty chests of goods and wealth for you. That's brotherly enough, isn't it?"
Cao Cao truly held nothing back with Xu You.
Xu You had completely betrayed Yuan Shao and had just offered him advice, finding him a way out if the truth came to light. With their years of friendship on top of that, how could he not value him?
Only after hearing these words did Xu You's expression improve somewhat, though he still said, "That's not what I care about. If not for our years of friendship, I would never have tolerated that old bastard. I would have gone elsewhere long ago."
"Yes, yes, yes."
Cao Cao stroked Xu You's fur the right way, saying with a broad smile, "What you told me in the study earlier truly spoke to my heart."
"It's just that Xun Yu is too stubborn. His heart lies with the Son of Heaven, and he is loyal to the Great Han."
Xu You took a sip of wine and sneered. "Xun Wenruo is a blindly loyal fool. Since ancient times, people like him have rarely met a good end."
"We're