By the time they left the Minister of Works' Office, dusk had fallen. Chen Caozhi went with his third brother Chen Shang to call on Xi Chao, where they happened to find Jia Bizhi as well. Xi Chao invited all three to stay for supper. During the national mourning period, the meal consisted only of plain vegetarian fare. Xi Chao already knew that Chen Caozhi would be sent as an envoy to Di Qin, and cautioned him, "Since Grand Marshal Huan recovered Luoyang on his second Northern Expedition in Yonghe Year Twelve, we have been at peace with Di Qin, but have fought the Xianbei Murong repeatedly. Last October, Yan's General Who Pacifies the South, Murong Chen, fought our Prefect of Chenliu, Yuan Pi, at Changping. Our Prefect of Runan, Zhu Bin, took advantage of their absence to attack Xu Jing and captured it. In the twelfth month, Yan's Grand Tutor Murong Ping and General of the Soaring Dragon Li Hong raided Henan and fought us several times, at enormous expense. Luoyang faces Di Qin to the west and the Xianbei Murong to the northeast. It is a battleground, difficult to hold. Zizhong, since you advised Duke Huan to watch the Di and Qiang fight the Xianbei, I believe we should abandon Luoyang and hold Xuchang and Xincheng instead. What do you think?"
Xi Chao excelled at strategy, and his predictions were often accurate. Chen Caozhi also knew that, according to historical records, this was indeed how Luoyang had been abandoned. Only Shen Jin had sworn to live or die with Luoyang. Not long afterward, the brothers Murong Ke and Murong Chui breached the city, and Shen Jin died unyielding.
Chen Caozhi was clearly unwilling to let history unfold without the slightest change, but outwardly he nodded. "You are quite