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Cao Cao, filled with a crazed hatred, tore open the envelope, but within a mere moment, the letter slipped from his fingertips, and Cao Cao himself collapsed backward, overwhelmed by rage and unable to bear such a shock, he fell straight down.
"Lord! Summon the army doctor!" Cheng Yu was shocked to see Cao Cao fall backward and hurriedly rushed to support him. His gaze involuntarily swept over the letter that had fallen to the ground, and upon seeing its contents, Cheng Yu’s pupils shrank to pinpoints.
[Tao Gongzu wishes to gift Xuzhou to our Lord?]Cheng Yu’s mind was turned upside down by these bold characters, and in an instant, he understood many things. [What a move by the Xuzhou aristocratic family, what a move!]In an instant, Cheng Yu’s anger surged to his head.
After a frenzied effort at resuscitation, Cao Cao slowly regained consciousness. However, his expression seemed to have aged several years. He waved his hand, dismissing everyone else, and asked only Cheng Yu to stay in the tent.
"Zhongde, you saw that letter," Cao Cao said, looking up at the top of the military tent.
Cheng Yu lowered his head and did not reply. He deeply regretted not advising Cao Cao to send an envoy to question Xuzhou before deploying the troops.
"Lord, please do not be so hard on yourself," Cheng Yu said dryly, knowing by now that Tao Qian had nothing to do with this matter. What they had done before, such an opportunity, was destroyed in a fit of anger.
"A feudal lord possesses nine virtues: magnanimity and seriousness, a gentle temperament with decisiveness, a humble attitude with dignity, capable yet meticulous in work, open to advice yet resolute, upright in conduct yet kind in demeanor, straightforward yet attentive to detail, unyieldingly upright yet practical, strong and courageous yet righteous!" Cao Cao muttered to himself the words Chen Gong had once advised him with.
Cheng Yu remained silent. Cao Cao hadn’t uttered a word of admitting his mistakes, but speaking the words of Chen Gong at this time meant he truly recognized his errors. It was just that, given his status as a ruler, he was reluctant to confess aloud.
"Lord, we must now focus on recovery, and we need to find the real culprit to avenge the old master," Cheng Yu said with his head bowed subserviently.
"Give the letter to Gong Da and tell him a feudal lord has nine virtues; I shall reflect on them. Please ask everyone not to regard my status," Cao Cao calmly said as he handed the letter to Cheng Yu. "This letter ends here. Tell Gong Da that is enough. He knows what to do. Wen Ruo, Zhicai, and Gongtai must be very disappointed in me."
"Summon Xiahou Yuanrang and Xiahou Miaocai!" Cao Cao, lying in bed, gestured for Cheng Yu to leave and then ordered the soldiers to bring in Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun.
"Elder brother, what did Uncle write in his letter that has distressed you so?" Xiahou Yuan half-bowed to Cao Cao, then, clad in armor, walked to Cao Cao’s side and asked with concern.
"Tao Gongzu originally intended to gift Xuzhou to me. Unexpectedly, someone meddled, leading me to harm so many people in my fury. As of today, stop the massacre in Xuzhou. Anyone who dares to continue the slaughter will be executed!" A glint of cold light flashed in Cao Mengde’s eyes. Admitting his mistakes was never his way, even though he knew to correct them.
"What!" Xiahou Dun was stunned. "Who would dare do such a thing!"
"Forget about that. Carry out the order. This matter is not to be spread; you two are the only ones who need to know," Cao Cao said, waving his hand.
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After the Xiahou brothers left, Xun You and Cheng Yu came together, "Lord."
"Gong Da, how should we deal with this matter?" Cao Cao asked without even thinking.
"Just this once," Xun You looked at Cao Cao and asked.
"What Chen Gongtai said makes sense," Cao Cao sighed, sat up, and looked at Xun You with determined eyes.
"This matter is simple," said Xun You calmly. He did not have Xun Yu’s firm belief; he was more like a pure strategist, but he also had his own integrity. With Cao Cao addressing the issue to that extent, Xun You felt it was sufficient for a lord to acknowledge and rectify his mistake.
"Now, the counties of Xuzhou are in utter chaos. Although mostly caused by our troops, if our army ceases, we can, on one hand, eradicate the thugs who slaughter civilians and the bandits who wreak havoc from all directions, and on the other hand, provide substantial relief to Xuzhou. In the end, we can pin this whole affair onto some despicable aristocratic family that we don’t like," Xun You said with an indifferent expression.
"Good, let’s do it that way!" Cao Cao’s face lit up with joy. The matter had reached a point where it could no longer be clarified, and he, Cao Cao, would not be able to extricate himself from it. So, it was better to outright admit to the slaughter. Later, as long as the rescue work was effective and someone else could be blamed for the atrocity, the subsequent shift of attention would result in almost negligible impact on Cao Cao.
"Rescue with all our might, leaving no stone unturned. Let the survivors of Xuzhou feel that those who were shouting about the Cao Army razing the city were framing us. Since those who were slaughtered cannot speak to accuse us, let the living acknowledge our rescue efforts. Then, Lord, there is no need for shirking; when the massacre is mentioned, you need only to remain silent," Xun You said, seeming to be in a trance, expressionless, yet his strategy was flawless.
Cheng Yu glanced at Xun You. Such a scheme would create a bizarre situation; despite the undeniable fact that Xuzhou was indeed massacred by Cao Cao, the situation would shift because it was Cao Cao who ended up providing rescue, and the perpetrating forces were not solely Cao’s Army. The entire incident could eventually be shifted onto someone else’s shoulders.
"Lord, put all your efforts into the rescue. The deceased cannot accuse us, and even if the living witnessed the slaughter, once they have been rescued by us, we can shift the blame onto others entirely. Moreover, there were indeed other forces involved in this massacre, and we can essentially bury this matter completely," Cheng Yu said with great pleasure upon hearing Xun You’s strategy.
Cheng Yu revealed a piece of news that even surprised Xun You: there were indeed other forces involved, not just bandits or rebels turned from refugees and displaced people. It was as if heaven itself was protecting Cao Cao, with even a scapegoat prepared in advance.
"Lord, don’t speak of the massacre. You can mention to the civilians your momentary anger and seek their forgiveness, but never absolve yourself completely. The other feudal lords will definitely know about this incident but would not be able to obtain the exact number of victims. Don’t ever disclose how many perished, and in future discussions about this incident, you should not dwell on it; a show of helplessness will suffice," Xun You directly opposed the idea of completely shifting the blame as proposed by Cheng Yu.
"Thank you, Gong Da," Cao Cao said, bowing deeply to Xun You.
Cao Cao understood that Xun You had helped him weather this storm. Historically, it might only be recorded that Cao Cao, in a moment of rage, massacred a few civilians, but then realized his mistake and began relief efforts.
Tens of thousands may have died, yet hundreds of thousands could be saved—such an event, if written into history, might indeed leave a stain, but the subsequent act of relief was significant enough to overshadow it. When mentioned, it would likely be glossed over. After all, Cao Cao was not a saint; he was human, capable of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. In a rage, seeking vengeance for his father’s death, he later repented and made amends.
Some historians, out of respect for their subjects, could gloss over the incident, pinning it on someone else, while highlighting that Cao Cao was there to save lives. Essentially, the tone for the Xuzhou massacre was set in Xun You’s words, which in return earned Cao Cao’s pledge—a deal not unworthy in his eyes. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
