Chapter 106: The Gentleman’s Agreement

“Gurgle!”

“Gurgle~ Gurgle~”

“Phew~~ I haven’t had such fine grain wine for a long time.”

Guo Jia sat on the low table and drank three bowls of rice wine. He seemed to recover some of his energy: “These past few days have been troubled by arrows, with no rest day or night, and there was little food available. If not for the timely arrival of this jar of wine from the Baron, I, Guo Fengxiao, might not have seen tomorrow’s sun.”

After saying this, Guo Jia let out a beer burp and poured himself another bowl. This time, he did not gulp it down in one go. He began to sip it slowly: “Baron, did you come to the Central Army just to deliver wine?”

“I came with General Wang Zhong of the Household.”

“Hmm? Wang Zhong?”

Guo Jia raised an eyebrow, seeming surprised, and then grinned: “I already heard from Ziyang that you escorted him to Guandu and brought a large amount of military grain along the way. Could it be that the Baron intends to go to Xu Province?”

Guo Jia was indeed Guo Jia. Even when Mo Xiaobai answered casually, he instantly grasped the details within.

Facing a clever person, Mo Xiaobai would not hide anything: “Correct. The battle in Pengcheng has gone badly. I admit that it might be difficult for me to deal with Yuan Shao’s army with my skills, but fighting against that villain Chang Xi gives me a few chances of victory.”

“Just Chang Xi?” Guo Jia smiled casually, then pointed to the Lingzhi Wine beside him: “What is the story with this wine?”

“This is my exclusive famous wine, ‘Lingzhi Wine.’ Whoever drinks a bowl will be drunk as a log in an instant.” Mo Xiaobai rubbed his chin and said with a somewhat mischievous look: “I heard that there are many bold drinkers in the lands of Yan and Zhao. Yuan Shao has managed You and Ji for many years, and his Great Generals seem to be more and more fond of wine.”

“Offer this wine to a Great General under Yuan Shao?” Guo Jia pondered for a moment, then unconsciously put his wine bowl aside. He frowned tightly, as if considering the feasibility.

More than ten breaths passed before Guo Jia’s eyes suddenly flashed with sharp light: “Yuan Shao stores grain at Wuchao Ze. That place is backed by a mountain and surrounded by water on three sides, and it is guarded by the brave general Chunyu Qiong. Our army cannot easily get close, yet you actually plan to attack Wuchao!”

I did not really want to attack Wuchao. It was history and my past life’s Instance experience that told me, you, Guo Jia, are the one planning to attack Wuchao.

Mo Xiaobai thought silently in his heart. The key to Cao Cao’s reversal from defeat to victory in history was the successful surprise attack on Wuchao. In the Guandu Instance of his past life, Cao Cao’s final decisive battle ended in failure starting from the failed surprise attack on Wuchao.

The place of Wuchao truly pulled at the heartstrings of both the Cao and Yuan families!

In his past life Instance, not a few Players had the same idea as Four-Three-Two-One. Chunyu Qiong, having received a warning from the Players, did not neglect his defense. Although he appeared to drink and revel every day, intentionally leaving loopholes, he actually set a trap at Wuchao.

With the southern front in danger and grain supplies running out to the point of having no next meal, Cao Cao had no choice but to take risks. As a result, after losing the battle at Wuchao, the entire Guandu Instance ended immediately.

Yes, it was the ending where the Cao Army was defeated.

Mo Xiaobai certainly could not sit idle now and watch the Cao Army repeat its past mistake, so he brought the Lingzhi Wine into the Instance.

With the Lingzhi Wine in hand, the Cao Army had a slim chance to kill Chunyu Qiong at the right moment.

That slim chance lay in the hands of Guo Jia!

“If the Baron entrusts this wine to me, how do I know if I have the means to deliver it to Wuchao?” When Guo Jia spoke these words, his eyes were no longer lazy as before but deep with a piercing glint.

Under Cao Cao’s command, Guo Jia held a very special position. Because he was the Military Advisor Jijiu specially appointed by Cao Cao, acting as Cao Cao’s Secretary-General and Chief Assistant, helping Cao Cao supervise certain special departments that “gentlemen” would not touch.

Now that Guo Jia had spoken the question, Mo Xiaobai naturally could not evade it: “Although the officials Lu Hong and Zhao Da stay deep in seclusion all day, who in Xudu does not know them? Their spies are everywhere under their command. One manages internal affairs while the other handles external matters. Perhaps the Great Han Empire is already covered in the ears and eyes of Xiaoshi agents?”

Xiaoshi.

Based on summarizing the experience of using spies during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, it was the first espionage and secret police organization in Huaxia personally established by Cao Cao. Its fame was not as great as the Jinyiwei of later eras, but the work it did was no cleaner than that of the Jinyiwei.

“Do not fear Cao Gong, but fear Lu Hong; if Lu Hong is tolerable, Zhao Da kills me.”

This saying from the Jian’an period exposed the black terror of Xiaoshi nakedly before people. Offending these two could sometimes be even more deadly than offending Cao Cao.

However, unlike the boldness of the Jinyiwei, the power of Xiaoshi during Cao Cao’s time, though great, was also strictly controlled.

Because this group had an boss who was not technically their superior: Guo Jia, Guo Fengxiao!

After Guo Jia passed away, the Xiaoshi agency gradually lost control and completely became a tool for internal struggles within the Cao family. But before Guo Jia’s death, the two heads of Xiaoshi never showed off in public; they were merely two puppets in Guo Jia’s hands.

Although they had a certain degree of autonomy in their activities, they could not cross those two strings.

Hearing Mo Xiaobai mention the names of Lu Hong and Zhao Da, Guo Jia was first startled, then smiled: “Even the Baron knows them. It seems the Xiaoshi agents also need a tidying up.”

Mo Xiaobai would not pick up on that thread. He spoke: “That is your official business, Fengxiao. I will pretend I did not hear it. Since I brought the Lingzhi Wine tonight, you cannot waste it, nor can you drink too much.”

Guo Jia chuckled, seemingly instantly returning to his former rogue persona: “If I do not taste it first, how will I know the effects of this wine?”

“You can ask others to taste it for you.”

“For such fine wine, asking others to taste it for you would be a pity. No, no.” Guo Jia’s eyes darted around, but he still did not give up the idea of having a drink.

“If you do not agree, Fengxiao, I will take the Lingzhi Wine away and pretend I never came to see you.”

Mo Xiaobai was truly afraid that Guo Jia could not control his mouth and would gulp down the Lingzhi Wine in a few swallows. If that happened and the Lingzhi Wine was gone, he did not know if Chunyu Qiong would get drunk, but Mo Xiaobai himself would certainly get drunk beyond recognition.

“Eh, eh, aren’t we just discussing? Uh, Baron, do you only have this one jar of fine wine?”

“There is another jar. What about it?”

“Give me that jar too. I promise I will not drink too much.”

“Can a drunkard’s words be trusted? Anyway, I do not trust you unless you, Fengxiao, capture Wuchao first. Once you capture Wuchao, I will bring out the second jar to celebrate your victory.”

Hearing Mo Xiaobai say this, Guo Jia’s eyes suddenly lit up with a strange color: “Is what the Baron says true?”

“A gentleman’s word is his bond, a four-horse team cannot catch it!”

“Good! Today, let us seal our gentleman’s agreement. The day Wuchao is breached will be the day of celebration!”

Guo Jia was truly energized now, looking nothing like the half-dead state he was in while lying back earlier. He turned around and rummaged through the messy pile of bamboo slips, pulling out several pieces of silk. They were covered with dense patterns and symbols.

Seeing Guo Jia instantly enter work mode, Mo Xiaobai bowed slightly: “Fengxiao, I take my leave.”

“Wait.”

Guo Jia did not look up. As he spoke, he threw a piece of silk to Mo Xiaobai: “Take this to Guangling and find the local Xiaoshi supervisor there. They are also planning a big event recently. Baron, you go and take a look. If you can offer help, please do so. My mind has been uneasy lately, and I feel that those people will suffer a defeat and be exposed.”