Chapter 56

What did Cao Cao look like? According to historical records, Cao Cao was not handsome or imposing, and he might have even been a bit sleazy. Therefore, when the Southern Xiongnu sent an envoy, he was afraid of being looked down upon and specifically found the dignified Cui Yan to impersonate him, while he himself pretended to be a subordinate, holding a knife and standing beside him. Afterward, when he sent someone to ask the Xiongnu envoy about his impression, the envoy said, "The King of Wei indeed has a noble demeanor, but the 'sword-bearer' beside him has even more heroic spirit." —— The term "sword-bearer" originated from this.

However, after Shi Xun met Cao Song and Cao De, he felt that according to general genetic laws, Cao Cao's appearance should not have been too bad, unless his mother was a hag. Cao Cao's courtesy name was Mengde, so some guessed he was a concubine's son, because according to etiquette, the eldest legitimate son was called "Bo," and the eldest concubine's son was called "Meng." However, this was not a strict rule, and "Meng" had other meanings, such as effort. Therefore, no one knew whether Cao Cao was legitimate or a concubine's son — if he was a concubine's son, then his mother, as Cao Song's concubine, would not have been too ugly. Were Cao Cao and Cao De born to the same mother? If they were full siblings, there would be no reason for Cao Cao to look much worse than Cao De.

Ultimately, Cao De's appearance, though somewhat weak, was still acceptable. His son Cao Zheng, who was just thirteen or fourteen, was even more handsome.

Now, Shi Xun looked up at Cao Cao. Indeed, he looked like Cao De's brother, and they were likely full siblings. The two brothers looked very similar, but they were not identical twins. First, Cao Cao was shorter than Cao De, about 1.6 meters tall. Second, his shoulders were broader, and his waist was thicker, making him look more like a warrior who could ride and fight, rather than a weak scholar. Third, Cao Cao's skin was darker and rougher. Fourth, his beard was not long and even a bit sparse, neither imposing nor elegant.

Of course, the biggest difference was in their presence. Cao De was like a "stone hat" wearing Doraemon, with a presence value approaching zero. If Cao Cao were replaced by Cao De, Shi Xun would probably only notice the person beside him — that should be Cao Cao's advisor or secretary — and even if he glanced over, he would completely ignore the one standing in front.

Cao Song, of course, had a strong presence. Not to mention the arrogance he had cultivated over years as a high-ranking official, his sheer size alone could be converted into a strong presence. In comparison, Cao Cao also had a strong presence, which was evident in his eyebrows and eyes. Shi Xun carefully observed and found that Cao Cao's eyebrows were thick and arched, and his eyes were narrow and long, often half-closed as if he were always sleepy...

Wait, isn't this a "sleepy-eyed" and "single-filed" look? Are you Cao Cao or Guan Yu?

While Shi Xun was sizing up Cao Cao, Cao Cao was also sizing him up. To be honest, the body Shi Xun had taken over was not ugly. When he was twelve or thirteen and still in a poor village, he looked like a little rat, but with better nutrition in recent years, he had grown into a well-proportioned young man. He was already about 1.7 meters tall, with a well-built body, broad shoulders, and a slim waist. His face was neither fat nor thin, and his features were regular, with the only flaw being his single-filed eyes and the faint trace of a mustache, which made him look young and somewhat feminine by the standards of the time, but more masculine by modern standards.

Cao Cao, who did not expect Shi Xun to be so young, frowned slightly and narrowed his eyes even more, then asked, "Are you Yingling Shi Hongfu?"

Shi Xun noticed his expression and calmly smiled, "I am Yingling Shi Xun, paying respects to the elder." You're old, so what? I'm young, so what can you do?

Before Cao Cao could answer, the person on the side gestured for him to sit. "Mr. Shi, please sit down and talk." Shi Xun glanced at him and saw a man in his thirties, with a fair complexion and no beard, only a short mustache — well, Liu Bei wasn't the only one with a "unique feature," it seemed there were quite a few "beardless" men in this era.

"Who is this...?"

"I am Xi Xian."

Shi Xun had never heard of Xi Xian, or Xi Xian, and guessed he was just a regular secretary to Cao Cao, so his name was not well-known. He bowed and greeted him, then walked to the other side, took off his shoes, and stepped onto the mat. The three of them bowed again and sat down.

Cao Cao asked, "I wonder why Mr. Shi has come here and what you wish to teach me?" Why are you here, and what do you want to say?

Shi Xun smiled faintly, "I have heard that Xu Zijiang once said, 'Cao Mengde is a capable minister in times of peace and a hero in times of chaos'..." Actually, Xu Shao's statement had two versions: one was "a capable minister in times of peace and a villain in times of chaos," and the other was "a villain in times of peace and a hero in times of chaos." However, on their first meeting, Shi Xun could not call Cao Cao a "villain" or a "villainous hero," so he combined the two versions and chose the most flattering words.

Sure enough, Cao Cao was pleased and slightly stroked his beard. Then, he heard Shi Xun continue, "Therefore, as a hero in his twilight years, I have come to pay my respects." I know you are old and about to die, so I have come to mourn.

Cao Cao's smile froze, and his eyebrows arched, about to flare up. Xi Xian quickly intervened, "Mr. Shi must have misunderstood. My lord is still in his prime, who says he is in his twilight years?"

Just then, a soldier brought in hot water. Shi Xun picked up the cup, blew on it, and said with a smile, "If Cao Gong were in Dongjun, he would not be old. But coming to Yuzhou, it is truly 'the sun setting on the western mountain.'"

"Sun setting on the western mountain" is a phrase from Li Mi's "Memorial to the Emperor" in the Western Jin dynasty, which did not exist in this era. Although Cao Cao and Xi Xian could roughly understand the meaning, they were a bit confused and asked, "What do you mean?"

This was exactly the effect Shi Xun wanted. If he had bluntly said, "You coming to Yuzhou means you are close to death," Cao Cao might have become furious on the spot, making it difficult to lead into the next part. By using a new term that was somewhat clear and somewhat unclear, he could make them ask, and then he could answer — of course, not by directly explaining the phrase "sun setting on the western mountain."

"Cao Gong, when in Dongjun, faced only the Liangzhou troops..." The Liangzhou troops referred to the warlords Li Jue and Guo Si, who controlled the western part of the Sili region. At the beginning of the year, Dong Zhuo, who controlled the government, was killed by Lü Bu. Then, Li Jue and Guo Si, Dong Zhuo's former subordinates, led their troops into Chang'an, drove out Lü Bu, and took control of the young emperor Liu Xie. Shi Xun had heard this news while in Tancheng, but he was the only one in the entire Xu province who knew the details and the background.

"... The brothers Yuan were in conflict, and Yuan Jiuzhou relied on Cao Gong to protect his flank. If the rear general (Yuan Shu) wanted to enter Yuzhou, he would certainly send more troops to aid Cao Gong. Thus, although Cao Gong was not completely secure, he was not in immediate danger."

Cao Cao stroked his beard without speaking, and Xi Xian asked, "Now that my lord has obtained Yuzhou and has a stronger army, should he not be even more secure? Why do you say 'the sun is setting on the western mountain'?"

Shi Xun took a sip of water — in fact, his eloquence was not particularly outstanding, but in his previous life, he had listened to many storytelling sessions, and he knew how to create suspense and attract the audience, a skill no one in this era possessed, as there were no storytelling sessions. Then, he calmly gestured with his fingers and continued, "Yuzhou was previously ravaged by the Yellow Turbans, with damaged cities and a disheartened populace. Even if Cao Gong has obtained Yuzhou, without a year or two of recovery, his strength may not be as great as it was when he only controlled Dongjun. Moreover, his supplies will be even more strained..."

At this point, he suddenly raised his voice and quickened his pace, "However, the situation around has changed! The Liangzhou troops are still in front, and behind is Xu province. The rear general (Yuan Shu) fears Cao Gong's growing power and will soon send troops into Yuzhou. The most concerning issue is that Yuan Jiuzhou is now the governor of one province, and Cao Gong is also the governor of one province. They can counterbalance each other. If the rear general (Yuan Shu) enters Yuzhou, Yuan Jiuzhou will sit back and watch, waiting to profit from the conflict — if Cao Gong wins, Yuan Jiuzhou's troops will also enter Yuzhou, and if Cao Gong loses, Yuan Jiuzhou can annex Yuzhou. Yuzhou is a place of constant conflict, and being surrounded on all sides, it is truly 'the sun setting on the western mountain.'"

Shi Xun's words were not baseless. If someone unfamiliar with Yuan Shao had said this, it might not have been convincing. According to historical records, Yuan Shao basically acted this way. When he saw his younger brother Cao Cao growing stronger, he planned to stab him in the back. Later, when Lü Bu attacked Yuzhou and Cao Cao was fighting him, Yuan Shao did not send reinforcements — Lü Bu was driven out of Ji province by Yuan Shao, and from both the perspective of allies and moral obligations, Yuan Shao had no reason not to send help — instead, he told Cao Cao, "Brother, just in case, send your family to Ye city, and I will take care of them."

Surprisingly, at that time, Cao Cao, who was in a precarious situation, almost agreed, but was dissuaded by Cheng Yu, who said, "General, you are being foolish. Are you the type to submit to others? Are you willing to be a subordinate like Han Xin and Peng Yue under Emperor Gaozu? Besides, you know what happened to Han Xin and Peng Yue in the end!" Cao Cao then changed his mind.

Yuan Shao intended to use the method of taking in Cao Cao's family to gradually and completely吞并曹操的势力。他就是那样的人，曹操从小和他一起长大，难道不了解他的性格吗？当下听了是勋的话，捋胡子的手不禁微微一抖，眉头皱得更紧了。

戏贤拱手道：“是先生高论。然而先生此来，不仅仅是为了示警吧？况且兖州群贤既已推举我主为刺史，无法再辞，先生可有良策，以解目下之危呢？”

是勋心想来了，前言叙过，这就要进入正题了。就目前看来，形势还在老子的掌握当中，希望此后不要出什么漏子，可以把曹操一条道儿地引到黑，让老子的两大论题全都得以安然通过。“至于良策……”他又故意卖个关子，瞧了曹操一眼，又瞥了戏贤一眼，那意思——“道法不传六耳，光能跟曹公你一个人讲。”

曹操摆摆手，把帐内卫兵全都轰了出去，然后一指戏贤：“志才为某的心腹，先生但言无妨。”

志才？戏贤戏志才……我靠，原来这家伙就是戏志才！

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(Translation continues from the previous part)

Yuan Shao intended to use the method of taking in Cao Cao's family to gradually and completely吞并曹操的势力。他就是那样的人，曹操从小和他一起长大，难道不了解他的性格吗？当下听了是勋的话，捋胡子的手不禁微微一抖，眉头皱得更紧了。

Yuan Shao intended to use the method of taking in Cao Cao's family to gradually and completely annex Cao Cao's forces. He was that kind of person, and Cao Cao, who had grown up with him, did not understand his character? Upon hearing Shi Xun's words, Cao Cao's hand, which was stroking his beard, trembled slightly, and his brows furrowed even more tightly.

Xi Xian bowed and said, "Mr. Shi's insights are profound. However, your visit is not just to warn us, is it? Moreover, since the scholars of Yuzhou have already recommended my lord as the governor, he cannot decline. Do you have any good strategies to resolve the current crisis?"

Shi Xun thought, "Here we go. After the preliminaries, we are now getting to the main point. From what I can see, the situation is still under my control. I hope nothing goes wrong, so I can lead Cao Cao down the path and ensure that both of my main points are smoothly accepted. As for good strategies..." He deliberately created suspense, glanced at Cao Cao, and then at Xi Xian, implying, "The way of the Dao cannot be shared with six ears; I can only speak to Cao Gong alone."

Cao Cao waved his hand, dismissed all the guards in the tent, and pointed to Xi Xian, "Zhicai is my confidant; you may speak freely."

Zhicai? Xi Xian, Xi Zhicai... Damn, so this guy is Xi Zhicai!