Lu Bu: My wife comes from two thousand years later

"Your Majesty actually wants to exchange such a confidential item for Guo Fengxiao?"

In the conference room, Xun Chen said in surprise after listening to the task assigned to him by Lu Bu.

Lü Bu had no choice but to explain the situation to him. Xun Chen listened, pondered for a moment, and frowned, "Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that this is a deliberate self-torture trick played out between you and your subjects?"

"This..." Lu Bu hesitated. "No way! Just ask Divine Doctor Xun Hua and we'll know the truth!"

"The story about Divine Doctor Hua is real, but Lord Cao's intention to execute Feng Xiao isn't necessarily true. Or perhaps... Feng Xiao, Wen Ruo, and the others were kept in the dark."

Xun Chen analyzed, "Cao Gong may not even be able to determine whether Feng Xiao is a Tang spy. He did this to verify his suspicions and to gain benefits from the Tang. He knew that the king and princess valued their loyalty and would not watch their benefactor being executed."

"Or perhaps Lord Cao actually trusts Feng Xiao and is keeping him incarcerated simply to steal secret technology from the Tang State. Therefore, I feel it's inappropriate to trade him for a crossbow!"

"What if Cao Mengde really wants to execute him? I don't want the princess to owe such a huge favor and not be able to repay it. No matter which possibility it is, you should go to Puyang. If it's true, then save him. If it's not, then it can be considered as repaying the favor, and we will be even in the future!"

Hearing Lü Bu's words, Xun Chen could only sigh inwardly, "Being too attached to affection and loyalty isn't a good thing! Such a monarch won't let his subjects and the people down, but he can also easily give the enemy a weak spot!"

The next day, Xun Chen set out for Yanzhou and arrived in Puyang three days later. However, he did not go to see Cao Cao first, but went to see Xun Yu first in a private capacity.

The two brothers had not seen each other for several years, and Xun Yu was very surprised at his younger brother's arrival.

Xun Chen walked into the Xun Mansion and said with a smile, "Although you and I belong to different factions, we are still brothers. As a younger brother, what's wrong with coming to pay my respects to my elder brother?"

Xun Yu smiled bitterly, "There's nothing wrong with brothers getting together, but you came at a very inopportune time!"

Xun Chen pretended to be confused, "What do you mean?"

Xun Yu ushered him into the living room and said simply, "Feng Xiao is suspected by Cao Gong of being a Tang spy and has been imprisoned for quite some time. If you come here at this time, I'm afraid Cao Gong will suspect me as well."

"Oh? Is that true? Then I'll leave now." Xun Chen said, turning around and about to leave.

"Alright, stop pretending!" Xun Yu stopped him. "No one comes to see you for no reason. Don't tell me you came all the way to see me, your brother. Tell me, what are you planning?"

Xun Chen smiled and said, "What if you come to recruit brothers for my king?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Xun Yu said unhappily.

"The younger brother is really here to show his elder brother the way forward."

Xun Chen quickly regained his composure. "After the Factional Persecution, the morale of scholars throughout the country had already shifted. With the reign of Dong Zhuo and the two Li brothers, Confucian values ​​were greatly shaken. Scholars either chose to adapt to the world and preserve themselves, or overthrow the old system and save the world. Why, brother, do you cling to so-called 'loyalty to the emperor'? Furthermore, is Cao Gong truly a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty?"

Xun Yu said, "Whether Cao Gong is truly loyal to the Han Dynasty or not is not the point for now, but there is no doubt that the King of Tang is a thief who stole the Han Dynasty!"

"You're so pedantic! You've been familiar with your uncle's (Xun Shuang's) Yi Zhuan since childhood. Its meaning is very clear: to initiate reform and overthrow the tyrant ruler!"

Xun Yu sighed, "The Han Dynasty's prestige and virtue have been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people for four hundred years. How can we achieve unification without raising the Han flag? The Tang Kingdom was right to initiate reforms, but they were too radical. His tyrannical military force may have suppressed the rebellion of the Jizhou gentry, but it couldn't suppress the gentry of all other gentry. The King of Tang's progress seemed smooth, but in reality, it was arduous. Every time he conquered a place, he had to stop and compete with the local gentry. And do all the officials in your Tang Kingdom really agree with his radical reforms?"

At this point, Xun Yu suddenly paused and said, "Although Cao Gong may not be a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, since he has raised the Han flag, he will stick to this path to the end. Cao Gong relies on the gentry, but also pays attention to people's livelihood; he values ​​the gentry and also promotes the humble. When the people are prosperous and the army is strong, he will have the support of the people in every place he conquers, and he may not be unable to compete with the Tang Dynasty!"

"Then let's wait and see! If Cao Gong is defeated one day, brother, you will see clearly where the right path for the world lies. I hope you will stop clinging to your stubborn principles!"

Xun Yu smiled faintly, "I'm not stubborn, it's just that you and I have different perspectives. If the way of heaven really falls on the Tang Kingdom in the end, it can only mean that I am short-sighted!"

Xun Chen then smiled casually, "Brother, since you believe that Lord Cao is a wise leader, then tell me, when he imprisoned Feng Xiao, do you really think that he is a spy for the Tang Dynasty?"

Speaking of Guo Jia, Xun Yu's eyes were suddenly filled with helplessness. "This isn't just a simple official matter; it also involves personal feelings. I'm sure you're aware that Lord Cao has always been obsessed with Princess Tang, and Fengxiao... he also has a history with the princess. Last time, when he heard that Princess Tang was seriously injured, Fengxiao secretly released Divine Doctor Hua. Later, when Lord Cao asked why, Fengxiao concealed the truth, thus arousing his suspicion."

"Then brother, don't you have any doubts? Perhaps he really came for the princess?"

Xun Yu said, "I have known Feng Xiao since we were young. I know him very well. If he really wanted to help Princess Tang, he would have stayed in Jinyang when we went there. He would not have lowered his status to become a spy. The reason he sent the genius doctor to save people was purely out of personal feelings."

"However, Lord Cao does not understand him. He has been imprisoned for so long, and I believe he will not be released. It is a pity that Fengxiao, a man of such talent, will be imprisoned to death."

"I'm worried about that, too. Lord Cao is a good person in every way, but he's too suspicious. This makes it difficult to handle! By the way, why did you come all the way here?"

Xun Chen smiled and said, "Come and help my princess rescue someone!"

"Save him?" Xun Yu was stunned for a moment, then reacted and shouted angrily, "You're going to kill him!"

"If I don't do this, will he be able to survive?"

"At least he won't die quickly. Perhaps one day Cao Gong will figure it out and release him."

Xun Chen smiled like a treacherous minister, "If I can make Cao Gong cut off his own arm, why not do it?"

"You..." Xun Yu glared at him, "Everyone says that the King and Princess Tang are loyal and righteous, but I didn't expect them to be such ungrateful villains. Doesn't she know how Feng Xiao was imprisoned?"

Xun Chen said, "Brother, you have wronged the princess. She really doesn't know the specific reason. Divine Doctor Hua didn't say that Feng Xiao asked him to save people. He just heard that he was imprisoned and sent me here to add fuel to the fire."

"So that's how it is!" Xun Yu calmed down and sneered, "It seems that the Tang Kingdom has sent quite a few spies to my Yanzhou!"

"Hasn't your family planted any spies in Yecheng? It's the same for everyone!"

Xun Yu choked, "Forget it, I won't talk to you about anything else. You can't do this. Go back and report the truth to the princess!"

"Since Fengxiao was imprisoned because of the princess, I know I can't do it now. However, I came to Xun Mansion today, and Cao Gong must have heard the news. Will he have other suspicions?"

"So what exactly do you want to do?"

"I just want to ask you one question. If Feng Xiao can no longer serve Cao Gong, do you want him to live or die?"

Xun Yu rolled his eyes at him and said, "Aren't you just talking nonsense?"

"What if he enters the Tang Kingdom?"

Xun Yu hesitated for a moment and said, "Cao Gong has never treated him unfairly. This time, he was also wrong. Even if he couldn't go to Tang State in the end, I don't think he would offer her advice to deal with Cao Gong!"

Xun Chen smiled slightly, "I think so too. Then please help me get him out, brother, so I can report back!"

“How do you fish it out?”

Xun Chen said, "My lord is willing to exchange his life for a three-bow crossbow and jackdaw arrows! I hope you can help me out!"