Chapter 52 What will those who are ordained by Heaven do?

Yingchuan territory.

Liu Liang ordered his troops to set up camp in a mountain valley, telling the outside world that they were waiting for Cao Cao's movements.

Zhao Yun did not ask for the reason, but simply followed the order.

Liu Liang himself took two personal guards and walked another ten miles or so to the south.

He had already scouted that path the day before yesterday.

There was indeed an abandoned ancient temple by the roadside, with most of the walls collapsed, leaving only a few stone pillars standing in the rear hall.

Behind the temple was a grove of mixed trees, and deep within the grove was a dry well. Beside the well stood several old, crooked locust trees with cracked bark, looking as if they had been there for a long time.

Liu Liang circled the dry well twice and chose a loose brick on the back of the well platform.

They dug it open, put the brocade pouch containing the imitation jade seal inside, covered it with bricks, and then sprinkled a layer of dry soil and withered leaves on top.

After burying it, I stepped back a few paces and looked around.

Inconspicuous.

But if someone is determined to search this place, they will surely find it by turning over the floor tiles.

Liu Liang took out the anonymous letter that he had already written from his pocket.

The letter contained only a few words, recommending Xi Zhicai, a man from Yangdi in Yingchuan, to Cao Cao, saying that this man possessed strategic acumen and the talent of a king's advisor, and that with his assistance, a great cause could be expected.

The signature area is blank.

How can this letter be delivered to Cao Cao?

Liu Liang folded the letter, stuffed it into a coarse cloth bag, and handed it to a guard.

"Head towards Luoyang, find a section of road where Cao Cao's scouts are known to be present, and give this cloth bag to one of them. Once you've given it to him, leave and don't look back."

The guards obeyed and left.

Liu Liang stood by the dry well, gazing at the grove of mixed trees, and went over the matter in his mind once more.

The letter arrived first.

Cao Cao was eager to find talented people, and whenever he received an anonymous letter, he would inquire about Xun Yu.

If Xun Yu were to say that Xi Zhicai was indeed a real person and that there was truth to his claims, Cao Cao would surely be moved.

Then he went south to Yingchuan.

This is the only way to travel south to Yingchuan.

Besides tomb raiding, Cao Cao also enjoyed "visiting ancient sites".

Wherever I go, I always seek out historical sites, climb to high places to enjoy the view, and pay homage to the sages of the past.

If you happen to pass by this abandoned ancient temple, you will most likely stop and take a look.

Look, you might be able to get to the back of the temple.

Once you go to the back of the temple, you might be able to explore the dry well "according to the clues he left behind".

If you explore further, you might discover the loose brick at the wellhead.

then……

Liu Liang suppressed the slight smile on his lips.

enough.

I can't think about it anymore.

Thinking one step further can easily lead you down a dead end.

If Cao Cao doesn't take the road this time, then continue building the road until he does.

......

Two days later, in Luoyang.

Cao Cao received a letter with no beginning or end.

He unfolded the letter, glanced at it, and his brow twitched slightly.

"Xi Zhicai? A native of Yangdi, Yingchuan..."

Cao Cao was unaware of Xi Zhicai's identity and handed the letter to Xun Yu, asking, "Wenruo, do you know this man?"

Xun Yu took it and looked at it, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Xi Zhicai... was an old friend of Yu, a renowned scholar from Yingchuan. He possessed strategic acumen, was adept at planning and decisive in action. In terms of talent, he was no less than Yu."

Cao Cao had already witnessed Xun Yu's talent in recent days.

If he is not inferior to Xun Yu, then what kind of weight does he hold?

Cao Cao was very satisfied and hurriedly asked, "Where is Xi Zhicai now?"

Xun Yu said, "It should be in Yangdi. If Cao Cao is interested..."

Cao Cao had already stood up: "Prepare the horses. Let's go to Yangdi."

Cao Ren hesitated for a moment, then said, "My lord, are we going now? What if it's a trap..."

Cao Cao said, "A trap? Sending a letter recommending someone, even if it's a trap, it's a trap to lure me in. Wenruo has already said this person is talented. If I don't go, wouldn't I be pushing talent into someone else's arms?"

Before Cao Ren could say anything more, Cao Cao had already put on his outer robe.

"Gather one hundred cavalry, lightly armed. You all stay in Luoyang, and Wenruo and I will go to Yangdi."

Cao Cao and his entourage traveled south along the Ying River.

Xun Yu led the way, followed by a hundred horsemen.

The villages along the way were dilapidated, with nine out of ten houses empty, a testament to the looting Dong Zhuo plundered during his westward escape.

Cao Cao observed this, his face darkening, and he barely spoke the rest of the way.

After traveling for about two hours, an abandoned temple appeared ahead.

Cao Cao reined in his horse and looked at the dilapidated earthen walls and crooked stone pillars.

"Where is this place?"

Xun Yu glanced at it and shook his head: "A temple in the middle of nowhere, not recorded in local chronicles. It was probably built in the previous dynasty and abandoned during wartime."

Cao Cao nodded and was about to urge his horse over when he suddenly stopped.

He stared at the dilapidated temple for a moment, then dismounted.

"Lord Cao? Where are you going?" Xun Yu was taken aback.

Cao Cao said, "We've traveled a long way, let's rest for a bit. Let's go in and take a look."

Xun Yu didn't think much of it and dismounted.

The hundred riders dispersed to form a guard, and Cao Cao, accompanied by Xun Yu and two personal guards, stepped into the ruins.

The temple was deserted, with wild grass growing up to half a person's height from the cracks in the bricks.

The roof of the main hall has long since collapsed, leaving only the back wall standing. On the wall, one can vaguely see the remaining murals, which have been eroded beyond recognition by wind and rain.

Cao Cao stood in the hall for a while, his gaze drifting towards the rear hall.

"What's that over there?"

The guard went to scout ahead and returned to report, "My lord, there's a grove behind us, and a dry well in the grove."

Cao Cao then strode towards the rear hall.

Xun Yu followed behind, a vague feeling that something was amiss.

Cao Cao was acting strangely today. He looked at everything carefully and walked more slowly than usual, as if he was looking for something.

The woods weren't large; you could walk to the end in just a few dozen steps.

The dry well was located at the edge of the forest. The well platform was made of blue bricks, and over the years, moss had grown in the cracks between the bricks.

Cao Cao walked around the well platform once, then suddenly squatted down.

Xun Yu saw Cao Cao brush aside the withered leaves on the back of the well platform, revealing a loose brick.

Cao Cao didn't say anything, but lifted the brick.

Beneath the brick was a shallow pit, and in the pit lay a brocade pouch.

The brocade pouch was old, its color had darkened, and the edges were worn and frayed.

Cao Cao reached out and took out the brocade pouch, holding it in his palm and examining it for a moment.

Then open the brocade pouch.

Xun Yu stood three steps away and could only see Cao Cao's back.

Cao Cao's shoulders stiffened slightly, and he seemed to be nailed there, completely motionless.

After a moment, Cao Cao closed the brocade pouch and put it in his pocket.

When he turned around again, his complexion had returned to normal.

"Let's go," Cao Cao said. "It's nothing, just an empty bag. Perhaps it was buried by people who fled back then."

Xun Yu nodded and followed Cao Cao outside.

But in that one glance, he saw it.

When Cao Cao put the brocade bag in his hand, his hand was trembling.

But he didn't ask, and Cao Cao didn't say.

The group returned to their horses and continued south.

After traveling another ten miles or so, Cao Cao suddenly reined in his horse.

"Wenruo".

Xun Yu urged his horse forward.

Cao Cao looked at him with a complicated expression.

"There was something in that brocade pouch just now."

Xun Yu remained silent, waiting for what was to come.

Cao Cao took the brocade pouch out of his pocket again and handed it over.

Xun Yu took it, opened it, and took a look.

Pupils suddenly contracted!

It is four inches square, with five dragons intertwined on the top button, and one corner inlaid with gold.

The Imperial Seal of the State!!

He certainly knew what the Imperial Seal of the State meant.

When the He Shi Bi jade was carved into this seal, Qin Shi Huang inscribed the eight characters "Received the mandate of Heaven, may it last forever" and it became a symbol of imperial authority.

When Emperor Gaozu of Han entered Xianyang, Ziying presented the imperial seal, and this item returned to the Han dynasty.

When Wang Mang usurped the throne, he forced Empress Dowager Xiaoyuan to hand over the imperial seal. In anger, the Empress Dowager threw it to the ground, breaking off a corner. She then inlaid it with gold, and that is the broken corner.

Whoever holds the Imperial Seal of the State is the one destined by Heaven.

Xun Yu, holding the jade piece, asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "Where... did this come from?"

Cao Cao said, "Beside the dry well, under that brick."

Xun Yu looked at Cao Cao and was momentarily stunned by that cold gaze.

The Imperial Seal of the State was ordained by Heaven.

What will a person who is ordained by Heaven do?

Xun Yu didn't dare to think about that idea any further.