Chapter 1496: Falling into a Struggle

In the long scroll of history, there are always some figures who left an indelible mark with their extraordinary wisdom and profound schemes. Guo Jia, the top strategist under Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms period, was one of them. His wisdom was like a brilliant star, illuminating Cao Wei's journey, but similarly, his schemes were occasionally like sharp double-edged swords, hurting both others and himself.

Guo Jia showed extraordinary talent from a young age and had unique insights into military strategy and schemes. After defecting to Cao Cao, he was like a fish in water, offering advice and suggestions for Cao Cao many times and making great contributions. However, behind this bright and beautiful appearance, there was also an unknown dark side hidden. Guo Jia's schemes were sometimes too ruthless, even not hesitating to sacrifice the innocent as the price, which also left him controversial in history.

It was a stormy night when Guo Jia received a secret letter, which mentioned that there was an important strategist on the enemy side named Jia Xu, who was plotting a surprise attack on Cao Wei. Guo Jia knew deeply that Jia Xu's wisdom was extraordinary, and if he succeeded, Cao Wei would suffer heavy losses. Thus, he decided to adopt a preemptive strategy, designing an exquisite scheme to completely destroy Jia Xu's plan.

Guo Jia's scheme cleverly utilized the weaknesses of human nature. He dispatched an elite force, disguised as enemy troops, to sneak into the camp where Jia Xu was located, creating chaos. At the same time, he secretly spread rumors, claiming that Jia Xu had secretly surrendered to Cao Wei, attempting to disintegrate the morale of the enemy army. This series of operations put Jia Xu into an unprecedented predicament.

However, Guo Jia's scheme did not stop there. He knew deeply that relying only on these means was not enough to completely defeat Jia Xu. Thus, he set an even more ruthless trap. He utilized Jia Xu's deep affection for his family, forging a family letter, which claimed that Jia Xu's family had been captured by Cao Wei, and if Jia Xu did not surrender, his family's lives would be in danger.

This family letter was like a bolt from the blue, putting Jia Xu into deep pain and struggle. He knew deeply that this was likely Guo Jia's scheme, but the safety of his family made him unable to ignore it. Ultimately, under huge psychological pressure, Jia Xu made a wrong judgment, deciding to take a risk, but ended up falling into Guo Jia's trap.

In that battle, Jia Xu's army was defeated, and he himself was captured. When Jia Xu learned the truth and understood that he had been deceived by Guo Jia's scheme, his heart was filled with endless regret and anger. He denounced Guo Jia's ruthlessness and heartlessness, accusing him of utilizing the weaknesses of human nature to achieve his own goals.

Guo Jia did not show the slightest guilt for Jia Xu's accusations. He believed that he had only done what a strategist should do; for the victory of Cao Wei, sacrificing some innocent people was unavoidable. However, behind this victory, Guo Jia's inner struggle and pain were hidden.

With the passage of time, Guo Jia's schemes gradually revealed their far-reaching consequences. Jia Xu's failure made the enemy's morale suffer a heavy blow, and Cao Wei seized the opportunity to launch a fierce offensive, ultimately achieving victory. However, behind this victory, countless sacrifices and pain were hidden. The blood and tears of those innocent people hurt by Guo Jia's schemes became an indelible mark of this victory.

Guo Jia's ruthlessness and heartlessness also made him pay a heavy price. His behavior aroused the dissatisfaction and resentment of some Cao Wei generals. They believed that Guo Jia's schemes were too cruel and violated humanity and morality. This dissatisfaction and resentment gradually spread within Cao Wei, causing a serious impact on Guo Jia's status and reputation.

What made Guo Jia feel even more painful was that his behavior also made him lose some close friends and comrades. They could not accept Guo Jia's ruthlessness and heartlessness and chose to keep a distance from him. This loneliness and loss made Guo Jia's heart filled with endless pain and struggle.

In Guo Jia's later years, he began to reflect on his behavior. He realized that although his schemes brought victory to Cao Wei, they also paid a huge price. He began to doubt whether he had really done the right thing. This doubt and reflection made Guo Jia's heart fall into deep contradiction and struggle.

In the quiet and profound years of Jia Xu's later years, he often sat in the study, staring at the falling leaves flying outside the window, his heart surging with endless thoughts. That document about Guo Jia's secret was carefully collected by him in a hidden corner, like a heavy bargaining chip, witnessing the changes in the past. However, fate seemed to always love to play jokes on people, and a sudden change put this precious document into an unprecedented crisis.

It was a stormy night, thunder roaring, lightning flashing, as if predicting that something ominous was about to happen. Because of his old age, Jia Xu went to bed early, leaving only the light in the study on, the faint light flickering in the darkness. Just at this moment, an uninvited guest quietly sneaked into the Jia residence, aiming directly at the document hiding Guo Jia's secret.

This person was a young strategist who was full of worship for Guo Jia; he firmly believed that all of Guo Jia's behavior was for the great cause of Cao Wei, and he had always been dissatisfied with Jia Xu's exposure. In an accidental opportunity, he learned of the existence of the document and decided to destroy it at all costs to restore Guo Jia's reputation in history.

In the dead of night, he easily avoided the guards of the Jia residence and sneaked into the study. Under the dim light, his gaze quickly locked onto the document that Jia Xu regarded as a treasure. Without a moment's hesitation, he tore it fiercely, and that piece of white paper carrying the truth of history instantly turned into two halves, and immediately after, it was torn into fragments, scattered all over the floor.

After completing all this, he hurried out of the study and disappeared into the vast night. And inside the study, that faint light was still on, but it seemed even dimmer, as if mourning for this torn historical evidence.

The next morning, when Jia Xu discovered the abnormality in the study, an indescribable anger and grief surged in his heart. He trembled with his hands, attempting to piece together the original appearance of the document from the fragments all over the floor, but everything was in vain. He knew that the disappearance of this document meant that Guo Jia's secret would be buried deep again, and all the efforts he had made might also be wasted because of this.

Jia Xu did not choose to report to the police or make it public; he knew deeply that even if he found the document, he could not change the prejudices and misunderstandings already existing in people's hearts. He chose silence, burying this pain deep in his heart, and continued to guard the future of Cao Wei in his own way.

However, the tearing of the paper did not truly erase the traces of history. With the passage of time, the stories about Guo Jia and Jia Xu spread among the people by word of mouth. Although the details might be different, the general outline and core events were gradually known by more people. People began to re-examine Guo Jia's merits and demerits, and the evaluation of him also became more complex and diverse. ===== CHAPTER 1497 =====