Village Chief Zhuge was also perplexed; he could not figure out whether Zhou Yu's claim about Cao Cao having a penchant for old men had any factual basis or was merely hearsay.
Therefore, without any shame in asking those of lower status, he inquired, "The first two I can understand, but as for old men, where did Viceroy get that from?"
Naturally, Zhou Yu did not fabricate facts out of thin air. "Look at this: first Cao Cao tossed Dong Cheng aside until he was gone—wasn't he an old man? Then he almost backstabbed Dong Zhuo—wasn't he an old man? Later, Tao Qian of Xuzhou was tormented into a bedridden illness—wasn't he an old man? Finally, the fangshi Zuo Ci and the divine physician Hua Tuo—which of these men wasn't an old man? So using Old General Huang was a thoroughly researched decision."
Chapter 235