Cao Cao often praised Xun You and once said, "Gongda is intelligent but appears foolish; he is courageous but appears cowardly; he is resilient but appears weak.
Cao Cao sering memuji Xun You dan pernah berkata, "Gongda cerdas tetapi tampak bodoh; dia pemberani tetapi tampak pengecut; dia tangguh tetapi tampak lemah.