NOVPUB"Do you know who I am?" Li Ru looked at Cai Yan in surprise.
"I do not know, but at this time, the only ones who would dare come to the Cai family are either close friends of my father or righteous individuals who have received my father’s kindness. Either way, for the current Yan, both are important supports," said Cai Yan with slightly reddened eyes as she shook her head.
"Cai Bojie once said he had a daughter of both beauty and talent, and it is indeed true. Would you be willing to accompany me to Mount Tai? Chang’an is no longer safe, disaster looms; as for the Hedong Wei family, after you have observed the period of mourning for three years, I, as your elder, will provide you with a dowry. Are you willing to go to Mount Tai with me?" Li Ru spoke in a gentle tone. Although not familiar with Cai Bojie, now that he had mourned for Dong Zhuo, he felt compelled to care for the wife and children of Cai Yong; such was Li Ru’s way of living.
"I am willing to follow Uncle Li to Mount Tai," Cai Yan sighed, already seeing that no matter what she said, the man would forcibly take her away from Chang’an. His bearing said it all, and since this was the case, it was better to leave with some dignity intact. Having experienced the vicissitudes of life and the warmth and coldness of human relationships, Cai Yan was no longer the girl who knew nothing but her books.
"Very good, very good. I am Li Youu from Yongzhou, Li Wenru. You may address me as Uncle Li. This man’s surname is Hua, given name Xiong, courtesy name Zijian. Once we arrive at Mount Tai, you may call upon us for any needs. Wenhe, come out as well," Li Ru called to the carriage, prompting Jia Xu, who emerged helplessly, his robe fluttering, the very picture of a handsome and refined scholar.
"I am Jia Wenhe," Jia Xu greeted with a cupped-hand salute, then fell silent.
"If Miss Cai does not mind the clumsiness of our soldiers, we can help move all the items you require," said Hua Xiong, stepping forward with a fist clasped after Li Ru had finished speaking, ready to assist.
"There is no need for that, just as Uncle Li said, Yan only needs to take those three items with her," Cai Yan shook her head, then slowly withdrew. 𝒏𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
"Miss…" After returning to her family’s doorway, Cai Yan’s maid anxiously looked at her. Without saying anything else, she just uttered one word, with everything left unsaid.
Cai Yan gently shook her head to signal that her maid need not worry. Cai Yong’s mourning for Dong Zhuo was not only out of gratitude for past kindnesses but also to give an excuse to the Han Dynasty. Unfortunately, the common people did not understand, and as for those in the imperial court, like Wang Yun and Yang Biao, they knew everything but cared not to bother with a seventeen-year-old girl, seeing no value in her. Such was the way of the world – once a person is gone, they are soon forgotten.
And because of the ignorance of the people, Cai Yan was trapped in Chang’an and unable to leave. Had she been able to leave Chang’an, relying on Cai Yong’s fame, she would have been welcomed in any notable family, but sadly she was now confined to Chang’an
"Let’s go, gather the things and head to Mount Tai. I have heard that it is Liu Xuande’s territory, and many of the books we lost in Luoyang have been collected by him. I have heard that Liu Xuande is benevolent and righteous; thinking it to be true, once we reach Mount Tai, Liu Xuande will not make things difficult for us. On the contrary, with such a connection, it might save us much trouble," said Cai Yan, her eyes slightly red.
Soon, Cai Yan emerged carrying the Burnt-Tail Zither and the Classic of Music, and her maid carried the history of the Han Dynasty that Cai Yong had not finished revising. Then the two of them got into the carriage that Hua Xiong had already prepared and slowly left Chang’an.
After traveling thirty miles, Hua Xiong reached the location where his infantry was stationed. Following a brief rest, he once again began to march. With these four thousand men at his command, Hua Xiong instantly felt a surge of confidence; their very presence bolstered his courage.
Sitting inside the carriage, Cai Yan’s eyes flickered with curiosity. She observed the four thousand well-arrayed infantrymen, and the man serving as their commander-in-chief was actually that old man’s subordinate. She pondered, "One of the Feudal Lords?" As for Liu Bei, she had not considered him, since the limited information she had previously encountered still depicted Liu Bei as a fallen Han Imperial Kinsman with only the Mount Tai Commandery in his possession.
On the other hand, Yuan Shao, currently on the front lines of Jizhou and Youzhou, was startled by the intelligence that had come from the rear. Over a million Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou had been swept away by Chen Xi; it seemed that Chen Zichuan from Yingchuan was astonishingly powerful.
"Yuanhao, take a look at this intelligence report," Yuan Shao handed over the latest information to Tian Feng, the strategist he now relied upon the most.
"A prodigy of this age, the Yellow Turbans will surely be crushed by him. However, my worry is that, compared to the Yellow Turbans, Liu Xuande poses a more imminent threat to our inner concerns," said Tian Feng, stunned at first upon reading the report, then he incessantly sighed and furrowed his brows once more.
"My concerns are the same. Had I known he was a disciple of the Yingchuan Chen Family, back when the Feudal Lords formed their alliance and he was always following behind me, I should have sought his favor. Regrettably, Liu Xuande took him under his wing. Such a talent, it’s a pity, a true pity," Yuan Shao thought for a moment. He had some recollection of the name Chen Xi and then remembered, wasn’t that the young man who hung around him for a meal during the early days of the alliance of Feudal Lords?
"Eh?" Tian Feng was taken aback. "Lord, you have met Chen Zichuan from Yingchuan before?"
"It was my oversight," Yuan Shao said with a hint of frustration. "Back then, I should have inquired more. During the alliance of the Feudal Lords, I noticed he had the bearing of an outstanding individual, so I let him accompany me into the tent to have a five-ding meal and didn’t interfere. We even chatted a bit, but it was a shallow conversation, and I only learned that his name was Chen Zichuan. It’s regrettable. Afterwards, Liu Xuande kept him close, and in hindsight, it seems Chen Zichuan had already sided with Liu Xuande at that time." Yuan Shao lamented, thinking that he should not have let such a big fish slip away while pretending to be an insignificant shrimp.
"It’s a helpless situation; such has been the way since ancient times. The south is well defended by Gong Yu and Jun Yi, so even if Liu Xuande has any sinister intentions, it wouldn’t cause much trouble after all, that region is our Jizhou homeland, where we have a great advantage," Tian Feng sighed and added, "The good thing is, Chen Zichuan is a capable minister; he wouldn’t likely start a war rashly. He probably wants to seize the opportunity, while we are preoccupied, to flaunt his military might and plunder along the way."
"If that’s the case, we’ll keep our main battle strategy unchanged. If Chen Zichuan understands his position and simply wishes to obtain something from us, just give it to him. Our primary target is Gongsun Bogui. Only by defeating him can we possibly pacify the land. Before defeating Gongsun Bogui, let’s tolerate the existence of other Feudal Lords!" Yuan Shao looked up after a moment of contemplation and said calmly.
"Lord, you are wise," Tian Feng saluted. What he appreciated most about Yuan Shao was this quality; Yuan Shao could always judge the situation and invariably make a calm assessment of the current circumstances to choose the most beneficial course of action for himself.
"If that is the case, I will write a letter to Gong Yu, instructing him to avoid conflicts with Chen Zichuan as much as possible. We shall agree to their requests, as long as they are not too excessive. If they deliberately provoke us, then!" Tian Feng’s eyes glinted fiercely. Decisiveness was a talent shared by all excellent strategists.
"Excellent! I have two pillars of the Four Courts of Hebei stationed on the border of Qingzhou, and my loyal subject Gong Yu is there as well. With Jizhou being our homeland, I want to see if Chen Zichuan really has the ability to defy the heavens!" Yuan Shao nodded, his voice clear with a touch of pride when he mentioned the pillars of the Four Courts of Hebei.
