Now the three of them squeezed into a carriage awkwardly, which was not Yuan Xi's intention.
Originally, he had prepared two carriages, but the axle of Kong Rong's wife and daughter's carriage broke the day before yesterday and could not be repaired.
Because the purpose of his trip was secret, he couldn't show up, and he couldn't show off in the big cities along the way to repair his carriage, so he could only let Kong Rong's wife and daughter board his carriage and drive day and night.
Having said that, Yuan Xi always felt that Tai Shici, who was traveling with him, looked at him strangely.
Now Taishi Ci, who was following outside the carriage, was muttering in his heart when he heard the voices in the carriage.
The young master he took refuge in was really unscrupulous.
During the Battle of Qingzhou, Taishi Ci was captured inexplicably. He thought he must be dead, but he didn't expect that the other party admired him and wanted to recruit him.
However, Taishi Ci had a very high vision and looked down upon Zhang Fei. Although Yuan Xi had a noble family status, he could not convince Taishi Ci. Going back to pick up his mother might just be Taishi Ci's temporary excuse.
But what really shocked Tai Shici was his unreasonable trust.
As the vanguard of the enemy, he let him go as soon as he was told. Do he really think he can keep his promise, or does he feel that he is insignificant?
Under the ambivalence, Taishi Ci finally kept his promise and came back and took refuge with Yuan Xi.
What shocked Taishi Ci even more was that when he returned to Yecheng with Yuan Xi to be appointed, he directly became a Sima of another department, just under Zhao Yun's captaincy.
This is also the highest military attache position that Yuan Xi can give as a county guard, with a salary equivalent to a thousand dan.
Although Taishi Ci was a son of a good family and had the ambition to ascend to the emperor's court, he was a vanguard in Kong Rong's army, that is, a centurion, and now he suddenly rose to a higher position, which made him feel like he was in a dream.
Although he did not doubt his own strength, he did suspect that the Yuan family did not understand his abilities at all and just randomly appointed officials and generals. Did he not know how to lead an army at all?
Then when Taishi Ci made inquiries in Yecheng, he discovered that Yuan Xi was a big problem!
According to rumors, Yuan Xi killed Zhang Kai in Xuzhou and forced Liu Guan and Zhang back. This made Tai Shici unbelievable. He had seen the strength of Liu Guan and Zhang with his own eyes!
Guan Yu was surrounded and defeated in the Battle of Qingzhou, which undoubtedly proved that Yuan Xi's strategy of mobilizing generals was very correct.
Later, Tai Shici learned that Yuan Xi had led the three battles in Qingzhou, and after planning to defeat each one, he thought to himself, could he have made a mistake?
But Taishi Ci also heard another rumor about Guan Yu and Yuan Xi.
Lustful, especially a good wife.
It is said that he has many concubines in Beixin City. After arriving in Yecheng, he did not restrain himself at all. There are rumors that he had a secret meeting with his wife who had not yet married!
This was a big violation of etiquette, and was widely spread in private circles in Yecheng, but because of Yuan's face, no one dared to talk about it publicly.
What puzzled Taishi Ci even more was that it was Bian Rang's widow and daughter.
Cao Cao killed Bian Rang and took in his widow Huan. Yuan Xi used the excuse of exchanging hostages to rescue Huan from Cao Cao. This could have become a good talk among the Yanzhou nobles.
But Yuan Xi did not shy away from bringing Mrs. Huan and her daughter to live in his mansion. Wasn't he afraid of criticism from the nobles?
This is also the case now. This time Yuan Xi took and returned Kong Rong's wife and daughter to Kong Rong to owe him a favor.
But by the way, you and Kong Rong’s wife and daughter are riding in the same carriage. What would Kong Rong think if he knew about it?
Taishi Ci felt more and more that Yuan Xi was not in his right mind and deliberately turned good things into bad things. What was his purpose?
Yuan Xi is also thinking about similar philosophical issues.
In this era, what does a wife and children mean to a qualified lord?
Just like the Sima family first swore an oath to Luoshui, and then killed the emperor in the street, smashing the sacredness of imperial power and oaths to dust, and then started the era of crazy killing and no bottom line in the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Sixteen Kingdoms of the Five Hus. .
Although the Han Dynasty gave birth to countless legends of heroes and passed down this name forever as a representative of a unified nation, Emperor Gaozu also set the precedent of abandoning his wife and children and selling his father to the enemy.
By the end of the Western Han Dynasty and the Eastern Han Dynasty, everyone in the gentry talked about filial piety, and even made up various stories that were close to myths and legends in order to promote filial piety and integrity. However, in fact, no one knew what the real situation was in private.
A father's kindness and his son's filial piety are always a difficult problem that only the person involved can know.
Liu Bei said that wives are like clothes.
Lu Bu killed his two adoptive fathers.
Ma Chao tricked Ma Teng to death and took refuge with Han Sui, his mother-killing enemy.
Cao Cao attacked Xuzhou despite Cao Song still being in Langya.
Cao Pi violated Cao Cao's last wish and shifted from suppressing the nobles to being close to the nobles, rejecting relatives, forcing Cao's children to death, and taking in Cao Cao's concubines.
Most of Lu Xun's entire family was killed by Sun Ce, but he still worked for the Sun family, and eventually died of suspicion.
Jiang Wei, who had a reputation as a filial piety to his mother, after defecting to Shu, faced the threat of Wei from seizing his mother's wife, and directly replied that he had great ambitions and should not return.
Lu Bu, who was reviled by later generations, was not even the worst among them.
For people with great ambitions, the so-called parents, wives and children are just a small part of life.
There seems to be no shortage of legends of loyalty in this era, but there are also countless undercurrents. Precisely because there are so many filthy truths, the value of loyalty is even more highlighted.
Yuan Xi doesn't care what others think of him, as long as he does things according to his own wishes.
For people who really performed filial piety, such as Tai Shici, he had great respect for his mother and his wife. However, Yuan Xi was very uncomfortable with Kong Rong, who could have taken his wife with him when he ran away, but abandoned it for some unknown reason. .
If it weren't for the fact that he could use Kong Rong, a die-hard Han supporter, in the future, he would not hold his nose and send his wife and daughter back on a long journey.
It can be said that Kong Rong was also a very complicated person. As a descendant of Confucius, he put forward the theory of parents being ungrateful.
"What kind of relationship should a father have for his son? As for its original meaning, it is actually a matter of lust. The son's relationship with his mother has changed and become ridiculing, just like putting things in a bottle and leaving them when they come out.
But the same Kong Rong, when he was the prime minister of Beihai, had someone executed because he didn't cry loudly enough at his parents' funeral.
It was this Kong Rong who had always been at odds with Cao Cao, from mocking Cao Pi for marrying Zhen Ji to opposing Cao Cao's conquest and annexation. In the end, Cao Cao rarely broke through the defense and killed Kong Rong.
Yuan Xi's idea is very simple. Hardcore Han fans will be Cao Cao's enemies in the future and can be exploited.
But this does not prevent him from venting, just like now he is not shy about being in the same car with Kong Rong's wife and daughter.
Seeing Yuan Xi tilting his head and looking out the window, the girl Kong secretly moved out from behind her mother's sleeves.
Most of the ladies from the gentry family lived in seclusion, and rarely had contact with men of other surnames. At this age, the girl's curiosity about the Yuan family in front of her overwhelmed the vigilance of both men and women. She wanted to speak, but she didn't dare, so she had to sit in silence.
As time passed, Kong's stomach growled.
She immediately turned red and lowered her head.
The long and bumpy ride in the carriage left her with a poor appetite and didn't eat much, so she felt hungry before it was time to eat.
Mrs. Kong Rong quickly whispered: "It's not time to park the car yet, please be patient for now."
Because they are in a hurry, there is a long time between meals a day. The team often has to wait until it is completely dark before they find a place to stay and cook.
Kong nodded pitifully, but his stomach still kept ringing.
Yuan Xi heard this, smiled slightly at Mrs. Kong Rong and said, "It's true that I left in a hurry and wronged the child."
He opened the lapel of his clothes, and Mrs. Kong Rong's body trembled slightly when she saw it, but she saw Yuan Xi taking out a linen package from his arms.
After the layers of linen are unfolded, there are several golden and shiny sugar cakes.
Yuan Xi handed the package to the girl and said, "This thing can really fill your stomach. Why don't you try it?"
Seeing the vigilant look on the girl's face, he smiled and said, "It's only natural that you don't believe me. After all, I led the troops to beat my father away. I might be showing off and poisoning him."
The girl became competitive, grabbed a piece of candy cake, and said angrily: "My father is afraid of you, but I am not afraid!"
She stuffed the candy cake into her mouth, took a hard bite, and then her eyes widened.
There are such delicious things in the world!
It’s not honey, but it’s as sweet as honey!
The girl couldn't help but have a happy smile on her face and chewed hard.
Yuan Xi thought to himself that he really told the children that the temptation of sweets is unstoppable.
Although it was very cold outside, the candy cake seemed to be still giving off a hint of warmth because it was in Yuan Xi's arms, which made the girl blush slightly.
Under the trend of hunger, she wolfed down the whole candy cake in three times and almost choked.
She quickly picked up the water bag and drank a few sips. The water dripped from her mouth and dripped onto her chest. Mrs. Kong Rong quickly took out a handkerchief to cover her and complained a few times. The girl's face became redder and redder.
Yuan Xi held the candy cake and said with a smile, "Do you still want to eat it?"
The girl's eyes lit up, then she lowered her head and said softly: "Thank you, sir, I'm full."
Yuan Xi smiled slightly, wrapped the candy cake and put it in his arms again.
The girl gained some energy, looked at Yuan Xi, and suddenly whispered: "Young Master...is he a good person?"
Mrs. Kong Rong quickly covered the girl's mouth and said, "The child is ignorant, sir, please don't care about it."
Yuan Xi smiled slightly: "Madam, you are so polite. The daughter is very interesting."
He thought that Mr. Kong died young and his beauty was ill-fated, and there was a look of regret on his face.
Mrs. Kong Rong was a little mistaken and couldn't help but hug the girl into her arms.
If Yuan Xi could really marry his daughter as his wife, it would be too late for her to be happy.
It's a pity that the relationship between the two parties has been impossible for a long time, and the Zhen family's marriage has been decided for a long time. You can't let your daughter be a concubine, right?
She didn't expect that when she came up with this idea, she was dissatisfied with Kong Rong's abandonment of her mother and daughter.
Yuan Xi said seriously to the girl: "To many people, I should be a bad person. After all, I helped the Yuan family rob your father's Beihai County."
"So you don't need to be grateful to me. You will go back just because you are Wen Jugong's family."
"The people in Beihai who were displaced because of me must hate me now."
The girl was a little shocked. She had never seen anyone commenting on her like this before. She asked in confusion: "Then why does the young master still beat my father?"
Yuan Xi smiled: "Of course it's because your father did worse."
(End of chapter)
