"I'm just like Hua Ziyu, landing here."
A faint voice came from behind.
Hua Xin turned around and saw Yuan Zhong climbing off the boat with the help of his wife and children.
"I also have this intention!"
Several more voices came, and several more scholars chose to leave Wang Lang's fleet.
Wang Lang's face looked a little ugly, but fortunately his complexion was already very bad, so it wasn't obvious.
"Walk!"
Wang Lang waved his hand and motioned Yu Fan to get on the boat.
"Ming Gong, please take good care of it!"
The scholars who chose to stay all bowed to Wang Lang.
Out of face, Wang Lang still returned the favor.
Yuan Zhong never saluted Wang Lang. As early as when he first took refuge in Kuaiji County, he could not understand Wang Lang's style.
"Hmph! How far have you come, and you still think you are the governor of Kuaiji!"
"Ziyu, do you want to go to Jiaozhi with us?"
Hua Xin said noncommittally, "It's better to get water here first and eat."
Everyone took out their coins to exchange for some melons and fruits, and immediately began to feast.
After filling my withered stomach, pouring water over my head and washing my face, I felt like I was alive as a human being.
After having a full meal, Yuan Zhong brought up the old problem again: "Ziyu, Huan Yuan and I have discussed it with them. After we fill up our water bags and buy enough dry food here, we will continue sailing south and take refuge in Jiaozhi County. I wonder if you have this intention?"
Hua Xin wiped his hands and said, "Let me think about this for a while."
Yuan Zhong said disdainfully: "What else should we consider? Even if Wang Lang takes over Dongzhi, he will still be unable to defeat Sun Ce!"
"Instead of sitting here waiting for Sun's soldiers to attack, it is better to plan a retreat as soon as possible!"
Hua Xin hesitated for a moment, but still shook his head: "I appreciate Zhengfu's kindness."
"However, Wang Lang and I have been friends for many years. It is really unreasonable to say goodbye without saying goodbye..."
Seeing that Hua Xin had made up his mind, Yuan Zhong was too lazy to waste words, so he turned around and discussed with his friend Huan Shao and others about going to Jiaozhi.
Hua Xin sat on the ground and closed his eyes to rest.
It wasn't until two hours later that another person woke up Hua Xin.
"Ziyu!"
"Haoqing!"
Hua Xin opened his eyes and was not surprised to see that the person coming was Chen Guo and Yuan Hui.
"Are you also here to persuade me to go to Cochin?"
Yuan Hui shook his head: "No! I'm here to give you a future, Ziyu."
"future?"
Yuan Hui nodded and took out a letter from his arms.
"This is the letter my brother Yuan Huan sent me a few months ago. Please take it with me."
Hua Xin asked in confusion: "Since it's a letter from home, why did you give it to me?"
Yuan Hui smiled and said: "This is not only a letter from home, but also a letter of appointment. Ziyu will know it as soon as he sees it!"
Hua Xin took the letter and opened it, but his expression became more and more strange.
"Your brother Yuan Huan has joined the Yuan Yao shogunate?"
"Exactly!"
Yuan Hui burst out laughing:
"Ziyu's reaction was exactly the same as my expression when I saw this letter!"
Hua Xin frowned: "Hao Qing showed me this book. Could it be that he wants to persuade me to join Yuzhang and Yuan Yao?"
"No!"
Yuan Hui shook his head and said relaxedly: "I am casual by nature. I consider myself to have no talent. I just want to study scriptures and have no intention of becoming an official."
"But you are different, Ziyu!"
"You and Mr. Wang Fu are gradually becoming dissatisfied and even saying bad words to each other, but you are still unwilling to abandon him and leave. I know that you are different from those of us who want to seek refuge!"
"You are a man of great ambition!"
Yuan Hui stared at Hua Xin with sharp eyes, as if he had seen through Hua Xin.
Hua Xin looked at Yuan Hui in disbelief, as if he knew this man again.
As soon as Yuan Hui saw Hua Xin's reaction, he knew he was right.
"If Ziyu wants to express his ambition, he might as well go to our brother Yuan Huan with this book. As long as he sees this letter, he will definitely introduce you to Yuan Yao!"
Hua Xin pinched the letter and composed himself: "How can Hao Qing be sure that I will definitely serve Yuan Yao?"
Yuan Hui said indifferently: "A good bird chooses a tree to roost in, and a wise minister chooses his master to serve!"
"Ziyu, who you choose as your master is not something I can worry about. In the final analysis, I'm just giving you a choice."
"Anyway, this letter of appointment is of no use to me. Why don't I give it to you, Ziyu? Maybe it can help you solve your worries!"
Yuan Hui paused and then said: "In short, with your talent and reputation, Mr. Hua, you will be hired no matter where you go, right?"
Hua Xin couldn't help but remain silent.
He never doubted his talent, he only hated his bad luck.
After a long time, Hua Xin finally said, "Why doesn't Hao Qing give this letter to Yuan Zhengfu, General Huan Yuan, and Xu Wenxiu?"
As soon as I asked Hua Xin, I regretted it. I felt that my question was really stupid!
Yuan Hui was stunned: "Although Yuan Zhong is from the same clan as Yuan Shu, Yuan Yao and his son, their relationship is not harmonious and they are unable to hide themselves. How could they surrender to him?"
"Huan Shao is Yuan Zhong's relative and friend. Wherever Yuan Zhong goes, he goes with him."
"As for Xu Jing... you reminded me of this, but he went to Dongzhi with Wang Fujun, so I guess I won't be able to meet them."
"If Ziyu doesn't mind the trouble, you might as well take this letter and go to Yuzhang with Xu Jing..."
…
It was rare for Hua Xin to find someone as transparent as Yuan Hui among the scholars, so he couldn't help but chat for a while.
He also accepted the letter with thanks.
Until the sunset, someone on the shore suddenly screamed.
"Look, isn't that Wang Fujun's ship?"
"Why did you drive it back?"
Hua Xin pinched his fingers and counted the time.
Yu Fan said that it takes half a day to go upstream by water from here to Dongzhi County.
Most of the day has passed now. Wang Lang must have drifted back down the river after arriving at Dongzhi.
Hua Xin and Yuan Hui looked at each other and smiled bitterly at the same time.
Yuan Hui: "If these ships were not sent by Wang Fujun to pick us up..."
Hua Xin answered: "Then Yuan Zhengfu's words have truly come true!"
…
The scribes on the shore were divided into two groups at this time.
One group is the refuge Jiaozhi faction, headed by Yuan Zhong, who was born in the clan of the Fourth Generation and the Three Dukes.
The other group simply had enough to sit on the boat and went ashore early to eat. They were followed by those who followed Wang Lang, headed by Hua Xin.
Seeing Wang Lang returning by boat, Yuan Zhong and his group immediately guessed what had happened in Dongzhi County and couldn't help but rejoice in the misfortune.
"Oh, Mr. Wangfu, I didn't expect that I, a poor scholar, could meet a high-ranking official worth two thousand dan twice a day!"
"Prefect Wang, why don't you sit in charge of Dongzhi County and continue to carry out your duties as county governor?"
"Hahaha, Mr. Wangfu, you deigned to come to this small fishing village. Are you here to inspect the people's sentiments, or are you here... to eat with the people?"
On the boat, Wang Lang's face was livid, and he felt that the humiliation he suffered at this moment was even greater than the humiliation he had just suffered under Dongzhi City!
The ship docked, and a dozen of Wang Lang's soldiers jumped off the ship, as dejected as if they were mourning their heirs.
Although Hua Xin and Wang Lang kept arguing all the way, he was the first to greet him at this time.
"Prince Wangfu, why are you back again?"
Wang Lang glared at him: "Ziyu, are you even here to laugh at me?"
Hua Xin shook his head and did not explain. He just reached out to help Wang Lang get off the boat.
Wang Lang stood on the long-lost land and couldn't help but feel guilty: "Ziyu, I shouldn't have said anything about you. You have always been my friend, and that hasn't changed."
Hua Xin gently stroked Wang Lang's back, seeming to feel sorry for this old friend.
Wang Lang let out a long sigh, his face was so dry and chapped that only a piece of skin was left, but he could still shed two tears.
"Alas, the down-and-out governor is worse than a dog!"
After saying that, he lay in Hua Xin's arms and cried bitterly.
