Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

After arranging all these matters, Cao Cao thought about his current territory and then about his father. He stroked his beard with a satisfied smile. The once troublesome and mischievous son his father had spoken of had now become one of the most prominent warlords in the land, having just defeated Yuan Shu. His achievements were undeniable.

A smile spread across Cao Cao’s dark complexion as he considered his accomplishments. Returning in glory? He felt his aspirations had surpassed that.

After dismissing Xun Yu and the others, Cao Cao began making arrangements to welcome his father to Chenliu. He also planned to return to Chenliu with his army, leaving Wan City under the defense of Cao Ren and Cheng Yu.

”Zhicai, this time it’s all up to you. Hurry up and help Fengxiao with his talent clearing. If it’s useless, wash it away,” Cheng Yu said bluntly.

”Zhicai, to put it simply, we’ve had a good grasp of the weather patterns these past two years. It’s clear that Qingzhou’s climate isn’t normal. Every year, the Taishan region experiences small bumper harvests, and—” Xi Zhicai certainly had his own understanding of the matter.

”I’ll keep an eye on this talent. If there’s indeed a mental talent that can change the weather on a large scale, I won’t miss it,” Xi Zhicai nodded. ”I’ll make sure to record the talents of each of them and select three to bring back. This time, I’m relying on Gongda’s talent to slip through. I’ll clear out all three slots.”

”Sometimes it’s good to appear a bit dull and slow. With a protective layer, people are less likely to notice you. But I must say, I never heard of Chen Zichuan being from our hometown,” Xun Yu remarked, acknowledging that Xi Zhicai’s strategy was sound. They could always swap talents as needed, but Taishan was a place they might only visit once.

Xun You, feeling a bit frustrated, tugged at his lips. After all, it was his uncle speaking, so he couldn’t outright refute him. He just pretended to be more slow-witted than he actually was.

”Chen Zichuan’s wife is the legitimate daughter of the Fan family, another prominent name. So, contrary to what Changwen suggested, it might not be so simple,” Cheng Yu remarked, finding it difficult to get along with Chen Qun, whose aristocratic pride was evident.

”That’s quite strange. If he married the legitimate daughter of the Fan family, then he must also be from a distinguished branch,” Xi Zhicai pondered. Though he wasn’t from an aristocratic family, he understood enough about their traditions to know that such marriages required matching statuses.”Who knows? Perhaps the Chen family deliberately kept him hidden. Given the times… hmph,” Cheng Yu commented with a hint of sarcasm, making it awkward for Xun Yu and Xun You, who could only chuckle and try to defuse the tension.

Meanwhile, Chen Xi looked at the robe that Chen Lan had made for him and didn’t know what to say. As his official wife, Fan Jian had forgotten to prepare his formal attire. As a result, Chen Lan, despite being a concubine, had taken the initiative. Was this due to the age difference? After all, if Fan Jian had prepared it, the robe Chen Lan had painstakingly embroidered would have just ended up stored away.

”Looks well-made. Let me try it on,” Chen Xi patted Chen Lan’s shoulder and said, ”But it’s difficult to put on. I’ll need your help.”

”Husband should wait until the appropriate time to wear it,” Chen Lan shook her head, folding the robe and putting it away. She didn’t care about protocol, but she had spent a lot of time and effort on it. The golden patterns and cloud motifs had all been carefully embroidered by hand, and she wasn’t about to let him wear it before the wedding.

”Why not try it on? It might not fit,” Chen Xi teased with a playful smile, only to see Chen Lan’s expression darken as she pouted at him.

”Alright, I misspoke,” Chen Xi relented with a sigh. ”But I find it strange. You always seem to be resting, yet you’ve somehow managed to finish embroidering both the wedding dress and my robe. You even strung the beads for the official’s attire. Do you really have so much free time? I thought you were always resting.”

”I worked on them diligently at night,” Chen Lan proudly declared. Unlike Fan Jian, who barely lifted a finger, she was well aware of her status. Even though Chen Xi doted on her, and they had been through hardships together, she knew that people said a concubine was married for her beauty. After observing Fan Jian for a while, she realized that the only area where she surpassed Fan Jian was in her bust size. Everything else was evenly matched, but Fan Jian was only fifteen, and she was already twenty...

”Keep up the good work. The official documents have already confirmed your status as my wife. You can relax now—you’re officially the Marchioness,” Chen Xi said with a smile, recalling that Chen Lan wasn’t slow when it came to embroidery. The fact that she needed a reminder to finish the wedding dress probably meant she had been working on his robe from the start.

Elsewhere, Jia Xu and Liu Ye were busy sorting through intelligence from Xiliang. As for the administrative work assigned to Liu Ye, he managed to juggle both tasks, gathering and organizing information on Xiliang while also tackling government affairs. Since the so-called governance template couldn’t be completed overnight, and Liu Bei wasn’t likely to conduct surprise inspections, Liu Ye felt no need to alter his usual leisurely work pace.

”Wenhe, isn’t this a bit too far-fetched?” Liu Ye commented, reading through the reports from Xiliang, which mentioned ordering Ma Teng and Han Sui to rally forces for the emperor.

”It’s entirely plausible. Li Jue and the others will think the decree came from the emperor, while the emperor will believe they forged it. Neither side will openly discuss it, and they’ll both hold onto their grudges, waiting to settle the score when the opportunity arises,” Jia Xu replied nonchalantly.

”Isn’t that exactly what the emperor is thinking?” Seeing Liu Ye rendered speechless, Jia Xu feigned a look of realization, nearly choking Liu Ye in the process.

”Well, Li Jue is likely thinking along the same lines. It’s inevitable—they see Xiliang as their homeland, and taking control of it is only natural,” Liu Ye remarked disdainfully. He had realized that Jia Xu didn’t hold Liu Xie in high regard.

”That’s why I’m helping them out. It wouldn’t do any good for Ma Teng and Han Sui to keep fighting amongst themselves, especially with winter approaching and the Qiang people likely to cause trouble again. Sending them to ’rescue’ the emperor with the Qiang in tow is the perfect solution,” Jia Xu added, wiping away nonexistent tears with his sleeve.

”You win,” Liu Ye conceded, admitting defeat.

”It’s nothing. I’ve simply given Ma Teng and Han Sui a noble cause to rally behind. With the Qiang as allies, saving the emperor should be no problem at all,” Jia Xu’s insincerity drew more scorn from Liu Ye, though he couldn’t help but admire Jia Xu’s ability to deliver such lines with a straight face.

”Fine, I’ll add fuel to the fire. Han Sui and Ma Teng are no match for Li Jue and Guo Si, even with the Qiang on their side. They’ll just be cannon fodder,” Liu Ye said, waving his hand in resignation, feeling drained by Jia Xu’s antics.

”If they defeat Han Sui and Ma Teng, Li Jue and Guo Si will inevitably turn on each other once they face no external threats. There’s no need to accelerate that process,” Jia Xu countered, dismissing Liu Ye’s suggestion. His real goal was to eliminate the Yang family. He wanted to strike while they were still unaware, ensuring that a potential giant like the Yuan family never arose in Yong, Liang, and Hanzhong.