Chapter 14: Something Momentous Is About to Happen in Xuzhou (Please Keep Reading!)

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The young woman followed behind Li Yi. Before he could say a word, she hurriedly spoke first.

“C-Could I come with you?”

She was testing the waters, and extending an invitation.

Li Yi nodded and turned to enter the house.

He felt little guilt over violating propriety. That was simply how this era worked.

Since he had come here, he might as well adapt properly.

Anyone expecting Li Yi to say, “You are still young. Wait until you have grown up before speaking of such things,” would be mistaken.

That would only make him seem foolish—and hypocritical.

To put it plainly, in this feudal age, these women were little more than the private property of landlords.

They could even be passed from hand to hand like merchandise.

Li Yi did not even need to ask her name.

With delicate steps she moved forward, while the red candlelight blurred through the haze.

A night of sparse rain and sudden gusts—do you know, do you know? It must have left the green leaves lush and the red flowers wan.

“…”

…

The next morning.

Li Yi opened his bleary eyes and sat up in bed.

Though the night before had kept him occupied for a long while and his body was still somewhat weary, he had never been in the habit of sleeping late.

When the time came, he rose. Once awake, he could never go back to sleep.

As soon as he sat up, he saw a young woman kneeling beside the bed, holding a bronze basin in both hands.

“Sir, you are awake? Please rinse your mouth first.”

Li Yi had not expected the girl to wake even earlier than he had. His mouth happened to feel bitter and his throat was dry, so he naturally took the basin and drank a few mouthfuls.

At that moment, the young woman suddenly bowed deeply.

“I expect you do not yet know my name. I am Tao Hong.”

“It was my honor to serve you last night.”

Normally, if the master of the household did not ask, a young woman was not permitted to introduce herself.

Yet this girl named Tao Hong had taken the initiative to do so. It seemed she, too, hoped to secure a permanent means of support.

Having already adapted to local customs—and becoming, in a sense, half a feudal man himself—Li Yi naturally did not need to take responsibility for what had happened the night before.

If he refused her, the girl’s fate afterward would be miserable.

That was the cruelty of the feudal age.

The fact that she had dared to make the request herself showed that she understood this problem.

If Li Yi agreed, he could take her in as a maid—a maid kept as a secondary wife…

She would not even possess a formal status.

Yet even the position of a secondary wife’s maid was something many young women in ancient times could never hope to obtain.

Those with worse luck were sold directly into brothels. Those with still worse luck were taken by wealthy families as playthings.

And when the family was in the mood, they might even be passed around among the servants.

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With even worse luck, a girl might be treated as food and torn apart by starving refugees.

It sounded horrifying, but that was the reality.

Of course, the third fate was a peculiar feature of times of chaos.

Tao Hong was clearly strong-willed at heart, and the fact that she had deliberately introduced herself that morning suggested she was careful in her dealings as well.

A woman who was both bold and meticulous was worth keeping nearby.

After all, as the saying went, one did not fear an opponent as fierce as a tiger; what one feared was a companion as foolish as a pig.

Throughout history, how many heroes and great men had been betrayed by the servants at their sides?

There were advantages to choosing a clever attendant to remain nearby.

Besides, Tao Hong had most likely been arranged by Old Liu. There was no need to reject his goodwill.

“…Help me change.”

Li Yi rose and extended both hands.

Tao Hong was intelligent and immediately understood the implication behind his words.

She quickly stood and nodded so vigorously that her head bobbed like a pounding pestle.

“Yes, yes, I will dress you at once.”

Tao Hong was overjoyed. Carefully, she helped Li Yi put on his clothes.

She gently smoothed every crease and corner. A scholar was expected to dress with dignity.

As she arranged his robes, Tao Hong said, “The Governor sent someone earlier to say that once you awoke, you were to go to the main hall.”

“…I understand.”

Li Yi replied indifferently. In truth, after seeing Old Liu’s hesitant expression the previous night, he had already guessed that something important would happen today.

As for what it was, he had some idea, though he could not be certain.

“Please have some breakfast before you leave, Sir.”

“No need.”

Li Yi was a workaholic, with a powerful drive to succeed. Once dressed, he went straight outside.

At the main gate, he ran straight into Chen Dao.

Chen Dao had evidently been waiting there for some time. The moment he saw Li Yi emerge, he hurried forward to greet him.

“Sir, you are awake?”

“Please get into the carriage.”

As before, Chen Dao had prepared a horse-drawn carriage to receive Li Yi.

It was probably Old Liu who had sent him.

“…Very well. I have kept General Chen waiting.”

“Not at all, not at all. I only just arrived myself.”

Li Yi swept his gaze over the group. Did they look as though they had only just arrived? Clearly, they had been waiting for quite some time.

It seemed Chen Dao had a fairly high emotional intelligence as well.

“…Then I am in your debt.”

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Li Yi thanked him and climbed into the carriage.

“Who has come to the assembly today?”

Once inside, Li Yi suddenly asked.

Chen Dao turned around and replied, “Many people have come today. All the civil and military officials are present.”

After a slight pause, he added, “Oh, and Assistant Governor Chen has come as well.”

“Assistant Governor Chen?” Li Yi raised his brows slightly. “Do you mean Chen Qun, Chen Changwen, of the prominent Chen clan of Yingchuan in Yuzhou?”

Chen Dao smiled.

“You are certainly well informed, Sir. It is indeed Assistant Governor Chen.”

“My lord and his father, Chen Ji, are old acquaintances. So when my lord held office in Xiaopei, he recruited Chen Qun to serve as his assistant.”

“That gentleman possesses extraordinary talent. My lord has praised him repeatedly, saying that he enjoys an unblemished reputation and commands the respect of the refined and upright.”

Li Yi’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Chen Qun was one of the talented men Old Liu had failed to retain during the early part of his career.

In fact, Old Liu had missed quite a few top-tier talents in those early years—Chen Qun, Chen Deng, Tian Yu, Qian Zhao, and others.

In one sense, this demonstrated just how discerning Old Liu truly was at recognizing talent.

It was worth noting, too, that many of the talents Old Liu had missed had admired him just as much as he admired them.

Chen Deng, for instance, had praised Liu Bei for possessing the strategy of a king and hegemon, while Liu Bei had praised Chen Deng as a man equally accomplished in civil and military affairs, with courage and ambition beyond compare.

That was why some people claimed Chen Qun and Chen Deng had refused to follow Liu Bei simply because they looked down on him.

Such claims were utter nonsense.

Chen Qun and Chen Deng both admired Liu Bei greatly, and Liu Bei was equally fond of them.

The reason they had failed to come together was that, even while admiring Liu Bei, both men remained constrained by the families behind them.

Chen Deng belonged to one of Xuzhou’s great clans. He had to protect the interests of Xuzhou.

Chen Qun, meanwhile, belonged to a prominent family of Yuzhou. If Old Liu wanted to pursue a campaign in Xuzhou, Chen Qun could not possibly abandon his family’s estate in Yuzhou to join him in building a new enterprise.

That was the true reason the two sides had parted ways.

“By the way, Sir, my lord has summoned the civil and military officials for a meeting today. I imagine something important must have happened.”

“Can you guess what it is?”

Chen Dao himself was somewhat bewildered. He had been sent to fetch Li Yi first thing in the morning, without being told the reason.

Li Yi looked out the window, gazing toward the east.

“Yesterday, an envoy from Xuzhou arrived.”

“An envoy from Xuzhou?”

“…Yes.”

Li Yi nodded, the corners of his mouth curving into a faint smile.

“Something major is about to happen in Xuzhou.”

…

…

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