Chapter 667 – Alliance at Huangshui (Part 4)
“Here, take it. Don’t let it freeze.”
As the father and son spoke, the woman handed the soup pot to her son.
“Thank you, Mother.”
The woman smiled kindly, and the family’s atmosphere was harmonious.
The young man felt the coldness of the soup pot, but his palms quickly warmed up. Remembering something, he laughed and said, “Thanks to Liu Xi providing enough bamboo paper, otherwise, Father wouldn’t have been able to take those treasures with him; they would have had to be left behind…”
The middle-aged man replied, “If you were left behind, your father wouldn’t give up on his lifelong treasures.”
The young man: “…”
Truly, what a real dad!
Thinking about the hardships he endured these days, the young man felt frustrated.
“Father, just who is Liu Xi?” With one hand holding the soup pot and the other resting on his cheek, he questioned, “Liu Xi is just a county magistrate, yet he has taken over all of Wanzhou. It’s clear he has big ambitions. What is he different from Huang Song and the likes? Fifth Uncle still supports Huang Song! Can Liu Xi be any more reliable than Huang Song? Coming all the way here to Xiangyang in this freezing weather…”
The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow, furrowing his brows.
“How can they be the same?”
Upon hearing this, the young man instinctively tensed up, fearing his father’s reprimand.
In front of outsiders, the middle-aged man was taciturn, but he was lavish with words when it came to family.
“You only see Liu Xi as one person, forgetting he has another identity — he is the son of Liu Zhi. Liu Xi has only Wanzhou, but Liu Zhi has Chongzhou and Hujun as well. One doesn’t underestimate this father-son duo,” the middle-aged man said, lowering his gaze and stroking his beard. “Huang Song isn’t bad, but I don’t like his temperament. Furthermore, Liu Xi has saved my life; out of feelings and reason, who else would I choose?”
This middle-aged man is Cheng Cheng, who years ago traveled with his wife to the capital and nearly lost their lives due to being pursued by unknown enemies along the way.
By chance, Jiang Pengji was nearby and rescued them, thus forming a kindred bond between the two families.
Cheng Cheng fleeing to Xiangyang with his wife and children, was actually a reluctant choice.
Originally, he was the county magistrate of Sui’an in Haoshun County, but he despised the deceit of bureaucracy and remained stagnant in his position.
Recently, he faced a troubling matter.
Cheng Cheng had a younger uncle — Cheng Jing, whose courtesy name was Youmo, referred to as the “Fifth Uncle” by the young man.
Cheng Jing was loyal to Huang Song, who intended to use Sui’an as a springboard to take control of the entire Haoshun County.
That was fine with him as long as it didn’t harm the common people under his governance; he could resign and retreat, handing over Sui’an.
After all, in the current situation, a mere county magistrate like him couldn’t protect his territory.
However, after several tests, Cheng Cheng found that resigning would be impossible.
Once Huang Song took over Haoshun County, he would forcibly be drawn into the fray.
This simply wouldn’t do!
Receiving a secret letter from his younger uncle Cheng Jing, Cheng Cheng contemplated for a while before decisively packing up to prepare for an escape with his family.
To spare Cheng Jing embarrassment, Cheng Cheng handed Sui’an over to Huang Song, hoping he would be kind to the common people.
Cheng Cheng never considered returning to the Langya Cheng Clan, as that place was also a hotbed for war; nowadays, with chaos in the world, it was unsafe. After much thought, he set his sights on the northeastern powerhouse — the Liu Clan, and immediately decided to ally with Liu Xi.
First, he and Liu Zhi had maintained a letter-based friendship for years, with a gentlemanly affection that made him trust the Liu Clan.
Second, Dongqing was fractured, with various powers rising; the Liu Clan was low-key yet had the strongest comprehensive strength. Aligning with them felt safe.
Third, Liu Xi had saved their lives, and following the principle of keeping the good fortune within, he prioritized the Liu Clan.
When asked why he didn’t ally with Liu Zhi?
Well, whether it was Liu Zhi or Liu Xi, allying with either would be the same, so of course he chose the closer one.
Hearing his father’s words, the young man murmured, “I believe that Fifth Uncle’s chosen person must be someone extraordinary.”
Thinking of Cheng Jing, Cheng Cheng’s brow furrowed.
To be honest, he still had some reservations about Huang Song’s background as a eunuch; he couldn’t understand why Cheng Jing chose such a leader.
Not long after, Xiangyang was already within reach.
Cheng Cheng’s caravan consisted of dozens of horse-drawn carts, looking grand and powerful.
Without a doubt, they were stopped by the City Gate Guards, who requested to inspect their belongings.
Cheng Cheng was very cooperative, leading his wife and children out of the carriage.
The guards lifted the cart curtains for inspection, their expressions turning astonished as they saw it crammed full of bamboo slips and books bound in bamboo paper… No wonder the horses seemed to struggle so much; they were pulling such a heavy load.
The guards weren’t blind; generally, those who could read often came from wealthy backgrounds.
With so many books, it was clear they were from a noble and scholarly family.
When Cheng Cheng reported his name, the guards hurriedly sent someone to inform the big shots at the Ministry of Government Affairs.
“Claiming to be from the Langya Cheng Clan, named Cheng Cheng?”
Xu Ke, who had been busy all night, sported dark circles under his eyes, looking like he had overindulged in life.
He had intended to catch a nap and wake up refreshed for the next round, but the Messenger informed him that Cheng Cheng had arrived.
Qi Guanrang was surprised, “Who is this person?”
He had never heard of him.
Xu Ke recognized Cheng Cheng; their exchanges were few, but he greatly admired Cheng Cheng’s integrity, secretly respecting him. “Although that gentleman has little fame, he is a venerable scholar. The Lord would be overjoyed to know he has arrived.”
Hearing Xu Ke’s words, Qi Guanrang was intrigued and wanted to meet this man that Xu Ke praised so highly.
Xu Ke added, “But I wonder what brings Cheng Cheng here, especially in this cold weather in Xiangyang?”
Once he saw Cheng Cheng’s caravan and his treasures, his expression nearly split into a grin.
This gentleman truly had a personality; every outing was accompanied by his precious books, never forgetting to bring them along.
Qi Guanrang’s eyes instantly lit up, as if he had seen countless celestial maidens descending from the heavens.
For a studious person, what could be more appealing than a thousand scrolls of books?
With Jiang Pengji absent from Xiangyang, the task of hosting Cheng Cheng fell to Xu Ke.
First, they needed to clarify Cheng Cheng’s intentions.
Cheng Cheng didn’t hide or beat around the bush, directly stating his situation, leaving Xu Ke and Qi Guanrang startled.
This was a windfall!
Not to mention Cheng Cheng’s worth; merely the thousands of books he brought were worth countless treasures.
As Jiang Pengji was not present, after some private discussion, Xu Ke and Qi Guanrang arranged for Cheng Cheng’s family to stay in the best residence available.
They were not fools; anyone with accomplishments that came to their territory was their own person — why would they let a cooked duck fly away?
Fool Huang Song, shot through the knee for no reason.
Cheng Cheng gladly accepted, content to settle down with his wife and children, while Xu Ke immediately sent an urgent letter to Jiang Pengji.
Although Cheng Cheng was not an exploitable employee, he could help Jiang Pengji train some exploitable employees!
Thinking about these busy days, Xu Ke wished his lord would sprout wings and fly back at that moment.
He firmly believed that with his lord’s nature, he would be capable of convincing Cheng Cheng to willingly lend a hand.
