When Yuan Xi returned to the mansion, he found that in the corner of the yard, Mrs. Huan was holding her baby in her arms and talking to sisters Cao Xian and Cao Jie.
Hearing the footsteps, Huan's mother and daughter turned around and saw Yuan Xi, and quickly came up to salute.
Yuan Xi nodded slightly and saw Cao Hua in his swaddle, with a chubby pink face, sucking his fingers with relish, and smacking his lips in return.
When Mrs. Huan saw it, she felt a little embarrassed. She pressed the swaddling clothes to her chest and whispered, "Young Master will laugh."
Yuan Xi smiled and said: "Well, since he is Mr. Wenli's orphan, Xi must not let him be wronged. If Madam has any difficulties, she can come to me at any time."
Huan quickly thanked him, but one timidly said: "I can't repay you for being a cheap concubine, but I can only send two girls to serve the young master."
"Ah Xian has followed the young master, but why does the young master not accept Ajie? Is it because she has offended the young master?"
After hearing this, Cao Jie secretly raised his eyes and glanced at Yuan Xi.
Yuan Xi has a headache, Cao Jie is also a beauty, and has a slender figure. Compared with the slightly plump Cao Xian, he is like a spring orchid and a chrysanthemum, and each is good at winning.
But Cao Jie was several years younger than Cao Xian. Although he was old enough, he was still too young for Yuan Xi. So when Cao Hua came that day, Yuan Xi asked him to go back.
He thought for a moment and said to Cao Hua: "How do you like reading and literacy?"
After hearing this, Cao Hua raised his head and said, "Sir, my father has a collection of books. I have read half of them, and there are more than a hundred volumes."
Yuan Xi recalled that day, Wu Zhao asked Cao Xian about Cao Jie's classics. The two of them answered fluently, and then said: "My concubine Wu Zhao has been sorting out the classics recently. There is still a shortage of manpower, but there are not many women who can read."
"You should go help her first."
Cao Jie responded quickly: "I will obey the order of the young master."
After Yuan Xi gave a few instructions, Cao Xian took Cao Jie to find Wu Zhao. Seeing this, Huan was relieved.
She whispered: "Thank you very much, Mr. Gentleman, for your kindness."
Yuan Xi was silent for a while and said: "Madam, it's not easy. Sir, you will be relieved to know something."
He understood Huan's intentions. Huan's mother and daughter are still members of Cao Cao's family and may be sent back at any time.
But if Cao Xian and Cao Jie become Yuan Xi's concubine, they can justifiably stay. Instead of returning to Cao Cao, of course the situation on the Yuan family's side is much better.
Huan's eyes were slightly red, she bowed deeply, hugged Cao Hua and left.
Yuan Xi returned to the house, wrote a letter to the Zhen family, and asked someone to deliver it.
Within half a day, several large carts arrived from the Zhen family. Yuan Xi stepped forward to take a look and saw large boxes neatly placed inside and marked.
Yuan Xi opened several boxes, which contained valuable gold, silver and Sichuan brocade, neatly stacked.
He felt that the Zhen family was really efficient in doing things and had good channels for purchasing goods. What he wanted was ready so quickly.
He returned to his room and began to write greetings in hand. From Tian Feng to Jushou, from Chunyu Qiong to Zhang He, there were many people to visit. This was also an important agenda before the New Year.
It is always good to make more connections. At least there will be less trouble in the future, both in officialdom and on the battlefield, and these gifts will be nothing in comparison.
The greetings at this time were written on bamboo slips like formal texts. Yuan Xi used bamboo slips, with congratulatory messages written on the top. For example, at this time, he should write New Year's Day greetings and the name of the person on the bottom.
Regarding congratulatory posts, the great ancestor Liu Bang also has a very famous thing that has been passed down to later generations, which is to congratulate ten thousand yuan on a blank check.
Lu Taigong fled to Pei County to settle down because he was hiding from his enemies. Because he had a good relationship with Pei Gong, the magistrate of Pei County, the leading figures in the county came to Lu Taigong's home to congratulate him on settling in this area.
The host of the banquet was Xiao He, one of Pei Gong's subordinates. Xiao He announced Pei Gong's rules. Anyone with a gift of less than one thousand yuan should sit down and dine in the hall.
As a result, Liu Bang came with empty hands and offered a gift of ten thousand yuan. After hearing this, Lu Taigong hurriedly came out to greet Liu Bang. Seeing Liu Bang's majestic appearance, he recruited him as his son-in-law and betrothed Lu Pheasant to him.
Of course, there are many unreasonable things in this story. Liu Bang was the director of the pavilion, a local gangster who took both black and white. Even if he didn't bring any money, Lu Taigong would not dare to neglect him. He also dared to openly deceive and lie without fear of being exposed by his master, which makes it even more intriguing.
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Yuan Xi guessed that at that time, Taigong Lu came to Pei County to avoid trouble and was in urgent need of support. However, Taigong Pei wanted to marry Lu Taigong's second daughter, Lu Pheasant, as his concubine. Taigong Lu was very unwilling and was in a dilemma.
At this moment, Liu Bang, who was not afraid of trouble, appeared. He needed Lu Taigong's financial support for the uprising, and he was willing to marry Lu Pheasant. Of course, Lu Taigong wanted to marry him.
Liu Bang's empty talk was tantamount to breaking Pei Gong's rules. Xiao He finally allowed Liu Bang to take the seat, which meant that the two of them were helping Lu Taigong and openly standing against Pei Gong.
In the final analysis, both parties have their own needs and hit it off immediately. All excuses are for outsiders to see.
Therefore, a seemingly ordinary thing contains countless inside stories and calculations. In the final analysis, it is still a complicated human heart.
The reason why Yuan Xi thought of this matter was because this moment was exactly like that moment.
He wanted to poach Liu Bei or even Yuan Shao and others, and it was not just a simple bribe with huge profits and courtesy to the virtuous corporal, so that the other party would admire him and come to invest.
People who can be bribed with wealth and huge profits are likely to betray them for the same reasons in the future.
Therefore, if he wants people to be loyal to him wholeheartedly, Yuan Xi must take the right medicine, find out what the other party is always pursuing, and make the other party believe that he can realize this wish!
The purpose of recruiting Zhao Yuntai Shi Ci was to save the people from fire and water, and to seduce Chen Deng was to help the world.
For Gao Lan, he took advantage of the conflict between him and Yuan Shang, but for Guo Jia, he did the opposite, using arrogance to confront arrogance.
As for Tian Feng, Zhang He, Jushu and others, Yuan Xi has not yet found a clue, so he can only figure it out slowly.
Facing the heroes of the Three Kingdoms is like solving complex mathematical problems. You need to peel off the cocoons and advance layer by layer to finally find the only correct answer.
Yuan Xi spent two days walking around all the counselors and generals in Yecheng, and did not even pull Xu You. After all, gentlemen are easy to bully, and villains are hard to guard against.
Then it was time to go see Yuan Xing the next night.
This time he brought Wu Zhao and Cao Xian with him, and finally he had two maids together.
Of course, these two maids are both the daughters of famous scholars. There are not many people in the world who dare to do this except Yuan Xi.
This was the first time that Cao Xian went out with Yuan Xi. She secretly looked through the cracks in the curtains and looked at the scene on the street, unable to hide the curiosity and joy on her face.
Wu Zhao was very helpless. Everyone in Yecheng's gentry knew that Cao Xian was an orphan and Cao Cao's current adopted daughter. This was openly brought out for people to see. Yuan Xi was clearly trying to establish his lustful and unprovoked image.
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Sure enough, as soon as the three of them saw Yuan Xing, she complained quietly to Yuan Xi, "Is this the orphaned daughter of Duke Wenli? Half of the nobles in Yecheng know about it!"
"You don't know how to restrain yourself. When you brought dozens of women back to Yecheng, the rumors haven't subsided yet."
Yuan Xi said confidently: "Why, I am a descendant of the Yuan family, what's wrong with Cao Cao's daughter!"
Yuan Xing opened the door and sighed: "Tell them."
The two women were seen sitting upright, Zhen Rong looked hopeless, Zhen Mi's face was covered with a veil, hiding behind Zhen Rong, half of her face was exposed, and her eyes were bent like crescent moons.
Yuan Xi sweated profusely. Unexpectedly, Sister Zhen Mi had arrived a long time ago and was caught on the spot. He coughed, Zhengyi pointed at Cao Xian sternly and said, "Ask her, what did I do?"
Cao Xian shook his head quickly.
Zhen Rong looked up at Yuan Xi, his face felt hot for some reason, and he quickly turned away and said: "Young master has not yet married to the Zhen family, and he has nothing to do with me."
Yuan Xing smiled and said: "Why, if your sister gets married, you will have a relationship with your second brother?"
The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was intentional. Zhen Rong's face became hotter and hotter. She said angrily: "I should have known I wouldn't come!"
Zhen Mi also turned slightly red and said softly: "Sister Yuan, she always bullies our sisters."
After hearing this, Yuan Xing said sadly: "Look, I always have a thankless job. Don't look for me next time."
Zhen Mi quickly went up and shook Yuan Xing's shoulders, coquettishly for a while, and finally made Yuan Xing feel comfortable.
Yuan Xi said to Zhen Rong: "Brother Gao didn't come today?"
Zhen Rong said helplessly: "What are you asking him to do? He is busy with military matters all day long and often stays up at night."
She felt a little guilty towards Gao Lan in her heart, so she was more considerate to him at home, and the couple seemed to be more harmonious at night?
Thinking of this, she became even more afraid to talk to Yuan Xiduo, and said hurriedly: "Young Master and my little sister haven't seen each other for several months. I heard that they are going to war again after the New Year, so I'd better talk to her more."
Cao Xian looked left and right, and finally understood the relationship between everyone present.
The young master actually had a private meeting with his wife, whom he had never met before!
If this spreads among the noble clans, I don’t know what kind of rumors it will cause, and the young master will be very bold!
However, Cao Xian also felt a little secretly happy in his heart. Yuan Xi brought him here for such an occasion, which meant that she was not treated as an outsider.
Zhen Rong consciously gave up his seat. Yuan Xi sat next to Zhen Mi and said with a sideways smile: "Well done, girl."
The crescent moons in Zhen Mi's eyes became even more crescent, "Young Master is well."
Yuan Xi felt that Zhen Mi was so close, and his breath was like orchid. Every time he met Zhen Mi, no matter how upset he was before, the moment he saw Zhen Mi, he would calm down, just like a boat sailing through a storm.
Hidden in the harbor.
Zhen Mi was born into a wealthy family. She was well-educated and intelligent. What was rare was that she had a pure mind. Yuan Xi had the idea that if the Liu family were like Zhen Mi, the Yuan family wouldn't be like this now, right?
He naturally raised the teapot at hand, refilled the tea cup in front of Zhen Mi, and said with a smile: "There were some twists and turns in going to Xuzhou this time, but at least I got back before the Chinese New Year so I could meet the girl."
When Zhen Mi saw Yuan Xi pouring tea for her with her own hands, she couldn't help but feel sweet in her heart, and said softly: "Young Master has worked hard. I heard that he spent a lot of time on the Mi family for the sake of the Zhen family's business."
Yuan Xi smiled and said: "In the end, it's our own business, but it's true that the Mi family spent a lot of time."
When Zhen Mi heard the word "we", her face turned red and she quickly covered it up, "I heard that there is a girl in the Mi family who is about the same age as my concubine?"
Yuan Xi said honestly: "Although she is not as good as a girl, she is still very beautiful."
Zhen Mi's eyes lit up: "Have you seen the young master?"
"I'm very curious and want to hear it."
When Wu Zhao saw Zhen Mi's appearance from afar, he thought that this girl was completely in love. He was afraid that if the young master wanted to elope with her now, she would agree without hesitation, right?