Chapter 122 The Real Purpose

Yuan Xi's first reaction was that something was wrong. If these two young women were truly Bian Rang's daughters, why would Cao Cao send them to Ye City? Shouldn't he be hiding them away to avoid criticism?

A spy sent by Cao Cao?

He pondered.

Saving people wasn't out of the question, but he couldn't blindly jump in without investigating the situation.

The two young women knelt on the ground, anxiously. Seeing Yuan Xi silent and lost in thought, they didn't dare speak.

Yuan Xi ultimately couldn't make up his mind and said, "Let me go back and think about it."

The two young women exchanged a look, both seeing despair in each other's eyes. This was clearly a delaying tactic, and he had no intention of helping.

The younger one said resentfully, "The Yuan family and the Cao family are truly birds of a feather!"

The older one quickly covered her mouth and said in a low voice, "My sister saw our father killed with her own eyes, so she spoke rashly. I hope you won't blame her, young master."

Yuan Xi's expression didn't change. He stood up and said, "You must know that the Yuan clan and the Cao clan are allies. Don't say such things randomly."

With that, he pushed open the door and left, leaving the two young women kneeling helplessly on the ground.

The younger one's eyes were vacant. She said, "I've always heard that the Yuan clan was benevolent and righteous. I thought this young master of the Yuan family could seek justice for us, but I was wrong."

The older one sighed, "Sister, think positively. At least it seems he doesn't intend to report us."

"Now that our mother is still in Juan City, what will happen to her if we are discovered doing such a thing?"

The younger one bit her lip and nodded, saying softly, "I hate that I'm not a man, so I can't avenge Father."

"Father was killed, and even after death, he was slandered. Mother was forced to remarry, and even our surnames were changed!"

"If we die, how can we face Father in the afterlife!"

The two sisters couldn't help but hug each other and cry.

Yuan Xi took a cup from the wall near his ear. He had overheard the two sisters' conversation by pressing his ear against the wall and preliminarily determined that the sisters were telling the truth.

However, Yuan Xi couldn't be sure if the sisters were still acting. He took the opportunity to leave the residence and told Wu Zhao about the matter in the carriage.

He asked, "How can we determine if they are lying?"

Wu Zhao thought for a moment and sighed, "If they really are Bian Wenli's (Bian Rang's) daughters, they are pitiful enough."

"I've always heard that Bian Rang was skilled in poetry and debate, and was as famous as Tao Zilin (Tao Qiuhong) and Kong Wenju (Kong Rong). Moreover, Lord Wenli's poems were excellent. Even Lord Mengde (Cao Cao) copied his poems, and Lord Wenli scolded Lord Mengde after discovering it."

She thought again, "He was highly appreciated by my father, who collected many of Lord Wenli's poems. My father also recommended him to General-in-Chief He Jin many times, so Lord Wenli was promoted repeatedly, eventually becoming the Governor of Jiujiang. In a way, my father was his patron."

Yuan Xi didn't expect there to be this relationship and said, "If those two young women are really Bian Rang's daughters, they should know some of the poems he wrote, right?"

"If they are imposters, they wouldn't have specifically memorized those things. I just don't know how many poems you can remember?"

Wu Zhao smiled and said, "When it comes to writing, I'm quite confident. My father collected hundreds of Lord Wenli's poems, and I should remember almost all of them."

Yuan Xi was overjoyed and praised, "To me, you are truly like Zifang and Kongming!"

Wu Zhao asked strangely, "I know Zifang is Zhang Liang, but who is Kongming?"

Yuan Xi almost choked and had to laugh it off, saying, "Since that's the case, let's go together. You can go and test them."

Wu Zhao agreed and was about to get out of the carriage when Yuan Xi instructed, "Be careful. Don't reveal your identity in front of them. That's the most important thing."

Wu Zhao was touched and nodded.

The two sisters cried in the room for a while, when they heard a knock on the door. They quickly wiped away their tears and opened the door to greet the visitor. They saw the young master from before standing at the door, accompanied by a veiled maid.

They hurriedly said, "Greetings, young master."

Yuan Xi nodded, brought Wu Zhao in, closed the door, and said, "I still have some things to ask you."

The two sisters quickly lowered their heads and said, "If we know, we will say everything."

To their surprise, the young master of the Yuan family winked at the maid, and it was actually the maid who came forward to ask questions.

At first, they were a little unconvinced. What could a maid know?

As Wu Zhao began to speak, asking one question after another, the expressions of the two sisters gradually changed.

This maid was extremely familiar with their father, Bian Rang's, affairs!

Wu Zhao asked about Bian Rang's poems, all the way to the affairs of familiar scholars, including his interactions with Cai Yong and others. The more the two sisters answered, the more shocked they became. The younger one exclaimed, "Sister, does this sister know our father?"

Yuan Xi said coldly, "Now I am asking you, not you asking me."

"If there is another unnecessary word, I will turn around and leave."

The two sisters didn't dare to ask anymore and honestly answered Wu Zhao's questions.

Wu Zhao talked with the two sisters for almost half an hour, and after confirming that there was nothing else to ask, she nodded to Yuan Xi.

Yuan Xi saw Wu Zhao and the two sisters talking about obscure poems, and he already felt dizzy just listening. Seeing that it was over, he breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and said to the two sisters, "Today's matter is not to be disclosed. Otherwise, once you arrive in Ye City, I have a hundred ways to make you wish you were dead."

The two sisters trembled and didn't dare to breathe loudly, quickly agreeing.

After Yuan Xi left, it took a long time for the younger one to breathe a sigh of relief, patting her chest and saying, "This young master of the Yuan family is so scary."

The older one's eyes were shining slightly. Their mother might be saved!

Yuan Xi took Wu Zhao to several other houses before returning to the carriage after a long while.

He asked Wu Zhao, "How was it?"

Wu Zhao smiled, "Young master is indeed cautious. I think it's probably true."

"Although Bian Rang's poems can be memorized by rote, the subtle meanings between the lines cannot be understood without reciting them from a young age."

"These two sisters answered casually, and although there were some deviations in some of the words, the meaning was very similar, indicating that they had thoroughly understood these things, which could not be trained in a short period of time."

"Not every aristocratic woman studies. Unless they are the descendants of famous scholars and great Confucians, they mostly read some simple texts. It would be very difficult to find someone to impersonate to this extent, both in terms of the person and the effort involved."

Hearing this, Yuan Xi was relieved and smiled, "Since even you say so, it seems that there is no major problem."

Wu Zhao knew that Yuan Xi was involved in many unspeakable plans, so he acted extremely cautiously. If he easily trusted others and revealed his secrets, he would not go far in this chaotic world.

Yuan Xi sighed, "The only thing I don't understand is, since their mother was forcibly taken, why were these sisters released instead?"

Wu Zhao said, "Young master may be overthinking things."

"For aristocratic women of this status, their greatest use is for marriage. Now, being used as hostages to fill a slot for a Cao family descendant is already a great use."

"When they arrive in Ye City, they might be given to some large clan at random. If they were painstakingly trained spies, wouldn't it be a waste?"

Yuan Xi thought about it carefully and thought that it was true. It was probably because they had no extra value that they were sent out.

That day, Tian Feng proposed to Cheng Yu that Cao Cao should send at least half of his concubines to Ye City.

Of course, Cheng Yu would not easily agree. The two sides quarreled for several days, and finally reached a difficult compromise.

After a few days, the county town sent another batch of Cao Cao's family members.

When the two sisters saw their mother, Lady Huan, among them, they finally couldn't help but cry out.

Cao Song ultimately didn't go back.

Although he might have been tempted, the meaning from Juan City was very clear.

Juan City can't even afford to eat, so please let the Old Master enjoy himself in Ye City.

Cao Song cursed Cao Cao in his heart as an ungrateful wolf, although he didn't realize that he hadn't really taught Cao Cao much.

After the handover was completed, Cheng Yu obtained 3,000 soldiers and 5,000 shi of grain, and was finally able to rush back to relieve the emergency, so that Cao Cao's army could survive this winter.

Arguing with Tian Feng had already wasted too much time. Cheng Yu appeared calm on the surface, but in fact, he was quite tormented in his heart. Seeing that things were done, he didn't dare to delay any longer and went to find Yu Jin to discuss leaving immediately.

As a result, when he found Yu Jin in the residence, he saw the hateful Yuan Xi grabbing Yu Jin's sleeve and refusing to let go, looking reluctant. Yu Jin was at a loss, with a look of despair on his face.

Yuan Xi barely squeezed out a few tears and lamented, "After parting with you today, brother, I don't know when we will meet again!"

"Since we met outside Fei County, I have been concerned about you, brother, even feeling closer than real brothers!"

"Brother, please take care on this trip. The future is long, and there will definitely be a time to meet!"

Zhao Yun, who was guarding to the side, twitched slightly, as if he remembered himself being deceived that day.

Yu Jin was struggling, perfunctorily responding. He looked up and saw Cheng Yu staring at him in shock, and he felt like vomiting blood. The Lord is suspicious. I'm in trouble when I go back!

He quickly took two steps back, looking righteous, and said, "I'm sorry to disappoint the young master, I'll say goodbye here!"

After saying that, he ran out of the mansion and disappeared without a trace.

Cheng Yu shook his head and came forward to bid farewell to Yuan Xi, saying, "Young master, I have come to say goodbye. After returning, I will definitely report the young master's great virtue."

Yuan Xi thought to himself, "That's a lie. You, a poisonous strategist who dares to use the elders of your hometown as food, are almost catching up with Jia Xu. It's better to stay away from you in the future."

The two exchanged a few polite words, and Yuan Xi sent Cheng Yu away. The matter here was considered settled.

Inside the mansion, sitting in the room was a woman in her thirties, plump and with a similar appearance to the two sisters. This was Bian Rang's widow, Lady Huan, who had been forcibly taken by Cao Cao.

She pulled open the neckline of her clothes, revealing her trembling white breasts, and brought the baby in her arms closer. The sound of sucking immediately rang out.

The two sisters watched their younger sister clench her small hands, eating with relish, and couldn't help but shed tears. The younger one cried, "Our family is finally reunited."

Lady Huan also sighed, "I thought I would never see you again. What's going on?"

Yuan Xi had already returned to the courtyard and found a certain room, thinking that from Lu Bu to Cao Cao, after going around a whole big circle, he had finally achieved his true purpose.

He pushed open the door and said to the person inside, "Brother Fengxiao, when you left my father, you spoke wildly. Did you ever expect this day to come?"

A young man in wide robes and sleeves angrily raised his head.