Chapter 125: Involuntarily

That day, when Yuan Xi brought Cao Cao's family back to Ye City, Yuan Shao's strategists also discussed how to settle these people.

Nearly a hundred people, if they were to be supported like lords, the expenses for food, clothing, and accommodation would be enormous. Furthermore, they would require dedicated guards and a specially chosen residence, all of which would be a waste of manpower and resources.

In the end, Tian Feng offered a suggestion.

He proposed dispersing these people among the prominent clans within the city. This way, the Yuan family wouldn't have to bear the costs of their upkeep, and it would also prevent these Cao family members from colluding with one another.

This suggestion was adopted, and Yuan Xi seized the opportunity to employ some tactics to bring Huan Shi and her daughters under his care.

Although Huan Shi was Cao Cao's concubine, her previous plight was known privately among the gentry of Ji and Yan provinces. Yuan Xi's actions, therefore, did not receive much criticism. Instead, some praised him for protecting the widow and orphaned daughters of a renowned scholar.

Now, Yuan Xi's small courtyard had over a dozen rooms, enough for everyone to live in.

Tai Shi Ci and his mother were given a corner to reside in, while Zhao Yun occupied the other side. With these two great bodyguards watching over, ordinary people wouldn't dare to covet the mansion.

Guo Jia and his family were separated, with him alone being placed next to Zhao Yun.

It was said that because he couldn't get wine and had no concubines to accompany him, he spent his days lying on the couch, doing nothing but sighing.

It wasn't that Yuan Xi didn't want to befriend him, but Guo Jia's vision was too high. He feared that few in this world could meet his standards. He visited him several times, but Guo Jia always wore a sour face and didn't say a word.

Yuan Xi thought that since that was the case, he would see who was more patient. Anyway, he could afford to wait.

However, Huan Shi and her daughters were a bit of a problem.

Huan Shi was clearly an intelligent woman. Her two daughters had already reached the age for marriage. Now, as hostages living under someone else's roof, she naturally wanted to find a way for her daughters to find a backer.

Yuan Xi had a headache. His younger sister, Cao Jie, was still a bit young, but her older sister, Cao Xian, was indeed old enough to marry, but to him, she was still a little too young.

Huan Shi, who was not yet thirty, was very well-maintained. Standing with Cao Xian and Cao Jie, they didn't look like mother and daughters, but rather like sisters. Moreover, her figure was curvaceous, exuding a mature charm. Every time Yuan Xi saw her, he would feel a little dazed.

No wonder Cao Cao defied the world to kill her husband and seize his wife. It seemed they were kindred spirits.

Of course, the difference between Yuan Xi and Cao Cao was that he only dared to think about it in his mind.

He saw Cao Xian and Cao Jie kneeling at the door, respectfully waiting for him to return, and he had to say, "You have worked hard."

Cao Xian and Cao Jie quickly said in unison, "Your concubines are terrified."

Both girls had very fair skin. Cao Xian was a few years older than Cao Jie, and her cheeks were slightly round, always with a hint of a smile, making her approachable.

Her figure was also quite impressive, and the front of her ruqun was bulging, quite like Huan Shi's style.

Cao Jie had an oval face and a slender figure. Compared to the gentle Cao Xian, she was more lively and outgoing, looking like someone with her own opinions.

Yuan Xi took off his clogs outside the door and walked in. Cao Xian came up to help him take off his outer robe, and Cao Jie helped him put on a new inner robe.

Feeling the two pairs of soft jade hands sliding over his body, Yuan Xi thought to himself that this was too decadent.

However, he was also tired after a day, so he went to the couch, leaned against the wall, closed his eyes to rest, and said, "Is Wu Zhao still sorting out the books?"

Cao Xian also followed him to the couch, kneeling beside him and helping Yuan Xi massage his shoulders, and said softly, "Yes, Sister Wu Zhao has been sorting out the books sent by the gentry all day, forgetting to eat and sleep. She didn't even eat much of the food that was brought to her at noon."

Cao Jie gently massaged Yuan Xi's legs under the couch and said, "I have advised her several times, but Sister Wu Zhao seems a little anxious and won't listen."

Yuan Xi sighed and said, "She is doing these things alone, it is still a bit tiring. When you have time, you can help her."

The two sisters quickly agreed.

Yuan Xi felt the two sisters' bodies rubbing against his, and he couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed under his robe. Afraid of embarrassing himself in person, he quickly said, "I want to think about something, you go to the kitchen and let the servants prepare food."

The two sisters heard this, stood up and said, "Yes." and were about to step back out.

Yuan Xi added, "There is no need to be so restrained, just treat it as your own home."

The two sisters' eyes turned red, and they lowered their heads and said, "Thank you, Master."

Huan Shi saw that Cao Hua in her arms was already asleep. She gently put her on the couch, gently covered her with a quilt, and then pulled up her collar, looking out the window.

The courtyard outside the window was not large, with only a few small trees and a few clumps of flowers and plants. Only a few servants came and went, which seemed quite quiet, even a little deserted.

But Huan Shi really liked it.

How long has it been since she enjoyed such a peaceful life?

Since her husband was killed, she was taken away and became the concubine of her husband's murderer.

She moved into a large house, which was very lively, with strategists and generals often coming and going, and the noise was deafening, as if there were always dozens or hundreds of people.

She endured the gazes of Cao Cao's other wives and maids in the backyard, with pity, curiosity, disdain, ridicule, and envy.

Then she stayed alone in a small room, never wanting to come out again. Occasionally, in the middle of the night, she had to serve her current husband, forced to make all kinds of postures against her will.

For the sake of her three daughters, she could only endure it.

Once a person has concerns, it is much more difficult to die. Gradually, she got used to this kind of life and began to become numb. No matter how others treated her, she could not feel warmth, and only wanted to raise her three children.

So when Yuan Xi appeared, she realized that this might be the best opportunity for her and her daughters.

Facts proved that Yuan Xi was not a heartless person. He used some means to arrange for her and her daughters to live in his own mansion.

Huan Shi thought that she could give her deceased husband an explanation, but she still had one thing she couldn't let go of.

Now that Yuan Xi had not yet married and was at the age of vigor, there was only Cai Zhaoji, a concubine, by his side. Logically, Cao Xian and Cao Jie should have been serving him, and it should have been almost done in a day or two.

In this way, Cao Xian and Cao Jie would have a support for the rest of their lives, which was better than being hostages.

But there was still no news, which made Huan Shi puzzled.

She found that she could not see through Yuan Xi. Even Cai Yong's daughter, Cai Zhaoji, hid her identity and was willing to stay by his side. How could he be a simple person?

Moreover, Huan Shi found several times that when her mother and daughters appeared together, Yuan Xi spent more time on herself than on her two sisters!

This made Huan Shi a little surprised, a little frightened, but unknowingly, there was a sense of guilt and pleasure at the same time.

In addition, there were rumors that Yuan Xi liked widows, which made Huan Shi believe it by 70% or 80%. Wasn't Cai Zhaoji a widow?

But, if he really wanted to covet herself, so be it, what about her daughters?

The things that Huan Shi was worried about did not happen in the end.

Yuan Xi admitted that he was not without some dirty thoughts, but thinking of the saying "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself", he still endured it.

In the future, if he and Zhen Mi and Cai Zhaoji had daughters, and he unfortunately died, he would not want this kind of thing to happen to them, right?

Thinking of this, he admired Cao Cao a little. After all, just being able to say that he would allow his concubines to remarry after his death was extraordinary.

So, the days for Yuan Xi's mission to Xuzhou were getting closer and closer.

Wu Zhao stretched out the needle in her hand and picked at the lamp flower of the oil lamp. The wick burst out with a crackling sound, suddenly brightening a bit, and then returned to normal.

She lowered her head and sewed Yuan Xi's clothes, and said softly, "Don't you really want me to go with you this time?"

Yuan Xi said, "You can rest and take care of your body. I have been taking you around for the past six months, making you too tired. It's my fault."

Wu Zhao smiled and said, "It's just a common cold, why are you making such a fuss?"

Yuan Xi sighed and said, "I'm most afraid that a small illness will become a big problem. Remember to drink more hot water and don't work too hard."

It was no wonder that he was so serious. In this era, getting sick could be a big deal, and often an inconspicuous minor illness would eventually take a person's life.

Wu Zhao felt a sweet feeling in her heart, "Since listening to you and drinking hot water on weekdays, I have indeed had fewer minor problems. It seems that what you said about invisible bugs in the water is really true."

"But after you came back, you haven't gone to see Miss Zhen, aren't you afraid that she will be angry?"

Yuan Xi thought for a while and said, "My relationship with the Zhen family is not good to publicize now. The third brother is still staring at me, and the time is not yet ripe."

"But it will be soon, at most a year, and the time will be ripe."

"This time I will still take Zhao Yun to Xuzhou, leaving Tai Shi Ci in the mansion to guard the residence. If something happens between here and the Zhen family, he can also deal with it."

Wu Zhao nodded and finally sewed the clothes in her hand, "My cold cannot be near people, so I can't serve you tonight."

Yuan Xi said softly, "It's okay, it's better for you to take care of your body than anything else."

The two talked for a while, and Wu Zhao folded the clothes, got up and left, and went to rest next door.

Yuan Xi saw that there were some snowflakes falling outside the house again, and thought that if this troubled world could end a few years earlier, he would be worthy of this world.

He put down the window, blew out the oil lamp, covered himself with the quilt and lay on the couch.

The moonlight outside the window shone through the window paper, casting a thin layer of silver light in the room.

Yuan Xi felt a little cold, and thought that it would be nice to have a heated kang.

He missed the heating in his previous life very much.

There was a soft sound of the door opening behind him, and someone tiptoed in. She quickly walked to the bed, but found that Yuan Xi turned his head slightly, obviously hearing her come in.

Her pink face was slightly red, but she still took off her ruqun, leaving only a thin inner garment, and then unhesitatingly burrowed into Yuan Xi's quilt.

Feeling the woman tightly Sticky against his back, Yuan Xi sighed in his heart, he also had a day to be attacked at night.

He said, "Cao Xian?"

Cao Xian said softly, "Sister Wu Zhao asked me to come."

Feeling the oppression from behind, Yuan Xi swallowed, are the daughters of the gentry so well-developed?

He sighed, "You're still young."

Cao Xian couldn't help but chuckle, "Mother had already given birth to us sisters at this age."

Yuan Xi was speechless.

Seeing that Yuan Xi didn't speak, Cao Xian said uneasily, "Does Master only like those older than himself?"

Yuan Xi quickly said, "That's not true."

Cao Xian boldly reached out her hand, and then her face turned hot, "Master doesn't seem to be lying."