Chapter 316 Resolving Grudges

Yuan Xi walked around the neighborhood all day and saw many familiar faces. As it was getting dark, he had dinner with everyone in the military camp. When he returned to the mansion, it was almost dark.

He stood inside the door, looking at the house where he had lived for three years. He couldn't help but sigh at the thought that this place would never be as lively as before.

Later, Guo Jia and his two concubines got off the carriage. Seeing the clean and tidy ground, he smiled and said, "I thought this place was deserted, but I didn't expect it to be well maintained."

Suddenly, footsteps were heard at the door, and a group of maids rushed out in a hurry. They all bowed to Yuan Xi and said, "Greetings, sir!" Then they turned to Guo Jia and said, "Greetings, sir!"

Yuan Xi remembered that these were the dozen women he had rescued from Liu Bao. He had almost forgotten about them since he went to Yecheng, so he smiled and said, "It's been a while since I last saw them."

The maids' eyes turned red and they said in unison, "We thought the young master would never come back."

Yuan Xi laughed, "How is that possible? Mr. Feng Xiao always mentions you guys."

Everyone burst into laughter. Yuan Xi saw Sun Li looking uneasy and said, "I forgot. Go see your mother, wife and children as soon as possible."

After hearing this, Sun Li cheered and ran into the backyard. Soon, the sound of crying and happy laughter came from the house.

Yuan Xi felt emotional. For Sun Li, he had family in Beixincheng and logically he had always been concerned about them, but he had always refrained from mentioning it.

I almost forgot that Sun Li is still just a teenager of fifteen or sixteen years old.

After a while, Ma came out with Sun Li's wife to meet Yuan Xi. Also coming out with them was Gongsun Zan's widow Hou, who was dragged out by Cao Xian with an uneasy look on her face.

Looking at the Hou family, whom he had completely forgotten about, Yuan Xi suddenly realized that so many people had stayed in the mansion when he left Beixin City.

He suddenly realized something and turned to Guo Jia and said, "Sir, you haven't seen your wife and children for a long time, right?"

"Do you want me to send someone to take them to Jicheng?"

Guo Jia heard this and laughed, "It's hard for you to still think about these things, young master."

"They are in the way, so it's better to let them stay in Yecheng for the time being, and wait for Prime Minister Jia to help you defeat the Black Mountain Army and pacify Youzhou."

After hearing this, Yuan Xi smiled and said, "Great! This time, Xi and Master will work together to defeat the Black Mountain Army!"

Guo Jia stroked his short beard, feeling quite pleased with himself. The next steps, namely, Black Mountain, Hanoi, and welcoming the emperor, would be a big chess game in which he would put all his efforts in helping Yuan Xi. If successful, it would affect the overall situation of the world!

If he could sweep the world with this victory, it would be the highest honor for him as a strategist, and he would have no regrets even when he died!

Cao Xian supported Hou and said with a smile, "Madam has specially prepared wine and food to welcome you, young master."

Hou hurriedly explained, "It was Madam Ma who prepared it, not me."

Cao Xian smiled and said, "I'm talking about Madam Ma. Who else do you think I'm talking about?"

Everyone looked strange when they heard this. This Cao Xian was really sinister!

Hou's face turned red, and she was speechless. She was holding the child and feeling uneasy when she saw Yuan Xi approaching. He bowed and said, "Greetings, Madam. Are you all right?"

Hou said hurriedly: "Everything is fine, thank you, sir."

Yuan Xi looked at the girl in Hou's arms and saw that she had red lips and white teeth. Although she was still young, it was obvious that she would have outstanding looks when she grew up.

Yuan Xi recalled that he had seen Gongsun Zan from afar on the Yijing Watchtower. Although he was almost crazy at the time, it was still possible to tell that he must have been a handsome man when he was young.

In the later legends of the Three Kingdoms, the most famous handsome men were Zhuge Liang, who was "eight feet tall and had a very majestic appearance," and Zhou Yu, who was "wearing a feather fan and a green turban, and had a heroic appearance."

But among the princes, there were four people who were specially recorded in history books as having extraordinary appearances.

Sun Ce.

"The Records of the Three Kingdoms: Biography of Sun Ce" records, "Ce was a man of handsome appearance, fond of humor, broad-minded and good at listening, and good at employing people. Therefore, all the scholars and common people who saw him were devoted to him and were willing to die for him." It can be seen that he not only had outstanding appearance, but also had a high charisma.

Yuan Shao.

The "Records of the Three Kingdoms: Biography of Yuan Shao" records that "Shao had a dignified appearance and loved scholars and cultivated a reputation." The "Records of Heroes" said that "he had a handsome appearance, dignified manners, and was often imitated." People who are so handsome that people all over the world imitate them are almost the same as idols in later generations.

Liu Biao.

"He is more than eight feet tall and has a very majestic appearance." He is definitely at the level of Zhuge Liang.

Gongsun Zan.

The Records of the Three Kingdoms: Biography of Gongsun Zan records that Gongsun Zan "had a beautiful appearance, a loud voice, and was eloquent and intelligent in his speech. The governor was impressed by his talent and gave him his daughter in marriage."

Gongsun Zan was outstanding in appearance, and Hou was also a beauty, so the children they gave birth to were naturally good-looking.

The more Yuan Xi looked at the girl in Hou's arms, the cuter she seemed. He immediately became interested and asked Guo Jia with a smile, "Sir, what do you think of this child?"

Guo Jia didn't understand at first, so he said, "Very good."

Yuan Xi asked again: "How old is Guo Yi?"

Guo Jia said: "I am eight years old this year."

Yuan Xi felt a little regretful and shook his head, "It's a bit far behind."

Guo Jia finally understood and said with a smile: "Logically, this age is the most suitable."

"But Guo Yi is not worthy of this child."

Yuan Xi laughed, "If you don't have any ideas, I am somewhat tempted."

Hou was a little stunned. What was he so excited about?

Not that kind of moving, right?

While Yuan Xi was teasing the little girl, he said to Hou: "I have a child who has not been born yet, and I don't know whether it is a boy or a girl."

"If it's a boy, how about we get married?"

After hearing this, Hou finally realized what he meant!

This is a great opportunity for my daughter!

She was shocked. Weren't she and her daughter being used as hostages by the other side to control Gongsun Zan's troops?

Hou discovered that she seemed to have misunderstood Yuan Xi before.

Yuan Xi also had a flash of inspiration. In order to eliminate Gongsun Zan's power, he needed a legitimate reason. If he forcibly took in Gongsun Zan's widow, there would be many hidden dangers, and it might not necessarily be more beneficial than harmful.

But if the children of both families get married, just like the marriage between the Yang family and the Kong family, no one will object, and the two families can also use this opportunity to turn hostility into friendship.

For Yuan Xi, the remaining forces of Gongsun Zan were very important, because a large proportion of these people were the most elite Han people in the north.

In the fourth year of Zhongping, Zhang Chun colluded with the Wuhuan leader Qiuliju to launch a rebellion, burning down cities, killing officials, and looting civilians. The army reached more than 100,000 and was very powerful.

Gongsun Zan led 3,000 cavalrymen to conquer Zhang Chun and made great achievements in the war. He was promoted to Cavalry Commandant. Later, the Wuhuan King Tanzhi led his people to surrender. Gongsun Zan was promoted to General of the Central Army for his merits and was granted the title of Marquis of Duting.

Objectively speaking, Gongsun Zan made great contributions to the stability of the north when he was young.

However, after Liu Yu was appointed as the governor of Youzhou in the fifth year of Zhongping, Gongsun Zan disagreed with him. After that, he took control of his own army and allowed his subordinates to plunder the people and endanger the local area.

The White Horse Volunteers, who once dominated the north and fought against foreign tribes, later became bandits that brought disaster to their own people. It can be said that they had lost their original intention.

The affairs of Youzhou are a mess that no one can completely settle. If the hatred that has been entangled for decades can be resolved through marriage, it will be the best option for Yuan Xi and even Youzhou at the moment.

Hou said anxiously, "Your Excellency's favor will be great for this child, but my mother and I are criminals. Please give me a few days to think about it."

Yuan Xi knew that Hou Shi couldn't save face in front of others for the time being, so he smiled and said, "That's fine. Anyway, my child is still a year away from being born, and I can't be sure whether it's a boy or a girl."

He turned to Guo Jia and said with a smile: "In this case, I will take the marriage first."

"I owe Guo Yi a wife. I will help him find a suitable one in the future. At worst, I can give birth to a daughter as compensation to him."

Guo Jia was amused. "How can you speak so naturally about something that has not even been mentioned yet?"

"Let's wait until the young master is born. My kid is too naughty and I'm afraid he won't be able to be used in important positions."

After hearing this, Yuan Xi laughed and said, "When Guo Yi grows up, there may not be wars in the world anymore."

"If the world is peaceful, wouldn't it be better to live a peaceful life?"

After hearing this, Guo Jia sighed and said, "It's hard to pacify the world in more than ten years."

"Just do your best."

Yuan Xi held Guo Jia's arm and said, "Xihe, sir, work hard together. Together, we old brothers will make sure that people all over the world can live in peace this morning!"

After hearing this, Guo Jia felt a little touched.

He knew that he and Yuan Xi were very different in character and in how they conduct themselves. He often asked himself, if he could join such an incompatible lord, could he finally realize his ambitions?

But at this moment, a sentence emerged in Guo Jia's mind.

A gentleman is harmonious but different.

Yes, there are tens of thousands of people in the world, but how many of them can appreciate themselves like you do and allow them to display their strengths?

Ma arranged a simple welcoming banquet. During the banquet, Guo Jia drank a little too much and drunkenly expressed his admiration for Ma.

This made Ma very angry, so she asked Sun Li to take the opportunity to force Guo Jia to drink a few more cups of wine. As a result, Guo Jia was drunk and the two concubines could not stand it at all. Several maids came up to help, and they finally carried Guo Jia back to the room.

Since Yuan Xi learned in Guangling that Guo Jia had coveted Ma, he always felt like laughing when he saw Ma. When he saw Guo Jia being carried away, he raised his glass to Ma and said, "Sun Li has fallen into traps many times because of saving me. I feel bad about this and I want to apologize to Madam here."

Ma hurriedly replied, "Sir, you are too polite. Sun Li's future success depends largely on your appreciation and promotion. This is all within his responsibility."

Yuan Xi took the opportunity to ask, "Xi heard that Madam is from the Fufeng Ma family?"

"May I ask if the Madam is still in contact with the family?"

Ma listened and said, "I have been married for a long time. In the past ten years, I am afraid that things and people have changed."

Yuan Xixin believed that this was true. Sun Li was already fifteen or sixteen years old, and Ma had probably left Xiliang for almost twenty years.

He originally wanted to find out the whereabouts of Ma Jun, but considering that when Ma left Liangzhou, Ma Jun was probably just a child, right?

He was about to ask how Ma left Xiliang when he heard the maid come in and report, "Xu Gongshi is at the door asking to see you."

Yuan Xi wondered what rumors Xu You had heard?