Cao Xian had been waiting day and night for more than ten days, and finally received the news that Yuan Xi was about to enter the city. She couldn't help but feel mixed emotions. The miscellaneous affairs in the mansion during this period had almost driven her to collapse, and now she could finally be free!
She excitedly found Hou and said, "Madam, would you like to go out of the city with me to welcome him?"
After hearing this, Hou felt guilty for no reason and hesitated, "I'd better not go, so as to avoid gossip."
Cao Xian slapped his head and said with a smile: "I didn't think it through. I'll go find Madam Du."
She turned around and went to Mrs. Du's room, and found it empty. She couldn't help scratching her head and wondered where the person was.
Cao Xian thought that something had happened to Mrs. Du, but after she walked around the mansion, she still couldn't find Mrs. Du. She realized something was wrong, so she returned to Mrs. Du's room and found that several pieces of clothing were missing. Only then did she realize that something had happened.
She became anxious. Mrs. Du had been here for a few months, so how could she suddenly disappear?
Was he captured by someone, or did he run away on his own?
No matter what happens in the mansion, it's not right, right?
Thinking of this, she could no longer care about anything else. She asked the guards to be on guard and quickly called a carriage to go out of the city. Before leaving, she told Hou to take good care of the child and not to go out.
When Mrs. Hou learned that Mrs. Du had disappeared, she became very frightened and hurried back to her room.
Cao Xian waited outside the city for half a day, until after noon, when he saw a crowd of people vaguely moving in the distance and the sound of dull and orderly marching footsteps. It was the Youzhou army that had returned!
At this time, the roads on both sides outside the city were already full of people. When Yuan Xi appeared on horseback, the crowd immediately burst into cheers.
It's no wonder that they are happy. When the Black Mountain Army was there, Beixin City was often harassed by the Black Mountain bandits, and people who went out to farm often encountered accidents. Now that the Black Mountain Army has been defeated, Beixin City has lost its biggest threat, and everyone feels much more at ease living outside the city.
Cao Xian was standing on the shaft of the carriage. When he saw Yuan Xi passing by, he waved his arms desperately and shouted with everyone else. Yuan Xi turned his head and caught a glimpse of Cao Xian. He laughed and rode over.
He leaned down on his horse, put his arms around Cao Xian's waist, and with a little force, pulled Cao Xian into his arms. When the onlookers saw this, they cheered even louder.
Yuan Xi hugged Cao Xian and entered the city gate. Cao Xian sat sideways on his horse, feeling happy and sad at the same time. He cried and said, "The young master is finally back. There are so many things to do in the mansion!"
"I'm almost dying of exhaustion!"
Yuan Xi thought of the bamboo slips with densely written small characters on them that Cao Xian had sent him, and said apologetically, "I was not thoughtful enough."
"There were so many things going on recently that I didn't have time to transfer someone to you. I'm sorry you were wronged."
Cao Xian shook her head. "I know you have been through a lot of dangers, even General Qu has passed away."
"Fortunately, Mr. Han Yu found a good feng shui site and had him buried there."
After hearing this, Yuan Xi turned his head slightly to look at Lu Lingqi behind him, nodded and said, "You did a good job. I will go to pay my respects tomorrow."
Cao Xian, however, did not notice Lu Lingqi. Although she had heard that Yuan Xi had married the daughter of Marquis Wen, she could not associate her with the guards wearing the same armor as Sun Li. She said to herself, "But I lost Madam Du that the young master sent!"
"I really have no face to face you, sir!"
Yuan Xi was stunned, "What Madam Du?"
His voice sounded almost at the same time as Lu Lingqi's. Lu Lingqi rode her horse forward a few steps and stared at Cao Xian in Yuan Xi's arms with a puzzled look on her face.
Cao Xian then realized that Yuan Xi's personal guard was actually a woman. He didn't think much about it and said, "It's Madam Du that the young master asked Mr. Han Yu to bring back."
"She came to live in the mansion, but she disappeared from the mansion today!"
Yuan Xi thought about it and understood the whole thing. He broke out in a cold sweat. It turned out that Madam Du was really in his house?
Lu Lingqi looked at Yuan Xi, smiling, "You have kept it a secret from me for a long time. I'm afraid you saw me coming and hid Madam Du, right?"
Yuan Xi quickly explained: "I really don't know, I made a bet and cursed at the beginning!"
"I have no reason to lie to you about this, right?"
Lu Lingqi snorted, "Who knows what you are thinking?"
Cao Xian asked weakly: "Who is this general?"
Yuan Xi said, "This is the daughter of Wenhou, who just married me."
After hearing this, Cao Xian let out a sigh and quickly leaned on the horse's back to salute, saying, "My name is Cao Xian, nice to meet you, Madam."
Lu Lingqi had heard that there were two very capable women around Yuan Xi, one was Cai Zhaoji, the other was Cao Xian. Cao Xian was responsible for organizing the intelligence of Beixin City. Lu Lingqi had read the bamboo slips she wrote. Yuan Xi was able to entrust such a matter to her, obviously he trusted her very much.
She sat up straight on the horse and returned the greeting, "Greetings, Madam Cao."
Cao Xian couldn't help but feel relieved when he saw that Lu Lingqi seemed easy to talk to.
An endless stream of people followed Yuan Xi into the city, and at the end of the team were hundreds of prisoners in shackles.
When the people on both sides of the road saw this, they started shouting and cursing, and some were about to pick up dirt and stones on the ground and throw them at the people. When the soldiers escorting on both sides saw this, they quickly stopped them, and the people finally gave up in disappointment.
There is no other reason. These people in shackles are all prisoners surrendered by the Black Mountain Army. They have been escorted here from Black Mountain every day in recent days, so the people of Beixin City have long known where they came from.
Yuan Xi also spent a lot of time thinking about how to treat these Black Mountain bandits who had fought to the death with the Youzhou army and were finally forced to surrender.
Killing prisoners is not an option, but incorporating them directly into the army or sending them to farm is also inappropriate.
Because these people have long been accustomed to fighting and killing, and have extremely strong bandit habits, if they were allowed to become soldiers, it would have a lot of negative effects.
So in the end Yuan Xi decided to let this group of people return to Youzhou and participate in labor education for at least two years. After they have been educated, they will be released to live their lives. By then, whether they join the army or farm, the impact can be minimized.
Yang Feng was also among these hundreds of people.
She had iron shackles on her feet and hands. Although the journey was quite tiring, the Youzhou army did not mistreat them. They were provided with necessary clothes and straw sandals, and even the food was the same as that of the soldiers, which was better than what they had eaten in Black Mountain.
Although she has not yet recovered, she has managed to persevere thanks to her previous physical foundation.
When Yang Feng first heard Yuan Xi ask him to go back to Youzhou with him, he thought that the other party wanted to recruit him, so he thought about it and refused.
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Yuan Xi sneered and said, "Do you think that I will win you over just because you are Zhang Jue's daughter?"
"If you think so, you are totally wrong."
"At least for now, I don't have any such thoughts at all."
"You and I are on different paths now. We are both very persistent in what we believe in. I can't convince you, nor do I want to convince you."
Yang Feng heard this and sneered, "Then why don't you kill me?"
Yuan Xi said in a deep voice: "Because I want you to see with your own eyes that your path is wrong."
"You once stood at the right starting point, but you went astray. The same is true for Zhang Jiao."
Yang Feng was furious: "You are a noble who exploits the people's wealth, and you are not worthy of criticizing my father!"
"He just died too young!"
"If you had given him more time, you would have been killed!"
Yuan Xi spread his hands and said, "You are wrong in one respect. No matter whether you are a noble or a commoner, everyone has the qualifications to find a way. There is no distinction between high and low."
"I still admire Zhang Jue very much, but he didn't jump out of this circle, so his failure was inevitable."
Yang Feng sneered: "You are using the name of Taiping Dao to play tricks and seek fame. Do you think you are looking for a way?"
Yuan Xi sneered, "Aren't you the same?"
Yang Feng saw the mocking look in the other party's eyes and became angry, "We believe in Huang Tian!"
"What else do you nobles have besides money, official positions, and women?"
Yuan Xi sneered: "Huang Tian is so good, so did you succeed in the end?"
Yang Feng was choked and said angrily: "It's all sophistry!"
Yuan Xi said disdainfully: "You can't even make a good argument, otherwise how could you have come to this point today?"
"You came from the common people, and after becoming the Black Mountain Army, you raised your weapons against people who are also common people. Is this your way of the Yellow Heaven?"
Yang Feng found that he could not win the argument with his opponent, so he said in a weaker voice, "I can't even eat, what can I do?"
Yuan Xi waved his hand and said, "That's why I said you guys are on the wrong path. You are just avoiding the problem."
"I admit that I have many shortcomings, but at least I try to solve the problems I face, while you will only escape from reality and deceive yourself."
"Next, I will take you and the Black Mountain prisoners to participate in labor education, and let you see the difference between my Yellow Heaven Way and yours."
"When you can understand my true intentions, I will let you go free."
"Otherwise, I'll just farm until I die."
After saying that, Yuan Xi left without looking back.
Yang Feng looked at Yuan Xi's departing back, feeling resentful in his heart. What kind of labor education is this? It's just a hoax!
My belief is strong enough and will not change no matter what happens!
When Yuan Xi thought of Yang Feng, he couldn't help but sigh. In fact, in his opinion, people like Yang Feng were the most likely to become his comrade.
The two actually have common goals and ideals, but Yang Feng is limited by the times and the teachings of the Yellow Turban Army and cannot see through the essence of the conflicts in the world. In the end, he can only be used by others.
If we want to help them break through these fogs, we must prescribe the right medicine, let them start from the most basic labor, and think again about what their original purpose was in wanting to change the world.
If it works, Yang Feng will understand what Yuan Xi wants to do.
But if it fails, Yang Feng will only become a hindrance to him in the future, and Yuan Xi will have no choice but to let him farm in Youzhou indefinitely.
Yuan Xi brought everyone to the gate of his mansion. Chen Gui, Ju Su and others were already waiting to meet Yuan Xi, and then prepared to follow Zhao Yun to the city to reorganize internal defense affairs.
Although Zhao Yun is still Yuan Xi's subordinate, everyone can see that Yuan Xi will entrust Youzhou to Zhao Yun in the future. Thinking of the groundwork Yuan Xi had laid before, everyone thought that the young master was really thinking long-term.
Yuan Xi entered the mansion and dismounted, and Hou and Ma came out to greet him. When he saw Ma, he couldn't help but think of Qu Yi, and his mood became even more complicated.