Volume 2: The King's Way Chapter 163 Xiahou Juan's Revenge
Xudu Wengcheng, in Xiahou Mao’s tent…
At this time, seven or eight younger generations of the Cao and Xiahou families gathered here.
The oldest one, Xiahou Mao, was already sixteen or seventeen years old. There were also girls, such as Cao Jing and Xiahou Juan. The youngest was Cao Pi, who looked even younger than Sun Quan.
Although Cao Pi was young at this time, he had a stern face and looked very mature.
As for the most nervous person, it was undoubtedly Xiahou Mao - although his battalion was only responsible for ordinary defense, but... it was obviously not against the rules to let his brothers and sisters come in as a "secret base".
Xiahou Mao thought to himself: [If my always strict father knew about this, I would be dead...]
Obviously, even if he was his biological son, he was not among the "people who knew" about Xiahou Dun's true face.
But at this time, Xiahou Mao was unable to refuse this rally because the initiator of this rally was Cao Pi. With Cao Cao's uprising, the relationship between Cao and Xiahou's friends would naturally be affected by some "secular" aspects.
In the previous generation, Xiahou Dun could be the "boss" because he was the oldest, but in this generation... As Cao Cao's legitimate son, Cao Pi is obviously the one with the highest status.
Cao Ang, who died in Wancheng before, was a concubine's son, but he was raised by Cao Cao's wife, Madam Ding. So... he could barely be considered a legitimate son. After all, Madam Ding herself had no children. The reason for this arrangement was probably to have an adult heir to reassure the generals under her command.
However, when Mrs. Ding learned of Cao Ang's death, especially when she learned that the cause of his death was Cao Cao's momentary impatience, she angrily separated from Cao Cao and returned to the Ding family - that is, the Ding family of Ding Yi, who had been broken off from engagement before.
After Cao Cao tried several times and failed to persuade Mrs. Ding to come back, he made his concubine Mrs. Bian his legal wife.
At this time, the atmosphere of ethical ethics had not been formed, and it was not a new thing to make a concubine the main wife. Unlike later generations, concubines could only be concubines, and it was not the turn of a concubine to become the main wife even after a second marriage.
The eldest son of Lady Bian, Cao Pi, naturally became the eldest son of Cao Cao.
"Zihuan, if there's anything, let's talk about it quickly...it would be terrible if my dad finds out." Xiahou Mi urged.
"Zi Xiu! Xiao Juan was bullied because of you? Can't we just gather at your place for a while?" Cao Pi said unhappily. At the same time, he thought to himself, "Besides, it won't matter if Uncle Yuan Rang finds out. At most he will just be taught a lesson. But it will give my father and Uncle Miaocai a good impression of loving brothers and sisters! Hahaha, I am such a genius!"
"Zihuan...you've said it out loud..." Xiahou Mao said with a dark face.
Fortunately, this was not the first time this had happened, and Cao Pi was slightly embarrassed before returning to his previous mature expression.
"Actually... I'm not completely dissatisfied. It can't be said that I'm being bullied... I just feel a little uncomfortable." Xiahou Juan showed gentleness, but it made the other brothers and sisters look unnatural.
Usually when Xiahou Juan showed this expression, someone was about to be in trouble.
Just like Cao Song and his generation, they didn't know that Xiahou Dun's unique skill was to "pretend to be cool". In the minds of Cao Cao and Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Juan has always been a good girl, and even has the temperament of a real lady from a noble family. When Xiahou Juan was a child, Xiahou Yuan's family was not considered a "noble family". After all, even his son starved to death in the famine...
However, her peers who are really familiar with her all know that Xiahou Juan is arrogant and... willful!
In comparison, Cao Jing, who is consistent in appearance and heart, is actually a little timid towards Xiahou Juan.
And this time Xiahou Juan was really a little "hurt". Originally, she was indeed dissatisfied with her marriage, which was arranged inexplicably. She preferred a powerful general like her uncle - in this respect, she was the same as Cao Jing. She had always looked down on the literary Ding Yi.
Cao Jing even begged Cao Pi to cancel her engagement with Ding Yi...
Cao Pi had just become the eldest son. On the one hand, he wanted to show his father that he had a harmonious relationship with his siblings. On the other hand... Ding Yi was the nephew of Madam Ding, who had divorced Cao Cao before. When Madam Ding was still Cao Cao's wife, she had some discord with Madam Bian and her son, and Cao Pi took the opportunity to add insult to injury.
Relying on his young age, he greatly belittled Ding Yi in front of Cao Cao, which led to the regret of the engagement.
However, Xiahou Juan was different from Cao Jing after all. She was not so spoiled in her "outward state" and gradually convinced herself to accept it. In the next two months, in Xiahou Juan's fantasy world, her children with Bai Tu had reached the marriageable age, and she was also thinking about marrying them to the children of her cousin Xiaoba.
Who knew the final result would be that Bai Tu decisively rejected her?
In the dream, "the family was broken and the people died", Xiahou Juan was ready to make a move, and went to find his cousin Cao Pi...
Although in terms of blood relationship, Cao Pi should be his cousin, but according to the rules at that time, only people with the same surname were considered "from the same clan". Since Cao Song changed his surname to Cao, he and the relatives of the Xiahou family could be considered cousins at most.
Hence this gathering...
After Xiahou Juan's "pitiable" performance, the brothers and sisters of Cao and Xiahou began to curse the scumbag from Jiangdong.
They did know Xiahou Juan's character, but... it was precisely because they knew that they were unwilling to offend her!
But Xiahou Mao also felt puzzled. Not only was Bai Tu far away in Jiangdong, but he was also the Marquis of Qu'a and the General of Chariots and Cavalry. He was not on the same .
No matter how much fun they have in the meeting, can it affect Baitu?
But anyway, cursing Bai Tu here won't hurt anyone, and it's better than being held in resentment by Xiahou Juan because you didn't curse loudly.
"This is outrageous! When I lead the army alone in the future, I will capture that guy and bring him to Sister Juan to let him know that he is blind!" Xiahou Mi said arrogantly.
At this moment, there was a sound of footsteps, and... it seemed that Xiahou Mi's personal soldiers did not stop them at all.
How old is Xiahou Mao? His personal soldiers were also separated from his father's personal soldiers. It is obvious who the visitor is!
Xiahou Dun, the most ferocious of the Xiahou clan, came in with the curtain lifted, and his tiger eyes swept the young people of the two families present with a majestic look...
Xiahou Meng, who was originally boasting, was stunned. Sweat started to flow down his forehead. He was wondering in his heart: Shouldn't my father be in the city today?
"Uncle Xiahou! Don't blame Zixiu. He was just saying it casually. He won't really lead troops to attack Jiangdong!" Xiahou Juan said immediately.
Xiahou Mao turned his head mechanically, as if to ask "Why did you hurt me?" In fact, Xiahou Dun might not have heard it...
Cao Jing also realized that something was wrong. Although... Xiahou Meng's appearance was very much in line with her aesthetic, they should of course go their separate ways at this time!
"Zi Xiu! How can you be so impulsive? Mr. Bai is a great sage of the time, how can you speak so rudely? You... disappoint me so much!" Cao Jing rebuked decisively.
Plop…
As expected, Cao Pi prostrated himself and said, "Wuwuwu, uncle...if you want to blame someone, blame me! Today...it was me who invited everyone to come to Zixiu's place! Brother Zixiu was also pestered by me and had no choice, it's not his fault!"
Xiahou Mao finally understood why Xiahou Juan held a family meeting even though she knew she couldn't take revenge. So... the target of revenge was me?
"father……"
"Shut up! Rebellious son, how can there be a father and son in a military camp? Where is the officer in charge of punishment? How much punishment will you give for violating military orders and bringing people into the military camp without permission?"
…
Apart from his own "rebellious son", Xiahou Dun only gave Cao Pi light punishments and severe warnings, the former being caned forty times and the latter ten times, and then they were carried back to the Sikong Mansion.
The ten strokes of the military stick were no joke. If it had really hit the thirteen-year-old Cao Pi, he would probably have to be carried back. However... in reality, the beating was not that severe. Even without Xiahou Dun's instructions, the personal soldiers knew what was going on.
Because he directly "beat" Cao Pi, who had the highest status, the army spread the power of Xiahou Dun even more among the army - he would even beat the lord's own son, so who would dare to disobey?
Moreover, driven by a mysterious force, the rumor gradually spread throughout Xudu and Yanzhou.
As for the "real reason" why Cao Pi was beaten with a stick, it was also spread among the people under another mysterious force - it turned out that he was trying to take the blame for Xiahou Meng. What a good brother he was!
At the same time, Xiahou Yuan also reacted after this incident... Bai Tu actually "disdained" his daughter?
After Xiahou Juan was forced to be "confined" because of the news of his sneaking into the military camp, he also clapped his hands in front of the mirror, as if praying, and then smiled brightly - today he avenged his unborn... no, his son who had not appeared yet... As for the big revenge? Remember it first and take revenge later!
…
On the other hand, when Liu Ye returned to Xu Du, it was already the third year of Jian'an.
The third day of the first lunar month in the third year of Jian'an was the day of "Lichun" determined by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, which also symbolized that the farming season of the year had arrived again.
However, the drought in Huainan, northern Jiangdong, and southern Central Plains has not eased at all!
The Liangzhou generals in Guanzhong, led by Li Jue and Guo Si, who were about to die, also cursed the drought. Of course, the famine in Guanzhong was mainly caused by these unrestrained bandit armies, which caused too much damage to agricultural production, and had nothing to do with the drought.
But seeing that Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and even Yuan Shu were short of food, they just followed suit and cursed the drought with a clear conscience...
Mao Jie, on Cao Cao's orders, inspected the farming conditions in Yan and Yu states under Cao Cao's control, and the news he brought back was not optimistic.
The drought is more serious than last year. If it continues like this, Ruyin, Runan, Peijun, Chenjun near Huainan... almost the entire central and southern Yuzhou may not harvest a single grain, and the northern part of Yuzhou will also have a reduced production.
Not to mention collecting grain taxes, I'm afraid that even the areas Cao Cao has occupied will require the base camp Yanzhou to transport grain for relief...
As for attacking Huainan? Forget it!
With the current strength of the various lords, if they want to launch a large-scale campaign, the grain field must be located in an area not far from the front line. Otherwise, transporting grain from the rear? One stone transported to the front line will become three buckets, which is not worth it!
Liu Bei only controlled half of Xuzhou, and almost the entire territory was affected by the disaster. However... Liu Bei personally went to each county and visited the countryside, crying everywhere he went. I don’t know if it was a coincidence, but it often rained wherever he passed, as if he had squeezed out a few drops of water from the sky, which could be of help in an emergency.
If that were all, a 30% harvest in a good year would be good, and it would basically eliminate the idea of attacking Huainan.
On the contrary, Bai Tu continued to rescue the people in Jiangdong and Huainan. Even the residents of Huainan County had begun to flee. When spring was almost over and spring ploughing was hopeless, even several small wealthy families in Huainan began to flee to Jiangdong with their families!
In April of the third year of Jian'an, Chen Gong personally took charge and brought some "big guys" from Guazhou... to the city of Guangling.
