Yuan Shao, the father of Fanghua in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 762 Don’t forget your roots

Arriving at the entrance of the small courtyard where Feng lived, Yuan Xi saw that there were only three huts inside, and two maids aged twelve or thirteen were squatting on the ground in the courtyard, catching grasshoppers in the grass.

Yuan Xi saw that they were all sallow and thin, and looked very unfamiliar, so he walked over and asked, "Is Mrs. Feng here?"

When the two maids saw it, they hurriedly stood up and said timidly: "I'll tell you now, the unknown general..."

Mrs. Feng rushed out of the house at this time, and said in her lap: "I'm rude, they are new here, they don't know the rules, and they bumped into the envoy. I hope you won't be surprised."

When the two maids heard this, they realized what they were doing. They were so frightened that they quickly knelt down to apologize. Yuan Xi asked them to get up and said, "It's okay. It's just that I didn't see them around Madam when I was in Shouchun before."

Feng said in a low voice: "When I went out a few days ago, I encountered some people who were on the run. Seeing how pitiful I was, I asked General Boyan to take them in. After receiving permission, I kept them."

Yuan Xi nodded and sighed: "Jianghuai, the most prosperous country, has become like this now."

He said to the two maids: "You go down first."

Seeing that the two maids hesitated, Mrs. Feng said, "I have tea in my room, so I can serve the envoy. You listen to the envoy and leave first."

After hearing this, the two maids bowed their heads and retreated. Yuan Xi heard the word "serve" and thought that this kind of statement could easily cause misunderstandings.

After hearing Feng's unintentional words, Yuan Xi felt a little moved in his heart. He had to admit that Feng's appearance was not much worse than that of Zhen Mi and Xiao Qiao, and she had a unique and charming charm. She was only in her twenties. Just at the prime of life.

At this time, Mrs. Feng also knew that she had made a mistake, and whispered: "Please let me enter the house."

As soon as she said this, she felt that the atmosphere became more ambiguous. A blush suddenly appeared on her face and she lowered her head.

Yuan Xi coughed. When he stepped inside, Mrs. Feng followed and served tea. Yuan Xi saw that when Mrs. Feng brought the tea, her fingers were as white as jade, but her nails were very short. She said curiously: "Cut your nails." Already?"

Parents did not dare to damage the body, hair, and skin of children. Since the Han Dynasty, nobles, both men and women, have had the habit of growing long nails. Gold armors have been unearthed from tombs in the Han Dynasty. However, only nobles who did not give birth would have this inconvenience. Things to show identity.

People like Feng who had been a queen were no exception. Now that she had her nails cut, it was considered a big deal.

Feng retracted her hand, lowered her head and said, "I still feel that it would be better to return to the way I was a commoner before."

Yuan Xi caught a glimpse of a spinning wheel in the corner of the room and asked unexpectedly: "Is it the maid spinning, or Madam...?"

Feng said in a low voice: "After I met Mr. and Mrs. Qiao, I talked about the Jianghuai incident and realized that so many tragic things had happened. As the master of the harem at that time, I only knew how to protect myself and never spoke to Yuan...that man was a good person. , it can be said that I am guilty of the same crime. Carrying this sin makes me feel really uneasy, so I weave day and night, just hoping to atone for my sin a little bit, but in fact it is just me comforting myself."

Yuan Xi sighed: "No, Madam can realize this, she is already better than most people."

Feng said in a low voice: "I have also escaped from misfortune, but once I became rich, I forgot my roots. I am really ashamed."

Yuan Xi's heart moved slightly and he said with a smile: "If this is what Madam said from the bottom of her heart, it shows that Madam has extraordinary knowledge, and I am somewhat reluctant to let Madam go."

When Mrs. Feng heard Yuan Xi's straightforward words, she immediately blushed and whispered: "I was saved by your concubine. If you want to..."

Yuan Xi said aloud: "I want to tell you something."

"Yuan Gongli is dead."

When Feng heard the news, her face turned pale for a moment, then she bit her lips, lowered her head, and said bitterly: "Really..."

She immediately raised her head and looked directly at Yuan Xi, "He deserves this fate because of himself, and the same goes for my concubine."

"I feel deeply that my sin is so serious that if you want to punish me according to the law, I will not hesitate to do so."

Yuan Xi smiled bitterly and said, "That doesn't have to be the case."

"Although it is normal for an unscrupulous person to involve his family members, I have no intention of expanding this matter."

"What's more, most of Yuan Shu's disciples have been pardoned. What they did is much more excessive than Madam. If you punish Madam but let them go, wouldn't it be unfair?"

"But no matter what, the identity of Yuan Jiujiu's widow can no longer be used. It cannot be targeted by people with intentions. I will help you change your identity. Let the former Queen Feng die."

After hearing this, Ms. Feng's eyes showed deep gratitude, and she whispered: "It's hard for you to think so..."

"I am very grateful, because I can see that the envoy said this not because he is coveting me, but because he upholds his own principles."

"Your Majesty is the one who treats me as a human being the most so far."

"I... am very grateful."

Yuan Xi sighed: "It is not easy to live in the present. Everyone has experienced hardship and should understand that things must reverse when they reach their extreme."

"But since I am participating in the fight for the world, I am also prepared to die and destroy my family. If you follow me, you may live a good life, but you may also be implicated and end up miserable."

"If I die like Yuan Gongluo, the enemy may not let my family go. When the time comes, the fate of those around me will not make people think too much."

"So following me is very risky. I want you to think carefully before making a decision."

"Whether you want to stay anonymous and live an ordinary life or stay here, when you decide, you can tell me and I will try my best to satisfy you."

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Feng said: "I want to stay here, even if I become a maid."

Yuan Xi was a little surprised, "Decided so quickly?"

"Even if you leave, I will find a way to find you a house that is no worse than what you live here. Don't you think about it?"

Feng asked back: "Then I want to ask, do you want me to stay?" Yuan Xi touched his nose, "You are quite straightforward, I admit that I have some thoughts."

Feng continued: "Can I ask why?"

Yuan Xi became embarrassed, but still said frankly: "On the one hand, I think Madam has a kind heart, and I like her very much."

"On the other hand, I feel that Madam is indeed beautiful. I always feel that it would be a pity to send Madam away like this."

Feng finally couldn't help but have a smile on her face that she hadn't seen for a long time, "You are surprisingly candid."

"But I don't hate this kind of frankness. On the contrary, I like it very much."

"I've violated the status of a woman and become a willow, so I can be appreciated by you. If I have the opportunity to repay you for saving my life, I'll stay with you and help you a little. This is what I want to do."

"If I don't abandon you, I hope you will take me in."

Seeing that Feng had made up her mind, Yuan Xi nodded and said, "Since Madam entrusted me with her future, I will live up to Madam."

The two of them bowed to each other, and as soon as the conversation began, both of them felt relieved. Feng said in a low voice: "If you call me in the evening, I will be waiting for you at any time."

Yuan Xi felt overwhelmed and coughed, "Well, we'll talk about it later. I haven't asked yet, how much do you know about what's happening in the city these days?"

After hearing this, Mrs. Feng immediately said: "A few days ago, under the escort of soldiers, I went to the city many times and bought rice, grains, vegetables and meat with my servants. During this period, I saw some things."

"Although your Majesty may have heard it from others, there are a few things I know."

"First, Yuzhou Huainan crossed the Huai River, and the number of people fleeing to Jiujiang increased greatly."

"At its peak, Shouchun had an influx of nearly 10,000 people in one day, and the streets were filled with people. There was a shortage of food, and food prices soared."

"The number of people gradually decreased."

Yuan Xi's eyes flashed, "Do you know what happened?"

Feng took a look privately and said, "I heard that the prefect asked them to build the city."

Yuan Xi nodded. Liu Ye had mentioned this before he came to Shouchun, but Yuan Xi didn't think about it for a moment. Only now did he realize that there were so many people fleeing!

Think about it, originally Yuzhou was ready to surrender to Liu Bei, but Cao Cao drove Liu Bei away. Jianghuai was already doing well. Who would want to be a citizen of Cao Cao's farmland?

So it was reasonable for them to cross the Huaihe River to escape, but with so many people, there would inevitably be a shortage of food. Liu Ye arranged for them to build Hefei City. If they could be supplied with food, both parties would benefit.

But the key question is, does Liu Ye have food for so many people?

Resettling refugees is a very troublesome matter, especially if the population is tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands, which will create a huge gap in land and food, so sometimes the more people the better, especially in Shouchun, which has just been hit by the locust plague. .

The most efficient method is of course the farming system, but obviously Liu Ye doesn't seem like someone who would adopt this method, so how did he do it?

Yuan Xi became curious and said a few more words to Feng, then said: "I'll go talk to him first, so I won't delay your rest."

After hearing this, Mrs. Feng said softly: "Why are you still so polite?"

"Have you rested during the day? Are you waiting for your envoy at night?"

Looking at Feng's pretty face, Yuan Xi felt overwhelmed and hesitated: "Let's talk about it later."

He reluctantly stood up, but felt that his movements had not changed. He looked down and felt embarrassed, so he quickly sat down.

Seeing this, Mrs. Feng stood up and gently closed the door, then gently sat back down, clasping her green and jade fingers together, slightly raising her fair and delicate forehead, and looked towards Yuan Xi.

In Xu County, inside the emperor's palace, Liu Xie was in a good mood and said to Fu Shou, "Have you heard about it?"

"Cao Cao suffered a big loss and escaped back in embarrassment!"

Fu Shou returned: "I have heard some rumors that one of his generals died in battle?"

"More than that!" Liu Xie said excitedly: "I heard that Na Dianwei was killed and Cao Chun was seriously injured. There was no news after he came back. There are rumors that he died of his injuries!"

Fu Shou was surprised and said: "Is there still this matter?"

Liu Xie laughed and said: "Not only that, even his eldest son Cao Ang died in the battle!"

"What retribution!"

Fu Shou was even more surprised, "Who did it?"

Liu Xie smiled and said: "I heard that the fierce tiger attacked Cao Ying in Nanyang at night. They were hundreds of miles apart, but they were able to successfully attack. It is really quite capable."

Fu Shou said softly: "If your Majesty could believe him that day..."

Liu Xie's face darkened unconsciously.

(End of this chapter)