Reborn in the Three Kingdoms: Da Qiao Doesn't Want to Be a Widow Anymore

Chapter 323: Breaking up and leaving

Just after midnight on the first day of the new year in the eighth year of Jian'an, the first firecracker of the new year exploded in the courtyard of the Marquis of Nanchang's residence.

May the gloom of the old year be swept away, and may the peace and prosperity of the new dynasty be welcomed.

Since the fifth year of Jian'an, the death of loved ones, the heavy responsibilities in Jiangdong, and the looming threat in Jingzhou have left him feeling overwhelmed.

Sun Quan, who had never been a big believer in ghosts and gods, actually sought out Liu Dun before the new year to have a divination performed.

Liu Dun was originally from Pingyuan. He fled to Luling due to the war and became famous for his expertise in astrology and divination. An official from Jingkou knew that Qiao Wei had been recruiting people who were proficient in celestial phenomena, so he recommended him to Qiao Wei.

Qiao Wei then arranged for him to go to Jiaozhou after the New Year to work with Wu Fan.

Sun Quan, however, having heard of his reputation, was tempted to seek reassurance as well.

Looking at the patterns on the divination board, Liu Dun gave Sun Quan an affirmative answer.

"Next year, your destiny will be peaceful and smooth, free from disasters and worries. Your plans will be successful, and everything will go as you wish."

Sun Quan breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, and dared not think that everything would go smoothly. "Being free from disaster and worry is the greatest blessing."

The charcoal fire burned brightly in the hall, filling it with warmth. Sun Quan gave the last red envelope to Zhou Xun, who was already fast asleep, and then had someone take the children, who were already drowsy and sprawling, back to sleep.

Sun Deng was carried away by Xu Yaoniang. When he looked up, he saw Qiao Rong sitting alone by the window, with half a cup of cold tea beside her. Her profile was dimly lit by the candlelight, and she was staring blankly with her eyes half-lowered, seemingly lost in thought.

Qiao Wei sat down gently next to her, her skirt brushing the ground with a soft rustling sound.

Qiao Rong then came to her senses, "Sister."

Qiao Wei sighed, took out a letter from his sleeve, and lowered his voice as he handed it over, "It's a letter from Zhou Gongjin. He says he wants to arrange for you and Xun'er to return to Shu County."

Why go back to Shuxian?

Qiao Rong's eyelashes trembled slightly, and even her voice trembled a little.

The thought of life in that house made her feel breathless.

In that letter reporting that she was safe, although she held back her grievances and did not explain the reason, how could someone as perceptive as him not guess her current predicament?
There's no going back to the Qiao family. Even if her older sister is willing to support her, she doesn't want to cause Qiao Wei any more trouble.

In order to take her and Zhou Xun away from Shuxian, her elder sister had already offended many people.

She wanted to return to Wancheng, but Zhou Yu's letter immediately dampened her enthusiasm.

She looked out the window at the sky and suddenly felt a sense of bewilderment. People say that the world is vast and boundless, but at this moment she didn't know where she could find a place to settle down.

Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her eyes were lowered, yet they could not hide the deep sorrow within them.

Qiao Wei felt a pang of pity, and after several rounds of evasive words, she finally chose a more moderate explanation.

"In fact, the Central Guard's arrangement was correct in terms of safety."

Most scions of prominent families would choose concubines to accompany them when they entered officialdom, while their wives and children would remain in the clan.

On one hand, the wife had to secure the home front for her husband who was taking up an official post, manage the family's property, and leave him a way out.

On the one hand, it's also for the personal safety and education of their children.

Prominent families usually have clan schools, and there are also people in the clan who are responsible for supervising the studies of the clan's children.

For someone like Zhou Yu, who needed to be on the battlefield, leaving his wife and children in the clan was a precaution against unforeseen circumstances, ensuring that his lineage would not be cut off.

After all, in Shuxian, with the Zhou family's prestige and strength, even if war were to break out one day, they would certainly be able to protect the lives of their clansmen. "But why doesn't Your Excellency also bring your elder sister and Deng'er with you?"

They are even increasingly becoming inseparable.

“The Sun family is different from the Zhou family. If the Zhou family were to suffer a complete defeat one day, it would only mean that some of their sons or brothers became vassals of the Sun family. Even if a few of their clan members were to perish, it would not shake the foundation of the Sun family.”

Your Lordship's current situation is like that of someone standing on the edge of a cliff; once you lose, there is no way back.

In other words, if that day ever comes, Deng'er and I will have no chance of survival no matter where we hide.

Qiao Rong never imagined that her older sister was in such a precarious situation.

"Then why did my elder sister choose... the Marquis?"

In Qiao Rong's eyes, her elder sister was an all-knowing and all-planning person. If she knew there was a dangerous road ahead, why did she still grit her teeth and go on it?
Qiao Wei smiled helplessly, "How can I expect to get everything? I'm not some kind of god."

Qiao Rong tilted her head, "But... even if you time-travel to become an immortal, you can't tell your older sister?"

Um... Qiao Wei was a little embarrassed. He didn't expect that after all these years, Qiao Rong would still remember such a lame joke!

"Some opportunities are serendipitous and cannot be sought after!" Qiao Wei racked his brains to come up with this explanation. "It's already an incredible stroke of luck that an immortal can enter one's dream for even a moment. How can one expect protection for everything!"

She did marry Sun Quan initially because she thought he would live a long life. Later, she also thought about saving Sun Ce, thinking that if she became the second-in-command, there would be someone taller to hold up the sky if it collapsed.

But things don't always go as planned.

The current situation is increasingly deviating from the course of history.

The Battle of Guandu lasted two years before it came to a conclusion. Sun Quan's occupation of Jiangxia was brought forward, and he gained more territory in Jiangdong, including Wancheng and Runan. Sun Quan also had a nominal position as the Prefect of Runan. The fates of Sun Yi and Sun Fu were also quite different. Even Xie Chunfu and Lady Xu did not enter the Sun family.

Her sliver of historical insight has become a useless asset, and she can only take things one step at a time as they come.

Everyone can only walk the path before them in life; no one has a precise instruction manual to tell us how to live our lives.

“Actually, since Xun’er is being raised here, it’s perfectly legitimate for you to stay here instead of returning to Shu County. The Zhou family won’t dare to say anything more.”

Qiao Rong shook her head, "I still want to go back to Wancheng for a visit."

Although Qiao Wei disagreed, seeing Qiao Rong's absent-minded appearance these days, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

“Cao Ren attacked Wancheng before the New Year, and things may not be peaceful during this period. I will have Youhui escort you there, and Xun’er will stay in Jingkou for the time being. The child is still young and cannot bear to travel around.”

Qiao Rong noticed Qiao Wei's hesitation and knew that she didn't actually agree with her going to Wancheng. "Sister, am I being too willful?"

"will not."

Rather than seeing Qiao Rong's constant cautiousness, she felt that whatever the request, as long as Qiao Rong was willing to speak up, it was ultimately a good thing.

She dared not make any mistakes, because she knew no one would bail her out.

But she was willing to support Qiao Rong, hoping that Qiao Rong could live more freely than she did, and that she could also live out her share of freedom.

It's okay to be a little willful. In this world, apart from life and death, anything she can do for Qiao Rong is a small matter.

Winter had barely ended when Qiao Rong returned from Wancheng and even fell seriously ill at the Sun residence.

After her health improved somewhat, she suddenly said to Qiao Wei, "Sister, Dr. Zhang wants to travel around to practice medicine and treat patients. I want to go with him. Is that okay?"