About Cao Cao's reincarnation as the emperor's uncle

Chapter 47 The Lord Has a New Love

Behind a very remote and simple courtyard in Luoyang City.

A furtive figure clung to the mottled courtyard wall like a withered leaf.

He hunched his neck, looked around with beady eyes, and after surveying the surroundings, he crouched down and darted toward the end of the alley.

Fingertips tapped on the peeling wooden door, making a rhythm of three long taps followed by two short taps.

"Is it done?"

Feng Xu's deep voice came from inside the door, accompanied by the creaking sound of the door opening.

The figure hurriedly slipped inside, and the oil lamp on the earthen wall illuminated his face.

This man was Zuo Feng, with a few leaves still clinging to his collar...

It was from the weeds when I climbed over the back wall of the courtyard.

"Xia Changshi's actions... were too clean."

Zuo Feng shrank his neck, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down:
"There wasn't a single thing left in the yard that could breathe..."

Feng Xu sat on the stone bench, smiling as he rubbed the back of his hand:

"Xia Yun's knife was meant to draw more blood before it broke."

Zuo Feng looked at Feng Xu and stammered:
"But...Attendant Xia...is that person's confidant in the palace...why..."

Feng Xu raised his eyes, the candlelight making the whites of his eyes appear bluish:
"You mean to ask why he was willing to sacrifice Xia Yun to help us, right?"

Zuo Feng nodded hurriedly:
"That's right. Logically speaking... that person in the palace shouldn't be on the same side as us."

Feng Xu sighed softly:
"Because...their mission is almost over..."

Then, she chuckled softly:
"Our journey has only just begun."

Zuo Feng seemed to understand, but dared not ask further, only pondering it in his heart...

Does "Feng Xu" mean that the older generation is paving the way for them?
But shouldn't the lord and that person in the palace be enemies?
After a moment, he shrank back and tentatively asked again:

"Didn't Your Excellency intend to subdue He Yong...? Why then use the pretext of the remnants of the partisans to eliminate him?"

"Who told you that the master is going to subdue He Yong?"

A glint of light flashed in Feng Xu's cloudy eyes.

Thinking back to when Liu Fang hesitated and said, "As for He Yong..."

On second thought, I couldn't help but smile:
Do you think the adult is abnormal, or is it that I am abnormal?

"Given the difficult situation of the adults, I volunteered to subdue a party leader who viewed eunuchs as a thorn in his side?"

Zuo Feng lowered his head, staring at the dried bloodstain on the sole of his boot, wondering whose unlucky soul it was.

"I wouldn't dare, but... isn't He Yong Yuan Shao's right-hand man?"

"Do you think Yuan Shao is a man of great loyalty and want to win him over, but fear that this will cause Yuan Shao to harbor resentment?"

Before Zuo Feng could answer, Feng Xu suddenly leaned closer:
"You're wrong... First of all, this was done by Xia Yun, what does it have to do with us?"

"Secondly, it was precisely because Yuan Shao valued relationships that He Yong could not be allowed to stay."

Seeing Zuo Feng's hesitant expression, Feng Xu smiled and said:

"Do you know what was happening in Cao Cao's residence a few days ago when you were secretly plotting the plan?"

Zuo Feng thought for a moment and asked softly:

"Was He Yong also involved in instigating Cao Cao?"

Feng Xu, his back hunched, gently tapped Zuo Feng's forehead:

"Indeed, He Yong even commented on Cao Cao, saying, 'The Han dynasty is about to perish, and this man will surely bring peace to the world,' which is even more impressive than Xu Zijiang's assessment."

"This person is certainly up to no good..."

His gaze suddenly sharpened as he spoke of this point:

"Moreover, He Yong was a close friend of the previous party leaders Chen Fan and Li Ying, despite their age difference."

"In addition to what he has done in the past few years, this person has accumulated enough experience and reputation."

"While people like Xu You and Zhang Miao might still be useful, He Yong is absolutely not someone we should keep."

Zuo Feng swallowed hard.
"What about the relationship between He Yong and Yuan Shao?"

The stench of decaying leaves, like that of sealed leaves, suddenly leaked out:
"Whether it's true or false, who is without selfish motives?"

Zuo Feng suddenly had a flash of inspiration:

"Does Lord Feng mean that He Yong intends to use Yuan Shao as a pretext, borrowing the name of the Yuan family of Runan, to raise a new banner of partisanship?"

Feng Xu sneered:
"Indeed, those two old foxes, Yuan Feng and Yuan Wei, are masters of self-preservation..."

"It seems that most of the party members are his former students and followers, but in reality, these two are just using the party members, fearing that they will be implicated."

Zuo Feng continued, "Yuan Ji only knows how to follow his father's teachings, Yuan Shu has the temperament of a legitimate son, and Yuan He's lineage avoids him like the plague..."

"Only Yuan Shao has a special status; he has the skin of the Yuan family and the bones of a prominent figure..."

"He Yong must have seen through this long ago, which is why he turned his attention to Yuan Shao."

Feng Xu's eyes flashed:
"anything else?"

Zuo Feng thought for a moment:
“We want to use party members to bring powerful families into the game, but what if He Yongruo were here…”

"Firstly, because of his feelings, Yuan Shao would be drawn into the fire."

"Both of them, because of their names, are too conspicuous and will hinder the grand plan."

"Therefore... He Yong must die."

Feng Xu nodded in satisfaction:

"Ruzi can be taught."

Zuo Feng chuckled and stretched his neck:
"Thank you, sir."

Feng Xu stood up and patted Zuo Feng on the shoulder:

"Have the arrangements been made for the young warriors that the adults want to see?"

"Don't worry, sir, everything has been instructed."

"Has Xun Yu been delivered to the manor?"

"I went to pick him up at noon, but I also brought two more people with me..."

"Two extra people were sent?"

Zuo Feng pulled his neck back and said cautiously:

"Who knew he would first go to the Qiao residence, and when he came out again, Qiao Lan and Qiao Zhu insisted on following him..."

Upon hearing this, Feng Xu straightened his back instantly and raised his hand in a gesture:
"Quickly, quick, let's go back to the manor, there's a good show to watch..."

The words disappeared into the afterglow. Zuo Feng watched Feng Xu's staggering figure and hurriedly followed.

Deep in the dark alley, the flickering flame of a lamp swayed in the wind.

The footprints left by the two men and the bloodstains on the moss complement each other.

……

Dusk was approaching.

Xu Feng tied up his horse and followed behind Liu Fang.

Just as they turned past the screen wall, they heard cheers coming from the backyard, mixed with the clear sounds of weapons clashing.

Just as I was wondering what was going on, I pushed open the courtyard gate. The lanterns were just lit, and there were many shadowy figures.

At first glance, one sees a pale white figure standing in the center of the courtyard.

Qiaolan held a bamboo joint in her hand, and the hairpin in her temple trembled slightly with her movements.

"Sir, this is..."

"Don't ask, I don't know either..."

Their eyes swept across the field simultaneously.

On the east side, Zhu Jun, dressed in a scholar's robe, stood before the four youths with his hand on the hilt of his sword.
The leader, Liu Dai, had fair skin, and the outline of his athletic attire was faintly visible beneath his scholar's robe.

The second-ranking Liu Yao was upright and handsome, with a pair of piercing eyes beneath thick eyebrows.

Next was Xun Yu, whose handsome face carried a solemnity beyond his years.

At the very end, Qiaozhu, holding a green sword, winked playfully at them.

On the west side, Li Kui stood with his arms crossed, his dark face reflecting the red light, and behind him were four other youths:
Shi A was as thin as a monkey, and the blade of the sword hidden in his sleeve gleamed coldly.

Yan Liang was tall and strong, with bulging veins on the back of his hand holding the knife.

Wen Chou had wild grass stuck in his temples, his long spear hanging to the ground, looking imposing and majestic.

Gao Lan was the most aloof, holding a knife in each hand, his eyes like lightning.

Liu Fang paused for a moment, then glanced towards the due north direction.

Xu Shao and Feng Xu were sitting by the stone table. The former stroked his beard and chuckled, while the latter squinted his eyes.

Zuo Feng, with his neck hunched, served tea to the side.

Jian Shuo, Yin Duan, and Zhang Ji stood under the tree, pointing and commenting on the situation in the arena.

At this moment, Xu Feng stared at the eight teenagers, his face growing increasingly long.

He tugged at Liu Fang's sleeve, his eyes filled with grievance.

It seems to be asking, what does this mean?
(End of this chapter)