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

Chapter 57 Life and death are not in He Boqiu's hands

At that time, although the man was in dire straits, Yuan Shao did not look down on him in the slightest.

Instead, they led him into their residence and arranged everything for him.

……

The rain was falling at an angle. Yuan Shao was sitting in the hall when he suddenly heard footsteps. He looked up and saw the man standing by the door.

The coarse cloth clothes that were still covered with grass clippings have been changed into a moon-white long gown, and the red marks of the shackles on the wrists are still visible when the sleeves are rolled up.

His back was straight, exuding a pure and upright air like pine and bamboo, and even the water droplets at his temples gleamed with a cold light.

The sound of raindrops falling on the bluestone slabs suddenly became clearer, and he stared at the man before him...

Unexpectedly, this person looked like this after tidying up.

Before long, he prepared a banquet and invited the man to drink with him.

After a few rounds of drinks, perhaps due to intoxication, or perhaps due to their temperament, they...

In short, he gradually lowered his guard against this "stranger".

They talked about their aspirations, their late father's loyalty and bravery, and their experiences over the years...

The man listened very attentively, and after he finished speaking, the man only said one sentence:
“I can help you, young master, ascend to a high position and replace the eldest son of the Yuan family.”

At first, he just chuckled and replied that it wasn't necessary.

He felt that as an illegitimate son with no legitimate claim, he could not possibly shake the mighty Yuan family.

The rain outside the eaves gradually subsided.

The man used historical figures of virtue and talent as examples, quoting classical texts and speaking eloquently.

The rising steam blurred Yuan Shao's face, but made his eyes shine with an astonishing brightness.

After the man finished speaking the last sentence, Yuan Shao suddenly choked up:
"I have not yet asked your name, sir."

But then the man raised his wine cup toward the moon.

The moonlight fell into the cup, reflecting a faint smile on her lips:
“I am… He Boqiu.”

……

The rest of the story is well-known.

He was recommended for his filial piety and integrity, and then entered Luoyang to cultivate his reputation...

Until the world knew that the Yuan family had produced a young Mengchang.

……

However, no one knew that Yuan Shao had a secret conversation with He Yong before he began observing mourning for his parents.

At that time, news had already begun to circulate that Yuan Shao had gathered outlaws.

Luoyang, late autumn.

Yuan Shao's hand, holding the almonds, froze in mid-air, and the broken shells fell down in a flurry.
"Have all the students from the Imperial Academy who were rescued last time been properly settled?"

He Yong always had a habit of pressing his left hip when he spoke:

"They all hid in the dilapidated temple in the west of the city, crammed together with those few fleeing scholars."

Yuan Shao broke the second almond into pieces, crushing the kernel into powder in his palm:
“The investigation has been strict lately. Next time you move people, please have some diners disguised as caravans to help you.”

"My life was given to me by the Primordial Beginning; how can I be a burden to it?"

"If it weren't for Boqiu's efforts for me back then, I would still be that illegitimate son in Runan, trampled underfoot."

"That being said, Benchu ​​should have realized in the last two years that what I am planning is extremely dangerous."

"Bo Qiu, you are mistaken!"

Yuan Shao slammed the almonds onto the stone table:

"When we drank together in the warm pavilion back then, we swore an oath with our swords drawn. How can I stand aside because of this crisis?"

He Yong shook his head:

"Precisely because we are sworn brothers, I must make a clear distinction..."

He suddenly lifted his robe, revealing scars from his escape years ago:

"I was originally a fugitive with a criminal record. I was already given a second chance by the Emperor's kindness in providing me with clothes and food. Now, I've dragged you into the crisis of the Party Prohibitions..."

“If you don’t get involved in this mess, even if you are a son of a concubine of the Yuan family, you can still enjoy a lifetime of wealth and honor thanks to your ancestors.”

Yuan Shao flicked his sleeves and glared at them:

"Boqiu, you are underestimating me with those words!"

He Yong pulled Yuan Shao to sit down at the stone table:
"Since Yuan Tai says so, I have two requests of you."

His fingertips traced the stone table:

"Firstly, from this day forward, you shall no longer participate in our operations."

"I have just made contact with a righteous man in Hanoi..."

"Let me finish speaking!"

He Yong suddenly pressed down on the back of his hand:
“I am already an exposed target, and I could die at any moment… But you are the flag we have raised. I may die, but the flag must not fall!”

“Your mother has just passed away, so it is a good time to observe the three-year mourning period to build up your reputation. If the time is not right, then we will observe the mourning period for Wen Kai Gong again... Filial piety is paramount, and no one can criticize it.”

"You only need to remember that the more famous Yuan Benchu's name is, the safer we will be."

Yuan Shao's Adam's apple suddenly choked:
"If things cannot be done..." "Original source... Everyone must die."

He Yong paused, then took a deep breath:

“I was prepared to die anyway, so if I die because of this, it will be a worthy death.”

"This is also the second thing I ask of the beginning: if one day I die a violent death, do not grieve..."

"Furthermore, do not seek to know why someone died, because the death of someone means that a storm is coming."

"After I die, you must protect yourself. The safety of Meng Zhuo and the others will depend entirely on Benchu..."

"Remember this! Remember this!"

……

My thoughts gradually faded away.

Yuan Shao rested his hand on his forehead and leaned against the desk, gently wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes.

Boqiu, I know what to do...

He slowly rose to his feet:
"Somebody come!"

"Sir?"

"Go to the front yard and invite Mr. Xu over."

"Here."

……

When Xu You lifted the curtain and entered, he couldn't help but look at Yuan Shao's reddened eyes:

"The Primordial..."

Yuan Shao waved his hand:

"It's alright, it's just cold... I'll trouble you to come with me."

"Are we going to find that royal uncle?"

"No."

Yuan Shao grabbed the tally from the table and stuffed it into his sleeve:
"We need to meet with a few people first..."

He paused, then said, "Members of the Yuan family."

Xu You nodded slightly:

"I understand, I'll go prepare the car now."

……

Yuan Shao and Xu You's carriage rolled over the bluestone slabs and gradually disappeared into the distance.

Meanwhile, in a dungeon in Luoyang, an overwhelming musty smell was seeping out.

Water dripped from the domed ceiling, splashing onto the ground with a subdued rhythm...

Suddenly, a burst of silvery laughter rang out.

A slender figure emerged from the shadows, her eyebrows drawn even more delicately than a woman's, and the crimson rouge on her lips shimmered eerily in the torchlight.

The person was dressed in a scarlet palace gown, with an extremely delicate face and a graceful, swaying figure.

The faint scent of powder caused the iron chains to rattle.

The eunuchs standing guard under the eaves bowed hunched over, shouting in their shrill voices:
"Greetings, Lord Zhao!"

"Hmph~ Then step back."

The man covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief and walked through puddles to the front of the deepest cell.

"bang bang bang..."

The jade-inlaid fingernails tapped on the iron gate, the sound particularly jarring in the empty prison.

Hearing the rustling of the haystacks inside, he suddenly laughed:
"Not quite dead yet?"

A hoarse, cold snort drifted out from the musty smell.

A blurry figure could be seen through the gap, with only a bloodshot eye visible beneath disheveled hair:
"You eunuch, you're not dead yet, so why should I die first?"

"Oh dear, he's barely alive, and he's still so angry?"

"Zhao Zhong! Either give me a quick death, or shut up!"

That graceful woman... was none other than the eunuch Zhao Zhong.

Zhao Zhong leaned against the doorframe, tilting his head and chuckling softly:

"Tsk tsk, I'll give you a chance to live, want to hear it?"

A cloud of gray mist rose from the haystack, and as the man sat up, leaning against the wall, the iron chains dragged on the stone ground with a grating sound.

"roll."

Seeing the words squeezed out from between his bloodied teeth, Zhao Zhong's smile widened even more:
"Oh dear, the more assertive you are, the better I like it~"

"We can't let the deal I made with Xia Yun go to waste, don't you think..."

His lips, stained crimson, almost touched the iron bars:
"He Boqiu?"

(End of this chapter)