The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 51 Mutual Curiosity
A small fire in the inn illuminated the fierce face of the knight outside the door.

Xiao Yi was not afraid; instead, he took the initiative to inquire.

"May I ask if the person arriving later is Commander Cao, who was the first to pacify the three towns and ascend the river?"

"Not bad, you actually have some discernment?"

"Who in the army doesn't know the illustrious name of General Cao? I have long admired him." Xiao Yi bowed respectfully and asked, "General, you are also a hero under General Cao's command. May I ask your name?"

"I am Cao Li, a general under the command of the military commander, and I have been ordered to advance the battle."

"You must be tired from your journey. I will make arrangements now so that you will not be delayed in getting some rest."

"high speed."

Cao Li nodded coldly and pulled the reins directly.

"Let's go! Report to Magistrate Liu that we can stay overnight at Weicheng Post Station!"

The horse's hooves disappeared into the distance in an instant.

Xiao Yi breathed a slight sigh of relief and quickly cleaned up the corpse.

He calmly confiscated Mu Gong's token and took back the bag of gold.

"Tieya, Zhan Zhao, go to the kitchen, start a fire, boil water, and smear your faces with coal ash."

"But I won't..."

"Come with me!"

Lü You said, "Captain, my cooking skills are not bad."

"First, wipe away the bloodstains, open the doors and windows to let in some fresh air, and set up a few braziers."

Before long, the thunderous sound of hooves grew louder as a cavalry force of over a hundred men surged to the outside of the post station, swiftly taking control of all the key roads and establishing a tight security perimeter.

The soldiers escorted a general as he dismounted and strode to the entrance of the post station.

Cao Wei was about forty years old. He wore a thick cloak over his armor. He was not very tall, but he walked with a steady gait and broad shoulders, exuding an aura of authority honed by years of battlefield experience.

He had a sharply defined face, dark skin, a short, stiff beard, and a pair of bright, piercing eyes that shone with a sharp light. He was indeed a crossbowman by trade, but his eyes held a thoughtful look, as if he had a great worry about him.

Xiao Yi stepped forward, cupped his fists and said, "Xiao Yi, Deputy Commander of the Left Wing of the Crane Control Guard, pays his respects to Commander Cao."

"Ah."

Cao Wei nodded slightly, intending to go straight into the hall.

But when his gaze swept across the room as if it were a tangible thing, it finally settled on Xiao Yi, and he asked another question.

"The Emperor's brother-in-law? What brings him here?"

Xiao Yi thought to himself, if he was curious about Cao Wei's reasons for going north, wouldn't Cao Wei be just as curious about his mission?
Various excuses flashed through his mind, but he decided to tell the truth to avoid making things worse.

"This humble servant was ordered to go to Chanzhou on official business. While passing through this place, I happened to encounter a stubborn bandit."

"What kind of stubborn villain is this?" Cao Wei's eyes clearly showed a thoughtful look, but his face revealed no emotion. He said, "Where is the body? Lead the way."

Just as Xiao Yi was about to respond, someone spoke up.

"General, we have to travel tomorrow morning. Why bother with such a trivial matter? The Imperial Uncle's men can handle it."

The speaker was a lieutenant behind Cao Wei.

This man had the body of an ape and the face of a leopard, with an arrow scar on his left cheek. His eyes were sharp like a hawk's, with upturned corners, giving him a stern and tense look. Underneath his finely crafted armor was a brocade robe, with beautiful patterns peeking out from the edges.

Xiao Yi felt that the pattern on the brocade robe looked familiar. Where had he seen it before?
It was a brocade robe that Shi Hongzhao had stripped off, a robe that the emperor had bestowed upon the actors.

In other words, he was a close advisor to the emperor.

Seeing Xiao Yi looking at him, the other person met his gaze with a rare display of friendliness.

"Liu Jirong, Deputy Envoy of Xuanhui Academy and Deputy Commander of Fengguo Army, you may report to me if you have anything to say."

"Yes, I have met Magistrate Liu."

Liu Jirong nodded, raised his hand to lead Cao Wei upstairs, and said, "General, please."

Xiao Yi hurriedly replied, "The private room is ready."

He thought to himself that with Liu Jirong's official rank, there was no need for him, a mere deputy captain, to be polite, unless it was because they were on his side.

However, when Cao Wei went upstairs, one of his guards tried to go up first to check, and bumped into Cao Wei lightly. It was a very awkward situation, and one could even say that they were not familiar with each other.

When a veteran goes on a long trip, his bodyguard seems to be a rookie?
Upon closer observation, the eyes and positions of the other guards subtly revealed a sense of surveillance. Although Cao Wei's demeanor was dignified, his brows were always slightly furrowed, and a hint of melancholy and weariness was hidden deep in his eyes.

"May I ask, Commander, which direction are you heading?" Xiao Yi asked casually, "If it's along the same route, perhaps I could accompany you for a while?"

Cao Wei waved his hand, not answering.

Liu Jirong instead said, "If you go to Chanzhou, you can come with me to Baimajin."

"Great."

Xiao Yi knew they were going to cross the Yellow River and head north, so he didn't ask any more questions.

He went downstairs and saw that the Fengguo cavalry had taken over the guards of all the key positions. The rest of the men either rushed into the large dormitory or gathered around the brazier in the main hall and lay down. They looked exhausted, obviously having come at a great speed.

Cao Li took off his helmet, yawned, and asked, "Are there any rooms available upstairs?"

"Have."

Where do your people live?

"We can just squeeze into the woodshed," Xiao Yi said. "Would the general like to have a drink to warm himself up?"

"Bring it here."

They opened the remaining wine jars and distributed them to the soldiers. The two then leaned against the counter, drinking and chatting. "Controlling Crane Guard, you're working for the Emperor's brother-in-law, right?" Cao Li said, "I have a brother who was just transferred there a few days ago."

"Oh? Could it be that you also have the surname Cao and the given name Dang?"

"good."

"What a coincidence! It's our commander, who has already gone ahead to Chanzhou." Xiao Yi smiled, as if he had met a fellow townsman and friend, and asked, "General, are you and our commander brothers?"

"They are not blood brothers, but they are closer than blood brothers. They are all the military commander's personal soldiers, and they have risked their lives together."

"Then you are also my elder brother, let me offer you a bowl!"

“Haha, done!”

Xiao Yi then asked, "Brother, was this trip also on His Majesty's orders?"

Cao Li raised an eyebrow and said, "You're surprisingly resourceful, kid?"

Xiao Yi took out the secret edict from his bosom, waved it, then put it back, and whispered, "Likewise."

"Ha." Cao Li sneered, "What I did was a monumental event."

Seeing that he didn't speak, Xiao Yi continued to probe, saying, "But I think... Commander Cao seems somewhat unwilling?"

"If it weren't for us old brothers 'persuading' him to serve the government, he probably would have lost his head this time. Well, how should I put it, he hasn't let go of some past relationships yet, but it's good that he's come to terms with it."

"One last sip of wine." Xiao Yi raised his bowl and said naturally, "Brother, the journey to Yedu is still long, so I won't keep you from resting any longer."

Cao Li didn't realize the trap in his words, casually clinked bowls with him, and downed the rest of his wine in one gulp.

A look of understanding flashed across Xiao Yi's eyes as he left the main hall and headed towards the woodshed.

As soon as he closed the door, the smile on his face disappeared.

He beckoned to his men and whispered, "Bring them a few more basins of hot water."

"Here."

"Zhan Zhao, don't go. Tie Ya, you stay too."

"Oh."

Guo Xin, wearing armor and feeling perfectly protected, wanted to follow, but Xiao Yi called him back. He then pulled Xiao Yi aside and whispered something to him.

“Listen to me, isn’t that Cao Wei outside? I’ve seen him once. He used to fight under my father’s command and he’s very loyal to him. Should I go and persuade him to surrender? Maybe he’s even going to join my father. That would make things much easier.”

Xiao Yi shook his head and said, "Cao Wei is going to Yedu, but I'm afraid he's going to assassinate Commander Guo."

"How could that be?" Guo Xin said, "He has a good relationship with my grandfather, why do you say that?"

Xiao Yi gave Guo Xin a deep look, thinking to himself that the court had killed the entire Guo family and then sent people to Yedu, which couldn't possibly be for the purpose of appeasement. Cao Wei didn't seem like he had escaped on his own.

After ruling out all other possibilities, it can only be an assassination.

"Why are you looking at me?" Guo Xin said, "Just tell me, there's always a reason."

“In short, I’m 90% confident,” Xiao Yi said. “Here’s what we’ll do: you and Tieya head north first, without stopping, and get to Yedu as quickly as possible.”

"Then what about you and Wu... no, Qingwen and Mingyan?"

"I will escort them. You should arrive as soon as possible and send someone to pick us up. Remember, you must see Commander Guo first and remind him to be wary of Cao Wei's assassination attempt. Also, give him this letter; it is the expectation of the civil officials in the court for him. And this is a letter from your sister-in-law to your elder brother."

Xiao Yi took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Guo Xin.

"Hey, aren't you coming with me again?"

"Stop talking nonsense, Tieya. You must protect him. When you see Commander Guo, tell him about what happened to the Shi family."

"Don't worry, as long as I'm alive, this little brat won't die."

"Leave tonight. Take six horses and use this passage."

Xiao Yi then handed Mu Gong's token and military order to Zhang Mantun.

He led the two men away from the woodshed and all the way to the stables.

At this time, the post station had been guarded by the Fengguo Army, but only to prevent outsiders from entering, not to prevent them from leaving.

"I sent two men to scout ahead and report back."

"As you please."

After seeing Zhang Mantun and Guo Xin off onto the official road, Xiao Yi gave each of them two gold ingots and said, "There's no time to prepare your luggage. If you're short of anything, you can get it ready after you cross the Yellow River."

"It's alright, I'm not fussy."

"I don't care about such things; the sky is my roof and the earth is my dwelling."

Xiao Yi instructed, "Be careful on the journey. Everyone's future depends on you."

Zhang Mantun patted his chest and said, "Don't worry!"

"Then my grandfather will certainly reward you handsomely." Guo Xin instructed, "You must take good care of Qingwen and Mingyan."

"Alright, see you again in Ye."

"Goodbye."

"drive!"

The sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance.

Under the moonlight, the official road wound its way, and in a short while, the two figures disappeared from sight.

(End of this chapter)