"Xiao Wen, why did Tian Feng say not to mention his contribution to Yuan Shao?"
Bai Xiaowen said, "Tian Feng knows Yuan Shao very well. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, after Yuan Shao lost at Guandu, a jailer congratulated Tian Feng. Tian Feng had warned Yuan Shao not to go to battle, and now that Yuan Shao had ignored his advice and lost, the jailer thought he would surely put Tian Feng to good use. But Tian Feng said Yuan Shao would be too ashamed to face him when he returned, so he would kill him. That was exactly what happened."
"If I earn merit by launching a surprise attack on Xudu and help Yuan Shao crush the Cao Army, he'll be riding high. He'll naturally pardon Tian Feng to show how magnanimous he is. But if I tell him Tian Feng helped me, it'll leave a nasty taste in his mouth. Yuan Shao cares too much about saving face. That's why Tian Feng told me not to mention him."
Li Shuyi sighed. "Do you clever people always speak in riddles? How is anyone else supposed to understand you?"
Bai Xiaowen smiled and wisely let that pass. "It's only the third watch. Let's pay a visit to my father-in-law."
The Zhen Clan was a wealthy merchant family from Zhongshan Commandery in Jizhou, far richer than the Julu Tian Clan. Since forging a marriage alliance with Grand General Yuan Shao, the clan had gained a powerful backer. Its business had spread into Ye City, where it bought shops, while outside the city it acquired fertile farmland. The family's fortunes had only grown.
Bai Xiaowen headed to the Zhen Residence in Ye City.
After his arrival was announced, however, the man he met was not his father-in-law, Zhen Yi, but his