Not Afraid of Cao Cao, but Afraid of Cheng Yu

After Qin Tian and Xu Shu departed from the Cao Camp, they traveled continuously.

Passing through Bowang and Ye County, they arrived at Kunyang, which marked their entry into the territory of Yingchuan.

The land of Yingchuan was flatter than Nanyang. After traveling for another day, the two arrived in Yingyin County.

Once they reached this point, Xuchang was right before their eyes.

Qin Tian arrived at his own estate.

Because he was highly valued under Cao Cao, he had received many rewards of gold and silver over the past seven years.

Qin Tian could not be bothered to manage them, so he had handed everything over to Cai Yan.

Do not be fooled by Cai Yan's immense learning or her seemingly ethereal nature; she was actually quite adept at managing family assets.

Whenever Cao Cao bestowed gold, silver, or treasures, Cai Yan would use them to purchase houses and estates.

Upon hearing Qin Tian say that Cao Cao was about to welcome the Emperor to Xudu, she took the initiative to help Qin Tian purchase a significant amount of fertile land in the surrounding cities.

All told, Qin Tian was now a major landowner, with over ten thousand acres of fertile fields scattered about and hundreds of servants in his household.

Upon arriving at the estate, the steward responsible for managing the place came to report:

"Master, the Mistress and her party have already departed Xuchang and arrived at Yanling."

"Before leaving, she did not dispose of the family's land holdings, but instructed me to bring the deeds here to be handed over to you, Master!"

This steward was surnamed Li, his given name being Li Shun. Since entering Qin Tian's household, he had been responsible for managing the various estates and was one of the most capable stewards in the family.

At this moment, Qin Tian and Xu Shu were each using a basin to wash the dust of the road from their faces.

Hearing this, Xu Shu looked up and smiled:

"Your wife is truly intelligent and virtuous; such an arrangement is most appropriate."

Although he did not know what instructions Qin Tian had given Cai Yan, this method of handling things was extremely sound.

By not selling the land, she would not attract Cao Cao's attention.

By handing the deeds to Qin Tian, she ensured that Qin Tian would not be placed in a passive position.

This approach could be called very clever.

If it were an ordinary woman, not to mention whether she could leave Xuchang smoothly, she would not have easily abandoned such a massive family fortune.

Let alone supporting Qin Tian's choices with her full strength, as Cai Yan had done.

From this perspective, Cai Yan's virtuous nature was rare in this world.

Facing Xu Shu's praise, Qin Tian smiled slightly, wiped his face dry with a towel, and said with self-satisfaction:

"That goes without saying; my wife Zhaoji is the most virtuous wife in history!"

The thing he was most satisfied with in this life was snatching Cai Yan away!

The Cai Yan of this world had not been abducted, nor had she married Wei Zhongdao. She was beautiful and virtuous—he wouldn't trade her even for Diaochan!

After praising his wife, Qin Tian looked at Li Shun and asked:

"Who is currently accompanying Zhaoji?"

Li Shun hurriedly bowed and said:

"Replying to the Master, the Mistress has a large entourage. There is the elder Madam Xu, Master Xu, Miss Cai, and the young lady, all under the protection of Steward Zhang and over a hundred servants."

The elder Madam Xu and Master Xu in his words were none other than Xu Shu's mother and his younger brother, Xu Kang.

As for Miss Cai, she was Qin Tian's sisters-in-law, Cai Yao and Cai Zhenji.

Because Cai Zhenji had been young when Cai Yong passed away, it was her brother-in-law, Qin Tian, who had taken responsibility for raising her.

This sister-in-law was not famous in the Three Kingdoms, but her children were no simple figures. One was named Yang Huiyu, who later married Sima Shi and was posthumously honored as Empress Jingxian.

The other was named Yang Hu, a famous general of the late Three Kingdoms period who rose to the rank of Grand Tutor.

However, the current Cai Zhenji was still young, only fifteen years old—a girl in the full bloom of youth.

There was also the young lady, who was Qin Tian's daughter, given the formal name Qin Wei and the nickname Suier.

Listening to these names, Qin Tian could not help but smile knowingly.

No matter the era, family was always a source of concern and warmth.

He pondered for a moment and said to Li Shun:

"There is no need for so many people to be with the Mistress. You are to send someone to deliver a message to her, telling her to split the servants and carriages into three groups: one to go straight to Weishi, one toward Luoyang, and one to head directly north."

"Additionally, deliver this letter to the Mistress so that they need not worry!"

"Have you heard clearly? Repeat it back to me!"

Li Shun took the letter, pondered for a moment, and repeated Qin Tian's instructions.

Qin Tian nodded and added:

"After I leave, take these land deeds to Xun Yu's estate and have him sell them on my behalf."

"Once they are converted into gold and silver, I will send someone to collect them."

"As for this manor, you shall manage it for me. You may use whatever profits it generates, and when I return, I will reward you accordingly."

Hearing that Qin Tian intended to entrust him with the independent management of the manor, Li Shun was overjoyed and hurriedly replied:

"Thank you, my lord. I will certainly manage it properly for you!"

"Enough, enough with the small talk."

Qin Tian smiled and said:

"How much money is left in the manor? Go fetch it; I have a use for it."

Upon hearing this, Li Shun happily accepted the order and left.

Listening to Qin Tian's arrangements, Xu Shu could not help but frown and ask:

"With arrangements like these, Zixuan, how are we to rendezvous with your wife?"

"Are you saying we must make a trip to Chenliu?"

They were currently heading toward Xuzhou, which was to the east.

Yet, Qin Tian's arrangements had directed Cai Yan to head north.

The two parties would never cross paths!

Qin Tian shook his head and smiled:

"Not at all. We shall head straight to Xinji and wait for the lady and her party there."

Xinji was located directly east of Xuchang.

Xu Shu was bewildered:

"What are you saying, Zixuan? I clearly heard you tell your wife to head north by three different routes just now. How could she end up in Xinji?"

Qin Tian smiled slightly, leaned in, and whispered:

"What I said just now was false; the truth is in the letter I sent home."

"The letter already stated that the three northern routes were merely a feint. In reality, I instructed my wife and the others to head to Xinji."

Hearing this explanation, Xu Shu's expression turned strange. He looked at Qin Tian and said:

"Well played, Qin Zixuan. It's just moving your family, yet you've turned it into a military operation. Why be so overly cautious?"

"You even deceived your own household steward?"

"That is where you are wrong, Yuanzhi! As the saying goes, caution is the parent of safety."

A strange look flickered in Qin Tian's eyes as he continued:

"You and I are no longer in positions of great power. Do not test the character of those beneath you."

"Lest one careless move leads us into an abyss from which there is no return."

He looked at Xu Shu, thinking to himself, You are the one who capsized your own boat that way. If you hadn't left your mother behind in Yingchuan, how could Cao Cao have ever gotten a hold on you?

Xu Shu, hearing these words, frowned and said in a deep voice:

"Zixuan, are you afraid that Cao Cao will send troops to capture us?"

"I have already said that although Cao Cao dislikes me, he will not harm me."

Qin Tian shook his head with his hands behind his back:

"I do not fear Cao Cao, but I fear Cheng Yu. Cao Cao might spare me, but Cheng Yu would kill me."

"That man is Cao Cao's loyal hound. Once he knows I have left, he will surely send troops to search everywhere."

"If he cannot find me, he will certainly order a pursuit and execution."

"If we are surrounded by enemies on all sides and are not careful now, we will surely die at his hands in the future."

Hearing the name Cheng Yu, Xu Shu's expression also turned grave.

Having followed Qin Tian for so many years, he had witnessed Cheng Yu's ruthlessness firsthand.

Back when Lu Bu was wreaking havoc in Yanzhou and the Cao army was short on food, Qin Tian had advocated for using troops to intimidate the local clans into "loaning" grain.

However, that man Cheng Yu had simply led troops to plunder the commoners within the city of Dong'e.

He had forcibly secured several days' worth of rations for Cao Cao.

It was said that the supply was mixed with a significant amount of human jerky.

Ever since then, Qin Tian and Cheng Yu had completely broken ties.

Now that he knew Qin Tian was leaving, given Cheng Yu's personality, it was entirely possible that if he couldn't bring him back, he would hunt him down.

Thinking of this, Xu Shu hurriedly asked:

"Then what should we do now?"

"One word: fast."

Qin Tian held up a single finger and said:

"Furthermore, none of the people around us can be used. They all have families here and certainly won't be willing to follow us!"

"That is why I had Li Shun retrieve the money from the estate. Yuanzhi, you must go out immediately to find old friends and recruit a few trustworthy wandering knights to escort us away!"

"Only by doing this can we avoid being pursued!"

Xu Shu nodded upon hearing this. He had originally been a wandering knight in Yingchuan; to put it plainly, he had been a street fighter.

These wandering knights might not have been skilled at formal warfare, but to a man, they prioritized loyalty above all else!

At a time like this, these were precisely the people who could be trusted.

Xu Shu immediately left the residence.

Through his efforts, he recruited over a dozen skilled swordsmen that very afternoon.

After Qin Tian met with each of them, he led the group and set off in the direction of Xinji.

Less than a day after Qin Tian and his party had departed, the messenger sent by Cao Cao arrived in Xuchang.