Zhaoji and Zhenji, Secretly Crossing at Chencang

Meanwhile, east of Xuchang, outside Xinji City.

Qin Tian had already been waiting there with Xu Shu and over a dozen wandering swordsmen.

Before long, a procession of carriages and horses approached from the distance. A young man suddenly ran out, shouting:

"Brother, your little brother is here!"

At the sight of the youth, Xu Shu showed delight as well and hurried forward to meet him.

This youth was none other than Xu Shu's younger brother, Xu Kang.

When Xu Kang drew near, he first bowed to Xu Shu, then bowed to Qin Tian.

"Xu Kang pays his respects to Lord Qin!"

Seeing this, Qin Tian waved his hand.

"I am now but a commoner. Do not call me 'Lord'!"

"Is Madam Xu well?"

"Thank you for your concern, sir. My mother is well!"

Xu Kang hesitated for a moment.

"Madam and the young ladies are well too. They are all in the carriages now!"

Hearing this, Qin Tian and Xu Shu exchanged a glance before walking toward the carriages.

When they reached them, Xu Shu went to pay respects to his mother, while Qin Tian came before another carriage and smiled.

"Madam, you have suffered through many days of travel!"

"Father!"

The moment he spoke, the carriage door opened and a little girl ran out. Her tiny face was brimming with joy, her large eyes sparkling like stars. The instant she saw Qin Tian, she opened her arms and asked to be held.

This was Qin Tian's daughter, Xiao Sui'er. Only five years old, she looked like a porcelain doll.

Seeing his daughter, Qin Tian answered with a smile and swept her into his arms, lightly tapping the tip of her nose.

"More than a month since we last met. Did Suier miss Father?"

Xiao Sui'er buried her head in Qin Tian's embrace, rubbing against him with her little head.

"I did! I missed you so much!"

"Suier waited for Father every day, but Father just wouldn't come home!"

Hearing her sweet, childish voice, Qin Tian burst into hearty laughter.

Just then, a voice came from within the carriage.

"Suier, do not cling to your father!"

As the words fell, a beautiful woman stepped out.

She wore a falling-horse bun, bright moon-shaped earrings, and had fingers like peeled scallion roots and lips like vermilion. Dressed in a purple waist-length jacket, a black lined skirt, and green silk shoes, she stepped down with delicate, graceful steps.

This was Cai Yan, Cai Zhaoji, the peerless talented woman remembered throughout the ages.

Though she had been married for six years, Cai Yan was only twenty-three now.

She was at the age when a woman possessed her greatest charm.

As Zhaoji emerged, Qin Tian held his daughter in one arm and quickly reached out with the other to take Zhaoji's hand.

"You have truly worked hard, Madam!"

He did feel somewhat guilty toward Cai Yan.

Over the years, he had campaigned north and south, with the two of them spending more time apart than together. Cai Yan had managed the entire household.

Those jade-like hands that once played the zither no longer felt as smooth and lustrous as before.

She had barely enjoyed any peaceful days before having to leave with him again.

He truly felt guilty.

Yet Cai Yan only tenderly brushed aside a stray lock of Qin Tian's hair.

"Husband, you are always like this!"

"We came by carriage. What hardship was there?"

"Instead, you hurried all the way here, and there was not even anyone to tend to your hair."

As she spoke, she stepped closer and carefully arranged Qin Tian's clothes and hair.

Qin Tian's lips curled upward at her words, but he said nothing. He merely gazed quietly at his wife's gentle, beautiful features.

But then, an ill-timed voice suddenly rang out.

"Oh my! You two are so sweet, it's sickening!"

Looking up, they saw a lovely young girl climb out of the carriage. She bore a thirty-percent resemblance to Cai Yan, but had an added air of youthful vitality.

Having grown up around Qin Tian from a young age, she also spoke in a rather unconventional manner.

The moment Cai Yao emerged, she said sourly:

"Seeing your family of three like this, it seems I should not have come at all?"

Cai Yan turned back and chided her.

"You little mischief-maker! Since when are you an outsider?"

Cai Yao looked at Qin Tian with considerable resentment.

"If I am not an outsider, then why has Brother-in-law not even asked after me? It is as if I had been left behind in Xuchang and never came along at all!"

Seeing Cai Yao teasing him, Qin Tian stepped forward, tapped her forehead, and said sternly:

"You little brat, you were the one who did not come out to greet me, yet you blame me for not asking after you. Have you not copied enough texts? As punishment, copy the Book of Rites another hundred times!"

At once, Cai Yao puffed up her cheeks and turned her head away.

"Hmph, Brother-in-law only knows how to bully people!"

Cai Yan took Cai Yao's hand and said:

"Your brother-in-law does it for your own good. You are already of the age to be betrothed, yet you still behave like this. How will you ever be married off in the future?"

"I refuse to marry!"

As though someone had stepped on a sore spot, Cai Yao immediately retorted:

"Brother-in-law said marriage should be free!"

"Elder Sister cannot decide for me!"

"You little brat!"

This time, Cai Yan was the one displeased.

Yet Qin Tian only smiled.

"All right, stop making a fuss. Madam Xu and the others have been waiting for a long time!"

"We still have to travel today. Madam, take Zhenji and Suier into the carriage!"

Cai Yan nodded, but Cai Yao asked:

"By the way, Brother-in-law, you still have not told us why we are leaving!"

"We were doing perfectly well in Xuchang. Why are we going elsewhere?"

Fearing that Cai Yao might touch upon Qin Tian's painful memories, Cai Yan hurriedly said:

"Zhenji, do not speak too much. Husband has his own plans!"

However, Qin Tian stepped forward and stroked Cai Yao's head.

"Zhenji, you are still young. There are many things in life that do not go as one wishes. Avoiding a few wrong paths is progress."

"When you are older, you will naturally understand these principles!"

Qin Tian had watched Cai Yao grow up, and she was already used to having him pat her head. Yet after a moment, she puffed out her chest and raised her chin.

"Brother-in-law, do not look down on me. Yao'er has already come of age. I am an adult!"

It had to be said that people in ancient times matured early. Looking at Cai Yao's swelling curves, Qin Tian could not help but laugh.

"All right, all right, big enough, big enough!"

"Get into the carriage first!"

Only after hearing his praise did Cai Yao happily climb into the carriage.

Once everyone had boarded, Qin Tian simply abandoned his horse and sat at the front of the carriage beside the driver, steering it toward Xu Shu and the others.

When they arrived, Xu Shu had finished giving instructions to Mother Xu and asked:

"Now that we have brought our families aboard, what should we do next?"

Put kindly, he was good at accepting sound advice. Put harshly, he lacked much independent judgment.

When alone, he could still be considered resourceful and clever.

But when following Qin Tian, he had always gone along with whatever Qin Tian decided.

Whatever Qin Tian intended to do, he would do.

Qin Tian pondered for a while after hearing this.

"We have been away from the military camp for several days. Lord Cao's letter has likely already arrived. Once Cheng Yu learns that I have left, he will surely send men to intercept our families first."

"I have ordered the servants to split into three groups. They can delay them for two days!"

"Once Cheng Yu realizes what has happened, he will certainly investigate everywhere. It will be difficult for us to conceal our tracks."

"We can first head south to Runan and have carriages and horses prepared there. After reaching Runan, we will leave the city lightly equipped, change carriages again, and head north!"

"That way, we can completely cut off the eyes and ears of Cao's army, leaving them unaware of our whereabouts!"

Runan was currently Yuan Shu's territory. Once they entered Yuan Shu's lands and changed carriages again before departing, not only would Cheng Yu have no way of knowing their trail, even Yuan Shu would find it difficult to pursue them.

"What an excellent plan to secretly cross at Chencang!"

Xu Shu nodded with a smile.

"Zixuan, this is a brilliant plan. We should proceed exactly so."

Thus, they set out once more, traveling all the way south.