amaotonovel Chapter 731 Cao Pi, you scum!
Chapter 731 Cao Pi, you scum!
Liu Bei would definitely be present for such a momentous occasion as his nephew's and grandnephew's 100th day celebration.
At that moment, Liu Bei was chatting with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang, and others in a pavilion by the lake. When he saw Guan Xing coming over, he immediately waved and said, "Anguo, come quickly. Today is your son's 100-day celebration. It is not appropriate for you, as his father, not to show up."
Guan Xing jogged to the pavilion, bowed to everyone, and then whispered in Liu Bei's ear, "Your Majesty, a secret report has arrived from Jiangbei. Let's speak privately."
Liu Bei immediately stopped smiling, glanced at Guan Xing to confirm, and then led several trusted men to the study. He stood still, took the letter, and his expression changed drastically upon reading it; even his hands trembled slightly.
After a long while, Liu Bei sighed with a complicated expression, "I never thought I would receive news of my two children in my lifetime. They have suffered so much these past years."
During the Battle of Changban, he was defeated by Cao Cao and lost his wife and daughters. Lady Mi threw herself into a well, and his two daughters were kidnapped by Cao Chun. He was truly in dire straits.
Having been kidnapped for over a decade without any news, Liu Bei had assumed his two daughters were long dead. To his surprise, he received news of them today, which instantly brought to the surface his long-suppressed longing and guilt, causing him to burst into tears.
That's her own daughter, after all. What father doesn't love his child?
Thinking of the scene of his defeat at Changban Slope, Zhang Fei felt humiliated and said angrily, "Since we've arrived in Xuchang, let Li Gousheng rescue the people. If that doesn't work, I'll go to Jiangbei to pick them up myself."
He genuinely wanted to bring his two nieces back, after all, he also bore some responsibility for losing them back then.
After struggling for a moment, Liu Bei decisively shook his head and said, "Forget it, it's good to know they're alive. We can't let the lives of the warriors of Jiangbei be lost because of them. Besides, Cao Pi has no reason to kill them. Let them suffer in Luoyang for a while longer."
"Anguo, tell Li Gousheng that he doesn't need to worry about the princess. Just let them do their own thing and protect themselves."
Guan Xing nodded and said, "I will write a letter to Gou Sheng right away. Your Majesty, rest assured, my two elder sisters are still members of the Cao family. No matter how ruthless Cao Pi is, he wouldn't turn on his own family."
The reply to Li Gousheng was sent quickly, and Liu Bei composed himself to continue attending the 100-day celebration.
……
Li Gousheng has been dealing with Tian Yu in Runan recently. After Tian Yu destroyed several of his strongholds, he finally managed to move everyone else to a safe place and temporarily escape Tian Yu's pursuit.
That noon, Li Gousheng finally returned to Xudu City. As soon as he entered the pharmacy, Cheng Xian pulled him into the back room and said, "You're finally back. I really couldn't delay any longer regarding the princess's condition. Is there any news from Marquis Shence?"
Li Gousheng nodded and said, "His Majesty told us to prioritize the overall situation and not to worry about the princess for the time being. Just focus on treating her illness and make sure she doesn't develop any lasting health problems."
Cheng Xian nodded and said, "Don't worry, I've checked on both princesses' health, there won't be any problems. By the way, how's it going in Runan? I heard Wu Qi has already..."
Li Gousheng gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "That damned Tian Yu actually arrested several of our brothers by checking their entry time. I failed to rescue them, so I can only prioritize protecting the brothers who were not arrested."
“Our strength is too weak to confront Tian Yu head-on. The only option now is to avoid his sharp edge and buy time. The longer we wait, the more difficult it will be for Tian Yu to pass the entry screening. Once we get to next year, his trick will be completely ineffective.”
Humans are forgetful creatures; we can clearly remember what happened yesterday but may not remember what happened last year.
The same applies to government investigations; the longer the investigation drags on, the more difficult it becomes.
Time is on the Han side now, so Li Gousheng isn't afraid of dragging things out.
Li Gousheng continued, "But we can't just rely on time. I've thought about it carefully. The reason we were caught off guard by Tian Yu this time is mainly because we don't have anyone in the government. We can't get the information in time or even influence Tian Yu's decisions. So, next, I plan to focus on local governments, bribe county clerks and the families of officials who can talk to the government. Once we have influence in local governments and a stable mass base among the people, I will definitely capture Tian Yu myself and avenge my brothers."
Cheng Xian said, "The Zhou family of Runan asked me to treat their old lady. I plan to go to Pingyu to find out what's going on."
Li Gousheng pondered and said, "Okay, but only see a doctor and don't do anything else. Remember, safety comes first. Also, make sure the princess is taken care of before you leave."
Cheng Xian nodded and said, "I will go to the Xiahou residence to see the princess later and prescribe a few more doses of medicine for them to take on their journey."
After discussing it, the two headed to the Xiahou residence. Cheng Xian went to treat the princess, while Li Gousheng went to curry favor with Xiahou Chong.
He has now become a powerful official-merchant backed by Xiahou Chong. Thirty percent of the profits from his business must be supplied to Xiahou Chong, who in turn gives him the green light in every aspect of his business dealings. The two have a very close cooperative relationship.
The two rushed to the general's mansion and went about their business. The next morning, Cao Yan left Xudu with his two stepmothers and younger siblings and headed to Luoyang.
When they left Xuchang, Liu Man and Liu Mi both showed unprecedented worry on their faces. The closer they got to Luoyang, the more worried they became, because they didn't know how Cao Pi would treat them.
After seeing the two off, Li Gousheng continued his undercover mission, using the money he earned from doing business to entertain guests and bribe officials, thus expanding his network of connections.
Other spies weren't idle either. They secretly set up training classes in various villages, recruiting local people from Runan to learn quickly. Since these outsiders couldn't escape screening, they would find a way to train locals. They didn't believe that Tian Yu could monitor every single person in Runan County.
Half a month later, news came from Luoyang, which made Li Gousheng so angry that he almost vomited blood. He then cursed Cao Pi as a scoundrel.
That damned Cao Pi summoned the two princesses to the capital with ill intentions. As soon as they arrived, he took them into his harem, making them one of Cao Pi's many concubines.
The humiliation of the ruler led to the death of the subject. The princess's plight enraged Li Gousheng, who wished he could rush into Luoyang and kill people, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. He could only curse Cao Pi as a scoundrel.
Damn Cao Pi, that was your cousin Cao Chun's concubine, your aunt! How could you be so shameless?
However, if Cao Pi had already taken his father's concubines into the harem, what did his uncle's concubines amount to?
However, this made Cao Pi practically Liu Bei's son-in-law, and the relationship between the two became increasingly complicated.
While Li Gousheng was cursing Cao Pi as a scoundrel, Ma Zhong, the chief spies of the Han Dynasty overseeing the four provinces of Ji, You, Qing, and Bing, also arrived in Hebei.
Ma Zhong crossed the Yellow River, looking at the Hebei scenery he had never seen before, and was full of vigor.
Hebei is too far from Jiangnan to participate in the front-line battles for the time being, so his task is simply to develop the mass base and wait for Liu Bei's northern expeditionary army.
Ma Zhong was very confident about this. Hebei was Yuan Shao's territory, and Yuan Shao was very popular during his rule of Hebei. Therefore, although Hebei had now fallen to Cao Wei, many local people still favored the Yuan family and were not as loyal to the Cao family as one might imagine.
Moreover, Hebei is Liu Bei's ancestral home, and the local people will naturally feel close to Liu Bei because of their identity. If things go well, as soon as Liu Bei's northern expeditionary army crosses the Yellow River, the land of Hebei can be pacified instantly.
Imagining the wonderful scene of everyone responding to his call and the people welcoming the king's army with food and drink, Ma Zhong suddenly felt that he had inexhaustible energy and plunged into the crowd, rushing towards Ye City.