Spoiler History: Starting from the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 664 Xin Xianying is not short of money

Watching Ma Chao, dressed in ostentatious armor, lead his troops north.

Huang Quan also ordered his infantry to march out, heading towards the eastern gateway to Shangdang, Xishi County.

Just before this group of infantry began to attack Xi County, a letter written by Ma Zhong had already been sent to Shangdang.

It was passed down through Xishi County, passed through Zhangzi County and Huguan, and was finally transferred to Lu County, where the current Shangdang prefect is located.

The messenger rode into the city at full speed on his horse, without even bothering to tie up his horse, and hurriedly entered the county government office and went straight to where the prefect was.

Naturally, such noise could not be hidden from the three women reading in the courtyard.

"There is really no peace in this world."

This faint sigh came from the oldest woman among them.

Although she is said to be the oldest, she looks no more than thirty years old. However, her calm demeanor seems as if she has seen all the sufferings in the world and no pain can move her anymore.

"Sister was in Yecheng before. Is it possible that things are not going well there?"

The other woman who asked the question was dressed rather ornately, and her gestures and movements showed that she regarded herself as the owner of the room, so it was not difficult to guess the identity of these sisters.

Cai Yan listened to her sister's question, recalled the strange atmosphere in Yecheng since the emperor arrived, and shook her head:

"Yecheng...may be in chaos."

Cai Zhenji was shocked when she heard this.

She has lived in Shangdang for a long time. This place is remote and has rarely been involved in wars, but because of this, she is not particularly clear about what is happening in the outside world.

As far as she knew, after the Battle of Guandu, Prime Minister Cao had moved all the civil and military officials to Yecheng and deployed a heavy imperial guard.

It is said that Cao and Liu fought hard for a long time at the junction of Jing and Yu, but even so, Prime Minister Cao did not withdraw the guards from Yecheng.

A few months ago, the emperor moved to Yecheng. Logically, Yecheng should be the safest place in the world. However, not long after, my sister took the initiative to leave Yecheng and lived here for several months in the name of visiting relatives.

"Then, sister, have you informed Prime Minister Cao about this?"

Shaking her head, Cai Yan turned another page of the book "Nine Provinces Acid and Alkali Discussion" in her hand and said casually:
"Prime Minister Cao is himself in deep trouble, and the affairs of Yecheng... are not something you and I can worry about."

At this time, the youngest woman beside the two, who looked no more than 20 years old, also echoed:

"Yes, yes, I also told Yang Dan that the chaos in the world is about to end, and the people who are wrestling in it are beyond the reach of you and me."

"Under such circumstances, it is better to find a safe place to wait for the chaos in the world to end."

Hearing this, Cai Zhenji smiled and nodded her head:

"So Xianying came all the way here, abandoning Yangtan and guarding Mount Tai alone?"

The woman was talking privately, so she could be more uninhibited. Xin Xianying's face wrinkled and she sighed:
"The ancestral tombs of the Yang family are all in Mount Tai, and the two uncles-in-law are one in Yecheng and one here. How could Yang Tan abandon his family?"

"Besides, Jin'er is still young, she can't lose her parents..."

Cai Zhenji laughed and tapped her forehead, also somewhat helpless:
"Ajie and Xianying both thought Shangdang was safe, but the war ended up here."

"I've lived here for a long time, and I kind of miss the chicken and duck cakes and sweet wine from Chaling Restaurant in Yecheng."

Xin Xianying was dissatisfied with being tapped on the forehead all the time, so she tilted her head back and said:

"When the world is at peace, sister-in-law, why don't you come back with me to Mount Tai? Before I came to Shangdang, I heard that people in the south now fry food in iron pans. It is very delicious, much better than any pancakes." Cai Zhenji had obviously said it casually before. At this moment, she shook her head and stood up and said:

"That will have to wait until we are safe and sound... Wait a minute, I will go ask if the military situation is urgent. If it is not safe, I will arrange for carriages so that you two can escape as soon as possible."

Cai Zhenji tidied her clothes and left. Xin Xianying, who was a bit lively by nature, suddenly felt a little bored. Seeing Cai Yan quietly flipping through the book without saying a word, she simply asked:
"Sister, do you also think that Yecheng is going to be in chaos?"

"I came from Taishan County and stayed in Yecheng for a few days. I also felt that the atmosphere in the city was unusual."

In fact, what Xin Xianying said was a bit conservative. Her father Xin Pi is now considered one of the leaders of Yecheng.

But in the end, she only met her father once in five days, and during that only meeting, her father warned her not to stay in Yecheng.

Cai Yan did not answer directly, but just said:
"When people have murderous intentions, heaven and earth will turn upside down."

Xin Xianying nodded, and for a moment she became a little annoyed, and then she heard Cai Yan ask her:
"How many books like this do you have, Xianying?"

The eyes on her little face were wide open, and Xin Xianying waved her hands repeatedly:

"This is really the last copy. I really don't have any more."

A rare look of regret appeared on Cai Yan's usually calm expression.

Xin Xianying suddenly felt a little guilty. Her sister had a miserable life, and the only things that kept her company were books, calligraphy and the zither.

So he quickly assured:
"After this, I will go back to Taishan County and do my best to collect these books for my sister."

The regretful look on her face disappeared immediately, and Cai Yan lowered her head to read again, saying:

"That's not necessary. Xianying, tell me where these books came from, and I'll go look for them myself."

Xin Xianying sat back, dangling her feet off the ground out of boredom, and nodded when she heard this:
"In fact, I don't know much. I only know that this book is sold by a bookstore in Taishan County. I sent someone to ask the owner, but he refused to say a word."

"But I guess this book was probably passed down from Liu Bei of Yizhou. I have read the acid-base theory, and the most detailed one is the Yizhou part. The northern states mostly use the words of old books, and the counties in Jiangdong mostly use the words of the author's friends. Only Yizhou and Hanzhong are all personally experienced."

"So the author of this book is most likely a group of advisers under General Zuo's command."

Cai Yan nodded, but still corrected herself:
"It's not a group, it's mostly one person."

"One person?" Xin Xianying almost fell off the chair. Hearing this, he shook his head and said:
"I've read all of these books, from the one on acids and bases to "On the Theory of Ink in Weight and Leverage", "On the Ocean of Pictures", "On the Use of Light in Transparent Glass", and "On the Essence of Eliminating the Wrong in the Way of Alchemy". They cover completely different topics."

"Not to mention the book 'The Insight into the Universe's Yin and Yang' and the ravings of a madman. I paid 20,000 yuan for a copy and they won't return it. I'm about to file a complaint with the police!"

Seeing the indignant look on the young woman's face, Cai Yan chuckled:
“But these books are all the same, whether in the usage of words or in the gradual progression of the explanations.”

"And if several people write a book, they will inevitably have friends and disciples among each other, and the influence created will surely be known throughout the country."

"But this book costs 20,000 yuan a copy?"

Xin Xianying nodded hesitantly. She had guessed that the author of these books was actually the same person, but it was hard to imagine that the person who could write the Acid-Base Theory and the Glass Light Detection Method was also obsessed with alchemy and even said in the unorthodox theory of yin and yang in the universe that the earth beneath their feet was a giant ball.

But what was infuriating was that such nonsense could be neatly explained by the difference between what one sees from a high place and what one sees from the foot of the mountain, making it difficult for her to refute it.

As for the price of books, it's a small matter:

"Sister, you don't know that the old Yang family in Mount Tai is not short of money."

So Cai Yan looked at the book, then looked at Xin Xianying, and her expression could no longer remain calm.

(End of this chapter)