Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 181 Letters
As Yan Yi's favorite concubine, Zhou Mi naturally knew the purpose of Yan Yi arranging this banquet tonight, so she did not dare to neglect it at all.

At noon in the morning, after Yan Yi left the house, she immediately became busy, taking care of every aspect of the banquet, no matter how big or small.

Although she was extremely busy, she was very happy. Being able to participate in the banquet was itself a reflection of her status in the palace.

Yan Yi now had eight concubines, three of whom were legitimate daughters of wealthy Qiantang families. The jealousy and intrigue among the women was innumerable, forcing Zhou Mi to be wary of making even the slightest mistake.

She knew exactly why she was favored by Yan Yi. Besides her stunning appearance and enchanting body, what Yan Yi cared about most was her identity as the sister of the Zhou Tai clan.

However, there had been no news from Jiujiang for half a month, which made her feel a little sad.

"Go to the North Storehouse and bring back thirty more sets of Yue Kiln celadon. The lotus petals should have slightly curled edges, the twining branches should have sparse branches, and the brown spots should be staggered and arranged in an orderly manner. Take ten sets of each."

Zhou Mi softly instructed the maid beside her, her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at a graceful figure walking slowly outside the house.

The person who came was wearing a scarlet brocade gown with cloud pattern, a golden hairpin in her bun, and moon-shaped earrings in her ears. She had picturesque features and looked youthful and lively. She was none other than Dong Ya, the eighteen-year-old legitimate daughter of the Qiantang Dong family.

As soon as the two women's eyes met in the air, several invisible sparks collided.

One has eyes full of autumn water but hidden sharpness, the other has eyebrows and eyes as beautiful as picturesque but cold as ice.

"Oh, sister, you have started to be busy so early. You must take care of yourself. You are old. If anything happens to you, how can you serve the young master in the future?" Dong Ya said with a jealous glint in her eyes and a sweet smile.

Zhou Mi knew her disadvantages, which were her humble background and being a few years older than the other girls. This made Dong Ya, who was proud of her family background, always look down on her.

She smiled slightly, and although her voice was gentle, it made Dong Ya's face look even uglier. "I dare not trouble you, sister, to worry. Since it is something that the young master has personally instructed me to do, I will do my best."

The two women spoke with hidden meanings. Although they both wanted to slap each other, they held back and did not dare to cause any trouble.

At this moment, a maid hurried over from the corridor and handed Zhou Mi a soap bag. "This servant greets Madam Mi. This is the letter from Jiujiang that the governor just delivered."

A hint of surprise flashed across Zhou Mi's brows. He hurriedly took the soap bag, took out a roll of silk from it, unfolded it and looked at it for a few seconds, then hurried towards the gate of the mansion.

"Slutty fox hoof!"

Dong Ya cursed inwardly, her face darkening. Every time Zhou Mi received a letter from Jiujiang, she would immediately go looking for Yan Yi, and every time she received a reward, which made her envious and jealous.

"What on earth is there in Jiujiang?" she murmured, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

Zhou Mi put the letter in his arms, walked out of the mansion, and was about to board a carriage when he suddenly saw Yan Yi's carriage coming from the south of the street. He hurriedly went to meet him in surprise.

"Young Master."

Yan Yi stepped down from the carriage and saw Zhou Mi. He couldn't help but chuckle and said, "I guess there's no need to go out of the house to welcome me."

Zhou Mi's pretty face flushed slightly as she followed him closely and handed him the silk cloth. "Young Master, this is Youping's handwritten reply. From what I know about him, the matter should be about 70% successful."

Yan Yi had been so busy recently that he had almost forgotten about Zhou Tai. He was overjoyed to hear this and quickly took the silk and began to read it right in front of the mansion gate. The letter was from Zhou Tai to Zhou Mi, and half of it was about reminiscing about the past.

It can be seen between the lines that Zhou Tai and Zhou Mi had a deep affection for each other. The letter even mentioned that Zhou Mi helped Zhou Tai when he was a child.

The rest of the content was about his situation and the details of the Qiantang Battle. This was the first time such a situation had occurred.

Yan Yi could clearly sense that Zhou Tai's attitude had changed significantly, from previous hesitation to current enthusiasm. This was clearly related to the outcome of the Qiantang Battle.

This battle truly made him famous, not only becoming a prominent figure in Jiangdong but also attracting the attention of some powers in the Central Plains. This can be seen from the attitudes of Liu Biao and Yuan Shao.

It’s easier to get things done when you’re famous!

Yan Yi felt secretly happy, glanced at the end of the letter, and frowned slightly.

Zhou Tai didn't immediately decide to join him, explaining that he had recently heard Liu Yao planned to summon officials, scholars, and outstanding individuals from all counties to Wu County, a major event not seen in Yangzhou for ten years. Jiang Qin, upon learning of this, was intrigued and invited him to join them. Unable to refuse, Zhou Tai accompanied Jiang Qin to Wu County and would return to Qiantang later.

After reading the letter, Yan Yi secretly wondered how Zhou Tai knew that Liu Yao had summoned all the officials.

Liu Yao had now arrived in Wu County, intending to summon officials from all the counties and prefectures in Yangzhou to discuss the future of Yangzhou. If the Battle of Wucheng had not broken out, this might have already begun.

Yan Yi first learned about this from Xu Gong. At that time, few people knew about it, only the leaders of various factions.

However, as Liu Yao arrived in Wu County, this matter gradually began to ferment, and was often discussed among the nobles and powerful.

But Yan Yi did not expect that something that was still in the planning stage would spread so quickly that even Zhou Tai, who was far away in Jiujiang, knew about it.

Although Zhou Tai was somewhat well-known in the local township, he was, after all, a commoner, not part of the same social circles as the powerful. The fact that even he knew about this matter only meant that it had spread to the townships of various counties and had reached the well-informed people in the village.

Yan Yi immediately took it seriously. The official affairs had already become known to everyone in the counties and prefectures before any official documents were issued. It was obvious that someone was fanning the flames behind the scenes.

Judging from its purpose, it seems that it is intended to attract and recruit talents from various counties?
He immediately summoned Yin Li and asked, "Has anyone in the county been spreading rumors about Liu Yao recently?"

Yin Li thought for a moment, then shook his head. "During the days since we captured Qiantang, there were many rumors circulating inside and outside the city, but none of them had anything to do with Liu Yao. After the government issued a strict order prohibiting the spread of rumors, our subordinates executed some and expelled others. After that, we haven't found anyone spreading rumors since."

Yan Yi began to understand what was going on. After a moment's thought, he ordered, "Send people to other counties immediately to inquire. Select another hundred elite soldiers to escort Madam Mi to Wu County."

Yin Li was slightly surprised, glanced at Zhou Mi, and left after receiving the order.

Yan Yi held Zhou Mi's hand and said softly, "Go to Wu County in person. If anyone tries to recruit Zhou Tai, try to dissuade them."

Zhou Mi was slightly startled, a trace of nervousness welling up in her heart. She nodded and said, "I will set off today and will definitely find a way to bring Zhou Tai to Qiantang."

(End of this chapter)