Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 100 Zhang Kai, as expected, is here

After receiving Zhuge Xuan's definite answer, Cao Yan stood up and said goodbye.

Zhuge Xuan escorted Cao Yan out of the main hall and across the courtyard when he suddenly heard the sound of a zither coming from nearby. The melody was clear and melodious, like the sound of a stream hitting rocks.

Cao Yan couldn't help but stop and listen, and Zhuge Xuan didn't urge him, but seemed to be thinking about something.

After a while, the sound of the piano stopped.

Cao Yan turned his head and saw a young girl sitting in the corridor playing the piano.

Her black hair falls to her shoulders, her white clothes are whiter than snow, her face is beautiful and her temperament is gentle.

Zhuge Xuan smiled meaningfully and asked, "Is Master Cao married?"

Cao Yan came to his senses and replied, "We are not married yet... Why do you suddenly ask about this, sir?"

Zhuge Xuan smiled and said, "This is my daughter, Zhuge Mengxue." Then he called to the girl, "Mengxue, come and meet Master Cao."

The girl raised her eyes, her gaze met Cao Yan's, and her heart trembled inexplicably.

But she was not flustered. She stood up calmly and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Mr. Cao." Her voice was clear and ethereal, like a yellow oriole singing in a valley.

Seeing Zhuge Mengxue's appearance, even Cao Yan, who was used to seeing all kinds of natural or technological beauties in later generations, couldn't help but secretly praise in his heart: "What a beautiful woman!"

Cao Yan bowed and said, "Miss Zhuge's qin skills are superb. I, who have no knowledge of music theory, was completely mesmerized by your performance. I apologize for my rudeness."

"Mengxue has been learning the zither since childhood, but her skills are crude. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, sir." Zhuge Mengxue said modestly.

Cao Yan and Zhuge Mengxue exchanged a few more pleasantries before turning to Zhuge Xuan and saying, "Sir, please make your preparations as soon as possible. We will be leaving in a few days."

"Although my house is not small, there are not many things in it. One day is enough to clean it up." Zhuge Xuan said with a smile.

"In that case, I'll take my leave! Sir, please stay, there's no need to see me off." Cao Yan bowed and said goodbye.

Zhuge Xuan also bowed and watched Cao Yan leave.

Zhuge Mengxue kept staring at Cao Yan's back until he completely disappeared outside the door.

"Sister, everyone has left, why are you still watching?" Zhuge Liang came to her side at some point and asked suddenly.

"I want a beating!" Zhuge Mengxue finally came to her senses, her cheeks flushed immediately, and she made a gesture to fight.

Zhuge Liang had already run away with a meaningful smile on his face, which made Zhuge Mengxue even more embarrassed and angry.

How could Zhuge Xuan not see the little girl's feelings.

But Cao Yan is a secretive person with a heart as deep as the sea. Even Zhuge Xuan cannot see through his emotions and thoughts. Can such a person be a good match for Zhuge Mengxue?
Moreover, the Zhuge family had long been a declining and marginalized aristocratic family. Would Cao Yan look down on them?
Cao Yan just thought of it as a feast for his eyes and had no other thoughts. He turned around and went back to the Cao family compound.

Upon learning that Cao Yan had returned, Old Master Cao asked Cao Yan to meet him in the study.

Cao Yan rushed to the study without stopping, and Cao Song said straight away, "I've already heard about Taishi Ci. Last year, he angered the Qingzhou officials and was forced to flee to Liaodong. We haven't heard from him since."

Cao Yan suddenly realized and vaguely remembered that such a thing did happen. It seemed that he had deliberately destroyed the seal and offended the people above him.

However, for the sake of his mother, Taishi Ci will still come back, but no one knows when he will come back.

After thinking for a moment, Cao Yan said, "Father, do you know where Taishi Ci's mother lives? Please write a letter and send it to her for me."

"Okay," Cao Song took out a scroll, asked Cao Yan what he wanted to write, and then completed the letter for him.

While waiting for the ink to dry, Cao Song continued, "Taishi Ci originally had brothers, but they all died young, leaving only him. His father died early, leaving only mother and son to depend on each other for survival. If you wish to recruit him, you must make sure his mother is well cared for."

"Father is very thoughtful. When the time comes, we can move his mother to Yanzhou as well." Cao Yan replied.

Cao Song nodded and said nothing more.

After a moment, he suddenly asked, "You are already twenty-four years old. If it were someone else, their son would be almost ten years old. When do you plan to get married and have children?"

“…” Cao Yan was speechless for a moment.

Before he traveled through time, he had only had one girlfriend, and it was a campus romance, where kissing her on the cheek was considered "crossing the line."

He was a little uncomfortable with the sudden request to get married and have children.

Cao Song continued, "You had a bad reputation in the past, so no one was willing to marry you.

But things are different now. I estimate that people proposing marriage will come knocking on my doorstep in the future, so I remind you to make preparations early."

Cao Yan sighed and replied, "Let's talk about it later. The most urgent thing right now is to move to Yanzhou as soon as possible."

"Well, then, when shall we set off?"

"Wait one more day. Mr. Zhuge has agreed to go to Yanzhou with us."

"You really persuaded me?!" Cao Song said in surprise. "Yes, it saved my son a lot of effort." Cao Yan said with a smile.

Cao Song was stunned when he heard this, then asked with a puzzled look, "If he doesn't go, do you want to tie him up and take him with you?"

"Yes!"

"..."

Is it really okay to say you want to kidnap someone so confidently?

"Is Zhuge Xuan truly such a talented person that he's worth all the trouble you've gone to?"

"Zhuge Xuan didn't have it, but his son did!"

"Are you talking about his eldest nephew, Zhuge Jin Zhuge Ziyu?"

"Zhuge Jin is not bad, but I value his second nephew, Zhuge Liang, more!"

"Your elder brother said that you have the ability to judge people. So, what exactly is Zhuge Liang's talent?"

"He's only fourteen years old now, and his mind and talent are far from reaching their peak. But I can only describe his potential in two words..."

"What word?"

"Wolong!"

"!!!" Cao Song was extremely shocked. The weight of these two words was a bit too heavy.

However, Cao Yan was so confident that Cao Song didn't say much.

The father and son then talked about moving...
-
Two days later, the Cao family's carriages and horses gathered at the south gate of Yangdu.

More than 120 baggage carts were lined up in three rows, raising clouds of yellow dust amid the neighing of mules and horses.

Cao Yan was wearing a black brocade robe, holding a spear in his hand, and standing at the head of the team.

Dian Wei stood on Cao Yan's right, with his two iron halberds leaning against his shoulders, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly.

In the center of the convoy was Zhuge Xuan's blue cloth carriage.

With the curtain half rolled up, one could see Zhuge Liang and Zhuge Jun looking out curiously, and one could also vaguely see Zhuge Mengxue's pretty face.

The early morning sun shone on this mighty team, giving it a layer of light golden glow.

Cao Yan rode up to Zhuge Xuan's carriage and said, "Mr. Zhuge, everything is ready. We can set off."

Zhuge Xuan lifted the carriage curtain, smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Master Cao."

Cao Yan nodded, turned and left.

At this moment, dust was flying in the distance and a cavalry team was galloping towards them.

Everyone became a little nervous, not knowing who the person was and whether he was an enemy or a friend.

"Stop!" Dian Wei's voice was like a loud bell, and he stood in front of the team with two iron halberds in his hands.

With a figure like an iron tower and a murderous aura rising to the sky, Dian Wei at this moment has the momentum of a single man blocking the way against ten thousand!
"Sixth Brother, who is coming?" Cao Song lifted the curtain of the carriage and asked.

"They are the guards sent by Tao Qian to escort the convoy." Cao Yan replied.

"Tao Qian? I don't have much of a relationship with him... Is he reliable?"

"Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shu were both defeated and fled. Tao Qian is now alone and weak. I think he wants to show goodwill to my Cao family. But human hearts are unpredictable, and my son will deal with it carefully." Cao Yan replied.

"Then thank you for your hard work."

The visitor was indeed Zhang Kai, the captain sent by Tao Qian, the governor of Xuzhou, with two hundred cavalrymen.

He was dressed in armor, with a long sword at his waist. He came in front of the crowd, dismounted, and said in a loud voice: "Zhang Kai, the commander of Xuzhou, has been ordered by Lord Tao to escort Old Master Cao and his family to Yanzhou."

When Cao Yan heard that it was Zhang Kai, he couldn't help but sneer in his heart.

In history, it was this guy who killed Cao Song for money.

But Cao Yan still needed Zhang Kai to "cooperate" with the subsequent plan, so he responded with a calm smile: "Thank you, Captain Zhang. The journey is long, and I will have to rely on your protection."

Zhang Kai clasped his fists and said, "Don't worry, sir. I will do my best. But if any villain comes to attack, I will make sure he never returns!"

After saying this, he glanced at the Cao family's baggage cart and thought to himself, "What a grand display! I wonder how much treasure is loaded inside..."

(End of this chapter)