pappabearbooks Chapter 86 Cao Cao's Cheng Yu
Chapter 86 Cao Cao's Cheng Yu
On the morning of the fourth day of their marriage, he got up earlier than he had on the previous three days.
The sky was a pale gray, and a crescent moon lingered outside the window.
Hou Yuan was still asleep, one hand resting on the pillow where he had just lain, his knuckles slightly curled.
He bent down to tuck the blanket around her, then put on his coat and went out.
Today he summoned Jian Yong, Han Dang, and Hou Cheng to discuss matters.
Summer in Zhuojun dawns early, and as he walked through the corridor, a thin layer of dew had already covered the stone steps in the courtyard.
The door to the council chamber was open, and Jian Yong, Han Dang, and Hou Cheng had already arrived and were sitting at the lower end, talking in hushed tones.
Upon seeing him enter, the two men stood up and bowed.
Liu Bei nodded, his gaze sweeping across the hall before pausing slightly.
There were two more people in the hall.
One is Liu Deran.
His cousin, whom his uncle had mentioned just a few days ago, had left home to study abroad, but now he was standing in the hall with a smile on his face.
His brows and eyes showed signs of hardship, as well as a composure he had never possessed before.
The other one is a new face.
The man was quite tall, with broad shoulders and a square face, slightly prominent cheekbones, and calmly surveying his surroundings with his eyes.
He stood there, his aura deep and composed, like an uncarved rock, rough yet possessing an undeniable weight.
"Deran?"
Liu Bei was taken aback, then strode forward and grabbed Liu Deran's arm, asking, "When did you get back?"
"I arrived yesterday, but I didn't want to rush, so I still missed the wedding!" Liu Deran smiled and shook his hand in return.
"Xuande, you've gotten stronger than before."
"Why didn't you send a message beforehand?"
Liu Deran stepped aside, making way for the person behind him: "I came in a hurry."
"Besides, a friend came with me."
"A native of Dongjun in Yanzhou, surnamed Cheng, named Yu, courtesy name Zhongde."
Cheng Yu stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Cheng Yu of Dongjun greets Commandant Liu."
Liu Bei was greatly shocked. Cheng Yu?
Cao Cao's Cheng Yu?
Liu Bei was greatly shocked and overjoyed, but he remained calm on the surface and quickly returned the greeting.
Their eyes met, and Liu Bei subconsciously glanced at the other man. It wasn't the scrutiny of a superior, but a very natural, almost instinctive assessment.
Cheng Yu met his gaze, neither humble nor arrogant, his expression calm.
He knew Cheng Yu in the dream, but Cheng Yu was already an old man at that time.
The man before them, Cheng Yu, was tall and handsome, with a composed demeanor, and was in his prime, around thirty years old.
Yesterday afternoon, the sun was blazing.
The residence arranged by the Liu family to receive guests was not large. The front yard was for receiving guests, and the back yard was for living. In the middle, there was a moon gate and a few half-dead jujube trees.
Jian Yong leaned against the wall by the moon gate, one leg propped up and the other stretched out, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, watching the ants move house with utter boredom.
He wasn't bad-looking; he had clear features and a moderate build, but he always exuded a carefree and irresponsible air about him.
He has no proper posture when standing or sitting, and he speaks in a very unserious manner.
At this moment, Jian Yongzheng was staring intently at the line of ants on the ground.
The ants lined up in a row, stretching from their nest at the base of the wall all the way to the base of the jujube tree, carrying a green caterpillar that had been stepped on and killed by someone.
As he watched, he suddenly stretched out a finger and gently traced a line in the middle of the ant colony.
The ant colony was thrown into chaos.
He withdrew his finger with satisfaction, picked up the grass stem again, and squinted like a child who had done something wrong.
"Mr. Jian has a refined taste."
The sound came from the moon gate.
Jian Yong lazily turned his head and saw Liu Deran leading a tall stranger into the courtyard.
He knew Liu Deran; they were from the same hometown.
Jian Yong had met him a few times, but his impression of him was not deep. He only remembered that he was a young man who was good at studying and had a cheerful personality.
At this moment, Liu Deran was dressed in travel-worn clothes, his face showing the weariness of the journey, but he could not hide the excitement in his eyes.
"Brother Deran!" Jian Yong leaned against the wall without moving, only raising his chin as a greeting. "When did you get back?"
"Just arrived," Liu Deran said with a smile. "Where's Xuande?"
"When newlyweds are young, even if the sky falls, they have to take a backseat."
Jian Yong moved the blade of grass from the left corner of his mouth to the right. "What's wrong? Something urgent?"
Liu Deran smiled and shook his head, stepping aside to let the person behind him pass: "This is a friend I met in Yanzhou. His surname is Cheng, his given name is Yu, and his courtesy name is Zhongde."
"Zhongde is very talented. I'd like to invite him to visit western Liaoning."
Jian Yong's gaze fell on that person.
Cheng Yu.
He was from Dongjun County, Yanzhou. He was tall with a square face and slightly prominent cheekbones. His eyes calmly looked back at him, his gaze neither darting nor avoiding him, yet not aggressive.
That composure wasn't feigned; it was ingrained in his bones, like a stone that had been submerged at the bottom of a river for many years, unmoved by even the strongest currents.
Jian Yong was quick to judge people.
Sometimes, just one glance is enough to get a pretty good idea of a person's character.
But he only managed to touch three or four parts of the person in front of him after looking at him three times.
This is interesting.
"Mr. Cheng." Jian Yong finally straightened up from the wall, cupped his hands in a casual gesture as if shooing away a fly, "Jian Yong of Zhuojun, courtesy name Xianhe."
Cheng Yu returned the greeting: "Mr. Jian."
Jian Yong gestured towards Liu Bei's residence with his lip: "Our lord is not receiving any guests these days. Even the most important matters must wait until these three days are over."
"Brother Deran is one of us, and Mr. Cheng is a guest. Yongxian will entertain him on behalf of our lord. Please don't feel slighted."
"I wouldn't dare!" Cheng Yu said.
Jian Yong then led the two towards the guest room.
The mansion was small, with only two or three guest rooms, simply furnished but clean.
Jian Yong walked ahead, taking moderate strides, the blade of grass in his mouth trembling with each step.
He chatted casually along the way, asking Liu Deran where he had been and who he had met in recent years.
They then talked about the local customs and culture of western Liaoning, saying they had heard a lot about the place and that they should go and see for themselves someday.
Cheng Yu listened, occasionally responding, but his eyes were secretly scanning his surroundings.
The official residence is not large, but it exudes a simple and orderly atmosphere.
The weapons on the rack were polished to a shine, the ground in the courtyard was flat and free of weeds, and the soldiers on guard duty, though dressed in ordinary clothes, were much more spirited than the county soldiers he had seen elsewhere.
These details speak volumes about the owner's character more than any words.
Upon arriving at the guest room, Jian Yong opened the door, inspected the room inside and out, and then had water and clean towels brought over.
Liu Deran, exhausted from his journey, went to rest next door.
Cheng Yu put down his luggage and was looking around at the room's furnishings when he noticed that Jian Yong showed no sign of leaving.
He leaned against the door frame and put the blade of grass back in his mouth.
"Mr. Cheng," he said, his tone as casual as if he were talking about the weather.
Cheng Yu turned around.
Cheng Yu had only observed Jian Yong for a quarter of an hour since they met.
At first glance, he thought he was just an ordinary clerk, the kind who was glib and smooth-talking. He had seen many people like that, most of whom didn't have any real skills and just made a living by talking.
But after a few words, he realized something was wrong.