Chapter 059: Life’s Great Joy (1/2)

Seeing the look of utter astonishment on Cao Peng’s face, Deng Ji couldn’t help but feel a sudden lightness in his heart.

These past days, not only had he endured physical torment, but the mental strain had been no less overwhelming. The double burden was nearly too much for him to bear. And at that very moment, Cao Peng returned! Despite his youth, Cao Peng had, without anyone realizing it, gained considerable standing within the family. At the very least, seeing Cao Peng instantly eased much of Deng Ji’s mental pressure.

Since Cao Peng had come to Jiyang, Deng Ji had found him to possess an air of maturity and steadiness beyond his years.

Now, with his spirits lifted, Deng Ji couldn’t resist the urge to tease him. The bewildered expression on Cao Peng’s face was exactly what Deng Ji had hoped to see, and his own smile grew increasingly mischievous. Wang Mai was holding back laughter, his shoulders shaking and face contorted as he struggled not to burst out.

“All right, let’s get down to business!” Deng Ji abruptly shifted his tone.

Cao Peng nearly leapt up to land a punch on him.

This old fox, utterly shameless.

Dian Wei, Wei Yan, and Xiahou Lan had all caught on as well. Seeing Cao Peng so flustered, they too couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Deng Ji laughed heartily, and some color returned to his deathly pale face. It had been many days since he’d felt so relaxed, so cheerful…

“Tiger Head, why don’t you tell A’fu?” Deng Ji said.

Wang Mai, finally controlling his laughter, sat down beside Cao Peng. “When my brother-in-law woke and learned he’d been saved by Master Zhongjing, he asked me to inquire about Miss Zhang’s situation. I first sought out Mao Bo, who had served as Master Zhongjing’s personal attendant when he was Governor of Changsha. Though not a member of the Zhang clan, his status is quite high. But Mao Bo had never heard of a Miss Zhang, so I tried other sources… As my brother-in-law said, there is no woman named Zhang Shuo in the Zhang family, nor anyone called Yueying. There is, however, a woman named Wanzhen, who was Master Zhongjing’s stepmother. Apart from that, I could find no further clues.”

“And then?”

“A couple of days ago, while chatting with Mao Bo, he mentioned something. Earlier this year, the renowned scholar Huang Gong Chengyan from Jiangxia came to Nieyang seeking medical treatment, accompanied by his daughter, whose name is Huang Shuo, courtesy name Wanzhen, also known as Yueying, childhood name A’Chou. She’s staying in this very Peach Garden.”

“What?” Cao Peng was stunned again.

Huang Yueying?

That name was so familiar—wasn’t she the famed wife of Zhuge Liang? In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, there’s little detail about Huang Yueying, but in unofficial histories, her talents rival even Zhuge Liang’s. Yueying, A’Chou, Wanzhen… Now that he thought about it, Zhang Shuo had never actually said she was a member of the Zhang family. Because later generations described Huang Yueying as an ugly woman, Cao Peng had never connected the radiant, smiling Yueying he knew with the illustrious Madame Zhuge…

Clever, skilled in mechanical arts!

Apart from her appearance, which didn’t quite match, everything else seemed consistent with the alternate histories’ accounts of Huang Yueying.

Zhang Wanzhen was, in fact, Huang Yueying!

Cao Peng was left reeling.

“There’s another matter,” Deng Ji said, his smile fading to a look of concern as he addressed Cao Peng. “Huang Gong Chengyan is a clan elder of the Huang family in Jiangxia and the full brother of Huang Zu, the Administrator of Jiangxia. Though the elder, Huang Gong’s temperament is very different from his younger brother’s. Huang Zu is cunning, calculating, and hot-tempered, pursuing power and influence; Huang Gong, on the other hand, admires the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, is indifferent by nature, fond of landscapes, and enjoys the company of learned men. For this reason, Huang Gong never entered officialdom… Huang She and Huang Shuo are cousins.”

It was as if a heavy blow struck him—Cao Peng was dumbfounded.

Wasn’t Huang She pursuing Yueying? How had they become cousins?

“Powerful clans do not intermarry with lesser families, unless you’re willing to marry in as a son-in-law… The reason Huang She is so intent on harming you isn’t out of romantic rivalry, but because he fears your association with Miss Huang would taint the reputation of the Huang clan. For such families, reputation is more important than even stealing a wife!”

Deng Ji, having grown up in this era, understood its customs and prejudices far more intimately than Cao Peng could. He was genuinely worried that if Cao Peng clashed with Huang She, and later learned the truth about Huang Yueying, it would deal him a heavy blow.

Better to tell him now than let him discover it later. Family or woman… Deng Ji hoped that by framing it as a choice between two, Cao Peng might be able to let go of his feelings for Huang Yueying. For he knew that, at this point, there could be no reconciliation between the Huangs and Cao Peng.

A’fu, let it go…

Deng Ji thought this way, but others did not necessarily agree.

Dian Wei and Wei Yan, both from humble origins, cared nothing for the rules of the great clans.

Hearing Deng Ji’s words and seeing Cao Peng’s dazed expression, Dian Wei broke into loud laughter.

“Junming, what’s so funny?” Deng Ji frowned in displeasure.

Waving his hand, Dian Wei walked over and plopped down beside Cao Peng.

“A’fu, are you afraid?”

“Afraid of what?”

“The Huang family… the mighty Huangs of Jiangxia.”

“I’m not afraid of a damn thing!”

Dian Wei clapped his hands and laughed. “Exactly! The Huang family is nothing to be afraid of. If Huang She cares about reputation, don’t we? If he’ll go to any lengths for face, so can we. I say, this is good! We kill Huang She today, next year we’ll ride into Jiangxia and seize their women. Let’s see if the Huang family dares utter a word—I’ll march right to their door with you until they bow low and hand over their daughter. Ha! A man lives for vengeance and pleasure—how grand!”

His words rang with bravado, revealing his true nature.

Kill their men and seize their women…

Suddenly, Cao Peng recalled what Mao Bo from Bazhong had said: “Since a man has chosen his goal, he should stride forward boldly. Any obstacle—kick it aside.”

Huang She was just such an obstacle.

With this realization, Cao Peng too burst out laughing.

“To kill their men and seize their women—there is no greater joy in life!”

Perhaps he hadn’t realized it, but though he’d only been reborn into this era for forty-some days, his thinking had already been subtly assimilated by the world around him.

Deng Ji hadn’t expected that all his careful words would be twisted by a single remark from Dian Wei.

He frowned, a bitter smile rising in his heart: From now on, I can’t let A’fu get too close to these men, or he’ll never find a wife…

The thought of Cao Peng turning out like the burly Dian Wei gave Deng Ji a headache!

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

But after this interruption, the atmosphere in the hall lightened considerably.

At that moment, Deng Fan arrived.

Cao Peng then realized that Deng Fan wasn’t using his real name here; Wang Mai and Deng Ji called him only by his childhood name, “Da Xiong,” in public.

That was why, when Cao Peng mentioned Deng Fan’s full name, Mao Bo hadn’t recognized it at all.

Cao Peng expressed his thanks again and then sat with Deng Fan in the hall.

It was the fifth day of the New Year. With Zhang Xiu negotiating surrender with Cao Cao, the situation under Liu Biao’s rule in Nanyang became tense. If Cao Cao captured Wancheng without a fight, the whole of Nanyang would be threatened by his forces. The camp at Jiunvcheng went on full alert, and nearby counties began urgently conscripting local militia, ready to enter the fray at any moment…

Jiyang County was also conscripting militia.

Given it was spring planting season and to avoid disrupting farm work, Kuai Zheng ordered one able-bodied man per household.

Originally, Deng Juye should have responded to the summons, but he’d fallen ill after the New Year and was bedridden.

The call-up had come unexpectedly and urgently; unwilling to let his father serve while ill, Deng Fan enlisted in his place as a volunteer militia member of Jiyang County.

“My mother always said, one must be grateful. When I was idle and aimless, no one in the village wanted to befriend me—except for Brother A’fu and Brother Wang Mai. I can’t ignore that kindness. My mother also said Brother A’fu has good fortune and will surely come to no harm, that he’ll rise high one day. When times were tough, she told me to watch over him. And that when Brother A’fu returned, that would be the time for me, too, to make my mark…”

Deng Fan’s honest explanation moved Cao Peng to marvel at Madam Hong’s sense of duty.

“How are things in the county seat?” he asked.

“They’re not too bad, really. After the Cao army retreated, things have mostly calmed down. There are still checkpoints, supposedly because of you, Brother A’fu, but it’s really because Magistrate Kuai fears defeated soldiers fleeing from Wancheng.”

“Kuai Zheng is a good official,” Cao Peng couldn’t help but remark.

Deng Ji agreed. “There’s a difference between sons of noble families and sons of noble families. I haven’t known Kuai Zheng long, but I can tell he wants to achieve something. Most of the time, though, he’s constrained by circumstances and can do nothing.”

“How are my parents?” Cao Peng asked.

“Uncle and Aunt are both well. I went to check on them in secret just yesterday. Though Magistrate Kuai had them imprisoned, he has not mistreated them.”

“He’s a reasonable man,” Deng Ji nodded, his gaze cold and his pale face betraying no emotion. He turned to Cao Peng. “A’fu, what do you think?”

Cao Peng considered for a moment. “Huang She can’t stay in Jiunvcheng for long. With the fighting at Wancheng over, he’ll return to Jiangxia soon enough. He’s after me—if I don’t show myself, he’ll have two choices: free my parents or kill them, severing any ties I have with Huang Yueying. I think the second option is more likely… but I don’t know how he’ll carry it out.”

Deng Ji nodded approvingly.

“You and I see it much the same. If Huang She wants to kill your parents, he’ll have to do it either in the county or at Jiunvcheng. From what I know of Kuai Zheng, he might be forced to arrest your parents and sister, but he’d never allow Huang She to act within the city. Kuai Zheng has principles—if Huang She tests his limits, I suspect he’ll turn on him.”

“So Huang She will probably send people to escort my parents away?”

Deng Ji pondered, “That’s almost certain. Da Xiong, I’ll have to trouble you these next few days to keep an eye on the county. Should anything happen, come report at once… and if you can’t get away—General Xiahou, could I trouble you?”

Dian Wei’s appearance was too striking—he couldn’t venture out.

Wei Yan was also a known figure in Jiunvcheng, easily recognized.

As for Cao Peng, Deng Ji, and Wang Mai, they couldn’t risk showing themselves.

That left only Xiahou Lan to connect with Deng Fan.

Xiahou Lan was a newcomer, unknown to the locals. Though his northern accent was a bit conspicuous, Deng Fan had already given him a cover as a steward of the Yang family from Hongnong.

And so, Xiahou Lan had to adopt yet another alias: Yang Lan.

He had a delicate, scholarly appearance. With a bit of makeup, he’d attract little attention.

Xiahou Lan smiled wryly. “This had better be the last time… Any more name changes and I’ll become a three-surnamed servant.”

Cao Peng couldn’t help but spray out a mouthful of water!