"Take it. Don't freeze."
While the father and son were talking, the woman handed the hot water to her son.
"Thank you, mother."
The woman smiled kindly. The atmosphere of the family was harmonious.
The young man touched the hot water. His cold palms were coaxed into warmth. He thought of something and said with a smile, "Fortunately, Liu Xi provided enough bamboo paper. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to take those treasures with me. I could only leave them behind …"
The middle-aged man said, "Even if I leave you behind, I won't leave behind the treasures of the rest of my life."
The young man was speechless.
What a father!
Thinking of the suffering he had endured these days, the young man was also depressed.
"Father, who is this Liu Xi?" The young man held the hot water in one hand and rested his chin on the other, puzzled. "Liu Xi is just a district magistrate, but now he has taken over the whole of Wanzhou. It's obvious that he's ambitious. What's the difference between him and Huang Song? Fifth Granduncle is on Huang Song's side. Is Liu Xi more reliable than Huang Song? He came all the way to Xiangyang district. It's so cold … "
The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows and frowned.
"How can it be the same?"
The young man heard this and subconsciously tensed up, afraid that his father would reprimand him.
In front of outsiders, the middle-aged man was a man of few words, but in front of his family, he was not stingy with his words.
"You only see Liu Xi and forget that he has another identity — Liu She's son. Liu Xi only has Wanzhou, but Liu She has Chongzhou and Hu County. How can we underestimate this father and son pair? " The middle-aged man looked down and stroked his beard. "Huang Song is indeed good, but I don't like his temperament. Moreover, Liu Xi has saved my life. Who else should I choose but him? "
The middle-aged man was Cheng Cheng. That year, he rushed to Shangjing with his wife. On the way, they were chased by strange enemies and almost lost their lives.
Coincidentally, Jiang Pengji was nearby. She conveniently rescued the couple, and the two families formed a good relationship.
Cheng Cheng brought his wife and child to Xiangyang district to seek shelter with Jiang Pengji.
He was originally the district magistrate of Sui 'an county in Fufeng county of Haozhou. Because he hated the intrigue in the officialdom, he was not promoted.
Not long ago, he encountered a troublesome matter.
Cheng Cheng had an uncle who was even younger than him — Cheng Jing. His courtesy name was Youmo, and he was also the "Fifth Great Uncle" that the young man mentioned.
Cheng Jing was loyal to Huang Song, and Huang Song tried to use Sui An County as a springboard to encroach on the entire Fufeng County.
If that was the case, he didn't mind. As long as the people under his rule weren't harmed, he could resign, retire, and hand over Sui An County.
After all, with the current situation, he, a mere county magistrate, could not protect this territory.
However, after a few attempts, Cheng Cheng realized that it was impossible to fire him and leave.
Once Huang Song conquered Fufeng County, he would force his way in.
How could that do!
Cheng Cheng received the secret letter from his uncle, Cheng Jing. After pondering for a long time, he decisively packed up his belongings and prepared to flee with his family.
Cheng Cheng handed over Sui An County to Huang Song for the sake of his uncle, Cheng Jing, hoping that he would treat the people well.
Cheng Cheng had never thought of returning to the Langya Cheng Clan because Langya County was also an important place for military strategists. Now that the world was in chaos, that place was even more unsafe. After much thought, Cheng Cheng set his sights on the largest force in the north — the Liu family. He immediately decided to seek refuge with Liu Xi.
Firstly, he and Liu She had been friends through letters for several years. They were gentlemen's acquaintances, and he trusted the Liu family.
Secondly, Dongqing was fragmented internally, and various forces were rising. The Liu family kept a low profile, and their overall strength was the strongest. Seeking refuge with the Liu family gave him a sense of security.
Thirdly, Liu Xi had saved the couple's lives. Based on the principle of not leaving fertile water to outsiders, of course, he would prioritize the Liu family.
Why didn't he seek refuge with Liu She?
Liu She and Liu Xi were father and son. It didn't matter who they sought refuge with. Of course, they would choose the closest one.
The young man listened to Cheng Cheng's words and muttered, "I thought that the person favored by the fifth uncle would definitely not be bad."
Thinking of Cheng Jing, Cheng Cheng frowned.
To be honest, he still had a grudge against Huang Song's birth as a eunuch. He really couldn't understand why Cheng Jing would choose such a lord.
Not long after, Xiangyang District was within reach.
Cheng Cheng's convoy consisted of dozens of carriages. It looked mighty and powerful.
Without any suspense, they were stopped by the guards at the city gate and asked to check their belongings.
Cheng Cheng was very cooperative and led his wife and children out of the carriage.
The guard lifted the curtain of the carriage to check. His eyes were filled with astonishment. The carriage was filled with bamboo slips and books bound with bamboo paper. It was stuffed to the brim … No wonder the horses had such a hard time pulling the carriage. It was so heavy.
The guard was not blind. Those who could afford to read were mostly from well-to-do families.
Those who had so many books were definitely from noble families.
Cheng Cheng reported his family name. When the guard heard it, he didn't dare to delay and quickly sent someone to inform the big shots in the government office.
"The other party claims to be from the Cheng family of Langya. His name is Cheng Cheng?"
Xu Ke had been busy all night last night. His eye bags were swollen and bruised. He looked like he had overindulged in sex and injured himself.
He wanted to catch up on sleep and fight again when he woke up, but the messenger told him that Cheng Cheng had arrived.
Qiguan Rang was surprised. "Who is this person?"
He had never heard of him.
Xu Ke knew Cheng Cheng. Although he didn't interact much with Cheng Cheng, he admired Cheng Cheng's integrity and secretly admired him. "Although he isn't famous, he is a respectable scholar. If the lord knows he's here, she will be very happy."
Hearing Xu Ke's words, Qiguan Rang's interest was piqued. He wanted to meet this scholar that Xu Ke praised.
Xu Ke continued, "But I don't know why Master Cheng is here. Why did he come to Xiangyang District at this time?"
When he saw Cheng Cheng's convoy and his treasures, his expression almost cracked.
This man really had a character. He liked to bring his treasured books with him when he went out. He never forgot to bring them with him wherever he went.
Qiguan Rang's eyes lit up instantly. It was as if he saw countless fairies descending from the sky.
For scholars who were eager to learn, what could be more attractive than tens of thousands of books?
Jiang Pengji wasn't in Xiangyang District. The task of entertaining Cheng Cheng fell on Xu Ke's shoulders.
First, he had to clarify Cheng Cheng's intentions.
Cheng Cheng didn't hide anything. He told Xu Ke and Qiguan Rang his situation directly. Xu Ke and Qiguan Rang were overwhelmed by the favor.
This was a windfall!
Not to mention Cheng Cheng's wealth, just the 10,000 books he brought were worth countless treasures.
Because Jiang Pengji wasn't around, Xu Ke and Qiguan Rang had a private discussion. They arranged for Cheng Cheng's family to stay in the best house in the district.
The two of them were not idiots. Talents who came to their territory were their people. How could they let a cooked duck fly away?
Idiots? Huang Song was shot in the knee for no reason.
Cheng Cheng accepted it with a smile and settled down with his wife and children. Xu Ke turned around and sent an urgent secret letter to Jiang Pengji.
Although Cheng Cheng wasn't an employee that could be exploited, he could help Jiang Pengji train employees that could be exploited!
Thinking of how busy he had been during this period of time, Xu Ke wished that his lord could grow wings and fly back right now.
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