Chapter Twenty-Three Family Meeting

  But now is not the time to think about these things. After a period of adjustment, Wang Xu has also partially recovered some normal thinking.

  Before he could ask more about the Yellow Turbans, Wang Yun's figure suddenly flashed in his mind, and he involuntarily exclaimed: "Oh no! Father went to Ji Province last month to do a big business with several major horse merchants. Now that the Yellow Turban bandits are causing chaos, Ji Province is also one of the worst-hit areas, and Father only brought a small number of guards with him, and there may be a lot of money and goods on his body, isn't this like throwing a sheep into a pack of wolves?"

  As soon as the words came out, Xu Shu's expression also changed in an instant. "Right! My father went with him this time too!"

  When the two of them said this, Wang Fei suddenly slapped his thigh and shouted: "What? Second Uncle actually went to Ji Zhou to do business? What can we do about it? Ji Zhou is the place where the Yellow Turbans are most rampant, and Zhang Jiao that traitor is from Julu, Ji Zhou. We are their main target of attack!"

  Having said that, he anxiously paced back and forth in the room.

  Wang Xu did not expect the Yellow Turban Rebellion to erupt ahead of schedule. This time, Wang Yan went to Ji Zhou to do business, carrying a large amount of money and goods. If he encountered the Yellow Turban Army in the wilderness, it would be disastrous. Fortunately, his father was an ordinary citizen, but at this moment, the Yellow Turban Rebellion had just begun, and they still had discipline, so they wouldn't intentionally harm ordinary people. However, in their eyes, the rich, landlords, and scholars were completely different, and they would definitely vent their hatred on them, after all, they were the oppressed masses who rose up to rebel.

  As soon as he thought of these things, Wang Xu regretted it. A while ago when his father mentioned this matter, he said that he would be back in at most two months, so he didn't take it seriously either. Who could have predicted that the Yellow Turban Rebellion would actually come ahead of schedule?!

  The more I think about it, the more worried I become. But seeing Xu Shu and Wang Fei already anxious and at a loss, I forced myself to calm down and comforted them: "Don't worry too much, Father has nearly two hundred guards by his side. Moreover, Father is quite resourceful, I think he should be able to find a place to hide. Now we should think about how to bring him back."

  "Right! We should go out and pick up Second Uncle as soon as possible." Wang Fei immediately agreed.

  Wang Xu thought for a moment, and finally decided to take the long view. Calmly, he said to Wang Fei: "Second brother, you immediately go back and inform Uncle, while I and Xu Shu go to invite Elder Father. After discussing with the whole family, we will make a decision!"

  "Alright! Then I'll go now." Upon hearing Wang Xu's words, Wang Fei immediately nodded and hastily ran out of the study.

  Wang Xu and Xu Shu exchanged a glance, also filled with worry, rushed towards Wang Hao's home.

  After a while, Wang Hao, Wang Qian, Wang Kai and others all knelt down in the main hall of Wang Xu's house.

  Wang Hao spoke first: "We all know the current situation, let's not talk about family matters for now. The most important thing is how to bring back our second brother safely."

  "Xue'er! You mentioned on your way here that you had an idea, what is it?"

  Wang Xu did not waste any time and immediately said: "At present, my father has three thousand private soldiers. After nearly a year of training, now is the right time to use them. I want to lead the troops out to welcome my father now, but I am worried that once I leave, our home will be invaded by the Yellow Turbans, so I am hesitant."

  Upon hearing this, Wang Qian stroked his beard and smiled calmly. "Don't worry about Xiao Hu, brother will definitely save him no matter what. Currently, among the people present, Xiao Hu's martial arts are strong, and he is clever and wise, making him the most suitable person for the task. As for family matters, you don't have to worry. During this chaotic time, we will naturally contact all members of the Wang family and gather our strength. As long as there aren't too many bandits, it won't have a huge impact. Moreover, Shanyang County is not the main area where the Yellow Turbans are active, and Governor Yuan Boye is actively mobilizing troops to capture the Yellow Turban remnants who have fled into the county, so there's nothing to worry about at home."

  Upon hearing his uncle's words, Wang Xu also put his mind at ease. Actually, the reason he said that was just to get their promise, as long as Wang Hao and Wang Qian could take charge of family matters, it didn't matter whether he was there or not.

  "Ah! Since there are uncles and fathers at home, I have nothing to worry about. However, before this trip, I went to pick up my father, but I don't know which road to take? There should be many routes to Ji Zhou! If I miss it by chance, it's very bad!"

  "You can rest assured, all traveling merchants have their own fixed trade routes, and your father is no exception. This route is also the one your father is most familiar with, so even if something unexpected happens, he will definitely find a way to return home from this route. Later, I and your uncle will give you the specific route."

  After finishing, Wang Hao frowned again and reminded him with some unease: "However, it's also because you're familiar with the route that there are many friends along the way. You need to be more careful on your journey, as it's possible that your father is hiding somewhere, and we'll try our best to tell you about your father's friends and related situations on this route. But we don't know everything, so you need to investigate more. In my estimation, your father will not only sell a large quantity of goods but also buy some high-quality horses, so you can think of ways in that regard. Also, your father is open-minded and bold, so it's very likely that he'll use unconventional means to disguise himself on the road. You must think carefully when encountering things, and don't miss him under your nose."

  "Got it! I'll be careful." After listening to Wang Hao's instructions, Wang Xu nodded and thought about the possible situations he might encounter.

  Then, everyone discussed the next general countermeasures for the family and made the worst plan. However, these were just Wang Hao and Wang Qian's affairs, and as a junior, Wang Xu couldn't say anything, so he just quietly listened on the side. As the main household of the direct line, they naturally had to discuss a general plan first before notifying other members of the family.

  After making a quick decision, Wang Hao and Wang Qian told Wang Xu about Wang Yan's business route and the relevant situation they knew.

  After finishing all this, everyone immediately took action. Wang Xu's elder brother, Wang Kai, being a typical literary person, stayed at home. Wang Fei will set off with Wang Xu early tomorrow morning!

  Wang Xu and Wang Fei were discussing their next move, and soon they walked to the backyard. As soon as they left the corridor, Wang Xu, who was still talking about his plan, was interrupted by a clear but loud voice.

  "Brother! Tomorrow I'll go with you to pick up Father."

  Wang Xu turned his head to look, and it was his younger brother Wang Xiong. He still had a soft spot for this lovely younger brother of his, and a hint of a smile finally appeared on his serious face. "How did you know?"