Chapter 21: Guo Xiang

  "Hmm..." In Cao Zhi's military tent, a low hum suddenly sounded.

  Upon hearing this voice, Cao Zhi, who had been sitting at his desk arranging chess pieces, immediately stood up and walked to the bedside, anxiously asking: "Eh, you're awake?"

  The person on the couch was not someone else, but the woman Cao Zhi had rescued from Minfu's camp. However, at this time, the woman was no longer what she used to be. Her tattered clothes had been changed, and the blood stain on her back that Minfu had drawn out had been medicated. There were no more dark marks on her face or hands, but instead revealed snow-white skin.

  The woman was now fully awake, feeling something amiss with her clothes, and like a startled rabbit, she covered her chest and hastily retreated, staring at Cao Zhi with terrified and guarded eyes.

  Seeing this, Cao Zhi couldn't help but touch his nose and thought to himself: "Geez, I'm just a five-year-old kid, do they have to guard me like I'm some kind of pervert? Even if I wanted to do that sort of thing..." At this point, Cao Zhi unconsciously lowered his head and let out a quiet sigh.

  He lifted his head and said to the woman with a sincere gaze: "Sister, you don't have to be afraid. I am here to help you bathe and change clothes."

  Upon hearing Cao Zhi's words, the woman finally came to her senses and realized that this Fourth Master was still just a young boy, and couldn't do anything to her. Her face slightly red, she said in a soft voice: "Thank you, Fourth Master, for saving me. I'm eternally grateful."

  Cao Zhi dryly laughed twice, waving his small hand and said: "No need to, it's also our army's fault, recklessly drafting you into the military, speaking of which it was those soldiers' mistake that made sister suffer. This young master will apologize on their behalf to sister."

  When he saw Cao Zhi, he wanted to bow, but the woman hastily came forward and supported Cao Zhi, saying: "Fourth Master, your words are too heavy, this humble girl has no virtue or ability, and cannot accept such a great courtesy from Fourth Master."

  Cao Zhi smiled and then picked up a wooden bowl containing thin porridge from beside him, saying: "Sister, you haven't eaten for three days, you must be hungry, eat something quickly."

  When Cao Zhi personally handed her a wooden bowl, the woman hastily took it from him and said: "Fourth Master, I can do it myself." After snatching the wooden bowl from Cao Zhi's hand, this woman also forgot about her demeanor and began to wolf down the food.

  At this time, Cao Zhi finally had the mind to take a look at the woman in front of him. Just by looking at her appearance, this woman was actually not too big, about 10 years old. However, after washing up, she was no longer the ugly and dirty girl she used to be. Cao Zhi had seen countless people in his previous life, and although this girl was young, she was still a beautiful girl, and in a few more years, she would probably become a stunning beauty.

  The woman was eating when Cao Zhi said, "Sister, slow down. You've been hungry for three days and now you're suddenly eating so hastily, it's easy to get sick."

  The woman, upon hearing Cao Zhi's words, indeed slowed down her eating. Cao Zhi was astonished and thought to himself: "She actually knows these principles, it seems she is not an ordinary woman?"

  Cao Zhi asked, "Sister, I don't know where you are from, why were you forcibly recruited into our army?"

  Upon hearing Cao Zhi's words, the woman's expression paused for a moment. After a long while, she let out a sigh and said in her melodious voice, similar to that of an oriole: "This humble woman is surnamed Guo, named Juan, from Anping Guangzong."

  "Guo Xuan?" Upon hearing this name, Cao Zhi murmured to himself for a few moments before asking: "Sister can use the character 'Xuan' in her name, I suppose she's not from an ordinary family. How did she end up in such a state?"

  Guo Xuan sighed again and said, "Fourth Master is wise, my father was once the governor of Nanjun in Jingzhou, but unfortunately, he and my mother, as well as my brothers and sisters, were killed by the Yellow Turbans during the great uprising. I was lucky enough to escape, but could only mix with the Yellow Turbans and wander around. Later, I arrived in Qingzhou and was taken in by Lord Cao along with everyone else. But somehow, I don't know why, I was recruited into the army as a civilian laborer. This time, I'm grateful for Fourth Master's rescue."

  Upon hearing Guo Xiang's words, Cao Zhi replied clearly: "So she is a lady from a prestigious family. I just don't know how old my sister is."

  Guo Xiang replied: "I am eleven years old."

  "Only eleven years old?" Cao Zhi was astonished by Guo Huai's words. He really couldn't believe that the Guo Huai in front of him was only eleven years old, yet had already experienced the loss of her parents and brothers, and a life of displacement and wandering. After his initial astonishment, Cao Zhi also felt that the young Guo Huai was truly pitiful. If she were living eighteen hundred years later, at this time Guo Huai would probably still be in elementary school, living a carefree life. But having been born into a chaotic world, she had already experienced so much, and Cao Zhi secretly admired her while also feeling great sympathy for her.

  Cao Zhi turned his eyes and said, "Since Sister Guo is a noble lady, she can stay with me for now. After the war is over, I will report to my father and make arrangements later. What does Sister Guo think?"

  Guo Xiang was after all a young girl, having suffered so much. Now that she had been taken in by Cao Zhi, her face lit up with joy. She hastily scrambled down from the bed and kowtowed to Cao Zhi, saying: "Thank you, Fourth Master, thank you, Fourth Master..."

  Cao Zhi was initially unaware, but now seeing Guo Xiu kowtowing, he hastily helped her up and said: "Sister Guo doesn't have to be so polite, I'll get someone to bring another bed for you to use."

  "Fourth Master, don't bother. I'm a rough person, sleeping on the floor is fine, Fourth Master doesn't need to go to so much trouble."

  Cao Zhi heard that, and hastily shook his head saying: "Guo sister is a girl, how can I let my sister sleep on the ground? Everything will be done as I said." After finishing speaking, he didn't care about Guo Xian's opposition anymore, and directly went out of the tent to find someone. The only one left in the tent was Guo Xian with a grateful expression.

  Cao Zhi had just left the military tent when he saw Guo Jia and Liu Ye waiting outside. Guo Jia, being rather gossipy, asked upon seeing Cao Zhi: "Fourth Master, have you inquired about this woman's background?"

  Cao Zhi did not conceal it, and told Guo Jia and Liu Ye everything that Guo Huai had said. After listening, Liu Ye showed no unusual expression, but Guo Jia patted his head with his hand and muttered: "The governor of Nanjun in Jingzhou, surnamed Guo? Hmm, could it be Guangzong Guo Yong?"

  Liu Ye nodded and said, "Fortunately, Feng Xiao is knowledgeable and has a good memory. It's likely that this person is the one. In that case, the jade pendant on her body can also be explained, she should be an innocent person."

  Cao Zhi glanced at the two of them and said, "I'll say it, Sister Guo's life is pitiful, how could she be a bad person?"

  When Cao Zhi heard this, Liu Ye and Guo Jia both furrowed their brows, but it was only for an instant, and Cao Zhi didn't notice. Guo Jia waved his hand and chuckled: "Fourth Master, you'd better hurry up and have someone prepare a bed for your little wife."

  Cao Zhi heard this, gave Guo Jia a white eye, and said unwillingly: "Father is right, Mr. Fengxiao is indeed a prodigal son." After finishing, he dodged the palm of Guo Jia's swing and ran away.

  After Cao Zhi had walked far away, Guo Jia's expression turned serious and he frowned, saying: "Doesn't Subyang think that the Fourth Young Master is too kind?"

  Liu Ye nodded heavily and said, "It's not just me, Gong Da and Xiao Xian also feel the same way. If it were a prosperous era, the four young masters' temperament would be able to bring blessings to the people of a region. But now that the chaotic world has just begun, the norms have been turned upside down. The four young masters being so kind-hearted may not necessarily be a good thing."

  Guo Jia sighed and said, "Zi Yang's words are not wrong, but the fourth young master is born with such a temperament... Alas... What a pity..." Liu Ye shook his head and sighed beside him.

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