Visit relatives

  It was already a time after the wind and sand stopped, once stopped, Gao Fei took Zhao Yun and others, as well as Li Wenhou's horse knife team, back to Xiangwu. More than 100 cavalrymen galloped wildly, indeed with a majestic posture.

  Upon arriving at Xiangwu, the guards stationed at the city gate all recognized Li Wenhao. After exchanging a few pleasantries with him, they allowed them to enter the city. As soon as they entered the city, Li Wenhao turned his head and said to his subordinates: "Brothers, go home and take a look, gather outside the west gate early tomorrow morning, don't miss the time!"

  The sound fell, and more than a hundred horsemen scattered in all directions, heading towards the streets and alleys inside the city.

  Li Wenhou on horseback bowed his head and slowly said: "Master Hou, tomorrow at three o'clock in the morning, we will wait for you outside the west gate. If Master Hou has not arrived by then, we will leave on our own. Take care, Master Hou, I bid farewell!"

  Gao Fei also bid farewell and then saw Li Wenhou ride his horse away.

  "Your Excellency, this person can make over a hundred people under his command so obedient and loyal, he's indeed a capable individual. If Your Excellency intends to have him serve you, it would be best to try to win him over with great effort. Along the way here, I found that the population of Liangzhou is actually quite sparse, not as many people as one might imagine. Just in Your Excellency's hometown alone, it's unlikely that we can recruit two thousand men." Zhao Yun said slowly from behind Gao Fei.

  Gao Fei said: "What you said is not wrong, I also want to go to Xining to take a look because of this reason. Since my reputation has already spread here, maybe I can recruit two thousand people or more. Li Wenhou refused me only because he didn't want to break his promise. Today I'll return home to visit my relatives, tomorrow follow them to Xining, and when I come back I'll gather the troops of the Gao clan."

  Zhao Yun praised: "The Marquis is wise and brilliant."

  Gao Fei smiled and turned his head to glance at Bian Xi, saying in a low voice: "Bian Xi, I'd like to ask you to do something for me. Are you willing?"

  Since following Gao Fei out of Chen Cang, Bo Xi had been puzzled in his heart. Zhao Yun and Xia Houlan were Gao Fei's personal bodyguards, Pei Yuanshao was a skilled chef who could be used on the road, but he hadn't been utilized much since following Gao Fei. He had joined Gao Fei out of desperation, and although he later found that Gao Fei treated him fairly well, he wasn't truly considered a trusted confidant. So he couldn't understand why he was brought along this time. When he heard Gao Fei finally speak to him, he clasped his fists and said: "Your Excellency has something to command, I have been wanting to serve Your Excellency since following you, and I am willing to go through knife mountains and fire seas."

  Gao Fei laughed and said: "I don't need you to go through the treacherous mountains and seas of fire, I'll let you go to the Golden Mountain and Wealthy Sea, are you willing?"

  Bian Xi was momentarily bewildered and didn't grasp Gao Fei's meaning, so he asked: "Golden Mountain and Silver Sea? What does Your Lordship mean?"

  Gao Fei said: "What's your specialty?"

  Bian Xi thought for a moment and suddenly realized, then softly called out: "Lord Hou, are you telling me to go steal...to take the money?"

  Gao Fei said, "Exactly, that's what I meant. On my way here, I inquired about it and found out that there are many wealthy households in Liangzhou, with three of them in Longxi. Tomorrow, I'll go to Huangzhong with Zhao Yun, Xia Houlan, and Pei Yuanshao. You stay in Longxi and when I return, let's see how much money you can get. However, remember to only take their money, don't kill anyone, and only target these three wealthy households."

  He liked to clench his fists and rub his palms, but he didn't expect Gao Fei to let him do his old job. He hadn't done such a thing for several months, and he couldn't help feeling a little itchy in his heart. He replied immediately: "Don't worry, Your Excellency, I will not disappoint you. You can still return to Xiangwu later?"

  "Well, as for where you hide your money, I don't care about that. As long as I can see the money when I come back, that's all that matters."

  Money was nothing but dirt to Bian Xi, he had it whenever he wanted, but everyone's goals in their hearts are different. Having money is like having power, which is something he lacked. He regretted not keeping a low profile when doing things back then, which made it impossible for him to buy his way into office later on, as wanted posters were plastered everywhere in the counties and prefectures of Zhongyuan. Later, he heard that Zhang Jiao was rebelling and thought he could become a founding father or at least someone with power, so he joined the Yellow Turbans without hesitation after being persuaded by Zhang Jiao. However, he never expected that Zhang Jiao would rise and fall quickly, leaving him regretful for joining the Yellow Turbans. Fortunately, he found refuge in Gao Sheng and saw potential in him, giving him a glimmer of hope.

  Bian Xi nodded heavily and followed Gao Fei's back, walking towards the city.

  Xiangwu City is much larger than Chencang, with four vertical and eight horizontal streets, looking like a big city. Unfortunately, the population is pitifully small, although the city is three or four times larger than Chencang, it still looks desolate and deserted.

  Gao Fei rode his horse slowly along the road in his memory, after passing through several turns, he entered an alley, at the entrance of which was written "Gao Family Alley" in three words, this is undoubtedly here.

  The alley was very deep, with twenty or thirty independent courtyards door to door. He led Zhao Yun and others along the way, and the courtyards they saw were almost the same, without much difference, as if they were carved out of a mold, with a hint of collective planning.

  Gao Fei stopped at the entrance of one of the courtyards, dismounted his horse, and with a somewhat unstable mood in his heart, he came to the door, stretched out his hand and knocked on it. After all, he was no longer the real Gao Fei, the real Gao Fei had died from exhaustion during the suppression of the Yellow Turbans in Pingding Guangzong.

  "Who's there?" came a faint and feeble voice from within the courtyard.

  "It's me, Ziyu!" Gaofei shouted as he rushed inside.

  Immediately, the sound of a staff striking the ground randomly came from the courtyard, the sound was like a drumbeat, every beat struck his heart, he wondered if it had been three years since he returned home, whether his grandmother in memory was still the same.

  The door opened, and an old woman with a frail figure, blind in both eyes, wearing tattered and patched clothes appeared before Gao Fei's eyes. The patches, something that can only be seen in movies nowadays, were so real in front of him, and the old woman's dry and weak body also shocked him greatly, he finally understood what it meant to be skin and bones.

  This was not the kind of family affection that belonged to him, but it brought him a very strange sense of closeness. He felt tears welling up in his eyes and before he knew it, they were streaming down his face. Overcome with emotion, he threw his arms around the old woman and exclaimed loudly: "Grandma, Ziyu is back! I've come to see you!"

  The old woman dropped the staff in her hand, stretched out both hands, and touched Gao Fei's face, inadvertently touching the tears on Gao Fei's face. She quickly wiped them away with her hand, a very happy expression appeared on her face, and she shouted loudly: "It's Zi Yu, it's really Zi Yu, my good grandson Zi Yu."

  The affectionate hug between the grandfather and grandson also moved Zhao Yun, Xia Houlan, Pei Yuanshao, and Bian Xi, who were on the side. They seemed to have remembered their own loved ones as well. In such a world, no one is truly happy, everyone has some kind of unforgettable past, for them, family ties are precious and the most revered.

  Gaofei's grandmother hastily welcomed Gaofei into the house, where the furnishings were very simple. An old blind woman could not ask for much, and if it weren't for the mutual care between relatives of the same clan, she would probably have passed away long ago. The grandmother was overjoyed, and a smile that had not been seen in three years burst forth at this moment. She shouted loudly to her neighbors, "My grandson Gaofei is back!" This immediately caused a stir throughout Gaofei Alley, which quickly became lively from its usual quietness. Many elderly people who had watched Gaofei grow up rushed into the courtyard, and many of his peers also brought their children in. The celebration within the clan was beyond words, and all this made Gaofei feel that this place truly was his home, letting him experience the warmth of family.

  Gaofei's achievement of being enfeoffed as a marquis had long been known here, and the entire Gaofei family was proud of it. The head of the clan hurriedly ordered people to slaughter pigs and sheep, prepare fine wine and dishes, and entertain the only person in the clan who became a marquis. Pei Yuanshao took the initiative to go down to the kitchen, and after a round of delicious cooking, the fragrant and sweet Central Plains cuisine was made, and everyone in the clan gathered together, and a grand banquet was held in the Gaofei ancestral hall.

  The news of the arrival of the Marquis of Douchun spread like wildfire, and soon the entire city of Xiangwu was in an uproar. Everyone rushed to catch a glimpse of the only marquis to have appeared in Xiangwu City in the past hundred years. The young maidens from respectable families also came to join in the excitement, while the county magistrate and county lieutenant hastened to fawn upon him, presenting him with thin gifts as a token of their respect. In no time at all, Gao Family Alley became extremely crowded and lively, with the city's three thousand residents packed into an area the size of a palm. The scene was even more magnificent than if gold were being handed out. The sounds of laughter and celebration continued late into the night, and Gao Fei was busy entertaining guests, forcing a smile onto his face whether he knew them or not. Some young maidens also secretly harbored feelings for him - who wouldn't want to marry a marquis?

  After seeing off the last guest, what was originally a simple home was filled with gifts. The county magistrate and county lieutenant sent them, and those parents of young girls even took this as an opportunity to find a match for their daughters, bringing gifts to think about their daughter's happiness. It's really the heart of parents all over the world.

  The night was quiet, unusually so. The moon hung in the sky, casting its bright light over the earth. The air was still crisp and cool, a stark contrast to the bustling heat of the day. But despite the peaceful atmosphere, his mind was filled with worries. He thought that if this were a prosperous era, perhaps he could rely on his noble title to get by, but reality was not so kind.

  Thinking of the celebration during the day and thinking of the impending Liangzhou rebellion, he felt that the trip to Xizhou was unavoidable, for himself and also for these people of Liangzhou.

  "Lord Hou, it's late at night, aren't you going to rest?" Zhao Yun handed over a cloak, which was a gift from the county magistrate during the day. It came in handy on such a cold and quiet night.

  Gao Fei looked at the distant sky and said faintly: "I couldn't sleep!"

  Zhoa Yun saw that Gao Fei had something on his mind, from Chen Cang all the way here, he had a vague feeling that Gao Fei was hiding something. Seeing no one around, he cupped his hands and said: "Is there something troubling you, sir? If you speak out, I may be able to help you dispel your worries."

  He looked down and glanced at the handsome and elegant Zhao Yun, the more he looked, the more he felt that Zhao Yun was extremely beautiful, beyond his imagination. He also knew that many of the young girls who came during the day had secretly sent affectionate glances to Zhao Yun, in their hearts, Zhao Yun was absolutely the first choice for marriage. Suddenly, he had a strange idea, if Zhao Yun were a girl, he would probably marry him without hesitation.

  "Marquis... Marquis..." Zhao Yun saw Gao Fei staring at him with a thoughtful expression, and his eyes seemed strange, so he called out softly.

  Gao Fei was pulled back to reality by the shouting, turned his head and scolded himself for having such an evil thought. He wasn't a glass, nor would he like a man. He liked women. Although he didn't have any woman now, he knew that there were many beauties in the Three Kingdoms period, and later they would all fall into his arms, one by one.

  "Has grandma gone to sleep?"

  "She's fallen asleep, I reckon the old lady will sleep very soundly tonight."

  "Zi Long, do you think if I were to move the entire clan to a different place, they would be willing?" Gao Fei understood that in ancient times, people placed great importance on their hometowns. No matter how far they traveled, they always had a strong attachment to their hometown and hoped to return home someday. This had gradually become a good tradition among Chinese people, but relocation was sometimes difficult.

  Zhao Yun didn't know what Gao Fei meant, so he just spoke straightforwardly: "Lord Hou, if ancestors have been living in one place for generations and suddenly want to move away, I'm afraid there will be many things that can't be let go of. Are you thinking of relocating the Gao clan to Chen Cang?"

  "No! To the Northeast, Liaodong County." Gao Fei had always been nostalgic for the Northeast because he felt that compared to the Northwest, he preferred the Northeast. He also thought about the Gao clan, after all, he was occupying Gao Fei's body, so he should take good care of his clan on behalf of Gao Fei. If he couldn't even take care of his own clan, how could he talk about contending for the world?

  "Liaodong? It's likely to be extremely difficult, not to mention the long distance, but also it's located in a remote area. Moreover, Master Hou's ancestors have lived in Liangzhou for generations, if we really move, I'm afraid not many people will agree."

  Gao Fei also understood that just like he had always been nostalgic for the Northeast, others were too. At this moment, he was thinking in his mind, tomorrow to Xuanzhong, if he could smoothly resolve the rebellion and subdue Beigong Boyu, Li Wenhoul and others, he would consider staying in Liangzhou, and it was not impossible to be called the King of Guanzhong. But if it couldn't be resolved, he could only forcibly relocate his clan to Chen Cang first, and then head east after this rebellion was over. After all, letting him stay in the three auxiliary areas, close to the imperial court, was not conducive to development, while Liaodong was remote, with high mountains and an emperor far away, making it inconvenient for orders to be transmitted, but it could have a good effect instead.

  "It's getting late, everyone is tired after a long day, you should also go rest, we still have to go to Huangzhong tomorrow!"

  Zhao Yun nodded and accompanied Gao Fei into the house, then returned to his own room.