Chapter 56 Relocation to Ye City (Part 1) Your Excellency is at peace, and I am also relieved. ...

In the blink of an eye, three years have passed. Yuan Shao, who once dominated Hebei, died in Ye City two years ago, feeling depressed.

Ye City witnessed Han Fu's timidity and Yuan Shao's high spirits, and finally, in the ninth year of Jian'an, it welcomed Cao Cao's ambition.

The towering city walls, the wide streets, the bustling markets, the majestic Yuan Mansion... everything here stirred Cao Cao's heart.

He entered the front courtyard of the Yuan residence and gazed at the former property of his old friend, who had once been both his enemy and friend, feeling a surge of emotions.

After reorganizing his military affairs, Cao Cao led his civil and military officials to stand solemnly before Yuan Shao's tomb, set up an altar, lit incense, and offered a solemn sacrifice to Yuan Shao.

His voice was initially loud, but Guo Jia could tell that the grief in it was mostly a performative political gesture.

However, after everyone had left, he remained motionless for a long time, calmly holding his wine cup and gazing at the inscriptions on the tomb.

Guo Jia wanted to step forward, but realizing he didn't have the status or position, he took two steps back.

"Filial piety."

Cao Cao called out to him, his voice carrying a clear hoarseness.

“My lord.” Guo Jia turned back behind him and stood a few steps away.

But then he heard him sigh softly, take a deep breath, tuck his hand behind his back, turn around and put his arm around Guo Jia's back, and slowly walk forward, "Fengxiao, what do you think of Ye City?"

Guo Jia was taken aback. Although he was not surprised by the hero's control over his emotions, there was clearly something more to his words.

"Ye City is strategically located, controlling the Youyan region to the north and the Heluo region to the south. It is rich in resources and prosperous in its people, with a strong city and deep moats. Yuan Shao has been developing it for many years and has a solid foundation. Now that you have obtained this city, Hebei can be pacified and the foundation for your hegemony can be laid."

Cao Cao nodded, leaned closer to him and asked, "I see it the same way... So, what does Fengxiao think about me moving my residence here?"

Guo Jia thought to himself, "As expected, what else could I think? Naturally, I would say, 'The Emperor and Your Excellency... understand each other clearly. Pretending to be polite to each other only adds to our troubles. It's better to keep our distance and have some peace and quiet.'"

Guo Jia's words were not without ulterior motives. He didn't want Deng Jie to be drawn into palace intrigues again, either willingly or unwillingly, for various reasons. He wanted him to stay far away as soon as possible so that the Duke could have peace of mind, and so that he could be at ease.

Cao Cao was very satisfied with his answer, but he still stroked his beard and pondered for a moment: "What about Wenruo..."

Guo Jia bowed slightly: "Wenruo is the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat... This matter... This matter needs to be discussed with him. However, I suspect that, given Wenruo's temperament, it would be more appropriate for him to stay in Xuchang to assist the Emperor and act as a bridge between you and the Emperor."

That being said, moving to Ye City would still require employing a large number of people from Ji Province, which would create factional conflict and be detrimental to Wen Ruotong.

Cao Cao was reassured by his words, but he still looked doubtful and his expression darkened. He asked softly, "Then... does Fengxiao intend to stay in Xuchang or..."

Guo Jia was startled and immediately stopped, bowing deeply: "Why do you say such things, my lord?! I am but a rootless duckweed, and to you, I am no different from the likes of Lu Hong!"

As a mere private advisor, I would be useless to anyone but myself! I am deeply grateful to Your Excellency for not abandoning me, for promoting me from humble beginnings and entrusting me with important responsibilities. Your kindness and recognition are immeasurable!

The only person I am loyal to is Your Excellency!

Regardless of whether you advance or retreat, I, Jia, will follow you to the death, with absolutely no wavering!

These resounding vows came from the bottom of their hearts, and every word resonated deeply.

Cao Cao gazed into Guo Jia's clear and resolute eyes, and a surge of warmth welled up in his heart.

He suddenly reached out and covered Guo Jia's palm, disregarding his formalities, and held it tightly. Overwhelmed with emotion, he remained silent for a long time.

After a long silence, he sighed and said, "Having Fengxiao by my side... I... have no regrets in this life."

It's not hard to guess that although Guo Jia carried a heavy burden in his life and gave a lot, he ultimately received very few genuine hearts.

However, I don't care what he thinks.

Guo Jia only wanted to follow his own heart.

The Guo family was bustling about as they prepared for the move, following Guo Jia's instructions.

"What? We're really going to move to Ye City?!" Deng Jie came out of the room, looking at Guo Jia in astonishment as he directed which people to move first and which to leave in time for the lady's carriage.

Deng Jie looked around the small courtyard where he had lived for more than ten years, his eyes filled with reluctance.

Guo Jia quickly stepped forward, put his hand on her shoulder, and said gently, "Don't worry, Yi. I have found a small courtyard in Ye City that is very similar to this place. It will surely make you feel as comfortable as you do here. Our life will continue as before."

Deng Jie looked up, confident that her husband had already made all the plans, and nodded gently: "Anyway... as you said, 'wherever you are, that's where I am.' Home is where you are, it doesn't matter where we are!"

She glanced at Ayu's family coming and going. Axiang had grown to eight years old and was quite strong. She hopped around and took the initiative to help with the moving work, and there was a bit more peace in her eyes: "Fortunately, everyone went... But what do you plan to do with this little courtyard?"

Guo Jia took her hand and led her into the house. "The School Affairs Office will keep half of this place and entrust it to Zhao Da for management. Therefore, I have also entrusted this small courtyard to him for management, so that we will always have a place to stay if we come back."

Deng Jie's eyes lit up. "So, Qingwu will move to Yecheng with Lu Hong?"

"Good, now you can rest assured." Guo Jia smiled as he saw the joy in her eyes. "Not only them, Chen Changwen's family will also move there."

“She gave birth less than two months ago…” Deng Jie couldn’t help but worry, “She’s still weak, and all this traveling has taken her too long…”

Guo Jia chuckled and joked, "It's alright, it's alright. Once we've settled down in Ye City, you can spend more time with her."

"Of course!" Deng Jie nodded vigorously, then thought of Xun Yu, "Will Mr. Wenruo and the others also go?"

Guo Jia suppressed his smile, lowered his eyes, and gently shook his head: "As the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Wenruo needs to stay in Xudu to manage the central government and maintain order in the court."

He didn't want to dwell on the nuances, so he changed the subject, took out a scroll of silk from his sleeve, and handed it to Deng Jie: "Take a look at this."

"What is this?" Deng Jie asked in confusion as he unfolded it, revealing it to be a commercial property deed.

Guo Jia chuckled, "Do you remember the incense shop you went to when we were in Ye City? This one in Xudu is a bit too far away, and I was worried you'd run out of money, so I bought it for you."

Deng Jie was both surprised and delighted. Seeing that the name had been changed to "Jingnu Fang" above, he couldn't help but be moved. "How much did you pay for it? I'll pay you back!"

"What nonsense about not paying it back!" Guo Jia stretched out his arms and pulled her close, planting a loud kiss on her forehead, and laughed heartily: "Why should we distinguish between each other?"

Deng Jie blushed at his teasing, feeling a sweet flutter in her heart that she hadn't experienced in a long time. She put away the contract and grabbed his hand, saying, "Alright, then I'll treat you to some delicious food at the restaurants and taverns today!"

A month later, in Yecheng, autumn was in full swing.

Their carriages and horses finally entered the city.

Seven years later, I returned to this place, and it was still as prosperous as ever.

Amidst the bustling traffic and the clamor of voices, Deng Jie looked out the car window and couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.

Especially when the carriage passed the gate of the Yuan Mansion, the old plaque on the magnificent lintel had been replaced with "Sikong Mansion".

As the carriage entered the new Guo residence, Deng Jie and Guo Jia alighted, while A Xiang jumped down from the carriage behind and excitedly peered inside, exclaiming, "Wow! It's bigger than our house in Xudu!"

Huai Niang followed closely behind, but A Yu didn't have time to look at her as she was busy carrying luggage.

Looking at the much more spacious front yard, Deng Jie, who was used to living in a small courtyard, felt a little awkward and muttered to herself, "Isn't this... a bit too extravagant?"

Guo Jia scoffed, "Why be so frugal? You weren't this timid when you lived in Lujiang. You've gotten used to hardship."

Deng Jie glared at him, "No way!"

As they were talking, they noticed that there was another side room.

"This is……"

Guo Jia coughed lightly, his eyes darting around as he quickly made up a reason: "In case... in case Brother Lingde comes to visit again someday, at least he'll have a proper place to lie down, instead of being kicked out again."

Deng Jie's eyelashes trembled slightly as she glanced inadvertently at her lower abdomen.

Deep down... they were both hoping for something.

She didn't point it out, but simply nodded and glanced at it again.

"Better safe than sorry, it all depends on fate..." Guo Jia knew he couldn't hide it from her, so he reached out and hooked his finger with hers.

Just then, Huai Niang's startled cry rang out from the study: "Wait! This is the inner courtyard of the Chief Minister and his wife; you mustn't barge in!"

Guo Jia turned around upon hearing the sound and stepped forward to push Ah Xiang inside, saying, "It's alright, it's alright. We haven't moved in yet, so let's all go and take a look! I'm quite satisfied with this backyard!"

Huai Niang was overjoyed and then followed A Xiang inside.

Stepping into the backyard, Deng Jie's unease was quickly replaced by the familiar layout. The locust trees, blue stones, flowing water, and warm bath were still there. The hibiscus, crape myrtle, and autumn chrysanthemums were still in bloom, and the branches were adorned with delicate fruits. Compared to the pomegranates and jujubes in Xu Du's courtyard, there were also pears and dates, making the small courtyard look even more vibrant.

Behind the locust tree, a pavilion has been built, with an antique zither table inside and a seven-stringed zither lying on it.

The pavilion was specially paved with smooth bluestone slabs.

Guo Jia put his arm around Deng Jie's waist and pointed to the zither, saying, "If you feel like dancing in the courtyard in the future, I will play the zither for you in this pavilion."

As he spoke, he closed his eyes again, swaying his head and letting his thoughts drift: "A gentle breeze and a bright moon, music and dance in harmony, how delightful!"

Amused by his description, Deng Jie turned to look at him and said, "It seems that Fengxiao is quite confident in his qin skills?"

Guo Jia raised his head and said, "He's at least a musician 'personally appointed' by Marquis Wen...!"

Seeing that Huai Niang and her daughter were still in the courtyard, Deng Jie stopped teasing him about what he was going to say and just covered his mouth with a light laugh, "What you say goes!"

As her gaze wandered, she noticed two pine trees deep in the backyard, cleverly concealing a back room.

A thought struck her, and she unconsciously slowed her pace. "This is..."

Guo Jia suppressed his smile and led her forward: "Since you've built a home here, naturally... you should also give their souls... and your heartfelt wishes, a proper resting place."

He pushed open the half-closed door, revealing a quiet room furnished in a serene and elegant manner.

The altar in front was still empty, but like in Xu Du's home, it had three rows of horizontal wooden beams, with candlesticks on both sides glowing softly, waiting quietly.

Deng Jie felt a warmth in her heart, gently leaned on Guo Jia's shoulder, and murmured, "Thank you..."

After the tour, everyone returned to the front yard and, together with Ayu, began tidying up the boxes scattered all over the ground.

After Deng Jie finished tidying up the altar, he began to carry out the boxes one by one from a large wooden box.

"What are these?" Guo Jia asked curiously as he leaned closer.

"A tonic for Shen Ge." Deng Jie lifted a corner to show him.

Guo Jia's gaze swept over the mess in his own yard, then he glanced at the mess and a wicked smile appeared on his lips: "Since everything is ready... why don't we go and take a look at Chen Changwen's house now?"

Deng Jie was taken aback and looked up at him: "Now? But we haven't finished packing yet..."

“That’s right, it’s perfect so that Ayu Huai’s mother won’t have any trouble!” Guo Jia helped her up. “Look, Chen Changwen’s family has many servants and plenty of manpower, so they must have already cleaned up the place. The house is a mess right now, and Huai’s mother will have to prepare our food later, which will take up too much of her time. Why don’t we go to their house for a meal?”

Deng Jie chuckled, thinking it made sense, clapped his hands, and took his hand: "Alright! Let's go to the backyard and pick some fresh fruit to take with us!"

"Huh? Fruit?!" Guo Jia exclaimed, both amused and exasperated. "We haven't even had a taste ourselves! And now Chen Changwen is getting all the fruit..."