Chapter 9, Be Rational

Tao Ying's words were merely a ruse to deceive the Mi Zhu and Mi Fang brothers. The cunning old Jiang, like Liu Bei and the Chen Gui father and son, were all skeptical. Especially the Chen Gui father and son, who knew Tao Ying very well, harbored doubts in their hearts, thinking to themselves: "Could it be that the Cao army's spies have seen through this? How is that possible? The two sons of the lord rarely show themselves, spending their days either studying or practicing martial arts, hardly ever appearing in public. It wouldn't be so easy for the Cao army's spies to know what they look like, would it?"

I, the humble general, deserve to die a thousand deaths! In Xuzhou, my reputation is extremely foul. Cao Hong was greatly startled and quickly knelt before Tao Qian to plead for forgiveness, responding swiftly: "Please rest assured, my lord. After I return to the city, I will certainly conduct a thorough investigation of the servants in the residence, ensuring that not a single spy escapes scrutiny"

Only a few individuals were exceptions. Upon seeing Tao Ying emerge unscathed from the oil vat, Liu Bei's pale face first turned gray, then deepened to a dark hue. Although Liu Bei did not understand why Tao Ying could jump into the oil vat and survive, he was acutely aware that this leap would solidify the loyalty of the entire military and civilian populace of Xuzhou to the Tao family. The glory he had painstakingly earned by fighting his way into Xuzhou to provide aid was completely overshadowed by Tao Ying's brilliance. Liu Bei, although unaware of the reasons behind Tao Ying's survival, clearly recognized that this leap would ensure the complete allegiance of the entire military and civilian populace of Xuzhou to the Tao family, thereby eclipsing the hard-won prestige he had gained by entering Xuzhou to offer assistance.

Second brother

I... I am just afraid of leaking information, which is why I didn't dare to let others write it for me," Mi Fang explained with a mournful expression

The crowd was in a frenzy, the atmosphere was vibrant; even Chen Gui and his son, who had always looked down on Tao Ying, along with Cao Bao, Cao Hong, and others, as well as Guan Zhang and Zhao San, who had only met Tao Ying once, were all smiling broadly, raising their arms in cheers, eagerly rushing down the city wall to welcome Tao Ying out of the city.

Tao Qian let out a hum, reluctantly accepting Cao Hong's apology. Meanwhile, Liu Bei, Chen Gui, and others nearby were greatly relieved, while the Mi Zhu brothers were even more gleeful, thinking to themselves that it served Tao Qian right for his misfortune, as he had encountered such a well-informed spy from Cao's army. The idea of disguising himself to evade detection was simply out of the question.

Second Brother

Upon witnessing the retreat of Cao's army, the walls of Xuzhou erupted with joyous cheers. Countless soldiers and civilians sang, shouted, jumped, and collectively called out for Young Master Tao. Many embraced each other and danced with exuberance. The delighted Tao Qian, Tao Shang, and Tao Ji were especially moved to tears. As soon as they saw Cao's army retreating into the distance, they could hardly contain their excitement and hurriedly rolled and scrambled down the city walls to open the city gates, welcoming the hero of Xuzhou, Tao Ying, back into the city

Upon hearing this resounding slogan, and seeing the sincere smiles of the military and civilians of Xuzhou, as well as the straight return road flanked by a throng of people, Tao Ying was moved to tears. He clasped his hands in salute to the people of Xuzhou and choked out, "People, you have shown me such great affection!"

"Father, you flatter me; I am unworthy of such praise." Tao Ying would certainly not miss this opportunity for performance. He bowed deeply to Tao Qian and respectfully said: "As for suffering, that is even less to be mentioned. As your son, it is only natural for me to risk my life for the military and civilians of Xuzhou. Fortunately, Cao Cao is a man of his word, and Xuzhou has narrowly escaped a great calamity this time."

Ming Wu, Ming Wu! Ming Wu, my child!

"Is there really such a strange occurrence?" The crowd exclaimed, seeing Tao Ying nodding earnestly, leaving everyone present astonished and bewildered, all exclaiming that Young Master Tao must be protected by a divine spirit. Liu Bei was also greatly surprised, thinking to himself: "Could it be that Tao Qian's son is a prodigy? Otherwise, how could anyone jump into a boiling pot of oil and survive?"

Many people around Tao Ying fell silent. Tao Qian, Tao Shang, and Tao Ji showed expressions of surprise, while Chen Gui and his son Chen Deng felt a sudden jolt in their hearts. Liu Bei's eyelids twitched slightly, and the brothers Mi Zhu and Mi Fang were extremely tense. However, no one expected that Tao Ying would suddenly utter this statement: "Although Tao Ying did not reveal his identity, he was quite unfortunate; a spy from Cao's army happened to have seen Tao Ying and exposed his identity, which led to the subsequent events"

Young master! Countless common people cried out, and many others voluntarily knelt before Tao Ying, prostrating themselves and weeping bitterly

So it is! Mi Zhu and Mi Fang exclaimed together, and a heavy weight finally lifted from their hearts. They secretly scolded themselves for being overly cautious; had they known that the Cao army's spies could recognize Tao Ying's identity, they would not have had to take such great risks.

After leaving the city, the two brothers, Tao Ji and Tao Shang, ran the fastest, leading the group out of the city. From a distance of several dozen paces, they called out together, arms wide open, tears glistening in their eyes as they rushed towards Tao Ying. They embraced him simultaneously, calling out "Second Brother, Second Brother," their tears already streaming down. The words that followed were lost in their emotions, and they could not express anything further. They simply held onto Tao Ying, crying uncontrollably, shaking their proud brother, Deputy Director Tao, with all their might, refusing to let go.

"That arrow letter!" Mi Fang said in a pale voice, "I did not expect the second young master to return, and I was afraid of leaking secrets, so that arrow letter was written by me personally! In case..."

"Young Master, please mount!" Countless sincere shouts arose around Tao Ying, as numerous soldiers and civilians from Xuzhou, along with countless troops from Liu's army, spontaneously cleared the way along the road, creating a straight path for Tao Ying's return to the city. They also began to chant in rhythm, "Young Master! Young Master! Young Master! Young Master!"

Although Deputy Director Tao's words are humble and respectful, they sound as repulsive as swallowing a fly to Lord Xuande. No matter how modest Deputy Director Tao may be, those who witnessed him leap into the boiling oil to secure the retreat of Cao Cao's troops would only regard him as a person of noble character, unassuming and unproud, repaying kindness with great gratitude, and would not feel the slightest gratitude towards Lord Xuande. Thus, while Lord Xuande speaks humbly, he cannot help but feel an intense anger inside, thinking, "Damn Cao thief, why didn't you kill this spawn of Tao Qian? How did this spawn manage to crawl out alive from the boiling oil?"

Nephew! Zhang Fei did not care about what his elder brother was thinking in his heart. He rushed over and slapped him, nearly knocking Tao Ying down to the ground, and with his rarely heard loud voice, he joyfully shouted: "Nephew, you really scared me! When you jumped into the oil pot, I, Zhang Fei, almost cried! Quickly tell me, how did you jump into the boiling oil pot and come out without a scratch?"

Amidst the clamor of voices, the white-haired Tao Qian, supported by his trusted aides such as Cao Hong, rushed to stand before Tao Ying. The soldiers and civilians of Xuzhou, following closely behind Tao Qian, quickly surrounded the Tao family, eagerly bowing and inquiring after Tao Ying's well-being. Tao Ying, not daring to be negligent, hurriedly pushed aside his elder brother and cousin, kneeling before Tao Qian and bowing his head, saying: "The unfilial son, Tao Ying, has caused his father much worry; I deserve to die a thousand deaths."

Tao Qian choked with emotion, nodding as he held Tao Ying's hand, weeping uncontrollably. The soldiers and civilians of Xuzhou nearby were also in tears, filled with deep gratitude and admiration for Deputy Director Tao. Some soldiers took the lead in calling out for the Second Young Master, and soon a loud and unified chant arose from the crowd, "Second Young Master! Second Young Master! Second Young Master! Second Young Master!"

"Indeed, Second Brother, how could you emerge from the boiling oil pot without a single injury?" Tao Ji inquired with curiosity. The surrounding troops and civilians of Xuzhou, along with Tao Qian, Mi Zhu, and others, were equally intrigued, all asking Tao Ying why he jumped into the oil pot and remained unharmed

"Why are you so surprised, dear brother?" Mi Zhu turned his head and asked

"Elder brother, dear younger brother, spare me! I am almost being choked to death by you both." Tao Ying, who was nearly out of breath, cried out in distress, fearing that he would not be blown to death by Chief Cao, but instead be suffocated to death by his two younger brothers. However, despite his lamentations, the Deputy Director Tao, who had grown accustomed to the deceit and intrigue of the officialdom, could not help but feel a twinge of emotion as he witnessed the fervent display of brotherly affection from his two younger brothers.

Father, as no one is perfect, who can be without faults? One should not overly blame General Cao Hong. Deputy Director Tao, feigning kindness, said to Tao Qian: "Moreover, I believe that for the servants in the residence, a brief inquiry and identification will suffice. We must not let an innocent person be implicated because of a Cao army spy who has already fled the residence."

"General Zhang, allow me to take over." Yesterday, Tao Ji, who had been quietly mocking Second Brother, stepped forward and reached out to grab the reins from Zhang Kuan's hands, saying, "Second Brother, let me hold the horse for you."

Child! There is a person with a complicated mind, his face is filled with a kind and approving smile, yet inside he is roaring with rage, "Child! Tao Ying, the child! The one who has ruined my great plans, Tao Ying! If I do not kill you, I swear I will not be human!"

Cao Jun arrived swiftly and departed even more quickly; in just the span of two incense sticks, tens of thousands of Cao Cao's troops had retreated completely, leaving behind a scene of devastation and the solitary figure of Tao Ying, covered in oil.

"My son, please get up quickly." Tao Qian hurriedly reached out to help Tao Ying up, examining his beloved son's injuries from head to toe, tears streaming down his face as he said: "My son, you... you have suffered. You... you have made your father see you in a new light"

It broke!" Mi Fang suddenly exclaimed in a low voice.

Father, the child dares to offer a suggestion: it is time to conduct a thorough investigation and identification of the servants in our household. Tao Ying also knew that his words would be difficult for the old foxes of the Three Kingdoms and the Tu Shu to believe, so he continued to speak to Tao Qian: Father surely cannot believe it; the Cao army spy who recognized the child's identity had served as a servant in our household for more than six months! Therefore, as soon as he saw the child, he immediately recognized his identity

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the elders and fellow villagers. Tao Ying repeatedly clasped his fists in salute to all directions. Seeing tens of thousands of citizens and soldiers with tears in their eyes cheering for him, Deputy Director Tao felt a sense of secret pride, yet could not help but murmur to himself, "Ancient people are still easy to deceive; no wonder that third-rate actor, Big Ear Thief, could thrive in the Three Kingdoms period."

There were also the brothers Mi Zhu and Mi Fang, who, as officials of Xuzhou, witnessed Tao Ying jump into the oil vat and then climb out. Instead of showing even a hint of joy, their expressions turned ominously dark, and both pairs of eyes fixated coldly on the distant figure of Tao Ying, their gazes icy and venomous, as if they wished to stab him a hundred and seventy or eighty times.

Lord Mi is joking," Tao Ying replied with a bitter smile, "Tao Ying is afraid of death; how could I dare to reveal my identity to Cao Cao?"

Mi Zhu was filled with an impulse to strangle his younger brother, but at that moment, the general Cao Bao from Xuzhou happened to pass by the Mi brothers and invited them to leave the city to welcome Deputy Director Tao Ying. Mi Zhu had no choice but to respond with a forced smile, glaring fiercely at Mi Fang a few times before anxiously following Cao Bao and the others down the city to welcome Deputy Director Tao Ying, who had made significant contributions to the rescue of Xuzhou.

What?! Mi Zhu was so furious that he almost kicked his younger brother off the city wall to his death. With a grim face, he lowered his voice and shouted, "Are you stupid or foolish? How dare you write that arrow letter yourself? Don't you fear that the news will leak, and the letter will fall into the lord's hands, where they can compare the handwriting?"

Is this brat slapping my face? Liu Bei felt anger in his heart and pretended to be polite as he said: "Nephew, you overstate the matter. The reason Cao Cao withdrew his troops from Xuzhou this time is entirely due to your selflessness, which moved Lord Cao. It is because of this that Lord Cao's army lifted the siege on Xuzhou, and I have no merit in this matter at all"

"Second Young Master, how was your identity discovered by the traitor Cao?" The one asking this question was Mi Fang, who inquired casually on the surface but was actually quite anxious. "Second Young Master, did you perhaps reveal your identity to the traitor Cao yourself?"

"Is this still a matter?" Tao Qian, who had been deep in thought with his head lowered, finally spoke, addressing his trusted aide Cao Hong sternly: "Cao Hong, hetushucom.com, I appoint you as the commander of my camp and entrust you with all affairs of Xuzhou. Yet you have allowed spies from the Cao army to infiltrate my residence. Do you not know your crime?"

Of course, some people noticed the flaws, such as the wealthy merchant, large landowner, and prominent clan member Chen Gui and his son Chen Deng from Xuzhou, who sniffed twice with force, looking at Tao Ying with a half-smile, yet remained silent.

"Uncle, you must not be so overly modest," Tao Ying said with a serious expression. "Cao Cao has determined that my family is his father's enemy, harboring deep hatred for us. If it were not for your letter advocating for peace, would Cao Cao have retreated his troops? Without your letter, I fear that Cao Cao would not even have given me the chance to speak, and would have directly executed me at the city gate!"

"Young Master, please mount the horse." The warm voice of General Zhang Kuan from Xuzhou interrupted Tao Ying's contemplation. Normally, Zhang Kuan would hardly spare a few words for Tao Ying, but at this moment, he not only wore a beaming smile towards him but also personally brought a warhorse for him. He sincerely said, "Young Master, please mount the warhorse; I will lead the horse back to the city for you."

I... I don't know either," Deputy Director Tao said, his face full of confusion as he recalled, "When I jumped into the oil pot with my eyes closed, I thought I was done for, but... after jumping in, I felt nothing at all, and then, before I knew it, I was standing next to the oil pot.

"Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives." Just as Tao Ying was musing about the big-eared thief, Liu Bei appeared before him, accompanied by the three fierce warriors Guan, Zhang, and Zhao. Behind them followed the smiling brothers Mi Zhu and Mi Fang. Tao Ying hurriedly stepped forward, clasped his fists, and bowed deeply to Liu Bei, saying with even greater respect: "Nephew Tao Ying pays his respects to Uncle. Thanks to Uncle's invaluable letters, Cao Cao's army has finally retreated. The countless lives in Xuzhou will surely not forget Uncle's grace of saving lives"

Tao Qian nodded repeatedly, immensely satisfied with his son's generosity and kindness. Tao Ying, either intentionally or unintentionally, cast a glance at Liu Bei and Mi Zhu, a smile playing on his lips as he muttered to himself, "I must remain calm and rational. It would be unwise to fall out with Liu Bei at this moment. First, there is no solid evidence; turning against Liu Bei would earn me the reputation of being ungrateful. Second, confronting Liu Bei now would leave me with no chance of victory. And third, the current situation in Xuzhou is such that blood has flowed to the point of no return, and the vitality has been harmed beyond repair. Besides planting more flowers and fewer thorns, we also need a watchdog! A watchdog!" A watchdog!