Chapter 23: Jiayu’s Story

Although Zhang Tuo displayed remarkable martial prowess, and though Liu Hai felt some fear, he gained confidence recalling the Liu family’s influence in Wan City.

“I—I’m telling you, I am Liu Hai, of the Liu family of Wan City,” he stammered. “If you dare lay a hand on me, I won’t let you get away with it.” Once again, Liu Hai tried to use the power of his family to pressure Zhang Tuo.

But Zhang Tuo paid no heed to such threats. “Young Master Liu, we have no enmity with you. It would be best for you to leave at once and not trouble this mother and daughter again.” With that, Zhang Tuo waved to Yu Chun behind him, signaling him to escort Jiayu and her daughter away.

Thus, under the gaze of the crowd, Zhang Tuo and his companions departed, leaving Liu Hai unharmed. Only after Zhang Tuo’s figure had completely vanished did Liu Hai finally let out a breath of relief.

“Y—Young Master, we—” a servant, clutching his bruised face, timidly tried to speak.

“Useless, all of you!” Liu Hai snapped. “So many of you, and not one could handle a single man. What use are you?” After this scolding, none of his subordinates dared say another word.

Liu Hai, too, said little more. He had seen for himself how formidable Zhang Tuo truly was.

“Hmph, in Wan City, no one has ever dared treat me like this,” Liu Hai fumed inwardly, unwilling to accept the humiliation and thirsting for revenge. “Come, let’s go home. Find out who these people really are. I don’t believe I can’t bring them to heel.”

With that, Liu Hai stormed off with his servants in tow.

Back home, Zhang Tuo recounted everything that had happened outside to Liu Xie in detail. Jiayu sat nearby with her daughter, her head bowed low.

“Jiayu, what exactly happened?” Liu Xie asked gently.

Jiayu’s face was clouded with sorrow. In a soft voice, she replied, “Young master, you likely know my story. After my husband died, I married Liu Hai. At first, he treated me well, but I soon realized he was after my family’s property. He seized all my money. When I sensed his ill intentions, I cut my losses just in time and managed to keep only this house. Yet he remains unwilling to let go and still tries to take it from me.”

Jiayu explained everything in detail, and finally, Liu Xie and the others understood. Liu Hai was the man Jiayu had once married.

As a result, all her wealth had been taken by Liu Hai. Later, when Jiayu saw his true intentions—that he had no desire to truly be with her—she realized that once he had taken all her property, she and her daughter would be discarded. So, she acted quickly, took the deed to the house, and left the Liu family, preserving this one asset. Still, Liu Hai would not give up and continued to covet the house.

“So, when you left the Liu family, you escaped on your own?” Liu Xie asked, beginning to understand.

Jiayu nodded softly. “Yes, but now we have nothing more to do with one another. One day, I accidentally discovered he had already written a letter of divorce. He planned to seize all my property and then cast me aside. When I found the divorce letter, I quietly signed it myself and left.”

From Jiayu’s words, it was clear that she was a woman of resolve. Upon discovering Liu Hai’s plan, she took the initiative to end the marriage, so he could no longer claim her property. But Liu Hai was not content and continued to pursue Jiayu and her daughter, bent on taking the house.

“Don’t worry, with us here, whatever trouble may come, we will help you resolve it,” Liu Xie said earnestly after understanding everything.

Tears glimmered in Jiayu’s eyes as she nodded solemnly. “Thank you, thank you all so much,” she said, full of gratitude. “But the Liu family is powerful in Wan City. They’re said to have connections in Xiangyang as well.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Xie seemed to grasp the situation more clearly. The Liu family’s audacity in Wan City likely stemmed from their ties to the Liu family of Xiangyang.

And when one mentioned the Liu family of Xiangyang, that naturally meant Liu Biao. The provincial seat of Jingzhou was now in Xiangyang, under Liu Biao’s control. Thus, the Liu family of Wan City was not without powerful connections.

If one were to speak strictly, Liu Biao and his ilk could be considered subordinates of his own. In these times, any official bearing the surname Liu likely had ties to the Emperor, many being descendants of the imperial Han clan.

“Rest assured, no matter who they are, with us here, you will be safe.”

“And we will ensure justice is done for you.”

Meanwhile, as Liu Xie and his companions enjoyed their freedom in Wan City, things were not going well for Cao Cao in Xuchang. After more than a month of searching, he had not even caught a glimpse of Liu Xie. He had turned his entire domain upside down yet found no trace.

Gradually, Cao Cao grew increasingly anxious. He was not alone—even Xun Yu had begun to worry. Yet their concerns were not quite the same. Cao Cao’s anxiety stemmed from not finding Liu Xie, fearing it might lead to unforeseen trouble. Xun Yu, on the other hand, worried for Liu Xie’s safety and was filled with regret.

Only now did he begin to understand: it was Liu Xie who had killed the sons of Cao Cao’s generals. He realized that Liu Xie might be seeking ways to counter Cao Cao, and he, Xun Yu, had once advised Cao Cao that Liu Xie was likely responsible—thus, he had inadvertently harmed Liu Xie.

Though Xun Yu served in Cao’s camp, his heart remained loyal to the Han Dynasty. Now, with Liu Xie’s whereabouts unknown and the Han Dynasty without a leader, his worry only deepened.

“Xun Yu, where do you think the young Emperor could have gone?” Cao Cao asked helplessly.

Xun Yu shook his head softly, more cautious this time, not speaking rashly. “Prime Minister, in my opinion, His Majesty is likely still within our territory. Our soldiers are everywhere in our domain—I doubt he could have escaped far.”

Xun Yu considered this carefully before speaking. Guo Jia, standing nearby, glanced at him unobtrusively, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

“But we’ve sent countless men to search, and there’s still not a single clue,” Cao Cao said with difficulty.

“Prime Minister, in my view, we should mobilize our forces and pacify the threats around us as quickly as possible. As for His Majesty, let a few trusted soldiers continue the search. We can’t focus all our attention on this alone,” Guo Jia suggested, stepping forward.

Hearing this, Xun Yu glanced at him as well, turning the matter over in his mind.