Chapter 26 Zhong Yao

The mountain road is very narrow, and the elephants on both sides need to be squeezed over. The narrow sky above the head is like a slender line, which cannot shine in a trace of sunlight. The valley is so dark that it makes people feel aggrieved.

Cao Chong was also very depressed. After hearing Huan'er's life experience, he kept saying nothing. He kept frowning and staring blankly at the front. Huan'er was a little scared and dared not say anything more. He served him carefully.

Perhaps it was because Cao Chong was in a bad mood, or perhaps because the mountain road was too dangerous, Zhou Buyi and others did not speak, rushing to the road with their heads in hushed. I don’t know how long it took, the mountain road ahead became wider and the sky became brighter and brighter. The mountains on both sides slowly separated a little, and finally a ray of sunlight passed through the mountain peaks and shone on the wall of the car.

Cao Chong let out a long sigh, got out of the car, narrowed his eyes and looked at the bright sunshine, waved his hand and said, "Everyone rest for a while before leaving, Yuanzhi, how far is it from Chang'an?"

"There is still one day left." Zhou Buyi responded.

"Oh—" Cao Chong stood up and looked into the distance without saying a word.

Walking west along the south bank of the Wei River, Cao Chong and his group rushed outside Chang'an City the next afternoon. When they saw the shadow of the Chang'an City Wall, a sense of ease surged into their hearts. The mood that had been suppressed for a day finally calmed down. Even the horses pulling the cart became much more energetic, holding their heads up and moving forward with all their might.

"Young Master, there is someone in the pavilion ahead." Zhou Buyi shouted excitedly.

Cao Chong, who was lying in the car without following the rules, lifted up the curtain and looked out. Sure enough, he saw more than ten people standing in the chief pavilion not far away. He could have been there, but when he saw a car coming, he immediately stood up one by one.

When the car arrived, a middle-aged official with three beards greeted him and bowed to Zhou Buyi and said, "This brother, is the car of the cavalry captain Cao?"

Zhou Buyi moved away from the car, holding Cao Chong, who was shaking his spirits and leaning on a stick, bowed slightly and said, "It's Lord Cao, is it sent by Lord Zhong?"

The official quickly saluted and said respectfully: "The lower-ranking official, Zhang Ji, came to welcome Lord Cao on the order of Lord Zhong. Lord Zhong is waiting for Lord Cao in Chang'an City."

Zhou Buyi frowned, feeling that Zhong Yao hadn't come to pick him up in person, but looking at Cao Chong's calm face, he didn't say anything, but just responded casually: "It turns out to be Mr. Derong, who has been a long time to hear the name of Daming."

Cao Chong smiled gently, handed the scepter to Zhou Buyi, and stepped forward to salute him. Just kidding, his father Cao Cao told him before that Zhang Derong was a famous and talented man in Guanzhong and was very familiar with Ma Teng in Guanzhong. If he hadn't told him to mobilize Ma to help him in the ninth year of Jian'an, Bingzhou would not have known what it would be like. This time he went to persuade Ma Teng to enter Beijing, and he would have to rely on him as a great man. Of course, he would be more polite.

"Boy Cao Chong has met Mr. Derong."

Zhang Ji was surprised and quickly replied to the gift. Although he was old, he was just a counselor now. Although the boy in front of him was only thirteen years old, he was a cavalry commander, so he could not be compared with him. Logically speaking, he should have given Cao Chong a tribute first, so how could Cao Chong give him a tribute first?

"Young Master killed Zhang."

"My father asked the boy to greet Mr. Derong. How are you doing recently?"

"Okay, okay, Zhang Ji thanks Lord Sikong." Zhang Ji smiled and greeted him. He was so embarrassed that he went: "Young Master, please get in the car, let's go back together, Lord Zhong is waiting for you."

Zhong Yao and Zhong Yuanchang, the head of the Zhong family of Yingchuan clan, are 58 years old this year. They are tall and strong, with a round face and long beard. Perhaps because of the years of leading troops to guard Guanzhong, he naturally had a murderous aura on his body, and he was not angry but powerful. He stood outside the gate of Chang'an City Mansion. Looking at the convoy coming surrounded by the Yulin Cavalry and Tiger Soldiers, he couldn't help but frown. When the convoy stopped, Cao Chong got out of the car and took the scepter from Zhou Buyi's hand. Then he strode forward to pay homage to Cao Chong.

Cao Chong's face was serious and stood still. It was not until Zhong Yao finished the ceremony and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Zhong, don't have to be too polite." He stepped forward and helped Zhong Yao up half a step.

Zhong Yao was unhappy, but he didn't say much. Although Cao Chong was young and his official position was not as good as him, he was now a servant and an envoy to the emperor, so it was not an exaggeration to accept him as a worshiper. But for some reason, Zhong Yao was a little disgusted with Cao Chong and always felt something was wrong. He stood up straight, put a very standard smile on his face, and turned sideways to let Cao Chong into the mansion and enter the main hall. He was about to sit down. Cao Chong stopped him.

"Sir Zhong, wait."

Zhong Yao couldn't help but feel a little unhappy: "Sir, this?"

Cao Chong handed the scepter in his hand to Zhou Buyi, then tidied up his clothes, and then knelt down in front of Zhong Yao for a big greeting: "Just just now, the boy was a minister of the emperor, so he was worshipped by the great master. The official duties have been done. Now it is time for him to greet Lord Zhong and send his father a greeting to Lord Zhong."

Zhong Yao's face suddenly eased, and his mood suddenly improved a lot. Coupled with Cao Gong's greetings to him, the wrinkles on his face were smoothed out. He quickly stepped forward and mixed Cao Chong, looked up and down and smiled, "Young Master Cao has such a son, so please comfort me all your life."

Cao Chong smiled. He knew that this worship had made Zhong Yao feel a little more comfortable. In fact, Cao Cao did not ask him to bring any greetings. Zhou Buyi told him halfway through that Zhong Yao had invested a lot of money on Cao Pi. Now that he saw Cao Chong taking on such a big thing, he would definitely guess Cao Cao's thoughts. For him, if Cao Chong really set up, then all the capital of his Zhong family in Cao Pi would be thrown into the water, and he might be implicated because of this, that would be a loss of rice.

In addition to the dispute between legitimate and illegitimate, Zhong Yao had been in charge of Guanzhong for many years, but he had many achievements in guarding and limited military achievements. Apart from the battle of Bingzhou in the ninth year of Jian'an, he had never fought any major battles. For him, if Cao Chong came to Guanzhong and successfully recruited Ma Teng, it would be like poaching a large piece of his credit, and it would not be beneficial to him, both from public and private perspectives.

Therefore, Cao Chong had to deal with the actual master of Guanzhong. Zhou Buyi did not say the words in his stomach, but Cao Chong guessed that at this critical moment, it was necessary to properly judge a gentleman's abdomen by his villain's heart, even if the person on the other side was his former idol.

It is precisely because of this that Cao Chong spent enough money on etiquette and scheming. He first used his identity as an envoy to arouse Zhong Yao's dissatisfaction, and then followed his hair, suppressed it first and then raised it, which immediately relieved Zhong Yao's preventiveness and broke the wall he had built invisibly to himself, and then he could enter the house without asking for any help from him, at least he could not make trouble behind his back.

While Zhong Yao was in a good mood, Cao Chong struck while the iron was hot, took a roll of hand scroll from Dian Man's hand behind him, respectfully handed it to Zhong Yao, and said loudly: "I came in a hurry and could not bring a gift. I could only doodle a scroll. I asked Master Zhong, who had the title of the book, to correct it with his eyes. The boy was frightened."

Zhong Yao took over the hand scroll and was first attracted by Cao Chong's carefully designed binding. He glanced at the hand scroll made of solemn silk, and couldn't wait to open the jade bitch on the hand scroll, spread it in the hand scroll. When he saw Cao Chong's carefully written pirated Lanting Preface, he praised: "Your Mai Cai, Yao has no point in touching you, so ashamed."

"Where is it, Master Zhong is well-educated in hundreds of schools of thought, and his calligraphy skills are even more famous. In front of the adults, he is just an ignorant boy. This is the preface to the collection of essays by brothers from Shangsijie. The boy wrote it, and I will ask the adults to take a look. If the adults can use a giant pen like a rafter, they will definitely turn decay into magic and add glory to the collection."
Chapter completed!