Chapter 80

When Qin Feng brought Cao Yuan, Liu, and the others to the front of the Zhen family’s residence, he saw the main gate wide open, the streets sprinkled with clean water, and the paths padded with yellow sand. The servants and retainers were arranged in two fan-shaped rows.

He smiled slightly and dismounted. Zhen Yi, who had been peering out from the main gate, immediately ran out.

"Son-in-law, son-in-law. After so many days apart, I have missed you greatly..." Zhen Yi was extremely cordial. The surrounding servants and maids couldn't help but think about the last time they had tried to avoid him, a complete turnaround.

The three Zhen brothers bowed together and said, "Brother-in-law, we have missed you so much!"

"Wow~." Qin Feng feigned surprise, "In a blink, the bandit leader has become a son-in-law?"

Zhen Yi was very embarrassed and said, "Not at all, not at all. The son-in-law is a pillar of the state, a loyal and righteous man, how could he be a bandit leader?" He turned to look at the steward, Zhen Heng.

Zhen Heng hurriedly said, "What the master says is very true. A man like the son-in-law, with great talent and vision..." As he spoke, he waved his sleeves vigorously behind his back. The servants on both sides, seeing this, immediately knelt down, shouting in unison, "Welcome the son-in-law back to the residence."

Qin Feng's face twitched, thinking to himself that the world was truly degenerating, people were no longer as virtuous as in the past, and money was the ruler... However, at least his wives were pure.

Thus, Qin Feng began to introduce them, "This is the descendant of the Four Generations of Three Public Offices, the General of the Archers, General Yuan."

Zhen Yi and the others hurriedly bowed respectfully, "We have heard of General Yuan."

Qin Feng then introduced the next person, "This is the son of the Grand Administrator Cao, the General of the Cavalry, General Cao."

The Grand Administrator was later known as the Minister of Revenue, a position of great power. Zhen Yi and the others hurriedly bowed respectfully, "We have heard of General Cao."

At this point, Zhen Yi became even more impressed with Qin Feng, who had befriended these scions of noble families, his future achievements were boundless!

Zhen Yi then looked at Liu Bei, seeing that he had long arms and large ears, a strange appearance. He also saw the words "Imperial Auxiliary Army" written on Liu Bei's chest. He was educated and understood the meaning, thinking that Liu Bei must be someone close to the emperor. He said to Qin Feng, "Son-in-law, this general has a unique appearance, who is he?"

Cao Cao and Yuan Shao exchanged glances, and Cao Cao whispered, "There's nothing wrong with Brother Zijin's father-in-law except for his poor eyesight."

Yuan Shao laughed, "From the looks of it, Brother Zijin and his father-in-law have quite a story. Clearly, this Mr. Zhen has made a mistake in judgment."

Cao Cao stroked his beard, "Now that Brother Zijin is a high-ranking official of the court, it's no wonder this family is so happy."

While they were whispering, Qin Feng began to introduce Liu Bei, "This is the captain of the Imperial Auxiliary Army, who has raised local volunteers..."

Liu Bei was very embarrassed and hurriedly bowed, "Xuande greets Mr. Zhen."

Zhen Yi finally felt superior and stroked his beard, "Xuande, there's no need for such formalities. My son-in-law also started as a local volunteer, you should learn from him."

Liu Bei was even more embarrassed and repeatedly agreed.

Thus, Zhen Yi greeted Ma Rizheng and led Qin Feng and the others into the residence.

The entire Zhen family, over three hundred people, were mobilized. Wherever Qin Feng went, the servants knelt on the ground.

"Look at him, he went out for two months and became a general!"

"Indeed, a capable person is not afraid of humble origins, they will always rise to prominence."

"The ancients were not wrong."

Liu Bei, hearing this, felt the gap between himself and Qin Feng. They had the same background, so why was Qin Feng so much better? However, he was a person who never gave up, and the gap between them only further motivated him to strive harder.

In the hall, Qin Feng sat high, with Dian Wei and Xu Chu standing on either side. The Dragon Guards, led by Captain Zhang Ping, controlled the area. For a moment, the military presence was overwhelming. Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Liu Bei, and Ma Rizheng were all guests, while Zhen Yi and the others were merely accompanying guests.

After a short while, Zhen Yi became even more excited, constantly praising his foresight, "I always knew that Zijin would become a pillar of the state. Therefore, even if it meant bankrupting the family, I would support Zijin. Finally, heaven has rewarded my efforts, and Zijin has achieved great military feats for the court. I am very pleased to hear this."

Qin Feng smiled and thought to himself, "Father-in-law, don't boast here. If it weren't for the leverage I have on you, would you submit?" However, he wanted to give his wife face, so he said, "Qin Feng's success today is thanks to the support of my father-in-law."

Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Liu Bei, and Ma Rizheng all praised him.

Zhen Yi had a large family and a successful business, but his official rank was low, having only served as the magistrate of Shangcai, a ninth-rank official. Therefore, he felt his official career was not smooth, so he returned home to do business. This was his first time interacting with nobles like Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, and being praised, he was overjoyed, constantly boasting about his good son-in-law.

Qin Feng, seeing this, knew that the marriage was a done deal, so he did not mention the marriage contract for the time being.

At this moment, two figures appeared at the hall entrance. Qin Feng looked and saw his long-missed wife, the sisters Zhen Jiang and Zhen Mi.

Zhen Jiang and Zhen Mi, upon hearing that Qin Feng had arrived, could not contain their longing and came forward. However, seeing too many unfamiliar people in the hall, they felt embarrassed and just smiled at Qin Feng before quickly leaving.

A smile left a lasting impression, and Qin Feng was overjoyed. He wanted to get up and chase after them, but considering that Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Liu Bei were present, he thought, "My wife won't run away, I'll sneak into her room tonight."

Although the beautiful figures disappeared in a flash, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Liu Bei were already dumbfounded, thinking to themselves, "There are truly such beautiful women in the world, now I understand why the beacon fire could cause the downfall of a nation!"

"Oh, oh..." Cao Cao didn't dare to express his true thoughts, thinking, "Compared to her, my wife is truly a poor match. This Qin Zijin, what good luck. No wonder, even in hard times, he joined the army to fight the enemy, it was worth it to marry a wife..."

Yuan Shao nodded vigorously in agreement.

However, if they knew that the most beautiful one among them would later become their daughter-in-law, but was now taken by Qin Feng, they would certainly have the urge to strangle him.

Liu Bei slapped his forehead, "Compared to Qin Zijin, my life has been a waste." He thought again, "Qin Feng has Dian Wei and Xu Chu, I have Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Qin Feng has the Xian Army, I have the Imperial Auxiliary Army. Why, why is my fate not as good as his?"

It was noon, and just as Zhen Yi ordered a grand feast to be prepared, the steward Zhen Heng walked in, looking hesitant, and said, "General Qin, many civilians have come to see you outside."

Qin Feng was taken aback and asked, "What do the civilians want from me?"

Zhen Heng immediately said, "The civilians are crying out for justice, they are asking the general to uphold the law."

Qin Feng looked at Ma Rizheng, who immediately became embarrassed. He quickly stood up and said, "I will go and see what's happening."

However, Qin Feng had a thought. To dominate the world, reputation was the most important. Especially during the Yellow Turban Rebellion at the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, most of the famous ministers and generals were in the wild. In the future, the one with the greatest reputation would attract the most talented people. Qin Feng could not miss any opportunity to enhance his reputation, so he said, "Since that's the case, bring a few civilians over, I will personally ask them."

Ma Rizheng, although a local official, did not dare to refuse Qin Feng's face, so he sat down and waited.

After a short while, three elderly men walked in. When they saw Qin Feng, they shed tears.