It was March 6th. The house was quiet as Guo Jia stepped indoors. Pitch black and silent. Guo Yi must have been in bed by now; it was 1 in the morning judging by the position of the moon and the shadow it cast on the sundial outside by the door.
Jia gave his eyes a minute to adjust to the darkness; unable to light a candle at the moment. Kai was still sleeping in his arms and Jia had to admit, he enjoyed every second of holding him.
Seeing his home a bit better; the Wei strategist walked straight ahead, stepping over the small wooden table in the centre of the hallway.
Pushing the double oak doors aside; he took a left and opened another set of doors. The feel of the soft mat beneath his feet put a smile on his face, he was in his bedroom.
"Just for the moment Kai, until I can find a bed for you, you can sleep with me." Guo Jia ever so carefully placed Kai at the foot of his bed. Moving to the opposite side of the room; Jia lit a candle using a burning lantern outside of his bedroom window and opened his closet, taking out an extra blanket for Kai and him to sleep on. He'd hate for his new son to be sleeping on an uncomfortable bed.
Turning around with two spare blankets in hand; Jia cursed himself under his breath as he realised he would have to move Kai to make the bed. Risking waking the young baby up, Jia picked him up with due care and only for the moment, placed the newborn on the floor.
Setting the blankets in place and making the bed softer for the infant, the father picked him up and placed him in the centre of the bed. Breathing a sigh of relief; he sat down on the bed next to Kai and began to undress. With his black and blue jacket off; he examined his chest. Numerous bruises covered his torso. Placing his finger across one; he let out a small yelp of pain but he was sure they would all heal quickly. With his night clothes on; Jia made his way to his personal bathroom. He let out a small giggle as his bare feet touched the cold wooden floor "I never get used to that." he whispered.
Finished with washing himself, he left the bathroom to find that Kai was moving in his sleep. Jia had always wondered what babies; especially newborns dreamt about. What did their little minds come up with? Did they have nightmares? He liked to think that newborns dreamt of the future. He could watch Kai sleep all night and quite frankly; he found the thought tempting. But all the dancing and wine had taken its toll on him. Guo Jia was feeling sleepy. Blowing out the candle, he curled around Kai; absolutely certain that he would not crush the newborn. Laying on his side with the baby resting against his stomach; he couldn't help but take one last look at Kai before closing his eyes.
'I wonder...What kind of person you will grow up to be? What ambitions will you have? What kind of women will you attract little man? It's a hard world out there...But I'll make sure you have a place in it Kai.' he thought to himself as he fell asleep.
The serene songs of the birds outside were the first sounds that entered Guo Jia's ears as he woke up.
"Got a big day ahead of m-" Looking down at the spot where Kai was, Jia's heart stopped and his chest clammed up as he saw that Kai was not there! Rising to his feet in a flash and panic; he looked all over his room in case Kai had fallen off the bed. Grabbing his head in fear, he instinctively called out his name "Kai!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs. Opening the door to the lounge; Jia's heartbeat returned to normal and he breathed a deep sigh of relief as he saw that his son was indeed safe and in the arms of
"Lord Cao Cao…"
The stalwart figure looked up and smiled before nodding at the strategist "Morning Guo Jia. My apologies, I didn't mean to frighten you." Cao Cao was sat down on the chair next to the window with Xiang Kai in his arms and Guo Yi by his feet on the floor; cross-legged.
Still breathing heavily and clutching his chest, Jia laughed rather than get angry "It's quite alright my lord. If you don't mind me asking, how did you get in?"
"Yi let me in when I knocked."
"Aaah I see. Well it was certainly a good way to get me up for the day ahead." Jia laughed off the embarrassment of looking horrified a few minutes ago.
"No need to save face my friend. I too would be scared if my child had gone missing." Cao explained as he let Kai play with his thumb
"So tell me, last time me and Bianshi came here; there was only you and Yi...And now a newborn baby has appeared within your home. Did your love for women cloud your judgement a good few months ago perhaps?" Cao teased
"It's a long story my lord…"
"Good. Long stories can sometimes be the best. Besides, its 9 in the morning. We have time."
Guo Jia made him and Cao Cao a small cup of warm tea and sat down opposite his lord. Guo Yi smiled at his father as he walked over to him.
"Good morning father!" he said as Jia ruffled his son's dark brown hair "Morning kiddo. Was you good for Lady Xujie?" Jia asked as he took a sip of tea.
"Yeah! Lady Xujie even taught me how to play Go! but...I think I forgot..."
The proud father laughed as he son looked at the ground sheepishly "Don't worry, i'm sure I you ask her nicely, she'll teach you again."
Lady Xujie was Guo Jia's current girlfriend. She was a rather silent type but she knew when to speak her mind and she always had something worthwhile to say. Before the battle of Guandu; Jia had asked her to look after Yi. With all of the other girlfriends that he had; he never really felt that 'connection' with them. Knowing deep down in his heart that they wouldn't last but this wasn't the same with Xujie. He wanted to help her come out of her heavily fortified shell and for second time in his life; he could see a life with her in future.
Or at least, he hoped so. Especially with a new baby around. He prayed to the heavens that she wouldn't misunderstand...
"Okay, I want to go play outside father! Can I take Kai with me?"
"Sorry son but Kai has to stay indoors for a little while. Okay?" Yi looked a little saddened at his father's response but his small frown curved back into a smile
"Oh okay. Well i'm gonna go in the garden." With that, Yi ran out of the back door and into the garden.
"He'll be starting school soon right?" Cao Cao asked as he handed Kai back to his new father.
"That's right Lord Cao Cao. Young man grows up faster and faster with each passing moment."
Cao Cao laughed and drank some more of his tea before laying it down on the wooden table between the two "Don't they all? So tell me. Where has this little bundle of joy come from?"
"Well...After I had left the palace. I was on my way home and I saw a woman lying in the alleyway a little east of here."
Cao nodded as he listened in on the story.
"She was bleeding rather heavily and...I didn't know what else to do." Jia's voice started to break as he recited what had happened the night before.
"She said...She said she had to cut herself. That the birth went wrong and she had to cut herself."
"What was her name?"
"Bai. Xiang Bai my lord."
"Xiang Bai...Could she perhaps have been a distant relative of the Xiang Lang of Liu Biao?"
"She said she had no next of kin my lord" Jia exclaimed as he stroked Kai's head; the newborn having a bit of light brown hair on his head; he almost looked blonde. Cooing as Guo Jia tickling his head; Kai waved his arms about.
"She asked me to take Kai here. To give him the life that she couldn't…" Merely talking about her made Jia feel glum.
Cao Cao stood up and placed his hand on his shoulder, smiling at him and his new son "I always knew you were a man of impulse Jia, but this takes everything you have done to a whole new level."
"I'll take that as a compliment my lord."
Cao bent down to get a closer look at Kai "So, your name is Xiang Kai? It's a nice name little one, you do well to honour it."
Jia laughed as his son blinked at the remark before letting out a small burp "I think that was his response my lord."
Cao joined in on the laughter "A cheeky one is he?"
Jia stood up with Kai nestled neatly in his left arm and passed him to Cao Cao "Let's go find cheeky here something to eat." He called Yi back into his home and told him to get ready to go. Retreating back to his bedroom to change, he closed the door and granted himself privacy. He breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down on his bed.
Thanking his lucky stars that it was Cao Cao who had Kai and not some stranger. The mere thought of a stranger invading his home and stealing Kai made his heart ache.
The trip to the shops was actually rather peaceful Jia thought. Everyone had come out to congratulate Cao Cao on his victory and offer him gifts as their thanks. Young boys pretended to fight with pretend swords. Young men offered their services in the general's army. Young women bowed and approached Guo Jia and complimented him on his good looks and astounding intelligence only to notice the newborn in his arms; wrapped snuggly in a thick tan blanket and began cooing at Kai.
The strategist truly had to fight the urge to use Kai as a tool to court the women and he was almost about lose; giving one lady in particular an alluring gaze from his light brown eyes had it not been for Cao Cao's insistence to get Kai something to drink. Snapping to his senses; he bid the ladies farewell and continued to the shops. 'Kai first. Women later...' he thought to himself with a devious smirk on his face.
Having brought the powder needed to synthesize the drink; Jia began to make his way home.
"Jia, I originally came this morning, to properly thank you for your efforts at Guandu. Had it not been for you, the results may have been different."
Chuckling with a baby in one hand and a small bag in the other, Guo Jia nodded "No need to thank me Lord Cao Cao, you are better than Yuan Shao in almost every way and as such, the results would have been the same with or without me there."
"Almost every way? In what way is Yuan Shao better than me?"
"Gloating my lord!"
Cao laughed as he held up his arm and waved goodbye "Have a safe journey home Guo Jia."
"You too Lord Cao Cao. Oh, before I forget, would you pop by Xujie's and ask her to come see me."
"Very well."
Stepping into their home; Yi proceeded to take his sandals off and followed his father into the kitchen. Laying Kai on the softer floor; the father poured the powder into a small ceramic bowl and added water from the bucket nearby. Mixing the components together; he looked back to see Yi playing with Kai. The scene warmed the cockles of Guo Jia's heart.
"Father, where do babies come from?" Yi questioned innocently; receiving a chuckle from his father.
"That's a story for another day my son!"
As he finished making the drink; he turned to Yi "Hold this son." and passed the bowl to his son. Picking up Kai and sitting down on the wooden chair next to the door, he laid the baby across his left arm with Kai's tiny feet by his hands. Motioning for Yi to pass him the bowl, he took it and held it to Kai's rather eager mouth. Steadily tilting the bowl towards the newborn, the drink flowed into the baby's mouth and he drank happily.
"Father…" Yi piped up as he watched Kai drink "Is Kai going to be my new brother?"
Looking at his eldest and then his new youngest, Jia grinned a toothy smile.
"Yes Yi, yes he is."
