"Hmm… 'My bow is excellent but useless'… Hiss…" An elderly man with graying hair stroked his beard and murmured thoughtfully.
Cui Hou, standing respectfully, said, "Yes, Father. I saw this book on that kid's desk. He must read it often, but when he showed me around, he only pointed out the classics and historical texts, deliberately avoiding this one. There must be something fishy. I didn't want to arouse his suspicion, so I left early. But I can't recall where this sentence comes from."
The old man, Cui Hou's father, Cui Yi, tilted his head back, squinting his eyes in silence for a long time before finally speaking. "It seems sending you to probe him was the right move. That boy definitely has secrets. It's not your fault you don't recognize this book. It's not among the classics or histories. I suspect this sentence comes from…"
Cui Yi suddenly opened his eyes, but his voice dropped to a whisper, as if afraid someone might overhear. "…Hu Feizi…"
"Oh! Ah!" Cui Hou was shocked. "…Hu Feizi? Are you saying that kid has obtained—"
"Silence!" Cui Yi glared at him.
Realizing his mistake, Cui Hou quickly lowered his voice. "So, Father, your suspicion might be true?"
Cui Yi nodded. "It's said that Hu Feizi was skilled in crafting and left behind the 'Five Courageous Acts,' 'Seven Crafts,' and 'Eighteen Techniques,' but most of them have been lost… That boy's family is of modest means, yet he suddenly produced such exquisite treasures. His claim that they're family heirlooms is likely a cover… Liuli is fragile and difficult to carve, yet the patterns on his beads are seamless, with no trace of tools…"
"I suspect there's an eighty to ninety percent chance that boy has obtained Hu Feizi's secret techniques… In a few days, invite him to our estate. I'll test him further. If it's true, we'll have to… hmph. Also, arrange for a few skilled men to search his house when he's not around. Be careful not to let him notice."
"Father, what exactly should we look for?" Cui Hou still didn't fully understand.
Cui Yi sighed in exasperation. How could his son be so dense? But since he was his own flesh and blood, he patiently explained, "…To craft such items, he must have tools! Search for anything unusual, especially in hidden places—understand?"
"Yes, Father!"
Meanwhile, in another grand and luxurious mansion in the city, another elderly man in fine robes was scolding his child, though this one was far less patient.
"Fool! Fool!"
The old man was furious, slamming his cane on the ground. All the servants in the hall immediately knelt and prostrated themselves, not daring to move or even look up.
The "fool" in question, Yuan Shao, quickly knelt as well, crawling forward a few steps and kowtowing. "Uncle, please calm your anger! Uncle, please calm your anger!"
The servants inside and outside the hall also kowtowed in unison. "Grand Tutor, please calm your anger! Grand Tutor, please calm your anger!"
For a moment, the entire mansion fell silent. Everyone trembled in fear, not daring to make a sound.
The only sound was the heavy breathing of the Grand Tutor, Yuan Wei.
"…Cao Aman! Cao Aman's words! Are you a Yuan or a Cao? If Cao Aman told you to eat dung, would you do it?!"
This was a truly cutting remark. Yuan Shao, terrified, repeatedly kowtowed on the ground. "I wouldn't dare! I've committed a grave mistake!"
Yuan Wei's breathing gradually calmed, and he dismissed the servants with a wave of his hand. Once they were alone, he said in a low voice, "'Just hand them over to a prison officer'—what nonsense!… How did that butcher react to this idea?"
"Grand General He… He seemed somewhat tempted…"
"Good, good, good!" Yuan Wei sneered, glaring at the kneeling Yuan Shao. "And did you speak up at the time?"
Yuan Shao trembled. Even without looking up, he could feel his uncle's piercing gaze. He replied in a low voice, "…I… I didn't speak up…"
"Fool! Idiot! What use are you?!" Yuan Wei flew into a rage again, striking Yuan Shao's back with his cane.
Yuan Shao didn't dare dodge, gritting his teeth and enduring the blows while continuing to plead, "I'm a fool, I've committed a grave mistake! Uncle, please calm your anger…"
Yuan Wei, being elderly, soon tired himself out. He cursed, "That brat ruined everything!" Though he no longer had the strength to beat Yuan Shao, he was still fuming. He kicked Yuan Shao to the side. "You always boast about your intelligence, yet you couldn't even see through such a simple trick?"
Yuan Shao quickly scrambled back to his knees, not daring to make a sound.
"Go and tell that butcher not to forget the lesson of Dou Wu! Indecision will only bring harm!"
"Yes, Uncle!" Yuan Shao hurriedly got up, not daring to raise his head, and backed out of the room like a servant before turning to leave.
In his haste, he nearly collided with a servant at the courtyard gate. Filled with pent-up frustration, Yuan Shao didn't think twice before kicking the unfortunate servant to the ground and storming off.
This scene was witnessed by a young man in fine robes who had emerged from behind a screen in the hall. He chuckled softly. "Only knows how to bully servants…"
The young man, Yuan Shu, walked up to Yuan Wei and bowed. "Uncle."
Yuan Wei nodded, gesturing for Yuan Shu to sit. "Shu'er, what do you think of this matter?"
Yuan Shu straightened his robes and sat gracefully. "This is nothing but Cao Aman's delaying tactic. After all, Cao Aman is a Cao!" Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, was the adopted son of the great eunuch Cao Teng, who had served four emperors and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Feiting! A eunuch marquis! This was a slap in the face to the Yuan family, who prided themselves on being part of the scholarly elite.
Yuan Shu's meaning was clear: Cao Cao, coming from a eunuch family, couldn't possibly be sincere in his efforts to eliminate the eunuchs.
Yuan Wei nodded slightly, a hint of satisfaction on his face. "Shu'er, your words align with my thoughts. It's easy to arrest a eunuch, but without the emperor's decree, who can issue such an order?"
For the cause of eliminating the eunuchs, Cao Cao's suggestion was a terrible idea. The eunuchs were the ones closest to the emperor. Who could directly order their arrest and execution? Only the emperor. But the current emperor, Liu Bian, was young and only listened to Empress Dowager He. And Empress Dowager He owed her position largely to the eunuchs. How could she possibly order their execution?
When He Jin killed Jian Shuo, it was under the pretext that Jian Shuo had forged an edict and defied Emperor Ling's final wishes. That at least had some moral justification. But now, openly calling for the execution of all powerful eunuchs without cause—how could a mere prison officer accomplish that?
"Uncle, you're absolutely right. Cao Aman is simply afraid that eliminating all the eunuchs will destroy his foundation. It's a pity my elder brother couldn't see through this…"
"That useless bastard, don't mention him!"
"Yes, Uncle." Yuan Shu agreed, then smiled. "Uncle, I happened to acquire a treasure in the market a few days ago. I've brought it to present to you."
Yuan Wei waved his hand, finally showing a hint of a smile. "What treasure? You should keep it for yourself. I don't lack for anything. Your thoughtfulness is enough."
"Then Uncle, you mustn't disappoint my heartfelt gesture!" Yuan Shu said with a grin, then turned and called out to the servants outside. "Bring in what I've brought!"
Meanwhile, Yuan Shao sat in his carriage, growing angrier the more he thought about it. He slammed his fist against the carriage wall, startling the driver, who quickly stopped to check on him.
Yuan Shao gruffly told the driver to keep going, but his mind was in turmoil.
Of course, I know whether Cao Aman's idea is good or bad, but what good would it do me to expose it?
Cao Aman is right—killing a eunuch only requires a prison officer, but to kill all the eunuchs? Who has the authority to order their arrest and execution? Only the emperor. But will the emperor issue such an order? The emperor is still young and only listens to Empress Dowager He, who owes her position to the eunuchs. How could she possibly order their execution?
Moreover, even if all the current eunuchs are eliminated, won't there be new ones in power tomorrow? They talk about acting for the sake of the nation, but it's all for personal gain! It's just that the old man was humiliated by Zhang Rang and the others before, and now that he's in power, he won't let it go!
Although Jian Shuo, the Commandant of the Western Garden's Eight Commandants, has been executed, the eunuchs have been entrenched for years, with countless disciples and allies. Eliminating them all would undoubtedly cause chaos. That's why the old man summoned Dong Zhuo from the west—to balance the scales and guard against unforeseen events.
Yuan Shao sighed deeply. Cao Aman, this time I can't help you. It seems the old man is determined to fight the eunuchs to the death.
For Yuan Shao, the desire to eliminate the eunuchs paled in comparison to his desire to benefit himself. He hadn't experienced the eunuchs' persecution during the Partisan Prohibitions, so he didn't share his uncle's deep-seated hatred for them.
Yuan Shao's life at home was far from as glorious as it appeared on the surface. Though he bore the title of eldest son and grandson, in reality, he was still a shuzi, a son born to a concubine. The true favorite was his younger brother, Yuan Shu, the dizi, the son born to the main wife.
Yuan Shao was given all the dirty and difficult tasks but received little in return. The Yuan family, with its lofty self-regard, disdained associating too closely with He Jin, who came from a butcher's background, fearing it would tarnish their reputation as part of the scholarly elite. Yet when they needed He Jin's cooperation, they sent Yuan Shao to serve him, while keeping the favored Yuan Shu by their side.
At home, Yuan Shao rarely felt the warmth of family. The only semblance of friendship he experienced came from Cao Aman (Cao Cao). This was one reason he hadn't exposed Cao Cao's plan.
The killing of Jian Shuo, the support for Liu Xie's ascension, and the summoning of Dong Zhuo to the capital—all of these bore the fingerprints of the Yuan family and other scholarly elites. Yuan Shao was merely a puppet pushed forward by these forces.
But since these ideas had ostensibly come from him, if anything went wrong, the blame would fall squarely on his shoulders.
Yuan Shao knew this all too well, but he had no choice. He didn't even have the right to refuse. If he hadn't been pushed forward as a puppet, he wouldn't even have the right to enjoy the Yuan family's prestigious reputation.
Such was the sorrow of being a shuzi.
But even so, what could he do?
Yuan Shao clenched his fists, his face twisted with determination. In his heart, he roared—
I, Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu, will seize every opportunity to rise, to climb higher!
I, Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu, will break free from this cage and carve out my own domain!
I, Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu, will make the world know my name! I will make those who have wronged me, those who have humiliated me, and this entire world bow at my feet!