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Grand Tutor Yuan Wei sat alone in the hall, a half-finished game of Go laid out before him. He had been playing this game for a long time—ever since the day Yuan Shao left Luoyang. He had moved the pieces slowly, methodically, and even now, the game remained unresolved.
But the endgame was near.
This winter seemed particularly harsh. Though Yuan Wei had ordered servants to light braziers in the hall, the cold still seeped in from all sides, creeping up from the floor until his feet grew numb.
Ah…
I've grown old.
The Yuan family could contend with the great clans of the realm, with the ministers of the court, even with the emperors who sat upon the throne. But the one thing they could never defy was time.
The Book of Songs said: "With yellowed hair and hunched back, one must rely on others for support." Of course, Yuan Wei wished to live to such an age—but by then, he would be feeble and slow. What use would ambition be then?
If only he were ten years younger—no, even five would suffice—he would never have stayed in Luoyang this time.
Not that remaining in the capital posed any great danger to him personally. There were risks, certainly, but Yuan Wei refused to believe that crude warlord from Xiliang would dare defy the will of Heaven. After all, Dong Zhuo owed his rise to the Yuan family's patronage.
Moreover, had it not been for the Yuan family's counsel to General-in-Chief He Jin, would Dong Zhuo have ever set foot in Luoyang to seize power? And now that he sought to stabilize the court, could he truly afford to alienate the Yuan family?
The Yuan family was, after all, Four Generations of Three Excellencies—the foremost aristocratic clan in the land!
Yuan Wei picked up a Go piece and placed it deliberately on the board.
Ever since Yuan Shao had left Luoyang in protest, Yuan Wei had been pondering the state of the court. And then, like spring weeds sprouting uncontrollably, an idea had taken root in his mind.
How could a lowly, unrefined warlord dictate court affairs?
Just because he commands a few troops?
Hah! This Han dynasty…
The imperial Liu clan was weak and incompetent, while its collateral branches brimmed with ambition.
Take Liu Yan, for instance. Originally, he was to be appointed Governor of Jiaozhou. But when he saw an opportunity in Yi Province, he quickly changed his destination. Over the past two years, rumors had it that he was colluding with the Five Pecks of Rice sect, even claiming that the "Rice Bandits" of Hanzhong were causing unrest to justify cutting off communication…
Then there was Liu Biao, a descendant of Prince Gong of Lu, who now served as Governor of Jing Province. He was no better than Liu Yan. One had requested an external posting to govern Yi Province, while the other had traded his position as Commandant of the Northern Army for the title of Governor of Jing Province under that warlord's patronage.
Such were the imperial clansmen!
They abandoned the central court without a second thought, yet scrambled for military authority in the provinces.
To think that descendants of Prince Gong of Lu could be so base. One wondered whether the Liu family should rejoice or lament. Did they truly believe the empire would forever bear their surname?
Yuan Wei studied the Go board, where white pieces dominated most of the territory. A sneer curled his lips. Even if those two Liu scions secured Yi and Jing Provinces, what of it? At best, they would carve out a petty kingdom.
For now, Yuan Wei was more concerned with whether his two nephews could properly execute their tasks.
One in the south, one in the north. One civil, one military.
This was the plan Yuan Wei had secretly devised for Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.
In truth, Yuan Wei had once been fond of Yuan Shao. As a child, the boy had been bright and clever. But as he grew older and began associating with wandering knights and bravos, ignoring Yuan Wei's admonitions, Yuan Wei's affection had soured into disdain.
Yet no matter how much he disliked Yuan Shao, the man was still a direct descendant of the Yuan family. That was why Yuan Wei had sent Yuan Yi to assist him—a gesture to show that blood ties mattered. Whatever grievances existed could be settled later. For now, they had to stand united.
Yuan Wei's orders to Yuan Shao were clear: Recruit renowned scholars from Ji, Yu, and Yan Provinces to lay the groundwork for the future…
Of course, Yuan Wei favored Yuan Shu more. That was why he had allowed Yuan Shu to retain his prestigious title of General of the Rear, while Yuan Shao had only been granted a governorship and the minor Marquisate of Kangxiang.
Given the current situation, civil governance alone was insufficient. The Yellow Turban Rebellion had only recently been suppressed, and the rise of the Xiliang warlord had proven the critical importance of military power. Thus, Yuan Wei's directive to Yuan Shu was simple: Seize military authority. Recruit more soldiers.
Yet progress on both fronts had been sluggish.
Yuan Wei was not overly concerned about the risks of remaining in Luoyang. But once a scheme was set in motion, the sooner it bore fruit, the better. Delays bred complications. What if another prodigy like Liu Xiu emerged, turning all their efforts into a dowry for another's triumph?
As for Dong Zhuo, Yuan Wei saw him as a warlord who sought to emulate Wang Mang but lacked the finesse.
Dong Zhuo's governance of Xiliang had been commendable in both civil and military affairs. But what did it matter?
Even if Dong Zhuo turned Xiliang into a paradise, it was still just one province. How could it compare to the Yuan family's network of disciples and protégés spanning the empire?
Recently, Li Ru had sent men to loot the tombs at Mount Mang, using the dead's wealth to buy grain and stabilize prices. To Yuan Wei, this was no different from Wang Mang's so-called "relief for the poor." Grain prices might have dipped slightly, but was this a true solution?
And even if the common rabble of Luoyang sang Dong Zhuo's praises, what of it? Had Wang Mang not also won the people's acclaim? Yet what good had that done him when blades were drawn?
This empire belonged to the aristocratic clans. It could only ever belong to the aristocratic clans.
Since the Liu family had decayed to this extent, they had no right to complain of others' disloyalty.
Now, Yuan Shao in the north was gathering scholars to construct a framework of aristocratic rule. Yuan Shu in the south was amassing soldiers to forge the Yuan family's private army. Yuan Ji remained in Luoyang, coordinating with court officials. And Yuan Wei himself lurked in the shadows, orchestrating it all, maximizing the Yuan family's advantages.
Only one step remained.
The surname Yuan traced its lineage to the Yellow Emperor, Xuanyuan.
The Xuanyuan clan, also known as the Xuanyuan-Yuan, descended from Shaodian. Skilled in crafting great chariots, they traveled the land, hence their name. Their ancestral home was called Xuanyuan Hill, named after the Yellow Emperor. When Xuanyuan rose against Emperor Yan, his chariots formed mobile encampments, a tactic later known as xingyuan (traveling encampments). The Xuanyuan clan's original capital was at the Ruins of Youxiong (modern Zhengzhou or Kaifeng). The settlements where they dwelled bore names derived from yuan (chariot shafts), later becoming known as Yuan settlements. After Xuanyuan's victory over Emperor Yan, he ascended as the Yellow Emperor. His descendants took their settlements as their surname, passing it down through generations as Yuan.
In terms of bloodline, the Yuan family was no less noble than the Liu.
Yuan Wei placed another piece on the board, abruptly creating a ko—a life-and-death struggle. If he won this battle, the black dragon would shatter beyond recovery.