Friendship

In history, although Yuan Xi served as the governor of You Province, he ultimately met a gruesome end—decapitated—caught in the crossfire of the infighting between his brothers Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan, and the encircling forces of Cao Cao. He died in Liaodong, and his wife, Zhen Mi, was snatched away by Cao Pi. He was unwilling to accept such a fate.

Would he really walk that path to the executioner's block again? No! To hell with Cao Cao and Liu Bei. Since he had arrived in this late Han era, he still possessed the blood of a man. Even if it meant becoming ruthless, cold-hearted, and steeped in political intrigue, he would ensure he could sleep with a beauty in his arms and wake to hold the power of the world in his hands. Only then would this journey be worthwhile. In these chaotic times, a great man should brandish his sword, achieve unparalleled merit, establish an imperial legacy, and usher in eternal peace. Anything less would make his life meaningless. If he didn't, what would be the point of his transmigration? He might as well just give up.

Fortunately, in his previous life, he had studied literature. In this era, the scholar-gentry were highly regarded. He had read a few historical documents and masterpieces, and the calligraphy styles of later eras, such as Regular Script, were enough to set a new trend. Of course, he had played plenty of Three Kingdoms video games. While they offered little practical help, his continuous efforts over the years had nudged history slightly off its predetermined track, so his labor had not been entirely in vain.

Since he was a humanities student, he presented himself as a scholar. By flaunting his poems, prose, and calligraphy, he earned the reputation of a gifted talent. Furthermore, thanks to Yuan Xi’s merit in presenting tea, his father, Yuan Shao, recommended him for the position of Filial and Incorrupt, and with his status as a companion to the imperial princes, he gained significant recognition among the literati. His fame was rising rapidly.

Looking at Cao Ang, Yuan Xi felt a surge of triumphant satisfaction. Standing behind him was that hulking, formidable figure—Xu Chu, one of the three great bodyguards of the Three Kingdoms era, a fierce warrior with a combat rating of 97+. While he might not be able to recruit other famous generals or scholars, tricking Xu Chu into his service had not been difficult. He had sent a servant to Qiao County in Chen State to inquire, and sure enough, he found Xu Chu, who was already well-known locally. The man possessed natural, god-like strength and had been trained by masters; his martial arts were naturally exceptional. However, Xu Chu had no interest in farming and preferred the life of a wandering knight. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he had led his clan to repel the rebels, but once the rebellion was quelled, he found himself idle. When Yuan Xi’s servant arrived and invited him to Luoyang to serve as a guest retainer, Xu Chu accepted.

Xu Chu and his family were not looking at Yuan Xi the playboy, but at the power and influence behind him—the Yuan family. But that didn't matter; obtaining Xu Chu was what counted. With money and respectful treatment, Xu Chu officially became his attendant. With wine and meat provided, and spending his days following Yuan Xi on hunts and rides, he found life quite comfortable.

At least, that was what Xu Chu thought. Besides, following Young Master Yuan meant there were fights to be had, which was more exciting than life back home, especially since the imperial capital was full of trouble. Thinking of this, Yuan Xi felt relieved. With one of the three great bodyguards by his side, his life now had an extra layer of security.

Cao Ang, unaware of Yuan Xi’s thoughts, saw him staring blankly and assumed he was pondering his words. Cao Ang continued to persuade him, "Xianyi, you don't need to worry. I believe Commander Yuan and my father have already devised a plan. I suspect there will be action soon. If we could only join together to purge the treacherous officials, how wonderful that would be!"

Cao Ang was also a passionate young man from a noble family, and having been influenced by his father Cao Cao’s actions, he naturally harbored such thoughts. The early Cao Cao had been quite passionate as well, a young man who genuinely wanted to protect the Han Dynasty. Like Sima Yi, they did not start with grand ambitions; rather, their power grew so vast that they could no longer turn back. Even if they wanted to stop, others would push them forward. In the world of politics, one is often not the master of one's own fate.

Hearing this, Yuan Xi inwardly sneered. Three generations ago, your Cao family were nothing but "eunuchs"—how could you even be mentioned in the same breath as my Yuan family? It was laughable. However, he could not show this openly. Since becoming the second son of the Yuan family, he had never felt any affection for the Cao family, but their masks had not yet been torn off.

"Ah, I have the same intention." He had to keep up appearances, and at this moment, the relationship between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao was still good. This was not about personal feelings, but political positioning. They would be enemies on the battlefield in the future, but in private, they could still maintain a facade of camaraderie. This was the basic skill of a politician. Just like Cao Cao, who had the urge to kill Liu Bei but still sat down with him to discuss heroes over wine.

Cao Ang continued, "By the way, Xianyi, my father praised you again, saying that your recent work, 'The Imperial Capital,' was concise, direct, and magnificent in spirit." Yuan Xi silently apologized; that piece was plagiarized from Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin, but in the Eastern Han, it was considered a masterpiece.

"Uncle Cao is too kind," Yuan Xi said with feigned humility.

Cao Ang said sincerely, "I don't care for poetry; I prefer riding and archery, but my father rarely praises a junior. Who in the world doesn't know of you, the talented Yuan?" He then added with a mischievous grin, "Someone recently compiled an anthology of your poems. I’ve heard that every noble lady in Luoyang now carries a copy. It’s truly enviable, don't you think?"

"Uh, is that so?" Yuan Xi felt a slight flush of embarrassment. Gao Yue had nagged him about it more than once. It was done under his direction to raise his prestige among the scholars of the world. In order to survive, he had to use every means at his disposal.

To achieve great things, one must first have prestige. To defeat the likes of Cao Cao, he had to become darker, more adept at political maneuvering, and better at winning hearts. This was all about building his influence; to contend for the world, he needed all of it.

Soon, Cao Ang suggested going outside the city to ride his new horse. They settled the bill with the restaurant owner and headed downstairs. Cao Ang’s attendants and Xu Chu brought their horses. Yuan Xi looked at the horse Cao Ang was so proud of; it was a deep, mugwort-green color, tall and well-proportioned—indeed, a fine horse from Xiliang. Yuan Xi thought to himself, *When will I have one of my own?* He had studied the art of evaluating horses and could see that while it was a fine animal, it was not yet a trained warhorse. It seemed Cao Ang wanted to train it into a warhorse himself, as that was a feat worthy of boasting for a young noble of his status.

In the cold January wind of Luoyang, they led their horses from Zhuque Avenue toward the outskirts of the city. They had raced horses here before; back then, Sun Ce had not yet left, and that time, Huangfu Li had won.

***

Zhang Liao, courtesy name Wenyuan, rose to the rank of General Who Conquers the North. He originally served under Ding Yuan, but after Lu Bu’s betrayal and following a warning from Yuan Xi, he defected to the Yuan family. Later, he followed Yuan Shao to punish Dong Zhuo and gained merit at the Battle of Jieqiao. Afterward, he was seconded to Yuan Xi’s command to campaign in Qing Province, rescue Xu Province, and strike north at You Province. After Yuan Xi took control of the North, Zhang Liao accompanied Emperor Xuanwu in his campaign against the Wuhuan and achieved brilliant military success during the wars of unification. He was a master of cavalry warfare and the foremost of the three great cavalry generals. After the decisive battle in the northern deserts, he achieved a great victory, but unfortunately, he contracted typhoid fever and passed away on the journey home. Emperor Xuanwu once said, "Who dares to stand firm with sword and horse? Only my Great General Zhang." He was later enshrined as one of the heroes of the Lingxiao Pavilion by Emperor Ming of Jin. His lightning strike against the Wuhuan is recorded in history as "Zhang Liao’s Single Horse Trampling the Wuhuan."