The Life of the Party

In the year 189, within the Yuan family residence in Luoyang.

"Is this really going to work? Wugou, is this truly what you think?" Yuan Xi still felt uncertain, worried about potential complications.

"You are as stubborn as rotting wood! Just think: if Yue'er didn't care for you, would she have specifically come out to see you before the Wei family arrived? You blockhead!" Gao Rou was one step away from pointing at Yuan Xi's nose and berating him.

"Ah, I didn't think of that at the time. Many thanks for your guidance, brother." Suddenly, Yuan Xi’s mind felt clear and enlightened.

"Right, I’m leaving now. No need to see me out." With that, Gao Rou stood up.

Although Gao Rou was willing to have Yuan Xi marry his sister, Gao Yue, he did not want her to become a concubine. After all, her status as the daughter of a political rival paled in comparison to the renowned Cai Yan. Because of this, he had put a great deal of effort into the matter of his sister.

There was no such thing as a situation maturing naturally; most things were carefully premeditated. It was fortunate that Cai Yong had offended the eunuchs and was forced to flee, taking Cai Yan with him. Otherwise, his sister would have faced a truly formidable rival. Whether she could become the principal wife depended entirely on how much Yuan Xi loved her. Sister, this is all your big brother can do for you.

Due to his status, Gao Rou felt a lack of confidence and leverage when facing the Yuan family, who had held high office for four generations, even if they were relatives. Testing Yuan Xi this way was, in a sense, a way to leave himself an escape route. The Gao family truly wanted the benefits of a respectable reputation while acting in ways that contradicted it.

...

Yuan Xi and his inseparable companion, Yang Xiu, were wandering along Zhuque Avenue.

Suddenly, Yang Xiu spoke up from behind Yuan Xi, indignant: "Such a fine jade, yet my mother won't let me touch her. I truly cannot accept this."

Yuan Xi could only offer a bitter smile and console him: "Cannot accept it? What can you do? Are you going to bite her?"

Yang Xiu sneered at Yuan Xi: "Even if you gave me two lives, I wouldn't dare bite her. But I can bite someone else, can't I?"

Yuan Xi cupped his hands: "I am dull-witted. I ask Brother Dezu to enlighten me."

"Yuan Xianyi, if you continue to be so insufferable, I will beat you until you are no longer so sour," Yang Xiu said, kicking Yuan Xi.

Yuan Xi straightened up and patted his shoulder: "Tell me, Dezu, what exactly are your plans? Why not share them so I can listen?"

Yang Xiu looked at the now-receptive Yuan Xi with approval: "A child worth teaching. I am going to the Red Garment Pavilion. Xianyi, are you coming?"

The Red Garment Pavilion was the largest and most popular brothel in Luoyang. Yuan Xi understood immediately—this guy couldn't hold it in any longer. There was no helping it; since he was his closest comrade, he might as well go along.

...

The relationship between Yuan Xi and Yang Xiu was much like that of Yuan Shao and Xu You.

"Xianyi, do you have any silver on you?" Yang Xiu asked.

"Only thirty taels. I think that should be enough; otherwise, I’ll just ask my mother for more," Yuan Xi said, weighing the coin purse.

"Ugh, if your aunt asks, what will you say?" Yang Xiu’s eyes widened.

"I’ll tell her that Dezu took me to a brothel to patronize prostitutes," Yuan Xi replied bluntly.

"..." Yang Xiu smiled bitterly. "Fine, thirty taels it is."

"However, Dezu, I have two questions I would like to ask."

"Don't stand on ceremony, just say it," Yang Xiu replied readily.

"Why don't you take out your own money?"

"Uh, this, that... anyway, that’s just how it is." Yang Xiu rambled a bunch of nonsensical words.

"Dezu, what you said was truly profound," Yuan Xi said, breaking into a cold sweat.

"Well, of course. Learn from this in the future," Yang Xiu said, lifting his chin.

And so, the unreliable Yang Xiu led the scheming Yuan Xi toward the Red Garment Pavilion, where Yuan Xi lost his innocence to Lai Ying'er. However, what Yuan Xi never expected was that Lai Ying'er was actually a secret agent for the Yuan family. This parting would become a lifelong regret; it would be twenty years before Yuan Xi met her again.

By that time, things had changed drastically. During the prelude to Dong Zhuo burning Luoyang, the Xiliang army had sacked the entire Red Garment Pavilion. The girls there did not escape the catastrophe; most were humiliated by the brutal Xiliang soldiers, and many committed suicide. Lai Ying'er was unfortunate enough to be raped by a Xiliang leader named Wang Fang. Fortunately, she endured the humiliation and lived on for the sake of revenge. She lurked in Chang'an, waiting for the right moment, and eventually killed her enemy with her own hands.

When Yuan Xi met her again, Lai Ying'er was already a married woman, having given herself to Shi A, the head of Yuan Xi’s shadow guards. When they met unexpectedly, they were both speechless, sighing at the tragedy of it all; in the end, they had missed their chance.

...

In the year 189, in the Gold Market of Luoyang, at a gambling house.

"Young Master, a middle-aged scholar has arrived at the shop, saying he wishes to see you. What do you think?" a shop assistant reported.

Yuan Xi suddenly recalled an event from two years prior. At that time, during the Luoyang curfew, Yuan Xi had gone out and been beaten up by Xia Xiahou Dun. Unable to swallow his anger, Yuan Xi had left Luoyang to clear his head and, incidentally, to search for talent. He had sent people to inquire about heroes and famous scholars in the Jingbei and Yuzhou regions.

Regrettably, some of these men were not ones he could recruit at the time, and he had little opportunity to visit most of them. By chance, he received news that a famous scholar named Zhang Hong in Nanyang had just resigned from his post and planned to return home, staying in Nanyang for a time. It turned out Zhang Hong had been summoned by General-in-Chief He Jin, but noticing the chaos in the political situation, he had taken the opportunity to resign. Yuan Xi, then out on his travels, decided to use this as an excuse. Taking Xu Chu with him, he detoured through Yingchuan to Wancheng. After some inquiries in Nanyang, he found Zhang Hong’s residence.

Yuan Xi prepared gifts and went to visit. At first, Zhang Hong refused to see the "Second Young Master" of the Yuan family. However, Yuan Xi persisted, standing in the rain outside Zhang’s gate until Zhang Hong, having no choice, finally met with him.

Zhang Hong was nearly forty. Though he had some reputation, his official career had been stagnant. While in Luoyang, he had sensed that the world was about to descend into chaos, so he planned to return to Guangling to join Zhang Zhao and then seek refuge in Jiangdong, which was still relatively stable. As for Yuan Xi, his reputation had spread due to the circulation of his poetry—a reflection of the era’s emphasis on literary families. Zhang Hong had heard of this "Second Young Master" and was surprised he had come to visit.

Treating him with the respect due to an elder, Yuan Xi engaged in polite conversation before eventually proposing to study the *I Ching* as a starting point. At the time, scholars were expected to study the Confucian classics, including the *I Ching*, *Book of Documents*, *Classic of Poetry*, *Book of Rites*, and the *Spring and Autumn Annals*. This had been the standard since Emperor Wu of Han established Confucianism as the state ideology to reform customs and stabilize society. Thus, Yuan Xi’s desire to study the *I Ching* was not strange. Zhang Hong, however, declined, claiming he had urgent family matters and could not instruct Yuan Xi for long, offering only to share some insights over a few days.

During those few days, Zhang Hong was astonished by Yuan Xi’s insights, and the two discussed Confucian, Legalist, and Taoist philosophy. Curious about how someone so young could possess such understanding, Zhang Hong began discussing current affairs with him, from the reign of Emperor Guangwu of Han to the ongoing Yellow Turban Rebellion.

...

Zhu Gongdao, elder brother of Zhu Ao, served as one of the three commanders of the Divine Strategy Army. He was a commander of the Imperial Guards and deputy to Xu Chu. The soldiers of the Imperial Guards were mostly candidates for the Tiger Guards. When Emperor Xuanwu, Yuan Xi, assassinated Dong Zhuo, he joined his ranks, remaining loyal, honest, and brave. His contemporaries called him "the shadow of Xu Chu," a man who advanced without complaint and retreated without seeking credit. Yuan Xi valued him highly; whenever Xu Chu was away, Zhu Gongdao would take his place.

After the sudden death of Emperor Ming of Jin, Yuan Rui, Zhao Yun returned to Changshan. When Emperor Gaozong of Jin, Yuan Zhi, launched a coup, Zhu Gongdao died a heroic death. He died without a monument or a biography, as if he had vanished. Two hundred years later, Emperor Daowu of Jin, Yuan Chun, finally cleared his name.