Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 145 Yuan's plot: The one who will replace the Han dynasty is Gao of Dangtu!
In the courtyard of the Situ Mansion, Yuan Wei stood with his hands behind his back, facing the vibrant spring scenery and blooming flowers. He reached out and caught a petal of apricot blossom that had fallen in the breeze.

Looking at this vibrant scene, in the past he might have gathered his clansmen, disciples, and former officials to compose poems and hold a feast, but at this moment, not a trace of joy welled up in his heart.

"Patriarch, all the clan members in the capital have arrived at the main hall," an elder of the Yuan family said in a low voice, looking at Yuan Wei, whose figure was slightly hunched.

Yuan Wei nodded slightly. He had summoned the Yuan clan members from Runan in the capital to gather at the Situ Mansion the day before yesterday.

This time, Yuan Wei neither summoned members of the New Text School nor his former students and officials in the capital; only members of the Yuan family of Runan were present in his residence.

Because... he wanted to do something truly momentous!

Inside the main hall of the Situ Mansion, the atmosphere seemed to freeze, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe. Every member of the Yuan clan had a solemn expression on their face, as if an invisible boulder was pressing heavily on their hearts.

After a long while, Situ Yuanwei, the current head of the Yuan family of Runan, walked slowly into the hall with a slightly hunched posture and heavy steps. His gaze slowly swept over the group of Yuan family members present, and then he couldn't help but sigh. His voice was slightly hoarse as he said, "You must have all heard about what happened to Benchu."

Upon hearing this, the hall fell into a deathly silence. Many of the Yuan family members remained silent, but most of them felt deeply resentful about Yuan Shao's death.

Even Yuan Shu, who had always disliked Yuan Shao and had even openly fought with him, often mocking him for having a child born to a concubine, was now gritting his teeth, his face full of resentment.

"Uncle," Yuan Hong slowly rose, bowed to Yuan Wei, and said, "Yuan Benchu ​​deserves to die!"

Yuan Hong was the great-grandson of Yuan An and of the same generation as Yuan Shu. His father, Yuan He, was the second elder brother of Yuan Wei.

However, while the members of the Yuan clan of Runan were filled with righteous indignation over Yuan Shao's death, Yuan Hong, as a member of the main branch of the Yuan clan of Runan, openly stood up to sing a different tune, even using words like "he deserves to die" to insult Yuan Shao, saying that Yuan Shao deserved to die.

Yuan Shu, a straightforward man and a member of the main branch of the Yuan clan of Runan, was furious upon hearing Yuan Hong's words. His eyes widened in anger, his face turned red, and he suddenly stood up, walked up to Yuan Hong, pointed at Yuan Hong's nose, and shouted angrily, "Yuan Shaofu, what nonsense are you spouting, you brat!"

As far as Yuan Shu was concerned, Yuan Shao was still his half-brother, even though he never acknowledged Yuan Shao or called him "brother." This was because Yuan Shao was the second legitimate son of Yuan Feng, the main branch of the Yuan family in Runan.

Yuan Shao, I, Yuan Gonglu, can curse you, but you can't!

Besides, no matter how lowly Yuan Shao may be, he still shares the surname Yuan and is a member of the main branch of the family. How can you insult him like this?
This was Yuan Shu's attitude, and his furious outburst gradually changed the opinions of many members of the Yuan clan who had always thought he was too flamboyant and arrogant.

For a clan, there may be disputes among brothers, but when facing external enemies, they must unite as one. Clan members who can do this are worthy of praise.

But in this respect, Yuan Hong and Yuan Shu were completely different.

Upon hearing Yuan Shu's angry rebuke, Yuan Hong showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at Yuan Shu with a hint of disdain. With a sneer, he said, "Yuan Benchu ​​rebelled against the emperor, attempting to trample on the emperor's name to gain fame for himself. He failed to dissuade the General of Chariots and Cavalry and was ultimately beheaded at the General of Chariots and Cavalry's residence. He deserved to die!"

As Yuan Kui listened to the argument between Yuan Hong and Yuan Shu, he raised his right hand to rub his temples, his face showing even greater weariness.

His second elder brother, Yuan He, had three sons, two of whom turned away from the Yuan family.

The eldest son, Yuan Hong, believed that the ancestors of the Yuan family in Runan possessed great virtue and fortune, which enabled the family to gradually develop to its current size. However, by the time of Yuan Wei and Yuan Feng, they had failed to uphold the virtues of their ancestors and instead became arrogant and extravagant. Therefore, twenty years ago, Yuan Hong let his hair down, isolated himself from the world, and lived in seclusion in a humble room deep in the forest, making a living by farming and studying, and no longer seeing his brothers, wife, or children.

The second son, Yuan Zhong, was known for his integrity and disliked the extravagant and dissolute lifestyle of the Yuan family of Runan, but he still cared deeply for his family.

The third son is Yuan Hong, who even publicly declared that he was ashamed of the surname "Yuan" and wanted to abandon his name and follow Yuan Hong's example to live in seclusion in the mountains and make a living by farming and studying.

Yuan Wei simply couldn't understand why the ancestors started their businesses so that their descendants could enjoy the fruits of their labor. Should they, as descendants, abandon the foundation that their ancestors had worked so hard to build? Would that be considered virtuous?
Seeing the argument between Yuan Hong and Yuan Shu escalating, Yuan Kui sighed and slowly turned his gaze to Yuan Hong. His eyes were slightly deep and his face showed a hint of helplessness. He said, "Yuan Shaofu, you may leave. From now on, you may change your name as you wish. Do not use the surname Yuan of Runan anymore."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Hong was slightly taken aback at first, then slowly composed himself and respectfully kowtowed to Yuan Kui, his forehead touching the ground, remaining there for a long time.

After rising, he bowed deeply to the Yuan family members inside the hall, then turned and walked out without a trace of reluctance. Yuan Zhong's lips trembled slightly, but he couldn't utter a sound. His right hand subconsciously rose but ultimately slowly lowered, and he did not reach out to stop his younger brother Yuan Hong from leaving.

Watching Yuan Hong's departing figure, Yuan Kui did not harbor the same resentment towards Yuan Hong as Yuan Shu and other more radical members of the Runan Yuan clan. He simply remained calm, shook his head slightly, and thought to himself that perhaps this was for the best.

At least no matter what happens to the Yuan family of Runan, their bloodline will not be cut off in their generation.

After Yuan Hong left, Yuan Kui slightly raised his hand, signaling the few Yuan family members sitting near the door to close the door again. He leaned against the jade table, looking slightly tired, his body slightly curled up, his thin figure appearing even more frail, and his increasingly white hair standing out starkly in the dim hall.

Yuan Wei slowly closed his eyes, and after a moment of silence, he uttered a question that made everyone present feel apprehensive, yet forced them to ponder deeply.

"The current Crown Prince is far too hostile to the Yuan family of Runan."

At first, Yuan Wei did not realize the Crown Prince's hostility towards the Yuan family. He thought it was just an entanglement caused by academic disputes. Even though many officials in the Situ Mansion had been punished by Jia Xu for participating in He Yong's impeachment of Lu Zhi, he thought it was the price of losing a political struggle and did not think about it in detail.

After the grand court assembly on the day Han Fu died, Yuan Wei reflected on the rather subtle attitude the Crown Prince had towards the Yuan family of Runan since he seized power through castration.

While they weren't exactly close, the Crown Prince did show respect for the Grand Minister of Works and was always very polite to Yuan Wei.

They were supposed to be close, but there wasn't a single member of the Yuan family from Runan in the Crown Prince's residence!
This is a problem that Yuan Wei only recently realized. In the name of the Crown Prince's respect for the virtuous and his love for talent, even if it was just for show, he should have recruited a few members of the Runan Yuan clan of Yuan Shu's generation into the Crown Prince's residence. However, the Crown Prince was unwilling to even put on a show.

Even after Yuan Shao's death, a mere uncouth man could kill members of the main branch of the Yuan family of Runan without being punished. Doesn't this demonstrate the Crown Prince's true attitude towards the Yuan family of Runan?
If the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, wouldn't the Yuan family of Runan be like the Bian family of Chenliu, arrested and exterminated by a single imperial edict?

This is absolutely not okay!
Thinking of this, Yuan Wei suddenly opened his eyes, a resolute look flashing in them.

“I am already old and may not live to see the day the Crown Prince ascends the throne, but what about you young ones?” Yuan Wei’s originally cloudy eyes suddenly became clear and bright.

He slowly straightened up, supporting himself on the armrests of the jade bench. His imposing presence, a testament to his years of high-ranking officialdom and his position as one of the Three Dukes, was immediately apparent.

Yuan Ji turned his gaze to his uncle. Although Yuan Wei’s words seemed plain and unremarkable, the implied meaning in his words startled him, and a trace of fear flashed across his face.

He never imagined that his uncle had such a side to him.

But then, a resolute glint flashed in Yuan Ji's eyes. He abruptly stood up, placed his hand on his sword, and said solemnly, "The Crown Prince's pressure is intensifying. We can't continue like this! My men, are you willing to wait until the Crown Prince ascends the throne and then live in anonymity or wander the martial world?"

Looking at the spirited Yuan Ji, Yuan Wei slowly raised his aged hand, stroking his beard. His eyes were full of satisfaction, and he was increasingly pleased with Yuan Ji, the next head of the Runan Yuan clan. He nodded slightly and asked in a humorous tone, "What should we do now?"

"We have no choice but to fight!"

Yuan Ji drew his sword, surveyed the group of Runan Yuan clan members in the main hall, took a deep breath, and shouted, "The prophecy says, 'The one who will replace the Han dynasty is Dangtu Gao.'"

“‘Tu’ means ‘earth’!”

“The character ‘袁’ is composed of ‘土’ (earth) above and ‘衣’ (clothing) below. ‘衣’ refers to a person who wears clothes.”

"'Earth' above 'person' can be called 'high earth,' and 'high earth' is 'high mud,' which perfectly matches the name of my Yuan family!"

"I will undertake this great task; who would dare disobey?"

Yuan Ji drew his sword and looked around fiercely, his usual humility gone. Although the Yuan family members were terrified, they could only add, "We are willing to obey the young master's orders!"

(2679 words)
(End of this chapter)