About Cao Cao's reincarnation as the emperor's uncle

Chapter 39 The Never-Ending Internal Strife

The sun climbed over the eaves, making the window paper shine brightly.

Originally, there were only Liu Fang, Feng Xu, and Xu Shao, but later Jian Shuo also joined in.

The four sat around a table, the water in their teacups long since cooled, but no one paid any attention.

Liu Fang leaned against the table, his gaze fixed on the pile of bamboo slips, listening to the conversations of several people as they sorted out the lineage of the Yuan family of Runan.

A glint flashed in Jian Shuo's triangular eyes:
"Let me clarify: the Yuan family officially entered officialdom starting with Yuan Liang."

"Yuan Liang's grandson, Yuan An, began the Yuan family's path of four generations of three dukes."

“Starting with Yuan An’s two sons, Yuan Jing and Yuan Chang, signs of division began to appear within the Yuan family.”

Xu Shao stroked his long beard, picked up the conversation, and spoke with a touch of emotion:

"Indeed, the Xu family of Runan and the Yuan family have been intermarrying for generations, so we know a little about these family matters."

He squinted slightly, as if recalling those old stories:
"In the next generation, Yuan Chang's son Yuan Xu and Yuan Jing's son Yuan Peng both harbored loyalty to the Han dynasty..."

“But Yuan Jing’s other son, Yuan Tang, was attached to the Liang family, a powerful maternal relative, and held a high-ranking position.”

As Xu Shao spoke, a hint of disdain crept into his voice:
"Therefore, conflicts frequently arose between Yuan Xu and Yuan Peng and Yuan Tang, and the internal division within the Yuan family became increasingly serious."

"After Yuan Xu, Yuan Peng, and Yuan Tang's eldest son by a concubine, Yuan Ping, and eldest son by his legitimate wife, Yuan Cheng, all died unnatural deaths..."

"Within the Yuan family of Runan, there is only one voice left, and that is Yuan Tang."

“Yuan Tang’s second son, Yuan Feng, and third son, Yuan Wei, thoroughly implemented their father’s ideas.”

"They only want to use any means necessary to elevate the Yuan family to a higher position..."

Upon hearing this, the chaos that followed Yuan Shu's ascension to the throne in his previous life flashed through Liu Fang's mind.

He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, a chill creeping into his eyes.
"I even want to sit in the highest position."

Upon hearing this, Xu Shao sighed heavily, his eyes filled with regret:

"It's a pity that the Yuan family has lasted for nearly two hundred years. If Yuan An and Yuan Chang knew that their descendants were like this, I wonder what they would think..."

He shook his head and didn't say anything more.

A smile appeared at the corners of Feng Xu's eyes:
"Gentlemen, do not forget that Yuan Peng's son, Yuan He, and the Yuan family of Chen Commandery are also key figures."

He casually fiddled with the bamboo slips on the table:

“The Yuan family of Chen Commandery in this generation was led by Yuan Pang, who is now the Grand Master of Ceremonies. His son, Yuan Huan, was upright and honest.”

“Yuan He had three sons, Yuan Hong, Yuan Zhong, and Yuan Hong, all of whom were upright and honest and unwilling to associate with the crowd.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Fang leaned forward, and the teacup he placed on the table made a soft sound.

Yuan Pang later became one of the Three Dukes.

His son, Yuan Huan, joined his ranks after Yuan Huan defeated Lü Bu in his previous life.

He was conscientious and responsible, especially known for his outspoken advice and remonstrances, just as Feng Xu had said.

Feng Xu swept his gaze across the crowd, deliberately slowing his speech:
"The eldest son, Yuan Hong, seeing that the Yuan family was powerful but lacked moral character, once sighed deeply..."

“Our late father’s good fortune has been lost, but his descendants have failed to uphold it with virtue. Instead, they have competed with each other in arrogance and extravagance, and have followed the example of the three families of Han, Zhao and Wei in the state of Jin vying for power. They will surely repeat the same mistakes.”

His fingertips traced the air, as if recreating that unrestrained figure:
"At the end of the Yanxi era, when factional strife was about to break out, this man let his hair down and went into the mountains and forests, built a thatched hut to refuse to see guests, and isolated himself from this turbid world."

“The second son, Yuan Zhong, was no less so.”

"At the end of the Yanxi era, he was imprisoned during the first partisan purge. When his fellow prisoners fell ill, he volunteered to be the first to be tortured, saying, 'You are all weak, I should take your pain for you.'"

"Everyone says that Yuan Zhongren is as good as his name suggests, but it is a pity that such a tough character is rooted in the branches of the Yuan family."

He seemed to be expressing both regret and admiration.

Suddenly, Feng Xu changed the subject:
"The most ingenious thing is that the third son, Yuan Hong, disliked the reputation of the Yuan family of Runan because it was too tainted, and considered it a disgrace."

"After leaving home, he lived in anonymity and sought teachers on foot for many years, never accepting the imperial court's offer of service." Upon hearing this, Liu Fang felt a sense of understanding.

He wasn't very familiar with the others, but Yuan Hong was certainly interesting.

In his previous life, Yuan Hong visited the Imperial Academy. His cousin, Yuan Feng, was then serving as Grand Commandant and summoned his nephew to meet him.

When Yuan Hong arrived, Yuan Feng was hosting a banquet. Upon seeing this, Yuan Hong immediately lay down on the table, claiming to have a headache.

Afterwards, he walked alone in a simple blue robe, with the bustling carriages and horses of the Yuan mansion behind him, never to return.

Thinking of this, Liu Fang couldn't help but chuckle:
"This proud and aloof nature contrasts sharply with that of Yuan Feng's sons, Yuan Ji and Yuan Shu."

Feng Xu leaned forward at the opportune moment, lowering his voice:
"Indeed, these three sons do not associate with Yuan Feng's son."

He paused deliberately, and seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, he slowly said:

"Moreover, there's Yuan Shao, who was raised by a widow..."
-
【Widow】: The term "widow" already existed in the Zuo Zhuan, referring to a woman who had not remarried after the death of her husband.

【孀妇】: The term "孀妇" was also used during the Eastern Han Dynasty, as mentioned in the commentary on the Huainanzi: "A widow is called a 孀妇".
-
Feng Xu bowed slightly and continued:
"After Ban Zhao became a widow, she inherited her father's and brother's will to continue writing the Book of Han, and personally taught Cao Gu, a man who was well-versed in the classics and principles..."

His voice suddenly softened:
“Yuan Shao’s foster mother was also such a person.”

“From the time Yuan Shao was an infant, that widow never left his side. She followed the example of Mencius’ mother moving three times to avoid the filth of the Yuan family. Even when Yuan Feng wanted to intervene in his upbringing, she was turned away.”

"The so-called inheritance of family tradition and the integrity of carrying on the family legacy are nothing more than this."
-
【克绍箕裘】: Derived from the Book of Rites, it means to inherit one's father's business.

【The Virtue of the Cypress Boat】: Originating from the Book of Songs, this allusion was often used in Eastern Han Dynasty literature to describe women who did not remarry after the death of their spouse and focused on raising their children.
-
Xu Shao paused his light tapping of the teacup:
"Furthermore, as far as I know..."

"She always wanted Yuan Shao to feel that she was Yuan Cheng's legitimate son, no different in status from Yuan Feng and Yuan Wei."

"But the more I emphasized it, the more jarring it became to hear others say that he was supported by his widowed mother, or that he was an adopted son..."

Jian Shuo's triangular eyes widened slightly:
"These things are often heard in the palace..."

"The rivalry between wives and concubines, and the struggle between legitimate and illegitimate children, in the inner quarters of the palace has always been a source of amusement for palace women."

Jian Shuo had hoped for a response from Feng Xu, but when he turned around and looked...

Feng Xu was wiping the table in front of Liu Fang with his sleeve, as if what he had just said was nothing more than idle chatter.

He chuckled twice, steer the conversation back on track:
"Therefore, the internal strife within the Yuan family has only ended on the surface."

"In fact, this trend is still continuing among the younger generation of the Yuan family?"

The sun's shadow had already climbed onto the threshold.

Liu Fang got up and stretched his limbs:
"It hasn't officially started yet..."

"Like a knot waiting to be tied, all that's left is to find that crucial thread."

Jian Shuo paused, and when he looked up, a sharp glint flashed in his triangular eyes:
"Yuan Shao?"

"good."

Liu Fang glanced at Xu Shao and Feng Xu, who both understood, and waved his hand with a light laugh:

"On the surface, he is Yuan Feng's illegitimate son, and he is also said to have been adopted by Yuan Cheng, but who is his biological father?"

Why did the adoptive mother treat him this way? Why is his birth mother nowhere to be found?

"This matter must be investigated by starting with the mystery of Yuan Shao's origins..."

　Note:

　　【袁盱 (xu)】

　　【袁闳 (hong)】

　　【袁泂 (pang)】

　　【袁隗 (kui)】

　　
　
(End of this chapter)