Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 196 A young man with lofty ambitions may one day end up with pitifully white hair.
Shouchun, Sun Mansion.

In the spring of 197 AD, the second year of the Jian'an era.

The festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival had just passed, and Shouchun City seemed to still be immersed in the excitement of Yuan Gong's new policies and the grand imperial examination in Shouchun, with a thriving scene everywhere.

As Yuan Gong's first adopted son, the most prominent newcomer in Yuan's camp, and a member of Sun Ce's household who followed Yuan Gong in his campaigns across the north and south and accumulated numerous military achievements.

These days, people come in an endless stream, showing the appearance of a prominent figure. It can be said that he has learned scholars among his friends and no commoners among his acquaintances.

Yan Xiang, the first prime minister of Yuan Shikai's camp and the regent of Shouchun!
Wang Lang, a renowned scholar and the abbot of Shouchun Academy, is famous throughout the country!

The two Zhangs of Jiangdong, Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong, were both highly learned and served as prefects of two commanderies!
Distinguished families such as the Yuan, Zhu, and Bu families produced outstanding talents and virtuous individuals.
As he welcomed and saw off these prominent figures from families that the Sun family could never have rivaled, Sun Ce couldn't help but feel somewhat dazed.

It seems that his father, Sun Jian, had worked hard all his life to reach the upper class of the Han Dynasty, a position that was always out of reach, but he had entered it with almost no effort.

No one knew better than his father's eldest son that his father, Sun Jian, had charged into the chaotic world with all his might, wielding an ancient sword and slaughtering countless people, fearing no one.

He was known as the Tiger of Jiangdong, a hero of his time, but in reality, he was nothing more than a group of old brothers risking their lives for wealth and power.

Such wealth, in this unattainable world, is precisely what those high-ranking, power-hungry individuals despise the most.

What does it matter if he became the governor of Changsha or the marquis of Wucheng? When his father, with blood on his hands and his body dripping wet, charged into the Han officialdom.

In their eyes, it was nothing more than a bloodstained knife and a blood-stained sword!

When the lowly people become disobedient, they will pick up swords and kill, while the noble people's hands are clean and unstained.

But how prestigious can even the sharpest sword be?

Sun Ce still remembers that rainy night. When he was young, he was a chivalrous man. Relying on the prestige of his father, the Marquis of Wucheng, he made friends, acted chivalrously, and was respected by all the heroes of the Jianghu.

However, it rained heavily that day. When his father returned from his campaign, he found him playing with the heroes. He just watched quietly, expressionless.

He was terrified because the blood on his father's knife was dripping from the rain, and his father's angry eyes were full of disappointment in him.

Just when Sun Ce thought his father was about to draw his sword and kill his cronies, his father, who had been silent for a long time, turned and left.

He came in a hurry and left in a hurry; the battles outside were not yet over, and his sword still had to be used to kill.

Later, his friend Gongjin came to persuade him, saying that his father probably did not want him to follow in his footsteps and hoped that he would make more friends with aristocratic families and scholars like his Zhou family.

However, Sun Ce could only smile bitterly at this. He knew that it was pointless to be a swordsman generation after generation.
But Gongjin! You don't understand, except for your brother Zhou Gongjin.

Which of those truly high-ranking noble families, sitting high above the clouds and regarding the common people as mere straw dogs, would look down on his grandson?

He had known this since he was a child. He knew it all too well from the day he rose to fame and was full of vigor when he went to visit Lu Kang, only to be turned away at the door.

That rainy night, the disappointment in his father's eyes was not only for Sun Ce, but also for himself.

The official position of prefect is useless, the title of marquis is useless, unless they kill all the nobles and officials in Luoyang with a single sword, what stands in front of them is the insurmountable class gap between the upper-class families and the lower-class powerful families!
To be recommended for the position of a filial and incorruptible official, one needs the praise of famous scholars; to become a great Confucian scholar, one needs the praise of famous scholars; to be selected for an official post, one needs the praise of famous scholars; even selling official positions requires the praise and promotion of famous scholars.

And famous people praise other famous people!
The ills of the Han Dynasty over four hundred years had solidified a symbiotic system between aristocratic families and famous scholars. Those born into the Xun family were bound to be the Eight Dragons of the Xun Clan; those from the Yuan family, even if not brilliant and martial, could be chivalrous and righteous; those from the Kong family were known for their virtue in sharing pears; and those from the Lu family were known for their filial piety in keeping oranges.

Is it possible that only aristocratic families like theirs produce filial sons and virtuous people in such a vast Han dynasty?

Ordinary people sell themselves to bury their fathers and no one cares; powerful families give up their pears and the world knows.

With this indignation and the spirit of fighting to the death with a sword, Sun Ce, despite being short of soldiers and generals, managed to withstand the pressure of Shouchun and besiege Lujiang for two years, personally fighting his way to the powerful and unapproachable Prefect Lu Kang in his youth!
With a single spear and a single sword, he slaughtered the entire Lu family, leaving the streets littered with the bones of the nobles.

He originally thought that he would continue to kill like this for the rest of his life, just like his father Sun Jian, killing until the corpses were strewn all over the fields and the blood was still fresh, killing until these high and mighty nobles had to bow their heads and submit, until he carved out a world for the Sun family!
But now, everything seems to have changed?

When did it start?
Right, it seems to have been since that night of the candlelight and the sound of the axe, since the day he became Yuan Shu's godfather.

It turns out that even without swords to their necks, these high-ranking nobles would bow their heads.

It turns out that these once unattainable beings also admire him now, just as the young Sun Ce admired them.

It turns out that people do change.

Amidst mutual flattery, the visiting aristocratic families were seen off. Sun Ce silently returned to the inner room and draped a fur coat over his wife, who was sewing new shoes for him.

Madam Yuan continued working, only turning back to gaze at him with admiration, a charming smile on her delicate face.

"Husband, have all the distinguished guests been seen off? They are all important ministers whom Father relies on. You should make more friends with them."

Taking advantage of the holiday, I have prepared generous gifts and will visit General Ji's residence again tomorrow.

He is far away in the State of Chen and cannot return home. You should take care of his parents, wife and children. He will appreciate your kindness when he finds out. If you go in person, it will be suspected that you are colluding with the general. I, a woman, can avoid all of this by going there.

And then there's General Huang and his men. Although they are former subordinates of the Sun family and are grateful for the Sun family's kindness, their relationship will gradually fade without any reciprocal exchanges.

My father often said, "You must strive harder. I'm just a woman and I don't understand these things, but I know that even if I can't get everyone's support, I should at least try my best to avoid being disliked."

Watching his wife make shoes for him again, and seeing how she always managed the household's interactions with other households while he was away on campaign, never neglecting to maintain good relations with others.

Sun Ce didn't know how he would have managed to maintain good relationships with these noble families if he hadn't married a noblewoman from the Yuan family, with only a bloodstained spear in his hand.

Sun Ce remained silent for a long time, only looking at the clouds and sky outside the window. In the sky, only a lone wild goose cried out, struggling to flap its wings amidst the ravages of wind and snow, unable to find its way home.

"It's getting cold, don't catch a cold."

With a soft sigh, he uttered only this one sentence in the end.

It turns out that people really do change. Without realizing it, he had become the very person he hated most in his youth.

He is the grandson of the Yuan family, high above, looking down upon the entire land!
He is the son of the most prominent and prestigious clan in the Han Dynasty!

The powerful families he once looked up to in his youth now all grovel at his feet, gazing up at his family's four generations of high-ranking officials!

He is no longer the Sun Ce who would be avoided when visiting the Lu family. Now, even though the Lu family hates him to the core, they have to suppress their hatred and obediently come to visit him.

“My husband, when we visited our family during the New Year, I overheard my father discussing with the clan elders about adopting you as his son and changing your surname to Yuan. It seems he truly loves you very much.”

Although the elders haven't agreed yet, you know that once Father makes a decision, they can't stop him.

But what do you think, my husband? Are you willing?

"What I mean?"

He gazed into the distance and saw that the wild goose in the sky had its wings soaked by the wind and snow, and its eyes were blurred by the clouds. It was still trying to fly, but the biting cold wind had made its wings weak and its heart was cold.

How can a sparrow know the ambition of a swan? But what can a swan use to fight against the wind and snow of heaven and earth and against fate?

Adopting him as a son, was a great act of kindness from Lord Yuan?
This love was too heavy, suffocating him.

Perhaps in the eyes of others, this is a stairway to heaven, a way for Yuan Gong to fulfill his promise from years ago: "Your young son is often ill, so you should encourage him."

If he changes his surname to Yuan, then the vast Jianghuai region might very well be inherited by Yuan Ce!

Not to mention others, even his wife placed high hopes on Sun Ce and was building connections for him. But only Sun Ce himself knew clearly that what Yuan Shao felt for him was not love, but a deep-seated fear.

The more Yuan Gong tried to bind him closely, the more he feared him to the core.

[Your young son is often ill; you should encourage him.]
It's absolutely hilarious!

As long as Yuan Gong is alive, who can wrest power from him?
With Yuan Shao dead, Sun Ce's death was inevitable!
There was no other reason than that Lord Yuan loved him very much and would not be able to part with him even on the road to the underworld, and would definitely want to walk hand in hand with him.

The so-called adoption and the prospect of inheritance were nothing more than a show put on by Yuan Gong for outsiders.

Using a promising future as bait, he bound everyone from Sun Ce to Zhou Yu, and even those connected to the Sun family, to the Yuan camp's war machine, making it impossible for them to escape.

The better Yuan Gong treated Sun Ce, the higher the treatment he gave him, and the closer he was to the position of heir, the clearer Sun Ce knew his death was imminent.

He and Yuan Gongzhi, father and son, truly did not seek to be born on the same day, month, and year, but only to die on the same day, month, and year.

Sharing life and death together, the bond between father and son throughout the ages is unparalleled.

But how could he possibly resist? Or rather, could he still resist in his current state? Did he even want to resist?

Once adopted as a son, even if Yuan Gongzhen gives him three thousand soldiers to lead into battle, he will have no chance to become independent.

The four-hundred-year-old traditions of etiquette, filial piety, and brotherly love of the Han Dynasty would weigh heavily on Yuan Ce's head like a heavy shackle and guillotine.

If one becomes independent and unfilial, one will be condemned by all, abandoned by friends and family, and will have no place to live in the vast land of Han.

"Yuan Ce? Yuan Ce."

Sun Ce murmured silently, "Father, everything you once looked up to, was disappointed by, and longed for, is now within my grasp."

But in the afterlife, will you be as comforted as your mother and the others, or will you, like that rainy night, watch your child in silent despair?

Just then, the sound of an arrow whistling through the air pierced through the bloodshot eyes of Sun Ce.

The long arrow struck the wild goose struggling in the wind and snow in the sky. Its wings were like those of a sparrow with broken wings. Its eyes took one last look at the nine-layered palace in the sky before it was helplessly buried in the wind and snow.

"Furthermore, if the water is not deep enough, it will not be able to support a large boat."

If the wind does not accumulate sufficiently, it will lack the strength to support large wings.

Therefore, at a distance of nine thousand miles, the wind is below.

"Without a long wind that can pierce the sky for ninety thousand miles, how can the strategy carry the heavens on its back and ascend straight to the ninefold palace?"

Sun Ce's eyes followed the wild goose's droop, and as he murmured to himself, his third brother Sun Yi's hearty laughter came from outside.

He came running excitedly with a golden bow and silver arrows, carrying a dead wild goose, and cheered as he showed it off.

"Brother! Look! The bow and arrow that Lord Yuan gave me are really amazing. I actually shot down a wild goose!"

Lord Yuan also praised me, saying I have the same demeanor as my elder brother, and that when I grow up a few more years, I can follow him in obeying the imperial edict to suppress the rebels, just like my elder brother.”

Sun Ce stared intently at the wild goose in his hand, remaining silent.

"Big brother?"

Sun Yi was somewhat surprised, while Sun Ce composed himself and smiled with satisfaction.

He reached out and touched his head, saying:
"My third brother is fierce and has the demeanor of our father, the Tiger of Jiangdong. His strategy is far inferior to his."

Don't follow my example in the future.

Sun Yi looked up at his elder brother, who had led the Sun family out of the depths of despair and into unprecedented glory.

He gazed at him with admiration, just as Sun Ce had gazed up at Sun Jian with admiration on that rainy night, yet he could never understand the unspoken and complex disappointment in his eyes.

However, all of this, the illusory peace and beauty before my eyes, shattered with a series of hurried footsteps.

Huang Gai, clad in armor and holding his sword, rushed over. He no longer possessed the composure of a general; his eyes held only unprecedented fear and bewilderment.

Huang Gai, terrified, burst through the door and saw Sun Ce. Only a few words escaped his throat.

"Young General, run!"

Sun Ce frowned at him, not understanding his meaning.

"General Huang, what's the matter that has caused such a panic? A general is one who remains calm and composed in the face of great events and danger. That's what you taught me when I was a child."

"The Sun family is finished, completely finished!"

The old general, who had fought alone across the north and south and never given up, had tears in his eyes.

"Second Young Master Zhongmou, he has rebelled."

The troops inside and outside Shouchun were urgently mobilized, and Cheng Pu and Han Dang did their best to buy me a chance to escape and deliver the message.

"Young General, run! I only have a moment. I must return now, otherwise, without me when the troops are mustering orders, Cheng Pu and the others won't be able to cover for us."

"what!"

After Huang Gai explained the details and left in a hurry, the entire Sun family was in an uproar!

"How could this be? Why would my second brother plot a rebellion?"

"Zhongmou, has he gone mad?"

"It's over. If Lord Yuan wants to kill us, how can the Sun family survive?"

While the whole family lived in constant fear, only Sun Ce, who had been by Yuan Shu's side for a long time and had suffered from his adoptive father's schemes, noticed something strange.

He had long been manipulated and schemed against by Yuan Shu, and even though he didn't have Zhou Yu's talent, he had experienced a lot.

Just as the Han emperor, with his extensive experience in kidnapping, could now tell at a glance who in the court was plotting to kidnap him.

Having received so much favor from his adoptive father, Sun Ce began to harbor deep suspicions about the matter.

Given his adoptive father's cunning and control, Sun Ce was still manipulated to this extent, like a bird in a cage or a fish in a net. How could Zhongmou possibly break free and become independent?

If it were so easy to establish oneself and rebel, Sun Ce would have rebelled long ago, and it wouldn't have been Sun Quan's turn.

Unless all of this was part of the godfather's plan, and he did it on purpose.

As this thought subtly arose in his mind, the image of those chaotic, demonic eyes, shrouded in mist and overlooking the entire land, involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

Sun Ce felt a chill run down his spine and shuddered.

(End of this chapter)