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After leaving Li Ru's residence, Fei Qian slowly made his way toward Cai Yong's mansion along the street. This matter was of great importance, so it would be better to inform his mentor, Cai Yong, in advance.
Standing on the streets of Luoyang, Fei Qian suddenly halted, feeling somewhat dazed. The flow of people around him seemed to blur into streaks of light and shadow, swift as black ink strokes brushing past him before dispersing into an elegant ink-wash painting…
The world seemed to fade into shades of black and blue. Fei Qian lifted his head to gaze at the sky, only to find even the freely drifting clouds tinged with a faint azure hue, exuding an air of desolation and chill…
Back when he had left Luoyang before, Fei Qian had stood on these very streets, but at that time, the city had still been vibrant with color. Now, however, it seemed as though only black and blue remained…
I hope that what I'm doing can spare this land of Heluo from more bloodshed, that more innocent lives can be saved…
"…Young Master Fei, is something the matter? Young Master Fei?"
The calls were like ripples suddenly disturbing the surface of still water, shattering the illusory scene before him. The black and blue hues of the world seemed to converge in an instant, transforming into two coiling dragons that leaped into the sky before plunging down toward Fei Qian, who stood gazing upward!
Fei Qian shuddered violently, taking half a step back as he snapped out of his trance.
"…Young Master Fei?"
He looked down at himself—there was nothing unusual. He was still clad in his black-and-blue robe. It seemed what had just happened was merely a hallucination in his mind…
"…It's nothing," Fei Qian turned to Huang Cheng, who was watching him with concern, and said, "…Let's keep moving."
Yes, at this point, there was no choice but to move forward!
Just like back in the beginning, when Li Ru had once posed him a question about choosing between two paths—left or right—now it seemed the choice had become his own.
Forward?
Where is forward?
Lifting his head high, as long as he was not crushed by the weight of his decisions, as long as he did not hesitate or look back, no matter which direction he took, as long as he kept moving forward—that was the right direction!
Though Fei Qian himself had little certainty about where this path would ultimately lead, he could glimpse fragments of others' histories, yet his own remained shrouded in darkness…
Like now—was entering the imperial court as an official auspicious or ominous?
Admittedly, Fei Qian had prepared somewhat, but he had not expected Li Ru to spring such a move on him, leaving him with almost no room to refuse. After all, if he stubbornly declined, as Li Ru had pointed out, his mentor Cai Yong had already accepted an official position in the court. If Fei Qian, as his disciple, rejected the appointment for the sake of preserving his own reputation for integrity, wouldn't that make Cai Yong seem like a power-hungry man who paled in comparison to his own student?
Another concern for Fei Qian was that if he insisted on refusing, it might arouse Li Ru's suspicion, jeopardizing the strategy he had devised to help the people of Luoyang. Wouldn't that render his risky visit to Li Ru's residence meaningless?
However, given the current situation, while Li Ru had arranged Fei Qian's entry into the court, the old foxes of the Guandong gentry clans were likely too preoccupied with countering Li Ru's relocation of the capital to spare any attention to Fei Qian. But once they had the leisure to scrutinize matters, entering officialdom at this juncture would inevitably draw their suspicion in the future…
Moreover, even if the Guandong gentry clans failed to notice, what if Li Ru, at some point, casually exposed Fei Qian? If those clans couldn't touch Li Ru, wouldn't Fei Qian become an easy target for their retaliation?
In other words, this was a hidden danger Fei Qian had brought upon himself.
Was it worth it?
It probably was.
Now, not only had Fei Qian secured the travel permit to transport Cai Yong's collection of books, but he had also bought more hope for survival for the people of the Heluo region…
Back then, Fei Qian had once vowed to do something for the people of Luoyang—now, he had done at least a little…
×××××××××××××
While Fei Qian was making his choice, far away in Ye County, Yuan Shao had also reached his final decision.
Yuan Shao chose to remain in Ye County, pressuring Han Fu, the Governor of Ji Province, to relinquish control of the military. He merely sent orders to Wang Kuang, the Administrator of Henei, commanding him to station his troops in Heyang and await further opportunities…
Previously, Grand Tutor Yuan Wei had assigned Yuan Shao the primary task of rallying the gentry clans, recruiting renowned scholars from Hebei and Nanyang, and laying the foundation for the Yuan family's future ambitions.
Over the years, whether serving as the Magistrate of Puyang or holding office under General-in-Chief He Jin, Yuan Shao had never escaped Yuan Wei's control. Whenever he stepped even slightly beyond the permitted boundaries, he would face reprimands and punishments from Yuan Wei…
Back then, Yuan Shao had sought to build his reputation among the gentry clans and refused court appointments. As a result, the eunuch Zhao Zhong once remarked to Yuan Wei, "Yuan Benchu sits and inflates his own worth, refusing summons while harboring men willing to die for him—what exactly does this boy intend to do?"
In truth, declining imperial appointments was not uncommon in the Han Dynasty. On the contrary, many famous scholars and recluses used refusal as a means to boost their prestige, and most faced no repercussions. Why, then, was Yuan Shao an exception?
That was during the increasingly dark years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, when eunuch dominance grew ever more oppressive, leading to brutal persecution of the "Partisan Prohibitions" faction, represented by scholar-officials and Imperial University students.
Though Yuan Shao claimed to live in seclusion, ostensibly avoiding contact with guests, he secretly associated with partisans and men of righteousness, such as Zhang Miao, He Yong, and Xu You, and maintained close ties with faction leaders like Chen Fan and Li Ying.
During the Partisan Prohibitions, Yuan Shao even covertly helped partisans evade arrest and flee Luoyang. Such actions inevitably drew the eunuchs' attention, prompting their warning to Yuan Wei.
At the time, Yuan Wei was the only high-ranking official left in the Yuan family, and many of their disciples had suffered severe setbacks due to the Partisan Prohibitions, destabilizing the family's foundation. To avoid further provoking the all-powerful eunuch faction, Yuan Wei ordered Yuan Shao to take office, signaling the Yuan family's submission to the eunuchs…
Yuan Wei had never once considered whether Yuan Shao was willing!
Fine. Since I'm a member of the Yuan family, making some sacrifices is only to be expected…
Later, when He Jin rose to power, Yuan Wei noticed that Yuan Shao had leveraged his connections with He Jin's retainer, Zhang Jin, to become a Major under the General-in-Chief and Imperial Censor, later promoted to Leader of the Rapid as Tigers. Yuan Wei then stepped in again, demanding that Yuan Shao serve as a bridge between the Yuan family and the imperial in-law faction led by He Jin…
Fine. Since I'm a Yuan, working for the family is only natural…
Yet, despite his efforts, Yuan Shao not only failed to earn Yuan Wei's trust but nearly became tainted with a disgrace he might never wash away!
Fine. Since I'm a Yuan, enduring humiliation for the family's sake is something I can bear…
But now, with the real power over Ji Province almost within his grasp—must he give it up again, sacrifice again, endure again?
As Yuan Shao pondered, four words from Xu You's earlier advice echoed in his mind: "The Grand Tutor is old!"
The path ahead of me is still long. Now, I shall walk the path I've chosen.