Friendly sparring

189 AD, Luoyang, the Yuan estate.

Yan Liang wielded a long saber, and as it happened, Xu Chu also favored a long saber.

"Please!" "Please!"

After the customary exchange of courtesies, the two took their stances, facing each other from a distance.

A moment later, Xu Chu, accustomed to seizing the initiative, stepped forward. With a flick of his wrist, he thrust his blade tip straight toward Yan Liang’s chest. "Hah!"

He used only sixty percent of his strength, intending merely to test his opponent.

Seeing the attack, Yan Liang remained unperturbed. He brought his long saber up in a vertical block, deflecting Xu Chu’s tip without a hint of panic. "Hah!"

Xu Chu nodded inwardly; the opponent truly had skill.

He launched another flurry of attacks, sweeping his blade left and right. His movements were expansive and powerful, like surging waves, with a hint of internal energy shimmering in the air.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Yan Liang countered force with force. Every move appeared simple, yet each perfectly parried the edge of Xu Chu’s blade.

Occasionally, Yan Liang would seize an opening to counterattack. In terms of pure strength, Yan Liang, in the prime of his life, was not in the least inferior to the famously formidable Xu Chu.

Both men were mindful of the courtyard's size, preventing them from going all out, but after a hundred rounds, both felt immensely invigorated. A rare opponent is a treasure; for a warrior, a duel is the greatest pleasure.

Yuan Xi, watching from the sidelines, saw what the combatants might have missed: though they appeared evenly matched, after a hundred bouts, Xu Chu would eventually be suppressed by the more seasoned techniques of Yan Liang. Yan Liang, in his prime, was truly a top-tier general of the Three Kingdoms; perhaps only Guan Yu or the ferocious Zhang Fei could stand against him.

Yuan Xi turned to Wen Chou, who was standing nearby, and said with a smile, "Uncle Wen, are your hands itching? Would you like to spar as well?"

Wen Chou was a straightforward man who did not overthink things. He waved his hand and replied, "Naturally! Let me go and have a go with him."

Seeing this, Yan Liang stepped forward to decline. "Second brother, do not be rash. We have already had one bout today; it is not convenient to continue."

It was not out of cowardice, but because they had just arrived at the Yuan estate. Not knowing the full situation, it was unwise to act too impulsively. Caution was never a mistake.

"True, big brother is right. I wouldn't want to take advantage of you, but another day, I must certainly ask for your guidance." Wen Chou misunderstood the intention.

Yan Liang, a man of careful thought, glanced at Xu Chu and then bowed to Yuan Xi. "Young Master, when did you recruit such a master? You have yet to introduce us. What is this brave man’s name?"

"My apologies, my mind slipped. This is Xu Chu, styled Zhongkang, from Qiao County. He is not only skilled with the blade but possesses immense strength. He is a guard I recruited some time ago." Yuan Xi introduced Xu Chu to Yan Liang and Wen Chou.

"Xu Chu, at your service." Xu Chu cupped his hands and bowed to them.

"At your service!" "Master Xu, truly remarkable!"

The two returned the salute and agreed to cross blades again in the future.

"How about we share a drink today?" Yuan Xi seized the opportunity to propose the idea.

"Gladly!" "Haha!" "I follow the Young Master's lead."

Xu Chu was more than happy to oblige, and Yan Liang and Wen Chou, being bold men of Yan and Zhao, naturally agreed. After all, what was there to fear in sharing a drink?

Yuan Xi ordered his servants to fetch several jars of sorghum wine and some meat. They sat in Xu Chu’s quarters, warming the wine and drinking freely.

Yuan Xi drank sparingly, focusing on hosting his guests. Yan Liang and Wen Chou felt that although the Second Young Master of the Yuan family was renowned for his literary talent and refined cultivation, he carried himself without arrogance.

He possessed a genuine warmth, and his generosity only added to their favorable impression of him. A bond of mutual goodwill was forged between them.

...

In 189 AD, sensing the gathering storm in Luoyang, Yuan Xi visited the palace and repeatedly urged Princess Wannian, Liu Yan, not to wander about and to stay close to the Prince of Chenliu, Liu Xie, whenever necessary. Regardless of the outcome, he did not want to see Princess Wannian come to any harm.

Over the past few days, Yuan Xi and Cao Ang had met several times at the Zuixian Pavilion. Yuan Xi felt that such opportunities might soon become rare. Although Zhuque Avenue was currently bustling with life, change was imminent.

Therefore, before the chaos descended, Yuan Xi wanted to see more of the city and spend more time with Cao Ang, that "big tiger," knowing that in the future, he would no longer be able to tease him.

Later, in the decisive battle between Yuan and Cao, Cao Ang would break through the lines only to be wounded and die. Remembering their friendship in the capital, Yuan Xi would eventually provide generously for his family and raise his orphaned son to carry on the Cao lineage.

During the following month, when Yuan Xi was not in the palace for his studies, he learned classical texts from Zhang Hong, swordsmanship from Wang Yue, and mounted archery from Yan Liang.

Historically, Cao Cao and his sons were skilled in mounted archery and were excellent with the long spear. In this era, especially among high-ranking military families like the Yuans, great importance was placed on the martial training of their descendants.

The Great Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin, was also highly proficient in archery and horsemanship. Thus, Yuan Xi’s efforts aligned well with Yuan Shao’s wishes.

In this era, "Dao Yin" (guiding and pulling) exercises were popular among the upper nobility.

Like Hua Tuo’s "Five Animals Frolic" or the charts unearthed from Mawangdui in later generations, these exercises were similar to later "Qigong." Beyond physical training, they included breathing techniques. Yuan Xi possessed a set of "Dao Yin" exercises, obtained from Zuo Ci through a mix of coercion and persuasion.

Speaking of Zuo Ci, he was not the immortal or enlightened being described in some novels. According to the *Records of the Three Kingdoms*, Zuo Ci was a famous fangshi (alchemist/magician) of the late Han period from Lujiang, skilled in alchemy and sexual cultivation arts.

Over a decade ago, Zuo Ci had come to the capital, Luoyang, hoping to present elixirs to the Emperor Ling and become the royal alchemist, but he found himself at a dead end.

Just as he was about to return home in despair, he was scouted by Yuan Xi’s grandfather, Yuan Wei, and joined the Yuan household, providing the family with another source of wealth.

Yuan Xi used various methods to trick and coerce Zuo Ci into handing over the "Dao Yin" manual he had long coveted, which included the fangshi's cultivation arts.

After discarding the dross and distorted theories, Yuan Xi had practiced for several years, finding his body lighter, his spirit refreshed, and his strength significantly increased—the benefits were too numerous to list.

He had tested it with Lai Ying'er, and later, Yuan Xi packaged Zuo Ci as a Daoist master to facilitate the management of the Daoist community.

Yuan Xi had visited the Gao residence several times recently, but he was met with a closed door; the old man Gao Jing would not let him see Gao Yue.

When Yuan Xi told Gao Rou about the situation with Gao Yue, Gao Rou did not appear surprised or flustered. Instead, he helped Yuan Xi explain the matter to his father, Gao Jing.

However, when it came to letting Gao Yue follow Yuan Xi back to the Yuan estate before the wedding, Gao Jing was absolutely opposed. At least not yet; he insisted on making things difficult for this brat Yuan Xi—otherwise, he wouldn't feel at ease entrusting Yue'er to him.

Yuan Xi felt quite frustrated these days, reflecting on his own lack of power. At the same time, he handed over the intelligence network and personnel managed by Huaxu to Zhang Hong, tasking him with reorganizing and building them into what he named the "Shadow Guard."

This, too, was inspired by the legendary "Black Ice Guard" of the Xuanwu Emperor, renowned for its formidable martial prowess.