I am not Yuan Shu

Chapter 158: Legitimate and Illegitimate

Yuan Shu was a powerful figure in Luoyang. He debated with many scholars and defeated almost the entire official school force by himself. He refuted Han Zong over a cup of wine and forcibly took away the title of the emperor's tutor for himself. He became famous all over the world and in Guandong.

Others are just praising each other for business purposes, only Yuan Shu is the real deal; others are all fake geniuses, only Yuan Shu is a real prodigy.

The bigwigs of the official school took turns sending out more than a hundred elite disciples to fight Yuan Shu, but all of them were defeated and no one won. People exclaimed that Yuan Shu's debate skills had reached perfection.

Yuan Shao felt like a little house sparrow. Just as he was about to raise his fleshy little wings to try to take off, he looked up and saw that the great roc named Yuan Shu had already flapped its wings and soared into the sky, blocking out the sun.

Are we going to let the little sparrow live?

No matter how awesome you are, you have to leave me a way to survive, right?

You can't let me live with the title of "Brother Yuan Shu" for the rest of my life, right?
I am your brother! Brother!
With an inexplicable feeling of grief and indignation, Yuan Shao even felt like crying after seeing Yuan Shu grow up.

For some unknown reason, he had an urge to rush up and beat Yuan Shu up to vent his anger.

But can't.

Now, it is inappropriate for them to fight, as they have all grown up. Yuan Shao has even reached adulthood and will soon represent the Yuan family and serve in the palace as a palace official.

If you still fight at this time and the news gets out, will you still be able to live as human beings?

But how can I vent the suppressed emotions in my heart?
Yuan Shao didn't know.

Yuan Shu stood not far away and watched the grown-up Yuan Shao whom he had not seen for seven years. He recognized his appearance at a glance and felt that he was indeed more handsome than when he was a child. But for some reason, he always felt that his eyes were a little strange...

Resentment?
But he was his brother after all, so Yuan Shu was too embarrassed to point it out and took the initiative to salute Yuan Shao.

"Brother, are you okay after seven years of absence?"

Yuan Shu's voice interrupted Yuan Shao's emotions. Yuan Shao opened his mouth, and it seemed that ten thousand alpacas were about to spit out of his mouth, but when it came to his lips, only a simple sentence remained -

"so far so good."

Seeing that the two brothers seemed a little embarrassed, Li knew what was going on. With her kind heart, she took the initiative to act as a go-between, asked the two brothers to sit down together, and asked the maid to bring wine and snacks, saying that she wanted Yuan Shu to eat something.

"It's getting late, uncle, you haven't eaten yet, right? Benchu just woke up and needs to eat too, so would you like to eat with me, uncle?"

Seeing Li's expectant look, Yuan Shu nodded, turned around and winked at Xu Chong, who immediately understood and turned away.

Yuan Shu turned around and looked at Li with a smile.

"My brother and sister-in-law have invited me, so it would be disrespectful for the tree to refuse."

So, the two brothers each had a table and a mat, and sat opposite each other in silence.

Li sat beside Yuan Shao and poured him wine and served him food. She also arranged for the maids to pour wine and serve food for Yuan Shu. She was generous and decent, showing her good family education and did not make the atmosphere more awkward.

Yuan Shao naturally didn't know what to say as he hadn't yet completely gotten over his previous emotions.

Yuan Shu wanted to say something but didn't know how to say it. The relationship between him and Yuan Shao was like that of two childhood friends who were brought together by their parents after ten years of separation. They sat face to face but didn't know how to talk.

We used to be very close and could talk about anything while lying in bed, but now I have no idea what to say.

What's more, the two of them are not even friends, and their relationship is not even as good as that of ordinary acquaintances.

Fortunately, there is the Li family.

She knew what to say and what not to say. After saying some polite words about brothers meeting again after a long separation, she changed the subject and started talking about Yuan Shu's personal life.

"Uncle is three years younger than Benchu. He is already seventeen years old and will soon be married. I wonder if uncle has arranged a marriage for him?"

Yuan Shu didn't know what to say at first, but when Li brought up the topic, he knew what he should say.

"Already have. My father has arranged for the Jingzhao Du family to be the in-laws for the tree. The Du family's daughter is already living in Luoyang. We can officially get married after the tree is crowned."

"Jingzhao Du family..."

Li was a little surprised, and even Yuan Shao, who had been absent-minded just now, was a little surprised.

They really don't know about this yet.

"I have also heard of the Jingzhao Du family. They are also a wealthy family, but their reputation is not very high. They are still famous in Guanzhong, but not so famous in Guandong. Why did my uncle choose the Du family? Moreover, the Du family does not live in Luoyang. It seems a bit impolite to let their unmarried daughter live in Luoyang?"

Li's problem is also Yuan Shao's problem.

He didn't understand.

Yuan Feng and Yuan Wei arranged for him to marry the daughter of a famous party member so that he could gain some of Li Ying's fame and political prestige. Yuan Feng told Yuan Shao this in person.

However, Yuan Feng asked the most outstanding Yuan Shu to marry the daughter of a family that was not very famous.

What's going on here?

Yuan Shu just smiled.

"At present, this is just a concept. It is mainly because of my personal idea that my father and third uncle support me. In the future, I may choose to establish another Yuan clan in Guanzhong to expand the Runan Yuan clan. Therefore, I need the help of the Guanzhong nobles."

Yuan Shao and Li were shocked when they heard this. What?
Yuan Shu... wants to become independent, set up a new sect, and expand his influence?
This is a great honor for a family member!
Li just thought that her brother-in-law was really awesome, but Yuan Shao instantly felt that Yuan Shu, like a roc, had flapped its wings and flown high again, flying so high, so high, that the shadow it cast covered the sky and the sun, so that he could not see a single ray of light.

Could it be that, because of his excellence, Yuan Feng and Yuan Wei thought that he could not develop better if he continued to stay in the Runan Yuan family, so they wanted him to go out and establish another Yuan family sect, and eventually become an equal to the head of the Runan Yuan family?

In this way...

The future head of the family must be Yuan Ji.

Yuan Shu would become the founding ancestor and patriarch of another Yuan clan.

And he, Yuan Shao...

If he fought to the death, he would be in Yuan Wei's current position.

In the future, Yuan Shu and Yuan Ji will be on equal footing, and may even be on equal footing with Yuan Pang, the leader of the Yuan family in Chen County, as they will all be leaders of a branch of the Yuan clan.

And he, who is stuck in the middle... can only look up to them for the rest of his life?

Is it because I am a concubine's child and they are all legitimate children?
So Yuan Feng and Yuan Wei were actually willing to do this for him?
Yuan Shao felt as if his heart was stabbed hard again, and it was the kind that pierced directly through.

Originally, he felt that he was very lucky and awesome to be the heir of Yuan Cheng's lineage within the Yuan clan as a bastard. After all, he was a legitimate son in the sense of the clan law.

But compared with the real legitimate children.

Am I still not taken seriously?

Yuan Shao felt as if his heart was broken into pieces and that his world had entered eternal night. Yet in the darkness he had the illusion that he was being burned by the scorching sun.

why?
Why am I always the neglected and vulnerable man?
Li was unaware of her husband's psychological activities, but looked at Yuan Shu curiously.

"Is it really okay to tell us this kind of thing?"

"It's okay. My brother and sister-in-law are not outsiders. We are family members and we don't talk behind each other's backs. Besides, this is not a big deal. In the final analysis, it's just our Yuan family's family affairs."

"Uncle is really honest..."

Yuan Shao didn't know what happened next.

His mind was completely empty, as if only Li was talking to Yuan Shu. He seemed to have said a few words, but he couldn't remember what he said.

He didn't even know when or how Yuan Shu left.

When he came to his senses, Li was already preparing water for him to wash his feet and helping him to go to bed to rest.

"I...Where's Yuan Shu? Is he gone?"

"I've been gone for quite a while. Don't you see what time it is now?"

Li smiled slightly, squatted down, took off Yuan Shao's shoes and socks, put his feet in the water, and wiped them carefully with a towel.

"Is the water hot?"

"Yeah... just right."

"That's good. Soak your feet in hot water more often. It's good for your health."

"Thanks……"

"It's strange for a husband and wife to say something like this, or does my husband not consider me a member of the family?"

Li looked at Yuan Shao with a slightly resentful look.

Yuan Shao was a little embarrassed, so he smiled and shook his head.

"No, you and I are husband and wife, and we are a family."

Only then did Li smile with satisfaction, lowered her head and continued to wipe his feet.

After a while, Li spoke softly.

"Your uncle is so dazzling, does your husband feel pressured? I heard that you two didn't have a good relationship when you were young and often fought. Now, does your husband still dislike your uncle?"

"How...how did you know this?"

"I am your husband's wife, how could I not know this?"

Li raised her head, looked into Yuan Shao's eyes, and said softly, "My uncle has told me a lot about my husband's childhood, and especially about these things. I hope I can persuade my husband more and let him not take these things too seriously."

"That's it..."

Yuan Shao didn't expect that Yuan Feng would tell Li all these things, but after thinking about it, he felt that Yuan Feng's intentions were indeed good.

After all, he is my biological father. Although he has become my second uncle in the patriarchal sense, blood is thicker than water.

Thinking of this, Yuan Shao felt a little better.

(End of this chapter)