Liu Bei: My younger brother is a deity.

Just as Gongsun Zan and the others were whispering about Yuan Gonglu.

In the next private room, people were also talking about Yuan Shu.

In this private room, a middle-aged scholar of about forty years old was kneeling.

He had a thin face and three long wisps of beard.

He was wearing a slightly worn blue brocade robe.

As he sipped his wine, watching Yuan Shu angrily disappear around the street corner, a smile appeared on his face.

Standing beside him was a young man dressed as a servant, about sixteen or seventeen years old, who was clever and had a pair of cunning eyes that darted around.

"Master," the young man asked in a low voice with a grin, "how was my shout just now?"

The middle-aged scholar stroked his beard and laughed, "Not bad. The voice is loud and the tone is urgent, fully demonstrating the ferocious aura of Yuan Gonglu, the 'fierce ghost on the road'."

The young man chuckled and poured another cup of wine for the middle-aged scholar: "Master, may I ask why you're targeting Yuan Gonglu like this? You've even spread rumors beforehand that Yuan Gonglu is going to come to this street and vandalize and loot to satisfy his perverse tastes..."

The young man couldn't help but laugh as he said this.

He thought to himself, "If it weren't for the rumor my master spread, my shout wouldn't have had such a good effect."

The middle-aged scholar smiled and said, "If Yuan Gonglu is a virtuous man who is always kind to others, my rumors will only be laughed at if they get out."

He put down his wine glass, tapped his fingers lightly twice on the edge of the table, making a soft tapping sound, and continued:

"It was Yuan Gonglu who ruined his own reputation. In his youth, he was a hawker and a dog hunter, bullying men and women; after entering officialdom, he became arrogant and domineering, looking down on everyone. The people of Luoyang, when they mention 'the fierce ghost of the road,' are filled with both hatred and fear."

The middle-aged scholar's face showed a slight disdain: "It's laughable that the Yuan family keeps investing money and connections to pave the way for this person. The Yuan family has held high office for four generations, and their disciples and former officials are all over the country, but using these resources on Yuan Gonglu is like throwing meat buns to a dog, never to be returned."

He paused, then said meaningfully, "Instead of letting this money and connections be wasted by Yuan Gonglu, this 'ruthless devil on the road,' it would be better to use them on more suitable people."

The young man nodded as if he understood, then shook his head and asked, "Who is the 'more suitable person' that the master mentioned?"

The middle-aged scholar did not answer directly.

He raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The empty cup was placed on the table with a soft thud.

His gaze suddenly became distant, as if it had passed through walls, through streets and alleys, through the high walls and deep courtyards of Luoyang, and landed in some very, very far place.

"When Yong was studying in Luoyang, he became friends with Chen Zhongju, Li Yuanli and other friends, and originally thought that he could do something for the world."

"Who would have thought that the Party Prohibitions would occur, Chen Zhongju would die in prison, and Li Yuanli would not escape unscathed either. He was forced to change his name and flee to Runan, hiding here and there, living in fear like a stray dog."

His voice gradually lowered, carrying a sense of melancholy born of experience: "If it weren't for Yuan Benchu ​​taking me in back then, I would probably have died in the wilderness long ago. Such kindness must be repaid."

Upon hearing this, the young man finally understood, slapping his thigh: "Oh, I see! The master was repaying the kindness of that Yuan Shao, no wonder!"

He Yong smiled, then his expression suddenly turned serious. He said, "Keep your mouth shut. No one should know what happened today."

He thought to himself, "This matter must not be known to Benchu. If it is accidentally exposed, I, He Yong, will bear the blame alone."

The young man, thinking he understood, nodded and said, "I get it. We can't let Yuan Gonglu know it's the master..."

He Yong scoffed and interrupted, "Yuan Gonglu is nothing special. I'm not worried about him finding out, but rather... never mind!"

He waved his hand, "Just keep this to yourself."

The young man patted his belly and said, "Master, rest assured, this matter will definitely not reach the ears of a third party."

Little did they know, their conversation had already been overheard by a third party.

Liu Quan next door gave him a meaningful look.

"Has the struggle between Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu reached this point?"

"Heh, He Yong, is that you?!"

"No wonder he's Yuan Shao's loyal follower; he'd go to such lengths for him!"

"If word gets out, this renowned scholar's reputation will be ruined!"

He thought again, "With the Yuan family's influence, Yuan Shu will definitely be able to find out the truth behind this. Even if he can't find out who did it, he will most likely blame Yuan Shao."

"He Yong is a close ally of Yuan Shao, and Yuan Shu will definitely suspect him and hold a grudge."

He shook his head. "No wonder Yuan Shu humiliated He Yong in public later."

The Records of Famous Figures at the End of the Han Dynasty states that Yuan Shu once listed three of He Yong's crimes at a gathering.

He said, "Wang Demi is an elder of outstanding wisdom and high moral character, yet He Boqiu distances himself from him, which is the first sin. Xu Ziyuan (Xu You) is a vicious and dissolute man, whose character and actions are impure, yet He Boqiu is close to him, which is the second sin. Guo Tai and Jia Biao are poor and have no other assets, yet He Boqiu rides a fat horse and wears a light fur coat, shining brightly on the road, which is the third sin."

During the banquet, the renowned scholar Tao Qiuhong retorted, "Although Wang Demi is a great sage, he is flawed in his ability to help the world. Although Xu Ziyuan is not pure, he is not afraid of getting himself tainted when saving people from danger. Moreover, He Boqiu once avenged Yu Weigao with his own hands, and his reputation for righteousness is inspiring. His enemy is extremely wealthy and has four hundred fine horses. To make He Boqiu ride a skinny ox or a weak horse and lie prostrate on the road is like making him expose his chest to the enemy's blade."

Yuan Shu remained indignant.

Later, Yuan Shu met with Zong Cheng from Nanyang at the palace gate and angrily said, "He Boqiu has committed evil deeds that violate benevolence and morality; I will kill him!"

Zong Cheng said, "He Sheng is a man of outstanding talent and wisdom. You should treat him with great respect and let his good name spread throughout the world."

Yuan Shu then gave up.

From these historical records, Liu Quan could see that Yuan Shu harbored deep resentment towards He Yong.

He Yong, on the other hand, was a man of considerable prestige.

According to historical records in the Pangu database, this man was eventually captured and imprisoned by Dong Zhuo for helping Yuan Shao, and died in prison. He was truly loyal to his friend.

but……

Liu's face revealed a mocking expression.

He Yong treated Yuan Shao this way, but Yuan Shao didn't deserve such treatment.

You can tell from one thing.

After He Yong died, Xun Yu brought his body back and buried it next to the tomb of his uncle Xun Shuang.

Yuan Shao was busy vying for supremacy at the time and had no time to care about his friend's funeral arrangements.

This also shows that Yuan Shao was not a man of great wisdom.

Regardless of whether his feelings for He Yong are genuine or not, this is an excellent opportunity to market himself.

He made a big show of welcoming his friend's body back and gave him a proper burial, demonstrating to the world his loyalty and affection...