Chapter 2

"Whoosh—"

Yuan Fang slowly exhaled, his eyes suddenly opening, a glint of excitement flashing in his dark eyes.

His mind was filled with excitement, but his body felt as if it had just suffered from a severe illness, his face pale, his breath weak, and a layer of cold sweat on his forehead.

"This virus is indeed powerful. If it weren't for the mental training I've undergone over the past year, I might not have made it through. I wonder if it has taken effect yet."

Yuan Fang shakily stood up, his gaze falling on his crippled leg. He took a deep breath and tried to take a step forward.

A steady step.

He didn't stumble or limp; the leg that had been disabled for years took a steady step forward.

In an instant, boundless joy surged in his heart, and Yuan Fang was almost about to shout with excitement.

The leg that had made him a target of discrimination and hindered his quest for dignity was finally cured!

Yuan Fang's ecstatic gaze fell on the empty syringe on the desk.

Under the guise of seeking a divine doctor, Yuan Fang had been out for more than two months, actually to find the crashed military aircraft in the Taihang Mountains.

The aircraft carried a biochemical virus developed by the military in the future. Although this virus had a deadly infectiousness, it could be used to treat many incurable diseases that conventional medicine could not cure.

Yuan Fang knew that in this era of backward medicine, only that virus offered the only chance to cure his leg.

After more than a year of inquiries and two months of arduous searching, his efforts finally paid off, and he found the crashed aircraft and the intact cryogenic box.

"Now that my leg is cured, the next step is to find a way to leave the Yuan family. Ideally, I should gather an army and establish my own territory. As an illegitimate son, staying in the Yuan family will never lead to any results..."

Yuan Fang walked around the room, his thoughts racing as he planned for the future.

At that moment, Xiaochai's voice came from outside the door: "Young Master, Lord Yuan has sent someone to invite you to the main hall to welcome a distinguished guest."

"Yuan..."

The words "Yuan Shao" on the tip of his tongue, Yuan Fang swallowed them back, suspiciously asking, "Father only summoned three people. Why is he summoning me now?"

"The messenger said it was Mr. Tian's persuasion that made Lord Yuan summon you," Xiaochai explained.

Mr. Tian, mentioned by Xiaochai, was an important advisor under Yuan Shao.

"I wonder who this distinguished guest is. For Yuan Shao to summon everyone, and for Tian Feng to speak up for me, he doesn't seem to be a superficial person..."

Yuan Fang reined in his excitement, calmed his mind, and walked out the door.

Seeing Yuan Fang, Xiaochai couldn't help but ask, "Young Master, has the divine medicine taken effect?"

"Only just taken it, how could it work so quickly? Let's go, to see Father." Yuan Fang continued to limp as he walked out.

Before he had a clear plan, Yuan Fang didn't intend to reveal that his leg was cured too quickly.

Xiaochai's eyes flashed with disappointment, and she sighed lightly, quickly following and supporting Yuan Fang.

They passed through the secluded back courtyard and finally stopped outside the reception hall, where laughter and conversation could be heard, the atmosphere lively.

Just as Yuan Fang stepped onto the stairs, a mocking voice came from behind: "Father didn't summon someone, yet this person came uninvited, with quite a thick face."

Recognizing the familiar voice, Yuan Fang turned to see Yuan Xi.

He was wearing a new, elaborate outfit, making him look more spirited. It was unclear who the distinguished guest was, but it must have been someone important for Yuan Xi to rush back and change.

Yuan Fang ignored him, treating him as if he weren't there, and continued forward.

"Shortly after the third son left, Lord Yuan sent someone to summon the second son," Xiaochai quickly explained for Yuan Fang.

Yuan Xi's brows furrowed, revealing dissatisfaction, and he sneered, "If that's the case, you should watch your step. Be careful not to trip and fall, disgracing the Yuan family in front of the distinguished guest."

With a public taunt, Yuan Xi strode past Yuan Fang, rudely pushing aside a servant who couldn't get out of his way in time.

The servant let out a cry, his legs giving way, and he slid down the stairs.

Yuan Fang, standing close by, quickly reached out to steady the servant.

As his hand touched the servant's waist, Yuan Fang felt a softness that didn't seem like a man's. Looking up, he saw a fair, delicate face with clear features.

Faintly, the servant emitted a subtle fragrance of powder, wafting towards him.

"It's a female servant disguised as a male. I wonder whose servant she is, daring to act so recklessly in such a formal setting..."

In a few moments, Yuan Fang saw through the servant but didn't expose her. He helped her up and asked softly, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you, Young Master." The servant's face turned red, and she responded in a low voice, quickly entering the hall.

Yuan Fang didn't dwell on the strange servant, took a deep breath, and, with Xiaochai's support, entered the hall.

The hall was spacious, exuding a sense of solemnity.

There were many people in the hall, including all of the Yuan family's sons except for the youngest, Yuan Mai, who was still an infant.

The sons of the Yuan family were seated on the left, while some important advisors were seated on the right.

In the main seat, a middle-aged man in splendid attire, with slightly graying temples, sat with his eyes half-closed, giving off an aura of immense power.

The moment he sat down, a commanding presence filled the room, making everyone lower their heads in respect.

He was the true master of the Chariot General's residence, the ruler of Ji Province, the famous and influential Yuan Shao, born into a noble family.

Facing Yuan Shao, the middle-aged man had a plump, smiling face, exuding the air of a wealthy man.

The female servant was standing by the distinguished guest.

At that moment, the distinguished guest was lavishly praising Yuan Xi's talents, saying that a tiger father does not have a dog for a son.

"Uncle, your praise is too much, I am unworthy of it," Yuan Xi responded humbly, but his eyes betrayed his pride.

Yuan Shao nodded slightly, seemingly very pleased with this son.

After the praise, Yuan Xi, with a proud expression, moved to the side and knelt beside the eldest son, Yuan Tan.

No one paid attention to Yuan Fang, as if he were invisible.

Yuan Fang, undeterred, limped forward and bowed to Yuan Shao.

At that moment, everyone in the hall finally noticed Yuan Fang, and most of their faces immediately showed disdain.

Yuan Xi, in particular, sneered at Yuan Fang, as if he were a joke.

Yuan Shao didn't even look at him, coldly ordering, "Haven't you greeted your Uncle Zhen yet?"

"Who is this Zhen? He must be a close friend of Yuan Shao. Who could he be?" Yuan Fang's mind raced, and he bowed, neither too humble nor too proud, "Greetings, Uncle Zhen."

The distinguished guest's smile faded, and he only nodded slightly in acknowledgment, his attitude towards Yuan Fang a stark contrast to his earlier praise of Yuan Xi.

Clearly, this distinguished guest had sharp eyes and could see Yuan Fang's status in the Yuan family.

Yuan Shao didn't say another word to Yuan Fang, only coldly gestured for him to step aside.

Yuan Fang, however, remained composed, calmly stepping back and looking around the left side, only to be surprised to find that there was no seat for him.

Seeing Yuan Fang standing there, the sons of the Yuan family couldn't help but laugh, clearly enjoying his embarrassment.

Especially Yuan Xi, who laughed the loudest, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"It seems Yuan Xi is up to something, deliberately embarrassing me in front of so many people!"

Yuan Fang's brows furrowed, and his fists clenched, a surge of anger rising in his heart.

"Ouyang, why haven't you arranged a seat for the second son?" A man with half-gray hair and a serious face, sitting on the right, sternly ordered.

The speaker was Tian Feng.

"Ah, my apologies, I forgot that the second son would come. I'll have someone prepare a seat immediately," the steward, Ouyang, lightly smiled, "apologetically" tapping his forehead, but the mockery in his eyes was not well hidden.

After a moment, a servant added a mat at the end of the row on the left.

Amidst the mocking gazes of the others, Yuan Fang walked to the corner and calmly knelt down.

At that moment, Yuan Shao was engaged in conversation with the distinguished guest, paying no attention to the unfair treatment of his illegitimate son.

"The battle at Jieqiao, where you, Lord Yuan, displayed your military prowess, forcing Gongsun Zan to retreat in disgrace, was truly impressive. When will you lead your troops north to conquer You Province and unify Hebei?" the distinguished guest flattered with a smile.

Yuan Shao, however, was not arrogant, and self-deprecatingly said, "The victory at Jieqiao was a stroke of luck. To counterattack You Province, I need to recruit more soldiers and horses. But with Ji Province just stabilized and the treasury empty, I need the support of the Hebei gentry, like Brother Ziran."

"Lord Yuan's rule over Hebei is a blessing for us, the gentry of Hebei. How could I not support you? To be honest, I have brought one hundred million coins to offer to Lord Yuan, to support your troops."

One hundred million coins was a generous sum.

Yuan Fang now guessed who this person was. Given the amount, it must be Zhen Yi, the wealthiest man in Hebei.

The three wealthiest families in the world were the Zhen family of Hebei, the Mi family of Xu Province, and the Lu family of Yang Province, all immensely rich.

"Yuan Shao needs Zhen Yi's wealth to defeat Gongsun Zan and take Hebei. No wonder he is treating Zhen Yi with such high regard and addressing him as a brother..."

Yuan Fang understood the reason and secretly looked at Zhen Yi, only to notice that the female servant behind Zhen Yi was also quietly observing him.

Their gazes met.

The servant's body trembled slightly, and she quickly averted her eyes, her face turning red.

Yuan Fang didn't dwell on it, quickly returning his attention to the conversation between Yuan Shao and Zhen Yi.

Seeing Zhen Yi's generosity, Yuan Shao couldn't help but smile, laughing, "Brother Ziran, you are truly a generous man. This one hundred million coins is like a timely rain. On behalf of my troops, I thank you, Brother Ziran."

"Hehe, Lord Yuan, you are too kind. Given our friendship, this is what I should do."

After a few polite words, Zhen Yi changed the subject, smiling, "However, this time, I have a request to make."

"Any request, Brother Ziran, please speak," Yuan Shao laughed.

Zhen Yi cleared his throat and said, "I have a daughter who is of marriageable age. I would like to request one of Lord Yuan's sons as a son-in-law."

It turned out that Zhen Yi wanted to form an alliance with Yuan Shao through marriage.

"Traders are traders, they never make a loss. I see why Zhen Yi is so generous; he wants to climb the tree of the Yuan family," Yuan Fang thought.

Yuan Shao, however, laughed heartily and said, "I and Brother Ziran are old friends. If we can become in-laws, it would be even better. I will let..."

Yuan Shao's gaze swept over the sons on the left, and the others in the hall also looked over.

Yuan Shao had five sons. The youngest, Yuan Mai, was still an infant, and the eldest, Yuan Tan, was already married. Zhen's precious daughter would not be a concubine.

Everyone's gaze fell on Yuan Fang, Yuan Xi, and Yuan Shang.

"According to the proper order, this marriage should logically fall to me as the second son. However, I suspect that Yuan Shao will not choose a crippled son for Zhen Yi. He will be biased," Yuan Fang guessed.

Sure enough, Yuan Shao's gaze lingered on the fourth son, Yuan Shang, then swept past Yuan Fang, and finally settled on Yuan Xi.

"I will let my third son, Xianyi, be Brother Ziran's son-in-law. Is this satisfactory, Brother Zhen?"

Zhen Yi's face lit up with joy, and he laughed, "The third son is a fine young man, with the demeanor of Lord Yuan. My daughter marrying such a hero is a blessing from her past life."

Yuan Xi, meanwhile, was elated, his face beaming with pride.

Yuan Fang, however, sneered inwardly, thinking, "Just a marriage of convenience. Yuan Shao still lets personal preferences interfere with fairness. With such a lack of character, how can he not be defeated by Cao Cao?"

Yuan Fang, who already knew the outcome, was not disappointed. On the contrary, Yuan Shao's actions today only strengthened his resolve to leave the Yuan family as soon as possible.

As everyone was congratulating Yuan Shao and Zhen Yi, suddenly, a voice sternly said, "Lord, I believe your choice is unfair!"