Chapter 4

At the critical moment, Yuan Fang decided to stop pretending to be lame and took advantage of Yuan Xi's underestimation to win with one move.

Yuan Fang was well aware that, as a bastard son, he would never rise to prominence without causing a stir and drawing the attention of the world.

Now, with so many people present, including important ministers of the Yuan family like Tian Feng, Yuan Fang had shocked everyone, which was exactly the result he wanted.

If he didn't make a move, he would remain unnoticed; but once he did, he would astonish everyone!

In the instant he defeated Yuan Xi, Yuan Fang felt a great sense of relief, but he did not show it, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor.

Yuan Xi, however, stood there, his face full of shock and disbelief.

He could not believe that the man who had been lame for over twenty years had suddenly recovered.

He could not accept that the lowly half-brother, whom he had bullied for over twenty years, had defeated him in front of their father, Zhen Yi, and so many of the Yuan family's advisors.

The humiliation was immense, the greatest Yuan Xi had ever experienced since birth.

Enraged and humiliated, Yuan Xi, his mind clouded with anger, suddenly turned around and, taking advantage of Yuan Fang's back being turned, launched a surprise attack, stabbing at Yuan Fang with his sword.

At the last moment, the sharp sword was about to pierce Yuan Fang's back.

"Be careful!" The female servant disguised as a male servant shouted a warning.

Hearing the sound of the sword slicing through the air behind him, Yuan Fang suddenly turned around, and Yuan Xi's sword was already upon him.

The surprise attack was too sudden, and the two were too close. When Yuan Fang turned, the sword was already aimed at his chest, leaving him no time to dodge or block.

The blade was about to pierce Yuan Fang's chest.

At the critical moment, Yuan Fang instinctively raised his hand and, without hesitation, grabbed the sword's blade.

Puff!

The sword stopped just a hair's breadth from Yuan Fang's chest, the blade firmly held by his hand, unable to advance any further.

Blood began to seep from Yuan Fang's palm.

"How dare you attack me from behind, you're asking for death!"

Yuan Fang, enraged, shouted and swung his sword with his right hand, aiming for Yuan Xi's neck.

Yuan Xi's face, which had been contorted with anger, suddenly twisted in fear as he desperately tried to pull back his sword to block, but Yuan Fang held it tightly, preventing him from doing so.

Seeing the sword coming, Yuan Xi screamed in terror.

The sword stopped just an inch away.

In a moment of hesitation, Yuan Fang suppressed his killing intent.

If he killed Yuan Xi today, he would vent his anger, but he would also be guilty of fratricide, and Yuan Shao would certainly have him executed in a fit of rage.

If he couldn't control his anger, he would ruin his grand plan.

"I'll spare your life for now..."

Yuan Fang sneered and kicked Yuan Xi in the stomach.

With a dull thud, Yuan Xi was sent flying three steps away, howling in pain as he clutched his stomach and fell to the ground, looking extremely disheveled.

Everything happened so quickly that by the time everyone reacted, Yuan Xi had already been kicked away.

The hall was in an uproar.

No one had expected that the noble Yuan Xi, not only lost the sword duel but also, in his anger and humiliation, resorted to such a despicable act as a surprise attack, losing both the match and his dignity.

Everyone looked at Yuan Xi lying on the ground and shook their heads, criticizing his behavior.

Even Yuan Shao frowned and showed signs of displeasure, clearly unhappy with Yuan Xi's actions.

"Who would have thought that the third son would be so unable to accept defeat, truly losing the dignity of the Yuan family. On the other hand, the second son, who dared to catch the sword with his hand, showed remarkable courage. He only kicked the third son to the ground without using excessive force, demonstrating a noble character..."

Tian Feng stroked his beard, his face showing admiration, and he looked at Yuan Fang with even greater respect.

For a moment, the other advisors in the hall reduced their disdain for Yuan Fang and began to view him differently.

Xia, who was worried, quickly tore a piece of her skirt and rushed over to bandage Yuan Fang's wound, her eyes brimming with tears, almost on the verge of crying.

"I'm fine, it's just a minor injury," Yuan Fang reassured her, then looked up and nodded to the female servant disguised as a male servant, thanking her for her warning.

The servant also nodded slightly, a faint smile on her lips.

At this moment, Yuan Xi, gasping for breath, got up from the ground, feeling both ashamed and embarrassed, unsure of what to do.

"Fang, I didn't know your leg had already recovered," Yuan Shao finally spoke, his tone tinged with resentment. He did not blame Yuan Xi for the surprise attack but seemed to be reproaching Yuan Fang for hiding the fact that his leg had healed.

Yuan Fang replied calmly, "I went to the Taihang Mountains for two months and found a divine doctor who gave me a good medicine. I only took it recently, and I didn't expect it to work so quickly."

Everyone could see that Yuan Fang had deliberately hidden his recovery to catch Yuan Xi off guard, but his explanation was flawless, leaving Yuan Shao no room to find fault.

All eyes turned to Yuan Shao, waiting to see what their lord would decide.

Now that the martial competition was over and the winner determined, according to the prior agreement, Yuan Fang should marry into the Zhen family.

However, Yuan Shao remained silent, not making a decision.

Yuan Fang knew that deep down, Yuan Shao still favored Yuan Xi and wanted him to marry the Zhen family's daughter.

Thinking of this, Yuan Fang faced Yuan Shao and declared loudly, "A man of honor will never lack a wife. Since Father so wishes to choose Xianyi, and Xianyi so wishes to be the Zhen family's son-in-law, I will yield."

Yuan Fang's words caused another stir in the hall.

If he had offered to yield during the competition, everyone would have mocked him for being weak and unwilling to compete with Yuan Xi.

Now that Yuan Fang had won the sword duel, both in martial skill and character, his yielding was not a sign of weakness but rather a display of his broad-mindedness and nobility.

Many more people began to view Yuan Fang with newfound respect.

"Who would have thought that the second son has such a noble character, truly remarkable..." Tian Feng stroked his beard, his admiration for Yuan Fang growing.

At this moment, the female servant behind Zhen Yi's back showed a look of surprise, her brows furrowed.

Yuan Shao could no longer favor Yuan Xi openly. If he insisted on choosing Yuan Xi, he would be admitting to favoritism and unfairness in front of everyone.

Yuan Shao frowned and said sternly, "Marriage is a matter for parents to decide, not for you to yield. This is not up to you to decide."

Yuan Fang did not say more, standing calmly and waiting to see how Yuan Shao would handle the situation.

After a moment of contemplation, Yuan Shao turned to someone below the dais: "Guo Gongze, what do you think I should do?"

Yuan Fang turned his head and saw Guo Tu, who had a mustache, standing beside Tian Feng.

"Guo Tu is aligned with Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi. Yuan Shao is clearly still favoring Yuan Xi and is asking Guo Tu to come up with a plan to avoid the blame for favoritism. Hmph, Yuan Shao, is this your sense of fairness..."

Yuan Fang immediately understood Yuan Shao's intentions.

Guo Tu squinted his eyes and coughed a few times before saying, "Our lord is always fair. I believe that the 'well-rounded' person Zhen Gong mentioned should not only be skilled in martial arts but also in military strategy. Our lord should test the two young masters' strategic abilities."

"Strategy?" Yuan Shao's expression gradually improved.

Guo Tu continued calmly, "I know our lord is planning to divide the troops to attack Bing and Qing provinces and to attack Gongsun Zan from both sides. Why not send the two young masters to lead the armies to attack the two provinces, with a one-year deadline to see who achieves greater results? The one with the better results can marry the Zhen family's daughter. This would be a win-win situation."

"Such a cunning Guo Tu..."

Yuan Fang immediately saw through Guo Tu's scheme.

Yuan Xi and Yuan Tan had many supporters in the Yuan Shao group. If Yuan Xi went to war, he would have the troops, generals, and resources he needed.

Yuan Fang, however, had been confined to the manor for over twenty years and had no supporters outside. Leading an army would be extremely difficult.

Guo Tu clearly believed that Yuan Fang would be the one to lose.

Yuan Shao, however, nodded in agreement, saying, "Gongze's suggestion is indeed the fairest. Fang, I will order you to attack Qing province, and Xi will attack Bing province. Within a year, the one with the better results will be chosen."

Yuan Shao did not give anyone else a chance to speak, immediately adopting Guo Tu's suggestion.

"Qing province is Gongsun Zan's territory, while Bing province is controlled by the Black Mountain bandits. Clearly, Qing province is the harder target, yet you are sending me there. Yuan Shao, you are truly something."

Yuan Fang sneered inwardly, then, after a moment of contemplation, looked up at Yuan Shao and said calmly, "Since Father has made this decision, what can I say? I will definitely take Qing province within a year."

Yuan Fang agreed quickly. To others, this seemed like Yuan Shao's favoritism, but to Yuan Fang, it was a rare opportunity.

Only by seizing this opportunity could Yuan Fang leave the manor and form his own army, creating a territory of his own.

Even if the odds were against him, facing a strong opponent like Gongsun Zan, Yuan Fang would not give up.

Because this was his only chance to change his fate.

——

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