Chapter 38 The Cup Broke

Yuan Tan and the other two were speechless after hearing Yuan Xi's words.

Because selecting scholars was a monopolized privilege of the local gentry!

Since the gradual formation of the gentry, they not only occupied land but also monopolized knowledge and controlled the selection of scholars. Their status became increasingly higher, eventually forming a gentry group that controlled local power during the Han Dynasty.

Neither the emperor nor the warlords who controlled one side dared to underestimate them. If they wanted to govern the world, they could only befriend the gentry and then control the local people. Otherwise, rebellions would easily occur.

Therefore, the gentry was so noble and their status so lofty that they had to go through hundreds of years of inheritance to form renowned gentry families. Now, Yuan Xi actually wanted to replace them in selecting scholars?

Xun Chen said in a deep voice, "My lord, this matter is too taboo."

"A few days ago, Cao Cao, the governor of Chenliu, killed Bian Rang of Yanzhou, which caused the local gentry to disobey him secretly, and some even rebelled. We must learn from this lesson and be careful."

Yuan Xi scratched his head: "There are no gentry in Beixin City now. Who would rebel?"

Xun Chen almost choked: "Zhuo County is not just Beixin City!"

"You Province is not just Zhuo County!"

"Does the lord want to kill them one city at a time?"

Yuan Xi smiled: "Of course not."

"I have my own reasons. You have come from afar and worked hard. Why don't I host a banquet to wash away the dust and then explain in detail?"

Yuan Tan smiled and said, "That's right. Because of your matter, I have delayed my plan to deal with Tian Kai in Qing Province. You have to accompany me for a few drinks."

The group entered the mansion and saw two rows of young women standing neatly on both sides of the gate, wearing narrow-sleeved, tight-fitting robes that accentuated their figures.

The robes were intricately folded and wrapped around the hips, then tied with silk ribbons. The clothes were also decorated with exquisite and gorgeous patterns, but the cross-collared neckline was very low, revealing a large portion of the inner garment.

When they saw Yuan Xi leading Yuan Tan and the other two in, they bowed their heads in unison and said sweetly, "Welcome, honored guests~".

Their bow immediately filled the garden with vibrant color, dispelling the autumn chill.

In a trance, Yuan Xi seemed to return to his previous life, to the first time he entered a club and saw a similar scene that he still couldn't forget.

The difference was that women in the Han Dynasty did not have high status. Most of them were illiterate and had to rely on men to survive. Therefore, the scene before him was somewhat of a product of the times.

It was not until two thousand years later that women were able to remove this yoke, receive education, support themselves, and live with their heads held high.

Of course, there were also some women who picked up the yoke again and put it back on their necks, regarding the helplessness of women serving men two thousand years ago as a matter of course and taking pride in it.

With a gulp, Gao Lan swallowed hard. Xun Chen, regardless of the deep autumn season, took out a feather fan from his wide sleeves and waved it vigorously.

Yuan Tan's hand in his sleeve tightened, and he chuckled: "Although Second Brother has been away from Ye City for three years, he still has a good understanding of romance."

Only at this moment did he slightly lower his guard against Yuan Xi.

He still had the mood to enjoy himself like this while facing Gongsun Zan, which showed that his ambitions were not far-reaching.

Yuan Xi smiled: "I am living a precarious life in Beixin City. If I don't find something to relieve my boredom, how can I survive?"

Xun Chen thought to himself that the lord had hardly cared about the Second Young Master Yuan in the past three years. Was it because of this that the Second Young Master Yuan became psychologically twisted and committed the massacre of the gentry?

The three entered the house and sat down, and servants came up like a stream, serving wine and dishes on the tables in front of them.

The food was all local produce. You Province had a lot of game. Yuan Xi and Sun Li had hunted for a few days and caught a lot of roe deer, river fish, and wild geese.

Yuan Tan and Xun Chen tasted it and felt that the seasoning was far less exquisite than the dishes at the banquets in Ye City, and their expressions showed it.

Yuan Xi sighed in his heart when he saw this. This was already the best he could offer, but it was still disliked. Sure enough, the lives on both sides were different.

He smiled and talked to Yuan Tan about family matters, but he never mentioned the gentry matter just now. Xun Chen wanted to know the reason, but he didn't want to take the initiative to bring it up, which made him feel even more uncomfortable.

Yuan Xi seemed to have forgotten what he said at the door and only asked the young women to come up and perform songs and dances.

While watching the song and dance, Yuan Tan was thinking, did Second Brother bring so many women here to numb himself?

Yuan Tan originally thought that his biggest threat was his Third Brother Yuan Shang, while his Second Brother had been weak since childhood and was not taken seriously by him.

But after not seeing him for three years, he felt that he couldn't see through the Second Brother in front of him!

Yuan Tan knew very well that he was sent to Beixin City as a test and probing by his father Yuan Shao.

If he found out that Second Brother had done something bad, he had two choices.

One was to hide the matter, but if his father found out, his evaluation of him would plummet.

The second was to tell his father the truth, in which case Second Brother would likely be punished, and his relationship with Second Brother would likely break down, making it even more impossible to deal with Third Brother.

Yuan Tan found that it seemed that no matter how he handled it, he couldn't have both.

He felt a little aggrieved in his heart. Why did his father give him such a thorny matter? Wasn't this clearly making it difficult for him?

His father's favoritism towards Third Brother was too obvious!

Why was Yuan Shang so favored by his father and supported by so many people in secret just because he had a good background and looked good?

But now Yuan Tan could only bite the bullet and go on, because once he failed, he would have nothing.

Since this was the case, it was time for him to make his move. He would let Second Brother see that he, the eldest brother, the future successor of the Yuan family, was not easy to fool!

He picked up his wine glass and sighed to Yuan Xi: "Second Brother has taken the trouble to prepare wine and dishes, and I, as the eldest brother, am naturally very grateful."

"But when I think that Qu Yi, who had ulterior motives, was beheaded at this wine table in this mansion the year before last, perhaps in my current seat, I feel a little unable to swallow it."

As soon as these words came out, a flash of light flashed in Xun Chen's eyes, and he slightly raised his head to look at Yuan Xi, but found that the other party was calm.

Yuan Xi smiled slightly, as if he didn't hear it, just raised his wine glass and toasted to the three of them from afar, "Big Brother has come from afar and worked hard, and he is also worried about my affairs, Xianyi feels ashamed, I will drink first as a token of respect."

He raised his head and drank it all in one gulp. When the three saw this, just as they brought their wine glasses to their lips, Yuan Xi's wine glass fell to the ground and shattered.

Yuan Tan exclaimed, Xun Chen leaned back and fell, and Gao Lan drew his sword.

In the next moment, the three of them realized.

They lost their composure!

Yuan Xi laughed loudly, "It's just a broken glass, why is everyone so nervous?"

The three cursed in their hearts, if there were axe-wielding soldiers behind the curtain, the sound of the glass breaking would be the signal, and the next moment would be the time when heads fell to the ground, who wouldn't be afraid?

They were led by the nose by Yuan Xi!

He first mentioned his indiscriminate killing of the gentry at the door. In addition to the shock of the three, they left the impression that Yuan Xi was likely a murderous maniac.

He even dared to kill the gentry!

Besides Cao Cao, how many people in the world dared to treat the gentry like this?

Yuan Tan specifically mentioned Qu Yi's matter, wanting to imply to Yuan Xi that Yuan Shao would not be merciful to those who betrayed him.

He wanted to use this matter to deter Yuan Xi and take the initiative.

But he didn't expect that Yuan Xi just broke a glass, which made the three nervous and lose their composure, and regained the initiative!

Xun Chen lowered his head and said nothing, but his eyes were slightly bright.

In recent years, Yuan Shao has become increasingly less ambitious and has not been able to handle the various factions under his command well. He is no longer the hero he once was, so Xun Yu is more optimistic about Cao Cao.

Xun Chen secretly saw this clue, but as the eldest brother, he couldn't bring himself to rely on Xun Yu again.

Besides, is Cao Cao really as Xun Yu said, a person who can accomplish great things?

Although Xun Chen didn't believe it, he was in a rather awkward situation. If Yuan Shao continued like this, the hope of fighting for the world would probably become smaller and smaller.

But now, Xun Chen found that he had misjudged before. Yuan Xi, who seemed crazy, seemed to have a kind of confidence in controlling the situation!

Where did this confidence come from?

Why would this trait appear on a twenty-year-old young man?