Xie Yuan

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Xie Yuan (谢原)
Alias(es)	Cloud-Reclining Young Master; Young Master Yuan 250 262
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xie Clan, Main Estate branch 249
Occupation / Role	Young master of the Xie Clan; scholar and martial trainee; Xie Guan’s clan cousin and frequent companion 250 307
Family	Son of Xie Ling and Madam Zhuge; younger brother of Xie Mu; nephew of Zhuge Jian 249 266 461
Residence	Xie Manor; Madam Zhuge later arranges for him to leave the manor and stay with the Zhang Family. 249 464
First Appearance	Chapter 249

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Martial Dao — Bone Forging, Second Realm	307	Reached the second martial realm after two months of training; demonstrated it by lifting a bluestone slab weighing over 700 jin. 307
Martial Dao — Bone Forging, major completion	323	His rapid progress caused intense Blood Qi agitation and insomnia; his master attributed the discomfort to advancement that was too fast. 323
Martial Dao — Blood Qi, Third Realm	409	Had entered the third realm, though he lacked a method for circulating his energy while running. 409 435
Primordial Spirit — Resonance, First Realm	414	Entered Primordial Spirit cultivation under an Academy teacher and gained the ability to locate positions through sound. 414
Martial Dao — Embryo Tempering, Fourth Realm	434	Broke through after Xie Guan advised him that innate power reveals itself when one’s strength is exhausted. 434

Background

Xie Yuan was born into the Xie Clan’s Main Estate as Madam Zhuge’s surviving younger son. His parents’ indulgence gave him an arrogant, extravagant upbringing; as a child, he once bought more than a thousand kites simply because he found them amusing. 249

Madam Zhuge was Xie Ling’s childhood sweetheart and second wife. His affection and guilt toward her contributed to Yuan’s favored position, while the early death of her first son intensified her indulgence of him. 249

At thirteen, he began visiting Xie Guan’s small courtyard while Guan was still blind. Loud, casual, and accustomed to treating other people’s spaces as his own, Yuan initially arrived with servants and fine tea taken from Old Madam Xie. Their chess matches became a turning point: Guan defeated him repeatedly, and Yuan’s competitive pride gradually became admiration. 250 251 266

His household possessed substantial educational resources: great scholars oversaw his lessons, while more than thirty retainers assisted with books, coursework, and compositions. These retainers included Cultivated Scholars Zhang Yuanlai and He Xiao, as well as some jinshi graduates. Yuan arranged for Zhang and He to read to Guan during his blindness. 252 294

Under Guan’s influence, Yuan changed from a boy who fell asleep at the sight of books into a diligent reader. His new habits affected even his pageboy, Xie Hou’er, while Madam Zhuge retained her brother Zhuge Jian at the manor to guide Yuan’s education. 266

Xie Hong’s praise helped overturn Yuan’s former reputation as a spoiled young master. After observing his improvement, Hong remarked that he looked like an Academy teacher; Madam Zhuge was delighted and personally brought gifts to Guan in recognition of his influence. 262

Yuan later committed seriously to both literary and martial cultivation. Madam Zhuge established a spacious private training ground for him, where an eccentric, wine-drinking hidden expert became his martial and Primordial Spirit instructor. Yuan describes this older teacher as a friend despite their age difference, and their relationship is marked by familiar teasing as well as rigorous training. 419

Appearance

At thirteen, Xie Yuan was in the midst of his voice changing, with a low and hoarse voice. He favors luxurious, elegant clothing, including moon-white Hangzhou silk robes, a pine-blossom sash, and a white-jade pendant. 250 419

• Often appears with attendants, entertainers, and his pageboy Xie Hou’er. 250 307
• Trains bare-chested in his private martial grounds, usually drenched in sweat and fully absorbed in stance-work. 419
• Continues to value his appearance, openly asking Xie Guan to judge his outfit before going out. 419
• As his cultivation and Guan’s fame grow, he dismisses his former troupe of singers and courtesans, usually retaining only Xie Hou’er at his side. 414
• Is described as having a build similar to Guan’s, and offers to lend him an elegant outfit before their visit to Qimo Spring House. 419

Personality

Xie Yuan is playful, boastful, and highly conscious of face. He dislikes being outdone—especially at chess or Go—and often tries to regain his dignity through a new challenge. His confidence is sincere rather than malicious, and defeats usually make him work harder rather than turn resentful. 307 323

His rivalry with Xie Guan develops into humility and loyalty. Yuan admits that he is not naturally gifted enough to succeed with little effort, comparing himself to a “foolish bird” who must work a hundred times harder. He repeatedly defends Guan despite the risks of opposing the clan’s elders. 267 441

Although he enjoys the image of a wandering hero and occasionally avoids duties such as arranged meetings, he has a strong sense of justice. He once stopped Zhao Yang from forcibly taking a famed qin performer, and he consistently supports Guan against public humiliation. 275 327 328

His courage also extends to his family. When Old Madam Xie once fell into the lake during the bitter cold of the twelfth lunar month, he was the only young clan member to jump in immediately alongside the servants attempting to rescue her. This incident helped secure her exceptional affection for him. 271

Despite his sometimes difficult temperament, Yuan is known for keeping his promises. Zhang Yuanlai emphasizes his reliability, and Guan regards his word as carrying the weight expected of a wandering hero. 348

His scholarly reform does not eliminate his mischievous tastes. He remains eager to meet famous courtesans and once discreetly brings the lewd book Grass Lamp and Kindness to Guan’s courtyard, only for Guan to stop him from displaying it before the assembled guests. 411 419

Yuan is deeply attached to his family and is easily shaken by threats to those he loves. After his father and elder brother vanish during the Red-Eyed Army’s campaign, he turns to Guan for reassurance. Even when Guan’s accounts of killing powerful enemies sound impossible to him, Yuan prioritizes his cousin’s safe return and warns him to remain vigilant against Madam Zhao’s retaliation. 457 461

The disappearance of his father changes his attitude toward the rebellion. He had previously admired Ban Sheng, the Red-Eyed Heavenly King, as a grassroots hero and joked about becoming his sworn brother. After Xie Ling’s defeat, however, the Red-Eyed Army becomes the force that may have killed his father. Over the following month, Yuan grows noticeably steadier and more mature. 462

Abilities & Skills

Martial Arts

Xie Yuan possesses considerable martial talent and benefits from the medicinal nourishment and physical conditioning he received from childhood. 323

• Lifted a bluestone slab weighing over 700 jin after reaching Bone Forging. 307
• Reached the Fourth Martial Realm, Embryo Tempering, after independently comprehending the sensation of innate qi. 434
• Is enthusiastic about sparring and dreams of traveling the jianghu as a capable wandering hero. 307 323
• His progress remains behind Xie Guan’s; a spar ends with Yuan being sent flying by only a fraction of Guan’s strength. 434
• Receives systematic instruction from an unnamed hidden expert whose martial and Primordial Spirit cultivation are both profound; the teacher considers Yuan’s instruction well within his capabilities. 419
• Asked Guan to teach him moves from Second Master’s Nine Swords after learning that Guan had concealed exceptional martial skill; Guan agreed to do so. 424
• Uses trained breathing and methods of exerting force rather than strength alone when lifting heavy objects. 307
• His teacher insists that he comprehend innate qi independently instead of having an Upper Three Realms expert clear his meridians and guide his circulation. After a month of difficulty, Guan’s advice supplies the insight needed for his breakthrough. 434

Primordial Spirit Cultivation

Yuan began Primordial Spirit cultivation through an Academy teacher arranged by Madam Zhuge. 414

• Reached the first realm, Resonance, within half a month. 414
• Can locate nearby positions through sound. 414
• Was forbidden from sharing his cultivation method with Guan because the teacher insisted that “the law shall not be passed to six ears.” 414

Scholarship and Go

Yuan’s education improves drastically through his competitive friendship with Guan. He studies Confucian classics seriously, reads leisure works Guan recommends, and has gained a more scholarly bearing. 266 307

• Possesses fourth-rank Go skill, considered expert-level among ordinary players. 307
• Routinely loses to Guan at chess and Go, including handicap games and best-of-five sets. 296 307
• Recognizes his own intellectual limits and values Guan’s political judgment, even relaying Guan’s analysis of the Jiannan demon crisis to Zhuge Jian. 267
• His wager with Guan correctly anticipated Great Qi’s decision to send troops to Zhuya Commandery. 264 267
• Uses his Main Estate standing to borrow books from the Xie Manor book tower for Guan, who lacks the right to access the collection as a concubine-born son. 307
• Zhuge Jian regards him as a promising scholarly disciple personally selected by a respected senior brother. 267
• Explains noble society and official ranks to Guan, including the hierarchy and value of invitations to the Gathering of Beauties Banquet. 302 327

Relationships

• Xie Guan — Clan cousin, rival, and trusted friend. Yuan’s repeated defeats in chess and study reshape his character; he later defends Guan against clan persecution, seeks his counsel in times of crisis, and asks him to teach the Nine Swords. He also supplies readers and borrowed books to support Guan’s education, and warns him of danger before his own planned departure from Xie Manor. 250 266 294 307 424 441 461 464
• Madam Zhuge — His doting mother. She is proud of his academic reform, worries over his health, and arranges teachers and a martial training ground for him. As conditions within Xie Manor deteriorate, she packs his belongings and prepares to send him to the Zhang Family rather than her own troubled natal clan. 266 267 419 464
• Zhuge Jian — Maternal uncle and mentor. Zhuge Jian recognizes Yuan’s improvement, tests his scholarship, and intervenes alongside him to protect Guan. 266 267 441
• Unnamed Martial Arts Teacher — An eccentric, wine-drinking hidden expert who trains Yuan in both martial and Primordial Spirit cultivation. Though Yuan calls him old-fashioned and teases him freely, the two share a familiar teacher-disciple bond. When Yuan asks him to accept Guan as well, the teacher refuses because his lineage permits only one disciple. 419
• Xie Hou’er — Personal pageboy. Yuan’s shift toward studying influences Hou’er to read Confucian classics as well. Yuan also encourages him to ask Guan for a New Year’s calligraphy greeting when he notices Hou’er’s admiration for Guan’s writing. 266 308
• Zhang Yunzhi — Maternal cousin and frequent companion. She often observes Yuan’s contests with Guan, teases him over his failures, and tempers his impulsiveness. Their mothers grew up together within the Zhuge Clan. 262 299 307 376
• Xie Qiyue — Clan cousin and ally of Guan. She and Yuan jointly confront those who insult Guan, though both remain constrained by elder authority. Their teasing familiarity is supported by the close ties between their mothers and Zhang Yunzhi’s mother. 299 328 441
• Xie Ling — Father. Yuan is devastated when reports state that Xie Ling and Yuan’s eldest brother have gone missing during the Red-Eyed Army’s advance. 461
• Xie Mu — Elder brother. He disappears alongside Xie Ling during the Red-Eyed Army’s campaign in Jiangnan Circuit. 461
• Old Madam Xie — Grandmother, who particularly favors him after his attempt to rescue her from a freezing lake. He enjoys unusual freedom to visit her and enter Grand View Garden, but her authority still limits his ability to protect Guan. Later, Madam Yuan prevents even Yuan from visiting the bedridden matriarch. 271 431 441 464
• Zhang Yuanlai and He Xiao — Scholarly retainers from his household whom he arranges to read to Guan. Zhang subsequently becomes a frequent visitor and genuine friend of Guan. 252 268 294
• Nanny Zhang — His wet nurse and Madam Zhuge’s personal maid. She fusses over his clothing and health, sometimes embarrassing him in front of Guan and Zhang Yunzhi. 262
• Xie Hong — Clan elder whose rare praise transforms Yuan’s reputation within the household and Bianjing. 262 282
• Zhao Yang — Longstanding antagonist among Bianjing’s noble youths. Their opposing temperaments produce repeated clashes, including Yuan’s intervention against Zhao’s attempt to abduct a qin performer and their confrontation over Guan at Immortal-Inviting Tower. 275 376
• Madam Zhao — Clan elder whose hostility toward Guan worries Yuan. He challenges her account of Xie Renfeng’s alleged ambush during Guan’s punishment hearing and later warns Guan about the increasingly ominous conditions in the Second Estate. 431 441 457 464

Story Role / Major Arcs

Friendship and Wagers with Xie Guan

Yuan’s regular visits turn Guan’s isolated courtyard into a place of study, chess, and debate. He wagers that he will obey Guan’s instructions if Guan correctly judges the Jiannan crisis, then becomes shaken when Guan’s proposed Zhuya Commandery strategy matches the Grand Secretariat’s confidential decision. 262 264 267

The favor he hopes to obtain if Guan loses is a substitute for an arranged meeting with the Li Clan’s Sixth Miss. He later tries to use Guan’s political analysis in a separate wager with Zhuge Jian, asking his uncle to persuade Madam Zhuge to cancel the meeting if his prediction proves correct. 264 267

Yuan also attempts to improve Guan’s educational circumstances. On learning that Guan has been sent to the Li Clan School despite the Xie Clan’s abundant scholarly resources, he angrily offers to argue with the household’s elders and suggests arranging study in the Second Estate. Zhang Yunzhi warns that such intervention could make Guan’s position worse. 302

Gathering of Beauties Banquet

Yuan attends the Gathering of Beauties Banquet with Guan and helps defend him when Li Yutong mocks his birth and proposed marriage into the Li Clan. He later waits anxiously below Immortal-Inviting Tower while Guan faces Chancellor Su and the Third Master. 327 328 376 382

When Guan is accused of colluding with the Three Truths Sect, Yuan joins the effort to seek help from the elders, planning to appeal to Zhuge Jian. He openly confronts Zhao Yang rather than abandon Guan, while Madam Xu counsels the group that hasty intervention could worsen the accusation. 376

As supernatural upheaval overtakes Bianjing, Yuan leaves the others to search for Guan. He eventually runs from Immortal-Inviting Tower to the aftermath of Guan’s battle, arriving exhausted despite his Third Realm martial cultivation. Finding Guan safe, he reproaches him for not sharing the danger and insists that brothers should share blessings and shoulder hardships together. 396 409

Martial Training and Qimo Spring House

Yuan continues rigorous martial training under his private teacher while maintaining his friendship with Guan. When he accompanies Guan from Qimo Spring House, he confronts him over his concealed martial ability, but ultimately accepts Guan’s evasive explanation in good humor and requests instruction in Second Master’s Nine Swords. 419 424

During his effort to enter the fourth martial realm, Yuan’s teacher refuses to guide his innate qi directly. Guan’s advice—“When your strength is exhausted, Innate power will reveal itself”—allows him to break through independently. His ensuing enthusiasm leads to another spar, which demonstrates how far Guan has advanced beyond him. 434

Defense of Xie Guan

When Old Madam Xie orders Guan punished, Yuan arrives with Zhuge Jian and others, openly argues for impartiality, and attempts to shield Guan from the clan’s judgment. Old Madam Xie ultimately orders Yuan removed. 441

His concern predates the hearing. At Xie Ying’s wedding, he worries that Madam Zhao may use the occasion to retaliate against Guan for injuring Xie Renfeng and leaves with his companions to investigate. He remains among Guan’s supporters after the later confrontation with the clan. 431 445

Misty Wave Lake Aftermath

Following the battle at Misty Wave Lake and Parasol Tree’s rescue, Yuan travels back with Guan and learns that Xie Renfeng has died and that Guan claims to have killed Great Sui Crown Prince Liu Yuan’s group. Unable to fully believe the scale of Guan’s accomplishment, he nevertheless focuses on Guan’s safety and cautions him that Madam Zhao will blame him for Xie Renfeng’s death. 457

His response to Renfeng’s death reflects his familiarity with the darker side of great households. He has seen numerous young Xie Clan members die from mysterious illnesses or unexpected accidents behind the manor’s apparently splendid gates. 457

Crisis in Great Qi

After Xie Ling and Yuan’s elder brother disappear during the Red-Eyed Army’s campaign, Yuan turns to Guan for reassurance. He accepts Guan’s prediction that Bianjing may fall within half a year and witnesses the overwhelming gap between Guan and the younger generation’s strongest martial artists. 461

The family crisis brings a marked change in Yuan’s outlook. His former admiration for Ban Sheng gives way to the knowledge that the Red-Eyed Army may have killed his father, and he becomes more mature over the following month. 462

Yuan later visits Guan to report that Chancellor Su has summoned the Nine Great Surnames to discuss matters in the Purple Imperial Hall. He also warns that Xie Manor has grown increasingly strange: the Second Estate has become a place servants avoid, Old Madam Xie is bedridden, and Madam Yuan refuses him permission to visit her. 464

Before leaving, Yuan explains that Madam Zhuge is preparing to send him to the Zhang Family the following morning. The Zhuge Clan is not a safe alternative, having suffered the empress’s unexplained suicide and the madness of several important members. His visit serves both to pass along the news and to urge Guan to remain careful. 464

Notable Quotes

“If Brother Guan’s prediction proves correct, I, Xie Yuan, will naturally be utterly convinced. From then on, I shall follow Brother Guan’s lead. If you tell me to dismount, I would never dare ride a donkey.” 264

“I once thought I was the sort who only needed to do something ten times. Now it seems I am probably a foolish bird who must do it a hundred times.” 267

“You are being far too disloyal. We brothers share blessings and shoulder hardships together.” 409

“Brother Guan, how did I never notice that your skin had become thicker than Bianjing’s city walls?” 424

“When one is in the jianghu, one’s body is not one’s own!” 457

---