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The Emperor had been interested in Li Wei Feng for some time, and after the events at the Loyalty Prince's Residence, his interest in Elder Brother Li grew even stronger. He could not believe that Buddha would manifest for someone like Li Xuelan. Sure enough, Mo Yan, the Princess, brought the Dead Leaf Butterfly into the palace and set up the phenomenon of writing appearing out of thin air, which made the Emperor smile. How could such an interesting and capable person not be valued? The Emperor even considered following the example of the Loyalty and Obedience Prince to win over Elder Brother Li through marriage alliances, but Mo Yan, the Princess, strongly advised against it. She informed the Emperor that Elder Brother Li had a beloved in his heart and was utterly devoted to his fiancée, making it impossible for him to accept another woman. Reluctantly, the Emperor abandoned this idea.
Elder Brother Li was summoned by the Emperor alone and followed a eunuch down a long corridor. He appeared focused, but his peripheral vision had taken in all the sights along the way. Compared to the Forbidden City, the palace of Da Zhou was much larger and although it lacked some of its grandeur, it still exuded a heavy sense of majesty.
"General Li, His Majesty is currently in discussion with the Chancellor. Please wait for a moment in the side hall," said the eunuch to Elder Brother Li.
"Thank you," Elder Brother Li replied with a smile, a reflexive response ingrained in him from modern society's emphasis on respect and courtesy. This good habit endeared him to the eunuchs, who felt respected by him, raising their fondness for him significantly. In the entire palace, aside from the Emperor, Elder Brother Li ranked second in their esteem.
The Emperor's meeting with the Chancellor did not last long before Elder Brother Li was brought into the main hall. It was his first time seeing the Emperor of this world. The Emperor was not very old—just past thirty—but he looked several years older than his actual age, with faint dark circles under his eyes that hinted at fatigue. Being an emperor was an attractive position but also a challenging one, especially for an ambitious ruler; both body and mind were exhausted beyond what ordinary people experienced. A typical example was Yongzheng Emperor, who worked himself to death!
The Emperor was also sizing up Elder Brother Li. While Elder Brother Li might not be as handsome as Yue Yunfei or as refined as Geng Shi'an, he had well-defined features. The masculine aura cultivated in modern military training added to his appeal, prompting the Emperor to nod inwardly; this was indeed the kind of talent he sought as a military general.
"Li Aiqing, please sit," said the Emperor, gesturing toward a grand chair below him. Contrary to what one might expect about standing when meeting an emperor, this Emperor was not so unkind. Many ministers were older and had been allowed to stand while discussing matters with him for short periods; however, after several hours, it would be unbearable for them. Thus, there were chairs available in the imperial study.
Elder Brother Li felt no trepidation towards the Emperor and confidently sat down in the grand chair, sitting upright without any sign of hesitation or fear that others might display by only perching half on their seats. The Emperor raised an eyebrow; his impression of Elder Brother Li improved further. At least this person was sincere—different values led to misunderstandings.
"Li Wei Feng," began the Emperor, "General Yang recommended you to me; he says you are skilled in battle."
Elder Brother Li was taken aback; he hadn't expected General Yang to think so highly of him. He assumed General Yang would prefer his own son to inherit his position and connections within the military.
The Emperor continued, "Prince Qirui also spoke highly of you; you taught everyone emergency treatment for external injuries in the army very effectively, reducing casualty rates by sixty percent."
Elder Brother Li remained silent and listened attentively to the Emperor.
"You are quite impressive; I see great potential in you," said the Emperor.
Elder Brother Li quickly replied, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."
The Emperor smiled and said, "But what I admire most is your method of punishing the Li Xuelan family. The Dead Leaf Butterfly is quite remarkable; it's impressive that you know about it."
Elder Brother Li replied, "Someone taught me."
"Someone?" the Emperor asked. "Is it your master?"
Elder Brother Li shook his head. "No."
"Oh," the Emperor chuckled. "Is it your fiancée then?"
Elder Brother Li nodded. "Yes, it is her."
The Emperor said, "Why not bring her to the capital so that I can meet her as well?"
Elder Brother Li's expression darkened. "I haven't found her yet."
He refrained from using the excuse that "my fiancée is not in this world," not wanting anyone to think that she was dead when she was very much alive.
"What's wrong? Have you lost track of each other?" the Emperor inquired.
Elder Brother Li responded with a slight nod.
The Emperor sighed and comforted Elder Brother Li, saying, "Don't be sad; as long as you are both alive, you will surely reunite. Would you like me to issue an edict to help you find your fiancée?"
Elder Brother Li quickly declined, thanking the Emperor for his kindness.
The Emperor didn't mind and moved on from the topic, discussing military matters and some affairs of the court with Elder Brother Li. The more they talked, the more excited the Emperor became; he felt he had stumbled upon a treasure. Elder Brother Li not only had a solid grasp of military strategy but also offered many innovative insights into governance that left the Emperor feeling refreshed. He was somewhat conflicted about whether to follow General Yang's suggestion to have Elder Brother Li take command of the troops stationed at the Border or to keep him in the capital as a civil official.
Without much hesitation, the Emperor made a decision to keep Elder Brother Li in the capital, but not as a civil official. Instead, he was promoted to Provincial Governor of the Capital, overseeing the military authority in the city and granted the right to attend court. The Emperor could summon Elder Brother Li to the palace at any time to discuss difficult matters concerning the court and seek his advice.
Seizing this opportunity, Elder Brother Li requested a leave of absence to return home for ancestral worship and to bring his younger siblings back to the capital.
The Emperor agreed, understanding that it had been four or five years since Elder Brother Li had last been home, and he must be missing it dearly. As a considerate ruler who cared for his subjects, the Emperor naturally wanted to address their needs. He granted Elder Brother Li three months of leave, after which he would immediately assume his new position upon returning from his hometown.
The Emperor also thought of Yue Yunfei and Geng Shi'an, who had been by Elder Brother Li's side. Aware that both were exceptional talents, he promoted them as well. Yue Yunfei was transferred to the Imperial Guard and became its commander, while Geng Shi'an entered the Imperial Medical Institute as a left court physician. Given that Geng Shi'an's hometown was far away, the Emperor also granted him three months to return home for ancestral worship.
Elder Brother Li said farewell to his two friends on the outskirts of the capital and set off for home with other young men from his village. These young men had all earned official positions through their merits on the battlefield; although they were not high-ranking officials, they were still recognized as such. They were all assigned under Elder Brother Li’s command by the Emperor, and now that he was returning home, they followed him, balancing both official duties and personal matters.
"Brother Wei Feng, we can finally go home!" exclaimed the village chief's son, Fugui, excitedly approaching Elder Brother Li.
Bishi stepped forward and playfully tapped Fugui on the head. "Kid, you should call him General now."
Fugui quickly corrected himself. "Right, right, General Li."
Elder Brother Li smiled. "We are all brothers here; there's no need for formal titles. You can call me whatever you used to."
Bishi replied, "We can call you by your name privately, but in front of outsiders, we still need to address you as General."
"Alright then," Elder Brother Li conceded.
Indeed, even if their relationship was close, their statuses had changed, and they needed to be mindful of appearances.
Just as they were talking, distant sounds of clashing weapons reached their ears. Elder Brother Li exchanged glances with his fellow villagers and drew their weapons before galloping forward.
What unfolded ahead was straightforward: a group of bandits was robbing a merchant convoy. However, these bandits were not ordinary; they were remnants of a certain Rebel King's forces. After the Emperor had defeated the Rebel King, some of his subordinates had escaped and turned to banditry. There were nearly a hundred of these bandits, but Elder Brother Li and his companions were formidable fighters—each could take on ten men. With the added protection from the merchant convoy's guards, they quickly subdued the bandits and learned about their original identities from them.
The caravan leader suddenly realized, "No wonder we haven't encountered you along this route before."
The trade route was not safe. This large caravan, besides having its own guards, had also made arrangements with some major bandit forces along the way, offering them what they called a tribute to ensure that these forces would not rob their caravan. After all, who would dare to rob a caravan protected by guards?
The caravan leader then expressed his gratitude to Elder Brother Li and the others.
"Ginger Merchant Caravan?" Elder Brother Li blinked in surprise. "Are you heading back to Sanchuan Prefecture?"
The leader responded with excitement, "Is General also going to Sanchuan Prefecture?"
Elder Brother Li nodded and said, "We are all from Sanchuan Prefecture, Jingyang Town. We are returning home to pay respects to our ancestors."
Hearing this, the leader became even more delighted. "So the general and we are fellow townsfolk. Since we have met, why not travel together?"
Elder Brother Li accepted the proposal without hesitation. He had his own considerations and wanted to learn more about the Jiang Family to uncover who the traveler might be.
The leader was smooth and considerate in his dealings, taking care of all the food and lodging for Elder Brother Li's group, which left them with a very good impression of the Jiang Family. From the leader, Elder Brother Li learned quite a bit about the Jiang Family. Although it was mostly common knowledge, there were still secrets that even the leader did not know. Elder Brother Li discovered that items like lighters and soap operas were all presented by Sun Beizhi, the Keeper under the Jiang Family Young Master in Jingyang County. Jingyang County? His hometown—was that traveler also there? Could it be related to his own journey?
………………
After Qixi came the Ghost Festival. The saying goes, "On August Fifteenth, people reunite; on July Fifteenth, ghosts reunite." The ancients placed great importance on this occasion, which is also known as Ullambana Festival in Buddhism. In the morning, the Li siblings prepared offerings and headed to their parents' graves to pay their respects. Villagers also went out at this time to visit their relatives' graves for worship. After paying respects to their loved ones and getting soaked in dew, the villagers proceeded to the ancestral hall, waiting for the village chief and elders to conduct the ancestral worship ceremony. This time was different from the last special ceremony held to honor their ancestors; the offerings were not as abundant. Instead of pigs, cattle, and sheep, they offered chickens, ducks, and geese, and other tributes were halved as well. However, everyone remained equally sincere in their attitudes.
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