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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 94
As Li Jian Cheng entered the residence with Xiahou Yan, it was clear that the servants were quite respectful towards him, showing no signs of disdain or oppression.
Upon reaching the entrance of the Main Hall, a stunning woman with enchanting eyes stepped out to greet them. Her eyes lit up upon seeing Li Jian Cheng, and just as he cupped his hands in greeting, she playfully grasped his hand, lightly teasing him.
Goodness, even the dancers from the Western Market didn't behave like this.
Xiahou Yan's expression darkened as he stepped forward to pull Li Jian Cheng's hand back. The woman giggled and said, "Yian'er, what are you doing? Li Langjun rarely visits our home; don't scare him."
Rumors in town suggested that Yu Shiji's wife from the Sun Family was flirtatious and fond of luxury, and it seemed those rumors were true.
Just then, Yu Shiji returned from outside, and they exchanged pleasantries. "Congratulations on your appointment to a new post, my Lord. Just earlier, His Majesty praised you for your loyalty to the throne and said you are a model for the court officials."
"I am unworthy of such praise; I merely wish to do my part for His Majesty," he replied humbly.
After some polite conversation, Li Jian Cheng got to the point. Yu Shiji understood immediately and assured him, "It's just a small matter; my Lord need not come all this way. Once you take office, if you need anything, just send a letter my way. I will handle it promptly. Also, when I returned to the residence earlier, I saw your servants unloading gifts. I instructed them to stop; such matters are trivial and certainly not worthy of your generous gifts."
Sun Family had been listening with a smile but suddenly changed her expression upon realizing they were refusing the gifts. She scolded sharply, "What? Li Langjun's kind offer is meant for us to maintain a close relationship, yet you refuse it so outrightly! What do you mean by this?"
Yu Shiji trembled slightly but forced himself to remain calm. "Li Langjun is not an outsider; our friendship is one of gentlemanly respect—there's no need for such material things."
"Mother, I have always admired Li Langjun; you know that," Xiahou Yan pleaded. "Let's just leave it at that."
Sun Family didn't even glance at them but turned to Li Jian Cheng and said, "I fear my Lord may laugh at us; our household is truly impoverished. I haven't had new clothes made in quite some time."
"That is indeed an oversight on my part," Li Jian Cheng replied calmly while reassuring both of them with his gaze. He then turned to Sun Family and said, "I serve alongside Yu Shiji as officials and have become quite familiar with Brother Xiahou. With some modest family wealth at my disposal, how could I stand by and watch your esteemed household in such straits?
I have three shops in the Western Market—a silver shop, a clothing store, and a silk shop—so I would like to gift them all to you, Madam. While they may not bring immense wealth, they can at least provide some steady income to help with household expenses. Please do not refuse!"
Then, addressing the rising Yu Shiji and Xiahou Yan, he said, "Among friends, there is a bond of shared wealth. This small matter is truly not worth further discussion or refusal for us, as men."
The two, who were not related by blood, felt a sense of shame that was quite similar. Yu Shiji sighed, "Your noble intentions are commendable, so I shall not refuse. From now on, we should visit each other often."
The Sun Family was even more delighted, personally serving tea to Li Jian Cheng and softly saying, "I hope you will not hold my shallow understanding against me."
Li Jian Cheng stood up solemnly to accept it, saying, "Of course not. Managing the household and welcoming guests requires effort and resources. Without your diligence in managing the household, how could the family thrive?"
Seeing this, the three had an even better impression of Li Jian Cheng, insisting that he stay for dinner. Li Jian Cheng could not decline and thus remained as an honored guest.
After the meal, the father and son personally saw him off from the residence. Xiahou Yan insisted on escorting him back to Duke Tang's Residence, and Li Jian Cheng had no choice but to agree.
As they approached Li Mansion, facing Xiahou Yan's hopeful gaze, Li Jian Cheng said, "If you have time tomorrow, I would like to invite you to a banquet at Cangxia Tower. I will introduce some friends to you then."
Although Xiahou Yan came from a prominent family, he clearly was not one of the esteemed branches; otherwise, he would not have married into the Yu Residence after his father's death. Such a status made it difficult for him to integrate into the circles of noble youths in the Capital City.
Moreover, with such a greedy and frivolous mother, even if Yu Shiji held high status, no one would look up to him.
Xiahou Yan was deeply grateful: "I will never forget your kindness in supporting me. If you have any orders, I will face fire and water without hesitation!"
Li Jian Cheng believed that Xiahou Yan genuinely wished to go through fire and water for him now but also knew that it would not be long before this gratitude faded.
In the following days, Li Jian Cheng attended banquets daily. Just as he had previously hosted friends who were leaving for their posts, it was now others who were hosting him for farewell.
Just before his departure, Yu Shiji reciprocated by promoting Chang'an Commandery Li Jing to the position of Deputy Commandant of Zhuo County at the fifth rank. This surprised Li Jian Cheng, who had been preparing for this change for some time.
To wait for Li Jing to pack his belongings, he lingered for another two days during which he stayed home to accompany his family. As for Li Shimin, there was no need to mention; he took the household servants outside the city every day to practice archery and riding. Whenever he had free time, he shamelessly visited the Changsun Residence, hardly ever staying at home.
The third son was now named Xuanba, but he remained frail and was dearly cherished by his parents. In contrast, the fourth son, Li Yuanji, felt somewhat neglected by both father and mother. Despite several attempts by Li Jian Cheng to encourage him, there was little he could do except send more people to take care of him.
Fortunately, the Li Family had strict rules in place, and no one dared to mistreat or insult the Lord. Although Li Yuanji was young, he was indeed stronger than most people; it was just that his appearance did not match the handsomeness of his older brothers.
As for his younger sister, Li Xiuning, she was already a young lady and would be getting married next year. Her husband was personally chosen by Li Yan, the legitimate eldest son of Chai Shen, the Duke of Longxi.
Li Jian Cheng was quite familiar with Chai Shao. When he served in the Crown Prince's Imperial Guard, Chai Shao was part of the Thousand Cattle Guard for the Crown Prince. Chai Shao was strong and agile, comparable to Shen Guang, and his loyal and righteous character made him quite likable.
Two days later, they finally set off with nearly a thousand Guardians and Servants. The crowd that came to see them off was so large that it seemed endless. Li Jian Cheng had no choice but to stand atop the carriage and bow farewell to everyone.
After a long delay, they were finally able to depart. When Li Jian Cheng looked back and could no longer see Chang'an City, he felt a genuine sense of joy. He couldn't say it felt like a bird soaring into the sky or a fish diving into the sea without restraint; it was more like escaping from a tiger's mouth, allowing him to feel invigorated.
The elite troops he had raised in various places were also gathering in batches at Zhuojun. Although it was somewhat small, it was indeed his own territory to manage. Once the emperor dispatched supplies and provisions, there would be no shortage of funds for maintaining his troops.
According to the emperor's character, an expedition against Goguryeo would require a million-strong army. The provisions for such an army needed to be stockpiled in Zhuojun. If they didn't find a way to secure a substantial amount quickly, then being Prefect would be meaningless.
Moreover, Zhuojun bordered Turkic tribes, Xianbei, Khitan, and Wei Shi among others. Once provisions were secured, he could easily recruit soldiers and buy horses. Li Jian Cheng already had quite a number of Turks and Khitan under his command.
Although he had little prior interaction with the Prefects of neighboring Shanggu County, Anle County, and Yuyang County, Li Jian Cheng was confident that if he sought connections, he would surely find relatives among them upon careful consideration.
…………
(End of Chapter)
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