Edict of Peace 113
Chapter 113: Reunion with an Old Friend
The one who came to deliver the imperial edict was a familiar face. He wore a round-necked robe, a smile on his face, wrinkles crinkling at the corners of his eyes, amiable and approachable. It was the chief eunuch from the Imperial Ceremonial Department.
Li Guanyi, dressed in ordinary clothes at the Xue family residence, stepped forward to greet him, smiling, “I didn’t expect it to be you, sir.”
The eunuch chuckled, “Li Junior Officer has served the country loyally, and everyone in the court praises you. I took on the task of delivering the edict. His Majesty instructed that since Li Junior Officer was injured in service, you can receive it seated.”
Several other eunuchs followed him, carrying trays covered with bright yellow satin.
The eunuch unfolded the scroll in his hand and began to read the edict. It was full of formal language, praising Li Guanyi’s bravery and loyalty, condemning the rebellious traitors, etc. Only at the end did he get to the point, saying, “Li Guanyi, the Golden Guard Halberdier, is promoted to Imperial Guard.”
The Imperial Guard was a special position, representing the emperor’s personal trust. In Chen Kingdom, only the emperor’s grandsons of the second rank, grandsons of the third rank, and sons of the fourth rank were eligible for this position. In the eyes of some, this position was more important than any gold or silver reward.
However, Li Guanyi felt the emperor was offering an empty check to appease him.
The eunuch continued, “Promoted from Ninth Rank Lower Golden Guard to Eighth Rank Upper, appointed as a Records Officer and Military Advisor of the Feather Forest Dragon Martial Army.”
“A jade belt with a buckle is granted exceptionally.”
“A ceremonial robe is granted, a high-quality weapon, a precious sword, and one hundred taels of gold.”
With each announcement, a eunuch stepped forward with an offering, lifting the silk from their tray. Inside was a finely crafted robe embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns; a jade belt—an item only worn by officials of the third rank and above, granted in addition to Li Guanyi’s existing rhinoceros horn belt; and a heavy sword, lying horizontally on the tray, with a diamond-shaped dark pattern and a blade as sharp as frost. But nothing pleased Li Guanyi more than the hundred taels of gold.
After reciting the edict, the eunuch closed the bright yellow scroll, handing it to Li Guanyi, “Li Junior Officer, from Ninth Rank Lower Golden Guard Halberdier to Eighth Rank Upper Military Advisor, a promotion of three ranks! Congratulations, congratulations!”
In the Golden Guard system, the next rank above Military Advisor was Left or Right Middle Marquis. Then, the next rank up was the Imperial Guard Brigade Commander. This was a noble general leading noble sons, commanding a certain number of imperial troops, holding considerable military power; his subordinates were all Eighth-Rank Imperial Guards, and the connections behind them were vastly different. They were essentially born into wealth and high status, wielding considerable power—even the regional governors would give them a third of their respect. Li Guanyi’s meteoric rise through the ranks of the Golden Guard, filled with nobles, was quite astonishing. The eunuch, somewhat surprised, handed him the edict, smiling, “His Majesty heard about the Military Advisor’s injuries and allows you to visit the Imperial Library tomorrow.”
“There are many experts there, with various rare and unique books of martial arts techniques; they may be able to help with your injuries.”
This time Li Guanyi was truly surprised. The Chen Kingdom Imperial Library?
He pulled out a gold coin and gave it to the eunuch, who nodded with a smile and took his leave. Li Guanyi saw the eunuch out the gate; the eunuch patted Li Guanyi’s wrist, a surge of energy flowed between them, sensing the hidden Azure Dragon Force within Li Guanyi.
The eunuch boarded his carriage, heading towards the palace. Sitting in the carriage, he recalled the Azure Dragon Force just now. He thought about the recent injury. During Yu Qianfeng’s intrusion into the palace, Qilin Palace was also damaged. If not for the strength of the Qilin (Chinese Unicorn) which burned Hou Zhongyu to a crisp with its Qilin fire, the losses would have been great enough to make Chen Kingdom the laughingstock of the world.
The royal guard entered Qilin Palace and discovered a secret room left behind by Hou Zhongyu. They saw the broken medicine cauldron and deduced that Hou Zhongyu had apparently endured for a long time under the Qilin fire before dying. Such vitality most likely meant he had consumed an elixir of immortality.
Upon hearing this, the emperor flew into a rage, nearly executing the royal guards.
The eunuch sighed. He suddenly remembered that the young man had personally delivered the Qilin array diagram, and Li Guanyi was on duty when Qilin Palace was attacked. His heart skipped a beat; he sensed a connection between the two.
This didn’t require evidence, it was just intuition. He wondered whether he should tell the emperor. The eunuch lifted the carriage curtain, looking at the young Junior Officer. He suddenly recalled the probing encounter outside the Xue Imperial Concubine’s palace that day. That day, he confirmed that the young man was not the son of Grand Protector Ping.
Even if he wasn’t Grand Protector Ping’s son, the eunuch still felt a pang of compassion. The fire of the past still burned fiercely in his heart.
I cannot protect your offspring, so let me protect this young man of Chen, even if he is Xue Imperial Concubine’s nephew, even if he is innocent. If this matter were reported, the emperor would surely be enraged and launch an investigation.
The eunuch lowered his gaze and dropped the curtain.
“Let’s just say I’m getting old,” he murmured with a smile, his fingers clutching the gold ingot. The boy had pressed the gold into his hand with such enthusiasm, but his fingers had tightened their grip for several breaths before releasing it. Such avarice reminded him of that Divine General from humble origins. He closed his eyes, deciding not to tell anyone about this.
Li Guanyi put on the new robe, the jade belt around his waist, and the high-quality weapon with its bejeweled scabbard. In the Jianghu (martial arts world), this heavy sword was priceless, a pinnacle of forging craftsmanship; with the addition of heavenly materials and earth treasures, it could be reforged into a treasure. He wore a crimson round-necked robe with cloud patterns, a jade belt at his waist, and a heavy sword at his side. The young man tied up his hair, his bearing full of vigor and spirit; he looked far more refined than his previous rough-and-ready self.
Officials of the fifth rank and above in the court could wear crimson official robes, while only those of the third rank and above could wear jade belts. His position as Military Advisor was one rank higher than the Military Advisor who had explained the rules to them that day. That one was a Records and Military Advisor of the Feather Forest Dragon Martial Army, a rank of Eighth Rank Lower.
With money in hand and a promotion, Li Guanyi thought the outcome of his risky venture was far better than he expected. He had anticipated some difficulties, sticking to his story without flaws, with Xue Lao (Old Xue) ultimately resolving the situation. It seemed Xue Lao had done something.
Xue Daoyong’s laughter rang out, “Radiant and spirited, bearing and demeanor—truly worthy of being my Qilin child!” The old man strode over, examining Li Guanyi from head to toe, placing a hand on the young man’s shoulder and saying, “Good, good.”
Officials of the fifth rank and above in the court wore crimson robes, those of the third rank and above wore jade belts. Li Guanyi’s robe and jade belt, though exceptionally granted, held no real power, but they were enough to impress.
Xue Lao said, “The Imperial Library contains many volumes on esoteric martial arts. Golden Guards who have rendered great service can choose one from the library. You are fortunate today; thanks to the emperor’s grace, if you’re lucky, you may find a miraculous technique to overcome Yu Qianfeng’s Azure Dragon Force.”
Li Guanyi realized the old man was still acting, and replied, “Yes.”
Seeing the determined expression on the young man’s face, but still with a hint of sadness in his eyes, Xue Lao sighed inwardly. The young people of this era… they could really act.
The old man patted Li Guanyi on the shoulder and took him to an inner room for tea. After sealing off the inner and outer aura, he sighed, “Guanyi, the information you provided saved our Xue family, and your aunt.”
He raised his teacup and drank with the young man, “Consider this an old man’s thanks.”
Li Guanyi asked, “Xue Lao, how did you resolve it?”
The old man replied, “I told Dantài Xiànmíng.”
Li Guanyi’s lips twitched. Dantài Xiànmíng could be considered someone who had parted ways with the old man, in a way, a traitor; he had previously hired assassins to kill Xue Daoyong. Yet, after receiving the news, the old man immediately and without hesitation, told Dantài Xiànmíng. This was indeed the best solution.
The old man looked at Li Guanyi and chuckled, “Otherwise, even if you were perfectly innocent and meritorious, you would have been thrown into jail for a month or two. How could you have received this three-rank promotion, the crimson robe, and the jade belt?”
Li Guanyi asked, “Innocent yet meritorious, still to this extent?”
Xue Daoyong calmly said, “Yes, and the reason? Because you are of the Xue family.”
“This is the struggle between factions in the court.”
“This time, I’ve got your back. Next time, you’ll have to consider how to handle such situations. Standing where you are, you’ll face far more than just right and wrong, merit and demerit.”
Li Guanyi remained silent for a long time before bowing, “Xue Lao, I understand.”
Xue Daoyong said, “However, the matter of the illegitimate son, the emperor protects him very well. I can’t find out without using strong measures, but once I do, the emperor isn’t stupid and will find out. At that point, if we tear our faces, the Xue family is still weaker.”
“But there will be a moment when that prince will reveal himself.”
Li Guanyi asked, “When?”
Xue Daoyong held up a finger and said slowly, “Before the Grand Festival.”
“You have seen the Tuque Seven Kings’ Iron Buddha Guard. Yu Wen Lie also brought the famous Hu Man cavalry. Now that the heroes of various countries are vying for the world with their martial arts, a magnificent display of power. Before the Grand Festival, there is a martial arts competition.”
“The Dangxiang army, the Tuque Iron Buddha, the Ying Country Hu Man cavalry, and the young generation of Chen Country’s Ye Chi cavalry will have the chance to compete in martial arts. What better way to gain fame than to defeat the elite troops and future generals of various countries in front of the princes and kings?”
“If the emperor truly intends to let his son reap the benefits,”
“Then he won’t miss this once-a-decade opportunity.”
“And if we don’t know about the ‘illegitimate son’, when we see this rising imperial relative, we won’t be wary, but will try to win him over, hoping to have a loyal imperial general.”
“Until finally, everyone fights until they’re exhausted, and the emperor throws out an ‘abdication’.”
“Heh, everyone will be caught off guard.”
Xue Daoyong fell silent, letting out a long sigh. “It’s laughable, Dantài Xiànmíng and I consider ourselves heroes of the world, yet we were almost manipulated by that emperor who seems only interested in sightseeing, painting, and writing.”
“He’s not a hero who strives to conquer the world, but he’s a monarch who maintains stability.”
“He’s not a useless fool of an emperor.”
“But with such intelligence, instead of expanding territory and securing the people, he only desires to cut down the thorns that threaten his family’s rule, balancing the court officials. He’s no better than an incompetent emperor.”
Xue Daoyong’s expression was complex, ending only in a sigh. He drank tea as if it were alcohol.
At this moment, Li Guanyi glimpsed a weary old age in this fierce tiger of a tumultuous world. He had witnessed the death of a valiant king, the era of the 480 temples of the Southern Dynasty, the break between Grand Protector Ping and the regent, and this scheming emperor. Even a hero like him occasionally felt weary.
Xue Daoyong said, “And now I finally understand why we had to target Commander Yue. No wonder, Commander Yue had to die.”
Li Guanyi said, “… Yue Army.”
The old man tapped his finger on the table, “The Ying Country cavalry and Commander Yue’s old troops are facing each other across the river, with an imperial prince supervising them. A hothead like Yu Qianfeng would have already struck out, but those left would have the temperament to contain their anger.”
“Think about it, the responsibility for killing Commander Yue will fall on Dantài Xiànmíng.”
“Then, the emperor will issue an edict of self-reproach, admitting he was wrong, and then abdicate. The new emperor expels the son of Empress Dantài, eliminates Dantài Xiànmíng, settles the score, and then posthumously rehabilitates Commander Yue, maybe even making him a king. Do you think the Yue Army will…”
Li Guanyi lowered his gaze. In that instant, the young man felt that Chen Kingdom’s world had transformed into a chessboard, with a turbulent undercurrent. The true chess player, however, was only one person. He seemed to see the emperor sitting high above, looking indifferently at the world.
Li Guanyi closed his eyes and heard himself answer, “They will be grateful to the new emperor.”
Xue Daoyong said, “Yes, in that case, the Yue Army…”
“No—”
The old man declared:
“The old troops of Grand Protector Ping will once again gather under the banner of the Chen imperial family!”
“The weapons that stabilized the world will once again be wielded for Chen Kingdom. This time, they may even be loyal to the emperor. What a great chess game! From a mere feudal lord to now, and to the future, this emperor is the greatest chess player of these twenty years.”
“Truly, a hero!”
Li Guanyi placed a hand over his chest, suddenly feeling a piercing pain. He understood his parents’ deaths. Because he remembered Hou Zhongyu’s words—
“[The destiny of Grand Protector Ping’s son]”
His own destiny was likely tied to the real illegitimate son.
To bear the destiny of Grand Protector Ping’s son, then to gather Grand Protector Ping’s old troops. To appease those thorns that resisted the imperial family, and then place them in the emperor’s hands. From the beginning, the emperor had already planned this far. The world was in chaos, heroes and villains were as numerous as the fish in a river. Even the most underestimated emperor of Chen was no ordinary person.
Li Guanyi did not tell the old man about this.
The old man continued, “Therefore, at the Grand Festival, we just need to see which imperial prince suddenly rises to prominence and reaches the final stage to know who the emperor’s illegitimate son is. Then we will have our chance.”
Li Guanyi slowly exhaled, a surge of rage rising in his heart. He clenched his fist. The roar of a dragon and a tiger echoed in his ears. A violent urge to pull out his halberd and cripple the prince in front of everyone surged. Even if it angered the emperor, he really wanted to do it.
Xue Lao patted Li Guanyi on the shoulder, smiling, “The Imperial Library contains many miraculous techniques. Don’t waste this opportunity; be sure to find something good.”
Li Guanyi nodded in agreement.
After more idle chatter, a carriage arrived in the afternoon. Li Guanyi rode in the carriage, the curtains drawn shut, until he was taken into the palace, to an unknown location. This was a great secret and forbidden place within the palace; anyone entering had to maintain secrecy.
Following the location of the Four Images Sealing Spirit Array from Qilin Palace, Li Guanyi perfectly confirmed where he had been taken. He firmly imprinted the location in his mind.
Once there, the eunuchs withdrew. Li Guanyi looked around, hearing a burst of laughter, “Hahahaha, kid, you finally came!” Li Guanyi looked up to see an old man with white hair striding towards him, Chen Chengbi, the third uncle of the Chen imperial family.
The old man laughed, “Didn’t I say I would find a way for you? This old man wouldn’t go back on his word!”
“I’ve been pestering the emperor’s nephew for a long time, and he finally agreed to let you come here. Come on, old man will take you to see an expert; she’ll definitely be able to solve your problem.”
Li Guanyi then understood that he was here thanks to this old man’s efforts. The old man grabbed his shoulder and laughed, “With your martial arts talent and bearing, it’s a shame to lose your martial arts! This old man hopes that there will be more young heroes in our Chen Country. When our generation dies, you can still protect this country.”
He led Li Guanyi forward, his grip strong, into a wooden house next to the Imperial Library. Pushing open the door, he called loudly, “Niece, niece!”
“Your third uncle is here!”
“Niece!”
Niece? Li Guanyi was momentarily stunned. Chen Chengbi was the emperor’s third uncle, and he only had one niece. The one mentioned by his aunt, the only trustworthy member of the Chen imperial family.
Princess Chen Qingyan!
(End of Chapter)
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