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Chapter 113 Finally meeting an old friend
The person who came to issue the imperial edict was considered an acquaintance.

He was wearing a round-necked robe, had a smile on his face, wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and looked very kind.

It was the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department.

Li Guanyi was at Xue's house, dressed in casual clothes, and took the initiative to greet him, saying with a smile:

"I didn't expect that it would be an adult who came."

The eunuch in charge of ceremonies smiled and said, "Captain Li has served the country with loyalty, and everyone in the court praises him. I will take over the job of delivering the imperial edict. His Majesty has already ordered that Captain Li has been injured for the country and has made contributions, so he should just sit down and receive the edict."

Behind him were several eunuchs holding trays covered with bright yellow satin.

The eunuch in charge of ceremonies unfolded the scroll in his hand and began to read the imperial edict. It was all formal words, praising Li Guanyi's bravery and loyalty, blaming the traitors and so on. At the end, he got to the point and said, "Appoint Li Guanyi, a halberd soldier of the Jinwu Guard, as the Yiwei."

Yiwei is a special position, representing the royal confidants.

Chen Guozhong, only the second-rank great-grandson, third-rank grandson, and fourth-rank son can receive this position.

In the eyes of some people, this position is more important than any reward of gold or silver.

Li Guanyi, however, felt that the emperor was using a blank check to deal with him.

The eunuch in charge of ceremonies continued, "Promote the ninth-rank lower Jinwu Guard to the eighth-rank upper, and lead the Yulin Longwu Army to record and assist in military affairs."

"As an exception, I will grant you a white jade medal."

"Give me a scarlet battle robe, a top-grade sharp sword, and a hundred ounces of gold."

Every time he recited a word, an eunuch would come forward holding something and lift up the silk on the tray in his hand. Inside was a battle robe with extremely fine workmanship, embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns and a white jade belt. This was something that could only be worn by those above the third rank. Just because Li Guanyi already had a rhinoceros horn belt, he was given an additional title.

There was also a heavy sword placed horizontally on the tray, with dark angular patterns on it and the edge of the sword was like frost and snow.

However, Li Guanyi did not like any of these as much as the hundred taels of gold.

After the eunuch finished reading the imperial edict, he closed the bright yellow scroll and handed it to Li Guanyi, saying, "Captain Li, you have jumped from a ninth-rank Jinwu Guardsman to an eighth-rank military officer, a jump of three ranks. Congratulations, congratulations."

In the Jinwu Guard system, the next level up is the left and right Zhonghou.

Then the next level is the commander of the personal guard brigade.

He was a noble general who led the sons of nobles under his command.

He is in charge of a certain imperial guard and has a certain amount of military power in his hands. All of his subordinates are guards of the eighth rank, and the connections they represent are even more different. It can be said that he is born rich and powerful, and those provincial governors from all over the country have to give him some face.

This time, Li Guanyi jumped three ranks in the Jinwu Guard, which was full of nobles. The eunuch in charge of ceremonies was also a little surprised. He handed the imperial edict to him and said with a smile: "Your Majesty has heard about the injury of the military officer. You are allowed to go to the imperial library tomorrow to see it."

"There are many experts there, with rare and unique copies of various unique skills, which may be able to cure your injury."

This time Li Guanyi was really surprised.

The library of the royal family of the State of Chen?

He took out a gold coin and handed it to the eunuch in charge of ceremonies, who smiled and nodded, then said goodbye and left. Li Guanyi sent the eunuch out the door. The eunuch patted Li Guanyi's wrist, and a stream of energy flowed, sensing the hidden red dragon power in Li Guanyi's body.

The eunuch in charge of ceremonies got on the carriage and it headed towards the palace.

He sat in the carriage, recalling the red dragon power just now, thinking that he was indeed injured. This time Yue Qianfeng broke into the forbidden palace, and the Qilin Palace was also damaged. If the Qilin was not still powerful, it would have burned Hou Zhongyu into charcoal with his Qilin fire. The loss would have been great enough to make the State of Chen a laughing stock of the world.

The royal guards entered Qilin Palace and discovered the secret room left by Hou Zhongyu.

Seeing the broken medicine cauldron inside, he deduced that Hou Zhongyu seemed to have held on for a long time under the Qilin Fire before dying. With such vitality, it was likely that he had swallowed the elixir of immortality.

When the emperor found out, he was furious.

Almost all the royal guards were executed.

The eunuch in charge of ceremonies sighed, and he suddenly remembered the day when the young man personally delivered the Qilin Formation Diagram. When the Qilin Palace was in trouble, it was Li Guanyi who was on duty. He felt a little nervous and vaguely felt that there seemed to be some connection between them.

This does not require any evidence, just intuition. He wondered whether he should tell the emperor about this matter. The eunuch in charge of ceremonies lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at the young captain over there. He suddenly remembered the test outside Concubine Xue's palace that day.

That day it was confirmed that the young man was not the son of Duke Taiping.

Even though he was not the son of Duke Taiping, he still felt a trace of sympathy at this moment.

The fire from that year has been burning in his heart all the way to this point.

I can't protect your offspring, so let me protect the young man of Chen State. Even if he is the nephew of Concubine Xue, even if he is innocent, when the information about this matter is reported to His Majesty, he will be furious and investigate it.

So the eunuch in charge of ceremonies lowered his eyes and released the curtain of the carriage.

"Just think of it as me getting old too."

He smiled and whispered, his fingers grasping the ingot of gold. Just now, the young man stuffed the gold into his hands with enthusiasm, but his fingers held on tightly and took several breaths to let go. This greed for money reminded him of the general with a poor background.

He closed his eyes and decided not to tell anyone else about this.

…………

Li Guanyi put on this new battle robe, a white jade belt around his waist, and a top-grade sword with a scabbard decorated with gems. This heavy sword is very expensive in the martial arts world. It is the pinnacle of forging skills. If it is recast with natural treasures, it will be enough to become a treasure.

He was wearing a scarlet round-necked robe with cloud patterns, a white jade belt around his waist, and a heavy sword at his side.

The young man tied his hair up, looking full of vigor and vitality, and he looked much more noble than the ruffian he was in the past.

Officials of the fifth rank and above in the imperial court can wear scarlet official uniforms, and only officials of the third rank can wear jade belts.

And his military officer was one level higher than the military officer who explained the rules to them that day.

He was a military officer of Yulin Longwu Cao, and was of the eighth rank.

With money to be made and promotion to be achieved, Li Guanyi felt that the outcome of this adventure was much better than he had expected. He had thought that there would be some twists and turns, but he had stuck to his guns and left no loopholes, and with the help of Mr. Xue, the problem was finally solved.

It seems that Mr. Xue did something.

Xue Daoyong's laughter came: "You are so heroic and dignified, you are worthy of being my son!" The old man strode over, looked Li Guanyi up and down, reached out and patted the boy on the shoulder, and said: "Not bad, not bad."

Officials of the fifth rank and above in the imperial court wore scarlet robes, and officials of the third rank and above wore jade belts.

Although the battle robe and jade belt on Li Guanyi were given as an exception, he had no real power.

But it is enough to scare people.

Elder Xue said, "In the imperial library, there are many volumes of profound arts. Anyone who has made great contributions to the Jinwu Guards can go to the library and choose one. You have this luck today, and you need to thank the emperor for his grace. If you are lucky enough, you may find a wonderful magic skill, or even break the red dragon's energy that crosses the thousand peaks."

Li Guanyi realized that the old man was still acting and said, "Yes."

Old Xue saw that the young man in front of him had a resolute expression, but his eyes still contained a hint of sadness.

I couldn't help but sigh in my heart.

The young people of today.

You can really pretend.

The old man patted Li Guanyi on the shoulder, took Li Guanyi to the inner room for tea, and then sealed off the air inside and outside. He then sighed and said, "Guanyi, your news this time has saved my Xue family and your aunt."

He raised his teacup and drank with the boy:

"This is the old man's way of thanking you."

Li Guanyi asked: "Mr. Xue, how did you solve it?"

The old man said, "I told Tan Tai Xian Ming about this."

Li Guanyi grinned.

Tan Tai Xian Ming can be said to be the person who parted ways with the old man in front of him. To some extent, he is a traitor. He had previously hired a killer to kill Xue Daoyong. After the old man in front of him got the news, he told Tan Tai Xian Ming without hesitation.

This is indeed the best solution.

The old man looked at Li Guanyi and scolded him with a smile: "Otherwise, even if you are innocent and have made contributions, you will be kicked into prison for a month. How can you jump three levels and wear a scarlet robe and a white jade belt?"

Li Guanyi said, "Is it necessary to do this even if you have done something good?" Xue Daoyong said calmly, "Yes, as for why, it's because you are from the Xue family."

"This is a factional struggle in the imperial court."

"I'll cover for you this time. Next time, you have to think about how to handle such a situation. When you stand here, you will often face more than just right and wrong, merits and demerits."

Li Guan remained silent for a long time, then responded with a folded hand:

"That's what Mr. Xue taught me."

Xue Daoyong said: "However, the illegitimate child you mentioned is well protected by the emperor. I can't find out unless I use real means. But once I really use real means, the emperor is not stupid and will find out. After all, the Xue family will be weak if we break up at that time."

"But, there comes a time when that prince will definitely appear."

Li Guanyi: "What?"

Xue Daoyong held up a finger and said word by word: "Before the grand ceremony."

"You have seen the Iron Pagoda Guards of the Seven Turkic Kings. When Yuwen Lie came here, he also brought the world-famous Tiger Cavalry. Now the heroes of various countries are fighting for the world with martial arts. Before the grand festival, there will be a grand competition."

"That's an opportunity for the younger generation of the Tangut guards, the Turkic Iron Pagoda, the Ying State Human Cavalry, and my Chen State Night Cavalry to compete in martial arts. What could be more famous than defeating the elite soldiers and future famous generals of various countries in front of the kings and princes of various countries?"

"If the emperor really wants his son to reap the benefits."

"Then he won't let go of this once-in-a-decade opportunity."

"And if I didn't know about the [illegitimate child], when I saw this rising royal relative, I wouldn't be afraid, I would just try to win him over, hoping to have a loyal royal warrior."

"Until everyone was fighting till their heads were broken and blood was shed, the emperor threw out an order of [abdication]."

"Hey, everyone is at a loss."

Xue Daoyong fell silent. He suddenly sighed and said, "It's really ridiculous. Tan Tai Xianming and I claim to be heroes of the world, but we were almost played around by the emperor who seemed to only know how to travel, paint and write books."

"He is not a powerful ruler of the world, but he is a king who maintains the status quo."

"He is not a mediocre and incompetent ruler."

"But with such a brilliant mind, instead of expanding the territory and pacifying the people, he only wanted to cut off the thorns that threatened his rule and check and balance the officials. He might as well be an incompetent emperor."

Xue Daoyong had a complicated expression on his face, and in the end he just sighed. He drank tea as if it were wine.

At this time, Li Guanyi glimpsed a hint of helpless old age from the fierce tiger in troubled times before him. He witnessed the death of the once heroic king, the period of 480 temples in the Southern Dynasties, the betrayal of the Regent Prince Taiping, and the emergence of this scheming king.

Even a hero like him would get tired occasionally.

Xue Daoyong said: "At this time, I can finally figure out why they are targeting General Yue. No wonder, General Yue must die."

Li Guanyi said: "...Yue Family Army."

The old man pointed his finger at the table and said, "Right now, the cavalry of Ying State and the former troops of General Yue are facing each other across the river. There are descendants of the royal family supervising the army there. Even if someone with a violent temper like Yue Qianfeng comes out to fight, the rest can suppress their anger."

"Think about it, the responsibility of killing General Yue will be borne by Tan Tai Xian Ming."

"Then, in the end, the emperor issued an edict of self-criticism, believing that he had done something wrong, and then abdicated. The new emperor expelled the son of the original Empress Tan Tai, killed Tan Tai Xian Ming, and liquidated him. Then he rehabilitated General Yue and at most made him a king. What do you think will happen to the Yue Family Army..."

Li Guanyi lowered his eyes, and in an instant, the young man felt that the world of Chen State seemed to have turned into a chessboard, with winds and clouds surging. However, there was only one real chess player. He seemed to see the emperor sitting high, looking at the world indifferently.

Li Guanyi closed his eyes and heard himself answer:

"I will be grateful to the new emperor."

Xue Daoyong said: "Yes, in that case, Yue's Army."

"Do not--"

The old man asserted:

"The former subordinates of Duke Taiping will gather again under the command of the Chen royal family!"

"This weapon of peace and stability will still be wielded for the State of Chen. This time, it is even loyal to the emperor. It is really a great game of chess. From a vassal king to now, and to the future, the emperor is the biggest chess player in the past twenty years."

"Really, a hero!"

Li Guanyi stretched out his hand to cover his heart, and suddenly felt a piercing pain.

He understood the cause of his parents' death.

Because he remembered what Hou Zhongyu said -

【The fate of the son of Duke Taiping】

My own fate may lie in that real illegitimate child.

He has the fate of being the son of Duke Taiping, and then goes to gather the old subordinates of Duke Taiping.

All the thorns that disobeyed the royal family were smoothed out and then held in the emperor's hands.

From the very beginning, the emperor had already planned for the present. The world is in chaos, and all kinds of tyrants and heroes are like crucian carp crossing the river. Even the most underestimated emperor of the State of Chen is no ordinary person.

Li Guanyi did not tell the old man in front of him about this matter.

The old man continued, "So, as long as we wait and see which royal child suddenly stands out and makes it to the final stage during the grand ceremony, we will know who the emperor's illegitimate son is. We will then have a firm grasp on the matter."

Li Guanyi exhaled slowly, a surge of violence rising in his heart.

Shake hands.

There are roars of dragons and tigers in my ears.

He felt like drawing his halberd and beating the prince to death in front of everyone.

Even if it would offend the emperor, he really wanted to do it.

Elder Xue patted Li Guanyi on the shoulder and said with a smile: "There are many magical skills in the royal library. Don't waste this opportunity. You must find something good."

Li Guan nodded in agreement.

After some casual chat, a carriage arrived in the afternoon. Li Guanyi sat in the carriage with the curtains closed. Finally, he was taken into the palace. No one knew where he was taken. This was considered a big secret and forbidden place in the imperial palace. Anyone who entered this place had to keep it secret.

Li Guanyi based on the location of the Four Symbols Soul Sealing Formation transmitted from Qilin Palace.

It was a perfect confirmation of where I ended up.

Keep the location of this place firmly in mind.

When they arrived at the place, several eunuchs withdrew. Li Guanyi looked around and heard a loud laugh, "Hahaha, kid, you're finally here." Li Guanyi raised his head and saw a white-haired old man striding out. It was Chen Chengbi, a member of the Chen royal family.

The old man smiled and said, "Didn't I say at the beginning that I would find a way for you? How could I go back on my word?"

"I persuaded the emperor's nephew for a long time before he agreed to let you come here. Come on, I will take you to see an expert. She will definitely be able to solve your problem."

Only then did Li Guanyi realize that it was thanks to this old man that he was able to come here.

The old man grabbed his shoulders and laughed, "With your talent for martial arts and your bearing, it would be a pity to give up your martial arts. I hope that there will be more young heroes in the Chen Kingdom, so that after our generation dies, you can still protect this country."

He led Li Guanyi forward with great strength, and walked into a wooden house next to the library. He pushed open the door and shouted, "Niece, niece!"

"Your third uncle is here!"

"Big niece!"

Eldest niece?
Li Guanyi was slightly stunned.

Chen Chengbi was the emperor's third uncle, and he had only one eldest niece.

He is the only trustworthy member of the royal family of the State of Chen mentioned by my aunt.

The eldest princess.

Chen Qingyan!
(End of this chapter)