My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 64 Unfilial
Li Jiancheng sat in the seat of honor, while Li Xuanba stood to the side, patiently explaining.

"That's how it is. He was an orphan and had gone astray. I felt sorry for him, so I let him come with me."

Li Xuanba omitted many details, only saying that he met Li Jiancheng in the city, but he truthfully told Li Jiancheng about the rest of the story.

When Li Yuanji stormed into Li Jiancheng's courtyard, shouting, Li Jiancheng was startled by what he said.

Who are you calling abducting a woman?
He quickly brought his men over to question Li Xuanba, who remained calm and told the truth.

After hearing Li Xuanba's explanation, Li Jiancheng nodded; he believed him.

If the second or fourth son had said this, he would never have believed it. But since the third son said it, it was highly credible. The third son was indeed the kindest person, and his mother was often worried about him because of this.

The mother once said to the eldest son: "Sanlang is so kind that he is almost pedantic. He doesn't know how to express his feelings. I'm afraid he will be bullied. You have to keep an eye on him."

Li Jiancheng glared at Li Yuanji, who was watching the spectacle, and cursed, "You scoundrel, all you do is spout nonsense!"

"Still shouting in the yard! Are you trying to ruin your third brother's reputation?"

Li Yuanji had originally intended to enjoy the show, but his elder brother launched into a tirade of abuse. He immediately felt indignant, "Brother! Back then, Shimin and I only stopped some girls on the road, and you hung us up and beat us. Now that he's brought them back to the manor, you're not doing anything about it?!"

"What you are doing is evil! He is doing good!"

"Then I'll go do good deeds with my second brother tomorrow!"

"I'll break your legs first! Then I'll force you to do good deeds."

Li Jiancheng stood up to strike, but Li Yuanji turned and ran. Watching his younger brother disappear in a flash, Li Jiancheng sat down, cursing all the while. At this moment, Duan Niang couldn't help but step forward, "Young master, she's just a girl after all. It might not be appropriate for her to stay here."

Li Jiancheng glanced at the third brother and said nonchalantly, "It's alright, the third brother won't do anything bad, he's still so young."

Duan Niang immediately knew not to try to persuade her anymore.

Li Jiancheng gestured for Li Xuanba to come closer, and then said, "I originally wanted to ask you some questions today, but you weren't here, so I asked your second brother instead. From now on, don't go looking for the Zheng family anymore. Even if they come looking for you, don't go out to meet them."

"The two families have become enemies, so you'd better be careful in the city from now on."

"Brother, were those local militiamen who arrested people really sent by the Zheng family?"

"Yes, it was sent by Zheng Dazhi."

"So, for the sake of Zheng Dazhi, Father turned against the entire Zheng family?"

Li Jiancheng hesitated for a moment, unsure how to explain to his younger brother. After thinking for a long time, he finally said, "It's not entirely like that, Xuanba. You've read many books and know many principles. Let me ask you, do you know Xiao He?"

Li Xuanba quickly replied, "Of course I know. Marquis Xiao He of Zan was a figure who helped Emperor Taizu of Han establish his great cause."

"Yes, that's the kind of person he was, yet he ultimately chose to embezzle and accept bribes. Do you know why?"

"It was to tarnish their own reputation and appease the emperor."

Li Jiancheng laughed, "By the way, Sanlang, even someone like Xiao He had to worry about being feared by the emperor. What would happen if a duke who serves as a local official got too close to his many protégés and powerful families?"

Li Xuanba suddenly realized, "So that's how it is."

“Father forbids me from telling you these things because you are too young to understand. You should keep these things to yourselves and never spread them around.”

"Brother, rest assured, I will never speak carelessly."

"Well, I believe you."

"Third brother, you must practice martial arts diligently. In times of turmoil, the responsibility of protecting the whole family will fall on your shoulders!"

Li Xuanba's face was unusually serious, "I will do my best!"

Li Jiancheng was quite pleased and was about to get up and leave when Li Xuanba asked him about what he had done earlier, "Brother, didn't you have many things made by craftsmen? Did you show them to Father?"

Speaking of this, Li Jiancheng felt helpless. He pulled his younger brother aside and began to complain.

“You don’t know!”

"I put a lot of effort into making those few items, and I was planning to make a few more, but when my grandfather came, he refused to let me."

"He forbade me to take it out, and he forbade me to spread it." "It seems someone spoke ill of our family to our cousin, and we've been targeted. Grandpa said we have to be careful; anything could become a pretext, especially something like this. The founding emperor of the Han Dynasty was different from the current sage. Even if he tarnished his reputation, he could only argue with powerful clans, but he couldn't commit any crimes against himself, otherwise the sage would start punishing him based on those crimes."

"I went through so much trouble to build this, hoping it might at least offer some relief to the people of Xingyang."

“Ah, Grandpa said we can only take it out when the saint’s attention is diverted.”

"I don't understand what crime it would be to invent a few farm tools, but I have to listen to what my grandfather says."

Li Xuanba sat to the side, listening to his brother's complaints, his eyes bright and thoughtful.

Li Jiancheng complained for a long time, but finally left.

The courtyard was quiet again.

Li Xuanba looked at Liu Chounu, who had been guarding the door.

"Old man, I have something to tell you."

Liu Chounu walked in a few steps, and Li Xuanba gestured for him to sit directly opposite him.

After Liu Chounu sat down, Li Xuanba finally spoke, "I request that you not mention today's events to Father for the time being."

“Grandpa has his mission and responsibilities. He has to share the burdens of the emperor. But as you have seen, those people in Qingzao Village are not some heinous villains. They are just pitiful people whose families have been destroyed by the oppressive government.”

“I don’t want them to be killed, and I especially don’t want them to die at my grandfather’s hands.”

Li Xuanba's body suddenly relaxed, and his eyes looked somewhat blank.

“I don’t know what the consequences of doing this will be. I’m afraid it will bring trouble to my grandfather, mother and family.”

"But those people... they are innocent."

“I don’t dare tell them these things. I’m not afraid of being punished or scolded, but I’m afraid my grandfather and the others won’t listen to me. I’m afraid they’ll lock me up and then kill those innocent people. If I don’t help them, they won’t be able to escape.”

"But if Grandpa fails to defeat the bandits, will he be punished?"

Li Xuanba raised his head, his eyes filled with tears.

"Father-in-law, I am an unfilial son."

Liu Chounu stood there stunned for a long time, then he reached out and wiped away the tears on the little baby's face.

"I won't tell anyone."

“My lord is not an unfilial person.”

"My lord is a good man."

"Perhaps once these people have escaped, Third Young Master can apologize to the Patriarch in person. The Patriarch is a kind man, and he will not blame him."

"Damn it! Which bastard leaked the news?!"

"I'm going to kill him!!"

At this moment, in the darkness of night, Li Yuan, fully armed and holding a steel sword, stood atop the mountain where Li Xuanba had been earlier that day, looking at the empty village in the distance and cursing loudly.

He was truly furious to the extreme, his hair stood on end, and he gritted his teeth, looking just like a living Yama.

The soldiers around him lowered their heads in fear, not daring to utter a word.

Following Zhang Xutuo's plan, Li Yuan first announced that he would capture the thieves in the city. Then, he quickly gathered his men and lay in ambush nearby to cut off the connection between the villages and the mountains. When it was getting dark, he led his men into the mountains to seize key passes.

Just when everything was going exceptionally well, the soldiers who had been sent to the only exit rushed over to report that there were traces of a large group of bandits there, and it seemed that the bandits had already escaped!
Li Yuan hurried over to check, and sure enough, the traces of nearly a thousand people walking there could not be hidden at all. They followed the traces all the way back and finally found the exact location of Qingzao Village, but the place was already deserted and no one was left.

Judging from the traces at the scene, this group left in a great hurry, without taking all their belongings. They fled shortly before they decided to attack!
Li Yuan was absolutely furious.

It was obvious that someone had sneaked in to tip off the thieves just before he was about to launch the attack, allowing them to escape!
The thieves have now disappeared into the endless mountains and scattered. How can I possibly lead a group to chase after them?
Who the hell did this?!
I'm definitely going to kill him!

(End of this chapter)