The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 24 Bringing the Letter
After a passionate speech, Xiao Yi clearly saw Li Tao and Li Fang exchange a glance, and their expressions changed.

He felt a little relieved, but the next moment, Li Tao's voice suddenly turned stern.

"You brat, if I let you go, you'll go to Yedu and incite Guo Wei to raise an army? How many more people will be plunged into war then? Mingyuan, this boy must not be allowed to live, kill him!"

"Yes."

Li Fang agreed and sneered at Xiao Yi, "You are very clever, but you have misjudged him. Lord Xinchen values ​​the well-being of the people and the stability of the country, but you use the power of a powerful vassal state to coerce and entice him. How laughable."

"Humph!"

Li Tao turned and left.

For a moment, Xiao Yi was truly frightened by the two of them.

However, on second thought, does that mean they would stop being subjects of Guo Wei just because he became emperor?
Then, this behavior of prioritizing the common people and the nation must be an act.

Why put on a show? There must be an ulterior motive.

Because... they knew that Guo Wei had a powerful army, and they wanted to place their bets, but they didn't want to get too involved.

More cunning than a ghost.

Xiao Yi simply played along, mimicking Li Tao's actions by flicking his sleeves, putting his hands behind his back, and giving a slight cold smile.

"To bury one's head in the sand like a thief in the sand—how ridiculous!"

Li Tao had just reached the door when he heard this and stopped, asking, "Are you insulting me?"

"I wouldn't dare," Xiao Yi cupped his hands and said, "This junior was merely wondering, if Lord Xinchen keeps it from Guo Wei, can the world really be at peace?"

"You rude brat! If I don't release you, it will be as if I'm hiding something from Guo Wei? This is just sophistry, utterly despicable."

Xiao Yi said, "I just think that rather than letting Guo Wei hear about this from elsewhere, it would be better for Lord Xinchen to write a letter explaining the greater good and advising him not to be blinded by anger and to prioritize the overall situation of the country."

In short, the woodshed fell silent.

The sneer on Li Fang's lips vanished, replaced by surprise in his eyes. He nodded.

Li Tao then made a couple more sarcastic remarks to him.

Why should I need you to deliver a message?

“If we send someone else, and they are found by Li Ye and Su Fengji, it will only harm Lord Xinchen. If I can escape from the Shi family mansion, I can reach Yedu. Even if I am discovered, they are remnants of the Shi family and have nothing to do with Lord Xinchen.”

The woodshed was quiet for a moment.

Li Tao stroked his beard and murmured, "In this way, perhaps the common people can be spared from the ravages of war?"

"Lord Xinchen is truly righteous!" Xiao Yi said, "This letter should not be signed by Lord Xinchen to avoid turmoil in the court. Brother Li can write it on his behalf."

Li Fang was a straightforward man, so he stopped testing him and bowed to Li Tao, saying, "Rest assured, my nephew will handle this matter properly."

"Alright."

Li Tao nodded and stepped over the threshold.

A simple crane cloak disappeared into the night, and the oppressive aura followed.

Finally, Xiao Yi knew he had survived and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come with me." Li Fang's smile softened as he led him outside, casually praising him like an old friend: "Truly impressive, Erlang, you have such eloquence and quick wit."

"Brother Li, you've misunderstood. I'm really not Shi Erlang."

"Okay, Xiao Yi, I've got it."

Li Fang gave a self-deprecating laugh, his eyes showing a sense of relief, no longer dwelling on the matter.

Suddenly, Xiao Yi understood why Li Fang and Li Tao were guessing whether he was Shi Erlang.

In reality, it was to ensure that he would go to Guo Wei.

An old servant of Li Song's household could very well have fled as soon as he left the city. But Shi Erlang, in order to survive and avenge his family, had no choice but to go to Yedu.

Do they care about his identity? What they care about is whether they can use him.

His survival was not only due to his skills and vision, but most importantly, his determination to head north.

Xiao Yi firmly remembered this realization—whether a life is valuable depends on how much value it has.

Li Fang said, "Come and rest in my room. I will write a letter for Lord Xinchen to review, and tomorrow I will find a way to send you out of the mansion."

"No." Xiao Yi paused for a moment, then said, "I'll leave tonight."

Li Fang pushed open the door of the woodshed, glanced at the sky, and said, "We can't leave at night. The city gates are not open, and there are patrols everywhere."

"I must go to the Guo residence tonight."

"Are you afraid... it won't be enough by tomorrow?"

Xiao Yi had been thinking about this problem for a long time, and nodded, saying, "Once the Shi family is eliminated, he will definitely deal with the Guo family immediately."

"Okay, come with me."

Li Fang quickly understood and quickened his pace.

Xiao Yi and he arrived at a guest courtyard.

As soon as Li Fang entered the room, he lit a lamp and ground ink, saying, "Take a nap on my bed for a while, and I will write a letter and then send you out of the mansion."

Working with smart people is so easy. Xiao Yi didn't stand on ceremony and lay down fully clothed, saying, "Okay, make sure to wake me up before dawn."

"rest assured."

Xiao Yi was also tired. Listening to the soft sound of grinding ink, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

……

He was woken up by being nudged. When he woke up, the night was as dark as ink. Li Fang handed him an envelope and said, "You actually managed to sleep."

"I'm used to sleeping whenever I can find a spare moment."

Now that you mention it, I'm starting to believe you were once a slave.

Xiao Yi remained silent.

He used to be just a beast of burden, not a slave.

He took the letter, carefully tucked it away, and asked, "How do I get out?"

"What's the rush? Do you think you can even get to the Guo residence like this?"

Li Fang turned around, picked up a light green official robe, and said, "Change into this."

Xiao Yi didn't waste any words and immediately changed his clothes.

The official robe was very new, obviously freshly made, and had a faint smell of soap.

"Is this Brother Li's official robe?"

"Hmm, I haven't worn it yet, you're lucky."

Although Xiao Yi was young, his height was already about the same as Li Fang's, so the size fit him well.

He put on his official boots, took a copper-plated belt and fastened it, then bowed his head to adjust it, feeling that he had gained a bit more authority.

Li Fang picked up the black turban and put it on him, muttering, "I wonder if I can get my clothes back if I pawn your sable cloak."

"I will repay this kindness to Brother Li in the future."

"Someone will take care of me, so you don't need to worry about it."

After saying that, Li Fang tossed a crane cloak to Xiao Yi, letting him put it on himself. He looked Xiao Yi up and down and nodded approvingly.

“He is handsome and talented, barely a good match for my cousin.”

"Brother Li misunderstood."

"It's good that it was a misunderstanding."

Li Fang spoke quickly and handed over another official document.

Xiao Yi took it and looked at it, then exclaimed in surprise, "This is... a forgery?"

The paper was exquisite silk paper, and it read: "By imperial decree, Xiao Yi, a junior official, who has achieved early success in the imperial examinations and possesses profound talent, is deemed worthy of promotion to the Hanlin Academy to commend the outstanding talents of the time. He is hereby appointed as a proofreader in the Secretariat. You shall thoroughly examine all books, collate lost texts, uphold integrity and conduct yourself diligently, and not neglect your duties. August 8th, the first year of the Qianyou era." Behind it was a large official seal.

"This seal?"

"How's the radish seal?"

"Deceptively realistic."

Li Fang smiled slightly and said, "I am skilled in seal carving; it's just a small hobby of mine."

"Brother Li is so talented, he will never starve in his life."

"Stop joking with me... Here's your baggage back. The dagger and flint have been returned. It's not appropriate for you to go out with a crossbow. Take my sword instead."

Li Fang pushed the items on the table aside.

Xiao Yi picked up the sword first, drew it, and casually twirled it to get a feel for it.

The hilt was only wrapped in a layer of leather, which was very stiff. It weighed about two pounds, which was just right, and was over eighty centimeters long... Overall, it was quite easy to handle.

Li Fang's eyes lit up, and he asked, "An expert?"

"I know a little bit, it's just a small hobby."

"Then you won't starve, but you might get beaten to death. This sword cost me seventeen strings of cash to have a master craftsman forge it. Remember to repay me when you become successful, with a monthly interest rate of four percent. But if you are caught, just please don't betray me."

"Brother Li is good in every way, except that he is too cautious and stingy."

"You're quite generous; give me a few pearls."

"We'll need money for the journey. By the way, do you have any iron hooks or ropes?"

"What kind? Is it okay to hang cured meat?"

"Yes, it can be used for climbing walls."

"Let's go, we'll grab it from the kitchen on the way."

The two chatted casually to ease the tension, but their steps were not slow. As they talked, they passed the kitchen and arrived at a small door on the other side of the Li residence.

"Here, a lantern... Do you know why I'm giving you a lantern?"

Xiao Yi said, "By showing the way openly, we won't arouse suspicion."

"Because Kaifeng is too dark," Li Fang said casually, unlatching the door and saying, "No need to see me out."

"See you later."

Xiao Yi strode out, and the sound of the door slamming shut immediately followed behind him.

The brief and fragile refuge was once again cut off.

Xiao Yi took a deep breath of the crisp night air, tightened his blue official robe, and the copper belt around his waist served as a reminder of his new identity.

He recognized the way to the Guo residence and immediately headed there.

The night wind seemed to carry the ashes and shouts from the Shi family mansion as the young man walked alone through the dark streets of Kaifeng, his heart filled with a sense of longing.

Although he has gone through a calamity tonight, he is moving towards higher places.

(End of this chapter)