Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Li Dejiang was hot-tempered and straightforward, holding great affection for his elder brother. When he saw Hou Polu publicly questioning Li Deqian's name, he was instantly filled with rage!
"You shameless fool! My brother single-handedly took down over thirty Hu dogs with the strength of six or seven men. You, Hou Polu, could never dream of achieving such military merit, yet as a performance officer, not only do you fail to reward him, but you also falsely accuse him. Do you really think the Li Family is easy to bully?"
Li Dejiang became furious and drew the strange knife from his horse. Hou Polu and his guards were equally tense, ready to engage in a fight at any moment!
Xu Zhen looked helpless as he sat in the carriage. Loli was hiding beside him, and Xu Zhen, exhausted and thirsty, wished to enter the camp for rest. However, he did not expect Hou Polu's jealousy to lead him to question them instead of acknowledging their achievements. He could not tolerate such infighting and immediately got off the carriage, lightly smiling as he addressed Li Deqian and his brother, "I am just a humble servant from the mountains and do not dare to intrude upon military matters. I must take my leave now and thank both brothers for their hospitality!"
Although Li Deqian felt timid, he knew that Murong Xiao's cavalry had no weapons nearby; this was clearly Xu Zhen's doing. Without Xu Zhen, there would be no merit for him today. He immediately cast a pleading glance at his brother.
Upon hearing that Xu Zhen wanted to leave and seeing his brother's troubled expression, Li Dejiang's face turned red with anger. Although he was reckless and brave, he was also wise in his own way. It was clear that Xu Zhen was trying to spare them from embarrassment by leaving. Given Xu Zhen's condition, what he needed most was rest—how could he leave without entering the camp?
Li Dejiang was a true man; with Xu Zhen being so considerate towards them, how could he not regard him as a brother? Could he really let him go?
"Brother Xu need not worry! What I, Li Dejiang, say is as solid as a rock! As long as I am here, how could I let Brother Xu suffer even a bit? Today I want to see who dares to stop us from entering the camp!"
Xu Zhen's understanding of the Li Brothers only fueled Hou Polu's desire to sow discord. The officer immediately pointed at Xu Zhen and shouted angrily, "What are you doing here? You dare to intrude upon military grounds? Get lost if you know what's good for you!"
Xu Zhen did not want to cause trouble; they were already outside Liangzhou City. He could easily bypass the camp and reach Liangzhou without getting involved in military power struggles. However, when Hou Polu pointed at him and insulted him, he could no longer tolerate it!
"The officer speaks truly; I will get lost right now!"
Upon hearing Xu Zhen speak disrespectfully, Hou Polu's face turned red with anger. However, with Li Dejiang standing firm with his weapon drawn, he did not dare initiate a fight. He watched helplessly as Xu Zhen turned to leave while cursing Li Dejiang for allowing his servant to insult a fellow soldier.
Xu Zhen paid no mind to him and walked over to the carriage. He glanced at Loli and casually asked, "Hey girl, do you want to come with me?"
Loli looked at the Iron Army in Liangzhou Camp and then at the lonely Xu Zhen. She appeared conflicted but ultimately bit her lip and lowered her head, unable to look at him as she silently shook her head.
She had been waiting for Xu Zhen to ask her name so they could exchange pleasantries as acquaintances. But when she looked up again, she saw that this damned Vile Slave had already walked far away, taking a winding path while chewing on a straw—his back looked desolate like a wandering hero of the world, evoking admiration.
However, she still secretly stomped her foot in frustration: "Damn Vile Slave! Why are you in such a hurry? Can't you wait just a moment longer? I hadn't finished speaking yet!"
Fortunately at that moment, Hou Polu finally realized that arguing with this reckless Li Dejiang was a mistake. With a signal from him, his guards swiftly drew their weapons and blocked Xu Zhen's path!
"You mere peasant dare insult an officer! Now that you've spoken such vile words, do you think you can just walk away? Do you truly see your superior as nothing?"
Xu Zhen's expression turned cold as she slightly bent forward. Although she did not turn around, the curved blade in her hand was raised slightly, giving off an extremely dangerous aura that made the Soldiers retreat a few steps in fear.
Li Dejiang could no longer contain himself. He had returned to celebrate, only to be repeatedly blocked by Hou Polu. Anger surged within him as he dragged his weapon and took seven swift steps forward, ready to strike.
At this critical moment, a sharp voice called out, forcing Li Dejiang to halt his attack.
“Li Man'er, dare you not stop!”
Upon hearing the shout, many guards quickly sheathed their swords, bowing their heads and avoiding eye contact. Xu Zhen turned around to see an Azure Robe clad Old Scholar stepping out of the city walls—Huang Xu, who commanded respect without needing to be angry.
Seeing this Old Scholar, Li Dejiang, who was usually reckless, suddenly lost his bravado. His face flushed red like a child waiting for a teacher's reprimand in class.
Inside the carriage, Loli recognized the Azure Robe scholar and her face lit up with surprise. She was about to jump out of the carriage but hesitated upon noticing that the Old Scholar had a strip of mourning cloth wrapped around his arm. She quietly asked Li Deqian, who was beside the carriage, “Li Shaojiang, what has happened at the Li Minister's home that requires him to wear mourning attire?”
Seeing the Old Scholar appear and stop the conflict caused by him, Li Deqian felt relieved and casually replied, “The Li Minister is related to the Hall of Saints. I heard that a Princess has recently passed away. The Sage is deeply saddened and weeps at every thought of her, unable to eat or drink. The old Minister wears mourning cloth for national grief…”
This information came from a private letter from his father. After casually mentioning it, he realized he had spoken out of turn. Upon reflection, he noticed that this little girl had an extraordinary demeanor and recognized the true identity of Prince of Jiangxia Li Daozong, indicating her impressive background.
A wave of unease surged within Loli. Seizing the moment, she continued to ask, “Which princess is it?”
Hearing Loli deliberately avoid sensitive terms made Li Deqian even more certain of her noble status. He promptly answered, “It is from Wende Changsun Empress. It relates to the Xuanwu Gate Incident. His Majesty has ordered the construction of a tomb and plans to build a Buddhist Temple nearby for blessings…”
“Xuanwu Gate Incident!” These four words struck Loli like a bolt from the blue. Her eyes glazed over as her lips moved silently, her body trembling lightly, rendering her unable to hear what followed from Li Deqian.
She felt darkness closing in around her; the air was thick with crisis and conspiracy. The events she had experienced flashed through her mind like lightning. Soon enough, she calmed down as if she had aged several years in an instant.
Meanwhile, Li Daozong continued scolding Li Dejiang and Hou Polu. Quickly regaining her composure, Loli subtly tousled her black hair to cover half of her pale face while secretly beckoning towards Xu Zhen.
Initially intending to leave, upon seeing Loli's earnest plea for help, Xu Zhen felt moved and approached the carriage. Leaning against it, she glanced at Li Daozong and asked first, “Dare you tell me you do not recognize that old man? Do you believe I will turn around and leave immediately? What is your true identity?”
As just a small-time figure in Chang'an's streets, Xu Zhen naturally did not recognize the likes of the Minister of War, nor did she know who Prince of Jiangxia Li Daozong was. However, being familiar with history and combining it with the current situation in Tang Dynasty during the Tuguhun, she quickly deduced this Old Scholar's identity. She also had some guesses about Loli's background but knew that matters were complex and historical records could not be fully trusted; thus, she refrained from jumping to conclusions too early.
Upon hearing Xu Zhen's pressing question, recalling what she had just learned from Li Deqian, tears began to fall from Loli, completely shedding her previous stubbornness and toughness.
Xu Zhen had long since stopped listening to the conversation between Loli and Li Deqian. Seeing Loli act this way, she already understood in her heart, but considering her own situation, she felt it was not enough to accomplish her goals. She couldn't just abandon Loli, nor could she face her own conscience, so she hesitated.
At this moment, Li Daozong had resolved the conflict between Li Dejiang and Hou Polu. As the deputy commander of the Western Sea Road, Li Daozong had a long-standing friendship with Hou Polu's father, Hou Junji, and shared a bond of camaraderie with Li Dejiang's father, Li Jing. Setting aside his military status, he was also a family friend of both young men.
Now that Li Jing had retired, he was reassigned by the Sage as the Chief of Military Operations for the Western Sea Road, overseeing the military affairs of the Tuguhun. Meanwhile, Hou Junji served as the Minister of War and Chief of the Jishi Road Expedition. Although he didn't particularly like Hou Junji, he couldn't show too much favoritism towards Li Family's son.
Li Deqian, as a junior officer in the army, indeed lacked the authority to engage mercenaries in battle. However, being ambushed on the way meant he should have fought back. The army had assigned him seven guards, yet he took the initiative to attack and was indeed somewhat careless, which allowed Hou Polu to seize upon this opportunity to make a big deal out of it.
Six Tang Soldiers encountered thirty-eight Ah Chai and managed to escape only one enemy Colonel Murong Xiao; the remaining thirty-seven were all annihilated. Such a record was something even Li Deqian's father, Li Jing, might not have achieved in his youth.
The strangeness of this situation soon fell upon Xu Zhen. Li Daozong had spent his life in military service and had become a founding hero of the Tang Dynasty, having been granted titles and lands. He viewed life and death as commonplace and often could see straight into people's hearts. He quickly walked over to Xu Zhen.
Xu Zhen remained expressionless, but Loli anxiously tugged at her sleeve with a pleading look on her face. Xu Zhen's heart softened at that moment, and she asked her, "What is your name?"
Loli stopped her tears, bit her lip, and finally spoke up: "My name is Li Mingda!"
She thought Xu Zhen would be taken aback by this revelation; however, the latter merely curled her lip in disdain and muttered under her breath, "What an ugly name..."
A surge of anger rose within Li Mingda's chest; it seemed she had forgotten her earlier grievances and worries, leaving only disdain for this ignorant little Wuhou.
However, just as she intended to give this ignorant girl a good pinch on the arm, Li Daozong had already arrived at the carriage side. She quickly lowered her head deeply, using her messy hair to cover her small face.
Xu Zhen leaned casually against the carriage wall as she watched Chief of Military Operations Li Daozong slowly approach her. Her nonchalant demeanor naturally incited outrage among the soldiers around them; however, Xu Zhen remained indifferent as if expressing her dissatisfaction and protest.
Li Daozong did not take offense; upon getting closer, he discovered that there was actually a dirty little child hiding inside the carriage—likely a shy country kid who kept his head down and dared not look up.
"Young hero has quite a skill to have captured weapons from the Tuguhun cavalry; truly hidden talent! I wonder where your family is from and how you ended up here?"
As Chief of Military Operations, Li Daozong humbly praised Xu Zhen with great respect, displaying an admirable demeanor that made Xu Zhen genuinely admire this old general.
"What young hero? General is overly flattering; I truly do not deserve it. I am merely a Wuhou from Chang'an Jinggong Fang who happens to be here due to some unspoken difficulties..."
Xu Zhen had already made up her mind; since she wanted to help this Loli out, she needed to find someone strong to rely on. Li Daozong was a relative of Gaozu and was most suitable for this purpose. With that thought in mind, Xu Zhen immediately took out her Wuhou badge from her pocket. Li Daozong glanced at it briefly and confirmed Xu Zhen's identity.
Hearing the implication from Xu Zhen, it seemed that she wanted to have a proper conversation with him, the Chief Steward. However, Li Daozong held a high position and was approachable, yet not everyone could easily get close to him.
Seeing that Li Daozong was about to politely decline, Xu Zhen hurriedly stuffed something into his hand. The Chief Steward's expression immediately darkened, and the surrounding soldiers widened their eyes in disbelief; this kid was too reckless to attempt to bribe a commanding officer!
However, when Li Daozong opened his palm and saw what was in it, a storm of emotions surged within him!
It was a black iron thumb ring, not the kind used by the nobility but rather an ordinary iron thumb ring used for drawing a bow. Yet, the ring was intricately carved with a python dragon, instantly transporting Li Daozong back to the chaotic times of warfare, recalling the image of a young man commanding with great authority and prowess!
Loli suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with tears as she stared at the iron thumb ring, equally astonished and speechless. She instinctively touched her own little hand, realizing that her thumb was already bare; throughout their adventures, she had no idea when Xu Zhen had stealthily taken the thumb ring from her!
Upon seeing Loli's true form, Li Daozong's body trembled. Before he could speak or act, Xu Zhen had already made a gesture to stop him and respectfully said to Li Daozong, "This is my little maidservant named Li San San. I hope Lord Li will take us in!"
Li Daozong was no ordinary person; he quickly understood Xu Zhen's intentions. He accepted the iron thumb ring with a cold expression and turned to head back to the camp. Meanwhile, Xu Zhen followed behind him with Loli, leaving behind the bewildered Li Brothers and Hou Polu, along with a group of stunned soldiers!
This kid actually dared to be disrespectful in front of the founding hero Prince of Jiangxia and even attempted to bribe him openly. In the end, he successfully caught General Li's attention and returned to the main camp?
Everyone looked up at the clear sky; there were no ominous winds at play. What kind of strange occurrence was this?
Comment 0 Comment Count