novelSusiti Chapter 31 The Zhang Family, Master Li
Chapter 31 The Zhang Family, Master Li
When I headed north, the wheat seedlings were lush and green; when I looked back, they had already produced heavy ears of wheat. The boundless fragrance of wheat on both sides of the river was truly delightful, a truly bountiful year.
The large ship moved slowly forward, and as the dock drew ever closer, Li Xuan felt as if twenty years had passed, even though it had only been twenty days since he left. The sounds of Li Chang leading his adopted sons in their drills on the threshing ground could be clearly heard.
The villagers stationed at the dock waved to Li Xuan and his group with delight. Regardless of whether Li Xuan made any money on his trip, his safe return was something to celebrate.
Just as they arrived at their doorstep, Li Chang, alerted by the commotion, surrounded them with his adopted sons.
Li Chang, dumbfounded yet overjoyed, exclaimed, "Brother Xuan, our lord, you're back?"
Li Xuan smiled and patted Li Chang: "You're back, you're alive and well."
Li Chang, assuming Li Xuan and the others hadn't found an opportunity outside, said understandingly, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. To be honest, selling salt and lamps here isn't so bad. Aren't our lives just as prosperous?"
Li Xuan patted him on the shoulder: "From now on, you'll be incredibly busy. Go and call Uncle Yuantu over quickly; I need to talk to Madam. We have a big job to do."
Li Chang looked at Li Xuan in disbelief, then at Li Ji. Li Ji said with a grin, "Brother Chang, you should change your address. Brother Xuan is now Master Li."
Li Chang exclaimed in surprise, "My lord?"
Li Xuan urged impatiently, "Go and invite Uncle Yuantu quickly."
After confirming the facts several times, Li Chang hurriedly agreed and staggered back home.
Li Xuan questioned each of his adopted sons, regardless of age, who were surrounding him. Just then, his real son arrived.
Li Yuan rushed out of her house, shouting, "Father, Father!" as she squeezed into the crowd.
How could the adopted sons dare to block their own son? They all laughed and made way for him. Li Yuan nimbly leaped onto Li Xuan like a koala, tears of joy streaming down her face.
The adopted sons revealed: "The young master is filial; he goes to the dock every day to see if his adoptive father has returned."
Moved, Li Xuan hugged his eldest son and asked, "Is it true? Daddy's back. Daddy's back to take you all away together."
Li Yuan said in surprise, "Is what Father said true? He won't abandon me again? I thought Father didn't want me anymore." As she spoke, she was about to cry again.
The adopted sons around him were both surprised and delighted, waiting for Li Xuan to announce the details. Through the gaps in the crowd, Li Xuan had already spotted Feng Niaoniao standing at the door holding her second son, and even Li Chang and Li Yuantu had arrived. He said to his adopted sons, "Don't stand outside, come inside, I have something important to tell you."
The adopted sons followed Li Xuan into the house, and the retainers skillfully guarded every corner of the residence. Li Xuan and Feng Niaoniao sat in the main seats, Li Ji sat in the first seat to the side, Li Yuantu sat in the first seat on the other side, and Li Chang stood behind Li Yuantu. As for the adopted sons, they all stood obediently.
Li Xuan glanced at his wife and announced to everyone, "On this trip north, Ji Ge and I both met the Emperor of Zhou and were granted official positions. We've returned to take you all to Bianliang. But your father won't force you to leave your hometown; anyone who doesn't want to go can stay here and guard the home."
The adopted children no longer have a home. Li Xuan and Feng Niaoniao are their parents. How can the children not follow their parents when they move?
All the adopted sons and daughters expressed their desire to follow Li Xuan and his wife. Li Xuan then told Feng Niaoniao about the plans for their return: "We've returned so quickly thanks to the grace of His Majesty the Emperor of Zhou. Ji Ge and I have joined the Zhou Imperial Guard as commanders. My wife, please make arrangements. We'll pack our bags in the next few days, and our whole family will move to Bianjing. I've already bought a house in Bianjing, and I bought extra to accommodate everyone. We won't have to worry about dowries and betrothal gifts for the children's future marriages."
Feng Niaoniao was surprised that Li Xuan and Li Ji's official careers had come so suddenly, and said happily, "In that case, we'll go to Guangling City tomorrow to return to our parents' home. The day after tomorrow, when we return, we'll go to Li Family Town to say goodbye to the old clan chief and the teacher. We'll leave the family business here to the villagers to take care of. We'll come back and rebuild it when we've achieved success. I just don't know what the situation is like in that Zhou Kingdom, and why my husband has made up his mind to move the whole family there?"
Li Xuan explained to his wife and the others, "The palaces of Zhou are simple. The emperor and the prime minister work in the same hall, discussing and resolving matters on the spot. Any memorials sent that day do not wait until the next day. When banquets are held in the palace, there are fewer than five dishes and not a single cup of wine. The emperor, the prime minister, and we eat the same food. There is not even any singing or dancing."
He was appointed to an official post the afternoon before, and received his official seal and certificate the morning afterward. He was also given fabric to make his own official robes, since the court didn't even employ embroiderers. I also saw that the Zhou emperor's clothes were very old, obviously washed many times without being changed. I heard that his outer garment was in relatively good condition, old but not torn, but his inner garment even had patches, all sewn by the empress herself.
Despite the impoverished state of the court, a war was fought last year, and this year construction began simultaneously on the Grand Canal and the widening of the outer city of Bianliang. Food and wages were provided to the laborers, taxes on farmers were reduced, and land reclamation was encouraged. All of this was accomplished by the new emperor within a few months. As the Son of Heaven, he was not greedy for wealth, lustful, or indulging in extravagance. He discussed state affairs with his prime ministers and generals daily, never daring to delay. His ambitions were far from insignificant.
Guo Rong's behavior was very different from other monarchs. Feng Niaoniao, who was well-versed in history, naturally recognized his talent: "I never thought that such a monarch would appear in this era. He should be moved, he is worth moving."
With Feng Niaoniao's support, Li Xuan said to Li Yuantu, "Uncle Yuantu, there is an important matter that I need your strong assistance with."
When Li Yuantu heard that Li Xuan and Li Ji had a bright future, he was as happy as if it were New Year's Day, feeling as if his own children had finally made something of themselves. Hearing that Li Xuan was in trouble and needed help, he generously said, "Speak up, while your uncle still has some strength, tell me what's wrong, and we'll figure something out together. I suppose the Zhou emperor isn't a benevolent philanthropist; there must be conditions for bestowing official titles upon you brothers."
Li Xuan offered a small compliment: "Old foxes are spicier. The Zhou emperor has given me and Brother Ji both command positions. Both positions are vacant and urgently need to be filled with elite troops. The Zhou emperor has heard that the Huai soldiers are brave and fierce, especially skilled in infantry combat. He has specially ordered us to return to our hometown to recruit elite troops to strengthen the imperial guards in Bianliang."
Having witnessed many grand occasions in his youth, Li Yuantu immediately realized: "The Zhou Kingdom is going to wage war against the Jianghuai region?"
Li Xuan said, "The Zhou state is currently repairing the Tongji Canal. It seems the day of war is not far off. However, I inquired in Bianjing and learned that the Zhou imperial guards are expanding their recruitment, open to warriors from all over the land. We brothers are not the only ones returning to our hometowns to recruit soldiers. Therefore..."
Li Yuantu took a deep breath and said, "The Zhou emperor has such great ambition; he's determined to unify the world. Good, good, Brother Xuan is truly blessed; a sage ruler has emerged from the Central Plains. Brother Xuan, you must take advantage of the fact that Zhou hasn't fully expanded its territory to train your troops and establish merit. Perhaps you and Brother Ji will be founding heroes in the future. Brother Xuan and Brother Ji have returned to recruit soldiers because they've taken a liking to the children of my brothers, haven't they? That's fine. As former confidants of the previous dynasty, they don't have much of a future in Yu. Why don't they go with you to Bianliang to try their luck? As long as you two are together, you can go anywhere in the world."
On that day, the Li family naturally held a grand feast. They ate all the chickens, ducks, and geese they had raised, since the people were leaving anyway, and there was no point in keeping them.
At the banquet, Li Xuan grabbed Li Yuantu's hand and urged, "Uncle Yuantu, why don't you come with us? Changge has left with his wife. What's the point of you staying here alone? Wouldn't it be better to go to Bianjing and look after your grandchildren every day?"
Feng Niaoniao also advised, "Uncle Yuantu, Bianjing City is a big city with big storms. Xuan-ge, Ji-ge and Chang-ge will definitely have to join the army. If you are not here, I will not even have anyone to talk to."
Li Yuantu said sadly, "Madam, you are too modest. I know your abilities very well. You have truly been wasted in our village all these years. Back then, I was seriously injured and was rescued by Xuan-ge's parents. From then on, I became the master of the old master. Before he passed away, he was worried about Xuan-ge, and I swore at his bedside that I would protect Xuan-ge as he grew up. Now, Xuan-ge and Ji-ge have both made something of themselves, and they can also give Chang-ge a future. What else could I possibly worry about?"
"You've all gone out to work hard, so someone has to stay home and look after the family business. While I'm still able, I'll look after Xuan-ge's property for a few more years. This is all Xuan-ge's ancestral property; we can't give it up easily. Besides, my master's wife and I are buried here. How can I bear to let their graves fall into disrepair and let Xuan-ge bear the stigma of being unfilial?"
Li Xuan and Feng Niaoniao were deeply moved by his words. Li Xuan could not force Li Yuantu, so he could only tell him: "When the Zhou army attacks the south, the price of grain will surely skyrocket. The war will either break out this year or next. We must find a proper place to store grain after the summer and autumn harvests, so that when the war gets intense, the Yu Kingdom's court and soldiers will disregard the rules and plunder the grain in the countryside. Uncle Yuantu, you must make plans early. It doesn't matter if the house is gone, as long as the farmers are safe and the villagers are well, I will fund the reconstruction of better houses for everyone in the future."
Li Yuantu was a veteran of the military, having experienced many wars and turmoil, and he had considerable experience in navigating chaotic times: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. After you leave, I'll take some trustworthy families to the isolated island in the river to build granaries and store food. We'll leave only a small portion of the village behind. If soldiers come, we'll just set fire to the village and escape, letting them know that our village is gone. Xuan-ge, when you go north to join the army, you can't just take the children of my brothers. You also need to bring a few adopted children from the Li clan of Guangling, otherwise it's against the rules."
In today's world, when it comes to employing people, one should prioritize relatives and friends, followed by neighbors. If Li Xuan becomes successful and no one in his clan benefits from it, not only will his clansmen complain, but even the soldiers who follow him will think that their commander is cold-blooded and ruthless.
Li Xuan nodded and said, "Uncle is right. Tomorrow, Uncle will take Changge and the others to find our old brothers. My wife and I will go to Guangling City first to say goodbye to my parents-in-law. On our way back from Guangling, we will visit the clan chief and the master in Lijia Town to see if there are any suitable clansmen we can take with us."
Li Yuantu was very pleased. Even after becoming an official, Li Xuan's temperament hadn't changed at all; he remained compliant and agreeable. He, a veteran soldier, only knew how to drill; he had no idea how to raise a child. Fortunately, Li Xuan was sensible from a young age, as outstanding as his late lord, and perhaps even more so. One day, when he died and met his late lord and mistress in the afterlife, he could proudly say that he had not failed their trust; Li Xuan had become a great man.
After dinner, Li Xuan and Feng Niaoniao went back to their room to rest and prepare gifts for their parents-in-law the next day.
Li Ji opened the gate to the new house alone and walked in. It was a completely unfinished house, dark and without a single ray of light. Li Ji seemed oblivious, stepping deeper and deeper into the house, without lighting a lamp or a fire, letting the darkness inside swallow his figure.
The house was originally built at great expense to welcome Lizhi. But the world is ironic; the woman originally intended for the house flew away, and Li Ji was forced to serve Lizhi's enemy country and later lead troops to attack Lizhi's father.
If the attack succeeds and Lizhi becomes a prisoner, how should he and she meet again? If they don't meet, can he bear to see Lizhi humiliated? Sitting on the threshold of the room where they were supposed to be in their bridal chamber, Li Ji felt as if his heart was being torn apart. He curled up and didn't move for a long time.