Chapter 35: Clinging to Death (Part 2)

  "The Wei Gong Military Method" is a good thing, and Li Xian naturally doesn't want to let it go. Even if he can't practice it himself, keeping it to train his subordinates isn't bad either. Who knows, maybe with the right opportunity, he can create a group of little Wei Gongs, and that would be a big deal. Unfortunately, this thing is obviously hard to get - when Li Jing first wrote the book, he presented a complete set to the imperial palace, but unfortunately, that set was taken by Emperor Taizong to the Zhao Mausoleum as a burial object. Nowadays, except for Li Bo Yao having one, there isn't another set in this world. Even his father, Li De Xian, didn't have it. It's clear that if he doesn't settle things with the Li family father and son, Li Xian's wish won't come true.

  Is a twisted melon not sweet? Maybe, but at least there's still melon to eat, isn't there? It's better than nothing. Besides, as long as the melon vine can be turned around, Li Xian doesn't believe that the water and fertilizer are enough to make the melon too bad. Of course, on the condition that the melon vine is not twisted to death, otherwise it may end up being neither fish nor fowl. This requires skill and patience, both of which Li Xian has in abundance. He waited for nearly half a month until after the Spring Festival, when Li Xian finally received the imperial edict he had been waiting for.

  "The Emperor decreed: The former General-in-Chief, Li Jing, had great merit for the country. In the previous emperor's time, he was repeatedly praised and rewarded many times. I often think of him with feeling. Especially to grant a reward of 50 taels of gold, 200 bolts of silk...to protect one son, to encourage his descendants, respectfully obey this decree!"

  Waiting requires patience, but taking action must be decisive. Li Xian was a master of this subtle balance. With the imperial edict in hand, he immediately led several young eunuchs to form a procession and set off towards the residence of Wei Gong. As expected, with the imperial edict in hand, they were able to enter the residence without any hindrance. Moreover, everyone in the Wei Gong residence, from old to young, hastened to come out and greet them, kneeling on the ground to listen to Li Xian read out the imperial decree. Surprisingly, despite his young age, Li Xian's voice was loud and clear, and when he read out the imperial edict, he exuded a sense of solemnity and gravity that surpassed even the elderly eunuchs who usually performed this task.

  "Your subjects knock their heads to the ground in gratitude for Your Majesty's benevolence. Long live the Emperor, may he live forever, forever and ever!"

  The Wei Gong Fu has been through two generations, and for decades, the favors and rewards have not stopped. Such scenes are often seen, so it's impossible to have any worries about losing etiquette. As soon as Li Xian's words fell, everyone followed the old example, thanking him loudly and sincerely, with no room for criticism. Of course, this time Li Xian came with a request, even if he found something inappropriate, he would surely ignore it.

  "Congratulations, Duke Wei."

  Li Xian handed the rolled-up imperial edict to Li Dequan with a smile, saying something that sounded friendly and amiable. However, in Li Dequan's eyes, this smile was not pleasant to see. It wasn't because of anything else, but simply because he didn't want to owe someone a favor for no reason. The fact that Li Xian had obtained the imperial edict wasn't a secret, and Li Dequan had heard rumors about it before. Without a doubt, Li Dequan didn't really want this imperial edict, which was just an added decoration. The problem was that he couldn't say anything about it, and now that the edict had been issued, he couldn't refuse to accept it either. Once he accepted it, wouldn't he owe Li Xian a favor? As for what to do next, Li Dequan was at a loss. Moreover, Li Dequan wasn't a hypocrite, so his inner frustration and annoyance were even more unbearable.

  "Your humble servant is grateful for the great kindness of Your Majesty, and is moved to tears."

  No matter what he thought in his heart, the words that should be said on such occasions could not be left unsaid. Li Dequan hastily bowed and took over the imperial edict with both hands, saying a dry sentence before falling silent, as if intentionally or unintentionally forgetting to invite Li Xian to the hall for a conversation.

  "Master Wei is being polite, Little Wang, cough, cough, cough..."

  Li Dequan can forget the invitation, but Li Xian will not take the initiative to leave. If he doesn't, wouldn't that imperial edict be in vain? As soon as Li Dequan tried to pretend ignorance, Li Xian was secretly cursing in his heart, but didn't show it on his face. Instead, he smiled and politely said a sentence before suddenly coughing.

  "Your Highness, what's...?" Li Deqian saw Li Xian coughing in a very uncomfortable state and didn't dare to pretend anymore. He hurriedly asked with concern.

  "It's nothing, it's nothing. Little Wang is just nervous for the first time, he'll be fine in a moment." Li Xian had been pretending to cough all along, and now that Li Deren had taken the bait, Li Xian immediately took advantage of the situation without hesitation.

  "Ah, I was so delighted that I neglected Your Highness. Please, come in and have some tea, take a rest."

  Li Xian had already said so much, even if he was unwilling in his heart, Li Dequan did not dare not to invite him. After all, Li Xian was the current prince, and if he really offended him, who knows what would happen, and how many slippers would be worn by the people of Weigong Mansion? Helpless, Li Dequan could only force a smile and accompany him in guilt, welcoming Li Xian into the second door hall. They each took their seats, and soon a group of servants hurried to present them with freshly brewed fragrant tea.

  "Wei Gong, this tea is not bad, I'm using it smoothly, good!" Although he wasn't thirsty at all, Li Xian still pretended to pick up the teacup and took a big gulp, smiling and praising it with a look of intoxication on his face, as if he really liked the tea.

  "Your Highness is too kind, this tea is from the farm in Jiangnan that I own. If Your Highness finds it good, I have plenty at my place, and you can take some with you when you return." Li Derun had something on his mind, but seeing Li Xian mention how good the tea was, he didn't think much of it and simply responded casually.

  "Good, I've long heard that General Wei is generous. Today, I see it for myself, and indeed he is. I'm deeply grateful, haha, great! General Wei truly has the majestic air of his late father. Thinking back to those years, his late father charged into battle, bravely defeating all enemies, his prestige and power inspiring awe in all directions! I regret that I wasn't born a few years earlier, so I could have experienced the grandeur of our Great Tang military god. Alas, alas." Li Xian was the kind of person who would climb up as high as possible once he got a foothold. With a twist of his words, he immediately shifted the conversation to Li Jing's body, his tone full of emotion.

  "I dare not, I dare not. It is really difficult for me to match one ten-thousandth of my late father's merits. I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's undeserved praise and I am trembling with fear, trembling with fear."

  Li Xian spoke freely, but Li Dequan heard it in his ears and felt heavy in his heart. He was afraid that Li Xian would talk about military strategy, the problem was that Li Xian praised his own father, so Li Dequan couldn't help but respond with a humble and fearful apology.

  "Wei Gong is too modest, alas. Not to deceive Wei Gong, I am troubled in my heart. Seeing the borders of our great Tang Dynasty unpeaceful, with wars breaking out repeatedly, I am worried. Moreover, looking at all the officials and generals with white hair, how can I just sit back? Now, I follow the will of my father, the Emperor, to learn martial arts from a teacher, which is based on the spirit of reviving our military prowess. Although I have a weak and slender physique, it's hard for me to become a great hero, but I can still be an example for the world. If I can help my father stabilize the country, that would be my good fortune. I hope Wei Gong can see my sincerity and complete my filial piety, I am deeply grateful.

  Li Xian's eloquence is indeed exceptional, honed from his experience in the imperial court. His speech is a masterpiece, full of emotion and reason, presenting facts and logic, while also cleverly invoking the great banner of Emperor Gaozong, leaving Li Dequan drenched in cold sweat."

  "Ah, this, this, this......"

  When it comes to eloquence, even ten Li Dequans combined would not be a match for Li Xian. Being spoken to in such a manner by Li Xian, Li Dequan was at a loss for words - if he were to agree, Li Dequan had always been unwilling to get entangled with the imperial family's children, this being a rule passed down from his ancestor, Wei Gong Li Jing; but if he were to refuse outright, firstly it would be embarrassing, as Li Xian had indeed shown him great favor, and secondly, openly refusing Li Xian's words would imply that Emperor Gaozong's decree was inappropriate, which would amount to disobedience. Poor Li Dequan was so flustered that he was sweating profusely, yet still could not come up with a suitable response, and for the time being, was left in an awkward predicament.

  "Is Lord Wei dissatisfied with Little Wang's incompetence?"

  Li Dequan was already embarrassed enough, but Li Xian didn't intend to let it go at that. His small face turned solemn, and with a somewhat dissatisfied tone, he pressed on in a cold voice.

  "How dare I? How dare I? Your subordinate, your subordinate dares not... this, this..."

  As soon as Li Xian's face changed, Li Deqian was immediately flustered and hastily stood up, bowing his head in apology, with a stuttering expression that was as pitiful as it could be.

  "Oh, it was a misunderstanding on Xiao Wang's part. Please take a seat, Lord Wei." As soon as Li Dequan completely lost his composure, Li Xian's expression immediately cleared up, and he smiled faintly, brushing off his sleeve to gesture for Li Dequan to sit down.

  "Thank you, Your Highness." Li Dequan had already been rubbed and kneaded by Li Xian to the point of being somewhat disordered in his speech, fearing that he would say more wrong things, so he hastily thanked him and sat back in his original position.

  "Good, let General Wei know. Before Li Chunfeng and Li Taishi retreated to a life of seclusion, they had spoken to the young king about his future teacher being in the Left Valiant Guard. The young king didn't believe it at first, but decided to give it a try anyway. Who would have thought that upon seeing Li Sijian, he realized that what Li Taishi said was not empty words? His heart is truly longing for it. If General Wei were to agree, allowing the young king to follow Li Sijian and learn from him, it would be the young king's greatest honor. The young king doesn't dare hope to achieve great things on the battlefield, but merely hopes that after becoming strong and healthy, he can set a good example for the world, which would be enough to satisfy his heart. If General Wei were to agree, the young king will choose an auspicious day to come to your esteemed residence to pay respects to his teacher, and thus it can be done." As soon as Li Dexin entered the room, Li Xian spoke with utmost sincerity, his tone was extremely sincere, but the meaning behind his words was thick and overwhelming.

  "It is fortunate for me to be favored by Your Highness, but I am incompetent and unworthy. If I were to make a mistake and affect the important matters of Your Highness, it would be a crime on my part as an official. I hope that Your Highness can sympathize with me." Li Dequan had been pushed to the corner by Li Xian, with no room for maneuver left, but thinking of his ancestor's teachings, he still did not dare to easily disobey, and after hesitating for a moment, he still tactfully refused Li Xian's request.

  "Wei Gong's words are quite different, Li Sijia's ability is just like Su Lao Jiangjun, everyone praises him without exception. Xiao Wang can worship him as a teacher, it's really a high aspiration. Of course, Li Sijia has an official position, Xiao Wang doesn't dare to neglect his public duties for personal reasons. He only asks Li Sijia to visit his mansion in three or five days, point out some flaws and teach some martial arts skills, which would be enough. It won't affect Li Sijia's official business, so it should be okay.

  But after hearing Li Dexian's polite refusal, Li Xian was unwilling to give up. His face first twitched, as if he wanted to get angry, but then his facial muscles convulsed a few times, and he spoke again, with a hint of resentment in his tone, seemingly on the verge of exploding. This made Li Dexian feel quite frightened..."