Peace and prosperity throughout the world
Ultimately, this dialogue between the emperor and his ministers, and between like-minded individuals, ended with Xiang Yu's compromise. The entire wedding ceremony would be overseen by Prime Minister Wen Liang, and the court would assign a team of over fifty officials to assist Wen Liang in advancing and implementing various matters.
When the army first marched north, Wen Liang participated in the formulation of many strategies. He also orchestrated the pursuit of the murderers of Li and Bai. On the surface, Wen Liang was not only a strategist who planned and executed, but also devised a plan to wipe out the secret police of Buwang Pavilion and Liuli Palace, and even eliminated Pei Jiangxi and Bone Woman, who were key figures in these organizations.
The fact that such a person would preside over the wedding ceremony of Li Letian and Xin Ruien is undoubtedly the most profound imperial favor bestowed upon the new dynasty. This will be the most grand wedding ceremony in history.
As a condition, Li Letian must make thorough preparations in advance to ensure a smooth transition of power on his wedding night.
As for Xin Rui'en, Xiang Yu made a promise she couldn't refuse—the court would spare Su Yishan, the He family, and the Xin family members from the death penalty. This matter was also entrusted to Wen Liang. According to Xiang Yu, Li Letian was an important minister and close friend he couldn't sever ties with, and this was the courtesy he was giving to Li Letian's wife. Of course, Su Yishan would inevitably face the punishment of being stripped of his official position and having his property confiscated.
"Why did you do that?" Xin Ruien asked after Xiang Yu left.
Are you confident you can kill him here?
"What?"
“If I’m not mistaken, there was an Imperial Guard waiting outside the courtyard just now.” Li Letian looked at the tightly closed gate. “If I hadn’t done this, they would have come in and taken both you and me back to the Imperial Prison. Your crime would be obvious, and mine would probably be harboring a criminal and plotting rebellion.”
Shin Ye-eun's hands and feet were ice cold.
“Even if we manage to break out today, as long as Xiang Wu is alive, we will face a nationwide manhunt. How long can we hold out?” Li Letian looked at Xin Ruien: “I’m not confident I can kill him.”
Xin Ruien's eyes fell on the sword case on the table, the congratulatory gift that Xiang Yu had specifically instructed her to leave behind before she left. It was a treacherous sword called "Black Wind."
Li Letian followed her gaze and said, "Look, even the congratulatory gift was prepared a long time ago."
In the days that followed, Xin Ruien stayed at the Li residence without leaving for a moment, while Li Letian became even busier. The wedding arrangements were none of their concern; Li Letian was busy sorting out and transferring affairs large and small in the court and the military. As the wedding day approached, from an operational perspective, the transfer of power was almost complete. What remained was the issue of winning hearts and minds.
Li Letian will announce his retirement on his wedding night, and then say something impressive enough to convince his fans to willingly become Mu Xiongzhen's supporters in the future.
The entire capital city was decorated in red.
"Congratulations, General Li."
Congratulations!
People came to offer their congratulations in an endless stream. Officials who were close to Li Letian, officials who were close to Mu Xiongzhen and Wen Liang, and some newcomers who wanted to climb the social ladder gathered together at Li's residence.
"Wow!" An official who knew his stuff exclaimed as he looked at the "Black Wind" sword hanging on the wall. "This is a fine sword, General Li."
"That was a gift from His Majesty!" someone who knew immediately said.
"His Majesty's congratulatory gift is truly remarkable."
"It was indeed a gift from His Majesty," Li Letian said humbly. "I am truly humbled by His Majesty's grace."
“Hey, General Li is too modest. His Majesty’s reward is naturally justified.”
The crowd naturally echoed this sentiment, praising the emperor and also flattering Li Letian.
"Huh?" one of them said, "We haven't seen Lords Wenliang and Muxiongzhen today."
"Lord Mu has been very busy lately, often working without sleep." The speaker was an unnamed official under Mu Xiongzhen, who may have been aware of Mu Xiongzhen's recent situation. "But the two gentlemen are definitely coming today. Lord Wenliang is probably waiting for Lord Mu, so he will come later as well."
Then everyone praised Mu Xiongzhen and Wen Liang's character and abilities, calling them virtuous, talented, wise, and brave. Finally, the conversation turned to the protagonist, Li Letian, referring to them as the three pillars supporting the sky.
The azure sky gradually faded, and a faint yellow began to spread upwards from the horizon. At this time, according to Wen Liang's arrangement, the procession protecting Xin Ruien should have already departed from Su Yishan's residence, and after the bridal sedan chair circled the core area of the capital, it would head to Li Letian's residence.
"The time is almost up, and General Wang and General Lan haven't shown up yet," said a high-ranking military officer, seemingly worried that Wang Boyu and Lan Luoyu were missing an important occasion.
Immediately someone corrected him, saying, "I think you're confused. General Lan is going to inspect the city today and keep watch for our General Li. That's an extremely important matter."
The official slapped his forehead and said, "Look at me, I've forgotten all about it."
"His Majesty has been very kind to me, granting me such a grand gesture. It must have been hard work for General Lan." Li Letian smiled as well. "Boyu told me in advance that there were some problems in the military camp, and he would come over once they were resolved."
Just then, a loud shout came from the gate: "Lord Mu Xiongzhen and Lord Wenliang have arrived."
The people inside the room were overjoyed, saying, "See? What did I tell you? Lord Mu and Lord Wen really did arrive together."
On either side of Mu Xiongzhen, a man and a woman carried white porcelain from Jiangnan and a jade cup from the Western Regions, respectively, followed by long lines carrying jewels and gold and silver. Wen Liang had one hand behind his back and the other holding a scroll, also followed by a line carrying gold, silver, and jade. The two began to loudly congratulate Li Letian even before they reached him.
The three pillars of the nation stood together, their faces beaming with joy and harmony. Mu Xiongzhen displayed the porcelain and jade cups he had brought, while Wen Liang unwrapped a ten-foot-ten-inch long painting for Li Letian and the guests to see.
“Since Lord Mu and Lord Wen have already brought out their congratulatory gifts, why don’t we open the other gifts one by one as well?” one of the girls suggested.
Li Letian glanced at the sky; there was still some time before Xin Ruien arrived. He was a bit tired from the afternoon's social engagements, and thought that opening the congratulatory gifts would be a simple and energy-efficient activity, so he readily agreed, "Okay! We'll open them one by one."
The crowd cheered.
A cloisonné enamel hand warmer with a design symbolizing a long and happy marriage; a cloisonné enamel square vase with a landscape design; a gilt-bronze basin with engraved double happiness characters and a ruby plum blossom bonsai; a cloisonné enamel basin with a jade magnolia bonsai; a jadeite and jewel-inlaid fish ornament box; a gold-engraved floral and gemstone-inlaid box; a jadeite pendant with carved flower and butterfly patterns; a gilt-bronze hook and ring inlaid with gemstones; a white jade bowl inscribed with a poem; a landscape painting depicting deep forests and valleys; and a translucent and warm jade ruyi scepter. The sheer variety is dazzling and overwhelming.
As time went on, Li Letian himself seemed to become a guest, sitting on the sidelines clapping and cheering.
The guards who were opening the gifts took out the next present, a slightly worn-out long wooden box.
"Who gave this to you? You don't even bother to take care of it." Someone shouted, and everyone laughed.
The guard flipped the long wooden box over on the table with both hands, examined it for a while, and then looked up at Li Letian and said, "Sir, it looks like a sword case."
"Oh—" Many of the guests were swordsmen, and they became interested as soon as they heard the guard's words.
"Who dares to show off their limited skills before an expert by presenting our Lord Li with a long sword? His Majesty may have his reasons for giving it, but it's inappropriate for you to do so."
"Don't you know that our Lord Li is the number one blacksmith in Sword Forging City?"
The guests started making a fuss again.
"Quickly, open it and let us see."
Li Letian nodded to the guard. With Li Letian's permission, the guard deftly stood the sword case upright, and with his right hand, he felt around on the side of the case and quickly found the mechanism to open it.
With a soft click, the longsword unfolded from both sides of its scabbard, like a roc spreading its wings. Not only Li Letian, but also Mu Xiongzhen, Wen Liang, and everyone in the Li household who had ever wielded the longsword—everyone—lost their smiles.
A violent and ferocious atmosphere filled the entire Li residence. Only the "Black Wind" sword hanging on the wall seemed to rejoice. The four longswords in the sword case, from left to right, were named "Hail," "Thunderstorm," "Avalanche," and "Thunderstorm."
"Who is it!" Li Letian jumped up, his face deathly pale. He stared at the guard in charge of registering the congratulatory gifts and asked again, "Who is it?"
“It was a girl,” the guard said, his face filled with alarm. “It was brought before sunset.”
"What's your name?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Li Letian regretted it. How could someone who delivered such a treacherous sword possibly leave their real name?
The guard quickly flipped through the gift register and soon found the name.
"The bride has arrived!" A long and cheerful shout came from the direction of the gate.
The scorched yellow of the sky was just replaced by a deep, inky black. Shin Ye-eun, her head covered, stepped over the brazier with the help of the others.
The guests in the hall subconsciously glanced at Xin Rui'en, who was walking gracefully into the night, but they were actually already lost in thought. Outside the Li residence, the wedding procession was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, but inside the Li residence, there was complete silence.
"Found it." The guard's voice was like a thunderclap. "It's called Gu Lü. Ten mouths Gu, two mouths Lü."
Li Letian saw a man leap onto the top of the Li residence's gate, the long sword in his hand gleaming in the moonlight.
“It’s a Bone Woman,” Li Letian murmured.
*
Xiang Wu took a deep breath, his voice was very soft and slightly trembling. But he still recited in an orderly manner: "Wind, smoke, rain, snow, overcast, sunny, sun, moon."
It was only at the very last moment, when the extremely powerful and yang energy of the Xinyuan Temple's martial arts surged through his entire body, that he came to understand the missing part of Yan Yu Ci's teachings.
Yin and Yang give rise to each other, and movement and stillness complement each other.
A bronze bell rose from outside the wall into the air and landed steadily between Li Letian and Xin Ruien.
"The cripple and the bone woman have also come to congratulate General Li."
*
"Oh no! Someone's trying to steal the Demon Sword!" a woman's voice cried out in alarm.
Before anyone could even react to Xiang Wu's situation, another unexpected event occurred in the hall. A man wearing a hooded cloak had already taken advantage of everyone's momentary lapse in attention to kill the display guard, and his hand was now on the sword case.
Just as Li Letian reached for the hilt of the longsword of the guard beside him, a surging sword intent shot straight towards the man who was trying to seize the sword. The man blocked with his sword, and the intense shockwave tore the cloak he used to conceal his identity into pieces.
"Jia Dongye!" Mu Xiongzhen exclaimed in shock, "The remnants of the Prince of Dingxi's forces dare to come here!"
For a time, the sound of longswords being drawn from their sheaths filled the Li residence, their gleaming silver light far surpassing the stars in the sky.
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