"Yes, I saw it too."
An old jailer chuckled and instructed the crowd, "We're paid to do things for people, and now there's an added clause: 'He who eats another's food is bound to him.' So everyone should keep that in mind."
Everyone understood and nodded.
A short while later, several newly arrived prisoners were tied up and given the routine thirty strokes of the rod as a warning, but when they passed the innermost cell, they skipped over it...
Unbeknownst to the jailers, in the imperial palace of Xinduli, there was another person who shared their sentiment of being beholden to those who feed them.
Manager Yi looked at the two baskets of fresh fruit in front of him.
The pears were golden yellow, the fruit was bright red, the oranges were big and round, and there were even a few sweet and tempting peaches...
He couldn't help but chuckle and asked the young eunuch, "Was this delivered from Broken Gold Beach?"
The young eunuch tucked the silver notes in his sleeve, smiled, and bowed, replying, "Yes, Steward, Lord Li personally delivered them to the palace gate."
"The lord said that the princess had been thinking about how long it had been since you went fruit picking, so she picked two baskets herself..."
As he spoke, the little eunuch couldn't help but swallow.
It has to be said, the Li family grows these fruits exceptionally well.
The palace often received fruits as tribute from the south, but none were as fresh and sweet as those from the Li family.
Chief Eunuch Yi casually shoved an orange into the hands of the young eunuch, laughing and scolding, "Get lost, keep a close eye on things outside. I'll present a plate of oranges to the Emperor."
The little eunuch agreed and scurried off.
After thinking for a moment, Steward Yi took two baskets of fruit to the tea room, then personally washed two pears, cut them into pieces, arranged them on a plate, and sent them to the Imperial Study.
The emperor was rubbing his temples, feeling very irritable.
Just now, someone from Kunning Palace came to report that the Empress was about to commit suicide by hitting her head against the wall, but she was saved.
If it weren't for the involvement of the previous dynasty, he would have preferred to replace the empress immediately!
At this moment, Steward Yi brought up a fruit platter.
He casually picked up a toothpick, stuck a piece of pear in it, and put it in his mouth. The sweet and refreshing taste immediately relieved his throbbing headache.
After eating three pieces in a row, the Emperor stopped and asked, "Was this sent from Suijintan?"
Steward Yi quickly stepped forward with a smile and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, the princess noticed that you hadn't had anyone pick fruit for a long time, and fearing that you might have forgotten while you were busy, she personally picked two baskets and brought them over."
"This old servant thinks these pears are moisturizing and perfect for eating right now, so I cut you a plateful."
The Emperor nodded, then sighed and said, "The Li and Wu families are in such a mess, and the Empress is acting like she's going to die. There's really no one who's easy to deal with."
"The Wu family is already in jail, and that kid from the Li family actually killed Wu Yan, and even made up an excuse that he accidentally killed him while drunk. Does he think anyone can't see that he did it on purpose? He's just making trouble!"
Chief Steward Yi stepped forward, bowed, and poured tea for the Emperor, saying with a smile, "Your Majesty is right. That young man from the Li family is truly reckless."
"But to be honest, he's still too young. When I was his age, I used to fight with the young eunuchs all the time. But in the end, I don't have the skills of this young man from the Li family."
"I heard he was born with superhuman strength. He's only been in the Hailan Army for a few years, but he's already killed more than three or four hundred Japanese pirates. General Tang treats him like his own son!"
"General Tang also wanted to recommend this young man for merit when he went to the capital to present the prisoners."
"If General Tang knew that this kid had caused trouble after only a few days back, he would probably be furious!"
The Emperor, intrigued, asked, "I've seen the strength of the fourth son of the Li family. This boy must be the son of the Earl of Zhongshan, right? He's inherited such a talent?"
Chief Steward Yi chimed in, “Yes, Your Majesty, I’ve heard that even the Li family’s ancestors didn’t have this ability.”
"I don't know why, starting with General Li Si, every generation has produced someone with superhuman strength."
"Moreover, both General Li Si and this young General Jiayi actually joined the army and fought for the country."
"So it must be because His Majesty is blessed with great fortune and Tianwu is destined to prosper that such a mighty general has been born!"
The Emperor was delighted and his irritation vanished. He smiled and said, "The Northern Expeditionary Army has also made great contributions this time. Li Laosi is my cousin's top general, so he must be rewarded again."
"It's all thanks to His Majesty." Chief Steward Yi picked up a pear with a silver toothpick and handed it to the Emperor, saying with emotion, "It's a pity about General Jiayi. If he hadn't made a mistake, he would have been rewarded along with General Li Si, which would have made people envious!"
Just as the emperor was about to nod, his eyes suddenly flashed.
He then put down the toothpick, his expression suddenly enlightened, and said, "No wonder! No wonder this kid killed someone in the street! Getting revenge for his family was a pretense, but... that was the real reason!"
Chief Steward Yi seemed not to understand, his face unusually full of doubt, which made the Emperor laugh and scold him again.
"Alright, you old codger, stop pretending. Do you think I don't know? You're just trying to fool me!"
Chief Steward Yi quickly smiled ingratiatingly, bowed, and replied, "Your Majesty is wise. Even if you can't think of it now, you will eventually. This old servant is just saying a few unnecessary words!"
"But speaking of which, the Li family is truly loyal to the Emperor. They even think of letting the Emperor eat a few more bites of a single fruit. This old servant sees this and can't help but be a little biased towards the Li family."
"After all, the Emperor is my heaven. Whoever is good to the Emperor, I will be good to them!"
As he spoke, he knelt down.
The emperor felt both bittersweet and touched upon hearing this.
Since childhood, apart from his cousin, this old eunuch has been by his side the whole time, never leaving him.
"Alright, get up now. I was just saying a few words to you, and you're taking this opportunity to put on an act." The Emperor raised his hand, signaling Chief Eunuch Yi to get up.
He thought for a moment and said, "Tell the Prefect of the Capital to detain the man for now and not to interrogate him. We'll talk about it when the Hailan Army arrives in Xindu."
Steward Yi glanced cautiously at the memorials on the table; several of them were requests to punish the Li family boy.
He tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, what will happen to those people in the court when they hear about this...?"
The Emperor snorted coldly, threw several memorials into Chief Eunuch Yi's arms, and said, "Send these memorials to the Li family and let them find a way to suppress these clowns!"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Chief Eunuch Yi took the memorial and quickly withdrew.
Of course, Chief Steward Yi couldn't personally go out of the palace to deliver the gifts, so it was Eunuch Feng who had to make the trip again.
Eunuch Feng was quite happy to run errands.
Because the Li family is very generous with their rewards!
More importantly, the Li family never looked down on him, a half-disabled person. Every time they talked to him, they were like close friends and relatives, warm and friendly.
Unlike other people, who always smile at him when they're around, but then turn away and practically spit on him in disgust, as if he were some kind of filthy thing...
People's hearts are inclined towards goodness and towards the light.
The Li family was a rare source of kindness and sunshine in his life as a eunuch...
As he left the palace gate, he saw a group of people walking ahead in the distance, but Eunuch Feng didn't pay any attention to it.
But what he didn't know was that this group was also heading towards the Li family.
However, when he went to the relief office, they went to the Broken Gold Beach...
In the Li family courtyard, Madam Wen was helping Old Lady Li tinker with the family's fabrics, listening to the old lady's ramblings to keep her from getting bored.
Grandma Li pulled out a piece of sapphire blue fabric and said, "Let's make a long robe for Jiayi from this fabric."
“He’ll be out in a few days, and he’ll definitely be going into the city with Jiaren and the others. We can’t let him dress like a gangster again.”
Madam Wen couldn't help but laugh and said, "Auntie, let's change the fabric. This royal blue color suits Li Ge'er's fair skin better."
"Jiayi got tanned at the beach, and wearing royal blue will make him look even darker..."
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