Upon hearing this, Meng Zhelan smiled and said softly, "You naturally can't accept all these invitations. But there are some invitations you simply have to accept."
Li Xi looked at her with a puzzled expression and asked, "Oh? What do you mean?"
Meng Zhelan pointed to the visiting card from Madam Lin and said, "The Lin family are important officials in the court, and Madam Lin is highly respected, being a first-rank imperial consort. Many dignitaries will surely attend this birthday banquet to offer their congratulations."
As the newly appointed General of the Household, if you refuse, you might be criticized for not knowing how to be accommodating. Moreover, this is a good opportunity to build connections; interacting with people is essential for anyone serving in the court.
"Lan'er is right!" Meng Zhong had just returned with an imperial decree, his face full of smiles.
Today he is the center of attention and has become the object of admiration among his colleagues.
Everyone praised him for adopting such an outstanding son, which made him extremely proud.
"Godfather, you're back!" Li Xi greeted him.
Meng Zhong smiled and patted Li Xi on the shoulder: "Xiao Xi, your godfather is really fortunate to have you this time. The Emperor praised you highly and even rewarded me with a lot of good things."
Of course, the wealth she contributed to the Emperor far exceeded the national treasury of Jingyuan. A considerable portion of it is still stored in the retired Emperor's villa as his private treasury; there's nowhere safer.
So it's not surprising that he gave her godfather some nice things.
Thinking of all this, Li Xi smiled and said, "It is also thanks to my adoptive father's excellent guidance that I was able to do my part for the Emperor and the court."
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhong's face lit up with a smile: "You little rascal, you always know how to talk."
But then, as if remembering something, he said worriedly, "But if your true identity is exposed, that's a crime of deceiving the emperor. Then..."
Li Xi gently patted Meng Zhong's hand, her eyes shining with determination: "Father, rest assured, the Emperor has his own considerations."
If the Empress Dowager knew she was a woman, how could the Emperor not know?
Moreover, she had presented the entire treasure to the emperor. At that moment, he probably considered himself a lucky star.
Moreover, Li Xi knew in her heart that once her identity as a descendant of an ancient clan was made public, it would likely trigger fierce competition among various countries.
After all, the bloodline of the ancient people contains endless mysterious power and precious resources, and any country would love to control such power.
As the emperor, he probably already knew her identity perfectly well.
Upon hearing this, Meng Ze felt relieved. "Alright, then I can rest assured."
“Yes, Father, with the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager around, even if she's exposed, they'll protect her.” Meng Zhelan chimed in, “Why don't we think about what should be done with Xi’er’s residence?”
Li Xi then remembered that the emperor had also bestowed upon her a house near the palace, so that it would be convenient for her to come and go from the palace on business.
“That is a problem. Although that house is not as big as Tingfeng Courtyard, its location is indeed good, and it is convenient for Godfather to go to and from work. Why don’t we all go and live there?” Li Xi suggested.
However, Meng Zhelan believes that now that her maternal grandfather and maternal grandfather are still alive, along with Li Yi, they are a family.
“Xiao Xi, leave us a small courtyard in that house so we can stay there occasionally. Now that you are a Lieutenant General, you should live in the General’s Mansion so that you can be at the Emperor’s beck and call at any time.”
Although Meng Zhelan was reluctant to part with them, to outsiders they were both young men and women full of vigor.
If she moves there, as a Lieutenant General, she will likely be criticized.
Many people criticize their close relationship, but they never care about such gossip.
However, now that Xi'er holds an official position, she needs to be careful in everything she does.
Li Xi understood Meng Zhelan's concerns.
She nodded. "Okay, I'll do as you say. We'll take turns living on both sides from now on. That way, we can take care of everyone without feeling too close."
Meng Zhelan and Ling'er agreed with her decision.
In the days that followed, Li Xi became exceptionally busy.
She not only needed to spend a lot of time familiarizing herself with the affairs of the General of the Central Army, but also had to carefully select a group of reliable and capable subordinates.
At the same time, Hong Gu and Wan Yue, as distant relatives of Li Xi, successfully moved into the Li residence.
Meanwhile, after learning that his sister had returned to the capital, Li Yi immediately asked his teacher for leave and rushed to his new home.
However, when he stepped into the courtyard, he found two unfamiliar elderly people busy at work, which made him feel a little puzzled.
So he asked, "Sister, who are these two elderly people?"
At this moment, Li Xi suddenly realized that she had forgotten to explain the origins of these two people to her younger brother beforehand.
After all these years, Li Yi has always regarded her as his closest family member and has trusted her implicitly.
However, she did not want to reveal Hong Gu and Wan Yue's true identities to him too soon.
After a moment's thought, Li Xi fabricated a white lie:
“These two are distant relatives of our family, and elders in my mother’s family. We should call them Uncle and Aunt. They have recently encountered some misfortunes, so I specially brought them here so that they can live a peaceful and comfortable old age here.”
So that's how it is. He had never heard his father mention such a thing before, but since his sister said it must be true.
He then bowed respectfully and said, "This junior greets my uncle and aunt. I have been negligent in my manners, please forgive me."
Upon hearing this, both elderly people stopped what they were doing and looked up at Li Yi.
Hongying looked at him with a kind smile, while Wan Yue nodded slightly in response to Li Yi's courtesy.
“Good child, no need for such formalities,” Hongying said with a gentle smile. “We are new here and there are still many things we don’t understand. We will need your guidance in the future.”
"Aunt, you're too kind. If you and Uncle need anything, please don't hesitate to ask," Li Yi replied respectfully.
Seeing this, Li Xi breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems that Xiao Yi truly trusts him completely and has no doubts whatsoever.
She patted his shoulder. "Xiao Yi, why don't you move back here? It's quite close to the academy. We can arrange for a coachman to pick you up and drop you off at get out of class every day."
Li Yi paused for a moment, then shook his head and said softly, "Sister, I've gotten used to living in the academy now. There are many classmates and friends there, and we study and communicate together, which is very beneficial to my growth. Besides, the headmaster and Master Luo are very kind to me. They often give me some pointers. I'm sure I'll pass the imperial examination in three years."
His eyes were firm and full of confidence, as if he could already see the day he would pass the imperial examination with flying colors.
Li Xi felt very gratified to see himself so confident and cheerful.
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