Xu Yushan first asked Li Ruizhang if he was willing to stay at Tianji Mountain.
Li Ruizhang thought about it carefully all night. Thinking about what his sister said about the possibility of being falsely accused of doing something improper in the future, he felt that the capital was really a filthy place and that staying in Tianji Mountain was quite good.
So the next day, before Li Ting and Xu Ningyou even got out of bed, Li Ruizhang was already standing at their door. Li Ruizhang took the initiative to tell the couple that he wanted to stay at Qianji Gate and continue learning about mechanical manufacturing.
[My brother's choice is truly surprising. He could have participated in the imperial examinations four years later; with his talent, he would surely have distinguished himself.]
However, there are 360 professions, and every profession can produce an expert. Perhaps my elder brother is more suited to making mechanisms than to the ups and downs of officialdom.
In order to live a comfortable life, one must choose a lifestyle that one likes.
The eldest brother has the greatest talent in making mechanisms; who knows, he might create many useful machines for people's livelihoods in the future, which would be a meritorious deed that will be remembered for generations.
Looking at his eldest son, and thinking about what Ruan Ruan had said about the son's fate, Li Ting also felt that staying at Qianji Gate was the best choice.
If the crown prince is not deposed in the end, then it is not impossible for Zhang'er to return to the capital.
"Zhang'er, have you thought this through?" Li Ting looked at Li Ruizhang with affection.
“Father, I have thought it through. I have been in Mingzhou recently and have seen the mechanisms of the Qianji Gate being used by the people. I think it is a good thing to manufacture such mechanisms, as it is also for the benefit of the people.”
"Moreover, such pursuit of fortune is far more honorable than the infighting in the imperial court of the capital."
"Furthermore, the equipment my child creates can be widely used among the people. When the people become wealthy, the country will naturally become stronger. I think this is more practical than writing articles."
Wow, brother, your thinking is somewhat similar to ours in modern times.
"But if we go back to the capital, you'll have to stay on Tianji Mountain by yourself. I'll miss you. Brother, I'll draw up the blueprints for you, and you can build the mechanisms for me. Then we can transport them to the capital and sell them. We're sure we can make a fortune."
"Ruanruan, you'd better grow up quickly so we can make lots of money together. But, can you draw blueprints?"
Yes, Ruanruan can do everything! There are many things you can't even imagine! I can't wait, I want to grow up! To make money, to build a career!
[Sigh, as long as Zhao Yunwan is around, I feel like we're restricted in everything we do. We have to find a way to bring her down. We also need to keep an eye on the actions of the Great Yue Kingdom. How can we think of home when the enemy is not yet defeated!]
Afterwards, Li Ting and his wife took Li Xingran and Li Ruizhang to Xu Yushan's house.
Xu Yushan and Ren Wuyou were doing their morning exercise.
"Father, Mother, I'm entrusting Zhang'er to you from now on."
"Grandpa and Grandma, from now on, Zhang'er will take my mother's place and fulfill my filial duties to you."
Xu Yushan was so happy that he kept wiping away tears, and Ren Wuyou's previous gloom was also swept away.
"Good, good. It's time for the Qianji Sect to break the old rule of only passing on its secret skills to women. From now on, I will teach all my skills to Zhang'er."
Ren Wuyou also knew that his eldest grandson was exceptionally talented in manufacturing mechanisms, and that if the sect did not pass on all its skills to someone with such talent, it would be courting its own destruction.
Li Ruiyue also formally became Fan Zuan's apprentice and devoted herself to learning medical skills.
Li Ruiqi had the best aptitude for martial arts. Xu Yushan used a secret medicine to reshape his bones and muscles, and he finally made up for the loss of his childhood skills through day and night practice.
From now on, he can inherit Ren Qingyun's mantle and remain in the martial arts world.
Lai Shui-heng and Lai Shui-jin learned mechanical manufacturing, medicine, and martial arts. They could also write articles, but what they liked most was cooking.
During their time in Mingzhou, they sold off a lot of the inventory of mechanical parts for Qianjimen and saved up a considerable amount of money. The two then discussed opening a restaurant like Yunhailou, where they could both serve delicious food and make money.
However, Li Ting repeatedly instructed the two that they could only ever run a restaurant business and were not allowed to get involved in anything else.
Only after his two twin sons knelt on the ground and swore an oath to the heavens did Li Ting feel at ease.
[Does this mean my eldest, second, and third brothers all have to stay in Mingzhou? But Zhao Yunwan's henchmen are still roaming down the mountain!]
Moreover, this place is not far from the garrison in the southwest, and Fang Chengming, who is stationed in the southwest, is one of Zhao Yunwan's men.
The eldest brother is safe on Tianji Mountain, but if the second and third brothers want to run a restaurant business, they will inevitably have to travel within Mingzhou.
Li Ting and Xu Ningyou both looked troubled.
"Father, Mother, my second brother and I are best at business, and secondly, we're good at disguise. We've learned all the disguise techniques of the Qianji Sect on Tianji Mountain during this time, so you can rest assured!"
After saying that, the two brothers quickly demonstrated their respective disguise techniques.
The two boys were quite clever; they disguised themselves as different people. Otherwise, if the whole of Nanchen Kingdom knew that General Li's family had twins, it would be easy for people to become suspicious.
The two even disguised themselves as women, children, and elderly people, and their imitations were incredibly lifelike.
Li Ruiheng looked at Li Ting with a determined gaze: "Besides, Father and Mother both ventured into the world in their teens, and we are about the same age you were back then."
Indeed, Hu Changshi became famous at the age of fifteen, and Ren Qingyun also became well-known in the martial arts world at the age of fifteen. Although there was a gap between the two when they became famous, they both went out to gain experience in their teens.
When children grow up, parents should let go.
Despite their worries, Li Ting and Xu Ningyou kept their child close at all times, which limited the child's growth.
Li Ting and Xu Ningyou exchanged a glance, understood each other's feelings, and nodded.
"Then it's up to you to decide where you want to stay. But your father has a condition: you must not do anything that harms the people or their livelihood, and you must not commit treason."
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