Chapter 5

Li Yuanxing's tone and manner of speaking were peculiar, but his sentiment touched many people, including Li Er, who was moved.

Li Yuanxing had his own calculations. This was the Tang Dynasty, a land of renowned generals and ministers. He was just a nobody. Not to mention the future Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, the unparalleled emperor Li Er, who would be criticized by the censors if he recognized a brother. Even the literati would not have a good opinion of him.

Moreover, there were the young members of the Li clan who looked at him with hostility.

To live here in peace, he wanted to gain favor by giving a knife to Qin Qiong.

Then, he would not ask for anything, just live as an ordinary person, and not let anyone think he was greedy for anything.

This way, he could live longer. Perhaps in the future, there would be some opportunities for him to earn some merit, receive some small rewards, and with Li Er, the greatest support in the world, he would definitely have a chance to live in the Tang Dynasty.

To live as a wealthy man.

Being low-key was definitely the way to go.

Indeed, the first person to feel happy about Li Yuanxing's statement was Li Er. One thing Li Yuanxing guessed correctly was that the Li clan still had a clan structure. For Li Er, who was about to ascend the throne, having an additional brother was a significant trouble.

But Li Er would never take back his words.

Moreover, he had already made up his mind to recognize this brother. He originally planned to explain to Li Yuanxing and postpone the ceremony of recognizing a brother or find another opportunity, but now Li Yuanxing had solved this problem.

"Your Highness!" At this moment, Qin Qiong stepped forward.

Qin Qiong stood up and said, "This knife is too valuable!"

"Accept it!" Li Er did not need to give a reason or an excuse; he could naturally see that the knife was extraordinary.

Qin Qiong bowed to Li Yuanxing, "Build an estate, and let me handle it!" Qin Qiong's tone was not one that Li Yuanxing could refuse. The aura of iron and blood made Li Yuanxing both afraid and excited.

"Good!" Li Er answered on behalf of Li Yuanxing.

This young man of unknown origin seemed to be very sensible and not greedy, but did he have any ulterior motives? Fang and Du exchanged glances and then looked at Li Jing, who nodded slightly.

An investigation was definitely necessary.

No one was more suitable to send for the investigation than Li Jing.

"Tonight, join me for a drink. There's no rush to return tomorrow morning." Li Er said to Li Yuanxing, then turned to Qin Qiong and said, "One task, one master. Arrange fifty cavalry for my brother Yuanxing at Shubao's place."

Leaving Chang'an temporarily was safe, as the bloodshed here had just begun.

Chengjian and Yuangji were dead, but they still had followers and loyalists.

There would be a purge in the court, and Li Er had already begun preparing for his throne.

The real battle had just begun. Li Yuanxing's martial arts were not good, as could be seen from his horse riding. Li Er was not interested in the origin of the knife, knowing that Li Yuanxing could not use it.

Li Er's guess was correct.

In Li Er's eyes, a knife was for killing. Li Yuanxing, who only used the knife for intimidation and feinting, was not in the same league.

That night, while dining with Li Er, a noblewoman's exclamation about Yuanba made Li Er, who was feeling depressed, quite happy. After a new introduction, the legendary Changsun clan and Li Yuanxing got to know each other. Li Er recognized Li Yuanxing as his brother, and Changsun clan approved.

Li Yuanxing's appearance helped Li Shimin come out of the shadow of killing his brothers and imprisoning his father, which was enough.

Moreover, Li Yuanxing was not greedy and did not ask for anything. Most importantly, he looked very much like Li Yuanba, the only difference being that he lacked the bravery. Li Shimin's most beloved brother was Yuanba, and Yuanba's most respected brother was Li Shimin. Moreover, Yuanba's most trusted person was Changsun clan.

Thinking of Li Yuanba, Li Er and his wife felt a bit melancholic.

They were not sad because of the power Li Yuanba would have left if he were alive. Even if Li Yuanba were still alive, there would not have been Chengjian and Yuangji's suppression of the entire Qin王府. But all of this was not important. What made Li Er and his wife sad was the death of their sixteen-year-old brother, the loss of a close family member.

That night, Li Er spoke very little, hardly mentioning any of his past glorious battles, and did not ask about Li Yuanxing's background. There were only three people at the main table, and after they finished their meal in silence, Li Er said only one sentence: "Shubao, my life-and-death friend!"

The next morning, Qin Qiong appeared at the city gate. Li Yuanxing had already changed into Tang Dynasty attire.

"Whoever you are, as long as you are truly loyal to the Qin King, I, Qin Qiong, will also be truly loyal to you. Stay away from Chang'an for half a year; the blood in Chang'an has not yet been shed enough. The first city in the world is written in blood. Anyone who dares to stand in the way will be trampled into meat paste." Qin Qiong gestured to the side, and a middle-aged soldier came over.

Qin Qiong introduced Li Yuanxing to him: "Old Wolf, who has followed me for many years. If you need anything, come to me!"

After saying this, Qin Qiong turned and left. His main purpose in seeing Li Yuanxing off was to warn him, especially since Li Yuanxing's background was unclear. He also wanted to reassure him, knowing that there would definitely be an investigation and some trouble. But he would protect him, for the sake of the Qin King, he would protect Li Yuanxing.

Old Wolf was not a wolf and did not have the surname Wolf. "A Lang" was a respectful term for the master. Old Wolf had followed Qin Qiong for many years and had no family of his own. Qin Qiong considered him part of his family, and calling him "Old Wolf" carried this meaning.

Choosing Old Wolf was for both monitoring and protection!

Old Wolf's real name was Meng Qi, but he was called "Old Wolf" so often that everyone in the Qin household called him that.

In addition to the fifty soldiers, there were over a hundred craftsmen, dozens of servants, cooks, and maids, making a total of about two hundred people. The materials for building the estate could be sourced locally, but the carts carried about forty large carts of grain, some simple furniture, and several carts of tents.

The journey was slow, and it took until evening to cover the forty miles.

After setting up the tents, Li Yuanxing, exhausted from the journey, fell asleep without even dreaming, and slept until the next morning. Outside the tent, the work was already in full swing.

When Li Yuanxing stepped out of the tent, he truly doubted whether he was dreaming. The reality of being in the Tang Dynasty had not fully sunk in. Yesterday, he was only thinking about how to survive, but seeing this scene today, it still felt somewhat unreal.