"Let’s not talk about other things,"
"More than a decade ago, the Taiping Duke, didn’t he die during a grand sacrificial ceremony? Some say his demise was linked to Ying Country. Thinking about it carefully, it’s not unreasonable. The biggest beneficiaries of the Taiping Duke’s death were none other than the Turkic and Ying Country."
"At that time, Yuwen Lie was still just a junior general, the same age as Yue Pengwu and General Yue."
"He was almost made to vomit blood by a single lance sweep from the Taiping Duke."
"Our Taiping Duke’s illustrious name was earned through campaigns in the Southwest, pacifying the borderlands, resisting Ying Country, and in three years beheading three great generals of the Yuwen Family. Such a top-tier general, yet he suddenly died an unnatural death at the peak of his power. I truly can’t believe there wasn’t the hand of a foreign nation involved."
The Ritual Eunuch, silent, sighed and said, "As for why I feel this way."
"The world’s fifth Divine General"
"was none other than the Taiping Duke."
Ripples stirred in the heart of Li Guanyi. He said, "...I will remember this, thank you for your kindness."
"However, my aunt and great uncle will not let him lay a hand on me."
A look of precise pride and humility mixed together appeared on the young man’s face: "Although I’m not as high-ranking as the Taiping Duke, my Xue Family is one of the world’s aristocratic families. I’ve trained in martial arts for ten years, skilled in archery and horsemanship. Though Yuwen Lie is strong, he wouldn’t dare act against me in Great Chen!"
"My Xue Family wouldn’t just watch!"
"Even so, thank you, sir,"
The Ritual Eunuch smiled broadly and said, "What was it that I was just saying?"
The youth fidgeted in his robe.
First, he seized some Silver.
Then set it down, picked up the gold given by the Turkic Seven Kings, and handed it to the Ritual Eunuch, smiling and said:
"It’s said that the Imperial Palace has strict taboos. You told me to be careful and not to trespass."
The smile on the face of the Ritual Eunuch became much warmer as he said, "Then, I shall take my leave."
"If the young Colonel has any instructions, feel free to command."
Li Guanyi bowed, then walked towards Noble Consort Xue’s palace under the starlight. The Ritual Eunuch quietly watched this scene; he held a secret letter from a maid inside Noble Consort Xue’s palace saying just how skillfully she spoke of Li Guanyi’s youth.
Thinking back to the youth’s reaction, he whispered,
"He is not a descendant of the Taiping Duke."
At this conclusion, he didn’t know whether to feel relieved or regretful.
The people in the palace wanted him to check the young man’s history, to probe his background, employing both Hidden Guards and tests, taking many attempts to confirm this.
The Ritual Eunuch remembered that Divine General who made a princess welcome him barefoot all those years ago.
Back then, he was just a junior eunuch. Only that Divine General would thank him, inviting him to share a drink after being helped onto his horse while drunk, calling it "brotherly drinks." He himself fearfully said that a flawed person like him could not speak of brotherhood, but the young man just laughed loudly.
Saying a true man should have courage, why bother about others.
He quietly said, "You are not his offspring, Taiping Duke; how good, you are not his offspring."
"Not needing to be watched."
"But why aren’t you his offspring?"
"Let me know that your lineage still exists in this world."
"But if you were his descendant, would I report it to His Majesty? I don’t know even myself," said the eunuch, who had once rushed into a burning building to catch a final glimpse of the Divine General, now bending his back and walking away, his figure slowly vanishing inside the Imperial Palace.
Seeming even smaller than when he was beaten and humiliated in the past.
Li Guanyi returned to the palace, his mind at peace, slowly adjusting his state; tomorrow would be the selection for the Imperial Guard. Thanks to Yuwen Lie, the sons of the military elite throughout the Capital were eagerly preparing their hands for a showdown in the selection against Li Guanyi!
The officials from the Ministry of Personnel had never seen anything on this scale.
It was a combat trial by challenge, and Li Guanyi felt that these military elite’s sons would fiercely focus on him.
It would probably last for three days!
Seeing Li Guanyi return, Noble Consort Xue smiled and said, "My Qilin has returned, I didn’t expect you to also have connections with the Tiele Khan."
"Come, see the gift your Aunt has for you, see if you like it?"
Li Guanyi thanked her and then opened the gift box.
The young man’s expression slowly stiffened; inside the box was a token, the back with a fierce tiger consuming the emblem, and the front bore the words "Imperial Guard."
An Imperial Guard status!
Noble Consort Xue, her smile lingering, said, "How is the gift?"
The noble concubine extended her hand to straighten the young man’s collar, her tone light yet noble and said gently:
"My Qilin, why lower yourself to play with those military merit sons?"
"A bunch of good-for-nothing privileged youths."