Chapter Four: Bring Forth Your Ancestors

With these thoughts in mind, Li Hu withdrew his murderous gaze, lit the incense, and prepared to take his oath.

To his surprise, Li Wenxuan interrupted him.

"General Li, hold on!"

Li Hu roared, "You little beast! What more do you want?"

Li Wenxuan curled his lip. "Without the old beast, where would the little beast come from?"

Hearing this mockery, Li Hu felt so stifled he nearly vomited blood. He truly should have left him on the wall all those years ago!

"Then what else do you want?"

Listening to Li Hu’s frantic tone, Li Wenxuan smiled with disdain. "I’m worried that you might play word games with me. You promise me the treatment of a high-ranking servant today, but tomorrow you demote me to the lowest rank. Who would I go to cry then?"

Upon hearing this, Li Hu suddenly calmed down. This little beast... when did he become so cunning? He remembered clearly that the boy used to be stupid, clumsy, and cowardly. Could it be that he had been pretending all this time?

"General Li? You’re distracted."

Li Wenxuan’s eyes darkened, and the long sword in his hand gave a slight tremor.

"My lord! Just agree to him!" Lady Cui screamed, trembling beneath the icy blade.

Li Hu glanced at her. He had no choice. He knelt, looked up at the ancestral tablets, and swore to the heavens:

"I, Li Hu, swear before my ancestors that from this day forward, I shall provide Li Wenxuan with the treatment of a high-ranking servant."

"Add one more line!" Li Wenxuan sneered. "And you shall not seek revenge against me in any way afterward. If you break this oath, you shall no longer be considered of the Li clan!"

Li Hu looked at his pale-faced wife and gritted his teeth. "After this matter, no one shall pursue any grievances! If this oath is broken, may I be cast out of the clan!"

"Very good!" Li Wenxuan lifted his blade and glanced at Lady Cui. "Madam, please."

"You little bea—" Lady Cui started to curse, but one glare from Li Wenxuan scared the words right back down her throat.

"Go! Get out of here!"

Lady Cui scurried to Li Hu’s side, trembling. Li Hu stood up, staring at Li Wenxuan with eyes full of monstrous killing intent.

Li Wenxuan sat casually on the threshold, smiling as he pointed at the ancestral tablets. "What’s the matter? Does the great General Li intend to become someone who is no longer of the Li clan?"

"You—" Li Hu felt like he was going to explode with frustration. "Get out! Get out, all of you!" He roared, turning away like an enraged tiger, though he had nowhere to vent his fury.

***

As they stepped out of the courtyard, Li Wenxuan heard Lady Cui’s venomous whisper: "My lord, you cannot let him off like this..."

"Shut up! Do you really want me to become someone cast out of my own clan?" Li Hu was uncharacteristically firm with her.

Lady Cui hesitated; she dared not force her husband to commit an act so contrary to human morality that it would invite universal condemnation.

"From now on, give Li Wenxuan the treatment of a high-ranking servant. If anyone dares to sabotage him behind my back and causes me, Li Hu, to be cast out of my clan, I will show them no mercy!" Li Hu’s voice was fierce, his gaze sweeping over the servants like a predator.

Terrified, the servants knelt and nodded obsequiously, fearing they might become the General’s next target. Yet, as he looked back at the dilapidated woodshed, his suspicions only deepened. That little... little wretch—no, that unfilial son. Yes, that was it. If he called him a little bastard, didn't that make himself an old bastard? How had this rebellious son suddenly grown so bold and clever?

"My lord, we absolutely cannot swallow this insult!" Lady Cui hissed.

"Do you want me to be cast out of the clan?" Li Hu roared.

"My lord, please calm down. That is not what your concubine meant," she said resentfully.

"Then what do you mean?"

"The little wretch is still your son, and he’s not young anymore. Shouldn’t he be sent out to gain some experience?"

At these words, Li Hu’s eyes lit up! He had sworn not to take revenge on the boy directly. But if he recommended the boy for a position that was prone to mistakes or served as a scapegoat, then any punishment from the imperial court or traps set by others would have nothing to do with him!

"Excellent plan, my lady!" Li Hu laughed heartily. His gloom vanished instantly.

Inside the woodshed, Li Wenxuan knew nothing of Lady Cui’s malicious plot, but he knew the matter wouldn't end there. Lady Cui’s overt and covert attacks would only increase, and they would be far more lethal. He could not afford to let his guard down.

The steward, Li Hui, entered cautiously, wearing a forced smile, and bowed. "Young Master Wenxuan, the master has arranged a new room for you. Please..."

***

Li Wenxuan stood up, shook out the tiger-skin coat he was wearing, and said simply: "Lead the way."

The room was in the western courtyard of the General’s mansion, featuring a sitting room and a bedroom behind a screen. It was quite spacious. A brazier burned in the room, keeping it warm and cozy. It had to be said that the treatment of a high-ranking servant in the General’s mansion was comparable to that of a wealthy landlord in the countryside.

The bedding was thick cotton, the duvet cover was silk, and there was a wardrobe on the side. Li Wenxuan opened it to find brand-new winter clothes and several pairs of black, thick-soled cotton shoes. He looked down at his own expensive tiger-skin coat and the ill-fitting, fur-lined leather boots.

A moment later, the coat and boots were tossed at the steward’s feet like rags.

"Take this trash back to Li Hu. But this sword..." Li Wenxuan gripped the black iron blade. "I find it quite handy. If the General wants it back, tell him to come and ask for it himself."

Steward Li Hui bowed and scraped, looking troubled. "Third Young Master, this blade cost the Madam a hundred gold pieces; it was crafted by a master smith..."

"Since you like it, I, as your father, grant it to you."

Li Hu’s voice suddenly came from the doorway. Li Wenxuan’s eyes narrowed as he turned.

Li Hu, with his imposing, sturdy frame, strode into the room, sat on a chair, and looked at Li Wenxuan with a rare, affectionate smile. "My son!"

Hearing that, Li Wenxuan felt his scalp crawl. A chill ran down his spine, and he nearly gagged.

"General Li, just say what you have to say."

Hearing his rebellious son address him with such cold detachment, Li Hu gritted his teeth, cursing the boy in his heart several times before restraining himself.

"You are not young anymore. Staying at home like this is no solution. I intend to recommend you for a government position. What do you think?"

Li Wenxuan squinted, his smile inscrutable. "Is the General planning to use a borrowed knife to kill?"

"Absurd!" Li Hu’s temper flared. "I swore before the ancestral tablets! How could I commit such an act?"

"Oh? Is that so?" Li Wenxuan was momentarily puzzled as to what the old man was really up to. But one thing was certain... it was definitely no good!