Chapter Five: The Earth-Shattering Gamble to Defy Fate and Rewrite Destiny
Throughout the entire General’s Mansion, if any good opportunities truly existed, they wouldn’t be handed even to the gatekeeper, let alone to him.
“I’ll find my own way to make a living. As for what I do, there’s no need to trouble General Li with such concerns.”
Li Hu forced down his anger. “I am the renowned General of the Western Garrison; surely you don’t expect me to have you become a street vendor?”
“So what if I become a street vendor? At least that’s self-reliance!” Li Wenxuan sneered. “If you, General Li, feel ashamed for me working as a street vendor, then quickly sever all father-son ties with me!”
“You—this is utterly unreasonable!”
Li Hu’s face flushed with rage. His broad, muscular frame straightened as he flung the wide sleeve of his robe and prepared to leave.
But just then, he halted and said firmly, “It’s settled then. I recommend you take the position of Assistant Censor at the Censorate. The official appointment will arrive within ten days.”
Assistant Censor at the Censorate?
Li Wenxuan frowned deeply. In the Martial Dynasty, the Assistant Censor was essentially a grassroots supervisory official, tasked mainly with submitting petitions to impeach civil and military officials.
By all appearances, this was a position of real power!
Hiss?
Something was off!
There had to be a hidden trap he was unaware of!
“General Li, you are the Western Garrison General with a fixed salary, so how does your household have so much wealth? Your wife’s monthly expenses alone consume no less than a hundred gold pieces. Where do you say all this money comes from?”
“If I become an Assistant Censor, I will take colleagues from the Censorate to thoroughly investigate all accounts of the Western Garrison General’s household!”
Hearing this, Li Hu nearly stumbled and fell, turning angrily with a flushed face to scold, “Ungrateful son! Then what official position do you want to hold?”
“Whatever position I can secure on my own, no need for General Li to trouble himself.”
Li Wenxuan smiled contemptuously, utterly disregarding the high-ranking, powerful Western Garrison General.
“Fine! How about a wager? If you don’t secure an official post within one month, your treatment will be reduced to that of a middle-ranking servant!”
Li Hu, crafty as he was, immediately shouted this out.
Li Wenxuan raised an indifferent brow and smiled, “And if I succeed in obtaining an official position, what treatment will I receive?”
Li Hu’s heart leapt with joy. “One month is the limit. If you do get an official position, no matter how minor, from then on your treatment in the General’s Mansion will be the same as my two sons!”
Unexpectedly, Lady Cui, who had been hiding outside listening, stepped forward at once, seizing the moment with a fierce air.
Still graceful and dignified, Lady Cui glared coldly at Li Wenxuan. “But the stakes must be higher. If you fail, from now on you will be the lowest servant in the General’s Mansion!”
Her face full of hatred, she ground her teeth and said, “You will do all the dirty and exhausting chores!”
“Ha! Should I also wash your menstrual cloths?” Li Wenxuan retorted sharply.
Lady Cui’s expression faltered with anger, then twisted into a snarl. “So what if I leave them for you to wash? Do you dare or not?”
Li Wenxuan turned to Li Hu. “General Li, please summon your family’s ancestors!”
Li Hu was stunned. What on earth?
But sensible Lady Cui had already sent someone to fetch the ancestral tablet...
The Li family ancestors probably never imagined their descendants would be so troublesome...
Coming twice in one day — which ancestor could bear that!
After Li Hu solemnly burned incense and swore an oath, Lady Cui stared at Li Wenxuan with eyes full of resentment and said, “You little beast, your dead mother washed my menstrual cloths for ten years after she entered the household. If you cannot obtain an official post within a month, I want you to wash the menstrual cloths of every woman in this entire General’s Mansion—young and old alike!”
Li Wenxuan had no wish to make the conversation so distasteful, but Lady Cui was truly malicious.
His previous life’s mother had been driven to a resentful death by her, and now she deliberately brought up the past to insult and provoke him.
In that case...
“Lady Cui, since that’s how it is, let’s raise the stakes!”
“Raise the stakes?” Lady Cui was unsurprised. Using this little beast’s deceased mother as the wager had indeed provoked him.
“What wager?”
Li Wenxuan’s gaze darkened. “If within one month I, Li Wenxuan, cannot obtain an official position without relying on anyone in the General’s Mansion, I will forgo any entitled treatment as a legitimate son. Instead, I want you!”
“You want me?” Lady Cui was dumbfounded. What audacity!
Li Hu looked at his unfilial son pointing at his wife, stunned at first, then furious, roaring like a tiger, “Ungrateful son! Are you a beast? She is your lawful mother!”
“You—you—you! If you don’t kneel and beg for forgiveness immediately, even if the ancestors in heaven disown me, I will—”
“General Li, calm down. I haven’t finished yet!” Li Wenxuan rolled his eyes at the enraged Li Hu and continued, “I want you to come to my mother’s grave, kneel, and admit your fault!”
“What?” Lady Cui exploded with rage, sweeping her sleeves and storming off. “Absolutely impossible!”
Where in the world does a lawful wife kneel before a deceased concubine to admit fault?
This was worse than killing her!
“Oh? Can’t accept the wager? Then don’t bother playing. Go back to your room and embroider for General Li. Why gamble out here?”
Li Wenxuan looked at Lady Cui with disdain and sat back in his chair, crossing his legs.
Who doesn’t know how to use reverse psychology?
“What did you say? I can’t afford the bet?” Lady Cui, a woman of noble status, daughter of the Minister of War, an imperial consort bestowed by the court, a top-ranking noblewoman in the Great Martial Kingdom.
Could she possibly fail a bet?
Her anger flared like a blazing fire. “You little beast, fine—let’s bet!”
“Good! Lady Cui has guts!” Li Wenxuan gave a thumbs-up and looked at Li Hu. “General Li, what are you standing around for? Go on, summon your ancestor again!”
---
“This, Lady Cui?” Li Hu hesitated, glancing at his wife.
A lawful wife kneeling before the grave of a concubine to admit fault?
Even though Li Hu was confident of victory, he felt this wager was too humiliating.
It was worse than killing Lady Cui.
Lady Cui snapped angrily, “What are you staring at? Summon the ancestor immediately!”
This little beast had no idea of her influence in the Great Martial Kingdom!
Thus, the General invited the ancestor three times.
A troublesome descendant indeed—coming three times in a day. Did the ancestors even get any rest after death?
After the imposing Li Hu and Lady Cui left, Li Wenxuan smiled to himself.
They had no idea just how much power he held as a transmigrator.
“Steward?”
Li Wenxuan raised an eyebrow, glancing at the stunned Li Hui beside him.
Li Hui shivered, coming back to his senses, and said reluctantly, “Third... Third Young Master?”
Li Wenxuan turned and sat down, leaning forward. “If I recall correctly, the monthly wage for a top-tier servant in the General’s Mansion is two taels of silver, right?”
“Yes... two taels of silver!” Steward Li Hui was baffled. What was this brat up to?
“Good. Bring me my silver. I’m going out for a stroll.”
“Ah? Third Young Master, that’s against the rules...” Steward Li Hui hesitated.
“Rules?” Li Wenxuan narrowed his eyes. “Do you want me to teach you what my rules are?”
Recalling today’s events, Li Hui shuddered uncontrollably. “I will go immediately!”
Before long, Li Wenxuan pocketed two taels of silver, hefted his black iron blade, and stepped out.
His destination—the Golden Platform!
This was the talent recruitment agency personally established by the current Martial Kingdom emperor.
But that wasn’t the crucial point.
The key was that this place was directly overseen by the emperor himself.
Not even General Li Hu, nor his father-in-law, the Minister of War, could interfere here.
This was where Li Wenxuan could truly defy fate and change his destiny!