Chapter 334: The Courtroom Dispute
As a princess of the kingdom, especially an unmarried princess past her prime, shouldn't the primary concern be the question of marriage? Would she be sent off to a foreign country for a political marriage? Or perhaps married off to the slow-witted second son of some noble household?
Yet as a woman, she was anything but ordinary. With martial skills that defied reason, a nature that hated injustice with a passion, a fiercely proud sense of national identity, and an unwavering heart dedicated to the country and its people, it was no wonder that, despite her age, no one dared to propose marriage to her.
If even half of the princes of Jing Nation possessed her qualities, then after the emperor’s passing, the stability of Jing Nation’s dynasty for decades to come would be absolutely assured.
Barring unexpected outcomes, after this battle with Qi Nation, Jing Nation’s standing and deterrent power among the other nations would rise by more than a notch.
And yet, “Heaven’s Wrath” was merely the beginning. Gunpowder wasn’t just for use in bombs—if one turned their thoughts a bit further, muskets and cannons would inevitably follow. In the modern era, they might be antiques, but in the current age, they were cutting-edge technological breakthroughs.
According to the usual trajectory of historical development, with the advent of black powder, such innovations would emerge sooner rather than later. Having taken a heavy loss last time, Li Yi had no intention of becoming the trailblazer this time around. One “Heaven’s Wrath” alone was enough to keep them busy for years.
…
After parting ways with Li Mingzhu, Li Yi walked alone back to the Li family estate, where he happened to see his second aunt, Lady Fang, boarding a carriage with two maidservants at the gate.
Before Li Yi could greet her, she let out a cold snort, her usual demeanor unchanged, not even bothering to feign politeness.
Li Yi, however, was not bothered by this. This was far from his first encounter with his prickly second aunt, and he understood her grievances and dissatisfaction well enough. After all, in name, he was the eldest grandson of the Li family and the sole descendant of the main branch. In families where the side branches held power, guarding against the main branch was a principle to live by: fireproofing, theft-proofing, and guarding against the main branch—it was practically a family motto.
The Li family estate was bustling with unfamiliar faces today. It was the Old Matron’s sixtieth birthday, a momentous occasion. In addition to close relatives and friends from nearby, even distant relatives barely connected to the family by the thinnest of ties had come to offer their congratulations.
Given the generally short lifespans of the time, living to sixty was considered a major accomplishment. Birthdays like the sixtieth and seventieth were special milestones, celebrated grandly in prominent families.
The entire household was busy, as if preparing for the New Year. In such circumstances, Li Yi found himself unusually idle.
Each day, when he wasn’t copying scriptures—taking breaks to visit Li Xuan and offer constructive suggestions as Li Xuan flew his kite—most of his time was spent playing cards with Second Miss Liu, Liu Ru-Yi.
Of course, two people alone couldn’t play, so the equally bored little chubby boy was conscripted as the third player.
Liu Ru-Yi, who often lost in mahjong, seemed to recover her luck at cards. The little chubby boy lost a pile of snacks, and a good portion of the silver Li Yi had brought back from Qing’an Prefecture had already made its way into her purse.
It was a business with no losses, and Second Miss Liu was utterly delighted. Whenever Li Yi lost miserably and wanted to stop, she would suddenly have the urge to test his martial skills, and so the game would continue.
As for the little chubby boy, his motives were even simpler.
After Liu Ru-Yi taught him a few simple martial arts moves, he no longer cared about his lost snacks. In fact, he even brought out some of his most cherished treats. However, after testing those moves on the other young members of the household, their furious parents came knocking. By the next day, the little chubby boy could only play cards while lying down.
“Big Brother, what kind of birthday gift do you think I should prepare for Grandma?” the little chubby boy asked, lying on the couch and rubbing his sore backside.
Lately, he had been hanging around Li Yi so much that he had grown used to letting him make decisions.
While sorting his cards, Li Yi replied, “As long as you’re not thinking of giving her your stash of candied fruits and pastries, anything should be fine.”
“Why not?” The little chubby boy raised his head, eyes wide with shock at how Li Yi had guessed his thoughts. “My mother says that a gift should be creative!”
The little chubby boy’s remark reminded Li Yi that, as the eldest grandson, he also needed to prepare a gift for the Old Matron. It couldn’t be too expensive, as he couldn’t afford that, but it couldn’t be too cheap either, as that would lack sincerity. He needed to think carefully.
As Li Yi pondered this, Liu Ru-Yi made a subtle hand gesture with one hand, and the little chubby boy, catching on, discreetly passed her a card…
…
By the end of the morning, Li Yi couldn’t even afford a cheap gift.
After borrowing a few dozen taels of silver from Second Miss Liu and signing an IOU promising to pay her back double, his purse finally regained a bit of weight.
The little chubby boy followed him like a shadow, and Li Yi agreed that next time they visited Li Xuan’s manor, he would let the boy have a go with the kite.
As they walked, a swift steed came galloping from behind. Li Yi quickly pulled the little chubby boy aside, watching as the armored rider on the horse dashed past and disappeared from view, leaving behind a chaotic street and a chorus of curses from pedestrians.
Next time he saw Her Highness the Princess, he thought, he should remind her that such reckless horseback riding in the city should be regulated.
“Make way! Make way!”
Out of Li Yi’s sight, the rider, with an exhausted expression as if he hadn’t slept for days, shouted hoarsely as he raced straight for the palace gates.
At that moment, in the Golden Luan Hall, the morning court session, which should have long ended, had dragged on for over an hour.
The current emperor, Emperor Jing, sat on the dragon throne, his expression dark. The court was filled with the cacophony of voices, as civil and military officials quarreled heatedly over a certain matter.
“Your Majesty, this humble official petitions to impeach the envoy from Qi Nation for his brazen behavior—recklessly riding through the city and injuring several people. I implore Your Majesty to punish him according to the law!” A young censor stepped forward with his memorial tablet and made his plea.
The noisy court momentarily quieted, and the officials looked at the young censor as if he were a fool. Young and inexperienced indeed. While censors were tasked with such matters, knowing the right time and place was essential. Was now really the time to discuss the envoy’s horseback riding?
Ignoring the young censor, an elderly official stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, this humble servant believes that ceding one city to Qi Nation to spare our border citizens from suffering and to reduce casualties among our soldiers is not unacceptable.”
“I second this proposal.”
“I second this proposal.”
The elder had barely finished speaking before several others stepped forward to express their support.
“Bullshit! Every inch of Jing Nation’s land was earned through the blood of our soldiers. If Qi Nation wants it, let them fight for it with swords and spears! What’s there to fear?”
“Damn their envoy! He should be dragged out and executed. Do they really think Jing Nation is an easy target?”
“Your Majesty, grant this old servant ten thousand elite troops, and I swear I’ll annihilate Qi Nation’s forces without leaving a single survivor!”
The court was in complete chaos, resembling a marketplace. High-ranking officials hurled insults like quarrelsome housewives, while Emperor Jing massaged his temples. His gaze turned toward the envoy from Qi Nation standing below, and his expression grew even darker.