The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 372 The Guan family's daughter has grown up; her strength can uproot mountains and her spirit can overwhelm the world.

Meanwhile, Li Yi was about to board his carriage and enter the palace to meet the Emperor.

Suddenly, the steward urgently reported:

"General Guan's carriage has arrived at the mansion gate!"

"Has Guan Yu come in person?"

Li Yi frowned slightly, then straightened his clothes and addressed those around him:

"Quickly summon the lady and the young master, and have them come out to greet them."

Both were unexpected visits.

When faced with Chen Jiao, Li Yi simply told him to come in.

After meeting, they simply stood up to exchange greetings, going through the motions.

However, when Guan Yu visited, Li Yi brought his entire family, young and old, to greet him.

Because they were both founding fathers of the nation.

Guan Yu, who holds significant military power, needs to be taken seriously by Li Yi.

This is basic courtesy and social etiquette.

The gates of the mansion were wide open, and Guan Yu, dressed in a green robe with a long beard hanging down to his chest, stood in front of the steps.

Seeing Li Yi leading the entire household, young and old, to greet him, he hurriedly stepped forward, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply.

"Why must you do this, Lord Yi!"

"It is already impolite of me to visit you so abruptly, how could I possibly trouble your family!"

Guan Yu was a rather orthodox person, and his sudden visit without sending a formal invitation was considered quite impolite.

As a result, Li Yi treated Guan Yu with great courtesy, making Guan Yu feel extremely ashamed.

Li Yi returned the greeting with his hands clasped:
"General Guan is a pillar of the nation, how dare I be negligent?"

Guan Yu looked ashamed and sighed:

"Lord Yi has broken Yu's spirit!"

"Without Lord Yi's strategic planning back then, how could I have the foundation I have today?"

After speaking, he bowed to Yuan Ying and the other women.

"I apologize for disturbing you so late at night. I hope you ladies will forgive me."

Yuan Ying and the other ladies curtsied in return:

"General Guan, you flatter me."

"It has long been known that Guan Yu's heroic spirit and awe-inspiring presence have shaken China, and people all admire him when they hear of him."

"Your presence at my humble abode is an honor to grace my humble dwelling."

After exchanging greetings, the guests and hosts entered the main hall and took their seats.

A maidservant served fragrant tea, but Guan Yu didn't even drink it, and went straight to the point:

"Lord Yi, my abruptness is due to the marriage of my daughter, Yinping."

Guan Yinping?
Li Yi paused slightly in his tea-serving hand, frowned, and asked:

"Is it Miss Guan San?"

"He is the third child in the family."

Guan Yu stroked his long beard and sighed deeply:

"My daughter is sixteen years old, but she is not good at needlework; instead, she is fond of archery and horsemanship."

"His physical strength surpasses that of ordinary men."

"This marriage...sigh!"

This Miss Guan possesses superhuman strength, far surpassing that of any man.

Therefore, there is a saying among the people,

The Guan family has a daughter who has just come of age; her strength is such that she can uproot mountains and her spirit is unparalleled.

Upon hearing that it was about Miss Guan's marriage, Yuan Ying couldn't help but interject and ask:
"Guan Yu is His Majesty's sworn brother, and your daughter is of noble birth. Why worry about finding a good match?"

The implication is that even if your daughter is as capable as any man, and not a traditional, gentle young lady.

Given Guan Yu's status in the Han Dynasty, many eligible marriage partners would still rush to marry into his family.

Are you still worried about your daughter getting married?
Guan Yu glared with his phoenix eyes and said in a deep voice:
"Most of the powerful and influential people in the capital are sycophants!"

"How can a tiger's daughter be matched with a dog's son?"

After saying this, he suddenly realized he had misspoke and quickly bowed to Li Yi, apologizing:

"I am not referring to Lord Yi, but to those selfish, ambitious and unrealistic people in the capital."

Li Yi waved his hand, indicating that it was alright.

"General Yun Chang is outspoken, how could I not know that?"

"However, these words came from your mouth and entered my ears; please do not spread them outside."

"It's fine to talk about it in my house, but don't talk about it outside."

Compared to before, Guan Yu's arrogant nature has been greatly tempered.

But deep down they still discriminated against those scholar-officials.

However, Li Yi was an exception.
Li Yi was a learned and capable elder, and Guan Yu respected him greatly.

Guan Yu said proudly:
"Do those despicable people deserve to listen to Guan's heartfelt words?"

"Rest assured, Lord Yi, they are not worthy to hear what I have to say."

"...That's good, although there are indeed many people in the capital who have their own selfish motives."

"But water that is too clear has no fish, and a person who is too discerning has no followers. Not everyone can be selfless."

"Considering that they have made some contributions to the country, General Guan, please don't humiliate them too much in front of them."

"Leave a thin line in your behavior so that we can meet again in the future."

Ok……

Guan Yu grunted, it was unclear whether he had taken it to heart or not.

After a moment, Guan Yu returned to the main topic and said solemnly:
"After much deliberation, I realized that since I did not want sycophants to attach themselves to my family, I had no choice but to choose another son-in-law."

"Wen Yigong's eldest son, Zhi, is eighteen years old and possesses both talent and virtue."

"If you do not mind, I would like to ask if our Guan and Li families can form a marriage alliance."

"So that we can look after each other when we are in the court in the future."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ying's eyes lit up with joy, and she secretly tugged at Li Yi's sleeve.

It's as if to say, "This suggestion is good."

Miss Guan was a renowned heroine in the capital, and she and the refined and elegant Li Zhi complemented each other perfectly in both literary and martial arts.

Most importantly,

In ancient times, the principle of marriage between equals was emphasized.
Especially among large families, social standing and social status must be compatible.

Given the Li family's immense power throughout the land, any marriage alliance they form would be a disadvantage.

Looking around, there are only a few families that are worthy of the Li family.

Since Old Li was not keen on a marriage alliance with the Chen family, and Guan Yu, who was renowned throughout China, had offered an olive branch.

Why should the Li family turn them away?
Faced with Guan Yu's shameless offer of an olive branch.

Li Yi did not immediately agree, but pondered for a long time before slowly saying:
"Marriage is a serious matter, not a game."

"Given the haste tonight, why not choose another auspicious day to discuss this further?"

Although he did not immediately grant Guan Yu's request, he did not explicitly refuse either.

Clearly, Li Yi meant that this matter was open to discussion.

A marriage alliance between the Guan and Li families is not impossible.

But this is a serious matter, and Lord Guan's sudden visit tonight is quite unexpected.

Let's choose a better day to discuss this matter in more detail.

Guan Yu naturally understood the implied meaning in Li Yi's words and was overjoyed, saying:
"Your words are excellent, Lord Yi!"

"I, Guan, have indeed been presumptuous tonight. Please forgive me."

In fact, Guan Yu had long had the idea of ​​a marriage alliance with the Li family, since there were very few people in the court who could catch his eye.

Aside from his elder brother Liu Bei and his third brother Zhang Fei, Guan Yu's favorite person was Li Yi.

In fact, besides his elder brother, Guan Yu respected Li Yi the most.

If we're talking about personal motives, Guan Yu certainly had some too.

The Li family is the most powerful and wealthy family in the world. Daughters who marry into the family are transformed from tiger girls into phoenix girls, enjoying endless glory wherever they go.

After all, what father would want his daughter to suffer after getting married?

Guan Yu simply didn't dare to bring it up himself because of his pride.

But during the day, a servant told Guan Yu that many people had gone to the Li family to propose marriage that day.

Guan Yu initially didn't care.
Over the years, many have sought marriage alliances with the Li family, but none of them have taken Li Yi seriously.

It wasn't until someone told Guan Yu that Chen Jiao, the confidant of Chen Deng, the Prefect of Huainan, had visited the Prime Minister's residence at night.

Guan Yu then began to panic.

Although it's not certain that Chen Deng came to see his daughter off, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Li Zhi was a child whom Guan Yu had watched grow up.

Guan Yu was quite fond of this thoughtful and courageous young man, and had already implicitly accepted him as his son-in-law.

Seeing that Chen Jiao was visiting the Prime Minister's residence at night, Guan Yu feared that the Chen family would get there first.

Before they could even send a formal invitation, they personally visited the Guan and Li families to discuss the marriage alliance.

Seeing that there was a possibility of success, Guan Yu was overjoyed and called to his attendants:

"Here! Present the gift list."

The attendant presented it as ordered.

Seeing this, Li Yi hurriedly refused:

"What does General Yun Chang mean by this?"

Guan Yu then earnestly said:
"This is just a small gift to express my apologies; it is by no means a betrothal gift."

"If Lord Yi does not accept, Yu will not be at ease."

Seeing his sincerity, Li Yi then ordered someone to accept the gift.

After the host and guests chatted for a while longer, Guan Yu finally got up to take his leave.

Before leaving, he suddenly stopped and asked:

"Just now, I saw that Lord Yi seemed about to go out?"

"Where are you headed?"

Li Yi's eyes flickered slightly, and he smiled:
"It's just a routine night patrol, no need to take it to heart."

"General Yun Chang, please proceed with caution."

After seeing Guan Yu off,
Yuan Ying then asked:
"The Guan family are brothers of the royal family, so they can be considered half of the imperial clan."

"Looking at all the great families in the world, it would be hard to find a better one."

"Why is my husband still so listless?"

Although the Li family's sons have no trouble finding wives.

But in one night, he rejected both the most powerful family in Jiangnan and the imperial family.

Even someone as proud as Yuan Ying, whose family had held high office for four generations, felt that her husband had gone too far.

"Guan, a tiger-like daughter, is a perfect match for Zhi'er! Why is her husband..."

Li Yi gazed in the direction of the palace and said softly:

“I’ve already said it, my Li family is a large and prominent clan.”

“Once a marriage is arranged with another ethnic group, the two families become politically bound together.”

"This involves the interests of too many people, even if the two families are truly a good match."

"Then we must first inform His Majesty before making a decision."

Yuan Ying was taken aback and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Even though Li Yi had already reached the highest position in the court, he was still so cautious in his actions, as if walking on thin ice.

No wonder His Majesty trusts him so much and praises him so highly.

The Li family was able to rise rapidly to become the most powerful clan in the world within a little over twenty years.

Yuan Ying witnessed the rise of the Li family firsthand.

At this moment, the drumbeat sounded, indicating that it was already the third watch of the night.

A dark cloud quietly obscured the crescent moon, and the lanterns under the eaves of the Prime Minister's residence swayed in the wind.

After the third watch drum sounded, Yuan Ying carried a lantern and escorted him to the gate of the mansion.

"It's late at night, my husband, are you still going to the palace at this hour?"

Li Yi straightened his clothes and said solemnly:
"Now the campaign against Wu is imminent."

"His Majesty is preparing to attack Wu, and he must not be asleep at this time."

Yuan Ying smiled slightly:

"You and your ministers are of the same temperament; when you get down to business, you forget about hunger, thirst, heat, and cold."

"Go away, go away."

"...Okay, I'll be right back."

Li Yi boarded the carriage under the moonlight, the wheels rolling over the bluestone of the imperial road, making a dull sound in the still night.

The palace eunuch on night duty, seeing that it was the Prime Minister's carriage, dared not stop it and led it directly to the outside of the Qingliang Hall.

The hall was brightly lit by candlelight, and Liu Bei's figure could be vaguely seen bent over his desk.

"Zi Yu?"

Liu Bei looked up and saw Li Yi; a slight smile appeared on his tired face.

"You've come at the perfect time, my dear minister. Please have some refreshments with me."

After saying that, he pushed over a plate of salt-baked melon seeds. There were only a dozen or so seeds in the plate, each one plump and full.

Li Yi bowed and declined to be seated.

"Your Majesty works tirelessly day and night, and I am deeply troubled."

Liu Bei crushed a melon seed shell:

"With the war against Wu imminent, what will become of the millions of people in Jiangnan? I am tossing and turning in bed because of this."

As he spoke, he rubbed his temples.

"I spent the whole night reviewing memorials, but it felt like I was in a fog."

"Still no clue at all."

"Your Majesty should take care of your health."

Li Yi said softly, "Since we have no clue at the moment, how about we take a break for a while?"

Liu Bei complied, closing his eyes and looking up.

After a long while, she opened her eyes and asked softly:
“Ziyu came in the dead of night; he must have something important to discuss.”

Li Yi took out Chen Deng's letter from his sleeve and presented it with both hands:

"A letter has arrived from Chen Yuanlong of Huainan. Your subject dares not make a decision on his own."

"I have come specifically to request Your Majesty's wise decision."

"Oh?"

Liu Bei glanced at him, smiled, and accepted the letter.

Upon opening and carefully reading the letter, I initially smiled, but then my brows gradually furrowed.

After reading it, place the letter on the table and tap it lightly with your knuckles:

"Yuanlong wishes to form a marriage alliance with you, which is a wonderful thing."

"Both of you are my trusted ministers, and there is nothing illegal about you arranging a marriage between yourselves."

"Why bother asking me?"

"Your Majesty knows perfectly well what's going on, so why torture me?"

Li Yi lowered his head and said, "The Chen family is a prominent clan in Jiangnan, while I am from a large family in Hebei."

"If the two families were to form a marriage alliance, I fear there would be much criticism in the court."

It is no exaggeration to say that, apart from the Chen and Li families being happy to see the marriage between the two families, everyone else was also delighted.

Others would absolutely not want to see the two companies unite.

If this marriage really goes through...

As a result, the memorials impeaching both families in the imperial court piled up like mountains every day.

Li Yi could think of all the content.
The Li family is domineering in the court, and the Chen family holds military power in Jiangnan. They want to join forces with the Li family to rebel, and so on.

What's most infuriating is that...

For politicians, whether you actually rebel or not is irrelevant.

What matters is what others think, especially the emperor's opinion that you are rebelling.

Then you'd be in deep trouble even if you jumped into the Yellow River.

Li Yi has always cherished his reputation.
He would never do something that would put his family in the spotlight.

After much thought, it is still best for the ruler and his subjects to take the initiative and be frank with each other.

Saying nothing will only exacerbate the conflict.

In any situation, as long as you are willing to communicate, many complex problems can actually be solved easily.

At least that's what Li Yi himself thinks.

"Ziyu, Ziyu, are you asking me to make a decision for you?"

"However, you came to see me at the third watch of the night, so you must have already made up your mind."

"I'd like to hear your own opinion first."

"Tonight, General Yun Chang has also come to discuss marriage."

Li Yi said slowly, "I wish to marry my son to Yinping, the third daughter of my family."

Liu Bei was overjoyed upon hearing this:

"Yun Changhu's daughter and your son are a match made in heaven, aren't they?"

After saying this, he suddenly realized he had lost his composure and quickly composed himself, asking:
What is your opinion?

Although Liu Bei's hint of joy was quickly concealed, he quickly masked it.

But Li Yi still noticed it.
Clearly, Liu Bei himself hoped that the Guan and Li families could form a marriage alliance.

There are two main reasons,
the first,

Both Guan Yu and Li Yi were people who knew how to conduct themselves appropriately and knew when to advance and when to retreat.

Guan Yu simply couldn't get along with the literati. Although his family was powerful, it was difficult for them to become a top-tier aristocratic family like the Yuan family.

Li Yi, on the other hand, was very intelligent and knew how to prioritize.

Just like his voluntary handing over of Chen Deng's letter tonight, Liu Bei had no reason to doubt him.

A person as intelligent as him will surely be able to pave the best path for his family.

Guan Yu, on the other hand, is still so willful even though he's almost sixty.

Liu Bei was very afraid that Guan Yu's descendants would gradually become estranged from his own, thus bringing unnecessary disaster upon themselves.

If they could unite with the Li family, it would be a good thing for the Guan family.

So this was actually to protect the Guan family.

The second reason is due to political considerations.

As mentioned before,

The three main forces that defended imperial power were eunuchs, relatives of the empress, and members of the imperial clan.

Historically, apart from Cao Pi, who was an oddity who cut off three thighs at the same time, almost every emperor had one such thigh to some extent.

An emperor who can simultaneously control three major powers must be extremely capable.

Because the three legs can form a balance of power.

The more checks and balances there are, the more stable the imperial power becomes.

The more concentrated the power becomes.

In fact, the concentration of power is beneficial for ruling local areas.

Strictly speaking, the Guan family can be considered a member of Lao Liu's clan.

The Li family is undoubtedly related to the maternal relatives.

Both Li Zhi and Crown Prince Liu Shan's mothers were from the Yuan family.

Finally, eunuchs were a standard feature of emperors throughout history.

With these three driving forces in place, would Liu Bei still fear that his Liu family's empire would be unstable?

"In fact, I dare not presume to make a decision regarding the marriage alliance between the Guan and Li families. I humbly request Your Majesty's wise decision."

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of the water clock breaking.

Liu Bei rose and walked to the window, gazing at the waning moon reflected in the eaves, and suddenly asked:
"Ziyu, what do you mean by these melon seeds..."

He picked one up and asked, "Is it better to eat it with the shell on, or peel it first?"

Li Yi understood and answered accordingly:
"If you leave the shell on, you'll find it too astringent; but if you peel it, you might damage the kernel."

"Therefore, we rely entirely on Your Majesty's wise decision; whatever Your Majesty says we should eat, we will eat."

Liu Bei turned around, his gaze intense:
“In that case, I think the marriage between Guan and Li is very appropriate.”

"As for Yuanlong..."

He patted Li Yi on the shoulder, "You should write a letter to politely decline, lest you disappoint this old minister." "Your subject will obey Your Majesty's decree."

Li Yi bowed deeply, his bow touching the ground.

Looking up, he saw Liu Bei had already sat back down at the table, putting a melon seed in its shell into his mouth and chewing it with a crunching sound.

Upon seeing this, Li Yi gently put down his teacup, the bottom of which touched the table with a soft "tap".

He hesitated for a long time before finally speaking:

"Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it."

Liu Bei raised his eyes, a hint of weariness flashing in them:
"...Ziyu, please speak freely."

Li Yi said slowly

"Your Majesty's decree may be followed, and I may politely decline Yuanlong's request for a marriage alliance."

"However, considering the 20 years of comradeship, I really cannot bear to see them in such a dilemma."

"Now, regarding the matter of the Chen family, may I ask Your Majesty—"

"After the conquest of Wu, how should Jiangnan be settled?"

In fact, being caught between his good brother and the imperial power, Li Yi himself was in a very difficult position.

He submitted Chen Deng's letter for the sake of the Han dynasty and its people.

Now, by directly offending the emperor, he is seeking a way out for his good brother.

Liu Bei rubbed his temples and sighed:

"I have thought about this matter many times, but I have not yet come up with a good solution."

“Huainan is a vast and densely populated area, and it is adjacent to Jiangdong. If it is not handled properly, it will surely cause great trouble.”

"Moreover, the generals of Huainan have always been at odds with the generals of the north."

"I have also stepped in to mediate between the two sides on many occasions."

"It has not yet reached a complete conclusion."

The discord between Huainan and the North stems from a fundamental conflict of interests.

As the old saying goes,

The world is full of goodwill, and the world is all good.

This is somewhat similar to the historical relationship between Zhang Liao and Li Dian, involving a conflict of interests between the surrendered generals and the veterans.

The novel, however, fictionalizes the two as having reconciled and united against a common enemy, portraying them as a grander, more magnanimous figures.

However, historically, the two did not reconcile after fighting Sun Shiwan in Hefei.

In fact, many of Cao Cao's generals disliked each other.

The original historical record states, "The generals were impulsive and often disagreed with each other."

This means that the generals in Cao Cao's camp generally did not get along well, disliked each other, were resentful, and were unable to cooperate.

Therefore, Cao Cao could only establish the Protectorate Army to coordinate relations among his subordinates and serve as a hub for issuing orders.

The most famous of them is the "Seven Guards".

At that time, Cao Cao had seven generals.

Yu Jin, Zhang Liao, Zhang He, Zhu Ling, Li Dian, Lu Zhao, and Feng Kai have always been at odds.

Cao Cao then appointed Zhao Yan as Protector of the Army in order to mediate the relationship between the seven generals.

"...Your Majesty is wise."

Li Yi leaned slightly forward, "The Chen family's desire to form a marriage alliance with me is actually a way to find a way out."

"I dare to suggest that since His Highness the Crown Prince is not yet married, why not take a woman from the Chen family as his Crown Princess?"

"This will both appease the gentry of Jiangnan and win over the Chen family."

"Isn't this a win-win solution?"

If Liu Shan had married Chen Deng's daughter, then the Chen family would have been considered his maternal relatives.

Having multiple maternal relatives actually creates a balance of power, preventing any one family from becoming too powerful.

This is a win-win situation for both the protection of imperial power and the Chen family.

This was the best solution Li Yi could think of, caught between the two options.

However, Liu Bei looked hesitant when faced with Li Yi's suggestion.

He stood up, paced back and forth a couple of times, pondered for a long while, and then slowly said:

"To be honest, Ziyu, I have considered this method before."

"But A Dou has been accompanied by Xingcai since childhood."

"Childhood sweethearts, inseparable since childhood, with a deep bond."

“When Yi De entered the palace the other day, he specifically mentioned the matter of establishing a Crown Princess, which I had already agreed to at the time.”

"A ruler's word is his bond."

Li Yi was taken aback, his expression suddenly changing as he said:
"Your Majesty's kindness towards Yide is as clear as day."

"However, the position of Crown Princess is related to the Han Dynasty and the state. The Chen family is the leading family in Jiangnan, and we must win them over."

"What you say is true. However, I and Yide swore an oath of brotherhood in the Peach Garden, vowing to live and die together."

"How can we take advantage of the situation and betray our brotherhood?"

Liu Bei once again politely declined Li Yi's suggestion.

But he only said half of what he meant.

Marrying Zhang Fei's daughter would actually be of great benefit to safeguarding imperial power.

After all, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were both important military officials.

As long as these veterans are deeply bound to the Liu family, the future succession of the Liu family will be very secure.

Take steps back,
Even if something really happens to Jiangnan in the future, it's just losing Jiangnan.

However, if problems arise during the transfer of imperial power...
That would mean losing the entire Liu family's empire!
By the time Liu Bei reached that age, his personality would definitely have become more cautious and conservative.

For him at present, consolidating the Liu family's rule is more important than unifying the country.

After all, the Yan Liu dynasty inherited the throne in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people, and the demise of the Wu and Wei rebels was only a matter of time.

Liu Bei never even considered the possibility that the two countries could remain separated indefinitely.

"Hey, how about this!"

Liu Bei suddenly had a flash of inspiration and laughed:

"I do have a plan that can satisfy both sides."

"Now that the position of Crown Princess has been decided, why not let Lady Chen enter the palace as a concubine?"

"His status is second only to the Crown Princess, so this is not an insult to the Chen family."

Liangdi was the title for the Crown Prince's concubine.

Liu Bei oversimplified the problem; he wanted both.

"Absolutely not!!"

As soon as Liu Bei finished speaking, Li Yi's expression hardened, and he bowed and remonstrated:

"Think twice, Your Majesty!"

"The Crown Princess is the Crown Prince's primary consort, while the Consort, though of high rank, is ultimately a secondary wife."

"This difference of one word is as big as heaven and earth."

Theoretically speaking, it is not a disgrace to make Chen Deng's daughter a concubine.

After all, she was marrying into the royal family.

But strictly speaking, it is still a disgrace.

To put it bluntly, a Liangdi was essentially a concubine.

Even if she married the crown prince, she would only be a concubine.

In ancient times, the status of wives and concubines was vastly different.

The character “妾” is written as two parts: “立” and “女”.

He was just a character who could only stand on the sidelines; his status was self-evident.

Why did Yuan Shu look down on Yuan Shao so much?

Why does Yuan Shao always lose his composure whenever he hears the phrase "born of a concubine"?
In the eyes of these powerful families, concubines and legitimate sons are not comparable.

The Chen family is the largest surname in Jiangnan.

There can only be one empress, and only the son born to the empress will become the future emperor.

Li Yi looked up and saw Liu Bei deep in thought, then continued:
"The Chen family is a prominent clan in Jiangnan, and Brother Yuanlong is a founding father of the nation."

"If his beloved daughter were to become a concubine, it would appear glorious on the surface, but in reality... it would chill the heart of this old minister."

"I hope Your Majesty will think this over carefully."

Liu Bei pondered for a long time, then suddenly had another idea.

"Ziyu has reminded me."

"I have another plan—Liu Li, the Prince of Liang, is a good match for Miss Chen in terms of age."

"Wouldn't it be perfect to take Chen's daughter as a concubine?"

"Is the position of the principal wife of a feudal lord not a disgrace?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yi frowned almost imperceptibly.
"That's true, but His Highness Prince Liang..."

Liu Bei interrupted with great interest:

"Besides, Li'er is your own nephew. Wouldn't this marriage be a double blessing for relatives?"

The candlelight inside the hall suddenly popped and flickered.

While adjusting his sleeves, Li Yi carefully considered the wording:
"Your Majesty...this matter may require careful consideration."

"Marrying the Prince of Liang would indeed not disgrace the Chen family, but... but..."

"Just what?" Liu Bei's eyes gleamed.

Li Yi took a deep breath and said tactfully:

"The position of Crown Prince has been decided. The marriages of the princes are related to the stability of the country. Should we put them aside for now?"

"Let's prioritize the destruction of Wu, and then discuss other matters?"

Liu Bei laughed and stood up, patting Li Yi on the shoulder:

"...Ziyu is overthinking it!"

"Although Li'er is exceptionally intelligent, she respects her elder brother the most."

"The day before yesterday, he even asked me for permission to guard the border for A Dou."

He picked up a memorial from the desk and said, "Look, this is written by Li'er herself."

Li Yi took the letter, glanced at it perfunctorily, and didn't really care about it.

"Is Ziyu worried that Li'er's aptitude is insufficient?"

Liu Bei laughed and said, "Last month, when I inspected the counties in Henan, Li'er handled the locust plague very well."

Even Zhuge Ziyu praised him, saying he resembled His Majesty in his youth.

"Hehe, I also love this young son very much."

“If he were not my eldest son, I would have passed the throne to him.”

After Liu Bei finished speaking, he noticed that Li Yi was standing quietly to the side, his eyes lowered, having been silent for a long time.

"Zi Yu?"

Liu Bei called out, but there was no response.

His brows furrowed even more, and he continued to ask:

"I am asking you a question, why do you not answer?"

Li Yi then slowly raised his head, his gaze as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well:

"I was just lost in thought, thinking about Yuan Shao and Liu Jingsheng."

Liu Bei was startled, and nearly dropped the teacup in his hand.

"I was just saying, if!"

"There was no mention of deposing the eldest son and establishing the youngest, so why did Ziyu say that?"

"I am not concerned about the matter of deposing or establishing an emperor."

Li Yi's voice was deep and resonant, each word like a hammer blow.

"It is a worry about the disaster of internal strife among family members."

"nonsense!"

Liu Bei was unusually furious. He slammed his hand on the table, scattering the memorials on it all over the floor.

Do you think my sons would turn against each other like the sons of Yuan Shao and Liu Jingsheng?

"I have always valued brotherhood above all else, so how could my children not cherish the bond of blood?"

"To commit such a beastly act of killing one's own brothers?"

Li Yi sighed deeply, his gaze passing over Liu Bei and looking towards the hazy night outside the palace.

"...It's hard to say, it's hard to say."

"The throne is unique, and there will always be those who covet it."

Liu Bei's face turned ashen, and he said with great displeasure:

"Adou and Li'er are both your nephews, and also my own flesh and blood."

"Ziyu, why do you have to favor one over the other?"

Li Yi remained silent, only picking up the memorials from the ground one by one and rearranging them neatly.

His movements were slow and steady, as if he were trying to calm the turmoil in his heart.

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of rain pattering against the windowpanes.

Liu Bei turned his back and looked at the "Oath of the Peach Garden" painting hanging on the wall.

The three people in the picture are raising their glasses together, full of heroic spirit.

After a long silence, Liu Bei finally spoke, his voice already tinged with fatigue.

"Let's leave today's matter here for now."

"How to appease the Chen family of Jiangnan will be discussed later."

"We will make a decision after the Eastern Wu is pacified."

He waved his hand, "I am tired, you may leave and rest."

Li Yi bowed deeply:
"My minister retire."

As he turned around, he caught a glimpse of Liu Bei standing there, his hand on his forehead, looking somewhat hunched in the candlelight.

Stepping outside the hall, a light drizzle hit my face.

Li Yi did not use an umbrella, letting the rain soak his court robes.

His figure appeared exceptionally lonely amidst the palace walls and passageways.

"Hey! Prime Minister!"

"It's raining so hard, why didn't you use an umbrella!"

A young eunuch, holding an umbrella, quickly caught up.

"Heavy rain is harmful to your health, please use an umbrella."

Li Yi waved his hand in refusal:

"No need."

"I want to be alone in the rain."

After saying that, he continued walking, rainwater streaming down his hair.

By the time he returned to the Prime Minister's residence, Li Yi's official robes were already soaked with sweat.

Her hair was disheveled, and water droplets slid down her brow bone, leaving winding trails on her cheeks.

"Husband!"

Zhen Mi was instructing her maids on pruning orchids under the eaves when she saw this and exclaimed in surprise, dropping her silver scissors to the ground with a clatter.

She didn't bother to pick it up, and quickly stepped forward, lifting her skirt.

"Why are you so soaked? Where are the servants? Where is the umbrella?"

Mi Zhen was checking accounts in the hall when she heard the noise. She looked up and saw Li Yi dripping wet. She hurriedly dropped the bamboo slips and ran over.

"What's wrong with the Prime Minister?"

Her voice trembled with anxiety as she hurriedly used the corner of her sleeve to wipe the rain off Li Yi's face.

"Quickly, go get some dry clothes!"

Yuan Ying came out of the inner room and, seeing this situation, turned around and ran towards the kitchen without saying a word.

"I'll go and make some ginger soup!"

Li Yi let the ladies busy themselves around him, his gaze somewhat unfocused.

After a long pause, he said:

"It's alright... I've been busy lately, but a walk in the rain actually feels refreshing."

"How does this work!"

Zhen Mi took his cold hand and led him into the inner room.

"Getting caught in the rain is extremely harmful to one's health. My husband is a pillar of the nation; if anything were to happen to him..."

At this point, she suddenly realized she had misspoke and quickly stopped talking.

Mi Zhen had already brought clean undergarments and was quietly helping Li Yi change.

Her fingers touched her husband's shoulder blade, and she felt the muscles were taut like iron. A pang of heartache shot through her.

"The Prime Minister was preoccupied, and even his body was stiff."

Li Yi sat on the edge of the bed, letting Mi Zhen wipe his wet hair, and sighed deeply:
"...It's just that I'm worrying unnecessarily and making trouble for myself."

Zhen Mi knelt before him, offering him a cup of hot tea with both hands:

"What is troubling you, my husband? Could you tell us?"

"The future..."

Li Yi took the teacup, but did not drink it. Instead, he gazed at his own reflection shimmering in the tea.

"Something that may not happen."

Upon hearing this, the ladies all looked at each other in bewilderment.

Because what Li Yi said was indeed somewhat inexplicable.

At this moment, Yuan Ying came in carrying a steaming bowl of ginger soup. Upon hearing this, she paused slightly, then smiled and said:
"The Prime Minister is known for his brilliant strategies and his ability to see what others cannot."

"Since the disaster is foreseen, there must be a way to resolve it."

Zhen Mi took the ginger soup and gently blew on it to cool it down.
"My husband is always prepared for any eventuality. I believe that no matter what difficulties you face, you will be able to overcome them safely."

Mi Zhen draped an outer robe over Li Yi and said gently:
"We can discuss future matters in the future. For now, all is calm. Why doesn't Your Excellency take a break?"

Li Yi finally gave a wry smile, took the ginger soup, and drank it all in one gulp.

"I hope I'm just overthinking things."

The hot soup went down my throat, but it couldn't dispel the chill in my heart.

The maids quietly withdrew, leaving only a few ladies in the room.

The rain outside the window grew heavier, pattering against the banana leaves.

Li Yi gazed at the flickering candlelight, and the image of Liu Bei's unusually furious face in the court came to mind.

The question of "favoring one over the other" still echoed in my ears.

Clearly, Li Yi's words touched a nerve with Liu Bei.

How could Liu Bei, a man who valued brotherhood so highly, believe that his sons would fight each other and kill one another?
"New military elites..."

He muttered to himself unconsciously, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

"If we cannot properly resettle them..."

Zhen Mi keenly caught these words and exchanged a worried look with Yuan Ying.

She gently took Li Yi's hand:
"Is my husband worried about the rewards and honors for the soldiers after the conquest of Wu?"

Li Yi suddenly snapped back to reality and shook his head:
"That's not all, there's actually more—"

He paused, then said, "Never mind, I hope I'm just overthinking it."

Ultimately, they chose not to continue talking.

Mi Zhen said softly:
"Your Excellency is busy with state affairs, but you should also take care of yourself."

"Why don't we get some rest early tonight?"

Li Yi nodded, but then said:
"You all rest for now, I need to go to my study."

The ladies knew they couldn't dissuade him, so they could only give him a thicker robe.

Zhen Mi personally carried a lantern to see him off. Standing before the study door, she hesitated, wanting to say something, but ultimately only said:
"The night is cool and the dew is heavy, my husband, please don't overwork yourself."

Li Yi nodded, and after Zhen Mi left, he sat alone at the table.

They began to read those endless scrolls and annotate those endless bamboo slips.

The sound of rain outside the window gradually subsided.

Li Yi rubbed his sore eyes and put the bamboo slip back in its place.

He walked to the window, pushed open the window frame, and the night breeze carrying the fresh scent of earth rushed in.

The outline of the imperial city was faintly visible in the moonlight after the rain in the distance.

"The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease..."

He muttered to himself, his voice fading into the night.

(End of this chapter)