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Chapter 173 Night Talk in the Guest Room
A night breeze swept past the window, and the copper bells on the eaves tinkled, their sound particularly distinct in the quiet night.

Inside the flower hall, servants quietly cleared away the leftovers, the clinking of bowls, chopsticks, and cups creating soft, rustling sounds.

As the candlelight flickered, it cast shadows of varying lengths on the plain white screen, making the busy figures appear larger and smaller.

Li Yi slightly raised his eyes, looking at the deep night outside the window. He gently tapped the table with his fingertips and said in a gentle voice, "It's getting late. Why don't you two stay the night in my humble abode?"

Upon hearing this, Li Tinggui put down his celadon teacup, cupped his hands, and said, "We shouldn't refuse Commander Li's kindness. However... we dare not cause Commander Li any further trouble!"

"You two need not stand on ceremony." Seeing Li Tinggui's troubled expression, Li Yi chuckled and said, "Although my residence is small, it does not lack vacant guest rooms."

"Besides, patrols have been tight lately, so if we get caught walking at night, it will be quite a hassle."

At this point, he half-jokingly added, "If you two are really in a hurry to go back... I currently serve as an inspector, so I can personally escort you with the official seal and documents."

"Absolutely not!" Li Tinggui hurriedly waved his hand, a slight breeze stirring his sleeve. "How could I trouble Commander Li?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Han Jixun beside him, only to see the other man looking at him with an inquiring gaze, clearly indicating that his opinion was the primary one.

Li Tinggui felt helpless and could only compromise, saying, "Since that's the case, then I'll have to trouble you."

Li Yi smiled and nodded, then got up and called the steward of the front yard, instructing him: "Take the two generals to the guest rooms to rest. Remember to prepare more heaters, as the weather will be cold at night, and we don't want our distinguished guests to get cold."

Upon seeing this, Li and Han quickly stood up and bowed.

Li Tinggui cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your consideration, Commander Li. I have troubled you greatly tonight."

Han Jixun also bowed deeply and said respectfully, "We are deeply grateful for Governor Li's kindness."

Li Yi nodded with a smile and instructed the steward to lead the way.

The steward immediately bowed in agreement, picked up the lantern, and stepped over the threshold. Li Tinggui and Han Jixun bid farewell to Li Yi, then followed in the steward's footsteps.

As Li Tinggui turned the corner of the corridor, he unconsciously glanced back and saw Li Yi still standing at the entrance of the flower hall. Moonlight shone through the gaps under the eaves, casting dappled shadows on his handsome face, making it impossible to see his expression.

……

The steward led the way with a lantern, and after passing through two doorways, they finally arrived at the guest rooms in the side courtyard.

Pushing open the carved wooden door, one sees a charcoal fire already prepared inside, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. A brand-new brocade quilt is laid out on the bed, and hot tea and snacks are laid out on the table.

The steward bowed respectfully and said, "Another guest room is right next door; the two generals may choose whichever they prefer."

Li Tinggui quickly replied, "No need, we can share a room and make do for one night."

The steward didn't insist, and bowed again, saying, "Then I won't disturb the two generals' rest any longer. If you need anything, please feel free to give the order. There will be someone on duty in this courtyard at night, in the corner room, ready to serve you at any time."

Li Tinggui nodded slightly: "Thank you for your trouble!"

When the steward bowed and withdrew, gently closing the carved wooden door, the creaking sound was particularly clear in the quiet night.

Li Tinggui listened carefully, and only after confirming that the footsteps were gradually fading away did he exchange a glance with Han Jixun, both of them showing complicated expressions.

Han Jixun sighed softly and said with emotion, "Commander Li is truly a rare person who treats us surrendered generals with such courtesy."

Li Tinggui nodded slightly in agreement: "Commander Li is young and holds a high position, yet he is not arrogant at all and is quite prudent in his dealings with others. Such a person is sure to have a bright future."

As he spoke, he walked toward the table.

Han Jixun quickly followed, and after sitting down, he said, "This Commander Li is a relative by marriage of the Emperor of the Great Zhou, and now he holds the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards..."

At this point, his voice gradually lowered, "In my opinion, he is already of considerable importance in the Zhou Kingdom's Imperial Guards, second only to Li Chongjin and Zhang Yongde. The Emperor seems to have the intention of having the three of them check and balance each other." "General Han, please be careful with your words!"

Li Tinggui frowned slightly, got up and walked to the window. He lightly lifted a corner of the window screen with his fingertips, and after confirming that there was no one in the courtyard, he turned his head and said in a low voice: "As surrendered generals, we are now living under someone else's roof, so we should be more careful with our words and actions."

He gently closed the carved window frame, the wooden hinges making a soft creaking sound.

"I misspoke..." Han Jixun smiled awkwardly.

"We have no choice but to befriend Commander Li. We can only hope that if something unexpected happens in the future, someone will speak up for us."

Li Tinggui paced back to his desk, sighed softly, and said, "How can you and I presume to comment on the power struggles and intrigues within the Zhou court? We have neither the ability to get involved, nor should we even consider doing so."

"Lord Li has always been thorough in his considerations, and I will follow your lead without question!" Han Jixun replied in a low voice, his fingers rubbing the fish pouch at his waist.

Li Tinggui's gaze lingered on Han Jixun's face for a moment, noticing that the other man clearly seemed distracted.

He stroked his beard and suddenly spoke up: "During the banquet just now, Commander Li specifically mentioned the Li family's wine shop and seemed quite interested in it... General Han has a long-standing relationship with the Li family. Do you know if there is any deeper meaning behind this?"

Han Jixun was taken aback upon hearing this. After pondering for a moment, he said, "The Li family is quite wealthy, but they are not particularly special. In their early years, they received help from the powerful Liu family, which allowed them to accumulate such a large fortune. Later, they used their wealth to pave the way and made some connections."

"It's a pity that my husband passed away early, leaving only an orphan and his widow to support the family business. Both of my sons are mediocre. However, I've heard that the youngest daughter of the Li family has some business acumen, but she's just a young girl after all. How much can she really do?"

After Han Jixun finished speaking, he saw Li Tinggui deep in thought and couldn't help but comfort him, "I think Li Gong is overthinking it. Li Dushi may have just thought of it and mentioned it briefly. It may not have any deeper meaning."

Upon hearing this, Li Tinggui remained silent, and the room fell into a moment of silence. Only the crackling of the charcoal fire and the candlelight illuminated their faces, casting shadows of varying depths.

However, after a while, Li Tinggui suddenly spoke up: "General Han was planning to invite Commander Li to our housewarming banquet in a few days, wasn't he?"

Han Jixun's eyes flickered slightly, and he coughed lightly, saying, "To be honest, Mr. Li, I did have that intention. But since you picked up the conversation, I figured you must have other considerations, so I didn't bring it up again."

At this moment, Li Tinggui countered, "General Han, do you think it's necessary for us to hold a housewarming banquet?"

"Huh?" Han Jixun was taken aback by the question and didn't understand what it meant.

Li Tinggui sighed and said, "We have no relatives or friends in this capital city, nor any close associates in or outside the court. Are we perhaps going to invite only Commander Li?"

Han Jixun fell silent upon hearing this.

Because these words really hit the nail on the head, he originally only planned to invite Li Yi to the banquet... After all, he had no way of inviting other prominent figures, even if he wanted to.

Li Tinggui gazed at the flickering candlelight, the light and shadow swirling in his deep eyes.

He said meaningfully, "You dragged me here to visit you today. Although the timing wasn't ideal, there really isn't a suitable opportunity on ordinary days."

"Fortunately, Commander Li treated us with such courtesy, so the trip was not in vain. We should remember this courtesy."

Just then, a night breeze swept past the window, causing the windowpanes to tremble slightly. In the distance, the sound of the night watchman's clapper echoed through the quiet night.

“However…” Li Tinggui paused for a moment, his gaze sharp as he looked at Han Jixun: “Visiting someone in person and inviting them to a banquet are two different things.”

Upon hearing this, Han Jixun fell into deep thought, seemingly savoring the meaning behind his words.

"One should not be too hasty in everything."

Li Tinggui picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said meaningfully, "Whether Governor Li sees us or not, he can't find fault with us since we've taken the initiative to visit him privately. The fact that he treats us with courtesy is already a great honor."

"As for inviting him to a banquet to congratulate him... we are not that close."

(End of this chapter)