The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 186 Comparing people to each other makes people angry
Outside the Vermilion Bird Gate, Luo Yanhuan was leaning on a cane, his eyes constantly looking around.

He finally managed to find out Li, the commander of the Palace Guard, about his recent itinerary. Li usually goes to the Imperial City government office first to handle military affairs, and then leaves the city through the Vermilion Bird Gate to inspect the security and supervise construction projects in the outer city.

Before dawn, just as the Vermilion Bird Gate opened, Luo Yanhuan had already rushed here.

At that moment, the biting north wind, carrying a chill, scraped across his face like a knife, instantly sending a sharp, stinging sensation throughout his body.

Luo Yanhuan, however, seemed oblivious, remaining motionless in place, enduring the cold wind for almost an hour.

The soldiers guarding the city gates, upon learning that he was a military inspector from the prefectural government, naturally did not question him further.

But seeing Luo Yanhuan waiting there so early in the morning, and standing in the cold wind for almost an hour, the junior officer at the gate finally spoke up: "Inspector Luo, this awful weather is freezing outside. Why don't you come over here to avoid the wind... and you can even use the charcoal brazier to warm yourself up."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yanhuan turned to the junior officer, clasped his hands in return, and said, "Thank you for your kindness, brother. I am just waiting for someone here, so I won't disturb you on duty any longer."

As he spoke, a smile appeared on his pale, frostbitten face as he politely declined the other person's offer.

Luo Yanhuan also wanted to find a sheltered place to hide. No one would want to stand here and brave the cold wind in the dead of winter.

However, the envoy Li whom he wanted to see was an extremely busy man who came and went as swiftly as the wind, making it impossible to ascertain his exact whereabouts.

Luo Yanhuan could only wait in advance at the place the other side was bound to pass by and try his luck.

If he were to neglect his duties because of seeking warmth and shelter from the wind, and accidentally let Commander Li slip by, wouldn't all his time here today have been for nothing?
Seeing this, the junior officer at the gate did not try to persuade him further. But he couldn't help but wonder what kind of person could make the military inspector of Kaifeng Prefecture stand here in the cold wind, eagerly waiting?
About half an hour later, the sunlight filtering through the clouds gradually became denser.

The pale golden sunlight slanted through the Vermilion Bird Gate Tower, casting dappled patterns of light on the bluestone slabs. The snow on the battlements began to melt, and the dripping water droplets shimmered with tiny sparkles in the sunlight.

Luo Yanhuan couldn't help but rub his hands, which were stiff from the cold, and the rough palms made a slight rustling sound as they rubbed against each other.

His breath left a thin layer of frost on his eyebrows and eyelashes, while his weathered and resolute face showed a hint of imperceptible urgency.

This visit to see Commander Li was of great significance to Luo Yanhuan, firstly because he wanted to express his gratitude in person for saving him.

After all, given the other party's status and position, it was no small matter for them to be willing to plead for him—at least for Luo Yanhuan, this favor was something he would remember.

Secondly... he might be able to change his current situation through this. So even though the cold wind was biting, he was unwilling to slack off in the slightest.

Luo Yanhuan unconsciously tightened his collar, his eyes fixed on any possible figure appearing in any direction, not missing a single movement.

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves thundered from the corner of the street.

Looking up, one could see dozens of knights turning the corner like a torrent, with a tall figure in a purple robe surrounding the center of the procession.

The gold fish-shaped pouch at the man's waist swayed gently with the horse's gait, reflecting a faint glow in the bleak winter sunlight.

Luo Yanhuan straightened up abruptly, but his knee, stiff from standing for so long, cracked. Ignoring the pain, he quickly straightened his clothes and, leaning on a jujube wood cane, limped forward to meet them.

"This humble general, Luo Yanhuan, pays his respects to Commander Li!" A loud voice suddenly rang out in front of the Vermilion Bird Gate.

"Uu——"

Li Yi abruptly pulled on the reins, and his horse reared up slightly, its front hooves making a crisp sound on the ground. The horse seemed displeased at being suddenly stopped, snorting loudly and exhaling white puffs of smoke.

"Luo Yanhuan?" Looking at the man bowing down before him, his gaze quickly shifted from doubt to understanding.

Before the other party could answer, Li Yi had already dismounted. He reached out and took Luo Yanhuan's arm, helping him up, then patted him on the shoulder and asked, "How is your recovery going?"

"Uh..." Upon hearing this, Luo Yanhuan was momentarily at a loss for words.

He had been imagining all sorts of scenarios when he would meet Li Dushi again—the other party might not care, or he might be indifferent, or he might not even remember who he was.

But the scene before him was something Luo Yanhuan never expected... The other party's first words were actually about his physical recovery?

It should be noted that his position as the Left Inspector of Kaifeng Prefecture was at most equivalent to a commander (battalion) level.

The other party was the Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Guard and concurrently the Military Governor, and also had the additional status of being a relative of the imperial family.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that their social statuses were worlds apart.

But now the other person was holding his arm affectionately, asking about his health with genuine concern... Amidst the surging thoughts in his mind, Luo Yanhuan finally realized what was happening.

He quickly clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Thank you for your concern, Commander Li. My injuries have almost healed."

He forgot that he was still using a cane, and with this movement, the jujube wood cane fell to the ground with a 'thud'.

Li Yi chuckled, bent down to pick up the wooden stick, and handed it to Luo Yanhuan: "Human bodies are made of flesh and blood. You suffered such severe beatings last time, and it's only been half a month. How could you recover so quickly?"

Luo Yanhuan took the jujube wood stick, his Adam's apple bobbing, and finally bowed deeply to the ground.

"If it weren't for Commander Li that day... I'm afraid I would have lost my life on the spot!" Luo Yanhuan seemed to be getting more and more agitated, and his speech was not as fluent as before.

Li Yi shook his head slightly: "I said this when I saved you that day, but seeing that you are also a talented person... never mind, let's not talk about this."

He paused and continued, "I heard from elsewhere about some of General Luo's heroic deeds. It is said that during the reign of the young emperor of the Jin Dynasty, an envoy was sent to appease the garrison commander of Daming Prefecture, and General Luo was one of the ten warriors chosen to accompany the envoy."

"Later, when the Khitan invaded Kaifeng, General Luo took the thousand warhorses that were originally intended for the Liao region and presented them to the former Emperor Taizu. Such a courageous and righteous act, upholding the integrity of the Han people, earns my utmost respect and admiration!"

Luo Yanhuan hadn't expected Li Yi to care about him so much, even going so far as to have someone inquire about his deeds, and now recounting them as if they were his own treasures. "I dare not, I dare not," he waved his hands repeatedly, "This humble general merely happened to be there and did something of reckless courage. Compared to Commander Li, this humble general dares not accept such praise; you are the true young hero!"

"Last year, you killed the most valiant general of the puppet Han in battle at Gaoping, and then defeated tens of thousands of Liao troops at Xinkou. The Khitan general Yelü Dilu also died at your hands. This year, you personally led several thousand imperial guards and recovered the four prefectures of Qin and Feng in just one month, forcing the Shu army to not dare to cross Qingni Ridge... How many people in the world can achieve such feats?"

"Haha—" Li Yi, in a hearty and cheerful manner, grabbed Luo Yanhuan's arm and said as they walked forward, "General Luo, you've made me feel quite ashamed... Perfect timing, let's find a place to sit and talk. I've always loved making friends with brave and valiant men, General Luo, you must tell me about your heroic deeds back then..."

And so, Li Yi pulled Luo Yanhuan straight out of the Vermilion Bird Gate, and the two walked into the outer city while talking.

Xu Sheng hurriedly led his personal guards, holding their horses, and followed after them. The group quickly disappeared outside the city gate.

"Boss, the one who was talking to Inspector Luo just now... could he be Commander Li of the Palace Guard?" The soldiers guarding the city gate looked at each other, and one of them couldn't help but ask his captain.

"It...it should be!" The junior guard was a little stunned, and nodded subconsciously.

He never expected that the Prefectural Inspector Luo was waiting for this important figure... and judging from his appearance, he seemed to be quite familiar with Commander Li.

Damn it!
The junior officer guarding the gate was filled with regret, feeling that he had missed a tremendous opportunity—if he had known that Inspector Luo had such connections, he should have taken the opportunity to get close to him!
……

Leaving aside the thoughts of the gatekeeper, Li Yi led Luo Yanhuan to a teahouse, ordered a pot of hot tea and some snacks, and then sat down to chat.

In fact, after saving Luo Yanhuan that day, Li Yi had someone inquire about him and confirmed that the other party was indeed the historical Luo Yanhuan.

However, due to the heavy burden on his shoulders, he rarely had free time on weekdays, and Li Yi did not want to appear too eager, so he did not take the initiative to make friends.

He decided to observe the other party's attitude first before making a decision.

In the end, no matter how famous Luo Yanhuan was in history, could he be more famous than the future Emperor Taizu of Song?
Even Zhao Kuangyin now wants to curry favor with Li Yi, so Luo Yanhuan is certainly not qualified to be personally visited by him.

After all, there are many historical figures of the same era. If Li Yi had to take the initiative with each of them, his face would be worthless.

Of course, the reverse is not true... Since Luo Yanhuan took the initiative to curry favor with Li Yi, he would definitely have to put on an attitude of "treating people with respect".

As the saying goes, it's better to offer help in times of need than to add flowers to brocade.

Li Yi was aware of Luo Yanhuan's current situation. He suspected that Luo Yanhuan's visit to the Vermilion Bird Gate was not just to express gratitude for being rescued, but also because he had ambitions to "improve himself".

But Li Yi still pretended to ask, "General Luo was already quite famous in Jin. With your experience and military achievements spanning three dynasties, why are you only a military inspector in the prefectural government now?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Yanhuan's face showed a hint of embarrassment. He shook his head and smiled bitterly, "To be honest, Commander Li, my father was the governor of Bizhou during the Jin Dynasty. Because of this, I was able to be appointed as a palace guard and become a left-hand guard. Later, I was promoted to the position of a minor official, but... it was just my bad luck."

“In the past, Wang Jun, the Privy Councilor, was arrogant and domineering, and attempted to control Emperor Taizu and seize power. Later, Emperor Taizu demoted him to a low position until his death and purged Wang Jun’s followers. Unfortunately, I was implicated and considered a follower of Wang Jun. I was demoted to Dengzhou as an instructor.”

"At the beginning of this year, the Emperor vigorously reorganized the army and recruited officers and soldiers from various local warlords to come to the capital. The Prefect of Dengzhou saw that I had some talent and submitted a memorial to the throne to vouch for me, and the court then transferred me back to Tokyo."

"When I arrived in Tokyo at the end of June, I don't know if it was because of the lingering effects of Wang Jun's matter, but the court only appointed me as the Left Army Inspector... Alas, spending my days leading people to patrol the streets and investigate cases, there was really no hope at all."

Upon hearing Luo Yanhuan's account of his ordeal, Li Yi thought to himself: It's true what they say, comparisons are the thief of joy. Luo Yanhuan had made a name for himself in his early years, and he had endured the reigns of the Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou dynasties, only to end up struggling to make a living.

He had only been a member of the Imperial Guard for five or six years, and his rise to prominence had only been in the last year or two, yet he was already one of the few generals in the Imperial Guard.

Moreover, he married the Empress's sister, becoming Emperor Shizong Chai Rong's brother-in-law... Tsk tsk, in comparison, it's enough to make one furious.

Ability is one aspect, opportunity is another, but being able to seize the opportunity is of paramount importance!

It has to be said that Luo Yanhuan was indeed unlucky.

It was one thing to be implicated in Wang Jun's affair, but after the battles of Gaoping and Jinyang last year, the emperor ordered the severe punishment of a large number of generals and officers, and some more died on the battlefield. Later, the imperial guards were reorganized, resulting in a large number of vacancies.

This year, the emperor is preparing to expand outwards and urgently needs brave and skilled military talents. He has been recruiting a large number of capable generals from all over the Great Zhou territory. Many local military commanders and soldiers have been transferred to the capital, and some have even been given good positions.

Even during this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Luo Yanhuan didn't land a good job. Instead, he was assigned a minor military patrol post, which, although equivalent to a commander, didn't match his qualifications.

If you've reached this point in your thirties, your future is probably over.

Thinking of this, Li Yi comforted him, "General Luo must have suffered an undeserved misfortune."

Luo Yanhuan sighed and said, "Just as Li Dushi said... Wang Jun, who served as the Privy Councilor and Prime Minister, wielded immense power and influence, and even dared to control Emperor Taizu, showing no regard for the law. When he was in power, how many people in the court had to defer to him?"
"If you really look into it, not many people can completely escape responsibility. I didn't get anything from Wang Jun, but unfortunately, I was caught in the crossfire when the Emperor was severely punishing his followers as a warning to others!"

Li Yi continued, "General Luo, there is no need to worry. His Majesty is a wise and sagacious ruler, and he will certainly not dislike you because of past events. Now is the time to wage war, and with your talent, you will surely have a place in the Imperial Guard."

"Alright... General Luo, please focus on recovering from your injuries for now. Once you've fully recovered, I'll speak with the Prince's office and ask to be transferred to my side. After the Emperor returns from Jiangnan, I'll then try to find you a suitable post."

Luo Yanhuan, who was only sitting on one side of the chair, stood up excitedly upon hearing this and bowed respectfully, saying, "Commander Li did not despise my humble status and low rank. Not only did he condescend to plead for me, but he also treated me with such sincerity. I... I have no way to repay him!"

Li Yi said half-jokingly, "Besides beauties, what I admire most are brave and valiant men like General Luo. I am trusted and entrusted with important responsibilities by the Emperor, and it is my duty to discover and recommend talented people!"

When Luo Yanhuan heard Li Yi mention the beauty, he assumed he was joking and didn't think much of it.

However, receiving such courtesy, Luo Yanhuan felt that there was hope for the future and couldn't help but bow deeply: "I am grateful to Commander Li for not abandoning me. I can only repay you with my life. If there is anything I can do for you in the future, just let me know, and I will not hesitate!"

Li Yi laughed and said, "Let's talk about these things on the battlefield... As long as General Luo has a heart full of patriotism and can fight hard on the battlefield, that's more effective than any pretty words!"

Luo Yanhuan composed himself and solemnly replied, "This subordinate will certainly keep it in mind!"

(End of this chapter)