Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 353 363 Bows Down (A little late, sorry)
How far is it from Wenzhou city?

"Reporting to Shaoqing, it's still half an hour's journey. Should we send someone to inform them in advance?"

“Naturally,” Yuchi Bi suddenly said as his attendants were about to ride away.

"and many more."

"Shaoqing?"

"Lord Li is the head of two prefectures, and is now a high-ranking official. In the future, he will surely be a king or nobleman. You must be respectful to him, even more so than to me, understand?"

".clear."

"Remember, remember, go."

The horse galloped swiftly, leaving a long trail of dust in its wake.

Yuchi Bi sighed softly, his gaze unconsciously shifting to the imperial edict held on a stand inside the carriage.

That was an imperial edict appointing the Tibetan king as the Grand Protector of the Protectorate.

He is currently serving as a fourth-rank official in the Court of State Ceremonial, a position second only to Ye Jingneng, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial and Duke of Yue.

The term "鸿胪" originally meant to loudly proclaim praise and guide ceremonies, and was in charge of foreign guests and the tribute from foreign countries.

Since Tibet has voluntarily submitted to the government, it is only natural that the Honglu Temple should take over.

Ye Jingneng is Li Cunxiao's father-in-law, and to put it bluntly, even as a hostage, he cannot leave the capital at will.

Thus, it was naturally Yuchi Bi, the second-in-command, who had to step forward.

Of course, there is another reason, which is that these "old party members" who depend on the Thirteenth Prince are not very popular in the court now.

In chaotic times, military merit is the fastest way to get promoted. Everyone understands this principle, but putting it into practice is not so easy.

When Li Cunxiao left the capital a year ago, the army was still dominated by figures like the Grand Protector, the Third Grand Protector, and the veteran general Chang Congjian.

The reason they sent their clansmen to the southwest to avoid trouble was precisely because they were afraid that if they went to the front lines, they would not be able to gain military merit and would be used as cannon fodder by these Hedong military leaders.

In the military, strength is respected, but so are human relationships. Unfortunately, a year ago, they had neither.

But the situation has changed again.

Whether Li Cunxiao relied on himself or his master Qici, he still managed to bring a regional kingdom under his control.

At a time when the war between Qin and Liang is at its most intense, this is undoubtedly a very encouraging thing.

Upon learning the news, Li Yisheng, who was far away at the front line, was overjoyed and bypassed the Secretariat and the Chancellery to issue an imperial edict ordering Li Xian, the Minister of Rites and concurrently the Minister of the Imperial Clan, to handle the matter.

Li Xian was the patriarch of the Longxi Li clan, and his relationship with Li Cunxiao is self-evident.

Aside from not allowing Ye Jing, the father-in-law, to visit his daughter and son-in-law, everything else was given the green light within the bounds of authority.

It took only three days from the arrival of Li Cunxiao's memorial in the capital to the departure of the imperial delegation for the investiture ceremony.

Yuchi Bi left the capital with the supplies donated by various families and the rewards from the imperial court, passing through Qinzhou, Chengzhou, and Wuzhou, heading straight for Wenzhou.

"Dad! Look! What a magnificent procession!"

"But didn't you just bring your troops back a few days ago?"

"Old Liu, you don't understand. Look at those flags, they're not our magistrate's Flying Dragon Flag. I think it must be people from the imperial court who have come to bestow honors upon our magistrate."

"Huh? A reward? Does that mean the magistrate is going to be transferred?"

"This"

Whether they were just watching the spectacle or farmers chatting while planting rice, they all paused upon hearing this, straightened up, and looked at each other in bewilderment.

It seems like it might actually be possible?
After all, their place is poor and remote, with limited land and impoverished people, and they have nothing of note.

However, within a year of taking office, Magistrate Li seemed to have accomplished everything that previous magistrates of the past decades had failed to do.

They opened up mountains to build roads, dug canals and built bridges, eliminated demons and bandits, surveyed land, and cracked down on powerful and influential people.
Even today, the people of Wenzhou and Fuzhou seem to be living in a dream, unable to believe it, yet unwilling to wake up.

At this point, the imperial court sent someone, and there was really no other possibility than a promotion or transfer.

This immediately caused panic among the crowd, but no one dared to stop Yuchi Bi's carriage. They all hurried back to their villages to report the news.

Upon witnessing this scene, Yuchi Bi couldn't help but misunderstand and sighed:

“Look at the fields here, they are all well taken care of, and the farmers don’t look pale, which means last year’s harvest was pretty good.”

"In just one year since taking office, Governor Li has managed to transform this barren land into such a remarkable place; his achievements are truly immense."

"But when ordinary people see us, they act as if they've seen a tiger. Alas."

The ambition to govern the country and bring peace to the world that he had cherished since his youth quietly resurfaced in his heart, and Yuchi Bi felt melancholy for a long time.

For the sake of his family, he has unknowingly changed a lot.

But this melancholy was quickly dispelled by the sound of galloping hooves.

Lifting the carriage curtain, a cavalry unit rode up, slowing down when they were about a hundred paces away. The leader shouted:
"But was it the envoy from the Court of State Ceremonial in person?"

“That’s right,” Yuchi Bi said as he stepped down from the carriage. He saw the fifty cavalrymen opposite him dismount in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if they were all cut from the same mold.

The armor was made of crimson leather cords, and a red headband was wrapped around the black turban.

A sword hangs at his waist, a long spear slung over his saddle, and a dragon banner flutters in the wind.

"What a formidable force!"

Yuchi Bi subconsciously gave a thumbs-up, but the cavalry commander smiled sheepishly upon hearing it.

"You flatter me, sir. We are just ordinary Dragon Armor Army soldiers. The Imperial Dragon Guards under your command are the real elite."

"Oh?" Yuchi Bi's heart stirred, so he simply changed to a different horse, letting the cavalry guard his sides, and began to talk with the group.

It would have been better if we hadn't talked about it; the more we talked, the more alarmed we became, and many of our original plans were overturned.

When they arrived a mile outside the city, the welcoming procession could be seen in the distance.

The attendant was about to remind Yuchi Bi to change his clothes so that the imperial edict could be read later.

Unexpectedly, the latter dismounted, tidied his clothes slightly, and then held the yellow silk edict in both hands, quickly jogging towards the city gate.

Upon seeing that towering figure standing out from the crowd, Yuchi Bi immediately lowered his head, used his movement technique, and with the support of his true energy, instantly arrived in front of the welcoming party, kneeling on one knee.
"Governor Li is concerned about the people's livelihood and is busy with countless affairs every day. I should have been the one to read the imperial edict in my residence. It is truly an offense that I have troubled you to come here today!"

"Ok?"

Li Cunxiao looked at the imperial edict held high with both hands and the head bowed, hesitant to speak.

In the past, when reading stories, there was always a leader who would sway with his imposing presence, and his underlings would immediately bow down in worship.

Now that I am considered a powerful figure in my own right, I suppose I am seen as having a certain domineering aura by others.
"Young Master Yuchi, please rise. You have traveled a long way and must be tired. I have prepared a banquet to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey."

As he spoke, he naturally took the imperial edict and began to scan it, but there were no elaborate formalities of the messenger reading it aloud.

Rules are meant to restrain those who are powerless to break them.

Now that he has become a grandmaster and a powerful regional official, unless Li Yisheng comes in person, who has the right to put on airs in front of him and make him bow down?

The content of the edict was not complicated. One of its contents was about the Ü-Tsang Protectorate, which appointed the original Zanpu Jiazuru and other officials to their respective posts.

Logically, those who were granted official positions should have been present to receive the imperial decree and express their gratitude. However, after issuing the decree, Yuchi Bi remained silent, simply standing respectfully to the side, clearly demonstrating his attitude of not interfering, which greatly pleased Li Cunxiao.

Secondly, Li Cunxiao, who facilitated the submission of Ü-Tsang, was rewarded with the title of County Marquis in addition to his original titles of Governor of the two prefectures, Grand Commandant, and Grand Protector.

This is a bit strange.

Li Cunxiao's role in restraining the King of Shu from the rear, preparing logistics, and transporting elixirs was certainly meritorious.

Furthermore, by facilitating the submission of Tibet, a potential threat at the level of a grandmaster was effectively eliminated.

In his mind, granting him the title of county magistrate should be no problem, but granting him the title of county marquis would directly hit the nail on the head regarding his sworn brothers, Li Cunshen and Kang Junli.

It should be noted that these people have fought bloody battles all this time, and they are only county marquises. Li Yisheng's bestowal of such a title may seem somewhat biased to outsiders.

But Li Cunxiao knew that this old fox valued famous items very much. As the saying goes, to take something in advance, you must first give something in return. Doing this was definitely going to add more burdens to him.

As expected, after some searching, Li Cunxiao finally discovered something amiss in the tribute quota of the U-Tsang Protectorate.

In addition to some rare and precious natural materials unique to the snow-capped mountains, tribute of rare demonic materials is also required.

These materials, at least of the sixth rank or higher, include some demons whose names I've never even heard of.

If we were to actually follow this list to offer tribute, I'm afraid we'd lose all our hair and still not be able to collect enough.

However, the benevolent Qin emperor also offered an alternative: if these materials could not be gathered, then elixirs could be used as a substitute.

Li Cunxiao did some quick calculations and realized that if this extra tribute were converted into elixirs, it would be equivalent to doubling the amount of tribute that the court had previously required from Wenzhou and Fuzhou!
"A greedy old man."

Li Cunxiao was speechless, knowing that Li Yisheng's decree was not for "Jia Zuru" at all, but was aimed entirely at him.

However, the fact that the imperial court had such a strong demand for elixirs also reflects the intensity of the battles on the front lines.

"Lord Li, these carriages, besides being a reward from the imperial court, are a small token of our gratitude from Minister Li Min and our several ducal families for your guidance of our children. Please do not refuse."

When the long line of carriages arrived, Yuchi Mu took out two lists from his pocket. One list was stamped with the official seal of the Ministry of Rites, and the other was clearly a list of gifts from several families.

"You all have shown great concern for Cunxiao, so I won't stand on ceremony."

Li Cunxiao readily accepted the invitation, and then affectionately took Yuchi Bi's arm, preparing to lead him into the banquet.

However, at that moment, a commotion suddenly arose not far away.

Li Cunxiao frowned, and the Imperial Guard beside him immediately rushed off, returning in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"General, these are people from several nearby villages. They heard rumors somewhere that you are going to be transferred elsewhere, and several elderly people from the villages have come."

Upon hearing this, Yuchi Bi immediately realized his mistake and apologized:
"It must be that the local people misunderstood because our convoy consisted of strangers. I am ashamed."

Li Cunxiao supported his arms, saying, "Those words are too harsh."

"Brother Yuchi came for me, and he is doing his duty faithfully. What has he done wrong?"

"Since you are here, it's a good opportunity for you to meet the people, clear up any misunderstandings, and also to spread the king's benevolence."

To promote imperial rule?

Upon hearing this, Yuchi Bi felt a sudden jolt, but he was at a loss for what to do.

However, out of professional ethics, he quickly ordered his attendants to bring him court attire, and changed into a ceremonial cap, a white gauze undershirt, a crimson gauze robe, a red silk skirt, and a knee covering. He also hung a sash and jade pendants on his leather belt.

Such a solemn outfit is completely different from the turbans and round-necked robes worn by ordinary people in their daily lives. It is precisely because formal attire is inconvenient that it possesses a sense of seriousness and formality through its constraints.

At least when the imperial envoy led nearly a thousand people over and they saw the dignified and orderly imperial envoy, the crowd's originally turbulent emotions calmed down a bit.

The Qin Dynasty lasted for over six hundred years, and its prestige still remained.

"Fellow elders, I am the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, an envoy sent by His Majesty."

"I have come here because Governor Li has rendered meritorious service to the country by protecting the borders and ensuring the safety of the people. I have specially issued an imperial decree to reward him with the title of Marquis."

"From now on, Prefect Li will continue to serve as the governor of Wenzhou and Fuzhou as ordered, and there is no talk of him being transferred."

The crowd's emotions finally calmed down after hearing this, and at that moment, Li Cunxiao made his appearance, which immediately sparked cheers.

He wore a blue phoenix armor underneath a purple robe, with one sleeve pulled off and tied at his waist, creating a look that was both martial and scholarly, adding a touch of elegance to his heroic bearing.

However, Yuchi Bi felt that something was missing when he looked at this scene of officials and people being as close as family.

At that moment, the four words "promote the king's rule" jumped into his mind, breaking through the fog like lightning.

Currently, the imperial court is dominated by the "First Master Party" and the "Third Master Party," while the two eminent monks of Yuhua Temple and Chang Congjian, the Grand Master of the Palace, remain neutral.

Only those close to the Thirteenth Prince could only obtain sinecure positions in the Court of State Ceremonies and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and were excluded from the core leadership.

To change this situation, it is necessary to strengthen Li Cunxiao, who is the key figure, as soon as possible.

The greater the Thirteenth Prince's influence, the greater their influence will be.

Although Li Cunxiao is also training a new army here, it has only been a year, while the situation on the front line is changing every day.

In this situation, is simply taking sides enough? Is simply sending some supplies enough?
Is Li Cunxiao the kind of person who would willingly remain subservient to others?

If we are to promote the rule of the emperor, whose rule of the emperor should we promote?
“His Majesty greatly appreciates Prefect Li,” Yuchi Bi suddenly said, as if he had made up his mind.

The crowd fell silent upon hearing this. Li Cunxiao's eyes flickered, but he did not interrupt.

He once said that among the thirteen bodyguards, Li Shijun was the best at governing a region.

"Although the other Grand Protectors are brave in battle, they do not care about the people and are not good at government affairs."

"Now the false Liang regime is harming the people and provoking border conflicts, while our Great Qin has won one victory after another."

"Once the rebellion is quelled, we'll need a benevolent ruler like Magistrate Li to govern the region!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the people echoed his words, bursting into praise and recounting Li Cunxiao's benevolent rule and love for the people. Some even began to suggest that the Crown Prince should oversee the country.

Yuchi Bi's mouth was dry, and he felt as if he had used up all his strength to write those hundred or so words; his vest was already soaked with sweat.

As an envoy of the emperor, one should not say such things, let alone engage in such self-serving and divisive behavior.

To put it bluntly, this is a case of falsely conveying an imperial edict!
"Brother Yuchi, why do you do this?" Li Cunxiao appeared at his side without anyone noticing and helped the other man's trembling body.

"The great cause and the prestigious position were handed to me, but the handle was given to someone else."

His words carried a sigh, yet also seemed to express some satisfaction.

"But don't worry, Brother Yuchi, the mountains are high and the roads are long, so the news won't reach the capital."

"Also, there's something else I need to tell Brother Yuchi."

"I have become a grandmaster."

With a casual remark, Li Cunxiao handed Yuchi Bi to a guard beside him and walked into the crowd to accept the cheers, a slight smile playing on his lips.

But Yuchi Bi's mind was as if bewitched, constantly bombarded by that light-hearted remark.

A grandmaster, a grandmaster in his twenties.
Shock gradually turned into ecstasy, making his eyebrows arch and his lips curl into a wide smile. His mood seemed to soar from the depths of the earth to the highest heavens.

They had made a desperate gamble, but the reward was already within reach.

The bet was right!
The bet was right!
A grandmaster in his twenties!
In the future, who else but Li Cunxiao will be able to rule the world?!
(End of this chapter)