Dugong

Chapter 114 Father-in-law Takes a Wife
The deceased elder sister became the white moonlight in Grandpa An's heart.

Li Ping'an thought back carefully and realized that his parents and elder brother had all given him their food, but it could never compare to his elder sister.

Even though the memories are hazy, only the relieved smile before starving to death remains.

It has completely turned into a thorn, deeply embedded in my heart, with no chance of ever being pulled out.

"Our family will build an ancestral hall for our elder sister so that she can enjoy the incense offerings of her descendants... In the future, some of her descendants will be adopted, and a new branch will be established, worshipping you as their ancestor... We will also send people to compile a storybook so that our elder sister can be praised and sung by thousands..."

Li Ping'an knelt before the memorial tablet and rambled on and on, seemingly mourning his elder sister, but actually comforting himself.

Looking at her son's state, Li Mancang felt a pang of jealousy for her deceased daughter, but dared not show it in the slightest.

After Li Ping'an finished offering incense, he tentatively asked, "Should I kowtow to Xiu'er?"

"Need not."

Li Ping'an casually instructed: "Offer incense and paper money more often during festivals, and offer freshly steamed, soft white steamed buns on ordinary days."

"I remember."

Li Mancang readily agreed. Now that he had thousands of acres of fertile land and immense wealth, offering a few steamed buns was nothing.

Inside the door, the father and son appeared somewhat distant, but once outside, Li Ping'an's eyes were slightly red as he helped Li Mancang into a warm conversation.

When the relatives waiting outside saw this, they all praised Grandpa An for his filial piety.

evening.

The Li family held a grand banquet, which was noisy and lively.

On the left, the gates of the Lu residence were tightly shut, for fear of being tainted by the corrupt atmosphere of eunuchs. On the right, Song Chen, the heir of the Marquis's residence, arrived with gifts and bowed respectfully to Eunuch An.

"My father is on duty at the Military Command tonight and cannot come in person. He specifically instructed his juniors to pay their respects to Eunuch An."

Marquis Jingzhong was the only remaining marquis among the founding nobles, and he had originally retired to his home and become marginalized in the court.

In the past two years, with the support of Empress Dowager Zhou and Eunuch An, he was promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Military Command, directly under His Majesty's command, in charge of security and thief control in the five cities.

While a fifth-rank official position may seem inferior to a marquis, it grants real power in the military and can ensure the prosperity of the family.

Li Ping'an glanced at the gift; it wasn't some empty gift like jade or calligraphy, but a gleaming box of gold ingots. He immediately smiled.

"Our family often mentions the Marquis to Her Majesty. He was the Prince of Song, who was a powerful figure in the northern frontier during the reign of Emperor Taizu. His descendants are loyal to the dynasty and should be given important responsibilities!"

"Thank you for your kind words, Eunuch An."

Song Chen was secretly delighted. He had indeed sent the right amount of gold. He would send another chest to the Imperial Stables. The Marquis of Jingzhong's mansion was not lacking in gold and silver and was willing to exchange it for a powerful official position.

"Your Highness, there's no need for formalities. Please take your seat and enjoy the wine."

Li Ping'an casually asked, "Where does the young master work?"

Song Chen's face flushed slightly: "Eunuch Hui'an, I am fortunate to have the privilege of serving as a centurion in the Zhenfu Division, thanks to the blessings of my ancestors."

The Zhenfu Division, established for over a hundred years, had spies and secret agents throughout the entire territory of Dayong, making it the most relied-upon tool of emperors throughout history.

For example, there must be secret agents from the Zhenfu Division inside the Li family's residence, perhaps watching the banquet and secretly recording the conversation between the two.

A centurion is a high-ranking official in the Garrison Command, but someone like Song Chen, who holds a centurion position through hereditary privilege, is merely a figurehead receiving a salary.

Without soldiers or troops under his command, his words naturally lack authority.

Li Ping'an lowered his gaze and said with a smile, "I have a godson who has been ordered by His Majesty to investigate the traitor. We are short of manpower. Is Your Highness interested?"

Song Chen readily agreed: "This junior is willing to serve Eunuch An."

Just as he was about to express his gratitude, the steward hurried over to report: "Sir, Magistrate Zheng from the Municipal Administration Bureau has come to visit the young master."

Seeing his younger brother looking over, Li Pingyun explained, "Magistrate Zheng is my superior, and he usually takes good care of me."

"Then please come in."

Li Ping'an nodded slightly. The person was visiting late at night with gifts, clearly with ulterior motives; they wanted to take the opportunity to strike up a conversation with our family.

soon.

Short and stout, with a round, oily face and two mustaches that curled up high, Zheng Shiling followed the old steward to the table and knelt down with a thud before Li Mancang. "Nephew greets Uncle!"

Ignoring the contempt of the crowd, Magistrate Zheng flattered, "We usually address Brother Pingyun as such, so you are like our uncle."

Li Mancang was not surprised as this was not the first time he had experienced something like this. He helped him up and said, "It just so happens that Xiao Anzi is home visiting his family today, so Lord Zheng is taking the opportunity to have a meal with him."

Magistrate Zheng glanced furtively at Eunuch An, and seeing his beaming smile, he breathed a sigh of relief and agreed, "Then I, your humble nephew, will accept your offer."

After taking their seats, Magistrate Zheng raised his glass repeatedly, offering toasts and auspicious words, creating a lively atmosphere at the banquet.

He even took over the servants' duties and personally poured wine for everyone at the banquet.

Finally, I mustered up my courage and toasted Eunuch An.

Li Ping'an did not object or refuse. He picked up the cup and took a small sip, which made Zheng Shi's fat tremble with joy.

Seeing that Magistrate Zheng was so obsequious and lacked any dignity befitting an official of the imperial court, Song Chen was deeply moved.

His legs, which were sitting on the chair, involuntarily went weak. He only managed to keep from kneeling down in front of Eunuch An because of his royal bloodline and his status as the heir of a marquis's family.

"Next time, I'll definitely kneel down and thank Uncle An in private for the job!"

The banquet did not end until midnight.

We arrived at the main room.

When Li Ping'an entered the room, he saw a woman sitting on the edge of the bed. She was wearing a bright red wedding dress with gold thread, and her head was covered with a red veil. Her ten fingers were interlaced in front of her knees, and her figure was slender and graceful.

He stepped forward, lifted the woman's veil, and asked, "Has Xiao Yuzi explained everything clearly?"

The woman had dark eyebrows and fair skin, and her voice was filled with sorrow: "Eunuch Yu wants me to serve you well... so that my husband can clear my father's name."

"We have already informed Prefect Qian about your father's case. When your elder brother passes the imperial examination, we will arrange for him to become an official in the capital."

Li Ping'an always went all out in his acting. Many of the palace's chief eunuchs married and had children outside the palace, so our family followed suit.

The woman's father was once a clerk in the capital's government office. When he was auditing accounts, he discovered evidence of his superior Liang Zhizhong's embezzlement. Just as he was about to report it to Prefect Qian, he was falsely accused and imprisoned.

Not long after, he committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

"Thank you, Eunuch An."

The woman's face lit up with joy, and most of her sorrow dissipated. She stepped forward to help Eunuch An change his clothes.

"You may rest now; I still have official documents to attend to."

Li Ping'an sat at his desk and coughed lightly. Two old eunuchs appeared silently and handed him two thick stacks of official documents.

Only the tools and the names cannot be lent to others.

These official documents were Li Ping'an's tools for controlling the three prisons, conveying orders, and displaying his authority. He could refuse to approve them, but he absolutely could not refuse to review them.

Moreover, Li Ping'an loves to read, review, and even more so, approve and issue instructions.

When a single word can decide someone's fate, the feeling is truly irresistible. Savoring the taste of power is even sweeter than steamed buns.

Li Ping'an opened an official document written by the head of the outer stables of the Imperial Stables, reporting that the price of horses in the East Market had risen again, more than doubling since the time of the late emperor.

Below the official document, in small print, Eunuch Xia suggested: Contact horse traders in the Northwest and arrest unscrupulous merchants who hoard horses for profit.

Li Ping'an pondered for a moment, then drew a circle at the end to indicate his agreement.

Turning to another volume, at the end it says that Eunuch Peng suggests: kill the eunuchs who secretly contact the Directorate of Ceremonial.

"Your Majesty is benevolent and has committed few acts of violence."

Li Pingan added a few extra words, which made the approval process very fast. All the documents were approved around 3 AM.

The woman gazed at Eunuch An's profile as he bent over his desk reviewing documents. His appearance was completely different from the greedy and sinister image of eunuchs in the rumors circulating in the city, and a strange ripple stirred in her heart.

She took the initiative to help him change his clothes, showing a greater sense of intimacy than before.

Power is the most potent aphrodisiac in the world!

(End of this chapter)