My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 284 Return to the DPRK
The emperor's carriage was getting closer and closer to Luoyang.

Upon receiving the news, the ministers all came out to greet them.

Li Yuan, now dressed in brand-new clothes, greeted the ministers and other officials with a smile.

"Oh my, Duke Tang! You have truly raised a fine son! I had heard people say that your third son was incredibly strong and could lift a tripod, but I didn't believe it until today. Now I know that the rumors are true!"

When a minister approached him, he began to praise Li Xuanba. Li Yuan stroked his beard, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

Li Xuanba was already quite famous in Luoyang.

After all, Li Jiancheng would mention his younger brothers wherever he went, praising them endlessly, especially Li Xuanba. He praised him to an absurd degree, but Li Jiancheng was quite famous and associated with extraordinary people. After his excessive praise, many people heard about Li Xuanba.

Even the children in Luoyang know about Li Xuanba.

However, Li Jiancheng was just boasting without any actual combat evidence. No matter how much people heard, they couldn't make an accurate judgment. But this time, he had the evidence, and it was a victory personally recognized and ordered to be publicized by the emperor.

The last person to be singled out by the emperor to show off his bravery was Mai Tiezhang, who is now serving as the Right Guard General.

This guy is ruthless. He can travel 500 miles a day, keep up with a fine horse, fight while wearing several layers of armor, and kill elite soldiers with his bare hands. In short, he's ferocious beyond human comprehension.

During the campaign against Yang Liang, the King of Han, he led from the front and made great contributions, becoming one of the emperor's trusted and beloved generals.

The emperor had a great fondness for these kinds of fierce warriors.

If it were merely to prove their bravery and promising future, these ministers wouldn't need to deliberately curry favor with Li Yuan. Their current closeness to Li Yuan serves only one purpose: to recommend people for the new army.

These high-ranking officials in the court all had many guests around them. They would accept these people's requests to join them and then recommend them for positions in the military. This was a fairly common practice at the time.

The emperor is now planning to form a new army. No matter how anxious the emperor is, forming a large army is not something that can be done in a year or two. From recruitment to reorganization to training, it will take several years. This new army is likely to receive special treatment from the emperor. As the only Zhechong Lang general at present, Li Xuanba naturally has many people who want to put in a good word for him with Li Yuan.

Li Yuan probably understood their purpose, and chatted with them with a smile. But once the topic of the new army came up, Li Yuan began to pretend to be confused, saying that he did not understand military affairs, which was a tactful way of refusing.

As they were talking, a man suddenly walked up to Li Yuan.

"A fine son raised by the Duke."

The one who came was Yang Xuangan, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

Li Yuan himself was tall, but he appeared somewhat thinner in front of Yang Xuangan. Li Yuan bowed slightly to him, saying, "Duke of Chu."

Yang Xuangan glanced into the distance and said, "Back when we were at the Imperial Academy, I could tell that the Marquis of Bocheng was capable of great things."

"Yes, it's thanks to the Duke of Chu that he was driven out, otherwise he wouldn't have achieved what he has today."

Yang Xuangan smiled and said, "The Duke knows perfectly well who drove him out. Is it a good thing or a bad thing that the Duke's son has made such a military achievement at such a young age?"

Li Yuan suddenly asked, "Is the Duke of Chu implying that Your Majesty cannot tolerate meritorious officials?"

"How dare I? How dare I? I'm just worried that if my child achieves success at such a young age, he might become arrogant and conceited, ruining his future. How could the Duke of Tang slander me like this?"

Li Yuan remained silent.

Yang Xuangan suddenly said, "Duke Tang, our two families have always had a very good relationship. I really don't understand why things have come to this. If Your Excellency is willing, I would like to pay you a visit so we can have a proper talk."

Li Yuan immediately became alert.

These days, he has been busy handling his affairs and taking care of those good-for-nothing children, but he has never let his guard down around Yang Xuangan, fearing that he might make a move against his family again.

During this time, Yang Xuangan was quite diligent, spending his days at the Imperial Academy interacting with various noble sons and urging them to continue their studies. He did his job well, and his younger brothers also took up military posts in different Yingyang Prefectures. Everything was peaceful.

The more Yang Xuangan acted this way, the more Li Yuan felt something was amiss.

This is too honest! Is this really the arrogant and conceited Duke of Chu I know? He must have something up his sleeve!
Yang Xuangan chatted with Li Yuan for a few words, and then quickly left.

When the emperor's carriage appeared in the distance, the officials in Luoyang were fully prepared, lined up on both sides of the road, and shouted "Long live the emperor!"

The emperor's carriage passed by without stopping; the emperor was in a hurry to return to the palace and had no intention of meeting with his ministers.

Li Yuan didn't care; he just stared intently at the crowd.

Sure enough, after the emperor's carriage passed by, he spotted a familiar face among the many knights.

Li Xuanba rode a tall horse, wearing armor, with a golden mace hanging at his waist, three short spears strapped to his back, and a long spear in his hand. He was fully armed, and his appearance had changed drastically over the course of the year.

He had grown much taller, his armor now fit him better, and his body was very strong. But the biggest change was not in his physique, but in his face.

His face had lost its childishness; his eyes were sharp, and his expression was resolute. He could already be considered a heroic young man.

When Li Yuan saw his son, his eyes reddened. He wanted to call out to him, but he couldn't speak.

Li Xuanba also noticed his elderly father standing to the side.

Li Xuanba's sharp eyes immediately returned to their original state, filled with innocence. His lips curled into a smile, and a gentle smile returned to his face. However, he could not go over to pay his respects. He could only watch as his old father followed the emperor's carriage forward.

After the emperor entered the city, the officials rose to their feet. Li Yuan wiped away his tears, his heart filled with immense emotion.

The emperor returned to Luoyang, and the many ministers who had accompanied him also went home. Luoyang immediately became lively, with families reunited and laughter filling the air.

At this moment, the Right Guard's Office was deathly still.

The soldiers gathered on the drill ground, but the atmosphere was somewhat strange.

Then they heard Sima Dekan talking loudly. Li Xuanba removed his armor, stood at the door, looked at the situation in the distance, and frowned. Yuan Li walked up to Li Xuanba with a smile, "General, I have someone cook some meat. Would you like to eat it now, or after some training?"

Li Xuanba, the general, currently only has Yuan Li as his subordinate.

Because of Li Xuanba's recommendation, Yuan Li was full of hope for the future. He followed Li Xuanba around all day, serving him, and his attitude was even better than when he had treated Sima Dekan.

Li Xuanba shook his head. "Don't rush to eat. What's wrong with the soldier?"

Yuan Li glanced into the distance and said helplessly, "General, everyone who accompanied us went home after returning to Luoyang, but we alone, after traveling back and forth to Jiangdu for so long, are not allowed to go home. Even the Yingyang Prefectures in various places wouldn't keep soldiers for a year. The soldiers are quite dissatisfied."

Yuan Li added, "It's not just them; even General Sima and I think it's going too far. Even the Imperial Guards should let us go home."

The Imperial Guards received better treatment, but served for longer periods. They spent all their time with the Emperor, who liked to travel. Whenever the Emperor went on a long trip, the Imperial Guards had to follow him and were not allowed to return. It was probably because the Emperor felt that he was more important to the Imperial Guards than to their families.

Unbeknownst to them, sometimes the Imperial Guards would do some incredible things just to get home.

Li Xuanba pondered for a moment, "Why doesn't General Sima tell His Majesty about this?"

Yuan Li shook his head, "It cannot be said, it cannot be said, it would offend the sage."

Li Xuanba straightened his clothes. "I'm going to pay my respects to the Emperor and ask him to allow the Left and Right Guards to rest for a while and see their families!"

Yuan Li was greatly alarmed. "General, this is unacceptable! General Chen once submitted a similar memorial, and was severely reprimanded by the Emperor. If the Left Office is treated this way, what about the Right Office?"

"No problem!"

Li Xuanba strode out and left the place.

(End of this chapter)