The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 22 The Li Family Mansion
"Catch them!"

"stop……"

"Who dares to stop me?! Die!"

The intense shouts of battle reached Xiao Yi's ears, and he recognized Zhang Mantun's voice among them, realizing that the Imperial Guards were not after him.

He looked around and saw a square stool outside the bamboo grove. He picked it up, placed it against the other wall, stepped on it, and looked out through the latticed window.

Just then, he saw a knight riding out of the long street, which made him unconsciously focus his gaze.

Xiao Yi had never thought anyone was more handsome than him, but at this moment his heart was surging with excitement.

Zhang Mantun's two-meter-tall, strong body was clad in imposing bright armor. The breastplate reflected the firelight, and the shoulder armor featured ferocious beasts. Underneath the leg armor plates, he wore leather boots with stirrups, and beneath him rode a tall, armored warhorse that was nearly seven feet tall at the shoulder.

The man and his horse stood before the Imperial Guards blocking their way, like colossal creatures, bringing a terrifying sense of oppression even before the battle began.

"drive!"

Zhang Mantun spurred his horse forward, fearless of swords and arrows, smashing several imperial guards away with a "bang." Even those who tried to cut off his horse's legs were swept away by him with his spear, and in an instant, he rushed out of Xiao Yi's sight.

Xiao Yi struggled to escape the Shi residence, while Zhang Mantun escaped in just one round.

"Shi Dechong is at the side gate!" Suddenly, a shout rang out from afar, accompanied by a sharp whistle.

With a clatter of hooves, Zhang Mantun turned back and charged into the Imperial Guard's ranks once more like a god of war, disappearing from Xiao Yi's sight again in an instant.

vigorous.

Xiao Yi stood there for a long time, only hearing the cheers of the Imperial Guards.

Zhang Mantun may be dead or captured, but his spirit of charging into battle left a lasting impression on Xiao Yi. He couldn't help but wonder if he had the chance to be reborn in this chaotic world just to survive.
He quickly calmed his emotions and told himself that survival was the most important thing.

"Who has broken in?!"

Suddenly, a shout came from behind.

Xiao Yi turned around and saw more than ten guards surrounding him, gripping their daggers tightly.

Qiu Shuang quickly stepped in front of him to block his way.

"I am the daughter of Grand Tutor Li. I know the old lady of your family. When I was young, she gave me a gold foil peony hairpin. I am visiting late at night. Please let me know."

"A visit? You climbed over the wall to visit?"

"It was my rudeness. You only need to ask one question to know that what I said is true."

"Search him first and disarm him."

"Okay." Qiu Shuang gave Xiao Yi a reassuring look and whispered, "Don't worry."

Xiao Yi was initially worried that she was bluffing him, but seeing her certainty, he felt somewhat relieved.

It seems safer to ask to see the old lady than to ask to see Li Tao directly.

Across from them, an elderly man who looked like a steward and the head of the guards began to whisper to each other. The steward was hard of hearing, and the head of the guards occasionally raised his voice, so they could vaguely hear a sentence or two.

"Ah Lang finally fell asleep, why don't we ask Fang Lang first? He was the one who reminded us..."

Xiao Yi listened intently and guessed that "Fang Lang" must have noticed something unusual about the Shi residence and alerted the servants of the Li residence, so he must be someone who cares about the current situation.

He met the other person very soon.

In the side hall, a person was sitting in the main hall reading by candlelight, still fully dressed late at night.

"Fanglang, thanks to your reminder, we actually caught someone climbing over the wall into the mansion."

Fang Lang turned around. He was a young man of about twenty-four or twenty-five years old. He had a handsome appearance, bright eyes, and was intelligent and insightful. He also had a gentle and refined demeanor.

However, his cheeks had a faint ochre tinge from years of wind and sand, and his clothes were simple, unlike those of a prime minister's son.

As Xiao Yi observed him, he was also observing Xiao Yi. After a moment of eye contact, a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes.

"Fanglang," the old steward stepped forward and said, "This young lady claims to be the daughter of Grand Tutor Li, but I don't know which Grand Tutor Li she is... And these are what I found on him."

Fang Lang then shifted his gaze from Xiao Yi, glanced at Qiu Shuang, looked at the baggage in the old steward's hand, and said indifferently, "There is no Grand Tutor Li in the court."

Qiu Shuang bowed and said, "You must be the young master of the Li family. My father, Song, was honored as the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, but was unjustly killed three years ago."

"I am young and inexperienced, and have never heard of such a place. May I ask where you are from, young lady?"

"My ancestral home is Raoyang, Shenzhou."

"What a coincidence, we're from the same hometown, but I don't hear our local accent, only the Tokyo dialect."

Qiu Shuang knew he was interrogating her, and said, "I was born in Yique and grew up in Tokyo. Only in the sixth year of Tianfu did I return to my hometown with my father to observe mourning."

Where in Raoyang is your ancestral home located?

"Jingxin Township, also known as Wugong Township, is named after my ancestors who were enfeoffed as Dukes of Anping for five generations."

"Ha, you dare to try and pull this on me?! If that's the case, how could you not recognize me?"

Fang Lang suddenly made a threatening remark, but Xiao Yi noticed a hint of amusement in his eyes. Qiu Shuang was stunned, staring wide-eyed at the man before her, somewhat incredulous.

"Recognize it?"

"Could it be... Uncle Numa's older brother?"

"Haha. Li Fang, courtesy name Mingyuan, was from Raoyang, Shenzhou, and a descendant of the Duke of Anping of the Great Tang Dynasty."

A mischievous smile appeared on Li Fang's face. He bowed to Xiao Yi, introduced himself, and said, "I have come to the capital to take the imperial examination and am temporarily staying at the residence of Lord Xinchen."

Xiao Yi was puzzled as to why he suddenly turned to him. He returned the greeting and said, "Xiao Yi has no courtesy name, his ancestral home is unknown, and he has no illustrious family background."

"Xiao in Xiao He, and Yi in resolute?"

"The 'yi' in 'playing chess'."

Li Fang smiled and casually said, "A good name."

Qiu Shuang said, "Brother, he is..."

Li Fang slightly raised his hand to stop her from speaking, then turned to the servants of the Li family and said, "I haven't seen my cousin for many years. May I have a few words with her?"

"It's natural."

The servants of the Li household then withdrew one by one.

Li Fang sighed deeply, straightened his sleeves, and said to Qiu Shuang, "The last time I saw you, you were only six or seven years old, right? I still vividly remember the flourishing of the Xi Li family that year... I regret the matter of my uncle. At that time, my family had to draw a line and protect ourselves, which made us feel ashamed before my uncle."

Two streams of tears flowed from Qiu Shuang's eyes. She immediately wiped them away, suppressed her sobs, bowed deeply, and said, "It is only human nature, brother, you don't need to mind. Now that the Shi family has been destroyed, I only beg you to save your little sister."

Li Fang asked, "Has the historian's school been wiped out?"

Xiao Yi said, "The Imperial Guards have already entered the mansion and confiscated the property; it seems there's no escaping this fate."

Where is Su Fengji?

"He must have helped the government launch a coup."

Li Fang asked, "How exactly?"

"All we know is that Nie Wenjin, the commander of the right wing, has defected."

“Alright,” Li Fang said. “Although the Shi family has fallen, Su Fengji still holds a key position, and my uncle’s case is sealed away in the archives. How dare I save you?”

Qiu Shuang was clearly stunned, her face turned pale, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt.

Li Fang continued, "Even if I wanted to save you, this is the residence of Lord Xinchen. He has already resigned from his post as prime minister and is now retired. I am merely staying here temporarily. How could I possibly save you? What if I get implicated? So many servants have already seen you tonight. What if word gets out?"

Xiao Yi could understand that Li Fang had no obligation to risk his life to rescue him.

How to do?
His gaze shifted and landed on a stack of books on the table. He noticed a piece of brocade-bound Xuan paper underneath, with only a corner showing and a faint red mark visible. It looked somewhat familiar.

Yes... the seal of the Ministry of Personnel. He had seen it not long ago when he went with Shi Dechong to receive his official appointment.

Then, recalling Li Fang's words about "going to the capital for the examination" and Feng Sheng's words about "cheating in the imperial examination," he suddenly realized that this was indeed an official document.

It seems that Li Fang has real talent and learning, but if he hadn't gone through Su Fengji's connections, how could he have passed the imperial examination and been appointed to an official position? Since he was Su Fengji's student, why did he not address him as "Sikong" but call him by his name? Therefore, Li Fang's inclination is self-evident.

Moreover, this person is insightful and resourceful, far superior to Feng Sheng.

"Brother Li, you've laid out the unpleasant truths upfront; that's the behavior of a true gentleman."

Xiao Yi spoke, bowed solemnly to Li Fang, and said, "It is our duty not to help, but it is a favor to help. If Brother Li can lend a hand, we will never forget the risks and kindness you have shown us tonight."

"Let's talk about sincerity first, before we talk about feelings," Li Fang said. "I don't even know your identity yet."

“Brother, she is my maid Xiao Yi, who was confiscated along with me.”

"What a 'servant'! She is dignified and imposing, dressed in a fine linen robe and a blue sable cloak, adorned with beautiful jade, carrying a crossbow and a dagger, her baggage is well-prepared, and the gold, silver and jewels she carries are priceless. Moreover, she is skilled in both literature and martial arts. She was able to lead you from the Shi mansion to this place. Not to mention, even Shi Dechong may not be so clear about the situation tonight."

Qiu Shuang said anxiously, "Brother, why don't you believe me? When you returned to your hometown that year, you saw him once. He offered you tea, but you refused because you thought he had blown his nose."

"I don't remember this happening."

Li Fang's lips curled slightly, revealing a barely perceptible smirk.

Xiao Yi knew that Li Fang did not believe Qiu Shuang's words at all. He had transmigrated and did not have the mentality of a servant. He could not convince such a worldly-wise and extremely confident person.

We can't just tell them the truth about time travel.

Is he impersonating Shi Erlang? Li Fang seems to have this suspicion.

No, they can guess, but we can't make things up ourselves, otherwise it would be even more troublesome if we were exposed.

After much thought, he decided to take advantage of Li Fang's guilt towards Li Song and his dissatisfaction with Su Fengji, and to demonstrate his own worth. So he bowed sincerely and began to speak.

"To be honest, Brother Li, since the extermination of Grand Tutor Li's clan, I have worked hard to get rid of Su Fengji and avenge him. As a result, I was trained by Shi Dechong and became his advisor. Therefore, I had some idea of ​​the disaster tonight and made some preparations."

Li Fang looked at him thoughtfully for a long time, his expression unreadable. A slight smile played on his lips as he said, "It's no use me saying this. Please wait a moment while I go and persuade Lord Xinchen."

(End of this chapter)