At night, Li Linfu sent someone to invite Li Xin'an.
"Young master, the family banquet is ready. The master asked me to call you over."
Li Xin'an struggled a little on her face, wrinkled her nose, and slowly opened her eyes. She blinked her two big, smart eyes to wake herself up.
He sat up and saw Wu Xiang, who was also sleepy and had just fallen asleep lying on the bedside before sitting up.
Wu Xiang opened the door, brought in a basin of water, and waited for Li Xin'an to wash his face briefly and tidy up the cute young master.
"Let's go." Li Xin'an walked out of the door and said to the visitor.
The family banquet in the Li Mansion was very luxurious. It is said that when Li Linfu gave birth to Miss Qi, the Tang Dynasty was auspicious. Miss Qi's mother dreamed that a crane rose into the sky and got into her belly, and then gave birth to the baby.
After marrying Miss Qi, Li Linfu named her Li Tengkong.
At that time, Li Linfu was serving at the saint's side. After the saint found out, he directly gave an imperial doctor from the imperial hospital to nurse the seventh lady's mother back to health. On the day when Li Tengkong was full moon, at the family banquet of the Li Mansion, the emperor gave him more than a dozen
Royal dishes, usually, this is an honor that only a few princes and ministers receive at annual banquets! And they are given more than a dozen dishes at once, which is a unique thing since the founding of the Tang Dynasty!
Since then, Li Linfu's official career has been rising rapidly. Everyone said that it was the auspiciousness brought by the birth of the seventh lady that made the master so successful. It is also because of this that Li Linfu loves Li Tengkong very much. Everyone in the family loves her.
It's respectful.
Although Li Tengkong was favored by thousands of people, she was not pampered by Li Linfu. On the contrary, she had an extremely cold temperament, with few desires and an admiration for immortality. She would go to Mount Lu every year to practice medicine with the hermit Huang Jingyuan of Mount Lu.
Among those aristocratic families, this was definitely something that was offensive and disgraceful, but Li Linfu didn't care at all, and even spent huge sums of money to renovate the entire Lushan Mountain, in order to give his daughter a comfortable environment.
Because he has no mother, Li Xin'an is very unpopular with his brothers and sisters in the Li Mansion. Only a few people are willing to treat this poor brother kindly, and Li Tengkong is one of them.
Li Xin'an walked into the lobby. This place, which was filled with gold and silver treasures during the day, was now filled with tables. Some people couldn't even squeeze in, so the tables were placed in the courtyard.
The family banquet has not yet begun, but the servants are busy setting it up. Drinks are being poured out, gold and silver utensils are being knocked against each other, and there are endless quarrels, curses, and scoldings.
Some young masters, ladies and aunts have already taken their seats. They are gorgeously dressed, with fragrant hair, and their every gesture is the pride of those in power.
Everywhere you look is a scene of luxury and corruption.
"Master, go ahead. I'll be waiting outside. If you have any questions, please give me instructions." Wu Xiang said. In this situation, a servant like him is not qualified to accompany his master.
Li Xin'an frowned, nodded lightly, and walked into the lobby.
"The Thirteenth Young Master has arrived——"
His high-pitched voice, accompanied by Li Xin'an's small figure, attracted the attention of everyone in the hall.
"Thirteenth brother is here, sit down quickly." Many people greeted him enthusiastically.
Li Xin'an nodded and smiled back, waved his hand, and sat down in the remote seat that belonged to him.
Seeing the superficially concerned but actually sarcastic looks from the brothers, Li Xin'an sneered in her heart.
"Isn't this the case among all the people in the world? The higher the status, the less humane they become!"
Seeing Li Xin'an sitting alone in that small corner, with no one around to take care of her, not far away, the owner of a pair of vicious eyes secretly rejoiced.
"No matter how favored you are, don't you still have no status at all in the Li Mansion?"
"Zheng'er, look what he did!" Beside Li Zheng, a graceful and elegant lady gently sipped the tea in her hand without looking at her son.
"You are the one who wants to compete with your eldest brother for the head of the family. Your emotions should not be outweighed by your emotions. What's going on if your emotions are affected by a motherless little bastard?"
"That's what mother taught you." Li Zheng replied respectfully, glanced at Li Xin'an again, and sneered:
"He doesn't deserve it!"
Li Xin'an was a little bored as she watched the servants coming and going in the hall. She yawned loudly and was already a little tired. She just hoped that Li Linfu would show up soon and end this farce as soon as possible.
"Are you sleepy already?" An ethereal voice suddenly sounded in his ears, and Li Xin'an was completely sleepless.
"Seventh sister? You're back!" Looking at the woman who suddenly appeared next to him, Li Xin'an stood up excitedly.
The noisy voices in the hall suddenly disappeared. Looking at the woman who suddenly appeared, after a brief silence, a familiar voice of greeting could be heard.
"Hello, Miss Qi..." "Sister Qi..." "Sister Qi, when did you come back? Why didn't you come to see your sister..."...
Li Tengkong ignored him, pulled Li Xin'an to sit down, and replied: "I just came back today. I originally wanted to find you in your yard, but my father said that you slipped out again, so I wanted to talk to you at the dinner tonight.
.”
"Then you should send someone to my yard to report a message so that I can come back to you, right?"
Li Tengkong shook his head and said: "I came back suddenly this time to accompany the master.
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I just came back from the palace to attend a ritual ceremony in the palace. I won’t be living at home after tonight, and you won’t be able to find me.”
"Oh." Li Xin'an responded in disappointment, and then asked: "Sister Qi, why did you suddenly appear next to me just now? I didn't even notice."
"Your seventh sister's martial arts cultivation is already at the fourth level. How could a little brat like you be aware of it?"
Li Xin'an blushed and said with a smile: "Sister Qi, stop looking down on others, I have become a master now!"
"Can there be a second master?" Li Tengkong joked, "Where does this charlatan come from?"
"That's not a charlatan, he's a very serious person..."
Li Xin'an came close to Li Tengkong's ear and whispered: "The Sword Master of the Tang Dynasty!"
"Mr. Pei Min?" Li Tengkong exclaimed, then hurriedly covered his mouth and asked in a low voice: "Really?"
"That's natural, how can it be fake?" Li Xin'an looked proud.
"Okay, with Mr. Pei Min's guidance, your martial arts wish has finally been fulfilled. So... what do you want to do in the future?"
"In the future...I haven't decided yet." Li Xin'an answered honestly.
Li Tengkong took a deep look at him and said: "I know what you are thinking. Even if you really leave the Li Mansion and leave your father's control, you still have no idea about the future. The road to martial arts is not
Free, no matter how powerful a person is, he will eventually be controlled by secular rules."
"Isn't it true that a first-class master like Mr. Pei Min also serves as an official in the court and bows to officials who have no martial arts skills?"
"In the future, if you want to rely on your martial arts skills to join the army and serve your country, you will have to follow the same path as your master. You will inevitably have to grovel in the future. Are you willing?"
"Of course I don't want to. I learn martial arts just for freedom. How could I bow to others again?"
"Then it means traveling around the world, doing chivalry, and becoming a famous hero. However, you will inevitably have to sleep in the open air and live a hard life. In addition to worrying about your own reputation, you also have to worry about food and clothing. You are used to it, and only a few hundred taels are needed.
How can a wealthy young man with a lot of money endure this kind of suffering?"
"This... we will consider it for now."
"There is a third way." Li Tengkong smiled and pointed at herself with a delicate green-white finger.
"Be a monk like me."
"Go to a deep mountain and old forest, build a Taoist temple, build a temple, study some medicine, save the world, and tame wild beasts from time to time, plant some fruit trees, and distribute the fruits to the poor when they are ripe, and the list goes on and on. Are you willing?
?”
Li Xin'an curled her lips, "When the time comes, I will learn all the skills and hide them just to become a monk?"
"Being a monk does not necessarily mean escaping from the world. There are people who become a monk, including those with strong martial arts skills and those who have no strength to tie a chicken. There are also high-ranking officials and beggars. There are also men and women. Most of them have not really seen through the world of mortals, but
Just find a way out for yourself in confusion and seek peace of mind."
"I seek peace of mind? Peace of mind, peace of mind?" Li Xin'an smiled.
Li Tengkong also found it a bit funny and smiled: "I keep calling you by your name, but I have almost forgotten your original name, Li Ga."
Li Xin'an shook his head, "Don't call me Li Xi, that's the name Li Linfu gave me, and I don't want to use it. I'd better use the name my mother gave me, Li Xin'an."
"That's fine, it's up to you." Li Tengkong nodded, and two servants came over in front of him.
Li Tengkong frowned displeased.
"Miss Seventh, you have a distinguished status, why don't you go to the front?"
"I won't bother you, Butler Xing. I don't have any dignity, I can just stay here." Li Tengkong replied coldly.
"Then I will bring you another table. Although the Thirteenth Young Master is still young, it cannot be justified for two siblings to share the same table." Butler Xing waved his hand, and two strong attendants dragged a table.
A table was set up, and in an instant, it was filled with all kinds of fruits and vegetables.
"I know Miss Seven doesn't like meat and fish, so all I have prepared for you is bland food." Butler Xing said with a smile.
"Brother, would you like some?" Li Tengkong sat over and handed half of the food on the table to Li Xin'an's table.
Butler Xing's face suddenly turned ugly.
Equally ugly is Li Zheng.
Butler Xing was his person. Seeing Li Tengkong and Li Xin'an chatting happily, Li Zheng began to feel jealous again. Although Li Tengkong was quiet and inactive, she was Li Linfu's heart. If he grasped her, he would grasp the future.
.
That's why he sent Butler Xing to express his goodwill. Even if he, the seventh sister, doesn't appreciate it, he still has to think of him, right?
But despite all his calculations, Li Tengkong actually transferred all his kindness to Li Xin'an!
"This guy..."
"Thank you, Seventh Sister, I happened to be hungry. Li Xin'an picked up a piece of fruit and started to eat it.
"You should thank Butler Xing, he prepared these."
"Oh, thank you, Butler Xing."
"Thirteenth Young Master...no...you're welcome." Guan Xing
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Jia struggled to squeeze out a smile and walked away embarrassed.
The two siblings looked at each other and smiled.
"These people really have no eyesight. Can't they tell who my father favors?" Li Tengkong shook his head and sighed.
Li Xin'an stopped and frowned.
"Li Zheng wants to compete for power, and he also wants to compete with you for favor. In terms of talent, he can't compare to one ten thousandth of his eldest brother. In terms of favor, although my father doesn't have a good look on you, he will always respond to your requests. You can use it.
The money is more than that of the bank owned by Fourth Brother. I don’t know what he thinks. He is so stupid that he wants to fight with the two of you. Could it be that his idiot mother instigated him?"
"Fight if you want, don't bother with him." Li Xin'an gnawed on the fruit again.
Li Tengkong wanted to say something more, but suddenly stopped and looked towards the front of the lobby.
In front of the screen, there is a main table, which is Li Linfu's seat.
Behind the screen, a person walked around.
As soon as this man came out, the whole place suddenly became silent. Even Li Xin'an put down the unfinished fruit and looked at the man honestly.
"Brother!" All Li Linfu's children in the hall shouted respectfully.
The man nodded slowly and glanced at everyone. When his eyes glanced at Li Tengkong, he smiled. When he saw Li Xin'an again, his eyes were a little softer.
Li Xin'an smiled at the man, showing those two cute little tiger teeth.
His eldest brother, Li Linfu's eldest son Li Xiu.
As Li Linfu's designated successor, everyone admired Li Xiu's talents. He served in the court at a young age. At home, he also behaved like a family head.
And the most important thing is that a bowl of water is served flat.
When Li Xin'an was young, he was always bullied by his brothers who were a few years older than him. It was often Li Xiu who made the decision for him. Although Li Xin'an knew that Li Xiu was not necessarily against him, it was just because of the people who bullied him.
It was just a mistake, but Li Xin'an still respected Li Xiu very much.
In such a secular family, it is really not easy for people to be impartial and impartial.
Li Xiu's appearance at this moment means that Li Linfu is about to arrive.
Three figures appeared behind the screen, and Li Xiu stepped aside.
A moment later, Li Linfu walked into the lobby.
"Master!" "Father!"
Dozens of people shouted in unison, including nearly a hundred servants waiting outside the hall.
The sound spread far away.
He sat at the main table and scanned everyone with his sharp eyes.
Of the two people who walked in with him, one of them was a tall man standing behind Li Linfu with his hands behind his back, while the other, an old man, walked into the hall and found his table and sat down.
The tall man standing behind Li Linfu is Li Linfu's personal bodyguard Zhou Hong. He was born in the Iron Fist Sect of Huainan Road and is a second-level master.
Another old man is Zhang Siyuan, Li Linfu's chief of staff, who is highly regarded by Li Linfu. Today's Li Mansion family dinner, all Li Mansion's staff are also present.
When the most important people arrived, the banquet officially began, and all kinds of delicacies appeared on everyone's tables in the hall.
But no one moved their chopsticks.
Li Linfu slowly raised his hand, and Li Xiu understood the idea and shouted loudly:
"Open the banquet!"
…
"Newborn ponies are the hardest to take care of..." the groom thought, pouring the last straw into the trough.
He clapped his hands, looked at his victory with satisfaction, and put on his usual clean clothes with relief.
There was a faint sound of "Master" in my ears.
"The banquet should have started." The groom thought as he walked back to the small courtyard.
It's late at night, and the courtyard is quiet and empty. Now, people should be waiting in the lobby. People who have nothing to do are either sleeping or having an affair. No one will be free to work in the courtyard.
Fortunately, my young master is not favored, and there are not many maids and servants in the yard, otherwise I really can't tell.
He walked quietly to the door, put his ear to it, and listened carefully.
There seemed to be only dogs barking outside, and there was a sound of neat footsteps in the distance, and then gradually disappeared. It should be the Jinwu guards patrolling the streets and their dogs. These days, dogs are more valuable than people!
Then there was a long silence, a deathly silence.
"Why aren't you here yet?" The groom became anxious, his back already soaked.
But he can't leave. If they don't come, he will have to wait here.
He didn't know how long it had passed before a subtle knock on the door finally reached his ears.
He didn't dare to neglect, and knocked back according to the agreed code.
The other party knocked on the door again.
"That's right!" He became happy, unbolted the door, and opened the door gently.
Under the moonlight, the shadows of a dozen people were reflected.