Chapter 144: "Beat Him for Us!
"General Li said he wishes to marry me, and I, your servant, am willing."
With that one sentence, Fang Ran successfully made everyone in the grand hall turn to look at her.
But Li Wei instantly rose, and with a swift chop of his hand, knocked Fang Ran unconscious.
As Fang Ran crumpled, he caught her and pushed her into the arms of a nearby palace maid. "Take her away to rest, quickly."
His movements were as fluid as flowing water. Before most people even had time to turn their heads, Li Wei had already dealt with the situation.
He turned back to the Emperor, his expression calm, as if nothing had happened. "Please forgive me, Your Majesty. She cannot hold her liquor and is drunk."
Xiao Yang had heard it all, and she had seen it all.
It was clear to see: the maiden was interested, but the man was not.
As expected of a Great General seasoned on the battlefield, Li Wei’s reflexes were astonishing.
One swift move to solve the problem, without a single wasted word.
Nanny Yang had two older palace maids go up and half-support, half-carry Fang Ran away.
Xiao Yang raised her wine cup. "Think nothing of it."
Li Wei hastily picked up his own cup and downed three in a row as a penalty.
He appeared decisive and resolute, but in reality, his palms were already slick with sweat.
That stunt Fang Ran had just pulled almost stunned even him, a man who had commanded armies on the battlefield for years.
He had rejected her clearly and had never given Miss Fang any false hope, yet she was still determined to latch onto him.
Leaving aside the fact that marriage is no trivial matter, how dare she lie so brazenly and deceive the sovereign in the middle of the grand hall?
’Did she really think that just because her family was dead, I would have to pity her? That I would cover for her lies in front of Your Majesty and be forced to marry her?’
At this thought, Li Wei glanced at the Emperor again, terrified of a misunderstanding. Thankfully, His Majesty didn’t seem to mind, and he let out a quiet sigh of relief.
’My own complicated feelings are still a mess, but I can’t let Your Majesty think I’m involved with some other woman.’
’Just a moment ago, Fang Ran had insisted on sitting next to me. I refused, but she claimed she didn’t know anyone else and looked like she was about to burst into tears as she sat down anyway. Considering she was the sole survivor of the Fang Family, I couldn’t bring myself to be rude and make her leave. I never expected she’d have such a major scheme brewing.’
’It’s a good thing she was close. If she’d been any farther away, this would have been much harder to contain.’
The victory banquet concluded on a high note, with sovereign and subjects alike having enjoyed themselves to the fullest.
Fang Ran awoke in a post-house inn. Clutching her aching neck and recalling how she had been knocked unconscious the moment she spoke, her eyes blazed with fury.
Back there, the only person who could have knocked her out that quickly was Li Wei.
’That clueless, blasted man.’
In Li Wei’s eyes, Fang Ran was the pitiful sole survivor of the Fang Family who had just lost her relatives. That was why he had his trusted men look after her. He was busy—busy fighting a war, busy writing battle reports. He had no time to worry about a young woman.
What he didn’t know, however, was that Fang Ran had already tried to seduce him countless times.
From Fang Ran’s perspective, whatever she needed, Li Wei had someone provide. Whenever she had the slightest problem, Li Wei sent someone to resolve it.
She had given him countless meaningful glances, and while he seemed oblivious to romance, he had never once rebuked her for it.
She wasn’t sure just how much Li Wei liked her, but she was certain he didn’t dislike her.
Fang Ran knew that by speaking out before the Emperor, she was forcing Li Wei’s hand.
But she knew, with even greater clarity, that this was her only chance.
Li Wei would take pity on her due to the death of her family, and the Emperor would be magnanimous because of the meritorious service of her grandfather and father.
With so many military generals present today, they would surely back her up out of respect for her grandfather and father. She was an orphan, yes, but she could also have the entire military officer corps at her back.
Li Wei wouldn’t let her be publicly humiliated, and the military generals would pressure the Emperor, forcing him to treat her, the orphan of a military family, with kindness.
Li Wei was powerful, imposing, young, and handsome. He had won the Emperor’s complete trust. Though the Emperor had not yet ennobled him, she was sure it was only a matter of time.
Such an incredible man, and he had even saved her life. It was a match made in heaven; she had to seize it and never let go.
She had thought it all through, gambled everything she had, yet she never, ever imagined that the moment she opened her mouth, Li Wei would knock her unconscious!
Fang Ran was so furious she lay in bed, unable to move for a long while. After nearly fifteen minutes, she rallied herself.
’I missed my chance this time, and it won’t be easy to find another opportunity like it,’ she thought. ’But I will absolutely not give up.’
Fang Ran’s resolve hardened after the next day’s morning court session. The Emperor had issued an imperial decree, enfeoffing Li Wei as the Pingxi Marquis and simultaneously promoting him to General of the Army.
Pingxi Marquis was a hereditary noble title of the highest order, while General of the Army—Commander of all the military forces in the realm—was the apex of power for a military general.
The moment the decree was announced, the entire court of civil and military officials erupted in an uproar. The news spread like wildfire through the city, and Fang Ran, of course, heard it as well.
The court’s civil and military officials had tried to protest. They knew Li Wei deserved a reward.
He had accepted command in a moment of crisis and managed to turn the tide against all odds even while severely wounded. This deserved a reward, a major one.
But wasn’t ennobling him as a Marquis and gifting him some treasures enough? General of the Army, commander of all military forces, a position that bypassed the Minister of War and put him on par with the Regent King, Grand Tutor Xu, and the Prime Minister, while granting him the greatest military authority in the land... This was simply going too far.
Forget the others—even Li Wei himself felt the rewards were a bit too lavish.
Xiao Yang paid no mind to what anyone else was saying. She rose from the Dragon Throne, took the imperial decree, descended the steps, and held it out before Li Wei.
She looked at him. "My Great General needs only do one thing: fight for this nation and protect its people."
"This is an honor, but it is also a promise that must be kept with your very life. Li Wei, do you dare accept it?"
Li Wei looked at Xiao Yang, deeply moved, his eyes stinging with emotion.
He knelt, accepting the decree with both hands. His gaze was fixed firmly on the young Emperor before him as his voice rang out, firm and clear. "I swear on my life to fight for the people and for Da Wei for all my days. I shall never betray this oath and will die without regret."
The most indispensable asset to an Emperor is the loyalty of military generals. While civil servants are essential for a prosperous and cultured age, it is the military generals who are the bedrock of a stable empire.
Military power begets Imperial Power. If Xiao Yang wanted to secure her throne, she had to keep Li Wei firmly on her side.
And military generals value loyalty and honor above all else.
Thus, Xiao Yang was cultivating this blade, Li Wei, with her utmost trust.
Clearly, Li Wei was deeply grateful and devoted to her. That very afternoon, he was already eager to improve her personal security.
Xiao Yang was just having her daily archery practice, but it had somehow turned into a martial arts examination.
She glared at the stern, unyielding Li Wei standing opposite her and immediately asserted her imperial authority. "I am the Emperor. I said, no examination."
She was no match for Li Wei; it would just be a one-sided beating.
She was the Emperor, for crying out loud! Why should she have to get beaten up?
Seeing the Emperor act like the same old rogue, Li Wei actually cracked a smile.
’For the Emperor to show her bad temper like this is a sign of trust and intimacy, which is something I’m happy to see,’ he thought. ’But this matter is non-negotiable.’
"I was gone for over two months. Your Majesty must have grown lax. Your martial arts practice concerns your very safety and is not to be taken lightly. From now on, I will set aside one hour each day to train with you."
The mere thought gave Xiao Yang a headache, and she turned to leave on the spot.
Li Wei made a move without another word, forcing Xiao Yang to retaliate.
She was struck twice with the staff in less than ten exchanges, and the pain brought tears to Xiao Yang’s eyes.
"You dare strike the Emperor! Do you believe I won’t have you flogged?"
Li Wei replied, "Your Majesty may have me flogged. But on this training ground, I am your instructor, and I must be responsible for you."
He even frowned as he spoke. "Your Majesty’s movements are clearly not as fluid as they were before. We will add an extra hour of practice today."
The Little Emperor got beaten. The Little Emperor gritted her teeth. The Little Emperor cursed under her breath... Finally, unable to take it anymore, she roared, "Li Wei, you’re forcing my hand!"
Xiao Yang unleashed her "Rainbow Brothers," whom she had been cultivating for days.
Xiao Hong, Xiao Lv, Xiao Cheng, and Xiao Lan.
Xiao Yang stood majestically behind the four of them, pointed at Li Wei, and commanded, "Get him for me!"
The other three reluctantly attacked, but Xiao Hong took a step back. "Your Majesty, my skills are rather mediocre. Perhaps I should sit this one out?"
Xiao Yang lifted her foot and kicked him forward. "If your skills are mediocre, then you’d better hurry up and practice, you little scrub!"
’I had to take a beating, and they think they can get away with it? Not a chance!’