Chapter 163: Twin Decrees Issued Back-to-Back!

After tidying up, Li Yi and Bingyu went to the front hall. In the front hall, the elderly patriarch, the grandmother, and the others were already prepared. The incense table and other ritual items were all set up, and everyone was just waiting for Li Yi!

Grandmother: "Yi'er, hurry up! Everyone is waiting for you!"

Li Yi quickly walked over, and his grandmother took his hand, looking him up and down repeatedly.

"Look at this, my Yi'er is truly remarkable! How much time has passed, and you've been promoted again!"

Li Jing cast a sidelong glance at Li Yi: "Being promoted too quickly is not necessarily a good thing! Besides, this time you have truly officially entered the imperial court; you must be much more cautious from now on!"

Li Yi hurriedly bowed and replied, "Grandfather, rest assured, I will be careful!"

Li Jing: "Mn."

Grandmother: "Oh, look at you. Today is a joyous occasion for our grandson's promotion. Don't be so serious! If you want to lecture him, do it another day. Don't ruin the mood!"

Li Jing: "......"

Li Yi: "Haha, Grandmother, Grandfather only has my best interests at heart!"

"You little monkey, you always know how to sweet-talk!"

After chatting with his grandmother for a little while, Li Yi walked aside, where the two younger ones were discussing something in whispered tones.

Li Yi approached them and asked with a smile, "What are you two chatting about?"

"Eldest Brother!" "Eldest Brother!"

"Mn."

Li Yesi: "Eldest Brother, look, you've been promoted again! When will Xu and I be given something meaningful to do?"

Li Yexu hurriedly nodded his small head, his eyes fixed intently on Li Yi.

"What? Can't wait any longer? Well, you two aren't little children anymore; it is indeed time to find some occupation. Tell me, what do you want to do?"

Li Yesi answered without hesitation: "I want to pursue a civil career!"

Li Yexu: "I want to pursue a military career!"

"Oh!" Li Yi turned around, laughed heartily, and said to Li Jing and the others, "Grandfather, Grandmother, Uncle, Aunt, did you hear that? Our family is about to have both a civil and a military general!"

Li Jing narrowed his eyes and said, "Mn! Pursuing civil or military paths are both acceptable, but now is not the right time. As for the civil side, Yi'er has just entered the officialdom and his footing is not yet stable; it is not suitable to drag another person in just yet. As for the military, we could arrange for Yexu to go and adapt to military life in the army first!"

Li Yi: "Hehe, why don't we see how things unfold first? I don't even know what the Emperor intends for me to do yet."

No sooner had Li Yi finished speaking than a servant reported from outside that the imperial decree bearer had arrived.

Li Jing hurriedly led the others out to welcome the messenger.

When Li Yi reached the outside, he was surprised to find that the bearer of the imperial decree was none other than Fang Xuanling!

Li Jing: "Haha, it's Xuanling!"

Fang Xuanling: "Brother Yaoshi!"

Li Yi: "Oh my, isn't this just delivering an imperial decree? How could it possibly warrant troubling a Prime Minister to deliver it in person?"

Fang Xuanling said, with a mixture of feigned embarrassment and anger: "You rascal, your words are always so grating! What? Can this old man not deliver a decree?"

Li Yi hurriedly apologized with a smile: "Oh dear, Uncle Fang, my grandfather is right here. Can't you spare some face for your junior? Otherwise, he'll start lecturing me again."

Fang Xuanling: "Hmph! So even a rascal like you knows how to fear someone."

Li Jing: "Hehe, come, Xuanling, let us go inside and speak. Pay no attention to this brat."

Fang Xuanling waved his hand. "Brother Yaoshi, I am carrying an imperial command and dare not delay. Perhaps we should proclaim the decree first!"

"Very well! We shall follow Xuanling's arrangements entirely. Someone, set up the incense table."

The servants hurriedly arranged the prepared incense table and other ritual implements. Afterwards, Fang Xuanling took out the imperial decree and chanted in a ceremonial voice: "Duke of Wey, Li Jing, receive the decree!"

Li Jing and the others were about to kneel, but upon hearing these words, they froze in astonishment. Why was the decree for Li Jing? Wasn't it meant for Li Yi?

Li Jing looked at Fang Xuanling in bewilderment. Seeing Fang Xuanling nod with a smile, he suppressed his doubts and led everyone in kneeling to receive the decree!

"From the Secretariat: The Duke of Wey, Li Jing, possesses unmatched loyalty and righteousness, with extraordinary achievements. Truly, he is the pillar of the state... We hereby relieve the Duke of Wey, Li Jing, of his post as Minister of War, and additionally appoint him as Vice Director of the Secretariat (Right Chancellor) and Grand Master of Remonstrance of the Left. His official rank is Junior Second Rank. We bestow upon him one thousand bolts of silk and increase his taxable fief to five hundred households..."

After this conventional imperial decree was read aloud, Li Jing and the others finally snapped out of their daze. He had been promoted just like that? And to Right Chancellor—wasn't that essentially a Prime Minister? This was far too sudden!

However, before anyone could fully recover, Fang Xuanling produced yet another imperial decree and continued to chant: "Count of Weinan, Li Yi, receive the decree!"

Everyone was already too stunned to have stood up, so rising was entirely out of the question now!

Therefore, Fang Xuanling proceeded to read the next decree: "From the Secretariat: The Count of Weinan, Li Yi, possesses unmatched loyalty and righteousness, skilled in both civil and military affairs... We hereby establish a special Finance Department within the Ministry of Revenue, dedicated exclusively to the Great Tang Imperial Bank and the Cement Association, while also cooperating with the Ministry of Works in road construction matters. We specially appoint Li Yi as the Director of the Finance Department, of the Lower Fifth Rank..."

Once this second imperial decree was fully read, everyone finally accepted the decree, expressed their gratitude for the imperial grace, and stood up. However, their minds were currently in a complete fog, and Li Yi was no exception. He never imagined that Emperor Li Er would appoint Li Jing as Right Chancellor—this was a Prime Minister with actual political power! Furthermore, a completely new department had been created just for him. But what on earth was this Finance Department? Did such a department even exist among the Six Ministries? And why was his official rank only the Lower Fifth Rank? He should remember that his honorary court rank was already the True Fifth Rank!

Having finished proclaiming the decrees, Fang Xuanling knew that Li Yi and the others must have countless questions, so he very sensibly did not leave. Besides, when Emperor Li Er sent him to deliver the decrees, it was implicitly meant for him to resolve any doubts Li Yi and the others might have.

Li Jing invited Fang Xuanling into the main hall, and Li Yi followed them inside. The others dispersed; matters of grave national politics were indeed not suitable for others to witness.

After the three of them took their seats in order of seniority, servants brought tea. Only then did Li Jing speak: "Xuanling, why did His Majesty suddenly appoint me as Right Chancellor?"

Li Jing and Fang Xuanling could be considered old friends, and due to Li Yi's connection, their relationship had grown even closer. Therefore, some things could be spoken of without reservation.

Fang Xuanling: "Hehe, Brother Yaoshi, His Majesty actually spoke to me regarding this matter. In truth, His Majesty has been planning this for a long time. Last year, when you led the army to defeat the Eastern Tujue and captured the Qaghan Yili alive, washing away the shame of the Wei River Alliance for the Great Tang, it was a heaven-shaking merit. His Majesty wished to reward you then, but someone memorialized that you were lax in military discipline, and His Majesty mistakenly believed it, temporarily withholding your reward. Now that much time has passed, His Majesty has realized he wronged you back then. Hehe, our Majesty has always rewarded merit without fail, so Brother Yaoshi need not overthink it. This is nothing less than what you deserve."

"So that is how it was. Thank you, Xuanling, for clearing up my confusion." Li Jing wore an expression of sudden realization on the surface, but inwardly, he remained unconvinced. Was there ever a reason for an imperial reward to be delayed by a full year simply because of idle gossip? Li Jing knew very well what the real reason was: his achievements had grown too vast, threatening to overshadow the sovereign. The only reason Emperor Li Er kept him in the idle post of Minister of War for a whole year was to curb his influence and remind everyone that the Emperor of the Great Tang was still Li Shimin. While this sounded chilling, it was simply the norm of the feudal era. Emperor Li Er was considered relatively merciful, having only left Li Jing out in the cold for a year before finally granting him his due reward. Under a different ruler, Li Jing might never have been employed again. This also demonstrated that, as an emperor, Li Shimin was indeed magnanimous in his actions.

"Brother Yaoshi is too polite."

...

Li Yi, sitting to the side, had also gathered the gist of the conversation. Initially, he genuinely thought Li Jing's promotion was related to himself, but now he realized he had been overthinking. He, Li Yi, did not yet possess such immense influence; Li Jing attained his high office purely through his own abilities. Regarding this point, Li Yi secretly admired Old Li Er—any monarch capable of acknowledging his mistakes, no matter how mediocre, could not be entirely corrupt!

Seeing Li Yi sitting there in a daze, Fang Xuanling smiled softly. "What is it, you rascal? Do you have nothing to ask?"