Chapter Nineteen: Reunion with Family!

Li Jing expressed his gratitude, stood up, and walked to Li Yi’s side. He examined Li Yi closely, his excitement growing with each glance. Then, in a gentle tone, he said, “Child! Where did you get this jade pendant? May I have a look?”

Li Yi was startled when Li Jing called him “child” and wanted to see his jade pendant. Suddenly, a possibility struck him. “Oh my goodness! Could I really be this lucky? Am I about to become a noble?” He shook his head, then took off the jade pendant and handed it to Li Jing, saying, “This is the only memento my parents left me.”

As Li Jing received the pendant, a look of joy flashed across his face, quickly replaced by shock. “What did you say? A memento? What do you mean?”

Li Yi immediately replied, “My master told me he found me at the foot of Mount Mao when I was half a year old. All I had with me was this jade pendant. Oh, and there were traces of blood nearby. My master guessed that my parents, fleeing from enemies, left me there in desperation. He feared my parents might have perished, for otherwise, they would never have abandoned me.”

“My son Dejiang!” At that, Li Jing was so overwhelmed with emotion that he fainted, falling into Li Yi’s arms.

“Summon the imperial physicians at once!” Emperor Li Er, seeing Li Jing collapse, was greatly alarmed and immediately gave the order.

The ministers all rose to help as well. Li Yi quickly checked Li Jing’s pulse and, seeing it was merely a fit of agitation, breathed a sigh of relief and pressed his finger firmly under Li Jing’s nose until he revived.

Before long, Li Jing regained consciousness. After confirming that Li Jing was no longer in danger, Li Yi helped him up and reported to Emperor Li Er, “Your Majesty, Lord Li suffered only a momentary shock. He is otherwise unharmed.”

Li Er let out a long sigh of relief. Had Li Jing succumbed at such a moment, it would have been a heavy blow to the Great Tang. “That is well. That is well. I had no idea Wen Yong was skilled in medicine. We are truly fortunate today!” Li Er was shaken; had Li Jing, an elder of such years, lost his life to a faint with no one to tend him before the imperial physicians arrived, the outcome could have been grave.

“Child! You should call me grandfather!” Li Jing, upon regaining his senses, addressed Li Yi with these words.

This utterance not only stunned Li Yi but caught everyone else off guard as well. Emperor Li Er realized that today was no ordinary day. All present were usually models of decorum, yet had repeatedly lost their composure. But none of that mattered now; what mattered was the relationship between Li Yi and Li Jing.

Once Li Jing had steadied himself, he was about to kneel and speak, but Li Er stopped him, inviting him to sit instead. Li Jing thanked him but remained standing, holding Li Yi’s hand as he addressed the seated Emperor and all the ministers: “Your Majesty, after careful confirmation, I declare that Li Yi is indeed the sole descendant of my son Li Dejiang, who disappeared nearly twenty years ago—my second house’s eldest grandson!”

Though Emperor Li Er had suspected as much, he was still taken aback by the sheer coincidence. “Do you have any proof, Minister of Medicine?”

“Yes! In truth, the proof is self-evident. Wen Yong is the very image of Dejiang in his youth. That is why I was so shaken upon first seeing him. And this jade pendant belonged to Dejiang—it was a gift from me when he was born. His elder brother, Deyu, has one identical to it. I instructed them to use these as family heirlooms, and I myself engraved the character ‘Li’ upon them.”

As he spoke, Li Jing passed the jade pendant to Emperor Li Er.

The Emperor examined it and said, “Indeed, that is your handwriting, Minister. Now that you mention it, Wen Yong truly resembles Dejiang.”

“Exactly! During the chaos of war, Dejiang and I were parted. I believed him dead all these years. I even gave him a burial mound in his honor. To hear news of him today, only to learn it is of his passing, was more than I could bear. Yet to gain a grandson in his stead—if I were to die now, I would have no regrets!”

“Haha! This is a day of great joy! The Empire gains a man of rare talent, and you, Minister, have a fine grandson. Congratulations! You must guide him well—he is a pillar of the state in the making, and I will be counting on him!”

The Emperor’s words were laden with meaning—both a gesture of favor and reassurance, and much else besides. But Li Yi barely heard any of it, for one thought filled his mind: I have arrived!

After Li Jing thanked the Emperor, Fang Xuanling and others came forward to offer their congratulations—some sincerely, others less so. Li Yi’s abilities had already drawn the Emperor’s eye, and now, with his identity revealed, he was suddenly vaulted into the ranks of the nobility. Such a transformation could not help but make the other ministers wary. After all, the world of the powerful was a treacherous one, and their glances warned Li Yi that while nobility had its rewards, it was also a perilous whirlpool in which one might be dashed to pieces.

“Hmph! They had best not push me too far. I am an amiable fellow, but if I lose my temper, even I fear myself!” Li Yi was lost in thought when a sly, cold voice sounded: “Wen Yong, why delay calling your elders? Are you shy?” The speaker was none other than Changsun Wuji.

“Damn that old fox Changsun, already making trouble! I’ll remember this—you and I are sworn rivals from now on!” Though Changsun’s words sounded like a jest, a careless response would brand Li Yi as unfilial by dawn, with no evidence ever pointing to Changsun.

Li Yi first turned and bowed to Li Jing, then announced in a steady voice, “Lord Li.”

His words startled all present, but sensing there was more to come, they waited in silence. Li Jing, for his part, simply smiled at Li Yi, unconcerned by the title.

After a brief pause, Li Yi continued, “I was raised by my master from infancy. He is the closest person in my life. Before I left the mountain, he urged me to find my parents, which has been my long-cherished wish. The care, the admonitions, the love—even the scoldings of parents—these have always seemed so far away. My master fed me with goat’s milk, drop by drop, when I was small. It is almost laughable, but before the age of five, I did not even understand what parents were. One day, I saw parents bringing their children to seek my master as their teacher, and only then did I realize what a great bond there could be.” As Li Yi spoke, his eyes grew red and a tear slipped down unnoticed. He thought of his parents from his previous life—fifteen years had passed since he last saw them, and today, at last, he could give voice to the longing that had always weighed on his heart.

No one had ever heard such a heartfelt confession; all who listened were utterly absorbed.

“As I grew older, my yearning for familial love only deepened. I began to look forward to the day I would descend the mountain. But when that day came, I found I was afraid—afraid I would find no family, afraid that if I did, they would not accept me, afraid the family I found would be riddled with strife... In short, I cannot bear the thought of more regret. I have been alone for fifteen years, and I do not wish to be alone forever. So, Lord Li, before I acknowledge my kin, will you grant me three requests? Let this be my last act of willfulness as an orphan.”

Such words would have been deemed rebellious, but to the Emperor and ministers present, they sounded perfectly reasonable—they could find no fault.

Li Jing’s smile only deepened. “Speak. I am listening.”

Li Yi took a deep breath to compose himself, then spoke slowly: “First, my name is Li Yi, courtesy name Wen Yong. My master gave me these names. I know that in noble families, naming follows strict rules, but I will never change them.”

Li Jing nodded at once. “Good! It is right to honor your teacher. I agree.”

“Second, I heard you say I am the eldest grandson of the second house. I do not understand the customs of noble houses, nor whether I am an heir. So my second request is this: I will not participate in any contest for the Li family’s titles or property. All such matters have nothing to do with me.”

At these words, everyone was stunned. They had assumed Li Yi coveted Li Jing’s titles, only to be proven wrong.

“Why? Won’t you reconsider?”

“There’s no need. This is my most important request, for three reasons. First, as I said, a gentleman does not chase after power and profit. Inheritance may not be quite that, but I do not wish to gain without effort. Such unearned rewards would sap my ambition, and betray my master’s teachings. Second, noble families are rife with strife, most often over inheritance. Dai Chunlin of Luozhou fell to ruin for just such a reason. I do not wish my return to plant a thorn of resentment in my brothers’ hearts. I have been lonely for fifteen years, and I do not want my family ties tainted by bitterness. Third, ‘Honor is won on horseback; why seek wealth through crooked means?’ When I was a boy, my master asked my ambition, and I answered that a true man studies for the rise of the Great Tang, that a man’s aspirations must lie in the four corners of the realm. Achieving merit and wealth by my own ability is enough for me!”

These three requests were not made out of false modesty, but from a true desire for genuine familial affection. Besides, as a transmigrator, Li Yi felt that if he could not succeed on his own, yet still sought unearned gains, he might as well be dead.

“‘Honor is won on horseback; why seek wealth through crooked means?’ Excellent! A man of surpassing virtue and filial piety. A true son who studies for the rise of China. Do not worry! I tell you today—so long as you have the talent, I will grant you both merit and wealth!” The Emperor was truly delighted. Li Yi’s three requests revealed his character plain as day. With so many witnesses present, his words could not have been made lightly. A man who could so readily forsake power and wealth for family, who could speak of winning honor on horseback and studying for the rise of China—how could such a man ever betray his country for mere riches?