Chapter 125: Closed-Door Training!

Seeing that the matter had been settled, Li Yi did not press the issue any further. However, when it came to the third matter, he suddenly felt rather embarrassed.

“Well... I... That is...”

The Red-Flowered Lady glared at him. “What do you mean, ‘well’ and ‘that is’? If you have something to say, say it!”

Li Yi said, “It’s just that I feel a little awkward. This concerns the perfume.”

Madam Cui was taken aback, then smiled. “What is there to feel awkward about? Wasn’t the perfume formula yours to begin with? Why be embarrassed? Take it.”

As she spoke, Madam Cui handed the formula to Li Yi, but he did not accept it.

The Red-Flowered Lady said, “Exactly! Yi’er, didn’t we agree from the beginning that I was only keeping the perfume formula for you? There is nothing to feel awkward about!”

Li Yi hurriedly shook his head. “No, no, you’ve misunderstood me. We agreed from the start that the perfume would belong to Auntie. That cannot be changed, and I never intended to take it back. The matter is this: the charity foundation is about to be established, with Changle as its president. But charity requires not only spending money, it also requires earning money. As you know, Changle is still young and is not yet capable of managing such things. So I would like to ask Auntie to come out of retirement and help manage the businesses under the charity foundation. As for the perfume formula, I feel that perfume would be especially suitable for the foundation to produce, so I would like to purchase it in the name of the foundation.”

The moment Li Yi finished speaking, Madam Cui lightly slapped him on the shoulder.

“You insolent boy! Are you making fun of your aunt? Purchase it? Charity is an act of kindness. How could I possibly accept money for it?”

The Red-Flowered Lady nodded. “That’s right. We cannot accept the money. This is a great deed that accumulates merit. How could we take payment? You little monkey, you’re talking nonsense again! As for Shuijou helping at the foundation, I agree as well. She must go!”

Madam Cui thought for a moment. “I naturally agree to helping with the charity foundation, but what about the household?”

The Red-Flowered Lady waved her hand. “You needn’t worry about the household. Leave it to Deqian. He’s a grown man now and should start taking responsibility for a few things.”

Li Deqian flushed at her words. “Mother, listen to yourself. Your son never said he wouldn’t agree!”

The Red-Flowered Lady gave a cold snort. “You may have the intention, but you don’t have the courage.”

Li Deqian gave a bitter smile and decided it would be wiser to keep quiet.

At that moment, Li Jing asked, “Yi’er, the vice president of your charity foundation is Xueyan, isn’t she?”

Li Yi nodded. “That’s right.”

Li Jing frowned. “Yi’er, I’m afraid that may be inappropriate. Everyone in Chang’an knows that Changle and Xueyan are your future wives. If you now bring your aunt into the foundation as well, aren’t you afraid people will say that the charity foundation is run by the Li family?”

Li Yi broke into a cold sweat at once. He truly had not considered this matter. Fortunately, Li Jing had reminded him; otherwise, he might have made a grave mistake.

“Grandfather is right. I really hadn’t considered that point. It is indeed a serious problem. I was negligent.”

Li Jing shook his head. “You’re too accustomed to everything going smoothly. Still, this is good. Let it serve as a warning. In the future, you must think matters through carefully before acting.”

Li Yi hurriedly nodded. “Yes, Grandfather. I understand.”

After thinking for a moment, he continued, “Then let’s do this. Changle will remain president, while Xueyan will step down. Auntie will become vice president, and Xueyan can follow you and learn for a while. I’ll also trouble Auntie to find several noblewomen from prestigious families who have good reputations and powerful connections. Together, you can establish the foundation properly. It would be best to choose another vice president who is not too closely connected to the Li family. That way, there will be a balance of power, and we can silence the gossip. At the same time, we can win over several influential families. After all, charity is a very large piece of the pie. Grandfather, what do you think?”

After hearing this, Li Jing considered it briefly before nodding with satisfaction.

“Excellent. You do not seek personal gain or personal power, you dare to employ capable people, you take the greater picture into account, you think things through thoroughly, and you uphold fairness and impartiality. Very good indeed!”

Li Yi scratched his head. “Hehe, as long as it’s good, that’s all that matters. Then it’s settled. Auntie, the perfume can continue to be produced. As for the other products, I taught Changle about them during my few days of rest. You can simply ask her when the time comes.”

Madam Cui smiled and nodded. “Rest assured. I won’t disgrace you.”

Li Yi raised his chin. “Of course you won’t. Just look at whose aunt you are.”

“You insolent brat!”

That afternoon, Li Yi ordered people to prepare their luggage and sent word to everyone who would be traveling with him, telling them to get ready. He remained busy until late at night before finally returning to the Jiang residence.

Early the next morning, after leading the little devils through their morning exercises, Li Yi returned to the Li residence. By then, everyone who was supposed to come had gathered, including all the women from the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, more than three hundred male servants, Bingyu, several cooks, Li Yi himself, and others—more than five hundred people in all.

Finally, there was one particularly special person: Old Wu, the master of disguise who served beside Li Yuanchang. Li Yi had obtained Old Wu from Li Er.

Li Yi led everyone through one final inspection. After confirming that everything was in order, he bade farewell to Li Jing and the other members of his family, as well as Changle, Li Xueyan, Li Ke, and the others who had come to see him off. He then mounted his horse and set out for Weinan.

Weinan lay in the broadest part of the eight-hundred-mile Qin Plain. It was one of the important birthplaces of the Chinese people and Chinese civilization. The name “Huaxia” itself originated from Weinan: “Hua” came from Mount Hua, the Western Sacred Peak, while “Xia” came from Xiayang. Weinan was known as “the vital route of the Three Qins and the thoroughfare of eight provinces.” It was the strategic passage connecting the Central Plains with Shaanxi and the far northwest, as well as a key part of the starting section of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Even in the Great Tang, Weinan could be considered a prosperous town. Moreover, the Western Sacred Peak, Mount Hua, lay nearby, perfectly satisfying Li Yi’s various requirements.

By the afternoon of the following day, Li Yi and his party finally reached Weinan after riding at full speed. The Third Son, who had been stationed there, was already waiting for them on the official road.

Without wasting words, Li Yi and the others proceeded directly to his residence. The estate stood in a village near Weinan, surrounded by low, humble houses belonging to commoners. Against them, Li Yi’s manor appeared especially conspicuous. As the group entered, the two characters “Li Residence,” gleaming with gold, immediately caught the eye.

Once they entered the estate, the more than five hundred people were assigned quarters by the Third Son. The nine special soldiers were also given their own designated areas. Although the Third Son was somewhat slow-witted in ordinary matters, he was surprisingly dependable when it came to handling this sort of arrangement. At least, Li Yi was very satisfied with his work.

That evening, after dinner, Li Yi carefully made a number of further arrangements. Only then did everyone truly settle in.

After gaining a basic understanding of Weinan from the Third Son, Li Yi learned that it was merely a medium-sized city. Although its location was important, its proximity to Chang’an and lack of any distinctive industry had prevented it from developing.

The village where Li Yi’s estate was located was inhabited mostly by poor farmers. The previous owner of the manor had oppressed the tenant farmers severely, and some of the people there could not even secure enough food and clothing.

Li Yi held a hereditary fief of one hundred households, meaning that the people there were under his authority. However, his primary purpose in coming was to train the more than five hundred people accompanying him, so he had no time to deal with local affairs for the moment.

“Hmm. The autumn harvest is almost here. Third Son, take some grain tomorrow to those families who cannot meet their basic needs. Give them enough to last until the harvest. Then tell them that this year’s rent will be waived. Let them live through the year in peace. Next year, I will come personally to resolve the problems here.”

“Young Master, that won’t do! They are your tenant farmers. Not collecting their rent is already against the rules, and now you want to give them grain as well? That’s far too generous!”

Li Yi waved his hand. “Do as I say. Rules? I don’t know what rules you’re talking about. I only know that anyone who serves as an official should bring blessings to the people. Although I am not an official here, I still have a duty to help the people live better. Third Son, remember this: no matter when, no one from the Li household may oppress the common people. This is the foundation of our household. As long as we protect this foundation, we will possess the greatest safeguard of all.”

The Third Son scratched his head, clearly unable to understand everything Li Yi had said. However, he knew that whatever the young master said was right, and that he only needed to carry it out.

“Rest assured, Young Master. Third Son knows what to do!”

From that point onward, Li Yi and his people officially entered a period of closed training.

Of the five hundred people, Li Yi planned to train the three hundred male servants into highly capable male attendants. He did not require them to master too much—only the relevant knowledge about whatever location they would be assigned to. They merely needed to be able to answer when customers asked questions.

Since these men would be sent to different places, they would also need to undergo specialized training in separate groups. Li Yi selected a man named Ye Qing to oversee them.

As for the more than two hundred women from the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, over one hundred and fifty were trained by Li Yi as female attendants, with requirements even stricter than those for the men. Most of them were led by Ziyi, including the dozen or so women who had been rescued alongside her from the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

The remaining women were taken by Li Yi to a secret location for special training. Among them were also thirty or forty men, all carefully selected from the male servants.

This was Li Yi’s ultimate trump card, and the most difficult training of all. The three heavenly maidens of the Xiaoxiang Pavilion formed its core. At first, the three women were somewhat doubtful, but after Li Yi explained what they would be doing, they became more enthusiastic than anyone else.

The last group consisted of the nine special soldiers. They had already passed through the Death Tunnel and now only needed to undergo their final trials. These included several special forms of training, such as learning the art of disguise from Old Wu.

At the same time, this was also the most arduous period they had ever faced. Whether they could pass would depend entirely on themselves.

There were four groups of people to train in total. Li Yi wished he could split himself into eight parts. During this period, he slept only two or three watches each day. Relying on his youth, he somehow managed to endure it.

In truth, Li Yi did not want to push himself so hard. However, according to his recollection, the Great Tang would soon experience an incident of moderate importance. It might not mean much to the dynasty, but it would be perfectly suited for the special soldiers to prove their abilities.

Therefore, Li Yi wanted to resolve all his remaining concerns before that incident occurred. He was still young, after all. There was no harm in working hard. Living a full and steady life this way was not so bad.

Finally, on the twentieth day after arriving in Weinan, Li Yi had completed nearly all his tasks and could at last take his people back to Chang’an.

Only the special soldiers remained behind. They still had to undergo their final assessment.

The more than two hundred elite troops Li Yi had requested from Li Jing had arrived ten days earlier, and Li Er had even added another hundred men. Li Yi therefore sent all three hundred soldiers into Mount Hua to hunt down the nine special soldiers who had already entered the mountain.

The task Li Yi had assigned the special soldiers was simple: they would pass if they could “eliminate” all three hundred elite troops.

Li Yi had divided the mountain into designated areas. As for who would emerge victorious from this clash, he truly had no idea.