bookcurios Chapter 1756 Bestowing a Plaque upon the Li Family
Chapter 1756 Bestowing a Plaque upon the Li Family
"Who can argue with that? Such a large escort agency, with the head镖师 (escort/escort) dead, the agency will have to rely on Lu Si Niang alone from now on. What else can she do but be strong!"
The next day, Shang Xi and Yu Hua went to pay their respects to Li Lao Er and, sure enough, saw Ge Dongqing being stopped at the door. He was thin and haggard, and looked anxiously pacing around in circles. It seemed like he had some kind of mental problem.
As Shang Xi stepped forward, Ge Dongqing stopped her: "Niece-in-law."
"Uncle Ge, what are you doing here?" Shang Xi asked knowingly. She already knew that Ge Dongqing had been loitering around the entrance of the escort agency for a day and a night, but Fourth Sister had said that he was not allowed to go in to pay his respects, so he could only plead at the entrance.
His story became the talk of the town. The deceased Li Lao Er became a respected chivalrous hero. Many of those who came to pay their respects did not know Li Lao Er; they came purely because of his chivalrous act. Ge Dongqing, on the other hand, was the Lord Ge whom everyone risked their lives to save. No one blamed Ge Dongqing, and those who came to pay their respects did not point or whisper about him. Everyone simply felt deep regret for the dozens of people who had died.
Lu Si Niang didn't say another word to Ge Dongqing, and she didn't even glance at him when welcoming or seeing off guests. The more she did this, the more guilty Ge Dongqing felt. He knew that Shang Xi and Lu Si Niang had a good relationship, so he stopped Shang Xi.
"Shang Xi, tell Lu Si Niang that everyone died because of me. Let me go in and say goodbye to them. You can fight or kill me, or even give me your life in exchange."
Before Shang Xi could speak, the outspoken Yu Hua blurted out the truth, "Forty-seven people died. One life for one life, you still owe everyone forty-six lives."
Shang Xi nudged Yu Hua with her elbow, and Yu Hua immediately shut up. Ge Dongqing also stood there speechless, and suddenly burst into tears.
Yu Hua looked at Shang Xi, at a loss for what to do. She didn't know this person could cry, let alone cry so earnestly. Yu Hua panicked, "Shang Xi, I didn't mean it. Actually, what I meant was that since everyone saved him, we shouldn't let him pay with his life. I... I really didn't mean anything else. Shang Xi, you have to believe me. Um, Shang Xi, please persuade Lord Ge. I really didn't mean anything else. Please, don't let him cry! People who don't know the situation will think I'm bullying him!"
Shang Xi also had a headache. They were holding a funeral inside, and the person had died a violent death. Everyone was already upset enough, but Ge Dongqing was still wailing loudly. Everyone who passed by was watching them.
Shang Xi comforted him gently, "Uncle Ge, the dead cannot be brought back to life. I know you feel guilty. No one wants to die. Everyone saved you out of a sense of duty and chivalry. The deceased's family did not intend to harm you. You don't need to blame yourself. Even if it wasn't you that day, and someone else was being chased, everyone would have helped. Life and death are predestined. So many people saved you, you should cherish your life even more and live well, so that everyone's sacrifice will not have been in vain."
"Niece-in-law, don't try to comfort Uncle Ge. If you had known you would implicate so many people, why did you run away that day? You should have just let them catch you. Let them kill or torture you as they please." Ge Dongqing looked like he hated himself. So many people had died because of him, and he was finding it hard to accept his fate.
“Uncle Ge, the Yatuo people are cruel. You are Fengqi’s envoy to the surrounding countries and also the emperor’s sworn brother. If you fall into the hands of the Yatuo people, who knows what conditions they will impose on Fengqi! They might even be after our explosives.”
Despite his tears, Ge Dongqing's eyes were filled with gratitude for Shang Xi. On the way back, Shang Xi had said something heartwarming: "Niece-in-law, you really understand Uncle Ge. Those people didn't chase after anyone else, but they specifically targeted me. I suspected they were after the weapons we begged for."
"Uncle Ge, you are a pillar of the nation. You have repeatedly petitioned on my behalf to go on diplomatic missions to various countries and made great contributions. Everyone sacrificed for you, which is equivalent to dying for the country. Their merits are the same as those of soldiers who died in battle!"
Ge Dongqing looked at Shang Xi with the eyes of someone who understood him. "Shang Xi, you're right. I can't let them die in vain. I must go to the palace to meet the Emperor."
Then the man flicked his sleeves and strode away hurriedly.
Yu Hua looked at the departing figure in the distance, puzzled. "He's so impulsive. What did he go to the palace for?"
Shang Xi pondered, "She must have gone to ask for a reward for the deceased! Let's go in and see Fourth Sister."
Wan Lianxing already knew about Ge Dongqing's affair, and he had also anticipated that Ge Dongqing would go to the palace to ask him for a reward for the deceased.
"My brother wants these people to be enshrined in the Martyrs' Shrine?"
"Please grant me permission, elder brother."
Wan Lianxing thought for a moment and nodded, "Granted! Also bestow another plaque upon the Li family, inscribed with 'Gate of Loyalty and Righteousness'."
"Thank you, brother!"
The rewards arrived at noon, and two court officials were also sent to pay their respects to the deceased. One of these two officials was Ge Dongqing.
The families of the deceased were greatly relieved to hear that they could be enshrined in the Martyrs' Shrine. The families of fallen soldiers would receive pensions, be exempt from taxes and corvée labor for generations, and their children would have priority in schooling and preferential treatment in official positions.
Ge Dongqing cried in the mourning hall for a long time with tears streaming down his face. His genuine emotions moved the deceased's family members.
When he got up to see Lu Siniang again, he bowed to her with his hands clasped. Before he could speak, Lu Siniang said, "You've done something decent."
"During everyone's life-risking rescue, what Dongqing did was insignificant. I want to keep vigil for everyone, and I hope Fourth Sister will grant my request."
"Don't push your luck. If you don't want me to embarrass you in public, quickly take your people and go back to where you came from. Don't delay our funeral arrangements."
Given the previous relationship between Ge Dongqing and Lu Siniang, he was really not suitable to be here. After being driven away, Ge Dongqing went back to the palace.
This man had been gone for several months. In the past, he often lingered under Wan Lianxing's nose. It would be a lie to say that he didn't miss Ge Dongqing. But when he came back, he was in such a dejected state, lacking his former spirit and his past talent and unrestrained nature!
"The yellow sand dances in the vast sky, a lone tree shelters a white crow. The heroic soul of a warrior departs from a foreign land, the coffin of a martyr returns home." Whenever Ge Dongqing thinks of that row of black coffins, he can't help but burst into tears.
Sui Ying stood beside Wan Lianxing and sighed deeply, "Your Majesty, can't you just send him back to the Ge residence? It hasn't even been half an hour, and he's already cried five times! It's so annoying."
The memorials in Wan Lianxing's hands were piled up like small mountains. He reviewed one after another. It could be said that every day, there were no less than two sacks of memorials from all over the country. Wan Lianxing never delegated these memorials to others. He did them all himself and never made a fuss about accumulating them. Even if he worked late into the night without sleep, he would still finish reviewing all the memorials for the day.