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Throbbing, intense pain!
Li Hao attempted to open his eyes, but found it extremely difficult.
Finally, a crack of light slowly opened up before him.
The dim glow revealed the towering ancient halls, solemn and majestic, with a rugged dark golden dragon-scaled carpet spread out before his eyes.
At the top of the steps at the end of the carpet sat an awe-inspiring giant, whose gaze was as piercing as torchlight in the dark night, with a kind of mesmerizing brilliance.
Where... is this?
Wasn't I just playing a game?
Oh, my phone battery died, and I was just about to charge it...
Li Hao's mind was somewhat sluggish, hazy, observing his surroundings in a daze.
Damn, I didn't fall asleep holding my phone again, did I?
But this doesn't seem like a dream.
"Nineteen years old, champion of the armies, he beheaded enemies at the Royal Court, annihilated Great Demons, and quelled a century of chaos in Cangzhou. Such a hero is not only the sorrow of the Li Family but also the pain of the countless subjects of the Great Yu Dynasty!"
"Marquis of Xingwu, step forward to receive the decree!"
A commanding voice boomed from the great hall, deafening.
Li Hao struggled to look up, and saw many figures in official robes standing solemnly on both sides of the carpet. Was this... the imperial palace?
The Great Yu Dynasty... there seems to be no such dynasty in history, right?
As Li Hao was confused, a towering giant suddenly stepped out beside him, straight as a spear. Seeing only his silhouette, one could almost smell a lingering scent of ominous bloodshed.
"Today, we confer upon the ninth son of the Li Family, Li Jun Ye, the title of first-class Zhen Guo Marquis. He is to be promoted to great general, given a burial in the imperial tomb, awarded ten carts of ancient treasures, three Yu Dragon Orders, and ten dou of gold!"
"As of this day, the entire nation shall mourn for three days, and the court will abstain from meat for seven days as we pay tribute to the valiant soul of the Zhen Guo Marquis!"
Such lavish rewards astounded everyone in the great hall.
Only nineteen years old, and already anointed a marquis and a general!
While ordinary marquis were conferred titles like Marquis of the North or Marquis Pingyuan, the title of 'Zhen Guo' to denote a marquis was an honor of eternal renown!
Unprecedented and perhaps unrepeatable for future generations.
After all, to be ennobled as a first-class marquis at 19 was incredibly prestigious!
"Your Majesty, on behalf of my ninth brother, I receive the decree and thank Emperor Yu!"
The towering figure, straight as a mountain, a lance, knelt on one knee, and though his deep voice lacked much joy or excitement, it carried a faint sorrow, hoarse with strain.
"This is what your Li Family deserves; it is I who owe you!"
"Marquis of Xingwu, that is your child there, isn't it? I wish to bestow a name upon him; are you willing?"
"Without any merit, I dare not accept such a royal favor!"
"The young men of the Li Family are all heroes of Great Yu! As the Zhen Guo Marquis laid down his life for the country beyond its borders, and your son was born to this world, it may be the cycle of Heaven's will – Heaven has taken away My beloved general and bestowed upon Great Yu another fine young man."
"I now confer upon him the name... Hao!"
"I hope he will uphold the aspirations of the Zhen Guo Marquis to purge the world for Great Yu and unify Donghuang!"
"Your Majesty, this name is too noble; this subject fears it's too great an honor to bear..."
"No worry, the sons of the Li Family are worthy of such honor!"
A single name, Hao?
Li Hao was taken aback, then almost laughed. What a coincidence, it happened to be the same as his own name?
Wait a second.
The child they were talking about, couldn't be me, could it?
Li Hao looked down and was instantly stunned; there he was in swaddling clothes, his little hands and feet adorably chubby, being cradled by a beautiful woman in military armor.
"Bring forth the dragon blood jade pendant for Hao Er," commanded a voice.
Soon, Li Hao watched as a pale-faced eunuch with a solemn expression approached, carrying a dark red jade pendant etched with dragon motifs.
A delicate, fair hand gently took it, and the beautiful woman holding him whispered softly, "Thank you, Emperor Yu, for your generous gift."
What is going on...
Li Hao blinked his eyes. Is this a dream?
Suddenly, waves of dizziness washed over him, and he could hold on no longer and fell asleep.
...
...
Qingzhou City, the Divine General Mansion, the Li Family.
The Great Yu Dynasty had five Divine Generals, and the Li Family was one of them.
With nine generals from a single family, all loyal and courageous, the Li Family was the nobility among nobles in the Great Yu Dynasty, bathed in endless glory and wealth.
But beneath this boundless prosperity were the lives and blood of kin.
Six of the nine sons of the Li Family had perished!
The youngest marquis had joined the military for only two years and had just been promoted to colonel when unexpectedly, during the battle of Cangzhou, as a mere colonel, he led tens of thousands of cavalrymen straight to the enemy's royal city.
He broke through fifteen cities and slew a hundred demons!
With achievements worthy of ten generations, he became the sixth member of the Li Family to die a heroic death in service to the nation.
Now immortalized in the Temple of Valor, he was revered and remembered by all.
At this time.
About three months had passed since the conferment of the "Zhen Guo Marquis."
Over this period, the people of the Li Mansion had gradually emerged from their grief, with a little less gloom on their faces.
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And today, there was a happy event at the mansion, which brought rare liveliness to the place.
Elite families and high-ranking officials from various states either came personally or sent representatives to Qingzhou, a procession of luxurious and noble carriages parked in front of the Li Family's Divine General Mansion, drawing countless passersby to stop and look.
Today was the hundred-day celebration for the seventh young master of the Li family, the son of Marquis of Xingwu, Li Hao.
This favored child of heaven, born with a gold spoon in his mouth, had been granted a name by Emperor Yu upon birth, a name known throughout the land, and as he was from a family of divine generals, there was no doubt that he would have a place in the world's future.
As the saying goes, it's best to curry favor early.
Within the Divine General Mansion, in a room of the Mountain and River Courtyard.
Li Hao cuddled in the arms of his mother, Ji Qingqing, curiously observing the hustle and bustle outside the courtyard.
In a matter of months, Li Hao had come to understand that he was not dreaming but had... transmigrated.
This was not a historical dynasty, but the Ephemeral Realm.
There were martial artists, Great Demons, as well as swordsmen and temples.
Fortunately, the Great Yu Dynasty was powerful, demons were forbidden, and those daring to infiltrate the country were few, so the people lived rather well-off lives, not to mention someone born into a top-tier family like himself.
The days ahead were full of hope!
"Hao Er, actually, your mother didn't wish for you to be born into the Li Family, did you know that?" Outside, the noise was lively and boisterous, but Ji Qingqing in the room wore a worried expression and suddenly said in a low, mournful voice.
Li Hao looked up at his mother in surprise.
At this moment, his vocal cords were not fully developed, and he couldn't speak. Even if he could, he would not be able to ask why, as that might scare the young lady to death.
However, although Ji Qingqing appeared quite young to him, being in her early twenties.
But the meticulous care and warmth over these past months had made him somewhat dependent on this mother figure.
"Actually, your mother had already thought of a name for you, it was Le Ping, Li Le Ping! Mother only wishes for you to be happy and safe, to grow up healthy. Unifying the world and such, that's the dream of the royal family, not the Li family's dream, and even less so of mine..."
Ji Qingqing murmured softly to herself, the sycophantic faces of the nobles outside did not make her feel proud or happy, but rather, she found them somewhat glaring.
"Emperor Yu named you in the hope that the Li Family would revive after the death of your ninth brother. The name carries the expectations of the Dayu royal family, and also serves as both an expectation and a spur for the Li Family..."
She said no more.
This weighty expectation, placed on her own child, made it easy to imagine, the more favors received today, the greater the pressure to be borne in the future!
Li Hao looked at the sorrow between the young lady's brows; at this moment, she was no longer the awe-inspiring Seventh Lady of the Divine General Mansion, nor the iron-faced female general who struck terror on the battlefield, but simply a mother.
Without the ability to speak, he simply buried his head more firmly against her chest.
Trying to convey his reassurance through his body heat.
Feeling the movement in her arms, Ji Qingqing looked down, saw her child's long eyelashes and lovely face, and her eyes softened in an instant.
She held Li Hao and shook him gently, her delicate hand soothing the infant as if to comfort her own heart:
"No matter what, your mother will help you. Your father has already stepped into the 'Immortal' realm, and there's a chance you will inherit that power within you."
"Even if your talent in martial arts is mediocre in the future, with the power your father has passed on, it will be enough for you to catch up to the pace of your forefathers when they were young, and you will not fall behind your peers."
"No matter what happens in the future, Mother will always stand behind you and will not let anyone harm you..."
She whispered to herself.
"The hundred-day feast is about to begin; why are you here?"
At that moment, the robust Marquis of Xingwu came over, his palm gently wrapping around Ji Qingqing's waist, and said in surprise, "What are you thinking about, not happy?"
"Of course not."
Ji Qingqing packed away her emotions, looked up with a smile, and didn't share her true thoughts with her husband. She knew that the men of the Li family were of a single-minded nature, taking pride in dying on the battlefield, and her own tender feelings for her children would ultimately not surpass the thousand-year glory of the Divine General Mansion.
"Have all the sisters-in-law arrived?"
"They have all arrived. They are just waiting for you and Hao Er."
The Marquis of Xingwu glanced at Li Hao and rubbed his little head, but his rough palm was like a blade, making Li Hao roll his eyes.
Can't this pigheaded father be a little more gentle?
Ji Qingqing, holding Li Hao, entered another room full of ladies and madams from the various courtyards, and at once a babble of voices surged up.
"Oh my, Hao Er is so handsome, even more so than Jing Er when he was a child."
"Yes, Shuang Er, look at your little brother, isn't he adorable?"
"Yo yo, he's staring at me with his little eyes!"
Apart from the ladies of the various courtyards, their children were also present. The youngest, only one or two years old, clung to the legs of the adults, their curious eyes round and shiny as they looked at Li Hao in his swaddle.
The older kids, around five or six years old, appeared mature beyond their years, not mischievous at all, standing to the side, seemingly bored, yet not daring to leave rashly, showing little interest in this new little brother.
"Come on, Hao Er, let Fifth Lady hold you."
A beautiful woman picked up Li Hao, her face full of affection, and then exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, is Hao Er hungry?"
"He just ate this morning."
The beautiful woman had no doubt and, thinking Li Hao was hungry, didn't worry further after hearing Ji Qingqing's response. She simply pinched Li Hao's little cheek gently, chuckling merrily.
The other madams also crowded around to tease Li Hao, and when the timing seemed about right, they began to present their gifts one after another.
Ji Qingqing hurriedly declined, but the gifts were firmly thrust into her hands.
These were treasures money couldn't buy. Today, at Li Hao's hundred-day feast, the gifts received had filled half of the Mountain and River Courtyard, all of them rare and precious treasures.
Among them, a bracelet made of jade-like material was placed on Li Hao's tender little wrist by the woman holding him, Fifth Lady, who said it had nourishing effects on the spirit.
Li Hao, who had been troubled by the chattering noises, felt somewhat drowsy; however, upon wearing the bracelet, he felt strands of coolness flowing from his little hand into his body, making him feel much more spirited indeed.
The sleepiness was swept away, and his thoughts became sharper.
He squinted his eyes, and suddenly, blurry characters leapt before him.
Compared to the muddled blurriness when he had just transmigrated, as the months passed and he grew day by day with his brain developing, these characters slowly became clearer.
And now, as if a nearsighted person had put on glasses, everything became crystal clear.