Chapter 003: Promotion

Li Lianying glanced at Yang Yong, who was standing there foolishly, and anxiously signaled, "Lord Li, why are you not accepting the decree!"

Li Guoyong, coming to his senses, hurriedly said: "I accept the decree and express my gratitude!"

Empress Cixi snorted and said: "The Emperor is getting older, but his heart is becoming smaller. For such a great service in rescuing the Emperor, he only rewarded a third-class guard of the fifth rank. How about this, today I will take charge and promote you to a first-class guard, third rank."

Li Lianying said, "Your Majesty, Lord Li is still loyal to the throne and patriotic. Although he bears the guilt of concealing information, in the opinion of this humble servant, it would be best to allow Lord Li to redeem himself through merit."

Li Guoyong thought to himself, "You old hag, just keep pretending. That bastard Yuan Shikai has already reported this to you. " His face displayed a look of terror: "Your Majesty, please do not be angry, please do not be angry. At that time, I was merely an ordinary guard; such matters were beyond my purview."

Li Lianying chuckled and stroked his chin, which had no beard at all, saying, "I didn't expect that the people down below have quite a good rapport."

Li Guoyong seized the opportunity and pressed on: "Your Excellency, you may not know, but our admiration for you, the guards below, is like the endless flow of the Yangtze River, ceaseless and unyielding; it is also like the flooding of the Yellow River, uncontrollable once it begins." At this moment, Li Guoyong was immensely grateful to Zhou M. Hetushu.com for his "The Deer and the Cauldron," which allowed him to readily employ this historically unparalleled flattery.

As soon as Li Guoyong sat down, Cixi immediately changed her expression: "I heard that the Imperial Guard Li risked his life to save the Emperor a few days ago"

Li Guoyong was practically wailing: "The Empress has treated me with kindness as heavy as a mountain, yet I have let the Empress down." He began to admire his own acting skills; it was strange that in his own era, no director had ever taken notice of him.

Empress Dowager Cixi nodded and said, "What official position did the Emperor bestow upon you today?"

Upon hearing this novel term, the Empress Dowager Cixi above clearly chuckled and said, "Little Li, this sounds quite fresh."

Li Guoyong truly admires Cixi and Li Lianying, as they performed even better than himself; if this acting does not win an Oscar, then the judges must be blind.

The six individuals, starting with Tan Sitong, are famously known in history as the "Six Gentlemen of the Wuxu Reforms." Are these six people captured by themselves? What then does that make them in history?

I, Li Guoyong, am filled with trepidation and fear; from now on, I shall follow the orders of the Empress Dowager with utmost obedience

Empress Dowager Cixi seems to have calmed down quite a bit: "Li Guoyong, are you willing to atone for your sins by making a contribution?"

Empress Dowager Cixi nodded: "As for the Emperor's actions, it is entirely due to those reformists causing discord between us mother and son. Here’s what you should do: go and capture those eight traitors—Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, Tan Sitong, Kang Guangren, Liu Guangdi, Lin Xu, Yang Rui, and Yang Shenxiu. You are someone close to the Emperor, having saved him before, and today the Emperor has promoted you again. They will likely not suspect you. Remember, not a single one must escape!"

We, the individuals present here, have nothing but the utmost respect for you, esteemed elder. Li Guoyong also displayed some cleverness: "Esteemed elder, this is my first time visiting the venerable Empress. I hope you can offer some guidance."

"What happened to you, Guard Li?" Cixi said in a noncommittal tone, "What, are you crying now?"

Empress Cixi waved her hand and said, "Show him to a seat."

I heard Li Lianying laughingly say: "I have long said that this little monkey is quite clever."

Li Guoyong immediately said: "That is the Emperor's great blessing; I have no merit at all."

Li Guoyong cursed inwardly: "Damn it, just giving me a seat is considered a favor, what kind of people are these?" Yet, he still maintained a respectful demeanor on his face: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for granting me a seat"

Along the way, Li Guoyong unleashed all his skills: the ultimate techniques of his time in the art of pimping, known as "Horse and * Diagram * Book Fart Divine Skill," launched a series of offensives against Li Lianying.

With the eunuch's announcement, Li Guoyong entered with trepidation. From a distance, he saw a woman seated there and hurriedly knelt down, saying: "I, the servant Li Guoyong, respectfully wish the Empress Dowager eternal blessings and longevity equal to that of heaven"

Suddenly, Cixi slammed the table and exclaimed: "Damnable servants, you eat the king's salary and serve the king's affairs. The Emperor has been instigated by the petty people around him; why did you not dissuade him? And why did you not report this to me?"

"Xuan Li Guoyong's audience!"

Alright, let's get to the main topic. Li Guoyong thought to himself, "Oh dear wife, let us fully commit to this performance." With a "thud," he knelt down again, immediately bursting into tears: "Your Majesty, I am guilty of a capital offense, a capital offense indeed!"

Li Guoyong finally managed to stop crying, still kneeling on the ground: "Returning to the Empress Dowager, His Majesty summoned Lord Yuan Shikai twice on the 16th and 17th for a private audience; on the night of the 18th, His Majesty also instructed Lord Tan Sitong to visit Lord Yuan Shikai in secret. It seems His Majesty intends to take some action, but as a humble official, I am truly unaware of the specifics."

Li Guoyong hurriedly knelt down to express his gratitude, but he was well aware that this was the beginning of Cixi's attempts to win him over. If it weren't for his knowledge of the future and his understanding of what kind of person this old woman was, he might have genuinely felt grateful to her. Jumping from a fifth-rank official to a third-rank official in one leap, anyone else would have been completely devoted to Cixi.

Li Lianying nodded and said, "You little monkey, remember this: if you want to keep your head, you must answer whatever the Empress Dowager asks, without hiding anything. If the Empress Dowager is pleased, we can speak a few good words for you on the side, and then you will have plenty to be happy about."

When Li Guoyong settled back down, Cixi leisurely said, "Li Guard, what has the Emperor been up to these days? Share it with this old lady to relieve my boredom."

Fifth-rank, third class imperial guard, awarded the yellow jacket

Li Lianying was indeed well-informed, yet despite his extensive knowledge, he had never encountered the various novel discourses of the era of Li Guoyong. Furthermore, he found himself in the company of Li Guoyong, a rogue known for his exceptionally thick skin. Gradually, his expression shifted from gloomy to bright, and a smile began to emerge.

(Note: Historically, Tan Sitong was actually captured on the 25th and was killed on the 28th along with Lin Xu and six others. The timeline has been slightly advanced.)

Arriving at the entrance of the Chuxiu Palace, Li Guoyong gazed at the departing figure of Li Lianying, filled with countless emotions. To be honest, he harbored deep-seated hatred for the old woman who was about to bring disaster to the nation, dragging China into a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. In his own era, he sometimes fantasized that if he could return to this time, he would surely undertake a grand endeavor to save his troubled homeland, allowing it to stand like a brilliant pearl at the pinnacle of the world.

Empress Dowager Cixi lazily said: "Let it be as such, you arrange for the personnel, and we shall set off tomorrow evening. I am a bit tired as well, you may kneel and take your leave."

In fact, what Guangxu wanted to do, and even the final outcome, was very clear to Li Guoyong. However, to express it himself would be unreasonable.

A trace of a sinister smile passed over Cixi's face: "Get up, let's talk properly."

However, when that day truly arrives, my first thought is how to save my own skin, like a dog running around that dead eunuch. Am I really destined to be nothing more than a pimp?

Regardless of any grand ambitions, it is essential to focus on surviving first before anything else

Li Guoyong has truly lost his mind this time

Li Lianying hurriedly stepped forward, urging Li Guoyong to rise, while quietly saying: "The Empress Dowager has granted a seat; this grace is indeed great"

Li Guoyong, filled with great joy, nodded repeatedly: "Whatever the elder says, I shall do accordingly. Once I benefit, I will never forget the elder's great kindness."