Chapter 26: A True Dragon Descends from the Heavens, Bestowing the Imperial Seal

Xin Niang appeared exceptionally joyful regarding the ancestral rites. After dressing Yun-ge’er, the smile never left her face.

"Once you have performed these rites today, Yun-ge’er, you will be officially entered into the Li family genealogy. Should anything happen to your mother in the future, they will be obligated to look after you, and the Li family will be required to share their assets with you. This puts my heart at ease."

Only then did Yun-ge’er realize there was such a purpose behind this; no wonder Xin Niang was even more excited today than she had been for the Lunar New Year.

Once dressed, Xin Niang looked Yun-ge’er up and down to ensure everything was perfect before picking him up.

Yun-ge’er allowed Xin Niang to hold him steadily, though he glanced toward the purses on the bed. "Mother, please keep my purses safe. I haven't even opened them to look yet."

Yesterday, Yun-ge’er had been so busy offering New Year greetings that he had simply tucked the small purses into his waistband. He had intended to unwrap them one by one before bed, but he had fallen asleep before he could.

Xin Niang smiled and patted Yun-ge’er’s shoulder. "Mother will remember; I promise not to touch them."

It wasn't just Yun-ge’er who had risen early; upon stepping outside, he saw Lady Bu carrying Yi-ge’er. However, Yi-ge’er’s eyes were red; he had likely been woken up so early that he had cried himself to exhaustion. Having finished crying, he was now fast asleep on Lady Bu’s shoulder.

At this moment, Lady Bu could do nothing but sigh. Seeing Xin Niang, she lamented, "If only Yi-ge’er were as easy to manage as Yun-ge’er."

Xin Niang pulled her little "lucky treasure" closer. With their maids carrying lanterns in front, the two women walked carefully, cradling their young children.

This being his first time performing ancestral rites, Yun-ge’er braced himself, striving to maintain a solemn expression.

When Li Fu saw Yun-ge’er and Yi-ge’er, he simply patted their heads and led them to the ancestral hall.

The hall was located within the Li residence. Upon arriving, Yun-ge’er noticed the shrine faced south and had already been opened.

Though it was usually kept locked, the eternal lamp inside was always lit. Auntie Zhang, who handled the chores, would come in every two days to replenish the oil, but otherwise, no one ever entered. As they reached the threshold, Yun-ge’er caught the scent of lamp oil, incense, and candles.

Yi-ge’er, still half-asleep, was suddenly hit by the cold winter air mingled with the acrid smell of the oil lamp. He couldn't help but sneeze twice.

Lady Bu wiped his nose, effectively waking him up; it was time to pay respects to the ancestors. Once inside, Yun-ge’er saw four spirit tablets placed on the high altar.

Yun-ge’er tried hard to read the characters, but he only recognized a few.

One read "Spirit Tablet of the Ancestors of the Li Clan," while the others were inscribed with "Spirit Tablet of the Late Father, Li [Name]..." Yun-ge’er had wanted to read them all carefully, but he realized he could not recognize most of the characters.

He silently decided to use the traditional method of reading only half of the character when unsure, but he dared not let Li Fu know, so he stopped muttering to himself.

He was then set down by Xin Niang, as was Yi-ge’er.

Perhaps because the atmosphere was so tranquil and Li Fu appeared so solemn, Yi-ge’er did not fuss after being forcibly awakened, but instead drowsily followed along as they performed the slow, rhythmic rites.

The process was neither fast nor slow. Finally, Li Fu recited a long prayer to the ancestors, which Yun-ge’er could not understand.

However, he occasionally heard his and Yi-ge’er’s names mentioned. He gathered that, in plain terms, Li Fu was telling the ancestors that Li Yun and Li Yi were their descendants—smart and bright—and asking them to bless them so they might grow up safely and achieve great things. Only if the descendants continued to prosper could the family line flourish and the ancestral sacrifices continue uninterrupted.

Once the rites concluded, Yun-ge’er thought they were finished.

Instead, Li Fu turned to Xin Niang and Lady Bu and told them that Uncle Li would soon arrive at the hall. He suggested they leave, promising to return the boys to them later.

Although Uncle Li was elderly, he was still an unrelated male, and since he had business in Liangzhou, it was inconvenient for him to stay at the Li residence. Since his last visit, he and Deng Qiang had been staying elsewhere, though Xin Niang and Lady Bu did not know exactly where.

Now that he was coming, he likely had official business to discuss and wanted to see the boys as well.

Xin Niang and Lady Bu did not think much of it. They simply patted the two children, reminded them to be obedient, and asked Li Fu to send them back early, noting that since they had risen early and missed breakfast, they should be fed lunch soon.

Uncle Li arrived quickly, likely having been instructed by Li Fu earlier. Upon his arrival, he was led to the hall by Auntie Zhang. This time, Deng Qiang was not with him.

After Auntie Zhang left, Uncle Li walked up and closed the heavy doors of the hall, locking them from the inside.

Yi-ge’er was oblivious, playing with the purse Li Fu had given him yesterday, while Yun-ge’er’s eyes widened as he looked back and forth between Li Fu and Uncle Li.

This behavior... there was clearly a secret.

Yun-ge’er was suddenly filled with the excitement of a secret chamber adventure; his little palms grew slightly damp with tension.

The next moment, he was picked up by Uncle Li, while Li Fu picked up Yi-ge’er. Yi-ge’er was particular about who held him, so Uncle Li couldn't hold him for long.

"You’re a clever little one; you’ll remember this," Yun-ge’er heard Uncle Li chuckle, and then a hand covered his eyes.

He wasn't allowed to see.

Yun-ge’er grumbled in displeasure, but he didn't resist.

Though he couldn't see, he heard the sound of something clicking and rotating. A sudden thought occurred to him: Were they turning a candlestick to reveal a hidden underground chamber? That’s how it always happened in television dramas.

Television dramas? The term suddenly popped into his mind, and he spent the rest of the journey wondering what it meant, though he couldn't grasp it.

When Uncle Li stopped walking and removed his hand, Yun-ge’er discovered he was in another ancestral hall!

This hall was much smaller than the one used for the public rites, yet it held more spirit tablets—seven in total.

Then, Yun-ge’er heard Uncle Li sigh heavily, his expression melancholy. "The *Book of Rites: Royal Regulations* states: 'The Son of Heaven has seven temples...' When will our Li family be able to openly worship our ancestors in seven temples again?"

Yi-ge’er was too young to understand, but Yun-ge’er pricked up his ears, trying to comprehend Uncle Li’s words. Though he didn't fully understand, based on his fragmented translation, he felt a sense of complexity.

Oh no, was this Li family once prosperous, and were they now attempting to reclaim the glory of their ancestors?

Yun-ge’er truly regretted not studying more; had he known, he would have devoured every book in Li Fu’s study, especially those on history.

He needed to find out: had there ever been an emperor surnamed Li in this world? When?

So, despite his father being a civil servant of the Liang Kingdom and acting like a scholarly gentleman, he was actually plotting a rebellion?

After his lament, Uncle Li noticed the complex expression on Yun-ge’er’s face.

He frowned one moment and patted his own chest the next, as if comforting himself. Judging by this, he seemed to have understood something.

Uncle Li recalled what Li Fu had said about Yun-ge’er’s intelligence. He knew that while Li Fu was of average talent, he was not a liar, so he trusted him.

However, having had little contact with Yun-ge’er, this was the first time Uncle Li had directly felt that, at two years of age, the boy was indeed extraordinary.

Uncle Li did not dwell on it. He placed the two boys on the ground and solemnly produced the genealogy he had brought with him.

After the Li family fell into hard times, the scattered clansmen had never abandoned their claim to the Li legacy. Consequently, they became increasingly strict in managing the remaining descendants.

The Li family genealogy was kept in the old residence in Xijing. Only by having one's name added to it would the Li family formally recognize an individual; otherwise, even those of Li blood were of no consequence.

Li Fu had sent word to the old residence after his two sons were born last spring. This year, Uncle Li had brought a small volume of the genealogy specifically to add the names of Li Yun and Li Yi.

As Xin Niang had hoped, once the names were added, a portion of the resources and wealth the Li family had painstakingly accumulated over the years would be allocated to Yun-ge’er and Yi-ge’er. Even if they were too young to use them, the annual increase would be recorded in a detailed financial ledger kept at the old residence, waiting for them to check and claim when they were older. Even Li Fu, their father, had no authority to touch their share.

Uncle Li carefully opened the ledger and, in the presence of the ancestors, meticulously added the names Li Yun and Li Yi. He then placed the ledger on the altar and began to recite a new prayer.

As the prayer began, Yun-ge’er saw thin wisps of smoke rising from the incense.

Vaguely, he felt a roar in his head, like the long, echoing chime of morning bells and evening drums.

Yun-ge’er felt his body go numb. He lost control and collapsed with a thud.

"Yun-ge’er!"

Yun-ge’er was always sensible and would never intentionally frighten anyone. Seeing him collapse, Li Fu was truly startled and rushed over to pick him up.

Uncle Li stopped his prayer and immediately rushed to check Yun-ge’er’s pulse and breathing.

In his daze, Yun-ge’er could hear Li Fu calling him and Uncle Li anxiously shouting for a physician, while Yi-ge’er began to cry.

But he could not wake up; his eyelids grew heavier and heavier until he slipped into a deep sleep.

In a long-awaited dream, Yun-ge’er saw Mr. Xia again. He had rarely dreamt of Mr. Xia—this was only the second time.

In the dream, Mr. Xia was packing up his room, but because he had too many fake antiques, the process was slow.

"Is Mr. Xia moving?"

Mr. Xia, who was busy, smiled. "Yes, I cannot stay in one place too long. And the professors at your school have been pestering me ever since they found out where I lived... It’s quite annoying."

Yun-ge’er felt a sense of regret.

"Where are you moving to, Mr. Xia?"

The university-aged Yun-ge’er asked, but Mr. Xia did not answer. Instead, he gave him a small gift—the fake imperial seal he had previously used as a paperweight.

Yun-ge’er had always thought the seal looked incredibly authentic, with one corner intentionally chipped and repaired with gold to match the legendary seal from history. On its left shoulder was carved "Received by the Han, the Heirloom Seal of the Great Wei," and on the right, "Mandate of Heaven, Shi Family"—the anti-counterfeiting marks that proved this legendary seal had once danced upon the stage of history.