Chapter 4

In the darkness before dawn, the silence was profound and the chill was piercing.

By the sickbed.

“Li Li” was wide awake, his large eyes open without a trace of sleep, his thoughts racing.

Now, he was Li Li, and could only be Li Li.

This was a proposition with no options, leaving no room for choice.

He could only continue on, using the body of the deceased “Li Li.”

However, according to historical records, Li Li did not meet a good end.

In the end, he and his younger brother Li Xian were brutally killed by Wei general Xu Chu, their heads severed and their bodies left to rot in the wilderness.

Furthermore, the entire Li family of Beidi Commandery met a terrible fate.

In the third year of Jian'an, Colonel Duan Wei led his troops to defeat Li Jue, and the entire Li family, over two hundred people, were taken alive to Xuchang, where Cao Cao ordered their execution and public display, their bodies left to rot, and their names disgraced.

After Li Jue's head was sent to Xuchang, Cao Cao had it shown to the people around Xuchang to demonstrate his authority and power.

In the historical novel, Li Jue was one of the five strongest generals under Dong Zhuo, ranking second, only behind Dong Zhuo's adopted son, General Hu Ben.

Dong Zhuo dominated the court and the country, relying on three elite cavalry units, two of which were trained by Li Jue: the Flying Bear Army and the Dragon Soaring Camp.

After Dong Zhuo's death, Li Jue assisted Emperor Xian in governing the country for more than four years, establishing the province of Yong, and his power intimidated the various feudal lords and barbarians, preventing them from stepping into the western capital.

He was a powerful minister, once holding the highest position, commanding the nation, and issuing orders to all directions.

However, all this glory lasted only four years.

Subsequently, Li Jue and Guo Si turned against each other, engaging in mutual attacks; and the internal strife within the Xiliang army led to its disintegration.

Moreover, Li Jue's act of holding the emperor hostage made him hated and reviled, his reputation tarnished, and the feudal lords envied and resented him, all wanting to eliminate him.

Thus, the tragic fate of the Li family was sealed. In the end, they were annihilated by the Cao Wei regime, with the entire family and three generations exterminated.

Reflecting on the tragic end of the Li family as recorded in history, Li Li was extremely anxious and restless.

However, he was severely injured and could do nothing, let alone change the fact that the Li family was an accomplice to the tyrant Dong Zhuo.

The stain of aiding a tyrant could not be erased, and the seeds of disaster had already been sown, leaving him with no recourse.

Moreover, although Li Li had all the memories of his original body, he did not know what year it was or whether Dong Zhuo was still alive.

However, one thing Li Li could be certain of was that Dong Zhuo had already forced the young emperor to move the capital to Chang'an.

The grand campaign of the eighteen feudal lords against Dong Zhuo was long gone.

Currently, Luoyang was in ruins, and the various feudal lords had dispersed.

Luoyang was now back under the control of the Xiliang army; otherwise, Li Jue's army could not have been stationed in Zhongmu County.

··················

The sun rose, and the light was warm.

In the backyard of Zhongmu County.

In the morning, the withered grass sprouted, and the willow branches were tender and green.

Under the sunlight, the entire backyard was full of vitality and warmth.

By the sickbed, Li Jue, Li Fu, Li Xian, and other close associates were all gathered in the room.

Everyone wore joyful expressions, their faces beaming.

By the sickbed, Li Jue held a bowl of thin porridge, feeding Li Li with great care.

After feeding the porridge, the worry on Li Jue's face disappeared, and he burst into laughter, saying, "Li Li, your injuries have improved a lot! These days, I have been very worried. I invited all the doctors within a hundred miles, but your condition did not improve.

Now, with the help of heaven, you have finally pulled through! Hahaha!"

Seeing the genuine concern in his “uncle” Li Jue's eyes, Li Li felt a warm feeling in his heart.

At this moment, he truly accepted his current identity and recognized this “uncle” who had aided a tyrant.

Regardless of how the world viewed Li Jue or the atrocities he committed, in Li Li's eyes, Li Jue's concern for him was genuine, just as it was in his original memories.

He was truly caring and treated him like his own.

Feeling the deep concern from his uncle, Li Li made a decision.

No matter how heinous Li Jue's crimes were, he never harbored any ill intentions toward his family and was always caring.

Based on this, Li Li vowed to stand by his uncle Li Jue, fight alongside him, share his glory and disgrace, and do his best to change the tragic fate of the Li family.

"Uncle, I was rash and inexperienced, causing you trouble. This is all my fault. From now on, I will learn from my mistakes and help you with your worries."

"Ha ha ha!"

Li Jue laughed heartily, "Good, after this ordeal, Li Li has finally grown up! In the afterlife, I can finally give an account to my brother!"

After speaking, Li Jue's eyes became moist, and tears welled up in his eyes, but they did not fall.

Seeing Li Jue's expression, Li Li was deeply moved.

"Uncle, don't be sad. We Xiliang men have iron bones and do not shed tears. Li Xian and I have always been proud of you and emulated you. Your current state makes me feel a bit helpless. Ha ha ha!"

The hearty laughter caused Li Li's abdominal wound to hurt, making his lips twitch and his face contort in pain.

Seeing that Li Li's injuries were not serious and would recover in about half a month with proper rest, Li Jue felt extremely relieved.

"Ha ha ha! Li Li, you are now seriously injured and need to rest and recover. You must not act on impulse. Laughing like that just now is not good!

Moreover, our army needs to rest and regroup in the near future. We have been fighting for over a month, covering hundreds of miles, and the soldiers are exhausted. So, rest assured and focus on your recovery. There's no need to worry about military affairs. I will handle everything!"

While Li Jue was speaking, Li Li noticed a tall, imposing man standing behind him, over eight feet tall.

Since entering the room, this tall man had been standing by the side, grinning foolishly at him. His gaze was extremely kind and filled with deep concern and respect.

Everyone in the room was from the Li family, so Li Li guessed that this tall man was his younger brother, Li Xian.

At this thought, Li Li was greatly surprised.

In his memory, Li Xian was only fourteen years old, still a young teenager, but he was already as tall and strong as an adult.

Li Xian had a rugged appearance, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, a big nose, and a wide mouth. He had a small tuft of beard on his chin and was already over eight feet tall, about 1.80 meters, with a broad waist and powerful limbs.

How could one word "big" describe him!

Despite his foolish and simple appearance, Li Xian was not actually stupid. From his memories, he was just a bit thick-skinned, not good with words, and had a kind heart.

"Uncle, what do you think about letting Li Xian join the army for some training? Look at how strong and robust he is. Although he is young, he has extraordinary strength and great potential.

Sending him to the army early will benefit him greatly and keep him from idling around the courtyard all day!"

Li Jue was slightly surprised, then chuckled, "Ha ha ha, okay! You two have been with me on campaigns for years, living a nomadic life. Instead of staying idle in the rear camp, it would be better for him to get some training in the army.

Xian, do you want to join the army for training?"

"He he he!"

Li Xian scratched his messy hair and grinned foolishly, "Whatever Big Brother tells me to do, I will do! Uncle, just assign me to Big Brother's unit. This way, while Big Brother is recovering, I can train the soldiers for him, so they don't slack off and fail to protect Big Brother next time!"

Although Li Xian's words sounded soft and casual, the hint of ferocity in his tone was enough to make everyone in the room take notice.

Indeed, Li Xian was young, still a teenager, but that was just the surface.

In reality, he had incredible strength, with the power of a thousand pounds even at a young age. His combat ability was not inferior to Li Li's and might even be slightly stronger.

However, Li Xian was naturally rough and his fighting techniques were broad and direct, relying solely on brute force.

Therefore, he could easily handle ordinary soldiers, but if he faced a true warrior, his crude methods would not be effective. For example, Li Jue and Li Li could easily dodge his brute force and defeat him.

Li Li suggested that Li Xian join the army now to help him develop his combat skills.

No matter how clumsy he was, through observation and practice, he would eventually learn some combat techniques. Even a little bit of knowledge would significantly improve his combat ability, making him a true warrior.