Li Mansion, Li Xuewen's study.
"My dear, please say hello to your father!" Li Sizhe bowed to his father.
Li Xuewen is of medium build, has big braids, wears a black satin gown, academic glasses, and a black beard. He looks a bit like a professor at a certain university.
When he heard that his son was back safely, he felt happy and smiled slightly on his face. However, when he thought of Li Sizhe, a good artillery officer of the imperial court, he had been mishandled and turned into a beard. He couldn't help but get angry and beat him up. His face sank and he said: "You still know you have a father? You still know you have this family? Why are you coming back?"
"Dad, don't be angry. I care about you and my mother very much. I'm just too busy and don't have time to come back to visit you. It's all my fault." Li Sizhe said with a smile on his face.
"Busy? What are you busy with? Are you busy overthrowing the Qing Dynasty?" His father's face was as dark as water.
"Dad, what are you talking about?" Li Sizhe said with a smile, "I am busy doing some patriotic things that I can do?"
"You're a bandit, how can you talk about patriotism? It's so ridiculous!" His father sneered, "Does a beard have the right to talk about patriotism?"
"Dad, I am no longer a beard. I am a member of the Chenjiayu Security Team. My duty is to fight against foreign powers, expel the Mongolian bandits, and protect the local people!" Li Sizhe explained hurriedly.
"Members of the security team? Has your security team been approved by the government?" his father asked.
"That's not true." Li Sizhe shook his head.
"If you haven't reported it to the government for approval, it's just a beard, and you put powder on your face yourself to look good?" Li Xuewen said coldly.
"Dad, we are really different from other bandits. We love and protect the local people, fight against the Mongolian bandits, clean up the Japanese military police, and punish the real bandits who commit murder and arson."
"These things you mentioned are done by the government. Why do you have to make your own decisions and meddle in other people's affairs?"
"Dad, things are not as simple as you think. If it weren't for our Chenjiayu security team maintaining law and order in the area, the local people would have suffered a lot."
"What about your local government? What are they doing?"
"It's okay for those officials to eat, drink, have fun, plunder people's wealth, and oppress the people, but who will care about these things? There are fewer bandits coming, and they are slow to react. By the time they arrive at the scene, they will have finished their raids and run away; the bandits If they come too many, they are greedy for life and afraid of death, so they just shrink their heads and die without coming out." Li Sizhe said.
"Don't tell me these things. I only know that they are officials and you are bandits. I also heard that Zhang Xiluan, the prefect of Pingquan Prefecture, is planning to mobilize four battalions of troops to destroy you," Li Xuewen said, "You are so good, then, Why would the government send troops to exterminate you?"
"Dad, have you heard about this? It was all the result of the framing by Ren Zhanbiao from Hongmakan!" Li Sizhe said, "He went to commit murder and arson, but he blamed our security team."
"I don't want to hear about your grievances and grievances in the world. Just listen to me. Once you come back this time, you are not allowed to go back. Just stay at home," Li Xuewen said. "In addition, there are a few dignitaries. Miss Qianjin is waiting in line for you to come back. It just so happens that you go and meet her. If you like her, we will arrange your marriage as soon as possible. Once you have a family, you will feel at ease."
"Dad, I haven't completed my career yet, so why are we talking about marriage? And I have to go back in two days," Li Sizhe said.
"If I say you can't go, you can't go!"
"Dad, I need some money." Li Sizhe endured it and said with a smile on his face.
"Need money? How much?"
"One hundred thousand taels of silver." Li Sizhe said.
"One hundred thousand taels? You have such a strong tone! You say it lightly. Do you think your father is a banker? Oh, I don't come back at ordinary times and need money. I think of your father. Why do you need so much money? His father sneered and said, "Let me tell you, if you stay at home peacefully from now on, even if you don't do anything, we will raise you and the family business will be yours in the future. Then again, if If you are disobedient and continue to act nonsense, then you won’t get a single tael of silver.”
"Dad, I lent you this money. When our security team recovers, I will return it to you with interest," Li Sizhe said.
"Oh, you lend money to your security team, right? You think your father is a child. I am your father and you are my son. I lend you money. If you don't pay me back then, I have What can I do?" Li Xuewen sneered and said, "You are so stupid, your elbows are turned outwards. Who are you a family with? Don't think that I know nothing about you. I know the situation is probably better than you imagine. There’s more.”
"Dad, you really know everything about the world without leaving home." Li Sizhe hurriedly complimented his father in order to get the money.
"My child, you are still too young, your hair is still young," his father sighed, "Do you know what one hundred thousand taels of silver means? That is a huge sum of money, an astronomical sum of money. How do you behave in this world? It's too real, there is no scheming at all, you can't play with others. Your captain Zhang Tianhe is just a two-faced, hypocritical and cunning hypocrite. He is full of sweet words and specializes in deceiving you who are loyal and have no brains. How much money did he take from Jin Xiangyang of Zhong'an Bao, Li Fengxiang of Baiyunhaohe Jewelry Store, his godfather of Heiyun Village, and the owner of Tianjia Village? And when will he pay it back? He will only do it to satisfy him His ambition is to play tricks on the people around him. Everyone who has anything to do with him, such as Zhongan Fort, Tianjia Village, and Qingfeng Village, have all been destroyed, right?"
"Dad, how come you know everything?" Li Sizhe couldn't help but ask.
"You are a completely stupid person, and you still think you are smart. You can't beat Zhang Tianhe, and Zhang Tianhe is no match for Ren Zhanbiao," Li Xuewen warned him, "Therefore, from now on, you are not allowed to come back. What security team, if you dare to step out of this gate again and go find those beards, I will break your legs!"
"Dad, Zhang Tianhe is not the kind of person you say. He is a hero who cares about the world and stands upright." Li Sizhe defended.
"Look, you've been poisoned quite deeply and are stubborn! If you follow him, you'll lose your head sooner or later," Li Xuewen said.
"Dad, I think you are biased against our captain. You don't know him at all. He is not the kind of person you say he is. He is a gentleman with an open mind, courage and strategy!" Li Sizhe said, "The government People like Yuan Shikai, Ye Zhichao, Rong Lu, Yi Kuang, Duan Qirui, Cao Kun, etc. only think about their own future and never consider the affairs of the country."
"You are young, what do you know? Do you know what is going on in the officialdom? Do you know the inside story of the court? You are just talking nonsense. In the future, you are not allowed to mention such words again," Li Xuewen said, "And , let me tell you again, there is not even a tael of silver."
