Chapter 941: Huiyao Paying Respect (I)
As Li Chenghuai let his mind wander, Li Zhouluo stepped forward, cupped his fist in salute and began introducing the siblings. The eldest among them, Li Zhoufang and Li Zhouyang of the first lineage, were timid and hesitant to speak, so the fourth young master took it upon himself to speak on their behalf.
Next was Li Zhouken of the second lineage. The current generation of the second lineage lacked innate ability. Though born of the first lineage, he had been adopted into the second, and was in fact the blood brother of Li Zhoufang and the others. He bowed respectfully when he was called upon.
The remaining children were all quite young, barely out of infancy, so it was hard to judge anything. After greeting each in turn, Li Chengliao turned to inspect the outstanding disciples of the sixteen prefectures. There were more than thirty in total. Naturally, the standards for selection were a notch below those for his own kin. As he surveyed them, none seemed foolish, but most were lacking in cultivation.
Seven from the An Family, two from the Chen Family, three from Western Pool, ten from the prominent families, and ten from the commoner clans...
Li Chengliao had a clear sense of things. The prominent families of Lijing, such as Chen, Tian, Dou, and Xu, were facing circumstances not unlike those of the Li Family’s main lineage. All suffered from dwindling legitimate descendants, so their numbers were understandably low.
In contrast, the newly risen surnames and humble households from the western and eastern banks of the prefectural mountains were rapidly amassing strength and securing their footing. Li Chengliao studied this night after night sitting atop the island with his red brush in hand. There were few who could claim deeper insight than him.
The era of intermarriage among the Chen, Dou, Tian, and Xu families of Lijing is coming to an end. Government appointments flow like water in the sixteen prefectures. The mortal and immortal realms grow ever more distant. There are prominent families with names but no land. Their rise and fall is a matter of a single generation, thought Li Chengliao.
He nodded as the youth below reported the customs of Wutu Prefecture, smiling in response, though his thoughts were elsewhere. The current peace and stability across the sixteen prefectures was not truly his achievement. He knew full well he had simply inherited a stable, finely-tuned Li Family ripe for manipulation.
The system of rotating appointments and prefectural authority, the Jade Court, the Qingdu enforcers; these had all been carefully devised by Li Yuanping and Li Xijun. Even when the Li Family had only held a sliver of the eastern shore, they already had a vision in place. Over time, Li Xicheng and Li Xijun had systematically eliminated the local powers in the newly claimed territories, and now that framework spanned the entire expanse of the lake’s sixteen prefectures.
However...