“It’s the Crazy Lieutenant General Li!”
“I heard he fought off a hoard of Tatars with only a shield.”
“He’s the Son of General Li, isn’t he? I didn’t expect him to be so handsome…”
“Did you hear about the time he took back Ershen village when it was occupied? Single handedly!”
“That’s nothing! I heard he purposefully went into heat in the middle of a battlefield to distract all the enemy alphas!”
These were the typical comments thrown around as Li Changyu rode into the city. Most were half truths and exaggerated tales, others spoke about how attractive he was rather than his martial prowess. The Li family was notable, and he was no exception. After returning from the Northern front with his garrison, Li Changyu wasn’t surprised by the crowd. Scores of family members came near the gate to greet their loved ones, get letters from those still at the front, or to take in the possessions of those who had fallen. Others, like the gawkers that just spoke, only wanted to see the spectacle of a group of soldiers parade into the city.
However, there was one type of comment that did give him pause.
“Wait…” A commoner squinted at him as he passed by on his horse named Weixiao. He turned to his buddy nearby, “The Lieutenant General is an omega?! What a joke!”
Li Changyu stopped Weixiao and tugged on the reins lightly to make the beast walk backwards. When he stopped in front of the men, they both stiffened as he glared down at them.
“Is there something offensive about being an omega?” Li Changyu asked, keeping his tone casual.
“N-no, Lieutenant General Li,” said one of the men, a tall skinny fella with big eyes that blinked wildly as they stared up at Li Changyu. “Absolutely n-n-not.”
His buddy was silent and his face pinched together like he’d stepped in horse manure. Li Changyu tilted his head and scoffed. “And you?”
The man remained quiet, and Li Changyu hovered near the hilt of his sword. A tired, exasperated sigh cut the tension.
“Oh, leave them alone. Haven’t you swung that around enough already?” Julong squeezed his arms tighter around Li Changyu. He glared a little longer and the men looked down, sweat beading on their brow. After another poke from Julong, he nudged Weixiao forward.
If it wasn’t for his soon-to-be Brother-in-law riding behind him, Li Changyu probably would have done something. A stupid something, for sure, but it would have been worth it to Li Changyu. It wasn’t easy earning a rank like his as an omega, even though he came from a martial family entirely made of alphas. Li Changyu had to work twice as hard, be twice as daring, and just as mean and aggressive as any alpha. Hence his nickname, The Crazy Lieutenant General.
Once they weaved their way around the crowds of people, the roads opened up more and they traveled towards the market. Julong let out a soft wow, “The city really is as big as Guangzhu said…”
“You’re going to hate it in a week, trust me.” Li Changyu chuckled. It had been months since he’d been home, but he only missed his family. “I’m going to miss camping with the soldiers and your family.”
“I don’t know about that,” said Julong, and Li Changyu could hear the smile in his next words, “Wherever your Brother is, I will love it all the same.”
Julong was an omega that came from a nomadic group in the North that submitted to the Emperor instead of the Khaganate. When Li Changyu’s eldest Brother was at the Northern front, they met and had fallen in love. Li Guangzhu was unexpectedly injured during a skirmish and was sent home first, with Li Changyu promising to bring Julong back for him. Being apart for a month didn’t lessen their feelings for one another, not one bit, and Li Changyu was happy for them. Still, he almost wished that his Brother just stayed North with their family.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Is this where I’ll be buying things to cook with?” Julong pointed to a few stalls to the right, and Li Changyu shook his head with a laugh.
“No, we do have a cook who does the buying and cooking, but I’m sure you can do whatever you please.” Now that they were in the city, Li Changyu decided to warn Julong early. “When you’re here, just introduce yourself as Li Julong, of our family. Make sure to mention General Li, and people won’t mess with you that way.”
“Mess with me?” Julong propped his head on Li Changyu’s shoulder as they talked. “Why would people mess with me?”
“Omegas here aren’t like omegas in the North,” he explained. “I know my Brother painted a very rosy picture because our family is not like others, but most people are, well…”
“Well…?”
He struggled to find a polite word for it. “…Different.”
To put it plainly, omega women and men were the lowest in status regardlessof class. With Julong’s people, omegas were expected to be homemakers but still had rights and were to know how to fight. In the Capital and Empire, betas and alphas were ones that had social and class mobility, while omegas were usually pawns used to unite families, menial labor, or…
“Yoo-hoo! Cousin! I heard you were returning today!” A familiar voice called out and Li Changyu groaned.
Julong let out another sound of awe when Li Changyu stopped his horse. “What is that?!”
“It’s a place you will never go to.” Beside them just past the market was a pleasure house called Friends of Wanderers. It was a large, dark slatted building with a wide second floor balcony that had garlands of brightly colored flowers and scarves in various shades of red strung along it. The red sign above the door was big and bold, the golden lettering written with broad, flourishing strokes.
Li Wangshu, the proprietor, skipped over, “I see they haven’t killed you off yet, Cousin. And you brought a friend!”
“Oh, they are relatives?” asked Julong but Li Changyu quickly shook his head.
“No, he picked the Li name. This one just likes to joke.” He scowled a little at Li Wangshu. As usual, the brothel worker was dressed lavishly. His robe was a deep indigo color that was strategically a little too open in the front to show off his creamy skin. He wore his black hair in a high ponytail with a few decorative gold pins that must have been gifts from clients, along with a large flower that sat slightly askew. Compared to Li Changyu, who was covered in mud on his armor and sweat underneath, Li Wangshu was a prized jewel.
“A-Chang, you wound me!” Li Wangshu pouted then turned to Julong. He made a show of bowing elegantly towards him, “I apologize for my rudeness. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Li Wangshu.”
“I am Julong!” He said, then pointed towards the building, “Is this a restaurant?”
Li Wangshu chuckled and unfolded their fan with a snap. Li Changyu answered with a sigh, “…No, it’s not.”
“Oh, this one is just too precious.” He fanned himself gently, moving it like a wave. “Where did you pick him up? Certainly not at a battle, I hope. Would you like a warm meal, little one?”
“He’s Guangzhu’s bride, so show respect.” He pointed at Li Wangshu, his tone stern. The man gave a little flutter of eyelashes and a who, me? expression in return. “You won’t be taking him inside.”
“Why not? It looks like there’s a feast going on inside” Julong’s pout was evidence of how innocent he was. “It looks very fun there.”
Li Wangshu laughed, “Alright, I see what you mean. This little one would be eaten alive.”
Like them, Li Wangshu was an omega and close to their age. Li Changyu had to admit that for an omega to own and operate one of the biggest and most successful pleasure houses in the Capital was impressive, but it wasn’t for the faint of heart. Julong, who grew up in a society that valued omegas, would be easy prey.
“Do pass my congratulations to your family, Cousin.” Li Wangshu’s laughter continued, “Finally one of the Li Brothers was paired off. Your parents must be thrilled!”
“I will do that.” He bowed politely, “My Brother is eagerly awaiting his bride, so we must be off. It was nice seeing you, at least to know that you are well.”
“To you as well! Your concern is touching, but you are certainly the one in the more dangerous profession. All that blood, swords, and men’s little swords!” A sneaky smile spread across Li Wangshu’s face. “On second thought, maybe you did have the right idea to join the military.”
“Goodbye Li Wangshu,” he cut off the conversation by hurrying his horse along. Julong leaned back to wave goodbye.
“Nice meeting you!” Julong called out, then to Li Changyu he asked, “Why can’t I go in there?”
“I’ll explain everything on another day, Julong. Instead, try to enjoy the scenery until we get home.”
The rest of the ride was mostly him pointing out various things and answering Julong’s questions. He wasn’t ignorant of villages and cities, but this was the Capital and was unlike anything Julong had ever seen. It was nice, seeing it through a fresh pair of eyes.
They pulled up to Li Manor, just set on the eastern outskirts of the city. They were a modest family and had just enough room for them, a few servants, and of course a stable. He let Julong hop off first before he did the same. Yingling, their stable boy, rushed up to them.
“Weixiao! It has been forever!” Yingling avoided Li Changyu altogether and went straight for the horse. Yingling wrapped his arms around the horse’s nose and nuzzled his cheek against it while Weixiao trotted happily in place, just as excited to see the young lad. Li Changyu rolled his eyes and waited to be acknowledged, which did take a minute.
“O-oh! Young Master,” Yingling bowed towards him, then towards Julong. “Is this Guangzhu’s bride?”
“Yes,” he said and turned to make introductions. “Yingling, this is Julong, soon to be Li Julong. Is my Father home?”
Yingling nodded, his eyes wide and a big grin appeared on his face. “Mhm! In fact, everyone is waiting for you in the main room. A person from the palace came!” Yingling stepped close and dropped his voice into a whisper. “He looked very, very important.”
The palace? Li Changyu’s eyebrows rose. Do I have time to change? It was rude to keep them waiting any longer than necessary, so he’d have to go as is. They’d probably take him a bit more seriously if he looks like a worn out soldier than a done up young lord anyhow. “Yingling, take care of Weixiao and show Julong around.”
He pushed off his helmet and shook his hair out. It felt like he had that thing on for days rather than hours. Li Changyu tucked it under his arm and went inside, where he nodded to a servant who led him to the main room. His Father and middle Brother, Jiuxing, stood up from their seats. Li Jiuxing beamed and ran towards him and scooped up Li Changyu to squeeze him close. Like all the members in his family, Li Jiuxing was a head taller than him and brawnier than their Father. His hold was tight enough to crack a few parts of his spine, and Li Changyu let out a weak yelp.
“Baby Brother!” Li Jiuxing cried and clutched Li Changyu close to his chest, picking him up off his feet. “It is so good to see you, I was worried sick! For once, all the Li’s are under one roof!”
“Brother…it’s…so good to see you…” Li Changyu croaked out. “I have an injury…on my arm…please?”
“Oh!” Li Jiuxing immediately let him go and Li Changyu landed unsteadily on his feet. Li Jiuxing caught him by the shoulder – which was the one he injured – and Li Changyu hissed. His Brother snatched his hand away and offered an apologetic smile. “Mother can look at that later, but she’s with eldest Brother.”
Then, like Yingling, Li Jiuxing bent down to whisper in Li Changyu’s ear with a hint of glee. “The messenger from the palace over there said this edict is for you. Wanna bet what I think it is?”
For me?! Li Changyu’s heart swelled. It could very well be a promotion, since he was due for one. He served nearly a whole year at the front, had the respect of his small group of men, and Li Guangzhu had been promoted to General last year. Li Jiuxing shared a bright smile, clearly thinking the same thing as him. I could be the first omega General…
Their Father cleared his throat and the two Brothers stood at attention. Even though they were at home, it was hard to break the habit of treating their Father as a superior officer and not just the kind-hearted Father that he was.
General Li Beidou was an alpha that stood taller than most, making his intimidating size and hard glare enough to make most enemy soldiers balk. Towards his loved ones, the smile softened his overbearing appearance, and they only knew him as a giant teddy bear. His hair, which was greying around the temples and thus showed his age, was held in a tight knot at the top of his head. Li Beidou was also in his martial robes, which told Li Changyu that his Father must have been expecting this visit. The messenger beside him also rose.
Li Changyu bowed towards his Father, then to the messenger. “I am humbled to be greeted by one of His Majesty’s men.”
“Thank you for your service to the Empire,” the messenger bowed in return and stood back up with a ramrod straight stance. “Now that the youngest Li has arrived, may the Li family members present kneel to receive this edict?”
His Father came around to his side and touched his shoulder. His dark eyes twinkled as he spoke, “I can find no man more deserving of this than you, Son.”
“Hey!” Li Jiuxing stood to Li Changyu’s other side, “I could be getting a promotion too!”
Both of them looked at Li Jiuxing. His Brother was a great man, a fine soldier, and Li Changyu would trust him with his life, but he was not well versed in the art of war. Li Jiuxing rolled his eyes then moved to kneel, and Li Changyu and his Father did the same. Li Changyu set his helmet down in front of him and took a deep breath as the messenger unrolled a long horizontal scroll and read outloud.
“On this day in His Majesty’s reign, let it be known that the Li family’s honorable contributions to the Empire and loyalty to His Majesty are unparalleled.” The messenger cleared his throat, allowing Li Changyu a moment to take in this praise. No one would be able to question him now, and his worth would be recognized in the annals of the Empire. No more getting picked on by Mother to settle down, my Brothers can be the filial ones, and I can simply keep doing what I do best.
And what Li Changyu was best at was fighting.
“For Li Beidou, he will be allowed to retire and is awarded the title of Marquis of the East and be given the farm lands there,” read off the messenger. Li Changyu’s spine stiffened and he lifted his head. His Father did too, looking equally as shocked.
While this was technically an honor, his Father was hoping to one day work in the War Ministry and to serve as a Unit Commander. This move was directly yanking him out of that succession and giving him a salary to sit there and do nothing. Li Jiuxing peered at them from the corner of his eye, and all three exchanged worried looks.
“For the youngest Son of Li…” the messenger began, and Li Changyu’s heart jolted. “It is commemorable that an omega is regarded highly in their humble service to the Empire. For this, Li Changyu will be awarded the title of Man of Honor.”
He smiled, but the messenger wasn’t finished. “As an omega of excellent distinction, Li Changyu is ordered to enter into His Majesty’s harem as his Empress.”
A thunderclap wasn’t as loud as the boom his heart gave when he heard this. Li Jiuxing bolted up to his feet, but Father reached over Li Changyu’s head and yanked him back down. The messenger carried on with a set of instructions and dates for a wedding, but the words were drowned out by his thumping pulse. Someone grabbed his hand, and he looked over and realized it was his Father’s. It squeezed him tight enough to hurt, and Li Changyu didn’t have to look at him to know what he was thinking. An edict from the Emperor cannot be disobeyed, or there would be dire consequences.
How can this be happening? Li Changyu hadn’t been in the palace for over ten years. His mind whirled, feeling momentarily lost in a fog until the messenger said his name and brought him back.
“…and therefore, Li Changyu, do you accept this edict?”
Li Changyu opened his mouth, only to let out the breath he held. The corners of his eyes stung with tears that he refused to let fall. He stared at the floor, bewildered, but he was – as his new title suggested – a man of honor. He clenched his fists and forced the hushed words out of his throat.
“…I, Li Changyu, accept.”
A very good start! Looking forward to the rest of the book!!!
I am glad you are enjoying it!
Thank you! I hope it lives up to the hype!
woah emperor seriously just took all there connection with military away
one way or another
i am angry …
Remember…. here we throw shoes at Xiyan (Emperor) lmao.
I can’t wait for people to eventually read the chapter about the shoe, and why the shoe is the emoji on the server.
I feel offence
Oh, would you please tell me what is wrong?
Julong is too pure for this dirty city… hope he’ll either be well protected or learn about the bad side of things asap 😔
And Li Chengyu… aaaaah 🥲
EVERYONE wants more of Julong! I don’t get it! He’s not really a side character by any means (he’s kinda important in arc 2) but like, WOW everyone from the jump is like GIMME JULONG.
Dom, I am finally here. Should I prepare myself to cry or burn with righteous anger or both?
Julong is loved for being pure and naive.
where is this emperor? I dislike him already >_<
thanks for the chapter <3
Damn ..that was a big blow…
Thanks for the chapter 🥰
Welcome! I hope you enjoy!
THIS IS BELITTLING IF MY SON I DO NOT ACCEPT COME FIGHT ME YOU EMPEROR (┛✧Д✧))┛彡┻━┻
LOL THIS PASSION
😌💅 gotta be
Cant wait for the plot wuwhehheheeueheheu~(つ✧ω✧)つ
Ok im re reading from chapter 1 to wait for the next update
Thank you for your hard work! I’m looking forward to this story!
bastard
Poor men
Man*