Chapter 437: The First Goodness of the Southern Land

The hundred-year birthday banquet of Li Rui, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, General of the Mountain Town, and Earl of Pingyuan, naturally couldn't have a low standard.

Even though Li Rui didn't have the intention of holding a grand banquet for guests.

But the powerful in Qinghe City heard about it, and quite a few still took the initiative to come and congratulate him.

For a time, guests were like clouds in front of the General's Mansion.

Regarding this.

Li Rui's original words were to accept everyone.

Since they came, treat them as guests; since the hundred-year banquet had already been held, if the guests were turned away, it would be lacking in etiquette and appear petty.

He now had the confidence to do so.

And compared to other Third-Rank high officials, his banquet standard really couldn't be considered too high.

Just past the Si hour.

The dignitaries who came to offer birthday wishes filed in one after another, congratulating him with smiling faces.

The four senior and junior brothers of Liang He greeted guests at the door.

Now Li Rui's four disciples had all made quite a name for themselves in Qinghe.

And all were in the Sixth-Rank Realm.

Not to mention Tongxuan, in the future, they would at least be masters of the Innate Realm.

Those guests saw this, and everyone was envious.

Everyone praised Li Rui for his good eye.

And they had heard that Li Rui accepted disciples without looking at talent, just two words: nostalgic.

All four disciples were connections made before they had developed.

It was passed down as a beautiful story in Qinghe.

Most guests paid their respects to Li Rui, exchanged a few pleasantries, and were led to the courtyard by Liang He and the others.

Only a few familiar people would stay.

"Brother Li, congratulations, congratulations."

Lin Lang brought Lin Wan to the mansion first.

Li Rui looked at the increasingly spirited Lin Lang and smiled: "Brother Lin is indeed more spirited than before."

Lin Lang laughed loudly:

"Brother Li, don't mock me; I often hear that brother's immortal arts are complete, and living for a few hundred years is no problem, which makes me envious."

He was truly envious in his eyes.

Limited by talent, he was only in the Innate Realm.

He knew his own situation; in this life, if there were no great fortune, it was almost impossible to step into Tongxuan.

As for switching to immortal cultivation, he had even less talent.

But Li Rui was different; despite it being a hundred-year birthday banquet, in his long life, it was just the beginning.

How could he not be envious?

Li Rui: "Brother Lin, wealth nourishes people; I'm waiting for your birthday banquet."

Lin Lang's laughter grew louder.

Just as the two were talking.

They heard footsteps outside the door again, and then heard the bold voice of Nie Siming: "Brother Li."

The voice had just arrived.

When they saw Nie Siming, Yuan Xiong, and Ning Zhongtian and others who rushed from Changqing Peak.

Li Rui smiled more: "Sit, sit, we are all brothers."

Everyone offered congratulations.

Not only that, everyone brought birthday gifts.

Just the aura they emitted showed they were extremely extraordinary.

Then.

Quite a few dignitaries in the city, and even famous figures from Yunzhou and the Southern Region, came to congratulate him.

Those who came to watch the excitement outside Annan Town were envious.

These people were all big figures that countless people looked up to.

And today, they all traveled thousands of miles to congratulate Li Rui on his birthday.

Extraordinary!

Especially those old Qinghe people, who felt honored.

Who didn't know.

Li Rui was a native of Qinghe.

This gave Qinghe a great face!

Who could have imagined that such a small pond as Qinghe could raise a dragon like Li Rui.

How could they not be excited?

A group of dignitaries chatted in groups of three or five in the Li mansion; today's birthday banquet was not only an opportunity to make friends with Li Rui, but also an excellent time for them to make friends with all kinds of powerful people.

Those who could come to congratulate were all people who had become refined in their respective forces.

Naturally, they wouldn't miss it.

When a group of people were chatting enthusiastically.

They saw a middle-aged man wearing a scarlet robe with a tiger-shaped patch on his chest walk into the Li mansion.

In all of Qinghe, only one person dared to dress like this.

Provincial Military Commander, Zhou Dinghai!

Following Zhou Dinghai were a group of generals from Annan Town, and Regional Commander Xue Gui was also among them.

The entire Qinghe military had come!

This scene could not be said to be small.

Those dignitaries saw this scene and were secretly surprised.

Regional Commander Xue Gui bringing Annan Town officers to congratulate was normal, after all, he and Li Rui were of the same rank, and Li Rui was also an old man of Annan Town.

But Provincial Military Commander Zhou Dinghai coming in person.

That was a level-up existence!

What kind of person was Zhou Dinghai?

That was a Second-Rank Provincial Military Commander.

In terms of real power, he could already be ranked in the top fifteen of the entire Yu Kingdom imperial court!

Such a big figure actually took the initiative to congratulate Li Rui, a Third-Rank.

What an honor!

One had to know, even with the title of Earl of Pingyuan, it wouldn't be enough for such a big boss to come in person.

It could only be because of his private friendship with Zhou Dinghai.

Hearing that Zhou Dinghai had come, Li Rui no longer sat in the hall.

It was his birthday banquet, but Zhou Dinghai was his superior, so the etiquette that should be there couldn't be missing.

Walking out of the hall.

He saw Zhou Dinghai laughing: "Master Li, congratulations."

Li Rui smiled lightly and personally led Zhou Dinghai and his party to sit in the hall.

"Master Zhou is joking, it's just the intention of a few disciples."

The Yu Kingdom had always had the custom of a hundred-year birthday banquet.

Of course, it was basically for strong experts with high realms.

After all, it was really difficult for ordinary people to live to this age.

A hundred years, even for a master martial artist, was a long time; generally speaking, the younger generation would handle it, especially some big clans and big sects, who attached great importance to this matter.

The hundred-year birthday banquet was a great opportunity to make friends with dignitaries and show strength.

Although Zhou Dinghai's status was more expensive, he didn't have the intention to steal the limelight of Li Rui, the birthday star.

He chatted with Li Rui in the hall for about a quarter of an hour and then took the initiative to leave.

Li Rui understood.

Zhou Dinghai was deliberately raising his face.

Leaving now was because he didn't want to steal Li Rui's limelight.

The reason Zhou Dinghai was so meticulous was naturally because Li Rui had made great contributions repeatedly; although the two didn't belong to the same camp, Li Rui was a great help to Zhou Dinghai.

This was also the reason he came to congratulate today.

But Zhou Dinghai's appearance made Li Rui's status in the hearts of those dignitaries who came to congratulate rise by several levels.

Knowing a big boss was certainly powerful, but being able to let a superior like Zhou Dinghai come out in person was the real skill.

Quite a few people originally intended to leave.

Seeing Zhou Dinghai appear, they turned back.

Zhou Dinghai's arrival brought the hundred-year birthday banquet to its peak.

But then.

People from the capital and the Wu Court brought the banquet to another height.

"Vice Minister of Rites, Lin Hai, congratulates Master Li on his fortune as vast as the East Sea!"

"Censorate of the Wu Kingdom, Censor Sang Kong congratulates!"

Birthday gifts from the capital and the Wu Court were sent one after another.

Making everyone present know what it meant to have supernatural powers.

Everyone knew Li Rui had eyes and ears everywhere.

But until today, they had a direct feeling.

Not to mention the dozen Third-Rank high officials from the capital sending gifts, they actually had so many big officials from the Wu Court congratulating him.

Eating from both countries!

But what really shocked people was still to come.

About past noon.

Someone came from the capital again.

Just when everyone was guessing which big official it would be, they heard the young man congratulate: "Prince Qi, wishes Master Li longevity!"

This time.

Everyone was completely unsettled.

Officials congratulating was one thing.

A prince like Prince Qi actually came to congratulate, which gradually began to be outrageous.

Li Rui looked at the young man who rushed to Qinghe from the Fourth Prince's mansion.

Even he was somewhat surprised.

But soon he was relieved.

If he wasn't wrong, it should be the work of that woman Xia Yun.

When the Fourth Prince sent someone.

The many dignitaries in the courtyard knew that among the people Li Rui knew, they belonged to the group that was neither powerful nor expensive.

But... soon they discovered that things were far from as simple as they imagined.

Soon.

Someone came from the capital again.

It was a young man wearing a square-hatted robe.

"Director of the Imperial Observatory Gu Changsheng, Jiang Linxian congratulate Master Li on his longevity!"

Hearing that the Director and Vice Director of the Imperial Observatory also came to congratulate.

Everyone was not surprised.

After all, who in the Yu Kingdom didn't know that Li Rui was a guest of the Wenxian Tower, was Gu Changsheng's own person, and was brothers with Jiang Linxian.

But a First-Rank Earthly Immortal calling someone to congratulate.

This was undoubtedly a heaven-defying honor.

But Li Rui received such honor twice today.

Annan Heir Yuan An walked into the courtyard.

"Master, I come on behalf of my father to wish you a long life!"

Master's father?!

Those who could come here were all well-informed people; how could they not recognize that the magnificent young man before them was the only son of Annan Marquis Yuan Dingting, the future small Marquis who was nailed to the board.

The only son of the Military Saint Yuan Dingting came to congratulate in person.

What a big face!

And they heard just now that what Yuan An said wasn't Master Li, but Master.

These two words were the truly extraordinary ones.

Heir's Master!

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was the most prominent in the Southern Region.

Li Rui looked at Yuan An coming and smiled helplessly: "Heir, there is really no need to call me Master, I can't afford it."

Yuan An had a flash of cunning in his eyes: "Father and Mother said, I bowed when I was young, so that is my Master."

Li Rui was speechless.

He really couldn't understand why Yuan An, such a noble heir who was even comparable to a prince, looked at him, such an old man, to be his master.

Yuan An's arrival brought the atmosphere to its peak.

Just when everyone thought there wouldn't be any more surprises.

They actually saw a eunuch walk into the Annan Town camp, coming to the Annan Town camp.

The eunuch walked straight into the Li mansion.

Li Rui personally went out to welcome him again.

"Eunuch Zheng."

Not bad, this person was the great eunuch Zheng who led him into the palace to see the Emperor back then.

Eunuch Zheng looked at Li Rui with a smile:

"Master Li, it's been many years, His Majesty called the old slave to come and congratulate Master Li on his hundredth birthday; His Majesty said, a family that accumulates goodness will have surplus joy; Li Rui has become a talent in his old age, and is the first goodness of the Southern Land."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 438 =====