"Godfather! For the past two years, your son has been besieged by Wildmen, running and fleeing everywhere, and then ran into Wa people and Tatars. I nearly died so many times!"
"Ha! Yishi Ali, who's your godfather? Isn't your godfather Grand Eunuch Ren? I've no shortage of fickle godsons!"
Luo Quan, Grand Eunuch Luo, the inner official guarding Kaiyuan, gave a cold laugh, raised his leg, and kicked the kneeling Ali over. Ali used the momentum to roll, flipped back around, hugged Grand Eunuch Luo's leg, and wailed.
"Godfather! Before, I gave Grand Eunuch Ren's name because your son couldn't tell what was true or false on the other side, and I was afraid of bringing trouble down on you!"
"Ha! What? You little dog whelp, if you can't tell true from false, you don't give my name? You think my name can't hold down this stretch of Liaodong?"
As he spoke, Grand Eunuch Luo narrowed his eyes, lifted his chin, and glanced at Li Wenbin, Assistant Regional Military Commissioner of Tieling Guard. That one understated glance made Li Wenbin jolt, and his waist bent a few degrees lower. Those hands that killed like scything hemp and never loosed an arrow in vain were trembling slightly.
In terms of official rank, the inner official guarding Kaiyuan naturally could not compare with the grand eunuch guarding Liaodong. In theory, the inner official guarding Kaiyuan was only in charge of tribute from the various Jurchen tribes and had no authority to appoint or dismiss military posts in the guards and battalions. But the court's institutional design was one thing; the actual exercise of power was another! Memorials from the inner official guarding Kaiyuan could be submitted directly into the emperor's hands, and he himself possessed the authority to maintain tribute trade and