An overblown performance

Li Ruolian hurriedly raised his head and chose his words carefully. "Your Majesty, I am the associate commander of the Southern Hall. Half the capital knows me. Even if I put together a trading caravan and establish contact with the Jurchens, my identity will always..."

As he spoke, Li Ruolian shook his head. If the Jurchens ever grew suspicious, losing his own life would be no great matter, but it could also prevent His Majesty's plan from proceeding smoothly.

Zhu Youjian nodded. "I have considered that problem."

Whether he chose Li Ruolian, an associate commander of the Southern Hall whom many people recognized, or an unremarkable Commandant Strongman, the question of identity was unavoidable.

Anyone who had spent even a day in the Embroidered Uniform Guard would face endless trouble if the Jurchens discovered his identity later.

"I want you to leave the Embroidered Uniform Guard with a great deal of fanfare and become their sworn enemy. You must even make others believe that you hate the court-and me!" Zhu Youjian said.

Only then would it cease to matter if the Jurchens later learned that he had once served in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. An enemy's enemy was a friend, and his identity would no longer be a problem.

"How should I hate you?" Li Ruolian asked curiously, then added in embarrassment, "Your Majesty, the sun and moon can bear witness to my loyalty. To suddenly ask me to hate you... I don't know how!"

Zhu Youjian rubbed his forehead. "You needn't know how, but you will have to suffer a little!"

"Oh... a self-injury ruse? I know that one. I'm not afraid of pain!" Li Ruolian patted his chest. "Go right ahead, Your Majesty!"

Go ahead with what?

He made it sound as though I was about to do something to him!

Zhu Youjian sighed. "Then let us begin. Once you walk out through those doors, you will be a prisoner in the Imperial Prison. Once you leave the Imperial Prison, you will have nothing more to do with the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Devote yourself to being a merchant!"

"Then when should I go to the Jurchens?" Li Ruolian asked again.

"When the day comes, you will know!"

"Your servant obeys!" Li Ruolian looked positively eager to begin, which left Zhu Youjian a little worried. The man was certainly loyal, but he had better not get so excited that he made a mistake!

The hall doors opened. Luo Yangxing immediately assumed a stern expression and shouted outside, "Guards! Li Ruolian has defied his superiors and enraged His Majesty. Take him back to the Imperial Prison for interrogation!"

The excitement vanished from Li Ruolian's face, replaced by fury. He spat at Luo Yangxing. "You bastard Luo! You framed me! You framed me! Your Majesty, let me explain! Please let me explain! Your Majesty-"

Zhu Youjian stared, dumbfounded, at Li Ruolian, who had suddenly begun flailing his limbs, every cell in his body straining with effort...

What sort of acting was this? No one would ever cast him!

Too much, far too much!

Don't be so overblown!

Oh, I can't bear to watch!

As the Embroidered Uniform Guard departed, Wuying Hall gradually grew quiet. Zhu Youjian shook his head with a helpless chuckle, uncertain whether this little drama would get off to a smooth start.

Zhu Youjian resumed reviewing memorials. He had just picked one up when he suddenly remembered the matter of Zhu Meichuo. Turning his head, he asked, "Are there any eunuchs in the palace who are particularly skilled at riding and archery?"

Wang Cheng'en knew he was choosing a teacher for Princess Kunxing and dared not be careless. After thinking for a moment, he said, "There are several skilled martial artists: Ma Wenke and Zhang Xing su of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Cao Huayu of the Rear Army Chief Military Commission, and Fang Zhenghua of the Eastern Depot. All are excellent at hand-to-hand combat as well."

"Cao Huayu... Fang Zhenghua..." Zhu Youjian murmured.

Cao Huayu would not do. He was Cao Huachun's elder brother and was getting on in years himself. He would probably retire in a few years.

Fang Zhenghua, on the other hand, would do nicely. He was the inspiration for Dongfang Bubai in Old Master Jin's writing, a superb martial artist and an upright man.

"Fang Zhenghua is currently in Gucheng, isn't he?"

As Zhu Youjian recalled, Fang Zhenghua was currently serving as a military supervisory eunuch in Gucheng, keeping an eye on the Rebel Bandits. To summon him back, he would have to wait until Cao Huachun had killed Zhang Xianzhong.

Perhaps he should wait a little longer and let Consort Tian Lifen continue teaching her for the next few days!

Having made up his mind, Zhu Youjian stopped dwelling on it and returned to the memorials on his desk.

Speaking of Consort Tian Lifen, someone arrived from Chengqian Palace.

"Your Majesty, Her Highness Consort Tian ordered this servant to bring you a painting for your amusement!"

Pingxi, the chief eunuch in Consort Tian Lifen's palace, presented a scroll. Wang Cheng'en glanced at Zhu Youjian and, seeing the curiosity in his eyes, hurried down the jade steps to take it, then unfurled it flat on the imperial desk.

Zhu Youjian had always known that Consort Tian Lifen was a talented woman, yet the painting before him still left him deeply astonished.

No wonder Tian Xiuying was so favored. She really wasn't just a pretty vase!

A lotus, ethereal and untouched by worldly dust, stood slender and graceful in the painting, so lifelike it seemed ready to emerge from the scroll. The overlapping emerald lotus leaves surrounding it further set off its peerless beauty.

She painted herself, didn't she!

Zhu Youjian silently mused, staring at the painting for a long while without looking away. A sudden freshness welled up within him, as though he himself were surrounded by lotus blossoms and leaves.

After studying it for some time, Zhu Youjian noticed a blank space on the left side of the scroll. Presumably, Consort Tian Lifen had intended to add an inscription, but for some reason had left it unwritten.

Zhu Youjian thought for a moment, reached for a brush, loaded it with ink, and began writing in the blank space.

"When lotus leaves emerge, spring's sorrow is born; when lotus leaves wither, autumn's sorrow takes shape. Well I know, while this body lives, love will endure; forlorn, I gaze toward the river's end and hear its waters flow."

Zhu Youjian set down the brush, then beckoned to Pingxi. "Take this back to your mistress. Tell her I like it very much and will come by a little later to talk with her!"

"Yes!" Delighted by those words, Pingxi took the scroll and hurried off toward Chengqian Palace, his footsteps pattering briskly.

Consort Tian Lifen had hardly sent the painting merely to amuse him. She was reminding him not to forget her.

The rain and dew must fall equally throughout the harem. He couldn't favor just one woman!

Zhu Youjian understood that principle and was secretly pleased. This gesture from Consort Tian Lifen... suited his wishes perfectly!

When Pingxi brought the scroll back to Chengqian Palace, Consort Tian Lifen was puzzled. Why had His Majesty returned the painting she had sent him?

Could she have sent it at the wrong moment?

But judging by Pingxi's beaming face, that could not be the case.

Begonia, the senior palace maid attending Consort Tian Lifen, took the scroll from Pingxi. She was just about to ask what had happened on her mistress's behalf when she saw the poem inscribed on it and understood at once. Smiling, she returned to Consort Tian's side. "Your Highness, can you guess what happened?"

Consort Tian Lifen was anxious enough already. Seeing Begonia still keeping her in suspense, she shot her a look of feigned anger. Begonia giggled twice and spread the scroll across the table.

Consort Tian Lifen stepped forward and glanced at it. A poem now filled the space she had left blank. After reading it closely, she could not help exclaiming in surprise, "This... His Majesty wrote this?"

Pingxi stepped forward and replied, "If not His Majesty, who else would dare inscribe a poem on Your Highness's painting?"

"But..."

When had His Majesty acquired such a gift for poetry?

Consort Tian Lifen was baffled. His Majesty had read plenty of histories and classical texts, but he was not particularly accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting. That was precisely why she had originally intended to inscribe a poem, only to leave it unwritten in the end.

She had feared that even if she wrote one, His Majesty would fail to grasp the tender love for him within its lines, leaving her playing the lute to an ox.

Yet the poem His Majesty had written was plainly brimming with lingering affection!