Chapter 24 Is It Possible That I Am Mr. Li?

"Lord Li, Thousand - households Li..."

There was a knock on the door outside.

Li Qing put down the "Laws of the Ming Dynasty" in his hand and got up to go to the courtyard. "It's Li Yu. It's almost dusk. Why are you in such a hurry? What's happened?"

"Sir, the Commander has given an order. All the Jinyiwei in the capital are to look for a person named Mr. Li." Li Yu said eagerly, "This Mr. Li is the one that the Emperor has specifically asked to see.

Sir, this is a great opportunity for our group of Jinyiwei to gain merit. If we go too late, someone else might snatch the credit."

"Oh, alright."

Li Qing didn't have time to think much. He also didn't care about going to the Drunken Immortal Tower to have some fun later when it got dark. He quickly went back to the room to put on the tooth badge of a Thousand - households of the Jinyiwei. "Let's go. We'll talk on the way."

"Do we have any clues about this person's age, where he's from, or his identity?"

"Sir, don't worry. I was right there when the imperial messenger conveyed the decree." Li Yu grinned. "I immediately sent some trusted brothers to the Drunken Immortal Tower."

"Good... Ah?" Li Qing stopped in his tracks. "To the Drunken Immortal Tower?"

"Yeah, that's where the poem spread from. Now it's spread all over the capital. That Mr. Li who wrote the poem has become famous, and the Emperor wants to see him."

"Huh? A poem?" Li Qing muttered. "Damn it! Without mobile phones or the Internet, how could it spread so fast?

It was all fine in the morning. In just half a day, how could it become known to everyone in the capital?"

"What are you saying, sir?" Li Yu scratched his head. Then he said in a hurry, "Come on, let's go first.

The other Jinyiwei are probably about to reach the Drunken Immortal Tower. If we can find out what Mr. Li looks like first and make a sketch, we'll have an advantage."

"Why does the Emperor want to see this Mr. Li?" Li Qing asked.

"I don't know about that, sir." Li Yu shook his head. "The imperial edict only says that this Mr. Li must be brought into the palace early tomorrow morning.

Oh, my lord, let's hurry up!"

"Don't worry." Li Qing smiled. "You can rest assured that no one can steal this credit. We're going to the Embroidered - uniform Guard Command yamen."

"Don't... we're not going to look for the person anymore?"

"What's the surname of this Mr. Li?" Li Qing asked.

Li Yu thought for a moment. "It should be Li."

Li Qing smiled. "My surname is also Li."

"Sir, my surname is also Li." Li Yu said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"You fool!" Li Qing glared at him. "I am that Mr. Li. I'm the one who wrote that ci poem."

"Ah?"

"What are you 'ahhing' about?" Li Qing said irritably. "Let's go quickly."

...

In the back hall of the Embroidered - uniform Guard Command.

Mao Xiang was leisurely eating a melon. When he saw Li Qing coming, he immediately put the melon into a food box filled with ice cubes and didn't forget to cover the lid.

After wiping his hands, he said slowly, "I ordered all the Jinyiwei in the capital to look for that Mr. Li. What are you doing here?"

"Twenty children, or Jinyiwei?" Mao Xiang asked.

"Jinyiwei."

Mao Xiang nodded slightly. "You're talking big as if it were the truth, but it can barely be considered a skill."

"Boss..." Li Qing rolled up his sleeves, revealing his biceps. "I'm really good at fighting!"

"Come on, with your physique, you're at the bottom of the barrel among our Jinyiwei." Mao Xiang said irritably. "Come to the yamen tomorrow and enter the palace with me."

Li Qing cupped his hands. "This subordinate takes his leave."

When he reached the front courtyard, Li Qing told Li Yu and the others about the rewards and asked them to call back the people who were looking for Mr. Li. Then he went back.

As night fell, he no longer had the desire to go to the Drunken Immortal Tower.

Li Qing lay on the bed, puzzled. It was just a poem. How could it be related to politics?

He couldn't figure it out and didn't understand.

Feeling restless, he couldn't sleep well and couldn't calm down when practicing. Last time, he just said, "The crime is unforgivable, but the circumstances are understandable," and he got twenty strokes on his buttocks. Would it be okay this time since it was related to politics?

Of course, with his status as the chief physician of Empress Ma, his life would never be in danger. But lying on the ground and getting spanked really hurt his pride.

Moreover, if Empress Ma passed away, Zhu Yuanzhang might bring up old scores and use this as an excuse to take his life.

Li Qing felt extremely frustrated.

At the fourth watch of the night, Li Qing got up, washed up, put on his flying fish uniform, and went to the Embroidered - uniform Guard Command.

"Commander." As soon as Li Qing called out in front of the back hall, Mao Xiang walked out.

"Let's go."

"Okay." Li Qing nodded and followed. "Boss, are we going to see the Emperor first or treat the Empress's illness first?"

"Of course, the Empress's illness is more important." Mao Xiang curled his lips. "Don't think too highly of yourself. You're not important enough to make the Emperor cancel the morning court and summon you alone."

"What the boss said is right."

Hearing Mao Xiang's words, Li Qing felt relieved instead.

...

In the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Empress Ma had just gotten up and was still washing up. She asked in surprise, "Why are you so early today?"

"I slept enough, so I got up." Li Qing smiled with a bitter face. "Your humble servant pays his respects..."

"Dispense with the formalities."

Empress Ma took the cotton handkerchief handed by the maid and wiped her hands. "Did you sleep enough, or couldn't you fall asleep?"

She glanced at Li Qing sideways. "If I'm not wrong, you're that Mr. Li, right?"

"Er... yes." Li Qing said bravely. "Your Majesty is wise."

Empress Ma put the cotton handkerchief back on the tray and waved her hand. The maids on both sides curtsied and stepped back. Then she turned around and said, "Using poems to secretly allude to and insinuate the court. Li Qing, you have some nerve."

Li Qing: (⊙o⊙)…

"Your Majesty, I didn't do that!"

He looked completely bewildered, but he also understood why Mao Xiang had said it was related to politics. But he had just copied a poem from later generations to show off. How could it have turned into an insinuation of the court?

Damn it, he was really wronged!

"Take a look at this." Empress Ma walked to the couch, picked up a piece of letter paper by the bedside, and said, "This is the annotation from the Hanlin Academy."

Li Qing quickly stepped forward and took it with both hands. When he took a look, he was stunned.

"A graceful Yan girl is fifteen years old" was said to refer to the fifteenth year of Hongwu; "A tree stands gracefully with flowers just blooming" was said to refer to the new atmosphere of the Ming Dynasty; "It's a pity that her slender waist always misleads people" was said to refer to the misgovernment of the court...

Every line and every word had been "annotated", and it also described what kind of thoughts and feelings the author had expressed. There were even five hundred words written about the author's psychological activities when writing the poem, which was more than the number of words in a primary school composition.

Li Qing was completely shocked. He finally understood what it meant that "whether an article is beautiful or not depends entirely

"Twenty children, or Jinyiwei?" Mao Xiang asked.

"..." Li Qing replied, "Jinyiwei."

Mao Xiang nodded slightly. "You're talking big as if it were the truth, but it can barely be considered a skill."

"Boss..." Li Qing rolled up his sleeves, revealing his biceps. "I'm really good at fighting!"

"Come on, with your physique, you're at the bottom of the barrel among our Jinyiwei." Mao Xiang said irritably. "Come to the yamen tomorrow and enter the palace with me."

Li Qing cupped his hands. "This subordinate takes his leave."

When he reached the front courtyard, Li Qing told Li Yu and the others about the rewards and asked them to call back the people who were looking for Mr. Li. Then he went back.

As night fell, he no longer had the desire to go to the Drunken Immortal Tower.

Li Qing lay on the bed, puzzled. It was just a poem. How could it be related to politics?

He couldn't figure it out and didn't understand.

Feeling restless, he couldn't sleep well and couldn't calm down when practicing. Last time, he just said, "The crime is unforgivable, but the circumstances are understandable," and he got twenty strokes on his buttocks. Would it be okay this time since it was related to politics?

Of course, with his status as the chief physician of Empress Ma, his life would never be in danger. But lying on the ground and getting spanked really hurt his pride.

Moreover, if Empress Ma passed away, Zhu Yuanzhang might bring up old scores and use this as an excuse to take his life.

Li Qing felt extremely frustrated.

At the fourth watch of the night, Li Qing got up, washed up, put on his flying fish uniform, and went to the Embroidered - uniform Guard Command.

"Commander." As soon as Li Qing called out in front of the back hall, Mao Xiang walked out.

"Let's go."

"Okay." Li Qing nodded and followed. "Boss, are we going to see the Emperor first or treat the Empress's illness first?"

"Of course, the Empress's illness is more important." Mao Xiang curled his lips. "Don't think too highly of yourself. You're not important enough to make the Emperor cancel the morning court and summon you alone."

"What the boss said is right."

Hearing Mao Xiang's words, Li Qing felt relieved instead.

...

In the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Empress Ma had just gotten up and was still washing up. She asked in surprise, "Why are you so early today?"

"I slept enough, so I got up." Li Qing smiled with a bitter face. "Your humble servant pays his respects..."

"Dispense with the formalities."

Empress Ma took the cotton handkerchief handed by the maid and wiped her hands. "Did you sleep enough, or couldn't you fall asleep?"

She glanced at Li Qing sideways. "If I'm not wrong, you're that Mr. Li, right?"

"Er... yes." Li Qing said bravely. "Your Majesty is wise."

Empress Ma put the cotton handkerchief back on the tray and waved her hand. The maids on both sides curtsied and stepped back. Then she turned around and said, "Using poems to secretly allude to and insinuate the court. Li Qing, you have some nerve."

Li Qing: (⊙o⊙)…

"Your Majesty, I didn't do that!"

He looked completely bewildered, but he also understood why Mao Xiang had said it was related to politics. But he had just copied a poem from later generations to show off. How could it have turned into an insinuation of the court?

Damn it, he was really wronged!

"Take a look at this." Empress Ma walked to the couch, picked up a piece of letter paper by the bedside, and said, "This is the annotation from the Hanlin Academy."

Li Qing quickly stepped forward and took it with both hands. When he took a look, he was stunned.

"A graceful Yan girl is fifteen years old" was said to refer to the fifteenth year of Hongwu; "A tree stands gracefully with flowers just blooming" was said to refer to the new atmosphere of the Ming Dynasty; "It's a pity that her slender waist always misleads people" was said to refer to the misgovernment of the court...

Every line and every word had been "annotated", and it also described what kind of thoughts and feelings the author had expressed. There were even five hundred words written about the author's psychological activities when writing the poem, which was more than the number of words in a primary school composition.

Li Qing was completely shocked. He finally understood what it meant that "whether an article is beautiful or not depends entirely on the words of the literati"!

The poem had only sixty words in total, but the translation was as long as three thousand words. This could no longer be called an over - interpretation; it was simply a perverse interpretation.

What was more, the explanations were well - founded and reasonable, leaving him, the "original author", speechless.

This was really...

Damn it!