The King Knows His Way Chapter 4

Half an hour later, Lord Liu came out of the imperial study room, dazed, still holding the scroll in his arms. When he returned to the house, his wife saw him like this and hurriedly asked, "The emperor is unwilling to help with matchmaking?"

Lord Liu shook his head: "Not really, the emperor agreed. He also said that the portrait was too ordinary and wanted to have the painter in the palace repaint it."

"Since you looked so sad, I thought you were implicated by your cousin and were scolded." Mrs. Liu breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why are you talking so much, woman?" Lord Liu was displeased when he heard this. He put the scroll on the table again and said, "Go ask Xiao Sanzi to find a good craftsman to frame this scroll. I want to hang it in the hall."

Madam Liu was puzzled when she heard this and thought he had a fever: "Why are you hanging the portrait of the Goryeo princess in the hall?"

"That portrait has long been in the palace. This is the title bestowed on me by the emperor himself." Lord Liu carefully untied the rope.

"The emperor also gave you a title?" Mrs. Liu was overjoyed and hurried forward to admire it. On the gold-sprinkled rice paper, she saw a few large characters that were vigorous and elegant, with a majestic momentum.

The best matchmaker in the world.

...

Lord Liu's mood was actually very complicated. He was happy, but he also felt that it was difficult to show off these words. After all, he was a senior official in the court, not a matchmaker in the streets of the royal city who wore red and green and had to wear a flower in her hair.

In the imperial study, after looking at the portrait sent by Goryeo, the court painter asked, "How would the emperor like to modify it?"

"The more beautiful the painting, the better." Liam said, "Don't worry about what it looked like before."

The court painter took the order and left. Adrian then came out from behind the screen and asked in confusion: "Does the emperor really want to propose marriage to the King of Southwest?"

"It's just a small favor." Liam put down the teacup and replied nonchalantly, "You are not young anymore, it's time for you to get married."

Adrian: ...

Do you have to control this too?

"Among the Liu family, he is probably the only one who can be considered loyal." Liam continued.

"Where is the Left Prime Minister?" Adrian asked.

"Liu Yishui? He's a sly old man. I can't tell if he's treacherous, but he's not loyal either." Liam said, "But if he knows what's good for him, I don't want to touch him this time."

Adrian nodded: "Once Liu's family is eliminated, I'm afraid that many people in the court will fall, and the ministers will inevitably panic. It would be good if Prime Minister Liu could mediate and smooth things over."

Liam sighed deeply in his heart, leaned back on the dragon chair and closed his eyes slightly.

The Liu family was originally from the Empress Dowager's family, and the relatives of the emperor were intertwined. The people of the royal city were all grumbling that the Liu Mansion on Zhengyang Street was getting more and more magnificent, and it looked like it was almost as tall as the imperial palace. The owner of the Liu Mansion was named Victor Liu, who originally held military power and was stationed in the northeast. The first emperor of the Chu family spent a full ten years to gradually reduce his military power and take it back. On his deathbed, he summoned all the civil and military officials to his bedside and passed the position of crown prince to Liam - instead of the Gao Wang Chu Xiang who had been supported by the Liu family.

The first thing Liam did after ascending the throne was to demote his half brother to a commoner and exile him to a small island in the southwest sea. Also demoted with him was Victor's fifth son, Liu Jinde, the governor of Liaozhou.

With these few things, the relationship between Liam and the Liu family is self-evident.

But no one is stupid. Even if there are many disputes and hatreds in their hearts, the two sides still talk and laugh freely on the surface. And one year after Liam ascended the throne, Victor took the initiative to resign, saying that he wanted to return to his mansion to enjoy his old age and take care of his children and grandchildren.

The common people thought this was a sign of weakness, but Liam knew it well. Not to mention that Victor was still in the royal city, even if he returned to his hometown in the northeast, he was still the actual ruler of the Liu family. All the civil and military officials in the court, as long as they were related to the Liu family, would still obey his orders. There were only two exceptions. One was Liu Dajiong, who had just come to matchmake. He had never had a close relationship with the Liu family because he was too honest and straightforward, and because he had no ambition. He only wanted to do his job as a civil servant conscientiously, so he had stayed out of it for so many years. The other was Liu Yishui, the left prime minister. Strictly speaking, he could only be regarded as a fellow villager of Victor. When he took the imperial examination, he was also a disciple of another adult. He was cunning, so it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

"Your Majesty, General Shen." Eunuch Sixi reminded outside, "It's time for dinner."

"It's already so late." Liam came back to his senses, although he still had no appetite. But thinking that Adrian had come all the way back, he must have been hungry, so he ordered a meal and even drank a few glasses of wine with him. It was not until it was completely dark that he sent Si Xi to escort him out of the palace.

"If it were a civil servant, I would have to send him off, but I am a soldier, so I won't bother you." When they reached the Chongde Gate, Adrian smiled and said, "Please go back."

"That's good, then General Shen should go back and rest earlier." Eunuch Sixi said with a smile, "I should also go back and help the emperor take his medicine."

Adrian nodded, turned around and continued to walk out, but was stopped halfway.

"...Painter Zhang?" After seeing who the visitor was, Adrian breathed a sigh of relief. He thought it was Lord Liu who wanted to be a matchmaker again because he was so quiet.

"General Shen." Painter Zhang had always been on good terms with him, so he was not restrained. "I heard from Xiaofu that the general was dining with the emperor, so I knew I could wait for the general here."

"Why are you waiting for me for any reason?" Adrian was puzzled.

"I have a small favor to ask of you, General." Painter Zhang said, "Today the Emperor summoned me to the Imperial Study. There is a portrait of a Goryeo princess. He said he didn't like the original portrait and wanted to repaint it."

"Then you just draw a new one. Do you need my help?" Adrian laughed.

"I have finished the painting, but the Goryeo princess is not very pretty. I think the original painter has already beautified her. If I change it now, I am afraid there will be no resemblance at all. So I want to ask the general, do you know about this? If you can tell me what the emperor wants to do with this portrait, I will have an idea of   how to change it. Otherwise, I am really unsure now." Painter Zhang said a lot in one breath, gasping for breath.

Adrian helped him calm down and said, "The portrait was sent by Lord Liu."

Painter Zhang suddenly realized: "Oh, matchmaking."

Adrian suppressed his laughter: "Just draw, it doesn't matter if it doesn't look like the real thing." Anyway, the emperor is not going to marry her himself, and no matter how beautiful or ugly she is, the King of Southwest will surely not agree. It's just a joke.

"Yes, yes, that's fine. I'll go present the portrait to the emperor right away." Painter Zhang was happy and couldn't help showing off, "My painting is very good. It was painted based on the most beautiful woman in the world." No matter how beautiful she is, she can be a matchmaker for anyone.

Adrian patted his shoulder, turned around and strode back to the general's mansion.

On the other side, in the town of Fuduo, Riley was fiddling with some insects in the guest room, when suddenly four or five people came in from the window and threw a handful of darts at him.

"It's my subordinate." The man hurriedly dodged, still feeling frightened.

"Is it you?" Riley was puzzled. Why would the assassins from the Southwest Palace follow her all the way?

"Something happened in Southwest Prefecture." Among the visitors was a man named Duan Nian, who was Logan's confidant.

"Master is alive again?" Riley was nervous.

"If he were alive, the first thing he would do would be to settle accounts with you." Logan pushed the door open.

Riley: ...

"How?" Logan asked.

Duan Nian said: "As expected, the treasure tower was stolen a few days after the prince left."

"Those fake letters were stolen?" Logan smiled.

Duan Nian said: "Yes."

"Very good." Logan nodded, and then said, "Since you are here, follow me to the royal city. Remember not to reveal your whereabouts."

Riley poked a small bug and curled her lips inwardly.

That’s right, even you went there secretly, let alone your subordinates.

When can I return to the southwest?

The late spring cold snap was getting colder and colder, and the weather didn't seem to be clearing up at all. Riley wrapped herself up like a bun and stayed in the carriage all day, refusing to come out.

Logan was not busy or hurried. Sometimes, when she felt like doing something, she would even go to a singing house to listen to some music.

Riley: ...

Twenty days passed in a flash, and Riley was dragged out in the middle of the night again, and "retrieved" an imperial edict from the inn.

...

"It was originally intended to be sent to the Southwest Palace." Logan sat at the table and opened the package, so it wasn't considered stealing.

Riley rolled her eyes and walked over with a cup of hot tea: "What's wrong?"

Logan unfolded the imperial edict.

Riley was surprised after reading it: "Does the Emperor of Chu care whether you get married or not?" How come he has the same hobby as the aunt in the mansion?

Logan opened the scroll again.

Riley was even more surprised: "The King of Chu wants to marry the leader of Wuxue Sect to you?"

"Nothing snow, this is the Goryeo princess." Logan tapped his head.

"Are Princess Goryeo and the leader of the Wuxue Sect siblings?" Riley held the scroll and looked at the light, "This is clearly the leader of the Wuxue Sect." The most beautiful woman in the world, she is quite pretty.

Logan smiled, threw the scroll and the imperial edict into the brazier, and called Duan Nian in: "Have you heard any news?"

"There is one thing." Duan Nian nodded first, then hesitated for a moment, "But I haven't found out yet."

"Tell me about it first." Logan said.

"It is said that Shada, the leader of the An-ǔ Kingdom, has arrived in the royal city." Duan Nian said.

Logan frowned: "Him?"

What's so surprising about this? Riley complained in her heart, "You came here secretly, too. Are you allowed to come but not others?"

"It should be him, he is staying in a pawn shop in the royal city, and our people found him by accident." Duan Nian said, "and his brother Gu Li was assassinated in an alley in the royal city not long ago. The King of Chu investigated it at first, but finally gave up."

Logan shook his head, stood up from the table and said, "Let's go."

"Where are you going?" Riley was very alert, it was the middle of the night.

"Royal City!" Logan strode out.

Riley was stunned. Who are these people? Going to the royal city now.

Duan Nian was also very surprised. Did he really care so much?

"I guess she has a crush on that Shada." Riley angrily put the bug into her pocket, "So when she heard that the person was in the royal city, she was so excited that she couldn't sleep and rushed to meet him in private."