The next day.
The guest courtyard is the last building on the east side of the third courtyard of the Grand Commandant's mansion. The courtyard is spacious and bright, and it is kept clean and tidy. A weeping willow tree is planted in front of the main house on the north side. It is winter, and the willow leaves have long since fallen, leaving only slender branches that sway gently in the breeze, showing their elegant posture.
Li Molin, Liuli, and Ahua lived in the east and west warm pavilions on either side of the main house's living room, while Yu Ke and Ji Jue lived in the east and west wing rooms. It was just dawn, and Liuli, Li Molin, and the others were fast asleep. The entire guest courtyard was very quiet.
Just then, a young maid pushed open the half-closed door and walked in. She looked around, stood awkwardly in the middle of the courtyard, and timidly called out, "Guests..."
There was no response whatsoever; apart from Ji Jue's faint snoring, the guest courtyard was as quiet as if no one lived there.
The young girl swallowed hard, raised her voice slightly, and called out, "Are the guests awake yet?"
There was still no response.
The little girl looked annoyed and turned to leave, but after a moment's hesitation, she reluctantly turned back. With a determined look, she called out loudly, "Could you gentlemen please wake up? My master wants to see you!"
Finally, a sound came from the east wing. After a short while, the door to the east wing was opened. Yu Ke, disheveled and looking sleepy, leaned against the door. He yawned widely and said unhappily, "It's so early, little girl, what are you shouting about?"
The young maid took a step back, clasped her hands together and rubbed them back and forth, and said timidly with her head down, "It was my fault, please forgive me, guests. But... but my master has specially excused himself from attending the morning court today, just to see you guests. He is waiting for you in the main hall now, please go quickly... I'll take my leave!"
After saying that, the little girl turned and ran away, as if fleeing in panic.
"Ha!" A sneer came from the main room entrance. Yu Ke turned his head and saw Li Molin, dressed in black, standing in the doorway. He was impeccably dressed, his hair was neatly combed, and his face showed no signs of fatigue, as if he had already washed his face. He crossed his arms and said with a faint smile, "This old fellow is really petty. We only disturbed his sleep last night, and this morning he wants to bother us!"
"Hate!"
As soon as Li Molin finished speaking, Liuli's drowsy and indistinct voice suddenly came from the West Warm Pavilion, sounding very displeased.
Li Molin glanced in that direction, shook his head, and chuckled. He stood up and walked forward, saying, "Yu Ke, get ready and come with me to see that old bastard Zhang Chao."
"Yes." Yu Ke quickly combed her hair, put on her clothes, and followed behind Li Molin.
The two walked around to the second courtyard and slowly passed through the corridor. At that time, although the young masters and young ladies were still fast asleep, many servants and maids had already gotten up and were busy. When they saw Li Molin and Yu Ke as they passed through the corridor, they couldn't help but show their doubts and gathered together in twos and threes to discuss it.
Ignoring the servants and maids, Li Molin walked slowly forward and whispered to Yu Ke, "I will bribe that old man Zhang Chao later and have him recommend you to the Emperor. You need to find a way to get close to the Emperor, gain his trust, and try your best to find out where the Imperial Seal is. Do you understand?"
Yu Ke nodded and replied, "Yes, young master."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Yu Ke." Li Molin nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile.
Yu Ke shook his head and said respectfully, "Young Master, you are too kind. It was all what I should do."
Li Molin fell silent and quickly walked with Yu Ke to the end of the corridor. The little girl who had woken them up was waiting there and opened the door as soon as she saw them.
The two walked straight into the door, and the little girl followed them in, leading them through the back hall to the front living room.
The living room was spacious and bright. On the north wall hung a painting of a reclining tiger by Changsun Muyun, a renowned artist from the early Warring States period. The painting depicted a low, verdant hill, upon which lay a leisurely tiger. A colorful butterfly perched on the tiger's nose, and its piercing eyes stared intently at the butterfly, making its eyes appear crossed, a sight that evoked amusement. Li Molin surveyed the entire painting; the butterfly, the tiger, and the surrounding mountains and streams together created an unusual yet peaceful and serene scene.
The picture shows a black wooden plaque with the four large characters "赤胆忠心" (meaning "loyal and devoted") on it. It is said that the plaque was personally inscribed by the late emperor.
Zhang Chao joined the army at a young age, during the chaotic Warring States period. He distinguished himself in the war and fought under Xuan Yuan Yu, making great contributions to the unification of the Da Sheng Kingdom. This plaque was bestowed by Emperor Yan at the beginning of the founding of the country to commend his meritorious officials.
Below the painting was a long table, in front of which was a square table with two armchairs on either side. Zhang Chao was sitting quietly in the main seat on the right, his face as calm as water, holding a steaming cup of tea in his hand, taking a sip from time to time.
Three pairs of slightly smaller armchairs were placed on either side of the hall, and in the middle of the six armchairs were two pairs of small square tables.
In the center of the hall stood a huge stove, about half a person's height, with flames burning brightly inside, dispelling the chill in the hall.
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