So when Li Shishi arrived at Yanfu Palace, she was not stopped. Upon hearing that Li Shishi had arrived, Zhao Ji was overjoyed. He personally went outside the palace to greet her: "Shishi, you've come just in time. I just painted a picture of an old man fishing. Come and appreciate it. I showed it to these ladies, but none of them understood."
Li Shishi smiled faintly and followed him into the hall. On the desk lay a splash-ink landscape painting. Amidst the ink-stained landscape, a small boat floated in the lake. A man wearing a bamboo hat fished in the river. On the bank stood a weeping willow, beneath which a shepherd boy rode a yellow cow and played a flute.
Li Shishi took the painting and looked at it, her eyes filled with surprise. "What a beautiful picture of an old man fishing! The brushwork is vigorous and the colors are just right. What a picture of a leisurely and contented state amidst the mountains and rivers. They say this painting comes from the heart. I imagine the emperor's feelings for the mountains and rivers inspired him to create this."
Zhao Ji laughed heartily: "The one who understands me best is Shishi."
Li Shishi put down the calligraphy and painting and said, "Shishi, I came here to ask for a calligraphy for a friend."
Zhao Ji was slightly surprised: "Who can catch the eye of your Miss Shishi and make her come to her house in person to ask for a calligraphy?"
Li Shishi then told Zhao Ji about Qian Laiye's request for a calligraphy. Zhao Ji laughed heartily: "It's rare that someone still remembers my calligraphy and paintings. It's no big deal. I will write it for him right away. Come! Grind it."
Li Shishi was worried that Zhao Ji would refuse, but she didn't expect him to agree so readily. She was overjoyed and said, "Shishi, come and grind it for Your Majesty."
Zhao Ji was about to write with his brush when he suddenly turned to Li Shishi and said, "Miss Shishi, this Shopkeeper Qian you're talking about is not your sweetheart, is he?"
Li Shishi was embarrassed: "Your Majesty, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Zhao Ji said sternly, "This is nonsense! The person who made you come to me in person to ask for a calligraphy must be special to you. If she is not your sweetheart, then what is she? If she is, I will act as your matchmaker and guarantee that you will marry her in style."
Li Shishi blushed: "Your Majesty, please don't make fun of me. He is really not my beloved."
Zhao Ji said "Oh" with a tone full of regret: "If Miss Shishi has a crush on a certain young man, please tell me and I will make the decision for you."
Li Shishi sighed: "Shishi comes from a humble background. Which young man would be willing to marry her?"
"I will personally be your matchmaker. Who dares to say that you are of humble origin? They can't even get enough of you to marry someone higher up."
Li Shishi smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty, please write quickly. I still have to go back and report."
With a flick of his brush, Zhao Ji wrote the four powerful and vigorous characters of "Gaosheng Inn" in thin gold script on the paper.
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