Chapter 10: The Tyrant

Zhu Youjiao said with great interest: "Tell me a story; if it is well told, I shall reward you!"

Your Majesty, this humble servant is the best at telling jokes

Yitu Shengxin thought, this is easy, and hurriedly bowed his head, saying: "I humbly obey Your Majesty's decree"

The eunuch shouted in a sharp and high-pitched voice: "The Emperor's decree, step forward to respond!"

Little Yizi, you truly are a talented individual. Lord Wei has indeed made the right recommendation this time. From now on, you shall remain by my side!

As he walked through the winding and narrow corridors of the palace and entered the resplendent and brightly lit West Warm Pavilion, Yi Tusheng was instantly astonished by the scene before him

Before the Ming Dynasty, Yi Tusheng had already visited the Forbidden City, but that Forbidden City had undergone three hundred years of transformation during the Qing Dynasty, and many places were no longer the same

Zhu Youjiao furrowed his brows and scrutinized Yi Tusheng for a moment, then asked, "Can you tell jokes?"

Wei Zongxian has left, and Zhu Youjiao immediately jumped out from behind the desk, stretched lazily, and said: "Xiao Yizi, from today onwards, you shall follow me closely. Whenever I feel bored, you will tell me a few jokes to lighten the mood"

Zhu Youjiao felt a sense of beauty in his heart and casually said: "You may take that exquisite pagoda; it is my most satisfactory work. As the saying goes: A woman adorns herself for the one she loves, and a scholar sacrifices himself for the one who understands him. A precious sword is given to a hero, and a beautiful gift is given to a beloved. Since you are my confidant, I should naturally present it to you"

Yitu Sheng hurriedly bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty is truly exceptionally intelligent"

In the face of a tyrant, catering to their whims has always been a means to achieve promotion and wealth.

The outcome of the match was predictable; Yi Tusheng lost, but not by a large margin, with a score of 21 to 17. The Emperor of the Apocalypse ingeniously invented the 21-point system

Yitu stood up, bending forward and taking small steps ahead

However, Yi Tusheng is full of yellow jokes, which he can easily handle

Yitu Sheng exclaimed in surprise, kneeling before the carpentry work in deep reverence, and said: "My heavens, this is truly a work of divine craftsmanship; there is nothing in the world more exquisite than this. It must surely be a gift from the immortals to Your Majesty!"

Zhu Youjiao laughed enough and said to Wei Zongxian: "This person I will keep, you may withdraw now!" Wei Zongxian felt great joy in his heart, secretly thinking that in the future, the emperor's every move would not escape his ears and eyes. Thus, he bowed and exited the imperial study.

The eunuch raised his voice and asked: "Kneeling, the Emperor asks you who you are, speak truthfully"

Yitu Sheng secretly took a deep breath, thinking to himself that today he truly understood what it meant to accompany a ruler as if accompanying a tiger; one misstep in dealing with the emperor could lead to losing one's head.

Yitu Sheng Lianlian is known as.

Yi Tusheng thought, although this young man looks rather unsightly, he possesses great fortune. His father, Zhu Changluo, reigned as emperor for only one month before passing away, leaving the vast empire of the Ming court to him. Such occurrences have been rare throughout history.

The ten palace maids were exhausted, their hairpins disheveled, and fragrant sweat flowed freely, soaking their garments. Each of them revealed their true forms, their delicate features accentuated, making it a delightful sight for Yi Tusheng to behold.

The servant is a little eunuch by the side of Lord Wei!" Yi Tusheng pretended to say with trepidation.

Yitu Sheng understands very well; the gist is not much different from playing volleyball. He is not afraid of losing now, but rather afraid of winning. What if the young emperor of Tianqi turns against him? Then he would be facing the king of hell. However, losing too easily is not an option; otherwise, the young emperor would lose interest in playing with him, and he would fall out of favor.

Zhu Youjiao smiled proudly beside him, saying: "All of this was made by me personally. If you find it good, tomorrow I shall bestow upon you a few pieces!"

Zhu Youjiao's statement inquires both about Yitu Sheng and Wei Zongxian

The eunuch beside him shouted, "Who are you? Quickly relay the Emperor's message!"

Zhu Youjian said with great enthusiasm: "Do not rush to bow down yet, I have many interesting things to show you. Get up quickly and come with me!"

Yi Tusheng pondered for a moment, then spoke animatedly: "Once upon a time, there was a couple who were very affectionate. The man fished while the woman wove nets. Although their life was hard, they lived freely and happily. What was most satisfying was that the man was strong and healthy; every evening after sunset, he would engage in joyful activities with his wife, and their happiness knew no bounds... However, one night, just as the two were exhausted and snoring loudly, the woman suddenly shouted in her sleep: 'Oh no, my husband is back!' The husband, not understanding the situation and fearing that an affair had been discovered, jumped out of bed, put on his pants, and fled in a panic..." At this point, Yi Tusheng paused and looked at the book.

Yi Tusheng turned around and bowed his head to Zhu Youjiao, his forehead striking the marble floor with a loud thud: "How dare this servant accept such a precious gift, Your Majesty's grace is overwhelming!"

Zhu Youjiao listened intently, momentarily taken aback, and then burst into loud laughter, doubling over and pounding his chest in delight: "So it turns out that these two birdmen are not clean, which is why they fled in all directions. Marvelous, marvelous!"

Beneath the entire map, there is a disordered accumulation of numerous wooden blocks, axes, and various already-formed wooden trinkets, such as a thirteen-layer exquisite pagoda, miniature landscapes modeled after the three great halls, and the Yellow Crane Tower, among many others. Each piece is remarkably lifelike, ingeniously crafted, with intricate designs and unparalleled craftsmanship. It is estimated that if he were in modern times, Zhu Youjiao would certainly be an excellent carpenter.

Zhu Youjiao stood high above and asked: "What work were you responsible for before? Do you know how to serve me respectfully?"

The net has been set up, and Yi Tusheng stands on the left side with five charming palace maids, while Zhu Youjiao stands on the right side

The Emperor of the Apocalypse sat in the imperial study, idly fiddling with a delicate small tower made of mortise and tenon joints, and absentmindedly asked, "Who are you?"

"Come forward," said Emperor Tianqi Zhu Youjiao

Wei Zongxian quickly stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, this servant is called Xiao Yizi. He has followed this servant since childhood and is particularly clever and quick-witted. After careful selection, this servant dares to bring him before Your Majesty."

At this point, Yi Tusheng and Tu Shu Zheng finally breathed a sigh of relief; they had successfully passed the final interview.

Easily, he bent down and crawled up the steps.

Yi Tusheng quickly stood up, following Zhu Youjiao as they exited the imperial study, walking along a white stone corridor adorned with carved dragons and painted phoenixes towards the rear of the Forbidden City

Zhu Youjiao impatiently said: "Alright, alright, I have been busy from morning till night today, and I am very tired. I want to play for a while. Can you kick a shuttlecock?"

The other maids and eunuchs around him looked on with trepidation, and even Wei Zongxian was sweating nervously for him

Zhu Youjiao ran up like an athlete just substituted onto the field, smiling as he said: "Although you have many tricks, the real competition does not focus on these. Let us compete now!"

When Yitu first encountered the True Dragon Son of Heaven, he was somewhat frightened and dared not speak, finally managing to squeeze out a phrase after a long pause: "I, a humble servant, dare to speak!"

Yitu Sheng humbly said: "I know a little bit!"

Yi Tusheng nearly knocked his head and bled, shouting loudly: "Thank you for your great kindness, thank you for your great kindness"

Zhu Youjiao, the emperor, is not handsome at all. He has inherited the characteristics of his ancestor Zhu Yuanzhang, possessing a face that resembles a dull, grayish-white winter melon, along with dead fish-like eyes resulting from prolonged exposure to carpentry work. He is not tall, being a full two heads shorter than Yi Tusheng. The phrase "sleazy" is the most fitting description for this emperor.

In the spacious and magnificent hall, there were seventeen or eighteen palace eunuchs on duty, standing under the vermilion pillars entwined with golden dragons. Directly opposite them, on the wall adorned with maps and books, hung a meticulously crafted "Complete Map of the Ming Dynasty," which marked the locations of key border fortresses, granaries, and treasury with colorful silk threads, serving as a comprehensive national topographic map

Yi Tu's face was filled with black lines, secretly thinking, this emperor is truly foolish, at over twenty years old, still wanting to hear childish jokes

The palace maid brought a beautifully adorned shuttlecock and tossed it into the arena. Yi Tusheng extended his right foot and effortlessly caught it, continuing to toss and catch it steadily for over ten times. His feet alternated back and forth; sometimes he would pass it through his legs, other times he would send the shuttlecock flying over his shoulder. With various techniques such as outside kicks, turning kicks, back kicks, side kicks, or from behind, he would control the shuttlecock with the sole of his foot, executing these skills with remarkable finesse. Zhu Youjiao watched in astonishment, his eyes filled with envy.

Zhu Youjiao noticed that he was lowering his head and remained silent, so he cleared his throat and said: "I have created a new game here, which involves gathering ten palace maids, arranged on either side, with a net stretched in the middle, separated by a distance of two zhang. From left to right, they will pass items to each other. If an item falls on the left side, the left side loses; if it falls on the right side, the right side loses. You and I will each stand on opposite sides, with three pairs of six people, totaling twelve. Do you understand?"

Zhu Youjiao said with disappointment: "If you know a little, then it wouldn't be fun!" Yi Tusheng quickly changed his words, saying: "Your servant is proficient, proficient!" Zhu Youjiao laughed and said: "You dog servant, dare to deceive me. I was going to punish you, but considering your offense, I will spare you this time. However, I estimate that no matter how good your skills are, they cannot surpass mine!"