I’m The Vicious Cannon Fodder In The Book

Li Mingjin really didn't care about anything in the previous years, however if Emperor Tiansheng realized why this year he was so different, he still could come up with a reasonable explanation. He could tell Emperor Tiansheng like this: In the previous years, he didn't have to present his clumsy carving skills in person, but this year was different, he couldn't make his father lose face by offering gifts in front of people, so he could only give these gifts that he thought were the best to Emperor Tiansheng.

　　As for why he didn't send something expensive? That was because he was poor!

　　He always mentioned in his letter to Emperor Tiansheng that Gucheng was very poor, he was so poor that he almost had no money to buy wine, and because of this he had received a lot of private money from Emperor Tiansheng in the past few years, he had won the sympathy of Emperor Tiansheng.

　　Li Mingjin had embarked on an extraordinary road to prosperity today. However he still maintained the strategy of letting Emperor Tiansheng "eat plain porridge with side dishes", and Emperor Tiansheng really liked this gifts.

　　In his birthday banquet, Emperor Tiansheng received many things, however nothing could surpass Li Mingjin's gift that the most suited his mood.

　　If the common people's food and clothing problems could be solved, it was not only the credit of Li Mingjin, but also the achievements of Emperor Tiansheng, and when he reigned in the future, his reputation would go down in history forever.

[名垂青史 míng chuí qīng shǐ: lit. reputation will go down in history (idiom); fig. achievements will earn eternal glory]

　　Which emperor didn't want to leave a good reputation for future generations, and Emperor Tiansheng was no exception.

　　The dinner was peaceful, and everyone kept praising Li Mingjin and his wife. Everyone knew more or less, the other party hit on something new as his congratulatory gifts. Compared with them, their gifts looked vulgar.

[别出心裁 bié chū xīn cái: to hit on sth new (idiom); to display originality; to adopt an original approach]

　　On the other hand, the fourth prince kept smiling the whole time, and he himself knew that his smile was a little stiff.

　　Originally he thought that his congratulatory gift was outstanding enough, but he didn't expect to be compared with Li Mingjin's common crops, but he couldn't have any dissatisfaction. If the other party also sent something like a vase, a calligraphy and painting, or even a pet, he could still be picky and said a few more words. 

       However Li Mingjin did thing and not one drop of water could leak out, no matter how picky he was, anyone with eyes could see how good Gucheng was now. He couldn't make mistakes, and he also couldn't directly stab the rib cartilage of his father. The fourth prince saw that Emperor Tiansheng used all the kindness and pleasantness towards him in the past on Li Mingjin, he felt very uncomfortable.

[滴水不漏 dī shuǐ bù lòu: lit. not one drop of water can leak out; fig. watertight; rigorous (argument)]

[有目共睹yǒu mù gòng dǔ: anyone with eyes can see it (idiom); obvious to all; sth speaks for itself; is there for all to see]

[软肋 ruǎn lèi: lit. rib cartilage; (fig.) weak spot; soft underbelly]

　　Although Li Mingjin was praised by Emperor Tiansheng, he didn't show any pride. Fortunately, the expression on his face had never been very rich, and anyone who came to talk to him could only get a three or two-word response, without the eloquent talk in front of Emperor Tiansheng before.

　　The children of the royal family guessed that the third prince probably thought that talking to people like them who didn't do anything productive was not worth doing.

　　However, they also didn't want to say too much, because the third prince's aura was terrifying, and his eyes as if could kill people.

　　Emperor Tiansheng's birthday banquet ended successfully.

　　Li Mingjin and Luo Shuyu could finally rest after a tiring day.

　　When they returned to the mansion, Luo Shuyu thumped his waist, and said to Li Mingjin with great regret: "It's a pity, father didn't see the face on the screen of the fourth prince clearly."

　　Li Mingjin untied the hairpin on Luo Shuyu's head for him: "Don't worry, Father will see it soon."

　　Sure enough, after they returned to the mansion, Emperor Tiansheng couldn't sleep because he was too happy today, so he got up to appreciate the gift he received today.

　　The old eunuch beside him pointed to the figure embroidered on the screen and said, "Your Majesty, look at how beautiful this lifelike figure is embroidered."

        Emperor Tiansheng smiled and said: "it's as if you haven't seen anything before, it's just a screen." But he still took a second look, and followed the old eunuch's finger he could see a familiar face, "Stop."

　　"Your Majesty, what's the matter?" The old eunuch looked at Emperor Tiansheng's suddenly stiff face.

　　"Can't you see that this face is very similar to the Empress'?" Emperor Tiansheng pointed to the place where the old eunuch's fingers stopped.

　　The old eunuch looked surprised, he said: "This, this old slave has dull eyes." Of course he wouldn't admit it.

　　Regardless of whether the old eunuch admitted what he saw it not, Emperor Tiansheng's face was filled with gloom: "Put away this screen, and don't let it appear in front of me in the future. What kind of gift is this, did the fourth child send this deliberately to make me unhappy? "

　　The old eunuch didn't dare to say anything, and hurriedly asked someone to put away the screen.

　　Within an hour, the fourth prince who was coaxing his son to sleep tonight heard that the screen he gave was put away by Emperor Tiansheng. It hadn't even passed the night. What's going on?

　　After inquiring, he found out that there was a figure in the screen whose face was very similar to the Empress'!

　　The fourth prince was in a complicated mood. Why didn't he notice it when he was looking at it, and now he couldn't even see the screen, so he really couldn't explain anything.

　　At present he couldn't find a way to remedy, he could only eat this suffocation and hold back. It was his own problem, it had nothing to do with anything, this screen was prepared a long time ago, if only he was more careful before, at least he could order the embroiderer to change it, and no one could harm him.

　　Apparently he was too confident.

　　However, at present he could only pretend that he didn't know about this matter. What he had done in front of his father before, was what he did now.

　　Father wouldn't blame him too much for these trivial matters.