Li Ruolian realized he had lost his composure. He scrambled to his feet in a flurry of motion, knelt back down, and began to kowtow incessantly. "Your Majesty, please forgive this subject! I have been disrespectful. I beg for Your Majesty’s mercy, have mercy."
"I serve as a commander of the Brocade Guard. The Brocade Guard is the Emperor’s personal army, loyal only to Your Majesty. Even if I were given the courage of the heavens, I would never dare to commit such an act of treason. I beg Your Majesty to investigate this clearly." Li Ruolian assumed Emperor Chongzhen was testing him and immediately declared his loyalty.
"Are you refusing an imperial decree?" Emperor Chongzhen demanded.
Chapter 17