Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 55 Foster Father
"Brother Jingqing, I never expected this, your tuberculosis actually..."

Although Gao Gong was not a good-tempered person, he was a reasonable person. At this moment, he knew that he owed Yan Maoqing, so even if Yan Maoqing's attitude was bad, he could only endure it.

"Please leave, I don't want to see you again!"

Yan Maoqing clutched his chest, still furious.

"I'm willing to make it up to you. Now that you've recovered from tuberculosis, you'll be returning to the Hanlin Academy tomorrow, right?"

Gao Gong quickly added,

"I swear to God, starting tomorrow, I will do everything in my power to protect you at the Hanlin Academy and will never let you be bullied by your classmates because of this!"

He thought Yan Maoqing was angry because he was afraid of ruining his reputation, and in his haste, he didn't connect it with the previous palace examination paper, only thinking about how to make amends.

It would have been better if he hadn't brought it up.

Upon hearing this, Yan Maoqing immediately recalled Lu Bing's words when he left the Northern Garrison earlier that day: "Would you like me to have someone escort you to the Hanlin Academy for your roll call tomorrow?"

This was clearly a threat, forcing him to attend classes obediently from now on, otherwise the Imperial Guards might intervene and use force...

"Go! Leave gracefully!!!"

Yan Maoqing's heart ached even more, and he directly pushed Gao Gong out of the courtyard, slamming him against the gate with a loud bang.

"call--"

Slumped against the door, Yan Maoqing's body slowly slid down until he finally sat helplessly on the ground.

Although today is also twelve hours, he felt the malice from the whole world during these twelve hours, as if the entire Ming Dynasty was against him from top to bottom.

He knew it.

Being forced to attend classes at the Hanlin Academy tomorrow will effectively lock him out for the next three years.

Library lessons! Library lessons! And more library lessons!

After this incident, how could Xia Yan and the scholars of the Hanlin Academy not understand Emperor Jiajing's meaning?
Especially Xia Yan, even though he became a little arrogant after becoming the Grand Secretary, he dared to go against Jiajing's wishes on some matters, and sometimes even dared to openly stand against Jiajing for the sake of public opinion.

But this old man is not stupid at all.

He was also a skilled writer of Qingci poems.

When Jiajing was truly enraged, he knelt down faster than anyone else and his attitude was more sincere than anyone else's.

On New Year's Day and the birthday of Emperor Jiajing, his congratulatory messages were sent faster than anyone else's.

Moreover, this old Deng is truly talented and capable; he is by no means a mediocre official who does nothing of substance.

Take last year for example. When Empress Dowager Zhaosheng passed away, there was a typo in his memorial to the Crown Prince regarding the mourning rites. As a result, Jiajing severely reprimanded him and even used classic workplace PUA phrases such as "If you don't want to be the Grand Secretary, there are plenty of people who will," making no attempt to hide his intention to force him to retire.

In his panic, Xia Yan presented fourteen policy essays on border defense overnight, using his genuine talent and wisdom to immediately calm Jiajing's emotions.

Therefore, having understood Emperor Jiajing's meaning...

Even if Xia Yan still harbors hostility towards him, she probably won't continue to openly try to expel him from the Hanlin Academy. At most, she might use others to trip him up during the provincial examinations and when the academy closes three years later.

In other words, he probably won't be able to escape the library classes for the next three years.

"It's so difficult... I might as well just give up."

Yan Maoqing could easily imagine that he would have a hard time finding an opportunity to retire in the next three years.

After all, as a junior scholar, even if he kept causing trouble, he could only stay in the Hanlin Academy most of the time and didn't even have the right to be impeached by the censors.

This is where he felt most angry and desperate.

Gao Gong had only run into Xia Yan's gun barrel once again, and thus incurred his wrath.

As for that unusual tactic against the Tatars, it was actually harmless.

After all, before that ingenious plan actually succeeds, let alone if Xia Yan didn't believe it, even if it spread from the Hanlin Academy and reached Jiajing's ears, Jiajing would probably find it hard to believe.

Even if Yan Maoqing weren't a time traveler, he wouldn't have believed it if someone had told him about this ingenious trick.

The only difference is that Xia Yan was a proponent of war, Jiajing was a pragmatist, while Yan Maoqing was an opportunist…

"I refuse to accept my fate... I will never accept my fate like this, and no one can bind me, absolutely not!"

Yan Maoqing roared fiercely in his heart, even though he knew it was nothing more than a futile and impotent rage.

at this time.

"Boom boom boom!"

The door behind him was knocked on again. Yan Maoqing assumed Gao Gong was still waiting outside and immediately cursed in annoyance:
"Aren't you leaving yet? If you don't leave, I'll pee on you!"

"Eh?"

Another familiar voice came from outside the door; it wasn't Gao Gong, but Manager Liu.
"Yan Jishi, what's wrong with you? Why are you so angry?"

"So it's Manager Liu. What brings you here?"

Yan Maoqing then composed himself, got up, and opened the door.

As the courtyard gate opened, it was as if a new door opened in his mind, and a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him!
Duke Guo Xun of Yiguo!
Damn it, how could I forget about Guo Xun's retirement storyline!

Guo Xun was originally part of this play. I had planned to get involved with him so that I could be implicated when he fell from power, thus helping me achieve my promising ultimate goal of retiring from office.

Now that the main storyline is blocked, why not make use of this side storyline and explore it thoroughly?
Anyway, Guo Xun wasn't a good person to begin with.

Moreover, if the course of history remains unchanged, Guo Xun is destined to be imprisoned and die in prison, so Yan Maoqing will not have any psychological burden in using him...

"Hehe, recently quite a few people have come to the bookstore urging for the next issue of the storybook. I have no choice but to shamelessly come and ask Mr. Yan when the manuscript for the next issue of the storybook will be completed."

Seeing that Yan Maoqing was in a bad mood, Manager Liu could only cautiously probe the situation.
“If Mr. Yan has something important to do, this storybook matter is not urgent. I will come again in a few days.”

"I do have more important matters to attend to. Your arrival is timely, but I wonder if my godfather is at the Duke of Yi's residence at this moment?"

Yan Maoqing spoke fluently without hesitation.

"Godfather? I wonder who Yan Jishi's godfather is..."

Manager Liu was taken aback.

Yan Maoqing nodded, his face neither blushing nor skipping a beat, and said:

"Of course it's the Duke of Yi, how could it be anyone else?"

"Uh?!"

Manager Liu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets upon hearing this.

All he knew was that a few days ago Yan Maoqing was summoned to the West Garden but was flogged in court, and that Guo Xun had turned against him and sent people to collect debts.

To avoid losing face, he even made up an excuse not to participate that day.

Little did he know that Yan Maoqing had quietly made his master his godfather, and Guo Xun's trusted servant Zhang Xian had not mentioned this to him.

However, there is one thing that Manager Liu can be certain of.

That is, Zhang Xian failed to collect the debt that day, and Guo Xun did not truly fall out with Yan Maoqing.

Otherwise, his property deed would be taken back, and Yan Maoqing would never be able to continue living here peacefully. He would also dare not continue to associate with Yan Maoqing, and today he dared not come to urge him to finish his manuscript...

There must be some secrets about this that he doesn't deserve to know.

Therefore, Yan Maoqing became Guo Xun's godfather.

Whether it's true or false, at this moment he can only err on the side of caution and make sure he doesn't offend either side.

After weighing the options for a moment, I realized I had no choice.

Manager Liu avoided this topic and instead asked:
"The Duke of Yi should be at his residence right now, but I wonder why Young Master Yan is asking this?"

(End of this chapter)