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

Chapter 59 Death Gaze
"No, no, I was blind before."

Zhang Xian nodded and bowed repeatedly, his smile obsequious and ingratiating.

"Today, I am here on the orders of the Duke of Yiguo to escort you to the Hanlin Academy for your studies."

"?"

Yan Maoqing was taken aback again upon hearing this.

First, the Northern Garrison Command threatened him to attend classes at the academy; now, the Duke of Yiguo has sent people early this morning to supervise him attending classes.

What kind of malicious intent is this?
Treating elementary school students like Japanese people and giving them workbooks as birthday gifts?

However, to be able to have the Imperial Guards and the Duke of Yi join forces to stop him from skipping classes, he should be considered the first person in history, both in China and abroad, right?
After a moment of self-mockery, Yan Maoqing glanced at the silver-topped, four-bearer sedan chair behind Zhang Xian and immediately began to look for an excuse:

"I'm afraid this is not appropriate. According to the rules, only civil officials of the third rank or above can ride in a sedan chair carried by four men. How dare I, with no rank or grade, overstep this limit?"

"Young master, please don't worry about it. This is the Duke of Yi's sedan chair. What would anyone else dare to say?"

Zhang Xian laughed as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I'm afraid even the Duke of Yi's sedan chair won't work. I've heard that the court has a rule that military officers are prohibited from riding in sedan chairs. You'd better remind the Duke of Yi when you get back."

Yan Maoqing then deliberately said something else.

"The young master is truly filial, always thinking of the Duke of Yi."

To everyone's surprise, Zhang Xian showed a look of emotion, and then said...

"But those are all old news. Nowadays, everyone in the capital rides in a sedan chair. There's no longer any talk of overstepping boundaries. It all comes down to whether you have power or money."

"You two maids, why aren't you coming over here quickly to help the young master wash up and change his clothes?"

"And you guys, carry all the stuff inside. Be careful, if you get bumped or knocked over, we couldn't afford to pay for it even if we sold you all!"

While speaking.

Immediately, two slightly childish-looking children stepped forward, standing on either side of Yan Maoqing behind him, bowing and requesting to help him wash and change.

The remaining dozen or so people carried or held the large pile of gifts covered with cloth into the courtyard, and without any sense of boundaries, they went into the several rooms in the courtyard to find a place to put them.

This is the third wave of gifts that Guo Xun has given him since the selection of his own collection.

Yan Maoqing's small courtyard was becoming increasingly crowded, and if this continued, there might not even be enough room for him to stand.

Just as Yan Maoqing was becoming increasingly confused, Zhang Xian leaned close to his ear and whispered the rest in his ear:
"Young master, the Duke of Yiguo was afraid that you would be wronged because of the money, so he sent me to deliver another thousand taels of silver, which is hidden in the red box carried by the four servants."

"This house is probably not suitable for your status, young master. However, you need not worry. The Duke of Yi has already ordered me to search far and wide. I will find you a house that you can stretch out comfortably within three days. I just don't know if you have any special requirements for the house..."

"???"

Yan Maoqing was even more confused after hearing this.

This doesn't seem like they're "escorting" him to his classes; it seems more like they genuinely value him.

But why is that?

Could it be because of his "confession" after he forcibly became Guo Xun's godfather last night?
But Guo Xun doesn't seem like someone who lacks love, and he doesn't lack offspring. There's really no need for him to be so biased towards a stranger he's only met twice before becoming his godfather.
……

On the way to Qianbu Corridor by sedan chair, Yan Maoqing was still puzzled.

When questioned earlier, Zhang Xian gave vague answers and made no mention of Guo Xun being suddenly summoned to the palace by the Emperor last night.

In the end, Yan Maoqing could only blame himself for his excellent acting last night, which inadvertently awakened Guo Xun's hidden "paternal love".

However, this can be considered as exceeding the target.

In any case, his original purpose was to get involved with the soon-to-be-destroyed Guo Xun, hoping to be implicated in the subsequent events and thus achieve his ultimate goal of retiring and returning to his hometown. As for Guo Xun's actions, it's unclear what he was really thinking.

But it was undoubtedly a declaration of the close relationship he had just established, which Yan Maoqing was naturally happy to see.

However, the thing to be careful about now is how to keep your distance from Guo Xun and avoid getting too involved, so as not to accidentally lose your life.

As for the ever-increasing wealth...

I hope that when I flee the capital in the future, Guo Xun won't send people to chase after me for thousands of miles.
However, it shouldn't be a big problem. In a few months, Guo Xun will lose his life in prison. What's the point of money if he's dead? This debt will eventually become a forgotten mess.

It's quite ironic, really.

He clearly only wanted to retire and return to his hometown, but instead, his mansion in the capital kept getting bigger and bigger, and his wealth kept increasing. What kind of messed-up world is this...?

Just as I was thinking this.

"Sir, we're here."

Zhang Xian lifted the curtain and reminded him with a smile.

"Good work."

Yan Maoqing snapped out of his thoughts, got off the sedan chair, and glanced around. Sure enough, they had arrived at Zhengyang Gate.

The next moment, he felt death stares coming from all directions!
It was the morning rush hour for court officials to enter the palace or go to various government offices, and people were constantly passing through Zhengyang Gate.

Those who were qualified and wealthy enough to ride in a sedan chair carried by four men, though they might not know him personally, did know Zhang Xian.

Even if someone who is not qualified or wealthy enough to ride in a four-bearer sedan chair does not know him or Zhang Xian, they will certainly recognize the four-bearer silver-topped official sedan chair.

Not to mention that a small number of them also recognized him.

For example, Yan Maoqing had just stepped out of his sedan chair when he ran into Yan Song, the Minister of Rites. Yan Song had also just gotten out of his sedan chair, and Yan Nian, the servant whose head Yan Maoqing had previously cracked open, was carefully tidying up his appearance...

"?!"

Yan Maoqing clearly noticed a hint of surprise and doubt flash across Yan Song's eyes, and even blinked twice to make sure that his eyesight wasn't failing him.

"I have met Minister Yan."

Upon seeing this, Yan Maoqing smiled calmly and bowed.

If history hadn't changed, the person he would have made his godfather would have been this man, not Duke Guo Xun.

"Uh……"

Yan Song hesitated for a moment, still looking as if he hadn't recovered from the shock.

As a result of this hesitation, Yan Maoqing had already drifted away amidst countless deathly gazes, heading towards the porch with the largest number of people to join the queue.

Watching Yan Maoqing's retreating figure, Yan Song pondered for a long while before finally asking Yan Nian in a soft voice:
"Yan Nian, do you think it's possible that the twenty taels of silver I ordered you to send to Yan Maoqing last time was too meager and was seen as an insult by him, which is why the task failed?"

at the same time.

"Brother Jingqing..."

Among the queuing crowd, Gao Gong, who had arrived early to check in, also looked somewhat dazed.
"We haven't seen him for just one night, why is he here in a sedan chair carried by four men to report for duty?"

"Could it be that he deliberately concealed his family background before, and that it is actually far more illustrious than mine, a family with three generations of officials in the capital, and now he has suddenly decided to stop pretending?"

"However, he is still only a junior scholar; isn't this move too ostentatious?"

"I'll find a moment later to remind him, lest it arouse jealousy and others use this to criticize his overstepping of boundaries... I just don't know if he'll still be willing to talk to me."

(End of this chapter)