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

Chapter 60 Surprise
Gao Gong's concerns were not unfounded.

Not far behind him in the queue, there was a man staring intently at Yan Maoqing, his eyes burning with jealousy.

This person was none other than Zhang Yusheng, a Jinshi from Jiangxi, who had been forced to "fight at the palace gate" with Yan Maoqing.

Although he was not selected as a probationary official during the selection process, he was assigned to the Ministry of Rites, which was headed by Yan Song, to observe official duties.

This immediately solidified his belief that Yan Song's previous "three smiles of mercy" towards him were not just his imagination; Yan Song ultimately thought highly of him, but he needed to be even more obviously outstanding in order to truly win Yan Song's heart...

"Hey! Brother Wenrui, Yan Maoqing is just a junior scholar, yet he dares to ride in a four-tiered official sedan chair. A righteous and upright man like you must be unable to stand by and watch, right?"

A fellow "senior" who was also observing politics at the Ministry of Rites nudged his shoulder, raised his eyebrows, and whispered something.

"hehe."

Zhang Yusheng snapped out of his daze, and couldn't help but recall the scene of the "fight" under the palace gate that day. His face felt faintly hot and painful, and knowing that this so-called "elder brother" had no good intentions, he sneered and asked in return,
"Brother Boqing, are you determined to stand up and confront Yan Maoqing in public? Why don't I lend you a hand?"

"How could I dare? I am but a lowly servant, and I was merely speaking..."

"Brother Nian" quickly shook his head with an embarrassed smile and stepped back, not daring to say anything more.

Zhang Yusheng ignored him and looked at the other side of Zhengyang Gate, where there was no need to queue to enter. At that moment, Yan Song was the first to pass through the gate and enter.

"After Yan Maoqing attached himself to the Duke of Yi, his fortunes changed dramatically."

"In terms of literary talent, my ranking on the imperial examination list is far superior to his. The fact that he was selected as a junior compiler during the selection process suggests that the Duke of Yiguo must have secretly helped him, and perhaps his essays were even ghostwritten."

"In terms of reputation, although I am not universally acclaimed and am now virtually unknown, I am far superior to his notorious reputation, which is like that of a rat crossing the street."

"In terms of wisdom, I am a man who can bend and stretch, while he is flamboyant and unrestrained, making a fool of himself everywhere, and has long been the object of the envy of many people."

"I have three wins, and he has three losses!"

"His success is simply due to winning an opportunity."

"Now I have the same opportunity. As long as I hold on tightly to Minister Yan, the future is long. In the ups and downs of officialdom, it is still unknown who will have the last laugh!"

"Yan Maoqing... I will personally avenge the slap I received that day!"

……

An hour later.

"Minister Yan, I have been reading the book 'The Great Ming Ritual Collection' which was completed in the ninth year of the Jiajing reign. There are a few parts that I do not understand. Could you please enlighten me?"

Taking advantage of his hometown ties with the Yan family, Zhang Yusheng brought official Ming Dynasty etiquette books to Yan Song and humbly sought his advice.

"Oh? Tell me about it."

Yan Song was very good at adopting a humble and respectful attitude, and immediately smiled in an approachable manner.

Zhang Yusheng opened the book according to the pre-prepared markings, pointed to a few lines of text, and said solemnly:
"Minister Yan, please take a look. This book was compiled by more than thirty learned scholars at the behest of the current emperor. It contains clear regulations on the official attire, carriages, and utensils of officials."

"However, since I came to the capital, I have found that many officials in the capital do not follow etiquette and law. There are even unranked junior scholars who openly ride in the four-bearer silver-topped official sedan chairs that are only allowed to be ridden by civil officials of the third rank or above."

"The students are heartbroken that the rites and music have collapsed to this extent."

"In my humble opinion, if Minister Yan were to submit a memorial to His Majesty on this matter, it would not only make His Majesty and the world understand that Minister Yan is a man of great principles, but it would also correct such unhealthy practices and restore order to the court. It would be a win-win situation."

After saying this, Zhang Yusheng felt smug.

Now Minister Yan should know how meticulous I am with official duties, and also how sincere my heart is for Minister Yan.
"?"

However, Yan Song frowned slightly upon hearing these words.

How wicked this person is, daring to use him as a weapon!

He was well aware that the officials in the capital were not following etiquette and were exceeding the standards for riding in sedan chairs, and so was the emperor.

Even the Emperor turns a blind eye to this, yet this person encourages him to submit a memorial and take on the matter. Isn't he trying to push him to the opposite side of all the officials in the capital?

And this person deliberately mentioned the matter of a junior scholar riding in a four-bearer silver-topped official sedan chair; it would be better to just mention Yan Maoqing's name directly!
Today, Yan Maoqing rode in the official sedan chair of the Duke of Yi, accompanied by the Duke of Yi's trusted servants.

How could Yan Song not understand what this meant?
This was a blatant declaration to all court officials that Yan Maoqing was his man, and that he, the Duke of Yiguo, was determined to protect him. From now on, anyone who crossed Yan Maoqing would be crossing him!
Yan Song is already at a disadvantage in his struggle against Xia Yan, and he is too busy trying to win over Guo Xun to risk antagonizing him over such a trivial matter.

Yan Song even began to suspect that Zhang Yusheng might be Xia Yan's man.

However, this possibility is unlikely. Even if Xia Yan is incompetent, she wouldn't be so refreshingly stupid...

“That makes sense. I already have a plan in mind.” Yan Song, maintaining his approachable smile, patted Zhang Yusheng on the shoulder.

“You are indeed a talented person. It seems a waste of your talents to be observing the administration in the Department of Ceremonial Affairs. In my opinion, it would be better to transfer you to the Department of Fine Food first.”

"Thank you, Minister Yan!"

Zhang Yusheng was overjoyed and quickly bowed to express his gratitude. After thanking him, he suddenly realized something was wrong. Why was it the Imperial Cuisine Department?
However, by the time he realized what was happening, Yan Song had already walked away.

As he walked, he whispered to his entourage behind him:

“I don’t want to see this person again. Have the head of the Imperial Kitchen arrange for him to clean up the kitchen waste.”

……

The next two days can only be summed up in four words for Yan Maoqing:
Nothing happened.

Aside from the fact that he went to report on the first day, which startled the teachers and students of the Hanlin Academy who were unaware that his tuberculosis had been "cured,"

After that, everything returned to calm. No one made things difficult for him, and no one got close to him. Only the occasional, ambiguous, and complicated glances were proof of his existence.

In contrast, Yan Maoqing's life was peaceful and idyllic.

Fuling Hall, opened by Xu Cheng, son of Xu Shen, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, suddenly became bustling with customers overnight.

No one knows who spread the word, but Xu Shen's reputation as an "unparalleled miracle doctor" who could even cure tuberculosis spread like wildfire.

Most people were not qualified to seek treatment from Xu Shen, the hospital's chief physician, so Fuling Hall became a sacred place that patients flocked to.

Since yesterday, the queue has been getting longer and longer, and now it stretches out two alleys...

"Father, tell me... is Yan Maoqing a villain or a benefactor to our family?"

Xu Cheng had initially harbored some resentment towards Yan Maoqing for nearly ruining his family, but now, seeing the consultation fees that were practically a fortune compared to before, all that remained in his heart was an indescribable mix of emotions.

If he's full at one meal and full at every other meal, how could he not know which is better?
"He was a benefactor to our family the day he promised to recover, and he's also your father's savior... I won't tell you anymore, even a miracle doctor is very busy!"

Xu Shen left home with his medicine box before he had even finished his meal.

Nowadays, many powerful and wealthy people seek his medical treatment privately, and even high-ranking officials of the second rank have to wait in line.

These are all walking connections. Now he can stand much straighter in the Imperial Hospital. Who would dare to speak to him disrespectfully?
……

This continued until the third day.

Yan Maoqing had just finished his lesson when he met Zhang Xian, who had been waiting for him for a long time, outside Zhengyang Gate.

Why have you come again today?

He had made it clear to Zhang Xian that he was not used to riding in a sedan chair and did not need to be picked up or dropped off anymore.

Zhang Xian seemed to have taken this to heart, as he didn't come to greet them yesterday afternoon, nor did he come to escort them this morning.

But just one day later, they came back with people to wait for them again.

“Young master, today is different. Today is the birthday of the Duke of Yi, and the Duke of Yi specially sent me to fetch you to attend the banquet.”

Zhang Xian bowed and smiled apologetically.

Yan Maoqing was taken aback. He clearly didn't want to give a gift, but he still feigned concern and tentatively asked:
"Since it's a birthday celebration, wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to go empty-handed?"

“How could I come empty-handed? The Duke of Yi said that he has already accepted the birthday gift presented by the young master. It is the most precious and favorite gift he has received for his birthday this year.”

Zhang Xian's smile became even more ingratiating.

"The Duke of Yi also said that he has prepared a surprise for the young master as a return gift, which will surely delight the young master!"

"what?"

These words left Yan Maoqing completely bewildered.

He was still thinking about how to avoid giving gifts. When had he ever given Guo Xun a birthday gift? Was he sure that Guo Xun wasn't senile and had misremembered who gave the gift?

And there's that surprise gift-giving thing...

Does he know what he wants? He's sure to make me overjoyed.

(End of this chapter)