Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 870 Please sign your name, my lord.

The "silk barrier" on the table, Yang Yuan's moon-white Taoist robe, the faint fragrance of orchids in the tea room...

All of this points to a conclusion that Xingruo finds hard to believe: the Prince of Yan is none other than Mr. Muyi.

Mu Yi?

Isn't the character "木" (mu) and "易" (yi) combined to form the character "杨" (yang)?

No wonder Mr. Mu Yi is wherever Yang Yuan is; they were originally the same person.

This major discovery left Xingruo speechless.

Yang Yuan was somewhat taken aback when a young scholar discovered him.

This contradicts his plan to gradually and subtly guide the world to associate him with Mu Yi.

But seeing the young scholar in front of her, dressed in a disguise, looking utterly shocked, Yingtao Fansu's mouth gaped open like a perfect "O," her adorable expression making Yang Yuan chuckle.

"Come in and talk, then close the door."

"Yes!"

Xingruo turned around and closed the door in a daze. When she turned back around, she still looked incredulous.

She stammered, "You... Your Majesty, are you Mr. Muyi?"

Yang Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, immediately becoming alert.

"You recognize me?"

In those days, there was no television or newspapers with photos. Although many people knew his name, few actually recognized him.

Xingruo suddenly came to her senses and said, "Yes, student... is devoted to Shu studies and often follows in Master Mu's footsteps, listening to lectures in various places. I have... have met Your Majesty before."

She was too embarrassed to say that she had seen Yang Yuan swearing and punching people, which was... too much for the reputation of Mu Yi, the Half-Saint.

However, the so-called aversion vanished without a trace.

The same thing, done by different people, will lead to different conclusions in the eyes of others.

This was done by the Prince of Yan; it was vulgar, crude, and utterly unsightly.

It was written by Mr. Muyi, which shows his true nature and his ability to express himself freely, turning laughter, anger, and scolding into literary works.

Upon hearing this, Yang Yuan suddenly realized that when he was in Pengzhou, he had gone to the academy in his public capacity to welcome "Mu Yi" to give lectures.

However, when "Mu Yi" takes the stage, the Prince of Yan will not be present in the audience.

The fact that Zhen Yangyuan greeted "Zhen Muyi" who was wearing a veil makes this easy to explain.

If Zhenmuyi were lecturing on stage while he sat casually in the audience, it would be difficult to explain in the future.

After that, several academies in Sichuan and the Three Gorges were completed. When Mr. Mu Yi went to give his first public lecture, Yang Yuan often went to support him as the governor.

Yang Yuan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Bashu?"

Xingruo replied respectfully, "Yes, I just returned to Lin'an from Sichuan with a few classmates a couple of days ago."

Upon hearing this, Yang Yuan's suspicions dissipated, and he asked with a smile, "What is it you want?"

When Xingruo heard him ask this, she was overwhelmed with excitement.

Xingruo exclaimed in surprise, "Is Your Majesty truly Mr. Muyi?"

Yang Yuan's mind raced, and he pointed to the opposite side, saying, "Sit down and let's talk."

"Yes!"

Xingruo obediently walked to the other side, knelt down properly, and looked at Yang Yuan with longing eyes.

Yang Yuan hesitated for a moment, then said ambiguously, "I have my own reasons. I hope that you will keep my identity a secret for me today, since you saw me here and discovered my identity."

To Xingruo, this meant Yang Yuan had admitted it.

"Yes, sir! I will keep this a secret for you, even if it means my death!"

Xingruo was so excited that she immediately made a vow.

Yang Yuan chuckled: "It's not that serious. I will make this public sooner or later, but... not now."

"Yes, the student understands."

Xingruo felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

Does that mean that she's the only one who knows the master's secret right now?
This is a little secret between the two of them.

Yang Yuan said, "By the way, what brings you here?"

"Students... um, students..."

Xingruo seemed a little embarrassed.

What is she doing here?

She came to ask if the gentleman was truly a close friend of the Prince of Yan, and to beg him to intervene and cancel her marriage to the Prince of Yan.

She even wanted to take the opportunity to test her husband's feelings, and if the time was right, she would boldly confess her love to him.

But who knew that she would discover such a big secret.

She absolutely cannot say anything about exchanging spouses; she must never say it, not even if you kill her.

Xingruo had a sudden inspiration and said shyly, "This student would like to ask the teacher for a piece of calligraphy."

"Oh?"

Yang Yuan thought to himself, "This is what fans do when they ask for autographs. Luckily, I've practiced before."

Yang Yuan, as the top scholar who achieved the highest honors in all three imperial examinations, was showered with glory and honors, but he also faced great pressure.

When it comes to academic pursuits, he can refuse to discuss them with others.

Given his official rank, people in official circles wouldn't discuss this with him.

Even if members of the literati met him, they would not discuss this matter with a high-ranking official of the court.

However, calligraphy is used so often that if you don't write it well, you'll really be showing your ignorance.

Fortunately, Yang Yuan had more than one person around him who was good at calligraphy. Li Shishi, Fei Yuye, Liu Yanran, and even Duo Zi and Jin Yuzhen were all good at calligraphy.

With their guidance, Yang Yuan's calligraphy is now quite impressive.

Yang Yuan readily agreed. The tea room in the academy was just like a study, and the Four Treasures of the Study were naturally all provided.

Yang Yuan walked behind the desk, and Xing Ruo hurriedly followed.

She walked to the desk, gently pulled down her robe sleeves, revealing a pair of fair and delicate wrists.

Because she was dressed as a man, she wasn't wearing a jade bracelet, revealing her delicate and slender wrist, which was as graceful as a crane's neck.

Xingruo ground ink for Yang Yuan, then took a wolf-hair brush from the brush mountain and presented it to Yang Yuan with both hands. Yang Yuan picked up the brush and began to ponder.

What should I write about?
Of course, you can't just sign your name.

Xingruo was standing to the side, quietly observing Yang Yuan.

When your mindset changes, the feeling you get when you look at someone is completely different.

His eyebrows, his eyes, his nose, his lips... everything is good.

I wasn't wrong, sir... he really is a handsome man to perfection.

On the day they met, they were still far apart, and coupled with her preconceived bad impression, Xingruo didn't have a very good impression of Yang Yuan.

But now that my mindset has changed, when I look at Yang Yuan again, I see her through a completely different lens.

Putting that aside, Yang Yuan cultivates the "Hibernating Dragon Skill," which is practically a succubus skill.

Now that this young woman, her heart fluttering with spring fever, is right beside me, I feel it intensely.

My father... betrothed me to him!

Just thinking about this made Xingruo's calves tremble.

Overwhelmed with happiness, she couldn't help but blush.

Yang Yuan, however, was pondering what he should write to her.

Words encouraging the pursuit of knowledge are fine to give to ordinary students.

However, she was clearly a young girl who had changed her hairpin and hat, and Yang Yuan was not blind, so he couldn't pretend to be blind.

However, praising her appearance would be presumptuous and seem frivolous, since the relationship is different.

Got it!

Yang Yuan suddenly had a line of poetry in mind, and picked up his pen to write: "Pure heart and jade reflection, the breeze beneath the trees."

Xingruo glanced at it and felt a surge of joy in her heart.

This sentence comes from the Book of Jin. Qian Xingruo, who was well-read, naturally knew its source and who it was praising.

This is praise for Xie Daoyun.

Xie Daoyun was born into the Xie clan of Chen Commandery. She was a famous talented woman during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. She was the daughter of Xie Yi, the General of Anxi, and the wife of Wang Ningzhi, a minister and calligrapher of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. She was exceptionally talented and unparalleled in her integrity.

Yang Yuan used the same words he used to praise Xie Daoyun to compliment Qian Xingruo, which naturally delighted Qian Xingruo.

Yang Yuan picked up his pen, smiled at Qian Xingruo, and asked, "How is it?"

Qian Xingruo blinked, her face slightly flushed, and asked, "Sir... won't you sign your name?"

Yang Yuan did not intend to sign his name, because even if the inscription did not involve personal feelings, there were still many taboos about a man writing something for a woman.

But the girl didn't seem to care.

Yang Yuan, naturally, no longer needed to be coy, and readily agreed, writing his signature, which included his courtesy name and pseudonym.

His courtesy name was "Ziyue," and his pen name was "Muyi."

Yang Yuan put the brush back on the brush holder and said with a smile, "Now that you've written your name, you're not allowed to show it to anyone before I reveal my identity."

Qian Xingruo happily accepted the inscription, her face beaming with joy: "This student understands."

She chuckled to herself, thinking, "Anyway, I'm going to marry into your family next year. I'll give you a big surprise then."

Yang Yuan said, "By the way, I haven't asked your name yet. Would you like me to write a dedication for you?"

Qian Xingruo shook her head with a smile: "Thank you, sir, but no need. However, I can give you my student number."

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Yang Yuan and said sweetly, "This student calls himself 'Muyi Jushi'!"

When Qian Xingruo returned to the Qian residence, she happily walked towards her boudoir with the calligraphy written for her by Yang Yuan in her arms, only to be blocked by Minister Qian halfway there.

Old Qian glared and said, "Didn't I tell you to stay home and behave yourself? You're going to be the Prince of Yan's concubine soon. How can you always be showing your face in public?"

Xingruo secretly pursed her lips. My man hasn't said anything, it's just you, Dad, who loves to nag.

Fine, I'm in a good mood right now, so say what you want.

By the time the new year comes, you won't be able to say anything to me anymore.

After Li Shishi washed her hands and returned, Yang Yuan accompanied her for two cups of tea and a short rest before arranging for her to board the carriage first.

Yang Yuan himself deliberately went to the front of the academy to make an appearance, seemingly just to show his support.

As for where he was when I was listening to the lecture, he is a high-ranking official in the imperial court, holding the position of prime minister and the title of prince. His security measures are strict, so naturally he doesn't need to let you know.

After wandering around for a while, Yang Yuan finally got into the car and left.

Li Shishi had only been back at the mansion for a quarter of an hour when Yang Yuan arrived.

As a result, Madam Li's voice, which was already slightly hoarse from giving a lecture, became even hoarser the next day.

But surprisingly, the person felt more energetic.

That very night, a top-notch courier rushed into Lin'an City and made his way to the Secretariat's document office.

The Secretariat was located within the Chancellery and was specifically responsible for receiving memorials and official documents from all over the country.

Upon seeing that it was an urgent military report, the official on duty in the Imperial Secretariat dared not neglect it. After copying and registering it, he sent the report to the Ministry of Communications overnight.

The Tongjinsi was responsible for directly presenting memorials from officials to the emperor, and at the same time conveying the emperor's instructions to the relevant agencies.

The Tongjinsi was also responsible for reviewing the documents submitted by local memorial offices, deciding whether to present them to the emperor, and processing official documents.

At the same time, as the central authority for receiving and sending documents nationwide, it controlled national information and facilitated communication between the monarch and his officials, and between the central government and local authorities.

The Tongjin Division was overseen by the position of Attendant-in-Ordinary.

This official was none other than Yu Zeping, the former Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.

When Yang Yuan served in the Censorate, he had a trio of capable subordinates: Xiao Yiran, Lu Chengze, and Yu Zeping.

Later, Xiao Yiran and Lu Chengze were both brought into the Ministry of Personnel by him, while Yu Zeping stayed on to guard the Censorate.

The Censor was originally a seventh-rank official, but he has been promoted in recent years and is now a sixth-rank official.

Upon the new emperor's ascension to the throne, he bestowed titles upon all officials. Yu Zeping, after years of waiting, finally rose to the rank of fourth-grade official.

Yu Chengze was greatly surprised when he saw the report.

The Tongjinsi was originally responsible for presenting memorials to the emperor, who would then convene relevant ministers for a joint discussion.

However, the person in charge of the General Administration of Communications was Yu Chengze.

Therefore, when the emperor received a memorial on his desk, a copy of the exact same document appeared on the desk of the Right Chancellor, Yang Yuan.

(End of this chapter)