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

Chapter 120 How should I speak to Shangguan?

"Brother Jingqing, what's wrong with you now?"

Gao Gong's concerned voice came from not far away.

He was always inseparable from Yan Maoqing at the Hanlin Academy. Just now, during the break between classes, he went out to urinate, and when he returned, Yan Maoqing was nowhere to be found, so he went out to look for him.

After searching high and low, they finally found him under a catalpa tree outside the Hanlin Academy, a secluded spot.

He was still holding his head, looking worried and on the verge of tears.

"It's nothing, I just missed my wife for a while."

Yan Maoqing composed himself, swallowed back the tears welling in his eyes, stood up, and said in a seemingly relaxed manner.

Sigh, even when I get home, I have to force a smile in front of Bailu.

If Bai Lu were to find out that it was Yan Maoqing who plotted to strip her of her title of Fifth-Rank Imperial Lady, I wonder how she would view this "traitor within the family," and whether it would affect their marital relationship.

That's why Yan Maoqing went to Manager Liu to handle this matter, instead of sending the more trustworthy Bai family servants that Bai Lu brought with her.

And all of this...

Yan Maoqing couldn't help but recall how things had developed to this point, and a trace of hatred immediately surfaced in his gaze as he looked at Gao Gong.

It's all Gao Gong's fault, that bastard!

"Oh my, is your wife some kind of celestial being, that you can miss her so much all the time?"

Gao Gong still didn't understand what was going on and was still clicking his tongue and making fun of him.

"My wife brought a dowry of three thousand taels of silver, and she'll feed me goose legs every day. How about that?"

Yan Maoqing was in a fit of anger and naturally retorted immediately.

"..."

Gao Gong was speechless, coughed awkwardly, and immediately changed the subject.
"Let's go, let's go. The next current affairs class is about to start. This class will be taught by Scholar Chen. You know his temper. If you're late, he'll probably scold you in public again."

"Tch, you bastard!"

Yan Maoqing cursed inwardly again before walking back to the Hanlin Academy side by side with him.

As he walked, he kept thinking that since Zhu Houcong had made such a decision, he would probably issue two imperial edicts soon.

One of them was naturally the decision to punish Yan Song.

One of them was an explanation about Bai Lu, the fifth-rank imperial consort, which would certainly make his status as a fifth-rank official, Fengyi Dafu, public.

Ugh……

How can he continue to associate with the Hanlin Academy's miscellaneous members as an ordinary junior scholar? Wouldn't he attract a lot of unnecessary attention? Where can he go to seek justice?

……

The lecturer for this current affairs class, Scholar Chen, was someone Yan Maoqing had already dealt with long ago.

This man was none other than Chen Yingda, the Hanlin Academy Reader-in-Waiting, whom Yan Maoqing had encountered on his first trip to the Hanlin Academy to request leave.

This is a stubborn old man with a terrible temper.

He spoke in a loud voice and had high expectations of his subordinate officials and probationary scholars in the Hanlin Academy.

From minor mistakes like misspelling words or incorrect posture to major issues like etiquette and rules, any slight error in any area would immediately draw his reprimand, regardless of the occasion or his dignity.

Therefore, the lower-ranking officials and probationary scholars of the Hanlin Academy were quite afraid of him, and they would immediately take a detour when they saw him.

Like now.

As soon as Chen Yingda entered the hall, all the junior scholars straightened their backs and sat upright, their breathing becoming much quieter.

"Hmph, this is the demeanor a Hanlin scholar should have!"

Chen Yingda walked to the front of the hall, looked around, and didn't utter a single kind word. Then, his old eyes, filled with undisguised dissatisfaction, turned to Yan Maoqing and said pointedly:

"Without rules, there can be no order. Now that you have become officials of the court, the court's system is the most important thing for you."

"It is neither something that should be unknown nor something that should be misunderstood!"

"Since I am the one who will be discussing current affairs, then today I might as well keep up with the current events and give you a proper talk about the system of bestowing titles!"

"Yan Maoqing, you especially need to listen carefully to this lesson. Stand up and listen to this old man!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, all the junior scholars turned to look at Yan Maoqing.

Some expressed sympathy, some gloated, some said it was none of their business, and others were glad that Chen Yingda's lesson had a clear objective, so they could relax a bit. However, to be fair, Chen Yingda was indeed keeping up with current events; this was truly a current affairs lesson.

After all, the news that Yan Maoqing's wife was a fifth-rank imperial consort only spread this morning, and many people only heard about it after arriving at the Hanlin Academy.

"So what if I have to stand? I even sat in a special seat next to the podium in my previous life. What's the big deal?"

Yan Maoqing thought to himself, but he didn't want to argue with this stubborn old man who didn't actually have much ill intentions, so he simply stood up gracefully.

"Humph!"

Chen Yingda snorted coldly, glared at him, and then spoke loudly.

"What are the Three Cardinal Guides? They are the relationship between ruler and subject, father and son, and husband and wife."

"Therefore, the ruler is the guide for the ministers; if the ruler is upright, the ministers will also be upright. The father is the guide for the son; if the father is upright, the son will also be upright. The husband is the guide for the wife; if the husband is upright, the wife will also be upright."

“Yan Maoqing, you recite to me alone, ‘The husband is the head of the wife; if the husband is upright, the wife will also be upright.’ Recite it ten times, making sure everyone in the hall hears it clearly!”

"..."

Yan Maoqing sighed helplessly, thinking to himself, "I didn't bestow the title of Lady of the Imperial Decree. If you're so capable, make the Emperor read it aloud."

However, out of basic respect for his teachers, he endured it and obediently did as he was told.

"The husband is the head of the household, and if the husband is upright, the wife will also be upright..."

"Humph!"

After Yan Maoqing finished reading, Chen Yingda still snorted coldly and continued to speak loudly:

The "Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty" states regarding the conferment of imperial titles: "Women should be regarded as sons in terms of rank, and only when their husbands hold official positions from the first to the fifth rank can their wives be granted imperial titles."

"Yan Maoqing's wife, having received the imperial decree, has violated the principles of the Three Cardinal Guides and disrupted the order of Yin and Yang, causing the world to be turned upside down. This must be rectified immediately without delay!"

"Yan Maoqing, repeat this sentence to me a hundred times, so that everyone in the hall can hear it clearly!"

"Scholar Chen..."

Upon hearing this, Gao Gong became anxious and impulsively stood up to question Chen Yingda.

After all, he had sworn that he would do his best to protect Yan Maoqing in the Hanlin Academy in the future, so how could he go back on his word?

If the previous ten recitations were within the normal scope of classroom lessons, making Yan Maoqing recite them a hundred times now was, in Gao Gong's view, blatant humiliation.

Furthermore, the decision of how to bestow rewards is not up to Yan Maoqing.

If there is any dissatisfaction, why not submit a memorial to the emperor to remonstrate? It is not that the Attendant Reader is not qualified to submit a memorial. Sometimes, when the emperor holds a lecture, there is even an opportunity to speak frankly to the emperor. What is the meaning of publicly humiliating Yan Maoqing like this?

"presumptuous!"

A sudden, loud shout forcefully interrupted Gao Gong.

The person who interrupted him was none other than Yan Maoqing.

He noticed Gao Gongqi standing up and realized what this impulsive and irritable guy was planning to do.

Openly contradicting one's superiors in the Hanlin Academy is not a good thing. Regardless of right or wrong, one will inevitably be ostracized by all officials, teachers, and students. There is no reasoning with this matter, and Gao Gong's life will probably be ruined because of it.

Therefore, he had no choice but to speak up and stop Gao Gong from ruining his future in a moment of impulsiveness.

In fact, Yan Maoqing had considered doing this himself before, but considering that the Embroidered Uniform Guard would escort him to the academy... he was afraid that it would not only make his life in the Hanlin Academy uncomfortable, but also have no real effect on his retirement and return to his hometown, so he did not put it into practice.

"presumptuous?"

Gao Gong was taken aback. Was he talking to me?

"???"

Chen Yingda and the other junior scholars were already astonished. Whether these words were spoken to Gao Gong or Chen Yingda, Yan Maoqing seemed to have no right to say them.
"Yan Maoqing, how dare you! You actually dare to do this in the hall..."

Chen Yingda opened his mouth as if to say something.

"Scholar Chen, how dare you! Is this how the 'Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty' teaches you to speak to your superiors?"

Yan Maoqing immediately interrupted Chen Yingda again, took out the silver seal and official document he had just acquired from his pocket, and with a non-existent "general's belly" sticking out, walked step by step toward the podium.

Attendant Reader, a fifth-rank official.

Fengyi Dafu, a fifth-rank official!

It goes without saying who the superior is...

I originally wanted to spend a couple more days with you as an ordinary junior scholar, why are you forcing me like this?
(End of this chapter)