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

Chapter 131 Yan Party? !
Yan Maoqing did not return home all night.

Bai Lu also stayed up all night, keeping an oil lamp lit and waiting by the window for her husband to return.

She had heard the saying "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger."

Although he had never experienced it firsthand, the fact that the Emperor suddenly summoned Yan Maoqing to the palace in the middle of the night showed that something extraordinary must have happened.

Therefore, she could not rest easy until she saw Yan Maoqing return safely.

After all, they still had 400,000 taels of silver of dubious origin hidden in their backyard cellar...

Although she was not the daughter of a tenant farmer, she had never lacked food or clothing since childhood and had never been afraid of poverty.

But when she saw the pile of silver that looked like a small mountain, she was still terrified and dared not spend a single penny!

Sometimes she even thought that it would be better if there wasn't such a large sum of money.

Anyway, she didn't dare to spend the money, and Yan Maoqing didn't lack money now, so there was no need to use that money.

In addition, considering the Yan and Bai families' businesses in Jiangxi, if they didn't necessarily need to build a palace to live in, or purchase a large amount of land in Jiangxi to become a century-old prominent family, it seems they wouldn't need to amass so much wealth...

I was filled with anxiety and my mind was racing.

It wasn't until noon that the servant finally brought back a bolt from the blue.

— [Yan Maoqing wrote a seditious book, alluding to the imperial court, and has been imprisoned overnight in the Jinyiwei prison!]

"!!!"

Upon hearing the news, Bai Lu was struck dumb, her body stiffened, and her pretty face turned deathly pale.

While she waited for Yan Maoqing by the oil lamp, she imagined countless things she wouldn't normally dare to think about. She even had a whole bunch of images in her mind of the Imperial Guards suddenly barging into the Yan residence, knocking on the door, and rushing in to ransack the house.

But I never imagined that Yan Maoqing would fall from power for such a hasty reason!

"Quickly! Xiao Tao, help me put on the phoenix coronet and wedding robes, and bring out the face covering as well!"

Fortunately, although Bailu was extremely anxious, she did not lose her composure. She immediately urged the maids and servants who were standing by her side,

"Bai Sheng, immediately prepare a carriage, along with the master's food, clothing, and other necessities, and also prepare five hundred taels of silver to send me to the Northern Garrison Office to visit the master!"

In these days, while women of status may find it inconvenient to show their faces in public, they are not entirely forbidden from going out or meeting outsiders.

This is where the special garment called a "face covering" comes in. It is also called a "face covering," which, as the name suggests, is a kind of cloth or handkerchief used to cover one's face. Its function is somewhat similar to the "niqab" used by Middle Eastern women to cover their faces in later generations.

"Oh, right, send another person to the Duke of Yi's residence!"

Bai Lu suddenly remembered something and immediately added,

"Isn't Duke Yi your adoptive father? We beg Duke Yi to find a way to rescue your master. We will cover all expenses, and you will be richly rewarded after the mission is accomplished!"

She had made up her mind.

That 400,000 taels of silver was a potential problem to begin with. If we can rescue Yan Maoqing, we'll have no choice but to spend it, even if we dare not!

Of course, it's too early to say anything now. We need to see Yan Maoqing first and understand the seriousness of the matter before making a decision. So she didn't make any definitive statements.

"But madam..."

Bai Sheng, upon hearing this, said with a bitter face,
"I heard that the Duke of Yiguo left the capital a few days ago, and went to Datong on official business."

Bai Lu couldn't help but feel bitter.

Why did this happen not earlier or later, but only after the Duke of Yi left the capital? Now, there isn't even anyone left in court who can speak up for Yan Maoqing.

"Then let's go to the Northern Garrison Office first and see the master before we talk!"

Just as the Yan residence was in chaos, Bai Lu was already dressed and ready to board the carriage and leave.

"Madam! Madam!" The servant Liu Laizi came panting as he reported.
“Madam, three people have arrived outside. One is Shen Kun, a compiler of the Hanlin Academy, and Wu Cheng’en, ​​who visited the manor a few days ago. The other is Gao Gong, a junior compiler of the Hanlin Academy.”

"The three said they had heard about what happened to the master and rushed to the mansion to discuss the rescue with the madam!"

"Discuss rescue matters?"

When Bai Lu heard the beginning, she felt a little annoyed, thinking to herself, "Why are these three coming here to cause trouble at this time? What use are they to me?"
But when she heard the end, she immediately realized a problem:
"Could this matter be related to these three people? Do they know something I don't, something that could help my husband escape imprisonment?"

After all, Bai Lu had been fulfilling her duties as a virtuous wife ever since she came to the capital.

He never interfered with or inquired about Yan Maoqing's social and official affairs, so he knew too little about them, not even about the "rebellious book".

Even in the most urgent situation, it is essential to first understand the whole story before deciding how to rescue her husband.

What's more...

Now that the Duke of Yiguo is no longer with us, the Hanlin Academy, as the highest institution of learning in the court, still wields considerable influence.

If we can get the support of the Hanlin Academy, it might be one of the ways to help rescue my husband!

……

After a while.

"What you said...is all true?"

After listening to Shen Kun's story, Bai Lu's beautiful eyes widened slightly, and she felt as if she had finally gotten to know Yan Maoqing today.

"Please rest assured, sister-in-law. This matter arose because of us, and I will absolutely not stand idly by while my virtuous brother Jingqing is imprisoned. Even if it costs me my life, I will find a way to rescue him! (Although Bailu is the sister-in-law, in the Ming Dynasty, when addressing a sister-in-law, she was called 'sister-in-law,' so this is not a mistake.)"

With red eyes, Shen Kun made a solemn promise to Bai Lu in a vow-like tone.

“I have now contacted several friends who are censors and are working among the officials to build momentum for my virtuous brother Jingqing, and we are preparing to submit a memorial together to rescue him.”

"In the Hanlin Academy, I have also begun to do my best to promote my virtuous brother Jingqing, and with the strong support of a Reader-in-Waiting, it has already generated quite a response."

"This time, Brother Jingqing is definitely not alone!"

"..."

Although Gao Gong learned the inside story of "The Record of Defeating the Japanese Pirates" a little earlier than Bai Lu, it was only two hours earlier.

He never expected that Yan Maoqing, who was so cold to Shen Kun at the Hanlin Academy that day, would secretly be having such an affair with him, and would cause such a big incident without anyone knowing.

However, the momentum that Shen Kun and Chen Yingda made at the Hanlin Academy this time was indeed quite significant, and it has even stirred up unprecedented waves.

In the current situation, Gao Gong actually vaguely saw the trend of "forming factions" that he had previously deeply hated.

He himself has also been drawn into it.

Even as he casually "looked to the future," he could already imagine what kind of reputation this group of righteous men, currently trying to rescue Yan Maoqing, would receive when attacked by their political enemies at court.

—Yan Dang!
What a lousy pronunciation!

It gave him a feeling of being in another world, as if he had dreamt of returning to the dark period of the Zhengde era of the previous dynasty, when the powerful eunuch Liu Jin held sway...

However, this is clearly not the time to consider these things.

After a moment's hesitation, he finally spoke seriously:
“Sister-in-law, the imperial prison is not a good place after all. It may be inconvenient for you to go there in person. I will deliver these food, clothing and other necessities on your behalf.”

"Furthermore, I also have a friend in the Embroidered Uniform Guard with whom I have shared life and death. Perhaps through this relationship, I will be able to see Brother Jingqing more easily than my sister-in-law."

"If your wife has anything to say to my brother Jingqing, she can write it down in a letter and I will deliver it on her behalf."

(End of this chapter)