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

Chapter 46, Ai Shu
[Written by Yan Maoqing – Recorded by Shen Lian, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.]

[The first day of the fifth month of the twentieth year of the Jiajing reign:]

Onions are planted in the yard.

...Yan Maoqing is suspected of receiving 500 taels of silver and a residence, but the details of the gifts are unknown. He has been confronted by people demanding the return of the money.

Yan Maoqing, relying on the power of his master, used the matter of being flogged in court to his advantage and refused to return the items.

The pursuers then left.

It was later discovered that the person who came to demand the return of the bribe was Zhang Xian, a servant of the Duke of Yiguo's household and a close confidant of the Duke. With such a witness, the matter is likely true and can be verified.

He went out at 3:45 PM.

He stayed at the Fuling Hall for half an hour and was prescribed a dose of Baihe Gujin Decoction, the purpose of which is unknown.

A visitor arrived at 2:45 PM.

The conversation reveals that this person is Gao Gong, a newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), who, along with Yan Maoqing, was a Shujishi (a junior official in the Hanlin Academy).

He questioned Yan Maoqing about taking leave today, speaking casually and without regard for formalities, and offered kind advice, suggesting that he might be an old friend of Yan Maoqing.

According to Gao Gong, the Hanlin Academy scholars were apparently extremely dissatisfied with Yan Maoqing's request for leave and wanted to report it to the Grand Secretary Xia Lunyan.

Gao Gong lingered for more than two quarters of an hour, seemingly angered by Yan Maoqing's stubbornness, and stormed off.

It was later determined that Gao Gong's residence was only two alleys away, and that his father had purchased the house in the fourteenth year of the Zhengde reign (1515).

The fourth quarter of the hour of Xu (7-9 PM).

The light was blown out, and no one went out again.

[May 2nd, the 20th year of the Jiajing reign:]

Onions are planted in the yard.

At 1:15 AM, Duke Guo Xun of Yiguo arrived with his servants and gifts.

He first ordered his servant Zhang Xian to apologize, then took Yan Maoqing into the room for a private conversation that lasted for more than a quarter of an hour. The details of their conversation are unknown, but the two were seen behaving intimately, holding hands and putting their arms around each other's shoulders.

Yan Maoqing accepted all the gifts listed.

He went out at 2:45 PM.

He stayed at the Fuling Hall for half an hour, and then prescribed another dose of Baihe Gujin Decoction, the purpose of which is unknown.

It was later found that Fulingtang was opened by the eldest son of Xu Shen, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, but it could not be confirmed whether he had a private relationship with Yan Maoqing.

Xu hour and three quarters.

The light was blown out, and no one went out again.

[May 3rd, the 20th year of the Jiajing reign:]

Onions are planted in the yard.

At three quarters past Chen hour, a visitor came and stayed for a moment, but it was unclear what he said.

It was later discovered that this person was Liu Wenxiu, the manager of Luming Pavilion. Luming Pavilion was owned by the Duke of Yiguo, and Liu Wenxiu was in the open while the Duke of Yiguo was in the shadows.

Yan Maoqing, who calls himself Niubi Shanren, writes storybooks for Lumingge. The storybook is called "Xuanpo Cangqiong". It is sold in an unprecedented periodical format. Four issues have been published so far, each with about 20,000 words and each issue has sold more than a thousand copies.

He went out at 2:45 PM.

He stayed at the Fuling Hall for half an hour, and then prescribed another dose of Baihe Gujin Decoction, the purpose of which is unknown.

The fourth quarter of the hour of Xu (7-9 PM).

The light was blown out, and no one went out again.

[May 4th, the 20th year of the Jiajing reign:]

Onions are planted in the yard.

He went out at 1:15 PM.

He stayed at Fuling Hall for an hour, during which time he went into the back room of the clinic for a long time, where no outsiders could see him.

When they left, they hadn't opened the lily bulb tonic soup, but for some reason they were in high spirits, humming a strange little tune. On their way home, they bought an extra roast duck.

Back home, I pulled out all the scallions and then enjoyed a leisurely drink alone in the yard.

At 5:15 PM, Gao Gong visited again.

According to Gao Gong, the Grand Secretary Xia Yan will personally give a lecture tomorrow. If he finds out that Yan Maoqing has been absent for many days due to leave, he may use the name of the Cabinet to remove him from the Hanlin Academy. He advised Yan Maoqing to report to the Hanlin Academy the day after tomorrow.

Yan Maoqing agreed to go to report for duty together the next day, so he invited him to have a drink. Although they had a pleasant conversation, they talked about nothing of substance.

It was already late when the hour of Xu (7-9 PM) arrived.

The two chatted about the recent southward advance of the Tartars across the pass. Yan Maoqing, citing mosquito bites, invited Gao Gong to move inside.

Gao Gong was about to take his leave, but Yan Maoqing pulled him away.

The two went into the room together and did not come out all night. [May 5th, the 20th year of the Jiajing reign:]

At the third quarter of the hour of Yin (3:45 AM), the rooster crows once.

Gao Gong emerged from the room furtively, his hair disheveled and clothes in disarray. Taking advantage of the absence of others, he quietly returned to his residence to wash and change.

At the fourth quarter of the Yin hour, the rooster crows three times.

Yan Maoqing went out to wash up, and soon Gao Gong arrived. The two of them went together to the Hanlin Academy for their roll call...

……

Hanlin Academy.

Chunyu Rong.

"Students present!"

"Xia Yuhe".

"Students present!"

"Yan Maoqing".

"Students present!"

"Um?!"

Upon hearing the announcement "Students have arrived," Chen Yingda, a Hanlin Academy Reader, trembled as if he had seen a ghost, and searched around in the direction of the voice.

Unexpectedly, I actually saw Yan Maoqing's repulsive face behind a table in the corner of the classroom.

"W-why are you here?"

Chen Yingda couldn't help but blurt it out.

"Greetings, teachers. I am a student who has just recovered from my injuries and has come to report for duty today."

Facing the unanimous gazes of the audience, Yan Maoqing rose, bowed, and answered calmly.

He had already experienced this kind of treatment before Chen Yingda came in.

There were only twenty-eight junior scholars in this class. Over the past few days, even if the students didn't know each other well, they had all become familiar with each other.

Today, a somewhat unfamiliar face suddenly appeared in the hall, which naturally attracted attention immediately.

However, for reasons they all knew, none of his classmates came up to greet him. They just peeked at him furtively, whispering amongst themselves, until Chen Yingda came in and they quieted down.

"Humph!"

Chen Yingda snorted coldly upon hearing this.

He thought to himself that this kid must have heard that Grand Secretary Xia Yan was going to personally come to the Hanlin Academy to give a lecture after the morning court session. He was worried that Grand Secretary Xia would find out that he had missed many days of lectures, thus ruining his hard-won future, so he hurriedly came to cram at the last minute.

Regret it?
Scared?

What were you doing earlier?
late!

Whether this fellow comes today or not, his absence from classes for many days has already been reported to Grand Secretary Xia.

Even if he rushed over today, it wouldn't change anything.

With these thoughts in mind, Chen Yingda ignored Yan Maoqing and prepared to continue with the roll call.

As soon as he opened his mouth, he heard Yan Maoqing's annoying voice again:

"Teacher, I've come here today to register for the new semester and to extend my leave."

"Extended... leave?!"

Chen Yingda could hardly believe his ears.

What does this bastard think the Hanlin Academy is? A public dry toilet on the street corner, where he can come and go as he pleases?

Since its inception, the Hanlin Academy has only ever seen Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) who desperately wanted to enter. Never before has a Shujishi (probationary official) dared to treat it so casually. This is simply a blatant trampling on the dignity of the Hanlin Academy and an insult to the blood and tears of countless students!
"?!"

The assembled scholars were in an uproar upon hearing this.

Gao Gong was even more astonished. He truly couldn't understand what Yan Maoqing was doing. Wasn't she perfectly fine last night?

"Exactly."

Under the gaze of the crowd, Yan Maoqing walked up to Chen Yingda, calmly took out a piece of paper from his pocket, and handed it to him.

"Commander, this is the medical certificate issued by the Imperial Medical Academy."

"The student unfortunately contracted tuberculosis. Staying at the Hanlin Academy would only harm himself and others, so he had to ask for leave to return to his hometown to recuperate."

"Cough cough cough..."

(End of this chapter)