Chapter 150: Chapter 150: The Vinegar Jar Is Overturned Again
The commotion caused by the people from Wangxian Building had been a mixed blessing. The poetry selection that followed was surprisingly lively and went exceptionally smoothly, with no one daring to cause trouble.
After all, faced with a dark sea of Black Armor Guards, you’d have to have a death wish to have the guts to stir up trouble.
Even Xu Qian was uncharacteristically quiet, listening earnestly to the other contestants’ works and the critiques from Gongsun Liangce and Jiang Yuchuan.
Although Li Yun was a judge, here at Ming’s Restaurant, he seemed more like some kind of mascot.
Gongsun Liangce and Jiang Yuchuan were both men of genuine talent and learning; otherwise, they wouldn’t hold their current positions.
For the two of them, analyzing the poems of a group of Imperial College students and other scholars was a piece of cake. But on the rare occasions they disagreed, they would consult the young Emperor, who sat beside them without saying much.
Ming Lingyi tallied the scores at the side, creating a harmonious scene.
’If only Li Yun wouldn’t occasionally sneak little snacks her way,’ Ming Lingyi thought, ’this whole scene might feel a bit more formal.’
By the time it was over, everyone, from the contestants to the crowd of onlookers outside, wore expressions of wanting more.
Ming Lingyi had also tallied the scores to determine the top three winners.
Seeing one of the names on the list, Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but let a smile touch her lips.
To ensure fairness, the poems in the competition had been read aloud so that both the two esteemed judges and the watching commoners could hear. However, only the poems themselves were recited, not the names of their authors.
Ming Lingyi, on the other hand, was marking the scores and totals on the original manuscripts the patrons had submitted earlier.
Among the top three chosen, the second-place winner was, to her surprise, Li Yan.
’My Little Bun is actually that good.’
Ming Lingyi had never paid much attention to Li Yan’s studies before. She had always felt her Little Bun should just be playing house carefree with other children his age, and it wouldn’t matter if his schoolwork wasn’t good.
Besides, Ming Lingyi figured that even if she didn’t worry about his studies, Li Yun, his own father, would surely take it seriously.
But she had never expected that a little five-year-old bun could be so impressive.
To be chosen by two highly learned officials and to stand out from among so many poems submitted for the event.
Ming Lingyi naturally handed the task of announcing the event’s results to Li Yun.
Although she was the event organizer, having Li Yun announce the results would surely be more exciting and inspiring for people than if she did it herself.
She was running a business. With Li Yun here, she had a golden opportunity to promote her restaurant; it would be a waste to let it pass.
’In the future, what will people say when they talk about events at Ming’s Restaurant? The list of winners was announced by the reigning Emperor himself! How prestigious does that sound?’
Even if others tried to copy her restaurant’s events in the future, could the feeling and impact ever be the same?
When Li Yun stood up, Ming Lingyi nodded with a wide smile.
She didn’t notice that the subtle exchange of glances between her and Li Yun just now had also been caught by someone else.
From the moment Li Yun appeared, Jiang Yuchuan found his gaze uncontrollably drifting toward the two of them, unable to resist secretly observing them.
After leaving Ming’s Restaurant last night, he had barely slept, his mind filled with questions.
Mrs. Ming’s reaction the moment she saw the Emperor was not at all like that of a commoner seeing His Majesty for the first time.
’What was their relationship?’
He had been unwilling to believe that Ming Lingyi and the Emperor were old acquaintances. In fact, two people like them shouldn’t be old acquaintances.
But the conclusion Jiang Yuchuan drew from observing them after the Emperor’s arrival overturned his previous assumptions.
If they weren’t old acquaintances, they weren’t mere strangers who had just met by chance either.
There was an indescribable sense of intimacy between the Emperor and Mrs. Ming.
Not even he could insert himself between them.
It was a feeling he had never experienced between himself and Mrs. Ming.
Jiang Yuchuan lowered his head, staring at the hands resting on his knees.
He had thought he could ignore everyone else’s opinions and grow old with Mrs. Ming. But in truth, when his uncle produced the marriage contract his mother had arranged for him years ago, he had become plagued by anxiety and insecurity. But if Mrs. Ming’s relationship with the Emperor was truly extraordinary... what was he to do?
Jiang Yuchuan didn’t even hear who the winners were when the Emperor announced them. For a rare moment, he felt lost, utterly unsure of what path to choose.
By the time he left Ming’s Restaurant, he was still in a daze.
Jiang Yuchuan was so distracted he had no memory of how he said goodbye to Ming Lingyi or how he walked back to the Ministry of Justice.
He sat behind his desk, the only clear thought in his mind being the questions Ming Lingyi had solemnly asked him that night after he confessed his feelings, which she had not accepted.
"What if I told you that being with me would bring you trouble?"
"Your future career as an official might come to a dead end."
"Your career won’t just stagnate because of me; it might even regress. Would you still be willing?"
At the time, he had merely assumed Mrs. Ming might be the descendant of a disgraced official and hadn’t thought much of it.
Because even if that were the case, he was confident in his ability to navigate the situation, to protect both her and himself.
But what if Mrs. Ming’s words didn’t mean what he’d thought? What if she had been referring to this exact situation?
Did he still have the same confidence he’d had back then?
Jiang Yuchuan himself didn’t know.
After seeing off the restaurant’s patrons and the common folk who had been watching the excitement for an hour or two, Ming Lingyi turned to look at Li Yun, who was still in the restaurant with no intention of leaving.
Ming Lingyi couldn’t be bothered to argue with Li Yun about the huge scene he had caused today. After all, he had, in a way, unwittingly helped her deal with the major trouble from Wangxian Building.
Ming Lingyi thought that if Li Yun hadn’t appeared, it wasn’t that she couldn’t have controlled the situation. It was just that the ensuing rumors would have inevitably spread throughout Shangjing City.
After all, no matter the era, scandalous rumors about a woman were always the most titillating gossip.
But with Li Yun’s appearance, all of that fell apart on its own.
No one would believe she had the ability to "bribe" the ruler of a nation.
Ming Lingyi walked over and poured herself a cup of tea.
She had been talking a lot and her throat was a bit dry.
Sensing Li Yun’s gaze on her, Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but look up to meet it. "Aren’t you leaving yet?"
She felt that Li Yun had been outside the Imperial Palace for far too long. ’Shouldn’t he be busy?’
She remembered how, in the past, even in the Imperial Palace, it had been rare for her to see Li Yun during the day.
Ming Lingyi knew that if she couldn’t see Li Yun, neither could anyone else in the rear palace. The man spent almost all his days in Taiji Palace, and the only people who saw him were the court ministers.
Even if Li Yun wasn’t a good husband, he could be considered a diligent Emperor who cared for his people.
"Leave?" Li Yun had already been feeling emotional ever since he heard Ming Lingyi decide not to continue interrogating the small-time thugs sent by Wangxian Building. Now, hearing her sound like she was trying to shoo him away, he felt even more stifled.
"Are you just casting me aside now that you’re done with me?"
