Mu Zhan smiled gently and slid onto the couch, then pulled him into his arms. Wen Mingyu buried his face in his shoulder, slouching down and never looking up, like a little ostrich escaping from reality. Every now and then he would suppress a groan, as if wanting to poke his head out of the sand but didn’t dare to.
After a long while, it was finally time to pack up and return to his coworkers’ side. Wen Mingyu was about to go when Mu Zhan stopped him, saying, “It’s almost time. Returning in this state will cause others to probe more.”
Wen Mingyu blinked in confusion, not understanding for a moment. It wasn’t until Mu Zhan pointed to his face, and the ends of his eyes, that he said, “You’re all red.”
Wen Mingyu’s eyes suddenly widened.
Mu Zhan laughed and added, “You are even redder now. If you go out now, people will definitely think I bullied you.”
Wen Mingyu wanted to hit the dog!
And what did he mean by “think”? Isn’t it the truth?
Saying that it was to help him, but…
Wen Mingyu was now thoroughly embarrassed, his face blushing annoyedly.
Mu Zhan didn’t let him get emotional and smoothen his hair, pacifying him.
However, this time, the bristled hair couldn’t be coaxed so easily. Wen Mingyu smacked his hand only to have it captured again shortly after. He tried shaking it off, but Mu Zhan’s grip was like a strong adhesive glue, and simply could not be shaken off.
Wen Mingyu flung two times then gave up. He heavily sat down on his butt beside Mu Zhan, stiffened his face, and barked fiercely, “Quickly get back to work!”
And thus, he became the strict supervisor by the emperor’s side—iron-faced, impartial, and extremely harsh. If the emperor’s mind even strayed for a second, Wen Mingyu would unceremoniously slap his arm. The force wasn’t strong, and it was almost the same as being naughtily swiped by a fluffy paw.
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In short, it was giving lessons to the emperor.
One of the responsibilities of Wen Mingyu, Wei Chen, and the others included serving as lecture attendants, functioning similarly to teaching assistants.
In addition to the emperor, the prime ministers and several high-ranking officials would also sit in as listeners.
The lectures were also rich in content, including but not limited to“Orthodox Sayings”,“The Strategies of the Three Dynasties”,“Ancestral Teachings”,“History of the Tang Dynasty”,“The Heart Sutra”,“The Great Learning”, and“National Treasures of the Dynasties.”
Any queries the emperor might have were answered by the main imperial lecturer, a Hanlin scholar. Other officials would also participate in the discussion.
In the process, Wen Mingyu and his peers learned a lot. It was beneficial to many parties.
Apart from lecturing on the histories and scriptures, the Jingyan officials would also take the chance to present their ideas and doctrines to the emperor, reflecting on the state of the court and the common people, and promoting their political views. The officials would also submit memorials, and after reading them, the emperor would deliberate on state affairs and listen to their diverse opinions. Therefore, the Jingyan officials could also be said to be political advisers.
Although Wen Mingyu was not the main lecturer, he had earned the respect of the scholars. He sometimes had the chance to step forward and deliver a speech himself by assisting them.
To be the emperor’s teacher, Wen Mingyu was a bit thrilled at the thought of it. His face reddened slightly at the thought.
Sitting below, Mu Zhan gazed at him intently, appearing deeply focused. Though Mu Zhan listened to the others when they were lecturing, this time was obviously different. He had never been more serious. Yet, in a way, he was unserious, too, as most of his attention was devoted to watching Wen Mingyu.
Wen Mingyu stood there, confident and calm. He seemed to glow, as if radiating light.
Mu Zhan looked on and felt an inexplicable sense of pride and satisfaction in his heart. A smile unconsciously curled on his lips.
The prime minister, who was seated nearby, noticed this. His white beard trembled lightly as his expression became complex. If you really want to describe it, the top of his head was likely to be popping up innumerable pop-ups of words, ranting and cursing the emperor for being a besotted ruler.This was the Jingyan Hall! It’s for listening to lectures and discussing the affairs of the state, not for ogling your wife!
To put it plainly, it was ridiculous that the Hanlin “empress” seemed more reliable than the emperor, exceeding all expectations and excelling at his work, earning the appreciation of his superiors. The emperor, meanwhile, was increasingly showing the traits of a negligent ruler, his attention straying as he looked at his “wife.”
Thankfully, whenever Mu Zhan was asked to respond or speak, he could always pick up, seamlessly picking up the thread of the conversation. The prime minister was relieved.There’s still hope, there’s still hope.
During the first Jingyan lecture, Wen Mingyu, as a newcomer, did not have much participation, simply listening and not needing to speak much. However, over time, the Hanlin Scholars saw that his ideas were not bad and called him forward, suggesting that he try presenting his thoughts before the Emperor.
He was so given the opportunity to make a brief speech by the Hanlin scholars. Because of the precious time, they limited the length and duration of the talk. Wen Mingyu diligently prepared the content of his speech, making them streamlined and condensed, lasting less than fifteen minutes.
On the day of the Jingyan Lectures, Wen Mingyu felt uncontrollably nervous. At first, it didn’t bother him, but the moment he got up for his speech, it all came crashing down. Surrounded by so many people, many of whom were high-ranking officials who were well-read, resourceful, and deeply insightful figures, was he even qualified to speak before them? Would others find his words naive and ridiculous?
His body uncontrollably tensed, his fingers curling stiffly. When he accidentally met Mu Zhan’s line of sight, he was even more flustered, to the point where the book in his hand nearly slipped and fell.
Seeing Wen Mingyu like this, Mu Zhan’s hand, resting on the armrest, twitched slightly, as if he instinctively wanted to do something.
But very quickly, Wen Mingyu lowered his eyes, subtly took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down before beginning his lecture.
At first, his voice was a bit unnatural, but as he continued, he became more and more engaged. His words grew increasingly infectious, drawing people in effortlessly. The audience couldn’t help but follow his rhythm, thinking about the feasibility of what he said.
Mu Zhan had always known that Wen Mingyu possessed extraordinary intelligence, like an unpolished gem. Given time and opportunity for growth, he would in time become a person of profound insight and vision.
At this moment, he had already leaked out a few glimmers of light. The senior officials listened attentively, nodding unconsciously, and even started discussing the abilities of this newly appointed scholar with the people beside them.
Hearing the subdued praises of Wen Mingyu, Mu Zhan was in a very excellent mood. He kept his eyes fixated on him.
With difficulty, Wen Mingyu tried to remain calm under such an intense gaze, but his eyes betrayed him, slowly turning red. He forced himself to stay calm and be natural as he completed his speech before returning to his seat. The whole time, he avoided eye contact with Mu Zhan. But he felt the emperor’s searing gaze following him, making people feel like they were on pins and needles.
After the session ended, they returned to Taiji Hall.
All of Wen Mingyu’s constraints had vanished when he met Mu Zhan again. In fact, when Mu Zhan reached out to touch his ear, Wen Mingyu stopped him and said in a strict manner, “Show your teacher respect. Don’t behave improperly. I am your teacher, after all.”
Mu Zhan halted. He raised an eyebrow, then uttered slowly and methodically, “… Teacher.”
Wen Mingyu hadn’t expected him to be that obedient. Hearing Mu Zhan dutifully refer to him as “teacher”, Wen Mingyu immediately felt a surge of pride and commanded, “Pour tea for your teacher.”
Mu Zhan didn’t refuse and actually poured him a cup of tea, placing it in his palm. Wen Mingyu took a sip and then declared that he wished to review his student’s work to see where he did not do well, where to improve, etc.
Mu Zhan responded to all without complaint.
Enjoying fully the perks of being a teacher, the result was that when night fell, Mu Zhan smiled mischievously as he said, “The weight of a teacher’s grace is immeasurable. So this student can only repay it with his own body.”
Wen Mingyu froze and didn’t even have time to say anything before he let out a muffled grunt and was swiftly dragged over, helplessly falling along with Mu Zhan.
The author has something to say:
Jade Cub: ungrateful student!!!!!!!
P.S: The content of the Jingyan is from Baihu.
ChiFu: Finally! 70 chapters done! 15 chapters more before we reach the end! Well, multiply that by 2… correction, 30 chapters more! But don’t worry, I feel like it will be over in a blink of an eye xd fingers crossed haha it’s a bit late but Happy New Year!