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

Chapter 121 The sky has fallen again!!!

"Shangguan... what do you mean?"

Chen Yingda was momentarily stunned.

It wasn't until he saw Yan Maoqing leave his seat and walk towards him with a silver seal and a dragon-patterned imperial edict that he suddenly realized what was happening.

Silver Seal!

That's a silver seal that only civil officials of the fifth rank or above can possess, could it be...?

"This……"

Gao Gong and the other junior scholars stared wide-eyed, completely bewildered, at Yan Maoqing, who was walking with an extremely arrogant gait.

Before Yan Maoqing, no other junior scholar had ever dared to act so arrogantly in front of any teacher or superior; it was simply unimaginable.

However, they also saw the silver seal and dragon-patterned inscription in Yan Maoqing's hand, and their feelings became increasingly complicated.

Could it be that……

at last.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Yan Maoqing staggered over to Chen Yingda.

"..."

In the past, Chen Yingda would have already started mentally scoring Yan Maoqing:

Disrespectful to teachers and elders, thumbs down!
That walk was awful, thumbs down!
Poor manners, bad review!
But now, he felt inexplicably flustered and didn't know how to handle himself.

Just now, he pressed Yan Maoqing so aggressively. If Yan Maoqing was indeed a superior official of a higher rank, then he must have come forward now to humiliate him in front of so many junior scholars!

Although he never held a high-ranking official position or received a generous salary, he was strict with his subordinates and students.

But I always stick to the facts and hold myself to the same standards: self-respect, self-love, and moral integrity.

If I suffer such humiliation today, I will surely become a laughing stock in the Hanlin Academy in the future. Where will I have any dignity left? Where will I put my old face?
Rather than this, I'd rather prove my innocence with my death...

Just as I was thinking this.

Then Yan Maoqing unfolded the imperial edict, holding a scroll in each hand, and shoved the contents of the edict into his face.

"Scholar Chen, please look carefully. I have already been appointed by the Emperor as a Fifth-Rank Imperial Attendant, and the date of the imperial decree was before my wife was appointed as a Fifth-Rank Imperial Lady!"

Yan Maoqing's voice came from behind the imperial edict.

"Well……"

Chen Yingda's face turned pale, and a muffled sound came out of his throat uncontrollably, as if a suffocating breath was rising from his chest and blocking his throat, making it increasingly difficult for him to breathe.

The Thousand-Step Corridor was the emperor's main gate; no one dared to forge official documents here, let alone counterfeit official seals.

Therefore, this must all be true; Yan Maoqing was already a fifth-rank official, half a rank higher than him.

and so……

Chen Yingda's gaze gradually hardened, becoming increasingly sharp, as he had secretly made up his mind.

He would never accept Yan Maoqing's humiliation. If Yan Maoqing insisted on using his official position to humiliate him today, he would rather smash his head against this platform and die than lose his dignity and reputation!

next moment.

The book was moved away from Chen Yingda's sight.

Then he revealed a face that was extremely humble and servile, even with a hint of flattery and ingratiation—it was Yan Maoqing's face.

"Oh dear, please forgive me, Master. I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to explain to you that my wife's title did not violate the system of bestowing titles."

Yan Maoqing, with a shameless grin and a hunched back, chuckled in a lewd manner, like a fly rubbing its hands together.
"However, the students naturally accepted the punishment imposed by their teachers, which required them to recite the Three Cardinal Guides and the system of imperial edicts."

"As our teacher said at the beginning of the class, nothing can be accomplished without rules, and the imperial system is the most important rule. Isn't our teacher's strictness for the sake of the students, so that they won't go astray and ruin their future?"

"It's just that I was worried that revealing my identity would put pressure on my teachers and classmates at the Hanlin Academy, so I had no choice but to keep it a secret."

"In short, no matter what the mistakes are, they are all the student's fault. The student is willing to be punished, so let's continue the punishment of reciting:"

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

"Eh?!"

Chen Yingda was caught off guard, his old eyes filled with suspicion.

“Yan Maoqing, you…” “That’s right. From now on, teachers can just call students by their names, or if they treat students like their own children, they can call students Xiao Yan.”

Yan Maoqing bowed and scraped, shaking Chen Yingda's hand repeatedly, doing everything he could to ingratiate himself.

"A teacher for a day is a teacher for life. I will always remember your teachings. Please accept my heartfelt bow!"

"!!!"

Gao Gong and the other junior scholars were equally dumbfounded, secretly etching the scene before them into their minds and hearts.

Because they vaguely felt that they might never have the chance in their lives to see a dignified fifth-rank official of the imperial court be so lowly and despicable in front of a fifth-rank official again. This was definitely a swan song!
"Um... how about we continue the lesson?"

At this moment, Chen Yingda felt even more at a loss than he had imagined. After hesitating for a moment, he tentatively asked.

"We will follow the teachers' instructions, so let's continue the lesson!"

Yan Maoqing immediately responded, but before returning to his seat, he whispered something to Chen Yingda.
"By the way, sir, I have a favor to ask. I have some family matters to attend to and would like to request a few days' leave. It's just a small matter..."

"The student was abrupt. After class, the student can go with the teacher to the duty room to discuss the matter in detail. The class is important, the class is important."

……

Two days later.

With the issuance of the two imperial edicts.

Having successfully skipped class without worrying about the Emperor suddenly deciding to check attendance, Yan Maoqing has officially confirmed his status as a fifth-rank official.

Upon hearing the news, everyone in the Yan residence raised their hands in celebration.

Only Yan Maoqing, lounging lazily in a rocking chair basking in the sun, was secretly unhappy, yet he had to force a smile when Bailu looked over...

And at the same time.

Yan Song was finally released from prison and returned home safely.

However, the Yan family did not cheer or rejoice, and they could not even force a smile. Instead, they were all plunged into endless sorrow.

Now they have only one thought in their hearts:
"The sky is falling again!!!"

Because in his imperial edict, the emperor directly stripped Yan Song, a high-ranking official of the second rank, of his position and demoted him to a minor seventh-rank county magistrate in Datong.

As a result, Yan Shifan, the prefectural magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture who had benefited from his father's influence, was also directly dismissed from his post and placed in retirement.

"Why?!"

Yan Shifan was the first to jump up in protest.

"Why was that bastard Yan Maoqing promoted instead of demoted, while my father suffered such a severe demotion by the Emperor?!"

"Snapped!"

A slap landed on Yan Shifan's face.

This time, it wasn't Yan Song who struck him, but Ouyang Duanshu, who had never laid a finger on Yan Shifan since childhood.

"?"

Yan Song was also extremely surprised and looked at his wife beside him with astonishment.

Yan Shifan looked utterly aggrieved.
"mother……"

"Useless thing!"

Ouyang Duanshu poked Yan Shifan's fat face and scolded him with disappointment.
"A doting mother spoils her son. It's all my fault for spoiling you too much, raising you into a troublemaker all the time!"

"You call Yan Maoqing a bastard, first take a good look at your own situation!"

“Your father is only a seventh-rank county magistrate now, and you don’t even have an official position, unlike those who have passed the imperial examination and have academic honors.”

“Yan Maoqing is now a fifth-rank official. Even your father has to bow to him. If you keep talking so recklessly and he hears you… I’ll be waiting to collect your corpse!”

"It might not even be Yan Maoqing's turn to make a move. You were arrogant and domineering in the officialdom before, and there are countless people who hate you to the bone."

"If it weren't for your father's influence, would you still be alive and well today?"

"Now that the Yan family has fallen so low, I'm afraid someone will immediately take advantage of your misfortune. Let's see who can protect you from the storm!"

(End of this chapter)