Chapter 49 Drunk and Confused, She Fell for That Young Man
Even this trip out of the manor to buy books was only possible after he had to beg and plead with the eldest prince for a long time before his father finally agreed.
He himself was already restricted in his movements, so how could he possibly leave the mansion to meet Lady Lin?
Thinking of this, Yang Lingyi's mood couldn't help but sink, but he still forced himself to stay alert and asked Yuan Yan.
"Then how can I see Lady Lin?"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Yan paused for a moment, but quickly gave his answer.
“If Young Master Yang wishes to see me, he only needs to send a servant to Baoweizhai to leave a message for the manager there, and I will know,” Yuan Yan said.
The Baoweizhai she mentioned was a famous old-established restaurant in the capital, one of the original owner's private properties. It was managed by an elderly man left behind by her father, and it brought in a considerable monthly income, making it one of Yuan Yan's sources of wealth.
Although Yang Lingyi had only been in the capital for a short time, she had already heard of Baoweizhai.
Upon hearing Yuan Yan's words, he naturally mistook her for the young master of Baoweizhai and nodded.
“Lady Lin, I understand. If I come to see you another day, please don’t refuse.” Yang Lingyi blinked slightly and said jokingly.
After the two parted, Jinshu reminded her young master.
"Young master, are you really going to invite that Lady Lin to dinner?"
"What's wrong, Jinshu? Is there something amiss?"
“Today, Madam Lin helped me and gave me a rare book. It is only right and proper that I return the favor and ask her to come back as a token of my gratitude.” Yang Lingyi was puzzled as to why he said this and asked with a slight confusion.
“But sir, I know you will not like to hear this, but I still have to say it.”
As an observer, Jinshu could see very clearly that the young master treated Lady Lin very differently.
“That Lady Lin is merely a merchant, and her status is vastly different from yours, young master. How can you two associate with each other?”
“Young master, you are of noble birth. Even if you don’t marry into a royal family, you will never end up in a merchant family. It’s not a good thing for you to get too close to Lady Lin,” Jinshu advised as best she could.
Reminded by him, Yang Lingyi felt a deep sense of loss rise in her heart once again.
The eldest prince would never allow her to marry a merchant, a fact that Yang Lingyi naturally understood.
But these two encounters with Madam Lin brought him a rare sense of lightness, as if he had found a kindred spirit. They were a rare bright spot in his otherwise dull life.
If he were to leave Madam Lin now and never see her again, Yang Lingyi felt a sense of resistance just thinking about it and naturally refused.
He shook his head, offering a perfunctory response.
"Jinshu, you don't need to say any more. As for marriage, I am friends with Madam Lin, and we know how to conduct ourselves properly. There's no need to say more."
“...Yes, young master.” Jinshu shut her mouth.
I hope that's really what you think, young master.
Jinshu didn't say these words aloud. He knew the young master's character well and always felt that the young master's attitude towards Lady Lin was not like that of a friend. He had doubts about this and muttered to himself.
However, what Yang Lingyi truly felt was that he was very comfortable with Lin Niangzi and that she was a rare confidante. He wanted to enjoy these happy days as long as they lasted.
As for Jinshu, she certainly wouldn't accept such unorthodox ideas. Just coax her not to tell her father. Why bother telling her?
Yang Lingyi made a decision in her heart.
...
Meanwhile, after Yuan Yan returned, the system spoke up.
[Tsk tsk! Host, tell me honestly, you've been standing up for someone, gifting them a rare book, and leaving your address... are you perhaps interested in that young man surnamed Yang?]
It must be said that although the system usually talks nonsense most of the time, this time it actually revealed the truth.
Yuan Yan would never admit that Yang Lingyi was innocent and cute, exactly the type she liked.
"Heh, guess." Yuan Yan chuckled, leaving the system with an ambiguous answer.
Yuan Yan, a man of such eloquence, would have already confronted it if he didn't have something to say. His current attitude strongly suggests something fishy is going on!
Having spent a long time with Yuan Yan and become familiar with her personality, the system immediately sensed something was wrong upon hearing this and called out after her.
[Host, when do you plan to bring people into your backyard...? Hey, host!]
...
Hongwen Pavilion.
Yuan Yan relayed his mother's words to everyone and discussed with the ministers in charge of legal reforms the detailed measures to improve the system of allowances for maintaining integrity.
"Regarding Your Majesty's concern about the supervision of the distribution of the anti-corruption allowance, I believe that a separate official can be appointed to be in charge," Zuo Jingming suggested.
"Even so, how can we guarantee that regulatory officials will not collude with other officials?" Shangguan Fu pointed out the problem.
"According to what you're saying, Lord Shangguan, does that mean all officials with these duties are no longer needed?" Zuo Jingming asked rhetorically.
"You, hmph... I didn't say that." Shangguan Fu's words were cut off by her, and he hmphed and stopped talking.
Other officials also offered their own perspectives.
Among them, only Du Heng kept a close eye on Prince Qin's expression, trying to discern Yuan Yan's attitude towards their proposal from her face.
"What you gentlemen have said is all reasonable. I also have a few humble opinions to share with you."
Yuan Yan waited until everyone had finished speaking before slowly opening his mouth.
"Your Highness, please speak. We are all ears," said Zuo Jingming.
"The allowance for maintaining integrity involves a large sum of money and should not be taken lightly. Therefore, it is not appropriate to have only one party to supervise it."
"I believe that a court-run agency, the Integrity-Cultivation Bureau, and local supervisory officials, the Integrity-Cultivation Commissioners, should be established. Furthermore, a portion of Your Majesty's personal guards should be allocated to form the Integrity Guard, directly under Your Majesty, to supervise the Integrity-Cultivation Bureau and the Integrity-Cultivation Commissioners, and to report directly to Your Majesty."
"The distribution of the allowance for maintaining integrity will be jointly supervised by these three parties."
"In addition, any embezzlement of the allowance for maintaining integrity should be investigated and punished severely to serve as a warning to others. This should also be written into the law and continued in this practice."
As soon as Yuan Yan said this, the officials who had been arguing just moments before fell silent.
"What do you gentlemen think of this measure?" Yuan Yan asked again, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.
Supervision by a single party is prone to problems. If one party is not enough, then joint supervision by multiple parties is a measure that is more suitable for the current national conditions of the Phoenix Kingdom.
Anyone with even a little experience in officialdom could see the appropriateness of His Highness Prince Qin's method.
"This method is appropriate and the supervision is strict. Your Highness's strategy is brilliant, and I admire it greatly." Du Heng was the first to stand up and express his agreement.
Other officials could not find any loopholes in it, and after discussion, they established this clause.
The system sensed something and asked, puzzled, "Host, why do I have this feeling that you planned these modifications in advance?"
"Indeed, I had already thought about it when I first proposed the allowance for maintaining integrity," Yuan Yan admitted.
"Then why didn't you mention it when you first reported it to the Queen Mother? Wouldn't that have made her look at you differently?" the system asked.
“The original owner had no experience with laws and regulations. If I had performed so perfectly from the beginning, it might have aroused the Empress’s suspicion. This level is just right. Once this revised set of laws and regulations is presented, the Empress will surely praise it,” Yuan Yan replied.
That's true. Given the original owner's abilities, it's clear that he couldn't have done this well right away. Yuan Yan's considerations are not without merit.
The system was convinced.
...
After completing today's legal revisions, Yuan Yan was about to leave when a voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Your Highness, please wait!"
Du Heng quickly caught up and said to Yuan Yan.
"Lord Du, what brings you here?" Yuan Yan stopped and asked when he saw that it was Du Heng, a compiler at the Hanlin Academy.
"Since Your Highness entered Hongwen Pavilion, we have not yet held a banquet to welcome you. Today, I have prepared a banquet and would like to invite Your Highness to attend," Du Heng said, bowing.
Such an obvious gesture of goodwill made Yuan Yan glance at her with slight surprise. "Oh?"
At the banquet hall.
Du Heng respectfully raised his cup: "Your Highness's new law is meticulously detailed and every word is precious. I have been greatly enlightened by it. I feel that if this law can be implemented, it will surely clean up the court and benefit all the people."
"Lord Du is too kind. The new law is still under revision and has not yet been implemented. I am currently only talking about it on paper, and no one knows how effective the new law will be. I am truly unworthy of such praise from you, Lord Du."
Yuan Yan remained expressionless, showing no sign of elation despite Du Heng's flattery.
“Every word I spoke at the banquet today came from the bottom of my heart. In my opinion, Your Highness is no ordinary person. Whether it is investigating the canal transport or revising the law, you have demonstrated outstanding talent.”
"Although I am not talented, I am willing to follow in Your Highness's footsteps and serve you with utmost loyalty."
Du Heng's expression turned serious, revealing his intention to serve the emperor.
"Serving this king... I wonder if this is Lord Du's intention or Minister Du's intention?" Faced with her initiative to serve him, Yuan Yan did not respond immediately. After pondering for a moment, he raised his eyes and asked.
Although Du Heng's official position was not high, his grandmother was the Minister of Personnel, who had the power to appoint officials.
Moreover, Du Heng herself is quite talented, and has been known for her intelligence since childhood, making her a rare talent. Otherwise, Yuan Yan would not have agreed to her invitation to meet him alone today.
“This is my heartfelt thought,” Du Heng said with a smile.
"In that case, I will trouble Lord Du to give his full consideration to the future revision of the law."
Yuan Yan did not explicitly state his intentions, but on the surface, he was still talking about revising the laws. However, upon hearing this, Du Heng knew that His Highness the Prince of Qin had accepted his offer of allegiance.
"I will certainly do my utmost in the future to live up to Your Highness's expectations."
As Du Heng spoke, his eyes gleamed, and he raised his cup again, "I toast Your Highness."
At the same time, the system's voice suddenly sounded.
[Congratulations, host! Your purple civil official card has arrived! You have successfully recruited the corresponding character into your ranks. The card information is fully unlocked, and your authority level has increased to 17.51%.]
The purple card was once again displayed before Yuan Yan.
[Civilian Card]
Name: Du Heng
Wisdom: 81
Strength: 32
Ambition: 65
Loyalty: 75
Politics: 66 (Potential for improvement)
...
Yuan Yan glanced at the loyalty score of seventy-five.
"Is Du Heng the purple card I drew before?"
System: [Yes, what do you think, host... Surprised? Unexpected?]
According to the system's quantitative assessment, Du Heng is outstanding in both wisdom and political talent, and with a little refinement, he would be a useful person.
Yuan Yan knew what was going on, and when Du Heng raised his cup, she readily drank a cup in return.
"Good wine." Feeling the lingering aftertaste in his mouth, Yuan Yan recognized the wine's unique qualities and immediately praised it.
"This is wine brewed by my grandmother. It has been buried in the back garden for many years. She treasures it and is reluctant to take it out to drink," Du Heng said with a smile.
"It was only because we are hosting a banquet for Your Highness today that I managed to obtain this small jar from my grandmother, and I am fortunate to have Your Highness's favor. If Your Highness likes it, please drink as much as you like. My grandmother would be very happy to hear about it."
Yuan Yan indeed quite liked the taste of the wine, and drank another cup. "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Du. Then I will not stand on ceremony."
...
Because of his enjoyable conversation with Du Heng, and the strong effects of the old wine, even Yuan Yan, who usually has a high tolerance for alcohol, got drunk this time, which is quite rare.
When Yu Liu escorted the drunken prince back to his residence, she hesitated before reaching the backyard.
"Your Highness? Your Highness..."
Not daring to disturb His Highness, Yu Liu called out softly beside Yuan Yan.
His Highness now has more than one husband, so which courtyard should he be sent to? Seeing that Yuan Yan remained unconscious, Yu Liu was at a loss.
"Never mind."
Yu Liu instructed the servants of the Prince's residence to take over, saying, "His Highness is drunk. Send him to the master in the back courtyard to be taken care of."
She didn't specify which master she was sending him to. Upon hearing this, the servants took Yuan Yan to the nearest side courtyard, where Lu Lingyue and her servant lived.
Lu Lingyue had not yet rested at night.
When the servants of the Prince's mansion knocked on the courtyard gate, Lu Lingyue was talking to a male servant.
Since Yuan Yan hadn't come for several days, he was a little puzzled when he heard the knocking. But he still spoke up.
"Yaoqin, go and see what's going on."
The male servant in the outer room went out, but soon returned with a joyful expression, followed by several servants.
"My lady, His Highness has arrived!" Yaoqin said happily.
Since Yuan Yan took Shen Lianzhou as his concubine, he had never visited the side courtyard again. The servants in the courtyard were worried that Lu Shifu had fallen out of favor, and that the people in the side courtyard would have a difficult life in the future.
Therefore, Yaoqin was especially happy to see His Highness the King of Qin at this moment.
This means that His Highness has not forgotten their husbands, and the rumors circulating in the mansion about their husbands falling out of favor are just that—rumors.
The other servants in the courtyard also showed the same joy.
Lu Lingyue, however, saw Yuan Yan with slightly flushed cheeks, half-closed eyes, and a somewhat drunken appearance.
"...Your Highness, how did you get so drunk?"
He frowned and asked the servant who had brought Yuan Yan in.
"I don't know, it was Commandant Yu who ordered me to bring His Highness back," the servant said.
Yuan Yan has always been self-disciplined and would never get drunk easily in public. Lu Lingyue had never seen her so disoriented since entering the Prince's residence.
"Hengwu, have someone go to the kitchen and get a bowl of hangover soup." Lu Lingyue ordered someone to get the hangover soup, intending to send Yuan Yan back to the main courtyard after she had sobered up.
"Young master, the hangover soup is here." Hengwu quickly turned around, holding a bowl of hangover soup in her hand.
Lu Lingyue took the soup bowl and fed Yuan Yan the hangover soup. During the process, Yuan Yan seemed to be completely asleep and had no sensation.
Just as Lu Lingyue was about to get up and leave, Yuan Yan raised his right hand and unconsciously grabbed his arm.
Lu Lingyue paused in her act of getting up, turned to look at Yuan Yan, and realized that she was not sober and was probably just making random movements while drunk.
However, Yuan Yan was very strong and held on firmly. Lu Lingyue tried to pull her arm away, but failed.
"Oh dear, mistress..." Seeing this, Yaoqin was afraid that the prince might hurt his mistress without realizing it, so she quickly tried to step forward to help.
Unexpectedly, Lu Lingyue spoke up, saying to the servants in the courtyard, "You may all leave."
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