The two of them kowtowed repeatedly.
“No, no, please don’t.”
Ever since transmigrating, Yan Tongshu had dreaded kowtowing the most.
Not only did she fear having to kowtow to others, but she also dreaded others kowtowing to her.
She and Zhenzhu helped them up. Yang Dama, trembling, took out a piece of paper: “Young master, I know you love my noodles, especially the spicy fish paste topping. This is the recipe for the topping. I asked someone to write it down for me at the clinic yesterday. Take it home and have the cooks in your mansion make it. The recipe is very detailed, and it will turn out exactly like my topping.”
Yan Tongshu didn’t accept it: “Yang Dama, when eating noodles, it’s not just about the taste you make but also the atmosphere around. This recipe is the foundation of your livelihood. Keep it safe.”
Yang Dama: “But…”
Yan Tongshu smiled: “If you really want to thank me, next time I come to eat, I’ll pay the same price, and you can give me extra topping. How about that?”
Yang Dama quickly replied: “How could I take your money? When you come, come anytime, and I’ll make sure you have as much as you want, free of charge.”
Zhenzhu leaned in and joked: “I want some too. I’ll pay, Yang Dama. Give me extra topping as well.”
Yang Dama nodded repeatedly: “Yes, yes, of course. Everyone will have some.”
After speaking with Yang Dama, Yan Tongshu approached Zhao Sheng: “Zhao Sheng, earlier Judge Li said a few words to you, but he didn’t elaborate. I’d like to say a bit more.”
Zhao Sheng bowed and scraped: “Please speak, Lord Yan.”
Yan Tongshu: “You’re lazy by nature, always dreaming of making a fortune, yet you aim high but lack the ability, unwilling to work hard and earn money through honest business. That’s why you always hang around with ruffians and thugs, thinking it gives you face.
But you must understand that true face is when people respect and trust you when you step out. In life, wealth comes in countless forms: health, family, friendship, money, and reputation. Reputation is an intangible form of wealth.
If today it were your mother who was falsely accused by your grandfather of assaulting someone, and she cried out that she didn’t do it, many people would surely believe her. That’s reputation—the social credit earned through one’s conduct. If your mother claimed injustice, the coroner would never handle it carelessly but would examine it carefully.
Because he has a stereotypical impression of you, and because everyone around knows your past behavior, after the incident, everyone tacitly assumed you were the one who beat someone to death. Those who truly achieve great things manage their reputation well and gain support from many.”
Zhao Sheng, enduring the pain, stood upright and bowed: “Yes, Lord Yan. I am enlightened.”
Inside the Kaifeng Prefecture office, Judge Li stood with his friend Chang Zhengzhang.
Judge Li withdrew his admiring gaze from Yan Tongshu: “Lord Chang, this person is talented. If there’s an opportunity, you should recommend them.”
Chang Zhengzhang smiled: “You don’t know about this, do you?”
Judge Li looked at Chang Zhengzhang in confusion: “Does this young scholar have a story?”
Chang Zhengzhang’s admiration almost solidified into something tangible: “She is Yan Tongshu, the young top scholar who once made a name for herself at the age of fourteen.”
Judge Li exclaimed in surprise: “That’s the young top scholar who was convicted for speaking out bluntly in remonstrance. Ah, what a pity. Clearly talented, yet so straightforward in character.”
Chang Zhengzhang's gaze held a hint of amusement. "He's young; a few more years of experience will do him good. However, this lad, for all his uprightness, how could he be pulling and tugging with a maidservant in public? It's unbecoming."
Judge Li chimed in, "Yes, you're quite right. He's young and careless. A few more years of tempering will set him straight."
The two exchanged a knowing smile before turning back to the inner hall to continue their discussions.
…
Chuigong Hall.
Chang Zhengzhang was not fully aware of the specific details surrounding Yan Tongshu's case reversal. He mainly recounted everything he had witnessed in the courtroom that day, leaving no detail unmentioned.
Throughout his account, he repeatedly interjected with effusive praise for Yan Tongshu. His admiration and approval for Yan Tongshu were impossible to conceal.
Of course, at this moment of recommendation, Chang Zhengzhang had no intention of hiding his feelings.
Chang Zhengzhang said, "Your Majesty, I was in the rear hall of Kaifeng Prefecture discussing official matters with Judge Li when I unexpectedly witnessed Young Master Yan, the top scholar, overturning a case in the courtroom. It was quite a pleasant surprise."
Qin Yi had Yan Tongshu's records brought over and slowly perused them.
Yan Tongshu had entered officialdom as a top scholar at the age of fourteen, starting directly at the sixth rank. Later, due to his excessive integrity and blunt remonstrations, he offended the entire court and displeased the late emperor. Unwilling to bear the reputation of being unable to tolerate honest criticism, the late emperor promoted Yan Tongshu to the fifth rank as a compiler—a promotion in name but a demotion in reality, as he was transferred to Xianlin Hall, effectively ending his political career.
The fifth rank appeared to be a promotion, but being assigned to Xianlin Hall was equivalent to being completely cut off from any future advancement.
Now, Chang Zhengzhang was recommending Yan Tongshu for the position of Acting Administrator of Kaifeng Prefecture. Yan Tongshu would be promoted from deputy third rank to full third rank, which did not constitute an excessive leap.
Qin Yi flipped through Yan Tongshu's imperial examination papers. "She entered Xianlin Hall at the fifth rank and was promoted to deputy third rank in eight years?"
Chang Zhengzhang smiled. "It's quite a coincidence, actually. The head of Xianlin Hall, Hanlin Academician Jiang Congyang, once offended Prince Ming and nearly faced imprisonment.
At that time, Young Master Yan's father served as a Privy Council Academician. During a morning court session, he raised objections and impeached Prince Ming. The late emperor ordered a thorough investigation, which ultimately cleared Jiang Congyang's name. However, because of this incident, Lord Yan offended Prince Ming and was subsequently denied any further promotions, instead facing constant suppression. Jiang Congyang was also transferred to Xianlin Hall by Prince Ming.
Since then, Jiang Congyang had always felt grateful to the Yan family and deeply remorseful for implicating Lord Yan. Therefore, after Young Master Yan entered Xianlin Hall as a compiler, Jiang Congyang provided considerable support, ensuring Yan Tongshu's name was included in every promotion list.
Xianlin Hall was a quiet place, and few people bothered to scrutinize its promotion lists. As a result, approvals were granted after only cursory reviews. After entering Xianlin Hall, although Yan Tongshu achieved no outstanding merits, he worked diligently and committed no faults. Thus, he naturally rose to the deputy third rank."
Qin Yi set down Yan Tongshu's imperial examination papers and chuckled. "What a remarkable coincidence."
If Yan Tongshu had not achieved the top scholar title at fourteen, she would never have caught the attention of his highly discerning teacher.
If Yan Tongshu had not represented someone in a case at Kaifeng Prefecture at sixteen, his teacher would not have remembered her to this day.
If not for Jiang Congyang's patronage, allowing Yan Tongshu to steadily rise to deputy third rank, she would not have met the eligibility criteria for Acting Administrator of Kaifeng Prefecture.
Excessively upright, was she?
It was a flaw, but if wielded skillfully, it could become a sharp blade.
Qin Yi's broad palm pressed heavily on the examination paper, his eyes deep and dark like an ancient well's icy abyss: "I hope she… will not disappoint her teacher's high expectations and can endure for a year in Kaifeng Prefecture."
Kaifeng Prefecture, the Acting Administrator of Kaifeng Prefecture, holding the substantial power of a second-rank official while bearing the title of a third-rank official, yet managing this intricately entangled territory at the foot of the imperial city. Here, dukes and marquises abound, princes and nobles proliferate, where pulling one hair affects the whole body. Those who can stand firm here for a year are by no means ordinary; in the future, they will undoubtedly rank among the Three Terraces and Eight Seats, becoming prime ministers or enfeoffed as marquises.
Of course, if one lacks the capability, within a year, they will be gnawed away by corruption and decay, lightly resulting in demotion and exile, severely leading to family ruin and personal death.
The corner of Qin Yi's lips lifted almost imperceptibly.
Yan Tongshu, you must not disappoint me.
…
The evening glow spread across the sky like brocade, golden light spilling into Yan Tongshu's study, warming the room.
Dong—
The bell rang.
Yan Tongshu, lying on the couch, scratched her face and sat up.
She was dazed for a moment, then her large eyes suddenly brightened.
Off work, off work!
Finally off work!
Yan Tongshu put on her shoes and swiftly stuffed everything on the desk into her shoulder bag.
Yes!
Another day without doing any real work—so blissful!
Yan Tongshu rushed out of Xianlin Hall, jumped onto the carriage, and Jinbao pulled the reins, steering the carriage toward Yan Mansion.
Passing by the Yang Family Soup Cake Stall, Yan Tongshu immediately called for a stop.
Whoa—
The carriage halted, and Jinbao asked, "Young master, what's the matter?"
Yan Tongshu lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down: "Tomorrow, I have to discuss Liangyu's marriage with the Zhou family. It's bound to be a tough battle, and I probably won't have time to come out. Since we're passing by, let's have a bowl of Yang Family soup cake today to comfort our stomachs and prepare for tomorrow's fight."
Jinbao hesitated, "But the mansion has already prepared dinner."
Yan Tongshu patted her stomach: "No problem, I have a good appetite. I can still eat after having noodles."
Knowing Yan Tongshu's appetite, Jinbao nodded and went to park the carriage nearby.
Yan Tongshu sat down at a table of the Yang Family Soup Cake Stall and called out loudly: "Yang Dama, two bowls of fish paste topping noodles, one large and one small."
As soon as Yang Dama saw Yan Tongshu, her face broke into a big smile, and she shouted, "Coming right up!"
The toppings were prepared early in the morning, ready to go.
The noodles were cut, boiled, and done in no time.
Soon, two bowls of noodles were ready.
Yan Tongshu loved to eat and had a big appetite, so she took the large portion. Jinbao was young, and his parents at home were strict, expecting him to eat dinner later, so he dared not eat too much and took the small bowl.
The two bowls of noodles were served, piled high with several large spoonfuls of toppings.
The small bowl's toppings were equivalent to three bowls for others, let alone the large bowl, where the toppings outnumbered the noodles.
A nearby customer complained half-jokingly, half-reproachfully: "Boss lady, you're too biased. My bowl of noodles doesn't even have half as much as theirs."
A regular customer who knew the inside story laughed: "How can it be the same? That's Young Master Yan, who saved the boss lady's son's life. Forget two extra spoonfuls of toppings—even if she gave this soup cake stall to Young Master Yan, the boss lady would do it willingly."
Yan Tongshu had been eating noodles at the Yang Family Soup Cake Stall since she was fifteen. The Yang family's toppings were delicious, and many here were regular customers who had grown familiar with Yan Tongshu. Everyone had called her "Young Master Yan" since she was little, and out of habit, even though Yan Tongshu was now twenty-two, they still hadn't changed the address.
The complaining customer, upon hearing this, understood and stopped complaining, simply saying, "Alright then, boss lady. I think more topping would taste better. I'll pay extra, give me another scoop of topping."
"Sure thing." Yang Dama cheerfully added a heaping scoop for the customer.
Seeing this, others grew envious and followed suit, adding more topping as well, making Yang Dama's business even more bustling.
Yan Tongshu blew on the steam, wrapped the noodles in a generous amount of topping, and took a bite, feeling utterly refreshed.
The topping was bright red and spicy.
The small fish were first deboned, boiled to remove any fishy taste, then deep-fried until crispy—even the bones were fried to a crisp. They were then mashed together with meat, mixed with chili peppers and pickled vegetables, creating a flavor that was numbing, spicy, sour, and utterly satisfying.
One bite was heavenly, two bites touched the soul, and three bites rivaled the immortals.
After devouring a bowl in record time, Yan Tongshu still wanted more.
Jinbao immediately refused, "No, absolutely not. Young master, if you eat any more, you really won't have room for dinner."
Yan Tongshu lowered his head and pouted, "Alright then."
The two returned to the mansion. After finishing his meal and taking a bath, Yan Tongshu held Yuanzi, feeding him dried fish.
Yan Tongshu had found Yuanzi, a calico kitten, two years ago.
At the time, Yuanzi was injured in the leg, hiding in the grass and meowing pitifully.
Yan Tongshu had a gentle temperament, never biting or scratching anyone, and was exceptionally adorable, making him beloved by everyone in the Yan family.
If there was any flaw, aside from a black spot on his nose, there was none.
He was sturdy, not picky about food, cute, and lively.
While Yan Tongshu was feeding him, Zhenzhu stormed over angrily.
She placed her hands on her hips and said, "Young master, it must have been you who did something bad again."
Yan Tongshu pointed at himself, looking utterly innocent, and said, "I didn't do anything today."
Not only did he not do anything bad, he didn't do any work either.
He didn't even revise a single word of his studies!
Hahaha!
Zhenzhu raised her eyebrows and snorted, "You must have taken Jinbao to sneak some food. Jinbao couldn't eat when he got home and got scolded by his butler father."
Yan Tongshu felt extremely guilty, his eyes darting elsewhere. "That's not my fault. I ordered a small bowl for Jinbao, but Yang Dama gave him so much extra topping that he ended up eating too much."
Zhenzhu pouted, "Young master, you're still shifting the blame."
"Ah, come on."
Yan Tongshu grabbed Zhenzhu's arm. "Alright, alright, stop scolding me. At most, next time Jinbao and I sneak out to eat, I'll bring you a bowl too."
Upon hearing this, Zhenzhu immediately brightened up. "Then I want extra topping too. I love Yang Dama's topping the most."
Yan Tongshu immediately promised, "I'll get you three big scoops of topping."
Zhenzhu immediately hugged Yan Tongshu and fawned over him, saying, "Young master is the best in the whole world."
The next day, early in the morning, just as breakfast was served, Yan Liangrong, Yan Tongshu's older sister from the same parents, arrived.
Yan Liangrong was four years older than Yan Tongshu, now twenty-six.
She had married Zheng Chun, a newly minted jinshi scholar at the time, when she was sixteen. Later, Zheng Chun waited three years for a vacancy and finally received a seventh-rank civil official position, Xuande Lang. Now, seven years later, Zheng Chun had risen to the sixth-rank Fengzhi Lang.
Yan Liangrong was strikingly beautiful. Today, she wore a long dress in crabapple red embroidered with magnolias. As soon as she entered the room, the entire space seemed to brighten.
Yan Liangrong sat down in front of Yan Tongshu. Her phoenix eyes were dark and bright, her nose bridge high, and her brow line slightly low, giving her an overly exposed sense of shrewdness when she looked at others.
Yan Liangrong glanced at the simple breakfast on the table and smiled, "What a coincidence—I haven't eaten yet either. Perfect timing to mooch a meal off Tongshu."
Yan Tongshu chuckled and instructed someone to bring an extra bowl of rice for Yan Liangrong. "Sister, if you want to eat, just eat. There's no need to use the word 'mooch.'"
Zhenzhu served a bowl of porridge and placed it in front of Yan Liangrong.
Today's marriage discussion was a major event for both the Yan and Zhou families, so naturally, everyone had to be present. That was why Yan Liangrong had made a special trip back.
Yan Tongshu asked, "Why did you come in such a hurry, Sister, that you didn't even have breakfast?"
Yan Liangrong picked up her chopsticks. "Today is the Full Moon Day. Your brother-in-law has to attend the morning court session, so he had to get up before dawn. His stirring woke me up, and I couldn't fall back asleep, so I decided to come early. It also gives me a chance to chat with you and Mother."
Regular Court Attendee Officials holding important positions were required to attend the daily morning court sessions. For instance, the acting prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture had to attend every day.
Yan Tongshu's brother-in-law, Zheng Chun, held only a sixth-rank position and did not need to enter the palace daily. However, on the first and fifteenth days of each month, he had to attend a grand assembly.
Yan Tongshu recalled the days shortly after her transmigration when she had to wake up at three or four in the morning on the first and fifteenth days, while it was still dark, and rush to attend court. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Miserable, truly miserable.
Fortunately, she was soon demoted to Xianlin Hall, where she began a leisurely life of drinking tea and enjoying retirement.
Now, she had grown completely lazy. If she were forced to attend morning court sessions again, she would rather jump off the city wall and start over.
After the meal, Zhenzhu directed the maids to clear the dishes and brought mouthwash. Once they had rinsed their mouths, Yan Tongshu and Yan Liangrong went together to pay their respects to Madam Yan.
As they walked along the corridor, Yan Liangrong mentioned casually, "Tongshu."
Yan Tongshu casually plucked a leaf and played with it in her hand. "Hmm?"
Yan Liangrong's delicate eyelashes fluttered. "I heard that the Chaofeng Lang was dismissed from his position for speaking disrespectfully and offending His Majesty."
Yan Tongshu nodded. Court affairs had never been of much interest to her.
After all, she was just an unnoticed book editor—lying low was enough.
Yan Liangrong looked at Yan Tongshu. "Tongshu, we are siblings. As your sister, I don't want to speak to you with hypocritical official jargon. So, I'll be straightforward."