“What is it?”
“Of course, it’s something big concerning you, Sister Ningyue!”
Lin Qingge exclaimed dramatically, pointing at the veil that seemed permanently affixed to the other woman’s face. “Sister Ningyue, can we please heal your face first?”
Leng Ningyue, who felt no inconvenience from wearing the veil daily, raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Naturally, it’s so that you can appear before those people with your face perfectly intact, giving them a resounding slap in the face! That would be so cool and satisfying! Plus, I want to see your true face, Sister Ningyue.”
After Lin Qingge’s fervent persuasion, seeing Leng Ningyue still sitting there expressionlessly, she resorted to her trump card.
“Pretty please~ Sister Ningyue~ Just agree to it for me~”
It had to be said, the wavy lines of the Peacock were indeed effective. After Lin Qingge’s barrage of cooing and nagging, Leng Ningyue, though rubbing her temples with a slight headache, nodded slightly, agreeing.
“However, I have one condition.”
“Let alone one condition, Sister Ningyue, whatever you ask for, I’ll agree to it!” Lin Qingge pledged, thumping her chest. But Leng Ningyue simply smiled. “Remember your words, don’t go back on them then.”
“How could I? I, Lin Qingge, am not claiming to be a pillar of integrity, but I am at least a person of my word, always keeping my promises! And I wouldn’t dare deceive anyone but you, Sister Ningyue. But Sister Ningyue, what is your condition?”
Hearing this, the smile in Leng Ningyue’s beautiful eyes deepened, but she deliberately kept her condition a secret. “I’ll tell you what the condition is later. Don’t worry, it’s something you can easily accomplish.”
Although she vaguely suspected it might not be something she’d want to do, Lin Qingge felt reassured knowing that Sister Ningyue wouldn’t harm her. After chatting with Leng Ningyue for a few more moments, she turned and ran to Murong Bai’s courtyard, afraid the latter would change her mind.
“Open up, open up!” Lin Qingge banged on the door panels, making loud ‘clang’ sounds. After a long while, Murong Bai lazily opened the door, wearing only an outer robe.
“My lord, you come to see me so late. Has someone died in another household?”
“No, no, it’s that my wife has finally agreed to have her face treated!”
Murong Bai yawned sleepily at this. “Oh? Has your wife finally given up on you, that crooked tree, and found a dog outside?”
“You’re the one with the dog!” In a great mood, Lin Qingge didn’t bother arguing with the sharp-tongued fox in front of her. She instructed him to bring his tools to the main courtyard first thing tomorrow morning to examine the lady’s face and then left with a chuckle.
Until the door closed again, Qin Ming, who hadn’t dared to even breathe heavily the entire time, let out two whimpers, silently questioning his elder brother.
Qin Han, methodically sorting through the medicinal herbs in his hands, explained in a low voice, “Lord Lin is an exception, you can’t compare. Also, go back and rest if you have nothing else to do. You’ll be busy tomorrow.”
???
Although pleased that his elder brother was finally paying attention to him after so many years, Qin Ming didn’t understand the meaning of his brother’s words. What did he mean by being busy tomorrow? Was he supposed to help his brother dry and grind herbs? After all, he had grown up in the Tang Sect, so drying and grinding herbs wasn’t a problem for him.
However, the next morning.
Brought to the Shuntian Prefecture yamen after breakfast, Qin Ming finally understood his elder brother’s words when he saw the mountain of household registration documents before him.
...
Qin Ming chose to be a江湖人 (jianghu ren - person of the martial world) precisely because he disliked studying. After all, if he had any talent for studying, obtaining an official title would be much more stable and comfortable than fighting in the martial world. Therefore, facing a pile of documents was more unbearable to him than killing him!
But words, once spoken, are like water poured out. He had already submitted his pledge of allegiance. What would Lord Lin think of him if he went back on his word now? What would his brother think? What would Leng Shuang think? Even though he had prepared himself mentally, facing the documents, he couldn’t help but ask, his breath catching, “Lord Lin, are these all to be reviewed one by one?”
“These are only a small portion of the capital’s household registrations. After you finish these, go to Clerk Lin next door to exchange for new ones. I still have to handle the handover procedures for my new post, so I’ll leave this to you all.”
Lin Qingge said this and strode away.
Seeing that the person had finally left, Ye Shengxiao declared his surrender. “Damn it, is there any justice? Not only am I made to work like a beast of burden, but now I have to do this eye-straining work too. They’re not treating me like a human at all!”
Lu Mingxuan, also dragged here to do the menial labor, glanced towards the door and meekly said, “Is it possible that in the lord’s eyes, we are simply not considered human?”
...
After a brief, eerie silence, Ye Shengxiao ruffled his hair into a mess in frustration. “Argh! I suddenly envy Fan Liu and Niu Er. Who knew that being illiterate had its advantages! If I had known this would happen, I should have resisted harder when my father forced me to study!”
“Ye Shengxiao, I rarely hear you talk about your family. Right, didn’t you say you grew up in the capital too? If you want to go home and see, tell Lord Lin, and he definitely won’t refuse you.”
After Lu Mingxuan finished speaking, Ye Shengxiao’s expression changed, and he then changed the subject. “Why are we all here, but that fellow Ling Han is still at Lord Lin’s residence? Could it be that he’s also illiterate?”
“Ling Han is not here because he has to tutor the young master in martial arts.”
Hearing this, Ye Shengxiao pouted indignantly. “Ling Han got off easy! Why didn’t that good assignment of tutoring the young master fall to me? That way, I could exchange glances with my beloved and spend time together day and night…”
“Stop dreaming. For peeping at Lady Lin, Lord Lin would never let you tutor the young master. It’s just that the lord is broad-minded and benevolent, and doesn’t bother with petty people like you. If it were me, I would have beaten you until you were spitting teeth! Oh, General Lian, please move aside.”
Yan Tinghao walked in from the doorway, passed by the unobtrusive Lian Chengyi, then found a corner to sit down and started reading a household registration document.
“Tsk, I really don’t know what kind of charm Lord Lin has used on you, kid. You’re calling him ‘Lord’ all day long. If in the future you want to marry, and your lord disagrees, would you not get married?”
“Of course! Lord Lin must have his reasons for disagreeing. And why would I need to get married? My current life is so good. I want to stay by Lord Lin’s side forever and be his right-hand man!”
Hearing Yan Tinghao’s heartfelt words, Ye Shengxiao, defeated by his peculiar logic, shrugged helplessly. “Forget it, brother, whatever makes you happy.”
At the same time.
Accompanied by his advisor Hua Jinrong, Lin Qingge completed the handover of duties with the Shuntian Prefecture prefect, officially taking office.