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TYAF Ch 9 Part 1 – Yun Junjun (I)

The imperial edict was soon delivered from the Imperial Study to the Chancellery office. The officials there examined the edict, puzzled. The handwriting was far too neat to belong to His Majesty—could someone from the Secretariat have drafted it?

The Chancellery held the authority to review imperial edicts and written decrees. During the reign of the previous emperor, their power and status were extremely high. However, the current Emperor often insisted on drafting and sealing edicts himself, which gradually diminished the influence of the Three Departments1. They had grown accustomed to this. As such, for His Majesty to even follow protocol was already a gesture of respect toward them.

There was nothing wrong with the edict—its format was correct. While the language was a bit too flowery and quite extravagant, it was still within the tolerable range. It was the fact that such an honor was bestowed upon Yun Fuyi that made the Chancellery officials uneasy.

“The language may be a bit overdone, but her contribution in protecting Her Majesty cannot be ignored,” said the Chancellery Director, who promptly stamped the edict with the official seal, thus signaling their acceptance without objection.

Still, which spineless guy from the Secretariat had drafted this flattery? The wording was so refined, with multiple references to classical allusions. If it weren’t for the fact that the recipient of this praise was a notorious troublemaker, he might have commended the drafter for his outstanding literary skill.

Tsk, tsk, what a waste of talent!

Upon returning to his manor, Ning Wang immediately dismissed the palace people the Emperor had bestowed upon him, strictly ensuring that they had no chance to access his study or dining areas.

“Wangye, those people were left behind by your mother. Why send them away?” his long-time attendant asked hesitantly. “We’re currently short of hands. Perhaps it would be better to…”

“They may have served Mother Consort in the past, but who knows where their loyalty lies now?” Ning Wang continued writing character after character on his paper. “If they were truly still loyal to my mother and me, would my Imperial Brother have been so generous as to give them to me?”

“Today, I’ll swallow this humiliation, but one day…” He pressed the brush down hard, causing the ink to spill beyond the paper, leaving a messy black blot on the table.

On the outskirts of the city, the apricot blossoms were in full bloom. Fuyi and her usual gang rode to the apricot grove to enjoy the flowers, only to encounter a few servants driving people away, claiming that the grove was reserved for noble personages to compose poetry and that others should find another place.

Though the servants did not use force when driving people away, their attitudes were haughty, and Fuyi frowned when she saw a child being frightened to tears by their harsh words. Her friends were also displeased. “This apricot grove belongs to the Court of Imperial Granary, and His Majesty has long decreed that commoners may enjoy it freely. How has it become a place reserved for noble personages?”

“Let’s see which guys are throwing their weight around like this,” Fuyi said as she dismounted, tossing her reins to Xiayu. Brandishing a riding whip in hand, she and her friends strode into the apricot grove.

The sons and daughters of aristocratic clans, civil officials, and military officers typically had their separate social circles and rarely crossed paths—with the exception of the unpromising idlers, which every family seemed to have.

Fuyi’s circle of friends was wide, and her usual gang consisted of the children of military officers, aristocratic clans, and civil officials. Yet, no matter their background, none of the other circles were particularly keen on associating with them. They themselves didn’t mind being shunned and had even given themselves the elegant title of ‘wandering chevaliers.’

Whether or not they were truly chivalrous was debatable, but they certainly had mastered the art of aimless wandering.

Inside a pavilion was the gathering of sophisticated young literati, enjoying the blooming flowers, writing poetry, and occasionally playing a melody to accompany the falling apricot blossoms. The atmosphere was serene until the commotion reached their ears, causing some to frown. Who would be so inconsiderate as to ruin the mood?

A servant boy quickly went to inquire and soon returned with news. “Young masters, young misses, there are nearly ten people who have come to enjoy the blossoms in the grove.”

“And who are they?”

The servant answered, “The daughter of Anping Junzhu, the third son of General Cao, the daughter of Minister Yun, and the second son of Marquis Yang, among others…”

As the servant recited the long list of names, the expressions of the young masters and young ladies turned complicated.

What a luck—they had somewhat intrigued this group of prodigal idlers.

The view here was the best, and they were reluctant to leave, but they also didn’t want to confront the other party, who were not only known for their penchant for causing trouble but also had strong family backgrounds.

There was common knowledge in the capital—making friends with the idlers might gain you nothing, but offending them could mean that nothing would go smoothly afterward.

“It’s such a fine place. How can we allow uncultured people who don’t know how to appreciate flowers to cause a disturbance?”

The crowd was stunned—who was bold enough to say such a thing?

Oh, it was the newly appointed Tanhua scholar2 who had just ranked third during the imperial examination this year.

When the Tanhua scholar noticed that no one responded to his comment, a sense of unease crept into his heart. Could there be something here that he wasn’t aware of?

He was born into a side branch of the Lingbei Lu clan, where scholars typically looked down upon idler dandies and never mingled with them. His peers even took pride in rebuking such people, considering it a mark of a scholar’s integrity.

“Well, you are correct. We are crude, uncultured people who lack any appreciation for flowers.”

A voice suddenly rang. The group of literati turned to see Fuyi and her companions approaching with riding whips in hand. Instantly, the poetry recitations ceased, the music stopped, and an uneasy silence fell over the gathering.

When literati confronted each other, they might argue with words, while the descendants of the military families would rather speak with their fists. But Fuyi’s group of idlers was in a league of its own. Anyone daring enough to challenge them had to be prepared for both sharp words and a strong fight, which is why most people wisely kept their distance.

The person seated closest to Lu Tanhua quietly stood up and edged away, using actions to prove that he had no part in what was said.

After a moment of silence, the young literati quickly regained their composure and began to greet Fuyi’s group. Their attitude was clear—See? We’ve greeted you first, so please don’t cause trouble with us!

Fuyi ignored the now red-faced Lu Tanhua and went directly to the person of the highest status in the group, curtsying politely. “Greetings, Young Master Du.”

Young Master Du quickly returned the gesture. “Greetings, Miss Yun.”

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Translator’s Note:

TYAF is entering advanced chapter! Subscribe here to read up to six weeks ahead!

Now that AerialRain is taking more novels, we re-arrange the release schedule. Don’t worry, we only shifted the release days, it’s still twice a week schedule.

Monday & Thursday: Daughter of the Dao and Devil Venerables, Transmigrated into the Genius Cannon Fodder’s Aunt, Three Years After Falling Off a Cliff

Tuesday & Friday: After Transmigrating Into the Cannon Fodder Real Daughter The Plot Changes, The Healer Demands Payment!, Wake Up Male Lead You Belong With the Female Lead!

Wednesday & Saturday: His Secret Guard, Marrying the Short-Lived Villain

Sunday: Extra releases and sponsored chapters


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  1. The three departments are the Chancellery, Secretariat, and Department of State Affairs.
  2. The third scorer of the imperial examination was granted the title Tanhua.

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