[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling":3,"chapter-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-82":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Top Scholar of Da Ling",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2288917,4475,"Chapter 82: The Ambiguity in the Carriage","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-82",82,"\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu’s light footsteps brimmed with unspoken joy as he finally strode out of the Inspector’s towering vermilion wooden gate into the sunlit courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Golden sunlight spilled over his handsome, upright figure, making the joy on his face even more radiant and captivating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, Tukesiluo’s tense heart finally settled; he let out a long sigh and put on an exaggerated, pouting girl’s expression, lamenting: “My lord, you’re finally out! Don’t you know we were all terrified?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Jiang Mingyu’s mood soared; he couldn’t help grinning broadly, his pale face glowing with uncontainable joy as he replied cheerfully to Tukesiluo: “Why worry? Huang Chaoran is finished—how could the Inspector harm me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Jiang Mingyu’s beaming smile, Tukesiluo couldn’t help but press: “My lord, you’re so delighted—what good thing happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu didn’t hide it; he pulled the heavy recruitment document from his chest and handed it to Tukesiluo, his eyes gleaming with excitement: “Take a look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukesiluo took the document, glanced at it once, and his eyes lit up; he trembled with excitement, nearly dropping it as he cried: “Fifty thousand troops! Perfect! Shangmu finally has hope!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu nodded firmly, his eyes flashing with vengeful resolve: “The day your brother Murong seeks revenge is drawing near.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, the Inspector has agreed to help us sell coal—good days are coming for Shangmu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right now, the most important thing is to return to Shangmu quickly and prepare the coal miners for large-scale extraction.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei stood alone amid the white snow, her graceful figure rendered even more delicate and charming by the drifting flakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her exquisitely painted face now flushed faintly pink; her watery almond eyes held a hint of shyness as she stared silently at the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu turned back, gazing fixedly at the green-clad girl standing alone in the snowstorm, her lonely silhouette stirring a wave of tenderness in his heart. He softly called: “Miss Liu, shall we return to Shangmu together?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Liu Yifei seemed not to hear; she remained lost in thought. Jiang Mingyu called again, gently: “Miss Liu, what are you thinking about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Liu Yifei snap out of her reverie; she looked up, bewildered: “My lord Jiang, what did you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since leaving the Inspector’s gate with Jiang Mingyu, Liu Yifei’s heart had been in turmoil, unable to settle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Jiang Mingyu disregarded his own future just to give her justice, her heart had already rippled; when she saw him risk war against powerful enemies for Shangmu, his courageous and noble spirit stirred her again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Liu Yifei, Jiang Mingyu was still a stranger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today, his fearless spirit and dedication to protecting the people had deeply moved her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sake of a mere common girl, he braved snow and wind to travel hundreds of miles just to seek justice—even risking open conflict with his own superior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many in the Great Feng Empire could do such a thing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for Shangmu’s safety, he was willing to risk his life, determined to fight the enemy to the death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To past county magistrates, this would have seemed the rambling of a madman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a fearless, fiery-hearted man was a true hero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei blushed inwardly as she thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she met Jiang Mingyu’s burning gaze, her lovely face had turned as red as an apple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu’s fearless character and noble bearing had already stirred Liu Yifei’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu gazed softly at Liu Yifei; her quiet words finally pulled her from her thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When their eyes met in silent understanding, Liu Yifei’s delicate face flushed crimson as if bleeding, a tender blush rising on her fair skin—even her ears turned bright red, utterly adorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu shook his head helplessly, staring fixedly at her reddened face, then repeated his invitation gently once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei lowered her head, thought for a moment, her long lashes trembling; then she raised her watery eyes, blushing shyly, and nodded, answering in a soft, milky voice: “Very well, then I’ll trouble you, my lord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not at all, not the least bit of trouble…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the beauty agree to ride alone with him, Jiang Mingyu’s eyes sparkled; he couldn’t help revealing a lewd grin, waving his hands frantically to assure her he wasn’t troubled at all, as if afraid she’d change her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Years later, Tukesiluo would often recall how Jiang Mingyu’s lewd grin that day remained unforgettable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Liu Yifei and her carriage added, the group’s pace slowed noticeably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after leaving the state capital, large flakes of snow began falling like goose feathers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu led the way through the snowstorm, imagining the scene of being alone with the beauty inside the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, inside the carriage, Liu Yifei suddenly called: “Stop!” Jiang Mingyu was baffled and hurriedly asked if Miss Liu felt unwell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei’s voice was shy as she explained: “The snowstorm outside is too fierce—My lord Jiang, please come inside to take shelter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu’s face lit up, but he feigned hesitation: “That doesn’t seem proper, does it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, he had been desperate to climb inside and be alone with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This pretense of reluctance while clearly eager to get close to the beauty made Jiang Mingyu look especially lewd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei glanced again at the howling snowstorm outside and whispered: “The storm is too fierce—my lord, please get in quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu finally pretended to yield: “If Miss Liu insists, then I shall not refuse.” But his tone betrayed his delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the envious glances of Tukesiluo and the others, Jiang Mingyu swaggered into the carriage with pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukesiluo, standing alone in the snow, rolled his eyes and sighed: “Sigh, comparing people leads to death—my lord gets to be alone with the beauty, while we freeze here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then barked: “What are you all staring at? Move out! Slacking off again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his shout, the laborers whipped their horses and pressed forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the carriage, Jiang Mingyu and Liu Yifei sat in silence beneath the soft candlelight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Tukesiluo’s teasing outside, Liu Yifei immediately blushed and lowered her head, her white earlobes tinged pink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her long hair partially veiled her cheeks, making her look exquisitely shy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu, watching her bashful expression, felt a stir and cleverly broke the silence: “Miss Liu, Zhu Tianxiang has been punished—you can rest easy now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I owe this to My lord Jiang, who went to such trouble to seek justice for this humble girl.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei raised her watery eyes, gazing at Jiang Mingyu with deep gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu sat upright, solemnly saying: “This is merely my duty as an official—Miss Liu, you overstate it. Should you face any difficulty in the future, come to me—I will do everything in my power to help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, thank you, my lord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Jiang Mingyu’s generous promise, Liu Yifei nodded shyly, a faint blush rising on her face, making her look especially tender and lovely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Liu Yifei not only didn’t rebuff him but blushed and nodded, Jiang Mingyu’s heart soared; he thought, The door is open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, my heroic image has been deeply etched into this maiden’s heart. Winning the heart of Miss Liu of the Liu family is merely a matter of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning the thought over, Jiang Mingyu resolved: He would visit the Liu household more often—first win over her father, Liu Ximen. With him as a shield, the delicate Liu Yifei would never escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this tender exchange, silence fell again in the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Jiang Mingyu and Liu Yifei were weary; they gradually drifted into peaceful sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to Jiang Mingyu’s mocking snores, Tukesiluo, braving the snowstorm outside, burned with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what if you got into a carriage? Do you have to be so smug, you jerk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, in the Huang family mansion in the state capital, the recently dismissed Huang Chaoran gnashed his teeth, wishing to devour Jiang Mingyu alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he returned home, he summoned his trusted servant, glaring with bloodshot eyes: “Find that man immediately—I’ll make Jiang Mingyu pay dearly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No—I’ll tear him apart with my own hands before my rage is quenched!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you still standing there? Go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Chaoran’s bloodthirsty gaze brimmed with vengeful cruelty—he swore to flay Jiang Mingyu alive to avenge today’s humiliation. The storm of revenge seemed now unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>",1383,"2026-06-20T03:28:17.113Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","320f5e31a66a0b89c2852995a8f9b02fb93d6c6606104dd8ead29595d24d3c8b","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-83","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-81",392,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-top-scholar-of-da-ling-cover.jpg"]