Chapter 90: The Shameless Libertine

At this moment, Jiang Jiang Mingyu stood in the main hall of the county yamen, gazing intently at a yellowed map on the wall, seemingly pondering some grand plan.

The day before, he had already dispatched hundreds of scout riders to search for the bandits' whereabouts, while ordering the city defense camp to prepare for immediate departure.

Perhaps before long, the prepared city defense camp would, after many years, march out of the city once again to eradicate the bandits.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu was just thinking about who should join the army and who should stay behind when Lord Lord Murong shook off the remaining snow from his body and strode in.

"Brother Jiang Xingqiu, Mr. Zhu Ge Yu has come to find you and is waiting outside," Lord Lord Murong said.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu was startled; why would Zhu Ge Yu come suddenly? He remembered that this talented disciple should have been promoting coal in the various counties.

Before Lord Lord Murong could speak, Zhu Ge Yu's familiar voice drifted in through the cold wind and into Jiang Jiang Mingyu's ears: "Master."

"Master, where are you? Come out quickly to collect the silver."

As soon as the words fell, he gracefully stepped into the main hall, his wide sleeves fluttering in the wind.

Looking at Zhu Ge Yu's jade-like handsome face and his calm, unhurried expression, Jiang Jiang Mingyu couldn't help but smile inwardly.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu stepped forward a few paces with a face full of smiles and said kindly, "Good disciple, you've worked hard on this journey. Quickly calculate for your master how much silver you've earned for me this time?" His tone was thick with greed.

His money-obsessed appearance instantly left Zhu Ge Yu speechless: "I say, Master, can't you be less profit-driven?"

"I ran all around the five surrounding counties with such hard work, yet you won't even say a word about my hardship; isn't that a bit wrong?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu pouted and retorted: "Stop wasting words. Do you still want to use my poems to help you establish your fame? Hand over the money!" His tone left no concealment of his longing for money.

Seeing Jiang Jiang Mingyu's angry appearance, Zhu Ge Yu quickly softened and begged for mercy: "Master, calm your anger; I will calculate the accounts for you right now." Having finished speaking, he reached into his wide sleeve.

But after rummaging for a while, Zhu Ge Yu's face instantly stiffened, and he blurted out: "Not good! The banknotes seem to be lost!" His face was full of embarrassment.

Hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu, who had been waiting to count the money, instantly turned deathly pale and shouted in anger: "How could you be so careless? You're an adult and still managed to lose the money tickets; you have no future at all!"

Zhu Ge Yu, with a face full of apology, explained profusely: "Actually, it was only a mere eighty thousand taels of silver. I didn't take it to heart at the time and just stored it casually. On such a long journey, I don't know when it fell out; it was truly an unexpected accident, all my mistake!"

He spoke with sighs and groans.

Hearing that only eighty thousand taels remained, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face instantly darkened, and he said furiously: "Do you know that was nearly two months of military pay? More critically, I accepted people's silver, so I must provide coal; now I'll have to compensate at least ten thousand more!"

"If you cannot produce these eighty thousand taels today, I will not let you off easily! Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and go find it!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu put his hands on his hips, his eyes bulging round, looking extremely like a shrewish woman.

Seeing Jiang Jiang Mingyu's angry and embarrassed appearance, Zhu Ge Yu instead laughed heartily: "Master, I was just teasing you; how could the banknotes be lost?" Having finished speaking, he pulled the banknotes out of his wide sleeve and handed them back to Jiang Jiang Mingyu exactly as they were.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu snatched the banknotes with a dark face, wishing he could strangle this fellow who clearly betrayed his master and destroyed his ancestors. After Zhu Ge Yu told Jiang Jiang Mingyu the quantity of coal needed, he still had no intention of leaving.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face remained clouded with black clouds, thinking that later he must thoroughly punish this boy who teased his master.

But Zhu Ge Yu was completely unaware, standing in place and smiling as he waited for something.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu put away the banknotes, and his face finally looked a bit better; he asked urgently: "What? Have you already used up all the poems I gave you last time?"

He was naturally referring to the dozens of poems he had previously written for Zhu Ge Yu to use as capital for pretending in various places.

Zhu Ge Yu grinned without the slightest shame: "My reputation is now booming, and I need more new works to take around to play the gentleman. If I just stayed in the prefecture city, those poems might have lasted until the New Year."

"By the way, the poetry anthology I compiled in the prefecture city is selling well, and I am preparing to release a second one. Master, considering the face of the banknotes, could you please work hard and write some new works?" Zhu Ge Yu looked full of earnest hope.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu knew that what he valued most was silver, and considering the potential for profit, he agreed: "Alright, I will write them for you right now."

The moment he picked up the brush, Jiang Jiang Mingyu inwardly slandered: "If it weren't for your silver, who would have the interest to mess around with you?"

Zhu Ge Yu let out a huge yawn and waved his hand, saying: "I am too exhausted; Master, take your time writing; I will go sleep for a while first."

Without caring about Jiang Jiang Mingyu's reaction, he took a sip of tea, grabbed Lord Lord Murong, and led him to find a place to sleep.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu sighed helplessly, dipped the brush fully, and began to borrow from the cultural achievements of the ancients before his transmigration.

He had only written seven or eight poems when the guard outside the door entered again: "My lord, Miss Liu is visiting."

Since meeting once in the county yamen, whenever she had nothing to do, Liu Liu Yifei would always come to the county yamen to sit.

And Liu Ximen, thinking his daughter was grateful for Jiang Jiang Mingyu's punishment of Zhu Zhu Tianxiang that day, did not block her.

With Liu Liu Yifei visiting again, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was naturally very happy; he quickly put down the brush: "Quickly, invite her in."

Hearing that Liu Liu Yifei had arrived, Jiang Jiang Mingyu immediately put down his pen and came out to welcome her. He also adjusted his clothes, trying to look as spirited as possible.

Liu Liu Yifei was still dressed in red, her exquisite little face slightly flushed, obviously unable to withstand the severe cold outside the window.

After so many contacts, she had become quite familiar with Jiang Jiang Mingyu; after exchanging greetings, she casually started chatting.

The two spoke aimlessly until Liu Liu Yifei's gaze was attracted by the poem on the table, the ink just drying.

Picking up the poem and looking at it, a trace of disbelief instantly appeared in her large eyes: "The moon sets, crows cry, frost fills the sky..."

"My lord, are these all your great works?"

With the situation at hand, Jiang Jiang Mingyu had no choice but to admit it, so he had to bite the bullet and nod: "Miss, you flatter me."

Liu Liu Yifei, who had studied poetry and books since childhood, showed even more shock: "Truly unexpected; my lord possesses such high literary talent."

"Forgive a humble woman for speaking plainly; if even one of these is taken out, it would be enough to shake the literary world of Great Feng."

Her words were exactly the same as Wang Zhe's words back then.

Seeing the beauty's face filled with admiration, Jiang Jiang Mingyu couldn't stop pretending: "Miss, you overpraise me; it is merely a trivial skill."

"Compared to what this official did before the late Emperor's hall that day, it is truly not worth mentioning."

Liu Liu Yifei said with even greater surprise: "My lord has also seen the late Emperor?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu continued pretending: "Of course; how could this official not be the top scholar of this exam? On that day, riding a horse and parading through the streets, who in all of Jingcheng did not know?"

Liu Liu Yifei felt shocked for the third time: "You are the top scholar? The top scholar personally conferred by the late Emperor?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's expression became even more smug: "Absolutely genuine."

Immediately, looking at Liu Liu Yifei's exquisite little face, he continued: "Miss Liu, your arrival is timely; this official's poetic inspiration is strong."

"Outside the window, the world is clad in silver, and the lady is beyond compare; this official wishes to compose a poem for you as well. I wonder if the lady approves?"

Liu Liu Yifei, pressing her small lips, instantly felt it was interesting: "Write a poem for me?"

"Since I grew up, no one has ever written a poem for a humble woman like me. My lord, recite it quickly."

Seeing her impatient appearance, Jiang Jiang Mingyu thought inwardly: "In the past, when Shangmu was in a precarious position, who would have the mood to compose poems for you?"

He thought for a moment and slowly chanted: "A few branches of plum blossoms by the wall, blooming alone in the cold. From afar, I know they are not snow, for a faint fragrance comes."

"Miss, how's my literary talent? Not bad, is it?"

He deliberately dragged out the final syllables of the last few words, his smugness overflowing.

Seeing Jiang Jiang Mingyu's brilliance, spouting words effortlessly, and thinking the so-called 'subtle fragrance' referred to her, Liu Liu Yifei, her small face turned red once more.

The beauty wore red robes, and on her flushed small face hung an even more enticing crimson; Jiang Jiang Mingyu couldn't help but stare, transfixed.

Just as he felt his eyes were about to pop out, a young woman's sharp cry suddenly rang out from afar.

Only the clear, cold voice, carrying obvious anger, was heard: "Shameless lecher, where are your dog eyes looking?"

Before Jiang Jiang Mingyu could react, his rather handsome face was slapped hard twice by someone, left and right.

With his face burning hot, Jiang Jiang Mingyu hadn't yet figured out what was happening when his chest was kicked viciously again.

Then, with a footprint on his chest, he flew far away like a rag sack, right before Liu Liu Yifei's astonished eyes.

The entire world fell silent.