Ming Lingyi turned around. "Mr. Du?"

The newcomer was none other than Du Xuan.

Du Xuan wiped the sweat from his forehead. The weather was gradually growing hotter, and he looked even more "prosperous" than last year—a change likely due in large part to Ming’s Restaurant.

Du Xuan said, "Boss Ming, have you heard about what’s happening with Wangxian Building?"

Ming Lingyi nodded.

"Wangxian Building is clearly trying to compete with you. What are you going to do? You can’t just let them copy your restaurant’s event!" Du Xuan’s voice was tinged with anger; he clearly felt Wangxian Building’s move was unscrupulous.

Seeing the owner of a stationery shop, who had no real business ties to Ming’s Restaurant, worrying so much on her behalf, Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but chuckle. A flicker of warmth spread through her heart.

"Yes, I know. But if I can host a poetry competition, then naturally, so can Wangxian Building."

Before Ming Lingyi could finish, Du Xuan was already getting antsy.

"You can’t be such a pushover!" Du Xuan said anxiously, afraid she would be taken advantage of for being too agreeable.

Ming Lingyi replied, "Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing."

After hearing this, Du Xuan studied Ming Lingyi’s expression more closely. Seeing that she seemed genuinely confident, he relaxed a little.

After seeing Du Xuan off, Ming Lingyi saw another unexpected person appear at the entrance.

This time, however, Ming Lingyi’s tone was not nearly as polite.

"What are you doing here?"

Seeing Li Yun, an inopportune thought popped into Ming Lingyi’s head.

’Back in the palace, she was always the one waiting for Li Yun, always chasing after him.’

’Have their positions reversed now? It was Li Yun who was coming to see her, waiting for her.’

Li Yun had just come from the palace, so he hadn’t heard about the events outside as quickly as Ming Lingyi had.

He had come to see Ming Lingyi about something else.

"Li Yan wants to invite his teacher to be a judge at the restaurant," Li Yun began.

A look of astonishment crossed Ming Lingyi’s face. Little Huachao had never mentioned this to her.

But the next moment, Ming Lingyi smiled.

She hadn’t actually wanted to invite the National Academy Sacrificial Officer or some great scholar from the Hanlin Academy. The person she had in mind was currently in a Buddhist Temple in the suburb of the capital.

When Li Yun saw the smile on Ming Lingyi’s face, he felt a rare sense of displeasure.

"I can be the judge for this event," he said.

If even Du Xuan could see what was at stake in this competition, how could Li Yun not?

’In this world, whose decision as a judge could be more convincing than his, the Emperor of the Dayan Dynasty?’

’Why hadn’t his Yuan Niang considered him?’

He had originally thought Ming Lingyi would send word to him, but after waiting for several days, there was still no move from outside the palace.

Li Yun could no longer deceive himself. He knew with perfect clarity that Ming Lingyi hadn’t considered him at all.

Unable to sit still any longer, he had no choice but to come and recommend himself.

He was afraid that if he came any later, Ming Lingyi would have already chosen the final judge.

Ming Lingyi: "..."

It wasn’t that she was surprised, but for such a small, folk poetry competition—one not even started by a great scholar—to have Li Yun act as the "Examiner"... If word got out, there was no telling how many people would be shocked.

’What kind of examination would warrant the attention of a nation’s sovereign?’

’Shouldn’t it be the palace-level imperial examination?’

When Ming Lingyi heard Li Yun’s words, she was simply dumbfounded.

Li Yun, however, grew a little impatient when he didn’t receive an answer from Ming Lingyi.

"Well?" he asked.

Perhaps it wasn’t impatience, just anxiety.

Ming Lingyi: "...I’m afraid that’s not appropriate."

Li Yun frowned.

"Most of the common people don’t recognize you. If you sit in that position, you won’t be able to command respect," Ming Lingyi said with a straight face.

Li Yun: "..."

He never would have expected such a reason and, for a moment, was at a loss for words.

Ming Lingyi, on the other hand, could barely contain her laughter. Seeing Li Yun look so defeated, it was hard for her not to feel a sense of schadenfreude.

But she didn’t get to gloat for long.

"So, you think that Jiang Yuchuan is more capable than me? Is that why you sought him out?" Li Yun asked.

Ming Lingyi didn’t need to think twice to know that the jealous man in front of her was acting up again.

"If you want to see it that way, I suppose you can," Ming Lingyi said.

The moment the words left her mouth, Li Yun’s expression turned ugly.

The dismissiveness in her tone was impossible for him to miss.

He knew Jiang Yuchuan’s mother was from the Xie family, but he also knew that, given Jiang Yuchuan’s character, he would never oppose Ming Lingyi just because of the Xie family.

He couldn’t quite describe the complicated feelings he was experiencing.

Of course, he wanted Jiang Yuchuan not to harm Ming Lingyi because of the Xie family, but that was also the last thing he wanted to see.

And now, Ming Lingyi trusted Jiang Yuchuan so much.

After a moment of thought, Li Yun realized he couldn’t actually come up with a single reason for Ming Lingyi to choose him over Jiang Yuchuan.

The atmosphere around him turned frighteningly oppressive, waves of pressure rolling off him.

But Ming Lingyi wasn’t afraid of him.

"I don’t care." Suddenly, Li Yun spoke, his tone exceptionally different from before. "Since you’ve invited him, I’m going to be there too," Li Yun said.

His tone was utterly shameless.

Li Yun couldn’t be bothered with all that. He had tried to be reasonable, but Ming Lingyi always had all sorts of reasons to refuse him. If he continued to be reasonable, wouldn’t his wife become someone else’s wife?

He couldn’t be bothered with all that.

When Ming Lingyi heard what Li Yun was saying, she almost laughed out of exasperation.

"On what grounds?" Ming Lingyi asked.

Li Yun didn’t answer her question. He just gave her a look and left the restaurant.

Li Yun was worried that if he kept talking to Ming Lingyi, she would truly anger him to the point where he’d lose his mind and have her tied up and dragged back to the palace.

’Wants to see Jiang Yuchuan?’

’Hmph! Not in this lifetime!’

The moment he turned away, Ming Lingyi didn’t see the faint, bloodshot tinge in Li Yun’s eyes.

When Ming Lingyi had confronted Li Yun, she had actually already known what the outcome would be.

She didn’t know if it was out of extreme anger or something else, but she suddenly laughed out loud.

’When had she ever seen such a shameless side of Li Yun? This was just shameless pestering.’

She also knew that even if she refused to let Li Yun show up the day after tomorrow, he would find a way to be there.

Even if she didn’t save a spot for Li Yun, when Gongsun Liangce and Jiang Yuchuan saw him and he asked, could the two of them possibly refuse to give up their seats?

No official would dare to disobey a verbal command from the Emperor.

Ming Lingyi had someone send word to the Crown Prince Mansion. If it hadn’t been for Li Yun, she wouldn’t have known that her Little Huachao had also realized the restaurant’s poetry competition needed judges who could win the respect of Shangjing’s scholars. Now that they had enough people, how could she let a Little Bun worry on her behalf?

The next day, Wangxian Building was bustling with people, a scene of extraordinary liveliness.

Although business at Ming’s Restaurant wasn’t as good as it had been in the first few days, a surprising number of neighbors from around Huaided Fang showed up.