Five Years After My Death, the Mad Emperor Still Summons My Spirit

Just as Ming Lingyi had predicted, after Xu Qian showed up at Wangxian Building, its Shopkeeper, Ma Ji, immediately appeared to offer placating words and apologies to the young master from a rather prominent family.

Ma Ji was, of course, furious.

It wasn’t just because Xu Qian had brought men to his restaurant to cause a scene, but also because he had entrusted the matter to Feng Baiqiang, who had completely failed to handle it.

However, Ma Ji knew this was not the time to reprimand Feng Baiqiang. The most important thing was to pacify the young master standing before him.

Especially since the lunch hour was approaching. The restaurant would get busy then, and if this young master was still causing a scene, wouldn’t it affect their business?

"Young Master Xu, please calm down. This whole affair was an oversight on our restaurant’s part. How about this as a solution? We’ll hang your masterpiece up in the restaurant?"

As Ma Ji said this, his heart ached.

It wasn’t for any other reason; he was just thinking, ’Even I can see this young master’s doggerel is complete nonsense, just unbearably tacky. If we really hang it in our restaurant, who knows how many people will laugh at us.’

’So humiliating!’

But to Ma Ji’s surprise, even after he had conceded so much, he still failed to satisfy the great young master before him.

"No!" Xu Qian refused flatly.

Ma Ji: "...Then what would you have us do, Young Master?"

Xu Qian: "I am not some silk-pants dandy who throws his weight around."

Hearing this, Ma Ji was speechless. "..."

’If this doesn’t count, what does?’

But Xu Qian couldn’t hear his thoughts.

Xu Qian sat on a stool his attendant had brought for him, looking perfectly serious. "I want to win, fair and square!"

Ma Ji: "?"

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and couldn’t help but humbly ask, "And how, Young Master, do you wish to win ’fair and square’?"

Xu Qian: "Isn’t it simple? At noon today, you will find some *capable* judges for me! The poems from yesterday will be judged again! In front of everyone! I will not accept any cheating or favoritism!"

After hearing this, Ma Ji fell silent. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

’My first thought isn’t even that this young master is a pain in the neck,’ he realized. ’It’s that he’s completely delusional. Otherwise, with that doggerel of his, does he really think a more scholarly judge would pick his work?’

’Is he daydreaming?’

After grumbling to himself for a moment, Ma Ji quickly pasted a smile back on his face and said tentatively, "Isn’t this making too much of a fuss? I happen to think your poem is quite extraordinary, Young Master. If someone else were to judge it, you would certainly be chosen. How could that be called favoritism?" Ma Ji, seeming to forget how he’d despised Xu Qian’s doggerel the previous night, laid on the flattery. "So, why don’t we just have me hang your masterpiece in our restaurant right now..."

’I’m being far too agreeable, far too considerate,’ Ma Ji thought. ’If we do things his way, I bet even if we hired a hundred judges, not a single one would pick his doggerel. A three-year-old wouldn’t even like it.’

’I’m handing him a golden ticket straight to the finish line!’

But—

"Do I look like an unreasonable person?" Instead of being pleased, Xu Qian flew into a rage. "I insist on being re-judged! Go find people right now! I’m staying right here in Wangxian Building today, and I’m not going anywhere! Don’t try to fob me off with some backroom deal!"

Ma Ji: "..."

When the news reached Ming’s Restaurant, Ming Lingyi was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"This young master is rather interesting," Ming Lingyi said.

Xiao Chun said, "Is he an idiot? With a poem like that, I doubt he’d get picked no matter who the judges are, right?"

Shi Mingyue, who was helping in the back kitchen without her veil, also had a momentary blank expression on her scarred face.

’He sounds like a total fool, doesn’t he?’

Ming Lingyi smiled. "He’s rather principled, though."

’The shopkeeper of Wangxian Building offered to hang his masterpiece for all to admire, but Xu Qian flatly refused, insisting on an open and honorable victory. Isn’t that a sign of principle?’

’I bet few of the great officials at court could be as ’unmoved by worldly temptations’ as this young master.’

"So, has Wangxian Building found new judges yet?" Wu Zhao Yu asked curiously, her hands deftly working on a piece of mutton.

’Her master had assigned her this task, and she was quite happy with it. For now, she didn’t want to do anything else. She just wanted to stay at Ming’s Restaurant and be a simple cook.’

’If Wangxian Building found new judges, she wondered if she should send Wu Zhao Yi and Wu Zha’er to go mess things up.’

"Not yet!"

Just then, a familiar voice came from the entrance to the back kitchen.

Mr. Du’s chubby face appeared in the doorway.

Du Xuan had arrived earlier than usual today. "Boss Ming, are noodles on the menu for lunch? Just give me a bowl of those noodles with the sesame paste! I need to eat quickly so I can go watch the show at Wangxian Building!"

Ming Lingyi: "..."

’She could tell he was really desperate to see the spectacle.’

"In that case, Mr. Du, why don’t you just eat over at Wangxian Building while you watch?" Ming Lingyi suggested with a smile.

’She was afraid that if he rushed through a meal here before going over, Mr. Du might miss the best part.’

But Du Xuan just waved his hand dismissively.

"Wangxian Building’s food can’t compare to yours, Boss Ming. Besides," Du Xuan said with a chuckle, "they can’t do any business right now anyway. That little young master from the Xu Family has his men blocking the front door! And their shopkeeper still hasn’t found new judges."

At this, Du Xuan let out another chuckle. "It’s not so easy to find scholars to act as judges in a restaurant, especially on such short notice. It’s too presumptuous! Besides, anyone who asks around now knows that the young master of the Xu Family is laying siege to Wangxian Building. Even if someone wanted to earn their silver, they’d have to think twice. A young master who was even turned away by Xianyun Liushui Pavilion... his reputation for being difficult is well-known in scholarly circles. Anyone wanting to wade into these muddy waters would have to consider if they’re up to the task."

Perhaps because Wangxian Building was being blockaded by that little terror, Xu Qian, business at Ming’s Restaurant was much better than the day before.

However, most of the customers eating today were distracted. Even from the back kitchen, Ming Lingyi could hear the conversations in the front hall, and they were almost all about Wangxian Building.

Although more customers came, Ming’s Restaurant closed up much earlier than the day before.

After all, the customers all ate in a hurry before rushing off to Wangxian Building to see the show.

Of course, Ming Lingyi didn’t hold her employees back. She waved a hand and said, "If you want to go watch the show, go on."

As soon as she said it, several cheers erupted in the restaurant.

In the blink of an eye, half the people in Ming’s Restaurant had run out.

Ming Lingyi smiled as she watched the scene. But as she turned away, she couldn’t help but reach up and rub her lower back.

’Compared to watching the spectacle at Wangxian Building, what she really wanted right now was to give Li Yun a piece of her mind.’

He had come to her three times last night, and each time, his hands had gripped her waist. She hadn’t felt any discomfort then, but this morning, after being on her feet for a while, Ming Lingyi felt her lower back growing increasingly sore.

Earlier, she had gone to her room and lifted her clothes to look, only to discover a large handprint on her waist.

’How could she not be furious?’

’That man really has the brute strength of an ox.’

’And he had to use all of it on me?’