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

Even though Ming Lingyi wasn’t an expert in poetry, she listened with rapt attention from the audience.

Jiang Yuchuan had also come to support Ming Lingyi today. However, he was aware of his status and knew it was best to keep his distance from her, so he hadn’t arrived at Ming’s Restaurant early as he used to.

After arriving, Jiang Yuchuan heard the debate between Ming Chengyu, Zhang Sifan, and the others. He momentarily forgot the reason for his visit and became completely focused on the three people on stage, listening to their respective interpretations of the poems. He was utterly engrossed. When he heard a point that particularly resonated with him, he couldn’t help but exclaim in his mind, ’Brilliant!’

Without the Xie family causing trouble, today’s review session was both lively and remarkably harmonious.

It seemed as though everyone had come simply to appreciate poetry, with no one harboring any ulterior motives.

Li Yun, of course, was also nearby.

However, Ming Lingyi had told him not to make an appearance, lest he cause a public commotion and steal the spotlight from the three teachers she had invited for the day.

Because of what Ming Lingyi said, Li Yun had no choice but to sulk in the backyard.

He didn’t even have the chance to show his face in public!

’This is outrageous!’

But then, Li Yun recalled the terms Ming Lingyi had agreed to earlier that day, and he suddenly felt that being "hidden behind the scenes" and "kept out of sight" wasn’t such a big deal after all.

After all, the tangible benefits he stood to gain were what mattered most to him.

The selection process today took much longer than the last one. This was mainly because the previous review had caused such a stir that almost no one in the entire Capital City hadn’t heard of it. The number of scholars submitting their poems to Ming’s Restaurant, each with their own motivations, had more than doubled from the last round. Naturally, the three reviewing teachers today spent considerably more time on their task.

But all things must come to an end.

Once the excitement died down, Ming Lingyi joined the others in cleaning up. When she looked up, she saw that many of her neighbors from Huaided Fang were voluntarily helping out.

Just then, Du Xuan approached Ming Lingyi and asked in a low voice, "Boss Ming, do the reviewing teachers for your restaurant really change with every round?"

Ming Lingyi smiled and nodded. "It keeps things fresh, don’t you think?"

’More importantly, I have to actually be able to invite them,’ she thought.

Du Xuan asked, "Are there any requirements for these reviewers?"

Hearing this, Ming Lingyi’s bright eyes flickered. She looked at the man beside her with a composed and leisurely air, asking calmly, "Is Mr. Du looking to recommend someone to me?"

"Hahaha, it seems nothing gets past Boss Ming." Du Xuan laughed, deciding not to play guessing games. "Rest assured, the person I want to introduce to you is certainly not the sort that Wangxian Building invites. He’s an Imperial Doctor from the Imperial College. Is that a high enough status?"

The moment Du Xuan said "Imperial Doctor," Ming Lingyi’s eyes lit up.

She had founded the official gazette and done so much promotion. Wasn’t it all for this very reason—for learned individuals to volunteer their services at Ming’s Restaurant?

Yet, perhaps because scholars were too concerned with their "scholarly image," not a single person had come to inquire in all this time.

What Ming Lingyi hadn’t considered was that it might not be the scholars’ preoccupation with their image that was the problem. Rather, many had been daunted upon learning that the Emperor himself was among the previous reviewers. No matter how curious or eager they were, they didn’t dare make any inquiries.

"Where is he?" Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but ask directly.

Du Xuan: "..."

In the end, Ming Lingyi met Liu Yu. And in addition to him, she also met Chen Guochao.

After the review session ended, Chen Guochao had seen Du Xuan call Liu Yu over to Ming’s Restaurant.

The old man thought for a moment, then, with a serious expression, did something rather unbecoming of his status for the first time: he followed them into Ming’s Restaurant.

When he walked in, both Du Xuan and Liu Yu jumped in surprise.

Liu Yu even turned to him curiously and asked, "Dr. Chen, what are you doing here?"

Finding himself the center of attention, Chen Guochao’s expression became a little awkward. But since he was already there, he figured he might as well set aside his pride for the moment.

And so...

"I just came to have a look. I heard that one can volunteer to be a reviewer at Ming’s Restaurant. Is there a problem with me taking a look?" The old man said this with his chin jutted out, looking quite defiant.

Liu Yu: "..."

Ming Lingyi was just coming out of the backyard when she overheard this. She immediately spotted the white-bearded Chen Guochao, who looked every bit the part of a stern, old-fashioned teacher. Ming Lingyi smiled and said, "Of course you can. Ming’s Restaurant welcomes all learned gentlemen to participate in our review events."

At Ming Lingyi’s words, the look on Chen Guochao’s face softened considerably.

After introducing the men to Ming Lingyi, Du Xuan left, leaving the two Doctors from the Imperial College to speak with her.

Ming Lingyi was, of course, thrilled at the prospect of having teachers from a prestigious institution like the Imperial College serve as reviewing teachers for her restaurant. After all, the title alone sounded authoritative.

What followed was a round of negotiations.

Ming Lingyi naturally hoped both men could stay on as reviewing teachers for the next event, but she couldn’t go back on her word.

"I’m delighted that both you Doctors are interested in reviewing for our restaurant. However, before you came, Lord Gongsun had already approached me and expressed his desire to continue as a reviewing teacher for the next event. I’ve already agreed to his request. Furthermore, we’ve hired Mr. Pu Yan as a permanent reviewing teacher for the restaurant. So, the situation is that for the next event, we only have one spot left..."

As Ming Lingyi spoke, she carefully observed the expressions of the two men.

Both Chen Guochao and the younger Liu Yu showed a flicker of tension on their faces upon hearing this.

’Does that mean the two of us are now competing for a single position?’

Ming Lingyi smiled. "But please, rest assured, Doctors. It would be a great loss for our restaurant to miss out on either of you. While there is only one opening for the next event, it won’t be our last. There will be many more opportunities. If you both are amenable, I could invite one of you to be a reviewing teacher for the event after the next one..."

Before Ming Lingyi could even finish her sentence with, "So, what do you Doctors think?" Liu Yu and Chen Guochao were already nodding in unison.

"No problem! I have absolutely no problem with that!"

The two of them spoke at almost the exact same time.

After they both finished speaking, Liu Yu and Chen Guochao exchanged a glance, neither having expected the other to agree so quickly.

Then, a moment later, they both belatedly realized they might have been a little too eager. They had shown none of the reserve expected of teachers from the Imperial College. How improper!

’What a blunder!’