Yan Ge let Huangfu Yuchen look at him, and he couldn’t help but think that if that side mission appeared at this moment, he would definitely have the courage to hug Huangfu Yuchen. In case Huangfu Yuchen blamed him, he could openly state that it was Huangfu Yuchen’s gaze that had led him to misunderstand and believe that there was some interest from him.
As he imagined the possible awkward expression Huangfu Yuchen would have if he were suddenly hugged, the corners of his lips curled up noticeably.
Huangfu Yuchen thought that he was smiling because of his attention and immediately averted his gaze, his complexion becoming faint.
At that moment—
–“Ding. Side mission – Give the Emperor a hug. Mission time: 2 minutes. On successful completion of the mission, you will be rewarded 100 taels of silver and a silver box. On failing the mission, 100 taels of silver will be deducted. Accept the mission by selecting ‘yes’ or reject the mission by selecting ‘no’.”
Yan Ge was startled. Was there even a need to consider? Quickly select “yes.” As soon as the system prompted the mission to begin, he unhesitatingly stretched out his arms and wrapped them around Huangfu Yuchen’s waist.
Huangfu Yuchen abruptly turned his head, a look of shock on his face, and his body instantly stiffened. They were too close, so close they were able to see their reflections in each other’s eyes and feel each other’s breath.
Yan Ge quickly released him.
“Ding. Side mission – Give the Emperor a hug— successful. You have been rewarded 100 taels of silver and a silver box. Would you like to open the silver box now?”
Now was not the time to check the silver box, so Yan Ge selected “no.” The silver box automatically returned to the backpack.
“Stop the sedan,” Huangfu Yuchen said with a solemn face. “Get off!”
“Your Majesty, you’ve been staring at this servant. The servant thought…” Yan Ge intentionally referred to himself as the “servant” and quietly explained before swiftly getting off the sedan, squatting on the ground, and burying his head in his arms.
Huangfu Yuchen’s handsome face darkened, and he coldly snorted.
The eunuchs who carried the sedan trembled, not daring to move a muscle, fearing to further provoke Huangfu Yuchen. The surroundings became eerily silent.
Deng Mande approached the imperial carriage, guessed what happened inside, and felt even deeper sympathy for Yan Daying, who loved the Emperor.
Gao Yun respected Yan Ge’s talent, and although he was sympathetic, he was powerless to help.
Huangfu Yuchen saw Yan Ge squatting there through the gauze curtain, his shoulders trembling, and his aggrieved figure made him feel a bit unbearable. He had to admit that he couldn’t blame Yan Daying for what happened just now. Yan Daying was his consort, and he had been staring at Yan Daying for so long that it was not surprising for the other party to misunderstand. Moreover, Yan Daying had just performed a meritorious deed, and treating him like this seemed inappropriate.
Little did he know that Yan Ge was not actually feeling dejected but rather trying hard to suppress his laughter. Huangfu Yuchen’s reaction was exactly as he had imagined, how could he not find it amusing? He had to bite his lip hard to restrain his desire to burst into laughter, and his face was probably turning red from the effort.
After a while, Huangfu Yuchen cleared his throat and said in a softened tone, “Okay. Come up.”
Yan Ge finally managed to restrain his desire to laugh, stood up, and said to Huangfu Yuchen, “Thank you, Your Majesty. But I will walk on my own. It’s good for the body to walk more.”
“When I tell you to come up, you come up,” Huangfu Yuchen replied impatiently.
Yan Ge could only climb onto the imperial carriage again, sitting upright, not looking sideways, with a lingering blush on his face.
Huangfu Yuchen thought that perhaps he should hug him to prevent Yan Daying’s heart from feeling cold, but he couldn’t bring himself to make such an intimate gesture towards another man. Instead, he lifted his large palm and gently rubbed Yan Ge’s head. It was soft and felt good, and to his surprise, he didn’t feel any aversion.
Yan Ge looked at him in surprise, feeling puzzled, but Huangfu Yuchen was clearly extending an olive branch to him, so he quickly smiled at him.
Huangfu Yuchen raised the corners of his mouth and withdrew his hand.
The atmosphere inside the imperial carriage finally regained harmony.
Upon returning to Tenglong Palace, Huangfu Yuchen said, “Grant Yan Daying audience.”
Deng Mande sent away all the palace maids and eunuchs in the hall.
“Yan Daying, please give me the details,” Huangfu Yuchen walked to the throne and sat down, his expression serious.
Yan Ge took out a pen from his sleeve pocket. “Your Majesty, this is the sample I had someone make.”
“Present it.”
Yan Ge said, “Your Majesty, first unscrew the cap—the cap is the lower part.”
Huangfu Yuchen had never seen such a novel object and wasn’t sure which part Yan Ge was referring to, so he simply said, “You come here.”
Yan Ge walked to the edge of the desk and took the pen from Huangfu Yuchen’s hand, uncovering the cap before returning the pen to him.
Deng Mande opened a sheet of paper, and Huangfu Yuchen instinctively held the pen like he would hold a brush.
Yan Ge reached out to correct him. “Like this… rest the pen against the web of your hand and grip it with your thumb and index finger here.”
Deng Mande pretended not to notice Yan Ge touching the Emperor’s hand.
Huangfu Yuchen looked at Yan Ge, not stopping him. After correctly holding the pen, he wrote on the paper: “Prosperous Nation, Strong Country.”
The strokes were indeed delicate, but the handwriting wasn’t particularly pleasing due to his lack of familiarity with holding the pen. Huangfu Yuchen then wrote the same characters with a brush. By comparison, the characters written with the new pen were much smaller. With the cap closed, it could be conveniently carried around. When needed, it could be unscrewed—a truly convenient tool.
“Good, very good!” Huangfu Yuchen praised, examining the pen closely. “Where does the ink come from?”
Yan Ge glanced at the characters written with the brush and praised, “Great handwriting!”
He removed the pen cap and explained it to Huangfu Yuchen in detail. “The main issue now is that the iron pen nib is prone to rust. The key is to find a substitute material for iron.”
Huangfu Yuchen smiled. “There’s no need to worry about that. I will have people search for usable alternatives throughout the entire kingdom. I believe we will find one soon.”
Yan Ge hurriedly added, “Your Majesty, about the previous agreement…” Now that the Emperor had intervened, could he still take credit for the invention of the pen?
Huangfu Yuchen glanced at him. “When I make a promise, I keep it.”
Yan Ge smiled. “Thank you, Your Majesty! However, what about the craftsman?”
Huangfu Yuchen pondered for a moment. “Let him continue searching. Whether he finds it first or my people find it, once the pen is truly completed, I will bestow upon him the title of ‘Loyal and Righteous Craftsman,’ sixth rank, and reward him with 1000 taels of silver. How does that sound?”
Yan Ge hurriedly replied, “Yan Daying will convey Your Majesty’s gratitude to him. Your Majesty’s concern for the people is indeed a blessing to the kingdom. May I ask, when can Yan Daying be promoted?”
