Chapter 4, Night Visit to the County Office

Tan Ling jumped three feet high with joy, "Thank you, my lord! I will go move the things right away!"

"You, you, you, don't get too excited," she stammered, "I know you admire me very much..."

Do not speak nonsense

Tan Lingyin was still immersed in the sense of pride from being admired by the county magistrate, unaware of the change in his emotions. She nodded emphatically and said, "If you do not believe me, I can write a couplet for you to see."

Miaomiao, we need to have a conversation

He is currently completely unclothed

"In this way, do you recognize the seal of Miaomiao?" Tan Lingyin said as she took out a seal the size of a thumb and tossed it to Tang Tianyuan

Tan Lingyin indeed did not see him. Tang Tianyuan stood beside the artificial hill, blending into the moonlight along with it. Unless one was deliberately paying attention, it was indeed not easy to recognize him, especially since Tan Lingyin herself had poor eyesight. She saw that the room was lit by candlelight and wanted to first check what the county magistrate was doing, so as to facilitate her subsequent actions, thus she did not pay any attention to the artificial hill. ... When she walked to the side of the artificial hill, she unconsciously touched it, only to find that what she felt was not the cold hardness of the artificial hill, but ...? She saw that the room was lit by candlelight and wanted to first check what the county magistrate was doing, so as to facilitate her subsequent actions, thus she did not pay any attention to the artificial hill. ... When she walked to the side of the artificial hill, she unconsciously touched it, only to find that what she felt was not the cold hardness of the artificial hill, but ...? ... fabric?

"Fool, fool," Tan Lingyin said, shaking her finger and sighing

Unfortunately, the new county magistrate does not mind that it was once inhabited by the deceased, and continues to reside there

Indeed fresh, Tang Tianyuan, as a renowned talent celebrated across the world and the specially appointed third place in the imperial examination, has also faced moments of being called a fool. Tang Tianyuan snorted coldly, remaining silent

No trouble at all, I will move over today

Tang Tianyuan : `` ... ... ''

Tan Lingyin was taken aback and unconsciously tugged at the fabric. Just as she was about to pull it down, the fabric was yanked back. She felt even more puzzled and squinted to take a closer look; it was actually a person's waist.

How much essence of the sun and moon must one absorb to grow into such a remarkable flower

Tang Tianyuan stood in the corridor, watching from a distance as Tan Lingyin and a group of people moved in with great fanfare, chatting and laughing. He always felt that this time he had invited a disaster. At first, Tang Tianyuan found it hard to believe that Tan Lingyin had transformed into Miaomiao Sheng, but then he thought, who said that Miaomiao Sheng had to be a male pervert? She could also be a female pervert, and the kind of maddening aura that Tan Lingyin exuded, which made people feel repulsed, had a subtle resonance with the writings of Miaomiao Sheng. Before heading south, Tang Tianyuan had planned to find Miaomiao Sheng and reason with her, but now, encountering such a madwoman, he realized he could not calmly discuss matters. All he wanted to do was to give Miaomiao Sheng a good lesson.

It seems that the county magistrate is quite wary of her, which makes Tan Lingyin somewhat troubled

Tang Tianyuan always felt as if she were teasing him... He felt a bit uneasy, not out of fear, but... He silently grabbed a towel from the side and wrapped it around his waist. He could accept being teased by a woman once or twice, but if he were to be teased by a female ghost again, especially one as ugly as this, he would rather die.

Tang Tianyuan hurriedly stopped her, "No need, please do not trouble yourself. It is the same no matter where you stay"

Tan Lingyin found herself within the direct line of this fierce aura's attack, and the distance was alarmingly close. Her nose was almost touching his, and she could see what seemed like a raging fire ignited in his eyes, ready to reduce her to ashes. This must be what is known as love turning to hate; she felt she had witnessed it firsthand. In that moment, Tan Lingyin was at a loss as to whether she should feel proud or afraid.

"Are you Miao Miao Sheng?" Tang Tianyuan glanced at her disdainfully and said, "Grow some facial hair first before pretending to be Miao Miao Sheng."

She mustered her courage to look up and saw the county magistrate's face, which was as solemn as water

The small courtyard of the county magistrate has already been locked, so Tan Lingyin had no choice but to climb over the wall. Although the wall was not high, she found it quite difficult to scale, and while crouching on the top of the wall, she accidentally fell in.

Since you admire Miaomiao so much, you must have purchased the book with her handwritten poem and seal, right

The female ghost stepped out from the shadows cast by the walls and trees, and Tang Tianyuan saw her silhouette under the moonlight

How can you be like this? Tan Lingyin found him utterly unreasonable; her idol was right in front of her, yet he still failed to choose his words carefully. Moreover, she was being held by him, her clothes tightly constricting her body, making it somewhat difficult for her to breathe

Tang Tianyuan was not good at arguing with others. He turned cold and said, "I will ask you one last time, where exactly is Miaomiao?"

Yes, I am not planning to move into the county office, am I

Moving things

Two constables, one named Zhao Xiaoliu and the other named Li Dawang, it is unknown what kind of high hopes his parents had for the latter. Tan Lingyin then called them "Xiaoliu Ge" and "Dawang Ge." Upon seeing that this young clerk was so humble, the two of them held her in even higher regard.

Tang Tianyuan returned after getting dressed, then walked back, grabbing Tan Lingyin by the back of her collar and dragging her out the door, tossing her at the entrance. He was not worried that someone would take the opportunity to assault her—facing such an unattractive sight, not to mention a person, even a ghost would be unable to move.

Due to his shock, Tang Tianyuan momentarily forgot to react as he watched the female ghost—undoubtedly a female ghost judging by her hairstyle—approach. She stretched out her hands, tiptoeing, with her mouth slightly open, revealing small white teeth that stood in stark contrast to her gaping maw.

Tonight is the fifteenth, and the moonlight outside is as bright as water. It is not suitable to wear night clothes, so Tan Lingyin only wore a white outfit. Afraid of being mistaken for a thief, she came up with an idea and painted her face haphazardly. With two large black circles around her eyes and a gaping mouth, even if someone saw her, they would only think she was a ghost, and would be scared out of their wits

He was truly dumbfounded, and Tang Tianyuan held his forehead, feeling somewhat disdainful of himself. He had never believed in ghosts in this world, so how could he be confused at this moment? Although it looked terrifying, it was still a person; they just had a rather unique appearance.

... ... good

"Forget it, do as you please." Keeping Miaomiao under close watch could facilitate monitoring her to prevent her from writing anything inappropriate; this could be considered an advantage, Tang Tianyuan thought weakly

He squinted his eyes, his gaze gradually turning cold, "Are you really Miaomiao Sheng?"

This move was quite effective, and Tang Tianyuan immediately let her go. He took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands, while looking at Tan Lingyin with disdain, sneering, "Imposing on you? Am I blind or foolish?"

Both of the constables could no longer tolerate it; the words spoken were far too impolite. At the very least, some respect should be shown to the young lady. Moreover, the young lady is quite beautiful; what exactly does the county magistrate find objectionable about her

Helpless, Tan Lingyin had no choice but to shout at the top of her lungs, "Help! Assault!"

Tang Tianyuan had no choice but to put on a stern face and say, "No moving."

Say

Ordinary people tend to hide their money by digging a hole in their own yard or by creating a secret room with mechanisms indoors. Even if they do not hide it at home, there will always be some clues left at home.

Let us set aside idle chatter. It is said that Tan Lingyin has taken up residence in the county office, feeling quite excited. On the very day of her arrival, she could hardly contain herself and wished to explore the county office thoroughly.

Otherwise, I will make your life worse than death. Tang Tianyuan issued a powerful threat

Hehe, is it what you want to see?

He walked over, crouched down to closely examine the person on the ground who had fainted, and confirmed without a doubt that it was Tan Lingyin. He held his forehead and weakly shook his head

Tan Lingyin thought for a moment and decided to take the opportunity to gain some benefits, so she said, "I have a condition"

Indeed, Tan Lingyin snapped her fingers and pointed to herself, "So, Miao Miao Sheng is actually a young girl."

During the day, it cannot be viewed; it can only be done at night. After having dinner, Tan Lingyin waited for a while, estimating that the county magistrate must have gone to bed. Unable to wait for the late night silence, she stepped out.

Tan Lingyin felt that regardless of what he wanted to discuss, she must first ensure her personal safety. Therefore, she once again grasped the door frame tightly and said, "Alright, sir, let us talk here. Please speak your mind." At least there were two kind constables present as witnesses, so this lecherous and perverted man should not be able to harm her.

Tan Lingyin placed one hand on her waist and patted her chest with the other, coughing a few times before regaining her breath. She felt that she had probably encountered a pervert today

I want to become a legal advisor

Who would have thought that someone would have the audacity to climb over the wall at the entrance of the government office. Moreover, judging by their clumsy appearance, they probably aren't even qualified to be a thief

Tan Lingyin was holding a box herself, leading a few people straight to the southern study in the inner court. The few people following her were the owner and staff of the Gu Tang Bookstore, who had been conscripted by her today to help with her move. The two yamen runners who had helped her speak in the morning also came forward to assist. Tan Lingyin was quite sociable; by the time they reached the southern study, which was not far from the main gate, she had already become familiar with the two yamen runners.

Because..." Tang Tianyuan choked, feeling embarrassed to admit that the image he had conjured of Miao Miao Sheng was that of a lecherous old man with a full beard. He raised his index finger to cover the corner of his lips and said, "Miao Miao Sheng should at least be a man, right"

It was an independent courtyard, enclosed by walls, with a moon gate separating it from the outside world. Tan Lingyin peeked curiously from outside the moon gate for a while, but was caught by the sharp gaze of the county magistrate inside, akin to an arrow. She touched her nose and walked away nonchalantly

Tan Lingyin inquired, "I ask you, what is the decomposition of the character '妙'?"

Tang Tianyuan : `` ... ... ''

Why is that? Tan Lingyin seems a bit wronged

In summary, the most worthy place to investigate is the residence of that deceased county magistrate

Dressing up like this to pick flowers indeed serves the purpose of tormenting men

"You need not worry, I understand," Tan Lingyin reached out to pat his shoulder, but he sidestepped to avoid her. She nonchalantly withdrew her hand and smiled, "Many have asked me to write a Longyang novel, and I originally had no intention of doing so. However, since you have so earnestly requested it, I will reluctantly... um, um, um...?"

Well... I suppose I have seen it.

... ... ''

"Even if Miaomiao is a young girl, you are not a young girl," Tang Tianyuan glanced at her, his gaze filled with disdain, "Sister."

Are you not a female flower thief?

In the courtyard, Tang Tianyuan was startled and turned to look towards the wall, where he saw a white figure slowly rising from the ground, rubbing its bottom.

Ah! Ah! Ah! Tan Lingyin screamed and fled. The county magistrate was naked, and in order to express her modesty, Tan Lingyin covered her eyes with both hands and turned to run away. She was already blind, and covering her eyes made her even more blind, running out like a headless fly. She quickly bumped into a tree and bounced back, falling to the ground and unable to get up

Moreover, upon seeing a naked man, he was not the least bit shy? Instead, he continued on with a lewd smile?

The county government consists of external and internal offices

Tan Lingyin knew that he was deliberately trying to provoke her, yet she chose not to be angry. With a cheerful smile, she nodded and said, "If you are willing to acknowledge me as your little sister, I will naturally not refuse."

Tang Tianyuan stated directly, "I heard that you recently want to write a Longyang novel"

Due to the recent hot weather, Tang Tianyuan lived alone in such a courtyard, feeling little restraint. He preferred to bathe in the courtyard at night, as it was cooler. The courtyard featured winding water, nurturing a small pond of lotus flowers. Standing beside the artificial hill at night, he inhaled the fragrant scent of the lotus, taking a refreshing bath to relieve the heat and fatigue.

Is this ... ... a ghost

Being this close yet still unable to see him can only mean one thing: it must be a person

Tang Tianyuan caught it and held it in his hand, examining it closely. The more he looked, the more astonished he became. This seal indeed belonged to Miao Miao Sheng.

"No need for that." Tang Tianyuan suddenly grabbed Tan Lingyin by the front of her clothing, lifting her off the ground. His expression was exceptionally fierce, startling the other three into a state of shock.

The outer yamen serves as the place for handling official affairs. Upon entering through the main gate, one must first pass through a section of the yamen. After passing through the second gate, it does not take long to reach the imposing main hall, which is where the county magistrate ascends to preside over cases. On either side of the main hall are the granary and the armory, as well as the six departments: Personnel, Revenue, Rites, Works, Justice, and Military, each responsible for various affairs of the county. Bypassing the main hall and passing through a gatehouse leads to the second hall, also known as the "Hall of Reflection," which signifies the intention of reflection and self-correction. The second hall is where the county magistrate conducts daily office work, and some civil cases are also handled here.

"I admire you, sir!" The well-mannered young man let out a curse.

Tan Lingyin was confused, "Why must Miao Miao Sheng have a beard?"

Tan Lingyin blinked again, saying if you don't want to write, then don't write. She wasn't very keen on writing in the first place

In any case, she is currently right under his nose, and one day, he will deal with her properly

Of course, there is another possibility besides not being shy: the girl simply did not see him

Tang Tianyuan was even more perplexed. Why would a young woman disguise herself as an ugly creature and sneak into the county magistrate's courtyard at night

Tang Tianyuan put down his hand and asked, "Will you agree or not?"

Dong!

Young girl

Beyond the second hall lies the inner gate, which primarily serves as the residence for the county magistrate and his officials

Tan Lingyin was immediately taken aback. Could it be that the rockery has come to life?

Upon witnessing this, the two constables also felt indignant on behalf of Tan Lingyin and cast reproachful glances at the county magistrate

Isn't it a bit too ugly

Tang Tianyuan was somewhat puzzled. When the man in white turned around, he was astonished

Tan Lingyin blinked her eyes, yet no one had ever made such a request of her

Because she spoke too quickly, Tang Tianyuan did not have time to intervene, and in his anxiety, he simply covered her mouth. Gritting his teeth, he said, "I just want to tell you, please do not write Longyang novels"