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Home/ There’s A Beauty / Chapter 82 (Part 2)

At night, You Shu was busy writing when he found that the candlelight suddenly dimmed a lot. When he looked up, he realized that his best friend was coming. He quickly gathered the pile of rice paper on the table into his arms and covered it with his palm.

Lord Yama had been watching for a long time, and his tone was slightly strange, “If I remember correctly, these entries don’t match the account books you checked during the day. You have an excellent memory and won’t make such a mistake. Could it be that you did it deliberately?”

Because he threw the brush too quickly, there were many ink spots on his fingertips, sleeves, and front, making him look very embarrassed. His hurried and guilty appearance made him look even more suspicious. 

Lord Yama walked around him twice and saw him unconsciously shrink his neck. He firmly said, “Indeed, you deliberately mixed up the accounts. Aren’t you afraid of Emperor Xuanguang’s scolding? You should know that he is extremely cautious in his actions. Even if you do a good job with the account books, he will still personally review the accounts for proofreading, and then he will definitely discover the problem.”

He pulled the person whose head was buried lower into his arms and whispered, “You Shu, you are not that kind of foolish person. What do you want to do? Do you want to get scolded?” Sometimes, he really can’t understand what’s going on in this extremely intelligent, yet innocent head.

You Shu looked around with a guilty conscience and closed the window tightly before whispering in a low voice, “I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell others.”

“Besides you, which living person does this king know?”

“That’s good. You’re right. I deliberately mixed up the accounts, but I didn’t make any changes. I just need to sort them out a bit.” You Shu scratched his burning ears, looking extremely shy. This is the first time he played such a small trick.

“Then what? Aren’t you afraid that Emperor Xuanguang will question your ability?” Lord Yama became even more confused about You Shu’s thoughts. Shouldn’t you show your best side in front of the one you love? Why are you going the opposite way?

You Shu covered half of his face with his sleeves and said in a muffled voice, “There is an idiom called ‘desire to advance must be suppressed first’, do you know? Look, I will hand over the mixed accounts first to let the emperor pay attention to the old-fashioned accounting method. Then I will pretend to be distressed and ponder, and then propose a new accounting method. Comparing the two, and with the contrast between the before and after, wouldn’t it appear that I draw inferences from one example and have extraordinary abilities? Do you think the emperor will be deeply impressed and reuse me? 

He continued, “Only by narrowing the distance can I find more opportunities. Otherwise, like today, I will check the accounts in the side hall, and he will work in the main hall. When the time is up, we will disperse, and everyone will return to their respective places after the case is concluded. When will the next meeting be? I am only a sixth-rank low-ranking official, and I am not even qualified to go to court. If I don’t seize this opportunity, how long will I have to wait?”

Lord Yama stared at him for a long time before smiling quietly. Damn it, how can You Shu, who plays tricks, be so cute? If you want to advance, you should suppress it first. Fortunately, he can figure it out!

You Shu covered his whole face with his other sleeve, feeling extremely ashamed.

“Why are you covering it up? Let me take a look at your clever little face.” Lord Yama couldn’t help but laugh. He pulled You Shu’s hands apart and took a closer look. “Look, it’s already red. Come here, let me touch it.” 

He touched it with his hand, and laughed even louder, “It’s really hot, just wait for a while, I’ll go to the kitchen to find an egg.”

“What are you doing with the eggs?” You Shu dodged left and right, tears welling up in his eyes.

“I’ll cook it on your face and eat it as a midnight snack.” Lord Yama couldn’t bear it any longer and pulled the person into his arms, pinching his face and nose, even wanting to strip him naked and eat him thoroughly.

Because his secret was known by the other party, You Shu didn’t dare to resist at all. His hair and clothes were all messed up and he whispered, “Apart from me and you, only heaven knows this secret, okay?”

Lord Yama burst out laughing again and agreed, “Okay, I will never tell anyone else. Have you summarised your new accounting method? Show it to me.”

Finally putting aside the page, You Shu took a deep breath and quickly handed over a stack of files he had already written. Lord Yama nodded as he flipped through it, and had to admit that You Shu’s head was indeed clever, but his methods were a little too raw. But this is exactly what makes him so cute, and there’s absolutely no need for improvement.

They discussed it until midnight, and only after hearing the sound of the drums outside did they lay down side by side and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, You Shu went to the Qianqing Palace with a stack of files to seek an audience with the emperor. Because he was caught last night, he was inevitably a bit nervous and tripped as soon as he stepped into the palace door, almost falling down.  

He didn’t know where Emperor Xuanguang was standing, but he immediately came up and hugged the person, warning him gently, “Be careful with your feet.”

The familiar ambergris fragrance rushed into his nose, making You Shu feel a bit tipsy. He took a deep breath without leaving any trace, trying to fill his lungs with his master’s scent.

Emperor Xuanguang stared at his slightly twitching nose and the corners of his mouth slightly curled up. After waiting for him to stand firm, he restrained himself and politely retracted his arm, asking, “Lord Zhao, have the accounts been properly organised?”

“Reporting to His Majesty, I’ve properly sorted out the accounts. Please take a look.” You Shu presented a stack of files with trembling hands, his round eyes dodging, and he didn’t dare to look directly at his master’s face.

Emperor Xuanguang coughed slightly and took over the files to review. He also ordered Wei Chen to check yesterday’s old accounts together with him. His behaviour was as expected by Lord Yama. His master is very cautious and strict. If there’s any mistake, it would never escape the other party’s eyes. 

Yesterday, You Shu was still daydreaming, but now he was filled with remorse, and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

Emperor Xuanguang held the account book and looked it up, occasionally glancing at him with an extremely unpredictable expression. About three quarters of an hour later, he threw away the files and questioned You Shu why he was so careless in his work that he repeatedly made several mistakes in the entries.

You Shu knelt down with a bang and begged for forgiveness in a trembling voice. Then he elaborated on the shortcomings of the old accounting method and argued that only because he was confused that he made frequent mistakes. He also said that he had learned lessons from it and summarised a new accounting method. Regarding the accounting method, he earnestly requested the Emperor to take a closer look and compare the advantages and disadvantages.

Emperor Xuanguang turned around and walked to the window to gaze into the distance. His figure was very majestic and cold, making You Shu tremble with fear and sweat profusely. 

However, if one looked from a different angle, they would find that the face of Emperor Xuanguang had been twisted and deformed, not because of disappointment and anger, but because he was trying to suppress his laughter. Interesting, it’s so interesting! Every moment spent with You Shu can fill him with endless joy and countless dreams.

After stuttering for a long time, You Shu retrieved the accounts summarised using the new accounting method and requested the emperor to review them again. Before the emperor could turn around, he quickly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and then rubbed his palpitated chest.

Emperor Xuanguang waited for his fierce laughter to subside before turning around. He first helped You Shu get up and then took over the account book to review it. 

After a long time, he nodded and said, “This method is indeed good! Wei Chen, call in all the ministers, and let me show them this new accounting method. Afterwards, the account books submitted by each department must follow this method and be recorded in laws and regulations!”

Wei Chen took the order and left.

You Shu quietly exhaled a breath of turbid air, feeling as if he was about to collapse. It was easy for others to play small tricks, but he didn’t understand why it was so difficult for him. Climbing in the officialdom was indeed a technical job, and it was difficult for a single-minded person like him to get along with others.

After Emperor Xuanguang finished teasing people, he finally bestowed a reward that had already been prepared. It was not a treasure of gold or silver, nor a promotion to rank, but rather a multitude of butterfly specimens, some sparkling, some snow-white, and some colourful. Each one was nailed to a wooden board, covered in transparent glass, dazzling people’s eyes.

These rewards were simply sent to You Shu’s heart. He stared at the specimen for a long time, and when the master asked him if he liked it, he finally came back to his senses and said excitedly, “I like it, I like it so much! I thank the Emperor for his kindness.”

Emperor Xuanguang was infected with his undisguised joy and the corners of his mouth were also raised. Just like that, these butterflies are all caught by him as he shuttled between the Underworld and the mortal realm. Seeing You Shu’s bright and brilliant expression, it wasn’t a waste of his search and painstaking efforts.

By the time officials from various ministries finished reviewing the new accounting method, it was already evening. You Shu walked into the house happily and saw Lord Yama sitting in the living room drinking tea.

The ancestor who was waiting aside hurriedly greeted him, “Master, you are back, do you want to eat something?”

“No, the emperor has kept me for the royal banquet today.”

Upon hearing the unconcealed pride in his words, Lord Yama suppressed a smile and said, “It seems that your little trick worked out, right? Did Emperor Xuanguang get very angry first, then rejoice, and finally give you a promotion?”

You Shu’s cheeks turned red for a moment, and he shook his head honestly, “I didn’t get promoted, but he just gave me some gifts.” After saying this, he couldn’t help but raise the corners of his lips, revealing two small dimples.

“What gift? Take it out and let me take a look.”

“There are some butterfly specimens, very beautiful, and many varieties I have never seen before. I only occasionally mention that I like insects, but the emperor actually remembered it in his heart. Do you think he has some good feelings for me? Even if he doesn’t, he should be deeply impressed, right?” You Shu looked over eagerly.

Several ghost servants have already opened the boxes he brought back and placed the wooden boards on the table for the people to admire.

Lord Yama coughed, pretending to be sour and said, “How do I know whether he likes you or not? They are just ordinary things, but you are still so happy. If you like these kinds of things, I have even better gifts for you.” With just a touch of his fingertips, the glass cover on the wooden board disappeared, causing all the butterflies to come back to life and dance gracefully.

You Shu was stunned as he looked at the butterflies flying into the bright sunset and turning into specks of dots. He opened his mouth wide and let out an “ah” sound, his voice filled with surprise and admiration.

Lord Yama grabbed the tender flesh on the side of his cheek and asked, “Which one do you like more, the gift from me or Emperor Xuanguang?”

After thinking for a long time, You Shu said, “What the Emperor gave me was real possessions, and what you gave me was life and hope. Cherish everything you have now, live well in the present, but don’t lose hope for the future. Both are important, so I like them both.”

Lord Yama was stunned for a long time before he tapped the tip of his nose and said fondly, “That’s great, I like the way you talk nonsense in a serious manner.”

You Shu tried his best to deny it, but then turned around with a guilty expression. After being teased for a long time, he also became cunning.

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