Free Web NovelChapter 238: Chapter 238: How to Deal With the Misuse of a Private Seal?
Those who knew him well understood that this seemingly calm expression meant he was, in fact, furious.
"What’s going on?" His private seal was with Ming Lingyi.
He didn’t care how Ming Lingyi used it.
But if someone was scheming to get their hands on the seal she held, then they shouldn’t blame him for being ruthless.
The moment Ming Lingyi heard him, she knew Li Yun had jumped to the wrong conclusion.
"Your private seal is right here with me!" As she spoke, her hand moved in a blur at her waist, and a private seal appeared in her palm. It was crafted from a strange combination of Xuan Iron and jade—the only one of its kind in the world.
Li Yun froze. So the seal wasn’t lost.
A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes. "Then what did you mean just now?"
Ming Lingyi said, "Remember how I wanted to use your seal on the official gazette I’m co-publishing with Boss Feng? It’s *that* seal."
That particular seal was just a shoddy little thing someone from the palace had whipped up for her. In Li Yun’s eyes, it wasn’t even as important as a single sheet of calligraphy practice from his good-for-nothing son.
"I know you probably think it’s nothing, but someone is now mass-producing copies of that seal of yours without your permission. What do you think should be done with a person like that?" Ming Lingyi asked with a grin.
Li Yun’s brows furrowed. He had that seal—the one for printing on the official gazette—made for Ming Lingyi’s amusement. It was meant to make her happy, not to be indiscriminately used and abused by some irrelevant nobody.
Even if he himself didn’t think it was important, it was unacceptable.
Li Yun’s expression darkened. "Which blind fool dared to upset you?"
Anything he gave to Ming Lingyi, no matter how insignificant, was branded as his. No one else was allowed to touch it.
Ming Lingyi said, "It’s not a huge deal. It’s just that someone is making counterfeit copies of my official gazette. And you know how it has your seal and the seals of those other lords on it? I figured having them used and abused like this isn’t right. After all, when I came to you all with the gazette, I got your express permission before printing them. The people counterfeiting my gazette certainly don’t have that right, do they?"
"Of course," Li Yun said.
’For instance,’ he knew, ’Gongsun Liangce of the Jingzhao Mansion had used his actual, official private seal, not a replica.’
’Those officials are probably unwilling to have their personal seals printed by just anyone.’
’Even if it’s just a counterfeit official gazette for now, with no apparent harm, in the long run it could lead people to believe that it’s fine to use others’ private seals without permission. It might even result in people counterfeiting the seals themselves. Therefore,’ Li Yun figured, ’many of those who had agreed to have their seals on the gazette would likely regret it if they knew what was happening.’
"So you want to make an example of them?" Li Yun guessed her intentions almost instantly.
’Looked at that way, Lingyi’s move is twofold. It protects the authenticity and exclusivity of the official gazette she and Feng Shuyu publish, while also mitigating the potential damage to the reputations of the reviewers whose seals were used.’
’Only a single, precise, and shocking strike will instill fear in everyone. It would serve as a warning to those lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance, and ensure they never again dare to target the reviewers’ private seals.’
’Especially now, while the situation hasn’t escalated, a swift and decisive move would certainly intimidate the rabble.’
Ming Lingyi’s eyes curved into a smile. She had to admit, Li Yun really did understand her well.
"Yes. Earlier, you asked what I’ve been busy with, didn’t you? I’ve been visiting the gentlemen who previously served as reviewers for our restaurant," Ming Lingyi said.
Every reviewing teacher at their restaurant was a person of some standing in Shangjing City.
This time, Qiu Tao had crossed a line not just with Ming Lingyi and Feng Shuyu, but with every reviewing teacher who had ever participated in a review at Ming’s Restaurant.
Ming Lingyi wasn’t doing this entirely to protect her own interests, either.
If a matter like this wasn’t handled properly, who would dare serve as a reviewer for their restaurant in the future?
"And you’re only coming to me last?" There was a hint of displeasure in Li Yun’s voice.
Of course, he wanted to be the first person she thought of whenever she ran into trouble.
Besides...
"You met with *all* the reviewers?"
"That’s right." Ming Lingyi hadn’t yet realized the implication of his question.
Li Yun pressed his lips together. "So you went to see that Jiang fellow, too?"
Ming Lingyi: "..."
’I really want to crack open his skull and see what’s going on in there.’
"Lord Jiang is already engaged!" Ming Lingyi rolled her eyes at him.
"Being engaged doesn’t mean he doesn’t have other ideas about you," Li Yun said sourly.
’It was bad enough that Lingyi didn’t come to me first, but for that scoundrel Jiang Yuchuan to get to her before me again... It’s infuriating!’
Ming Lingyi pressed a hand to her forehead and lowered her gaze. She couldn’t be bothered to look at him, much less argue. She would just wait for him to finish his little fit.
Li Yun asked, "Why aren’t you saying anything?"
He was also displeased that she wasn’t arguing back.
’Does that mean I was right?’
Hearing his voice, Ming Lingyi didn’t even bother to lift her eyelids. "What am I supposed to say? You want me to join you in a chat about Jiang Yuchuan?"
Li Yun: "..."
Well, no. Hearing Jiang Yuchuan’s name from her lips made him feel even worse. He wished she would never speak that man’s name again.
Now that Ming Lingyi had called him out, Li Yun felt a little embarrassed.
’Fine... I’ll drop it,’ he thought, feeling rather glum.
"Did any of the people you met with recently give you a hard time?" Li Yun asked.
’Even though someone was counterfeiting the seals, it wasn’t a result Lingyi wanted. If anyone took their anger out on her for it, I won’t just stand by and watch.’
Ming Lingyi shook her head. "The gentlemen who act as reviewers for our restaurant are all very reasonable. Even if they were a little upset, they didn’t show it in front of me."
"Hmph. That’s because they aren’t that sharp. I bet that before you showed up at their doors, many of them hadn’t even realized the potential danger," Li Yun said bluntly.
Ming Lingyi: "..."
’I’m starting to wonder how the great ministers of the Dayan Dynasty court manage to put up with that mouth of his.’
’His tongue is probably more venomous than those censors at the Imperial Censorate, who have nothing better to do all day than pick at their feet and glare around, looking for faults.’
"Did any of them offer a solution?" Li Yun asked.
Ming Lingyi said, "I wasn’t going to them for a solution. I came to *you* for that."
’When I went to see the reviewing teachers these past few days, I already had a plan prepared. I was just asking for their opinions.’
’After all, the seals don’t belong to me. Feng Shuyu and I only have the right to use them on the official gazette. How to hold the culprit accountable is ultimately up to the seals’ owners.’
Ming Lingyi’s last sentence was like a warm spring breeze washing over Li Yun. The corners of his lips curled up into a smug, uncontrollable smile.
Li Yun thought, ’When Lingyi went to see Jiang Yuchuan, she certainly wasn’t asking him for ideas.’
’In the end, she still needs me!’
