Chapter 29 Not seeing the young doctor, Xiao Che's heart...

September 23rd, Autumn Sacrifice Day.

Before dawn, the air was thick with the chill of frost.

Lin Yan felt like a radish forcibly pulled from a warm bed, carrying exhaustion and chill, drifting into the Imperial Ancestral Temple, which was still shrouded in the deepest darkness before dawn.

In such national-level ceremonies, the position of Director of the Ministry of Rites was essentially that of a high-ranking, menial, and general manager.

From the angle of the sacrificial offerings to the positions of the musicians and dancers, from the length of the incense and candles to the direction of the banners, he had to oversee everything, no matter how small.

The slightest mistake could mean more than just a deduction in performance pay; it could mean losing your head.

"Lord Lin, look at the arrangement of these three sacrificial animals. Shouldn't the pig's head be tilted three-tenths of an inch to the left? Just now, the people from the Imperial Observatory said that there is auspicious light in the Chen position today, and it must be directly facing it to be effective!" A minor official dressed in the Ministry of Rites uniform rushed over, pointing to the huge, serene-looking pig's head, his tone anxious.

Lin Yan didn't even lift his eyelids. He pulled out a well-worn copy of the "Great Yu Sacrificial Rites" from his robes and precisely pointed his finger at a line of small print: "Volume Seven, Article Three of the Sacrificial Rites: The arrangement of the three sacrificial animals must be upright and impartial to show sincerity and respect. What do the Imperial Astronomical Bureau people know about arranging pig heads? Follow the rules!"

The minor official choked for a moment and retreated sheepishly.

Just as one was dismissed, the music and dance master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices approached again, looking worried: "Lord Lin, something bad has happened! One of the dancers woke up this morning with a hoarse voice, so he probably won't be able to sing the Song of Praise. Do you think we should find someone else quickly?"

Lin Yan took a deep breath, feeling his temples throbbing: "Change him? Where can we change him now? Give him a licorice tablet! Make him lip-sync! As long as his mouth moves, who can hear what he's yelling about! Remember, his expression must be devout, blissful, as if a god is embracing his neck and pouring celestial nectar on him!"

Xie Lulang opened his mouth, stunned by Lin Yan's simple and straightforward solution, and finally nodded before rushing off to instruct on "lip-syncing".

"Lord Lin! Something terrible has happened! His Majesty's imperial carriage is approaching, but it has been discovered that the lantern tower on the right side of the Sacred Way seems to be half an inch shorter than the one on the left!" The one who ran over this time was a captain dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Guard, his face pale.

Lin Yan's vision went black.

He went over there himself, squinted and gestured for a long time, but still couldn't figure out where the half-inch difference was.

"You're mistaken," Lin Yan said decisively. "It's a lighting issue; the left and right sides are absolutely at the same height! Get your men to their positions immediately, open their eyes wide, and show the same discipline you display when patrolling the palace! Make sure even a fly flies by with solemn steps!"

The captain was skeptical, but seeing Lin Yan's certainty, he dared not say anything more and quickly ran back to his post.

Throughout the morning, Lin Yan was like a spinning top, whipped around by all sorts of questions, real or fake, big or small, as he bustled about around the huge altar.

His throat became dry and hoarse from constantly issuing commands, and he was completely unaware that the hem of his official robe was wet with dew.

My mind was on edge, constantly replaying the details of each process, afraid that something might go wrong.

This is even more agonizing than writing a hundred essays on "The Auspicious Omen of Crows" for Wu Haimin.

At least writing about auspicious omens only disgusted the writer, but now, a single oversight could disgust the emperor and all the gods and Buddhas.

As the auspicious hour approached, solemn ceremonial music began to play.

Emperor Xiao Che's imperial carriage slowly arrived, surrounded by civil and military officials.

Xiao Che, dressed in elaborate and solemn sacrificial robes, with his crown tassels drooping and his expression solemn, ascended the high altar step by step.

Lin Yan mingled among the officials below, bowing his head and trying to minimize his presence, but his eyes were fixed on every step of the process.

Offering sacrifices, laying out jade and silk, presenting the sacrificial offerings, the first offering, the second offering, the final offering, removing the food, sending off the gods, and burning offerings...

Each ceremony was extremely intricate and allowed no room for error.

Lin Yan's heart was in his throat until the final ritual, "Wang Liao," saw the flames soar into the sky, symbolizing that the sacrifice had reached the heavens and the gods had received offerings.

The solemn and dignified music gradually subsided, and the officials rose at the announcement of the Master of Ceremonies.

Lin Yan followed the crowd's movements, and felt the breath he had been holding for so long finally being slowly and tremblingly exhaled.

The sudden relaxation of my tense nerves brought a strong feeling of exhaustion.

The autumn wind blew by, carrying the acrid smell of burning offerings and a lingering chill, brushing against his back, which was slightly damp with sweat, sending a shiver down his spine.

Lin Yan followed the long procession back, his steps unsteady, his ears ringing, and the whispers and greetings of his colleagues seemed to be separated by a film of water, making them difficult to hear clearly.

All I wanted to do was fly back to my residence immediately, collapse onto the bed, and sleep soundly until the world turned upside down.

However, the mission of the corporate slave is not yet complete.

He forced himself to stay awake and went back to the office of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Sacrifices.

Although the autumn ceremony has concluded, a mountain of paperwork remains to be done: recording the ceremony proceedings, verifying all expenses, and filing documents...

Lin Yan dragged his leaden legs and moved himself into the government office.

When Wang Jian and the others saw him return, they immediately surrounded him, their faces beaming with relieved, obsequious smiles: "You've worked hard, sir! The Autumn Sacrifice Ceremony was a complete success, all thanks to your excellent management!"

Lin Yan couldn't even manage a forced smile. He could only wave his hand weakly, his voice hoarse: "It's my duty. The subsequent document filing and expense verification must be done carefully and without error."

"Rest assured, sir! We will do our utmost and will not dare to slack off in the slightest!" Wang Jian patted his chest and assured him.

Lin Yan nodded, unable to hold on any longer. After giving a few important instructions, he got up and left.

By the time they returned to the Lin residence, it was already dusk.

Wen Yun was already waiting at the door. Seeing her son looking exhausted and his official robes all wrinkled, she felt a pang of heartache and quickly came to greet him: "Yan'er is back? Come in quickly, there's been some hot soup and rice on the stove."

Lin Yan shook his head, his voice weak and listless: "Mother, I'm going to lie down for a while, I'm so sleepy."

He practically crawled back to his room by sheer willpower, too lazy to even take off his outer robe, and collapsed onto the bed.

The moment my head hit the pillow, my consciousness, like a kite with a broken string, drifted away and sank into boundless darkness.

Lin Yan slept soundly for a long time, and then began to feel cold all over, as if he had fallen into an ice cave. Even covering himself with a thick quilt did not help.

The cold air seeped into every crevice of my bones, and my teeth chattered uncontrollably, making a soft "clucking" sound.

Immediately afterwards, the chill was replaced by waves of scalding heat.

It felt as if a raging fire was burning inside my body; my mouth was dry, and my throat felt like it had been sanded with sandpaper, with each breath accompanied by a burning pain.

My head felt like it was going to explode, throbbing with pain, and so heavy I couldn't lift it.

He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and he could only utter indistinct murmurs.

"The water... is cold..."

At some point, Wen Yun, worried about her son, came in to check on him. When she touched Lin Yan's forehead, it was alarmingly hot. Seeing his flushed face and chapped lips, she panicked.

"Yan'er? Yan'er, wake up!" Wen Yun shouted anxiously, "Quick! Go get a doctor!"

The Lin family was thrown into chaos.

Old Zhang, carrying a lantern, hurriedly ran to the home of a familiar old doctor and banged on the door.

Soon, an elderly doctor with white hair and beard was invited over. He sat by the bedside, carefully took Lin Yan's pulse, and examined his tongue coating.

“Madam, there is no need to worry too much,” the old doctor said after a moment of contemplation. “Lord Lin has been overworked and his vital energy has been depleted. He has also caught a cold, which has caused the pathogenic factors to enter his body, resulting in fever and chills. I will prescribe a formula to dispel wind and cold and harmonize the exterior and interior. Take three doses first to induce sweating. After a few days of proper rest, he will be fine. Just remember, you must not exert yourself any more in the coming days and must rest quietly.”

Wen Yun nodded repeatedly, instructing her maid to follow the doctor to fetch and prepare the medicine.

Looking at her son, who was fast asleep on the bed with a furrowed brow, Wen Yun felt a pang of heartache and gently tucked him in.

In his dazed state, Lin Yan still retained a sliver of vague consciousness. He struggled to instruct Wen Yun, who was guarding his bedside, "Mother, send someone to the Ministry of Rites and tell Xie Mingyuan to keep a close eye on... to keep a close eye on the yamen. Make sure nothing goes wrong while I'm on leave..."

With tears in her eyes, Wen Yun agreed, "Mother understands. Don't worry about getting better. Mother will have your father send someone to tell them."

After the medicine was decocted, Wen Yun carefully helped Lin Yan up and fed him the bitter medicine spoonful by spoonful.

Lin Yan was drowsy and barely managed to swallow the medicine before falling into a restless sleep, with cold sweat constantly seeping from his forehead.

The next morning, at the Taiyi Hall.

The civil and military officials shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and the morning court proceeded as usual.

Xiao Che sat upright on the dragon throne, his gaze habitually sweeping across the ranks of officials below, pausing briefly at the position of the Ministry of Rites official.

Um?

That figure who always bowed his head, seemingly respectful and docile, but whose inner thoughts were so rich they could fill an entire opera, is no longer here.

Xiao Che frowned slightly.

With the autumn sacrifices just over, the Ministry of Rites is busy with follow-up affairs, so why has this physician taken leave?

Not seeing the young doctor, Xiao Che's mood didn't seem as good as it had been during the morning court session.

The morning court session ended in a subtle atmosphere.

All the officials bowed and withdrew from the court.

Xiao Che stood up, went into the back hall, and casually asked Li Defu, who was following behind him, "Did Lin Yan from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Sacrifices take leave today?"

Li Defu quickly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, this old servant also noticed it just now and was about to inquire about it."

"Go ask." Xiao Che's tone was flat, revealing no emotion.

"Yes," Li Defu replied, then quietly took a few steps back and whispered a few words to a clever little eunuch. The little eunuch nodded and quickly ran away.

Xiao Che returned to the imperial study, picked up a memorial, and before he had even finished reading two lines, the little eunuch returned and whispered a report in Li Defu's ear.

Li Defu's expression changed slightly. He quickly walked to the imperial desk, bowed, and whispered, "Your Majesty, I have found out. Lord Lin did not ask for leave; he fell ill. He said he was overworked during the autumn sacrifice yesterday and developed a high fever after returning home. His family called a doctor overnight, who said he caught a cold and is quite ill. He is currently bedridden."

Xiao Che's hand, holding the pen, froze in mid-air.

Are you sick?

The autumn sacrifice was windy and cold, and he was still busy and hardworking...

A strange sense of unease rose within me, pressing on my chest.

Xiao Che put down his vermilion brush, no longer interested in reading the memorials.

"Issue my decree that the head of the Imperial Medical Academy personally go to the Lin residence to carefully examine Lin Yan's pulse, prescribe the best medicine, and ensure that Lin Yan recovers as soon as possible." Xiao Che's voice deepened.

"Yes, this old servant will go and deliver the decree immediately." Li Defu was secretly alarmed. His Majesty's favor towards Lin Yan was growing day by day, to the point that he had to send the chief judge himself.

Li Defu left in a hurry.

The imperial study fell silent, with only the faint sound of the water clock dripping.

Xiao Che, however, was somewhat restless.

The handwriting on the memorial seemed to be swaying, and I couldn't understand it.

He stood up and paced around the hall.

That guy, who's usually so lively and energetic inside, is now lying sickly in bed with a high fever. He probably doesn't even have the energy to keep muttering to himself.

The thought that those eyes, which always held such rich emotions, might be tightly closed now because of pain...

Xiao Che paused, looked out the window, and suddenly said, "Prepare the carriage."

Li Lianshun, who was standing to the side, was stunned for a moment, thinking he had misheard: "Your Majesty?"

"Go to the Lin residence." Xiao Che's tone left no room for doubt; he had already made his decision.

He wanted to see it for himself.

Look at that sickly kitten, does it even have the energy to make a fuss?

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Author's Note: His Majesty has begun his self-conquest strategy [doge emoji]