Chapter 39 The Romance of the Homosexuals: "So two men can also marry?"

"Young master, please take a look at that person, isn't he...?"

Before Old Wang could finish speaking, he turned around and saw his young master had already gone to the front to join the queue, so he quickly followed.

Qiao Yu looked himself over. "Old Wang, how do I look today? Does this fan in my hand show enough of my scholarly spirit?"

Old Wang quickly replied, "Young master, you must be unparalleled in the world! Young master will surely be delighted to see you." The two chuckled to each other. Meanwhile, a long line of people were waiting to buy rice, and it was unclear when it would be their turn.

Qiao Yu wasn't in a hurry. He adjusted his collar and touched his hair ornament. Then, he fanned himself a couple of times with a fan, striking a pose of a refined young gentleman. This attracted frequent glances from several young men nearby, their voices trembling with shyness, "Young Master Qiao..."

Qiao Yu was startled and hid behind Lao Wang. "...It's not proper for people to touch each other."

The young men joked around, seemingly unfazed. Turning around, they saw Yao Ruyi weighing rice for the people, their eyes widening in undisguised admiration; the young man was remarkably handsome.

I thought Qiao Yu had changed her style; it seems she's taken a liking to someone.

The group swayed their hips, turned around, and left.

Old Wang was adept at this kind of thing. Seeing that the people had left, he stepped aside and said, "Young master, one of the young masters just now looked like the one that Madam had arranged for you to get married. Why didn't you greet him?"

"What's there to greet? If I, this young master, were to offer a perfunctory greeting, I would be unworthy of being a scholar."

Alright, alright, whatever their young master says is right.

After they finished speaking, they stood in line where they were, and the line in front moved forward a little. But the noise grew louder and louder, gradually becoming irritating. Unlike the usual banter and thanks among ordinary people, Qiao Yu quickly peered forward.

"Who cut in line! How could I cut in line! You old woman, you're lying through your teeth! I've been waiting here the whole time, how could I have cut in line! I was wearing the same clothes just now!"

The voice was sharp and piercing, and several children in the group were so frightened that their eyes reddened. One little girl quickly hid in a woman's arms, secretly wiping away her tears, "Mommy, it's a bad uncle!"

"My dear child, I'm holding you. Don't be afraid!"

The old woman arguing with the man looked around, her wrinkles deepening with panic and anxiety. Her triangular eyes were hidden beneath the folds, and age spots etched her face with the marks of her years. Her legs could no longer straighten, and she hunched over, letting out a loud cry, "Ah—"

He plopped down on the ground, yelling, "You! You've gone too far!"

"You sell substandard rice yourself! And you even come to the Siyun Chamber of Commerce to buy rice! What are you trying to do? Don't you have enough rice for your own consumption?"

The old woman screamed hysterically, and more and more people gathered around. They were about a hundred people away from the front, and although the old woman was old, her voice was quite loud. Her scream made sure everyone could hear what she was saying.

"Who? Selling tainted rice? I knew that guy looked familiar. Isn't he the waiter from Deng's Rice Shop? How dare he come here to buy rice!"

"Get them out! These inhumane black merchants don't deserve to eat the disaster relief grain sent by the imperial court!"

A few voices rang out, followed by more and more shouts: "That's right!"

"He just said that their rice is top-quality refined rice, so why are they buying from Siyun now?"

"Tch! I knew it was a lie all along, now you've shown your true colors!"

The waiter's face turned ashen. "What business is it of yours where I buy it!"

"Then what about your cutting in line?!"

"Who saw me cut in line! Who saw me?"

The waiter's self-righteous manner surprised everyone.

Yes, who saw it?

The road was lined with people in a long queue, and some people stood out of line, blocking the caravans carrying goods. A group of people had just walked over from the other side, and the crowd was in a mess. When they were lined up again, it looked like this.

The sounds of the argument reached the front early on.

The person weighing the rice was changed to Thirteen, and Yao Ruyi and Eleven walked quickly this way.

You're making false accusations!

The old woman clutched her chest in anger, ten copper coins clutched tightly in her hand, her other hand braced against the ground by her fingers and wrist. "You! You—"

"Grandma, get up quickly!"

The waiter became even more brazen, "Hmph! Tell me, who saw me cut in line?"

For a long while, no one around spoke.

"this--"

"I didn't see it."

"I didn't either..."

The waiter looked smug.

Yao Ruyi helped the person up with a stern face, her hand subtly resting on the hilt of her sword.

Suddenly, "I saw it!"

"Hey! Hey—Young Master!" Old Wang tried to stop him but failed. He slapped his forehead, thinking that his family had better not make enemies with Deng Zeyu!

The voice was loud and clear, and everyone turned to look. "Who's that?"

"You don't recognize him? That young master of the Qiao family, the one who's gay."

"Is he a homosexual?"

The group chattered, "That's right. When the matchmaker was arranging the marriage, Young Master Qiao confessed on the spot that he was attracted to men, and Old Master Qiao beat him half to death. Come to think of it, that was three or four years ago."

"And now..."

"Sigh, Old Master Qiao is used to it now. I heard from others that this young master Qiao doesn't go to brothels or look for male prostitutes. He's so clean that he only has an old butler by his side. Madam Qiao even arranged a few young masters for this young master a while ago!"

The man laughed incredulously, “No wonder it’s the Qiao family.”

Qiao Yu didn't care what others said about him. He shouted, "I saw it!" While shouting, he straightened his clothes and walked forward dashingly, standing next to Yao Ruyi. "This waiter cut in line."

The waiter was also surprised to find it was Qiao Yu. He was flustered but dared not act rashly, "Young Master Qiao, you—"

Qiao Yu smiled at the waiter, "You were just telling me how good your new rice is, but I got here before you. I was in line at the back, how come you're ahead of me now?"

The waiter's arrogance vanished. "I...no. Young Master Qiao, I—"

Qiao Yu's heart pounded as she looked at Yao Ruyi's exquisite yet cold face. Yesterday, from a distance, she only thought he was handsome and otherworldly, but now the distance between them was only one person's width, and his eyes were so pure they were unbelievable.

It can be said that their fate was not limited to this.

Yao Ruyi said coldly, "Go back, Siyun won't buy it for you."

"Why won't you sell it to me! I'm also from Jiangzhou City, and I'm also a citizen of Yun Kingdom!"

Yao Ruyi ignored him, helping the old woman up and telling Eleven to help her sit down. His expression grew even colder, but then he heard the man say, "If you don't sell it to me, I'll—"

He swallowed hard, mustered his courage, and said, "I'll go find the county magistrate, I'll go to the capital! I'll appeal to the emperor!"

His manic behavior made everyone around him laugh. If he were to go to the capital, he would probably be thrown into jail before he even reached the city.

Yao Ruyi stared at him quietly. Should she accuse him? Or go to His Majesty?

He said nonchalantly, "Then go ahead."

Qiao Yu was also surprised to find that the waiter was incredibly stupid. She wondered if Deng Zeyu would still let him work at the Deng family rice shop after today. "That's right, go ahead and see who His Majesty has arrested."

"You! You all wait!"

Ultimately, outnumbered, the waiter fled in disarray.

The crowd burst into laughter, thoroughly delighted.

Eleven wanted to help the old woman into the shop to sit down and give her the rice. Unexpectedly, the old woman refused, saying, "No way! If I buy it beforehand, wouldn't that be like me cutting in line!"

Their stubbornness was exasperating: "I'm going to stand in line right here."

Shiyi and Yao Ruyi exchanged a glance, shrugged, and said, "Let's go."

Yao Ruyi responded and turned to face Qiao Yu, who had just testified for the old woman. He recognized him. It was the man who had greeted him on the second floor of the tavern yesterday; he must be a young master from a prominent family in Jiangzhou City.

"Thank you, young master." Yao Ruyi smiled and cupped his hands. Under Wang Qianshan's tutelage these days, he had learned etiquette well, and his every move showed the elegance that a young master from a noble family should have.

For some reason, he couldn't remember to bow in front of the emperor.

"My name is Qiao Yu. May I ask your name, sir?"

Just as Yao Ruyi was about to speak, a weight lifted up on him. Eleven was hanging loosely on him, grinning as he asked, "Little Nineteen, who is this guy?"

"It's Young Master Qiao, who just helped my mother-in-law get proof."

Qiao Yu laughed heartlessly, "Just call me Qiao Yu. Are you called Nineteen?"

Yao Ruyi nodded, "Okay, just call me Nineteen." He pulled Eleven's hand down, quite forcefully.

He originally wanted to tell Qiao Yu that his name was Yao Ruyi, but nineteen would also be fine.

Everyone knows he is nineteen.

"Nineteen, if you're busy right now, go ahead and do your thing. I helped you out just now, so tonight I'll take you to try some of Jiangzhou City's specialties as a way of thanking me?"

Eleven shouted, "My name is Eleven, why don't you take me with you?"

Is it convenient?

Eleven looked up and said, "What's inconvenient about this?"

It would be truly inconvenient if His Majesty knew that he had let Little Nineteen go out alone with this young master. Eleven turned to look at Qiao Yu; although he was smiling, there was a hint of resentment in his eyes.

Mushroom remained silent; he was asking about Qiao Yu.

"Of course, everyone come."

Yao Ruyi said, "Then we should be the ones inviting you."

Qiao Yu didn't care, as long as she agreed, "Okay! I'll wait for you at the restaurant on the city wall. Nineteen, remember to come."

He was about to leave when he turned back hastily, saying, "Don't forget, my name is Qiao Yu."

"Okay, hey—"

"Hey, hey, hey, okay, okay!" Eleven pulled Yao Ruyi along, "Let's go, let's go."

"Nineteen, you should focus on food supplies now. This is a protracted war with Deng Zeyu. His Majesty has high hopes for you..."

"Eleven, I know."

"Good to know, go back and get busy..."

In the blink of an eye, the sale had lasted from dawn till dusk, and people were still queuing in the city, but there wasn't much left. Of the original five thousand bushels of grain, only a little over a thousand remained.

More than half of the city's population is facing food shortages, but the population was already large. Even if it weren't more than half, it would still be enough to plunge the city into famine.

Their grain price was set at twenty coins per dou according to the imperial court's regulations, but many people still couldn't afford it.

As night fell, the group collapsed in the backyard, exhausted. Lan Yan counted the remaining food. Her face was grim. "Deng Zeyu must already know about today's events. Let's see what they do tomorrow."

But based on today's sales, they'll probably run out of rice by noon tomorrow.

"Then we won't sell tomorrow, let's give out porridge instead."

Yao Ruyi lay sprawled on the table, resting his head on his arm. The group had become much more familiar with each other in the past two days and didn't care about trivial matters. "Selling rice all the time doesn't necessarily mean we can see the court's intention to provide disaster relief. Why don't we suspend the distribution of rice for one day tomorrow and start distributing porridge?"

"Those who couldn't come to buy today probably have less than ten coins. Later today, I saw several families pooling together ten coins to buy half a bushel, which they will then divide among themselves. Even if just as many people come to buy tomorrow, it won't be as much as it was today."

"Why not distribute porridge? The grain that everyone bought is enough to last for a while, and distributing porridge will allow poor families to have a bowl of hot porridge."

Everyone thought it was good.

Xu Yi asked with a smile, "Where did Nineteen get so many ideas? These couldn't have been taught by the teacher."

Han Siwen teased, "I also think that Nineteen is a bright and clever person. After this is over, he doesn't need to go back to the capital. He can stay in Jiangzhou City and do business with me. In less than two years, he can become a wealthy merchant."

Yao Ruyi smiled and shook his head; he still had to go back to take the imperial examinations. Making a lot of money through business could only save one group of people. As the saying goes, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Only reforming the laws truly constitutes reform.

"Hey, everyone, you've all had a hard day. Let's go get something to eat first. I've had the steward prepare some wine and dishes at home."

Yao Ruyi quietly greeted Han Siwen, and then she and Eleven turned and walked out. Thirteen saw them and asked, "Nineteen? What's the matter?"

Eleven looked conflicted, but Yao Ruyi said, "Today, thanks to Young Master Qiao for testifying for my mother-in-law, I should treat him to a drink as a token of my gratitude. Young Master Qiao is already waiting for me at the restaurant on the city wall. I'll go back after I've eaten."

"I'll go too."

Thirteen took big strides and stood beside Yao Ruyi. "Let's go."

Yao Ruyi was puzzled by what was wrong with these two today. "Oh."

Han Siwen, left alone in the courtyard, raised an eyebrow and watched the group turn and leave with a mocking look in his eyes. Eleven and Thirteen followed Little Nineteen like older brothers, as if afraid that their younger brother at home would be sold.

"Miss Siwen, who is Young Master Qiao? Why are those two so wary of him..."

Lan Yan looked over upon hearing this, waiting for Han Siwen to speak.

"Qiao Yu is the young master of the Qiao family in Jiangzhou City. He has two brothers. The eldest son of the Qiao family is fifteen years older than Qiao Yu. This young master has been spoiled since childhood and does things his own way. He once admitted that he likes men, but there has never been any scandalous rumors about him."

The woman smiled and said, "Little Nineteen is so beautiful, she must have captured Young Master Qiao's heart."

Xu Yi gasped. He and Lan Yan exchanged a glance and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"The way Eleven and Thirteen look so alarmed is just like their father. Nineteen is clever and quick-witted and can tell the difference between truth and falsehood. Even though he is the youngest of the brothers, he shouldn't be so worried."

Han Siwen smiled but didn't say anything. She looked at Eleven and it didn't seem like she was worried. Instead, it seemed like she was afraid that she would be punished if she couldn't take care of him properly.

"Alright, let's go back and get something to eat."

"Alright, Miss Siwen, please."

-

About an hour later, the two followed Yao Ruyi on either side, without saying a word. Only when they saw Yao Ruyi smile and say goodbye to Qiao Yu did the two breathe a sigh of relief.

He hurriedly led his people back.

Qiao Yu only lowered his hand after the person had walked away, his eyes filled with resentment, "Old Wang, are you even capable?"

Old Wang, leaning against the wall, was about to vomit. "Ugh—Young Master, ugh—"

He gulped down a mouthful of water. "No, young master! There are two of them, and I'm just by myself. How could I have drunk more than them?" He thought back to the time at the dinner table when he was about to speak but was stopped by one of the two men, and then when his young master wanted to talk to the young master, he was stopped by the other man raising his glass.

Throughout the meal, his young master barely uttered a few words, though he drank quite a bit of wine.

He drank several cups of wine in an attempt to get his young master to say more.

For the first time, Lao Wang realized he couldn't drink alcohol. He didn't want to drink for the next ten days, and even leaning against the wall made him feel dizzy.

"Sigh, let's go back to the manor!"

"Alright! Young Master, slow down!"

Eleven and Thirteen were also quite tipsy. They didn't usually drink much, and this was the first time they'd drunk so much this year. The old butler across from them was also a heavy drinker; his complexion didn't change even after several glasses of wine.

Fortunately, there were two of them.

Eleven turned to Thirteen and raised an eyebrow. "Brother, it's a good thing you're here."

Thirteen rolled her eyes at him, "Try stopping me next time if you can't stop me!"

Yao Ruyi didn't touch a drop of wine, but he enjoyed the meal. The table was full of Jiangnan specialties ordered by Qiao Yu, and there were quite a few snacks, which he ate quite a bit of.

As Yao Ruyi walked back, watching the two people walking faster and faster, she felt a little helpless. She didn't know where their hostility towards Qiao Yu came from, but thankfully nothing serious happened.

"Hmm—"

Is someone over there?

Yao Ruyi didn't stop the two people who suddenly started arguing. He took two steps back and looked in that direction. The dim alley was only discernible in the moonlight.

Two men, their clothes disheveled, were embracing, their lips pressed together. One of them, leaning against the wall, was having his clothes slip down, revealing a pale shoulder being grasped. He looked dazed but not flustered, and reached out to grab the collar of the man in front of him.

He moved closer again.

Yao Ruyi stood there, stunned. There were two men...

But the posture was exactly the same as in the book he had seen in the thirteenth room. One of them had a half-undone shirt hanging on his leg, held by another.

Their eyes were locked on one, filled with infatuation.

"nineteen!"

"Oh, here it comes!"

Yao Ruyi quickly followed, and after another turn, they arrived at Han Siwen's residence.

Eleven and Thirteen went straight to their room after entering the courtyard, intending to sleep until the next day.

Were those really two men? Could two men even...?

The scene in the two alleys under the moonlight kept lingering in Yao Ruyi's mind, and he couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried. However, he felt that the posture of the other tall man leaning forward was very similar to Gu Huizhou.

"His Majesty's figure is so much better..." and it's the best-feeling one he's ever touched.

He walked inside, feeling the wind blowing through him; these past few days, he had been inexplicably thinking of His Majesty.

"nineteen."

It was Lan Yan and Xu Yi.

The two men held lamp oil and writing brushes. "Today we should send a letter to His Majesty explaining the situation. Would you like to come along?"

"good."

He turned around and followed the two into the room.

Lan Yan told Gu Huizhou everything that had happened in the past few days, big and small, but Yao Ruyi felt that such detail was unnecessary. He felt that Thirteen and Eleven had already said everything that needed to be said.

But I've already written it.

With the pen in his hand, Yao Ruyi hesitated for a long time before putting pen to paper.

"Brother Lan, would you like to send a letter to Miss Baili?"

Xu Yi asked, his tone laced with sarcasm. The two hadn't interacted much in the court before, but their relationship had improved now. Who knew they might even find time to go for a drink at a tavern when they returned to the capital?

"Never mind, Miss Baili and I have never met before." He awkwardly touched his nose, looking uncomfortable, but the tips of his ears were secretly turning red.

Xu Yi understood. "Miss Baili is exceptionally talented in literature, and proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I once heard Miss Siwen mention that at a flower-viewing banquet, Miss Baili said she admired Brother Rulan for his elegant and graceful demeanor."

"It is likely that Miss Baili's intentions were also behind this marriage."

Yao Ruyi chuckled along, and the two noticed that Lan Yan's ears were turning even redder. "I'll be able to attend your wedding banquet after we return to the capital," Yao Ruyi said in a lighthearted tone.

Xu Yi looked at the letter in front of him, and after asking Lan Yan, he casually asked him, "Does the Nineteenth Prince have someone he likes? Why don't we take her back to the capital together?"

The person you love?

Yao Ruyi pursed his lips and thought for a moment. He couldn't find anyone to marry. Besides, he was a spirit in human form, and it wouldn't be good if he scared someone.

Only His Majesty will not be frightened by him.

Gu Huizhou...

He murmured the name and asked Lan Yan, "Lan Yan, do you like Miss Baili?"

Lan Yan was startled, not expecting Yao Ruyi to ask so bluntly. A grown man was being rather hesitant and evasive in this matter. "I...I—"

"I have not yet met Miss Baili, but His Majesty's bestowal of this marriage makes her a perfect match."

Xu Yi nodded repeatedly, "Alright, alright, Brother Lan, there's no need to explain."

There's no need to explain why her cheeks are flushed.

"Xu Yi, what about you?"

Xu Yi shook his head frankly, "I have studied hard since I was a child. After entering the capital, I had no one to rely on, so naturally no parents or elders proposed marriage to me. Now I am just a minor official in the court. I think I should have a mansion before I can pursue any girl."

Yao Ruyi nodded; he hadn't thought about that.

After thinking for a moment, he said.

"Today, today I saw two young masters together in the alley." He spoke as casually as if he were talking about grass growing on the ground, which made the others feel uneasy.

"Hey, Nineteen. Where did you see it?"

"It's right around the corner from the Han residence."

Xu Yi touched his nose and smiled awkwardly, "The people in the Jiangnan region are open-minded, and homosexuality has become popular in recent years. However, everyone has different preferences, and there's no right or wrong in it."

He wanted to ask that too, but that young master Qiao didn't say anything to you today...

"So two men can get married?"

"There is no precedent in history."

There is no precedent for it, but that doesn't mean it's impossible.

Yao Ruyi nodded, realizing she had overreacted.

“Oh,” he winked, “you’ve all finished writing? Then I’ll hurry up.”

It was already getting late, and if they delayed any longer, none of them would get an hour of sleep. They hadn't rested at all last night, and if they stayed up another night, not only would Deng Zeyu not be able to keep his composure, but they also wouldn't be able to hold on.

Candles were lit in the room, and the doors and windows were closed to keep out the wind.

A candle flickered, wisps of smoke spreading upwards, and the three men sat around the table, each with a different expression. Yao Ruyi was writing intently with his head down; he didn't need to say much about the matter of grain.

We can't let His Majesty see three identical letters; that would be too much of a waste of time.

Half a month has passed since she left the city, and Yao Ruyi has already taken two pills containing the emperor's blood.

He wondered if His Majesty had any wounds. Then he thought, with Fourteen and the others around, they should be safe.

But that person always cuts himself, and the wound powder he concocts is terrifyingly painful.

"Your Majesty, it is I."

I'm doing well now, living in Miss Siwen's house. I've tasted many Jiangnan-style tea snacks, and they're almost indistinguishable from those made by the imperial chefs. Well… I should say the imperial chefs' tea snacks are almost indistinguishable from those of Jiangnan.”

Yes, the chefs in the imperial kitchen were the latter.

"His Majesty told me to be bolder, and I listened. There shouldn't be any problems, but if anyone goes to the capital to file a complaint, His Majesty must clarify the matter and not listen to slander."

The homosexual tendencies of men in Jiangnan…

Yao Ruyi wanted to tell Gu Huizhou what had happened that day, but then felt it wasn't necessary. He paused, then crossed out the last line.

"Yes, I've finished writing it."

The three letters were placed together. Lan Yan whistled to summon a gray-black carrier pigeon, which quickly stuffed the letters inside. None of the three had written much, so the pigeon could fit them all.

"Alright, then rest well today. Distributing porridge tomorrow will be a tough battle too."

Xu Yi nodded, "Yes, we need to keep a close eye on the distribution of porridge and make sure no one with ulterior motives gets away with it."

Yao Ruyi nodded to everyone who spoke, yawned as if he were half-asleep, and said, "Okay."

Xu Yi couldn't help but laugh, "Then Nineteen should rest quickly."

Yao Ruyi, still half-asleep, replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Lan Yan stood up, not having heard clearly, but Xu Yi paused, "Your Majesty?"

He swallowed hard, suddenly recalling the posture of Eleven and Thirteen in the backyard of the Chamber of Commerce. A strange thought flashed through his mind, and the absurd rumors that he had previously dismissed as nonsense rushed to his head.

"The third-ranked scholar appointed by the new emperor is too handsome; I'm afraid he might have homosexual tendencies."

He certainly didn't suspect His Majesty of having any designs on him. But this nineteenth official, who had suddenly appeared in the palace, had asked today whether men could marry...

He punched himself in the chest. "Go to sleep, your brain's all muddled from staying up all night."

————————

Cui Xiangzhu: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, the Nineteenth Prince has returned!"

Gu Huizhou suddenly stood up. "Where?"

Cui Xiangzhu quickly smiled and said, "Your Majesty, today is April 1st."

Wuhu! Be careful, everyone! [Let me see] Let me see who got scammed!