Chapter 20: The Concubine Controversy? No, it's a clash of values!

Since the "brothel incident," Yun Zhan unilaterally declared a state of "cold war"—although Yan Linye seemed unaware that this was a cold war.

Yun Zhan now finds everything about Yan Linye displeasing.

Yan Linye served him some food, and he said sarcastically, "I wouldn't dare trouble you, Brother Yan. You should save your hands for undressing courtesans. I'm not worthy of them."

Yan Linye: ......

When Yan Linye approached him to discuss matters, he gave him a dismissive reply: "My little bit of cleverness can't compare to the broad knowledge of the girls at Zui Chunfeng."

When Yan Linye came to take a walk in his yard at night, he simply closed the door, turned off the lights, and pretended to be fast asleep.

"System, does he even understand that I'm angry?" Yun Zhan gritted his teeth as he stared at the empty room.

[Based on the target's behavior analysis, he accurately received the host's negative emotions and adopted a strategy of tolerance, explanation (even though the host did not accept it), and continued care. Conclusion: He understood, but he chose to resolve it with patience.] The system calmly analyzed.

"Resolve my ass! He's just feeling guilty! That's scumbag behavior!" Yun Zhan pounded the bed in anger.

The two remained in this awkward atmosphere for several days until a prominent local gentry in Hejian Prefecture took a concubine and sent out invitations widely, including Yan Linye. Thinking that taking Yun Zhan out for a walk might ease the tension, he invited Yun Zhan to go along.

Yun Zhan initially wanted to refuse firmly, but then he thought, wouldn't not going make him look like a coward? He wanted to see what this ancient concubine-taking banquet was like! So he stubbornly agreed.

The banquet was very lively, with lanterns and decorations everywhere, and guests filling the hall. Yun Zhan followed Yan Linye and watched as the old gentry, despite his advanced age, was still beaming as he accepted the compliments from the crowd about his "vigorous old age" and "good fortune with women." Meanwhile, the concubine who had been taken in looked younger than his daughter. Dressed in a bright red wedding gown, she bowed her head like a beautiful but lifeless puppet, being helped through various ceremonies.

Yun Zhan felt a tightness in his chest. This scene made him more uncomfortable than any period drama he had ever watched. Although he knew that this was a perfectly normal thing in ancient times, experiencing it in person was still unbearable. He found this barbaric practice of treating women as commodities extremely despicable.

At the banquet, amidst the clinking of glasses, many people toasted Yan Linye with suggestive smiles, implying that he should consider getting married properly and taking a few concubines to have more children. Some even directly recommended their own relatives or maids they had bought. To Yun Zhan, these words were utterly lewd.

Yan Linye remained calm and politely brushed it off without replying.

Listening to those words and seeing the people's matter-of-fact expressions, and recalling Yan Linye's past "crime" of visiting brothels, Yun Zhan's anger flared up. His jealousy had completely exploded. What angered him most was that Yan Linye's attitude should have been a direct and righteous refusal, right? Not refusing meant he was admitting it! What a scumbag!

On the return journey in the carriage, the atmosphere plummeted to freezing point.

Yun Zhan, who had been holding back all night, finally couldn't help but fire the first shot: "Do all the people here think that having multiple wives and concubines is normal? Is it something to be proud of to buy and sell women like objects?"

Yan Linye was taken aback by his abrupt question, but then realized he was referring to taking a concubine, so he calmly explained, "This is common practice and is permitted by law. It is also common for wealthy families to take concubines to continue their lineage. What's wrong with that?"

"Common sense? Common practice?" Yun Zhan's voice rose, tinged with obvious sarcasm. "So Brother Yan also thinks this is right? And plans to marry three wives and four concubines in the future, having women on both sides?"

Yan Linye frowned slightly, feeling that Yun Zhan's temper tonight was somewhat inexplicable and intense: "Yun Zhan, about this matter..."

"Don't call me!" Yun Zhan interrupted him, the jealousy that had been building up for days mixed with the clash of values ​​at this moment, making him speak without thinking, "I've finally figured it out! You ancient men are all the same! You act all proper on the surface, but who knows what you're really thinking! Visiting brothels and taking concubines, do you even think it's something to be proud of?"

Yan Linye's face darkened. He could tolerate Yun Zhan's temper, but he could not accept his indiscriminate accusations, or even comparing him to those who indulged in sensual pleasures.

"Yun Zhan!" His voice turned cold. "Watch your words. I went to Zui Chun Feng for serious business, not for pleasure. I have never intended to take a concubine either, so why are you being so aggressive?"

"Serious business? Who knows if it's true or not!" Yun Zhan was furious and wouldn't listen to any explanation. "No plans? No plans now, but what about later? When you become emperor, won't you have a harem of three palaces and six courtyards as standard? Will you still remember who I am then?"

The moment those words were spoken, the carriage fell silent.

Yun Zhan himself was stunned. How could he have said such a thing? It sounded... like a wronged woman. The key point was that he seemed to have said Yan Linye wanted to be emperor. Was that something he should have said?

Yun Zhan swallowed hard and stole a glance at Yan Linye. He saw Yan Linye's deep gaze fixed on him, filled with a complex mix of emotions—anger, confusion, and even a hint of… being stung? But Yan Linye didn't seem to care about his earlier "spoiler."

Yan Linye remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, his voice low and deep: "So in your heart, I, Yan Linye, am such a worthless person, such a... untrustworthy person."

After saying this, he stopped looking at Yun Zhan, closed his eyes, leaned against the car wall, and exuded a cold aura that kept strangers away.

Yun Zhan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a single word. Looking at Yan Linye's tightly closed eyes and pursed lips, he suddenly felt a surge of panic. It's over, it seems... he went too far.

[Host, excessive emotional output has resulted in a failed precision strike and may have caused collateral damage.] The system provides timely feedback.

"Shut up! It's all your fault! If you hadn't stirred things up and kept making me go kill him, letting all this nonsense cloud my judgment, how could things have turned out like this?" Yun Zhan habitually shifted the blame to the system.

[...] The system chose to remain silent.

For the remainder of the journey, the two remained silent. The oppressive atmosphere was almost suffocating.

Back at the villa, Yan Linye got off the carriage and walked straight to his own courtyard without looking back, without even saying "get some rest."

Looking at his resolute back, Yun Zhan felt wronged and regretful. Her nose tingled, and she almost shed tears.

Did he... really misunderstand Yan Linye?

However, the scene of the concubine taking, the words of those people, and Yan Linye's accustomed attitude towards it all made his modern soul feel incredibly alienated and uncomfortable.

That night, the two were separated by a wall, each suffering from insomnia.

One person feels that the other is being unreasonable and incomprehensible.

One person feels that the other person's views are outdated and that they have the potential to be a scumbag.

This jealousy, in the end, turned into a fierce clash of values.

What lies between them is not only that ambiguous feeling, but also a time gap that spans a thousand years.