Chapter 27 You want me to prove that it's really not good to be a homosexual? ...

The two pairs of bamboo chopsticks collided.

"open."

"Let go, I grabbed it first."

He Ji, with a gloomy face, muttered something and forcefully knocked Lin Yu's bamboo chopsticks away.

He was very dissatisfied.

He was displeased that Lin Yu had just brazenly declared in front of Young Master Xiao that Lin Yuan was his betrothed.

They managed to steal the chicken, but lost Lin Yuan. So, even when they ate the meat, it tasted like wax.

Lin Yuan sat between the three, her face ashen, feeling as if she were sitting on pins and needles.

When they entered, Xiao Xun did something, and the two old women were nowhere to be found.

Then she heard Xiao Jin say, "Master Lin is having breakfast with his betrothed. We outsiders shouldn't join in the fun."

As soon as Xiao Jin entered the main room, the steam from the chicken soup and millet rice on the table made her feel even hotter.

However, he still tried to make this last effort to persuade Xiao Xun to back down and go back to discuss things further with his father.

Sure enough, Xiao Xun stopped in his tracks upon hearing this.

He looked at Lin Yuan and asked hesitantly, "Are you talking about me?"

Lin Yuan blushed slightly and chuckled awkwardly, "It can't be... Master He, can it?"

He asked incredulously, "When were you engaged?"

“Very early, at seven years old. We are… childhood sweethearts.” Lin Yuan steeled her heart and moved closer to her brother.

Xiao Xun's face was as cold as ice in December.

He looked at Lin Yuan, his brows furrowed, and uttered each word clearly: "Master Lin, you are well-versed in the Five Classics, do you not know that the Book of Rites says: One should not marry a woman of the same surname?"

Lin Yu smiled slightly and replied unhurriedly, "Young Master Xiao was born into wealth and honor. Although you have traveled the world, I imagine you have never been to the real countryside. In the countryside, it is common for people from the same clan to marry within the same village. Marriages between villagers and neighbors are common and well-received, as long as they are not related within three generations. If marriages within the same village were prohibited, I'm afraid the matchmakers would be in a real bind."

He was as clear-headed as a mirror.

Xiao Jin was covered in cold sweat, and the word "uncle" made him almost certain of Xiao Xun's identity, which is why he made the probing question about the camphor tree outside the city gate of Yuzhang.

If this Young Master Xiao really came from Yuzhang, he would not have failed to mention that the camphor trees outside Songyang Gate, which block out the sky, are regarded as deities that spread their branches and leaves, and no one has ever intended to remove them.

Just now, in Tingquan Courtyard, he looked at Xiao Xun.

How could he not feel that the person in front of him resembled an old friend?

However, as the moisture dissipated, it became clear that more than fourteen years separated them.

“Childhood sweethearts are wonderful. A perfect match, a match made in heaven.” Xiao Jin clapped his hands and sighed, then chuckled and said to Xiao Xun, “Uncle, let’s not disturb the childhood sweethearts here.”

Xiao Xun glanced at him, ignoring him: "Since we've been childhood sweethearts, spending every day together, why would we care about a short while of breakfast? Besides, there's this other person here—"

"My name is He Ji." He Ji said awkwardly.

"—Master He, be my companion."

Xiao Jin already felt that Xiao Xun's questioning of other people's marriage and his fatherly attitude of trying to break up the couple was extremely presumptuous.

He could only force a smile and whisper in He Ji's ear, "My uncle, don't let his young age fool you, he's always been arrogant about his seniority. He loves to show off his seniority when he talks."

He glanced at Xiao Xun's cold face and continued, "Moreover, he has a strained relationship with his wife and divorced her a few months ago. Therefore, he can't stand romance and other couples being affectionate. In addition, he likes to travel around and enjoys lively gatherings—he's very sociable. Hehehe."

He Ji hissed, shook his head, and muttered, "His name suits him perfectly; he's really arrogant."

Xiao Jin's words were half true and half false, but she had no intention of dwelling on it.

The old items in Siqi Garden had left him completely bewildered and drenched in cold sweat.

The word "old friend" made his legs go weak, but fortunately he reacted quickly and handled the situation well.

But why did Xiao Xun suspect the relationship between the Prince of Huaiyang's mansion and Xiao Yu?

Four months ago, Qu Qingchuan, under the pretext of supporting the deposed crown prince's orphan, colluded with the enemy and plotted a rebellion, borrowing troops from various vassal states. However, Huaiyang State turned a blind eye and did not care at all. This went too far and aroused Xiao Xun's suspicion.

But Yuzhang Kingdom clearly didn't make a move.

Although he heard that when Qu Qingchuan's envoy rushed to the Prince of Yuzhang's residence, the Prince of Yuzhang was still working hard on matters concerning his descendants for generations to come.

Enraged by the envoy's disturbance, he immediately ordered the man to be driven out of the country.

It wasn't until the messenger was driven to the gates of Songyang and a gust of autumn wind blew through the giant trees that he began to doubt whether he had been asking "whether or not to raise an army" through the gate.

The Prince of Yuzhang, who was over seventy years old, probably only heard the middle two words.

Could it be because the Yan state was stirring up trouble and sent reinforcements, but upon arriving in Shangjun and seeing the unfavorable situation, they decisively switched sides?

Afterwards, the King of Yan, having traveled a long way with his five thousand cavalrymen from Yan, came to Chang'an from the battlefield of Shangjun to plead guilty.

King Xiao Yue of Yan stated, "Qu Qingchuan's crimes are heinous. He raised an army in the name of a descendant of a traitorous minister and general. Although I am far away in Youji, I know that the Xiongnu army is pressing on the border and the forces in Chang'an and the Three Auxiliary Regions must be insufficient. I also fear that the petty thief Qu Yang may control the sky and hold the emperor hostage. Therefore, in my haste, I took it upon myself to send the Yan army directly to Shangjun to strike at the thief's den without waiting for Your Majesty's order."

He also stated that "he had not received an imperial order and had mobilized troops without authorization. He was willing to be punished, and even relished it, as he only wished to see the court be enlightened, the seas and rivers be peaceful, and the imperial power return to its rightful place."

It is said that the King of Yan kowtowed to the ground, speaking with tears streaming down his face, his armor soaked through.

His Majesty helped him up and solemnly said, "Your loyalty to the emperor is as bright as the sun and as clear as the moon. What crime have you committed?"

When the Prince of Huaiyang heard about this, he stood in his palace, stamping his feet and cursing for three days.

However, even if Xiao Xun had some doubts, how could he have imagined that the Prince of Huaiyang would openly take in the orphan of a traitor in his palace?

Last night, Xiao Jin discussed the matter of sealing off the mansion with her father.

After pondering for a long time, the Prince of Huaiyang said, "The most dangerous place is the safest place. His Majesty's men must already be all over the Prince's residence. If we let A-Yu escape overnight, it would only create trouble out of nothing, arouse suspicion, and bring trouble upon ourselves."

The father and son were completely confident, one brimming with self-assurance and the other utterly unsuspecting.

They all had a good night's sleep.

It wasn't until mealtime, when Prime Minister Cui in Yuhua Hall kept mentioning the county and state academy and Master Lin, that they began to regret their sweet dreams from the previous night.

If Cui Heng hadn't been personally chosen by the King of Huaiyang as his prime minister, and hadn't been a trusted figure in Huaiyang for over a decade, and hadn't had a murky eye and a muddled mind that made him appear like a sycophant, Xiao Jin would have suspected him of being a mole planted by the court in Huaiyang.

Moreover, how could Cui Heng know anything about Lin Yu's background?

In the past, when he saw that Xiao Jin had changed his temperament and was frequently going to Cuiwei Mountain, he genuinely felt that the place was full of hidden talents.

He also earnestly urged his two rebellious sons to go there to study. Although Xiao Jin used a little trick, the matter was dropped when one of his sons turned into the music bureau on the way and the other stopped at the cockfighting arena.

Perhaps because of this incident, his sigh of "this child is teachable" in Yuhua Hall was sincere and particularly earnest.

Even assuming Xiao Xun truly knew Lin Yu's identity, why go to such lengths? Did he still harbor feelings for his old friends and relatives? Is that why he treasured an old, worn-out pitch-pot until now?

If that's true, Xiao Jin felt ashamed of herself.

But did he give the pitch-pot to Xiao Jin just to make him feel ashamed?

However, as uncle and nephew who grew up together, Xiao Xun's act of making him hold a copper pot early in the morning, as if he was determined to kill him with it, made him doubt the so-called friendship.

No, no, just now in Yuhua Hall, Xiao Xun clearly didn't know the age of the teacher at the prefectural academy. Xiao Jin's words when they were playing the pitch-pot game deliberately implied that the teacher was the same age as Su Dan. Now, thinking back, every word seemed precise and flawless. How could Xiao Xun have imagined the connection between the two?

They must not know; it must be a coincidence.

At this moment, Xiao Jin could no longer bear the cold sweat that soaked his back.

Chang Gui whispered in his ear, "It's not hot today, Your Highness, you haven't gotten an upset stomach again like yesterday, have you?"

Yes, yes.

He nodded and made his escape.

As they sat down around the food table, Lin Yuan felt a pang of regret.

She should have said that this wasn't just about adding another pair of chopsticks; a small pot of chicken soup wasn't enough for so many people.

Xiao Xun can finish a whole pot of chicken soup by himself.

She still remembered that day, after she delivered the soup for the first time, Wang Lu, who usually only served in the Xuan Room, suddenly came to find her, handed her back the bronze vessel that had held the chicken soup, and said to her, "His Majesty said that the chicken soup was very delicious and he drank it all. Please have Palace Lady Lin make it again and send it over next time."

He paused, then said, "It doesn't have to be chicken soup. Something that doesn't need to be cooked, like dried meat, sashimi, or hot pot, is fine too."

Lin Yuan twirled the silk handkerchief around her fingers and suddenly felt that the handkerchief was even softer.

Xiao Xun was probably being considerate of her hand injury from cutting meat.

However, since he likes it so much, she doesn't mind doing it a few more times.

The bronze vessel that was returned contained only some scraps of chicken hanging on the wall and a few drops of broth.

They even ate all the wild ginseng.

Sure enough, despite the lack of welcome and greetings, Xiao Xun felt warm and at home amidst the steaming chicken soup, and sat down on his own.

Master He, who was with him, was so crowded that he couldn't even stretch his arms.

He couldn't get the seat next to Lin Yuan, and even the seat opposite him was taken by this overly familiar guest. His resentment rose up like the steam from a bowl of chicken soup.

Just as Lin Yu picked up the bowl in front of Lin Yuan, he snatched the lacquer dagger from the soup pot.

The bowl was filled to the brim with soup.

He served himself another bowl.

Looking up, he saw Lin Yu's own bowl and Xiao Xun's empty bowl both neatly arranged in front of him.

He threw down the lacquered dagger, splashing a few drops of angry soup.

"Come on, don't you have a childhood sweetheart?" He muttered to Lin Yu, then patted Xiao Xun on the shoulder and said loudly, "Don't be shy, Young Master Xiao. We are all guests, you are family. This place feels more like your own home than ours."

Lin Yu sensed the mischievousness in his words and chuckled to herself.

Xiao Xun, of course, did not stand on ceremony.

He hadn't moved for a long time, but then he suddenly realized that Li Shun hadn't come to serve him, and he didn't know what to do.

Li Shun followed behind Xiao Xun, and when he saw Lin Yuan in the distance, he wisely stopped following.

Previously, when Lin Yuan arrived at Xuan Shi Hall, it meant that he and everyone serving in Xuan Shi Hall could finally catch their breath.

Xiao Xun didn't like being disturbed by others when Lin Yuan came.

At this time, the majestic and solemn Xuan Room, which was almost lifeless, would come alive.

People at all levels felt relieved and smiled.

Li Shun smiled as he finally slept soundly for the first time in five or six days.

Even in his dream, after being dragged five miles by Ta Yun and then flogged fifty times by the Imperial Attendant, he still did not wake up.

While Xiao Xun was silently cursing him in his heart for "absent-minded and unreliable," Li Shun simply sneezed loudly, then lazily turned over and changed the tone of his snoring.

Lin Yuan turned slightly to the side, thanked He Ji, and deliberately glanced away from the awkwardly empty bowl in front of Xiao Xun.

Just as she told Wang Fu, "Once I leave the palace, I won't have to serve anyone anymore."

"It smells so good." Her face was shrouded in mist, but a smile appeared on her lips.

Lin Yu pulled her bowl in front of her.

"Ayu, what are you doing?" Lin Yuan complained. "Does Master He mean for you to steal your childhood sweetheart's soup?"

Xiao Xun watched the two of them with great interest.

"There's coriander in it. Aren't you afraid of getting a rash?" Lin Yu said with a smile. "By the way, didn't you make the soup yourself? You couldn't persuade Aunt Li to add coriander to it?"

"I'll just lend a hand and start the fire. Besides, I don't eat it, but what about other people who like it?" Lin Yuan said, pursing her lips.

In the past two years, she has gotten into the habit of adding a handful of coriander to her soup.

Her mother had told her that to make good food, you have to consider what the person eating it likes.

Mother didn't like coriander either, but Father loved it. Every time Mother made soup or cakes, she could only make two kinds. She would complain as she made them, but a smile was always in her eyes and brows.

Lin Yuan had only ever cooked for one person before. Since she didn't know their preferences, she tried adding coriander the first time.

He drank it all up.

She remembers it perfectly.

"A rash?" Xiao Xun's gaze towards Lin Yuan shifted from surprise to dejection.

In the sweltering heat, he saw that he had Lin Yuan sit down in the Zichen Pavilion, opposite him.

"Didn't you say that this warm and cozy atmosphere feels like home? If it's home, we should all sit down and eat together."

However, he was so focused on eating that he didn't pay attention to how much he had eaten, but he had obviously eaten quite a lot.

There was only a plate of coriander in front of him, and quite a bit of it was left. So he piled it all into Lin Yuan's bowl.

Lin Yuan was restless and declined repeatedly.

Xiao Xun curved his lips into a smile, waved his hand, and said, "Just think of it as your—" He swallowed the word "husband," "If your family members are serving you food, would you still refuse them like this?"

And so, he watched as Lin Yuan's eyes welled with tears of emotion, her face and neck gradually turning red.

"With me here, what's there to be afraid of getting a rash?"

He Ji waved his hand dismissively and said, "I'll prescribe a formula for A Yuan later. She can eat coriander every day after a few days."

"I'm not taking medicine," Lin Yuan said, both amused and exasperated. "Besides, why would I eat coriander every day?"

He Ji raised an eyebrow: "Won't this save us trouble later?"

"I'm not afraid of trouble."

She pointed to Lin Yu, who was intently picking out the coriander from the soup one by one, and smiled mischievously, "Anyway, this trouble isn't mine. He can pick it out for me."

He Ji let out a frustrated sigh.

His gaze turned to Xiao Xun.

"Is it because Young Master Xiao doesn't like coriander that he doesn't touch it?"

Xiao Xun's gaze lingered on Lin Yuan's face, her eyes and brows displaying a carefree smile, bright as a sword piercing him.

He shook his head: "I just remembered that today is New Year's Day. It is fate that I and everyone here are able to meet here on this day. It would be good to have some wine."

He Ji was feeling displeased, but upon hearing the word "wine," his eyes lit up: "Alright. I'll go get it. Since we've met by chance, let's drink until we're both drunk!"

Lin Yuan raised her eyes, a hint of hesitation in her expression.

"Are you still afraid of drinking?" Xiao Xun's lips curled up. Of course she wasn't afraid of drinking.

What I fear most is Xiao Xun after he's drunk.

Jade Mountain is about to collapse, and Lin Yuan is terrified that it will really collapse.

Xiao Xun had always preferred quiet and disliked being disturbed by too many people in the palace.

The eunuchs who served them walked silently, even holding their breath.

Nevertheless, he said, they would block the light, block the way, block... the air, the fresh air.

So, in the huge side hall, she was the only one being served.

Perhaps fearing they would block the faint light filtering in from outside, the people outside the hall also retreated to a great distance.

She is a woman, and although she has some strength, she probably cannot withstand the weight of a man who has come of age.

Moreover, her strength dates back to when she was six years old, when she led a pig with charred fur for several days and nights.

The pig was too tired to walk, so she dragged and pulled it along.

I still can't forget the respectful look that strangers under the same roof gave her and her pig.

Later, she also fed pigs, but those pigs were all kept in their pens and no longer needed to travel thousands of miles.

She picked up the book.

Gradually, she changed from a strong, lean body to a delicate, lean body.

She went from being delicate and graceful to being sickly and weak.

The sky collapsing and Xiao Xun falling down happened at the same time.

So much so that Lin Yuan didn't know whether to dodge or help. In her panic, she grabbed Xiao Xun's sash and pulled him outwards with all her might.

It got dark.

We returned to the chaos before Pangu separated heaven and earth.

Heaven and earth were dark and yellow, the universe was vast and boundless.

In the vast expanse, only a soft, crackling sound could be heard.

It wasn't Pangu's axe that was splitting the heavens and the earth.

The pearls and jade inlaid on the sash fell to the ground, one by one.

I could hear the sound; it had rolled away.

Lin Yuan came to her senses and was dumbfounded by her own immense power, wishing she could roll away with those beads.

Unfortunately, even if she held her breath and closed her eyes, she could not hide herself and escape.

A pair of arms were firmly wrapped around her sides, with veins showing on her wrists.

"what you up to?"

The sound descended from the sky:

"Do you want me to prove that there is no such thing as homosexuality?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan opened her eyes in shock.

He opened his eyes, then closed them again in horror.

Even with eyes closed, it's all in vain.

Xiao Xun's clothes, no longer bound by a belt, swayed loosely in the wind.

After she glanced at me, I lingered in her closed eyes.

The yellow silk undergarment was perhaps too smooth, causing the outer black garment to come loose and become half-loose as well.

The layers of collar and lapel scratched her forehead.

He scratched her cheek.

It tickled her heart through her two layers of clothing.

Dense and layered.

She could no longer distinguish whether it was the aroma of the wine or the smooth silk.

"I... I didn't mean it," she stammered.

"Just because someone is unintentional, does that mean they can think of people that way?"

Lin Yuan felt a pang of fear, her breath ragged, and her vision blurred slightly. "I... I mean, I didn't mean to tear your clothes."

After a long silence, Xiao Xun finally uttered a few words: "Even if you don't mean it, you can't tear someone else's clothes."

Lin Yuan blushed deeply: "I... I thought Your Majesty was drunk and had lost his balance, about to fall. So I wanted to help you up."

For some reason, even though it was the truth, it sounded somewhat like nonsense to her when she said it.

Aside from a dissolute scoundrel, who would immediately grab someone's waist? It was less of a support and more of a push than a pull.

As expected, Xiao Xun remained silent for a long time.

"So, do I look like I'm standing firmly now?"

Lin Yuan opened her eyes tremblingly and saw him standing with his hands on the windowsill.

Suddenly, she realized with a sense of dejection that if she really couldn't stand up, it would be like Mount Tai pressing down on her, and she obviously wouldn't be able to breathe properly here—she was only unable to breathe because of her embarrassment.

She nodded awkwardly.

"Then, let go, okay?"

The sound came from the sky again, like a deafening roar, as if Pangu's giant axe had cleaved Lin Yuan's head.

His soul flew out of his spiritual aperture and saw in the distance the woman, frozen in stone, clutching a jade belt in one hand and with the other hand on Xiao Xun's waist.

As for whether it was pushing, grabbing, supporting, or sticking, it's unclear.

The fallen fabric was piled up in layers on that hand.

She quickly let go; her fingers were burning hot.

It seemed that the skin she had just touched was also burning.

How much alcohol did he drink?

She looked up, her gaze sliding down his neck.

From his constantly bobbing Adam's apple to his rising and falling chest, and then to his taut waist and abdomen, every inch of his skin was flushed red.

It's like a fire, burning from top to bottom, inside and out.

"I just wanted to see how your head is structured."

Xiao Xun's voice sounded somewhat dry and hoarse from being scorched by the fire.

As he spoke, he straightened up, bent his fingers, and pretended to smash them down on Lin Yuan's head.

Lin Yuan dared not dodge, and closed her eyes briefly. The object that landed on her forehead was only a light tap, like a dragonfly skimming the water.

"The mountain has trees, and the trees have no branches; I love you, but you do not know. Are you truly unaware, or are you feigning ignorance?"

He gently rubbed his forehead, looking somewhat wistful.

"Huh? Know what?"

Xiao Xun looked into her bewildered eyes, smiled slightly, and sighed: "I mean, how did you know that the Yue man rowing the boat was a man?"

This question truly stumped Lin Yuan.

She had never been to Yue, where the customs might indeed be very different.

She lowered her head awkwardly, lost in thought.

In his mind, the image of the Yue man rowing the boat, with his bare chest and half-exposed shoulder, bearing Xiao Xun's face, lingered in his mind.

She felt dizzy, as if she had been on a boat.

Until they heard the voices of the Yue people.

"There are trees on the mountain, but no branches on the trees; I love you, but you do not know."

The voice then asked itself, "Is it true that I don't know, or am I pretending not to know?"

...Ah, no.

yes--

"What are you standing there for? Get dressed."

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Author's note: Coriander is the same as cilantro.

Lin Yuan: I think His Majesty is trying to mess with me.

Xiao Xun: Look, she's so moved, her eyes are brimming with tears, and her face is all red.