Chapter 25 Lin Yan: Screw you.
Lin Yan felt as if she had been stuffed into a drum called "socializing," and was being ruthlessly stirred up by life.
The hour of You (5-7 PM) had passed, and the sky had completely darkened.
Lin Yan shuffled out of the Ministry of Rites gate, feeling his steps were heavier than if he were going to visit a grave.
The Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Lord Zhou, hosted a dinner to celebrate his promotion, accompanied by several colleagues from related government departments. The venue was "Baiweilou," not far from the capital.
The name sounds simple and unpretentious, not some kind of extravagant den of iniquity.
Not eating at a luxurious restaurant or indulging in delicacies is certainly not against His Majesty's recent decree to "advocate frugality".
The reason was so plausible that the words of refusal swirled on his tongue three times before he swallowed them back down.
In the workplace, refusing to give someone face is considered inconsiderate.
The carriage stopped in front of Baiweilou Restaurant.
The storefront is small and the decor is ordinary; it really looks like a place to have a casual meal.
Lin Yan took a deep breath, put on a standard, slightly apologetic smile, and stepped inside.
The waiter led him to a private room on the second floor.
As soon as the door was pushed open, a wave of heat, a mixture of the aroma of food and wine and a certain worldly sophistication, rushed out.
"Oh my! Lord Lin, Physician Lin! We've been waiting for you!" Lord Zhou, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, immediately stood up from his seat, greeted him with a beaming smile, and grabbed Lin Yan's arm affectionately, as if afraid he would run away. "We've been waiting for you! Please, take a seat!"
This Mr. Zhou was about forty years old, with a fair complexion and a slightly plump figure. His eyes were always squinting, and he always had a hint of a smile before he spoke, making him look like a wealthy old man who was known for his amiable and prosperous character.
But Lin Yan had a gut feeling that this was a cunning old fox who had been mired in the grueling world of officialdom for many years, and was extremely slippery.
"Lord Zhou, you are too kind. I am late. Please forgive me." Lin Yan greeted him with clasped hands, while being half-pushed and half-forced to sit next to Lord Zhou.
A quick glance revealed that, just as Lord Zhou had said, the table was filled with nothing outrageous. It consisted of dishes commonly found in restaurants in the capital: roast goose, steamed fish, a few stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a steaming pot of mutton hot pot bubbling in the center.
The wine was already filled, and several white porcelain wine pots were placed on the table, emitting a strong aroma of alcohol.
Lin Yan's last glimmer of hope vanished instantly.
Liquor!
Or perhaps it's the ancient kind of white liquor with its unknown purity and potentially extremely potent aftereffects!
I thought you only wanted the power I held, but I never imagined you intended to take my life.
Lin Yanru was devastated, as if she had lost her parents.
God knows that before he transmigrated, what he hated most was drinking culture!
Those various drinking toasts, such as "If you don't drink, you're disrespecting me," "A deep bond is a deep drink," and "If you're a brother, drink this cup," always managed to get him into a lump of mud that could only laugh foolishly. The next day, he would wake up with a splitting headache, as if ten donkeys had taken turns kicking his brain.
I thought that time travel would free me from this nightmare, but I never expected that this wicked habit would even cross time and space to strike with precision!
Before he had even taken a couple of bites of food, Lord Zhou chuckled and raised his wine cup: "Come, come! Gentlemen, let us raise this cup together to congratulate Physician Lin on his promotion! Physician Lin is young and promising, and has won the Emperor's favor. He is sure to have a bright future and boundless prospects!"
"Congratulations, Lord Lin!"
"Please, Lord Lin!"
"This humble official will drink first as a sign of respect!"
The others at the table immediately chimed in, raising their glasses and focusing their gazes on Lin Yan, their faces beaming with a knowing, almost suffocatingly enthusiastic smile.
Lin Yan looked at the clear yet ominous liquid in front of him, felt his throat tighten, and his stomach began to protest.
He really wanted to say, "I'm allergic to alcohol," "I have to go back to the government office to work overtime later," "My mother is calling me home for dinner"...
But under Lord Zhou's smiling gaze, and under the silent watchful eyes of all his colleagues who thought "if you don't drink, you're disrespecting us," Lin Yan forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace and reluctantly picked up the wine glass.
"Thank you, Lord Zhou, and thank you all for your kindness. I...I am ashamed." His voice was hoarse as he tried to bluff his way out. "I have a low alcohol tolerance and cannot hold my liquor. May I..."
"Hey!" Lord Zhou immediately interrupted him, feigning displeasure and putting on a stern face. Then he smiled and spoke in a warm tone, as if he were coaxing his own nephew, "Doctor Lin is being disrespectful! Today is to celebrate your birthday, how can you not drink the first cup of wine? Just a sip, just a sip! That's enough!"
Immediately, a chorus of cheers erupted around them: "Yes, yes," "Lord Zhou is right," and "Lord Lin, there's no need to be so reserved."
Lin Yan cursed inwardly.
Drinking my foot! You guys are obviously repeat offenders!
Is a token gesture enough? Can't you just let me off the hook?
Lin Yan closed his eyes, steeled his resolve, and tilted his head back to gulp down the glass of baijiu.
The spicy liquid burned like a red-hot knife, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Lin Yan choked and coughed violently, tears streaming down his face. He felt as if his esophagus and stomach were screaming, "An assassin!"
"Good! Physician Lin is so straightforward!" Lord Zhou clapped his hands and laughed, as if Lin Yan had done something extraordinary.
Others joined in the cheers, instantly making the atmosphere even more "enthusiastic".
Lin Yan: Screw you.
One drink down, and it's like toppling the first domino.
The reasons given for urging someone to drink are endless.
"Please give me a toast, Physician Lin. I hope you will take good care of me in future official dealings between the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices!"
"Lord Lin, could you please be lenient with the budget of my Court of Imperial Sacrifices..."
"Brother Lin, I'll finish this, you can drink as you like!" Then the other person downed his drink in one gulp, staring intently at you.
"Oh dear, Lord Lin's face is all red, what a genuine man! Have another cup, this wine, the more you drink, the warmer you feel!"
The roast duck on the table is fake; the real roast duck is Lin Yan.
She was repeatedly burned until her whole body turned a deep, ripe red.
Lin Yan tried to trick them with tea, but was immediately discovered and was jokingly "punished" with three cups of tea.
Wanting to eat more vegetables to fill my stomach, I had just picked up a piece of food with my chopsticks when a new wine glass was offered to me.
I barely ate any food, but I'd already downed countless glasses of wine.
I feel dizzy, lightheaded, unsteady on my feet, and see double.
Well, he studied for so many years without any problems and now he has astigmatism.
The noisy commotion of toasting and laughter in the private room seemed to be muffled by a thick layer of cotton.
Lord Zhou's smiling face flickered before my eyes, his voice seeming to come from afar, carrying a coaxing tone: "Doctor Lin, you see, everyone is strapped for cash this autumn sacrifice, and our Court of Imperial Sacrifices is also in a difficult position. Those newly added blessing rituals are truly what the people want, and it's not easy to cut them. Could the Ministry of Rites be a little more lenient with the related expenses? Could you make the budget report a little more flexible?"
Someone immediately chimed in, "Yes, Lord Lin, we're all working for the court. There's no need to be so serious about such trivial matters."
"Rules are rigid, but people are flexible."
Lin Yan felt like his brain was a pot of paste boiled with alcohol, and his rationality was evaporating little by little.
He tried hard to concentrate, to bring out the sharpness he had shown in rejecting unreasonable demands at the yamen during the day, but his tongue seemed tied in knots, and his eyelids were too heavy to lift.
To be accommodating? To be flexible?
You just want me to inflate the budget, don't you?
Do you think I'm some kind of idiot like Zheng Jing?
His Majesty just executed the Marquis of Changping... and you... and...
His thoughts came in fits and starts, leaving Kade Lin Yan's mind in disarray.
Lin Yan shook his increasingly heavy head, wanting to refuse, but his voice was muffled: "Lord Zhou... this is not in accordance with the rules... the budget must... must be reimbursed for actual expenses..."
Lord Zhou's smile remained unchanged as he personally poured him another cup of wine, his tone even more amiable: "Doctor Lin is indeed dedicated to his duty and a promising young man! Come, let me toast you again, I admire your conscientiousness! However, beyond the rules, there's also the matter of personal relationships, isn't there? Sometimes, doing each other a favor is better for everyone..."
The wine glass was then placed into Lin Yan's hand again.
Looking at the swaying liquid, Lin Yan felt like he was about to put on a "fountain" performance on the spot.
Or maybe we should try our best and vomit all over them?
Just as his consciousness was about to be completely overwhelmed by alcohol and his defenses were about to crumble, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open from the outside with a "bang".
The loud noise instantly drowned out the noise inside the room.
Everyone was startled by the sudden commotion, and their drunken gazes all turned toward the door.
A man dressed in plain indigo-blue clothing, with an unremarkable face, stood at the doorway. His eyes were as cold as ice, and he exuded an aura of unapproachability that was completely out of place in this warm and inviting gathering.
His gaze was precisely fixed on Lin Yan, who was slumped in a chair, his eyes glazed over, and his cheeks flushed.
Lord Zhou was displeased that his good deed had been interrupted, but seeing that the other person's attire and bearing were not those of an ordinary person, he barely suppressed his anger and, maintaining his official air, asked, "Who are you? How dare you trespass..."
Before he could finish speaking, the man ignored him and walked straight to Lin Yan's side.
He first glanced at the messy wine jug on the table and Lin Yan's obviously drunk appearance, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Immediately, he reached into his robes and pulled out a token, neither gold nor wood, whose surface seemed to shimmer with a dark light under the dim light of the private room.
He displayed the token before Lord Zhou, his voice flat and emotionless, yet carrying an undeniable coldness: "The Golden Shadow Guard is handling this."
The crowd, who had been enthusiastically urging each other to drink, suddenly lost all color in their faces. They were sobered up instantly and stood frozen in place, not daring to breathe.
The Golden Shadow Guards! The Emperor's personal secret guards!
Lord Zhou's smile froze completely, his eyes twitched uncontrollably, and his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.
The Golden Shadow Guard—it was Jin Jiu—didn't care about their reaction at all.
He put away the token, bent down, and effortlessly lifted Lin Yan, who had slumped into a puddle and was still mumbling "I can't drink anymore... I really can't drink anymore...", from the chair like he was lifting a lamb to the slaughter.
"I'm taking him with me." Jin Jiu said this, half-supporting and half-dragging Lin Yan, and turned to leave.
Everyone was frozen in place, watching helplessly as Kim Gu led the person away. Even after the footsteps disappeared at the top of the stairs, the private room remained deathly silent.
Lord Zhou's legs went weak, and he slumped back into his chair, his face ashen. The wine cup in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter" and shattered into pieces.
The Golden Shadow Guard suddenly appeared and took Lin Yan away. Could it be that Lin Yan has lost the Emperor's favor so quickly?
So what was the point of all that time and effort he put in today?
Downstairs, Jin Jiu expressionlessly shoved the almost unconscious Lin Yan into an inconspicuous green-canopied carriage.
The carriage curtains fell, isolating the outside world.
The carriage did not head towards the Lin residence, but instead turned a corner and headed towards the foot of the imperial city, silently disappearing into the deep night.
Inside the carriage, Lin Yan slumped in his seat, his breath reeking of alcohol, his brows furrowed, as if even in his drunken stupor he was resisting that damned liquor.
Kim Gu sat opposite him, looking at him calmly.
His Majesty only instructed him to secretly keep an eye on the officials who came into contact with Lin Yan, but he never expected to run into such a thing.
This Physician Lin has a very low alcohol tolerance; he got drunk and unconscious after just a few cups.
Although no promises were made to any particular person, it would still be best to give an explanation before the Emperor.
The carriage wheels rolled over the empty streets, speeding towards the towering palaces.
A note from the author:
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Kim Goo is the good guy who helped His Majesty bring his drunken wife to him. [cat emoji]
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