Chapter 97 We cannot lose!
Lin Yan has been living a very fulfilling life lately, perhaps even a little too fulfilling.
He was like a wound-up accounting machine, and he and Chu Ye plunged headlong into the mountain of old, flawed accounts of the imperial clan, spending over a month on it.
For centuries, these imperial relatives and nobles had been living off the imperial court's stipends, using their privileges to annex land and manage businesses, keeping their accounts completely at their own discretion. They probably never imagined that an emperor would no longer tolerate these relatives and would take action against them.
While Lin Yan and Chu Ye were complaining, they also thought of something else: these members of the imperial family might not really understand what the Ministry of Revenue did, and might think that the officials in the Ministry of Revenue were just sitting around doing nothing.
Unfortunately, the emperor they encountered was Emperor Xiao Che, who also appointed Lin Yan and Chu Ye as his work partners.
"Look at this." Lin Yan picked up an account book, pointed to the blurry ink blots and obvious signs of alteration, and complained to Chu Ye, "The Anguo Duke's order for purchasing stone is almost as expensive as gold. Are they planning to use gold stones to build their ancestral tombs? And this order, the amount of charcoal purchased for winter, is enough to smoke the entire household into cured meat!"
Chu Ye helplessly spread his hands: "Inflating prices, exaggerating quantities, and even forging items are common tricks. Look at this garden renovation expenditure. The list of craftsmen attached to it even includes the name of an old carpenter who has been dead for three years. It's truly a masterpiece."
Lin Yan exclaimed in disbelief, "Good heavens! They dare to use underworld laborers? Aren't they afraid of ghosts knocking on their door in the middle of the night demanding their wages?"
While the two were ranting and raving, they also categorized and organized the verified evidence into a clear list.
These proposals would always appear on Xiao Che's desk as quickly as possible.
Xiao Che acted extremely quickly.
Lin Yan and his team had just thoroughly investigated the messy affairs of a certain prince and duke in the morning when the emperor's decree arrived in the afternoon.
Most of the members of the imperial clan who were investigated suffered the same fate as the former Lady Rongyang.
The account was banned, benefits were revoked, and everything was stripped away, causing him to fall directly from the top and become an ordinary citizen.
Initially, some members of the imperial clan, relying on their seniority or past relationships, tried to enter the palace to plead for mercy. Some even went so far as to make voodoo dolls at home to curse Xiao Che for being cruel, ungrateful, and disregarding family ties.
"Xiao Che, you brat! He's trying to uproot our imperial clan!"
"Your Majesty! Please open your eyes and see!"
"They only embezzled some silver and seized some land; is it really necessary to go to such lengths to exterminate them?"
Curses rose and fell, but Xiao Che didn't care at all.
The Golden Shadow Guard recorded everything that was said and who insulted whom, but Xiao Che simply smiled at the record.
He is the emperor of Dayu, bearing the heavy responsibility of the entire nation. If he doesn't even have the courage to deal with these idle members of the royal family who only leech off the country, what kind of emperor is he? He might as well abdicate and find a beautiful place to retire.
Even for members of the royal family who want to live a life of wealth and ease, it's not so easy.
Xiao Che then issued another decree: anyone found to have embezzled or defaulted on payments to the national treasury must repay the principal within a specified period, plus interest; those who fail to repay by the deadline will have their property confiscated.
As soon as the imperial edict was issued, chaos erupted throughout the capital.
Those former royals who had just been demoted to commoners had not yet recovered from the blow of losing their privileges when they faced an even crueler reality—they had to pay back the money.
They are extravagant and live beyond their means, so where would they find the cash to cover such a huge deficit?
Some people want to renege on their debts or delay payment.
But Xiao Che was clearly prepared.
Once the deadline arrives, the Imperial Guards will come directly to the door and confiscate the property!
The once bustling mansion was sealed off, and all the gold, silver, valuables, furniture, and other valuables inside were registered and confiscated to pay off debts.
Cries, curses, and pleas for mercy echoed in front of those once-prosperous mansions.
Lin Yan occasionally passed by, looking at the mess, but felt little sympathy.
If he were to sympathize with these people, he would be betraying the books he had read in his two lifetimes.
When not working, Lin Yan devoted all her energy to another "major research project".
It has to be said that Helian Feng is indeed quite something. His extensive travels around the country have not been for nothing. He has a wide network of connections and unconventional methods. When Chu Ye asked him to find some art books, he managed to pack up a whole box full of various schools, styles, and themes and delivered them to Lin Yan's house without anyone noticing.
When Lin Yan received the box, he acted like a thief, afraid that his family would find out what was inside. He carefully carried it back to his room, hid it under the bed, and even made some disguises.
Fortunately, the Lin family has strict family rules, and no one would touch his personal belongings without reason, so this box of "treasures" was safely stored.
When the night was deep and quiet, Lin Yan would light a lamp and secretly begin to study.
This research opened the door to a new world.
It turns out that the ancients were just as imaginative and expressive in this regard!
The various compositions, artistic conceptions, and even some "knowledge points" that he had never heard of before made Lin Yan blush and his heart race, while at the same time he was full of wonder.
After gaining a great deal of theoretical knowledge, Lin Yan's confidence began to swell to an unprecedented level.
It's time to put these theories into practice.
He decided to move into the palace and show Xiao Che what he was capable of!
Lin Yan had already made plans. Tomorrow was a day off, so he didn't have to go to work and didn't have to worry about the situation of "the spring night is too short and the sun rises too high, so the emperor will not hold court in the morning."
Tonight, he's going to have a good fight with Xiao Che and avenge his previous humiliation!
Filled with unwavering determination and brimming with theoretical knowledge, Lin Yan strode confidently into the palace.
Upon arriving at the Purple Extreme Palace, Lin Yan discovered that Xiao Che seemed to have just finished his work.
"Your Majesty," Lin Yan said, trying to make his tone sound natural yet slightly suggestive, "may I stay in the palace tonight?"
Xiao Che looked up at him, a knowing smile flashing in his eyes: "Good, I couldn't be happier."
He stood up and naturally took Lin Yan's hand: "Perfect timing. There is a hot spring pool behind the Ziji Palace. I don't usually use it, but thinking that you will often stay overnight in the future, I had it cleaned up and filled with hot spring water. Hanzhang, you can try it today to relax."
Hot springs?
Lin Yan's eyes lit up.
Is this for real? This is the perfect place to enhance fun and put theoretical knowledge into practice!
Lin Yan's inner self was already itching to try, but on the surface he had to remain calm: "Your Majesty is so kind, then I will give it a try."
The palace servants had already prepared everything.
The side hall where the hot spring pool is located is filled with steam. The pool is not particularly large, but it is spacious enough. It is made of white marble, and some fresh flower petals float on the surface of the water, emitting a faint fragrance, which immediately enhances the atmosphere.
Lin Yan mentally gave Xiao Che a thumbs up; her boyfriend was quite sensible.
He waved away the palace servants, happily took off his clothes, and slid into the warm pool.
The water temperature was just right, soaking my skin and seemingly dispelling much of the fatigue from checking accounts for days.
Leaning against the poolside, eyes closed, I enjoyed the moment while mentally reviewing the tactics I would use later.
Just as Lin Yan was soaking in the water, feeling relaxed and having a mental battle between himself and others, wondering whether to launch a direct attack or to outflank the enemy, he suddenly heard a soft splash.
Lin Yan was startled and suddenly opened her eyes.
The water rippled, and Xiao Che came down!
And what's more! Xiao Che was only wearing a pair of underpants!
Those firm, flowing muscle lines, broad shoulders, a lean waist, and the V-line faintly visible underwater... Under the misty water vapor and hazy candlelight, the impact was simply off the charts.
Lin Yan's eyes widened instantly, his brain froze on the spot, and all the theoretical knowledge he had reviewed was instantly wiped out. Fortunately, he remembered to raise his hand and touch his nose.
Yes, no unnecessary liquids came out.
Xiao Che seemed oblivious to Lin Yan's dazed gaze and calmly waded into the water to approach him.
The water rippled gently with his movements, brushing against Lin Yan's skin and sending a slight shiver down his spine.
"Is the water suitable?" Xiao Che's voice sounded somewhat low and hoarse in the steam, with a unique magnetism.
Lin Yan nodded subconsciously, her throat a little dry: "It's...it's suitable."
Xiao Che had already walked up to him, so close that they could feel each other's breath.
Water droplets slid down his strong chest and disappeared into the water, as if dripping onto Lin Yan's heart.
"Hanzhang's face is very red." Xiao Che reached out and gently touched Lin Yan's burning cheek. "Is the water too hot?"
Lin Yan shrank back, her heart pounding like a drum: "Yes, a little."
"Is that so?" Xiao Che chuckled, wrapping his arm around Lin Yan and bracing himself against the pool wall, trapping Lin Yan between himself and the pool wall. "Didn't you just say it was suitable?"
His gaze fell on Lin Yan's skin, which was flushed red from the heat. His deep eyes appeared particularly dark in the steam, and within them flickered a flame that Lin Yan both knew and feared.
Lin Yan felt like prey being targeted. He wanted to fight back, but found his limbs were weak and he had forgotten all his skills. All that was left was his primal panic.
"Your Majesty..." Lin Yan tried to regain his composure, but his voice was incredibly soft.
Xiao Che's fingertips slid from Lin Yan's cheek to his chin, gently lifted, and leaned down close, their noses almost touching: "Han Zhang came to the palace today, didn't you come specifically to see me? Why, are you shy now that you've seen me?"
Lin Yan's face flushed even hotter after her thoughts were exposed, but she stubbornly retorted, "Who, who's shy? I was just making a tactical observation!"
"What did you observe?" Xiao Che's lips almost touched his, their breaths mingling.
Looking at the handsome face so close to his, and that superb physique that was impossible to ignore, Lin Yan's mind went blank. His remaining "theoretical knowledge" finally broke through his shame. He made up his mind, reached out and hooked his arm around Xiao Che's neck, and took the initiative to kiss him.
We can't lose!
The kiss was somewhat urgent, which made it all the more alluring.
Xiao Che was clearly not expected Lin Yan to do this so suddenly. His body stiffened slightly, and then a dark fire suddenly ignited in his eyes. He took the initiative and deepened the kiss.
The water temperature seemed to be rising, and the ripples were becoming more intense.
The petals were stirred, sticking to the skin of the two people pressed together, and then sliding off with the movement.
Lin Yan was kissed until he was dizzy and disoriented. In his dazed state, he felt that the techniques he had learned seemed to be useful, yet also seemed to be completely useless.
Faced with absolute power and the desire for control, his little tricks were like pebbles thrown into the ocean, only creating a few ripples.
As they got into the swing of things, someone started fooling around in the hot spring.
Water became both the best medium and the biggest obstacle.
The slippery feel and the effect of buoyancy made everything somewhat out of control, yet exceptionally stimulating.
Water splashed everywhere, and the sounds of panting and suppressed moans mingled with the water's spray, echoing in the empty hall.
Lin Yan was pinned against the edge of the pool, the warm water reaching his chest, with Xiao Che's hot, firm chest and irresistible force behind him.
He tilted his head back, his eyes unfocused, and flower petals, damp and clinging to his forehead and cheeks, made him look pitiful.
Xiao Che was aroused by his passionate yet awkward appearance, his attempts to resist yet his inability to resist, and his movements inevitably became somewhat uncontrollable.
In the very end, Lin Yan was practically paralyzed in Xiao Che's arms as he was carried out of the hot spring.
He was so tired he didn't even want to move his fingers. He had only one thought in his mind: the gap between theory and practice was too big. Xiao Che didn't need to learn at all; he was born that way.
Xiao Che carefully dried the water droplets off Lin Yan's body with a soft cloth. Looking at his drowsy yet unwilling expression, he couldn't help but chuckle and placed a few gentle kisses on his ear.
"Hanzhang's research has been very fruitful." Xiao Che's voice carried the satisfaction and pleasure of a hearty meal. "I have benefited greatly from it."
Lin Yan hummed twice: "Xiao Che".
"Hmm?" Xiao Che responded.
"Xiao Zhaolin." Lin Yan buried her face in Xiao Che's chest. "You're so naughty."
The road to revenge is long and arduous.
Xiao Che chuckled softly: "Is Hanzhang not enjoying it?"
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