Chapter 86 What day is it today? How do I get there...?
Lin Yan's ears burned from Xiao Che's teasing. She forced herself to break free from Xiao Che's embrace, her eyes darting around as she said, "Let's go, let's go. It'll be dark if we dawdle any longer."
Xiao Che released his hand, but his gaze remained fixed on Lin Yan's reddened earlobe, making no attempt to hide his direct look.
Instead of returning along the original route, they took another road to make it easier to get back to the official road.
Lin Yan's strategy guide was completely ruined. Plans can't keep up with changes. Who could have predicted that he would not only stumble upon his colleague's private affair but also almost have them get married on the spot?
He simply stuffed the paper into his sleeve, thinking with a "what's the use" attitude: whatever happens, happens. Anyway, being with Xiao Che is fine, even if I'm just sitting by the roadside watching ants move house.
Before reaching the official road, this road was much quieter, with almost no tourists. Only the sounds of birdsong and streams could be heard, and the wind rustling through the bamboo forest could be heard.
As I walked, I could faintly hear a commotion of laughter and chatter ahead, indicating that there were quite a few people there.
Lin Yan instinctively wanted to pull Xiao Che away; he had already received enough "surprises" today.
However, before they could turn around, after passing a dense grove of green bamboo, the view suddenly opened up before them.
On a relatively open, gentle slope by a stream, a dozen or so well-dressed young men were gathered, clearly of high status and wealth.
They sat or stood, scattered along the winding artificial stream. The water was clear, and small wooden trays, each holding a wine cup, floated on the surface, drifting slowly with the current.
Clearly, this group of wealthy idlers were playing the ancient game of floating wine cups on a winding stream.
The appearance of Lin Yan and Xiao Che did not immediately attract their attention.
These people were having a great time, their attention was entirely on the wine glasses that were floating around. Occasionally someone would take a glass and drink it all, which would elicit laughter or cheers. The atmosphere was lively but a little noisy.
Lin Yan pulled Xiao Che along, subconsciously slowing her steps, trying to quietly bypass them from the edge.
He had no interest in the entertainment activities of these top playboy circles in the capital, and he didn't want to join in the fun. If a few of them recognized Xiao Che, the situation would be difficult to handle.
The two tried to keep a low profile and slowly made their way along the edge of the slope.
As they got closer, the laughter and chatter of those young masters could be clearly heard.
At first, there were a few lines that could barely be considered "poetry," such as "spring water is as green as blue" and "willow catkins dance in the wind." The level was barely at the elementary school stage, and there were even some nonsensical lines.
Soon, the forced elegance crumbled, and the conversation quickly veered towards a guide to eating, drinking, and having fun in Beijing.
"If you ask me, the roasted mutton at Babaolou is the best! The cooking time and the seasonings are absolutely amazing!"
"Tsk, what's the point of roasted mutton? It's all greasy and fishy! If you want to try something fresh, you have to go for the steamed shad at Wangjiang Tower. That's what you call a seasonal delicacy!"
"You lot are so vulgar! The new musician at Spring Breeze Pavilion is truly a master! One strum of his fingers, and oh my, my bones feel like they're melting..."
"Come on, what's so great about listening to music? A new cockfighting arena just opened in the West Market, that's real excitement! I'll take you there next time!"
"Cockfighting? Vulgar! If you ask me, it's much more interesting to go to a pleasure boat on South Lake for drinks and entertainment. With beautiful women by your side and the scenery of the lake and mountains, that's true enjoyment!"
Lin Yan's lips twitched slightly upon hearing this.
Goodness, is this the daily life of the top second-generation elites of the Great Yu Dynasty?
The discussion ranged from the declining quality of restaurant food to the rating of brothel shows, and finally settled on "which teahouse has the most vulgar and entertaining storytellers."
It's really... plain and unadorned, and boring.
He secretly glanced at Xiao Che beside him.
His Majesty the Emperor's face was expressionless, but the hint of disdain in his eyes was almost tangible.
Lin Yan quickly tugged at his sleeve and gestured with his eyes: Hurry up and go, if you keep watching, I'm afraid you won't be able to resist deposing a few people's fathers on the spot.
Xiao Che withdrew his gaze and shook his head almost imperceptibly, clearly feeling a sense of despair towards this group of people.
It seems that large-scale shading should indeed be phased out gradually.
The two reached a consensus and quickened their pace, eager to leave this "elegant gathering" filled with the smell of alcohol and superficial conversation.
Fortunately, the group of young masters were so engrossed in their game that no one noticed a group of "uninvited guests" quietly passing by in the distance.
Having just left this noisy place and stepped back onto the quiet, tree-lined path, Lin Yan breathed a sigh of relief, only to see a small group of people gathered by the roadside ahead, with faint sounds of arguing drifting from them.
Lin Yan: "..."
What day is it today? Why is there trouble wherever I go?
That shouldn't be the case. On the Shangsi Festival, a day suitable for spring outings, it's not advisable to go out?
Lin Yan looked at Xiao Che, asking with his eyes: Take a detour?
Xiao Che frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the gathered crowd, as if trying to figure out what was going on.
Just then, a slightly shrill female voice rose and pierced through the noise: "You think you're right for scaring the child to tears? You're tall and strong, and you're not dressed like an ordinary person, how can you be so unreasonable? Apologize to my grandson right now!"
Immediately afterward, a more stubborn female voice with a distinct foreign accent retorted without backing down: "It's not my brother's fault that he looks fierce. It's your own fault for being cowardly. You didn't pick up the crying child and comfort him, but instead blamed us? Why should you apologize!"
Um?
That voice sounds familiar?
Lin Yan paused, exchanged a glance with Xiao Che, and both saw the same guess in each other's eyes.
Xiao Che nodded slightly to the person behind him.
Jin Jiu, who had been following like a shadow at a distance, immediately understood. He flashed and silently approached the group of people. A moment later, he retreated like a ghost and whispered, "Your Majesty, Prince Agula of the Northern Rong and Princess Qimuge have gotten into a dispute with an old woman. The reason is that the old woman's grandson was frightened by Prince Agula's appearance and cried incessantly, demanding that Agula apologize. Agula refused, and Princess Qimuge is arguing with him."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yan realized it was indeed them.
The brother and sister had been staying in the capital of Da Yu for some time now. Apart from Agula's crazy outburst at the palace banquet where she publicly proposed to him, they were usually quite well-behaved and kept to themselves. Lin Yan had almost forgotten about their existence.
I never expected to run into them in the suburbs today, and it always ends in a dispute.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Che frowned even more deeply.
Jin Jiu added, "That old woman is the Princess of Rongyang. Her father was the youngest son of the late Prince Rong. In terms of blood relation, she is a distant relative of Your Majesty."
Lady Rongyang? Xiao Che went through the list of imperial clansmen in his mind before he could barely make up the name.
An old lady who, relying on her negligible royal bloodline, loves to put on airs and cause trouble.
Lin Yan also heard Jin Jiu's words and understood.
So she was an old lady from the royal family. No wonder she was so arrogant, daring to point her finger at the Northern Rong prince and demand an apology.
Agula was, after all, a prince of the Northern Rong and the Prince of Guiyi of Dayu. Even ordinary officials and their families would have to be polite to him.
This old lady was probably used to being arrogant, and seeing that the other party was a "barbarian," she took him even less seriously.
Agula, with his typical Northern Rong temperament, was straightforward and believed that men shouldn't cry. He didn't think it was his fault that the child was frightened to tears, and he considered it a great humiliation to ask him to apologize.
Although Qimuge was more tactful than his brother, he would never back down when it came to the face of his elder brother and the Northern Rong.
The two sides are now locked in a stalemate.
As the emperor, Xiao Che naturally could not directly appear in such a situation to handle such a trivial quarrel, especially since the other party was a female member of the imperial family, which could easily give others cause for criticism.
Lin Yan volunteered: "Your Majesty, let me go and take a look. We can't let them keep making noise on the official road and blocking the way. It's not right."
Xiao Che nodded: "Let Jin Jiu protect you."
"Hmm." Lin Yan straightened his robes, took a deep breath, and put on a gentle yet aloof official expression as he walked towards the group of people.
Kim Gu followed silently, maintaining a distance that allowed him to protect the person at any time without drawing too much attention.
When the onlookers saw someone approaching, they instinctively made way for him.
Lin Yan walked into the circle and saw Agula with a livid face and heaving chest, clearly very angry. Qimuge was standing in front of his brother, arguing heatedly with an old woman wearing a crimson brocade jacket with peony patterns, adorned with pearls and jade, and with an arrogant expression.
The old woman was holding a little boy, about four or five years old, who was sobbing.
"What's going on? Such a commotion on the official road, what kind of behavior is this?" Lin Yan's voice was not loud, but it carried a natural official air, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
Upon hearing the voice, the Lady of Rongyang turned around and saw that it was Lin Yan who had come. She immediately became more confident: "Lord Lin, you've come at the right time. You be the judge. This barbarian scared my grandson to tears. I asked him to apologize in a polite manner, but he still dared to glare at me. What kind of justice is this?"
Qimuge immediately retorted, "It's clearly your child who's cowardly! My brother Wang stood right here without moving, and he cried as soon as he saw it. What does it have to do with us? Instead of quickly taking the child away, you keep pestering us and demanding an apology. We didn't come to Dayu to be humiliated!"
Agula muttered under his breath, "No apology!"
Lin Yan felt a headache coming on; it was all this trivial stuff.
Has this Rongyang County Lord still not figured things out after living so long? Agula really apologized, but war between Dayu and Beirong is about to break out. What will happen then?
He first looked at Qimuge and Agula, nodded slightly as a greeting, and then turned his gaze to Rongyang County Lady, speaking in a calm tone: "So it is Rongyang County Lady. I am Lin Yan, and I greet you, County Lady."
Hearing Lin Yan's polite manner, the Lady of Rongyang's expression softened slightly, revealing a hint of smugness in her voice: "Oh? You recognize me? In that case, tell me, wasn't it them who were being rude?"
Lin Yan didn't respond to her words. Instead, he looked at the child in her arms who was still sobbing and softened his voice, saying, "Your Highness, the young master is crying because he's frightened. It's more important to comfort him first. There are many carriages and people coming and going on the official road. It would be bad if he got frightened. Why don't you have the nanny take the young master to the side to rest?"
The Lady of Rongyang was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Lin Yan to not directly judge right or wrong, but instead to care about the child first.
She instinctively tightened her grip on her grandson, but her tone remained firm: "I will comfort my grandson, but this matter must be made clear, and they must apologize!"
Lin Yan rolled her eyes inwardly; this old lady was truly impervious to reason.
Maintaining a polite smile, Lin Yan's voice turned slightly colder: "Your Highness, in my opinion, the matter is clear. Prince Agula did not commit any offense. He simply has an unusual appearance and is naturally frightened by his childlike nature. The prince and princess did not intend to frighten you, nor have they done anything wrong. So why should they apologize?"
Lin Yan glanced at the people around him who were listening intently, and said meaningfully, "It is understandable that the princess loves her grandson, but it is a bit unreasonable to force a prince who has done nothing wrong to apologize for this. Moreover, Prince Agula and Princess Agula have come on behalf of the Northern Rong, which concerns the relations between the two countries. If word gets out that the princess is so insistent on an apology, those who know will say that the princess loves her grandson dearly, but those who don't will think that our Great Yu clan is abusing their power and mistreating our guests from afar. Princess, don't you think that makes sense?"
These words not only clarified Agula's identity but also invoked the diplomatic relations between the two countries, and implied that her improper behavior might damage the reputation of the royal family and Dayu.
Lady Rongyang was so choked up that her face turned pale and then red. She had only met Lin Yan once and had never interacted with him before. She had no idea that Lin Yan was so sharp-tongued and that every word he said hit the nail on the head.
Of course she knew that Agula was a prince of the Northern Rong with a title, but she was used to acting arrogantly because of her royal status, so how could she take a "barbarian" hostage seriously? Now that Lin Yan had exposed her in public, she immediately felt embarrassed.
The whispers of the surrounding people could be faintly heard, and they all seemed to agree with Lin Yan's words.
The Lady of Rongyang felt utterly humiliated and, in her anger and embarrassment, disregarded everything else. Pointing at Lin Yan, she shrieked, "Well, Lin Yan! You've gained some face in front of His Majesty, so you dare to lecture me?"
She grew angrier with each word, her voice rising higher and carrying a clear threat: "Do you know who I am? I am the Princess of Rongyang, a member of the imperial clan listed in the imperial genealogy, and of the same lineage as His Majesty! Today you have disgraced me for the sake of two barbarians, do you know the consequences? Don't think that just because His Majesty favors you now, you can act with impunity. Believe me, I'll make sure you regret it later! You have a younger sister, right? And your mother... Hmph!"
The atmosphere instantly turned icy as soon as he said that.
Qimuge and Agula were both stunned, clearly not expecting this old woman to be so shrewish and domineering, daring to directly threaten an official of the imperial court and his family.
The smile on Lin Yan's face vanished instantly.
He originally just wanted to settle things peacefully, quickly put an end to this mess, and have everyone go home.
But this Lady Rongyang actually dared to threaten him with her sister and mother?
Lin Yan's eyes suddenly turned cold. He stepped forward, his gaze sharp, and the gentle aura around him vanished, replaced by a sense of oppressive dominance.
"Your Highness," Lin Yan's voice was chillingly cold, "What did you just say? I didn't hear you clearly, could you repeat it?"
Lady Rongyang was startled by his sudden change in demeanor and instinctively took a half-step back. However, she quickly straightened her back and, though outwardly fierce, repeated, "I said, you've offended me today, and I'll make you pay! Your sister and your mother..."
"Very good." Lin Yan interrupted her, "I have heard and remembered what you said, Princess."
His gaze swept over the equally frightened commoners around him, as well as Qimuge and Agula, whose expressions changed slightly, before finally settling back on the bewildered face of the Rongyang County Princess. He slowly said, "I'd like to see how the County Princess intends to make me suffer, and how she will 'take care' of my sister and mother."
Lin Yan leaned forward slightly, taking a step closer, and stared at the face of the Princess Rongyang: "Princess Rongyang, we shall wait and see."
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