Chapter 38 Or is it... that he really likes me...?
Lin Yan huddled beside Xiao Che's dragon throne, feeling like a quail that had stumbled into a fight between wild beasts—weak, pitiful, and helpless.
He watched helplessly as Tan Yi, his beard trembling with rage, pointed at Wang Jie's nose, his finger barely 0.01 centimeters from Wang Jie's old face.
Wang Jie, on the other hand, looked as if he had suffered a great injustice and was about to stage an accident and fall to the ground.
Zhang Houpu frantically tried to signal Tan Yi with his eyes, attempting to tame this stubborn mule on the verge of exploding. Liu Wenhe, meanwhile, futilely advised, "When serving in the same court, harmony is paramount," his voice barely audible.
At this tense moment, when the air seemed to freeze—
"cough."
A soft cough came from the throne.
Tan Yi's arm, which was halfway through its swing, froze in mid-air, and Wang Jie's angry rebuke stuck in his throat.
All eyes immediately focused on Xiao Che.
Their emperor had already put down his teacup, his face calm and expressionless. Only his unfathomable phoenix eyes swept across the crowd below, carrying an invisible, chilling pressure.
"Have you made enough of a scene?" Xiao Che's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, revealing no emotion. "This is the Imperial Study, a place of great importance. What kind of behavior is this?"
Without harsh words or a stern expression, it was more intimidating than any roar.
Tan Yi snapped back to his senses, realizing his lapse in decorum. His face paled, and he immediately withdrew his hand, kneeling down with a thud: "Your Majesty, I have been disrespectful before Your Majesty! Please forgive me!"
Wang Jie quickly knelt down as well. Although he felt he was the victim, he still had to maintain the proper posture: "This old minister has lost his composure. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
Xiao Che didn't call out immediately. His gaze lingered on the two of them for a moment, as if he were weighing something.
Lin Yan held his breath. He guessed that Xiao Che was going to try to smooth things over, and the outcome would most likely be that both sides would be equally punished. However, based on his understanding of Xiao Che, he was sure that Xiao Che would compensate Tan Yi in private.
As expected, Xiao Che spoke slowly, his tone carrying an unquestionable "fairness" unique to emperors: "Minister Tan, it is good that you care about the border, but your behavior in front of the emperor was inappropriate and offended an old minister. You shall be fined one month's salary as a punishment."
Tan Yi bowed his head: "Your subject accepts the punishment."
“Prime Minister Wang,” Xiao Che turned his gaze to Wang Jie, “offering advice to the country is your duty, but your careless words have also angered your colleagues. Therefore, you will be fined one month’s salary.”
Wang Jie felt aggrieved, but dared not refute it. He could only kowtow and say, "This old minister accepts the punishment."
Lin Yan thought to himself that he was right after all. It was just that Wang Jie had taken a punch to the face from Tan Yi, which didn't look very elegant. In any case, Wang Jie had lost.
Hearing the gloating whispers in his ear, Xiao Che's lips curled slightly before he regained his composure and called out, "Someone come here."
Two guards entered in response.
"Help your two ministers up and send them back to their respective offices so they can carry out their duties properly," Xiao Che instructed, as if the conflict just now was merely a trivial incident.
Lin Yan silently mourned for Wang Jie for a second. He had to go to work even though his face was injured. Xiao Che was going to teach Wang Jie a lesson.
Wang Jie and Tan Yi were "invited" out by the guards, and the Imperial Study finally returned to silence, though a hint of awkwardness and tension lingered in the air.
Zhang Houpu and Liu Wenhe secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took their leave, disappearing faster than rabbits.
In the blink of an eye, only Xiao Che, Lin Yan, and Li Defu in the background remained in the vast imperial study.
Lin Yan then dared to slowly move out from behind the dragon throne, patted his chest, and let out a long breath.
[Thank goodness, I was almost accidentally injured.]
My new inkstone is fine, and my sandalwood pen holder is fine too. Thank goodness!
Xiao Che glanced at him, ignoring his little schemes, and simply said, "You've memorized it all?"
Lin Yan snapped back to attention and immediately returned to his small desk, picked up his pen, and sat up straight: "Your Majesty, I have noted it all down." Although the process was a bit exciting, he still managed to grasp the content of the argument—no, the core spirit of the meeting, the spirit of the meeting.
Xiao Che hummed in agreement, leaned back slightly, tapped his fingers lightly on the imperial desk, and his tone suddenly turned cold, carrying a resolute determination: "Regarding the Northern Rong, proceed according to the strategy in your draft. Marriage alliance? Absolutely not."
His voice was not loud, but every word carried immense weight, striking the silent hall: "The women of my Great Yu are precious, how dare those barbaric wolves covet them? Do you think you can buy peace with a woman and a few carts of money and grain? There is no such logic in the world."
Lin Yan was startled upon hearing this and immediately began to write furiously.
[The boss is awesome!]
This is what a wise ruler should be like!
[Give it a huge shout-out!]
"What's the point of talking about magnanimity and style when dealing with enemies?" Xiao Che sneered, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Strike while the iron is hot, that's the right thing to do. Can those empty words fill our stomachs? Can they be exchanged for food for the people of Da Yu?"
"No!" Lin Yan blurted out instinctively, then realized his mistake and quickly shut up, burying his head in his notes.
Well said! What kind of bullshit magnanimity is that? What's it worth?
Xiao Che didn't seem to mind his interruption and continued, "Draft an edict. First, reject the Northern Rong's request for marriage. Write it in a firm tone and don't be polite. Second, order the Ministry of Revenue to immediately form an accounting team to thoroughly investigate the accounts of the trade over the years and settle accounts with the Northern Rong one by one. Third, order the border guards to strengthen patrols and train their troops to create a strong impression for me."
"Your subject obeys the decree." Lin Yan wrote down Xiao Che's decree with lightning speed, already pondering how to write it in a way that was both forceful and dignified.
By the time Lin Yan finished recording, carefully dried the ink, and presented the draft decree to Xiao Che for review, it was already noon.
Xiao Che glanced at it, made some minor modifications, and handed it back to Lin Yan: "That's it. After polishing, make a formal copy and distribute it with an official seal."
"yes."
Xiao Che seemed to feel a little tired at this moment. He rubbed his temples and said to Li Defu, "Serve lunch."
Li Defu bowed in agreement and was about to leave to make arrangements when he heard Xiao Che add casually, "Add another set of bowls and chopsticks. Lin Qing, please stay and dine with us."
Lin Yan couldn't help but show his delight; he was going to get a free meal from the imperial court again?
...
Lin Yan sat down at the dining table with practiced ease, even casually moving Xiao Che's usual set of jade bowls and chopsticks closer to him, his movements as natural as if he were in his own dining room.
The palace servants lowered their eyes and quietly served the dishes, having long been accustomed to this scene.
The taro and braised pork were stewed until they were glossy and tender, the radish and mutton soup was steaming hot, the ginger and duck soup was fragrant, and there were also several seasonal side dishes, all laid out on the table.
"Your Majesty, the mutton stew is very tender today, please have a taste." As Lin Yan spoke, he naturally picked up the serving chopsticks, put a piece of soft and tender radish on Xiao Che's plate, and then precisely aimed for a piece of braised pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat for himself.
Delicious braised pork, with perfect color, aroma, and taste.
Lin Yan was wondering if Xiao Che could reward him with a royal chef in the future.
Xiao Che glanced at him, said nothing, picked up the radish and put it in his mouth. It was indeed stewed to perfection.
The two ate in silence, with only the slight clinking of bowls and chopsticks and Lin Yan's continuous, lively commentary in his mind.
This mutton soup is amazing! It has absolutely no gamey smell, and the warm, comforting broth makes you feel completely relaxed.
Ginger duck soup is also delicious; it has a strong ginger flavor but isn't spicy, and it's warming and nourishing.
Ah, this cabbage is also very delicious.
Xiao Che sipped his soup with elegant movements, listening to the chattering "mukbang" around him, and felt that today's food tasted even better than usual.
Li Defu stood to the side with his hands at his sides, his heart completely unmoved.
I'm used to it, I've been used to it for a long time.
This Lord Lin, when dining before the Emperor, went from being reserved and apprehensive at the beginning to now... well, feeling right at home, in a very short time.
If His Majesty is pleased, then we, as his servants, will simply watch.
Besides, His Majesty was happy to personally carry Lord Lin to bed, so what else is impossible?
Lin Yan ate to his heart's content. After enjoying the delicious food, he felt that he had recovered a lot of the brain cells he had used up in the morning.
He put down his chopsticks, took the warm tea offered by the eunuch to rinse his mouth, and then belatedly remembered the commotion in the imperial study and Xiao Che's earth-shattering words, "I also quite want to do that."
He secretly glanced at Xiao Che, who had also finished his meal and was wiping his hands with a damp cloth.
His Majesty the Emperor remained calm, as if he were not the one who had just watched his subjects fight with great interest and even wanted to join in.
Lin Yan suddenly felt that Xiao Che was actually very lonely. The words the two adults said when they were arguing earlier seemed to be his true feelings that he had revealed without thinking.
Xiao Che probably rarely reveals his true self in front of others, but he caught a glimpse of it for a moment.
Xiao Che tossed the handkerchief back onto the tray and looked up to meet Lin Yan's inquisitive gaze.
"What are you looking at?" Xiao Che asked indifferently.
Lin Yan was startled and quickly looked away, making up an excuse: "N-nothing, I just felt that Your Majesty seemed to have a good appetite today."
He couldn't very well say something as treasonous as, "Your Majesty, I think you are very lonely. Why don't I come and keep you company?"
Xiao Che snorted and ignored the question, instead saying, "The Northern Rong's decree will be drafted this afternoon. After I have reviewed it and found no errors, I will immediately send it to the Secretariat."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it as soon as I get back." Lin Yan immediately got to work.
"And one more thing." Xiao Che paused, as if suddenly remembering something, "Are you getting used to living in the house in Anxing Ward? If there's anything lacking, have the Imperial Household Department provide it."
Lin Yan quickly waved his hand: "It's nothing, it's nothing. Everything His Majesty has bestowed upon us is wonderful, we lack nothing, and my family is extremely grateful."
[It's more than just a habit; it's like a mouse falling into a rice jar and having its eyes opened.]
Xiao Che: "..." Don't compare yourself to a rat.
"If that's the case, then so be it." Xiao Che suppressed his speechlessness, stood up, and said, "It's getting late, you should go back and take care of your business."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave." Lin Yan bowed and withdrew from the side hall.
Stepping out of the Taiyi Hall, the warm afternoon sun shone down on him, and Lin Yan let out a long sigh of relief.
He glanced back at the magnificent palace, and the feeling that "the boss seems to be treating me a little too well" resurfaced in his mind.
They would bestow gifts, promote him, dine with him, and even inquire about his living conditions.
This is no longer an ordinary harmonious relationship between ruler and subject.
Lin Yan scratched his head, completely baffled.
So... why is that?
Did he save his boss's life in his past life?
Or is it... that he really likes my style of doing things?
I can't figure it out, so I'll just stop thinking about it.
Anyway, it's a good thing!
Lin Yan shook his head, casting aside those chaotic thoughts, and walked briskly toward the Hanlin Academy's duty room.
Draft the decree quickly so I can go home earlier tonight.
As for His Majesty the Emperor's little-known "hobbies" and "favorites"...
Lin Yan said that as long as the salary is sufficient and the house is large, he is fine with it.
After all, such a wonderful boss is hard to find even with a lantern.
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