Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Let his father's spiral fart run wild! ...
Lin Yan and Chu Ye were engrossed in working on the mountain of family account books in the Ministry of Revenue, the abacus beads clicking loudly.
The air was filled with the musty smell of old paper and the faint scent of ink from Chu Ye. Lin Yan felt like he was being pickled by these centuries-old accounts.
This is my 101st reflection: before time travel, I was making PowerPoint presentations for my unethical boss; after time travel, I'm settling messy accounts for my emperor boyfriend's eccentric relatives. The life of a corporate slave is still life.
Just as Lin Yan was rolling his eyes at the outrageous bill of a certain prince, a servant from the Lin family rushed in, panting and stumbling, his face as white as a freshly painted wall.
"Young...Young Master! Something terrible has happened! At the gate of the mansion, at the gate of the mansion..." The servant was running so fast that he could barely speak.
Lin Yan put down the account book in his hand, poured a cup of water for the servant, and handed it to him: "What happened at home? Tell me slowly."
The servant drank some water, then gasped for breath, finally managing to clear his tongue: "There's a rogue, with a matchmaker, shouting at our gate, saying, saying..."
The servant hesitated to speak, then lowered his voice and said, "They said our young lady gave him a handkerchief as a token of their love, and that he and the eldest young lady are in love and he insists on coming to the manor to propose! He also said that the eldest young lady has no one else but him! A lot of people have gathered around to watch the spectacle!"
A surge of anger shot from the soles of Lin Yan's feet straight to the top of his head.
That's a load of bull!
Although his sister was a bit lively, she was still a proper young lady from an official family. She was always accompanied by maids and servants when she went out, and her manners were extremely strict. How could she possibly let such a lowlife get close to her? And even give him a token of love? It's an absolute joke!
This is clearly aimed at ruining her sister's reputation.
Lin Yan immediately thought of the Rongyang County Lady who held a grudge after Xiao Che stripped her of her title. Apart from that old lady, the Lin family had not offended anyone else recently.
Chu Ye, who was standing nearby, understood what was happening and immediately slammed his hand on the table, his thin face full of anger: "Outrageous! In broad daylight, how dare he slander the reputation of an official's daughter! Brother Lin, I'll go with you to meet this madman!" He said, and was about to roll up his sleeves and rush out.
Although Lin Yan was so angry that his liver hurt, his mind was still clear. He grabbed Chu Ye, who was about to explode, and said, "Brother Chu, wait a minute. If you go out in this official robe and argue with a street ruffian, even if you win, you will only be using your official position to oppress the people. You will not gain anything, but you will only give others a handle to use against you."
Chu Ye was taken aback. He looked at himself, and his feverish mind cooled down: "Are we just going to let him spew nonsense like that?"
"Of course not." Lin Yan released him, his eyes cold. "Dealing with this kind of trash who dares to come to our door with a rag and extort money, there's no need for you, Minister Chu, to get involved personally, lest you get your hands dirty."
Chu Ye was worried, so he asked a colleague to help him and Lin Yan ask Zhang Houpu for leave and go home with Lin Yan.
The carriage sped along, its wheels rumbling rapidly over the cobblestones.
Lin Yan sat in the car, his face ashen, his fingers unconsciously clenching.
Looking at Lin Yan's cold and hard profile, Chu Ye couldn't help but say, "Brother Lin, how do you plan to deal with this? It's probably impossible to reason with this kind of person."
Lin Yan twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a cold smile: "Reason? What reason is there with this kind of person? Since he dared to come, he's just taking advantage of the fact that we officials have face and won't dare to do anything to him. He hopes to force us to accept this marriage in order to keep the peace so that he can rise to the top and live off his wife."
You've been watching too many short dramas, thinking that all the beautiful women in the world are so easily snatched away by toads?
The Lin residence was not far from the Ministry of Revenue's office, and the carriage sped along the street to the street where the Lin residence was located.
Sure enough, from afar, a large crowd could be seen gathered in front of the mansion gate, pointing and discussing, as if watching a grand show.
In the center of the crowd, a man dressed in a worn-out silk shirt, barely passable as a decent person, was waving a light red handkerchief, shouting with spittle flying, "This is the young lady of this house! We are deeply in love and have secretly pledged our lives to each other. This handkerchief is our token! Look at the embroidery, the material—can an ordinary family afford this? It's clearly something belonging to a noblewoman. Miss Lin and I are deeply in love and have already consummated our marriage. Who else could she marry but me? Today I've brought a matchmaker to formally propose marriage. Let me in!"
Sure enough, a heavily made-up matchmaker stood next to him, chiming in: "That's right! I've been matchmaking for decades, and I've seen plenty of love affairs. Now that Miss Lin is already with our young master Wang, we should hurry up and make it happen, so as not to let it get out and sound bad, right?"
The onlookers buzzed with discussion, some disdainful, some just curious, and others skeptical.
Lin Yan's carriage stopped on the outskirts of the crowd. He took a deep breath and said to Chu Ye inside the carriage, "Brother Chu, stay in the carriage and don't get out."
After saying that, Lin Yan pushed open the carriage door, jumped off the carriage, pushed through the crowd, and walked step by step toward his own gate.
The steward, as if seeing a savior, rushed forward and said in a low voice, "Young Master, you're finally back! Madam and the young master aren't here, only Miss is inside. This old servant was afraid of startling Miss, so I didn't dare let her come out."
Lin Yan nodded, indicating that she understood.
His gaze swept coldly over the still-shouting man and the matchmaker.
When the man saw that the person in question had arrived, a young and handsome official, his arrogance not only didn't diminish but became even more overbearing. He practically shoved his handkerchief in front of Lin Yan's face: "You're Miss Lin's brother? You've come at the right time. Quickly bring your sister out. She and I are in love, and we'll arrange the marriage today!"
Lin Yan ignored the handkerchief that was almost pressed against his nose, and didn't even glance at it. He simply looked the man up and down, and then let out a sneer.
"You said you and my sister are in love and have secretly pledged your lives to each other?"
The man puffed out his chest: "Of course!"
"Oh." Lin Yan nodded, his tone as indifferent as if he were asking about the weather. "Then let me ask you, when and where did you meet my sister? Who was there to witness it?"
"Huh?" The man was clearly not expected that the first question would be this. He hesitated for a moment, and his eyes began to dart around. "It was...it was a few days ago, when I was...when I was out for a spring outing outside the city, that I met him!"
"A few days ago? Which day exactly? Where outside the city? There were so many people going on spring outings, how come you two were the only ones who hit it off?" Lin Yan asked one question after another.
"I...I can't remember the exact date! Anyway, we just met! Can't it be love at first sight?" The man started to argue irrationally.
"Love at first sight?" Lin Yan laughed speechlessly. "Fine, then when my sister goes out, she is always accompanied by maids and servants. You said you secretly pledged your lives to each other and exchanged tokens. Were her maids and servants there at the time? Who were they? Point them out, or say their names, and I will call them over for questioning immediately."
Sweat began to bead on the man's forehead, and he stammered, "At that time, it was just the two of us... She... she told the servants to leave..."
"Avoid her?" Lin Yan seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. "In broad daylight, in front of everyone, she's an unmarried daughter of an official family, and she expects you, a complete stranger, to dismiss everyone else and be alone with her, even giving her a handkerchief? What kind of family do you take the Lin family for? And what kind of person do you take my sister for?"
The crowd immediately buzzed with excitement.
"Yes, the Lin family is a scholarly family with strict rules!"
"This scoundrel is clearly spouting nonsense!"
"They dare to come to your door and extort money with a handkerchief they stole or picked up from who-knows-where? They're heartless!"
The man was rendered speechless by the questioning, his face flushed red, and he stubbornly argued, "Anyway, anyway, this handkerchief is hers! That's the proof!"
"Evidence?" Lin Yan sneered. "A light red handkerchief that can be bought anywhere, embroidered with the most common pattern, and you say it belongs to an official's daughter? I could say you stole it. You're just making baseless accusations, without any specific time or place, without any witnesses, and you dare to slander the reputation of an official's family based solely on a handkerchief of dubious origin?"
Lin Yan stepped forward, closing in on the man, his aura suddenly becoming extremely oppressive: "Do you know what the punishment is according to the Great Yu Code for falsely accusing, framing, and ruining someone's reputation? Especially when the person being falsely accused is a family member of an official of the court, the punishment is doubled. Do you want to go to the yamen jail and taste the taste of the cane?"
The man was forced to retreat under Lin Yan's barrage of questions, his forehead dripping with cold sweat, yet he remained stubbornly defiant, waving the light red handkerchief and shouting in a fierce but ultimately weak voice, "You, you're trying to scare me! This handkerchief belongs to Miss Lin! You officials are just trying to bully people and deny everything!"
The matchmaker beside them chimed in, trembling, "That's right! How could this token be fake?"
Lin Yan looked at their foolish, stubborn way of not admitting their mistakes until they were faced with a dire situation, and laughed in exasperation.
He slowly and deliberately took out a plain Hangzhou silk handkerchief from the sleeve pocket of his scarlet official robe.
The handkerchief was made of a fine and smooth material, and it shone with a soft luster in the sunlight. Several sparse bamboos were embroidered in silver thread at the edges, which was elegant and unique. The stitches were so fine that they were almost invisible.
"Bullying others with your power? Denying your debts?" Lin Yan lightly flicked the handkerchief in her hand, displaying it to everyone, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Open your eyes and see clearly. This is what my Lin family owns—Imperial Hangzhou silk, the work of palace embroiderers. The one you're holding..."
Lin Yan glanced at the light red handkerchief the man was clutching and scoffed, "Where did you buy this from? How dare you use it to impersonate an item belonging to an official's daughter?"
He stepped forward, his gaze sweeping across the man's pale face like an icy blade: "You keep saying this handkerchief was a gift from my sister, then I'd like to ask, is this handkerchief also a royal gift? If it is, where did you get it? Did you steal it or rob it? That would be an even bigger crime."
"Imperial silk?"
"Good heavens!"
"Trying to extort money from someone using imperial silk with just a rag? You've lost your mind!"
The man and the matchmaker were struck dumb. Looking at the handkerchief in Lin Yan's hand, which was clearly of a much higher quality, and comparing it to the one in their own hand, they turned ashen-faced and began to tremble violently.
Facts speak louder than words; this is a resounding slap in the face.
The man's hand went limp, and the tattered, light red handkerchief fluttered to the ground.
At this moment, he no longer cared about the idea of marrying a swan; he just wanted to get away from this troublesome place as soon as possible, so he grabbed the matchmaker and tried to squeeze into the crowd.
"Trying to run?" Lin Yan's eyes sharpened, and he called out, "Jin Jiu!"
Before the words were even finished, a dark figure appeared silently behind the man and the matchmaker like a ghost. Before anyone could even see the movement, they heard two cries of "Ouch!" and the two of them were pinned to the ground with their hands tied behind their backs, unable to move.
Lin Yan strode forward, looking down at the two people slumped on the ground like mud: "Didn't the person who summoned you tell you that I, Lin Yan, am not only the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, but also a favorite of the Emperor?"
"My lord, spare me! My lord, spare me!" The man was terrified, tears streaming down his face, kowtowing repeatedly. "I was blinded by greed! Someone gave me fifty taels of silver to put on this show and ruin Miss Lin's reputation! I knew nothing about it!"
The matchmaker also cried out, "This old woman only came after receiving twenty coins! Your Honor, please understand, this old woman has nothing to do with it!"
Lin Yan frowned in disgust, too lazy to listen to their howling anymore. He waved his hand at Jin Jiu: "Gag them and take them to the Jingzhao Prefecture. Tell the Prefect that someone is deliberately slandering the family members of a high-ranking official. There may be a mastermind behind it. They must be thoroughly interrogated!"
"Yes." Kim Gu replied succinctly, then pulled out two pieces of cloth from somewhere and neatly stuffed them into the mouths of the two men, lifting them up like chicks.
After dealing with the two scoundrels, Lin Yan turned to the still-gathering crowd. The coldness on his face instantly vanished, replaced by a gentle and slightly apologetic expression. He instructed the steward, "Steward, fetch some money and distribute it to our neighbors. Today, our family has suffered this undeserved calamity, disturbing your peace and making you all laugh at us. Although my sister was innocently humiliated, it is still not something to be proud of. I hope that you neighbors will, out of respect for me, refrain from spreading this incident, lest it become a rumor and spoil the atmosphere."
The steward immediately responded and went to fetch a tray of copper coins and silver coins, which he politely distributed to everyone.
The common people had only come to watch the spectacle, but they never expected to receive such a benefit. Moreover, seeing how polite and considerate the young Vice Minister Lin Yan was, without any airs of officialdom, their goodwill towards him increased even more.
Combined with the terms "Vice Minister of Revenue," "favorite of the Emperor," and "Imperial Gifts of Silk" that they had just heard, who would dare to gossip? They all patted their chests and guaranteed it.
"Don't worry, Lord Lin! We all know what's important!"
"I would never say such a thing!"
"Thank you for the reward, sir! You are truly a good official!"
After receiving the money and instructions, the crowd dispersed, satisfied and keeping their mouths shut.
The storm has finally subsided.
Lin Yan stood there, looking at the mansion gate that had suddenly become quiet, let out a long sigh of relief, and rubbed his temples.
Damn it, that old lady has already been stripped of her title and she's still so arrogant and domineering. She can just bribe people with money and they dare to cause trouble at his doorstep.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Chu Ye jumped off the carriage and walked to Lin Yan's side: "Brother Lin, do you know who's behind this?"
Lin Yan nodded and didn't hide it from Chu Ye: "On my way back to the city on the Shangsi Festival, I met an old lady from the clan. That old lady didn't respect Agula and Qimuge and tried to bully them. I intervened and she threatened me at the time."
However, Lin Yan was not a malicious person like the Lady of Rongyang. Moreover, the emperor had ordered a thorough investigation of the imperial clan, and the members of the imperial clan all wanted to hide like cowards. Who would have thought that someone would go crazy and rush in?
Chu Ye was speechless after hearing this: "This kind of person is too shameless. If you ask me, you should go to the palace and inform His Majesty, and let His Majesty help you get revenge."
Lin Yan teased Chu Ye, "Aren't you nervous now that His Majesty is mentioned?"
Chu Ye feigned anger: "Brother Lin, you've gone too far."
Lin Yan smiled.
He was naturally going to find Xiao Che. Simply informing him wasn't enough; his sister was also Xiao Che's sister, and he needed to make Xiao Che give his sister a proper venting of her anger.
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