Chapter 84 What a bastard!
Lin Yan rested her head on Xiao Che's lap, squinting as she watched the clouds drift overhead. As time passed, the lunch in her stomach gradually went from heavy to comforting.
A spring breeze caresses the stream, bringing moist air and the scent of fresh grass. The sunshine is just the right warmth, making one feel lazy to the core.
Lin Yan sighed comfortably, like a cat that had been stroked to the extreme, and rubbed against Xiao Che's lap before slowly sitting up.
"After digesting our food, let's set off for a spring outing!" Lin Yan announced, extending his hand to Xiao Che.
Xiao Che readily grasped that hand, using it to stand up, but did not let go.
Lin Yan was happy to hold his hand; after all, this place was so remote that you couldn't see a ghost, so he might as well hold his hand.
The two strolled upstream along the babbling brook.
The further upstream you go, the narrower the river becomes, while the trees on both banks grow increasingly dense, their branches intertwined and almost reaching the water's surface.
As you walk along the riverbank, you're so close to the woods that you can hear the faintest sounds coming from inside.
At first, there was the rustling of leaves in the wind, interspersed with the occasional chirping of birds.
As Lin Yan walked, his ears twitched, as if he had caught something unusual, like a hushed whisper mixed with a faint laugh.
He instinctively tried to pull Xiao Che away.
Do not listen to or look at what is improper. It would be such a spoilsport if they stood in the way of a young couple whispering sweet nothings in the woods.
But just then, Li Defu, who was following behind Xiao Che, suddenly had a stroke of his professional habit. His ears were sharper than a rabbit's. Hearing the rustling sound, he instinctively asked warily towards the woods, "Who's there?"
The sounds in the woods suddenly ceased.
The deathly silence lasted for less than two seconds, followed by an even more frantic rustling sound, as if someone had been startled and jumped up, frantically trying to run away, but in their panic, they made an even bigger commotion.
"Jin Jiu." Xiao Che didn't even raise an eyebrow, only calling out indifferently.
The shadowy guards moved instantly, making almost no sound, and swept into the woods like a gust of wind.
A moment later, Kim Gu returned, followed by two pale-faced men with slightly disheveled clothes.
When Lin Yan saw one of the faces clearly, his pupils dilated, his mind went blank for a moment, and all that remained was six dots frantically scrolling through the screen.
Chu Ye?!
His good colleague in the Ministry of Revenue, the efficient and reliable Vice Minister Chu Ye?!
When Chu Ye saw Lin Yan and His Majesty the Emperor holding hands intimately on the shore, his expression was as if he had been struck by lightning and then thrown into an ice cellar. Shock, embarrassment, panic, bewilderment... all sorts of emotions intertwined, making his thin face a colorful tapestry, so vibrant it could be dyed.
Their eyes met in mid-air, and they both saw the same "Holy crap" and despair in each other's eyes: "What should I do? Is it too late to pretend I didn't see anything?"
The air was so thick it could kill someone.
Xiao Che, however, remained as steady as a mountain. His gaze swept over Chu Ye and the tall, deep-set man beside him who was clearly not from the Central Plains. His tone was as calm as if he were asking, "Have you eaten?": "What are you doing here, Minister Chu?"
If Lin Yan could have foreseen that Xiao Che would ask this question, she would have definitely pounced on him like a tiger and covered his mouth on the spot.
What else can they do?
Are you saying that you can go on a date but others can't?
Chu Ye's face instantly turned so red it could drip blood, and his toes probably dug out a three-courtyard house from his shoes.
His lips trembled for a long time before he finally managed to squeeze out a mosquito-like hum: "Your Majesty, your subject... your subject and his friends were here... here enjoying the spring scenery."
His voice was so weak that even he didn't believe it.
Xiao Che's gaze fell on the "friend," scrutinizing him: "And who is this?"
The tall man was more composed than Chu Ye. Although he was also nervous, he was able to maintain basic etiquette, cupping his fists in greeting. His accent carried a distinct northern flavor: "This humble subject, Helian Feng, greets His Majesty the Emperor of Dayu."
He glanced at Chu Ye, who was so nervous he was about to faint: "My family does business dealing in furs and medicinal herbs from the north and south. I am an old acquaintance of Zi Yao and Lord Chu."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Che nodded slightly and did not ask for further details.
He only needed to confirm that this person was harmless to Da Yu and was not a spy or someone with ulterior motives.
As for the private relationships between his subjects, especially such obviously unusual ones, he had no intention of delving into them.
"I see." Xiao Che's tone was even quite calm. "A spring outing is indeed an elegant affair. Please make yourselves at home."
These words were like a pardon, and Chu Ye and Helian Feng both secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
However, Xiao Che's next words made Chu Ye's heart jump into his throat again: "It is fate that we met today, Li Defu."
“This old servant is here.” Li Defu immediately stepped forward.
"I remember there is a pair of fine jade pendants with mandarin ducks in the storeroom. When you return, take them and send them to Minister Chu's residence as a small token of our appreciation to Minister Lin. May your friendship last forever." Xiao Che gave the order without changing his expression, as if sending a pair of pendants with obvious symbolism was the most normal thing in the world.
Lin Yan: "..." You, Xiao Che.
Chu Ye's face could no longer be described as red; it was a complex shade of color mixed with shock, embarrassment, and panic.
"Your Majesty, I thank you..." Chu Ye said, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth.
His Majesty the Emperor was so calm about being caught being intimate with another man. Is the Emperor really that accepting?
Oh, His Majesty the Emperor himself is a homosexual.
His love interest was none other than his colleague, Lord Lin!
If Minister Zhang knew that his left and right vice ministers were all homosexuals, he would probably think there was something wrong with the feng shui of the Ministry of Revenue's office.
Lin Yan was stunned for a long time. In a daze, he finally realized why he always felt that he and Chu Ye had a good chemistry at the Ministry of Revenue. It turned out that they not only had a tacit understanding at work, but they were also gay.
The two vice ministers of the Ministry of Revenue are both homosexual, this...
Lin Yan and Chu Ye are clearly thin-skinned, while Xiao Che and Helian Feng are clearly shameless.
Having received the reward from the Emperor of Dayu, Helian Feng bowed again, saying, "Thank you for your reward, Your Majesty."
His gaze swept quickly over Lin Yan and the emperor's clasped hands, then landed on Chu Ye's flushed ears, a faint hint of understanding and a subtle smile playing on his lips.
"No need for formalities." Xiao Che's tone remained calm, as if he had merely casually given her a handful of melon seeds, rather than a pair of jade pendants that could evoke many thoughts.
The atmosphere once again descended into an awkwardness so extreme it made one's toes curl.
Lin Yan felt she had to do something to stop this public execution.
He chuckled dryly, his voice distorted, "Haha, well, the scenery is truly beautiful, Your Majesty. Shouldn't we continue on our way? Lord Chu, Mr. Helian, please enjoy the scenery..."
Chu Ye felt as if he had been granted a pardon, nodding his head like a chicken pecking at rice: "Yes, yes, Your Majesty, please, Lord Lin, please, I will not disturb you any longer..."
After saying that, he practically dragged Helian Feng along, and they quickly disappeared back into the nearby woods, moving as fast as if a ghost were chasing them.
Only after the two figures completely disappeared into the depths of the dense forest did Lin Yan let out a long breath, feeling as if he had just run ten miles and was completely exhausted.
Lin Yan pressed her burning forehead against Xiao Che's shoulder, letting out a painful groan: "It's over, I'm too ashamed to face anyone. How can I face Chu Ye in the Ministry of Revenue from now on? Even a glance between us during meetings will make me suffocate."
Xiao Che raised his hand and patted his back reassuringly, his smile becoming more pronounced: "What are you afraid of? He also has something on you. It's fair that you both work together. In the future, you'll be able to be more open and cooperative in your work."
Lin Yan suddenly raised his head and said to Xiao Che with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, "Is this a matter of fairness? This is awkward! This is socially reprehensible!"
The more he thought about it, the more desperate he became, especially when he thought of the pair of jade pendants: "And Your Majesty! Why did you give me these jade pendants? And 'I and Lin Qing,' what's the difference between that and just saying 'Lin Yan and I are a couple, and I think you two are a couple too, we're all the same, right?'"
“Isn’t that right?” Xiao Che raised an eyebrow, asking with a confident tone, even with a hint of innocence as if to say, “Am I wrong?”
Lin Yan choked, defeated by this powerful logic and shamelessness: "Yes, but... oh dear!"
He ran out of words, then slammed his head back onto Xiao Che's shoulder, his voice muffled: "What's the difference between this and a public execution? Besides, Chu Ye looks like he's about to faint from fright."
"His ability to withstand pressure is acceptable," Xiao Che objectively commented, then his tone turned slightly somber, tinged with a hint of bitterness. "Moreover, he and that northern merchant were behaving intimately. My bestowal of the jade pendant was to save face for him, to show that I was aware of the situation and had no intention of blaming him. He should be grateful to me."
Lin Yan: "..."
Did you create the reading comprehension questions for the Chinese language exam, Xiao Che?
Big pig's trotter!
Lin Yan was speechless and could only weakly hum, "Then should I thank His Majesty for his great kindness on behalf of Chu Ye?"
"My dear minister, there's no need for such formalities," Xiao Che readily replied, tightening his arm around Chu Ye's waist. "I bestowed upon Chu Ye the jade pendant of mandarin ducks and peacocks, and I will not forget you, my dear minister. Once the new tribute jade arrives, have people make several more pairs of jade pendants, of all shapes and sizes, such as mandarin ducks, peacocks, and intertwined branches. Not one can be missing."
Lin Yan sighed, "Why are we comparing ourselves to each other?"
"Stop, stop, stop, let's not talk about it now, otherwise I'll keep thinking about the secret I stumbled upon about Chu Ye today." Lin Yan still has to go to work with Chu Ye.
"Alright, it really wasn't right to bother people." Xiao Che finally took pity on him, ending the topic and taking his hand. "Let's go, let's continue our spring outing, but..."
His gaze swept over Li Defu, who was trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, and he said, "What I saw and heard today..."
Li Defu immediately bowed: "This old servant did not see anything unusual while serving you today."
He shouldn't have spoken up; otherwise, he wouldn't have embarrassed Lord Lin so much.
Xiao Che nodded, and then started walking again.
Lin Yan was pulled forward, and looked back at the now silent woods, silently mourning for Chu Ye for three seconds.
It's bad enough that someone caught you having an affair during the Shangsi Festival holiday, but to receive a "coming-out certificate" gift from the emperor himself is just unfortunate.
Chu Ye, take care!
Lin Yan was unaware that meeting Chu Ye was a stroke of luck, as an even bigger "surprise" awaited him.
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