Chapter 16 Could I be his lost son...?
Lin Yan held the fluffy Aman in his arms, with a brand-new, thick Persian carpet beneath his feet. The carpet was so thick that half of his ankle could sink in, and it was so expensive that it could buy ten breakfast stalls on Zhuque Street.
He sat in that ridiculously expensive rosewood armchair, feeling like a mannequin pinned to a luxury goods exhibition hall.
The imperial cat, Aman, was using his brand-new fifth-rank scarlet official robe as a scratching post, its claws hooking the gold-embroidered cloud and goose patch, making a soft "scratching" sound.
Lin Yan numbly lowered his head, looking at the few barely perceptible burrs on the valuable patch.
Well, the cat is an imperial cat, and the robe was bestowed by the emperor, so let's just consider it an internal matter.
His gaze swept over the large huanghuali wood desk in front of him, big enough for two of him to lie down on. On the desk hung several wolf-hair brushes on a rosewood brush holder, a warm and smooth jade brush washer, a shimmering agate paperweight, and the Duan inkstone that had just been enshrined as an ancestral offering.
The air was filled with the scent of new furniture wood, mixed with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus and the aroma of agarwood.
luxurious.
Ultimate luxury.
Lin Yan felt as if ants were crawling all over his back.
Something's not right.
Something's really wrong.
Lin Yan, an ordinary sixth-rank official, oh, now he's a fifth-rank official, what merit or ability does he have?
The emperor's series of moves left him seeing stars.
First, he was promoted to the position of Director of the Ministry of Rites, his salary doubled, his official landholdings increased dramatically, and his money flowed in like water.
Furthermore, meals and lodging were provided—they would stay in the side hall of Qingyi Pavilion, where imperial meals and tribute tea were plentiful.
Next comes emotional comfort—the Royal Cat Aman, fluffy and warm, is a cure for the depression of office workers.
Then came the hardware upgrades—a huanghuali wood desk, a zitan wood armchair, a Persian carpet, a mother-of-pearl inlaid display cabinet… This study's furnishings were even more extravagant than those of a high-ranking official.
Finally, there's the ultimate stationery item—the Duan inkstone! A precious gem that produces ink without damaging the brush and holds water without wasting it!
After this series of punches, Lin Yan felt like a scarecrow stuffed with gold ingots, heavy, swaying, and about to fall apart at any moment.
Why?
Lin Yan's mind was like a rapidly spinning abacus, rattling off a series of question marks.
Am I his lost son?
Lin Yan immediately rejected this outrageous idea; Xiao Che was only in his twenties and couldn't possibly have a child that big.
Could it be that he's after my father? My uncle? Or my family's meager connections?
Don't be ridiculous. His father was just a junior craftsman in the Ministry of Works, probably not even a minor official in the eyes of the emperor.
Lin Yan's gaze fell on A Man's pair of bright green, translucent cat eyes, which held a hint of disdain for all living beings.
Could it be... that His Majesty is Aman's biological father, and I am Aman's godfather, so he loves Aman because of his love for Aman?
Lin Yan was so shocked by her own wild idea that she shuddered and quickly shook her head.
Aman meowed in dissatisfaction and scratched the back of his hand lightly with her paw.
Having eliminated all the impossibilities, the remaining one...
Lin Yan's face scrunched up like a bitter gourd.
Workplace PUA?
New pressing methods?
First, feed him with sweet words, make him lazy and spoiled, let him get used to living in a nice house, eating in the imperial kitchen, petting the imperial cat, and using top-notch stationery. He'll feel uncomfortable without these things. Then, let alone working 996, he'll be grateful and continue working even 007. Because he knows that once he loses the emperor's favor, this wonderful life will instantly disappear like a bubble.
That's not necessarily true. If the emperor asks him to do something, he can't refuse; otherwise, he'll be doomed.
Lin Yan held the cat, utterly unable to understand what Xiao Che was after.
...
Taiyi Hall.
Li Defu stood in the shadows like an old tree stump, unusually lost in thought.
His eyelids drooped, and his mind was a jumbled mess, buzzing incessantly.
That Lord Lin from Qingyi Pavilion... isn't His Majesty's energy a bit too strange?
They share meals together every day; even if His Majesty marries an Empress in the future, he will probably not receive such treatment from her.
The imperial cat was given away without hesitation; it was His Majesty's most prized possession.
A promotion and a raise are only to be expected.
But the furnishings of this bedroom... rosewood, sandalwood, Persian carpets, Ru ware vases... the scale is almost on par with that of a prince!
And that Duan inkstone, there are only three of them in the storeroom!
Li Defu had lived in the palace for most of his life, following the late emperor from his pre-imperial residence to the current emperor's ascension to the throne. He believed he had seen all kinds of storms and understood all kinds of thoughts.
But His Majesty couldn't understand Lin Yan's approach; he really couldn't understand it.
This cannot be explained by simple favoritism.
Or has His Majesty suddenly changed his taste and now enjoys this kind of thing—the kind of thing where young ministers are flattered and at a loss, and then he fattens them up and continues to exploit them?
Li Defu was startled by his own disrespectful thought and broke out in a cold sweat, quickly extinguishing it.
But the doubt clung to his heart like a vine.
"Li Defu".
A clear, calm voice pierced through Li Defu's chaotic thoughts without warning.
Li Defu shuddered, his soul returning to its place in an instant. Looking up, he saw that His Majesty was already standing at the door of the Imperial Study. His black robes accentuated his tall and straight figure, and his phoenix eyes were looking at him calmly, without any emotion in them, yet it made the hairs on the back of Li Defu stand on end instantly.
He knelt down with a thud, his forehead hitting the cold gold bricks hard: "This old servant deserves to die! This old servant was distracted! Please punish me, Your Majesty!" His voice trembled.
It’s over!
Disrespect before the emperor!
He was caught red-handed by His Majesty!
Li Defu's heart sank to the bottom, and he felt the skin on his neck tighten.
Xiao Che didn't wake him up, nor did he immediately punish him. He simply looked down at the top of the man's gray head for a moment before speaking, his voice still devoid of emotion: "I called you twice and you didn't respond. What were you thinking about? You seemed so engrossed in your thoughts?"
Li Defu lay on the ground, cold sweat trickling down his forehead and into his collar, leaving it icy cold.
Would he dare say that he was trying to figure out His Majesty's feelings for Lord Lin?
He wouldn't dare even if he had a hundred lives!
"This old servant deserves to die! This old servant was confused for a moment, and when I thought of... when I thought of the rituals to be prepared for tomorrow's morning court, I lost my focus and disturbed His Majesty's presence. I deserve to die!" He could only make up a reason, his voice dry like sandpaper.
Outside the Imperial Study, all was deathly silent, with only the sound of the wind whistling softly through the eaves.
Li Defu could clearly hear his own heart pounding like a drum, each beat feeling like a countdown.
Just as he felt he was about to be crushed by this invisible pressure, Xiao Che's emotionless voice came from above: "Get up."
Li Defu felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He shakily got up, stood with his hands at his sides, and didn't dare to even breathe loudly.
Xiao Che's gaze swept over the still-shaken old man's face, and he suddenly asked a question, his tone as casual as if he were asking about the weather: "Were you just lost in thought, pondering why I am so generous to Lin Yan?"
Li Defu felt as if a thunderbolt had exploded in his mind, making his vision go black and his legs go weak, almost causing him to kneel down again.
Your Majesty... Your Majesty noticed?
His face was deathly pale, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word, only filled with terror and the despair of "I'm doomed."
Xiao Che looked at Li Defu's dazed expression, a faint interest flashing in the depths of his eyes.
He didn't care about Li Defu's speculation.
"No need to guess," Xiao Che's calm voice broke the suffocating silence. "There's no other reason."
He paused, his gaze seemingly piercing through the palace walls, landing on the figure in Qingyi Pavilion who was holding a cat and questioning his existence. He uttered four words: "I, the Emperor, simply like it."
Li Defu: "!!!"
He suddenly raised his head, his old eyes wide open, his mouth involuntarily agape, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to freeze instantly, solidifying into an extremely horrified and bewildered expression.
Do you like it?
Which one do you like?!
Is it His Majesty's appreciation and esteem for capable ministers? Just like His Majesty's fondness for Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Revenue, because Minister Zhang is good at making money?
Or...or is it that kind of attraction men have for women?! Like...like those in history books...
My God!
In that brief moment, Li Defu felt as if he had seen the late emperor and empress.
His Majesty said he likes Lord Lin?
He dared not ask.
I didn't dare ask a single question.
Li Defu stood stiffly in place like a puppet whose soul had been removed, with only his eyeballs vibrating wildly in their sockets, perfectly illustrating what it means to have "pupil earthquakes."
Xiao Che looked at Li Defu's completely petrified face and was somewhat speechless. He was a chief steward, after all, so why was he so frightened?
A note from the author:
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Ink-producing without damaging the brush, water-retaining without wasting – Mi Fu
As for how it actually works, we have no idea; we've never seen anything like it.
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