Chapter 39 And all of this seems inescapable…
Lin Yan, filled with the joy of leaving get off work early, slipped out of the palace gate with light steps, feeling that the air was much fresher.
When I returned to the imperial residence in Anxingfang, the afterglow of the setting sun had just gilded the vermilion gate with a layer of gold.
Upon entering the main courtyard, he saw his mother, Wen Yun, sitting on the veranda, with several thick books spread out in front of her and several open chests piled up beside her. The abacus beads were clicking loudly, and her brows were slightly furrowed.
Wen Yun looked up, saw her son, and smiled, then sighed, "Indeed, His Majesty has been showering us with gifts these days—gold and silver ingots, leather and satin, and all sorts of other items. We have to register them all so we have a clear understanding of the situation. Add to that your and your father's salaries, and the rent collected from our official lands this year, and it's truly..."
She paused, as if startled by a certain number, tapped a spot on the abacus with her finger, looked up at Lin Yan with a dazed disbelief in her eyes: "Yan'er, guess how much cash our family can use right now?"
Seeing his mother's expression, Lin Yan pondered to himself that he knew the Emperor's reward was generous, but he really had no idea how much it was. He tentatively guessed, "Uh... five hundred taels?" In his eyes, this was already a huge sum of money, cash!
Wen Yun slowly shook her head and held up two fingers.
"Two thousand taels?" Lin Yan's voice was a little unsteady.
Wen Yun took a deep breath and lowered her voice, as if afraid of being overheard: "A full two thousand three hundred taels! And that's just cash; other valuables aren't included."
Lin Yan felt as if he had been hit on the top of the head by a huge golden pie, making him see stars and his ears ring.
This overwhelming wealth was truly unexpected.
Wen Yun looked at her son's stunned expression and couldn't help but laugh: "Are you scared out of your wits? When I first opened the box, my hands were shaking. His Majesty's favor is just too great."
Heavy? This is practically like throwing mountains of gold and silver at his house!
Lin Yan snapped out of her daze, her first reaction being, "That's wonderful! Mother, then Mo'er's dowry can be prepared even more lavishly. With a ten-mile-long procession of red bridal procession, let's see who dares to look down on our daughter!"
Thinking of his younger sister, Lin Mo, Lin Yan felt a warm glow in his heart.
That girl was sensible from a young age. She studied at her uncle's girls' school and could only come home a few times a year.
Upon hearing this, Wen Yun's smile broadened: "Yes, at least we can finally afford to prepare a decent dowry for Mo'er, so she can have a grand wedding."
She closed the ledger and said, "Speaking of Mo'er, she wrote the other day saying that the cold wave came early this year, and the school is worried that the roads will be difficult to travel, so the students will be allowed to go home more than half a month earlier than in previous years."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yan was delighted: "That's great! When will Mo'er arrive home? I'll go pick her up."
"It'll be in the next two or three days," Wen Yun said with a smile. "Not only Mo'er, but your cousin Wen Ke from your uncle's family will also be coming to stay with us for a while."
“Cousin Wenke?” Lin Yan rummaged through his memories and remembered this cousin. “Didn’t he miss the last imperial examination because he was observing mourning?”
"That's right. We've been waiting for three years. Now that the mourning period is over, it's just in time for next year's imperial examination. Your uncle's idea is for him to come to the capital in advance to get used to the place and prepare for the exam in peace. Our house is spacious now, so your cousin will have a place to stay when he comes. He can keep you two brothers company and exchange ideas on your studies."
Lin Yan didn't have a deep impression of that cousin Shen, but since a relative had come, he naturally welcomed him: "Of course, cousin, just relax and stay here. If you need anything, just let me know."
Looking at the spacious courtyard and the storeroom filled with gifts, he thought of his sister who would soon be reunited with him and his cousin who had come to prepare for the exam. A sense of peace and contentment enveloped his heart.
And all of this seems to be inseparable from that person—Xiao Che.
If it weren't for His Majesty's exceptional promotion and continuous generous rewards, his family might still be living in a rented house.
Lin Yan stroked his chin and began to reflect deeply. The boss had gone to such lengths, offering him a promotion, a raise, an apartment, furniture, and a nanny team. Shouldn't he reciprocate in kind?
Workplace etiquette dictates that you should reciprocate.
But... what gift should we give to the emperor?
Gold and silver jewelry?
Does the emperor really need his meager earnings? The imperial treasury might have better stuff piled up in a corner than his.
Antique calligraphy and paintings?
He doesn't know anything about art appreciation. If he gives you a fake, it'll backfire and you'll be in big trouble.
Lin Yan was caught in a deep dilemma.
What gift could he give that would express his sincere gratitude without being vulgar or obsequious, and would also allow His Majesty to feel his loyal and reliable heart?
Three days later, Lin Yan took a half-day off and excitedly went outside the city to pick up the person.
After waiting for a while near the city gate, a dusty, covered carriage with a green canopy came along the official road.
As soon as the carriage curtain was lifted, a young man in a worn blue shirt, thin in build, and carrying a book box jumped out. He was none other than his cousin, Wen Ke.
He turned around and carefully helped a girl wearing a pale yellow jacket and skirt and with her hair in two buns off the carriage—it was his younger sister, Lin Mo.
"Brother!" Lin Mo spotted Lin Yan waiting there at a glance. Her eyes lit up, and she ran over, lifting her skirt. Her cheeks were flushed, showing the fatigue of the journey, but more so the excitement of returning home.
"Slow down, slow down!" Lin Yan quickly went to greet him and took a small bundle from Wen Ke's hand. "Cousin, you must be tired from your journey."
Wen Ke appeared somewhat reserved, cupping his hands in greeting and saying, "Cousin Yan, thank you for coming to pick us up."
"No need for formalities among family." Lin Yan patted his shoulder with a smile, then looked Lin Mo up and down. "Hmm, you've grown a bit taller, but you seem to have lost weight? Were you being picky about food at your uncle's house?"
"No, not at all." Lin Mo smiled, but his eyes kept glancing at the carriage behind Lin Yan, which was obviously much more impressive than his uncle's carriage. "Brother, is this the carriage you hired? It looks really nice."
Lin Yan didn't mention that this was the family's carriage, which Xiao Che had arranged for Li Lianshun to provide, so it was naturally not shabby.
"Let's go home first. Mother has prepared lots of delicious food and is waiting for you." Lin Yan said vaguely, without saying anything directly or mentioning the house, intending to give them a surprise.
As the carriage entered Anxingfang, the surrounding scenery became increasingly magnificent and imposing. Lin Mo clung to the carriage window, his eyes widening.
"Brother, have we gone to the wrong place? This seems to be where high-ranking officials and nobles live, doesn't it?" Her voice was uncertain.
Even Wen Ke, who had been silent, looked surprised and couldn't help but look out the car window.
"We're on the right track, almost there." Lin Yan suppressed a laugh.
When the carriage finally stopped in front of that magnificent vermilion gate, the plaque above the gate was still empty, but the stone lions and the neatly standing gatekeepers in front of the gate said it all.
Lin Mo got out of the car and looked at the grand mansion in front of her. Her mouth gaped open, completely dumbfounded. She subconsciously grabbed Lin Yan's sleeve: "Brother, where is this? Aren't we going home?"
Wen Ke stood to the side, looking somewhat at a loss. The mansion in front of him was clearly beyond his understanding of the "Lin family".
Lin Yan finally couldn't help but laugh. He took the things the doorman handed him and said to the two of them, "You've come to the right place. This is our home. Come in, your mother is waiting."
It wasn't until he entered the courtyard, passed through the covered walkway, and saw Wen Yun come out to greet him after hearing the commotion, that Lin Mo finally believed that the magnificent mansion with its carved beams, painted rafters, and spacious courtyard was truly his home.
"Mother!" She rushed over, hugging Wen Yun's arm, both surprised and confused. "What's going on? How did we end up here? How much money did this cost?"
Wen Yun stroked her daughter's hair affectionately and said with a smile, "This is a house that His Majesty bestowed upon your brother. It didn't cost our family a single copper coin."
"A reward from His Majesty?" Lin Mo was even more shocked, turning sharply to look at Lin Yan, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Brother, aren't you working in the Ministry of Rites? How come..."
There were some things that were not easy to say in a letter, so Lin Yan never mentioned Lin Mo's promotion in his letters to Lin Mo, nor did he mention how many good things Xiao Che had given him.
Wen Yun held her daughter's hand and walked inside, explaining, "Your brother is now a scholar in the Hanlin Academy and often serves His Majesty. His Majesty has been very kind to grant him this house so that he can easily enter and leave the palace."
Hanlin Academician!
These words left Lin Mo completely bewildered, and she looked at Lin Yan as if he were the protagonist of some legendary novel. Her brother, is he really that amazing?
Wen Ke followed behind, listening to these words, his face also showing shock, and his gaze towards Lin Yan was filled with more admiration and envy.
The position of Hanlin Academician was an extremely prestigious and coveted post, something that countless scholars dreamed of.
Lunch was prepared in abundance. Although Lin Chengji was still at the Ministry of Works and had not yet returned, the family reunited, and the atmosphere was exceptionally warm.
Wen Yun kept serving food to Lin Mo and Wen Ke, feeling both heartache and emotion as she looked at her daughter, who had clearly lost some weight.
"In the blink of an eye, Mo'er has grown into a young lady." Wen Yun sighed softly, her eyes full of love and reluctance. "She's almost at the age where she should be getting married, and I really can't bear to part with her."
Lin Mo blushed and muttered softly, "Mom, why are you saying this? I'm still young."
"What do you mean 'little'? You've already had your coming-of-age ceremony." Wen Yun gave her a reproachful look, but her tone was soft. "Before, our family's conditions were ordinary, and we were always afraid of making you suffer. Now, thanks to your brother, we can finally prepare a grand dowry for you. But the thought of you marrying into another family makes my heart..."
As Wen Yun spoke, her eyes reddened slightly.
When the family was poor, they only hoped that their daughter could find a good husband. Now that they are rich, they are even more reluctant to part with her and wish they could keep her for a few more years.
Lin Yan put down her chopsticks upon hearing this and said seriously, "Mother is right. Mo'er is still young, so there's no rush. Our family doesn't expect to climb the social ladder through marriage. We must choose carefully, choosing a family with upright values, good character, and who knows how to cherish people. If in the future... just in case, I mean just in case, that family dares to treat Mo'er badly."
He snorted, with a touch of the "official air" of a Hanlin scholar: "As the older brother, I'm the first to object!"
Listening to her mother and brother's words, Lin Mo felt both warm and bittersweet. She lowered her head, her eyes slightly reddening.
Wen Ke ate his meal quietly, listening to the family's casual conversation. He felt the warmth that remained unchanged despite the Lin family's sudden wealth, and his heart was touched.
After the meal, Wen Yun led Lin Mo and Wen Ke to the courtyard they had been arranged to rest.
Lin Mo looked at her spacious boudoir, which was fully furnished and even contained several pieces of brightly colored fabric that were clearly newly cut. She was as happy as a little sparrow, touching and looking at everything.
Lin Yan stood under the eaves, watching his younger sister's happy expression, and his heart was filled with a sense of satisfaction.
All of this was indeed thanks to Xiao Che.
The idea of sending gifts to the emperor resurfaced, and this time with even greater conviction.
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Author's Note: No joke, seeing those idiot colleagues at work makes me want to write them into a novel and then go on a rampage [crying emoji]
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