Chapter 3, Chapter 3: This "secret guard" is really something else...
At the third quarter of the hour of Yin (3:45 AM), all was quiet, even the crickets were yawning from sleepiness.
Lin Yan felt like an old computer that had been forcibly turned on, with every step accompanied by a groaning, laggy sound.
Otherwise, we should just put it on Zhuanzhuan (a second-hand marketplace app) for recycling.
Squeezing himself into the carriage that looked like it was about to fall apart at any moment, Lin Yan stood ramrod straight, like a javelin stuck in the carriage—afraid that if he wasn't careful, his head would tilt to the side, messing up his meticulously combed hair and earning him the crime of "disrespecting the emperor," which would implicate his whole family.
The carriage rumbled along the empty, silent street, the sound exceptionally clear. Each bump struck Lin Yan's fragile nerves precisely, his eyelids feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds. Only the three bloody characters "Exterminate Nine Generations" kept him clinging to his last breath, preventing him from performing a full prostration on the spot.
The palace gates revealed their massive and silent outline in the thick of the night, like a lurking beast.
As soon as Lin Yan stepped out of the carriage, the vibrations still lingering on his feet, a figure dressed in indigo eunuch attire emerged like a ghost from the shadows of the side gate.
"Lord Lin?" The newcomer's voice was not loud, but had the high-pitched quality unique to eunuchs. His face was covered with a perfectly measured, respectful smile. "This servant, Li Lianshun, has been waiting here for Lord Lin for a long time on His Majesty's orders."
Li Lianshun?
Oh, his father said that this Li Lianshun is the adopted son of the chief eunuch Li Defu, and he is someone who cannot be offended.
"Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Li." Lin Yan took out a purse and offered it to him.
It's not a lot of money, but the sentiment needs to be expressed; it's a matter of attitude.
Li Lianshun accepted the silver with a smile: "Lord Lin, please come with me."
Following Li Lianshun through a series of imposing palace gates, Lin Yan was like a robot with a pre-programmed sequence of movements, keeping his eyes straight ahead and his steps measured, but his peripheral vision still involuntarily swept over the outlines of those majestic palaces.
The eaves and brackets appeared as blurry silhouettes in the dim morning light, the huge chiwen (mythical beasts) silently squatted at both ends of the roof ridge, the long palace road seemed to have no end, and the high vermilion walls on both sides made it hard to breathe.
It's magnificent and spectacular, but also...tiring on the legs.
Lin Yan numbly thought that the designer of this palace must not have considered the commuting problem of office workers.
After walking for an unknown amount of time and taking countless turns, my calves began to tremble in protest. Finally, we stopped in front of an exceptionally magnificent hall with a long dragon-tail path leading to it. A huge plaque hung above the hall's entrance: Taiyi Hall.
"Lord Lin, please wait here for a moment. This servant will go and inform him immediately." Li Lianshun bowed and quietly retreated into the hall.
Lin Yan stood in the empty square in front of the palace. The morning breeze, carrying the chill of late autumn, made his official robes flutter.
He looked like an unlucky student being punished, eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought, while the little devil inside him was frantically calculating how long it had taken to get from the palace gate to here, and how long it had taken to be announced…
Your Majesty, do you know how precious a day off is to sleep in? If you convert that into working hours, how do you plan to pay the overtime?
Despite his thoughts, Lin Yan knew perfectly well that overtime pay was impossible.
Just as Lin Yan felt he was about to freeze into a human-shaped popsicle and perform a "falling face before the Emperor" on the spot, Li Lianshun finally floated out again, his standard smile unwavering: "Lord Lin, His Majesty has summoned you. Please come with me."
Lin Yan took a deep breath of the cold air, which carried the majesty of royalty, and with a heavy heart, stepped over the high threshold.
The hall was warm and cozy, with the subtle scent of agarwood wafting through the air. The light wasn't too bright, but it was enough for Lin Yan to see the person sitting on the dragon throne.
Then, the barrage of thoughts in his mind froze for 0.1 seconds.
The one on the dragon throne... isn't he a little too good-looking?
It wasn't the imposing, intimidating emperor with a face that screamed "I'm not happy!" that one might imagine.
On the contrary, Xiao Che's eyebrows and eyes were extremely delicate, his nose was straight, his lips were light in color, and his skin had a cold jade-like texture under the soft light in the palace.
He was dressed in a black casual robe with a dark dragon pattern embroidered in gold thread. He simply leaned there casually, yet his whole being exuded an unapproachable calm and dignified aura.
A beauty, a true beauty.
But the thought of "beauty" had barely surfaced when it was shattered with a loud crash by the two gleaming golden characters "Emperor".
No matter how good-looking they are, they're still the boss! The ultimate client who can decide the fate of your entire family with a single word!
Lin Yan instantly went into high alert, kneeling down with a perfect, smooth motion. His forehead lightly touched the gleaming gold bricks with a "thud," and his voice, carrying just the right amount of respect and a hint of barely perceptible fatigue and hoarseness, said: "Your humble servant Lin Yan pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"
The movements are so standard that they can be directly recorded in the "Etiquette Norms for Court Officials of the Great Yu Dynasty" as a demonstration.
"Rise." Xiao Che's voice rang out, not loud, but with a clear and cold quality like jade striking against jade, which sounded particularly clear in the empty hall.
Lin Yan thanked the emperor and stood up, hands at his sides, eyes downcast and seemingly lost in thought, his posture humble like a quail retreating into its shell, while inwardly he was furiously cursing.
My knees hurt so much, the bricks are so hard. Your Majesty, you should put a carpet on this floor to make it more gentle on the knees of working people.
"There's no need for such formalities, Lin Qing." Xiao Che's gaze fell on Lin Yan. His gaze was calm and unwavering, yet it made Lin Yan feel as if he were being scanned by an X-ray. "Your father, Vice Minister Lin, is a pillar of the state. I've heard that you, Lin Qing, are also diligent and selfless in your duties at the Ministry of Rites. You are truly a model of young talent."
Here it comes!
The boss's classic opening line—complimenting you! He'll start by flattering you!
Lin Yan's internal alarm bells rang, but on the surface he immediately put on an "overwhelmed with gratitude" expression and bowed even lower: "Your Majesty flatters me, I am humbled! My father always taught me to be conscientious and dutiful, and to share Your Majesty's burdens is the duty of a subject. I am not very talented and have little knowledge, and I am afraid that I will fail Your Majesty's grace."
A standard, polite form of official flattery, delivered smoothly but without any soul.
He was truly dedicated to his duties, but his selflessness and dedication to public service were forced upon him, and his flattery was something he learned from Wu Haimin.
Only Lin Yan knew deeply that he was neither a role model nor a young talent; he was just a young corporate slave.
"Hmm." Xiao Che seemed satisfied with his answer. His gaze swept over the two dark circles under Lin Yan's eyes, and he lightly tapped the imperial desk with his fingertip. "Someone, bring a seat for Minister Lin."
A young eunuch immediately and deftly brought over a sandalwood stool and placed it below the imperial steps.
A seat?!
Lin Yan was genuinely bewildered. How could a mere sixth-rank nobody like him have a seat on his first audience with the Emperor?
This treatment... is a bit excessive!
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great favor!" Lin Yan quickly expressed his gratitude again, and carefully sat down on the edge of the embroidered stool, only daring to sit on a third of his buttocks, keeping his back straight as if he were ready to spring up at any time to receive orders.
Sitting down is more comfortable than standing.
No matter what kind of hard work the emperor assigned him, he at least gave him a seat, which was a good show of politeness. Wu Haimin, on the other hand, only knew how to exploit him and never gave him any benefits.
The emperor should be a better leader than Wu Haimin, right?
Lin Yan thought to himself.
On the dragon throne, Xiao Che, who had been relaxed and whose eyes were scrutinizing him with a sense of routine, paused almost imperceptibly with his fingertips resting on the armrest. A very subtle ripple flashed across his calm, deep eyes, as if a tiny pebble had been thrown into the still water.
Xiao Che's gaze refocused on the young official sitting below, who was sitting properly and looked like he was "very honest and very apprehensive." The corners of his lips twitched upwards in an almost imperceptible arc.
He seemed to have discovered something interesting.
Let's test the waters and see.
Lin Yan's bottom had barely touched the third of the rosewood stool, and before he could even marvel at the comfort of the "boss chair," the ultimate client on the dragon throne spoke up.
Xiao Che shifted to a more casual sitting posture, resting his elbows on the armrests, his fingertips lightly tapping his temples, his gaze seemingly casually falling on Lin Yan, his eyes as calm as if he were admiring an ordinary stone in the Imperial Garden.
"Minister Lin, your daily duties in the Ministry of Rites must be quite tedious," Xiao Che said, his voice still cool and aloof, as if he were discussing the nice weather.
Lin Yan straightened his back even more instantly, his face automatically displaying a "thankful tears" emoji: "Your Majesty, serving the court and sharing Your Majesty's burdens is the duty of a subject, and I dare not call it tedious." His tone was so sincere that it could win an Oscar.
[Knowing I have a lot of official duties, why did you still make me your bodyguard?]
[Your Majesty, do you know how long it took me to write Wu Haimin's memorial because of that crow? He always dumps his work on me!]
[And then there's the budget that Zheng Jing, that master of shifting blame, dumped on us. If that thing were real, the Minister of Revenue would probably just disappear on the spot! Redundant? That's too mild a word; it's more like the hellish cycle of a corporate slave!]
Xiao Che's fingertips, which were resting on his temples, paused almost imperceptibly for half a beat.
He picked up the jade teacup beside him, and as the rising steam concealed his amusement, the corners of his lips curved into a deeper smile.
Lin Yan's inner thoughts... are much more interesting than any official memorial.
"Hmm, commendable diligence." Xiao Che put down his teacup, calmly affirming Lin Yan's polite words. Then, he changed the subject as if chatting casually, "Ministers of Rites, Minister Lin, you have had many interactions with us. How do you get along with your colleagues?"
Alarm bells rang in Lin Yan's mind; he couldn't speak ill of his colleagues in front of the big boss!
He immediately activated the highest defense mode, his face plastered with a perfectly timed smile, as if he were basking in the harmonious spring breeze of the Ministry of Rites: "Your Majesty, the officials of the Ministry of Rites are all pillars of the nation, with profound learning and cultivation. Among colleagues, they are humble and polite, supporting each other and living in harmony. I have benefited greatly from this."
His pronunciation was clear and articulate, full of praise for the camaraderie among his colleagues.
【hehe. 】
[That scoundrel Wu Haimin is a master of empty promises and an unparalleled opportunist. If his father weren't the Minister of Personnel, I'd be the first to stuff him into the sacrificial furnace as fuel!]
Zheng Jing is basically a human stamping machine and a scapegoat. What else can his eyes do besides accurately identify the best ways to slack off? Oh right, they can also feign temporary blindness when his wife checks the accounts.
[There's that Wang supervisor who grinds ink so slowly, it's like he's giving the ink stick its final moments. He can clock out as soon as he finishes grinding one stick! Mutual support? Pshaw!]
As Xiao Che listened to Lin Yan's surging, all-out "struggle session against the entire Ministry of Rites," he almost lost his imperial dignity.
He turned his head slightly, clenched his fist and pressed it to his lips, coughing lightly to cover his mouth.
Wu Hai Min Sai Sacrificial Incense Burner?
Zheng Jing's human-shaped stamping device?
Did Manager Wang provide end-of-life care for Mo Ding?
Lin Yan... his cursing is quite vivid.
"Oh?" Xiao Che's voice carried a faint, elusive interest, as if he were genuinely intrigued by the "harmonious" Ministry of Rites that Lin Yan had mentioned. "I have heard that Wu Haimin, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, is quite like his father, capable and efficient in handling affairs. What does Minister Lin think?"
Here they come, they're calling out names!
Lin Yan's back instantly broke out in a thin layer of sweat, his smile widened, and his tone was filled with boundless admiration for his leader: "General Wu is exceptionally talented, decisive in handling affairs, and spares no effort in promoting younger generations. He is truly a role model for me. Working under General Wu is like basking in a spring breeze, and I have benefited greatly."
The way they showered her with compliments was so refreshing and elegant.
[A role model? Bah! A role model for exploiting subordinates! Decisive in handling affairs? Decisive in shifting blame! Mentoring newcomers? More like mentoring me to clean up his messes! A gentle breeze? I was choked by his empty promises! Benefited greatly? What can I learn from him? Just empty promises? And he's quite like his father? What kind of good person could a father be who raises his son like this?]
"puff--"
A very faint sound, as if someone had choked on their tea, came from Xiao Che's direction.
Lin Yan was startled and quickly lowered his head even further, praying frantically in his mind: Oh no, oh no! Does the Emperor think my answer was too fake? Nine generations of my family! My entire family must be safe!
Xiao Che quickly picked up an open memorial, covering most of his face, his shoulders twitching almost imperceptibly.
After a while, he put down the memorial, his face regaining its usual calm and expressionless state, though there seemed to be a trace of suspicious moisture in the corner of his eye, and his voice seemed a little clearer than before.
"Yes, Lin Qing's words... please me greatly." Xiao Che paused, looking down at the young official below who appeared respectful and docile on the surface, but whose heart seemed to harbor a tiger. He felt that this dull morning had suddenly become incredibly vibrant.
This "covert guard" is a perfect choice.
A note from the author:
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Tang Bohu woos Qiu Xiang, Xiao Che woos Lin Yan [doge emoji]
I recommend an article from my alternate account titled "Whose Good Husband Has Two Faces?" It's really good.
Wen Yan was certain that his cheap husband, Pei Yan, whom he married in a business arrangement, was a pervert at heart!
Evidence 1: At the company, President Pei is like a walking iceberg, treating him with the same business as an ordinary president and assistant.
Evidence 2: When he got home, especially at night... Pei Yan was like a completely different person! His eyes were so hot they could set him on fire, and his movements were fierce and ruthless, as if he wanted to devour him whole.
Wen Yan, clutching her aching back, angrily complained: "Pretending all day, then turning into a hungry wolf at night? Pei Yan, are you trying to pull off some kind of Sichuan opera face-changing act?!"
However, the truth is—
Pei Yan went to great lengths to lure Wen Yan, the woman he had secretly loved for many years, into the Civil Affairs Bureau to get a marriage certificate, even if it was a business arrangement.
In order not to scare away his beloved, President Pei diligently played the role of a cold and aloof CEO, suppressing his surging love under his icy demeanor.
Until one day, President Pei couldn't hold back any longer—his love was so overwhelming that he completely became a pervert.
Daytime: An aloof, icy figure; strangers keep away.
Nighttime: Possessed by a hungry wolf, he only harasses his wife.
Wen Yan snapped: Pei Yan! Stop your perverted act!
Pei Yan (chuckled contentedly): I admit I'm a pervert when it comes to my wife.
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