Chapter 87 ber? You're nearsighted? ...
Lin Yan was too lazy to waste any more words on this confused old woman. He turned to Agula and Qimuge, his tone losing its usual businesslike calm: "Your Highness, Your Highness, today's matter was originally a misunderstanding. I apologize for disturbing you both. The official road is noisy and it is not advisable to stay long. Where are your carriages? I will escort you to your carriages."
Qimuge breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pointed to a carriage decorated with Northern Rong characteristics parked not far away: "It's over there, thank you for your help, Lord Lin."
Agula, however, was still glaring at Rongyang County Lady with his big, round eyes, clearly still angry. Only after Qimuge secretly pinched him did he reluctantly follow Lin Yan to the carriage.
The Lady of Rongyang was choked by Lin Yan's last words, "We'll see," and her face turned ashen. Seeing that he actually dared to leave her standing there while turning around to see off the two barbarians, she felt utterly humiliated and consumed by rage. Forgetting all about the decorum of a lady, she shrieked, "Lin Yan! You stop right there! Who gave you permission to leave like this? This isn't over yet!"
Lin Yan didn't even pause, as if he hadn't heard anything at all.
The Lady of Rongyang was so angry that she trembled all over and even tried to pull Lin Yan away.
Jin Jiu, who had remained silent like a background figure, moved sideways silently like a ghost, landing precisely between Rongyang County Lady and Lin Yan.
He said nothing, but his emotionless eyes coldly swept over the Lady of Rongyang.
The Lady of Rongyang felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze, and all her movements froze instantly. A cold sensation shot from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and she dared not take another step forward.
Lin Yan successfully escorted Agula and Qimuge to their carriage.
Qimuge thanked him again: "Thank you, Lord Lin, for getting me out of this predicament."
Agula looked at Lin Yan, and in those eyes that were always wild and straightforward, a complex emotion was now revealed: hesitation, struggle, and a stubbornness that Lin Yan couldn't understand.
Xi: "Lord Lin."
Lin Yan subconsciously looked up: "Does Your Highness have any further instructions?"
Agula stared at him, as if he had made up his mind, and said something shocking: "You're not having a good time in Dayu, are you? Your emperor, he... he values you, but with your personality, staying in a place like this, dealing with these hypocritical and arrogant people all day long, you'll suffocate sooner or later!"
Lin Yan: "???" Where did you get that conclusion, bro?
Ber? Are you nearsighted?
What Agula needs most right now is a bag of Liuliumei plums.
Agula seemed oblivious to Lin Yan's "Are you alright?" expression: "We Northern Rong are different. The grasslands are vast, the sky is high and the land is far. We don't have so many annoying rules and scheming. A smart person like you will definitely be able to make a name for yourself on the grasslands!"
He became more and more excited as he spoke, even taking a step forward and staring intently at Lin Yan: "Lin Yan, I truly love you. If you can't stay in Dayu anymore, or if you ever tire of this place, I, Agula, am willing to marry you as my princess with the most solemn ceremony of the grasslands. I swear, you will be my only one in this life, and I will never marry again! The eagle of the grasslands never lies!"
Lin Yan froze on the spot, her mind once again filled with the words "Princess Consort".
No, how long has it been? Wasn't the farce at the palace banquet enough? Why is this fellow still holding onto this?
Is the wind on the grassland really that strong? Agula's brain is completely eroded by the wind.
Qimuge, who was listening nearby, turned green with rage. She wished she could sew her brother's mouth shut on the spot. She grabbed Agula's sleeve anxiously and said, "Brother Wang! What nonsense are you talking about! Get in the carriage!"
They still want to poach the emperor's men? Lord Lin is so young and already the Vice Minister of Revenue. What's wrong with him? What makes him unable to stay in Da Yu?
Lin Yan snapped out of his daze, feeling a throbbing vein on his forehead. He took a deep breath and tried to maintain a polite yet awkward smile: "Your Highness's kindness is too much for me. I am humbled, but I was born a Dayu person and will die a Dayu ghost. I have no other intentions. Your Highness, please return."
After saying that, fearing that Agula might say something shocking, he quickly gave a wink to the Northern Rong attendant beside him.
The attendant understood and, with a combination of pleading and assistance, helped Agula, who was still insisting, onto the carriage.
Qimuge hurriedly bowed to Lin Yan and quickly climbed into the carriage. The curtain fell, blocking out Agula's possibly still-shouting voice.
The carriage started up quickly and fled from this place of trouble as if escaping.
Lin Yan watched the departing carriage, feeling utterly exhausted.
He rubbed his temples and turned around, wanting to leave this place that had left him physically and mentally exhausted as soon as possible.
However, the Lady of Rongyang County clearly did not intend to let him off so easily.
She was startled by Kim Gu's glare and didn't dare to make another move, but her mouth kept talking.
Seeing that Lin Yan had dismissed the Northern Rong people and seemed about to leave as well, she immediately started yelling again: "Lin Yan! You think you can leave? Not so easy! If you don't give me and my grandson an explanation today, I will never let you leave! Don't think that just because His Majesty is backing you up, you can do whatever you want! The face of the imperial clan is not something you can trample on!"
Lin Yan paused, her date hadn't ended perfectly, and her frustration reached its peak.
His good mood for the day had been completely ruined, and he had no patience to waste any more time with this unreasonable old lady.
He turned around coldly and glanced at Princess Rongyang. The chill in his eyes made Princess Rongyang instinctively shrink her neck.
But Lin Yan didn't say anything, only nodded slightly to Jin Jiu.
Jin Jiu immediately understood, stepped forward, and without saying a word, took out a black iron token from his pocket and held it high.
Under the sunlight, the ferocious dragon patterns and the huge "御" character on the token reflected a cold and majestic light.
"Seeing this decree is as if His Majesty were personally present!"
The crowd of onlookers, who had been watching the spectacle, were so frightened that they all knelt down, not daring to lift their heads.
The arrogance on Rongyang County Lady's face instantly froze, as if someone had grabbed her by the neck. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the token, her face turning deathly pale in an instant.
An imperial edict! It was actually an imperial edict that represented the emperor himself!
How did Lin Yan get this thing?
A tremendous fear gripped her instantly, making her legs go weak and almost unable to stand.
She could challenge Lin Yan by relying on her status as a member of the imperial clan, and even say some harsh words in private, but she would never dare to be the slightest bit presumptuous in front of the imperial edict representing the emperor.
No longer caring about her dignity as a princess, the Lady of Rongyang, pulling her still sobbing grandson, staggered and knelt on the ground, her voice trembling: "Your Majesty, I, your subject, pay my respects! Long live the Emperor!"
She lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to lift her head, her whole body trembling like a leaf in the wind.
Lin Yan didn't even bother to look at her again, not wanting to pay any attention to this old lady who was arrogant at first but obsequious at second, and said to Jin Jiu, "Let's go."
Kim Gu put away his token and followed silently.
Lin Yan walked straight to his own unremarkable blue-draped carriage.
On the carriage shaft, the driver kept his head down, his hat brim pulled low.
Lin Yan was in a bad mood and didn't pay much attention. He reached out to lift the carriage curtain.
Just as his hand was about to touch the carriage curtain, it was gently grasped from the inside by a large, well-defined hand.
Lin Yan was taken aback.
The carriage curtain was lifted slightly from the inside, revealing Xiao Che's deep eyes and tightly pursed lips.
Xiao Che seems to be in a bad mood.
Xiao Che exerted a little force and pulled him onto the carriage.
The carriage curtains fell, shutting out the outside world.
The interior of the carriage was much more spacious and comfortable than Lin Yan's, with a small lamp fixed in the corner, emitting a soft glow.
Xiao Che held his hand without letting go, instead pulling him to sit down beside him. He raised his other hand, his fingertips gently brushing against Lin Yan's still slightly furrowed brow, and softened his tone: "I'm sorry you had to go through this."
It was only then that Lin Yan fully realized that Xiao Che had probably seen and heard everything that had just happened outside.
Lin Yan leaned his head on Xiao Che's shoulder and sighed, "Alas, what bad luck! I didn't check the almanac before I went out and ran into such a troublesome person, plus a brainless Agula as a bonus."
Xiao Che tightened his arms around Lin Yan's waist: "You don't need to take Agula's words to heart."
"Of course I didn't take it to heart," Lin Yan chuckled. "His mind isn't on the same level as a normal person's. Why would I bother arguing with him?"
Xiao Che hummed in agreement, his expression softening slightly, but remembering the Rongyang Princess's behavior, his eyes turned cold again: "As for that Rongyang Princess..."
Lin Yan joked, "How does Your Majesty plan to help me get revenge? Will you also scare her grandson to tears?"
He said it casually, hoping to lighten the mood.
To his surprise, Xiao Che looked at him seriously and nodded: "Okay."
Lin Yan: "???"
What's so good about it?
Before Lin Yan could react, Xiao Che called out, "Li Defu."
Li Defu, who had been standing guard outside the carriage like an invisible man, immediately responded, "This old servant is here."
"Upon returning to the palace, immediately draft an imperial edict." Xiao Che's voice came through the carriage curtain, "The Lady of Rongyang has behaved inappropriately, offended court officials, disrespected imperial orders, and even uttered abusive words and threatened officials' families. She is truly unfit for the position of Lady of Rongyang. Therefore, effective immediately, her title of Lady of Rongyang is hereby revoked, and all corresponding tributes are withdrawn. This is the imperial decree."
Lin Yan was stunned: "Your Majesty, are you serious? I was just joking."
He really didn't intend to whisper sweet nothings in Xiao Che's ear.
The punishment of having your account banned is far more severe than scaring a child.
Xiao Che looked down at him, his eyes deep and serious: "A ruler's word is law. She dared to humiliate you like that and threaten your mother and sister. She has crossed my bottom line. If I don't even protect the people I love and let others bully me, what's the point of being emperor?"
My beloved...
Xiao Che wasn't finished yet. He continued to Li Defu outside the carriage, saying, "Draft another decree: The Wen family of the Lin clan has educated her son well, and he is gentle, kind, and virtuous. She shall be granted the title of Lady of the Third Rank, bestowed with the name 'Renshou', and given double salary."
Lin Yan was completely dumbfounded.
Depose one, then establish another?
This is making too much noise!
"Your Majesty, isn't this inappropriate?" Lin Yan said, somewhat flustered. "My mother is of a gentle nature and may not be able to bear such a great favor..."
“She can handle it.” Xiao Che said with certainty, “You and your father have worked hard for the country, so it is only natural for you to bestow honors upon Lady Wen. She is only a county princess, and she deserves it.”
Xiao Che gently squeezed Lin Yan's hand, a deep meaning in his eyes: "Besides, with this identity, those demons and monsters will have to think twice before they try anything. I not only want to treat you well, but I also want to please my mother-in-law, don't I?"
Lin Yan felt a burning sensation in his ears at Xiao Che's comment about "pleasing his mother-in-law," and muttered, "What mother-in-law... Your Majesty, please be careful with your words."
Xiao Che chuckled softly, stopped teasing him, and simply pulled the man closer.
The carriage slowly moved away, leaving behind this unpleasant and troublesome place.
The car fell silent for a moment. Lin Yan leaned on Xiao Che's shoulder, listening to the rising sounds of people in the city outside. The pent-up frustration in her heart was gradually soothed by the warm body heat and steady heartbeat of the person beside her.
He suddenly remembered Xiao Che's words about reforming the imperial clan, so he looked up and asked, "Your Majesty just said that you want to take this opportunity to reform the imperial clan. Are you serious?"
“Of course.” Xiao Che twirled a strand of his hair with his fingertips, but his tone was cold and stern as an emperor. “The imperial clan has long been plagued by corruption, with too many redundant officials and a culture of extravagance. There are even those who oppress the people and prey on the local populace. The national treasury’s money and grain are not meant to feed these parasites. I haven’t been on the throne for very long, and I haven’t had the time or a suitable opportunity before. Now that someone has come forward on their own, it’s a good time to make an example of them and conduct a thorough investigation.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Yan's previous languor vanished instantly, and he sat up straight immediately: "You want to audit the accounts? Audit the land, fiefs, and various rewards and allowances? I'm an expert at that, Your Majesty!"
He counted on his fingers, his eyes gleaming with eager anticipation: "Let's start by investigating the mansions of the various princes and dukes, those are the real targets! Check the accounts, land deeds, and warehouse lists one by one. And those who use the name of the imperial family to engage in business and lending, and who compete with the people for profit, we have to get to the bottom of it all, make sure we find out their true colors!"
Xiao Che couldn't help but chuckle as he watched him instantly switch from a lazy kitten to a shrewd calculator. He reached out and pinched the tip of his nose: "Alright, this matter will be handled jointly by the Ministry of Revenue and the Censorate. I'm giving you the order to go ahead and do it. Don't worry about anyone's feelings."
"Your Majesty, I obey!" Lin Yan grinned from ear to ear, as if he could already see countless account books waiting for him to read and countless parasites about to be exposed. "Your Majesty, rest assured, I guarantee to save Your Majesty a large sum of money, which will fill the national treasury. Your Majesty will have the confidence to build water conservancy projects and train a new army!"
Just thinking about it filled Lin Yan with enthusiasm.
Xiao Che looked at his excited, glowing face and felt a wave of tenderness wash over him.
His character is just that good.
"Yes, whatever you say." Xiao Che replied indulgently, "Just don't overwork yourself. Take it slow, I'm not in a hurry."
"I know, I know," Lin Yan replied, but his mind was clearly already on how to carry out the audit work, and he began to think about which company to start with and which people to take to investigate.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of Dan Garden.
Xiao Che got out of the car first, and naturally turned around to help Lin Yan.
Lin Yan took his hand and jumped off the carriage. As soon as she got off, she couldn't help but stretch her legs and kick them. It was very uncomfortable to sit in the carriage for so long.
Xiao Che pulled Lin Yan's hand and led her inside: "You've been busy all day, are you hungry? I'll have someone bring you a meal."
It would have been better if it hadn't been mentioned, because once it was brought up, Lin Yan really felt her stomach was empty.
Today's exercise far exceeded what someone who sits in an office all day should get.
The servants had already prepared warm water towels.
The two washed their hands, and dinner was quickly served.
It was still Lin Yan's favorite flavor, steaming hot and with a wonderful aroma.
Xiao Che didn't eat much; most of the time he just watched Lin Yan eat, occasionally picking up a piece of food for him.
After the meal, the leftover food was cleared away, and tea was served.
The two nestled together and quietly watched the spring flowers in the courtyard for a long time, until it gradually got dark.
After sitting for a while longer, seeing that it was getting late, Lin Yan got up to take his leave: "Your Majesty, I should go home."
Although Xiao Che was reluctant, he was not a hasty person. He nodded and said, "Yes, let Jin Jiu escort you back. I'm sorry you had to go through this today. Get some rest."
"I'm not wronged at all." Lin Yan smiled, his eyes crinkling. "Your Majesty has already avenged me."
As he spoke, he quickly leaned forward and pecked Xiao Che on the lips, then, like a cat that had successfully stolen some fish, he swiftly retreated and waved his hand, saying, "Your subject takes his leave!"
After saying that, before Xiao Che could react, she quickly called for Jin Jiu to return to the Lin residence.
Xiao Che touched the corner of his lips, which still felt soft, and shook his head with a helpless yet indulgent expression.
Wow, they run really fast.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Finally had time to log on to Jinjiang! I've caught a lot of bugs, and I think I've caught them all. I've been quite busy lately, but luckily I had a stockpile of chapters so I didn't let everyone down. I can easily live off this stockpile for another month, so don't worry! [heart emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com