Chapter 63: Suicide Out Of Guilt
Although the noble clans have grown powerful nowadays and imperial power faces serious challenges, the Initial Emperor remains the supreme emperor of the Great Xuan Dynasty. For a young man like Lu Yun to receive his favor still allows one to become famous overnight and soar to success.
But the premise is that the Initial Emperor will not suspect Lu Yun’s identity. The reason Lu Xin resisted the emperor summoning Lu Yun was precisely because he worried that the Initial Emperor would notice something from Lu Yun’s face, bringing disaster upon him…
However, once the emperor speaks, there is no reason to change it. Since the Initial Emperor wants Lu Yun to accompany the emperor, even Lu Shang cannot decline.
“Why not claim illness?” Lu Xin thought it over, weighing the pros and cons, and felt it best that Lu Yun not see the emperor.
“You can dodge for a moment, but not forever.” Lu Yun gently shook his head and said: “Unless I never step into the imperial court, I will eventually have to face him one day.”
“That’s true…” Lu Xin sighed and said: “Since you’ve decided to enter officialdom, you’ll inevitably have to face him.”
“Then face him it is.” Lu Yun set aside his worries and rallied his spirits: “I just don’t believe he can recognize me!”
“Mm.” Lu Xin nodded. He was very familiar with the Qianming Emperor’s appearance and had also seen the Empress Qianming. From Lu Yun’s face, there really weren’t many similarities with either of them. Since overthinking was pointless, he set aside his worries and instructed Lu Yun: “I’ll do my best to strive for it with the Clan Leader. You need to work harder too… I’m not worried about your martial arts, as long as you don’t use kung fu you shouldn’t. You still need to put more effort into articles. Parallel prose has no nutrition, but next year’s civil examination will test that.”
“I understand, Father.” Lu Yun nodded. So-called parallel prose, also called ‘four-six prose’, strictly alternates sentences of four and six characters, and is currently the most popular literary style. But because it accommodates the form by piling up ornate rhetoric, it greatly affects the expression of content, and Lu Xin had been quite opposed to it in recent years.
Actually, Lu Yun didn’t like parallel prose either, but ever since beginning his education, he had diligently practiced it without cease. Because in his heart, whether martial arts or articles, they were all tools for his revenge, so he had to practice both to the extreme, regardless of personal preference.
“Look over Father’s old practice pieces a few more times. They’re not exactly masterpieces, but they’re quite polished parallel prose.” Lu Xin had won first place in the civil examination with parallel prose back then, so he was certainly qualified to say so. He thought for a moment and added: “But only imitate the form, not the intent. The current emperor won’t like that style anymore.”
“…” Lu Yun listened silently. He had studied Lu Xin’s articles extensively and naturally understood the sharp intent for change infused within them. Back then, his own father emperor must have valued that resonance and thus set Lu Xin as first.
Lu Yun guessed correctly. Back then, not everyone approved of Lu Xin’s article. There were plenty with better writing than his, and more importantly, several clan leaders disliked the meaning expressed in his article. But the Qianming Emperor overrode public opinion, insisting on naming him the top scholar, and directly appointing Lu Xin as a sixth-rank secretary, ordering him to attend at his side.
Lu Xin’s brilliant talent and loyal outspokenness greatly impressed the Qianming Emperor, who held long candlelit talks with him late into the night and regarded him as a future right-hand man. In less than a year, he promoted him to fifth-rank secretary official, allowing him to legitimately advise on state affairs. But at that moment, Gao Guangning arrived at the emperor’s side and vigorously advocated for immediate reform and a quick decisive battle!
Although Lu Xin supported the emperor’s reforms, he knew even more clearly that such matters must be pursued gradually; haste would not only fail but invite self-destruction. He vehemently opposed the emperor’s measures and denounced Gao Guangning as a corrupt official bringing ruin to the country, resulting in the Qianming Emperor’s thunderous rage. The emperor expelled him from the palace and issued a decree condemning him as a man with ill intentions!
Lu Xin was sincerely grateful for the Qianming Emperor’s grace of recognition and sincerely wanted to serve Great Xuan to the best of his ability, yet he ended up like this. At the time, he felt the sky was falling. But after a long talk with the Clan Leader, he realized things weren’t as simple as he thought—the emperor wasn’t just eager for quick success but was forced into a corner and had no choice but to fight.
Understanding that the Qianming Emperor was protecting him, Lu Xin immediately wanted to go to Ziwei Palace to face the difficulties together with him, but Lu Shang strictly ordered him to leave the capital at once—because the Lu Clan had already set its stance to remain neutral in the impending struggle, not allowing its own clansmen to participate.
With no choice, Lu Xin left Luojing City full of worries and guilt toward the Qianming Emperor, and on the road encountered the fleeing Empress Qianming…
A lifetime of honor and disgrace all stemmed from one article, so Lu Xin never mentioned those past events again until Lu Yun was about to tread his old path. Only then did he resolve to impart everything he had learned in his life to Lu Yun.
.
After that day, no matter how busy, Lu Xin would make time to guide Lu Yun in writing parallel prose. The foundation he had laid for Lu Yun was already extremely solid; now with just a little guidance, Lu Yun grasped it readily, and his parallel prose level improved extremely quickly. In Lu Xin’s view, he would soon be ready for the grand stage.
But the prerequisite for all this was having the chance to display it before the emperor and the various nobles. And that opportunity lay in whether he could strive for the quota that Lu Feng had vacated.
A few days ago, the Lu Clan’s Steward of Ritual Education Lu Yi had already announced the removal of Lu Feng from the Lu Clan’s recommendation list. Once the news came out, the entire Lu Clan was immediately in an uproar. Those stewards and elders all privately approached Lu Yi to scheme, hoping to get their own sons’ names added.
If even the stewards and elders were like this, the other clan members were even more extreme in their scheming, all preparing generous gifts for Lu Yi in hopes he would consider their own descendants. Now Lu Yi was like sitting on a red-hot stove. There was only one quota, and so many people wanted it—giving it to anyone would offend a large group. How was he to choose?
With no other choice, Lu Yi kicked the ball to the Clan Leader…
When Lu Yi went to Sanwei Hall to find Lu Shang, he happened upon Lu Chou and Lu Xia reporting the progress of the Finance Department accounts review to the Clan Leader. As a steward, Lu Yi naturally didn’t need to avoid it and stood to the side, quietly waiting for the two to finish speaking.
Lu Shang wore Daoist robes and sat upright in the sect master’s room in Sanwei Hall’s backyard. The room’s furnishings were very simple: a few cushions, a low table, and a central scroll hanging on the wall with the nine vigorous characters ‘Fear Heaven’s Might, Fear Earth’s Wrath, Fear the Human Heart’, personally inscribed by the Lu clan’s ancestor.
These nine characters were precisely the origin of Sanwei Hall’s name and also the Lu clan’s clan motto!
Lu Shang sat upright before these nine characters, his face stern as he listened to Lu Chou’s report. “Sect Master, the Finance Department preliminary investigation is complete. The issues are mainly concentrated in Yuqing Room. In March and April this year, several managers, without the Finance Steward’s approval, arbitrarily diverted three hundred thousand strings of cash for private use…”
Lu Shang slowly said upon hearing this: “How much money did Lu Feng use to buy the land?”
“Also three hundred thousand strings.” Lu Chou said softly: “Moreover, Lu Feng bought the land in April, making it impossible not to suspect a connection.”
“Hmph!” Lu Shang snorted displeasedly: “Need it be guessed? Could those managers not know where the money went?”
“They and that Manager Chai all say the same…” Lu Xia swallowed and reported: “They all claimed they owed gambling debts and diverted public funds to pay them off, with no connection whatsoever to Lu Feng.”
“Nonsense!” Lu Shang glared angrily at Lu Xia: “You, a grand Steward of Punishment, can’t make them tell the truth?!”
“When nephew wanted to use torture,” Lu Xia lowered his head deeply, trembling as he reported: “They had already collectively committed suicide out of guilt.”
“Suicide?” Lu Shang glared angrily at Lu Xia: “Someone silenced them by murder, you mean?!”
“Nephew ordered strict guarding; no one could break into the cells.” Lu Xia said lowly: “But unexpectedly, they hanged themselves with their belts…”
“Good! Good! Excellent!” Lu Shang laughed in extreme anger: “My Lu Clan has such loyal servants—admirable and delightful!”
“Nephew failed in oversight; please punish me, Clan Leader!” Lu Xia hurriedly bowed low to beg forgiveness.
“How dare I punish you?!” Lu Shang said with sarcasm: “Next time, let your servants suicide too—that way my sin would be great indeed!”
