Chapter 190: Old Villain
Yesterday, Lu Ying and Lu Xiang recalled Lu Ying’s grandmother. Lu Yun suddenly realized that his Imperial Grandmother was still alive.
That elder was not the Empress established by the Founding Emperor, but a concubine of the Founding Emperor. However, the Founding Emperor’s Empress had no children in her life, and both princes were born to this concubine. The Qianming Emperor was raised by the Founding Emperor’s Empress, so his feelings for his birth mother were much weaker. After the Founding Emperor’s death, he posthumously honored the Founding Emperor’s Empress, who had passed away years ago, as Empress Dowager Xiaowen, and built Baoen Temple to commemorate her grace of nurturing.
Although the Qianming Emperor also bestowed the title of Empress Dowager upon his birth mother, he did not add any honorific titles, making her just a plain Empress Dowager. The rift between mother and son was difficult to bridge, and their relationship was very cold, which also led to Lu Yun having a poor relationship with the old lady.
The old lady was very strict back then and couldn’t stand the Emperor and Empress spoiling him. From the age of four or five, she personally taught him to read. If he was naughty and refused to study diligently, the Empress Dowager would unceremoniously spank his palm.
That’s why Lu Yun never liked this Imperial Grandmother, and rarely thought of her in ten years. But once touched by someone else, his longing for the Empress Dowager would erupt uncontrollably. He now knew that the Empress Dowager’s strictness towards him was not a lack of love. On the contrary, she loved him too much, which was why she had such high expectations for him…
After hearing the news brought by Lu Xin today, Lu Yun felt an uncontrollable urge to go to Ziwei Palace and see his Imperial Grandmother, even if it was just to secretly take a glance…
But that was no longer his home. The master of Ziwei Palace had changed to his second uncle. Those tall palace walls were like an insurmountable chasm, lying across Lu Yun’s path; he couldn’t just enter as he pleased…
While he was feeling down, Lu Yun’s hand was gently grasped. Lu Ying had appeared by his side at some point, her gentle gaze full of concern.
“Elder Sister,” Lu Yun quickly wiped away his tears, trying to smile at Lu Ying, but he couldn’t manage a smile at all.
“Don’t force yourself. Cry if you want to. Elder Sister will stay with you,” Lu Ying said softly, her warm voice nurturing his heart.
.
In the Elder Council, several trusted elders were reporting their progress to Lu Wen.
“As per the Great Elder’s instructions, the subordinates went their separate ways last night, visiting every household to plead for Lu Jian’s innocence,” an elder reported with a smile. “On the way to the Elder Council today, I saw many people discussing on the street, all saying that Lu Jian’s death was too unclear, and there must be a secret behind it.”
“Yes, Great Elder,” another elder chimed in, seeking credit. “The clan members are now saying that if the Clan Leader hadn’t been so eager to put Lu Xin in power and pushed Lu Jian too hard, given his status and position, how could he have personally gone to commit murder?”
“Good, very good,” the Great Elder listened carefully and looked at his subordinates. “We must point the finger at Lu Shang, not just focus on Lu Xin. That would be neglecting the root and pursuing the frills.”
“Don’t worry, Great Elder,” several subordinates said with a smile. “We’ve had the people below spread the word that the Clan Leader was determined to put his son in power, so he saw Lu Jian, whom our Elder Council values, as a thorn in his side and a splinter in his flesh. This is the real reason for Lu Jian’s misfortune.”
“Indeed,” the Great Elder took a sip of tea and closed his eyes slightly. “This is the truth, we are just letting the clan members know.” With that, he opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing, and said, “You still need to put in more effort. The fifteenth of this month is Lu Jian’s first seven days memorial. Our Elder Council will put on a show, and we can’t do without the support and applause of those clan members.”
“Don’t worry, Great Elder, we will definitely stoke the clan members’ anger to the highest point. We might even be able to drive Lu Shang down from his position on the fifteenth, without waiting until the end of the year!” Several elders said, their fists clenched. Lu Jian’s death had served as a wake-up call for them, making them realize that this struggle had reached a point of bloodshed, and if they continued to be soft-hearted, they might be next.
“The calls for him to step down must be made, but don’t be too optimistic. You are not unaware of how deep Lu Shang’s foundation is; it cannot be achieved overnight,” the Great Elder did not have such high expectations. He said calmly, “I only hope that after the fifteenth, his reputation will be ruined, and he will completely lose his prestige within the clan. Then, by the end of the year, we can achieve our goal in one fell swoop!”
“The Great Elder is far-sighted and methodical,” the elders said with a torrent of flattery. “Even Lu Shang will end up in a crushing defeat before you. ” As they spoke, some were already envisioning the good prospects after driving Lu Shang out of power. “Great Elder, are we really going to let that Lu Yi take the position then? This brat is two-faced, being respectful to us while also being unclear with the Clan Leader.”
“I know what kind of person he is better than you,” Lu Wen said with a cold smile, gnashing his teeth in hatred. “He’s just a fence-sitter without any strong principles.” He paused. “However, it is precisely because of this that we should choose him. If it were someone fierce like Lu Jian, wouldn’t the Elder Council end up just being a pawn for someone else?”
“The Great Elder speaks wisely; Lu Yi is indeed the easiest to control among the eight stewards,” the elders nodded one after another. Someone couldn’t help but laugh. “If that kind of person becomes the Clan Leader, the Lu Clan will be ours, the Elder Council’s!”
“Hahaha!” The thought of being able to do whatever they pleased in the future, and to trample on the Clan Leader’s authority, made several elders laugh excitedly.
“It’s too early to talk about these things. Let’s talk about them after we’ve driven Lu Shang out of power.” The Great Elder looked displeased at these individuals. These men had also fought and bled in their youth and were considered figures of their generation, so how had they become so despicable in their old age?
Of course, he wouldn’t think that he was the same as them. The Great Elder said in a deep voice, “The most important thing right now is to handle Lu Jian’s first seven days memorial properly and sound the death knell for Lu Shang’s demise!”
“Yes!” Seeing the Great Elder’s serious expression, the elders quickly restrained their smiles and responded solemnly.
.
In the blink of an eye, it was the fifteenth, and the Lu Ward dock was bustling with activity because it was the day the clan distributed money and grain.
The Lu Clan had thirty to forty thousand clan members in the capital, and they could receive varying amounts of money and grain from the clan every month. They used to collect their provisions from the Finance Department, but even if they came by household, there were still five to six thousand households, filling the square in front of Sanwei Hall to capacity.
These clan members gathered together, exchanging pleasantries and chatting, shouting and joking, creating a boisterous din that could shake the heavens. The clan could no longer stand it, so they moved the collection point for money and grain to the dock, at least so they wouldn’t have to see it.
At this time, the dock was already filled with mule carts and carriages. There were also many servants of the Lu Clan carrying baskets, shouldering poles, and pushing large carts, all squeezing with all their might, following their masters. Although it was late autumn, everyone was sweating profusely from the crowd. All for the sake of receiving their share of money and grain a little earlier.
In the eyes of ordinary people, top noble clans like the Lu Clan should be incredibly wealthy, feasting on delicacies every meal. But in reality, there are countless scions within the noble clans, tens of thousands in the Capital City alone. Apart from the few who hold high official positions or important posts within the clan, who live lavishly, the lives of most scions of noble clans are not easy.
These members of noble clans, who do not engage in production or commerce, eagerly await this day every month. Their expenses for clothing, food, housing, travel, and social exchanges all depend on the money and grain distributed by the clan each month. Many households are waiting for grain to cook their meals, so how could they not be anxious?
But the more anxious they became, the less they saw the Finance Department’s ships arriving. As more and more people gathered at the dock, it became difficult to even turn around. The clan members’ tempers inevitably began to flare up. “What’s going on? Why is the Finance Department so slow?!”
“Exactly. At this time usually, they would have already transported the grain back from the Tongluo Granary and would have been distributing it for a while.”
“Could it be that another ship got blocked at the Water Gate again, and our grain ship is stuck outside the city?” some clan members speculated based on past experiences.
“Even if the grain ship is stuck outside the city, we haven’t seen the money carts either!” the others firmly shook their heads. “Our money is all deposited at the Finance Department; surely the carts aren’t blocked too?”
“That’s impossible.” The area between the dock and the Lu Ward is all Lu Clan territory. Who would dare to block the carriages transporting money to the clan members? Wouldn’t they fear being torn apart by the angry clan members?
“Then it’s truly bizarre!” The clan members’ voices grew louder. “What is the Finance Department there for? There’s no news yet, not even a peep!”
