Chapter 194: Gold And Jade On The Outside
“Hahaha!” Some were worried, so naturally others were delighted. Inside the Clan Leader’s Courtyard, a group of stewards listened to Lu Wei vividly describing how the Great Elder had tripped over himself, and they all burst into loud laughter.
“No wonder the Clan Leader stayed calm. So you were holding this card up your sleeve, Old Ten.” Lu Xia looked at Lu Xin who had hurried over to report to the Clan Leader, and said, “You didn’t even give us a heads-up, making us worry unnecessarily.”
“Fighting poison with poison is still a last resort, really no face to publicize it.” Lu Xin gave a bitter smile and shook his head, then sighed, “Moreover, the clan members were able to turn so quickly because I boasted big.”
“Correct.” Lu Xiu nodded gravely and said, “If we can’t recover the huge sum embezzled by Lu Jian within half a month, the trouble will be enormous then.”
“Yeah…” Thinking of this, everyone lost their laughter. If the money couldn’t be recovered on time, not only would the clan explode, but the various clans wouldn’t let it rest either, leading to troubles both inside and out, truly not knowing how to pass this hurdle.
“Can’t the clan first fill this hole, then we slowly chase down this sum?” Lu Wei had the best friendship with Lu Xin and was the Clan Leader’s son, so he tentatively spoke up for him.
“No.” Lu Shang resolutely said, “I’ve already asked Lu Chou. Besides that ‘turbulent times money,’ the Storage Department only has two million guàn of money left.” He sighed and said, “Even if the public funds cover it, we have to wait until the end of the year for the harvests from various places to be delivered to the capital. Far water can’t quench near thirst!”
Although the Lu Clan was vast and wealthy with countless annual incomes, the revenue was not much different from when Great Xuan was founded twenty years ago. But in these twenty years of reproduction and growth, the number of clan members had more than doubled. Moreover, in recent years, the trend of luxury and extravagance had intensified, and the Lu Clan couldn’t avoid it either, with expenses multiplied countless times.
So the Storage Department had long been spending more than it earned, relying entirely on early accumulations to cover the deficits. Otherwise, how could Lu Chou get so angry over a mere four hundred thousand guàn with that Lu Jian?
“Ah?” The several stewards were all shocked upon hearing this. “How can there be so little?”
“What did you think?” Lu Shang tiredly looked at the crowd of stewards and said, “So many idlers sitting around eating up the mountain empty. Who knows how many vermin below, like Lu Jian, brazenly embezzling public funds. Is it any wonder the Lu Clan is facing a crisis?” Once he opened the floodgates, Lu Shang vented freely, “And it’s not just this one issue. The Lu Clan’s crises are all around. You stewards hold positions without doing work, not seeking progress; the Elder Council only knows to scheme against me this Clan Leader. With leaders like us so useless, how can you expect the Lu Clan to be good?!”
The stewards all lowered their heads. The Clan Leader’s words, they had long felt deeply, and also wanted to change something, but facing such a massive rigid clan, everyone felt like a tiger eating the sky, nowhere to bite…
“Why have I tolerated the Elder Council in every way? Because the Lu Clan is already beset with a hundred ailments. If we fight them to the death, the Lu Clan will likely fall apart!” Lu Shang rarely showed agitated emotions, his face full of anxiety as he said, “Everyone, open your eyes and see! What time is it now? The Xiahou Clan and their few families have already rolled up sleeves and geared up, trying every way to strengthen themselves. They’re already so strong, why still desperately get stronger?! Because they all know clearly, Great Xuan’s thatched hut can no longer contain them. Once under heaven is in chaos, what result the various clans will have depends entirely on strength!”
“I’m really anxious, everyone…” The stewards nodded solemnly, then saw the old Clan Leader pounding his chest and stamping his feet, saying, “If that day really comes, even if we stick to neutrality, if our strength is insufficient, we won’t be able to preserve the whole clan amid the chaos!”
As Lu Shang got emotional, he couldn’t help coughing, and it got worse and worse. Lu Xiu hurried over, placed his hand on Lu Shang’s back, and infused pure true qi for him. Lu Wei also quickly got several pills of various colors from the medicine box in the corner of the room and brought warm water for Lu Shang to take.
After a good while, Lu Shang finally calmed down, but for the moment, he couldn’t say a word.
“The Clan Leader speaks correctly,” Lu Xia hurriedly spoke on behalf of everyone, “We are willing to follow the Clan Leader’s lead, quickly change the chaos in the clan, and bring the Lu Clan back to the right path.”
“In my condition, I’m afraid I have more heart than strength.” But Lu Shang dejectedly shook his head and said, “I can only go all out to help you resolve the shackle of the Elder Council. The rest will have to be handled by your generation!”
Hearing the Clan Leader’s intention to step down, the stewards showed varied expressions, none daring to rashly respond.
Lu Shang also stopped there, laboriously waving his hand and saying, “That’s it for today. Lu Xin, you must hurry with that matter.”
“Yes. Clan Leader, rest assured. Everything is on us.” Lu Xin hurriedly agreed, then retreated with the several stewards, leaving only Lu Xiu in the room to attend to the old Clan Leader.
After coming out, the stewards’ expressions were all heavy. Lu Xia sighed and said to the several brothers, “The Clan Leader speaks correctly. The Lu Clan has indeed reached the time when it must change.”
Lu Xin, Lu Wei, and Lu Kan silently nodded. The reasoning was this, everyone acknowledged it, but how to change, and who should preside over this overall situation? No one could say clearly.
“This matter needs long-term deliberation.” Lu Kan saw more clearly than others. He knew although the Clan Leader’s every word was realistic, the purpose was just to make them unite more closely around him, to act according to his will. It wasn’t to gather everyone’s wisdom… To put it bluntly, it wasn’t their place to worry about this! “We still need to first help Old Ten pass this immediate hurdle.”
“Mm.” How could Lu Xia not know this reasoning? He just couldn’t be as rational as Lu Kan. Letting out a long breath of turbid air, he asked in a deep voice, “Old Seven, any news from your side?”
“Not yet for now.” Lu Kan shook his head, “I’ve already interrogated all of Lu Jian’s confidants thoroughly. These people seem truly unaware.”
“Could Lu Jian not rely on these people?” Lu Xia frowned and asked.
“That’s not strange. For such things, he probably wouldn’t trust using his own clansmen.” Lu Kan frowned and said, “How about I request the Clan Leader to issue a Sect Master order to search inside and outside Luojing?”
“Best, to avoid alerting the snake by trampling the grass.” But Lu Xin shook his head and smiled at Lu Kan, “I’ll first investigate privately. If I can’t find it, then ask Seventh Brother for help.”
“Alright.” Lu Kan nodded and said in a deep voice, “If you need anything, just say.” Then he looked at the several brothers and said, “The Clan Leader has a point. We can’t keep holding positions without doing work. We must twist into one rope, work together with one heart to do our assignments well!”
“Well said.” The several deeply agreed and nodded, “If we do our assignments well, half the clan’s problems will be solved!”
.
Parting from the crowd of stewards, Lu Xin returned to the Chancellery, where a pile of assignments awaited him.
That Xiahou Ba was from a general background. Now though switched to civil official, he still managed subordinates like commanding troops. Chancellery officials were not allowed to be late or leave early without approval. The assignments given each day must be completed that day, or the next morning when checked, Xiahou Ba would beat with the plank on the spot.
Thus, the Chancellery’s officials were all trembling in fear, walking on thin ice, almost never making mistakes, a rarity in Great Xuan’s officialdom. Although Xiahou Ba had approved half a day’s leave for Lu Xin, he didn’t dare go home without finishing today’s assignments.
By the time Lu Xin finished his tasks and returned to Jingxin Ward, it was already pitch black. Still far from home, he saw a group of clan members gathered at his own doorway. Lu Xin, worn down by the successive events lately, had very sensitive nerves, his heart sank, and he hurriedly sped forward to check.
