Chapter 44: Step Two
Although both parties involved had different motives and neither wanted to publicize the matter, this was the Capital City, and the deaths of eleven men on Funiu Mountain still caused a slight ripple.
The next morning, Lu Feng sent people out of the city to secretly bury the corpses. Although in this era human life was cheap and as long as they were not aristocrats, it was not a big deal. But after all, so many people had died unnaturally, and if the government investigated, it would inevitably alarm the elders in the clan, making it truly hard to explain.
The dozen or so house servants Lu Feng sent out hastily buried the corpses on Funiu Mountain and then hurriedly left.
An hour later, one of the house servants actually returned, bringing with him several Investigative Bureau Officials dressed in all-black official robes and wearing black straight-brimmed conical hats.
“It’s right here.” The house servant pointed to the burial spot. He had changed his clothes and was wearing a bamboo hat, seemingly not wanting to reveal his identity.
“Dig.” A leader ordered in a deep voice, and the other Investigative Bureau Officials shoveled open the loose ground with iron shovels. After just one shovelful, everyone saw an arm exposed.
In no time, all the corpses were dug up. Although they had already begun to stink, their original appearances could still be clearly seen. Lu Feng’s people had done the job very sloppily, not only digging the pit carelessly but even too lazy to handle the corpses properly.
The leader covered his nose with a handkerchief, went to the corpses, inspected them carefully, then stood up, threw away the handkerchief, and said indifferently to the house servant: “Good job. Go to the Investigative Bureau tomorrow to claim a second-class reward.”
“Yes!” The house servant immediately beamed with joy. As an informant planted by the Investigative Bureau in the Lu Clan, he could occasionally receive rewards, but they were usually minor favors of fourth or fifth class; he had never even gotten a third-class reward, let alone second-class.
Then, the Investigative Bureau people loaded the corpses onto a carriage and transported them back to the city.
The carriage entered the city, crossed the bridge to North of the Luo River, and arrived at a cluster of buildings with black walls and black tiles in the southwest corner of the Imperial City. This was the dreaded headquarters of the Investigative Bureau!
They parked the carriage on the large flat ground inside the yamen, and the Investigative Bureau Officials went in to report. After a good while, Lin Chao, who had been demoted to Seventh Rank Investigator but still temporarily managed the Investigative Bureau, arrived at the carriage accompanied by a crowd of Investigative Bureau Officials.
Although demoted, Lin Chao still held extremely high authority in the Investigative Bureau. When he examined the corpses, no one dared make a sound. His extremely stern expression was completely different from his obsequious demeanor in front of Zuo Yanqing.
After carefully looking at the corpses, Lin Chao nodded and said: “It’s the Lu Clan’s Heaven and Earth Righteous Law, and only an Earth Rank Grandmaster could have done it.” Then, he asked in a deep voice: “Which Lu Clan Steward did it?”
“Reporting to the Director! We still need further investigation to determine exactly who did it.” The subordinate, of course, used the usual form of address, and hurriedly replied: “What we have confirmed so far is that these people died yesterday afternoon on Funiu Mountain. Five of them were human traffickers. There were also two Black Rank Experts who were instructors of the Lu Clan, two Yellow Rank Guards, and two ordinary house servants. All these people belonged to Lu Jian’s son Lu Feng. It was also Lu Feng who sent people to bury them.”
“This is interesting…” Lin Chao stroked his neatly trimmed short beard and murmured: “The subordinates of Lu Jian’s son were actually mixed with human traffickers and killed by a Lu Clan Steward. It seems there’s a good show about to unfold in the Lu Clan.” An Earth Rank Grandmaster held high position and great power and would not act lightly. Moreover, the Lu Clan upheld a scholarly family tradition, emphasizing benevolence and forgiveness; to strike such a heavy blow must mean something major had happened!
“Investigate who from the Lu Clan left the city during that time yesterday.” Lin Chao ordered in a deep voice.
“Yes!” The subordinate acknowledged in a deep voice.
After speaking, Lin Chao turned and left. The subordinates sent the corpses of the two Black Rank Experts to the ice cellar in the yamen for preservation, while the other corpses were sent back to Funiu Mountain to be reburied. From beginning to end, they had no intention of notifying the Luodu General Administration or the Ministry of Justice…
The true mission of the Investigative Bureau was to monitor the Seven Great Noble Clans, help the emperor grasp all their movements and conflicts, and act as the vanguard in upholding the orthodox imperial power! They had no interest in other matters.
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Lu Yun did not know that the people he killed had already been laid before the Investigative Bureau Director. But even if he knew, he would not be nervous. Because before acting, he had already considered that the paper could not wrap the fire. In his view, even if it became known, the benefits would outweigh the harm and it would be harmless.
He had already devoted all his attention to dealing with Lu Feng.
First, Lu Feng had dared to lay hands on Lu Ying, touching his reverse scale. Second, taking out Lu Feng could help him achieve the second step of his revenge plan!
The second step of Lu Yun’s revenge plan was to obtain First Rank in next year’s Nine Rank Official Appraisal! And at the same time, help Lu Xin strive for the position of Clan Leader!
Only by becoming the first First Rank figure since the founding of the Great Xuan Dynasty could he become famous under heaven and the target pursued by major powers! Only then would he truly have the qualification to pry open the heavily fortified political arena of the Great Xuan Dynasty…
And to be qualified for a High Rank appraisal, he must obtain the family’s recommendation! The Lu Clan had a total of four quotas, which had already been internally decided by the direct lineage in North of the Luo River!
A few days ago, Lu Yun had followed Lu Xin to visit the elders and was naturally very familiar with those four names!
Lu Lin! Lu Bai! Lu Feng! Lu Song!
These four were known as the Lu Clan’s Four Great Young Masters and had already been selected by the elders to participate in next year’s High Rank appraisal! Unless something happened to them, others had no chance at all!
To rise, Lu Yun first needed to bring down one of them. He was hesitating over which one to target when Lu Feng crashed right into it! This was truly someone sending a pillow just as he wanted to sleep!
Moreover, he had already conducted a preliminary investigation on Lu Feng and naturally knew that Lu Feng’s father Lu Jian was the Lu Clan Steward in charge of the Finance Department!
Lu Xin was already an Earth Rank Grandmaster, but he faced the same problem as Lu Yun: the Eight Great Stewards were each occupying their pit like a radish. Only if a Steward position opened up would he have a chance to take it! Only by becoming a Steward could he become one of the Clan Leader candidates!
The futures of both father and son rested on this Lu Feng; not taking him down would be letting down the heavens!
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This morning, Lu Yun arrived at Lide Ward, two neighborhoods away from Congshan Ward.
Like Congshan Ward, Lide Ward was also one of the Lu Clan’s eight wards in South of the Luo River, filled with Lu Clan collateral lineage members, retainers, and those under the clan.
However, Lu Yun was clearly not famous enough. He wandered in the ward for a long time, and the clan members only glanced sideways at him, with no one coming up to greet him. Because they simply did not recognize which family’s son this handsome young man was.
This made Lu Yun slightly embarrassed. He had thought that when Grandfather held a continuous banquet upon arriving in the capital, at least someone would recognize him. But he had not expected the Lu Clan to be so large, with over fifty thousand people in the Capital City alone. Lu Xiang’s one-day continuous banquet had at most a few hundred attendees, and many could not even get close to him, so how could so many people know him?
Lu Yun had no choice but to set aside his pride and prepare to ask directions from a kindly looking auntie when he heard a surprised call from behind: “Isn’t this Young Master Yun!”
Hearing that voice, Lu Yun secretly breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the auntie with a sense of relief. He truly had some social anxiety, especially when interacting with strangers, always feeling inexplicably nervous. Otherwise, before going to meet that Li Dayin back then, he would not have pretended to meditate with eyes closed for so long. That was basically self-hypnosis!
Lu Yun turned around and saw a man dressed in dark blue housekeeper attire walking toward him with a face full of surprise.
This was one of the several housekeepers he had met in Yuqing Room. At that time, Lu Yun had noted the note they presented and remembered that this man’s master was in Lide Ward, the newly appointed Attendant Gentleman of the Ministry of Personnel named Lu You. But no matter how good his memory, he did not know the name of Lu You’s housekeeper?
So Lu Yun stood there slightly awkwardly, waiting for the other to speak. To cover his guilt, he even forced a smile.
The housekeeper came before Lu Yun, hurriedly saluted and said: “I haven’t had a chance to specially go thank Young Master, yet we meet here.” He then warmly invited: “Please come to the house quickly. My master has mentioned several times that he wants to invite Young Master to visit.”
“I came in a hurry today, empty-handed, so let’s make it another day for a formal visit.” Lu Yun shook his head slightly, signaling him not to stand on ceremony. “Could I borrow a moment to speak?”
“As Young Master wishes.” The housekeeper nodded, and they sat down at a tea stall by the roadside, ordering a pot of tea and a few tea and snacks. While arranging for Lu Yun, he asked: “What instructions does Young Master have?”
“How long have you been owed payment by Yuqing Room?” Lu Yun asked softly.
“This…” The housekeeper was stunned for a moment but still answered honestly: “Over two months.”
“Was it always like this before?” Lu Yun took a sip of tea.
“No.” The housekeeper sighed: “To tell Young Master the truth, my family is really at the end of our rope. In order to get the money,
I don’t know how many people I asked, and they all said it had never been like this before. Even if there was a delay previously, as long as you gave some gratuity, it would be paid out quickly.”
