Chapter 95: Going Home
In the end, the Initial Emperor took a rare tough stance, flogged Huang Yun, imprisoned him along with Gao Guangning, left men to find witnesses among the disaster victims, and then ordered to set off again.
In the carriage, He Yunxiao and the others witnessed this grand spectacle, all dumbfounded. Who could have thought His Majesty the Emperor would give no face to the Xie Clan Leader at all? Even if playing rogue, he had to arrest the Minister of Works?
The scene was so shocking that none of these mid- and low-level officials dared to comment recklessly. On the rest of the road, all kept silent.
Actually, even Lu Yun was very puzzled. Why was the Initial Emperor so resolute this time? What exactly happened in between?
Carrying a belly full of doubts, he bid farewell to He Yunxiao and the others in front of Zhaoyang Gate and returned to Congshan Ward.
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As soon as he entered Congshan Ward, Lu Yun felt the atmosphere was somewhat strange. The neighbors who usually called him Young Master Yun one after another seemed to suddenly not recognize him. Even when their sights met, they all turned their heads away, their appearance of avoiding him like the plague cast another layer of doubt over Lu Yun’s heart.
He hurriedly quickened his steps, returned home, pushed open the ajar courtyard gate, and saw Lu Ying pruning the grape arbor. The sunset filtered through the trellis, sprinkling finely on her delicate face tinged with slight worry, like a moving painting.
Seeing Lu Ying safe and sound, Lu Yun’s suspended heart finally settled. He softly called, “Elder Sister.”
Hearing this, Lu Ying’s delicate body trembled, and she turned her face with immense surprise. Seeing it was really Lu Yun, the worry on her face vanished instantly, and she exclaimed in delight, “Little Yun is back!”
With that, Lu Ying tossed the scissors and ran toward Lu Yun. Holding his hand, she carefully looked him up and down, and only after a good while did she nod in satisfaction. “Not bad, neither tanned nor thinned. Looks like you weren’t mistreated.”
Lu Yun helplessly rubbed his forehead. What on earth was this?
Lu Ying had never been separated from Lu Yun for so long in her life, and it had made her miss him terribly. Holding Lu Yun’s hand, she asked all sorts of questions, not giving him a chance to speak for a long time.
Lu Yun also missed Lu Ying very much and answered all her questions. Only until he set down his luggage and went in to pay respects to Lu Xiang did Lu Ying stop talking.
But Lu Xiang seemed to be ill, slouched on the couch with a wan complexion.
Lu Yun couldn’t help glancing at Lu Ying, blaming her for not telling him right away. Lu Ying apologetically winked at him, clearly having forgotten in her excitement.
But this also showed that Lu Xiang’s illness wasn’t severe.
Seeing Lu Yun return, Lu Xiang opened his slightly closed eyes, slowly sat up, and said with joy on his face, “Good grandson is back…”
Lu Yun hurriedly knelt in front of the couch, supported Lu Xiang, and said, “Grandfather should lie down. If ill, he needs more rest.”
“Alas, Grandfather has no illness on his body, just a stifled feeling in his heart…” Lu Xiang shook his head, sat up, took Lu Yun’s hand, and forced a smile. “No more on those vexing matters. Tell Grandfather, what gains did you get from accompanying the Emperor this time?”
“Yes.” Although Lu Yun was eager to know what exactly happened, he couldn’t go against the elder, so he recounted his recent experiences, picking some interesting ones and telling them vividly to Lu Xiang.
Lu Xiang was listless at first, but soon was deeply absorbed in Lu Yun’s telling. When he heard that Lu Yun had delayed seeing the Initial Emperor at the Summer Palace, Lu Xiang anxiously sighed repeatedly; when he heard of Lu Yun’s two encounters with the First Prince at Setting Sun Tower, Lu Xiang’s eyes lit up, exclaiming good fortune; when he heard that Lu Yun was finally summoned by the Initial Emperor and accompanied him playing chess for several days in a row, Lu Xiang was so excited he gesticulated wildly!
After hearing Lu Yun’s account, Lu Xiang could no longer hold back. He got off the couch, stood barefoot on the floor, pointed toward North of the Luo River, and laughed loudly, “Lu Wen, Lu Tong, you villains, think pressing my son means we have no way out?!” Then he hugged Lu Yun’s shoulders and shouted loudly, “My grandson is rising again!”
Seeing Lu Xiang lively and kicking, Lu Yun confirmed he didn’t look like a patient. Only then did he completely relax, wait with a bitter smile for Lu Xiang to vent, and then softly ask, “Grandfather, what exactly happened?”
“Alas…” Lu Xiang’s joy vanished instantly. He pulled Lu Yun and slumped onto the couch, sighing for a while before saying in a low voice, “That day the Clan Leader invited all the various clans on behalf of your father and held a banquet to celebrate. Three thousand guests came, the most grand Lu Clan event in many years.”
“Grandson didn’t make it, really too bad,” Lu Yun said regretfully.
“Not making it was your good luck, no need to suffer that anger!” Lu Xiang snorted angrily and gnashed his teeth. “You can’t imagine, in such a grand occasion, not a single one of our Lu Clan’s thirty elders attended!”
“What?!” Lu Yun was stunned. “Why did they all collectively absent themselves?!”
“Of course to make the Clan Leader and your father lose face!” Lu Xiang said hatefully. “The Elder Council has long had conflicts with the Clan Leader, but at least maintained peace on the surface. But the Elder Council thought the Clan Leader holding the banquet at this time was to build momentum for your father to replace Lu Jian. They disregarded the Lu Clan’s face and used this method to undermine the Clan Leader and your father!”
“In the end, that day’s banquet became a place for the Clan Leader and your father to make an embarrassing spectacle.” Recalling the scene, Lu Xiang’s face turned green with anger, and he said tremulously, “The guests were all gossiping, how could the Lu Clan air internal conflicts at their own banquet? Saying the Clan Leader and Elder Council were already irreconcilable, your father became a sacrifice in their struggle, and so on. Though the clan leaders said nothing, they surely thought the same!”
“What happened later?” Lu Yun asked softly.
“What else, those elders all fled to Mount Mang to hide, couldn’t summon them in time even sending for them.” Lu Xiang said hatefully. “In the end, just past noon, the banquet hastily ended. Many guests mockingly congratulated me and your father, spouting nonsense like soaring to success is imminent, so angry I fainted on the spot…”
“And after that?” Lu Yun was concerned about what happened after the banquet.
“Your father wouldn’t tell me, and I didn’t ask.” Lu Xiang sighed. “These days I haven’t stepped out this gate, too ashamed to see people!”
The old master sighed repeatedly, held Lu Yun’s hand, eyes red, and said, “Good grandson, you must strive, make sure Grandfather can vent this anger, or this old thing dies with eyes wide open!”
“Grandfather, you can live several more decades,” Lu Ying couldn’t bear hearing Lu Xiang go further astray and helped Lu Yun out. “Younger Brother, let’s go pay respects to Mother.”
“Alright.” Lu Yun comforted Lu Xiang a few more words, then went with Lu Ying to the Buddhist hall in the backyard.
Great Xuan’s state religion is Daoism. The Founding Emperor once decreed to exterminate Buddhism, forcing monks and nuns under heaven to return to lay life and demolishing over three thousand temples. For a time, Buddhism nearly vanished. But this religion has its infinite allure. In the Founding Emperor’s later years, it revived from the ashes. Now, it has regained a large number of believers, temples and monks have reappeared in Luojing City, and countless commoners fast and recite Buddhist scriptures.
Madam Lu began believing in Buddhism ten years ago. After returning to the capital, she converted a side room in the residence into a Buddhist hall, spending whole days burning incense and chanting sutras inside. Lu Xiang is a staunch supporter of the Founding Emperor and was very angry at Madam Lu’s behavior, but under Lu Xin’s earnest persuasion, the old master could only resolve not to set foot in the backyard henceforth, out of sight out of mind.
The siblings arrived at the backyard and saw Madam Lu chanting sutras. After waiting a while, Madam Lu opened her eyes, looked at Lu Yun, and said, “No need to come over, go rest quickly.”
But Lu Yun still properly saluted Madam Lu before taking leave. Madam Lu’s attitude toward him was actually a bit better than in Yuhang. Back then, she always ignored him. At least now, she spoke.
.
Lu Yun returned to his own room, which was still spotless, exactly as when he left, clearly Lu Ying cleaned it carefully every day.
Lu Yun used the excuse of needing a bath, and only then did Lu Ying reluctantly leave. Closing the door, Lu Yun didn’t hurry to bathe. He sat on the couch, opened the hidden mechanism, and saw a black and ugly iron box quietly lying in the secret compartment.
The iron box was fixed in the secret compartment. Lu Yun took out a key from his bosom, opened the iron box, and a radiant imperial seal came into
view.
