Chapter 116 She slept with him

Zeng Ying and Xu Runnian waited outside the door for a long time before Lu Jinlan finally came out.

"Go in and see, she's dead."

The two hurried inside to verify the body. The jailer, who was standing nearby, came up to Lu Jinlan and said, "According to the rules, I should send someone to invite a coroner to examine the body and then notify her family to take the body back. If Lord Lu has no other instructions, I will follow the rules."

Seeing Lu Jinlan nod, the jailer immediately ordered two guards, "Zhang Yaozu, go and call the coroner. Jiang Tianjiao, go to the Yan residence to report the death."

Just as the two jailers were about to leave after receiving their orders, Lu Jinlan suddenly called out to them, "Wait a minute."

Lu Jinlan pointed to the mourning cloth on one of the people's left arms, "You have a funeral in your family too?"

The man paused for a moment, then choked up and said, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Lu. My mother unfortunately fell seriously ill the day before yesterday and passed away that very night."

Lu Jinlan asked, puzzled, "Then why didn't you ask for leave before the funeral procession at your home?"

The man said helplessly, "If I take a day off, I lose a day's salary. My family is poor, and my whole family depends on me to support them. Since there are people at home to help out, I come to work as usual."

Lu Jinlan looked at the jailer in surprise, and the jailer hurriedly explained, "Lord Lu, it is the old system that deducts salary for taking leave. It has always been like this. It is not that I am unreasonable."

"To be honest, guarding the prison isn't a good job. As the prison warden, I can occasionally skim some money off the top, but they only get a meager salary of three taels of silver a month."

"Most of the sisters are forced into this hard job because of their poor backgrounds. It's not easy for us women to earn money to support our families, so I never make things difficult for you."

"I specifically asked her to go and announce the death, thinking that the person who went could get some funeral money from the family. If she gets a few more taels of silver, the funeral can be held more decently."

Lu Jinlan remarked with admiration, "It's rare to find someone so considerate of their subordinates, and with such a thoughtful mind."

She took out two silver notes from her bosom and gave them to the jailer. The jailer was shocked to see that each note contained a huge sum of five hundred taels of silver. He exclaimed, "Lord Lu, what are you doing? I haven't even finished spending the money you gave me last time."

Lu Jinlan stuffed the silver notes into her hand, "Take them if you want. As for the extras, you can distribute them to the sisters here. It's not easy for anyone to work here, but there's one thing you have to remember. You must keep your mouth shut. You can't let out a single word that you shouldn't say."

The jailer was a clever man, and quickly said, "Lord Lu, rest assured, since you treat us like human beings, we cannot do anything inhuman. We know nothing about what you have said or done. No matter who inquires, the sisters will not utter a single word. Even if the Emperor asks, it will be the same."

Lu Jinlan patted her shoulder with satisfaction, then put his arm around the jailer's shoulder and advised, "You should ask for leave and rest for a few days to see the old man off on his final journey. My family just had a funeral, and we feel the same way."

The jailer sniffed and hurriedly said, "This humble servant dares not compare himself to Lord Hou."

“Sigh, in the face of birth, aging, sickness and death, everyone is the same.” Lu Jinlan said, stuffing his money bag into her hand. “There are still some silver notes and some loose silver left in here. You can use it for the funeral. Consider it a token of my appreciation to the old man.”

Lu Jinlan was never short of money. Not to mention that there were two hundred taels of silver notes and several dozen taels of loose silver inside, even the money bag was embroidered with gold and silver threads and was exquisitely made, worth at least thirty or fifty taels.

The jailer, carrying the heavy money bag, immediately kowtowed and bowed, saying, "Lord Lu's great kindness is something I will never forget. I am willing to go through fire and water for Lord Lu and die without hesitation."

Lu Jinlan smiled, "No need, get up quickly."

As they were talking, Zeng Ying and Xu Runnian brought out the items, and the three of them returned to the palace together to report back.

*

Upon hearing that Yan Weijin was dead, Zhao Mincheng sighed deeply and remained silent for a long time.

Lu Jinlan gave a brief report and then excused himself to attend to the funeral arrangements. He also requested a month-long leave, saying he would personally escort the coffin back to Yunzhou.

Zhao Mincheng agreed, but she was still a little uneasy. As soon as Lu Jinlan left, Zhao Mincheng asked, "Is there anything in prison that Marquis Lu didn't mention?"

Zeng Ying thought for a moment and hesitated before saying, "Your Majesty, there is something that Marquis Lu seems to have... forgotten to report. Before Yan Weijin died, he grabbed Marquis Lu's hand, called her something like Fei Qing, and said he was sorry to her."

Zhao Min sighed, "Feiqing was a relative of Marquis Lu, but he is already dead. She didn't mention it just now, probably because she didn't want to bring up painful memories, which is fine."

Zeng Ying quickly replied, "Then there's nothing else."

Zhao Mincheng nodded, "You may leave."

Zeng Ying took her leave. Although Zhao Mincheng believed her, he still kept Xu Runnian behind and questioned her further.

"You are someone close to me, and you are usually cautious and meticulous in your work. I am sending you to be my eyes and ears, to keep watch for me."

Xu Runnian hurriedly replied, "This servant dares not slack off and is always keeping an eye on His Majesty's affairs."

Zhao Mincheng asked, "Did you notice anything?"

Xu Runnian said, "Your Majesty, when I first arrived at the prison with Marquis Lu and Lord Zeng, Yan Weijin was initially determined not to die. It was only after Lord Zeng and Marquis Lu took turns persuading her that she agreed to drink the poison. I think... Yan Weijin only agreed to drink the poison because of Marquis Lu."

Zhao Mincheng hurriedly asked, "What did Marquis Lu say to her?"

Xu Runnian said, "What he said wasn't anything special. Lord Lu just said that her father died tragically and that his coffin is still at home. He said that Yan Weijin owed her two lives and should pay with his life. But this servant doesn't know, where did those two lives come from?"

Zhao Mincheng sighed, "You may not know, but I do. That relative who looked very much like Marquis Lu also died at the hands of Yan Weijin."

Xu Runnian hurriedly said, "Your Majesty is wise. Now that you mention it, I understand. No wonder I felt something was strange in prison. Yan Weijin kept staring at Lu Hou's face. Later, he even talked nonsense and called Lu Hou Feiqing."

Zhao Mincheng rubbed his forehead, as if old memories had been stirred up as well. His brows furrowed, and he asked wearily, "Is there anything else?"

Xu Runnian thought for a moment, "There's one more thing. When we came out of prison, Lord Lu saw that a jailer's family had also experienced a funeral, so he gave her his money pouch..."

"Tsk." Zhao Mincheng said unhappily, "Who wants you to talk about these trivial matters? I don't want to hear useless things. I'm not some gossip from the village. What does it have to do with me if a jailer's family dies?"

Xu Runnian hurriedly apologized, "This servant is foolish, please forgive me, Your Majesty. This servant only wanted to tell Your Majesty everything in detail, for fear of missing anything."

Zhao Mincheng glared at him. "I know you meant well, so go down."

Xu Runnian kowtowed and quickly took his leave.

In fact, the three of them had already rehearsed their lines before speaking to the emperor.

Lu Jinlan knew that Zhao Mincheng suspected her, so no matter what she said, it would be useless. She might as well remain silent and let others speak. But if others spoke directly, even the Emperor would become suspicious.

Only by speaking hesitantly and cautiously, and acting foolishly, can one dispel the emperor's suspicions.

*

With Yan Weijin dead, Yan Wuxin was about to set off for the border.

With so many things happening all of a sudden, the servants at Zhongyong Garden were sighing and lamenting all day long. Huaixing was standing there in a daze when the steward Ximo came to call him, "Lord Hou wants to see you."

When Huai Xing saw Lu Jinlan, she saw her standing by the window with her hands behind her back, and she sighed, "Wuxin is leaving tomorrow, so it's inconvenient for me to go to her residence. Could you go and see her for me?"

Huai Xing hurriedly replied, "Don't worry, Lord Hou, I'll go right away."

Lu Jinlan continued, "The army is not like home, and the border is not like the capital. When she was at the border, she longed to return to the capital for a carefree life, but now she has no choice but to ask to leave the border, which is ultimately contrary to her wishes. There are some things on the table that she might need, so take them to her."

"yes."

Huai Xing carried his belongings to the Yan family's old residence. A familiar doorman kindly told him, "The young mistress moved out of the old residence yesterday. Go look for her at the private residence."

Huai Xing found Yan Wuxin's private residence, but it was no longer the bustling place it once was; it was now deserted and quiet.

Apart from the two old servants, only Fang Qing was tending to the flowers and plants in the courtyard.

Huai Xing hurriedly asked, "Where are those people?"

Fang Qing lowered his eyes. "My wife gave them money and sent them all away. She said that she only gathered everyone together for pleasure, but now she has no mood for pleasure, so everyone should leave."

“But I’ve stayed. I have nowhere to go anyway, and I don’t want to go back to my old ways. I’ll stay here and wait for my wife to return. If you want to see her, I’ll take you to the study. She’s in a bad mood, so watch your words.”

It was late, and the study was dark and gloomy.

Yan Wuxin sat alone in the chair, silent, majestic, and dangerous like a perilous peak, seemingly unapproachable.

This is completely different from his usual joking, angry, and approachable demeanor.

She seemed to have matured and grown up in an instant, no longer the carefree, playful teenager she once was.

Huai Xing looked at her cold profile and his eyes instantly reddened.

He knew that it was just like when he was a child growing up; he looked more and more like an adult, but his body was still in pain.

Huai Xing knelt beside her, her voice choked with emotion, "Master, are you alright?"

Yan Wuxin only said four words: "I can handle it."

*

The next day, Yan Wuxin led some followers out of the city to the northern border when music suddenly came from the Shili Pavilion.

Lu Jinlan played the zither, and Xiang Ruzhen played the flute; when the academy was thriving, they often played together. But this time, it was just the two of them.

Yan Wuxin sighed and said to Ye You, "You take your men and go ahead. I'll be there shortly."

Yan Wuxin dismounted in front of the pavilion. "Didn't I say you didn't need to see me off? Why did you still come?"

Lu Jinlan said, "We're used to it. When Ruzhen left the capital by imperial decree, we saw her off here. Last time I went to Qu Kingdom, you saw me off here. Now, it's our turn to see you off."

Xiang Ruzhen said, "I didn't expect you to leave so quickly. I thought you would wait until after the funeral."

Yan Wu gave a forced laugh. "Those old folks in my Yan family are all waiting to cause a scene at the funeral and gang up on me. If I don't leave quickly, am I just waiting to be scolded? I'm not stupid. I've already kowtowed before the coffin. Anyway, I have plenty of children, so one more person burning paper money won't make a difference."

Lu Jinlan held her hand. "Wuxin, I'm sorry you've suffered. There are some things I really don't know how to say."

Yan Wuxin smiled, "Then I won't say. I know what you're thinking. And you know what I'm thinking too."

"Neither of us did anything wrong, it's just that life is unpredictable and things can change in an instant. It's as if everything changed overnight. But I'm sure one thing will never change: we'll still be the best of friends."

The two hugged each other and patted each other's shoulders hard.

Xiang Ruzhen silently wiped away her tears. Yan Wuxin saw this and teased her with red eyes, "You've always been a tough woman, why are you crying like this today?"

Xiang Ruzhen said, both amused and exasperated, "The thought of you going to the border alone to suffer makes me feel terrible."

Yan Wuxin smiled and said, "Hey, it's nothing, you don't need to worry about me. I'm feeling down, so I'm going to the border to get some fresh air and calm down. It'll make me feel better."

"Time heals all wounds. I'll be gone for at least three years, maybe five, and it will definitely heal my heartache. Of course, if you need me for anything, I'll find a way to come back even though I'm sick."

Lu Jinlan handed her a letter. "This letter contains some words your mother said before she passed away. Remember to burn it after you read it."

Yan Wuxin nodded and accepted the gift. The three of them drank a cup of wine, and Yan Wuxin said, "Alright, enough with the 'father-in-law' and 'father-in-law' greetings. I'm leaving now. We'll drink and chat again when I return."

Lu Jinlan quickly brought over his BMW, saying, "This horse is for you."

"Give it to me?" Yan Wuxin teased, "Your precious horse, you usually practically carry it around. If you give it to me, you won't see it again until I come back. Are you really willing to part with it?"

Lu Jinlan smiled through her tears, "I'm a little reluctant to part with it, but consider it a loan. This horse can travel a thousand miles a day, so when you want to come back, you can ride it and return sooner."

Yan Wuxin wiped away his tears and leaped onto his horse. "Then I won't stand on ceremony. Don't worry, I will definitely come back."

The sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance, the sky became overcast, and soon it began to rain.

When Lu Jinlan returned to the mansion, Huaixing was kneeling in the rain.

Lu Jinlan sighed, "Go, stay by her side, take good care of her daily needs, and don't let her be lonely."

Huai Xing kowtowed to the ground, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Hou!"

*

Recently, the Emperor has been very unsettled.

Lu Jinlan returned to Yunzhou with the coffin, and Zhao Mincheng dispatched imperial guards to escort him. While ostensibly an escort, it was actually a form of surveillance.

She always felt that, given Lu Jinlan's quick wit, she wouldn't let bygones be bygones without digging deeper.

The messenger returned saying there was nothing amiss. After Lu Jinlan finished the funeral arrangements, he brought his family from Yunzhou and moved them all to Zhongyong Garden. During this time, he didn't see any suspicious people or go to any suspicious places.

Zhao Mincheng was puzzled. Did she really not know the truth of what happened back then?

In any case, Lu Jinlan brought his family to the capital, which greatly dispelled Zhao Mincheng's suspicions.

However, Lu Jinlan looked unwell. After returning to the capital, she submitted a memorial resigning from her position as Minister of Rites and recommended Guan Shanyue to serve as the new Minister of Rites.

The memorial stated, "With this misfortune befalling my family, I am deeply depressed and anxious, and incapable of handling the miscellaneous affairs of the Ministry of Rites. If Your Majesty would be so gracious as to retain my position as Minister of Works, I would like to devote myself to invention and creation to spend the rest of my life. However, my strength is not what it used to be, and I am no longer able to attend court. I beg Your Majesty to allow me some respite. I am truly exhausted, both physically and mentally, and do not wish to be involved in any more disputes..."

"Physically and mentally exhausted? Is it that serious?" Zhao Mincheng didn't believe it.

Her feelings for Lu Jinlan were truly complex. As Lu Jinlan's biological mother, she couldn't bear to see her sink into despair. But as an accomplice from back then, she was also constantly on guard against Lu Jinlan.

If she was faking her misery, then Lu Jinlan was doomed. But if she was truly in such a terrible state, she couldn't bear to see her like that.

She first sent someone to the Lu residence to check on the situation. The person who returned said, "Lord Lu has fenced off a piece of land in her residence and built a shed, saying it's a factory. She wants to research some novel things."

Zhao Mincheng frowned. "Novel things? Aren't they just some gadgets? What's the use of wasting time and energy?"

"So what if her father died and she lost a friend? How could that make her lose her ambition and become obsessed with trivial pursuits?"

She looked around. "What's your name again?"

Xu Runnian immediately knelt down, "Your servant Xu Runnian."

Zhao Mincheng said, "Yes, I remember she liked to talk to you. Go back and talk to her, help her calm down. By the way, there's a famous male monk circulating in the area lately, what's his name again?"

A voice hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, the male monk is called Master Qingxuan. He was abandoned at the gate of a Buddhist temple at birth. Because he grew up in the temple, he could recite scriptures at the age of three, which amazed everyone."

"Now Master Qingxuan has grown into a man and is even more proficient in Buddhism. It is said that those who are troubled by inner demons can regain their clarity after talking with him for a while. He is also praised as a reincarnation of a deity, possessing the wisdom of a true Buddha and the appearance of a god..."

"Alright, alright!" Zhao Mincheng was too lazy to listen anymore. "Let this Qingxuan monk also try to reason with her."

A few days after the imperial decree was issued, Zhao Mincheng was reviewing memorials when the head palace servant rushed in to report: "Your Majesty, Marquis Lu...she..."

Zhao Mincheng frowned. "Speak properly. Why is she hesitating like this? What's wrong with her?"

"Your Majesty, didn't you send Xu Runnian to comfort her? Xu Runnian went yesterday, and then Marquis Lu... she fell asleep."

Zhao Mincheng said strangely, "If she's asleep, just wait until she wakes up. What's there to panic about?"

“No,” the head palace servant said, his face flushed as he knelt down, “Lord Lu slept with someone.”

Zhao Mincheng was taken aback, and the pen in his hand fell to the table with a clatter.