Chapter 105 You Shouldn't Have the Surname Lu
Xiang Ruzhen said, "His Majesty didn't specify, but that should be the meaning. I wanted to ask him about it, but he gave me a look and didn't let me ask."
Lu Jinlan quickly said, "It's right that you shouldn't ask. Our Emperor is very shrewd. If you accidentally offend him, even if he doesn't punish you now, he'll hold a grudge and settle the score sooner or later."
Xiang Ruzhen smiled and looked at her, "Why would you think that? I think the Emperor is very kind to you. Even the eldest princess has to be cautious and timid in front of the Emperor, but you can chat and laugh with him casually and easily. It's the envy of the entire court."
Lu Jinlan gave a wry smile. "Sigh, my composure was just an act. In reality, I was even more apprehensive than the First Princess. Facing an emperor who holds the power of life and death, with life and death entirely in her hands, who could be at ease?"
"However, I noticed that she sometimes seemed lonely, and probably hoped that someone could keep her company and chat with her, to liven things up. So, I will be the minister who understands the emperor's heart."
"Firstly, it will please the Emperor and prevent him from making things difficult for me; secondly, the officials will have to be more considerate of the Emperor and me because of our good relationship; and thirdly, just in case, if you and Wuxin get into trouble in the future, I can still use this relationship to put in a good word for you."
"This is the way of being a minister that I've recently come up with. What do you think?"
Xiang Ruzhen remained silent for a long time, then said, “I think… you’re right, but aren’t you missing the point? Actually, you don’t need to revolve around the Emperor. If you do things well, the Emperor will naturally be happy.”
Lu Jinlan was startled. "My goodness! Xiang Ruzhen, Lord Xiang, I must seriously explain this to you."
"Look at how fiercely the old and new factions are fighting, yet the Emperor isn't worried at all. She just watches coldly from the sidelines, sipping tea and enjoying the spectacle. Why do you think that is?"
Xiang Ruzhen hurriedly asked, "Why?"
Lu Jinlan said, "Because the emperor also has his own calculations. She may like it this way, or she may not like it if the court officials reach a consensus. The art of checks and balances for emperors has always been like this."
"So you must understand that doing things for the people and doing things for the emperor are two different things. What makes the people happy may not make the emperor happy."
"Isn't this what celebrating the Emperor's birthday is all about? You must remember this..."
Lu Jinlan lowered her voice: "Your Majesty does not represent the people."
"Of course, a wise emperor will care for and appease the people, because a tyrant will create a mob, and people will rebel. But you have to see through it; everything an emperor does is to consolidate his rule."
"No emperor would sacrifice his own interests for the benefit of the people. Therefore, you must think carefully before you act."
"Don't forget that saying, 'I don't seek to impress the world with my writing, I only seek to impress the examiners.'"
"You are now the Minister of Revenue, a high-ranking official of the second rank. It is true that you have the world in your heart, and you are an official in the court. Don't forget that the Emperor is above us. This examiner can be deadly. If you ignore her, it will be very dangerous."
Xiang Ruzhen nodded slightly, and Lu Jinlan continued, "I'm not advising you to fawn over the Emperor; someone as straightforward as you can't fake it. But if you want to win both the Emperor's favor and the examiners' favor, you must be very careful not to ruin yourself. If you're unsure about something, consult with me and Wuxin."
Xiang Ruzhen patted the back of her hand. "I'll remember it and think about it when I get back. I used to be a complete brute, but since I met you and Wuxin, I've gradually learned to be more flexible. Oh, right, I was only halfway through what I was saying earlier."
"His Majesty has announced that the Marquis of Dingbei's residence will be searched tomorrow, and he wants you, the eldest princess, and me to go with him. The seized cash will go to the Ministry of Revenue, and the confiscated items to the Ministry of Rites. All the people in the Marquis of Dingbei's residence are being held in custody. Tomorrow, we're likely to run into Zhao Ren."
With the fall of the Marquis of Dingbei, more than thirty officials who had previously been affiliated with the Ling family were dismissed from their posts, some even imprisoned and their property confiscated. As the young marquis, Ling Zhaoren naturally could not escape this fate.
Her merits on the battlefield earned her the title of a general with a minor rank, but when the Marquis of Dingbei was convicted of treason, all of Ling Zhaoren's rewards were immediately stripped away, and she was to be exiled. Fortunately, she survived.
Lu Jinlan sighed, "If we run into each other, we run into each other. It's unavoidable."
Xiang Ruzhen said, "Although we're not particularly close to her, we were classmates after all. It's already tragic enough that she's fallen to this state. If she blames us or says anything unpleasant tomorrow, let's not hold it against her."
Lu Jinlan smiled and shook her head, "I'm not a petty person, I won't kick someone when they're down, but it's hard to say about others."
*
The next day, Lu Jinlan, Xiang Ruzhen, and Zhao Zhiyu each led a group of people to the Marquis of Dingbei's residence.
The Ling family members were all dressed in prison uniforms and herded into the courtyard in batches. All the rare and precious items, gold and silver utensils, brocade quilts and fine clothes in the mansion were searched and registered one by one.
As the three were taking inventory in the backyard, Zhao Zhiyu's bodyguard, Turing, rushed over to report, "Your Highness, Ling Zhaoren says she wants to see you and has a few words to say."
Zhao Zhiyu flipped through the register with a sullen face. "Can't you see I'm busy? I don't have time. I have nothing to say to an exiled criminal."
Turing hesitated, "But she said, please consider her father's sake..."
“Hiss—” Zhao Zhiyu frowned. “Her father requested to see the Empress yesterday, but the Empress refused to see him. What face does her father have? If she doesn’t see him, then there’s no need to reply.”
Before he could finish speaking, a guard from the front yard rushed in to report, saying in a panic, "The Emperor's younger brother... the wife of the Marquis of Dingbei, just now took advantage of a moment when no one was looking and ran into a pillar and died."
Lu Jinlan and Xiang Ruzhen exchanged a surprised glance. Although they had expected the scene of the raid to be unpleasant, they hadn't anticipated that people would die.
Zhao Zhiyu grunted in agreement and ordered, "Cover the body first, and send someone to the palace to inform the Empress Dowager. If there are no special instructions, take it out and bury it directly."
Xiang Ruzhen couldn't help but ask, "How's the front yard?"
The visitor replied, "It seems they knew he would do this beforehand, so they weren't surprised."
Zhao Zhiyu frowned and said, "Why did they have to die here of all times? It's really annoying."
She waved her sleeve, dismissing the servants. Then she called Xiang Ruzhen and Lu Jinlan over, saying, "Let's go take a look at the West Courtyard again."
The three women led their entourage toward the west courtyard. Ling Zhaoren saw them pass by and quickly called out, "Your Highness!"
Zhao Zhiyu paused, and Ling Zhaoren hurriedly crawled a few steps on his knees, still wearing shackles, and knelt down at the foot of the steps.
Looking at Zhao Zhiyu's retreating figure, she pleaded, "Your Highness, please do me a favor, considering we were classmates and relatives."
“My father just died, and my mother is still in the prison. She’s going to be executed next month. My mother doesn’t have much time left. It’s already winter, and the weather is so cold. The prison is dark and damp, and my mother also has a leg ailment. Could you please leave her knee braces?”
"It's nothing valuable. I just made it for her from the fur of a rabbit I hunted on my first hunt. The knee pads are old and worn out. Could you please not confiscate them?"
Ling Zhaoren pleaded tearfully, but Zhao Zhiyu turned his head slightly, glanced at her, and said coldly, "Everything has been registered, and I have no authority to make any further decisions."
Ling Zhaoren choked up and said, "It's just a pair of knee pads. As the eldest princess, how could you not have the right to make such a decision? I know you hate me. I was wrong before. I was arrogant and disrespectful. I was wrong. I will kowtow to you to apologize."
As Ling Zhaoren spoke, he began to kowtow, "You are a magnanimous person, please don't hold it against me. I am being exiled today, and I won't even be able to collect my mother's body when she is beheaded. I just want her to be warmly dressed before she goes on her journey..."
Seeing Ling Zhaoren crying uncontrollably, his forehead bleeding from the effort, Lu Jinlan couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat.
She quickly helped her up and advised, "Zhaoren, don't do this. You need to take care of yourself."
Ling Zhaoren shook his head painfully, "I know I'm not well-liked and have offended many people. I feel guilty towards you all. But we've spent so much time together, sharing a dormitory for so long, don't we have any affection for each other? I've carried water and food for you all, and we've even fought together. Jinlan, please help me talk to His Highness..."
Recalling all the memories they shared at the academy, Lu Jinlan couldn't help but burst into tears. Before she could plead, Xiang Ruzhen, her eyes red, spoke up: "Your Highness, perhaps..."
Zhao Zhiyu interrupted, "Lord Xiang, the cash has been selected enough. You can take it back to the Ministry of Revenue. There's nothing more for you here."
Zhao Zhiyu strode away, Xiang Ruzhen shook her head helplessly, and Ling Zhaoren leaned against Lu Jinlan's chest and closed her eyes in despair.
Lu Jinlan wiped away her tears with his sleeve and whispered, "Don't cry anymore, and don't beg anymore, it's no use."
Ling Zhaoren stared blankly, tears streaming down her face. "Perhaps I should really do what my father did and end it all."
Lu Jinlan said urgently, "Don't think like that. It's better to be alive than dead. Ruzhen, you try to persuade her."
Lu Jinlan handed the person over to Xiang Ruzhen, gritted her teeth, and quickly went to the backyard.
Several officials from the Ministry of Rites were taking inventory and registering the items. Lu Jinlan took the register, glanced at it, and asked directly, "Do you have a pair of rabbit fur knee pads?"
A young official with fox-like eyes and a sharp face said, "Reporting to Marquis Lu, the inventory hasn't been completed yet. However, His Highness just sent Lord Tu to say that if it's found, it should be burned immediately."
Lu Jin closed his eyes and sighed deeply, "Why did it have to come to this?"
She planned to go to Zhao Zhiyu to plead for mercy, but just as she reached the corridor, the person in charge from before caught up with her.
"Lord Lu, please wait."
"What is it?"
The man took out a pair of rabbit fur knee pads from his pocket. "Is this what you want?"
Lu Jinlan was taken aback. "Didn't you just say you hadn't finished counting them?"
The man said helplessly, "There were so many people just now. If I had said I had found it, I'm afraid I would have had to burn it even if I didn't want to. Please rest assured, Lord Lu, no one saw me put this away just now. If Your Highness sends someone to ask again later, I will say that I didn't find it."
"There are so many things, and an old knee pad isn't an expensive item, so it's normal that you can't find it. I'll hand it over to Lord Lu, and you can deal with it as you see fit."
Lu Jinlan quickly tucked the knee pads into her sleeves, looked around, and whispered, "Why did you help me?"
The man said, “To be honest, Lord Lu, I come from a merchant family. Although my family is wealthy, I have no connections. I have been working in the Ministry of Rites for four years, always as a low-ranking clerk, and only this year have I been promoted to principal officer. I am proud to serve my country, but I have no one to promote me.”
"I do not wish for Lord Lu to show favoritism, but I have heard that you are good at recognizing and using people, so I would like to ask you to give me a chance to prove myself."
"Furthermore, I have something to say. Even if someone else wanted to help with this matter today, I would have tried my best. If I may presume to say something, although we are of different social statuses, we are all daughters. It is worthwhile to lend a helping hand and fulfill someone's filial piety."
Lu Jinlan nodded repeatedly, "Well said. Your name is Guan Shanyue, right? I've seen your handwriting. I'll remember you. You can go back to your work now."
Guan Shanyue gladly cupped his hands in farewell: "This humble official takes his leave."
Lu Jinlan went around to the front yard, where the soldiers had already put shackles on the Ling family members and were forcing them to leave.
Lu Jinlan chased after them and suddenly paused. Many classmates, including Yan Wuxin, Sun Lewen, Chu Yishu, and Wu Qiongmeng, were there to see them off.
Chu Yishu couldn't help but rush into the line, run to Ling Zhaoren's side, hold her shackles and pause for a moment, then suddenly burst into tears.
"What happened? This time last year, we were still having classes at the academy. How did things suddenly turn out like this?"
Everyone burst into tears and quickly sent over the dry food and clothing they had prepared in advance, so that Ling Zhaoren could take them on the road.
Seventeen or eighteen-year-old teenagers always have such sincere feelings.
When we lived together every day, I wished I could stay as far away from her as possible. But when I heard that she had encountered some trouble, I rushed over to see her.
Even classmates who weren't particularly close to her couldn't help but feel sorry for Ling Zhaoren when they saw her disheveled appearance, with fresh wounds on her forehead, looking so miserable.
It's one thing to hate someone, but it's quite another to watch them suffer and live a life worse than death.
Yan Wuxin stuffed a silver note into Ling Zhaoren's hand, "Take this to bribe officials on the way. The journey from the capital to Changzhou is long and arduous. Hopefully, this will help you arrive safely."
Ling Zhaoren nodded, too moved to speak.
Lu Jinlan pulled her hand and touched the knee pads in his sleeve, then whispered, "I've got the things. I'll deliver them to you later. Stay alive, and maybe we'll have a chance to meet again in the future."
Ling Zhaoren burst into tears. "I owe everyone so much. I really thought about dying, but when I heard that you pleaded for me before the Emperor and saved my life, I felt that dying would only make me owe even more. Unfortunately, I have nothing left to repay everyone."
Everyone said, "Don't think about repaying us. Who wants your repayment? Changzhou is a bitterly cold place. You'll have to hold on when you get there."
When Zhao Zhiyu came out, she saw a crowd surrounding the escort team. She frowned and urged, "It's getting late, let's get going."
"Wait a moment!" A familiar, aged voice came from inside the carriage.
Everyone turned to look, and saw Dean Ling Zhixu shakily step out of the car, bowing respectfully, "Greetings, Your Highness, the First Princess."
Zhao Zhiyu's face paled, and he hurriedly said, "Dean, there's no need for such formalities."
Ling Zhixu coughed twice. "This old woman is late because of my age, Your Highness. I am Ling Zhaoren's great-aunt. I wanted to bring her some dry food and give her some instructions. I ask Your Highness for permission."
Zhao Zhiyu sighed helplessly, "Since you've already asked, how can I refuse? Let's hurry up and not delay our journey."
After Zhao Zhiyu finished speaking, she left with her entourage. The dean gave two bundles to Ling Zhaoren and her family. Everyone gathered around and said many encouraging words before departing.
Lu Jinlan, Xiang Ruzhen, and Yan Wuxin stood together, watching the exiled procession disappear into the distance.
Xiang Ruzhen said, "The head of the escort is from Mianzhou, my fellow townsman. I just chatted with her for a while, and she said she knows us and will take care of them. But what's wrong with the eldest princess today? Why is she being so unsympathetic?"
Lu Jinlan sighed, "What else could it be? Isn't it just that he's holding a grudge about what happened when he visited the Marquis's residence last time?"
Xiang Ruzhen frowned and said, "But so much time has passed. If she's upset, can't she at least vent her anger a little? It doesn't warrant forcing someone to kowtow and beg for forgiveness at this point. If we're going to go by that logic, Ling Zhaoren and I have stabbed each other in the back before, so shouldn't I take this opportunity to get revenge on her too?"
Yan Wuxin also sighed, "I told you long ago that she is different from us. We need to be careful. This princess is narrow-minded, and I'm afraid she is even more intolerant than the emperor."
Lu Jinlan nodded. "You can go back now. I'm going to the Imperial Prison to see Marquis Dingbei."
*
Lu Jinlan had never met Ling Zhijing before, nor did she intend to. But since she had already spoken to Ling Zhaoren, she decided to make the trip for her.
Ling Zhijing, dressed in prison clothes, faced the wall. Last time she visited the Marquis's residence, she refused to show herself. This time, she seemed unwilling to do so either. The jailer said she hadn't eaten or drunk anything for several days.
Lu Jinlan placed the knee pads at the cell door. "Someone said you have a leg ailment, so they asked me to give you these to keep you warm on your journey. If you have nothing else to do, I'm leaving."
Ling Zhijing suddenly asked in a hoarse voice, "Has the house been searched? That child is mentally challenged, is she alright?"
Lu Jinlan said, "Yes, she just finished copying today. She's still holding on. The dean and many classmates came to see her off. She should have already left the city and is on her way to exile."
Ling Zhijing nodded slightly. "Is my husband still holding on?"
Lu Jinlan paused for a moment, unsure whether she should tell the truth.
Ling Zhijing said to herself, "Is he already dead?"
Lu Jinlan hummed in agreement. "He committed suicide today when they raided his house."
Ling Zhijing sighed deeply, "His sister and I both wronged him. Ah, well, it's good that he's gone first. The Emperor hates me so much, he'll surely have his daughter handle the confiscation of our property—it's such a gratifying thing, isn't it?"
Lu Jinlan said, "It's a joint effort by the three of us: the eldest princess, the newly appointed Minister of Revenue Xiang Ruzhen, and myself."
"You?" Ling Zhijing turned around abruptly. "Who are you?"
Lu Jinlan said, "I am also your great enemy, Marquis Jing'an, Lu Jinlan."
“No!” Ling Zhijing quickly shook her head, “You shouldn’t have the surname Lu.”
Lu Jinlan was taken aback. "You also think I look like someone I know from the past?"
Yes, it looks very similar.
"Then you certainly won't tell me who that old friend is."
Ling Zhijing shook her head. "No, I can tell you."
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Author's Note: Things are getting busy as we approach the end, and once I start writing, I can't stop. Sorry I'm late again, I'll try to write earlier next time!
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