Chapter 111 You are her real mother...
Li Jingcao wiped away her tears and, choking back sobs, explained the whole story.
It turned out that before Xiang Ruzhen left the capital, she entrusted her with finishing up some cases that were almost completed, one of which involved an official who had already retired.
This man, surnamed Qian, was also obsessed with money. While in office, he embezzled a sum of money, the whereabouts of which were unknown, and was exposed by Xiang Ruzhen.
When Xiang Ruzhen was around, this man was relatively honest and showed remorse. But as soon as Xiang Ruzhen left the capital, the man surnamed Qian changed his tune.
Li Jingcao went to collect the money several times, but the man surnamed Qian not only refused to pay, but also sent someone to leave two hundred taels of silver at Li Jingcao's mother's fried cake stall, hiding it in a bucket of flour.
The old lady was frail and her eyesight was failing; she didn't realize it until the next morning.
When she tried to return it, they refused, insisting it was money given to Li Jingcao to settle the matter. They forced her to drop the case, or they would accuse her of accepting bribes.
Li Jingcao became more and more aggrieved as she spoke, tears and snot streaming down her face. She said angrily, "That man surnamed Qian is going too far. I've reasoned with him and begged him. My mother was so remorseful that she was about to hang herself, but that guy just insisted that I was the one who wanted to take the money."
"I could jump into the sea and still not clear my name. My reputation is ruined. The case can't be solved. When Lord Xiang comes back, he will definitely scold me to death."
She cried her heart out, but Yan Wuxin was amused and annoyed. "Lord Li, can't you be a little more sensible? Two hundred taels of silver have driven you to this state? Here's an idea for you."
“Your monthly salary is less than thirty taels, right? You might as well just accept it, take the money, and hand the job over to someone else. You could go to jail for three months and come out with a profit of over a hundred taels.”
Upon hearing this, Li Jingcao said anxiously, "I'm already in this state, why does Lord Yan still want to tease me? This isn't about money. Although I'm poor, I've never embezzled a single penny. If you want me to admit to accepting bribes, I might as well go home and hang myself with my mother."
Lu Jinlan glanced at Wu Xin, smiled, and said to Li Jingcao, "Lord Yan was just joking, don't take it seriously. I've heard Ruzhen mention you before; you're from Yao County on the outskirts of the capital, right?"
Li Jingcao said, "That's right. When Lord Xiang investigated Yao County, he found that all my colleagues except me had problems. Lord Xiang said that I was like a lotus rising from the mud, untainted, and specially promoted me to a position in the Ministry of Revenue."
Lu Jinlan nodded. "It's hard to remain untainted by the mud, isn't it?"
Li Jingcao said sadly, "It's difficult."
Lu Jinlan said, “It’s not easy to protect yourself. But what you’re doing now is controlling others, which is even harder. To fight against evil people, you have to be even more ruthless. If someone frames you, you’re helpless. How can you do anything? The woman surnamed Qian is now a commoner. You, an official, can’t beat her. Aren’t you ashamed?”
Li Jingcao sniffed. "When it comes to being wicked, I can't compare to a villain."
Lu Jinlan glared at her, "Can't keep up with you? Are you stubborn? There will be plenty of similar incidents in the future. Are you going to hang yourself every time? You wouldn't have enough lives to hang yourself."
"Ruzhen is even more unyielding than you, but she's not as stupid as you. They only dare to use underhanded tactics because they know you only have legitimate methods and no cunning ones. But you can't even defeat a petty person, so what kind of adult are you?"
Li Jingcao said in a muffled voice, "Lord Lu is right to reprimand me, but I can't think of a solution right now."
Lu Jinlan stroked his chin. "You've come to the right place. How much does the Qian family owe the Ministry of Revenue?"
Li Jingcao replied, "Including the principal and the fine, the total is 12,217 taels."
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "What a miser! He won't even part with this little bit of money. You just said that the man surnamed Qian is now in the silk business?"
"Yes, they opened a fairly large silk shop in the west of the city."
Lu Jinlan curled the corners of her lips. "Keep the two hundred taels of silver. Consider it a lesson for the woman surnamed Qian. When you see her, tell her one thing: stop playing tricks and pay back the money she owes the Ministry of Revenue within three days, or I'll make sure she never has any business again."
Li Jingcao was taken aback. "Lord Lu, this... isn't this against the rules? Isn't this considered oppressing good people... no, oppressing wicked people?"
Lu Jinlan raised an eyebrow. "What are you afraid of? It's not like I'm the one getting involved. My mother happens to be the president of the National Silk Merchants Association. Cutting off the supply is just a matter of a word for her. Without any fabric, what is she going to sell? Spin the silk herself?"
“If you tell her about this relationship, she’ll pay the fine obediently unless she’s completely stupid.”
Li Jingcao did as instructed, and the problem was indeed solved.
Similar situations occurred frequently in the years that followed. Whenever Xiang Ruzhen was not in the capital, people who were unsure of what to do would go to the Lu residence.
Now, the year had passed thirty, and Xiang Ruzhen had still not returned to the capital. Yan Wuxin rushed to the Lu residence early in the morning, only to learn that Jin Xueqing had given birth that day, and the entire household was in a flurry of activity.
Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin sat around a stove in the pavilion, brewing tea and waiting anxiously.
Lu Jinlan: "This is Ruzhen's first child. I really hope she can make it back in time today."
Yan Wuxin: "Yes, today is her birthday. I've prepared her birthday present. Why hasn't she come back yet?"
Just then, a baby's cry came from inside the house, and Xi Mo ran in from outside to report: "Lord Xiang is back!"
The two hurried forward and saw that Xiang Ruzhen looked travel-worn and much more haggard, but she was in good spirits. Upon seeing them, she greeted them first, "Happy New Year!"
Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "Go see your child, you're a mother now."
Jin Xueqing weakly grasped Xiang Ruzhen's hand, somewhat regretfully, "I'm sorry, I originally planned to give birth today, hoping to have a daughter as a birthday gift for you. It's a pity it's a son, so it's not quite perfect."
Xiang Ruzhen comforted her, "It's okay, the next one will definitely be a daughter. Take good care of yourself, we're still young, there's plenty of time ahead of us."
Lu Jinlan laughed from outside the door, "How about we arrange a marriage between our children? How about you give your son to my daughter?"
Jin Xueqing smiled and said, "This child is so lucky. He doesn't even have a name yet, and he's already getting married. My lady, why don't you give our son a name?"
Xiang Ruzhen thought for a moment, and just then, snowflakes began to fall outside the window. Xiang Ruzhen said, "Let's call it Yu Bai, Xiang Yu Bai."
*
Winter has passed and spring has arrived. In the blink of an eye, it's February 2nd, the emperor's birthday.
Lu Jinlan had previously stated that she would not touch the user department's money, so she assigned Guan Shanyue to solicit sponsorships.
Guan Shanyue: "What is sponsorship?"
Lu Jinlan: "You should go to those merchants and say that the Emperor's birthday celebration will require a lot of things. If we buy them all, how much money can they make? It's all done quietly and without much benefit. Why don't we let them provide the goods themselves?"
“They can sponsor everything for the birthday celebration. For example, the table and chairs used for the Emperor’s birthday celebration. After we finish using them, they can make slight modifications and sell the same models. In short, those who provide birthday celebration supplies and pay silver will receive a commemorative plaque issued by our Ministry of Rites.”
Guan Shanyue's eyes lit up as she listened, and she immediately understood, saying, "So, does that mean we should divide the merchants into different grades based on the amount of silver they pay?"
"First-class sponsorship: 100,000 taels, and a large plaque, which will be personally delivered to the shop by Lord Lu; second-class sponsorship: 50,000 taels, and a medium-sized plaque, which will be delivered by me with a entourage; third-class sponsorship: 30,000 taels, and a small plaque, which will be delivered by the head of the Ministry of Rites."
Lu Jinlan nodded repeatedly, "We must make a big fuss about it then. We won't let them waste their money. The advertising effect must be achieved. Also, we should differentiate the sponsorship rewards for different levels. All sponsors can hang our Ministry of Rites' specially made 'Same as the Emperor's Birthday Celebration' sign. First-class sponsors can hang it for three years, while third-class sponsors can only hang it for one month."
“I will go to the palace and speak to the Emperor, and try to post a notice that lists all the merchants who are filial to the Emperor.”
Guan Shanyue had a slight worry: "No dynasty in history has ever done this before. Will the Emperor agree to it?"
Lu Jinlan smiled slyly, "Then it depends on how I talk to her. No one has ever done this before. The Emperor is the first in history. Do you think she has the guts?"
Lu Jinlan went to the palace and gave a speech, but Zhao Mincheng pondered for a moment and said, "This won't work."
Lu Jinlan: "Why?"
Zhao Mincheng: "We need to add a special sponsorship to show how benevolent I am. Since they want to show their filial piety to my birthday celebration, I will also do them a favor. Whoever contributes 300,000 taels will receive a plaque personally written by me, and will also be granted a seat at the birthday banquet to attend and celebrate my birthday."
Lu Jinlan thought that 300,000 taels was no small sum, and wondered who would be the sucker. That is, until she saw Manager Ping.
Lu Jinlan quietly pulled her aside, "Why are you here?"
Ping Xiyu said in a low voice, "The patriarch said that there are not many families in the capital that can provide top-level sponsorship, and our Lu family has the capability. If we have the capability but don't do it, the Emperor will probably be unhappy if he finds out. Besides, isn't this in line with your work? It's just that the patriarch doesn't want to get involved, so she sent me."
Lu Jinlan frowned and said, "My mother is overthinking things. There's no need to spend this money."
Ping Xiyu insisted, "The head of the family has calculated it and said we can definitely make it back. Besides, our family isn't short of money. We've opened seven or eight new shops in the capital this year, and the new shops need customers. We're just worried that it won't be lively enough."
“Alright,” Lu Jinlan said helplessly to Guan Shanyue, “Special sponsorship, write Jiu'an Hall on it.”
Ping Xiyu handed over the silver notes and then asked, "I heard that Lord Xiang is going to investigate commercial taxes and impose fines recently. Will she investigate our family?"
Lu Jinlan scoffed, "If she were to investigate, given our relationship, she would definitely investigate our family first."
Back when Xiang Ruzhen became the student council president, on her first day in office, she stopped Lu Jinlan, who was late, and her future husband's older sister, Jin Yihuai.
Lu Jinlan was all too familiar with Xiang Ruzhen's way of doing things.
She hurriedly asked, "Is there a problem with our family's taxes?"
Ping Xiyu said, "Absolutely no problem. Among all the merchants in the capital, our family is the most law-abiding. We pay all the taxes due, which is well-known in the industry. No matter who comes to check, they won't be able to fine us a single penny."
Lu Jinlan sighed, "Our family got through this safely, but it will be difficult for Ruzhen. Outsiders will definitely think that she is suspected of protecting someone."
"Here's what we'll do: you sell her a loophole, pretend it was a moment of confusion, that she forgot to pay some taxes or paid them late. If she finds out, she can make her pay a fine of 20,000 or 30,000 yuan. With our family setting an example, the other merchants will definitely be more honest."
“This…” Ping Xiyu hesitated.
Lu Jinlan: "What? You're worried about the money? You just said you had plenty. No need to pay from the public account, come to my residence to get it."
Ping Xiyu quickly replied, "Young Master is too kind. It's all your money, no matter where it comes from. Leave this to me, I'll definitely get it done for you."
*
The birthday celebration was a great success. Lu Jinlan originally only wanted to secure 500,000 taels of sponsorship, but the amount exceeded that by more than three times.
The capital city is truly dazzling with its wealth and splendor.
The Emperor was very pleased and praised Lu Jinlan for her quick wit and resourcefulness, entrusting her with the concurrent management of the Ministry of Works. Guan Shanyue was promoted to Right Minister of Rites without any problems, and everything was progressing in a positive direction.
The only thing that Lu Jinlan regretted was that she had originally wanted to use the birthday celebration as an excuse to invite Chi Li. Unfortunately, the Emperor of Jiang Kingdom fell ill, and Chi Li, as the Emperor's consort, naturally had no reason to come alone.
From the Qu Kingdom, Xiao Chengying personally came to show his support. From the Jiang Kingdom, two princesses and several royal relatives also came to express their goodwill.
Everyone drank, made merry, sang, and danced together to celebrate the birthday, creating a strong atmosphere of kinship and love among people from all walks of life.
Xiao Heng became pregnant during the New Year. When Xiao Chengying was about to leave, he discussed with Lu Jinlan, saying, "The Empress Dowager is getting old and has been thinking about Fourteenth Brother a lot lately. She was very happy to learn that he is pregnant and wants you to go back and visit him. She really wants to see you."
Lu Jinlan thought about it for a moment. Since she had nothing to do these days, and the royal relatives of Jiang Kingdom were very enthusiastic after she made contact with them, they also invited her to visit Jiang Kingdom.
The messenger from Jiang also said, "Our royal consort has heard that Hua Kingdom is rich in resources, so he specially ordered me to purchase some things to take back with me. I am unfamiliar with this place, so I hope that Marquis Lu can help me find some guidance."
Lu Jinlan asked, "What does he want?"
The man took out a list. "These are all everyday items. The Emperor said it doesn't matter if we can't buy other things, but there's a white jade hairpin that I heard is very popular. We must buy it."
Lu Jinlan had an idea. "Give me the list, I'll go buy it. Make sure you bring back what he wants."
The person who came offered to pay her some money in advance, but Lu Jinlan refused.
The people of Jiang exclaimed, "Lord Lu is truly a good man!"
Now that Xiao Chengying has made this suggestion, Lu Jinlan immediately agrees.
She first sent Xiao Heng to the State of Qu to rest and prepare for childbirth, and then returned to the State of Jiang. After that, she also made a trip to the State of Jiang.
At night, Lu Jinlan skillfully scaled the palace wall and entered the palace. Through the skylight, she glimpsed the person she wanted to meet.
Chi Li still lay on that land, dressed in red, the white jade hairpin in her hand warm from being held in her palm.
According to the people from Huaguo, what he wanted was personally arranged by the Marquis of Jing'an.
The white jade hairpin was placed in an exquisite box and safely delivered to him.
Whenever Chi Li thought of Lu Jinlan, a sweet smile would appear on her lips.
But when the person he had been longing for suddenly appeared before him, he couldn't help but burst into tears, holding her tightly, unable to utter a single word for a long time.
That night, Lu Jinlan brazenly stayed at the palace of the Emperor's consort in Chi Li.
The two nestled together, and Chi Li pleaded softly, "Let me have a child for you."
Lu Jinlan was taken aback. "What if someone finds out?"
Chi Li lowered her eyes. "It's too agonizing for me to miss you all by myself. With our child by my side, seeing her makes the pain less painful. Besides, few people come here. The Emperor's illness is getting worse, and he's already delirious. If I'm really pregnant, I'll say it's the Emperor's."
Lu Jinlan hesitated for a moment, then Chi Li continued, "I'm always afraid you'll forget me. If I have a child, I won't feel uneasy. You won't abandon us, father and daughter, will you?"
Lu Jinlan smiled. "Who doesn't care about you? I've come all this way. Fine, here's a child for you. If you get pregnant, send someone to tell me. If you can't hide it, I'll just take you back."
Chi Li smiled, then said sadly, "It's a pity that even if I give birth to our child, she won't be able to take your surname. But don't worry, when the child is old enough to understand, I will definitely tell her that you are her real mother."
Lu Jinlan held his hand, "A mother and daughter are connected at heart. When the child sees me one day, she will understand."
Lu Jinlan spent seven or eight nights indulging in pleasure at the Jiang Kingdom's palace before setting off to return home.
Passing by the Chicheng Army's garrison, they offered their condolences and encouragement to the soldiers.
When I returned to the capital, it was a spring afternoon, and the setting sun cast a pleasant glow on the grass and trees.
Outside the city gate stood two fine horses, along with two familiar figures.
Lu Jinlan was delighted, "What are you all doing here?"
Xiang Ruzhen smiled and said, "We've been calculating the days, and we figured you should be arriving soon. You can have your entourage go back first, and we'll take you somewhere else. You can return to the manor tonight."
Lu Jinlan assumed that the two had arranged something fun to welcome her, so she asked Guan Shanyue and other subordinates from the Ministry of Rites, as well as several servants such as Xi Mo, to take several cartloads of things back first.
She then followed Xiang Ruzhen and Yan Wuxin, the three of them riding three horses, and went elsewhere.
The road became increasingly desolate, and Lu Jinlan couldn't help but ask, "Where are we going?"
Yan Wuxin laughed and said, "Do you know Li County, which is not far from the capital, next to Yao County?"
Lu Jinlan said, "I know, but I've never been there. That place can't compare to the capital; it's a remote and impoverished area. What's so fun about it?"
“I’m not kidding,” Xiang Ruzhen said. “Didn’t you ask me to help you investigate someone before? Coincidentally, I found out.”
Lu Jinlan was taken aback. Xiang Ruzhen thought she was too surprised and explained, "Feiqing is the Fei of Feihua and the Qing of Xianqing. This person's surname is Gu, Gu Feiqing."
Lu Jinlan was momentarily at a loss for words. "This...this happened so long ago. I just mentioned it casually back then."
Xiang Ruzhen smiled and said, "A few days ago, Manager Ping said that you forced her to make a mistake because of me. Speaking of which, since we met, I've always been the one who troubles you and Wuxin more, while you've rarely troubled me."
"You asked me to do just this one thing, how could I forget?"
"However, this Gu Feiqing is really hard to find. I searched through all kinds of records but couldn't find anything."
"Later, I actually found a strange story from more than ten years ago in the county annals of Lixian. It said that one day, a torrential rain fell and a bolt of lightning struck open a tomb. There was nothing in the tomb; it was a cenotaph. According to the inscription on the tombstone, the tomb's owner was Gu Feiqing."
“I sent someone to find the Gu family genealogy of Lixian County, and sure enough, Gu Feiqing’s name was there. It had her birth date and time, and said, ‘This girl is very talented in both literature and martial arts, and is the glory of the Gu family. She has entered the Royal Academy and will have a bright future.’”
"You said that Gu Feiqing should be studying at the Royal Academy. Isn't she the person you're looking for?"
Lu Jinlan was speechless.
Yes, she did say she was looking for someone named Fei Qing, who might have studied at the Royal Academy, but that was a long time ago.
Ruzhen may have forgotten that Lu Jinlan once said that this Feiqing might be Yan Weijin's classmate.
She concluded by saying, "Pretend I didn't say anything. Don't tell anyone about this."
But Yan Wuxin and Xiang Ruzhen came to pick her up together. The three of them were so close that there was no reason to keep it a secret from anyone now that things had come to this.
Lu Jinlan silently followed the two to Li County and found a desolate and dilapidated house.
For some reason, as soon as Lu Jinlan entered the courtyard, she felt a heaviness in her heart, as if this place was inextricably linked to her.
"Found it!" Xiang Ruzhen called out from the backyard, "The tomb is here!"
After being struck by lightning, someone probably helped repair it. However, the grave is overgrown with weeds and hasn't been tended to for a long time.
The tombstone contains very little information, only reading: "Tomb of Gu Feiqing, erected by the deceased."
Who is Gu Feiqing? Who is his old friend? What year and month? None of these are written.
The person who erected this monument seems to have deliberately concealed everything, only burying the person's clothes and personal effects here, trying to let them rest in peace.
Lu Jinlan sighed, "We've already seen it, let's go."
Yan Wuxin leaned against the window and peered into the room for a long time.
Lu Jinlan asked her, "What's wrong?"
Yan Wuxin said in surprise, "There seems to be a stone statue inside that looks a bit like you."
The three pushed open the dilapidated wooden door and walked into the inner room, where a solid, broken stone statue appeared before them.
It's described as broken because it was originally a double stone statue. The two people were originally standing side by side, but now the head of the person next to Gu Feiqing has been deliberately chiseled off, leaving only the part below the neck.
The statue is described as sturdy because the base of the stone is engraved with the date. The engraving was made twenty years ago, yet the statue remains unchanged after twenty years.
The sculptor's skill was superb, bringing a cold stone to life with such vivid features and expressions that one could immediately discern the artist's skill.
Their gazes lingered between the stone statue and Lu Jinlan. Finally, Yan Wuxin couldn't help but ask, "Is this Gu Feiqing your relative?"
Lu Jinlan's heart sank, and she slowly nodded.
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