Chapter 118 Something Happened
A dark glint flashed in Zhao Zhiyu's eyes. "You've also heard some things from the elders in the palace?"
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "That's right. If you think telling the Emperor the truth about what happened back then will put me to death, then go ahead and tell him. The hatred for killing one's father is a deep-seated hatred. The Emperor is so suspicious; if she knows the truth, how could she possibly let go of the child of her enemy?"
"However, I'm not the only daughter who has a blood feud with the Emperor for killing her father. Don't you think so, Your Highness?"
After a long silence, Zhao Zhiyu finally spoke: "I guessed right, you are indeed ambitious. But how did you know?"
Lu Jinlan said, "Does it matter how you know? If you really think I just stay at home every day doing crafts, why would you need to send someone to secretly monitor me?"
"But your men are too stupid. They've been monitoring me for so long and haven't found anything. You've been ripped off by people like that who are working for you for money."
"Alas, thinking about it, we are truly in the same boat. For the sake of the Yan clan's interests, the Yan family killed my biological father and sent your biological father to the palace, where you were born."
"However, our common mother is no pushover. With her temperament, how could she possibly swallow a half-cooked meal if a man were forced upon her and occupied her position as the emperor's consort?"
"So your biological father was killed by her after you were born."
Zhao Zhiyu clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, saying, "But I'm different from you. I don't even know what my biological father looks like. Even if I knew about this, I never resented my mother, let alone thought of taking revenge on her."
Lu Jinlan said in a low voice, "That's just your version of events. You know the Emperor won't take one-sided statements seriously."
Zhao Zhiyu scoffed, "Isn't what you're saying just one side of the story?"
"That depends on what I say. If you were to reveal my secrets, I would tell the Emperor that you knew the truth all along. But you kept quiet because it wasn't the right time, because you were waiting for the right opportunity."
“I will tell her that you once boasted to me that you were much smarter than me, even though we both had our fathers murdered. You said the emperor would never find out and would entrust the entire empire to you. You had already planned to tell her the truth before she breathed her last, so she would die with resentment…”
"I didn't say that!" Zhao Zhiyu retorted loudly.
Lu Jinlan nodded. "I guess you were just thinking it to yourself. Of course you didn't say it, but I framed you. But you know the Emperor's temper; she'll definitely believe it, won't she?"
Zhao Zhiyu took a deep breath, closed his eyes to calm his raging emotions, and said helplessly, "What do you want?"
Lu Jinlan said, "I want you to abstain from voting."
Zhao Zhiyu sneered, "You won't let me switch allegiance to Xiang Ruzhen?"
Lu Jinlan: "I'm not that stupid. If you act too strangely, the Emperor will investigate the reason. I don't want to die with you right now. If you don't want trouble, find a reason to abstain from voting. I'm leaving."
Lu Jinlan got up to leave, when she suddenly heard Zhao Zhiyu say, "Even if I abstain from voting, you still can't win."
Lu Jinlan paused for a moment, turned her head slightly, and said disdainfully, "How do you know who will win until the very end?"
*
Although the number of people had been ostensibly sufficient, for some reason, Lu Jinlan couldn't sleep at all the night before the invoices went on sale.
She kept thinking about Zhao Zhiyu's last words. Could there be some hidden meaning behind them?
So confident, it doesn't seem like he's faking it. Does he have a backup plan? What could it be?
Have I overlooked someone? Or is someone plotting to betray the government?
Seeing that she had her eyes open, Lin Cheng felt sorry for her and said, "Go to sleep, don't think about it. You haven't had a proper rest these past two days."
"You go to sleep, I can't sleep."
"How about I call Yu Mian over and have him give you a massage?"
Lu Jinlan sighed, "Don't bother me so late at night, just give me a massage."
Lin Cheng massaged her shoulders and neck, and pressed the acupoints on her feet. Lu Jinlan actually fell asleep.
But she didn't sleep soundly, and vaguely heard someone shouting in her dream: "People from outside the city have come!"
She suddenly woke up with a start, "What time is it?"
Rin-chan: "It's almost dawn."
Lu Jinlan asked anxiously, "Why didn't you wake me up?"
Lin Cheng asked in surprise, "Are you still half asleep? You haven't attended court for half a year, what are you doing up so early?"
"Can today be the same as usual? I have to go to court today."
Lu Jinlan then started to put on her clothes, and Lin Cheng frantically searched around, "It's probably too late at this time. Where's the court robe? Oh dear, it seems to be stored in the storeroom."
Lu Jinlan slipped on her shoes and waved her hand, "I'm not wearing court robes anymore!"
She hurriedly rode her horse to the palace gate, but the ministers had already gone inside. Lu Jinlan jogged all the way and finally caught up with Xiang Ruzhen, who was walking behind her, outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
When Xiang Ruzhen saw Lu Jinlan dressed in casual clothes, her hair unkempt and disheveled, chasing after her here, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Lu Jinlan said with a sigh, "It suddenly occurred to me that since they found out about the news ten days in advance, they wouldn't have just sent our people away. They must have also gone to the seventeen states and garnered a lot of votes. That's why Zhao Zhiyu said that even if she abstained from voting, we still couldn't win."
Xiang Ruzhen was puzzled. "How is that possible? If they went outside the capital to campaign, it's impossible that no one would have told us. Even if no one else said anything, Wuxin would have sent someone to tell us."
Lu Jinlan said, "It's possible. As long as we control the timing, we can do it. Notify those who are far away first, and those who are closer later. Keep the timing tight. Even if someone wants to remind us, the person delivering the message won't be able to arrive until today at the earliest."
"If I'm not mistaken, their people should be back today as well. If not now, they'll be here soon. We're currently leading by a maximum of seven votes; it's too easy for them to catch up."
Lu Jinlan sighed helplessly, "I'm sorry, Ruzhen, I seem to have put you in a difficult situation. The situation in court will be very awkward later, I..."
Xiang Ruzhen suddenly smiled, "What's embarrassing about it? This was a losing situation to begin with. Without you, I would have lost even more miserably."
"But I don't feel embarrassed today. On the contrary, I feel very happy. You and my mother-in-law have been working tirelessly for me these past few days, making me feel extremely honored. There's no need to apologize. You've already done your best for me. With you by my side, I haven't completely failed. In other words, isn't this kind of failure also a kind of glory?"
She brushed a strand of hair from Lu Jinlan's shoulder. "Alright, you shouldn't go to court looking like that, lest people say we've lost both the battle and the people. You wait here, I'm going. I will accept this defeat openly and gladly, you wait for me."
Xiang Ruzhen strode confidently into the Hall of Supreme Harmony, while Lu Jinlan slumped down on the steps, truly unwilling to let her lose.
The sky gradually brightened, and the first rays of dawn shone upon her. In the solemn and imposing palace, her lonely and disheveled figure stood out strikingly.
The speed at which gossip spreads is astonishing. While the imperial court is in the midst of a heated election for prime minister, the young palace servants are frantically spreading rumors.
"Have you heard? Marquis Lu came to court today."
"I heard that he lost his court robes and didn't go into the main hall; he's sitting outside."
Someone nudged Xu Runnian, "Go and see your Lu Hou. Her husband doesn't know how he's been serving her. He let her out like that. What will the court officials think when they see this?" Xu Runnian quickly brought over a basin of water, a towel, and a comb. There, he saw Lu Jinlan sitting on the cold bluestone steps, her eyes closed, wearily rubbing her temples.
Xu Runnian said in a low voice, "Lord Lu, I've brought you some water. Why don't you wash up? I'll comb your hair for you."
Lu Jinlan said weakly, "I'm not washing or combing my hair. I'm not in the mood. This is fine."
Xu Runnian hurriedly advised, "When the court session ends and the ministers come out, they will laugh at you if they see you like this."
Lu Jinlan, in a fit of desperation, said, "Laugh all you want. There are so many jokes today. It would be best if they laughed themselves to death."
Xu Runnian wanted to persuade him again, but suddenly heard a voice coming from afar, "Quickly go and report to the Emperor that the Governor of Dongzhou, Yan Yangxi, has requested an audience with the Emperor, and twelve urgent documents have been delivered."
Lu Jinlan slapped his forehead, annoyed.
People were quickly summoned inside, but then Lu Jinlan heard another message: "Quickly report to His Majesty that Guan Shanyue, the Minister of Rites, requests an audience with the Emperor. An urgent document has been delivered."
Lu Jinlan suddenly raised her head. "Who? Who did they say wanted to meet the Emperor?"
Xu Runnian said, "It sounds like Lord Guan to me."
Lu Jinlan got up and saw Guan Shanyue's staggering figure fall on the stone steps in the distance. The guards on both sides quickly helped her up and carried her up.
Lu Jinlan quickly went over and took the person in her arms, asking, "What's wrong?"
Guan Shanyue was exhausted and out of breath, but her eyes lit up when she saw Xu Runnian, "Water...I want to drink water..."
She grabbed the basin of water and was about to drink when the two quickly said, "This is water for washing your face!"
Guan Shanyue ignored him completely, gulped down several mouthfuls of water, and finally caught his breath. He shakily held up two fingers and gasped, "Two horses died from exhaustion, but we've finally made it back."
Lu Jinlan glanced at the bundle on her body and hurriedly asked, "Do you have any recommendation documents?"
Guan Shanyue smiled slightly, "Yes, whose would you like to recommend?"
Lu Jinlan was taken aback. "What do you mean? You don't know who the nominee is?"
Guan Shanyue shook her head. "The Yan family went to General Yan to solicit votes, but General Yan only knew that the eldest princess wanted to recommend Yan Ling. She immediately detained him and sent people to Qu Kingdom to bring me back. At the same time, she contacted Marshal Song, Lord Yu, and civil and military officials from the five states of the Northern Territory."
"She said that you would definitely compete for this position. It would be either you or Lord Xiang. Since time was short and there was no time to confirm with you, she simply had everyone write two copies, which you could choose from."
Lu Jinlan exclaimed joyfully, "That's wonderful! Ruzhen has hope! How many nomination votes do you have here?"
Guan Shanyue proudly held up two fingers, “Twenty-seven letters, including every single general of the Song Family Army and the Chicheng Army of the third rank or above, plus the high-ranking officials from the five prefectures that Lord Yu helped recruit.”
"Great!" Lu Jinlan said excitedly, "Don't take them all out later. They just sent twelve votes, and their total votes are only five more than ours. You only need to take out half."
As they were talking, someone was summoned inside. Guan Shanyue, having recovered her strength, strode into the hall with a proud and imposing air.
Lu Jinlan hurriedly said to Xu Runnian, "Quick, help me comb my hair! I'll wash my face first and wait to see others make a fool of themselves."
"You!" Xu Runnian shook his head helplessly, "I just can't do anything with you."
When Xiang Ruzhen came out of the main hall, Lu Jinlan had already washed and dressed. The two people, with their faces beaming with pride and high spirits, smiled at each other and cupped their hands in greeting.
"Your Excellency, congratulations!"
"Lord Lu, congratulations to you!"
The two walked up to each other and hugged tightly, secretly relieved.
"That was close! Wu Xin was doing something big without telling me beforehand. I was so scared my heart almost jumped out of my chest."
"She must be punished when she gets back. Sigh, I wonder when she'll be back."
*
Yan Wuxin was gone for five years.
Lu Jinlan is twenty-three years old, finally reaching an age close to that before she transmigrated.
During these five years, Yan Wuxin governed the army on the border, Xiang Ruzhen implemented reforms in the court, and Lu Jinlan pursued her inventions and creations.
In the third year, Huaixing returned from the border carrying a daughter. She said that Yan Wuxin had asked her to bring the child back to show her two aunts; this was her first child.
During these five years, Lu Jinlan and Xiang Ruzhen were not idle either.
Lu Jinlan had three more daughters and one son.
Lu Jinzhao spends his days playing with a group of children, and he hears "Grandma" eight hundred times a day.
But she didn't seem tired at all, and her spirits seemed even better than before. She even urged Lu Jinlan to have Xiao Heng bring Lu Anan back as well.
Lu Jinlan said, "Xiao Chengying is now the Emperor of Qu, and our An'nan is now the Crown Prince of Qu. How can she run around like this? Let's wait until she's older."
In contrast to Lu Jinlan, Xiang Ruzhen had three more sons, named Tingfeng, Guanwu, and Wangyu. Adding to Yu Bai's previous pregnancy, they were practically a weather forecast.
When Lord Jin saw that Jin Xueqing kept giving birth to sons, he secretly thought that there was something wrong with his own family members' health, so he sent two young boys over.
One of the young men actually gave birth to a daughter for Xiang Ruzhen, who named the child Xiang Yu and loved her dearly.
But she told Lu Jinlan privately, "I still hope that Xueqing and I can have a daughter. My daughter with Xueqing will definitely look the most like me."
Xiang Ruzhen remained as diligent as ever, often working late into the night after becoming prime minister.
She would travel out of the capital to inspect the capital every year. In the fifth year, Jin Xueqing became pregnant again, and Xiang Ruzhen said she was going to Changzhou.
Lu Jinlan was taken aback. "You're going to inspect the places of exile too? Those harsh, cold places, not only do officials not go there, but even ordinary people don't go there. Besides, your Xueqing is about to give birth again."
Xiang Ruzhen smiled and said, "I've calculated the days, and I can get back before he dies. Although Changzhou is bitterly cold, even the most bitterly cold place is still our territory. I'll go and see if we can govern it better. Even those who have been exiled should have a better life, shouldn't they?"
Lu Jinlan thought that since she couldn't persuade her anyway, she said, "Yu Mian's mother was also exiled to Changzhou. She dreamed about her a few days ago. If you go, you can help bring some money and clothes. I don't know if the old lady is still alive."
Xiang Ruzhen said, "Then let him write another letter. As long as he's still alive, I'll definitely bring the letter and the things with me. I'll also act as your family's messenger and bring back a reply. Zhaoren is also in Changzhou, I'll go see her. On my way back, I'll also go see Wuxin and persuade her to come back soon."
*
Xiang Ruzhen was gone for almost a month. When she returned, Lu Jinlan was waiting for her at the city gate.
"How was the trip? Did it go smoothly?"
"Successfully, I've seen everyone I wanted to see. Your mother-in-law from the Lou family is not only alive, but also in good health. I also saw Zhaoren, and she was very happy to see me."
Lu Jinlan nodded repeatedly, "That's great."
Xiang Ruzhen smiled and said, "There's more good news! Wuxin said she originally wanted to come back suddenly to surprise us, but I went first. She requested to return to the capital last month, and the Emperor granted her request. However, it just so happens that the Chongzhou army next to her is due to return to the capital for a change of garrison duty, so the Emperor asked her to bring back 50,000 Chongzhou soldiers with her. They will probably arrive about ten days later than me."
Lu Jinlan said happily, "That's great! The three of us can get together again."
"Yes, Wuxin is very happy too. Huaixing said that Wuxin is so excited that she has been packing her things every day for almost a month. I'm afraid she'll have to move house like this when she comes back, and her things will take more than a dozen horse-drawn carts to carry them. By the way, your mother-in-law also wrote a reply, which I put in my luggage. I'll find it and send it to your house when I get it."
Lu Jinlan said, "No rush. Have your servants take the things home first. Come to my house for dinner. Xueqing and the child are there too."
Xiang Ruzhen sighed, "Don't mention it, I don't have time today. I rushed back because the Emperor is ill. He may need to discuss the matter of the Crown Prince, so I have to hurry to the palace to check on the situation. Tomorrow, I'll come see you when I have time."
Lu Jinlan thought for a moment, "Alright, then I won't go to the factory tomorrow, I'll wait for you at home."
Two years ago, Lu Jinlan requested permission to build a large factory on the wasteland outside Zhongyong Garden.
It's said she lives far from other people's homes to avoid disturbing them. Because she's been researching fireworks and firecrackers lately, which occasionally make loud banging noises.
Lu Jinlan toured the factory and then went home for dinner.
As I entered, I ran into Xueqing leading the children to leave.
Lu Jinlan hurriedly said, "Oh, aren't you going to eat before you leave?"
Xueqing smiled and said, "The children heard that their mother was back and were eager to go home."
"Then we won't delay your family reunion. Tell Ruzhen to come early tomorrow."
That night, Lu Jinlan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Yu Mian asked, "What's wrong with you? General Yan is coming back, and you're so excited you can't even sleep?"
Lu Jinlan sighed, "I don't know what's wrong, my eyelids keep twitching, like something's about to happen."
Yu Mian smiled and said, "It must be good news, so go to sleep peacefully."
"Hmm." Lu Jinlan suddenly remembered, "Your mother wrote you a reply, Ruzhen will bring it to you tomorrow."
"Alright, then I'll offer a few more toasts tomorrow to properly thank Your Excellency."
Yu Mian helped her cover herself with the blanket, blew out the light, and said, "Go to sleep."
For some reason, Lu Jinlan woke up that night feeling even more tired than if she hadn't slept at all.
Early in the morning, she lay in a rocking chair catching up on her sleep, but she kept feeling a strange burning smell in the air.
She covered her face with the book, feeling drowsy, when she vaguely heard a commotion outside.
She opened her eyes a crack and saw a figure stumbling in, calling out, "Lord Lu! Lord Lu!"
The person who arrived was crying and extremely panicked.
Lu Jinlan looked closely and realized it was Zuo Suizhi.
Lu Jinlan was very surprised. Zuo Suizhi was usually extremely composed, so why was he so flustered?
"Sui Zhi, what's wrong with you?"
Zuo Suizhi knelt down with a thud, "Lord Lu, last night the Prime Minister... she was convicted of embezzlement and thrown into the imperial prison overnight..."
Lu Jinlan's mind went blank. "Nonsense! That's impossible. Men! Prepare the horses! I'm going to the palace!"
Zuo Suizhi grabbed her and said with difficulty, "It's too late."
Lu Jinlan suddenly froze. "What do you mean? What's too late?"
Zuo Sui cried out, "It is said...it is said that the Prime Minister committed suicide out of shame and indignation, and happened to be caught in the fire in the prison last night. She has already...has already been burned to a crisp."
Lu Jinlan's mind went blank, her body swayed twice, and she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Lord Lu!" Zuo Suizhi shouted and quickly hugged her.
Her family members gathered around, and Lu Jinlan weakly said, "Quick...quickly go tell Wuxin, something...something has happened..."
Her vision went black, and she fainted.
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