Chapter 119 Are you ready?
When Lu Jinlan opened her eyes again, all the husbands in the room were crying. Lu Jinzhao sat by her bedside, his eyes also red.
Lu Jinlan said in a hoarse voice, "I'm fine, don't worry, it's just a moment of anger."
Lu Jinzhao choked up and said, "Mother knows you're heartbroken, and Mother is devastated too. Tell me... how could something like this suddenly happen?"
Lu Jinlan stood up and said, "I don't have time to be sad right now. This is not the time to be sad. You all shouldn't cry either. Just grit your teeth and hang in there."
"The Xiang family is probably in complete chaos right now. Xueqing is about to give birth, Lord Jin is old and sick, and there are old and young people over there who can't be left unattended. Lincheng, you should take everyone you can from your family over there first. Ruzhen's funeral should be treated as our own family's affair."
Lin Cheng wiped away his tears, "Don't worry, I'll go right away."
Lu Jinlan then asked, "Where is Sui Zhi?"
Yu Mian said, "I'm still waiting outside."
Lu Jinlan quickly got out of bed. "I need to go to the imperial prison."
Lu Jinzhao said worriedly, "I don't know what the reason is, you must be careful."
Lu Jinlan grasped her hand, “Mother, no matter the reason, Ruzhen is dead, and this matter will not be over for me. I can no longer live a peaceful life with you, so you should prepare for it.”
Lu Jinzhao nodded sadly, "Mother understands, you may go."
*
Lu Jinlan and Zuo Suizhi arrived at the prison, where Xue Yingzheng, the Minister of Justice, was leading a team to investigate the scene.
Upon seeing Lu Jinlan, Xue Ying asked worriedly, "Lord Lu, you...you can hold on, right?"
Lu Jinlan nodded slightly. "Where is the corpse?"
Xue Ying pointed to the charred corpse in the cell, "Go and take a look."
Lu Jinlan gritted her teeth and walked closer step by step. She gripped the still warm iron bars and stared silently at the corpse, unable to believe that it was Xiang Ruzhen.
“This is not Xiang Ruzhen,” she said with certainty.
Xue Ying's nose stung with tears. "I know you can't accept this, but... but we've already verified that there's no mistake. The Prime Minister was imprisoned in this cell before his death. The cell door was locked, so the only person in the cell can be her."
"Besides, there are eleven corpses here, and only ten people were on duty last night..."
"Moreover, before the fire started, the Prime Minister had already drunk poisoned wine. Even without this fire, she would have..."
Xue Ying couldn't bear to say any more. "Lord Lu, although I am not as close as you are to the Prime Minister, I do not wish for her to die. In the past few years, as the head of the court, she has earned the utmost respect from everyone in the court and the public."
"No matter who she is, any official with a conscience must admit that she was a virtuous and capable minister, the most selfless and devoted prime minister in the world. No one wanted her to die, but we have to face reality, after all, she is gone."
"Please accept my condolences. Take back the body and arrange the funeral. Your Excellency lived a simple life, and her funeral should be held in a grand and dignified manner."
Lu Jinlan looked at her with red eyes, "Do you really think this corpse is Xiang Ruzhen?"
Xue Ying nodded, tears welling in her eyes. Lu Jinlan's tears instantly surged, and she choked out, "But I don't think so. How could someone so big suddenly become so small?"
Lu Jinlan angrily pounded on the iron bars, crying, "How could she have become so small?"
Everyone present wept. Xue Ying and Zuo Suizhi helped her up, both saying, "That's how charred corpses are; they shrink after being burned for a long time. This prison was originally going to be repaired, and a lot of timber was piled up. Everyone was probably asleep during the night, and somehow a fire started, burning all night long. Now that things have come to this, you must take it easy and stay strong!"
Lu Jinlan cried for a while, then wiped away her tears. "Sui Zhi, send the body to the Xiang residence."
Zuo Suizhi hurriedly asked, "And what about you?"
Lu Jinlan gritted her teeth and said, "I want to go to the palace and find out what really happened."
*
The Emperor claimed to be seriously ill and refused to see anyone. He even issued an edict saying that she needed to recuperate and appointed the eldest princess, Zhao Zhiyu, to oversee the country and act as regent.
Lu Jinlan arrived at Zhao Zhiyu's palace again, but Zhao Zhiyu refused to see her, just like before.
Lu Jinlan gave a wry smile. "What's this? Are you feeling guilty?"
Zhao Zhiyu's confidant explained, "His Highness is busy with official duties and is currently unable to attend to matters. Please forgive him, Marquis Lu."
Lu Jinlan nodded slightly, "Okay, she can refuse to see me, but she missed the chance to explain herself to me, and she will definitely regret it."
Lu Jinlan left the palace and arrived at the Xiang residence. The mourning hall had just been set up, and the courtyard was already full of people.
All the civil and military officials and important figures in the capital were present, more so than when the court was in session. Old classmates, friends, people from all walks of life in the capital, and some faces that Lu Jinlan did not recognize were all weeping before the coffin.
Li Jingcao was already the Left Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Upon seeing Lu Jinlan, he immediately rushed over and knelt before her, grabbing her clothes and crying, "Lord Lu, the Prime Minister is innocent! She died unjustly!"
Lu Jinlan nodded. "I know."
Lu Jinlan cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to the crowd. "Please allow me to say a few words. Ruzhen is nominally a criminal who took poison out of fear of punishment. But I firmly believe that the guilt is false, and the poison was not something she wanted to take. She is as innocent as water; how can there be any talk of her taking poison out of fear of punishment?"
"Xiang Ruzhen was indeed poor, but her salary was enough to support her. Why would she need to embezzle? As the head of all officials, she lived a simpler life than most officials."
"If you don't believe me, you can look around. Any valuable item in her house was either a gift from me, a gift from Wuxin, or part of her husband's dowry. Even this house was a gift from me when she got married."
"She held a high position and wielded great power, yet she was always cautious. She refused to accept anything from others. She managed the Ministry of Revenue for many years and never took a single penny for herself."
"It is utterly absurd that such a person was convicted of embezzlement."
“I don’t want to say anything more, but I believe that you have come to see her today not to see the sinner Xiang Ruzhen, and I also believe that you all have your own judgment. On behalf of Ruzhen, I thank you all. She will be very gratified that you have not wronged her.”
Everyone cried out, "The Prime Minister would never do such a thing; this must be a miscarriage of justice."
Even the old ministers who had previously been at odds with Xiang Ruzhen stepped forward and said, "We should jointly submit a memorial to the throne. We must find out what happened. We can't let His Excellency leave this world with such a smear on his head."
Amid the commotion, Xi Mo ran over and whispered, "The Xiang family's husband has given birth, and he wants to see you."
When Lu Jinlan arrived at the inner courtyard, Lin Cheng handed her the newborn baby and said, choking with emotion, "It's a daughter. If Sister Xiang were still alive, she would be so happy."
Lu Jinlan sat down on the edge of the bed with the child in her arms. Jin Xueqing looked at her with a face ashen, and tears welled up in her eyes instantly. "Lord Lu, I am utterly despondent right now, and I probably won't live any longer. But I'm in a hurry to see you because I must tell you that my wife is innocent."
"I know, I know," Lu Jinlan choked out. "You just gave birth, don't get agitated. Don't worry, I will definitely avenge her. But you can't die. You must live on strongly and take good care of Ruzhen's children. You must raise them to adulthood and tell them what kind of person their mother was. You must live, live for Ruzhen, do you understand?"
Jin Xueqing nodded through her tears. Lu Jinlan continued, "I know you are in great pain right now, but I need you to tell me what exactly happened last night?"
Jin Xueqing said weakly, "I don't know either. Yesterday, I brought the children back from the Lu residence. My wife had already returned from the palace. She talked to me for a while, and then Yu Bai spilled a teacup, wetting the bundle. She was a little unhappy and said that the Lou family's letter was still inside."
"She was afraid the water would stain the letter and make it unreadable, so she opened it and laid it out on the table. I went to have someone prepare dinner and went out for a while. When I came back, she told me that she had to go to the palace again because it was urgent."
"Although it was late, she was always busy like this, day and night, so I didn't think much of it. I never imagined that would be the last time I saw her..."
Jin Xueqing started crying again as she spoke, and the doctor said urgently, "Don't get agitated, husband. The bleeding has just stopped. Take care of yourself."
Lu Jinlan quickly gave him a few hemostatic pills and instructed her husbands to keep a close eye on him.
She called over the male servant who accompanied Jin Xueqing, "Where is the letter your husband mentioned? Go and get it for me."
Although the letter was partially dampened by the tea, the handwriting was still legible.
Lu Jinlan sat alone in the side hall and finished reading the letter. He sat there silently, without saying a word.
*
The Xiang family laid in state for seven days, and Lu Jinlan was rarely seen; no one knew what she was doing.
On the sixth day, guests continued to arrive at the Xiang residence in an endless stream, many of whom had traveled from afar just to bid farewell to Xiang Ruzhen.
Zeng Ying from the Inner Court had just finished offering incense when she saw Lu Jinlan passing by. She quickly pulled her aside and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
Lu Jinlan sighed, "I can manage. I heard you come almost every day, thank you so much. I've been busy these past few days and haven't been able to entertain you properly, please don't mind."
“Sigh, why say such things at a time like this? Many of my colleagues come every day, just like me. With so many guests, everyone wants to do their part and help out.”
Lu Jinlan nodded, and Zeng Ying continued, "Actually, the night the incident happened, I thought about informing you. When the Inner Court was drafting the decree to determine the crime, I knew something bad was going to happen. But the city gates were already closed, and no one could have imagined that something like this would happen that very night..."
Zeng Ying sighed, "Alas, as far as I know, several groups of people, both inside and outside the palace, wanted to inform you. But from the time of conviction to your imprisonment in the imperial jail, and then to the poisoned wine, it only took an hour. It was so fast that no one had time to react, and no one could do anything about it."
Lu Jinlan patted her on the shoulder, "I understand, everyone has done their best. I am very grateful for this sentiment."
As the two were talking, Lord Jin came over looking for Lu Jinlan, leaning on his cane.
Zeng Ying greeted them and then went ahead, while Lu Jinlan helped Jin Yun Ning to sit down in a secluded pavilion.
Lu Jinlan advised, "You're not feeling well, don't go out. Everyone's helping to take care of things outside."
Jin Yun Ning sighed, "To be honest, my health has been deteriorating over the past few years. If it weren't for my worries about Ru Zhen, I would have retired long ago. But with Ru Zhen's accident, I feel much better."
Hatred welled up in Jin Yun Ning's aged eyes. She gritted her teeth and said, "I'm holding on with this breath. Don't worry, I won't die anytime soon."
Lu Jinlan said, "I was just about to tell you that Xueqing will be attending the funeral tomorrow, and he will be going too. He can only get out of bed now, so he will have to be carried there."
Jin Yun Ning nodded and said, "If he wants to go, let him go. If he wants to be carried away, let him be carried away. He will not be satisfied if he doesn't see Ru Zhen off on her final journey."
Lu Jinlan looked around and lowered her voice, saying, "I have already agreed to let him go, and I have also had Ruzhen's children taken there. Tomorrow, my mother will also be in the funeral procession with my husband and children. But once they leave the city, arrive at the cemetery, and complete the funeral, I will not allow them to return."
Jin Yun Ning was taken aback, and whispered, "You're going to arrange for them to go to Bei Zhou?"
Lu Jinlan shook her head. "No, go to Qu Kingdom."
Since she didn't even go to her own fiefdom, Jin Yun Ning could roughly guess what she was going to do.
Lu Jinlan said, "You should go too. Wait for my news in Qu Kingdom, and wait for me to send someone to bring you back. If I don't send someone to bring you back, you should live there forever and never set foot on Huatu again."
Jin Yun Ning sighed, "Thank you for your trouble in arranging things. It's a blessing for Ru Zhen to have a friend like you. But I'm not leaving. You should send Xue Qing and the children away. I've lived through two dynasties and seen all sorts of things. Am I afraid of death? I want to stay here and watch the changing times with you, and see the final outcome."
The old man was determined, so Lu Jinlan had no choice but to agree.
Jin Yun Ning added, "I almost forgot, I came to see you because I need to read a eulogy about Ru Zhen's life for the funeral tomorrow. I've read all the ones written by others, but I feel that it's most appropriate for you to write it."
Lu Jinlan hurriedly said, "I'll go write it right away."
She arrived at Xiang Ruzhen's study, pondered for a moment, and then wrote: "Xiang Ruzhen, a native of Mianzhou, was born on the first day of the first month of the Xinwei year. Born into a humble family, she is the daughter of a hunter, possesses superhuman strength, and loves reading..."
"He graduated from Mianzhou Academy in the year of Renxu, ranking first. In the same year, he went to the capital to take the imperial examination, where he stood out from the crowd in the martial arts test at the Imperial Academy, winning first place..."
"She was upright and selfless, with an unyielding will and a mind that could not be disturbed by any distractions. Even as she rose to the position of Prime Minister, she was diligent every single day. She devoted herself wholeheartedly to the country and its people..."
"The world is ever-changing; many begin well, but few see it through to the end. Yet Xiang Ruzhen upheld her youthful aspirations, never forgetting her original intentions, remaining steadfast until her death..."
"Xiang Ruzhen was honest and kind, sincere and helpful, always ready to lend a hand to those in distress, and chivalrous and righteous. In September of the year Renxu, I first met her and Wuxin in the capital, and we became close friends from then on..."
"Wu Xin and I loved to play and joke around, while Ru Zhen was deep and experienced. She treated us like a loving mother and an older sister, always reminding us to concentrate on our studies and not to be lazy. Ru Zhen had superhuman strength, and whenever we drank too much and got drunk, she would always carry us on her shoulders and take us back to our lodgings..."
As I write this, tears have soaked the paper.
Anyone passing by the study could hear the mournful cries coming from inside.
*
The next day, the funeral procession began, and the people spontaneously came to pay their respects. The procession grew longer and longer, and the sound of weeping filled the mountains and fields.
Several classmates stood beside Lu Jinlan, and Chu Yishu said bluntly, "The whole world knows she is innocent, the whole world knows she shouldn't have died."
“Yes,” Lu Jinlan said softly.
The fact that someone who shouldn't have died was something Lu Jinlan couldn't swallow no matter what.
After the funeral, her husbands learned of her arrangements. Despite their reluctance, they had no choice but to obey, board the carriage, and head north.
She and Xiang Ruzhen's family will arrive safely in Qu Kingdom under special escort, but the matter in the capital is not yet over.
Lu Jinlan told everyone to go back first, and she sat alone in front of Xiang Ruzhen's grave, playing the guqin.
The mournful melody echoed the howling wind in the forest, gradually becoming powerful and resonant, carrying a sense of desolation.
She closed her eyes, and after a moment, she sensed a murderous aura that did not belong to her.
Lu Jinlan tilted her head slightly, the wind gently blowing her dark hair, and she said loudly, "Come out, this is the best time for you."
Before he could finish speaking, more than a dozen arrows came flying at once, but Lu Jinlan dodged them with a leap.
Swords were drawn from their sheaths, and dozens of assassins charged out from the dense forest.
Lu Jinlan drew his long-unseen sword from under the zither and began a killing spree.
As the fight reached its end, and the last corpse fell, she was still standing.
Hearing the sound of a bowstring being pulled taut, Lu Jinlan used the sound to pinpoint the location. Just as he was about to throw his throwing knife at the archer hiding in the shadows, a sharp arrow pierced the sky and accurately struck the person in the tree.
Lu Jinlan turned around and saw Yan Wuxin, dressed in military attire and holding a powerful bow, leaping down from the Akhal-Teke horse.
Yan Wuxin's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was choked with sobs, "I'm late."
Lu Jinlan shook her head with tears in her eyes. The two of them walked quickly closer and hugged each other tightly.
*
As the sun set, the two old friends sat before Xiang Ruzhen's grave and opened three jars of wine.
Lu Jinlan said, "Ruzhen died unjustly. The Emperor and Zhao Zhiyu are the culprits. I have decided to rebel. Do you have any concerns?"
Yan Wuxin said, "When you sent someone to tell me about Ruzhen's death, I knew you would definitely take a desperate gamble. I left Huaixing and the child in the army and didn't let them come back. I have no other concerns. Are you ready?"
Lu Jinlan shook his head. "Given the situation, the other side must be on guard. The timing is the worst possible time. In the past few years, the Emperor and Zhao Zhiyu have been keeping a close eye on me, making it inconvenient to do many things. But I still managed to cultivate some people and train a group of loyal followers."
"The Minister of Personnel owes me a favor. Two years ago, she helped me promote Luo Dali to the position of head guard at Shenwu Gate. This was done in secret and did not attract anyone's attention, so Luo Dali has been on duty at Shenwu Gate ever since, and it is not a problem for us to enter the palace."
"The Sui dynasty has a group of people who were brought back from the northern prefecture and reorganized into the imperial guards. There are about three thousand of them available."
As Lu Jinlan spoke, he took something out of his pocket. "This is called a pistol. It's extremely powerful. I have a sharpshooting team of two hundred men. They are loyal and reliable."
"But we still don't have enough manpower, which is why I haven't taken any action yet. Even without counting the troops outside, there are 20,000 Imperial Guards in the palace. We are at a huge disadvantage in terms of numbers."
"But it doesn't matter. It's not easy for these people to overthrow the dynasty, but they can easily storm the palace and kill two people. I originally wanted to do it myself, but that would make things too trivial."
“I’m not reconciled. I still want to make a big scene. I want the world to know that I’m rebelling, not assassinating. As for success or failure, I don’t care.”
Yan Wuxin hurriedly said, "I care, and I believe Ruzhen's spirit in heaven would care too. This emperor is not a good ruler, and Zhao Zhiyu is even less worthy of inheriting the throne. That throne should be yours to sit on."
Lu Jinlan smiled bitterly, "It's not that I don't want to sit. The 20,000 Imperial Guards are all elite troops. If Zhao Zhiyu mobilizes the garrison troops again, our enemy will be 70,000. Our troops are far away, and distant water can't quench immediate thirst. With the few troops we have at hand, we still can't win even if we fight them all."
Yan Wuxin pursed his lips. "Would adding another 50,000 troops be enough?"
Lu Jinlan was taken aback. She immediately remembered that Xiang Ruzhen had mentioned that Yan Wuxin was ordered to lead 50,000 Chongzhou troops back to the capital for a change of garrison.
Lu Jinlan thought for a moment, "The Chongzhou Army is no good. All the generals, big and small, are the Emperor's cronies. Back then, it was to keep an eye on the Chicheng Army that the Emperor transferred them from the vicinity of the capital to Chongzhou and placed them next to the Chicheng Army."
Yan Wuxin: "You're right, but what I brought back wasn't the Chongzhou Army, but the Iron-Blooded and Sincere Army that is loyal to us."
Lu Jinlan exclaimed in surprise, "How is that possible? Don't the Governor of Chongzhou and the Garrison Commander of Chongzhou have any objections? Didn't Chongzhou send anyone to report this?"
Yan Wuxin said, "Of course they have objections, so they have been imprisoned by General Song and are under strict guard. Before I came, I sealed off Chongzhou City, so not even a bird can fly to the capital. I dare not say how long it will take, but news will not get through for three to five days."
"The Chicheng Army was flying the banner of the Chongzhou Army, and I was carrying the imperial edict for the troop rotation, so we traveled without hindrance. My horse was fast, and I traveled day and night, so I arrived first."
"The main force will follow behind. Kong Luan will personally lead 8,000 light cavalry as the vanguard. They will ambush in the dense forest outside the city at 7 PM, waiting for our signal. Yue Chan will lead the main force closely behind, with Yang Ning bringing up the rear. They will definitely arrive before midnight tonight."
Lu Jinlan was startled: "Yue Chan is here too? What did my mother say?"
Yan Wuxin said, "Not only Yue Chan came, but General Song and most of the generals of the Chicheng Army also came. I couldn't stop them. They said they came to mourn Ruzhen's death."
"Commander Song wants to hear your opinion. She said she will support whatever you do. She has sent her strategist Wen Ji here. With her here, she will definitely be able to think things through more thoroughly than we have."
When do you want to make your move?
Lu Jinlan took a deep breath. "There's no time to lose, let's make our move tonight."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
