Chapter 416: Estrangement
The sudden thought that popped into Xiao Yan's mind made him pause.
Qian Baokun looked at him: "What's wrong?"
Xiao Yan whispered, "Someone from the Lu family went to the Southland earlier."
Qian Baokun was startled at first, thinking they were going there for the old flood case. But then he saw Xiao Yan's expression was not right, and suddenly remembered what he had just said. His eyes widened and he said, "You mean, King Pingshan?"
Seeing Xiao Yan's unpredictable expression, he felt frightened.
"Is Lu Chongyuan crazy?"
First, he sent people to collude with King Pingshan to stockpile grain and buy horses, and then he caused chaos in the capital and attempted to assassinate the emperor.
If this is true, then the entire Lu family is doomed. Even if Lu Chongyuan holds a lot of leverage over Emperor An, since he has harbored ulterior motives and threatened the throne, Emperor An will never forgive him.
Xiao Yan naturally knew this. He glanced at the crowd that was gradually walking away and whispered to Qian Baokun:
"Uncle Qian, don't tell anyone about this for now. Find a way to get your clan to investigate further. If you can get evidence of King Pingshan hoarding grain and buying horses, that would be great. If not, don't alert them."
"I'll have someone investigate the Pingshan Palace as soon as possible. As long as we can catch the Lu family in the act, it will be difficult for them to turn the tables."
Qian Baokun knew the seriousness of the matter and nodded quickly: "I will send a message to my brother after I return."
…
After Grand Tutor Liang brought Feng Qiuli back to the mansion, he intended to test his background.
The two seemed to be drinking tea and playing chess, but in fact they were considering everything.
Grand Tutor Liang would bring up matters of state from time to time, and Feng Qiuli would speak frankly about his views, neither keeping secrets of what he knew nor rashly expressing his opinions on what he did not know.
He is an outstanding chess player and is not at a disadvantage when playing against Grand Tutor Liang. He speaks humbly but not with a sense of inferiority, and is confident but not conceited.
As the game of chess drew to a close, Grand Tutor Liang became more and more satisfied with the young man in front of him. Only after the white piece was placed did he ask about the Lu family.
"What do you think I should do about the Lu family's affairs?"
"I……"
Feng Qiuli was about to speak when a servant came in from outside and said that a servant from the Feng family had come to see her and said that he had something important to report.
Feng Qiuli looked at Grand Tutor Liang.
Grand Tutor Liang said, "Let's go and take a look, in case it's something important."
After Feng Qiuli apologized and went out, he saw someone waiting in the outer courtyard. He was stunned for a moment and walked forward: "Tu Bai?"
Tu Bai turned around and looked at Feng Qiuli with a very respectful expression. After he quickly approached, he whispered a few words in his ear.
Feng Qiuli was shocked: "When did this happen?"
"The Governor just found out about it not long ago."
"How sure are you?"
"Seven or eight points."
The servants of the Liang family stood far away, and they would not rashly inquire even if the Feng family came looking for them. Tu Bai spoke in a low voice without fear of being overheard.
"Lu Jiuan's departure from the capital was extremely strange, and Prince Pingshan suddenly stockpiled grain and bought horses. Earlier, when Jinyun was being hunted by the Lu family in the south, he noticed that some of those people were soldiers. Their moves were very strange and powerful. Now I think they must be soldiers from Pingyang County."
Although the Lu family also has private soldiers, they are not in the southern area, and the soldiers who have been on the battlefield are completely different from those who have not.
Feng Qiuli would not doubt Xiao Yan's judgment. She just felt that Lu Chongyuan was really audacious. He could still have room for "negotiation" by clinging to Emperor An, but he could find a new master. He wanted to send the Lu family to death.
Feeling that Grand Tutor Liang was looking over at her from behind, Feng Qiuli whispered, "I understand. You can go back first."
Tu Bai saluted him before turning around and leaving.
Seeing Feng Qiuli's face was extremely grim after she went out, and there was a hint of hesitation and gloom in her eyes, Liang Taishi asked: "What's wrong? Did something happen in the mansion?"
"no……"
Feng Qiuli shook her head and glanced at Grand Tutor Liang, her face full of hesitation and struggle.
Grand Tutor Liang was puzzled. He had just played chess and chatted with the young man in front of him, and knew that the young man was not a hesitant person. He also knew that observing a chess game was like observing a person. His chess moves were varied and cunning, but he made decisions without hesitation.
Liang Taishi picked up the teapot and poured tea: "What's the matter that makes you so embarrassed?"
Feng Qiuli pursed her lips for a moment, then seemed to have made up her mind: "My people just reported that the Lu family sent their illegitimate son, Lu Jiuan, to the Southland over a month ago."
Although Grand Tutor Liang was surprised, he wasn't too surprised. "Much of the Lu family's business is in the South. Although they lost a large part of the grain tax, the remaining ones are enough for the Lu family to pay attention to. It's not surprising that they sent people to the South..."
"But Lu Jiuan went to see King Pingshan."
Grand Tutor Liang's face froze, and the tea almost splashed onto his hands.
As if she had made up her mind, Feng Qiuli did not dare to hide the hasty tone of her voice.
"Not long after Lu Jiuan left, the Pingyang County garrison was mobilized, and the King of Pingshan secretly began to stockpile grain and buy horses. Fearing detection, he sent a trusted confidant disguised as a merchant. However, he was discovered after he went to the Qian family's horse farm."
Grand Tutor Liang dropped the cup in his hand onto the table with a bang, and the teapot fell with it, spilling the tea everywhere.
"Are they crazy?!"
Feng Qiuli's face was also extremely grim. "Before, when Minister Qian intervened in the grain tax case, I found a way to keep a spy around him. I was just worried that the matter would implicate other families, but I didn't expect to get such news today."
"Minister Qian has already sent a message back to the clan to inquire about the details. He is a loyal minister, unlike our noble family. Once he verifies this matter, he will definitely not hide it from Your Majesty."
Grand Tutor Liang's face turned pale. He never expected that Lu Chongyuan would actually collude with King Pingshan.
Lu Jiuan and King Pingshan were hoarding grain and recruiting soldiers. It wasn't just for fun. They were obviously trying to use King Pingshan to rebel.
Lu Chongyuan had not told anyone beforehand, and his private contact with King Pingshan was even more secretive. If successful, the other families would not gain any benefit, but if unsuccessful, the Lu family would be convicted of treason and all nine generations of the family would be executed, and all the people in the aristocratic families would suffer as well.
When Grand Tutor Liang saw that Lu Chongyuan was in trouble, he wanted to help the Lu family, at least to save Lu Chongyuan's life, but Lu Chongyuan wanted to drag all of them to death.
Grand Tutor Liang suddenly felt that his previous belief that Lu Chongyuan was considering the overall situation was a huge joke.
Feng Qiuli looked at Master Liang, whose face turned pale and blue and who was extremely angry, with a gloomy look in her eyes.
"Everyone knows that the noble families are one, and in His Majesty's eyes, our eight families are united. I thought Lu Chongyuan had the Forbidden Palace burned down and Xiao Yan murdered, which was outrageous enough, but he actually dared to join forces with Prince Pingshan to rebel."
"He's trying to kill us!"
Feng Qiuli was so angry that she started to speak without thinking.
"He knew that what he did represented more than just the Lu family. Even if he really wanted to rebel, he should have discussed it with you or us. At least there would be a foolproof plan. But he only sent Lu Jiuan to the Southland and expected it to succeed."
"What? Is he afraid that we will share the credit for the Lu family's success in following the emperor? Or is it that Lu Chongyuan has had enough of being a minister and the head of an aristocratic family, and wants to sit on the throne too? Is he going to use the lives of tens of thousands of people from our eight families to pave the way for him?!"
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