Chapter 33: My Wife 33: Still in Shock and Countering the Move
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole audience was in an uproar.
The last time they heard the name of this new official was when the emperor granted the marriage many days ago. Even though many of them participated in the grand wedding banquet hosted by the Duke's Mansion, they never thought that they would hear Lu Huai's name being mentioned in the court so soon.
Chu Yuanting also knew that this task was difficult, but it was also a chronic disease in his heart, and it would be great if it could be solved.
But he wasn't someone who could be easily fooled. If he had to recommend someone, he couldn't recommend someone who was obviously a good-for-nothing and a hopeless case. If the matter didn't pan out, the law would naturally punish both the recommender and the person who carried out the improper execution.
Therefore, Chu Yuanting was originally just leisurely waiting to listen to Bai Wenjing's recommendation of which unlucky guy who had offended him, but he didn't expect that this person would mention Lu Zhuangyuan, who had just returned from his wedding and whom he wanted to take a few more glances at but didn't dare to be too deliberate.
Isn't this really a deliberate embarrassment?
The pain coming from his solar plexus made it difficult for Chu Yuanting to maintain his relaxed expression. His brows knitted together, and his deep and dark eyes looked at Bai Wenjing who was standing in the middle below. His fierce power immediately pierced the courtier like a sword.
"Why is Lord Bai so sure that Lu Xiuzhuan can resolve this dilemma? I observe that Lu Huai has served only within the Imperial Academy since entering the government. Apart from the Chongzhou envoy reception, he has devoted himself to the study of written documents. Could it be that Lord Bai has had some personal contact with Lord Lu that has given him such a deep understanding of him?"
Bai Wenjing had long anticipated that His Majesty would favor Lu Huai. With a confident air, he calmly replied, "Your Majesty, if we're only considering those who aren't merchants or children of aristocratic families, there are plenty of useful individuals among my colleagues in the court."
"I am ashamed to say that although I have never met Lu Xiuzhuan, I have always been fascinated by him and have great admiration for him. I recently had the honor of reading Lu Xiuzhuan's "Benefiting the People" and his insights into the new fiscal and taxation laws were so brilliant that I was deeply inspired."
"Just as the imperial examination system is used to select officials, I believe that important matters at court should be handled by selecting the most virtuous and capable, allowing those with outstanding abilities to fulfill their respective responsibilities. Since Lu Xiuzhuan is well-versed in the new market laws, he is undoubtedly the most suitable official to take charge of this matter."
After saying this, he bowed deeply, looking genuinely loyal. The contrast with his previous well-reasoned and well-founded attempts to force Lu Huai, whom he considered an enemy, to take on this difficult situation was a bit ridiculous.
As Lu Huai listened to his speech, he felt that this man had clearly come prepared. He knew Bai Wenjing harbored ill intentions, and he also understood that this journey would be arduous and unpredictable.
Even though he knew that pioneers are always questioned, changing the law might not be a good thing in the eyes of the people at the moment. Even if he succeeded, he might not be able to get them to accept it in his lifetime, and instead would lead to misunderstanding and slander.
But this was indeed a great opportunity, a lure that held a strong allure for him. After all, no scholar who aspired to serve his country would not yearn for the opportunity to truly benefit the people.
After listening to Bai Wenjing's flawless words, Chu Yuanting pondered for a moment and called Lu Huai out.
He also knew the difficulty of this matter. After all, the incident happened in his palace. He had also heard a little about the involvement of the eldest son of the Bai family and the Duke's Mansion. He could not rule out the possibility that the Bai family was making things difficult for Lu Huai.
However, because he and Lu Huai were in agreement on the reform, just like Boya and Ziqi, he couldn't help but feel hopeful and wanted to ask Lu Huai for his opinion, to see if he had any good solution to help him solve this stubborn problem.
"Would Lord Lu be willing to take charge of this matter? This matter is not urgent and can be considered in the long run."
"If Your Majesty trusts me, I am willing to give it a try." Without any hesitation or pretense, this elegant and refined scholar, who looked weak and vulnerable, agreed readily, which surprised Chu Yuanting a little.
He couldn't help laughing out loud at first, but then he became worried: Lu Huai knew that this group of businessmen could build such a big business today, so they must have done something filthy, and they must have used countless dirty tricks and arrangements.
Can such a kind-hearted gentleman who has read the books of sages since childhood really defeat those old foxes?
"Wonderful! Having a loyal minister like Lord Lu is truly a blessing for Great Yong. However, the power of one person is like an ant trying to shake a tree; it's difficult to dislodge the foundations of these behemoths."
"I need more help on this matter. Is there anyone among you who is willing to go with Lord Lu to investigate this matter?"
Chu Yuanting couldn't bear to see this loyal minister who was willing to share his worries isolated and helpless, so he wanted to find help for him, or at least to share the risks with him.
But everyone below the stairs looked at each other in bewilderment. For a moment, the hall was so quiet that even a pin drop could be clearly heard.
Officials knew that this reform would benefit the people, especially during famines, as it would prevent refugees from starving and ensure the smooth flow of supplies. But the change was too difficult.
Living in a prosperous capital city with peace and order, everyone saw a magnificent scene of abundant granaries. How could they be so vigilant? They just felt that this new law was a bit of an unnecessary worry.
It is good to be prepared for danger in times of peace, but we should not take precautions to the point of damaging our current interests.
Moreover, how many people hold up signs saying "the laws of our ancestors cannot be abolished" and talk about observing etiquette and respecting the past, but in reality they just don't want their family businesses to be affected.
Giving up profits may seem like a huge loss to these merchants.
In fact, as officials, they could only earn a little money from their annual and monthly salaries. At most, they could live a better life than ordinary people and have no worries about food and clothing.
To enjoy the good life, countless connections are acquired through collusion with this kind of people. Scholars, farmers, workers, and merchants may seem like the lowest class, but the ultimate luxury is only available to this group of people and those at the top of power.
Although it is a way out to cut off the tail and quickly climb to the emperor's side to sell out teammates to show loyalty, but if the former accomplices are desperate and reveal the embezzled property, then this "show of loyalty" is very likely to make oneself lose everything.
Therefore, everyone with their own ulterior motives lowered their heads in fear, or stared at their toes like a piece of wood hidden in the shadows of the officials in the front row, and no one was willing to go with them.
Bai Wenjing, however, seemed unaware of the awkwardness of the situation. He watched calmly, his sharp, upward-turned phoenix eyes revealing the joy of having gotten what he wanted, which actually reduced the gloomy look on his expressionless face.
He deliberately wanted to let Lu Huai face this group of difficult merchants alone, to see whether this brilliant top scholar really had the skills or was just an empty talker.
It's a pity that such a beauty is so rare. If he hadn't offended his elder brother, he might have admired her and wanted to make friends with her...
But now they are probably going to fight first, so I just hope that this delicate and flower-like top scholar can last a few rounds against this group of jackals and tigers.
Don't realize the dangers of the world too quickly and become as fragile as glass.
When the time comes that she fails to do her job well and is despised by the emperor, and cries pitifully, he may be able to put aside his past grudges and be kind to her.
As for the vicious Shen girl who had caused his eldest brother to lose his appetite, let her stay alone in her empty room, day and night longing for Lu Huai's return. As for this beautiful husband, let him enjoy it.
Cheng Ruochen, who was standing behind Lu Huai, was even more agitated and angry than Lu Huai himself.
Because he was from a so-called merchant family, he knew too well how many dirty methods they could use to destroy a new official like Lu Huai who was like the rising sun.
Just now, Bai Wenjing had clearly stared at him with venomous eyes for a moment. He must have recognized him, so his words about stripping officials of their merchant origins of their "compliance" were so meaningful.
This move directly prevented him from directly singing a different tune and supporting Lu Huai. It was extremely insidious and many times more terrifying than Bai Xianming's.
He decided to go find Lu Huai after leaving the court and tell him that Cheng Ruochen would firmly support him and be loyal to him no matter what. He didn't want Lu Huai to be hurt.
On the other side, Chu Yuanting's patience was almost exhausted. When he was about to designate a colleague to go for Lu Huai, an official with a low rank and a fair and pleasing face broke the silence and stood up bravely.
"Your Highness Bai Qichao is willing to investigate this matter together with Lu Xiuzhuan."
Lu Huai looked at him in astonishment. He had already prepared himself to fight alone, but he never thought that Lao Bai, who loved to live a carefree and leisurely life, would take on this tough job.
Is this for him?
Although Chu Yuanting was somewhat puzzled as to why members of the Bai family would also want to do this, wasn't he openly opposing Bai Wenjing's views?
But he still approved his request and appointed two people from the Ministry of Revenue to assist in handling the matter, thus arranging the responsibility of the matter.
After leaving the court, the two of them agreed to rent an inn close to the most prosperous market in the capital for a short period of time, so as to avoid alerting the enemy by going in and out of the mansion every day.
On his way home, he met Cheng Ruochen and Pei Yu successively. The former was willing to collect information for him and act together; the latter was willing to protect his safety and accompany him.
Putting aside other things, his friends' protectiveness towards him really warmed his heart.
Lu Huai sincerely thanked them for their kindness and agreed temporarily, but did not want to trouble the two of them any more. He planned to go together with Bai Qichao for the first time.
Therefore, when Lu Huai came back, he hurriedly packed his bags and rushed out.
Chen Chensheng is now Lu Huai's wife. Seeing that her husband is in such a hurry to leave, she takes over some of Chunying and Xia Lu's work to help him pack.
"Ahuai, can't you stay for two more days? We just got married a few days ago..."
Lu Huai gently brushed the hair that fell on his cheek back to his ear, his eyes filled with unwavering affection. He said to him, "Ah Sheng, Linyun Inn is not far from Chenghua Street. It's not far from the capital. I'm sorry for you this time. I promise I won't stay too long and make you wait for me."
"It's not far... But if Lu Lang doesn't come home, I'll miss him day and night. How can you bear to let me stay alone in an empty room?"
Chen Chensheng couldn't help but put his arms around the waist of his favorite Lu Huai and kissed him gently on the cheek.
This person has been overly clingy since she married him. Lu Huai thought that he really owed Chen San that he couldn't accompany her so soon, so he also let her go with some guilt...
Even after Lu Huai had gathered his luggage and was about to go to Linyun Inn, he still felt somewhat dazed and unnatural, fearing that the bright mark on his neck under his tightly wrapped collar would be seen.
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After checking into the inn, Lu Huai and Bai Qichao, who had arrived earlier, received a message: Yan Ruwen and Liao Zhifeng, from two wealthy families, would meet in the Tianzi Wing of Huaying Tower tonight, and perhaps make new arrangements for joint means of resisting the new law.
They disguised themselves to make themselves look less "official", wearing inconspicuous white cloth clothes that could be found everywhere, and walked into the Huaying Tower as if inadvertently.
The restaurant was doing very well, and the waiters were too busy to pay any attention to them. So the two of them quietly began to explore the room, and surprisingly found their way to the first room.
Lu Huai and Bai Qichao successfully squatted in a nearby corner, burned a small hole in the window screen with a candle, and watched and listened to the movements inside.
It’s just… the more I look and listen, the redder my face becomes. It doesn’t seem like a serious place.
Only then did Lu Huai realize that Bai Qichao's evaluation of this restaurant as "besides the usual business, there are also beautiful women to accompany it" was not in vain.
The two men in the inner room exchanged a few pleasantries while the beautiful woman who was kneeling on the side warmed up the wine and food for them. From time to time, he would rub the beautiful woman's shoulders and flirt with her.
This made Lu Huai look a little unnatural.
Bai Qichao, however, caught the immortal's weakness and quietly teased, "Yanjin, aren't you married? How can you blush even about this?"
However, he did not get a reply from the other party. When he came back to his senses, he was met with Lu Huai's solemn gaze.
The usually gentle and kind person made a solemn hushing gesture. It turned out that the people in the inner room seemed to have anticipated that someone would come to inquire, and they gradually came up from downstairs, specifically looking for these "lurking rats".
It goes without saying that this is a big gift from Bai Wenjing!
Noticing that the footsteps of the group of people were becoming clearer and clearer in their ears, Lu Huai and Bai Qichao hurriedly stumbled into the attic and ran towards the depths after making many twists and turns.
He unexpectedly stumbled into a woman's boudoir, where a wide variety of women's clothing hung in the closet.
Seeing that the pursuers were getting closer and closer, he thought about the instructions they were repeating, which were to capture the two young men, and they especially emphasized that there must be a particularly good-looking one.
Bai Qichao had no choice but to make up his mind and casually pulled out two sets of relatively tight dresses in aqua blue and emerald green. While silently saying sorry to the landlady in his heart, he breathlessly shouted to Lu Huai to change quickly.
After putting it on, she used the techniques she had learned from traveling around to seduce girls and put some rouge on herself and Lu Huai. This time, it was hard to tell that they were men.
I have a bit of a masculine appearance, but my facial features are not very striking, so with a little makeup to cover them up, I can be considered a pretty girl.
But Lu Huai, with his handsome face, looked perfectly natural in that outfit.
He was already stunningly gorgeous, not to mention the two strokes of color he added, which slightly loosened his hair, causing it to scatter like melted ink on his fair neck and shoulders covered with a green, slightly transparent gauze.
Looking at her now, she has become a beautiful woman of unparalleled beauty, capable of captivating everyone with just a glance. It is impossible to recognize that she was once such a handsome and elegant man, whose gender could not be mistaken.
Even he, who was not fond of men, almost fell in love with the fairy's clear eyes like a spring...
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The author has something to say: Lord Huaihuai dropped a new skin for his work, a touching beauty skin, ah ah ah, it really turned everyone upside down
Guess if he will meet someone he doesn't want to meet hehe
The dogs who were politely rejected were not very well behaved ()
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2024-03-20 01:01:36 and 2024-03-21 02:33:58~
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: 9 bottles of Jinjiang, which I smoke constantly; 3 bottles of Baihechu, which I usually pass by; 2 bottles of Xiangchunshan; 1 bottle of Zhanzhan Ping'an Xile, Ten Years of Hidden Sea Play, Listening to the Night Rain by the Railing, Bailu Xiaoxiao, and Top1;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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