The people nearby panicked and called over the jailer, asking them to find a doctor to take a look.
Although Xun Wang has committed heinous crimes, he cannot die yet; he must be kept alive.
The fact that Xun Wang and his group are currently imprisoned is a secret, and the doctors outside cannot be informed. The jailers are unsure of what to do, so they can only consult Lu Baichuan, who is still not far away.
Lu Baichuan said, "You go back first, I will send someone to deliver the medicine in a while."
His wife can treat the symptoms of fainting due to stimulation, so there's no fear of the news being exposed.
When I went back and told He Jiuniang, she indeed gave me a bottle of medicine, saying, "This is a case of sudden anger affecting the heart; no wonder."
Her tone was relaxed, showing no sign of being troubled by the search for the king, as if she were addressing an ordinary prisoner.
Lu Baichuan let out a breath and said, "So far, the matter of finding the king has come to an end. Once the Dongting people leave, we can proceed with the public proceedings."
"Yes, it's really been a long time coming. I've been waiting for this day for so long."
Thinking of how the original owner had wandered from place to place since childhood, and how Jiang Ruoya had been ill for more than 20 years because of being separated from her daughter, while villains like Xun Wang and Zhuo Wei were still at large, anyone would feel angry just thinking about it.
After Lu Baichuan detained the people, he went to see the emperor and told him everything. When the emperor learned that he had so easily brought Xun Wang and the others under control, he was speechless.
He patted Lu Baichuan on the shoulder and said, "When the matter is announced, I will reward you handsomely!"
"By the way, don't you have two older brothers, or brothers-in-law or nephews? If they are interested in becoming officials, I can give them a small position to start with. If they are capable, they will naturally have the opportunity to be promoted in the future."
Lu Baichuan is currently a second-rank minister, and he was only recently appointed. If he is too eager to be promoted, he will definitely be criticized again. So the emperor turned his attention to Lu Baichuan's family.
The emperor always believed that since Lu Baichuan was so outstanding, his family members must be just as good. Even if they didn't have much ability, they were definitely honest and kind people, and it was really nothing for them to be minor officials.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Lu Baichuan agreed, without any intention of refusing.
It's not easy to secure an opportunity for one's brothers in the family, and it's rare for the emperor to speak up personally.
For a family to prosper, it cannot have only one person holding an official position; it must also have its own people in other areas. This is to ensure a stable position, lay a good foundation for the younger generation, and work together towards a common goal, so that the family will get better and better.
The emperor understood his thoughts and was not surprised. His family came from humble beginnings, and by bringing glory to the family, his family would naturally benefit as well.
It wasn't just him; those ministers in the court, who appeared upright and incorruptible on the surface, were actually doing their utmost to stuff people into the court. They didn't care about immediate family members; they didn't want to miss any opportunity to use anyone, even those who were completely unrelated.
Since that's the case, why can't the Lu family do it?
Moreover, these are all merits accumulated by Lu Baichuan.
The emperor trusted Lu Baichuan, and naturally trusted the Lu family as well, so he was willing to give them a chance.
Back home, Lu Baichuan told his parents about it. Old Man Lu and Mrs. Sun were both flattered and felt that their eldest and second sons had gotten a great deal.
However, she was also nervous. Madam Sun said, "Your eldest and second brothers haven't received much education. They only know a few simple characters from the children. If they were to become officials, I'm afraid they wouldn't do a good job and would disappoint the Emperor's high expectations for our family. If they were to implicate you, that would be even worse!"
It is an honor for them that the emperor thinks so highly of them, but they should also be aware of their own limitations and not take this position for granted.
Old Man Lu shared the same thought, looking at Lu Baichuan with eager anticipation, wanting to hear his opinion.
Lu Baichuan knew their concerns and said, "Father and Mother, don't worry. The Emperor only said that we should consider these matters after everything is settled. He doesn't mean that he will arrange positions for our eldest and second brothers now. The Emperor told us in advance so that we can be prepared and not be at a loss when the time comes."
"Oh right, right, the Emperor is giving us a reminder!"
Madam Sun suddenly realized something and said, "Should we go and ask the teacher to instruct them now, so that they can be prepared?"
"That makes sense, but there's no need to rush. Our son will take care of it."
Lu Baichuan comforted the two elders, telling them to just be happy and not to worry about anything else.
"Oh my, it's truly a blessing from our ancestors!"
Old Lu stroked his beard with a smug grin, feeling that going back to relocate the grave was the right choice he had ever made.
Sun slapped him and said, "It's mostly thanks to the hard work of the third son and his wife!"
The third brother and his wife traveled around a lot and rarely saw each other. How could he just brush it off with a simple "blessing from their ancestors"?
Doesn't saying this negate the efforts and contributions that the third son and his wife have made to the family?
Reminded by this, Old Man Lu realized he had misspoke and hurriedly chimed in, "Of course! The most successful people in this family are the third son and his wife. I remember their contributions!"
Lu Baichuan didn't mind too much. He knew his father meant no harm; he was just more straightforward and didn't think things through as thoroughly as his mother.
Lu Baichuan originally wanted to invite one of the retired officials to go to Jingzhou to teach his two elder brothers, but when He Jiuniang heard this, she subconsciously said, "Isn't Susu's maternal grandfather the best candidate?"
Reminded, Lu Baichuan then remembered Su Su's maternal grandfather, Master Yao. Master Yao had made many achievements in the court back then, but his health was too poor to continue, so he had no choice but to resign and return to his hometown.
After such a major upheaval in his family, he lost all interest in matters of the court and thus completely severed ties with it.
Now that she's taking He Jiuniang's medicine and getting acupuncture regularly, her overall condition has improved a lot. She often goes to the teahouse to play chess with Old Man Lu, and her retirement life is incredibly pleasant.
He Jiuniang thought that since Master Yao was idle anyway, why not invite him to teach her eldest and second brothers some ways of being an official and some rules of the court, so that the two of them would not be too reserved?
“Master Yao is an acquaintance of ours, so my eldest and second brothers won’t be too nervous.”
He Jiuniang offered her advice, then continued, "We should ask our eldest and second brothers for their opinions on this matter first. After all, not everyone dreams of becoming an official. The power struggles in the court are not so simple. Living an ordinary yet wealthy life is also quite good."
Sure enough, that's exactly what He Jiuniang thought, which is why she refused the position of female general that the emperor offered her.
If you really become a general or an official, where will you find the time to do business or enjoy life?
Having to go to court before dawn every day, arguing with civil officials in the court, and then having to train troops afterwards—what's the difference between this and being a walking corpse!
Lu Baichuan: ...
I always feel like I'm being subtly criticized.
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