He was the most studious person in the Lu family. In his youth, he dreamed of passing the imperial examination with flying colors, but his father thwarted all of this by threatening to sever ties with him. He said that if he wanted to pass the examination, he would have to become Lu Zhenting's son.
Lu Qi was dumbfounded and asked Lu Zhenting, "Why is it that even members of the collateral branches of the Lu family can enter officialdom, but members of the direct line can't?"
That's right, according to the Lu family's ancestral precepts, direct descendants are not allowed to enter officialdom.
Lu Zhenting said at the time, “Don’t ask why, just do as I say. If you insist on pursuing a career in politics, then sever ties with your family and take your mother’s surname.”
Lu Qi's heart sank at that time. His father not only wanted to sever ties with him but also made him change his surname in order to prevent him from passing the imperial examinations!
Changing one's surname was a very big deal for people in this era; no one would change their surname unless absolutely necessary.
From then on, Lu Qi gave up on the imperial examinations and lazily followed Lu Lang to learn how to do business.
Over time, he found that doing business was quite interesting, so he put the imperial examinations out of his mind.
Even now, Lu Qi still feels very depressed when he talks about it.
Lu Lang looked at him and said, "This is an ancestral precept, and also a painful lesson that our ancestors experienced."
That short sentence made Lu Qi and the others understand.
The Lu family's rise to where it is today is not something that smaller families could easily achieve.
We will not allow our descendants to follow the wrong paths our ancestors have already taken.
“I understand,” Lu Qi was the first to speak. “Father did this because he wanted our family to go further.”
Lu Lang nodded and said, "That's right. Although you don't know Lu Yanzheng, I have sent people to investigate him."
He recounted the information he had gathered, adding, "Don't underestimate that general's wife; she's no ordinary woman."
At this point, he also recounted what Jiang Qinyu had done in Dingshui Village and Biancheng.
"How could such a young woman accomplish all this?" Lu Peng curled his lip in disbelief. "Isn't General Lu deliberately creating hype for her?"
Lu Lang glanced at him and said indifferently, "The things the General's wife has done are far beyond your imagination. Some time ago, when Yongshan County was hit by a smallpox outbreak, she not only helped Doctor Mo to study the prescription, but also proposed to eradicate smallpox forever."
"Eliminate smallpox forever? Haha, she must be dreaming!" Lu Peng suddenly laughed out loud, a mocking laugh.
Lu Lang ignored him; he had already given up on this second brother. He looked at Lu Qi and said, "It is said that everyone needs this medicine to eradicate smallpox, which involves the supply of many materials and medicinal herbs. Fourth brother, can you handle this matter well?"
The old man's willingness to hand over his resources was not solely for the purpose of future protection. In the process, the Lu family could still cooperate with Lu Yanzheng and earn the profits they deserved.
He had spent a lot of effort finding out about the smallpox vaccine, and he used this information to test Lu Yanzheng and Jiang Qinyu's attitude.
If they are willing to let the Lu family get a share, then the resources the Lu family handed over will not have been wasted. But if they don't let the Lu family get involved, it means that Lu Yanzheng and his wife are not good people, and their help to Lu Yanzheng will be discounted.
"Don't worry, brother, I will visit the general's wife tomorrow," Lu Qi said solemnly.
If smallpox could truly be eradicated, not to mention how much money they could earn, the Lu family would probably be mentioned in history books. This is something more worth fighting for than any reputation.
Although Lu Xiao was still somewhat reluctant, since his eldest brother and fourth brother, the two smartest people in the family, had agreed, he naturally couldn't object anymore.
He knew very well which choice to make: to lead his brothers to oppose their father or to oppose his father himself.
Seeing that they understood, Lu Lang turned to Lu Peng, "Second brother, you should also keep a close eye on Xiao Qi. His sudden attack on the General's wife couldn't have been something he decided on his own..."
“Big brother,” Lu Qi immediately spoke up, “this is my fault. I spoke a few words to Xiao Qi, and that’s why he…”
Lu Lang glanced at him and shook his head. "No, Xiao Qi's personality is such that she won't go against the old man's wishes just because of a few words from you. There must be other reasons behind this."
"What do you mean by that, brother?" Lu Peng realized what was going on and suddenly had a bad feeling.
Lu Lang sighed, "He must have gotten into some trouble outside and doesn't dare let his family know."
One sentence summed up the whole story.
Lu Peng didn't care much about this nominal son, and when he heard Lu Lang's words, he felt a little guilty and didn't dare to look him in the eye. "Then I'll go back and investigate to see which servant dared to keep quiet about it!"
Lu Lang shook his head and waved for them to go back. "In short, you are not allowed to have any ulterior motives regarding what Rui-ge'er told you. The old man is still here. He has seen more than any of us, and his decisions will not be wrong."
Lu Qi and the others said they understood and would keep a close eye on their own people when they got back.
After they all left, Lu Lang wearily rubbed his temples.
Apart from Lu Qi, Lu Peng and Lu Xiao were of no help to the brothers. They didn't have the ability to manage such a large family. The old man was right. They had to find a powerful backer, one who wouldn't easily abandon the Lu family.
The old man had previously chosen Xiao Rui, and they naturally had no objections. After all, Xiao Rui was his grandson, and he wholeheartedly supported Xiao Rui in vying for that position.
Indeed, members of the Lu family are not allowed to hold official positions, but what if a grandson of the Lu family were to become the person in the highest position? The situation would naturally be different.
Unfortunately, Xiao Rui wasn't destined for it! He was gone just as the rebellion was starting.
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