Chapter 41 [VIP]
The entire prison was deathly silent.
Lu Xuejin ordered all the things Qiu Fuze had sent to be disposed of, and he released the servants and women who had been sent there to be tortured. In a corner, several cracks appeared in the wall, and Qiu Xiongcai had fainted, his body covered in blood and barely clinging to life.
The jailers guarding the place had clearly been bribed, and the young man before them held no official position in the court, yet none of them dared to step forward. The man exuded an aura of integrity that made it difficult to look him directly in the eye.
Lu Xuejin noticed countless eyes on him in the prison. Some were watching his misfortune through the windows, some had resentful eyes, and some were observing his movements. Those gazes seemed to grow from the cracks in the floor tiles, causing damp moss and gloom to sprout in the dark prison.
“This… Lord Lu. The Qiu family sends people over every day. Even after you’ve cleaned these out, new ones will be sent over,” the jailer said.
Lu Xuejin: "When they ask, you all just need to state the facts you see before you."
The jailers present exchanged glances and said to Lu Xuejin, "Lord Lu, if you can find some orders, you should send the person to the execution ground as soon as possible. These past few days, not only have people from the Qiu family come, but several other officials have also come. If you don't send them there soon..."
Before the jailer could finish speaking, a guard entered the imperial prison. The guard had a hidden eagle claw pattern on his sleeve, and the jailer recognized him as the emperor's personal guard. Upon seeing Lu Xuejin, the guard first bowed to her before ordering the jailer to take her away.
"His Majesty has ordered that Qiu Xiongcai be taken away."
"..." Lu Xuejin looked quietly at the guards, "Where are you taking him?"
“This,” the guard said with a troubled expression, “Lord Lu, you should ask His Majesty yourself.”
Those outside the palace did not know who the Emperor was marrying, but the guards did. When faced with Lu Xuejin, the guards simply lowered their heads and remained silent, claiming ignorance when asked anything else, pushing the matter onto Xue Yi and telling him to ask her himself.
“In that case,” Lu Xuejin pondered, “Qiu Xiong was injured in prison. Taking him away now might delay his recovery. Although he is a prisoner, he has not yet been convicted and should be treated the same as any citizen of our Great Wei. Injured prisoners in the Imperial Prison cannot be moved at will; they can only be released after being convicted.”
“If you want to release him from prison, I will release him after His Majesty personally convicts him. You can send me his incriminating evidence. In addition to abusing and killing children and bullying the people, he also disregarded the law in prison and attempted to use his power to cause trouble in prison... Any one of these incriminating charges would be enough to cost him his life.” Lu Xuejin’s eyes reflected the group of guards as she spoke slowly and deliberately.
Silence fell over the prison. With Qingfei in white robes at the front, the guards dared not speak, only exchanging glances before bowing and saying, "We understand. Lord Lu is kind; we will pass it on to His Majesty."
With Lu Xuejin guarding him, the person naturally couldn't be taken away. The group of guards returned empty-handed, and when Lu Xuejin came out, she saw Song Zhao approaching from afar.
His guards followed closely behind him. The boy had a low profile and was not conspicuous in the dim light. The dirty blood on the back of his hand had not yet been wiped away, which attracted the boy's attention for a while.
Song Zhao had already heard the message from Xue Yi's side before going to the Zhao Prison. When he saw him come out, he was unsure whether he was relieved or not, and his expression was complicated.
"His Majesty has his own reasons. You...you shouldn't take it to heart," Song Zhao said after thinking for a moment.
Lu Xuejin replied, "You came all this way just to tell me this?"
“I heard you took action in prison… His Majesty is worried about you; he has been ill for a long time and has been staying at court. He ordered me to come and see you,” Song Zhao said.
"Don't worry, His Majesty will definitely give you a reply on this matter."
Lu Xuejin listened thoughtfully and said, "It seems that the reply should not be given to me, but to the family of the deceased lantern vendor. If it is given to me... it seems that only if I intervene will this matter not be left unresolved. This is the benevolent rule under your brother's rule, then I have nothing more to say."
"Song Zhao, thank you for making this trip. I appreciate everything that has happened lately."
Lu Xuejin left a light, fleeting thank you before brushing past Song Zhao. His resolute expression drew a sidelong glance from Song Zhao. He and Song Zhao then parted ways, facing each other from opposite directions.
Once in the carriage, Lu Xuejin sat opposite Murong Yue. He touched Murong Yue's mask and asked, "Your Highness, do you find it stuffy to wear this?"
He behaved very well the whole way. I was worried, but it seems I was overthinking it. His Highness is exceptionally intelligent, so I don't need to worry about him while he's away.
Murong Yue didn't move upon hearing this, but touched his finger bones, rubbing the bloodstains on them. He shook his head and said to him, "Brother. It's not hot."
"Your hand hurts?"
Murong Yue had been watching as he made his move. Seeing the boy's serious expression, he couldn't help but find it amusing, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
“It’s alright,” he said.
Upon hearing this, Murong Yue continued to stroke his finger bones, wiping away the bloodstains, and held his finger bones tightly the entire way without letting go.
They returned to the courtyard. Just as they were leaving, Tengluo came from the palace and waited for him in the courtyard. She said to him, "Young master, I met His Majesty in the palace. His Majesty asked me to convey a message that he has something to discuss with you and wants you to return to the palace."
Upon hearing the words "return to the palace," Murong Yue immediately turned to look at him, tightening his grip on his wrist.
He looked at the person and reassured them, "Your Highness, don't worry, I won't go back."
"How can I return to the palace when this case is not yet closed?"
Tengluo watched from the side. After not seeing him for a few days, she felt that her young master had become much gentler, as if he had returned to the time when the Prime Minister was still alive. She couldn't help but think that the Ninth Prince had deceived her young master, and that the kind-hearted young master had not realized that the glutinous rice balls he was eating were not white sesame dumplings, but black sesame dumplings.
"Ziyan, how about we have tangyuan (sweet rice balls) tonight?" Tengluo whispered.
"Do you want to eat glutinous rice balls?" Ziyan asked.
Tengluo: "I'll cook some for the young master, with black sesame filling."
This night was destined to be anything but peaceful.
News of Qiu Xiongcai being beaten half to death in the imperial prison spread quickly. Since Lu Xuejin was there and Xue Yi's men hadn't been able to take him away, the jailers dared not release him after Qiu Fuze arrived. Qiu Fuze could only watch his youngest son suffer in prison, lying in a pool of blood, barely breathing.
This debt should naturally be attributed to Lu Xuejin.
In the side courtyard, Lu Xuejin had coaxed the person to sleep; he himself had suffered from insomnia that night. The candlelight illuminated his features. He had specifically sought out this small courtyard; he had lived here for a while and moved some of the Prime Minister's books here. He sat before his desk, looking at his earlier writings. On the left was his own text, and on the right were someone else's comments.
They used to play games like this, where he and Xue Yi would take turns playing the roles of ruler and subject, with Xue Yi as the ruler and him as the minister beside him. When faced with different problems, they would devise solutions based on their different perspectives. His and Xue Yi's answers were always different.
When faced with different choices, Xue Yi would write annotations next to his answers, all of which were subtle words of praise.
The sharp handwriting on the desk reflects Xue Yi's appearance in his youth.
Corrupt officials and powerful families should not be eliminated all at once; first, ensure they have no descendants. Once the main family is destroyed, the followers will scatter. If they do have descendants, then target them directly, cutting off their path to power and wealth. In this way, the monarch can ensure the loyalty of powerful families and the peace of mind of his ministers. Official salaries will be generous, and it's difficult to guarantee that those in power will not follow suit. Even if a person was upright before entering the court, it's difficult to distinguish right from wrong in court. Ministers should have a sense of awe; if punishment is too strict according to the law, it will cause ministers to be overly fearful and create discord between them and the monarch.
Although I have weighed all the factors, there are many flaws and shortcomings. If this approach is beneficial to governing the country, I fear it will fail the people.
Changyou's heart is entirely devoted to the people; such virtuous character is beyond my reach. If I were to come to power, I would bestow kindness upon Changyou, making him a renowned and upright official. Once Changyou's name is remembered, I too can remain an unsung benevolent ruler.
With a "plop," the candle wax dripped onto the table, burning out the writing on it.
The next day, shortly after noon, the Qiu family sent someone to invite Lu Xuejin to the Qiu residence.
Lu Xuejin took Murong Yue with her. When they arrived at the Qiu residence, the guards stopped them and said, "My master has instructed that only Lord Lu is allowed to go."
"My young master was just brought home this morning. Thanks to Lord Lu's hard work and dedication, the master has specially prepared a banquet for him. Please, Lord Lu."
Lu Xuejin listened quietly. He noticed the unease in the boy beside him and turned to instruct him, "Wait for me for an hour."
Upon hearing this, his wrist was grabbed tightly. Through the mask, Murong Yue stared at him and gently shook his head.
Lu Xuejin glanced at the guards of the Qiu family and whispered to Murong Yue, "Do you still remember what I told you before... don't worry about me."
If he doesn't come in person today, this matter will be difficult to resolve. Even knowing it's a trap, he has no choice but to go. He let the boy lead him, and in the process, he placed a jade ring in the boy's palm. Touching the cold jade ring, the boy understood his meaning and then let go of him.
The scenery of the mortal world is reflected on the lake.
Where lotus leaves stretched to the horizon, the gloomy sky reflected the ripples as fish swam. Suddenly, rain began to fall. Murong Yue watched the young man leave him, wanting to chase after him, but then he remembered where he was, trapped in this small space of consciousness.
Murong Qing asked him, "Are you leaving? If you leave, you may never come back. Have you thought it through?"
“Even if I can’t come back, my elder sister will still remain in the embers of my memory,” Murong Yue said, “...and she is in danger now.”
"Although this place is my home, I cannot stay here. Brother Changyou is still in the mortal world... I cannot rest easy."
He crossed the river where yin and yang meet, and as he waded into its waters, the myriad emotions of the mortal world once again entangled him. Anger, fear, malice, slander, unease, despair, pain, worry, restlessness, rage—these emotions sprouted human faces, transformed into water pressure, and clung to him, threatening to drag him to the bottom. To step out meant accepting his own incompetence and failure, meant possibly experiencing the piercing shame once more, meant needing to discard all pride and arrogance, to smooth over all emotions, to let them dissipate like dust.
Perhaps in ten or twenty years, if he continues to live a shameful life day after day, he might still feel self-loathing like he does now. Perhaps next time he won't be so lucky, and there won't be any gods or Buddhas to summon him back from the underworld.
Perhaps we'll meet again... to witness the humiliation of my beloved.
The sin of incompetence is unbearable.
No matter how much shame leaves its mark on his soul, even if gods and Buddhas suffer and drag him into the earth a thousand times, he will still climb out.
In front of the Qiu residence. The guards standing at the gate suddenly felt a chill run down their spines. They looked at the guard Lu Xuejin had abandoned; it was the same person as before, but his demeanor had changed abruptly. The eyes beneath the mask, which had been innocent and harmless just moments before, were now like two dark, piercing windows, radiating a deep, icy coldness.
Lu Xuejin entered the Qiu residence, which was eerily quiet, as if a funeral had been held. A banquet had been prepared for him, yet he saw neither Qiu Fuze nor any servants. He walked deeper into the courtyard, where he saw a small figure. Upon recognizing the person, he understood: this entrapment, though it hadn't directly harmed Song Zhao, had a clear purpose.
The Qiu family courtyard was filled with golden lotus flowers, blooming in clusters on both sides, their fragrance rich and intoxicating. The little man was Li Guiqing, whom he had seen before. The eight-year-old child suddenly appeared here, and seeing the little girl about to touch the thorns of the golden lotus, he strode forward.
"No." He spoke abruptly, startling Li Guiqing. Her youthful face turned to him, her phoenix eyes fixed on him, a look of fear flashing in them.
"Who brought you here... Where is your cousin?" he asked.
Li Guiqing seemed to understand but not quite, and did not answer his question. She bit her lip and pointed with her little finger to the palace behind the garden, "It's there."
Those eyes were so similar to those of Princess Murong Qing that he almost had a moment of illusion. He withdrew his gaze and led the little girl toward the place she had pointed out. He had to get the girl away from here first, no matter what.
As he led the child by the hand, he failed to notice that Li Guiqing's face was pale, her expression shifting with uncertainty because of her own wrongdoing. Though only eight years old, she was already able to distinguish between good and evil.
"Do you still remember the way you came...? Where are your family? Did you come alone?"
As Lu Xuejin inquired, he stepped into the hall that Li Guiqing had indicated. It was a guest room, furnished only with simple tea, fruit, and snacks. Golden lotuses bloomed on both sides, their overpowering fragrance masking the other smells in the hall. Only after he led the girl inside and the fragrance dissipated did he notice the incense sticks burning inside.
The strong, exotic fragrance masked his nose and mouth, and he felt unwell almost immediately. He was about to lead the girl away when his grip suddenly loosened, and her phoenix eyes became hollow and deep, as if the whites of her eyes had disappeared in an instant. The vermilion walls and palaces around him also distorted, and the girl in front of him transformed into another figure. The person he knew had stepped out of his memory and appeared before him.
Murong Qing looked at him and said, "I naturally can't make this marriage decision. In his eyes... you are the best husband. I have no objection to the marriage, but Changyou... you don't want to marry me?"
That's not the case... It's not that he didn't want to marry the princess. It's just that his heart wasn't in it, and he had no feelings for the princess, making him unsuitable to be a good husband to her.
The invisible fragrance made him cough, and he struggled to breathe, unable to answer. Countless hands touched him, making him lose his sense of where he was. The fragrance transformed into a heavy, burning desire that scorched his skin, gradually eroding his will.
Murong Qing: "Marry me, and I can clear the Lu family's name. From now on, you will be a retainer of the Murong family. Your father and your brother will be cleared of suspicion of treason. Changyou, you should think it over carefully."
For some reason, he recalled the scene outside the window when the late emperor questioned him. Golden lotuses bloomed in abundance, but Xue Yi could not see their color among them, adding to his sense of loneliness.
A note from the author:
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