The Eldest Daughter Is Beautiful and Saucy
Chapter 315: Dead remonstrance
Chapter 315 Deathly Advice
“Father, this matter is strange in every way…” Lu Xiang’s eldest son sat under the glass lamp, half of his body leaning on the armrest of the chair, rubbing the corner of his clothes with his fingers, “Father gave this matter to me to deal with, and I thought it was not a big deal, so I sent the steward to spend some money to settle the matter. It happened that the mother and son of the Lin family colluded with the doctor of Ping An Hall to extort some money, so I didn’t investigate it carefully and gave it to him. I just hope that this matter will be over as soon as possible!”
Prime Minister Lu closed his eyes and said, “We have been living too smoothly in the Lu Mansion these years, so you have forgotten my advice to be prepared for danger in times of peace and think more about everything.”
The eldest son of Prime Minister Lu stood up and bowed his head to admit his fault: “It is my son’s fault!”
“The people in charge of the Imperial College have all been called into the palace to mark papers by the Emperor, so these students have nothing to do, so they have to find something to do!” Third Master Lu was holding his breath, and he had a lot of complaints about the students in the Imperial College. “How did our Lu family offend them?”
“This incident has also sounded a wake-up call for our Lu family. We should be more careful when handling things in the future!” Prime Minister Lu lowered his eyes and stared at the rising and falling of the Queshe tea leaves in the teacup. “The neighbors only knew that Lin Xinan had died after Lin’s mother went to beat the drum to announce the news… What kind of mother is this? When her son died, she didn’t panic and cry heartbrokenly to alarm the neighbors, but went to the Imperial College calmly and methodically to ask the students to write a petition? And she instigated the students of the Imperial College to accompany her to beat the drum to announce the news…”
As early as the incident of Lu Yuanpeng beating someone in Fanque Tower, Lu Xiangfu went to investigate Lin Xin’an. Lin Xin’an lived in Xiling County. His father was a county magistrate. When Lin Xin’an was young, his mother accepted bribes privately, which almost caused Lin Xin’an’s father to lose his job. Lin Xin’an’s father divorced his wife and remarried in anger. Although his stepmother was not bad to Lin Xin’an, she did not care about him. Later, Lin Xin’an was admitted to the Imperial College, and his biological mother came to the capital and rented a courtyard to accompany Lin Xin’an to study.
Lin Xinan’s mother has only one son. She is so calm when something happens to her only son… She is not like an ordinary woman.
Prime Minister Lu thought of the reason why Lu Yuanpeng hit someone, and then thought of what Lin Xinan’s mother said when she went to beat the drum, and narrowed his eyes…
“This matter…seems to be not aimed at Yuan Peng, but at the child of the Bai family.”
As soon as Prime Minister Lu finished speaking, the people who were sent out to check Lin Xinan’s body came back.
Lu Xiang frowned and put the teacup aside: “Let someone in.”
The subordinates sent by the Lu Mansion to check Lin Xinan’s body said the same thing as Wei Zhong, that Lin Xinan should have died from being promoted to a higher position.
“It seems that this matter is indeed aimed at the Princess Zhenguo!” The eldest son of Prime Minister Lu lowered his eyes and thought for a while, “But I don’t know who is behind it.”
“No matter who did it, we just need to keep Yuan Peng out of it this time!” Third Master Lu asked Prime Minister Lu, “Can we bring Yuan Peng back soon?”
Prime Minister Lu glanced at the disappointing Third Master Lu and told his eldest son, “You continue to send people to investigate this matter. It’s still hard to say whether Yuan Peng can be caught cleanly, but… it’s better to let this good-for-nothing suffer in prison!”
After saying that, Prime Minister Lu glared at Master Lu San again and said, “When that good-for-nothing comes back, you will discipline him! If he gets into trouble again next time…you and your son will go to kneel in the ancestral hall together!”
Mr. Lu San hurriedly stood up and nodded in agreement.
After Mr. Lu San left, Mr. Lu Da said to Prime Minister Lu: “Father, among the students who led the riot this time, one of them is from a prominent family in Xiling County, and is considered the cousin of the imperial concubine in the palace! Do you think this matter is related to the imperial concubine in the palace?”
“The Concubine Chen has no children and has no grudge against the Princess Zhenguo, so she has no motive. We should have someone check who Lin Xinan had contact with before he died, as well as the leaders… and also check how popular Lin Xinan was in the Imperial College before he died.”
“Son, I understand!” Uncle Lu nodded.
·
In the palace.
Concubine Qiu knelt beside the couch and massaged the acupoints on the emperor’s head as he closed his eyes to rest. The emperor clenched his right fist and gently hit his forehead with it. He had a splitting headache.
The students from the Imperial College cannot be arrested yet, otherwise there will be trouble.
Ever since Bai Weiting’s death, he simply couldn’t live in peace!
A broken drum was beating and knocking again and again. Could it be that they all thought Wude Gate was the gate of their own home?
The emperor was really annoyed to death.
“Your Majesty, Lord Lu, the Minister of the Dali Temple, is here.”
When the emperor heard this, he raised his hand to signal Concubine Qiu to stop, and propped himself up to sit up. However, the headache made him want to lie down again, so he had to press his forehead with his hand and close his eyes tightly.
After Lu Jin entered and saluted, he said to the emperor: “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince and I have already investigated the cheating case in the imperial examination. There is solid evidence that Wen Zhenkang and the four deputy examiners accepted bribes. The Imperial College’s chief academic officer, the Dean of Education… and the doctors of various disciplines have re-examined the papers of the palace examination. After repeated discussions, they have re-nominated ten papers! The original top ten, except for Lu Yuanqing, Lu Yuanbao, Qin Lang, Dong Changyuan and Chen Zhaolu, the rest are ranked at the bottom of the palace examination. The Imperial College’s chief academic officer even found a few hidden gems in the joint examination papers, probably because they are all from humble backgrounds and have not given gifts…”
The emperor opened his eyes, and there was murderous intent in his eyes: “Wen Zhenkang and the four deputy examiners shall be executed immediately! An imperial decree shall be issued… The results of this spring examination shall be invalidated, and the examination shall be retaken in February next year.”
“Your Majesty is wise!” Lu Jin knelt down and shouted.
Concubine Qiu handed the emperor a handkerchief that had been chilled with ice cubes: “Your Majesty, chilling it can help relieve headaches.”
The emperor took the ice towel and pressed it on his forehead. He immediately felt much better and asked, “Where is the prince?”
“Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is comforting the students of the Imperial Academy outside the Wude Gate. Please politely ask him to go back first.” Lu Jin lowered his eyes and did not look up. He actually did not approve of the Crown Prince’s humble attitude.
“Those students outside are kneeling there. What do they want to force me to do?” the emperor asked impatiently.
Lu Jin pondered for a moment before speaking: “Your Majesty, the students outside said that the Jin court… the powerful officials are all-powerful, the people have no way to redress their grievances, and the nobles and aristocrats are protecting each other and colluding with each other to cover up the crime. I beg Your Majesty to severely punish the murderer! They also said…”
“What else did you say?” As the emperor raised his voice, the pain in his head became unbearable and he clutched the handkerchief tightly.
“You also said that it is unjust for the Princess Zhenguo to kill the surrendered prisoners. Your Majesty, please severely punish the cruel people, in the name of the benevolence of the strong people of Jin State, and don’t… let the truly benevolent and righteous people who are trying to save the country die in vain. Otherwise… they, the students of the Imperial Academy, must die for their remonstrance!”
When the emperor heard this, he was furious and threw the handkerchief in his hand. “Dying for remonstrance?! Then one of them will die! They seem to have found my weak spot, beating the drum for reporting to the emperor at every turn, threatening my life at every turn!”