Firefly Journey

Chapter 259 Thunderous Sound from an Earthenware Pot (6)

Lu Xianju has been afraid to go out during this period.

It's not the gate of the mansion, but the door of a room.

After convening the family conference, he locked himself in his study, refusing to see anyone except for essential needs like eating, drinking, and using the restroom.

Duan Feibai's arrival made him sense something unusual. Years of experience told him that the Lu family was facing a major crisis and was in danger of being overthrown.

Boom boom boom!

A rapid knocking sounded at the door, and Lu Xianju frowned.

He had instructed them not to knock on the door unless necessary, and even if they needed something, they shouldn't knock. The servants in the house certainly wouldn't dare to provoke him, and there weren't many people in the Lu family who dared to ignore his words.

"Come in."

Lu Xianju closed his eyes and said in a deep voice.

"Father, I have bad news."

Lu Lian looked somewhat unnatural, and you could tell from his eyes that he was very flustered. If he weren't facing his own father, he probably would have been frowning and looking miserable.

"explain."

Now that things had come to this, Lu Xianju had no time to blame anyone. He listened to what was being said and then pondered how to deal with the situation.

A few days ago, he instructed Lu Lian to target Duan Feibai's family. Now, this bad news can only be related to that matter.

Lu Lian bent over, looking troubled.

“A few days ago, my father asked me to greet Governor Duan’s family. I sent someone to do it, but a day passed without a reply. I suspected something was wrong, so I sent someone to investigate.”

turn out……"

"What did you find?"

"They were all found abandoned on a barren slope five miles outside Qingzhu Town, and none of them survived."

"I told you to arrest that person three days ago, why are you only telling me about it now?!"

A hint of anger appeared on Lu Xianju's face.

Lu Lian quickly replied, "I haven't been able to find the assassin, so... that's why I've been delayed."

"Foolish!" Lu Xianju cursed in exasperation. "You should have notified me when they didn't come back that night! Obviously, that young punk was prepared. He definitely had superhumans protecting his family. This approach won't work."

“This…” Lu Lian quickly knelt down, “It was my oversight, please punish me, Father.”

"What's the point of saying all this now?" Lu Xianju sighed. "Are all those assassins dead?"

"They all died; not a single one survived."

Lu Xianju stood up and paced back and forth in the study.

"Fortunately, even if he deduces that it was us, there will be no way to prove it, and the fire won't spread."

"Wait a minute! Why didn't they leave anyone alive?"

Lu Xianju became increasingly uneasy. Just then, a retainer rushed in panic, shouting from outside:

"Master, Lord He requests your presence!"

He Changqing invited me? What's that fence-sitter doing here at a time like this?

Before Lu Xianju could think further, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside.

The footsteps were firm and powerful, clearly not the unsteady steps of the yamen runners, but those of the military.

Yunzhou is located within the Chu Kingdom and has no border defense issues. The army is not large and is usually directly dispatched by the state government.

What was the meaning of He Changqing's deployment of the Yunzhou army at this time?

Without time to think it through, Lu Xianju went out to greet them.

As soon as he stepped out of the study, sure enough, two squads of soldiers with gleaming armor and sharp swords and axes stood expressionless, with He Changqing, the prefect of Yunzhou, standing in the middle.

Today's He Changqing is different from the He Changqing of the past. Gone is the timid and submissive expression. He even straightened his back for once.

Upon seeing Lu Xianju emerge, he respectfully bowed and said, "The governor has summoned you, Minister Lu, to the prefectural government office."

"Lord He, if I may be so bold as to ask, what is the matter?"

What is it that you don't know the answer to?

He Changqing wouldn't say it out loud; he replied very formally, "I don't know either. I'll just do whatever the governor says."

Lu Xianju chuckled and said, "Lord He, you are truly dedicated to your duty."

"I dare not. I am a prefect appointed by the imperial court, so naturally I obey the imperial court's orders."

Lu Xianju's eyes turned cold. "You, He Changqing, calling you a fence-sitter is too kind. You're really two-faced."

Under the "escort" of Yunzhou soldiers, He Changqing led Lu Xianju and Lu Lian back to the prefectural government office.

……

Lin Yuanran closed the door, bought a glass of wine downstairs, and then went to the counter to pay.

Lin Yuanran tossed the copper coins onto the counter and said, "Come with me to the prefectural government office."

"it is good."

Lin Yuanran asked, "Don't you want to know why?"

"Go and be a witness."

Lin Yuanran was taken aback. "Although that's how it is, I'd be very embarrassed if you guessed it directly."

"It's good that you know. When you get to court later, just tell the truth about what happened to you, and the Lu family will receive the punishment they deserve."

"Yes, I've been looking forward to this day."

Hu Jun said goodbye to the boss, changed into a new plain-colored robe, and walked with Lin Yuanran towards the state government office.

……

At 10:00 AM, the Taiqian government office held a hearing to discuss matters.

The prefectural government did not announce the court hearing in advance, but Taiqian City was so crowded that the news spread like wildfire, and soon a large crowd gathered outside, eager to see what was going on.

The spring rain that had lasted for more than half a month stopped at this moment, and a ray of warm sunshine climbed onto the branches, dispelling the water stains on the apricot blossoms.

As the bailiffs pounded the floor with their long sticks, Duan Feibai, dressed in official robes, sat upright in the main seat.

Beside him were He Changqing, also dressed in the official robes of a prefect, and Lin Yuanran, dressed in casual clothes.

Originally, the State of Chu wanted to issue him official robes, but since there were no suitable ones available at the moment, they decided to have them custom-made.

Unexpectedly, just a few days later, he was sent on a mission and didn't even have time to get his own official robes.

The sudden opening of the court in Taiqian County sparked much discussion among the people who had come to hear the news.

"In the past, when the prefect held court, wouldn't he post a notice in advance?"

"Who knows? But I heard that the person presiding over the court today is not Prefect He, but an imperial envoy from the capital."

"I see. That makes sense. Perhaps it was an emergency."

"Look! Isn't that the old patriarch of the Lu family? And his eldest son, why are they standing below the hall?"

"Could it be... that the imperial court is about to take action against the aristocratic families?"

The speculations and criticisms from outside did not reach the ears of those in the hall.

Duan Feibai slammed his gavel and said, "Minister Lu, it's been a long time."

Lu Xianju looked displeased, but patiently replied, "It hasn't been long. How have you been, Lord Duan?"

"It would be rather boring if only members of the Lu family were in the hall. I have other people here to keep you company."

Duan Feibai smiled slightly, and several more people were escorted out from the side office by officials.

Lu Xianju recognized these people; they were all prominent families in Yunzhou, including Wu Hao and Zhu Jinyun. Together, they represented almost the entirety of Yunzhou.

Lu Xianju asked, "May I ask why Lord Duan has invited us all here?"

"What is it about? Does Minister Lu really not know?"

"I am old and dull-witted, please enlighten me, Lord Duan."