Chapter 377
Icy Cold
Chapter 377 Icy Cold
As dawn broke, Prince Lu, still half-asleep, was taken aback by these words and asked, "What?"
The visitor's face was pale: "Empress Dowager... The Empress Dowager received a dream last night. The late Emperor said that the Imperial Mausoleum was very deserted, with no one to chat with. He came to sigh. When the Empress Dowager woke up, she went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple early this morning to weep and pay respects to the late Emperor..."
King Lu frowned, a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart.
The man continued, "The Empress Dowager said that the late Emperor has appeared to her in a dream, and she cannot ignore it. She should go to guard the imperial tomb and accompany the late Emperor."
"The Empress tried to stop them, saying that the imperial mausoleum was far away and the Empress Dowager was old and it was not good for her to travel there. At this time, it should be the younger generation who should fulfill their filial duties, and it would be better for her, as the daughter-in-law, to go instead—the two of them, for some reason, ended up hugging each other and crying so hard they almost fainted..."
"When the Emperor received the news, he rushed to persuade him, first saying that the sacrificial ceremony would be arranged today, and then saying that he would rather make the trip himself and go to the imperial mausoleum to pay his respects..."
The Prince of Lu interrupted him, asking, "Was there no court session today? Has the Emperor recovered from his illness?"
"I don't know if he's recovered or not, but the court wasn't canceled today. The court session had just ended, and the officials happened to be passing by Jingling Palace. Everyone tried to dissuade him, saying a lot of things. It's all over the place outside. I heard them saying things like 'the emperor should be dignified,' 'strong,' and 'heavy,' basically saying that being the emperor is very important and he can't just run around like that. They advised him to just do some worship at the Imperial Ancestral Temple..."
"The Empress Dowager refused, saying that it would seem too disrespectful. Then, some official suggested that the closest relatives are none other than siblings, and that the Empress Dowager was too old and a woman's body was not suitable for guarding the imperial mausoleum year after year. The Imperial Observatory also said that the Empress Dowager and the Empress's birth charts were not compatible for guarding the mausoleum."
"After careful consideration, there is one more person whose birth chart matches—it is none other than Your Highness. We would like to invite you..."
Upon hearing the word "brothers," King Lu sat bolt upright. Hearing the next sentence, he exclaimed in disbelief, "What do you want me for?!"
"Because it is said that Your Highness and the late Emperor were true brothers, born of the same mother and raised by the same mother, and always had a good relationship, why not ask Your Highness to help with the worship and stay at the imperial mausoleum for a year or two before going to your fiefdom..."
"They also said that you have many children, and keeping them in the capital has caused a lot of rumors. Recently, some idle people outside have been making baseless accusations, which has frightened you so much that you have caught a cold. When the Empress Dowager offered you food, you were so moved that you fainted!"
King Lu's ears were ringing.
He was furious, but then he calmed down and asked, "Who said that?"
"I can only hear rumors from idle gossip outside; I can't find out anything more..."
King Lu was already anxious and had gotten up to slip on his shoes and put on his clothes. Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but kick his foot.
There was a loud bang, followed by a scream, as the servant who was half-crouched on the ground was kicked backward.
The man was holding a basin, which was half full of hot water. The basin was poured over him from below, hitting his chin. He rolled on the ground in pain.
Prince Lu was known for his violent temper, and those serving in the room were used to it, only relieved that they weren't the ones closest to him.
The man was quickly dragged out.
King Lu kicked the basin, but his anger did not subside; he remained agitated and restless.
He sent people to gather information while simultaneously urging his staff to come forward.
Yesterday, because the Empress Dowager suddenly bestowed a meal, Prince Lu "fainted," and the entire household was in an uproar until midnight. It's still too early, and everyone is still in bed. By the time they were urged to go to the study, they hadn't even found out what had happened when the spies returned.
The information we gathered this time was much more detailed than the previous report.
"It is said that during the court assembly, a group of censors submitted memorials one after another, impeaching the prince for dozens of crimes..."
As the scout spoke, he held up the manuscript he had copied and was about to present it to his superiors.
Before the Prince of Lu could even take it, just looking at the dense text on it made his temples throb and his head ache terribly.
He scolded, "Can't you read it?! Do I have to read it myself?!"
The scout inwardly groaned, but forced himself to remain calm and whispered it over and over.
Over the years, King Lu did not sit idly by; he did many things and was impeached quite a few times.
This time, in addition to bringing up the insults they had used before and repeating them, they also collected and organized the insults again.
The Censorate was indeed composed of scholars who had passed the imperial examinations; each of them possessed exceptional literary talent and paid meticulous attention to the parallelism and structure of their writing. As the memorials were read aloud, even though the spies tried to speak as softly as possible, they still carried a rhythmic cadence and were quite impressive.
"Associating with scoundrels and interfering in public affairs..."
"Seizing people's land, encroaching on official roads..."
"...raising henchmen, running rampant in the countryside, and setting up private prisons..."
"...bullying men and women, harboring evil and encouraging the wicked..."
"...forcing the signing of empty contracts and seizing national taxes..."
"To curry favor with the emperor, to spy on the imperial palace, to secretly bribe officials and military officers..."
"The Censorate says that if His Majesty does not take action, they will kneel before the palace..."
The Prince of Lu looked grim and hurriedly asked, "What did His Majesty reply?"
"The Emperor accepted the memorial but didn't say anything else... It's just that there's gossip everywhere, and the words are quite unpleasant..."
Hearing that the emperor did not speak, Prince Lu felt a little relieved.
In the past, the policy was to keep things quiet and delay, hoping that things would eventually pass.
But before he could catch his breath, people kept coming back from outside.
Everyone was in a state of panic.
"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! For some reason, the news has spread everywhere that Your Highness is feigning illness to avoid guarding the imperial tombs and to avoid fulfilling your filial duties to the ancestors..."
"I don't know who's spreading this nonsense, saying that yesterday the prince deliberately spilled the medicine given by the Empress Dowager, pretending to be crazy in order to avoid going to his fiefdom!"
"...Some people copied those censors' articles and read them aloud to passersby on the streets, asking everyone whether the charges against them were true or false..."
Everyone in the room tensed up upon hearing this development.
"How did this news spread so quickly?"
"After all, it's Jingling Palace, and it's located outside the palace grounds, so everyone is watching..."
Jingling Palace is located outside the inner palace gate. It was originally used to enshrine the ancestral tablets of the emperors of the Great Wei Dynasty. Although it was guarded by imperial guards, it was still located on the street.
Moreover, even if the incident occurred in the palace, the Great Wei's imperial palace was not very large to begin with, and the palace walls were not high. If the hawking outside was a little loud, it could be heard clearly inside. Not to mention that the Empress Dowager and the Empress were both crying for the late Emperor, and countless ministers came to persuade them.
Such commotion would naturally attract the attention of idle people.
However, some disagreed, arguing, "No matter how many people saw it, it wouldn't spread this fast. What time is it? Could it be that someone is stirring things up behind the scenes?"
After he finished speaking, no one in the room responded; instead, everyone lowered their heads.
Who doesn't know this principle?
Everyone was just too nervous to mention it.
After a long pause, someone whispered, "Your Highness, the Censorate is making quite a fuss this time, and the commotion outside isn't good either. Normally it would be fine, but with the Empress Dowager involved... I'm afraid it's best to be careful."
After reviewing the numerous charges against him that had been copied back, and recalling the students' essays from the previous day, Prince Lu, though outwardly appearing indifferent, was inwardly filled with anxiety. Fearing he might actually be sent to guard the imperial tombs, he discussed the matter with his advisors for half a day, then immediately feigned illness, claiming he had suffered a shock, was feeling unwell, and had fallen ill.
Fearing that the imperial court would send eunuchs and physicians again, which would be difficult to deal with, he specifically instructed that his condition was not serious and that he only needed to rest, thinking that he could use this as an excuse to avoid the limelight.
No sooner had the message been sent to the palace than a letter arrived.
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor comforted him gently, without mentioning the matter of guarding the imperial tombs. They simply bestowed upon him some high-quality medicinal herbs and summoned all of his sons, except for his eldest and second sons, to the palace.
King Lu was somewhat puzzled.
He had eight sons, but only his eldest and second sons were the most valued. If the palace wanted to use them as hostages, they should have captured these two, not the others.
The government had no choice but to send out manpower.
However, after investigating for half a day, all they found was that the person had entered the Chuigong Hall and had not come out. The Empress Dowager had given them meals at noon and in the evening, and everything seemed calm and peaceful, as if nothing bad had happened.
It wasn't until it got dark that they finally managed to get some information.
When he learned what had happened from the crowd, King Lu was taken aback and asked, "What does 'guarding the tomb on behalf of someone else' mean?"
"The Empress Dowager said she wanted to choose one of the young masters to replace the prince in guarding the late emperor's tomb, and asked them which one was willing."
For a moment, King Lu actually breathed a sigh of relief.
Only by staying in the capital is there a possibility.
Otherwise, even if there were any opportunities, whether in the fiefdom or the imperial mausoleum, they would be too far away. By the time he heard the news and returned to the capital, it would be too late.
There are many children on both sides, and although they are all biological, the relationship is not very deep. It doesn't matter if we give up one or even two or three, as it would be considered as helping to avert disaster. In the end, the children we adopt will be our grandchildren.
He thought about it for a moment, and felt that this might not be a bad thing. His tone softened a bit as he asked, "Which one did you choose in the end?"
"We are still waiting for the imperial decree..."
Just as the palace gates were about to close, the group of people finally returned to their residence, almost excitedly reporting back to Prince Lu.
"My son volunteered to guard the imperial tombs!"
"The Empress Dowager initially said she only needed two or three people, but seeing that we were all eager to go, and with the Emperor also pleading on our behalf, she finally relented—we can all go!"
King Lu was dumbfounded.
Who would be eager to guard a tomb?
It turned out that Empress Dowager Yang had promised to guard the imperial tombs today, and that she would grant him land, a residence, and a noble title in the vicinity of his fiefdom in the future.
Although the lineage could not be continued, the Prince of Lu had many branches, and he always favored his eldest and second sons, while his other sons received very little benefit.
The Prince's Mansion did not have a division of households. Princess Lu was a devout Buddhist and Taoist and did not concern herself with other people's business. Her eldest daughter-in-law was in charge of the household affairs. Each household had a fixed monthly allowance, which was enough to make ends meet, but it was still a tight budget.
Watching their fathers squander money outside, befriending this person today and associating with that person tomorrow, indulging in a life of luxury and debauchery, everyone knew that even if there was a future, it would definitely not be their turn. On the contrary, because their fathers refused to take up their fiefdoms, they were unable to obtain many things.
Now, as long as you guard the imperial tomb for a few years, you'll have money and property—all yours—as well as a title—all yours—and you'll even get a name like "Loyal" or "Filial." Only a fool wouldn't want that!
Within two days, the rumors outside that Prince Lu was spying on the palace and intending to usurp the throne not only did not stop, but intensified. At the same time, Prince Lu's mansion was mostly empty.
He had assumed that it was his neglected sons who had left, but they had taken all their family members with them, and some had even taken their own mothers with them. When asked about it, the Prince of Lu did not think much of it. Most of them were old and faded, and he rarely saw them except during holidays, so he naturally did not take it to heart.
After most of the people had left, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.
Before they could figure out what was going on, the household received another piece of news.
—Wu Yuanwai was summoned and detained by the yamen because he was accused of privately possessing military equipment and forbidden clothing, and of associating with bandits and trafficking people.
When the authorities searched the house, they found all the evidence, and the entire family was arrested on the spot.
Several acquaintances in the Kyoto prefectural government, upon learning of the situation, and realizing it was serious, quickly and secretly went to inform them.
The King of Lu looked displeased upon hearing this.
Associating with bandits and trafficking people is one thing, as it's easy to clear one's name, but the so-called possession of weapons and prohibited clothing can easily implicate oneself.
Even a trusted retainer of many years quietly asked, "Your Highness, the Wu family's military equipment, it's not the same batch as before, is it—didn't we tell him a long time ago to clean it all up?"
Even the King of Lu was unsure.
But being of royal lineage, he knew this was not the time to be soft-hearted, so he simply ordered, "Send someone in to inquire whether the forbidden clothes and weapons are genuine or not."
“Whether it’s true or not, it’s hard to say. I’m afraid it might implicate me…” He didn’t hesitate at all. “Before things get out of hand, let’s deal with the person first, so that things don’t get complicated.”
The retainer accepted the order, but hesitated for a moment before asking, "Your Highness, what about... the wet nurse?"
King Lu hesitated for a long time, wondering whether it was someone who had raised him.
But the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
Because she was raised by her, she managed many things in the mansion in previous years. Perhaps some things were not noticed by her subordinates, but she secretly saw them and may have even remembered them.
“She’s old…” King Lu sighed, “Let her be given a proper burial.”
Upon hearing this, the retainer broke out in a cold sweat.
Sending a message into the prison is not difficult, and even bribing a jailer to report a death in jail is not difficult. As long as you have money, you can do anything, even make the millstone turn the devil.
But after all, she was the wet nurse who had raised the prince and served him for decades. Before she even understood what had happened, she ended his life with a single sentence. Leaving him with a whole corpse seemed like a great favor.
This person even clearly remembered that when the late emperor fell seriously ill, it was the prince who was determined to ascend the throne and specially asked the wet nurse's son to help him obtain a batch of heavy crossbows and armor from the vassal state.
If even wet nurses end up like this, what if it were me in the future...?
He left the Prince of Lu's mansion with a chill running down his spine.
Meanwhile, in the Kyoto government jail, after being interrogated for a day, Wu, the wealthy man, was finally released back into the dark room, and he felt extremely cold all over.
The prison had just served food—just a dry, hard flatbread, nothing else.
Because of the recurring illness, I've been seeing doctors recently, and I'm feeling better now. I've delayed for too long, and I'm too ashamed to apologize, but I don't know what else to say besides apologize.
I know some friends are concerned and will suggest taking a break from updating for a while until I'm fully recovered before slowly resuming writing. However, based on my experience, once I stop updating, it's likely to be a long hiatus. So, I will try to write a little bit every day from now on. I can't guarantee the word count, and the reading experience will be very poor. Please save your updates until the final chapter.
Wishing everyone good health.
(End of this chapter)