After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 141

Chapter 141: Prime Minister Lu

 

The summer rain poured down relentlessly. Zhou Xun stood under the eaves, watching large splashes of water crash onto the ground.

 

He lowered his eyelashes.

 

After a long while, the imperial physicians finally emerged from the room. Imperial Physician He approached Zhou Xun, who immediately asked, “How is Madam Lu?”

 

“She is still unconscious but no longer in mortal danger,” He replied.

 

Yet before Zhou Xun could breathe a sigh of relief, He added, “However, there is congestion in her body. She will only wake up once it dissipates.”

 

“How long will that take?”

 

“At least a few days, but it could take as long as a month or two,” He explained.

 

Zhou Xun lifted the curtain and entered the room. The bitter smell of medicine still lingered in the air. Xiao Wu was seated to one side, tending to Madam Lu, while Lu Bin had rushed back from the shipyard. Though his mother’s life was no longer in danger, the nearly unbearable anguish in his expression had only slightly subsided, leaving his eyes still filled with worry.

 

Zhou Xun sat beside him, looking at Madam Lu lying on the bed. Xiao Wu had been called away by Zhang Lingsu to help prepare medicine. After a long silence, Lu Bin let out a sigh.

 

“I’m so sorry, Master Xun. My mother has troubled you once again,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. “First it was the incident at the yamen, and now this. If you hadn’t found her and brought her back, my mother’s life… Why does she always…”

 

Clenching his fists, he sobbed, “Why does she always do things that trouble others?!”

 

Madam Lu lay peacefully on the bed, her aged face serene. She did not hear her son’s reproaches and remained asleep in her dreams.

 

Zhou Xun gazed at her quietly and asked Lu Bin, “Why was your mother at the Yan Yun Fang?”

 

“I don’t know… I’ve been so busy lately. She said she went there to pick up discarded items. Yan Yun Fang is a place where the rich throw away things like silk handkerchiefs and bamboo fans. She would collect them and bring them home, despite my repeated warnings. Our family has money, but she insists on doing this. And now look—she’s gotten herself into trouble…”

 

Lu Bin spoke aimlessly, sounding as though he were blaming Madam Lu but actually blaming himself. “I told her so many times not to pick things up, but she wouldn’t listen… And now this…”

 

“Does your mother have any enemies?”

 

“How could she have enemies? Perhaps she offended some noble and got beaten up,” Lu Bin replied, wiping his tears. “Why does she always trouble others like this?”

 

Nobles wouldn’t resort to violence, Zhou Xun thought.

 

He left the room.

 

Madam Lu indeed fit the image of such a woman—her own son knew her well. She was ordinary, greedy, and ignorant, so scavenging trash was only natural for her.

 

But Zhou Xun still remembered the look in her eyes when she saw him—those hopeful eyes.

 

Unconsciously, he found himself in the Lu family’s storeroom, where all the collected items were kept. Absentmindedly, he rummaged through the piles, while Xiao Wu squatted nearby, watching him.

 

After a while, Zhou Xun picked up an item and asked, “Is this valuable?”

 

He put it down and picked up another. “How about this one?”

 

Xiao Wu watched him silently without responding. Zhou Xun couldn’t figure out anything from the items, but a nameless anger simmered in his heart. Eventually, he instructed the guards to secure the Lu family courtyard and returned to his own residence.

 

The next day, Zhou Xun informed the emperor about smelling a peculiar fragrance at the Luhua Nong. The emperor thought for a moment and said, “I’ll have someone investigate it. Be discreet—don’t alert anyone.”

 

Zhou Xun nodded. He considered it for a moment before mentioning the matter of Prince Kang. The emperor was furious upon hearing it.

 

“He dared to follow you? What insolence!” he roared. “I’ll have him executed!”

 

Zhou Xun said, “Prince Kang offered ten thousand taels of silver to ransom Zhou Cai.”

 

The emperor responded, “Even if he offered a million taels, I’d still have him executed!”

 

… Zhou Xun had to work hard to convince the emperor not to act rashly, reminding him of the principle of “not killing emissaries.” In the end, it was the emperor who felt aggrieved.

 

“Why is it that you’re the one being threatened, yet you seem unbothered?” the emperor asked.

 

Zhou Xun smiled faintly. After a long pause, he replied softly, “Because Your Majesty is not a competent emperor.”

 

The emperor wasn’t a competent ruler. He wasn’t a High Emperor—he was Rong Haoyu.

 

The emperor was stunned. “What?! How am I not competent? No one knows governance better than me! An incompetent emperor should be sent to Mars! Make Jingguo Great Again! I’m a master of all kinds of sayings!”

 

The emperor’s face darkened as he continued, “Look at my cannons, my court, my factories. Say that again if you dare!”

 

Zhou Xun: “…Hmm.”

 

The emperor: “I’ll subject you to cruel punishment!”

 

He stepped down from his throne and began to tickle Zhou Xun. Zhou Xun dodged and laughed uncontrollably. But just then, Xiao Li entered the room. “Your Majesty…”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

The emperor: …

 

Xiao Li: …

 

“I’ve clearly come at the wrong time,” Xiao Li stammered. “I’ll just leave…”

 

The emperor hastily explained, “Wait, I was just tickling…”

 

Xiao Li: “I understand perfectly!”

 

“You understand nothing!” the emperor retorted angrily. “Speak your business!”

 

It turned out Prince Kang had come to negotiate with the emperor. Zhou Xun left the imperial study, and Xiao Li greeted him with a flattering smile.

 

Zhou Xun’s gaze swept over Xiao Li, pausing abruptly.

 

Xiao Li’s appearance…

 

“May I trouble you to wait a moment, Eunuch Li?” Zhou Xun asked.

 

Xiao Li, still smiling, replied, “What can I do for you, Master Zhou?”

 

Zhou Xun pulled him aside to sit in the corridor. “I have a request.”

 

“Whatever you need! Your business is my business!” Xiao Li declared, thumping his chest.

 

Zhou Xun: “May I take a closer look at your face?”

 

Xiao Li: ?!!

 

Despite the summer heat, a cold sweat broke out on Xiao Li’s back. Stiffly, he let Zhou Xun examine his face, silently reciting prayers to all the deities he could think of. After a while, Zhou Xun spoke again.

 

Xiao Li, having just relaxed, tensed up once more.

 

“Eunuch Li, could you let your hair down and… let me take a look?”

 

“Not a single coin less. If you can’t come up with a million taels of silver, then just wait to see Zhou Cai eating dirt in Siberia!” The emperor brusquely ended the negotiation with King Kang. “No money? If you’re broke, what’s the point of talking about love with me?! Love without material foundation is like loose sand—blown away by the wind, left to rot and stink! Besides, isn’t it common in novels to spend tens of millions of taels for a first night? And isn’t ten taels for a candied hawthorn totally normal? Inflation works like that! Want to bargain? No way!”

 

With that, King Kang was thrown out of the palace. The emperor left the imperial study. Earlier, while messing around and tickling Zhou Xun, he had felt a bit…

 

Cough, cough.

 

Seeing that the Eldest Princess and Yan Ruoqi had already announced their relationship and gone on their honeymoon, and with Zhang Lingsu and Xiao Wu about to make their announcement, both romance and camaraderie had found success. So he and Zhou Xun… shouldn’t they also put in some effort?

 

Moreover, didn’t Prince Duan marry General Wan back then? Shouldn’t he and Zhou Xun also…

 

Shouldn’t Zhou Xun… give him a proper title?

 

Thinking along these lines, he was feeling quite pleased when he suddenly turned and saw under the corridor…

 

The emperor: ???

 

Zhou Xun and Xiao Li…??

 

Love is a ray of light—wait, wait, what are you thinking! This is just a corridor, not some shady alley, and besides, Xiao Li… this level doesn’t even count!!

 

The emperor smiled as he approached step by step, only to see Xiao Li, draped in long hair, “shyly” run away.

 

Calm down, calm down, he thought.

 

He sat down beside Zhou Xun, who seemed to be deep in thought. When Zhou Xun noticed him, he smiled.

 

“What were you looking at just now?” the emperor asked in his calmest tone.

 

“Don’t you think…” Zhou Xun mused, “that Eunuch Xiao Li is actually quite… delicate-looking?”

 

The emperor: “?? Hmm??”

 

Zhou Xun continued, “If he put on makeup, perhaps he could even… become a courtesan?”

 

The emperor: ????

 

Is something wrong with you??

 

Zhou Xun was still pondering. Xiao Li’s appearance just now did indeed resemble a bit of that girl named Qingruo.

 

And Xiao Li’s younger sister had gone missing in Xiliang. Xiliang…

 

The Honglian Sect, Xiliang…

 

After a long while, the emperor asked cautiously, “So… do you feel uncomfortable always being… below?”

 

Zhou Xun: ???

 

The emperor: “Or maybe… I could draw your eyebrows too??”

 

Zhou Xun looked back at the emperor with a “what’s wrong with you” expression.

 

…

 

If this matter were true, it could have significant implications. Zhou Xun couldn’t reveal it to the emperor for now. But he knew that Xiao Li’s sister’s case was being investigated by the Ziyi Agents. Perhaps he could visit the agents in Youhuang Alley and consult one of Shen Laotou’s subordinates.

 

Before that, though, he had work to do at the Ministry of Revenue and planned to go later in the evening.

 

Returning to the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Xun had barely sat down when someone came looking for him.

 

To his surprise, it was none other than Prime Minister Lu.

 

Zhou Xun was quite taken aback. His relationship with Prime Minister Lu was rather strained, and the Ministry of Revenue wasn’t under Lu’s jurisdiction. But thinking it might be official business, he invited Prime Minister Lu inside and served him tea.

 

The tea fragrance lingered in the air. Zhou Xun went to handle a small matter, and upon returning, found Prime Minister Lu staring at something on the desk.

 

Frowning slightly, Zhou Xun noticed it was the jade pendant his mother had left him. The red string had broken recently, and he hadn’t had time to repair it, so he’d left it on the desk. He was about to put it away when he heard Prime Minister Lu’s voice, sounding bitter:

 

“Zhou… Sir.”

 

“Don’t dare accept the title,” Zhou Xun replied. “What brings the Prime Minister here?”

 

“I… it’s nothing…”

 

Prime Minister Lu hesitated. Zhou Xun found him increasingly peculiar. Though he didn’t like Prime Minister Lu, he wasn’t hostile enough to be rude. Lu kept staring at the tea as if it were fascinating, occasionally sneaking glances at Zhou Xun when he wasn’t paying attention.

 

Oddly, those glances lacked malice or the annoyance Zhou Xun usually associated with him.

 

Zhou Xun continued sipping tea. After a long pause, he said, “If the Prime Minister has no urgent matters, you may take your leave.”

 

“Ah, yes, yes.” Prime Minister Lu hurriedly agreed, his flustered response catching them both off guard. Even Lu seemed to realize what Zhou Xun had said and looked embarrassed.

 

Coincidentally, it was break time at the Ministry. Zhou Xun and Lu walked out together. Prime Minister Lu seemed absent-minded, nearly tripping several times. This reminded Zhou Xun of many things about the man.

 

Lu’s family had once produced a prefect, but they had fallen on hard times, forced to sell off assets to maintain appearances. He had grown up in poverty, passed the imperial exams, and climbed the ranks to become prime minister, only to enjoy better days late in life. He had no children or remarried after his wife’s early death.

 

“If you ever have difficulties,” Zhou Xun heard Lu say softly, “you can come to me.”

 

Zhou Xun couldn’t help but give him a strange look.

 

He couldn’t understand Lu’s change in attitude. From what he knew, it wasn’t flattery or scheming. Unsure how to respond, he gave a formal thanks.

 

Yet, sensing Zhou Xun’s aloofness, Lu seemed… saddened.

 

The atmosphere was uncomfortably tense. Luckily, some colleagues greeted Zhou Xun, giving him a reprieve. Lu then said, “I once read the emperor’s sacrificial prayer. It was beautifully written. I supported it wholeheartedly, only to later learn you had written it. I’m sorry for accusing you of self-promotion back then.”

 

Zhou Xun was surprised. He hadn’t known about this and smiled politely. “Thank you, Prime Minister.”

 

As they approached a fork in the road, Zhou Xun prepared to go one way while Lu headed another. Before Zhou Xun could bid farewell, a woman’s scream and another’s angry shout came from a distance.

 

“You wretch! It’s you! It’s all your fault! You ruined our Cai’er! Now he’s being exiled. Are you happy?!”

 

“And the Ye family—what happened to them, was that also your doing? You wretched child of Lin Yan! Why won’t you leave the Zhou family alone?!”

 

“Wanwan’s engagement fell apart, and it’s all your fault! She was rejected because of you! Are you satisfied now? Satisfied?!”

 

Zhou Xun turned toward the commotion, but before he could react, Prime Minister Lu pushed him aside!

 

A bucket of blood splashed onto Prime Minister Lu, shielding Zhou Xun completely. The culprit, shockingly, was Zhou’s mother. She stared, bucket clattering to the ground.

 

“Attacking an official of the court—arrest her,” Zhou Xun said to the approaching constables after a pause.

 

Such antics no longer stirred any emotion in him.

 

What he hadn’t expected was for Prime Minister Lu, after wiping the blood off his face, to order a halt. He looked at Zhou’s mother and said coldly, “Do you know who you just attacked?”

 

“This man is Minister Zhou. And I am the Prime Minister. Assaulting an official in broad daylight…” He turned to the constables. “Thirty lashes as punishment!”

 

Thirty lashes could be fatal or leave someone half-dead. Zhou Xun glanced at Prime Minister Lu. But Lu only looked back, anxiously asking, “Are you alright?”

 

He seemed about to reach out to check Zhou Xun’s head but quickly stopped, realizing his hands were covered in blood and filth.