"What grieves you so deeply, beloved minister? And why have you come to court today without your court robes?"
Emperor Shun'an was about forty years of age, with regular features and a majestic demeanor.
Song Panshan scowled with furrowed brows, his teeth gritted in sheer hatred. "Your Majesty might not know, but yesterday thieves broke into this old minister's residence! Those abominable villains were truly hateful—not only did they ransack my entire manor, but they also played ghost tricks to terrify me! And my court robes! My robes!"
His breath grew stifled, as though he might faint at any second. "My court robes were soaked in a nightstool by that wicked thief, and even my court cap was thrown into the doghouse! It infuriates me to death!
"Those villains not only smashed our Song family's ancestral hall, but they also hung my undergarments on the gate's horizontal plaque! My heart is filled with hatred!"
Beating his chest and slapping his thighs, he wept loudly before the assembled civil and military officials. Every word was delivered through gritted teeth and dripping with bitter resentment.
One could hardly imagine a more pitiable sight.
The other officials whose homes had been burgled: "…"
So they were not the only victims—there was someone who had suffered even worse than them?
Although finding comfort in someone else's misfortune was rather inappropriate at such a time, seeing that someone had it worse put their minds somewhat at ease.
"Your Majesty, while those wicked thieves did not humiliate this minister as they humiliated Grand Tutor Song, my residence was also burglarized. They practically cleared out my entire manor!"
"Your Majesty, this minister fared slightly better than the Grand Tutor, but all the food, supplies, and valuables in my manor are entirely gone!"
"Your Majesty, the same happened to me!"
Had they not spoken up, no one would have realized just how many victims there were.
Song Panshan looked at the dozen or so colleagues standing behind him, feeling an impending heart attack.
They were all fellow sufferers in the same boat; there was really no need for every single one of them to stomp on his sore spot!
Emperor Shun'an said in a deep voice, "Absurd! How could anyone clear out so many manors in a single night? Do you take Us for a fool?!"
Clearing out a single residence could still be deemed a premeditated act, but clearing out over a dozen homes consecutively in one night without causing the slightest commotion—did that not imply his governance over the capital was riddled with gaping flaws?
"May Your Majesty appease your wrath!" The assembly knelt on the floor in trepidation. "We ministers would never dare deceive the sovereign!"
"Your Majesty need only send people to investigate to know whether this minister is lying. Even with ten times the courage, I would never dare deceive Your Majesty!"
Duke Wei stepped forward and bowed with cupped hands. "Your Majesty, news indeed spread through the city this morning that numerous shops have been emptied out. I fear that band of thieves possesses uncanny abilities."
Song Panshan wiped the sweat from his brow and hurriedly chimed in, "The Duke speaks the truth! Your Majesty, you must apprehend these treasonous scoundrels and punish them severely! It matters little that they stole from this old minister, but if they were to steal into the imperial palace one day, that would be a true catastrophe!"
Emperor Shun'an frowned.
Crown Prince Li Xuanmo spoke up: "The vile behavior of such petty thieves is truly hateful. However, the Grand Tutor worries overmuch. The imperial palace is heavily guarded; even if they had three heads and six arms, they could never breach it."
The displeasure brewing in Emperor Shun'an's heart from Grand Tutor Song's words was dissipated by the Crown Prince's reassurance.
After a moment of contemplation, the Emperor issued an order: "Commander Wei, you shall supervise this matter. You must ascertain the true culprits as soon as possible and bring the thieves to justice!"
"This minister obeys the imperial decree!"
Emperor Shun'an still did not believe that so many manors and shops could be emptied in one night, thinking they were merely exaggerating.
Thus, he did not take it too seriously.
His majestic gaze swept gravely across the hall. "Do my beloved ministers have any other memorials to present?"
The Left Censor-in-Chief, clad in a red court robe, stepped forth from the ranks. "Your Majesty, this humble minister has an urgent matter to report!"
"Granted!"
"This humble minister wishes to accuse the Senior General of the State, Lu Feng, of colluding with the enemy and committing treason! He conspired with Xichu, causing the loss of seven of our Beiwei cities and plunging the people of those seven cities into dire straits! This crime cannot be pardoned!"
The Left Censor-in-Chief presented the bill of indictment. "These are letters exchanged between Lu Feng and Xichu. Vice General Chen personally apprehended a Xichu spy inside his tent.
"The five sons of the Lu Family fled from the battlefield; four were severely wounded and their whereabouts remain unknown to this day. After the incident came to light, Lu Feng committed suicide to escape punishment.
"Now, seven cities of our Beiwei—including Shuoyang, Anding, and Huainan—have all fallen into enemy hands. The atrocities committed by the Zhenguo Jiangjun Mansion are heinous beyond measure. We beseech Your Majesty to judge wisely!"
As soon as these words fell, the entire hall erupted into an uproar.
Immediately, several veteran officials fell to their knees to plead for the Zhenguo Jiangjun Mansion: "Your Majesty! The Zhenguo Jiangjun Mansion's loyalty to the sovereign and devotion to the nation can be witnessed by Heaven itself! They would never commit such absurd treason! We beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"
"Your Majesty! During the reign of Emperor Shengwu, to repay the sovereign's grace, the Lu Family shed their blood upon the battlefield and returned wrapped in horsehides—loyal bones filled the household until only a few infants in swaddling clothes survived! In the late Emperor's reign, the Lu Family repelled foreign foes, taking their coffins along on campaign to secure fifty years of peace for our Beiwei! Today, the sons of the Lu Family took up arms at the age of ten, valiant and skilled in battle, having severed countless enemy heads! It is utterly impossible for them to collude with the enemy and commit treason! Someone must be framing them! We beseech Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"
Outside the palace hall, the cold wind howled beneath an overcast sky. Inside, the civil and military officials knelt across the floor, all pleading on behalf of the Zhenguo Jiangjun Mansion.
Emperor Shun'an sat upon the dragon throne, his gaze heavy and his expression inscrutable.
Taking the bill of indictment handed up by an imperial attendant eunuch, he read it through and then slammed it onto the imperial desk, consumed with rage. "Good! What a Zhenguo Jiangjun Mansion! Where is Lu Yanqing?!"
Yanqing was Lu Peifeng's courtesy name.
At Emperor Shun'an's fury, the officials below dropped to their knees in unison.
"May Your Majesty appease your wrath!"
Song Panshan said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Young General Lu specially requested leave yesterday for his wedding festivities and did not attend today's morning court."
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Song Panshan breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Fortunately, his quick wit had made Ming Yuan replace the girl Ming Yan in advance.
It seemed that upon his return, he must draft a letter as soon as possible to sever ties with Ming Yuan, lest the Taifu Mansion be dragged down with them.
Toward Song Mingyuan, Song Panshan harbored not the slightest shred of guilt. Had Madam Xu not reminded him, he would have forgotten long ago that such a person even existed in his manor.
Ignoring the veteran ministers kneeling in plea, Emperor Shun'an said coldly, "Men! Summon Lu Yanqing for an audience!"
When the eunuch carrying Emperor Shun'an's verbal decree arrived at the general's mansion, Old Madame Lu had only just risen for the morning.
Upon hearing that someone had come from the palace to summon Lu Peifeng, her heart gave a sudden thud, stirred by a faint premonition of misfortune.
As a woman of the Lu Family, her immediate reaction was that war had broken out again at the border.
Yet the Old Matriarch quickly dismissed the thought.
Her five sons were all outstanding men capable of standing on their own. With them guarding the frontier, things should never deteriorate to the point where Xiao Feng had to lead troops into battle the very morning after his wedding night.
What, then, had happened to warrant a palace summons so early in the morning?
Without a word, the Old Matriarch cast a meaningful glance at Qiuniang, who was attending to her. Understanding at once, Qiuniang produced a hefty pouch of silver.
"May I ask why His Majesty is summoning our young general? Eunuch, as you know, our young general has only just passed his wedding night and is likely busy cultivating affection with his new bride."
Normally at such times, the eunuch would beam with smiles, but this time he pushed aside the purse Qiuniang offered.
"The Emperor has decreed it, and the court ministers are waiting in the palace. Please have the young general hurry, or this servant won't be able to account for the delay."
The Old Matriarch's heart sank further. However, an imperial decree could not be defied. She had no choice but to suppress her worries for the moment and called out to Qiuniang, "Go to Fuqing Courtyard and summon the young general."
Qiuniang curtseyed to the eunuch. "We trouble you to wait a moment, Eunuch."
Lu Peifeng governed his subordinates strictly, and news from Fuqing Courtyard had not leaked out. Thus, no one in the household knew that yesterday's bride was someone else entirely.
Nor did they know that the newly wedded couple, who should have been sharing their bridal chamber, had not returned home for the entire night.