Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 408 Elder Lu

After He Ping left the palace, he looked up at the carriage opposite him. Lu Jie, inside the carriage, also looked back at him before lowering the curtain.

They exchanged a brief glance before heading in opposite directions.

This glance was so subtle, as light as a feather, as gentle as the wind, that it was instantly overshadowed by the bustling street.

An emperor may like many people, but he will never like a perfect person.

A perfect person is hard to handle.

If a ruler doesn't manipulate his subjects, then what kind of ruler is he?
For an emperor, there are countless talented people in the world, but only those who are talented, obedient, and capable of making mistakes can be trusted to serve.

The imperial edict was issued early the next morning, and the news spread throughout the capital as soon as the sun rose.

Before Lu Jie even went to the yamen, people blocked the door to offer their congratulations. Since he didn't have to attend the morning court session, wave after wave of people came to congratulate him, instantly filling the front courtyard of the Lu residence to capacity.

People seem to be deliberately trying to prove something. They could have just offered their congratulations and left, but they insisted on staying for a free meal and even had people spread the word so that those who hadn't had a chance to visit would come quickly.

Meanwhile, the emperor sent an imperial edict to the palace, stating that the case in Tanzhou had been handled quickly and well, and that such capable officials should be rewarded. Thus, the officials were bestowed with writing implements and a plaque inscribed by the emperor himself.

Originally, Yang Bonong was advising everyone not to be too high-profile, but after such glory, even he couldn't restrain himself. Together with the second and third sons of the Lu family, he urged the steward to quickly go and purchase firecrackers, which were then hung high in front of the door.

"This is a great favor bestowed upon the Lu family by His Majesty. Even if we make a big fuss, it is also to express our gratitude to His Majesty!"

Everyone shared their feelings.

The cabinet had been controlled by the Yan family for more than ten years, and had long become a place where the Yan family had absolute power. Now, Lu Jie parted ways with the Yan family and was promoted to the cabinet by the emperor. What does this mean?
This shows that they can no longer control everything! Even if they regain favor in the future, the cabinet will still be a situation where the Yan family and the Lu family are evenly matched, not to mention that there is also the powerful Grand Commandant Shen in the court!
The emperor may not have really made up his mind to remove Yan Song yet. The Yan family's power in the country is still not to be underestimated, but it is not what it used to be!
Those who came to offer their congratulations were all people who hoped for the downfall of the Yan family.

Some of them were like-minded with Lu Jie from the beginning, while others were neutral and would cheer whenever the Yan family fell from power, such as Cheng Wenhui, who was a pure and upright person.

He Qu and Tang Yu vividly relayed the news to the Shen family. Lu Jia and Shen Qingzhou exchanged a glance and then handed them the token to leave the city: "Gather the guards in the mansion and arrange two people to meet them on each of the roads heading south, until you meet the Grand Commandant!"

"If we don't meet him on the road, we must chase him all the way to Hangzhou and get the results from the Grand Commandant as soon as possible!"

Lu Jie had already successfully entered the cabinet in his previous life, which shows that he fully met the requirements to gain the emperor's approval.

Although the Yan family's assistance is no longer available, the progress made step by step has led to today's results, which is both expected and a necessary hurdle to overcome.

But their victory will inevitably provoke resistance from the opposing party. The situation has reached a critical juncture, and no one will back down.

After Lu Jie submitted the case file to the palace yesterday, Shen Qingzhou went to the Ministry of War to ask General Qin for a token to leave the city.

The emperor had previously inquired about Lu Jie's dealings with the Shen family, but later still gave Lu Jie an important position, which shows that the marriage between the two families did not pose a significant obstacle to the emperor's appointment of Lu Jie.

As expected, after acknowledging Lu Jie's actions, the emperor sought out He Ping.

Lu Jie had been extremely careful and hadn't left any evidence against him. He Ping reported the truth without leaving any loopholes. At this point, preparations in the capital were complete; all that remained was to await Grand Commandant Shen's response.

Shen Qingzhou didn't want to wait idly, so he sent out each guard with two carrier pigeons, which would be sent to the capital immediately once there was any news.

Meanwhile, he and Lu Jie, who were in the capital, could naturally make a decision as quickly as possible.

With such a sudden and dramatic shift in the political landscape, no one noticed that so many people from the Grand Commandant's office had left the city that day.

The imperial plaque was hung up at noon, and in the afternoon, Lu Jie went to the cabinet with the imperial edict in his hand.

The cabinet's investigation of thirteen people encountered obstacles. Several people who had been appeased always turned against them at the last minute. Once could be considered a coincidence, but if it happened too often, it would be unbelievable!
Yan Song guessed that the Shen family and Lu Jie were behind it, but after several days of investigation, he had not found any evidence. With such a tight schedule, it was not easy to handle the case well, let alone have to spare some effort to find traces of the enemy. How could he possibly manage both?

The previous night's discussions with his staff had failed, and then the Lu family's divorce proceedings came as a further blow. How could he possibly sleep soundly these past two days?
For an elderly person over seventy years old, such torment inevitably leads to exhaustion and mental strain.

In the morning, he went to the cabinet office to quell the trouble, but before he could even sit down, news that the emperor had issued an edict to promote Lu Jie to the cabinet came flooding in like a tornado.

Lu Jie's entry into the cabinet was entirely within his expectations.

Especially after Lu Ying and Yan Qu divorced the night before.

Yan Song initially chose Lu Jie because of his talent, believing he would surely rise to a high position in the future! Cultivating a promising and loyal successor would not only allow him to fulfill his ambitions but also help the future generations of the Yan family. This was a perfectly legitimate way to benefit himself. However, Lu Jie has now entered the cabinet without relying on the Yan family!

With Madam Lu's case still sitting on the desk at the Dali Temple, all of this becomes so ironic!
"Mr. Ge?"

The subordinate official who came to report stepped forward slightly and approached him: "Lord Lu, Lord Lu has arrived."

Yan Songru woke up from her dream, glanced at him, and then looked out in the direction he was pointing. She saw Lu Jie standing at the gate surrounded by people. Behind him were officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue. He had previously been in charge of these two departments, and the people who had come with him were all people he had promoted and trusted.

Yan Song suddenly thought of his past.

He was initially promoted to the Hanlin Academy by Yang Tingfang, rose to the position of Minister of Personnel, and was appointed Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. From being unknown to replacing Yang Tingfang as the Grand Secretary, his journey was filled with glory and honor.

But upon closer examination, it was only when he first entered the cabinet, after overcoming all difficulties, defeating all opponents, and finally obtaining that position, that he was truly in high spirits.

Now Lu Jie has become him.

And he became Yang Tingfang.

He stood up, walked out, and the voices inside the room gradually quieted down.

Lu Jie bowed to him: "Your humble servant Lu Jie greets Your Excellency the Grand Secretary."

Everyone was watching him. Yan Song nodded and put his hands behind his back: "Congratulations to Grand Secretary Lu on his ascension to the position."