Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 357 Shifting the Blame Eastward: It Was All the Remnants of the Former Sui Dynasty's Actions

Changan.

Deep within the Lu family mansion in Fanyang.

The study was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, and the bookshelves were filled with classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections, exuding the calm and composed atmosphere of a noble family.

But this tranquility was completely shattered by a series of hurried footsteps.

A middle-aged man in a brocade robe stumbled into the study, his hair disheveled and his official boots still covered in dust. He knelt down with a thud as soon as he entered, his voice trembling with sobs: "Uncle! Uncle, save me! Something terrible has happened!"

Lu Ziye, who was reading the Zuo Zhuan at his desk, looked up when he heard the sound, and his brows furrowed instantly.

He was the person in charge of the Lu family of Fanyang in Chang'an. He usually valued demeanor and bearing the most. Seeing his nephew looking so lost and disoriented, he was immediately displeased.

He gently placed the book on the table and spoke in a reprimanding tone.

"Why are you in such a panic? I have said long ago that those who do great things should have the composure to remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses before them. How can you be worthy of being a member of the Lu family with such a flustered attitude?"

He picked up the teacup beside him, his fingertips tracing the warm, smooth porcelain surface, his expression remaining calm.

Although the clan has recently assigned Lu Gui to handle some "minor matters" in Zheng County, it is merely to deal with a few traveling scholars. Even if something goes wrong, the Lu family's connections can easily suppress it, so there is really no need to panic.

"Uncle, this is no small matter!"

The middle-aged man was so anxious that he kowtowed repeatedly, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

"His Majesty...His Majesty has gone to Zheng County!"

Lu Ziye paused for a moment while holding the teacup, then resumed his normal posture, took a small sip of tea, and said in a calm tone: "His Majesty has gone. Zheng County is located in the capital region, and it is common for His Majesty to make occasional inspections. Although Lu Gui is a bit stupid, he knows his limits and would not do anything reckless in front of His Majesty."

In his view, even if His Majesty went to Zheng County, it would only be to observe the people's conditions, so why would he pay attention to a mere county magistrate?

As long as Lu Gui keeps quiet, at most he will be punished for "poor governance," and it is impossible for his own family to be implicated.

"But...but His Majesty went incognito!"

The middle-aged man suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with despair.

"Moreover, this morning, Changsun Wuji escorted Lu Gui into Chang'an! I heard... I heard he was sent directly to the Dali Temple prison!"

"Snapped!"

The celadon teacup in Lu Ziye's hand instantly fell to the ground, shards flying everywhere. The scalding tea splashed onto the hem of his brocade robe, but he was completely unaware.

He abruptly stood up from behind the desk, his previously calm expression vanishing. His eyes widened, and he glared at the middle-aged man, his voice trembling with shock: "What did you say? Lu Gui has been taken to the Dali Temple? Changsun Wuji personally escorted him?"

The fact that Changsun Wuji personally escorted the shipment demonstrates the importance the emperor attached to this matter.

Seeing that his uncle was finally panicking, the middle-aged man nodded hurriedly, his voice trembling with tears: "Yes, it's all over Chang'an. Changsun Wuji personally led the Xuanjia Guards to escort the prison cart directly into the Dali Temple. Even the people from the Jingzhao Prefecture didn't dare to stop him. Uncle, if Lu Gui confesses, we're all doomed!"

Lu Ziye's face turned deathly pale instantly, and he staggered, barely managing to stand by holding onto the corner of the table.

His biggest worry was Lu Gui!
That person is impatient and has never seen anything like it. Once he is imprisoned in the Dali Temple, he will not be able to withstand the torture and will definitely confess everything that his clan told him!
At that time, not only will Lu Gui die, but the entire Lu clan of Fanyang may also be implicated!
Why did His Majesty suddenly go to Zheng County?

Lu Ziye suddenly looked at the middle-aged man, his tone filled with anger and confusion.

"Zheng County is just a remote little county, with neither disasters nor rebellions. Why would Your Majesty go there incognito? Did you miss some information?"

The middle-aged man shook his head with a bitter face, tears welling up in his eyes: "I don't know either! Everything was fine yesterday, but this morning news came that His Majesty had seen through Lu Gui's scheme in Zheng County and ordered Changsun Wuji to escort him back to Chang'an! The people we sent to Zheng County haven't sent back any news yet, and we don't even know when His Majesty went there!"

Lu Ziye felt a sudden dizziness and a tightness in his chest.

His Majesty's incognito journey, yet he chose Zheng County and happened to stumble upon Lu Gui's affair—this is far too coincidental!
Could it be that His Majesty has already discovered what's going on in the clan?

Just as he was in a state of great confusion, a soft footstep sound came from outside the study. A servant dressed in blue cloth respectfully entered, holding a gold-embossed invitation card in his hands, and bowed to report.

"Reporting to you, Master, the Cui family of Qinghe has sent an invitation, saying that the head of the Cui family would like to invite you to their residence tonight to discuss 'important matters'."

"It seems they've received the news too."

Upon hearing these four words, Lu Ziye trembled violently, as if all his strength had been drained away, and he slumped down onto the cushion in front of the desk with a thud.

The middle-aged man stood aside, not daring to speak.

After waiting for a while, Lu Ziye said, "Prepare the horses and go to the Cui family residence in Qinghe."

……

In less than half an hour, Lu Ziye and his nephew Lu Hong boarded the carriage of the Cui family of Qinghe.

Outside the car window, the street scenes of Chang'an flashed by, but Lu Ziye had no heart to appreciate them; his face was so gloomy it could drip water.

The Cui family of Qinghe invited him here at this moment not simply to "discuss important matters," but if he was not careful, the Lu family of Fanyang could become the target of public criticism.

Lu Hong sat to the side, his hands nervously gripping the hem of his clothes, barely daring to breathe.

He was well aware of the magnitude of the trouble he had caused.

The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Cui family mansion in Qinghe. The vermilion gate was wide open, and two servants dressed in blue robes had been waiting for a long time. When they saw them get out of the carriage, they quickly bowed and said, "Master Lu, Young Master Lu, my young master is waiting in the main hall. Please follow me."

Passing through the ornately decorated courtyard, the bluestone path underfoot was spotless, and the pine and cypress trees on both sides were neatly trimmed, exuding the orderliness and majesty of a noble family.

But this air of authority only made Lu Ziye more uneasy.

The more polite Cui Yushu is, the deeper his scheming is likely to be.

Upon reaching the entrance of the main hall, a servant lifted the curtain and bowed, saying, "Master Lu, Young Master Lu, please come in."

Lu Ziye took a deep breath and stepped into the main hall.

Inside the hall, expensive ambergris incense burned, its smoke curling upwards. In the center sat an elderly man in a dark blue brocade robe, his face thin and his eyes sharp. He was Cui Yushu, the person in charge of the Qinghe Cui clan in Chang'an.

What made Lu Ziye's heart sink was that when Cui Yushu saw him come in, he didn't even get up to greet him. He just slightly raised his eyelids and said in a flat tone, "Brother Ziye has arrived. Please sit down."

Upon seeing this, Lu Hong quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said respectfully, "Junior Lu Hong greets Lord Cui."

Lu Ziye suppressed his displeasure and sat down opposite Cui Yushu, his gaze sweeping across the hall.

Besides Cui Yushu, a young man dressed in a moon-white long robe was sitting on the left.

The young man was tall and straight, but he covered half of his face with a silver mask, revealing only a pair of deep eyes that exuded a coldness that made it impossible to discern his emotions.

"Brother Yushu, who is this?"

Lu Ziye pointed at the masked youth, his tone somewhat probing.

He had been mingling in the aristocratic circles of Chang'an for many years and had never seen this person before. Cui Yushu's invitation to this person was clearly for a special purpose.

Before Cui Yushu could speak, the masked youth stood up first, cupped his hands in a salute to Lu Ziye, and said in a clear, cold voice like the clash of jade: "Junior Xun Jue greets Lord Lu."

“Xun Jue?” Lu Ziye frowned, his gaze falling on the masked youth.

However, after only a month apart, Xun Jue, who was once a debonair man and called himself a "famous scholar of Yingchuan," has become so secretive and evasive.

The silver mask gleamed coldly, covering most of his face. Only his eyes, which were visible, had lost their former arrogance, leaving only a melancholy look.

Although he was full of doubts, he had no time to investigate further.
With Lu Gui imprisoned and His Majesty enraged, the Lu family of Fanyang is already in dire straits and has no energy left to care why Xun Jue is wearing a mask.

Moreover, even if Cui Yushu hadn't sent anyone to invite him today, he would have taken the initiative to visit. After all, the five clans and seven families have always been "of one blood and one branch," and the Qinghe Cui clan would not sit idly by and watch the Lu clan suffer a setback.

Before he could even ask for help, Cui Yushu suddenly slammed his hand on the table and shouted angrily, "Lu Ziye! Do you know what you've done wrong!"

The angry shout came suddenly, causing the incense smoke in the hall to sway. Lu Ziye was startled by the rebuke and subconsciously looked up: "Brother Yushu, what makes you say that?" "What makes you say that?"

Cui Yushu stood up, pointed at Lu Ziye's nose, and spoke with full of dissatisfaction.
“I told you before that we should deal with the traveling scholars slowly and wait until we figured out His Majesty’s attitude before taking action. But you all did it right, allowing Lu Gui to arrest people in Zheng County without authorization, which resulted in a death. Now look what’s happened, His Majesty went to Zheng County in person, Lu Gui has been imprisoned in Dali Temple, and even our Cui family has been implicated by you!”

He had already heard about what happened in Zheng County.
Lu Gui not only kidnapped scholars, but also dared to speak arrogantly to His Majesty, who was traveling incognito. He was simply courting death!

If this matter escalates, His Majesty will surely take his anger out on the entire aristocratic clan. At that time, not only the Lu clan of Fanyang, but also the Cui clan of Qinghe will not be able to escape the consequences.

A hint of guilt flashed across Lu Ziye's face, but he still sighed helplessly: "Brother Yushu, this matter is indeed my fault. Lu Hong was too eager for quick success, and Lu Gui was stupid and didn't control his temper, which caused such a big mess. But now it's no use saying these things. We should think about how to protect Lu Gui and prevent him from revealing everything about the clan!"

As he spoke, his voice unconsciously lowered, his eyes filled with apprehension.
That's Li Shimin sitting on the dragon throne!

Last year's Xuanwu Gate Incident involved the killing of his own brothers, imprisoning his father, and seizing power. How ruthless were his methods?

Now that Lu Gui has offended him and brought up the matter of the Tu tribe suppressing scholars, how can His Majesty let it go so easily?

"Save Lu Gui?"

Cui Yushu sneered, sat back in her chair, and tapped her fingers on the armrest.

"What do you think His Majesty sent Lu Gui to the Dali Temple for? It was to pry open his mouth and obtain evidence of our gentry's crimes!"

"His Majesty is most wary of the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families. When he was the King of Qin, he promoted the imperial examination system, wasn't that because he wanted to undermine the foundation of our aristocratic families? This matter involving Lu Gui has given him a perfect excuse to take action!"

Lu Ziye's heart sank to the bottom. He looked at Cui Yushu and pleaded, "Brother Yushu, don't forget that the five clans and seven noble families are of the same blood! If the Lu family of Fanyang falls, the next ones will be the Cui family of Qinghe and the Zheng family of Xingyang... His Majesty will not only deal with my Lu family. If you don't help me, we will all be dealt with by His Majesty one by one in the future!"

He knew that Cui Yushu's apparent anger was actually a result of weighing the pros and cons.

Although the Cui family of Qinghe did not directly participate in the affairs of Zheng County, they had secretly suppressed scholars who were traveling for study. If His Majesty were to conduct a thorough investigation, the Cui family would not be able to escape responsibility.

And most importantly, this whole affair was actually planned by the Cui family from beginning to end.

Xun Jue remained silent, his eyes behind the mask quietly observing the argument between the two, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his cuffs, seemingly plotting something.

Lu Hong stood behind Lu Ziye, barely daring to breathe, feeling the oppressive atmosphere in the hall was suffocating.

He never imagined that his momentary greed and recklessness would drag the entire Lu family of Fanyang, and even the entire Five Clans and Seven Families, into danger.

Cui Yushu remained silent for a moment, tapping her fingertips lightly on the armrest. Her gaze swept across the hall with a heavy expression before she finally spoke slowly, her tone softening slightly.

"Of course I know the principle of 'being of the same breath and branch'. I invited you here today so that you would not panic. Things have not yet reached the point of no return."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, suppressed his anger, and continued, "According to the news from Zheng County, His Majesty is still there and has not returned to Chang'an immediately. If I am not mistaken, he must want to stay there and thoroughly investigate the case of the missing scholars with Wen He before returning."

"This gives us a chance to catch our breath and make our plans."

His tone shifted abruptly, turning somber, his eyes filled with regret and anger: "It's just a pity that because of your Lu family's eagerness for quick success, I have lost a pawn I planted next to Xiao Yu!"

The thought of Cui Bing's secret weapon being ruined made Cui Yushu furious. If it weren't for the bond between the five clans and seven noble families, he would have wanted to kick Lu Ziye out on the spot.

Lu Ziye's face was full of guilt as he bowed and said, "Brother Yushu, it is my Lu family that has wronged you. At this point, no amount of apology will help. Please advise us on what we should do to salvage the situation."

Cui Yushu did not answer immediately, but turned his gaze to Xun Jue, who had been silent, with a hint in his eyes.

Clearly, he had already discussed this "countermeasure" with Xun Jue.

Seeing this, Lu Ziye and Lu Hong also looked towards Xun Jue. Since entering the hall, the masked youth had been sitting silently in the corner, like an insignificant bystander. Now, under everyone's gaze, he slowly straightened up, his voice as cold as ice: "Shift the blame."

Those four simple words, spoken with such force, instantly silenced the room.

"What do you mean?" Lu Hong couldn't help but ask first.

He was young, impatient, and eager to know a solution, completely forgetting his status as a junior.

Lu Ziye frowned slightly, but did not reprimand him.

He was also full of doubts, but due to his status, he couldn't press a junior for answers.

Xun Jue slowly raised his eyes, a cold glint flashing in his eyes behind the mask. His tone was calm but carried an undeniable ruthlessness: "The Tang Dynasty has only been established for ten years. The remnants of the former Sui Dynasty have not been completely eliminated. These people have been lurking in the shadows, hoping to restore the country and turn the tide. In order to achieve their goals, it is common for them to do things like kidnapping scholars and framing court officials."

He paused, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the corner of his sleeve, but the image of Wen He flashed through his mind.

'Wen He, the shame you've brought me, I will one day repay you a thousandfold!'

Lu Ziye instantly understood Xun Jue's meaning, but became even more uneasy. He glanced at Lu Hong beside him and lowered his voice to a whisper: "You mean, to pin the blame for the disappearance of the Zheng County scholars on the remnants of the former Sui Dynasty? But Lu Gui has already been arrested and imprisoned in the Dali Temple. He knows too much. What if he can't withstand the torture and implicates our Lu family..."

After all, Lu Hong and Lu Gui were the ones who directly communicated throughout this whole affair.

With His Majesty's keen intellect, a little interrogation would surely reveal that the Lu family of Fanyang is behind this.

It would be difficult to fool them with just the phrase "remnants of the former Sui Dynasty".

Upon hearing this, Xun Jue's lips curled into a barely perceptible sneer, his tone remaining calm: "The Lu family is large and powerful, with a large number of members. Although they have been a family of scholars and farmers for generations, it is inevitable that there will be a few scoundrels who are blinded by greed and misled by the remnants of the former Sui Dynasty."

“If Lu Gui suddenly realizes the truth and admits that he was coerced by the remnants of the former Sui Dynasty to kidnap the scholars, and that it has nothing to do with the Lu family, even if His Majesty is suspicious, he will not be able to produce conclusive evidence to convict the Lu family. After all, no aristocratic family would be foolish enough to openly do such a self-destructive thing in the capital region.”

These words, seemingly meant to help the Lu family, sent a chill down the spines of both Lu Ziye and Lu Hong.

The so-called "sudden realization" was nothing more than leaving Lu Gui with "no way to testify against him"!
As long as Lu Gui dies at Dali Temple, a "confession" can be forged.

By shifting all blame to the remnants of the former Sui dynasty, the Lu family of Fanyang can absolve themselves of all responsibility!

What a cruel method!

"You want us to kill them to silence them!"

Lu Hong turned pale and cried out in shock.

Although he participated in the plot, he never intended to kill Lu Gui, after all, they were both members of the Lu family!

Xun Jue didn't speak, but just gave Lu Hong a cold look, his eyes full of contempt and disdain.

'Such an indecisive fool, does he even deserve to be a member of a prestigious family? No wonder he's made such a mess of things!'

"shut up!"

Lu Ziye suddenly shouted, interrupting Lu Hong, his eyes filled with fierceness.

"Stop talking nonsense! Lord Xun was merely proposing a solution; how can you interpret it so distortedly?"

Lu Hong was intimidated by his uncle's imposing presence and quickly lowered his head, not daring to speak again, but his heart was filled with panic.

He knew that his uncle had tacitly approved Xun Jue's suggestion.

In order to protect the main branch of the Lu family, sacrificing a collateral descendant, Lu Gui, might have been a matter of course in the uncle's eyes.

But he was the mastermind behind this whole thing.

if……

Lu Hong subconsciously swallowed, suddenly feeling a chill run down his spine.

Just then, Cui Yushu spoke up.

"His Majesty is still in Zheng County. We should act sooner rather than later. We must not wait until His Majesty returns to Chang'an, otherwise Wen He and his hundred cavalrymen may break down the gates of the Lu family. The matter of Zheng Yuanzhu is still fresh in our minds."

He gazed at Lu Ziye and said earnestly, "For the sake of the family, there is nothing that cannot be sacrificed."

Lu Ziye suddenly raised his eyes, as if he had made up his mind.

(End of this chapter)