Spiritual energy resurgence? My former empress wife has also revived!

In Tongzhou Prefecture, Prefect Lu Xingchang, as usual, was sitting in his study drinking tea during his afternoon rest time.

Last year, Jiangbei Province suffered a major disaster, and Tongzhou also perished.

Fortunately, the troubles in Tongzhou were not as severe as those in Jiangbei Circuit.

The prefect was flustered and managed to get by with a half-hearted effort. Although he didn't give a satisfactory answer, he managed to get through the crisis and wasn't dismissed.

"I am not young now, and there is no hope for further promotion. I will serve as prefect for a few more years and then resign."

His job as prefect has been quite demanding these past few years.

For the sake of his family and his son, he has been trying every possible way to pull strings and get ahead of them over the years.

But the family was disappointing, and neither was the son.

None of the descendants of the Lu family were worthy of respect.

Since his son couldn't even pass the county-level imperial examination, his path to officialdom was blocked. Lu Xingchang had no choice but to settle for second best and stop letting the Lu family pursue power.

In this world, what people seek is nothing more than power and money.

In this regard, power is more important than money.

Those with power are bound to be rich, but those with money are not necessarily powerful.

Lu Xingchang understood this principle well: controlling power was the key.

In the Chu state of the Yun Dynasty, one had to become an official in the court to gain power.

This, in turn, requires basic reading skills.

Obviously,

The descendants of the Lu family do not have this ability.

Thus, Lu Xingchang chose the second option: to ask for money.

Ten years ago, despite his youngest daughter's objections, he married her off to a wealthy family. The family was a grain merchant with various businesses and immense wealth.

With the political resources accumulated over so many years, the marriage between the two families can be described as a powerful alliance between politics and business.

In this way, even if Lu Xingchang retires one day, the Lu family will still be able to live a life of unimaginable wealth.

Moreover, over the years, he has had many students with whom he has a teacher-student relationship.

If any of the next generation of the Lu family are promising scholars, these students will also be a political resource in the future.

Lu Xingchang had planned everything very well.

When he thought of his students, he thought of Qin Zijun.

That was the current head of the Dao Mansion, with whom he also had a "master-disciple relationship".

Lu Xingchang had imagined that the other party would rise to prominence and achieve great success, but he never expected it to happen so quickly.

Five years ago, the other party became my superior, the Lord of a Daoist Temple, and I had to address him as "Master".

To some extent, his youngest daughter did have a unique eye; she took a liking to Qin Zijun at first sight and wanted to marry him.

Unfortunately, Qin Zijun didn't think much of her daughter.

Given Lu Xingchang's personality, he should have already shamelessly approached this "disciple" and used the "master-disciple relationship" to get the other party to take better care of the Lu family.

But Lu Xingchang dared not; only he himself knew what he had done back then.

There was no "master-disciple relationship" between him and Qin Zijun; it was nothing but deep-seated hatred!

Feeling guilty, he didn't even dare to see Qin Zijun, hoping that she would never know what he had done back then.

However, considering that the other party has been the head of the Dao Mansion for so many years without causing him any trouble, Qin Zijun should know nothing about it.

"That's for the best. I'll keep this secret until the day I take it to my grave."

Lu Xingchang now feels that being safe and sound is better than anything else.

At this time,

The old steward rushed into the study in a panic, stammering, "Master! People from the palace have arrived, saying they have an imperial edict, and they've brought a troop of soldiers with them!"

Lu Xingchang was startled and abruptly stood up.

Has someone from the palace arrived?

What's going on here? Could it be that His Majesty is going to dismiss him because he wasn't prepared for the disaster last year?

But even if someone is to be dismissed, there's no need for someone from the palace to personally deliver the imperial edict.

Or perhaps the palace is going to bestow some reward upon me.

But I haven't done anything myself.

Lu Xingchang suddenly felt a great fear and walked anxiously towards the front yard.

All the servants in the mansion knelt on the ground, and Lu Xingchang also knelt down when he saw the waiting eunuch.

"Lu Xingchang, the prefect of Tongzhou, did not think of helping the people during the year of famine. Instead, he colluded with unscrupulous merchants to hoard grain, drive up prices, and seek personal gain, causing widespread famine. His crimes are unforgivable."

"He is hereby dismissed from his official post, his family property confiscated, and he is imprisoned to await further judgment. This is the imperial decree!"

Lu Xingchang's hands and feet were ice-cold, and he hurriedly said, "Father-in-law, wait a minute, is something wrong?"

"I was just following the instructions of the Dao Mansion Master! I'm innocent! I'm innocent!"

The palace eunuchs ignored him and sneered, "Whether it's a miscarriage of justice or not, His Majesty will decide once Lord Lu arrives in the capital."

With a wave of his hand, the soldiers behind him stepped forward and dragged Lu Xingchang, who had collapsed to the ground, away.

All the important people in the mansion were arrested, while the rest of the servants were left to their fate. The entire Lu mansion was completely sealed off.

If Lu Xingchang is later convicted, this place can be raided.

Lu Xingchang was escorted back to the capital and imprisoned. During this time, he tried to get help from his past connections to escape.

After being imprisoned, he suddenly heard a familiar scream nearby; it was his youngest daughter.

"Father, Father! Please save me! This has nothing to do with me, it was Yuanju's family who did it, it really has nothing to do with me!"

Lin Yuanju was Lu Qing's husband, the wealthy businessman whom Lu Xingchang had found for her years ago.

Lu Xingchang looked at his daughter, dressed in prison clothes, disheveled and crying pitifully. He opened his mouth, but didn't know how to comfort her.

He can barely take care of himself now, how can he possibly save his daughter?

A few days later, Lu Xingchang, who was eating thin porridge, heard a jailer say, "Lu Xingchang, Lord Qin is here to see you. Come out with me."

Lord Qin? Which Lord Qin?

Lu Xingchang, who had been imprisoned for many days, was in a daze.

But he quickly realized that Lord Qin must be Qin Zijun!

In an attempt to save himself, he also sent someone to plead with Qin Zijun.

Shouldn't Qin Zijun be in Jiangbei Province right now? Why has she suddenly come to the capital?

Could it really be someone who came to save me?

Lu Xingchang was deeply moved.

As Lu Xingchang was led out of his cell, Lu Qing, who was in the next cell, gripped the iron bars and asked excitedly, "Father, is the Lord Qin the jailer mentioned Qin Zijun?"

"Father, you must make him save me, you absolutely must save me!"

A short while later, Lu Xingchang was led to a room where he met Qin Zijun.

Besides Qin Zijun, he was followed by the maidservant familiar to Lu Xingchang, as well as two young children who should not have been there.

He thought to himself, "Qin Zijun really takes this maid with her wherever she goes."

However, she always wore a veil, so no one knew what she looked like.

"Lord Lu, how have you been? But judging from your appearance, the food in prison must not be very good."

Qin Zijun cupped his hands in greeting and said.

Lu Xingchang's heart sank, and he felt increasingly uneasy.

Lu Xingchang quickly smiled ingratiatingly: "Lord Qin is even more spirited than before."

"Lord Qin, please, for the sake of our past teacher-student relationship, I beg you to have His Majesty reinvestigate this case. This matter truly has nothing to do with me!"

Qin Zijun said calmly, "This is not a good matter, Lord Lu."

"To hoard grain during a year of famine and drive up prices is a grave crime, as you yourself are a prefect. This is likely to incite public anger."

Lu Xingchang hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Wasn't this your order?"

It was indeed Qin Zijun who gave the order to inflate grain prices at that time.

Qin Zijun said coldly, "I did sign an agreement with the Lin family, requiring them to raise grain prices, but that agreement included a time limit."

"When the deadline comes, they will have to bring the grain price back down."

"But when the agreement expired, the Lin family not only failed to lower the grain price, but also used my name to continue raising the price. With me in charge of the prefecture, it was fine, but the disaster victims in the surrounding prefectures and counties suffered."

"The Lin family has damaged my reputation, and I've even been criticized by His Majesty because of this. What do you suggest I do?"

Lu Xingchang carefully recalled Qin Zijun's words from earlier: that saving him was not impossible, but difficult.

This shows that Qin Zijun only needs to pay the price herself.

Having served as an official for so long, Lu Xingchang naturally understood the hidden meaning in those words.

He immediately said, "Please, Lord Qin, save me! From now on, if you ever need anything, Lord Qin, my entire Lu family will do everything in our power!"

Qin Zijun smiled and said, "Of course, of course. I do have a favor to ask of you, Lord Lu."

Lu Xingchang was overjoyed; the matter was settled!

Ha, you should have just said you wanted me to do something, why be so hypocritical?

Lu Xingchang, moved to tears, said, "Please, sir, explain!"

Qin Zijun said calmly, "I only need to borrow Lord Lu's head and the entire Lu family for my own use. Do you think Lord Lu would hand him over to me?"

"you……"

Lu Xingchang cried out in disbelief. He knew perfectly well that Qin Zijun was deliberately teasing him!

Why did you do this? What did I do to offend you?!

As he said this, he suddenly realized something, and his expression turned terrified.

Qin Zijun smiled and said, "It seems that Lord Lu still remembers what he did back then."

Lu Xingchang's face turned ashen, and he said with a bitter laugh, "I really underestimated you. You were so young back then, yet you were able to see the reason."

"What's most terrifying is that you've been so patient, taking more than a decade to finally seek revenge on me."

Qin Zijun said seriously, "Yes, it's precisely when you've forgotten about this matter, when you're most relaxed and most complacent, that I'm going to deliver this blow."

Lu Xingchang suddenly stood up, but the jailer behind him immediately pressed him down.

Lu Xingchang struggled and roared, "You're abusing your power for personal gain! This is deliberate revenge!"

Qin Zijun sneered: "So what if I abused my power for personal gain, or deliberately sought revenge?"

Lu Xingchang, unwilling to give up, roared hoarsely, "I want to see His Majesty! I want to see His Majesty!"

"This has nothing to do with me. It was the Lin family who did it. The Lin family is just my subordinate; what does it have to do with me!"

He just wants to distance himself from the situation now.

Qin Zijun smiled and said, "You know perfectly well what your relationship with the Lin family is; you've just been discreet about it."

"But unfortunately, your daughter Lu Qing betrayed you; she personally testified that you were behind it."

"Oh, by the way, your daughter has decided to sever ties with you in order to distance herself from you. She said that even though you gave birth to her, it doesn't mean you're her father, as long as I save her life."

Lu Xingchang coughed up a mouthful of blood.

This is something his daughter would actually do.

As a father, he knew all too well what kind of person his daughter was.

Knowing he was doomed, Lu Xingchang pleaded, "This is all my fault; please don't blame my family!"

His biggest worry right now is his son's life or death.

Qin Zijun said calmly, "As for other wealthy but unscrupulous merchants, we will not punish their families, but only the ringleaders."

"But Lord Lu, you are different. We have a teacher-student relationship. In order to demonstrate my selflessness, there must be an end that serves as a warning to future generations."

"I don't even let my own 'teacher's' family go unpunished when they make mistakes; people will only praise my integrity and uprightness."

"And you know what kind of person your son is. You know perfectly well how many things he has done and how much you have protected him."

Qin Zijun waved her hand: "That's fine. Take him away. Don't worry, Lord Lu, this isn't some serious crime like treason. It won't warrant the extermination of your entire family."

"At most, the women in the family would be sent to the brothels, and the men would be exiled to the frontier."

After all,

He ignored Lu Xingchang's angry curses and pleas, and turned to leave.

Upon leaving the prison, Qin Zijun noticed the hesitation on the faces of his two disciples, Ziming and Zimo, and asked, "Is there something you two want to say?"

Ziming and Zimo exchanged a glance, then boldly said, "Teacher, you teach us to abide by the law and to win people over with virtue, but your behavior just now... wasn't it driven by too much personal motive?"

After they finished speaking, they all lowered their heads, afraid of being criticized by the teacher.

Qin Zijun laughed instead, "It's good that you dare to ask your questions. Now, let me ask you, how will you avenge the murder of your father?"

Zimin and Zimo exclaimed in unison, "We are mortal enemies!"

Qin Zijun nodded: "Then you must remember that the law is not absolute; it is merely a tool for governance and can be manipulated by people."

"I teach you virtue, but not to make you a pedantic person."

"If an emperor is cruel, he can be overthrown; how much more so can the laws that have been established?"

"If the law cannot give you fairness, you must find fairness yourself."

As soon as Qin Zijun finished speaking, Wang Shu raised her eyebrows and began to tell Ziming and Zimo about what Lu Xingchang had done back then.

For his own selfish reasons, he harmed his colleagues. Qin Zijun's father died because of him, his health deteriorated.

He also manipulated and coerced the Qin family, preventing Qin Zijun from receiving the inheritance and forcing her to leave the house, all in order to force her to get married.

Wang Shu hated Lu Xingchang, who wanted Qin Zijun to marry his daughter.

Seeing him fall from grace now brings me great satisfaction.

When Ziming and Zimo learned of this grudge, they both lowered their heads in shame.

Qin Zijun said gently, "The enemy of one's father is an irreconcilable enemy; the enemy of one's brothers is a cause for no return; the enemy of one's friends is a cause for no return."

"If the father is not executed, the son may avenge him; but if the father is executed, the son's revenge is merely a means of retaliating, and revenge does not eliminate the harm."

"Remember this: even a feud spanning a hundred generations can be avenged!"