Volume 3: Dragon and Snake Movement Chapter 283: Threatening or fooling?
It is not shameful to fail, but it is shameful for those who do not know how to correct themselves after failure and who keep insisting on not compromising.
The goal may justify any means, but once the goal is not achieved, any means may be justified in order to make up for it.
This was the creed that Lu Wan, the Minister of War, had always held during his decades of official career. Therefore, he immediately visited Zhu Jing, the Duke of Zhao, on the same night he returned to Beijing, hoping to make up for his previous actions with full sincerity. To this end, he not only betrayed the Prime Minister Jiang Ge Lao behind him, but also promised to help Zhu Jing's generals, including Zhu Tingfang, to win military merits.
In addition, he even promised to use his own methods to cooperate with the Zhu family to drive out certain censors who were constantly talking nonsense from the court - of course, he did not notice that the four words "constantly talking nonsense" were new terms he learned from Lu Sanlang.
However, Lu Wan was somewhat unprepared. Although he was the first to visit, Zhu Jing's attitude towards him was quite cold. He just didn't comment on his sincerity, as if he didn't realize how much benefit he could get from having him, the Minister of War, as an ally. What caught him even more unprepared was that Zhang Shou actually made his visit to the Duke of Zhao's mansion known to everyone the next day!
Of course, Minister Lu didn't know that it was his youngest son who tipped off Zhang Shou and became a spy. He thought that Zhu Jing didn't consider his future son-in-law Zhang Shou as an outsider after signing the marriage certificate, and Zhang Shou, who had a delicate relationship with him, deliberately told others after learning about it. Therefore, after enduring all kinds of strange looks from his subordinates in the military office that afternoon, he went home early before dusk.
As soon as he returned home, his eldest and second sons followed him back. The second son was furious and wanted him to investigate the leak of the news. The eldest son cautiously suggested that he go to the Prime Minister Jiang Ge Lao to discuss it. When he asked the two brothers with a long face, the two brothers said in unison that the Zhu family spread the news with ulterior motives, so he should just contact his colleagues and followers and fight to the end.
Although Lu Wan had always been optimistic about his two sons who were good at studying, he was furious when he heard their suggestion and quickly kicked them out. But when Zhu Ying whipped Yang Yiming, the doctor in charge of the Ruxing Hall, at the gate of the Imperial College because of his slander of Zhang Shou, he hesitated.
Zhu Jing was a relative of the emperor, and he had many enemies who were dissatisfied with him after his victory. Even though he showed weakness, they still refused to give in. It was said that other people who visited him in the afternoon did not get any accurate information. Zhang Shou was young and hot-tempered, and he made enemies everywhere. This time, he was overestimating his own ability and wanted to change the old system of the Imperial College.
The father-in-law and son-in-law are both so unruly, and with Zhu Ying being such a fool, if they provoke everyone to attack them, will they really be able to stand firm? You must know that Zhu Tingfang's previous experience in the army is not clear to others, but he, the Minister of War, knows it very well!
However, just when Lu Wan sent someone to get the news, Lu Sanlang came back in a swagger and went straight to his father's study. The heavy-duty little fat boy ignored the two book boys' obstruction and rushed directly to the door.
"Dad, there was a strange story in the Imperial College today. Yang Yiming, a doctor of the Imperial College, failed to frame Zhu Ying, and staged a teacher-student split with his former favorite student Xie Wanquan. Do you want to know more about it?"
Lu Wan was annoyed by the sound of voices, and even more annoyed by the voice of his youngest son. But when he heard what Lu Sanlang said, he was shocked. After a moment's hesitation, he said sternly, "Come in and talk!"
"Sorry, I'm too fat to come here!" Lu Sanlang looked very unruly. He was not like his two brothers, who were very cautious when facing Lu Wan, as if they were treating a distinguished guest. He laughed and turned around and walked out. "Anyway, I just came to talk to you, Dad. There's nothing else to say. I'm going back to my room to do my homework!"
Lu Wan's face froze in the study. If Lu Sanlang was just making up an excuse, he could have scolded him and taken him back. However, his fat son had really changed his ways. He had gone to check on him several times without saying a word, but he found that his desk was full of math books. The complicated symbols and figures in each question made him dizzy.
Therefore, he had no choice but to walk quickly to the door, open it and shout angrily: "Stop! Come in, I have something to ask you!"
Although Lu Wan was still not so polite this time, at least he didn't say anything like "get out of here", so Lu Sanlang turned around slowly and followed him into the study. The two servants who had just stopped him looked at each other, couldn't help but smack their lips, and then heard the master's instructions.
"Stand guard outside the gate and keep an eye on the outside. No one is allowed to come in, no matter who it is!"
Seeing the two servants hurriedly leaving the courtyard, and seeing Lu Sanlang not even closing the door after entering, Lu Wan was immediately furious. Suppressing his anger, he ordered, "What exactly is going on at the Imperial College? Explain it to me clearly."
Lu Sanlang was an excellent speaker. He described the incident in the morning when Zhang Shou was going to divide the classes in Banshan Hall as the cause, the dispute in the Doctoral Hall as the process, and the chaos at the gate of the Imperial College as the result. As he gradually unfolded the story, Lu Wan, although she had never been there in person, was able to understand the whole thing clearly.
Because of this, after listening to it, Lu Wan couldn't help but curse: "What a bunch of good-for-nothings!"
The bunch of losers at home, who only know scattered information, are not as good as this fat son whom he used to regard as loser!
Lu Sanlang was suddenly unhappy: "Dad, why are you scolding people? Although Yang Yiming is not a good person, and not all people in Ruxingtang are good people, but scolding a group of people because of a crooked melon and a jujube, this is unfair! Look at how magnanimous my teacher is. Xie Wanquan had offended him severely in the past, but he easily let it go!"
"Don't mention your teacher!" Lu Wan's face turned black. Seeing that Lu Sanlang was unhappy, his expression seemed to say that if you criticize my teacher again, I will leave immediately. He became even more angry.
I didn't scold the people in the Imperial College... I scolded those people who went to get information at home as good-for-nothings, and I scolded your two brothers for being impatient! The two brothers just came to him happily after hearing about the incident in the Imperial College, and advised him not to regard Zhang Shou as an ally just because of Lu Sanlang, and to take action when necessary, otherwise he would definitely be looked down upon by Zhu Jing.
But thinking that if things were as Lu Sanlang said, he would have to start over with his original plan - and this also meant that Zhang Shou was fearless and Zhu Jing was as stable as a rock, so if he wanted to protect himself, he had to continue to be humble - he steeled himself and stood up. After striding out of the door, he told the servant to pass on the message to a few confidants, asking them to look into the matter of the Imperial College in detail.
When he turned around and went back into the room, he saw Lu Sanlang with his back to him, looking around in the study. He seemed to have no interest in the things on the desk, and his eyes only kept scanning the calligraphy and paintings on the east and west walls.
"Zhan Ziqian's painting... although it is a copy, I heard that my father has the original hidden somewhere. What a pity! It may become someone else's property in the future."
"Should I persuade my father to sell this Mi Fu calligraphy? Nowadays, everyone pushes down on others. Even if I am here, it will be useless. Should I just hide away? Anyway, everyone knows that I am not favored by my father."
Although it was just a few words, the more Lu Wan listened, the more depressed he felt. He felt that there was something extremely terrifying behind Lu Sanlang's words. He couldn't help but yelled, "What are you mumbling about?"
Lu Sanlang seemed startled. He turned around and saw that it was Lu Wan who came back. He immediately said, "Dad, have you asked all the questions you should ask? I still have several questions to answer. Besides, Master Ge also said that he could recommend me to take the Four Seas Test. I was thinking about whether to agree to Master Ge's request... Anyway, Dad, I have a lot of things to do. I can't waste a moment!"
Lu Wan was almost choked by this righteous tone and was almost angry to death: "You know now that time cannot be wasted? Then what did you do before?"
"The past is the past, and the present is the present. A prodigal son who returns to his father's ...
As expected, Lu Wan came to sit behind the desk with a stern face, and then slammed the table and said angrily: "Do you want to run away just because you see that I, your father, am struggling ?"
"Yes." Lu Sanlang looked at his father innocently, as if it was a matter of course. "Seeing that the building is about to collapse, of course we have to save as many as possible. When I participate in the four-sea test to redefine the calendar and make contributions, I will come back and marry the girl from the Liu family, and then I will ask for mercy for you, and you will be lenient then... Ouch!"
He hid his head exaggeratedly, and nimbly dodged the wolf hair thrown by Lu Wan, still shouting "ouch". Seeing that his father seemed to be about to explode, he quickly put down his hand and said, "Dad, don't think I'm exaggerating. Don't forget that you fined my salary in the incident of Linhai Camp, but you didn't find the mastermind in the end!"
Lu Wan took a deep breath and suddenly realized that she still had another problem that had not been solved.
He glared at his son with a gloomy face. Seeing that Lu Sanlang was not afraid at all, he could only take a deep breath, sit down again, and say word by word: "What rumors have you heard?"
"Duke Zhao almost lost his eldest son in this battle, and was almost dragged down by those arrogant soldiers and generals from Datong. As a result, there are still a lot of messes in the court, and they always have to find a scapegoat. Those censors are not high-ranking officials, and they can't kill the chicken to scare the monkeys. Looking around, it's you, the Minister of War who was fined before, who is the most suitable person to take the blame."
Lu Sanlang spoke seriously and sincerely, and he was not afraid at all even when facing his father's scrutinizing gaze.
Facing such an unpredictable son, Lu Wan could only sneer and say, "Do you think I was scared when I was your father?"
"Father, you are naturally well-informed and have walked more bridges than I have walked roads. But there are some things that you are confused about as a person involved, while I am a bystander." Lu Sanlang laughed, with a look of disapproval on his face, "Think about it, you went to see Duke Zhao first last night, and this matter was spread in an instant, which shows that Duke Zhao does not understand you very much."
"That's normal. What any commander hates most is someone who stabs you in the back, not to mention that you're targeting someone's daughter!"
Lu Wan was almost pissed off by Lu Sanlang's tone: "Aren't you the only one who wants to take advantage of Zhu Ying?"
"Dad, don't talk nonsense. I already have a fiancée!" Fatty Lu's face was full of righteousness, and then he said seriously, "Duke Zhao wants an explanation. How can a small person like me give him an explanation? Besides, I have a teacher now, the emperor has praised me, and I have made contributions!" The emperor can't slap himself in the face, right?
As he spoke, he emphasized his tone and said, "Besides, what you said to Duke Zhao last night may not be spread, but some people will have wild thoughts. Elder Jiang must hate you to the core, and he might be doing something behind your back. So, you should make plans and prepare well, and sell what needs to be sold at home..."
Before Lu Sanlang could finish his words, Lu Wan, in a rage, picked up the copper paperweight and tried to hit him. Fortunately, he restrained his anger a little before he attacked, and stopped the action, and Lu Sanlang took the opportunity to flee to the door.
"Dad, let alone those small figures like the Imperial Censor, even big figures are the same. There are many who take advantage of others' misfortunes, many who add icing on the cake, and few who help others in times of need. I think that instead of waiting for others to attack you, it is better to take a step back and have a broader horizon."
After threatening and suggesting something, Lu Sanlang opened the door and tried to run away. But before he could even take a step out, a cold voice came from behind him: "Are you asking me to resign?"
Realizing that his father behind him said this calmly, but as if there was deep anger pent up, Lu Sanlang turned around calmly and said with a smile: "I believe that Dad should be better than me at this trick of retreating to advance. Isn't it obvious that the emperor supports Lu Daxueshi? Or do you think that by helping Jiang Gelao, you can continue to hold the emperor hostage?"
"You lawless boy, shut up!" Lu Wan was shocked and angry, and shouted at him, but found that Lu Sanlang was not afraid at all, and even laughed and shrugged.
"Duke Zhao won the battle this time. It was the greatest victory for His Majesty, but it was the greatest defeat for Lord Jiang. Who told you to help Lord Jiang charge into battle? You did such a great job. Can this be solved by going to the Zhu family and being submissive? You know that our Lu family is famous in the capital for being rich. I wonder how many people are eyeing your collection!"
"Who told you to show off these things to others?"
Although he wanted to beat this damned boy to death, Lu Wan knew that he had offended countless people because of his strong behavior in the past. In addition, his wealthy family background made many people jealous and even coveted him. He took a deep breath and finally said in a deep voice: "Then tell me, where can your father retreat?"
