You Xian’s concern for the people was genuine, but even if Prince Su did rebel, what could Lu Qing do? He was no longer a government official and had no power to intervene.
It wasn’t that he didn’t care about the people, but now, his only option was self-preservation.
You Xian’s gaze fell on Lu Qing’s cane. Seeing how far he had fallen, Lu Qing was now even more wretched than You Xian had once been.
“Lu Qing, I’m not asking you to do anything. But with your family supposedly under the protection of a divine being, and with signs of divine intervention, Prince Su is playing the angle that the emperor is corrupt. He’s using the rumors of a divine descent to gain support. Right now, only your family has the power to change the narrative.”
Prince Su’s rebellion relied on winning the hearts of the people, and the rumors of divine favor gave him the perfect excuse. Without that, the rebellion might be delayed, buying more time for everyone to prepare.
Lu Qing’s expression darkened. He had already guessed Prince Su’s plan when he encountered Yu Heng in Laiyuan Town. But as for this so-called divine intervention? That was something the Lu family absolutely could not admit to.
“Divine descent? That’s complete nonsense!”
“What, have you started believing in these superstitions?”
Seeing Lu Qing’s genuine reaction, You Xian sighed. “Of course I don’t believe it!”
He knew well enough that Lu Qing, once a revered minister, was being used by Prince Su. The prince was leveraging the Lu family’s reputation to convince the people that the emperor was incompetent and cruel, aiming to rally the common folk behind his cause.
Lu Qing responded, “I understand that you want the Lu family to step forward and quell these rumors, but we’re barely able to protect ourselves. We can’t handle anything else. I hope you can understand.”
The reality was that, even without these rumors, Prince Su would still rebel. The emperor in the capital was merely waiting for an excuse. Chaos in the realm was inevitable.
You Xian remained silent. He knew this trip had been in vain, but he also understood Lu Qing’s difficult position.
From a servant’s hand, You Xian took a basket covered with cloth and handed it to Lu Qing. “The journey to the Northern Lands is long. Take this food for the road.”
Lu Qing accepted it without hesitation. “Thank you. As a condemned man, I won’t trouble you by seeing you off.”
You Xian stood speechless for a moment. He had prepared arguments to convince Lu Qing to accept his gift, worried that Lu’s pride might make him refuse. But to his surprise, Lu Qing accepted without even a hint of modesty. It seemed that his time in exile had humbled him.
Lu Qing, now holding the basket, hobbled back with his cane. As he walked away, something came to mind. He stopped, turned, and called back to You Xian, “I know you’ve always valued your reputation above all else, but if the day comes, bending your pride a little isn’t such a bad thing. Staying alive is what matters most.”
He suspected that if Prince Su truly did rebel, You Xian would refuse to submit, just as he had refused to submit back when he was forced out of the capital. But pretending to go along with things, at least in the short term, could buy time to survive and perhaps even find a way to fight back.
You Xian scoffed, “Just because you’ve bent your back, you think I’ll follow suit?”
Lu Qing wasn’t trying to get You Xian to submit to Prince Su, but rather to suggest that playing along temporarily could be a means of survival. His advice was shot down, and Lu Qing figured there was no point in continuing. After all, he had accepted You Xian’s help, even if the old man’s words were biting.
Shaking his head, Lu Qing walked back to his family, where his sons and grandson were waiting, clearly concerned.
“Don’t worry,” he reassured them. “I just spoke to an old colleague from my days in court.”
As he handed the basket to his grandson, Lu Xingyao, he suddenly remembered his injured arm and instead passed it to his eldest daughter-in-law.
Lu Zhou was the first to ask, “Father, what did he want with you?”
Ever since Laiyuan Town, where Lu Qing had been taken away once, they had been wary of any interaction with outsiders. Stopping in Liaoxian seemed to invite trouble, and Lu Zhou was beginning to think that keeping on the move might be safer.
Lu Qing thought for a moment but chose not to mention Prince Su’s rebellion. He didn’t want to alarm them.
“It was just a chat, and he gave me some things,” he said.
His daughter-in-law, Song, uncovered the basket and gasped, “Oh my—”
Everyone turned to look.
Mrs Song hurriedly handed the basket back to Lu Qing, saying, “Look, it’s filled with rare goods.”
The others peered into the basket and saw not only two bags of food but also silver ingots, gold leaves, and a banknote worth a hundred taels of silver.
Now, seeing all the wealth in the basket, they were more inclined to believe that You Xian had truly come just to catch up with an old friend.
But Lu Qing felt uneasy. That old miser You Xian, giving him this much money? He had always been frugal—had he given away everything of value?
Still, judging by You Xian’s fine clothes, it seemed like he wasn’t doing too badly. Lu Qing could only hope they would meet again one day so he could repay the favor.
What Lu Qing didn’t know was that, upon returning home, You Xian had taken off his luxurious robes and sent them back to the lender. He then changed into simple, coarse clothes and retreated to his study to write.
“Why does the master go through all this trouble?” One of You Xian’s servants sighed, holding the borrowed robes. “He’s never gotten along with Master Lu, and back when we left the capital, Master Lu said some pretty harsh things.”
The servant grumbled, “We even had to borrow these fancy clothes. Now he’s given away all his money. Life’s going to be hard from now on.”
The longtime attendant, who had served You Xian for years, chuckled, “You only know that Master Lu kicked him when he was down, but you don’t know that when Master You was in trouble, Master Lu was the only one who stood up for him in court.”
Now that Lu Qing was in trouble, You Xian’s act of giving silver was a way of repaying an old debt.
Back then, You Xian had frequently caused trouble for Lu Qing in court. So when Lu Qing went out of his way to find You Xian and add insult to injury, it wasn’t out of malice. After all, most of You Xian’s friends had been too afraid to even visit him when he was forced out of the capital.
When people fall on hard times, that’s when they truly see who is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and who has genuine loyalty.
With all the silver and gold in hand, Lu Qing instructed his sons and daughters-in-law to hide the money carefully. Though they didn’t need it now, the funds would be crucial once they reached the Northern Lands to establish themselves.
When Gu Xingzhao arrived, she happened to see Lu Yang and his wife, Xu, stuffing silver into their clothes.
Surprised, she asked, “Lu Qing, where did you get all this money?”
Upon hearing that the ancestor had arrived, Lu Qing recounted the entire day’s events, telling her everything You Xian had said.
Back when You Xian was exiled, no one came to see him off. Lu Qing, despite their political differences, had chased after him with some silver. But he couldn’t bring himself to say any kind words.
Lu Qing sighed, “I never expected him to give me so much money today. I feel a bit ashamed.”
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