With the arrival of the Empress Dowager, even the ministers of Lu’s faction secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Since being named Empress, the Empress Dowager had participated in state affairs with Emperor Taichang’s tacit consent. After Emperor Taichang’s death, she had ruled from behind the curtain for nearly twenty years. She had weathered far more storms than Emperor Longxing. Although the upright officials criticized her as a “hen crowing like a rooster,” when Emperor Longxing acted willfully, they couldn’t help but hope that the Empress Dowager would intervene to take control of the situation.

Emperor Longxing sprang up from his throne, his face ashen. The Empress Dowager slowly walked to him and loudly rebuked: “Your Majesty, in such a situation, do you still want to protect your teacher?”

From childhood to adulthood, he had lived under her intimidating presence. As the Empress Dowager slowly approached, he began to slowly retreat, his fingertips trembling with fear. The Empress Dowager pointed at the ministers kneeling below and sternly said: “Those pleading below are the pillars of our Great Zhou, and the commoners outside Daming Palace are its foundation. You have offended both the pillars and the foundation—do you want the Great Zhou to completely collapse?”

Faced with the Empress Dowager’s questioning, Emperor Longxing still mustered his courage and murmured: “This is a false accusation…”

“Whether it’s false or not is for the Metropolitan Prefecture, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate to investigate. How can it be a false accusation just because you say it is?”

Emperor Longxing opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. He could only bow his head in pain and remain silent, just as he had done in his childhood. The Empress Dowager looked at his face, which closely resembled her own, and a strong sense of sorrow welled up in her heart. It was her fault. After giving birth to Pusa Bao, she couldn’t help but compare him with Mingyue Zhu, feeling that he wasn’t as obedient or as thoughtful as Mingyue Zhu. But how could a living person be compared to one who had passed away? She had been immersed in the grief of losing Mingyue Zhu and had not given Pusa Bao the full extent of her maternal love as she had given to Mingyue Zhu. This had resulted in his mild and weak character, making him easily misled by people like Lu Yumin. If one were to closely examine today’s situation, she, as his mother, would bear much of the responsibility.

The Empress Dowager’s tone already carried a hint of desolation: “A ruler must first rectify himself to rectify the court, rectify the court to rectify the officials, rectify the officials to rectify the people, and rectify the people to rectify all directions. You stubbornly shield your teacher, unable to even rectify yourself. How can you rectify the court, the officials, the people, and all directions? Your Majesty, do you truly want to put yourself and the Great Zhou in an irredeemable position for the sake of your personal feelings?”

Faced with the Empress Dowager’s continuous accusations, Emperor Longxing turned pale, his lips quivering: “Mother…”

Seeing him so disheartened, the Empress Dowager suppressed her feelings of reluctance and continued to press him forcefully: “Your Majesty, you are the Emperor of the Great Zhou. You must lead the Great Zhou toward a prosperous and peaceful future where all barbarians come to pay tribute. You cannot allow yourself to be wrapped up in personal feelings, disappointing the officials and the people. If Lu Yumin is truly wronged, the law will bring him justice, and those who falsely accused him will be punished for false accusations. No one will do wrong to your teacher. For the peace of the Great Zhou, for the stability of the throne, you should make a decision soon!”

Emperor Longxing slowly clenched his fists. He looked vacantly at the Empress Dowager, who just stared coldly at him. His gaze then swept over the kneeling ministers who were pleading, and they looked back at him with earnest expectations, each face urging him to be a wise ruler. His expression was dazed. After a long while, he finally loosened his clenched fingers and said numbly: “Issue my imperial edict to thoroughly investigate… the Tianwei Army case.”

The ministers were overjoyed and kowtowed in unison: “Your Majesty is wise, the Empress Dowager is wise.”

A great weight was lifted from Cui Xun’s heart. He kowtowed with the other ministers, and a hot tear, carrying his endless resentment and unwillingness of the past six years, finally slid down from the corner of his eye.

The daylight should be breaking now.

After Emperor Longxing ordered a thorough investigation, the Metropolitan Prefecture faced no more obstacles. Xue Wanzhe began to handle the case. However, the Empress Dowager specially ordered the Court of Judicial Review to participate in the case as well.

The Empress Dowager summoned Lu Huai, who had been reporting sick, and entrusted him with full responsibility for arresting and trying Lu Yumin. Lu Huai smiled bitterly: “Does the Empress Dowager still dare to trust me?”

“Why not?” the Empress Dowager said. “Since taking office, you have been impartial, law-abiding, and loyal. If even you, Minister Lu, are not worthy of trust, then who in this court is worthy of trust?”

Lu Huai hadn’t expected to receive such high praise from the Empress Dowager. He had always been loyal to Emperor Longxing. Though he wasn’t as opposed to the Empress Dowager’s rule from behind the curtain as his uncle Lu Yumin, he did agree that the Empress Dowager should return power to Emperor Longxing sooner. Six years ago, among the officials who submitted memorials urging the Empress Dowager to return power, he had been one of them. Considering his relationship with Lu Yumin, he had always felt that the Empress Dowager must deeply dislike him. But now, the Empress Dowager said he was trustworthy, which immediately stunned him. He murmured: “But I am Lu Yumin’s nephew.”

“It is precisely because you are his nephew that I entrust this important task to you. If your uncle is wronged, you can clear his name. If your uncle has indeed done evil, you can avoid being implicated by him through the merit of placing righteousness above family ties, and continue to serve as the Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicial Review.”

The Empress Dowager intended to prevent him from being implicated by Lu Yumin and wanted him to continue serving as the Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicial Review. Before coming to Penglai Hall, Lu Huai had thought that the Empress Dowager would take this opportunity to kill him. He had come prepared to die. Who could have imagined that she wanted to save him? After his shock, he couldn’t help but ask: “What virtue or ability do I possess to make the Empress Dowager consider me so?”

The Empress Dowager sighed and said sincerely, “Minister Lu, you are a pillar of the state. In this court, there might be people more talented than you, but none more sincere and loyal. I am old and don’t have many years left to live, while you are still so young. In the future, the Great Zhou will inevitably rely on you. How could I bear to let the Great Zhou lose a potential Prime Minister because of your uncle’s wrongdoing?”

“Pillar of the state,” “sincere and loyal,” “potential Prime Minister”—these were the highest praises for a minister. Lu Huai had never expected that he wouldn’t hear such praise from Emperor Longxing but would hear it from the Empress Dowager. Tears welled up in his eyes as he knelt, lowered his head, and said tearfully: “But I fear I may disappoint the Empress Dowager’s expectations.”

The Empress Dowager didn’t give up and continued to patiently persuade him: “Minister Lu, I know you were raised under your uncle’s care since childhood. It is indeed difficult to ask you to arrest him personally. But if you don’t go, I cannot protect you or the entire Lu family of Fanyang. Moreover, if the Tianwei Army case was truly instigated by your uncle, then your continued concealment would not only fail the fifty thousand soldiers and the people of the six prefectures but also betray the Lu Huaixin who once studied diligently and aspired to serve his country!”

The Empress Dowager’s words were an awakening. Lu Huai was stunned. The scene of Xue Wanzhe grabbing the Emperor’s robe to remonstrate, as recorded in the “Daily Records,” and the couplet “Those who violate the law or are negligent in their duties shall be punished, even if they are my kin,” which he had written with great ambition when he became the Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicial Review, gradually appeared before him. In his ears, he seemed to hear again the melodious bell sounds from the rustic temple. He slowly lowered his head. The Empress Dowager continued: “Minister Lu, you recently reported sick and didn’t attend court, yet you returned to Chang’an the day before yesterday. I believe that in your heart, you have already made a decision. However, although you’ve decided, it’s not easy to sever the ties between uncle and nephew. But just as one cannot have both fish and a bear’s paw, one cannot have both righteousness and personal feelings. Minister Lu, tell me here and now, do you choose righteousness or personal feelings?”

Tears rolled down Lu Huai’s face one after another. Gritting his teeth, after a while, he kowtowed once, then looked up and said word by word: “I choose righteousness!”

At the old and shabby Lu residence, there were now few visitors. Lu Huai looked up at the faded wooden plaque with the words “Lu Residence.” He pursed his lips and led a group of armed guards inside.

Lu Yumin had already dismissed all his servants and was sitting alone in the hall. Seeing Lu Huai, he was slightly surprised: “Huaixin?”

Lu Huai asked the guards to wait outside while he entered the hall. He sat down formally opposite Lu Yumin. After a moment of silence, he said: “Uncle, it’s me.”

“Who sent you?” Lu Yumin murmured. “The Empress Dowager?”

Lu Huai nodded and said bitterly, “Who else could it be now besides the Empress Dowager?”

Lu Yumin’s expression slowly returned to calm from surprise: “She wants to protect you, right? Hmph, I never thought she would also be someone who values talent.”

Lu Huai remained silent. Lu Yumin suddenly smiled: “However, seeing you now brings me some comfort. You are our family’s promising talent. What worried me most was implicating you. Now, seeing that the Empress Dowager is willing to protect you, I can finally feel relieved.”

Lu Huai lowered his head, tears falling one by one onto the decaying floor. Suddenly, gritting his teeth, he asked: “Huaixin wants to ask Uncle one question. In the Tianwei Army case, is it as Shen Que confessed? Did Uncle conspire with the Turks and betray the Tianwei Army, leading to the complete annihilation of fifty thousand men?”

Lu Yumin neither admitted nor denied it. He only said calmly, “There is no scheme in this world that doesn’t leave traces. By now, Xue Wanzhe should have arrested Pei Guanyue. When he searches Pei’s residence and detains his confidants, he will surely find evidence of his connections with the Turks and Jin Ni. The truth will soon come to light.”

Listening to his words, Lu Huai suddenly felt utterly despondent: “With Uncle’s character, if it wasn’t true, you would certainly deny it vehemently. Your lack of denial is an admission. So, the destruction of the Tianwei Army was indeed your doing.”

Lu Yumin stared at him and slowly nodded.

Lu Huai felt unable to accept this. His knuckles cracked as he gripped them tightly, saying in grief and anger: “Why? Six years ago, Uncle, you were already the imperial teacher, respected by thousands. These thousands included the Tianwei Army soldiers and the people of the six prefectures. Why did you push these people who respected you toward death?”

Lu Yumin showed no signs of regret: “You know why.”

“Just to seize power from the Empress Dowager? I don’t understand!”

“What don’t you understand?” Lu Yumin calmly said. “A woman, a hen crowing like a rooster, controlling state affairs, executing many of the late Emperor’s sons—such a wicked woman deserves to be killed by anyone. How could she be allowed to harm the world further?”

“But Uncle, the one you call a wicked woman values and cherishes talent, protecting what you call ‘our family’s promising talent.’ The one you call a hen crowing like a rooster rules from behind the curtain because it was the late Emperor’s dying wish. If such a wise emperor as the late Emperor didn’t want the Empress Dowager to have power, he would have followed Emperor Wu of Han’s example and killed the mother to save the son. He willingly gave the state affairs to the Empress Dowager!”

Lu Yumin looked at Lu Huai’s young face. If it were any other time, he would have reprimanded him. But today, he was exceptionally tired and didn’t want to argue anymore. He just said calmly, “Perhaps. But the late Emperor had his considerations, and I had mine. I couldn’t tolerate a woman usurping power and causing chaos, nor could I tolerate the Emperor being a mere puppet. I did sacrifice fifty thousand Tianwei Army soldiers and the people of the six prefectures, but those who achieve great things shouldn’t be bound by minor details. I’ve fulfilled my duty as a subject. I have no regrets toward the late Emperor or the Great Zhou. Even if tens of thousands curse me, I, Lu Yumin, have no regrets.”

Lu Huai lowered his head and gave a bitter laugh: “I cannot persuade Uncle. Right or wrong, merit or fault, will be judged by future generations. But I have one last question for Uncle.”

He looked up and asked word by word: “Shen Que confessed that His Majesty knew of Uncle’s scheme. He said His Majesty was an accomplice. I want to ask Uncle, is what Shen Que said true or false?”

Lu Yumin snorted. He said contemptuously, “You believe Shen Que? What is Shen Que? A villain who bullies men and women, abusing his power. If not for his rape of Sheng Ah’man, the Tianwei Army case would never have been exposed. Such an evil person, do you believe his words? He implicated His Majesty simply because he wanted everyone to suffer!”

Lu Huai was stunned. Lu Yumin began to grow increasingly agitated: “This villain Shen Que, by what right does he implicate His Majesty? By what right does he say His Majesty is an accomplice? His Majesty is a student I taught. Since he was five years old, I taught him the Analects of Confucius and Mencius, taught him the Book of Rites and the Spring and Autumn Annals. His mother was obsessed with power and had no time to care for him. It was I who taught him benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. I taught him for so many years—how could he possibly do something so unrighteous? How could he possibly conspire with barbarians, abandon his soldiers, give up his territory, and forsake his people? I, Lu Yumin, could not have taught such a student, and this would never be a student of mine!”

Lu Huai was frightened by Lu Yumin’s sudden agitation. He began to feel ashamed of his suspicions toward Emperor Longxing. But he wanted to confirm one last time: “His Majesty truly knew nothing?”

“Nothing,” Lu Yumin said decisively. “I was the mastermind of this affair. Shen Que, based on His Majesty’s traveling seal on the letter sent to the Turks, concluded that His Majesty knew about it. That’s ridiculous! His Majesty lost his father at the age of three. The person who spent the most time with him was not the Empress Dowager but me. He listened to everything I said, and once said he regarded me as his father. What’s so surprising about my having access to his traveling seal? The letter sent to Khan Nidu was written by me, the seal was stamped by me, and even the imperial edict forcing Guo Qinwei to dispatch troops was my doing. His Majesty knew nothing about this. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Shen Que and Pei Guanyue—did they ever see His Majesty during the planning of the scheme? It was all me. I, using my position as the imperial teacher, made them believe it was His Majesty’s intention! As for His Majesty’s unwillingness to reopen the case, it wasn’t because he was involved and therefore unwilling to investigate, but because he wanted to protect his teacher, the person he regarded as his father!”

Having revealed all his secrets, Lu Yumin’s nose and mouth suddenly began to ooze blood—symptoms of poisoning.

Lu Huai was greatly alarmed and crawled on his knees to Lu Yumin’s side, embracing him. Only then did he realize that his uncle, who held the position of Prime Minister, was so gaunt and skeletal. His uncle had spent his entire life worrying about the country, striving for what he believed was right, to the point that he had become withered and hunched, with empty sleeves and a solitary life. Even though his path was gravely mistaken, even at this final moment, he still believed he was working for the country and the people, without any sense of wrongdoing.

In his great grief, Lu Huai cried: “Uncle, why are you so foolish?”

Lu Yumin murmured, “I am the imperial teacher. How could I endure the humiliation of petty clerks?”

Using his last bit of strength, he grabbed Lu Huai’s arm: “Huaixin, remember, be loyal to the monarch! Serve your lord! His Majesty… I entrust to you… You must not… let villains… harm him…”

More and more blood flowed from his mouth and nose. Under the effect of the Hegu red poison, no one could survive. His body convulsed for a moment, and finally, he closed his eyes, dying in the arms of the one in whom he had placed the most hope—the promising talent of the Lu family of Fanyang.