Lady Lu was delighted to have finally found an excuse to discipline someone.
"You're just a child! How dare you use such foul language!?"
Lu Chao was utterly wronged.
"No! I didn’t say anything bad!"
Smack—his hand was slapped again.
"Still lying to me?"
Truly, a woman’s mood changes as swiftly as the weather.
"I’m sorry, I was wrong."
"Recite the Yueyu Rhythms five times today. I’ll check tonight."
Lu Chao, who had expected a harsher punishment like copying the family rules, finally realized what was happening.
"Chao-chao, do your best!"
Lu Yuanyi, rarely seeing Lu Chao in such a predicament, smirked and winked at him.
"Lu Yuanyi! You recite it five times too!"
"Wait, Mother! Why me? Our family doesn’t believe in collective punishment—!"
Lu Yuanyi: !!!
"And no sugar cakes today."
"What?! Why?! Who even upset her this time?"
The thought of missing out on the soft, sweet sugar cakes made Lu Yuanyi groan in despair.
The two brothers exchanged glances as they watched Lady Lu’s cold retreating figure.
Lu Chao shook his head and quipped, "Who else? It’s the sugar’s fault."
---
Yuxi County.
Hundreds of miles away, Lord Lu gazed at the vast white landscape and couldn’t resist reciting poetry by the window:
"As year’s end hastens days so brief,
The frost and snow clear in the cold night’s reach."
Ah-choo!
Rubbing his nose, Lord Lu shivered and finally closed the window, rubbing his hands together. The cold was unbearable. If he were home, he’d be enjoying a hotpot of mutton with a few cups of yellow wine—a life even immortals would envy.
Not far away, in another courtyard, Zhou Sanwei slipped a letter into a slender bamboo tube, tied it to an eagle’s talon, and lightly raised his hand. The bird soared into the sky, vanishing toward the capital in an instant.
Knock knock knock.
"Sir, Prefect Meng is at the gate, requesting an audience."
Zhou Sanwei shook his head. He had no interest in meeting.
"Tell him to stop probing. His Majesty has already made arrangements."
The investigation in Yuxi County was nearly complete. Song Lusheng would soon be escorted back to the capital, and many were already vying for the vacant magistrate position. His Majesty had asked Zhou Sanwei to recommend candidates, and as he wrote down a few names, he couldn’t help but smirk at the thought of the list now en route via eagle.
The tranquil capital was about to be stirred up again.
---
Meanwhile, outside the Yuxi County government office...
The refugees lining up for relief rations wore rare smiles, their weary eyes brightening slightly.
"Old Man Yang, d’you think our ‘Groom Magistrate’ got locked up? Ain’t seen relief grain in eight years—suddenly we’re gettin’ some! Must be a new official, eh?"
County Magistrate Su, nicknamed "Groom Magistrate" for taking seven or eight concubines in just two years, had been absent lately.
Cough! "My fourth uncle’s third cousin—works in the kitchen—says the Groom Magistrate ain’t been seen for days. Some big shot’s sittin’ in the yamen now. Betcha somethin’ happened."
"Good riddance! Without this grain, us old folks wouldn’t last the winter."
"Hey, what’s yer uncle’s cousin do again? This info legit?"
"Shut yer trap! He’s a kitchen helper—knows how many meals they’re cookin’! Used to make lamb parts for the magistrate every day, but not for half a month now!"
"Then he’s definitely locked up!"
The old man leaned in, whispering conspiratorially:
"Keep it quiet, but the constables said the new boss don’t eat chili! Must be a southerner! And some won’t touch scallions!"
"Bread without scallions? What’s the point? Waste of good bread!"
"With scallions, I could eat eight buns in one go!"
"What decent family’d let you hog eight buns? Tryin’ to starve the rest of us?"
---
Nearby, Lord Lu—bundled in a padded coat—eavesdropped shamelessly, pretending not to notice the odd looks. He feigned interest in crowd control while mentally noting how to share these local insights with his three sons back home.
Though only a sixth-rank official, this was his first hands-on governance experience. His sons would likely never visit Yuxi, so these tales of local quirks would broaden their horizons.
"Uncle Zhong, let’s tour the area these next few days. Look for anything uncommon in Yingchuan—mountain goods, pelts, whatever. We’ll buy some to help these folks earn winter funds. Oh, and Lu Chao collects rare seeds. Grab whatever you find."
Uncle Zhong, hands tucked in his sleeves, nodded eagerly, his breath forming misty puffs in the cold air.
"Saving lives builds more merit than pagodas. The bodhisattva will bless the Lu family for your kindness."
Generations of Lus—masters and mistresses alike—had been known for integrity. Servants emulated their virtue, keeping the household free of corruption.
"Uncle Zhong, without you, Prefect Meng and I might not have survived. Once home, bring your eldest to serve directly under me. Men your age should be retired. If I keep you any longer, my father’s ghost will scold me."
Uncle Zhong laughed heartily.
"Thank you, my lord. No need for flattery—I’m still spry! Call me anytime! My boy’s honest too. Test him out—if he slacks, I’ll whip him myself!"
Decades ago, the Lu family had saved him from becoming roadside bones. Now, with grandchildren at his knees, he’d answer their summons without hesitation.
Their conversation wasn’t private. A soldier overseeing the soup line stood rigidly, eyes on the poor but ears perked. Soon, word reached Zhou Sanwei.
Hearing that Lord Lu was buying local goods to take home, Zhou nodded approvingly. A truly kind man.
He’d never met the late Lu patriarch but knew his reputation—a man so upright he’d angered the previous emperor with blunt memorials. While others were exiled, the old Lu was merely demoted to Yingchuan.
"What else did he buy?"
"Pelts, mountain wares, odd seeds... even a winter-flowering plant with poisonous fruit. Lord Lu bought it without blinking. Commander Xie joked not to slip it into his food."
"And his response?"
"'For my son—he loves exotic plants.'"
Who knew Lord Lu doted on his children so?
"Nowadays, the people of Yuxi County all call him the 'money-shedding official,' and quite a crowd gathers daily outside the government office, hoping Lord Lu will buy their goods."
Zhou Sanwei burst into laughter and clapped his hands.
"How amusing! Let’s join the fun and shed some coins ourselves—otherwise, all the good things in Yuxi will be snatched up by this money-shedding lord!"
