When Zhou Sanwei first saw the imperial decree, he was somewhat surprised—he hadn’t expected the Emperor to actually choose the Lu Family.
Zhou Sanwei raised an eyebrow and smiled at Lord Lu, who was still kneeling on the ground.
"Lord Lu, congratulations."
Lord Lu, already past the age of thirty, had never been so flustered before.
"I… I… Your subordinate is only a sixth-rank official…"
Was this a demotion? He hadn’t offended anyone!
Zhou Sanwei watched as Lord Lu struggled to comprehend the situation. With a light gesture, he helped him up and poured him a cup of tea.
"Lord Lu, rest assured, your sixth-rank position remains unchanged."
Lord Lu had now regained his composure but still looked at Zhou Sanwei in confusion.
"The Emperor’s decree states that Lord Lu will serve as acting magistrate of Yuxi County for two years. You’re still in your prime—don’t you wish to climb higher?"
Lord Lu clasped his hands and sighed. "Forgive my earlier lapse in composure, Lord Zhou. But rising through the ranks isn’t so simple. I’ve never even held a substantive post before."
His words trailed off as he suddenly understood Zhou Sanwei’s meaning.
It was common knowledge that seizing power was easier than governing. After unifying the Great Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Taizu had immediately faced difficulties. His closest allies were all military men, and as a man of humble origins, he had no experience in governance. At first, he thought that with swords in hand, the aristocratic families would pose no threat—how hard could collecting taxes be?
But after a month of morning court sessions, staring at his ten-year-old crown prince, he was so overwhelmed he even considered abdicating. The old foxes in court bombarded him with questions—what to do about floods here, droughts there, depleted military funds, whether to disband soldiers and send them home, how many to keep, what if enemies attacked? And then there were the rewards for those who helped him seize power—how to distribute them? Damn it, they even expected him to decide on his own court robes!
Before the Great Yuan Dynasty, the official system had been monopolized by aristocratic families, who also controlled eighty percent of all books. For commoners, the idea of changing their fate through education was nothing but a pipe dream.
With the dynasty newly established and unable to endure further internal strife, Emperor Taizu finally realized the value of scholars. To stabilize the situation, he had no choice but to bow to the aristocratic families, barely maintaining order in court.
By the thirteenth year of the Great Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Taizu began planning civil service examinations to select officials. The aristocratic families resisted fiercely, but through his strategic maneuvering, he pitted them against each other, weakening them enough to allow commoners a chance to rise.
Now, the court was clearly divided into two factions—the aristocratic faction led by Prime Minister Murong and the commoner faction led by Zhou Sanwei—both now equally powerful.
Zhou Sanwei was the idol of all common scholars, so why would he extend a hand to a declining aristocrat like Lord Lu?
Lord Lu couldn’t fathom it.
Perhaps he had been ungrateful, looking down on the humble post of county magistrate. Decades ago, the aristocratic families had disdained such positions, leaving them to be filled by commoners. But in just twenty years, it became clear that every high-ranking official in the central government had started as a county magistrate.
"Your subordinate thanks you for your guidance, Lord Zhou."
"To be frank, I’ve observed that despite your aristocratic background, Lord Lu, you lack the arrogance typical of your peers. You are upright and benevolent—qualities that would make you an excellent magistrate, a blessing to the people. I hope you will not disappoint the Emperor’s expectations."
Due to his great-grandfather’s demotion, Lord Lu had long given up on advancing his career, focusing instead on raising his son. He thought his official career had reached its end—until this unexpected turn of fate.
The Lu Family residence.
"Mother, what did Father say?"
Lu Yuanzhao anxiously watched his mother, Lady Lu, who was unusually silent, her brow furrowed as she reread the letter in disbelief.
Finally, she handed it to Lu Yuanzhao.
"Your father says he’ll return home in a few days, but after seeing us, he must leave again."
"So soon?!"
"That place is harsh and cold. I worry his health won’t hold."
"Not even staying for the Winter Solstice? At least let him have dumplings with us!"
Outside the window, Lu Yuanyi crouched low, his ear pressed tightly against the wall. His eyes widened like copper bells at the news.
No wonder Mother didn’t want him and Lu Chao to hear—Father was in trouble! He had to discuss this with his younger brother!
Even though Father was annoying, he had to save him!
Lu Chao stared at Lu Yuanyi’s reddened eyes and scratched his ear.
"What did you say?!"
Lu Yuanyi, imagining a future of uncertainty and hunger, felt a pang of sorrow, his eyes welling up again.
"Father’s in trouble! I overheard it! They’re only letting him come home to see us, not even for dumplings. They’re exiling him to some freezing wasteland!"
Lu Chao: Damn it! I let my guard down!! Am I in a revenge story? Family ruined? Exile? Are hard times coming? Did Little Lu Chao lie to me?!
Lu Chao eyed him skeptically.
"That’s really what Mother and Yuanzhao said?"
Lu Yuanyi nodded fiercely, his mind filled with tales of lone young heroes braving a hundred guards to rescue their families. His resolve hardened.
"From now on, you take care of Mother at home. You’re good with money—you’ll manage. I… I…"
Lu Chao, his mind in chaos, stared at Lu Yuanyi’s dramatic determination and suddenly sensed something off.
"Wait, explain yourself. What are you planning?"
Lu Yuanyi stammered, shaking his head. "Nothing! I just think you’re more attentive, so you should look after Mother. Don’t worry, I’m the older brother—blood runs thicker than water, bones may break but the bond remains! I’ll protect you all!"
Hearing the familiar lines and watching Lu Yuanyi play the hero, Lu Chao’s lips twitched, torn between amusement and emotion.
"Young Hero Su’s daring rescue?"
Distracted, Lu Yuanyi nodded, then caught himself.
"You—how do you know? Ah! You’ve been reading those novels too!"
Lu Chao nearly laughed. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Besides, he’d written that novel himself—of course he’d read it.
Teacher Yang often criticized his weak brushstrokes—his calligraphy mimicked the style but lacked vigor. To practice, Lu Chao had to write two thousand characters daily. Figuring he might as well write something fun, he penned a novel under the pen name "Idle Fish," diving into the ancient literary scene.
Unexpectedly, it became a minor hit.
The story was simple: Young Hero Su, son of a minor official, sees his father framed and exiled to the frozen wasteland of Ningguta. To save him, Su battles through countless obstacles, finally delivering evidence to the Emperor, who punishes the villains. The line Lu Yuanyi had quoted was Su’s parting words to his brother.
Snapping back to reality, Lu Chao sniffed the air—the rich aroma of braised beef!
Lu Yuanyi must have misheard. If disaster had struck, would Lady Lu really be ordering the kitchen to prepare a feast?
