Chapter 118: A game of smoke and shadows 2 (1/2)
The Imperial Palace, Emperor Zhong's palace
it was a moonless night in the capital, which meant that it was a lot darker than usual that night. The Palace servants lit up lamps to brighten up the entire palace. Standing lamps were placed from the entrance of the Emperor Purple hall to the Emperor's Imperial study.
Emperor Zhong was going through the reports when Caihong came in a reported that the Imperial Secretary had submitted a report from Ningzhuo. The mood of the previously exhausted Emperor rose at the mention of a report from Ningzhuo. He had been expecting this report for weeks, he had even instructed the Imperial Secretary to submit each report from Ningzhuo to him as soon as it arrived.
Caihong presented the letter sachet containing the report to Emperor Zhong, Who took it from his hand. ”The Imperial secretary Yang has worked hard, send down a reward”, Emperor Zhong said and waved him away.
Caihong bowed and quietly retreated. He felt that the Emperor response to the report was strange but didn't dare speculate. However he still sent word to the Empress, Caihong has been with the Emperor for decades. He understood who between the Empress and Imperial Consort Shi had true feelings for the Emperor.
The Emperor himself could tell but chose to play dumb. He had watched the Emperor grow so much like a parent, he felt embarrassed by how the Emperor treated the Empress. He couldn't caution the son of the heavens (the Emperor is also titled the son of heavens since it is believed that he was chosen by the gods to rule).
While he couldn't caution the son of heaven, he could make life easier for the Empress. This was his way of apologizing for the Emperor, it was the least he could do. He didn't know what came the Emperor was playing but since it concerned the Lu family most especially General Lu, he feared that it wasn't anything good.
Caihong sent one of his most trusted Students to deliver the message to the Empress while he stood outside the Emperor's study and stood guard. He was on night duty in case the Emperor needed something.
Meanwhile, inside the Imperial study, Emperor Zhong untied the strings holding the sachet closed and pulled out the report. He quickly read through, Deputy Sun had done a good job, based on the sample of the records submitted by Lu Yaozhu. He was pleased with the way things were going, everything would go back to normal soon.
It was nearing the dawn of the Lu family's empire, soon they would be history. He would successfully regain the power lost by the Imperial family, how can a mere military family be more popular than the Imperial family. Too bad his old friend Lu Peizhi wasn't alive to see the downfall of his precious Lu family.
Luckily the Empress would experience the whole thing, he would give her a front-row seat to it all. She would watch as the Lu family lost their precious honour, it would teach her to pick the right side. She dared to abandon him for her family, what was so special about protecting her family's honour. How pathetic because with just a command from him, her precious family would lose everything.
He picked up the writing brush and wrote the words approve then picked up the Emperor's Dragon seal and stamped on Lu Yaozhu's official request for the arrest of the Deputy Sun and old master Sun. He wrote an edict instructing the Imperial guards to escort Lu Yaozhu and the suspects back to the capital from Ningzhuo.
The edict would be sent with is approval letter while another permission letter would be sent to Lu Yaozhu immediately. Emperor Zhong drafted all the necessary documents weeks earlier in preparation for the report. He took them out of a wooden box by his desk and stamped them all before calling Caihong in to send them to the Imperial office.
Caihong collected the letter and sent them off to the Imperial office, he followed the necessary channels before sending word to the Prime Minister. Everything went swiftly, by the time it was reported to the entire court the next day the Imperial dispatch officer and the imperial guards had already left.
The report submitted to the Imperial court was approved by the emperor as soon as it arrived at the capital. Most officials were surprised to hear that but they soon dismissed their suspicion. They just assumed that it was because the Emperor was annoyed by the provincial officials large scale louting not because of the Emperor's favouring the young general but not Prime Minister Shi and Minister Sheng. They knew the real reason behind the Emperor's speedy response.
The Lu family was a thorn in their side, they were glad for an opportunity to get rid of this nuisance. Prime Minister Shi had secretly activated his secret guards this was a good opportunity to get rid of any possible resistance to his plans in tge Lu families camp.
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