Chapter 29: Reigning Supreme

Chapter 29: Reigning Supreme

The Lu family did not see Lu Xusheng return until noon the next day.

The old lady hadn’t slept a wink all night and was slumped listlessly on the luohan bed, unable to muster any energy. The main mistress was also worn out, with wrinkles forced out at the corners of her eyes. The second branch of the family remained unchanged, with the Second Mistress unable to hide her glee, while the third mistress only put on a show of concern.

Today was supposed to be the old lady's 61st birthday. Last year, it was a grand affair, but this year, they hadn’t planned much of a celebration. However, after yesterday's incident, the Lu residence announced that they would not entertain guests, except for the closest relatives who came to visit.

The two married daughters of the Lu family returned. One was the eldest daughter of the elder master, Lu Shutao, who married into the Wei family of the Honglu Temple. She clung to the main mistress, her eyes swollen like peaches from crying. The other was Lu Xusheng's own sister, Lu Shuwan, who married into the household of the Vice Minister of Rites. Like the two mistresses, these two daughters, who were close confidants of their mother, had always been at odds.

When Lu Xusheng returned home, he found the front hall packed with people, all eagerly looking at him as if he were some kind of savior.

The newly appointed Steward Qi greeted him respectfully and ushered him into the hall. In the warm chamber on the east side of the main hall, the old lady sat at the head of the table, with the main branch seated to the left and the second branch to the right. The third mistress sat with her two daughters beside Cheng Yian.

Yesterday, after waiting for Lu Xusheng for a long time without his return, the third master had taken the eldest young master, Lu Yunsheng, out to pull some strings. When they heard Lu Xusheng had returned, they rushed back home, and the family members each took their seats, all looking at Lu Xusheng.

"Xusheng, what’s the situation? How’s your uncle?"

The first to speak was the third master, Lu Ming. This third master was a straightforward man, showing great respect to his two elder brothers and always stepping up whenever the family needed him.

The old lady had saved a seat for Lu Xusheng beside her, but Lu Xusheng did not sit there. Instead, he instructed Steward Hang, who had been left by his father, to bring a round-backed chair and sit at the southernmost end. Tea was brought to him, and Lu Xusheng slowly lifted the lid and blew on the steam. Finding the tea too hot, he set it down again before replying,

"Not great."

The main mistress’s heart dropped, and she clutched her handkerchief, dabbing at her tear-streaked eyes as she cried, "Is the situation really that bad?"

Lu Xusheng, however, looked at Cheng Yian and replied, "I was at the barracks all day yesterday. I only heard about this late last night and went to the palace to inquire. I just returned from my father-in-law's place."

His tone became slightly more serious, "The collapse itself wasn’t severe, but it happened to flood two grain ships, nearly causing casualties. Fortunately, the officials and sailors noticed in time and jumped into the water. Otherwise, uncle would not be in the censorate but in the Ministry of Justice."

"And these two ships were carrying tribute from the Weaving Bureau. The new clothes for the palace ladies for the New Year's Eve were inside. Where can the Weaving Bureau get another batch of the best materials now? The officials from the Weaving Bureau were cursing at the Zhengyang Gate, submitting three petitions in a row, forcing the Emperor to strictly investigate the cutting corners and half-finished projects. The entire Ministry of Works is now in a state of panic."

The main mistress felt dizzy, only caring about one thing, "Then... is there any way to save him?"

Unexpectedly, Lu Xusheng just glanced at her, then lowered his eyelids and continued drinking his tea.

The main mistress couldn’t grasp his attitude for a moment and glanced at her son. The eldest young master, Lu Yunsheng, forced a smile,

"Second brother, you have connections in the palace and a lot of influence. Have you thought of any way to turn this around?"

Lu Xusheng suddenly looked up, indifferently staring at the mother and son,

"Why should I think of a way?"

As soon as these words fell, the room seemed to be hit by a hailstone, and the atmosphere froze.

The main mistress exchanged a glance with the old lady, realizing that things were not as they had expected.

"Xusheng..." The main mistress's lips trembled, forcing out a strained smile, "He... is your uncle, after all. We are all family. You can’t just watch him fall into trouble, can you?"

"Why can’t I?" Lu Xusheng's gaze was calm, like a sharp blade lightly slicing through, his slender fingers gently stirring the tea cake, exuding an air of leisure.

Seeing her brother's expression, Lu Shuwan realized he had no intention of helping the main branch and felt greatly relieved. Unable to hold back, she vented,

"Auntie, how can you talk about family? When my father died in battle and Xusheng was missing, did you care at all about our second branch? Not only did you not grieve for my father and Xusheng, but you also took advantage of Xusheng's absence from the capital to trick the old lady into going to the palace to seize my father's title."

"You could do such things back then, how can you have the face to ask for our help now?"

Upon hearing this, the main mistress staggered back and collapsed into the armchair, her face deathly pale, as if she had lost all vitality.

So... this is where they were waiting for us.

The veil of shame was torn away, and all dignity was stripped bare. The bonds of kinship and flesh were torn apart by interests, leaving a bloody mess.

The main mistress turned away, leaning against the armchair and weeping silently.

The eldest daughter, Lu Shutao, stared blankly at Lu Xusheng, murmuring nothing. The eldest son, Lu Yunsheng, was overwhelmed with shame, unsure whether to stand or sit, and finally let out a heavy sigh,

"Ah!"

However, the mistress of the main branch, Liu Shi, remained clear-headed as always. She turned to the old lady at the head of the room,

"Grandmother, no matter what, we can't just stand by and watch as father is imprisoned. We must find a way to save him."

After hearing Liu Shi's words and observing Lu Xusheng's attitude, the old lady knew that there was no way to turn the situation around today. The family was using this incident to vent their grievances. She pulled a long face and snorted coldly,

"Enough, don't blame anyone. There were reasons for what happened back then. Since His Majesty agreed, there must have been a reason for his agreement. If your second branch had truly been blameless, His Majesty would not have disregarded his bond with Chang'er and made such a decision."

In other words, she was still blaming Second Mistress Wang Shi for not fully standing by the Lu Duke's mansion and supporting the Emperor.

The Second Mistress laughed bitterly, "Is that so? I've only heard of titles being passed to sons, never to elder brothers. You favor the main branch and scheme against us, so there's no need to hide it anymore."

The old lady angrily retorted, "Did His Majesty wrong you? When Xusheng returned, didn't His Majesty immediately make him the heir? This Duke's mansion will ultimately be handed over to Xusheng."

At this point, the old lady suddenly looked stern, "Enough, if Xusheng refuses to help, I have nothing more to say. Someone, bring me my ceremonial attire. I will go to the palace to seek an audience with the Empress."

Hearing this, the eldest son, with a gloomy expression, spoke up, "Grandmother, there's no need to go. I've already been to the Marquis Chen's residence. They said the matter is too serious, and both palaces are furious. It's not something that can be easily smoothed over."

The old lady was stunned.

The sunken ships carried the New Year's clothes for the palace ladies. As the head of the six palaces, Empress Chen could not protect the offending officials without facing the wrath of the Empress Dowager and the entire palace. Empress Chen could not risk her own position for the sake of the Lu family, so she had already refused the Lu family's request through the Marquis Chen's residence.

Realizing this, the old lady's face turned completely pale. Regretting her earlier harsh words, she now had to swallow her pride and beg for help. Unable to bear the loss of face, the old lady's head throbbed, and she closed her eyes, pretending to faint. Surely, Lu Xusheng wouldn't just stand by and do nothing.

Unfortunately, when the old lady fainted, only the main branch members panicked and wailed, while Lu Xusheng and the others remained seated, unmoved. He even glanced at Cheng Yian,

"Since the old lady is ill, we won't disturb her any longer. Madam, let's return to our room..."

Hearing this, the old lady hurriedly sat up like a carp leaping out of water, crying out,

"Xusheng, don't go!"

Lu Xusheng had already stood up, looking at her with calm eyes, "What instructions do you have, old lady?"

The old lady, no longer concerned with saving face, cried with tears and snot, "Xusheng, in the end, this matter still depends on you to resolve it. Tell me, what must be done for you to save your uncle?"

The old lady was quite willing to humble herself, dropping all pretense and realizing that today, aside from groveling, there was no other way out. She decided to abandon all restraint.

Lu Xusheng sat back down, his tall figure lazily leaning against the backrest, smiling leisurely, "What do you think?"

This tone was not ordinary...

The old lady's heart skipped a beat again, exchanging glances with the main mistress.

At this moment, the two women felt as if their hearts were pounding like drums. What did Lu Xusheng want?

Wasn't it obvious?

But how could they just give away the freshly acquired prize?

Impossible!

The main mistress's heart ached, and she had already begun to weigh her husband against the family business.

But once she thought about losing her husband, once he was no longer in office, could she really hold onto the family business?

The main mistress was overwhelmed with sorrow, hugging her daughter and crying.

At this moment, the old lady was very clear-headed. The family business was secondary, and so was the household management. As long as they could secure her son's official position and the title, everything was possible.

She decisively instructed her daughter-in-law, "Elder family's, go and fetch the account books and keys, and hand them over to Xusheng."

Even though the main mistress was unwilling, she had no choice but to comply for the sake of her husband. With tears in her eyes, she looked at her daughter-in-law, signaling Liu Shi to take care of it.

Liu Shi sighed and went to the account room.

Soon after, a long table was set up in the hall. Liu Shi and others brought over more than ten account books of various sizes, along with an iron box containing keys to the silver vault, storerooms, and various courtyard gates.

Lu Xusheng glanced at Steward Hang beside him, "Go and check the accounts."

Steward Hang then took out a small booklet from his pocket, approached the general ledger, which recorded all the properties of the Duke's estate, including manors, hills, shops, and houses.

Lu Xusheng had already decided to reclaim the family business after his return and had instructed Steward Hang to secretly investigate the entire Duke's estate. Over the past few months, they had almost figured it all out.

Seeing the booklet in Steward Hang's hand, the main mistress felt a great unease and craned her neck to see.

Sure enough, Steward Hang stopped at the first page and turned to Lu Xusheng, saying,

"Young Master, the number of shops on the main street is incorrect. There are only eight listed here, but in fact, there were fifteen under the Duke's control."

The Duke referred to here was naturally Lu Xusheng's father, Lu Chang.

Lu Xusheng calmly glanced at the main mistress.

The main mistress's heart pounded, "It can't be..." as she racked her brains on how to gloss over it.

"Indeed, it can't be..." The Second Mistress sneered at this moment, saying, "When I was in charge, the accounts were clear and accurate. In just three years, sister-in-law has swallowed so much property, truly a black-hearted villain!"

"You..." The main mistress wanted to retort but, catching Lu Xusheng's sharp gaze, immediately lost her confidence and burst into tears, saying,

"Xusheng, to be honest, over the years, your uncle has been eager to expand the Lu family's influence. Whether taking on jobs here or expanding business there, he has made many connections with the officials in the palace, as you know, all of which required money. These shops were all losses incurred by your uncle..."

Lu Xusheng smiled coldly, "Then bring out the accounts, let's calculate them one by one. After you finish, we'll discuss my uncle's matter."

The elder master, Lu Yunsheng, was so ashamed he wished he could disappear from sight, tearfully looking at his mother, "Mother, if you took what you shouldn't have, you must return it. If you persist like this, you're making it impossible for your son to face others."

Seeing her son's pleading look, the main mistress's heart trembled.

When Lu Xusheng returned to the capital and the emperor granted him the title of Young Master, the main mistress had already harbored intentions. Although the elder master vowed to retain the title, the main mistress doubted his capabilities and had been secretly transferring properties to her name, aiming to secure assets for her son. Now caught red-handed, she had no choice but to return them. Heartbroken, she instructed her trusted maid, "Go, fetch the deeds of those shops..."

Soon, the deeds were brought, but they were just deeds. Steward Hang, holding a few dry deeds, smiled at the elder master,

"Master, these shops have been under the main mistress's control since the year before last. I've calculated that just based on rent, each shop should yield a thousand taels a year. These seven shops should have earned seven thousand taels, totaling fourteen thousand taels over two years."

The main mistress jumped up, "Nonsense, where would so much silver come from? The business has been poor, and this year it's at a loss... Xusheng, if I had embezzled so much silver, I wouldn't believe it myself!"

Lu Xusheng didn't waste words with her, instructing Xu Yi, "Go and report to the authorities."

At the mention of reporting to the authorities, Lu Yunsheng, the Young Master, knelt down, clutching his mother's legs, and wept bitterly,

"Mother, don't be foolish, quickly return the misappropriated properties, we cannot do this!"

Eldest Daughter Lu Shutao also advised from the side, once reported to the authorities, as a daughter, she would be utterly disgraced in the Wei family, it would be better to return them with dignity.

The mistress was now utterly terrified and disoriented, trembling as she ordered the maid to open the chest and take out the silver. Watching the thick stack of banknotes handed to Steward Hang, she felt as if she had no breath left, thinking to herself, what had she become, like a hedgehog stripped of its defenses, leaving only vulnerable flesh and bones.

Cheng Yian shook her head at the despondent mistress.

Thus, the prosperity of a family is directly linked to the integrity of its leader.

Comparing her father's actions to those of the mistress and her husband... it's an insult to her father.

Cheng Yian continued to sip her tea, thinking to herself, fortunately, Lu Xusheng took over in time, if this decline continued, the Lu Duke's mansion would be reduced to an empty shell, and the dignity of the Duke's mansion would be utterly destroyed.

In the future, this Duke's mansion would belong to her child; she must seek guidance from her father and second brother to ensure the Lu family's prosperity.

Thinking this, Steward Hang uncovered another discrepancy.

"Young Master, there is one less estate in Changshu, Jiangnan, originally there were five, now there are only four, and among these four, the acreage is also incorrect."

The mistress immediately waved her hands upon hearing this, "Xusheng, this really has nothing to do with me, it was your uncle who lost it, not intentionally, but due to relentless natural disasters..."

At this moment, the mistress was very confident, quickly pulling out a ledger from the stack of account books, flipping through a few pages,

"Here, look, it's all recorded here, the first year had reduced yields, the second year there was a locust plague at that estate, the tenants also needed to survive, so we had no choice but to sell that estate and move the tenants to this estate, only then did we manage to save this one..."

Lu Xusheng's eyes were cold, interrupting her,

"Aunt, no one forced you to take over the Duke's mansion, right? If it were lost under my watch, it would be my responsibility, since you had the ability to take over the properties, you should have the ability to bear the profits and losses."

"No negotiations; whatever was lost, you must compensate!"

At this, the mistress collapsed into the armchair, her face completely drained of color.

Lu Xusheng finished a cup of tea, signaling the steward to continue pouring tea.

As if he were unaware, all these ladies of the Lu family, upon peeking into their private coffers, are quite wealthy, where did the money come from, apart from their dowries, it must have been from the family's funds.

Lu Xusheng was not going to indulge them.

The mistress stiffened, her face set in refusal.

Lu Xusheng sat with cold composure, his calm eyes resembling a still, deep pool, "While I'm in a good mood, settle this quickly, or it won't be so easy later."

The mistress angrily said, "What else can you do? Can you take my life?"

Lu Xusheng suddenly smiled, he was always stern and rarely smiled, this smile, with his narrow, deep-set eyes, was strikingly dazzling,

"Given your actions over the years in the Lu family, as its head, I can issue you a divorce letter, and you would have no grounds to object."

The mistress felt a surge of blood rise to her throat, a chill running from her feet to her brow.

She suddenly recalled a street saying: never offend Lu Xusheng, a prophecy well-known throughout Northern Qi, which she, as a Lu family member, had foolishly ignored.

Now utterly deflated, she weakly gestured for her trusted maid to fetch the silver.

In the end, the main mistress compensated by giving one of her own estates to the family coffers and contributed two thousand taels of silver to cover the losses. Now, it seemed that every last bit of profit had been squeezed dry.

The Second Mistress looked at her calm and collected son, feeling a sense of triumph she had never experienced before.

More than three years ago, the household affairs of the Lu family were in her hands. At that time, she only felt the hardship of managing the household, but her husband was a mediator, solely focused on the affairs of the state, showing no concern for the family estate. He simply said, "Let it go," leaving her to toil during the day and sigh at night, struggling to keep things together.

But with her son in charge, things were different. His decisive actions, clear and methodical, were both skillful and gratifying, sweeping away the years of pent-up frustration in her heart.

Steward Hang continued to verify the accounts, and now everyone in the room was focused on his hands, which were neither slender nor delicate, fearing that any pause in his fingers might reveal another loss.

Not only the main mistress, but also the mistress of the main branch, the young master, and even the old lady were filled with trepidation.

In the past, it wasn't noticeable, but now it was clear that this grandson, when ruthless, was like a blade that cuts slowly and deeply, piece by piece, causing everyone to tremble with fear.

Outside the house, a courtyard full of managers watched this battle for control of the family.

Those managers who had always followed the orders of the main mistress and her husband couldn't help but wonder, now that the main mistress had been dethroned, would they be next?

The heated room was extremely quiet, except for the occasional sound of Cheng Yian stirring her bird's nest soup. Everyone else held their breath.

Fortunately, Steward Hang went through the pages one by one, and for a while, there was no sound.

Finally, Steward Hang turned and bowed to Lu Xusheng,

"Young Master, there's nothing else, everything else is in order, only the final amount of silver in the accounts remains."

The main mistress's heart skipped a beat,

"What silver?"

Steward Hang said, "Before the Duke of the State passed away, the last account showed forty-eight thousand taels of silver, but now the family treasury only has thirty-five thousand taels."

The thirty thousand taels here were likely seized from the Hao family.

Upon hearing this, the main mistress almost collapsed in her seat, tightly gripping her son and daughter's arms, looking at Lu Xusheng with tearful eyes,

"Xusheng, you can't blame me for this. I've worked hard these three years, even if I haven't achieved much. If you want me to cover this, you might as well kill me..."

Lu Xusheng leaned slightly in his chair, the light from the doorway casting a multicolored halo on his broad shoulders, his face hidden in the shifting light and shadow, his narrow eyes sharp and piercing.

His gaze swept calmly from the main mistress to the mistress of the main branch, Liu Shi, and finally rested upon the old lady.

The old lady shivered as those inscrutable eyes turned to her,

"Xusheng?"

Lu Xusheng smiled again, straightened up, his voice even calm,

"Grandmother, when you insisted on taking the family property and title to give to the main branch, you should have expected these consequences. The family fortune your son squandered, shouldn't you be the one to repay it?"

The old lady's face changed dramatically, and she angrily said, "You want me to make up for these deficits?" Before Lu Xusheng could answer, the old lady's face turned fierce,

"I tell you, don't threaten me. If you have the guts, issue me a writ of divorce. I'd like to see how the court officials view you, a disrespectful and treacherous person who dares to divorce his own grandmother, and how you plan to stand in the court."

Lu Xusheng's eyes were dark, his voice carrying a smile,

"Grandmother, rest assured. Your grandson would never do such a rebellious thing."

The old lady breathed a slight sigh of relief, believing she had regained the upper hand.

To her surprise, the strikingly handsome man spoke calmly, his words making her seethe with anger,

"However, since the deficit cannot be covered, I won't save my uncle."

This was nothing but a threat!

The old lady was furious, her teeth clenched and eyes blazing with rage as she pounded the bed several times,

"What sin have I committed to be cursed with such unfilial sons and grandsons, each one tormenting me in my old age?"

The eldest son, Lu Yunsheng, knelt before her in tears,

"Grandmother, I beg you, please help free my father from prison."

Unable to deal with Lu Xusheng, the old lady could only vent her anger on Lu Yunsheng,

"You're just as disappointing. Had you passed the imperial exam, I could have asked the Empress for a high-ranking post for you, and we wouldn't be at the mercy of others now."

What could they do?

Lu Xusheng had them cornered.

The old lady clutched her chest, sighing and shaking her head repeatedly before ordering someone to fetch the silver.

Thirteen thousand taels of silver.

It drained more than half of her savings. Who would she depend on in the future?

She had always relied entirely on the elder master; saving him was non-negotiable.

Fifteen minutes later, the money was handed to the steward, Mr. Hang.

Nearly all the accounts were settled.

Only one thing remained. Mr. Hang told Lu Xusheng,

"Young Master, that's all. It's just this year's rent receipts from various places. The main office has them, but they're incomplete; some are still on the way."

At that moment, Lu Xusheng turned his gaze to the large group of stewards waiting outside the door. Some were loyal to his father, most to the elder master, but now they couldn't afford to be picky. Lu Xusheng made a sweeping move.

"Today, you've seen that the Lu family will collect every bit of rent owed. If even a single coin is missing, you know what I can do."

They knew all too well.

The entire Duke's mansion's survival was in his hands. Any slip-up would not only end their careers but also their lives.

They were all people whose families relied on the Lu family for their survival.

"Young Master, rest assured, as long as I'm in charge, there will be no mistakes."

"Yes, yes, this year's grain and coarse rice are stored in the Lower Street warehouse. I'll double-check and send you an updated list."

"The fur goods are under my care. I'll sort out the accounts and present them to you and the young mistress."

The subordinates were all meek, not one daring to talk back.

As for the furs and sea goods the mistress had hidden, they would undoubtedly have to be retrieved one by one.

Lu Xusheng had summoned the stewards to make an example of them.

He didn’t have time to deal with everyone one by one, so he yanked a few up to scare the rest, planning to take care of those who still didn’t fall in line later.

But Cheng Yian saw right through it—Lu Xusheng was clearing the path for her.

See, this guy’s really something. With just a snap of his fingers, he got the whole Duke’s estate in line.

If only he’d cared a little more in their past life, she wouldn’t have had to go through so much pain and ended up divorcing.

Cheng Yian let out a disdainful snort.

The man who’d just been running the show felt his heart drop at his wife’s snort.

What had he messed up this time to piss off this queen?