Chapter 60 Even Steven

Chapter 60: No Debts Between Us

A passionate night.

The consequence of indulging all night was that Jiang Wanrou missed her mahjong game with her two sisters-in-law. Fortunately, she didn’t have to attend the morning assembly, so she slept until noon without anyone bothering her.

Lu Feng, on the other hand, was a man of constant toil. He dressed neatly before dawn and stepped out into the snow with vigor. Without Jiang Wanrou to look after him, the servants dared not meet their master’s gaze directly. When Lu Feng stood in the Imperial Hall, he noticed the strange looks everyone was giving him.

"Hmph, Commander Lu, you are young and vigorous now, but you should learn moderation," the Emperor said, looking at the glaring scratch marks on Lu Feng's cheek. Though disappointed, the Emperor also considered Lu Feng's dignity and couldn’t speak too bluntly. The Emperor's face darkened as he silently added another mark against Jiang Wanrou in his heart.

Beauty is a curse!

Lu Feng touched the scratches on his face. Last night had been so intense that her feeble attempts to scratch him felt like mere tickles, and he hadn’t noticed them at all.

Under the Emperor’s and the court’s teasing gazes, Lu Feng stepped forward and said without changing his expression, "Last night, I engaged in a fierce struggle with the Chen Faction, leaving me with these marks. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness for my impropriety in the Imperial presence."

Private matters should stay private. Lu Feng had no desire to discuss intimate affairs in public, nor did he want his wife to become the subject of gossip.

The Emperor was so angry he could only glare. This brat, deceiving the Emperor with such a weak excuse! What would the Chen Faction do? Scratch you to death?

Despite the obvious flaws in Lu Feng's excuse, the Emperor couldn’t expose him and had to cover for him. Everyone could see something was amiss, but what could they do? If the Emperor accepted it, who would dare question Commander Lu?

The Emperor's face was stern as he gave a few words of instruction. He couldn’t let his own son be embarrassed over such a trivial matter. Lu Feng remained calm and deftly steered the conversation away from personal matters.

"Although the Chen Faction escaped last night, I severely injured Chen Fu. I request Your Majesty to order the Capital Governor and the Five City Guard to search all clinics and apothecaries and apprehend the fugitive."

Everyone's hearts tightened, and their thoughts quickly shifted from the earlier scandal to the serious matter of the Chen Faction. The Capital Governor and other officials immediately stepped forward, expressing their willingness to assist Commander Lu.

"Not for my sake," Lu Feng said indifferently. "But for Your Majesty and the court."

The Emperor's expression brightened, and he clapped his hands, laughing heartily. "Good, good! This is my loyal... faithful servant! Hahaha, someone, bestow a generous reward upon him!"

This wasn’t the first time Lu Feng had received a reward, but it was the first time he felt so humiliated.

The Emperor had been on the throne for over twenty years, and his imperial dignity wouldn’t allow him to be so indiscreet. As soon as he finished speaking, not only the civil and military officials but also the attending princes, such as Prince Xian, Prince Ying, and Prince Min, all looked at him differently.

With Chen Fu about to be captured, it was also time for Lu Feng and the Emperor to fulfill their agreement of acknowledging his lineage. Lu Feng wanted to contend for that position, and restoring his identity was inevitable. However, the Emperor could tolerate a powerful minister but might not want a prince with heavy authority.

He held the *Forbidden Dragon Bureau*, and in the north, Ling Xiao, as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, controlled eighty thousand troops. Ling Xiao was not easily moved, but on the day Lu Feng became a prince, the *Forbidden Dragon Bureau* might cease to exist.

In recent major cases, the Emperor bypassed the *Forbidden Dragon Bureau* and directly handed them over to the Grand Court and the Board of Punishments. Lu Feng watched coldly, understanding the Emperor's intentions.

He wanted Lu Feng to retire gracefully and become a peaceful and idle prince, but Lu Feng... was unwilling.

He also had the blood of an Emperor. Just because he had a lame leg, did he have to live under others for the rest of his life? His son would kneel before others' sons, and his woman would bow to others' women... Just thinking about it was unbearable.

The *Duke of Lu* was brave and upright. When Lu Feng first learned of his true identity, he didn’t want to contend for anything. If it weren’t for Qi Xuan’s blunder, Lu Feng wouldn’t have tasted the sweetness of power, and he couldn’t let go now.

Lu Feng silently returned to his position, slightly lowering his eyelids like an immovable mountain, making it impossible for others to gauge his depth.

...

The court continued to discuss state affairs. The world was generally peaceful, except for the recent uproar caused by the Chen Faction and the nearly resolved Jiangnan case. Everything else was minor. Lu Feng listened quietly until Pei Zhang stepped forward to present his report.

"Sire, there is a remote border town in the northern frontier called 'Luoyun Town.' This place is impoverished and isolated, often harassed by the Turkic during winter, causing great suffering to the people. I beseech Your Majesty to show mercy and reduce the taxes by fifty percent to alleviate their hardship."

As soon as the words fell, the Minister of Revenue could not sit still and said sarcastically, "Pei Zhang laments the hardships of the people, but he must also consider the survival of the Ministry of Revenue. A fifty percent tax reduction? What if next year the Ministry cannot collect the tax revenue? Shall I go to Pei Zhang's residence to demand it?"

Pei Zhang had recently gained attention. He was young, even younger than Lu Feng, and while many flattered him, just as many disliked him.

Pei Zhang remained calm and composed. He produced a memorial from his sleeve, detailing Luoyun Town's population—fewer than a thousand households and under ten thousand people, with over thirty percent being the elderly and infirm. It also included statistics on the tax situation: much of the land lay fallow, the annual harvest insufficient to sustain the populace, and the market was declining, with meager profits barely sustaining the town.

Other issues were also listed: bandit raids, burned farmhouses, the enormous cost of military provisions... Each point was clearly delineated, with evidence to support it. The Emperor, moved by the report, appeared genuinely inclined to consider the request.

The court debated ceaselessly. The area had neither major disasters nor droughts, yet a single memorial from the Vice Minister of Personnel had suddenly deprived the Ministry of Revenue of tax revenue. The Ministry naturally objected. Who wouldn't sympathize with the poor? If today it were Luoyun Town, tomorrow it could be Luoyu Town—wouldn't that lead to chaos?

The two sides argued incessantly, with some even taking advantage of the chaos. The Emperor, exasperated by the noise, slammed the dragon table and bellowed, "Enough!"

The Emperor's fierce gaze swept the room and landed on the silent Lu Feng.

"Commander Lu, your thoughts?"

The vast Golden Luan Hall fell into utter silence, with countless eyes fixed on Lu Feng. Lu Feng, without even raising his eyelids, stated, "Follow the law."

According to the law, tax reductions were only permissible in cases of floods, cold, droughts, locusts, plagues, or major wars, or when a new emperor ascended the throne and wished to show benevolence to the people. Moreover, reductions were typically only thirty percent. Pei Zhang had no justification for proposing a fifty percent reduction, and there was no precedent for such a request.

The Emperor massaged his forehead and decreed, "Then let it be handled according to the law. When did my Golden Luan Hall turn into a marketplace? Such noise and disorder are unbecoming!"

"Commander Lu, come to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to see me later. Court is dismissed!"

The Emperor swept his sleeves and left, while the officials knelt to see him off. Lu Feng, positioned at the head of the officials, had just lifted the hem of his robe when the Emperor's attendant eunuch hurried forward to support him, smiling, "Commander Lu, there is no need for such courtesy. His Majesty has instructed that the winter cold is harsh, and kneeling repeatedly is not good for your legs."

"By the way, how is that young Master Luo's medical skills? Don't be fooled by his youth. His Majesty went through great lengths to find him, claiming he is a disciple of some miraculous physician. The rumors are quite extraordinary."

Lu Feng's lips curled slightly. Was this the way of an emperor? On one hand, a benevolent father; on the other, a ruthless ruler. He could neither fully love him as a father nor revere him as an emperor.

He walked out of the Golden Luan Hall alone. The weather was growing colder, and outside the palace gates, carriages and sedan chairs of all sizes were parked. The officials hurried off, eager to leave. Lu Feng walked slowly, waiting for the crowd to disperse. At the corner of a red-painted pillar, he encountered Pei Zhang face to face.

"Commander Lu."

Pei Zhang cupped his hands in greeting. Lu Feng glanced at him and said indifferently, "This is not the way out of the palace."

He was heading to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, while Pei Zhang was leaving the palace. Their paths should not have crossed.

Pei Zhang met Lu Feng's gaze without unnecessary explanations or idle talk. He got straight to the point, "Our personal grievances should not interfere with state affairs."

Lu Feng sneered and raised his eyelids, "Grievances? What grievances do we have?"

The famously eloquent Vice Minister Pei fell silent.

He had always been upright and incorruptible, but for her, he had for the first time abused his power, altering the confession of Zhang Qianyu, the grain tax governor of Suzhou.

Zhang Qianyu died suddenly in prison.

If Zhang Qianyu's death was an accident, later during a trial, the prisoner's shackles were as good as nonexistent, and he suddenly lunged forward, nearly blinding Pei Zhang. Pei Zhang was not foolish; on the contrary, he had extraordinary patience and attention to detail.

He did not investigate further, not because he feared Lu Feng. Now that she was married to another, her husband was violent and suspicious, and he did not want to cause her trouble.

Pei Zhang said, "It was all my one-sided wish. I too am married and would never harbor any improper thoughts."

"Commander Lu, please do not take it out on... others."

He even avoided mentioning her name. She was living under his care, and he only wished for her to have a slightly better life.

Lu Feng let out a series of cold sneers, his voice hissing through clenched teeth, "Pei Zhang, who do you think you are? And who do you think I am, huh?"

"If I wanted you dead, you’d be gone by now."

At first, Lu Feng suspected Pei Zhang had designs on his wife, and he wanted to skin him alive! But he wasn’t completely irrational; Pei Zhang hadn’t truly done anything against the law, and he was a key figure in the government who had secretly helped Jiang Wanrou. Lu Feng gave him a stern warning once, which he managed to evade, already demonstrating Lu Feng’s generosity.

Pei Zhang was silent for a moment, then said, "I know, Commander Lu showed mercy."

Lu Feng suddenly said, "Three times. Three times, we’ve helped each other."

"You taught my son to write, and I helped you attain the position of Imperial Censor Commissioner."

"During the southern expedition, you helped me find the traitor Chen, and I saved your life."

"Later, with Zhang Qianyu, although you altered the testimony, you were ultimately merciful. In this world, only the dead cannot be made to talk; I was the one who tied up the loose ends. Lord Pei—"

Lu Feng's gaze was sharp, fixed tightly on Pei Zhang, "We’re square now."

Lu Feng was a stickler for rules; the state has its laws, and the family has its rules. Regarding the matter of Luoyun Town, if someone else had brought it up, his response would have been the same.

In political matters, he never mixed personal grudges.

Pei Zhang was sharp, but right now, he almost resented his own wit. Lu Feng was not lying. This time, he was at a disadvantage.

He took a step back and earnestly bowed to Lu Feng, saying, "I’ve been petty, please forgive me, Commander Lu."

A flicker of surprise passed through Lu Feng's eyes. Not mixing personal grudges, he quite admired this young Lord Pei, who could bend and stretch, truly an extraordinary man.

He asked, "Why go all out for some backwater town?"

To be fair, Pei Zhang's memorial was well-written, even swaying the emperor somewhat. If implemented, it could indeed benefit the local populace.

Pei Zhang gave a bitter smile, "Even a border town is part of Great Qi. I apologize, I will find another way."

In his dreams, he had lived with her in Luoyun Town for three years, back when he was just a small county magistrate, able to do so little. Now, with the right timing and conditions, perhaps that dream was a reminder from heaven, and he must do something.

Life isn’t just about love and beauty—it’s about the well-being of the people.