Chapter 1645: The Search and Seizure

In the inner city, at Tongji Ward, Lu Duoxun's residence in the Eastern Capital was located here. Surveying all the cities under heaven, over the past thirty-odd years, Kaifeng's urban layout had undergone the greatest transformation. By now, within the Eastern Capital, under the impact of the commercial tide, the ward system had been thoroughly abolished, but wards still existed as administrative and security district names.

Although the ward segregation system had been broken, the boundaries between classes within the city had become ever more pronounced and ever more rigid, and the distinction between the inner and outer city was especially stark.

Take Tongji Ward, for example—those who resided there were, without question, all high officials and nobles, great households of lofty status. And over the past decade, within Tongji Ward, the highest in official rank and heaviest in authority had been the Lu residence. The Lu residence was also the most conspicuous center of Tongji Ward, with visitors calling to pay their respects in an unending stream.

Yet such is the mutability of worldly affairs—two days ago the threshold was crowded as a market, and suddenly it could almost catch sparrows. Beneath the vermilion gate and lofty plaque, several constables directly under the Ministry of Justice stood guard with waist knives, each bearing the characteristic cold hardness and severity of criminal clerks, making people shrink back at the sight.

Compared with the desolate and oppressive gate, within the Lu residence there was a scene of bustling activity—a large number of Ministry of Justice clerks were conducting a search and inspection, nearly turning the Lu residence upside down, even paying visits to the rockeries and green groves, leaving no corner untouched.

A cacophony of noise filled the air, weeping interwoven with shouts of reprimand. These Ministry of Justice officers were clearly seasoned hands—they searched with great purpose, moved with agility, and appeared extremely competent.

The household guards and servants were gathered in the front courtyard, over a hundred in number, each one as docile as a quail, yet all trembling with anxiety—both for their master's plight and for their own futures.

The women, children, and female members of the Lu household were gathered in the main hall, huddling together. Such a scene—where had they ever experienced anything like this before? In fact, ever since news of Lu Duoxun's imprisonment had arrived, the entire Lu household had already fallen into utter disarray.

The weeping of the women and children continued without cease. The only one who remained composed was Lu Duoxun's father, Lu Yi, but his aged face was also extremely grim. One withered hand gripped a sandalwood cane tightly, while the other mechanically soothed his young grandson, Lu Kuan.

Lu Yi was not particularly renowned in the Great Han, but he was a veteran bureaucrat of considerable seniority. A man of insight and ability, he had served diligently and loyally for over twenty years, holding posts in many places—from ministry staff to regional magnate. He had governed Luzhou as Prefect and served in Taiyuan Prefecture, and his highest post had been Administration Commissioner of the Southern Yan Mountains Circuit.

Later, due to advanced age and failing health, he had withdrawn to a secondary position, and after Lu Duoxun entered court and became chancellor, he retired completely. Therefore, in terms of background, Lu Duoxun was hardly lacking—at least compared to Zhao Pu, he could indeed save himself twenty years of struggle. Only, Zhao Pu had fortune on his side, so a mere twenty years counted for nothing...

Having long weathered the seas of officialdom, and being near the end of his years, Lu Yi did not display excessive emotion at all that was happening before his eyes. He seemed to view it with great detachment—or perhaps it was simply impossible to discern anything from those clouded old eyes.

In the hall also stood a tall, upright figure—Lü Mengzheng, the current Vice Minister of Justice. In recent years, the upper echelons of power in the court had been in a constant process of renewal and replacement, and among those of humble origins, in the past decade, none had risen faster than Lü Mengzheng, whose upward momentum still showed no sign of stopping.

From the Palace Treasury to Academician of the Hanlin Academy, from Secretariat Drafter to Vice Minister of Justice—Emperor Liu held this young talent in high regard, even though Lü Mengzheng could no longer be described as young. Still, Lü Mengzheng, nearing forty, was in the prime of his vigor, at the stage of establishing achievements and building a career.

Lu Duoxun was, after all, no ordinary man, so this search of the Lu residence was personally led by this Vice Minister of Justice. While his subordinates worked meticulously, Lü Mengzheng observed the crowd in the hall with a grave expression, and noticing Lu Yi's decrepit appearance, could not help but sigh inwardly.

After a moment's hesitation, Lü Mengzheng stepped forward and made a cupped-fist salute: "Elder Lu, please be at ease, there is no need to worry—this is merely routine procedure!"

Hearing this sudden consolation, Lu Yi's gaze once again fell upon Lü Mengzheng, and his turbid old eyes seemed to regain a measure of clarity. Lü Mengzheng, whether in appearance or bearing, perfectly embodied what a contemporary scholar-official should be—neither arrogant nor impatient, open-minded and modest, inspiring goodwill at first sight.

Thinking of his own unfilial son, Lu Yi sighed inwardly—if only Lu Duoxun could have had even a little more of such breadth of mind and bearing, how could things have come to this?

Looking at Lü Mengzheng, Lu Yi spoke in his aged voice, asking: "May I ask who you are, sir, and what post you hold?"

"Your subordinate is Lü Mengzheng, unworthily serving as Right Vice Minister of Justice!" Lü Mengzheng replied.

"Truly a man of outstanding talent! You are one with great prospects—in the future, you will likely surpass this old man's unfilial son!" Lu Yi said.

Lü Mengzheng was momentarily taken aback at these words, and a look of surprise finally appeared on his face. He hurriedly said: "Elder Lu, you flatter me!"

Seeing this, Lu Yi sighed and said: "There is one matter—if Vice Minister Lü does not mind, I would ask for your assistance!"

"Elder Lu, please speak!"

Lu Yi's old eyes were filled with melancholy as he said in a low voice: "This old man said long ago—a family of simple scholarly heritage, suddenly blessed with wealth, knowing not how to restrain itself, unaware of where it would finally come to rest. Today it seems my words were unfortunately proven true.

I beg Vice Minister Lü to convey to His Majesty that my unfilial son has broken the law and must bear his guilt and accept his punishment. The entire Lu household shall likewise don convict's garb and plain clothes, awaiting the descent of heavenly wrath.

This old man is already one foot in the grave—I should have been buried years ago. That I linger on today means I have no other wish, only that His Majesty, mindful of this old man's twenty years of loyal service, might leave me a plot of burial ground in my native village of Henei. If that should come to pass, even beneath the Nine Springs, this old man shall be grateful for His Majesty's grace..."

Lu Yi's words were delivered with great sincerity, his tone calm and detached, yet the speech inevitably carried a sense of sorrow and desolation that stirred pity in the heart.

Hearing this, Lü Mengzheng could not help but feel a measure of admiration for this old Master Lu, and said solemnly: "Elder Lu, rest assured—I will certainly convey your words!"

"Many thanks!"

"Vice Minister!" At that moment, a subordinate clerk hurried into the hall, saluting Lü Mengzheng: "We've found it!"

Noticing the excitement on the man's face, Lü Mengzheng asked: "What is it?"

The newcomer said: "The officers discovered a false wall in a pavilion in the inner courtyard. After breaking through the wall, several secret chambers were revealed, containing a large quantity of documents..."

Hearing this, Lü Mengzheng immediately became serious. He turned and saluted Lu Yi, then instructed the clerk: "Lead the way!"

"Yes!" The subordinate clerk eagerly led the way ahead.

Before stepping out the door, Lü Mengzheng paused and instructed one of the guards: "We are here on official business, searching for evidence. You must not bully or violate anyone in the Lu household—anyone who does will be dealt with accordingly!"

"Yes!" When a dignified Vice Minister of Justice gave such an order, how could these officers of the same system dare not comply, even if they were not entirely willing in their hearts?

The Lu residence indeed occupied a great deal of land, and the courtyard layout was extremely exquisite. Everywhere still decorated with lanterns and colored ribbons, the atmosphere of luxury and wealth was thick indeed.

Lü Mengzheng felt even more keenly the weight of Lu Yi's earlier words about "a family of simple scholarly heritage." It was clear that Lu Yi was old, bore not a trace of extravagance about him, and dressed very simply. So where did the problem lie? Clearly—Lu Duoxun.

Passing through along the way, the ransacked interior of the Lu residence gave a strong impression of chaos. Lü Mengzheng gently shook his head—was this the residence of a chancellor of the court, and the fate of a chancellor of the court?

Lü Mengzheng had not had much interaction with Lu Duoxun, but he was well aware of his glory in recent years. Whatever others might think of Lu Duoxun's plight, Lü Mengzheng felt that henceforth, serving as an official at court, he should be even more cautious and careful—simply focusing on doing his duty.

From this perspective, Lü Mengzheng was extremely fortunate. The officialdom had never lacked for struggles, and every step upward was nearly taken atop the bones of others.

At this time, Lü Mengzheng was not yet qualified to participate in the highest power struggles at court, and thanks to Emperor Liu's regard, major troubles would basically not find him, while minor troubles his own abilities were sufficient to resolve. His official career had been smooth and steady, but after this affair, he could not help but feel a measure of tension.

His feet moved nimbly and his strides were long, but even so, it took about half a quarter-hour before he neared his destination. Passing through the rear courtyard, Lü Mengzheng noticed something amiss—several passing officers had obvious bulges in their robes. He immediately called them to a halt.

The four Ministry of Justice officers were greatly startled and exchanged guilty glances. Seeing their behavior, Lü Mengzheng felt even more certain something was wrong. With a grim face, he ordered: "Go—undo their robes!"

The several officers following him immediately rushed forward and roughly tore at their clothing. The four did not dare resist, and soon, with a clatter, gold, silver, and jewels spilled all over the ground, the sound of their falling crisp and clear.

Seeing this, the four immediately prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling, not daring to speak. Lü Mengzheng frowned as he stepped forward, bent down, and picked up one of the pearls—crystal clear, round and lustrous, of superior quality. This was a southern pearl, from the Two Guangs.

Lü Mengzheng could not help but recall that Emperor Liu had once forbidden the people of the Two Guangs from making a living by pearl diving, but later it had been revived. Now it seemed—if even a chancellor of the court enjoyed such treasures, how could the practice possibly be prohibited?

Ordering the scattered valuables to be gathered up, Lü Mengzheng coldly looked at those four officers and sneered: "You four wretches—even as thieves, you are this stupid!"

"We know our wrongs, we dare not do it again—please, Vice Minister, show mercy!" The several men hurriedly begged for forgiveness.

"Detain these four, and after returning to the office, deal with them according to regulations!" Lü Mengzheng instructed the subordinate clerk at his side.

"Yes!" The clerk, quick-witted, immediately waved to the other officers nearby.

This small incident did not affect Lü Mengzheng's somewhat eager mood. The pavilion his subordinate had reported was called the Mingxin Pavilion—a well-chosen name, for it stored some damning evidence.

Inside the clean and tidy secret chamber, Lü Mengzheng randomly took a document from a bookshelf, opened it and glanced through it briefly, then closed it with force. Looking at the two rows of bookshelves and two chests in the chamber, he naturally understood the value of these things.

"With these things, how could Chancellor Lu possibly escape this calamity!" He sighed in reflection, then his tone turned stern as he gravely instructed: "Everything in this secret chamber is to be sealed and brought back to the Ministry of Justice. Not a single item may be omitted, no one may secretly read any of it, and no mistake of any kind may occur!"

"Yes!"