Chapter 1649: Striking at Each Other's Hearts

"Chancellor Lu is in fine spirits indeed—even trapped in this prison, he remains perfectly at ease, able to chat with the jailers in this dark, filthy corner. Such an opportunity is something one could never experience in ordinary times!"

A deep, resonant voice came from not far away. Following the sound, Zhao Pu's figure emerged from the shadows, dressed very formally in cap, sash, and robes, carrying the unique imposing aura befitting the Chief Chancellor of the Great Han.

Judging from his words, he had evidently overheard some of Lu Duoxun's conversation with the jailer, and so he offered a teasing remark—though it carried not even a trace of humor.

The jailer naturally did not recognize Zhao Pu, but from his bearing alone, he knew this was absolutely a man of great importance. Not to mention that even the warden stood trembling and obsequious at the side, let alone the several ornately dressed guards and attendants. Zhao Pu was always accompanied by Inner Palace guards for his protection—an honor bestowed by Emperor Liu, and a privilege afforded to a chancellor of the court.

The jailer grew flustered, at a loss for how to conduct himself, standing there awkwardly with hands and feet going nowhere, unsure what courtesy to render, his legs going weak while he forgot to kneel.

Of course, Zhao Pu clearly would not concern himself with such a minor figure. He waved his hand, dismissing the jailer along with the warden, leaving space for Zhao and Lu to converse.

A guard brought over a folding chair and set it up outside the cell. Zhao Pu lifted his robes and sat down. These two old rivals had, not long ago, been discussing matters of state and debating within Guangzheng Hall. Now they found themselves in this prison—except one was inside, one outside; one in imposing official robes, one in disheveled prisoner's garb. The stark contrast made the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

From the moment Zhao Pu appeared, Lu Duoxun's expression had changed, shifting from gloomy to sinister, until he finally composed his cold face and returned to normal. Yet there was no trace of cowardice or shameful anger in his gaze; he even still held his head high and chest out, maintaining an air of confidence. This was perhaps his way of barely preserving his dignity—regardless, he would never show weakness before Zhao Pu.

Seeing Zhao Pu sit down, Lu Duoxun also casually swept aside some wheat straw, stepped back, and sat on the ground, speaking first: "Has Chancellor Zhao come here to witness this old man's downfall with his own eyes, so as to mock and ridicule me?"

From Lu Duoxun's words, one could see that he remained trapped in personal grievances, overestimating himself and underestimating Zhao Pu. Perhaps he was projecting his own nature—had their positions been swapped, this was exactly the sort of thing Lu Duoxun would do.

Hearing this, Zhao Pu did not even blink. He said calmly: "Even reduced to this place, Chancellor Lu remains just as aggressive—your resolve truly never changes!"

"If I could change, I would not be Lu Duoxun!" Lu Duoxun sneered coldly.

"I deeply concur with that statement!" Zhao Pu nodded, then his tone immediately turned serious. He clasped his hands toward the north and said: "I have come here on His Majesty's orders to interrogate Lu Duoxun! Originally, this should have been done in the Ministry of Justice's main hall, but out of consideration for our many years as colleagues, I took a few extra steps and came to this cell instead!"

Lu Duoxun chuckled twice, and in his wistful tone there was even a hint of self-satisfaction: "I was just wondering earlier—now that I, Lu Duoxun, am imprisoned, how could Chancellor Zhao show no reaction whatsoever? Previously it was Xin Zhongfu and his lot handling the case, but how could they possibly be qualified to interrogate me? Chancellor Zhao... you..."

Lu Duoxun did not finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear: Zhao Pu was qualified enough to interrogate him, though barely. Perhaps in Lu Duoxun's mind, the only ones truly qualified to interrogate him were the Emperor and the Crown Prince—though of course, Lu Duoxun would prefer Emperor Liu himself.

For Lu Duoxun, as long as he could see Emperor Liu, everything could still be salvaged. In the past, many had impeached him, and he had deflected every accusation. The fundamental reason was that he could speak directly before Emperor Liu and could placate him.

But this time, he had no road to heaven above and no door into the earth below—even news from the outside world was sealed off. He had no concept whatsoever of how the situation was developing. How could this not leave him anxious and deeply worried?

Yet before Zhao Pu, he still displayed confidence and composure.

Zhao Pu seemed equally unconcerned with Lu Duoxun's arrogance and rudeness. There was almost no fluctuation in his gaze as he sized him up for a moment, then asked: "I will not waste words. Let me ask you—do you know your crimes?"

Zhao Pu cut straight to the point, going directly for the heart of the matter. Lu Duoxun raised an eyebrow, his body seeming to have fleas as he squirmed a bit before saying: "What crimes does this old man have?"

Lu Duoxun's gaze was clearly provocative. Zhao Pu naturally noticed, but still paid it no mind, refusing to accept the provocation. He merely watched him quietly, until even Lu Duoxun lost interest in the game.

"Why persist in such bitter stubbornness?" After a long silence, Zhao Pu finally spoke: "With your intelligence, Lu Duoxun, can you truly not perceive the unusual nature of this affair?

Never mind the dozens of charges that Xin Zhongfu and the others are investigating—even if they found a hundred, a thousand, what would it matter? Do you not understand in your heart why you were truly imprisoned?"

"Was it not Chancellor Zhao's doing?" Lu Duoxun replied casually, though a rare hint of gravity surfaced in his eyes.

Lu Duoxun answered perfunctorily, but Zhao Pu spoke with confidence: "Allow me to speak arrogantly—if I had wanted to deal with you, Lu Duoxun, I would have driven you out of the court long ago!"

"Just as in the Hou Zhi case back then?" Lu Duoxun brought up an old matter with disdain.

Zhao Pu narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly: "The reason you have held on until now is that you still harbor a sliver of hope for His Majesty's pardon! Let me reveal a bit of information to you—regarding your case, since the great court assembly, His Majesty has barely inquired into it at all. He has only had the Crown Prince oversee the Three Judicial Offices in handling it according to law.

You understand what that means, do you not? I myself am not yet clear on the root of this case, but as for what taboo you have violated—after all these days, you should have figured it out by now!"

Hearing Zhao Pu say this, Lu Duoxun's face finally changed completely. His cheeks, which had thinned in a short time, twitched involuntarily, and a hint of darkness appeared in his eyes.

How could Lu Duoxun not understand Zhao Pu's meaning? He knew perfectly well what taboo he had violated. What worried him was precisely what Zhao Pu had said—Emperor Liu had likely already abandoned him. Otherwise, he would not have gone so long without even a single opportunity to defend himself face to face.

However, precisely because it was Zhao Pu who said it, Lu Duoxun could not help but doubt it, always harboring that sliver of hope in his heart, clinging to the extravagant wish that the fire might rekindle from the ashes.

Lu Duoxun fell silent, and Zhao Pu gave him the opportunity to ponder and weigh. After a while, he continued in that same calm tone: "Though I came on imperial orders, I have no intention of debating with you. I am merely informing you of the current situation. Whether you confess or not, I will simply report the facts as they are.

Additionally, let me remind you of one more thing—your elderly father, Lord Lu, has already ordered two coffins to be made. Word has it that one is for you, and one is for his own use..."

With that, Zhao Pu rose to leave.

"You're just leaving like that?" Lu Duoxun snapped back to attention, looking at Zhao Pu in surprise.

Zhao Pu stopped, and said calmly: "Between you and me, there was never anything to say!"

"Heh heh!" Lu Duoxun laughed aloud again, rising to grip the cell bars, staring fixedly at Zhao Pu's retreating back: "Even if I have fallen to this state, it was not at your hands, Zhao Pu. A pity, what a pity!

But once Lu Duoxun has fallen, how much longer can you, Zhao Pu, hold on? I just wonder whether this old man will live to see the day of your end, Chancellor Zhao.

Hahaha..."

Lu Duoxun's words finally moved Zhao Pu, and he quickened his pace in leaving. By the time he walked out of the prison, the gloom on his face had been deeply concealed.

He had indeed come with some intent to strike at Lu Duoxun's heart, but in the end, Lu Duoxun had still managed to strike back. That final remark of Lu Duoxun's had indeed touched a sensitive spot in Zhao Pu's heart.

With Lu Duoxun's fall, the balance of the court was immediately shattered. As could be seen from the large number of officials recently implicated and arrested, the court was undergoing a tremendous upheaval and transformation. Before the power was restructured and a new balance established, what else might happen—even Zhao Pu himself had no idea. Could he, the Chief Chancellor, successfully weather this storm?

In all his years as chancellor, Zhao Pu had never felt so uncertain, so lacking in confidence as this time. The cold, imposing image of Emperor Liu forcefully dominated Zhao Pu's thoughts.

In the cell, after Zhao Pu left, Lu Duoxun sank completely into dejection. He slumped carelessly against the chilly wall like a pile of mud, as if all his vitality and spirit had been drained dry.

He could laugh no more. All manner of emotions surged in his eyes—anger and unwillingness, despair and pain—but not a trace of regret. Only when he thought of his aged father nearing the end of his life, and of his children not yet grown, did a hint of worry appear.

The news Zhao Pu brought was a tremendous blow to Lu Duoxun. Once abandoned by Emperor Liu, there was no light left in Lu Duoxun's world.

Though he was unwilling to believe Zhao Pu, even suspecting a conspiracy, his intuition kept reminding him—it was true.

The image of Emperor Liu surfaced in his mind, but what Lu Duoxun felt now was blurriness, strangeness, coldness, and a terror that made his heart race.

Perhaps Lu Duoxun himself had not noticed that in the not-too-long time since his imprisonment, his temples—once without a trace of gray—had gained several silver strands. Clearly, he was not as open-minded and optimistic as he had appeared.