Chapter 130: I, Lu Shenzhou, Will Command All the Empire

After entering the Western Depot's back courtyard, the scene inside was unexpectedly different.

You've come a long way.

The inner courtyard has a central well, a square yard where you can look up and see the sky.

Talk of the well, talk of the vast sky.

Upon entering the yard, Ma Bao stood to one side, silent.

Four others had already arrived in the courtyard.

Three men, one woman!

The three men each carried distinct demeanors, standing still as they studied the two of you.

You paid them no mind, your gaze fixed instead on the lone woman in the yard.

She wore a plain white robe, seated quietly on a chair; though her body was bound and immobile, her eyes betrayed urgent anxiety.

Her face was pale as frost, her lips cracked from dryness, her hands clenched into fists, blood seeping from beneath her nails.

Her features were delicate, bearing a faint resemblance to your uncle's outline, yet her aura was far gentler.

She must have inherited her looks from her mother—your mother once said your aunt was a cultured woman from Jiangnan.

She died of illness a few years ago; your uncle aged overnight.

She is your cousin—the woman your mother once mentioned, named Wei Yue.

A strange sense of kinship surged within you, the bond of shared blood.

You gave her a reassuring smile.

Wei Yue grew even more uneasy.

Lu Yu whispered to you: no ambushes nearby, only three Grand Masters here.

They clearly believed three Grand Masters were enough to kill you both.

Chen Sanzhong sighed beside you: "With your wisdom, you surely understand the danger here—yet you still came. Truly admirable."

"Knowing the mountain holds tigers, yet choosing to walk toward it."

When you returned to the capital and met the current Grand Empress Dowager, that nine-thousand-year-old eunuch stood by her side.

You did not reply directly.

Instead, you turned your gaze to the other three.

One of them, an old monk, was the famed Yu Seng of Lingxi Temple.

His snow-white eyebrows hung low, his face etched with sorrow, hands clasped in greeting, he bowed slightly and murmured:

"Amitabha, Master Lu, long time no see."

You had once met Yu Seng in the north; you remembered how, when the imperial decree ordered withdrawal, this venerable monk personally entered your northern encampment, seeking to discern your heart.

At that time, Yu Seng—who had spent his life never taking a single life—entered your tent with an unmistakable glint of killing intent in his eyes.

He waited only for your answer!

Now, upon meeting again, the old monk's killing intent remained unchanged, just as it had been in the north.

You found it strange.

So many in the world wish me, Lu Chen, dead.

Am I truly beyond redemption?

Among them was also a middle-aged man you had never met—Jiang Xiaoyue of Pingniu Gang!

This Grand Master, famed for his palm techniques, radiated a faint air of contempt—the arrogance inherent to his realm, as if no one in the world mattered to him.

Jiang Xiaoyue crossed his arms, his gaze cold as ice.

He glanced at Lu Yu, his voice devoid of warmth: "We three will kill Lu Yu first, then Lu Chen."

A Grand Master is worth all three of us joining forces.

It is a certain death trap!

Chen Sanzhong nodded, yet showed no haste.

"The Grand Empress Dowager has a few final words for the Young Protector."

You were curious, raising your eyes to him.

Chen Sanzhong spoke slowly: "The Grand Empress Dowager says, back when you defended Hulao Pass against the northern winds, we owed you gratitude—but this is still the Great Qing's realm."

"The ruler is ruler, the subject is subject. Today's situation? Blame it on your too-great achievements, your too-famous name."

"The Grand Empress Dowager originally wished to spare the Lu family a sliver of mercy—but fearing endless future troubles, she has withdrawn that mercy. She hopes you will not blame her."

"After your death today, not a single soul in the Lu household will remain alive."

He paused, then continued: "Yet the Grand Empress Dowager also said that a hundred years from now, great Confucian scholars will defend your legacy and clear your name."

Upon hearing this!

Lu Yu's fury could no longer be contained, yet you merely smiled faintly.

Chen Sanzhong searched your face for even the slightest flicker of emotion.

He found none.

The Empress ordered these words delivered to see whether Lu Chen would be struck by terror or fear.

Too bad—she will be disappointed.

Chen Sanzhong sighed inwardly: "No wonder he commands three armies—in the face of death, his expression remains as calm as a still lake."

He recalled how, years ago, this Young Protector had entered the capital with overwhelming momentum.

Now he faced such an end—his heart ached with regret.

Remember: the master's orders must not be botched.

Wei Yue's face turned ashen at these words, her anxiety deepening; tears streamed from her bright eyes like broken beads.

Chen Sanzhong continued: "Young Protector, rest assured—since Miss Wei arrived at the Western Depot, we have never disrespected her, nor harmed her in the slightest."

"Yet this lady is fiercely proud, refusing outright to eat."

At this moment, the old monk beside them spoke.

He sensed Lu Chen had changed since his last arrival in the capital, and asked:

"What is your purpose in coming to the capital this time?"

You said nothing, instead turning your gaze to Wei Yue!

This cousin you had never met.

In your mind rose your uncle's strong, bold face—the man who, by northern campfires, raised his cup and shouted to ride into battle.

Wei Yue inherited her father's spirit—her blood-written letter revealed her resolve.

In her heart you saw urgency, guilt, self-reproach, worry—and a trace of fear.

Urgency: for you to leave.

Guilt and self-reproach: that you came to save her; worry for your safety.

Only then came fear.

Fear—how could she not fear? She is only seventeen, a girl in the bloom of youth.

You suddenly looked up at the sky; the square courtyard framed it, revealing a deep, clear blue.

Your uncle would rather bite out his own tongue in the Dali Temple than risk causing you any harm.

You took a deep breath!

Shouldn't it be I, Lu Chen, who has dragged you both into this?

It seems your mother felt the same—she believed she had wronged you, Lu Chen.

You couldn't help but think:

Had you never cultivated on Mount Zhongnan,

your father, your mother, your uncle, and Cousin Wei Yue—

wouldn't they have lived more freely?

Your father always wanted to return to the north, to their ancestral homeland—yet for all these years he never left Jingcheng, wasn't it because he feared suspicion would fall on you two brothers?

Your mother wouldn't have had to work so hard.

Your uncle wouldn't have had to hide in the capital.

Your cousin wouldn't have had to spend every day locked inside the Lu family mansion, denied a normal life.

You turned back to Yu Seng—the same man who had asked you this very question in that tent long ago.

Back then!

You had simply said: "This time I come to the capital only to resign my post and retire to cultivate on Zhongnan."

All the generals in the tent, beneath the candlelight, sighed and lowered their heads; the old monk departed then.

Now!

You spoke your first words since entering the courtyard.

Fifteen years later, you answered the same question again.

You spoke softly:

"This time I come to the capital—I, Lu Shenzhou, intend to command all the empire's troops!"

(End of Chapter)