In the inner city, Tongjifang, Lu Duoxun's residence in Tokyo is located here. Looking at cities all over the world, Kaifeng has experienced the largest change in urban layout in more than thirty years. Today, in Tokyo, under the impact of the commercial wave, the Lifang system has been completely abandoned, but Lifang is the name of the area for political security management. , still exists.
Although the segregation system in Lifang has been broken, the boundaries between classes in this city have become more and more distinct and solidified. The difference between inner and outer cities is also particularly wide.
Just like Tongjifang, those who live in it are undoubtedly high-ranking officials and wealthy families. In the past ten years, in Tongji Square, the official with the highest rank and the most powerful authority was the Lu Mansion. The Lu Mansion was also the center of attention in Tongji Square, and there was often an endless stream of people coming to pay their respects.
However, things are unpredictable. The first two days were full of people, but suddenly, there were almost no people. Under the high plaque of the Zhumen, several policemen directly under the Ministry of Punishment were guarding with waist knives. Each of them had the unique coldness and seriousness of criminal officials, which made people look away.
Compared with the desolate and depressing gate of the mansion, there is a busy scene inside the Lu Mansion. A large number of officials from the Ministry of Justice are conducting inspections inside, almost turning the Lu Mansion upside down, even the rockeries and green forests. Take a look around and don't miss every corner.
There was a lot of noise, cries and scoldings intertwined. These officials from the Ministry of Justice were obviously experienced characters. They found things in a targeted manner and moved quickly, appearing to be very capable.
The servants and servants of the mansion were gathered in the front courtyard. There were hundreds of them. They were all as honest as quails, but they were all anxious, not only about what happened to their master, but also about their own future.
The women and children in the Lu Mansion were gathered in the hall, leaning against each other. Such a battle had never been experienced before. In fact, when the news of Lu Duoxun's imprisonment came, the entire Lu Mansion was already in chaos. Big mess.
Women and children cried non-stop. The only one who showed calmness was Lu Duoxun's father, Lu Yi, but his aging face was also very ugly. One of his skinny hands tightly held the sandalwood crutch, and the other hand mechanically comforted the child. Sun Lukuan.
Lu Yi is not well-known in the Han Dynasty, but he is also a very senior bureaucrat. He is knowledgeable, talented, conscientious, and loyal to the king for more than 20 years. He has served in many positions, from a ministerial official to a local official, and he knows his faults. In Luzhou, he also served as Taiyuan Prefecture, and his highest position was as the Chief Envoy of Yanshan South Road.
Later, due to old age and frailty, he retreated to the second line. After Lu Duoxun entered the court to worship the prime minister, he completely retired from office. Therefore, in terms of his background, Lu Duoxun is really not bad. At least compared to Zhao Pu, he can indeed struggle for twenty years less. However, Zhao Pu has good luck, and a mere twenty years is nothing. ...
Having been in the officialdom for a long time and becoming an old man, Lu Yi did not show too much excitement about everything that happened in front of him. He seemed to be looking at it blankly, or he really couldn't see anything from his dim old eyes.
In the hall, there was also a tall figure standing, Lu Mengzheng, who was the Minister of Justice at the time. Over the years, the upper-level power structure of the imperial court has always been in the process of renewal and iteration. Among poor families, in the past ten years, Lu Mengzheng has been promoted the fastest, and his upward momentum has not stopped.
From Shaofu to Cabinet Bachelor, from Zhongshu Sheren to Minister of Justice, Emperor Liu valued this young man very highly, even though Lu Mengzheng could no longer be described as young. However, Lu Mengzheng, who is nearly 40 years old, is also in the prime of life and in the stage of making achievements.
After all, Lu Duoxun was not an ordinary person, so this search of the Lu Mansion was personally led by the Minister of Justice. The subordinates were working carefully, while Lu Mengzheng had a serious face and silently observed the group of portraits in the hall. He noticed Lu Yi's old appearance and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
After hesitating for a moment, Lu Mengzheng stepped forward and bowed his hands: "Mr. Lu, please rest assured, don't worry, it's just a routine matter!"
Hearing this sudden comfort, Lu Yi's eyes fell on Lu Mengzheng again, and his cloudy old eyes seemed to regain a little clarity. Lu Mengzheng, both in appearance and demeanor, is very consistent with the behavior of a contemporary scholar-bureaucrat. He is neither arrogant nor impetuous, open-minded, and makes people fall in love with him at first sight.
Thinking of his rebellious son, Lu Yi sighed in his heart, if Lu Duoxun could be a little more broad-minded and tolerant, why would he be like this?
Looking at Lu Mengzheng, Lu Yicao asked in an old voice: "I don't know who Shangguan is? What is his position?"
"The lower official Lu Mengzheng is the right minister of the Ministry of Punishment!" Lu Mengzheng replied.
"What a hero! You are a promising person. From now on, I'm afraid you will be better than that traitorous son like me!" Lu Yi said.
Lu Mengzheng was slightly stunned when he heard this, and finally a look of surprise appeared on his face, and he hurriedly said: "Mr. Lu is too complimentary!"
Seeing this, Lu Yi sighed: "There is something, if Minister Lu doesn't mind, I hope you can help me!"
"Mr. Lu, please speak!"
Lu Yilao's eyes were full of melancholy, and he said in a low voice: "I have already said what I said. I come from a Confucian family. Once I got rich, I didn't know how to restrain myself. I didn't know where to pay taxes. Today, it seems that my words are unfortunately true.
I would like to ask Mr. Lu to report to Your Majesty that your rebellious son has violated the law. He should be blamed and serve his sentence. Everyone in the Lu family should wear ocher and plain clothes and wait for the power of God to come.
The old man was about to die, and he should have been laid to rest many years ago. He had no other wish to delay his death today. He only hoped that your majesty, remembering that he had devoted his loyal service to the king for twenty years, would leave a place of burial in the countryside of Hanoi. If this is the case, I should also be grateful to His Majesty for your kindness..."
Lu Yi's words were very frank and indifferent, but these words inevitably gave people a sense of sadness and desolation, making people feel pity.
After Lu Mengzheng heard this, he couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for Mr. Lu, and solemnly said: "Don't worry, Mr. Lu, your subordinates will definitely bring this to you!"
"Thank you!"
"Servant!" At this time, an official rushed into the hall and saluted Lu Mengzheng: "Found it!"
Noticing the excitement on his face, Lu Mengzheng asked: "What's going on?"
The visitor said: "The officers found a partition wall in an attic in the inner courtyard. After breaking the wall, several secret rooms were exposed, in which a large number of documents were placed..."
Upon hearing this, Lu Mengzheng immediately paid attention, turned around and saluted Lu Yi, and then ordered the clerk: "Guide the way!"
"Yes!" The subordinate excitedly led the way.
Before leaving the house, Lu Meng stopped and ordered to a guard: "This time I have been ordered to carry out an errand to search for evidence. No one in the Lu family will be humiliated or violated. Violators will be punished!"
"Yes!" The dignified minister of the Ministry of Justice said. How dare these officers in the same system not agree, even if they are not so happy in their hearts.
The Lu Mansion occupies a very large area, and the courtyard layout is also very exquisite. Lanterns and ribbons are still decorated everywhere, and the atmosphere of luxury and wealth is very strong.
Lu Mengzheng was also more touched by Lu Yi's words about "a Confucian family" just now. It could be seen that Lu Yi was old, there was no trace of extravagance in his body, and his clothes were very simple. That's where the problem lies, apparently, with Ludosun.
Along the way, the interior of the Lu Mansion that had been searched gave people a strong sense of mess. Lu Mengzheng shook his head gently. Is this the residence of the prime minister of the dynasty and the fate of the prime minister of the dynasty?
Lu Mengzheng and Lu Duoxun didn't have much interaction, but they still knew about their scenery over the years. No matter how others felt about Lu Duoxun's experience, Lu Mengzheng felt that he should be more cautious and concentrate on his errands as an official in the court from now on.
From this perspective, Lu Meng was extremely lucky. There was never a lack of struggle in the officialdom. Every time he climbed up, he was almost stepping on the bones of others.
At this time, Lu Mengzheng was not qualified to participate in the power struggle at the highest level of the imperial court. However, due to Emperor Liu's regard, big troubles would basically not come to him, and small troubles could be solved by his own abilities. As an official, he is still stable, but after this incident, he can't help but feel a little nervous.
His feet were nimble and his steps were wide, but even so, it took him about half a quarter of an hour to get close to his destination. When passing by the back courtyard, Lu Mengzheng noticed something strange. Several passing officers had obvious bulges in their robes, and he immediately stopped them.
The four officers of the Criminal Department were suddenly shocked. They looked at each other guiltily. Looking at their behavior, they felt something was different. With a solemn face, Lu Mengzheng ordered: "Go and untie their robes!"
The few officers who were following them immediately rushed forward and roughly pulled their clothes and robes. The four people did not dare to resist. Soon, the gold and silver jewelry fell on the ground, and the sound of falling to the ground was a little crisp.
Upon seeing this, the four of them immediately fell to their knees on the ground, trembling and not daring to say anything. Lu Mengzheng frowned and stepped forward, bent down and picked up one of the beads. It was crystal clear and round, with excellent texture. This was a southern pearl from Guangdong and Guangxi.
Lu Mengzheng couldn't help but think that Emperor Liu had banned the people of Guangdong and Guangdong from taking up pearl fishing as a profession, but then it was revived. Now it seems that even the prime ministers of the imperial court are enjoying these treasures, so how can they stop it?
After ordering people to pack up the scattered belongings, Lu Meng looked at the four officials coldly and sneered: "You four common men are such stupid thieves even for being thieves!"
"Young men realize your mistake and don't dare to do it anymore. Please forgive me, sir!" Several people hurriedly apologized.
"Take these four people into custody and deal with them according to the rules after they return to the Yamen!" Lu Meng was giving instructions to the subordinate officials who were following him.
"Yes!" The subordinate was very discerning and immediately waved to the other officials beside him.
A little incident did not affect Lu Mengzheng's anxious mood. The attic reported by his subordinates was called Mingxin Pavilion. The name was good, but it contained some fatal evidence.
In the clean and tidy secret room, Lu Mengzheng randomly took out a scroll from a bookshelf, opened it and read it, briefly browsed it, and then closed it vigorously. He looked at the two rows of bookshelves and two boxes in the secret room. Naturally, Understand the value of these things.
"The Point Guard Is Here"
"With these things, how could Prime Minister Lu escape this disaster!" After sighing, Lu Mengzheng's tone turned serious and he solemnly ordered: "Seal all the things in this secret room and bring them back to the Ministry of Punishment. No single thing should be left out." No one is allowed to read it privately, and no mistakes are allowed!"
"yes!"
