It’s cold in Kyoto in January. After only a few days of sunshine, it started to snow again today. Outside the house, the flying snow and catkins are flying, and the sound of rustling on the eaves is endless. It is freezing cold, and the crowing chickens are too lazy to crow, and are shivering in the chicken coop.
Lu Zuo felt that it was already dawn, so he got up to wash up, and called Lu Renxiang and Yin Ji out of bed. Just as the three of them finished getting dressed, someone outside the yard shouted to open the door.
"Ji'er, please open the door. The prince will probably send someone to jail..." Before Lu Zuo could finish, he chuckled and immediately changed his words, "He has sent someone to look after us."
Yin Ji pouted reluctantly, "Here we go again, these officials are really annoying!"
Lu Renxiang tied her crown on her head and said with a smile, "Then you go and boil water for us to wash our faces?"
"Humph!" Yin Ji made a face to Lu Renxiang and disappeared in a flash.
After a while, as expected, there were four or five people dressed as servants, following behind Yin Ji. Yin Ji was like a powerful young master, walking swaggering in front, leading him to the door of Lu Zuo's room.
The oldest one stood in front of the door and said: "Mr. Lu, we are sent by His Royal Highness to serve you. If you have any instructions, just ask!"
Lu Zuo rarely ordered people around, and it was really hard for him to handle these servants for a while. He glanced at Yin Ji and asked him to make arrangements.
Yin Ji got a look, as if he had received an order, stretched out his legs and stood on the threshold, put his hands on his hips, and commanded in a dignified manner: "You two go to the woodshed to boil water, you two go to the kitchen to make breakfast, and you go outside. Buy groceries, you will prepare today’s meals!”
After Yin Ji gave instructions, when Lu Renxiang was touching the silver in his arms, the old servant knew what Lu Renxiang meant as soon as he saw his movements, so he reported back: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has said before we left that all Mr. Lu's expenses will be used for money." When the time comes, let the young ones go back to the Prince's Mansion to report the accounts. So Mr. Lu doesn't have to spend any money."
Lu Zuo thanked him when he arrived, and after saying that, several servants went to work separately.
After Lu Zuo and the others had breakfast, they put on their coats, took two umbrellas, and went to Pingyuan Bo Anyuanshan's house together.
The side door of the Earl's Mansion is as tall and majestic as the front door. Several gatekeepers stand guard on the stools at the door. From time to time, someone comes out to remind the gatekeeper to be more alert, and the gatekeeper stands still at the door with energy.
Lu Zuo and the other three respectfully handed their names to their disciples to ask for an audience with the Earl. The disciples were reasonable and went to report the matter when they heard that they wanted to see them. After a while, the doorman ran out of the door panting and said that Uncle Ping Yuan had just eaten and wanted to take a rest, and asked the three of them to wait in the main room for a while.
Lu Zuo and the other three entered the mansion easily. On the way into the mansion, they looked around the Earl's Mansion and found that the rockery next to the door was more impressive, while the rest of the layout was quite simple. After bypassing several corridors, we arrived at the main room.
When Lu Zuo entered the hall to take a look, there were several large splashes of tigers on the mountain given by the Holy Emperor hanging on the wall. On the nanmu table in front of the nave was a nearly four-foot-long dragon bird knife, shining with gold, with the words "Imperial Emperor" engraved on it. With the word "gift", you don't need to think about it to know that most of the furniture and furnishings in the hall are gifts from the emperor. It seems that the An family's loyalty to the emperor is evident. No wonder among the many heroes, only An Yuanshan and Xun Yu are still favored to this day.
After waiting for a moment, Pingyuan Bo Anyuanshan came out of the back hall, cupped his hands and said sorry repeatedly. Lu Zuo and the other two people also stood up and bowed in return.
"Mr. Lu is here today. What are you doing for me?" Anyuanshan asked straight to the point after he asked everyone to sit down.
Lu Zuo smiled slightly, "The three of us are here to make trouble today because we want to pay a special visit to the Lord."
"Oh?" An Yuanshan disagreed, "Is it that simple?"
"There is one more thing I came here to ask Sir Sir for advice." Lu Zuo said with cupped hands.
"Don't dare, don't dare!" An Yuanshan replied, "Mr. Lu, even if you speak frankly, I will tell you everything I know."
After Lu Zuo exchanged greetings, he said seriously: "Sire, let me get straight to the point. Which one of the current King of Wei, King Ning and the Crown Prince, do you think, is more similar in character to the current Holy Emperor?"
Anyuanshan hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to answer. He knew that Lu Zuo wanted to test him, but he didn't know if he was sent by the prince to test him. "I don't understand what Mr. Lu is talking about!"
"Sir, don't worry too much. I'm just asking and have no other meaning!"
Anyuanshan smiled awkwardly and asked, "Mr. Lu, which one do you think is more like the character of today's Holy Emperor?"
"Prince Ning and the Crown Prince!"
Lu Zuo's answer without thinking made Anyuanshan really shocked. Lu Zuo dared to answer such a pointed question so rashly.
An Yuanshan looked suspicious, "Why did Mr. Lu say that? King Wei is also entrusted with important tasks by the emperor now. It can be said that he has outstanding talents."
Lu Zuo asked again without thinking, "Then why doesn't your lord consider King Wei?"
Anyuanshan was immediately frightened by Lu Zuo's words. He was shocked and confused. Lu Zuo was a guest of the prince. How could he ask such a question? After looking at the hall, luckily there was no one else except Lu Renxiang and Yin Ji.
"I don't understand what Mr. Lu is talking about?"
Lu Zuo said decisively again: "Sir, there is no need to be secretive, I am here to help you."
An Yuanshan looked into Lu Zuo's resolute eyes and was speechless for a moment. He hesitated and didn't know what to say, "Shouldn't Mr. Lu help the prince? These things seem to have nothing to do with me, right?"
"Which one, your lordship or Duke Xun Yu, is more favored by the emperor?"
Lu Zuo blurted out a series of questions without hesitation, each question seemed to have been prepared for a long time. Anyuanshan was confused and frightened by these questions.
Anyuanshan became more and more embarrassed and sweat rolled down from his anxiety. He couldn't help but widen his sleeves and wiped the big sweat beads on his forehead with the back of his hand. "The Holy One is wise and mighty and will never show favoritism to anyone. Of course, even the rain and dew have touched him!"
"But the prince has now begun to rely on the Duke of Wei Xun Yu and Xun Mou and his son!"
Lu Zuo showed a weird smile when he said this, which made Anyuanshan shudder. Lu Zuo couldn't lie when he said Xun Yu surrendered to the prince. Suddenly Anyuanshan didn't know how to answer the question.
Lu Zuo continued: "Both Duke Wei and Uncle Yuan made great contributions in the past. Because the Holy Emperor is still healthy today, the two of them can be blessed to this day. Although you and Duke Wei cannot say that you and Duke Wei are fighting each other, but now Duke Wei is the prince. After a hundred years, if the prince can successfully ascend to the throne, I'm afraid you, sir..."
An Yuanshan was paralyzed after hearing this, and he hesitated to speak. Seeing that Lu Zuo looked at him and said nothing, he said: "But doesn't the prince want to use you to marry my family?"
"Sir, do you think the prince still needs an unknown scholar like me? Now that he has the famous Duke Wei, will he take the risk of recruiting another person whom Duke Wei doesn't like? You don't fight for rights. , someone will use their power to fight you." Lu Zuo still said without hesitation.
"Then what should we do now?" Anyuanshan asked without thinking.
