Chapter 43: The More Chaotic, the Better
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After seeing the man off, Wang Lu calculated the time and decided it was about time to leave as well.
The only thing that aroused his curiosity was that the news of his extortion of Beizhai’s people yesterday should have reached Prince Xin by now. Yet Lu Wenzhao had still followed the original course of events and sent Ling Yunkai and Shen Lian to hunt down Beizhai.
Things had consequently become even more complicated.
Beizhai, Prince Xin, Shen Lian, Ling Yunkai, and now Yang Chen as well.
The whole affair was nearly as muddled as a pot of porridge.
Still, a little chaos was nothing to worry about. As the saying went, fortune was to be sought amid danger. This was the perfect opportunity to get rid of that bastard Ling Yunkai once and for all.
The fact that Ling Yunkai had still managed to obtain a mission from Lu Wenzhao despite being wounded confirmed one of Wang Lu’s earlier suspicions.
Ling Yunkai had once told Shen Lian that he was Eunuch Wei’s nephew, and Lu Wenzhao had personally confirmed it. Yet after Ling Yunkai’s death, Wang Lu had seen no violent reaction from Wei Zhongxian. He had even begun to wonder whether Ling Yunkai had merely been boasting in order to deceive Lu Wenzhao.
But judging from the situation now, there was probably some truth to the matter after all.
If Ling Yunkai truly were Wei Zhongxian’s nephew, the way to deal with his injury would certainly not have been to beg Lu Wenzhao for another assignment so that he could preserve his position. He would have gone straight to Wei Zhongxian, crying and making a complaint.
Therefore, even if Ling Yunkai had some connection to Wei Zhongxian, it was definitely not one of a blood nephew.
Since that was the case, Wang Lu could kill him in passing without the slightest burden.
Originally, the best plan would have been for Yin Cheng to kill Ling Yunkai outright, after which Wang Lu could have used the excuse of helping Yin Cheng clean up the aftermath to make the acquaintance of Pei Lun. But that would have been an entirely different plan.
The present arrangement was not bad either. Yin Cheng and Ling Yunkai were, respectively, a useless ally and a troublesome opponent. Whichever one died, Wang Lu would come out ahead.
The time had come. Wang Lu summoned everyone and said, “For the time being, the Hundred-Household Office will be placed under the charge of Chief Banner Officer Xue Jing. In any case, I have led you for nearly a year, and I will remember the brotherly bond between us. If you encounter trouble in the future, you may come to the Thousand-Household Office to find me. After today, I may not have many opportunities to return here. Take care, everyone.”
When Wang Lu finished speaking, the dozen or so men bowed in unison.
“Congratulations on your promotion, sir!”
Wang Lu nodded, turned around, and walked out of the Hundred-Household Office.
This time, he did not need to come up with another excuse. Technically speaking, he was no longer a member of the Hundred-Household Office.
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After returning home, Wang Lu took out three hundred taels of silver and packed them up before bringing them to the Thousand-Household Office.
The gatekeeper recognized Wang Lu and did not search him, allowing him to enter.
Lu Wenzhao was wearing a troubled expression, the worry in his heart plainly visible on his face.
“Prince Xin is still too softhearted. Although he agreed to eliminate Beizhai, he has been unwilling to issue the order. Since that is the case, I will give him a push, lest this woman cause further trouble in the future. She and the Quiet Sea Monk were already exposed last time, yet I still have no idea which Brocade Guard came looking for them.”
As Lu Wenzhao pondered, his hand continued stroking his sparse beard.
“Vice Thousand-Household Commander Wang Lu of the Northern Garrison Command pays his respects to the Thousand-Household Commander!”
Wang Lu stood in the courtyard and announced himself loudly.
Plop!
Distracted for a moment, Lu Wenzhao accidentally pulled out a tuft of his beard. The pain immediately made his eyes narrow.
“Come in!” Lu Wenzhao said irritably.
Wang Lu entered the room. Seeing Lu Wenzhao glaring at him with displeasure, he asked in puzzlement, “Commander Lu, why are you looking at me like that? Have I done something wrong?”
Lu Wenzhao shook his head. “Nothing. Now that you have finished dealing with matters at the Hundred-Household Office, why did you come here instead of taking the opportunity to go out and relax?”
Since Lu Wenzhao offered no explanation, Wang Lu did not press the matter. Knowing Lu Wenzhao’s temperament, if he had truly done something wrong, Lu Wenzhao would certainly test him in some way. He could simply adapt when the time came.
Wang Lu walked over to Lu Wenzhao and placed the silver on the table with a heavy thud.
“There is a Chief Banner Officer under me named Xue Jing. His family were proper military households in the past. Now that the position of hundred-household commander has become vacant, he asked me to help him make a few arrangements.”
Wang Lu put on a troubled expression. “He has followed me for many years, so I felt awkward refusing him. Since you have such extensive experience, I thought I would ask whether this silver should be returned to him or handled in some other way.”
Lu Wenzhao opened the bundle and glanced inside, faintly surprised. “Two hundred taels? Does he really have that much money?”
Wang Lu nodded. “He acted quickly. It did not take him long to empty his entire household’s savings.”
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Lu Wenzhao smiled. “Since the silver has been brought out, there is naturally no reason to return it. But many people have their eyes on the position of hundred-household commander. Exactly what is your relationship with this man? Give me an honest answer. If your connection is ordinary, we can split the silver between us. You can simply say that you already spent the money, but someone else offered more, and that your superiors had no way to favor him. That should be enough to smooth things over.”
Wang Lu felt a trace of disdain. Was this not simply cheating the man?
Still, it did sound rather practical.
Fortunately, Wang Lu was not so unscrupulous. Besides, the silver itself belonged to him.
“Although my relationship with him is not as deep as the friendship between Commander Lu and me, we have been through life-and-death together. If it can be arranged, I hope you will give him a little assistance, Commander.”
Wang Lu spoke earnestly.
With that, Lu Wenzhao understood the situation. He nodded. “Then I know where you stand. I will make inquiries on your behalf. So long as the Commissioner’s Office does not deliberately make things difficult, there should be no problem.”
Wang Lu neatly gathered up the silver again. As he thanked Lu Wenzhao, he deliberately asked with feigned curiosity, “I heard from Shen Lian that Ling Yunkai came to the Thousand-Household Office today?”
Lu Wenzhao immediately furrowed his brows. “You are getting rather full of yourself. Have you forgotten the discipline of the Brocade Guards?”
Wang Lu said sheepishly, “Did I not take several of Ling Yunkai’s men under my command before? I originally thought he would not survive, so I was rather startled to learn that he had recovered and had come to you so quickly to receive another assignment.”
He then added sincerely, “But rest assured, Commander. I did not ask what task you assigned them, and Shen Lian never told me what they were going to do either. The two of us understand that much.”
Lu Wenzhao sighed. “It is fortunate that Ling Yunkai did not die. Otherwise, you two would have been the ones in trouble.”
“What do you mean?” Although Wang Lu already had his suspicions, he still put on an astonished expression.
“Ling Yunkai is Eunuch Wei’s nephew. Not a blood nephew, but there is still a connection between them. If he had died, it would have been fine so long as Eunuch Wei failed to remember him. But once he did, you would not merely lose your position as hundred-household commander—you would not even remain a thousand-household commander.”
Lu Wenzhao spoke earnestly. “The relationships within the Brocade Guards are intricate and complicated. Be more cautious, and try not to offend anyone. Is it worth dragging both of you down over a single Yin Cheng?”
Wang Lu nodded. “Then once Ling Yunkai finishes his assignment, shall I seek him out personally, drink with him, and apologize?”
“Very well.”
Lu Wenzhao was pleased with Wang Lu’s attitude and said approvingly, “Compared with Shen Lian, you are much more flexible. That is for the best. A man will not go far in the Brocade Guards if he cannot adapt.”
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