Chapter 110: The Eldest Son

On this day, Lu Desheng was summoned to the palace to accompany the emperor.

After talking with the emperor for a while, noticing his deteriorating complexion and the arrival of a young eunuch with a report, Lu Desheng tactfully indicated that he needed to attend to personal matters.

In the palace toilet, Lu Desheng felt his heart pounding wildly.

The emperor’s health had declined too rapidly. It scared him.

His daughter had mentioned earlier that when the emperor showed symptoms, things would progress quickly. The appearance of symptoms indicated that the emperor’s body could no longer withstand the effects of the elixirs, meaning he was in the final stage, and death was only a matter of time.

But the emperor seemed to be out of options. Since he chose to continue taking the elixirs, it was like drinking poison to quench thirst. It must be that the consequences of not taking the elixirs were severe, leading him to consume them and thereby depleting or extracting his last reserves of life to stay alert.

He told himself that he must remain calm and composed during this critical moment.

After finishing, Lu Desheng went to wash his hands and ran into Wei Zili.

Lu Desheng’s eyes lit up as he approached, “Wei Daban…”^[1]Daban usually refers to the person in charge of a group of workers or a team, similar to a foreman or a supervisor

“Lord Lu.” Wei Zili greeted him with a smile and then seriously washed his hands.

“I heard someone has been looking for you recently?” he asked quietly.

“Lord Lu, what are you talking about? I don’t quite understand your meaning,” Wei Zili replied with a smile.

Lu Desheng didn’t care whether he understood or not and said directly, “Wei Daban, I’m not saying this to offend, but we are all serving the emperor. At this critical time, be cautious not to make any mistakes.” He was clearly trying to warn him.

Wei Zili frowned.

Lu Desheng continued, “Some boats might look fine, but be careful of stepping into thin air.”

Hearing this, Wei Zili lowered his voice and asked, “The Fourth—has he also sent someone to find you?”

Lu Desheng gave him a profound look, neither confirming nor denying, but his mind was screaming, “Fourth? You must be talking about the Fourth Prince! The guess was right, there really is someone! The Fourth Prince is indeed behind the scenes!”

Wei Zili slowly began to understand: the Fourth Prince is unworthy of being in the group. Secrets are fragile, and gossip can lead to ruin. Why does he inquire about everyone?

“It’s better for us to serve the emperor well,” Lu Desheng said sincerely, given their shared plight and the information shared.

Wei Zili nodded in agreement and felt the same. He had originally considered keeping an extra backup plan, but now he thought differently. The more people know about an escape route, the more it becomes a dead end.

The two did not exchange further details; some things were better left unsaid.

After finishing, Lu Desheng slowly walked back to the imperial study, where he could still vaguely hear voices.

He noticed Wei Zili sneaking into the study, probably for a handover. As expected, his apprentice soon emerged.

Before long, the door of the imperial study opened, and out walked a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old, slender and with a gentle demeanor.

“Your humble servant greets His Highness, the Fourth Prince.”

“Lord Lu—” Song Mo seemed surprised to encounter Lu Desheng. After shyly greeting him, he quickly lowered his head and hurried away.

Lu Desheng watched his retreating figure and wondered if this young, fresh-faced, beardless Fourth Prince was really the mastermind behind everything? It seems that one should not judge a book by its cover.

“Are you not coming in?” Emperor Kang Cheng’s voice came from inside.

Lu Desheng quickly composed himself and entered.

“What were you thinking just now?”

“Replying to Your Majesty, I was thinking that the Fourth Prince is quite filial and a meticulous child. He seems to have noticed that Your Majesty’s health has not been well recently and has been coming frequently to show his filial piety.”

Moreover, the Fourth Prince’s methods are quite skillful. He seems to know that he isn’t favored by the Emperor, so he rarely visits, but always sends things to the Emperor. For instance, yesterday he sent a plum blossom that was in perfect bloom; and the day before yesterday, if he happened to enjoy a dish, he would have the same dish delivered to the Emperor. It gives a subtle, caring impression, much like a regular son caring for his ailing father.

Emperor Kang Cheng’s gaze was deep. He didn’t comment on the Fourth Prince but instead tapped Lu Desheng’s forehead with his finger. “You, you—” It was bold of him to mention his health issues. Many people, even if they knew about his health, wouldn’t dare to speak openly for fear of offending him.

Mentioning his son, Emperor Kang Cheng couldn’t help but think of the Crown Prince in the northern borders.

Lu Desheng found his own days to be truly difficult recently.

The Emperor’s opinion of the Crown Prince fluctuates between satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and he cannot just agree with the Emperor. If the Emperor complains about the Crown Prince’s shortcomings, should he just nod along? Agreeing would be like searching for excrement with a lantern in a latrine.

On the other hand, he cannot remain silent. Should he let the Emperor have a monologue?

What can he do? He can only keep praising the Crown Prince. When the Emperor criticizes the Crown Prince’s governance, he praises his popularity and the support he receives from officials. He says that as long as the Crown Prince manages the affairs of state well after ascending the throne, that’s sufficient. When the Emperor mentions the Crown Prince’s indecisiveness, he praises his thorough thinking and openness to advice, saying he isn’t arbitrary…

His heart is so tired…

He feels that if the Crown Prince can return alive and ascend the throne without promoting him, it would be a disgrace given all the praise he has given!

Today, when the topic came up, Emperor Kang Cheng complained about the Crown Prince briefly and then shifted the focus to him, “Lord Lu, you shouldn’t have any worries, right? Last time at Hongsheng Restaurant, your two children came to pay respects, was it your youngest son and daughter? Although it was a brief meeting and I’ve heard you mention them occasionally, I find them quite impressive.”

Here it comes again!

Lu Desheng smiled shyly. “Yes, Your Majesty, those are my youngest son and daughter. They are indeed very good, especially my daughter, who is very intelligent.” Proudly! He dares to say, the Emperor knows his family’s situation inside out.

He then changed the subject, “However, I am also quite troubled.”

Emperor Kang Cheng asked in surprise, “What are you troubled about?”

Lu Desheng honestly replied, “I am troubled by my eldest son.”

The Emperor has so many worries, and if his life is better and happier than the Emperor’s, with children more outstanding than the Emperor’s own sons and daughters, isn’t that bound to cause the Emperor some distress? It would be resented!

Moreover, the Emperor criticizes the Crown Prince’s shortcomings, and with his children being so excellent, doesn’t that clearly suggest that the Emperor is not as good as him? Even so, can the Emperor still be close to him? Isn’t it ridiculous?

Lu Desheng had no choice but to bring up his eldest son.

He continued, essentially saying, “Your Majesty, my eldest son is somewhat useless. As the legitimate eldest son, his abilities might not be enough to support this family. I am currently trying to save him, but as a precaution, I have secretly begun training a successor.”

The eldest son’s role is limited, but it shouldn’t be wasted.

Lu Desheng finally understood what his daughter had been saying: there is no such thing as pure garbage in this world, only people who don’t know how to make use of it. One should have a broad mindset.

The Emperor is always suspicious, but Lu Desheng was not afraid of him investigating. Everything about the eldest son’s recent years could be found out. Recently, he had indeed kept his eldest grandson Lu Xiao by his side for guidance. The younger son is smart but dislikes mundane affairs, so it was left at that.

What was said without intent was heard with purpose.

Seeing Emperor Kang Cheng lost in thought, Lu Desheng quickly added, “Your Majesty, my family and business are small; I can withstand some turbulence. If things go wrong, I can always return to my previous impoverished state. But you are different; you have a large family and business, so you must think carefully.” No, in fact, don’t even think about it! Such thoughts should be avoided.

Emperor Kang Cheng: No, precisely because of his large family and business, he needs to think about it.

Lu Desheng appeared worried but was secretly delighted: Your Majesty, with your perspective expanded, we have more options than just the sons; there are also the grandsons.

As for whether this reminder would make the fourth prince hold a grudge, Lu Desheng resigned himself to fate. It didn’t matter. After all, the fourth prince was already plotting against the Qin family and would not tolerate him. Wasn’t it okay to stir up a bit of trouble? If the crown prince were to fall, and the Emperor truly appointed the crown prince’s son, it would be better than the fourth prince taking the throne.

Tonight was again a peaceful night.

When Lu Desheng got home, he hugged his old wife and cried his heart out. It was very tough for him. The Emperor had been hard to please recently, and he now deeply understood the saying “serving the Emperor is like serving a tiger.”

At dinner, seeing his eldest son, who had been running errands outside, return, he rarely smiled and praised him for being capable and useful recently.

This left Lu Zhiyuan surprised and flattered. His father had been critical and harsh lately, which had made him feel uncomfortable. Today, his father smiled and praised him, which suggested that the previous issues had been put behind them.