Chapter 18: Avoiding Risks

Madam Jiang laughed, “Aren’t you supposed to be talking about how to deal with your father? Why are you praising him instead?”

Lu Songli said confidently, “Of course, you have to praise him for what he does well.”

“Then tell me, if you were my political enemy, how would you deal with me?” Lu Desheng asked. He had just listened to her analysis of him, and it was very insightful. He was suddenly curious about what methods she would use to bring him down.

What she said before was just a prelude. Seeing that her father was serious, Lu Songli didn’t play coy anymore and directly revealed her purpose. “If I were to be my father’s opponent, my first step would be to cultivate someone who can speak well, just like my father, then find an opportunity to let the emperor discover him.”

“Second step, unite as many officials as possible, petition the emperor, sing your praises, and exaggerate your achievements over the years, suggesting that the emperor promote you. After the emperor promotes you, you will no longer be a Censor. When the position is vacant, remind the emperor about the person he arranged before.”

“Final step, you are in a high position, then I will arrange for people to dig some holes in the matters you are handling, and expose them. By then, the emperor already has someone similar to you who can speak well and replace your previous position as a Censor. You have committed a major mistake. Do you think the emperor will still protect you like before?”

“No.” Lu Desheng shook his head honestly and with difficulty.

“At that time, it will be the best time to get rid of you.” With a series of punches, he will be either defeated or disabled.

Hearing this, Lu Desheng’s hair stood on end. Wow, such a vicious scheme, incredibly insidious. If this were to happen, he would definitely capsize in a ditch.

His wife was stunned, clearly shocked by her words.

Lu Songli didn’t want to say these things originally. It didn’t align with the original owner’s personality. She wasn’t intentionally trying to scare her parents, but the current situation was too critical.

Even though her father said not to worry, Lu Songli estimated that after this battle, his political enemies would see him as a threat again, and some of them would become restless. Moreover, when a punch is thrown, it is the easiest time for someone to take advantage of the situation when it is retracted.

Madam Jiang came to her senses and said in a daze, “A Li, you are so clever.”

“Daughter, your recent performance has impressed your father. Have you been hiding your talents all this time?” Lu Desheng couldn’t believe it. His youngest daughter had such amazing political talent. Yes, political talent. It was something he had always hoped to find in his eldest and second sons, but ultimately didn’t. She had the ability to identify talents, a clear understanding of the situation…

“Father, why do you say that?”

“You used to be timid and quiet, and you wouldn’t say much when something happened. But ever since you discovered Xie’s family’s intention to break off the engagement, you seem to have let go, as if you don’t care anymore.”

Lu Songli: ??? She was curious about what her parents had imagined for her.

“Isn’t it true? Xie Zhan wronged you! Your mother and I both feel that way. Before, you were trying to meet the standards of the Xie family’s wife, but now this is your true nature.” As Lu Desheng and his wife discussed, they became more convinced of it. They didn’t doubt for a second that she wasn’t their daughter. If she wasn’t their biological offspring, how could she lie down in front of him without hesitation, and how could she always defend them both?

Lu Songli: Can it be explained like that?

She thought about it, but Lu Songli felt the need to explain quietly, “Father, I’m not hiding my talents. I suddenly learned it after I fell into the water that day.”

Their family was a natural alliance. This wasn’t the era of “one person does something, one person bears the consequences, and the crime doesn’t extend to the wife and children.” In ancient times, they practiced collective responsibility. If one person committed a crime, the whole family would be implicated.

In her previous life, she had read a famous Jewish saying that left a deep impression on her: People who are good to you will always be good to you, but those who you are good to may not be good to you. The Lu couple had always been good to the original owner. Lu Songli felt that she had become their daughter, and no matter how her personality changed, they would still be good to her.

This was also the reason why she hadn’t held back after transmigrating and had simply imitated the original owner.

Lu Desheng slapped his thigh, “You’ve suddenly become enlightened! It’s the same as hiding your talents.”

Madam Jiang suddenly clasped her hands together, “Heaven bless you.”

Lu Songli: …Fine, you guys are happy, that’s all that matters.

She had basically shared her thoughts with her parents. At least if her father encountered anything in the future, she could help, and she wouldn’t be left out.

Madam Jiang seemed to suddenly remember something, and quickly walked towards the door. She even opened the door, looked left and right before closing it again, “Don’t let anyone else hear what you just said.”

Lu Songli chuckled, “Mother, since I’ve brought up this plan, I naturally have a way to deal with it.”

“I understand what you mean, daughter. The reason your method works is because it relies on joining forces to ask the emperor to promote your father. So, doesn’t that mean your father can refuse to accept it? Or make the emperor not agree to them?”

“That won’t work. If the emperor doesn’t agree, then all the pressure will fall on the emperor, which is equivalent to your father bringing trouble to the emperor. That’s not good.”

“Then make your father refuse.”

“Refuse? What if the other party keeps raising the stakes? Promoted to the rank of  Fourth Rank, Mother, you wouldn’t be tempted. Then they keep going up, Fifth Rank? Fourth Rank? Third Rank? Fifth Rank? Even if you aren’t tempted, what about others? Like your eldest brother and sister-in-law, and your eldest sister and younger brother.”

“Sigh, daughter, what do you think your father should do?” Madam Jiang was worried. She had a strange feeling that her daughter’s assumption would come true.

“Father, first, you should send someone to observe if there are any talented people who can speak well, similar to you, emerging in the market. Don’t cast a wide net, just pay attention to the one or two places in Chang’an City that the emperor likes to visit incognito, and the three most famous restaurants among literati and scholars.” It’s better to be prepared, Lu Songli never underestimated anyone.

“Then, Father, find an opportunity to express your loyalty to the emperor, saying that you are willing to never be promoted for the rest of your life and block all negative comments directed at him. That’s roughly the idea. As for how to say it, Father is an expert in this area, so I won’t try to teach you.” People like Emperor Kang Cheng, what they do doesn’t matter, what matters is how they say it. To her, ancient people were too reserved. Her father was already quite bold in revealing his heart to the emperor.

“You’re being mischievous!”

“Finally, Father, you need to constantly refine your professional skills, make yourself irreplaceable, then no one can pry you out of your position. Okay, I’m done.”

“I’m going to the study to read later!” Lu Desheng suddenly felt a deep sense of crisis. His daughter was right. He felt he could try harder. His skills in denouncing people could be further improved.

Lu Songli: It’s not necessary to go that far.

“After doing all this, if someone uses the vicious plan that A Li mentioned earlier, wouldn’t it be ineffective?” Madam Jiang asked.

Lu Songli thought to herself, she had an even more vicious plan. But considering that her parents had already taken in too much today, she wouldn’t mention it. Moreover, she was confident that if someone really used such a vicious plan against their Lu family, she would be able to detect it quickly.

“You child, your father just came back from court, you don’t even show any pity for your father. Save these words until your father has rested.”

“No, no, I’m not tired,” Lu Desheng turned to Lu Songli and said, “Father is very happy that you can talk to Father about these things.”

Heaven knows how much pressure he had been under all this time, figuring things out on his own. His daughter’s words today were like a lamp illuminating the path ahead. He suddenly felt reassured about the path he was about to take.

“Father, Mother is right, you’ve been working too hard these past two days. After lunch, go and rest.”

“Okay.” Lu Desheng agreed. He hadn’t felt it before, but now that his daughter mentioned it, he could feel the fatigue coming from deep within his body.

As soon as he felt the fatigue, it showed on his face.

Lu Songli had experience with this. It was the aftereffect of intense mental labor. From the moment her father decided to deal with the Zhao family, from the initial preparation stage to the confrontation this morning, during the court session, his spirit and emotions reached their peak for the whole stage. Now that the excitement had passed and his emotions had subsided, his body’s perception returned.

The Lu family’s lunch was served especially early today. During the meal, Lu Desheng mentioned casually that in a few days, the emperor should be sending down a reward. Lu Songli glanced at her father. Just as Lu Desheng finished speaking, he seemed to realize something and looked back at her. The father and daughter exchanged glances, understanding each other’s meaning in their eyes. This was an opportunity!