Chapter 221 3/3

“Have you heard about Master Lu’s recent deeds?”

“Which one are you referring to?”

“All of them, of course!”

“I’ve heard them all!”

“Master Lu is amazing!”

“He truly has real abilities!”

…

In the palace, Lu Qingxi recounted the events of the past few days involving Lu Mingshan to the emperor.

The emperor listened with great interest and finally said, “Master Lu is truly an enlightened sage.”

Lu Qingxi didn’t really believe in these supernatural things, but the emperor did. With his poor health, he sometimes wondered if his ailments were due to some misdeeds on his part. Now that he was nearing the end of his life, he was even more inclined to believe in such things.

“Master Lu is indeed remarkable. It’s said he appears and disappears mysteriously, and no one can find him,” Lu Qingxi said.

“I wish I could meet him,” Qi Jun said. He had wanted Master Lu to tell his fortune before, and now he wanted it even more.

“Your Majesty, I will immediately send someone to find him.”

“No need. If Master Lu doesn’t wish to be found, we shouldn’t disturb him,” Qi Jun said.

After talking about Lu Mingshan, Qi Jun asked about state affairs. Lu Qingxi reported the major events of the past few days, awaiting the emperor’s decisions. The emperor pondered for a moment, then provided several solutions for Lu Qingxi to annotate on the memorials.

The other day, the emperor accompanied Concubine Liu to Qingyun Restaurant, walking quite a distance and even climbing stairs. Both Lu Qingxi and Concubine Liu were worried that the exertion might worsen his health. However, nothing of the sort happened; in fact, the emperor seemed in good spirits over the next few days.

Consequently, Lu Qingxi did not stay in the palace all day but went out daily. On this particular day, as he left the palace gates, someone reported that the people sent to investigate Li Qingzhi in Chongcheng County had returned. The investigators sent to Yuxi Prefecture had returned earlier. They found records of Li Qingzhi’s family in the old population registers, but nothing concrete about their fate.

A flood had drastically changed Yuxi Prefecture, with many residents fleeing and never returning. So, no valuable information was gleaned from Yuxi Prefecture. Now, it was up to the findings from Chongcheng County.

Chongcheng County was far from the capital, taking half a month by boat, but only five days by fast horse, making a round trip in ten days. Upon arriving in Chongcheng County, Lu Qingxi’s people not only checked Li Qingzhi’s various records at the county office but also visited Miaoqian Village to interview the villagers.

Several investigators went, with one returning early with some documents while the others continued to dig deeper into Li Qingzhi’s background. Lu Qingxi returned to his residence and began reviewing the information they had gathered about Li Qingzhi.

Li Qingzhi had arrived in Chongcheng County with a group of refugees, carrying some money but not much. After settling in Miaoqian Village, he had acknowledged an adoptive father. The villagers detailed Li Qingzhi’s experiences, including his five years of being forced to quarry stones. His friendship with the deputy magistrate Gou, and the visits and praise from Governor Zhang, were all recorded.

“What is the village’s opinion of Li Qingzhi?” Lu Qingxi asked the reporting investigator.

“Master, the villagers speak highly of Li Qingzhi. They say he is unpretentious and can converse with anyone…”

The villagers of Miaoqian had nothing but praise for Li Qingzhi, who indeed appeared to be a good person. They visited the school he had built, where he had provided food and clothing for the children, written textbooks, and ensured they received an education.

The investigators meticulously relayed all these details to Lu Qingxi, who was impressed by Li Qingzhi’s accomplishments after reviewing his written works and textbooks. If only there had been a school like that in his hometown during his childhood…

He wouldn’t have become a eunuch; he and his siblings could have survived, learning to read and acquiring skills. In Miaoqian Village, despite offending Li Qingzhi, Yao Zhenfu was not utterly ruined by him. Li Qingzhi maintained good relations with his neighbors, loved children, respected his wife, and showed compassion for the weak. He seemed almost perfect, making Lu Qingxi suspect if he was just putting on an act. However, Zhang Zhiyu greatly appreciated Li Qingzhi.

Though Lu Qingxi disliked Zhang Zhiyu, he acknowledged that Zhang was a good official. Being highly regarded by Zhang suggested that Li Qingzhi was indeed exceptional. The villagers’ accounts confirmed Li Qingzhi was an orphan, making it plausible he would adopt a father readily, something children with both parents wouldn’t easily do.

Time was running out; it had to be Li Qingzhi. Lu Qingxi began pondering how to convince Li Qingzhi that he was genuinely the emperor’s son. For both Concubine Liu and himself, having Li Qingzhi believe he was truly her child was crucial for their safety.

He wondered if Li Qingzhi had any birthmarks… he needed to investigate further.