Chapter 50: House Ransacking

As Lu Songnian and his younger brother arrived at the village, aside from some exhaustion from the journey and a slight weight loss from poorer food compared to their home, there weren’t any major surprises.

Upon arriving, they first visited some well-known local scholars who had previously interacted with their father, and then went sightseeing with Lin Qiaofeng, Xu Rui, and others, touring local landmarks.

After two days of delay in their studies, the two brothers became somewhat anxious and focused on their studies once more.

The place they stayed was a small courtyard with a single entrance, much more prosperous than the county town. The monthly rent for their accommodation was five taels of silver, which was quite expensive, but it had its benefits. At least everything was complete, and it was peaceful at night.

For instance, in some cheaper lodgings, one could rent a single room for only a few dozen coins a month, but they were overcrowded, noisy, and not suitable for serious study.

So, the two brothers studied hard, waiting for the exam dates.

When the exam day arrived, they packed up and entered the exam hall.

After three rounds of exams, everyone was exhausted.

After the exams, the brothers discussed waiting for the results and thought about touring the historical sites with their friends. They wrote a letter back home.

Including the few days before the exams, they had stayed in the city for about two months.

During this time, the exam results were posted, and both brothers from the Lu family passed the imperial examination, with Lu Songnian ranked at the front of the list and Lu Ke at the end. Lin Qiaofeng and Xu Rui, who accompanied them, were not as fortunate.

Lin Qiaofeng naturally wanted to pass, but he knew that such things couldn’t be forced, and the Lu brothers had true talent and learning. So, he took it calmly. Even though he was disappointed for a few days after the list was announced, he still joined Lu Baonian and the others for sightseeing.

However, Xu Rui was in a bad mood, and as soon as the results were posted, he decided to return home.

Lu Bainian and the others, concerned about his safety, tried to persuade him to stay a few more days, but Xu Rui was adamant, so they reluctantly accompanied him.

Meanwhile, Lu Songnian and his brother had not yet returned home, but Wen Ruyu and her daughter-in-law had already received news from the exam results. The Lu family now had two successful candidates for the imperial examination, and Wen Ruyu was so happy that she couldn’t stop smiling.

Now, she could buy over a hundred acres of land without paying taxes, and just thinking about it made her feel incredibly pleased.

She was also planning to hold a feast, and with the money, she could definitely open another shop.

Once the news of the Lu family’s two successful candidates spread, people came to offer gifts, make marriage proposals, and forge connections, creating a never-ending stream of visitors.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Lu family’s threshold was nearly worn down.

Wen Ruyu carefully considered the relationships and the value of the gifts. She accepted most of them, but returned the excessively expensive ones. After all, in this era, there were rules regarding gift exchanges. If one accepted a gift, they were expected to reciprocate when the other party encountered something good.

As for the marriage proposals, Wen Ruyu paid attention to them as well.

Naturally, they were all for Lu Ke. Now, Lu Ke was no longer just a concubine’s son from the Lu family but had gained the title of a successful candidate in the imperial examination, which changed his status significantly.

Those who had previously looked down on Lu Ke’s status were now beginning to show interest in him. Whether or not the Lu family would divide its estate, Lu Ke was already a scholar, and even if he couldn’t further his career, it would be easy for him to secure a position in the county.

Becoming a student of the emperor was competitive, but getting a government job was relatively easy. After all, there were many scholars in the county, but very few successful candidates.

Not just other gentry families, even the county magistrate’s family, the Lin family, had subtly inquired about Lu Ke’s marriage.

Wen Ruyu took note of all the families that came to propose, and she responded with a smile, saying that Lu Ke was indeed at the age to find a wife.

The matchmaker, seeing hope, came frequently to propose.

Wen Ruyu, however, did not agree immediately, saying that Lu Ke should choose his wife himself when the time came.

After all, she wasn’t his biological mother. Even though she had a certain status, Lu Ke still had to honor her and call her mother. But if she chose a wife that Lu Ke didn’t like, she could guarantee that he would hold it against her for the rest of his life.

Given that, it would be best for him to choose a good wife himself.

Whether there would be future conflicts between husband and wife was not her concern.

Meanwhile, the Lu family was busy with celebrations, while the Xu family was experiencing a tense atmosphere.

When Xu Rui returned, it was right after the Mid-Autumn Festival, and he and Qin Fu had been apart for a while. Naturally, Qin Fu was very much missing her husband.

Although she knew her husband hadn’t passed the exam, Qin Fu still had a lot of dishes prepared to welcome Xu Rui home.

With the return of the only male head of the household, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law seemed to find their anchor.

They were happy, but Xu Rui was still upset about not passing the exam.

Qin Fu noticed this but didn’t want to dampen her mother-in-law’s spirits, so she didn’t bring it up during dinner.

That night, Xu Rui went to the study to sleep, and Qin Fu, who was newly pregnant, hoped her husband would stay with her for a bit, but seeing his bad mood, she didn’t dare to say much. She tidied up his bedding and clothes and went to sleep herself.

At this time, Qin Fu’s belly hadn’t yet grown much, and with the cool autumn night, she felt damp and cold in the bed.

A rainstorm occurred during the night, and Qin Fu didn’t sleep well. When she woke up, she felt her right eyelid twitching and felt inexplicably anxious.

After breakfast, she told her mother-in-law about her discomfort.

The Xu family matriarch immediately took it seriously, as Qin Fu was carrying the first child of the Xu family. They had always been a family with a single line of descent, and they were relying on Qin Fu to carry on the bloodline.

Therefore, Qin Fu’s health was of utmost importance.

The matriarch quickly had a servant fetch a doctor, and after diagnosing her, the doctor said there was nothing serious. The matriarch let out a sigh of relief.

Then, the matriarch told the maid in Xu Rui’s room, “Tell the master not to stay in the study all day. He just came back, and there’s no need to rush with his studies these couple of days. He should spend more time with his wife.”

The maid listened but remained silent. If Qin Fu couldn’t even keep Xu Rui with her, how could they?

Just then, there was a loud crash outside.

A thunderclap echoed through the sky, causing everyone to feel a tightness in their hearts.

Qin Fu felt more anxious after hearing the thunder.

“Not good! Not good!” Voices could be heard from outside.

Qin Fu’s ears suddenly started ringing. Before the message could reach her, her vision went dark, and she collapsed to the ground.

“Madam!”

“Fu’er!”

---

“What did you say?” Wen Ruyu stopped painting, looking up in surprise at her daughter-in-law.

Zhao Shu furrowed her brows and responded, “The Qin family in the capital, Qin Fu’s family, was recently implicated in corruption and their entire household was ransacked. I heard that her father and brothers were exiled.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Ruyu’s hand trembled, and a drop of ink splashed onto her painting.

She didn’t have time to worry about the dirty paper and set the brush down. She asked her daughter-in-law, “How did you hear this? Is it true?”

Zhao Shu nodded, “I just heard it. The Xu family is in turmoil. I heard that Fu’er fainted when she found out about this, and the doctor who had just left their house is already rushing back to check on her.”

“Mother, should we send someone to offer our condolences?” Zhao Shu asked tentatively.

Wen Ruyu’s brow furrowed as her mind raced, but she couldn’t quite piece everything together.

“Let’s hold off on sending anyone. Just find out about Fu’er’s health for now. Their family is in chaos right now, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to get involved. Moreover…”

Wen Ruyu paused and glanced toward the room where Qin Rong stayed.

Zhao Shu noticed Wen Ruyu’s gaze and thought she was concerned about Qin Rong.

She sighed, “Poor child, she just recognized her family, and now, just after coming here, her family is in turmoil.”

While Zhao Shu was worried about Qin Rong, Wen Ruyu’s mind was already putting things together.

She suspected that there might be a connection between the Qin family and Prince Cheng’s rebellion. After all, she had heard rumors about officials being implicated.

Could the Qin family be involved in the rebellion? After all, when Qin Fu married into the Xu family, there were no signs of ambition.

Moreover, the Qin family’s dowry wasn’t particularly lavish, and Qin Fu’s current clothing was simple. They were a family with only one legitimate daughter, and their matriarch would surely cherish her.

If the Qin family were corrupt, would they mistreat their own children?

Wen Ruyu didn’t believe it. She thought that if the Qin family was involved in corruption, they wouldn’t have treated their children so poorly.

Then, thinking further, she realized that even if Qin Fu were truly connected to the rebellion, the imperial court hadn’t directly linked her to the Qin family.

She remembered hearing that the royal family claimed that the descendants of Prince Cheng had all been killed.

Even if there was a surviving heir, how many could have escaped the purge?

Wen Ruyu’s thoughts turned to Qin Rong. If Qin Rong were truly connected to Prince Cheng, perhaps the imperial court had lied about her true identity.

But she still had to hear it from Qin Rong herself to know for sure.

With that in mind, Wen Ruyu summoned Qing Xue, saying, “Go and call Rong’er over.”