Chapter 88: Internal Strife

In the Kingdom of Feng, inside the capital city of Kyoto.

Dark clouds gathered, and the wind and rain seemed imminent.

A fierce wind blew, carrying sand and dust that stung the eyes, causing people to squint uncomfortably.

Lu Songnian covered his face with his long sleeves and hurried into his family’s carriage.

This time they returned to Kyoto, and the old lady had insisted they bring along about ten servants from home.

Worried that they might not be accustomed to the food in Kyoto, the Wen family even had two of their cooks accompany the two brothers.

But the old lady didn’t realize that Kyoto, being the capital, was renowned for its cuisine; food was abundant everywhere. Every year, the food brought in by the canal alone was unimaginable.

It wasn’t just the delicacies of Jiangnan; from all directions—north, south, east, and west—whatever could be eaten was available, often more than one could dream of.

Once inside the carriage, Lu Songnian couldn’t help but miss his mother and wife, thinking of them. His wife should have already given birth by now. He wondered if the child was healthy and if both mother and child were safe.

With these thoughts occupying his mind, Lu Songnian’s carriage stopped at a small courtyard in Kyoto’s imperial city.

Such a good location—the rent for an entrance courtyard like this was several dozen taels of silver per year. That amount could easily buy a courtyard with an entrance in a place like Qinghe County.

After getting off the carriage and returning to the house, the cooks were already preparing food. It was still early, and the meal hadn’t been served yet.

The young servants carried some food inside, waiting for the cooks to prepare cold dishes.

Lu Ke came out of the house and bumped into his brother Lu Songnian. He said, “The wind is strong today, and the sky is covered with dark clouds. I think it’s going to rain heavily.”

Lu Songnian nodded and said, “Yes, we should make some preparations.”

Lu Ke replied, “I’ve already asked the cooks to prepare some cold dishes. We can eat for two days.”

Kyoto’s drainage system was very well-developed, so even with heavy rain, the city wouldn’t flood easily. The rain would soon be drained away.

However, just in case the water did rise, they would have to take refuge in the attic. In that case, they could only eat cold dishes, as it was difficult to start a fire in the attic.

The food was ready, and although their family was small, they made do as best as they could. The meals weren’t as elaborate as in their home in Qinghe County.

After washing their hands, the two brothers sat down to eat. Lu Songnian asked Lu Ke, “How’s the house you were looking at?”

“The owner is willing to lower the price by fifty taels of silver, but he wants us to decide quickly. He says if we wait a few more days, he won’t sell. Shall we go and see it tomorrow if we have time?”

Lu Songnian smiled, “We’ve already seen it so many times. Just go ahead and decide.”

By the time they were in Kyoto, it was already August, and the heat was unbearable. But today, a cool breeze blew in, and by dinner time, heavy rain started to fall, relieving the heat.

When the weather cooled, both brothers’ appetites increased, and they each had half a bowl more of rice.

The remaining food was given to the servants.

After the meal, the two brothers sat together drinking tea and chatting.

They weren’t born from the same mother, but after studying and taking exams together, their relationship, though not the best, was the closest between them.

As they chatted, the topic shifted to their home in Qinghe County.

Lu Songnian took his tea and looked out at the heavy rain in the courtyard. “By now, mother and the others should have finished arranging the house and preparing to come here, right? I wonder if they’ve boarded the ship yet.”

Lu Ke, with his legs crossed, said, “We only sent word a few days ago. Once we settled the house here, we’ll clean up, arrange the furniture, and prepare everything. The old lady and the others should be arriving soon.”

The servants in the house were busy cleaning, while the two masters sat on their chairs, watching the rain and chatting.

The rain grew louder, eventually drowning out their conversation. In the end, they fell silent, sitting quietly in the house, lost in thought.

After sitting for a while, the brothers went to their rooms to rest.

That night, both Lu Songnian and Lu Ke planned to read, so they had a servant bring in an extra lamp.

After reading for a while, Lu Songnian, feeling bored without his wife to talk to, decided to wash up and sleep.

Just as he was about to change into his sleeping clothes, a servant came in to say that a servant from the Wang family, who lived nearby, had arrived.

Although there was a curfew at night, which meant that anyone caught outside wouldn’t face a death sentence, there would still be significant punishment.

Despite the rain outside, which had lessened but still continued, Lu Songnian was certain his friend wouldn’t have sent someone to disturb his sleep unless it was important.

It must be something urgent!

Upon hearing this, Lu Songnian quickly got out of bed, instructed his maid, “Go wake up the third brother and tell him I need to speak with him. Bring the servant from the Wang family here.”

The two brothers always had important matters to discuss when they met, so they quickly gathered.

Given the urgency of the situation, Lu Songnian put on an outer garment before meeting the visitor.

The servant from the Wang family was dressed in a raincoat and hat, and as he entered, water dripped onto the carpet.

When he saw Lu Songnian, he said, “Master Wang has instructed me to tell you and third master to stay alert tonight. Don’t go to the palace tomorrow morning. Wait for further notice.”

“What happened? What’s going on?” Lu Ke, who had also only put on an outer garment, asked.

The servant replied, “I’ve only heard that there’s chaos in the palace, but I don’t know the specifics. My master said it was urgent, and I must relay this information to Master Lu in person.”

Wang Qing, the master of the Wang family, was an old friend of Lu Songnian from his early business days in Kyoto. When there were silver-related issues, Lu Songnian had helped Wang Qing. Later, he even humorously taught Wang Qing’s children some characters. Wang Qing had always admired Lu Songnian’s scholarship.

Now that Lu Songnian had become an official, Wang Qing’s foresight had been proven correct. Both men regarded each other as close friends.

Wang Qing came from the side branch of the prestigious Wang family in Kyoto, and while his wealth might not guarantee inheritance, his connections and information were invaluable.

After delivering the message, the Wang family’s servant left in the rain.

Hearing this news, neither Lu Songnian nor Lu Ke could sleep any longer.

The capital was in turmoil—either a powerful family had been suppressed by the empress dowager, or there was a rebellion in the palace!

Such a major event made them anxious just hearing about it.

Since arriving in Kyoto, Lu Songnian and Lu Ke had made many connections. They had long been dissatisfied with the empress dowager’s domination over the young emperor, and recently, they had heard of some unrest in Qinghe County, where their home was located, adding to their anxiety.

Naturally, they attributed all this turmoil to the upper class’s failure to act.

If the empress dowager’s regime were overthrown, they would be pleased. But if she were gone, would the young emperor still be in power? If he were deposed, who would take his place?

Unfortunately, Lu Songnian was just a second-tier jinshi with no powerful backing, and he had yet to approach the core of power. He wasn’t eligible to attend the high-level meetings.

As for Lu Ke, he hadn’t even attained an official position yet.

In Qinghe County, their status was at the top, but here in Kyoto, they were nobody.

Although they lived in Kyoto, when chaos broke out, they had to rely on their friends to get information.

Had they not made connections with the Wang family, they might still be in the dark.

The night passed slowly. At an unknown hour, they heard shouting from outside.

It sounded like it was coming from the palace.

“Ding!” Lu Ke, who was about to drink tea, shook his hand, and the lid of the cup fell off.

The tea had already cooled, and it wasn’t advisable to drink tea late at night, but the two brothers ignored these details.

“Big brother…” Lu Ke, being younger and usually steady, instinctively looked at Lu Songnian.

Lu Songnian was also nervous, but he said, “The chaos in the capital isn’t caused by outside invaders. It probably has nothing to do with us. This disturbance won’t reach us here.”

However, as scholars, they were naturally sensitive to politics.

Especially after passing the imperial exams, even minor political changes made them highly alert.

Lu Songnian clenched his hand resting on the table, his fingertips turning white.

He never expected that just a few months after passing the imperial exams, he would find himself in the middle of such a massive upheaval.

Tonight’s chaos had taught Lu Songnian and Lu Ke an important lesson: the world changes in an instant.

Especially in politics, things could flip overnight.

Being an official was not as easy as it seemed.

The two brothers sat in Lu Songnian’s room all night, unsure of what to do during the curfew, and not daring to send anyone out to inquire.

When the servants came to ask, they could only keep calm at home, assuring everyone to sleep peacefully.

When morning came, signaling the end of the curfew, they sent a reliable servant to inquire.

Lu Songnian, with dark circles under his eyes, had no choice but to go to the Wang family to check the situation.

He had mentors in Kyoto, officials who had helped select talents like him, and he had passed the examination with their help.

But he was still just a second-tier jinshi with no powerful connections. His mentor was likely busy, and it wasn’t certain he would see him.

Moreover, with the turmoil in the capital, the high-ranking officials were probably all occupied. If Lu Songnian were seen running around, he might be mistakenly associated with a faction.

So, to be safe, he decided to visit friends without official status instead.

After visiting Wang Qing’s home, he didn’t get much useful information. Wang Qing had only heard some rumors from his family.

Lu Songnian returned home after a brief stay at Wang Qing’s house.

To be cautious, they decided that one brother would go out to gather information, while the other would stay at home and be ready to act if needed. Thus, Lu Ke stayed home.

When Lu Songnian returned, the servant who had gone out came back with news.

Although Lu Songnian hadn’t gathered any useful information, the servant had seen what was happening at the palace gates.

Apparently, there were still guards outside the palace, but they weren’t dressed like the original palace guards.

During the day, there were carts leaving the palace, and from a distance, someone claimed they saw bodies being carried out.

What had happened inside the palace with the young emperor and the empress dowager remained unknown.