Under the Sky Canopy, Yin Wen's residence, study.
When Lu Anmin heard Liu Sanqi say that Yin Wen was the real murderer of his brother Lu Jishi, he couldn't help but glare coldly at Yin Hui standing opposite him. Just half an hour ago, Lu Anmin had regarded Yin Hui as his first disciple, even hoping to nurture him into a talent. But now, Lu Anmin felt extremely foolish and ridiculous for treating the son of his enemy as his student. The anger and hatred in Lu Anmin's eyes were unmistakable. Looking at Lu Anmin, Yin Hui's chubby face involuntarily showed some fear and defensiveness.
Through the window, on the Sky Canopy, Liu Sanqi continued in the live broadcast:
"Originally, when Liu Youjin learned that Lu Jishi planned to impeach him as the Prefect of Suzhou, he still had concerns about Lu Shaoheng and didn't dare to kill Lu Jishi. He only wanted to bribe Lu Jishi to not be so strict with him. However, Liu Youjin's son-in-law Xue Mingzhi strongly urged Liu Youjin to kill Lu Jishi to eliminate future trouble. Xue Mingzhi also assured Liu Youjin that he would handle the matter flawlessly and not let anyone suspect Liu Youjin. Hearing this, some of you might have guessed that Xue Mingzhi, the brother-in-law of our Emperor Jingli Yin Rui, was actually a member of Third Prince Yin Wen's camp! Xue Mingzhi, following Yin Wen's orders, tried every means to murder Lu Jishi, hoping to provoke a conflict between Lu Shaoheng and Yin Rui. As for the page boy who confessed to Lu Shaoheng, that was also arranged by Yin Wen. Through this series of cunning moves, Yin Wen gradually forced Lu Shaoheng, who wanted to avenge his son, onto his pirate ship.
"After Yin Wen's rebellion failed, Lu Shaoheng and others involved naturally couldn't escape Emperor Jingming's severe punishment. Sometimes I find Emperor Jingming truly love-hate! If Emperor Jingming had dealt with Liu Youjin immediately when Lu Shaoheng came to the palace to report, Lu Shaoheng wouldn't have sided with Yin Wen. But when he learned that Lu Shaoheng joined the rebellion only because Yin Wen promised to strictly punish Liu Youjin and his accomplices after ascending the throne, the furious emperor couldn't help but soften toward the old minister. Historically, other ministers involved in Yin Wen's rebellion were all sentenced to execution of their entire families by Emperor Jingming. Even Yin Wen, his own son, was not spared; the entire household was sentenced to death. But for Lu Shaoheng, Emperor Jingming only granted a white silk sash for him to die in prison. Moreover, the other members of the Lu family who were imprisoned were all released by Emperor Jingming. As an emperor, treating Lu Shaoheng like this shows that his feelings toward this old minister indeed had a tender side."
Under the Sky Canopy, upon hearing that Emperor Jingming had released the rest of the Lu family, Lu Shaoheng, who had been kneeling silently on the ground, couldn't help but tremble his lips. He took a deep breath, calmed his surging emotions, and then spoke calmly to Emperor Jingming:
"Your Majesty, your humble subject is foolish and incompetent, deceived by petty villains, thus betraying your trust and failing the people! I know my crime is unforgivable, and I have no face to live on. I beg Your Majesty to grant me death to uphold the court's discipline!"
Having said this, Lu Shaoheng prostrated himself again, knocking his forehead on the brick floor, and remained prostrate for a long time. Emperor Jingming looked down at Lu Shaoheng's bent back. Lu Shaoheng's figure seemed frail, but Emperor Jingming felt that the bones of this man were harder than anyone else's in the court. Others seek life, but he seeks death. Emperor Jingming's dark eyes were as deep as a cold pool. He silently watched Lu Shaoheng, who remained motionless like a statue. No one knew what was on the minds of this ruler and minister. Everyone only knew that when Emperor Jingming spoke again, he ordered Yuan Li, the chief eunuch, to have Yin Wen taken away and given fifty strokes of the cane.
Hearing such a severe punishment of fifty strokes, Yin Wen felt extremely aggrieved and even wanted to ask Emperor Jingming who was his son! How could a father be so biased? Yin Wen knew he would certainly lose his life afterward, but he didn't expect that in his remaining days, his father wouldn't even let him have an easier time. After ordering Yin Wen's caning, Emperor Jingming instructed the imperial guards to immediately arrest Liu Youjin and Xue Mingzhi, the father-in-law and son-in-law. Clearly, regarding the murder of Lu Jishi, Emperor Jingming was now planning to handle it openly again.
Lu Shaoheng, who had risen from humble origins to the position of prime minister, was naturally intelligent. So, upon hearing Emperor Jingming's commands, he couldn't help but redden his eyes, having suppressed his emotions for so long. He had been waiting for this day for a long time, just to seek justice for his son.
"Sometimes I can't help feeling that there might be a divine will! Because if Emperor Jingming hadn't shown mercy to the Lu family, the Great Jing Dynasty would have lost a prime minister like Lu Anmin, who was skilled at turning floods into benefits! When I was in high school, our history textbook highly praised Lu Anmin's water management abilities, saying 'Anmin governs rivers, enriching the people through rivers.' But at the time of Lu Shaoheng's death in history, our Prime Minister Lu Anmin was just a commoner without even a child student's degree! He had never taken any imperial examinations, and very few people knew of his talent. So after the Lu family left the capital and returned to their hometown in Shandong, everyone in the court believed that the Lu family, once home to two top scholars, would decline. Although Emperor Jingming did not deprive the Lu family of the right to take the imperial examinations, Lu Anmin never participated in any examinations during the late years of Emperor Jingming's reign or the years when Emperor Jingli was in power. Personally, I think if it weren't for Emperor Jingwu's rule, Prime Minister Lu Anmin might never have entered officialdom.
"Reading Prime Minister Lu Anmin's memoirs from his later years, we can learn that although he was still dissatisfied with his brother Lu Jishi's case, he had given up pursuing it. Because his father Lu Shaoheng wrote him a final letter before his death, sternly demanding that he just live his own life and not continue seeking revenge. Despite his reluctance, Lu Anmin had to obey. At that time, Lu Anmin still didn't know the truth. Yin Wen did not reveal the truth before his death, and his dealings with Xue Mingzhi were never exposed. So when Emperor Jingli, Yin Rui, ascended the throne, Xue Mingzhi even rose rapidly in officialdom due to his brother-in-law relationship with Yin Rui."
In the Imperial Prison, Yin Rui could see the Sky Canopy through a small window. Ever since he found out that his brother-in-law Xue Mingzhi, whom he had trusted, was actually on Yin Wen's side, he had been furious, cursing Yin Wen incessantly. The jailer guarding him, though accustomed to his violent temper over the past few days, couldn't help rolling his eyes at the noise.
On the Sky Canopy, Liu Sanqi's lips curled slightly:
"If the Great Jing Dynasty had always been ruled by Yin Rui, Xue Mingzhi might have concealed his support for Yin Wen for a lifetime. But unfortunately, Emperor Jingwu came to power, and she was the type who couldn't tolerate even a grain of sand in her eyes, deeply detesting corruption. Xue Mingzhi, such a arrogant and domineering corrupt official, naturally soon became a target for our Great Emperor Jingwu. It was during the investigation of Xue Mingzhi's corruption that Emperor Jingwu accidentally discovered that Xue Mingzhi had secretly had close ties with Third Prince Yin Wen. Through careful investigation, the truth about Lu Jishi's murder was finally fully exposed. If it had been an emperor like Emperor Jingming, he would have pretended to be deaf and dumb, thinking it better to avoid trouble, as it would also tarnish the royal family's reputation. But those who know Emperor Jingwu well know that she has always been open and aboveboard, doing things only to have a clear conscience. So Emperor Jingwu quickly summoned Prime Minister Lu Anmin to the palace and revealed the whole truth to him. Some might think Emperor Jingwu didn't need to do this, since Yin Wen, the culprit, had been dead for years. Reopening this old case couldn't change anything and would only reopen the Lu family's wounds. But in this world, there are always people who prefer to live soberly and painfully rather than wallow in confusion and numbness. Prime Minister Lu Anmin was such a person. In a letter to a friend, he explicitly stated that the thing he was most grateful for in his life was that Emperor Jingwu was willing to tell him the truth about his brother's murder. Initially, he indeed felt extreme pain and collapse upon learning the truth, because they had mistakenly trusted their enemy Yin Wen, and his father Lu Shaoheng even died because of Yin Wen. Yet even so, he still preferred to know the truth rather than be kept in the dark by his enemy's conspiracy for a lifetime."
Under the Sky Canopy, Yin Wen's residence, study.
Looking at Yin Hui, who had taken the opportunity to hide behind the eunuch, Lu Anmin curled his lips in a contemptuous smile. Seeing this reaction, Yin Hui's fat face showed even more fear. Lu Anmin held a jade-inlaid bronze paper knife in his hand. If it were before, Yin Hui wouldn't have been afraid of that knife, because it was a gift Lu Anmin gave him when accepting him as a disciple. But now, noticing the cold gleam on the sharp blade, Yin Hui swallowed in fear, wishing he could flee immediately, but worried that Lu Anmin would attack him from behind.