Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 410 Good News
When Yan Liang came out of the study, he ran into Yan Qu.

He called out "Big Brother" and handed over the funeral arrangements for Yan Shu the day after tomorrow.

Yan Qu did have some disagreements with his brother about Lu Ying, and he heard some of the gossip among the servants in the mansion. However, the matter ended with Lu Ying's departure, and since Yan Qu did not love her, the barrier between them was gone.

Yan Liang accepted the list and instructed him: "Grandfather is in a hurry to get news from Hu Yucheng's side. You should immediately send someone to meet him."

"There are only five days left until the Emperor's deadline of half a month. Let's get moving."

The cabinet's case is not progressing smoothly, and if it ultimately fails to satisfy the emperor, the Yan family will inevitably suffer another round of blows.

Yan Qu understood the implications and nodded before leaving.

Yan Liang stood in the courtyard for a moment, looking up at the sky, his whole body exuding a cold and austere aura.

……

After a day and a night of fermentation, Lu Jie entered the cabinet as the new Grand Secretary, and was finally accepted by people inside and outside the court.

The Lu family already had a strong foothold in the court. Lu Jia's great-grandfather was a great Confucian scholar, and many senior officials in the court were his students. These noble and prominent figures were angry and estranged from Lu Jie because of his marriage alliance with the Yan family, but now they are tolerant of him because of his "sudden realization" and are willing to accept and respect him.

Lu Jie himself has subtly cultivated many good relationships over the years. He used to keep a low profile, but now he openly and honestly attaches himself to them.

Then there are families like Cheng Wenhui's, whose roots are not deep but whose people are loyal and upright. Even if they don't immediately attach themselves to them, they still express a lot of expectations in their words.

After all, Lu Jie's entry into the cabinet broke the Yan family's monopoly on the cabinet for so many years, and they would be happy to see it happen as long as the Yan family was an enemy.

Overall, everything is going smoothly in the capital, and we have gained a certain strength to compete with each other. However, the guards sent to meet Grand Commandant Shen have not been heard from for two days.

The emperor had given the Yan family three days left. Although the investigation of the thirteen individuals was destined to be unpleasant, the downfall of the Yan family was still far off.

The Yan family is now trying to preserve their wealth and power, but Lu Jia wants them dead. This opportunity is the best time to settle scores with them.

If a case isn't handled satisfactorily, the emperor will inevitably be upset. If this wave passes, who knows when the next opportunity will arise to stir up his emotions? You can't keep filing complaints; too many complaints will only desensitize the emperor.

The Yan family's greatest reliance is the emperor; if they cannot drag the emperor down with them, they have no chance of winning.

Lu Jia didn't want it to be like this.

She believed that no one wanted this to happen.

Therefore, these past few days, everyone has spoken less when they meet, and their thoughts are all focused on Grand Commandant Shen, who has left the capital.

When Yinliu came to report to Yan Shu how shabby the funeral procession had been that morning, Lu Jia listened absentmindedly.

Just then, Shen Zhui burst in: "Sister Lu! Look, I caught a bird!"

Before the words were even finished, the bird, flapping its wings, was already being held up in front of them.

Lu Jia lifted her face from behind the bird's wing, looking at the overjoyed dazed boy: "Have you finished your homework? Have you finished your essay? Have you passed the imperial examination?"

After Lu Ying returned, Shen Zhui also withdrew from the Yan family's place. There was simply no news left, and the group of people were all disheveled and in a sorry state. But after asking, her gaze was immediately drawn to a small, thin tube hidden beneath a bird's feather!
No one in the Northwest had ever raised carrier pigeons. The Grand Commandant's Mansion did raise them, but they were never kept in the mansion, and there was never any opportunity to use them. Shen Zhui did not know what carrier pigeons looked like.

But Lu Jia recognized him at a glance!

She jumped up, causing the chair to tumble to the ground.

Shen Zhui was startled, but in the next instant the bird was snatched away, along with the note!
"It really was news sent back by my father. He has already sent someone back to the capital!"

After reading it, Lu Jia looked around and said, "Where's your older brother? Go and invite him over quickly!"

"I'm already here!"

Shen Qingzhou's voice rang out at the door at just the right moment, and two unshaven guards followed him in!

"The people sent to meet him have already encountered Father's men on the way, and they've all returned together!"

After he finished speaking, he looked back and two more guards, who looked travel-worn, entered. These two were the same guards who used to follow Grand Commandant Shen. On the day Grand Commandant Shen left, Lu Jia had spoken to them in the farewell procession!
"Your subordinate greets the young mistress!"

The two rose and bowed, then said crisply, "So that the eldest son and young mistress may know, the Grand Commandant has accomplished his mission! Five days ago, the Grand Commandant sent the two of us back to report, while he and the rest of his men stayed there until the Yan family's men encountered setbacks in Hangzhou before heading north!"

Unable to contain her joy, Lu Jia quickly exchanged a glance with Shen Qingzhou and asked, "How many days will it be before Father returns to the capital?"

"It will be delayed by two or three days at most!"

"I wonder what method Father used to persuade Hu Yucheng, who already had troops at his disposal?"

With Shen Bo personally taking charge, the chances of winning are actually quite high, but not having heard about the details, he still feels uneasy.

The guard then said, "After the Grand Commandant arrived, he did not immediately find Hu Yucheng. Instead, he investigated the area for two days before finally setting up camp."

"Just as Lord Lu predicted, Hu Yucheng is completely devoted to the Yan family, and has bribed them many times over the years, gaining them a great deal of benefits."

"During the past six months in the southeast, he even secretly accepted tributes from Japanese pirates. After the Grand Commandant got hold of this, he first explained the situation in the court to Hu Yucheng, and then presented Hu Yucheng's incriminating evidence."

"Hu Yucheng lost his composure when he saw the Grand Commandant personally taking action. Faced with the evidence, he was powerless to resist. That very night, he followed the Grand Commandant's orders and led his troops out to sea to kill the enemy."

Lu Jia's eyes lit up: "You mean the Yan family came up empty-handed?"

"Exactly! Because the Yan family has something on Hu Yucheng, if he openly rebels, it could easily provoke a counterattack from the Yan family and bring up other issues. So the Grand Commandant simply had Hu Yucheng avoid the Yan family under the pretext of going on a campaign."

"In addition, the master also obtained some evidence from Hu Yucheng of Yan Shu's interactions with people at sea during his lifetime, which he has now brought back to present to the eldest son and young mistress."

After reading through everything, Lu Jia was no longer able to calm down: "You've returned just in time! It's time to go see Father!"

Shen Qingzhou nodded and folded the things: "We received the news, and the Yan family will surely find out soon as well."

He instructed Shen Zhui, "You immediately take men to lie in ambush outside the Lu residence to cover our arrival tonight!"