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Chapter 402 Seeking a Better Path
“If it’s just about proving one’s innocence with death, I don’t think Father Emperor would take it too seriously. Ever since I can remember, he’s not the kind of person who buys into that kind of thing.” Lu Yan shook his head. “But he still believes that person from the Ministry of War’s Treasury Department did it.”

"Oh? What's so special about this person?" Lu Qing asked.

“This man is a close aide to the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue, and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue…” Lu Yan nodded meaningfully to Lu Qing, “Although he works in the Ministry of War, he has a very close relationship with Luo Yushu, the Minister of Personnel.”

Lu Qing nodded knowingly and did not ask any further questions.

When Zhu Yu first heard the name Luo Yushu, he was slightly taken aback. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't immediately recall who it was. After a while, he realized that he had heard the name of Minister Luo on the guest list of Lu Zhang's wedding.

Lu Qing and Lu Yan chatted briefly for a few more minutes before Lu Yan went back to rest. He was exhausted after a day of running around, and the progress hadn't been smooth. Now, Lu Zhang had parted ways with the "spy" who had ruined things. Even after talking with Lu Qing, Lu Yan still felt a burning anger inside. Since he had nowhere to vent it, he could only sleep to relieve it.

After Lu Yan left, Lu Qing closed the door and looked at Zhu Yu, who was deep in thought.

"Are you wondering why the Vice Minister of the Treasury of the Ministry of War has such close ties with Luo Yushu, yet General Cao can't explain it?" He walked back to the table, sat down, and directly voiced the doubts in Zhu Yu's mind.

Zhu Yu snapped out of her daze, heard his words, and laughed: "You hit the nail on the head, I really can't figure out the ins and outs of it."

I can understand why someone would specifically target General Cao. After all, he was a great contributor to the current emperor's ascension to the throne. The fact that he could enjoy wealth and honor under the emperor's nose for so many years and still hold military power is enough to demonstrate the emperor's trust in him.

I don't think His Majesty is the kind of person who is easily swayed. General Cao has never offended His Majesty's taboos over the years. Regardless of whether he is close to the Duke of Yan, he is at least loyal to His Majesty in terms of his stance.

If someone wanted to plot something, they naturally wouldn't want such a person by the emperor's side.

However... using the forged weapons to frame King Jie and my father would be easy and enjoyable. After all, vassal kings are inherently feared figures, and with the emperor far away, it's easier to carry out clandestine operations.

Black iron is produced in our Shuo region, and the Jie King has always been portrayed by word of mouth as an ambitious and ruthless character. If it were said that the two of them joined forces to do something bad, it would seem perfectly reasonable to anyone at first glance.

But Cao Tianbao?
He already wields such significant military power right under the Emperor's nose. If he truly wanted to do something, why would he need to resort to such a hasty and preemptive measure?
Furthermore, isn't the Vice Minister of War's Treasury a man of Luo Yushu? Everyone in the court knows that Luo Yushu, the Minister of Personnel, is a protégé of Duke Yan, Zhao Bi, and the two are practically of one mind.

It's no secret that Cao Tianbao followed Zhao Bi's lead.

So these two people are practically in the same camp!

If Cao Tianbao inexplicably acquired a batch of black iron weapons and armor bearing the seal of the Ministry of War, this would be no small matter. Logically, both the Vice Minister of the Treasury and Minister Luo Yushu should have tried their best to help Cao Tianbao out of this predicament.

However, the Vice Minister of the Treasury himself spoke righteously and refused to bear the injustice even at the cost of his life, which made him stand out for his integrity. But this only put Cao Tianbao in an even more difficult situation! How could people in the same camp do such a stupid thing as undermining each other and not caring about each other's interests?
The Duke of Yan's shrewdness was practically written all over his face; I don't believe he would just stand by and watch his trusted confidants turn against each other.

“What you said makes sense.” Lu Qing nodded first, agreeing with Zhu Yu’s view, and then said, “I also believe that although General Cao has been subservient and respectful to Duke Yan for many years, he is still loyal to the Emperor at heart.”

This is perhaps the root cause of all the scheming he encountered.

Zhu Yu frowned: "I understand what you mean. I have no intention of questioning Cao Tianbao's loyalty to the Emperor, but Duke Yan is clearly not the type to willingly submit to being a subject."

I also want to believe that Cao Tianbao is upright, even somewhat blindly loyal, and that he is willing to listen to one side and believe the other side, disregarding the facts, in order to admire and befriend a certain person.

That's why he has so many prejudices against you and always seems out of place.

I believe he never suspected that the Duke of Yan had any ambitions that were detrimental to the Emperor. If the Duke of Yan's plan was to send Cao Tianbao to charge into battle and forcibly seize the throne from the Emperor, I estimate that Cao Tianbao would never have agreed to it.

It's impossible that Zhao Bi hadn't figured this out after all these years.

Therefore, Zhao Bi's plan was certainly not to seize by force, but to proceed gradually and find a respectable reason to make his actions seem morally sound, so as to continue to gain the support of General Cao.

In this way, it's unlikely that the two would have differing principles and develop a rift. Furthermore, Zhao Bi would not risk harming General Cao simply because he already knew of General Cao's loyalty to the Emperor; doing so would be tantamount to cutting off his own arm.

“You’re right.” Lu Qing smiled. “Lu Zhang, the only son of Consort Zhao, is the perfect cover for Zhao Bi. He only needs to play the role of a loving maternal grandfather and support Lu Zhang to the throne, then everything will be legitimate, and Cao Tianbao will definitely give his full support.”

When the time is right, they can simply introduce an ambitious Yue family member, or something else, as a pretext to take the opportunity to remove Lu Zhang, this pawn who has been put to good use, from the chessboard. Cao Tianbao will not only not notice anything amiss, but may even find it perfectly reasonable.

At that time, he will still be Zhao Bi's most capable right-hand man.

Therefore, all these schemes against Cao Tianbao from beginning to end could not have originated from Zhao Bi's planning.

Following his words, Zhu Yu sorted out his own thoughts: "Since it wasn't Zhao Bi, but the Vice Minister of the Treasury is very close to Zhao Bi's protégé Luo Yushu..."

She looked up at Lu Qing with a sudden realization: "It seems that what you said before is true. To these noble families, what are disciples? They are just a group of scheming people trying to cling to their coattails and get promoted by them."

So, this Luo Yushu…didn't manage to latch onto Zhao Bi, so he's planning to find someone else to climb the social ladder?