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Chapter 601 I Lived a Great Life

"How can you be sure that people will believe Zhao Bi sent someone to do this?" Zhu Yu asked curiously.

"Do you remember the person who told me about what happened back then in the South Study? Although my family members died from poisoning, the servants in my household who didn't have the chance to dine with me all died from broken necks."

Initially, no one noticed this anomaly; it was only after the person ordered a closer inspection that the cause of their deaths was discovered.

When Lu Qing spoke of what happened back then, his voice involuntarily turned a few degrees colder: "Back then, Lu Chao also read the historian's records of the fierce battle before that person ascended to the high position."

As mentioned above, there was once a general from a foreign tribe who was brave and skilled in battle and made many military achievements. However, he was disliked by the emperor, who advocated benevolence, because his methods were too cruel and ruthless.

Therefore, the foreign general was not given an important position afterward, and his whereabouts were described in a very vague way.

However, to prove that this person was indeed ruthless, there was a description in the text that Lu Chao couldn't show to me directly, so he specially copied that passage.

In short, those enemies who fell into the hands of this alien general, whether they were soldiers or generals, whether they were members of the royal family or not, all met extremely terrible ends. This included the fact that the man would use his internal force to break the opponent's bones one by one, causing them great pain, without any visible signs of it.

Furthermore, this person often does these things simply to have fun tormenting those with differing stances.

If the target is considered a traitor, the methods will be even more ruthless.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yu's expression turned solemn: "This so-called alien general... is he the senior brother of the high priest of the Brahma Kingdom, Ishaan, whom the fake fortress lord mentioned before?"

The one who followed Duke Zhao Bi of Yan back then, served him faithfully and made many military achievements, and was determined to bring glory to his ancestors and his master.
The fake fortress lord kept saying that the senior brother had attacked your family on behalf of that person, and was later secretly killed to silence him.

That fake fortress lord was certainly no trustworthy person either, so could it be that the truth of the whole affair differs even more from what he told us than we expected, and that our senior brother from back then is still alive?

"Whether he's still alive or not is actually not important." Lu Qing chuckled with a hint of sarcasm. "What's important is that his methods back then left a deep impression on many people. Every veteran official in the court has some recollection of him."

The old foxes in the court knew perfectly well who that person actually followed, even though he was called a supporter of that person back then.

Therefore, as long as Gu Lingyun's death can immediately remind people of that senior brother, the other party's plan can be considered a success.

After all, whether that senior brother is still alive or not, or whether he passed on this skill to others around Zhao Bi back then, Zhao Bi cannot say for sure about this matter.

This tactic is like splashing ink on someone; the goal is simply to make it impossible for them to wash it off completely.

"This kind of inability to defend oneself is really... what a terrible thing to do!" Zhu Yu almost squeezed out the words through his molars. "Actually, although I know it's necessary to play the long game, sometimes when I think about it, I feel a little uneasy."

After all these years of laying the strings, that old bastard Zhao Bi has lived quite comfortably and carefree. "It doesn't matter; the more you gain, the more painful it is to lose." Hearing Zhu Yu's sullen voice, Lu Qing seemed to cheer up. "Let's wait and see; I reckon there's going to be a big show soon."

That night, before going to bed, Lu Qing remembered the story of "The Farmer and the Snake" that Zhu Yu had casually mentioned earlier, and asked about it again. Zhu Yu then slightly modified the story and told it to Lu Qing.

Lu Qing stared intently at Zhu Yu in the darkness: "I really can't figure it out. Zhu Cheng is such a straightforward and naive man who doesn't think things through and is only good at smelting and forging. Your mother is such a soft-hearted and submissive person. How did she raise such a knowledgeable, bold and meticulous daughter like you?"

Zhu Yu grinned and casually offered an excuse: "It's probably a case of things reaching their extreme and then reversing."

Lu Qing seemed to agree with this, and sighed softly: "That makes sense. So, when God left me all alone, He compensated me by giving me the best person in the world."

A few days later, the capital was indeed in chaos. Out of caution, Lu Qing and Zhu Yu did not go out. However, Fu Wen and Liu Yueyao's comings and goings allowed them to keep a clear understanding of what was happening outside.

Gu Lingyun's body was indeed discovered. Originally, because it had already begun to decompose and was found in a remote and dilapidated house of low social standing, it was not recognized at all.

Once it was confirmed that it was Gu Lingyun, and it was discovered that all her bones and muscles had been broken inch by inch, the news caused an uproar.

The ordinary people in the capital were shocked by the cruel methods, but the old ministers in the court, especially those who had been close to the Duke of Yan in his early years, began to have some doubts.

Over the years, no one has seen or heard of that foreign general again, and it is unknown whether he is still alive.

But everyone knows how this famous female manager of the Tze-Lü Shop in the capital has frequently visited the Duke of Yan's mansion over the years, and how she has managed to do business with almost every noblewoman in the capital through the Duke of Yan's wife.

It is rumored that even the incense and fabrics that were sold into the palace were introduced by the Duchess of Yan.

In short, the two sides have always had a close relationship, and the reputation of Zelifang rose because of the Duke of Yan's mansion.

Previously, when Lady Yan celebrated her birthday, the incident involving the phoenix robe occurred. Duke Yan immediately jumped out and said that the people from the Tze-Lush Workshop had deliberately framed him. Immediately afterward, the people from the Tze-Lush Workshop disappeared, and everyone thought they had run away. But not long after, they discovered that the people had all died in a remote, dilapidated house, and their deaths were gruesome and had been there for a long time...

Rumors immediately began to circulate, saying that the previous phoenix robe was simply a result of the Duke of Yan accidentally revealing his wolfish ambitions. Seeing that things were going badly, he wanted to shift the blame to the cloth merchant, and even went so far as to kill him to keep quiet and protect his secret.

The Duke of Yan's mansion did not react to this matter. Ever since the Duke of Yan was detained, the once bustling and prosperous mansion has been closed to visitors, and the family members rarely come out to the public. It is unknown whether the rumors outside have reached behind that courtyard wall.

Interestingly, it was understandable that others dared not have any dealings with the Duke of Yan's family at such a time, but after the Duke of Yan was arrested and imprisoned by Emperor Jin in court, Lu Zhang actually took people to visit his maternal grandmother.

After the fully armed Zhao family soldiers were brought back to the capital, Lu Zhang never visited his maternal family again.