Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 791 Answering the Senior's Questions

Senior, it's been a long time.

Xu Xuan and Lu Dan exchanged pleasantries upon meeting.

It's clear that after a few months in the capital, this senior's demeanor is even more refined than before, though his brow is furrowed and he appears somewhat weary.

Moreover, judging from his fortune, he has already re-entered officialdom, and holds a high position.

While I'm delighted that my network is growing like wildfire, like leeks, but...

Is it too fast?

This matter requires going through several departments and weighing various factors.

It should be noted that Lu Xuechang's two elder brothers, as representatives of the Lu family of Jiangdong, had long since entered the capital to associate with powerful and influential families, visit famous scholars and build their influence, in preparation for taking office.

They've been making a big fuss about it, and it's been a whole year already, but the process still isn't over.

The reason for not taking office yet is to wait for a higher price and to exchange benefits, to drag things out and see if there are better options.

For celebrities, taking the right first step can save them a lifetime of hard work; this is practically an open secret.

Also known as "cultivating one's ambition".

He entered the officialdom as soon as he arrived in the capital, which gave him a sense of instability.

Xu Xuan's gaze narrowed slightly, and he also noticed that there was a wisp of black energy faintly wrapped around Lu Dan's brow, indicating that he had recently been involved in some trouble.

He calmly picked up his teacup and asked casually:

"Your success in the capital is due to the help of a powerful figure, senior?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Dan smiled helplessly: "I didn't expect it to be so fast..." He shook his head, "but I got scolded by the teacher and was directly assigned a position."

Although they came from the Lu family of Jiangdong and had an impressive resume in Yangzhou, the Lu family's influence was ultimately limited in the capital, a place teeming with powerful and wealthy people.

Moreover, with the three Lu brothers entering the capital at the same time, resources were scattered, making it indeed difficult to cultivate prestige step by step.

"It's all thanks to my junior brother who spoke well of me back in Suzhou," Lu Dan said solemnly. "After reading my letter, my teacher replied and scolded me for being 'pedantic,' saying that with the current situation changing, how can we afford to slowly 'cultivate our reputation'?"

As he spoke, his eyes trembled slightly, as if he was still shaken by the reprimand: "They put me in office just a few days later..."

Professor Sheng majored in criminal law and always valued pragmatism, and he despised the pretentious manner of those famous scholars.

In his view, spending years or even decades just to "cultivate reputation" and gain fame, without thinking about doing practical things for the people, is simply a disgrace to scholars.

Therefore, most of his disciples entered officialdom early—either through the imperial examination or through recommendation—and few were idle and "cultivating their reputation."

"Thanks to my teacher's introduction, I became a law professor in the Court of Justice." As he spoke, Lu Dan took out a bronze seal from his sleeve, which was engraved with the words "Ming Fa" (明法).

"Hello, Dr. Law!" Xu Xuan's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but exclaim.

Professor Sheng appears impartial and incorruptible, but in reality, he is meticulously planning for his disciple's future—this Doctor of Law position is a prestigious fifth-rank post, which puts him ahead of 99% of the candidates in the imperial examinations.

Since our senior is doing so well, we should invest more in him.

From now on, we can help each other, make progress together, unite our classmates to form a political party to control the government, and then do whatever we want. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Lu Dan didn't have such a rebellious thought. He took a sip of tea, his eyes filled with gratitude: "Teacher is indeed dedicated. This position requires teaching the Jin Law to new officials and participating in the review of important cases by the Court of Justice. It allows one to accumulate judicial experience without having to take the lead in the trial."

Xu Xuan nodded; he also understood the ingenuity of this position.

They usually train future officials in charge of criminal justice, so their network of connections naturally grows.

What's even more remarkable is the authority to "revise laws and decrees." It remains unseen most of the time, but becomes a powerful tool to turn the tide in times of political upheaval.

Instantly, seven small plans appeared in his mind. "My teacher started as a Doctor of Law," Lu Dan said, gently stroking the patterns on the official seal. "Later, when revising the Criminal Code, those students and old friends..."

I understand, that's the meaning of becoming an apprentice.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother. But you've just taken office and you're already back in Yangzhou. Is there something important?"

That's a good question. It's meant to get the senior to say things that are hard to say out loud.

Lu Dan felt a little embarrassed. He knew that his junior, Xu Xuan, far surpassed him in talent and ability. As for family background, he didn't have much of an advantage either, since Xu Xuan was a teacher at Chongqi Academy and had a better relationship with Professor Sheng than he did.

So there's nothing wrong with coming to ask for advice.

Moreover, he wouldn't feel at ease without asking this resourceful junior.

"My junior is about to take the imperial examination, so I shouldn't be bothering you at this time."

"But I am really undecided. The advice from my family and advisors is very good, but I still have some unease in my heart, so I have come here to ask for your advice."

There are two things in total.

"First thing, junior, do you know anything about Dr. Fu?"

A glint flashed in Xu Xuan's eyes as he thought of many things. After all, this was a daughter destined to be a protagonist.

He slowly said, "Lord Fu Tianchou... He was formerly the Imperial Censor and is currently the Governor of Yangzhou. He is known for his integrity and incorruptibility. He once impeached three ministers and was known as the 'Iron-Faced Censor'."

He paused deliberately, observing the other person's reaction: "However, he was transferred away from the central command two years ago... Senior, why are you suddenly asking about this person, could it be..."

Lu Dan looked around to make sure no one was nearby before lowering his voice and saying:

"The Court of Justice received a secret report that Lord Fu harbored resentment because he was ostracized from the capital and was secretly involved in the 'God of Literature' case. In fact, someone even submitted so-called 'evidence'."

Xu Xuan: "..."

Sure enough, when things escalated, all sorts of shady characters came out to stir up trouble.

The target area for the Wenquxingjun statue case was actually quite easy to pinpoint.

Rich, lots and lots of money.

Otherwise, they wouldn't even be able to afford the materials, let alone train such skilled carving masters. Transportation and distribution also require a large amount of capital.

They have power and hold a high position of authority.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to organize a network of forces that spans the entire Kyushu region, and to shield the official forces from vigilance from the very beginning.

It is connected to celestial phenomena.

Even Bai Suzhen needed to do some research to deduce that the Wenqu Star would be born in the next few years, so others would certainly need more resources and platforms to deduce this.

In conclusion, the most reliable approach is to thoroughly investigate the entire city of Luoyang, from the Jin emperor to the top aristocratic families.

With so many people and so many procedures involved, it's impossible that no clues could be found.

Even Xu Xuan had almost locked onto the suspect deep in his heart.

Others could probably guess about half of this, so attributing this mess to Fu Tianchou is a bit far-fetched.

"Sitting in Yangzhou, a pot falls from the sky."

Lu Dan knew it was impossible, but...

He tapped his knuckles lightly on the table: "This matter should not have been handled by me, but the Minister of Justice specifically asked me to investigate it..." He gave a bitter smile, "Fortunately, Censor Huang Sha pointed out the procedural error in time, which allowed me to get away with it."

(End of this chapter)