Chapter 122: The Treasonous Letter

Pulled from his deep contemplation by Feng Yewu’s question, Lu Jue returned to the present, a flicker of bewilderment crossing his features.

It was the first time Feng Yewu had ever seen such an expression on Lu Jue’s face. Lu Jue had always been gentle and composed; even when faced with mortal danger, he had never shown this kind of confusion.

"I do not know, Your Majesty. It is just that lately, I have found my state of mind to be extremely unstable, and my emotions have become difficult to control."

Hearing this, Feng Yewu was startled and quickly pressed for more details. "Do you feel any physical discomfort?"

Lu Jue shook his head slightly, and for a moment, both fell into a troubled silence.

"Once we return, I shall have the imperial physicians examine you," Feng Yewu said urgently. The concern in her eyes and the anxiety in her expression made Lu Jue burst into a soft laugh.

"You are still in the mood to laugh?" Feng Yewu asked, slightly piqued. She was so worried, yet Lu Jue was teasing her.

Seeing that she was upset, Lu Jue hurriedly waved his hands and shook his head repeatedly. "No, no, I meant no offense. Please, Your Majesty, do not be angry."

Lu Jue dared not tell her that, at this moment, she looked exactly like a young wife fretting over her husband, bearing no resemblance to the icy, stoic monarch of the past.

"Your Majesty, Master Lu."

As they spoke, a voice interrupted them. General Xiao Han approached with a smile and bowed to them both.

"General Xiao, please, there is no need for such formality. My status is lowly; I cannot accept a bow from you." Lu Jue quickly kowtowed in return. He meant no slight; in the eyes of the public, he was merely a servant of the palace, and he could not rightfully accept such a gesture from the General.

Xiao Han, however, did not see it that way. He frowned and replied in a voice intended to be heard. "This respect has nothing to do with rank. Years ago, when I served under General Lu Youxu, I received his grace many times. If not for General Lu, I would not be the man I am today. I owe this debt to the Lu family, and Master Lu must accept this acknowledgment."

With a solemn expression, Xiao Han knelt on one knee and bowed deeply once more.

Ever since the tragedy that befell the Lu family—leaving Lu Jue as the sole survivor while the rest were executed—Xiao Han had been consumed by guilt. Seeing Lu Jue now, he felt he could finally offer his penance in person.

"General Xiao, this is..." Lu Jue was momentarily at a loss, caught off guard by the General’s kneeling. If one were to judge by age and seniority, Xiao Han was his elder, and as a former subordinate of his father, he was as dear to Lu Jue as kin.

Seeing Xiao Han’s loyalty, Feng Yewu nodded slightly in appreciation and stepped in to ease the tension. "General Xiao, there is no need for this. I shall see that justice is served for the Lu family."

Her words brought joy to Xiao Han. For years, he had painstakingly studied martial arts and military strategy, hoping to earn enough merit to clear the Lu family’s name.

"Your Majesty, is that true?" Xiao Han stood up, his eyes shimmering with emotion. "If there is any way I may serve, pray command it, Your Majesty! I would face death without hesitation!"

Feng Yewu smiled faintly, glanced at Lu Jue, and replied, "As descendants of the loyal and virtuous, I shall certainly provide an answer for the faithful ministers and generals, and give justice its due."

Seeing that Xiao Han had risen and the topic had shifted, Lu Jue asked, "General Xiao, did you have other matters to attend to?"

At the question, Xiao Han slapped his forehead and laughed. "My memory! I came to congratulate you, Master Lu."

"Congratulate me?" Lu Jue and Feng Yewu exchanged a puzzled look, failing to see what there was to celebrate.

"Have you found evidence in the Prince of Pingyi’s estate that my family was framed?" Lu Jue pondered, thinking that was the only thing worth celebrating at the moment.

Seeing the hope in Lu Jue’s eyes, Xiao Han smiled awkwardly, clearly referring to something else. "I believe the truth behind the case of the General of the North will come to light eventually. But I am congratulating you, Master Lu, on your impending breakthrough into the realm of the Grandmaster."

"Grandmaster?" Although he had not heard news regarding his family, the prospect of reaching such a level left Lu Jue stunned. Feng Yewu also looked on with surprise.

"Have you felt a strange shift in your spirit these past few days, with emotions difficult to control? And have you noticed that your strikes feel different than before?" Xiao Han asked with a smile. He had noticed the abnormalities in Lu Jue’s form while they fought side-by-side against the Eastern Yi assassins earlier.

Having spent years in the Grandmaster realm, Xiao Han had immediately understood the cause of Lu Jue’s condition. He had said nothing earlier because of the battle, but now that it was over, he had come to share his experience.

Lu Jue nodded. He had been confused by his emotional volatility, and as for the change in his strikes, he had simply attributed it to the lingering effects of the blade wound inflicted by Yang Guang, ignoring it until now.

"The realm of the Grandmaster is unlike ordinary martial arts. Although I have experienced it, I cannot fully articulate its mysteries. You have already stepped halfway into the realm; once we return to the capital in a few days, focus your meditation, and I am certain you will break through."

Xiao Han was, after all, a career military man; he was adept at leading armies, but explaining the intricacies of internal cultivation was not his forte.

Lu Jue smiled. "It is no matter. The mysteries of heaven and earth are vast. There are many who enter the Grandmaster realm, yet if it were easily explained, would there not be Grandmasters everywhere? General Xiao, simply telling me that this was an anomaly has already been a great help."

Feng Yewu had remained silent, but after hearing Xiao Han, the weight of worry she held for Lu Jue finally lifted.

"Your Majesty!" As the three conversed, Wei Nanqi approached with several soldiers. "These are what I found in the study of the Prince of Pingyi."

Wei Nanqi handed over a scroll and a brocade box. Feng Yewu’s expression turned solemn. As she opened the box, Lu Jue and Xiao Han leaned in, their brows furrowing.

Inside the box were thick bundles of letters, each one concerning the General of the North’s estate. Every letter, appearing aged, bore the official seal of the General of the North.

"This... is this my father’s signature?" Lu Jue’s pupils contracted upon seeing his father’s name, Lu Youxu, on the covers. Forgetting the protocol between sovereign and subject, he picked up a letter and began to read.

"Did my father... truly commit treason?"

The more he read, the colder Lu Jue’s heart became. By the end, he stood in a daze, his world collapsing as if he had fallen into a bottomless abyss.

The letter slipped from his fingers. Xiao Han quickly picked it up and began to read as well.

"Your Majesty..." Wei Nanqi did not know what to do. He had already read these letters before bringing them forward. Having studied Lu Youxu’s handwriting extensively while investigating the case, he had been so conflicted that he felt he had no choice but to present them to Feng Yewu.