135. Returning to the Lu Estate at Midnight

Jianglin, Lu Estate.

"Young Master?" The gatekeeper was startled to see Lu Jin standing at the entrance. It was already the Hour of the Bo (9:00 PM to 11:00 PM); why had the young master returned so late?

"Yes. Are my uncle and aunt asleep?" Lu Jin asked.

"..." The gatekeeper was speechless. At this hour, how could they not be asleep? But since the young master had arrived, they would have to be woken up even if the head of the house were already in bed. He quickly signaled a servant to go and inform them, and Lu Jin did not stop him.

"Young Master, where are the two men who usually attend to you?" the gatekeeper asked, noticing that Lu Jin was accompanied only by two young men he didn't recognize.

"Oh, right. Let them come inside for a cup of tea before they head back," Lu Jin instructed.

"Young Master-in-law, we shall wait for you outside."

"Then you two should return first. I am not going back tonight."

Seeing that he truly had no intention of returning, the two men had no choice but to head back to report. Lu Jin had intended to come alone; with Yuanfang away, Xiaobai was of no use either. However, the guards wouldn't dare let the master-in-law travel alone in the middle of the night, which was why they had escorted him here.

"Jiner!" Not long after he entered the courtyard, his uncle and aunt rushed out, throwing on their robes in a panic.

"My child, what has happened?" His aunt crowded around him, examining him from head to toe. In her mind, the only reason her child would come over so late was that he had been mistreated at the Shen family home.

"Uncle, Aunt, I came back to have a word with you."

Lu Jin had come partly to inform Lu Yuanrong of the news that the Bairong had invaded the south, and partly because he felt a sense of gloom that drove him to arrive at such an hour.

"Alright, alright, come inside quickly, my child. It’s getting cold out," Baili Rou said, not pressing for details; whatever the matter was, they could discuss it once inside.

Inside the room, the maidservants hurriedly served tea and snacks.

"Aunt, is there any wine? I’d like to have a drink with Uncle."

"Ah? Yes, yes, we have plenty that you brought over last time. I’ll go get some for you." Baili Rou felt a pang of heartache. *It’s over. The moment my child arrived, he asked for wine without saying a word. He must have been wronged—damn that Shen family!*

"Don't be in such a rush, have some tea first," Lu Yuanrong advised.

*Ah? I’m not in a rush,* Lu Jin thought. *Even if the Bairong invade, it will be a long time before they reach Jiangzhou. I’m just feeling down.*

But Lu Jin didn't realize that with his haggard expression, both Lu Yuanrong and Baili Rou were convinced he had been wronged; otherwise, it wouldn't make sense. Because he was preoccupied with his own thoughts, he was less sensitive to other things, including the reactions of his uncle and aunt. His mind was entirely fixated on why Shen Hao was so stubborn.

"Uncle, I have something to tell you." Although there were several people present, they were all family, so Lu Jin didn't feel the need to be discreet; they would find out sooner or later anyway.

"Yes, tell me slowly. Or perhaps have some more tea?" Lu Yuanrong comforted him.

*No, why does everyone keep telling me to drink tea? I’ve already had a few cups; I’m not a water bucket.*

"No more tea. Uncle, the Bairong have invaded."

"Hmm," Lu Yuanrong grunted, his mind racing. *Who is this? Is it he who bullied Jiner? Does he think I, Lu Yuanrong, am dead?*

Lu Jin was speechless. *What does "hmm" mean? Aren't you a soldier? The enemy has invaded, and you're this calm?*

"Uncle, I said the Bairong have broken through from Ningbian and are currently marching toward the capital!"

"Oh, you mean this Bairong... what? You said the Bairong have invaded?" Lu Yuanrong stopped mid-sentence and let out a sudden roar, startling everyone in the room. His aunt nearly fell to the floor.

Lu Jin quickly stood up to support his aunt. *Is she still half-asleep? Why is her reaction time so slow?*

"Jiner, tell me again," Lu Yuanrong said, unable to believe his ears. Had he misheard?

"I said the Bairong in the north bribed the Ningbian commander and have broken into the pass. I only just received the news, so I came to tell you."

"Oh my, how could they just break in like that?" His aunt finally reacted.

*Thwack!* Before she could finish, Lu Yuanrong slammed his palm onto the table, shattering it into pieces. The tea and snacks scattered across the floor.

"To think there is such scum in the army! Hateful!" Lu Yuanrong’s hair and beard bristled, and the fury in his voice was chilling.

Not to mention his aunt, even Lu Jin was taken aback. To be honest, he hadn't spent that much time with Lu Yuanrong. Being on the receiving end of such an outburst, he stood frozen in place.

"Oh! Husband, speak properly, why are you smashing the table? You’ve frightened my child!" Baili Rou recovered and hurried to soothe her son.

Only then did Lu Yuanrong realize he had been too impulsive. As a scholar, his nephew must have been terrified.

"Well, Jiner, you see, your uncle has this temper..." Lu Yuanrong quickly changed his expression and offered a sheepish smile.

"Ah, Uncle, I'm fine. It was just so sudden!" Lu Jin replied with a forced laugh.

Lu Yuanrong reflected, *Right, my nephew has killed men before; he’s probably more frightening than I am.*

The terrified maids rushed to clean up; it had been a miserable night for them.

"Come, sit down and tell your uncle in detail." Lu Yuanrong pulled Lu Jin to a nearby chair, as the couch was no longer usable.

Lu Jin had no choice but to explain the situation he had learned that day to Lu Yuanrong and Baili Rou. After hearing him out, Lu Yuanrong frowned in silence, while his aunt muttered about how they had only just started to live a peaceful life and wondered how this could be happening.

"Have you discussed this with your father-in-law?" Lu Yuanrong asked.

"Yes, I was summoned there and only found out then. As soon as it ended, I came straight here to tell you and Aunt."

"I thought you had been bullied at the Shen house," Baili Rou said softly.

Lu Jin was completely bewildered. *Where is this coming from? How did they conclude I had been bullied?*

"You don't know the expression on your face when you walked in, and the time of night. How could your aunt and I not suspect you had been mistreated?" Lu Yuanrong explained.

"It’s just because of this matter. I chatted with my father-in-law tonight, and we had some disagreements. I’m just feeling unhappy about it," Lu Jin didn't hide it; since they were already so worried, he couldn't keep it from them.

"What were the disagreements?" Lu Yuanrong asked.

Lu Jin explained some of the issues they had discussed at the Shen residence that night.

"So you want to keep an escape route in Jiangnan, and your father-in-law disagrees?" Lu Yuanrong asked after listening.

"Yes. If the worst comes to pass, we shouldn't just die here for nothing."

"Jiner, this time I have to stand with your father-in-law. The men of the Lu family are not cowards..."

"Lu Yuanrong!"

Lu Jin was almost stunned by his aunt's shout again. *Is the Feng Shui off today? Since when did Aunt become so assertive?*

"Stop spouting nonsense! If you dare to incite my child, I will fight you to the death!" Baili Rou started with great intensity, leaving Lu Yuanrong stunned. But as she spoke, she began to cry.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that..." Lu Yuanrong said anxiously, forgetting in his haste that this woman who loved her child more than life itself was still there.

"So what if we are cowards? As long as my child is alive, what does it matter if we are cowards?" Baili Rou sobbed.

Lu Jin: (⊙ꇴ⊙) *How did we end up talking about being cowards?*

"Aunt, we aren't being cowards. Uncle is right; the men of the Lu family are not cowards..."

"Child, if something were to happen to you, how would I go on living? How would I answer to your father and mother, how would I answer to the ancestors of the Lu family? You are the only male heir left of our Lu family..." his aunt cried, her eyes brimming with tears.

Lu Jin scratched his head. How on earth did things get to this point?

"Rou'er, I didn't mean that. We were just talking. The Bairong are still thousands of miles away. Even if something happens, don't I still have you?" Lu Yuanrong comforted her.

Lu Jin shuddered. *Are they really using such mushy endearments at their age? It seems our old Lu family are all hopeless romantics.*

"You can't have anything happen to you either..." Baili Rou said, rubbing her eyes.

"Alright, alright, nothing will happen to either of us. We'll run away tomorrow," Lu Yuanrong said, abandoning all principles to comfort Baili Rou.

"Hmph! If you want to run, you run yourself. I want to see if the Bairong can fly over here..." Hearing Lu Yuanrong’s playful tone, Baili Rou realized she had been a bit extreme, but she couldn't back down now.

The uncle and nephew both stared, dumbfounded. *Why is everything about you?*

"Aunt, we were just chatting. The Bairong are still very far away. My father-in-law said they would struggle to even reach the capital, so how could they possibly reach Jiangzhou?" Lu Jin, unlike Lu Yuanrong, was not lacking in principles; he offered a rational analysis.

"Alright, alright, I’ll listen to my child."

Lu Yuanrong: (⊙ꇴ⊙) *So I’ve been talking for nothing this whole time?*

After some soothing, the group finally calmed down. Beyond the initial tension, they realized their worries were a bit premature. Running away was not an immediate concern.

"Jiner, it is hard to leave one's homeland. Not to mention the Shen family has managed Jiangzhou for hundreds of years; even an ordinary family, who would want to leave?"

"I understand that, but this is just making the worst-case preparations," Lu Jin said.

"That may be so, but if the Shen family truly has such intentions, do you think there is any hope for Jiangzhou?"

"The Shen family isn't the emperor of Jiangzhou; why would there be no hope?" Lu Jin understood the Shen family's influence in Jiangzhou, but he felt his uncle’s words were too exaggerated.

"You say that, but even the Emperor doesn't compare to the Shen family in Jiangzhou. A great noble family is not so simple. The Shen family cannot leave Jiangzhou, and Jiangzhou cannot leave the Shen family. Otherwise, why do you think they have stood for hundreds of years? If they truly abandoned Jiangzhou, no matter where they moved, the family would cease to exist in practice. No one would be willing to listen to the Shen family anymore."

"Then why is it so troublesome for the Shen family to expand their private guards?" Lu Jin asked, puzzled. According to Lu Yuanrong’s description, shouldn't they be able to do it openly?

"Things haven't reached that point. The world isn't just Jiangzhou. What about other noble families? What about the imperial court? If things haven't reached that point and you raise an army, who could feel at ease? At that moment, the Shen family would become the target of public criticism."

"Moreover, the Shen family’s primary influence lies in the hearts of the people, not in military might. Although everyone often grumbles about the Shen family, in critical moments, they look to the Shen family."

"But in any case, we can't just surrender to the barbarians, right?" Lu Jin said indignantly.

"Jiner, it is easy to say such light words. But a great family is different from a small one. If our Lu family disappears, so be it. But the Shen family carries the hopes of the people of Jiangzhou. They could choose to die resisting, but what of the millions of people in Jiangzhou? Should they be slaughtered until rivers of blood flow? The Shen family could also run away, but then Jiangzhou would become a discarded land with discarded people. Do you think anyone would care if they lived or died?"

"Besides, everything you are talking about is speculative. No matter how low the Central Plains may fall, it hasn't reached the point of being bullied by barbarians to that extent."

Lu Jin was speechless, not knowing where this inexplicable confidence came from.

After cleaning up the broken table and the spilled food and drink, the maids replaced the table and set out a pot of wine and a few dishes. The two men sat down on the couch again.

The topic was truly tedious, so Lu Jin urged his aunt to go and rest. His aunt, seeing she couldn't contribute and was perhaps being a hindrance, simply listened to her son. As long as her children were safe, she didn't care much about other things.

"You came over so late, where is Xi'er?" Lu Yuanrong asked.

"I came straight here after leaving my father-in-law’s study. It’s so late, she must have gone to bed long ago."

Though he said this, Lu Jin’s heart began to feel uneasy.