Thinking of this, he waved and summoned the old butler.
"Remember to thoroughly investigate all the servants in the house. Replace those who need replacing, and don't let anyone else take advantage of the situation."
"Yes, sir." The old steward acknowledged the order and left. Li Linfu still felt sullen. A series of pains came from his chest.
"A servant boy who was waiting to serve him rushed into the room and brought back a pill."
"Reporting to Master, there are not many pills left."
"Then let's refine it again."
"Yes, I will arrange it right away."
.............
Li Linfu has already begun investigating the servants in his residence. At least a hundred people have been expelled from the Right Prime Minister's residence, and dozens more have even been beaten to death. They were all sleazy individuals.
"Very good. Now that he has dismissed a group of people, he will surely recruit some more!"
"Yes, they were personally recruited by an old steward from one of Li Linfu's clansmen. I've already made arrangements; at least six people can get in."
"Very good. Be careful in everything you do. It's better to give up than to make a mistake. His side is not necessary."
"Understood, sir. Also, I received some news today." As he said this, a strange expression flashed across Zhang Xiaojing's face.
"explain."
“My men saw that a Taoist priest entered the Right Prime Minister’s residence today.”
"Taoist priest, is Li Linfu a Taoist?"
"I don't know anything about that. There's usually no news about it. But I did find out a little about that Taoist priest. Apparently, he's an alchemist."
The moment the words "alchemist" were uttered, Lu Xuan felt as if a lightning bolt had struck his mind, illuminating a distant, dark place in his memory: his first case as the county magistrate of Wannian County.
"Alchemy..." He stared at the Taoist priest. He also kept an eye on the children around them...
Seeing that Lu Xuan understood his meaning, Zhang Xiaojing also put on a murderous expression.
"I will. If necessary, I'll need to use some methods."
"Don't touch anyone from the Right Prime Minister's residence. The rest is up to you."
"Understood, I'll take care of it right away."
After Zhang Xiaojing left, Lu Xuan sat in his chair, recalling some things about Li Linfu. His impression of this man wasn't actually very detailed; he only knew some general information. He knew that Li Linfu had died before the An Lushan Rebellion, and that Yang Guozhong had succeeded him.
However, Yang Guozhong hasn't risen to prominence yet. Judging by the timeline, it will likely be another year or two. Only after Li Longji publicly bestows the title of Consort Yang will Yang Guozhong seize the opportunity and rise uncontrollably. He even had a period of conflict with Li Linfu.
Of course, Li Linfu didn't think much of Yang Guozhong; he saw through him at a glance and considered the man a complete fool, posing no threat whatsoever. However, Yang Guozhong ultimately defeated him in a different way—by outliving him...
I wonder what Li Linfu would feel if he knew that after his death, his position would be taken by an incompetent fool.
When he got home, he found that there were guests at home today. And it was an acquaintance, someone Lu Xuan hadn't contacted in a long time.
Wenzhu, the girl who fought her way out of the Great Horse Camp with Lu Xuan and the others. After returning to Chang'an, Lu Xuan had almost no contact with her except for a few visits during important holidays. After all, she was an unmarried girl, and it wasn't appropriate for Lu Xuan, a man, to maintain such a relationship.
It's unclear when, but Xu Hezi somehow became friends with the other person. Perhaps because she had heard that story from her, Xu Hezi had been interested in Wenzhu for a long time. Furthermore, given her humble origins, it was difficult for her to infiltrate the social circles of noblewomen in Chang'an. Therefore, she had to find another way to get to know Wenzhu.
Wenzhu's father was fighting in the Western Regions, and her mother had long since passed away. She only had a few servants at home. She wasn't familiar with the young masters and ladies of Chang'an and couldn't join the Chang'an princesses' circle. Yet, the two of them, through their interactions, unexpectedly became close friends. Lu Xuan didn't object to this. He and Wenzhu were practically sworn brothers. Since he was inconvenienced, he was happy that his wife was helping to maintain their relationship.
"Commander Lu." Wen Zhu stood up and greeted him.
"Don't be so formal. We're practically brothers in arms. Back in the desert, you weren't like this at all. Back then, that crossbow in your hand took the lives of at least a dozen Turks and bandits."
Wenzhu blushed slightly. Back in Chang'an, her persona was naturally that of an unmarried young woman with some family background. On the surface, she was a gentle and virtuous girl. However, in front of Lu Xuan, these pretenses were naturally ineffective. Lu Xuan had witnessed all her embarrassing moments.
"Lu Lang, how can you expose a girl's shortcomings to her face? We're discussing serious matters right now," Xu Hezi said, 'dissatisfied' as she stood up for her best friend.
"Really? Tell me, what important matter are you two discussing?" Lu Xuan asked with an interested expression.
"How old is your subordinate, Zhang Xiaojing?"
"Zhang Xiaojing? This has something to do with him?"
"I'm asking you a question."
"...How would I know? He was probably around thirty-two or thirty-three. I remember he joined the army when he was very young."
"You're over thirty..." Xu Hezi immediately looked disgusted. Lu Xuan felt a headache coming on. You have no idea, I'm over forty years old in total from my two lifetimes combined.
"What exactly happened? Tell me so I can die knowing why!"
Do you still remember Wen Ran from Wenji Incense Shop?
"Of course I remember. You've been in contact with her too?"
“Wen Ran came by a few times while you were away. We’re best friends now. Wen Zhu knows her too, and we often go to her incense shop. Do you know that she’s been in love with that rough guy Zhang Xiaojing for a long time?”
Lu Xuan: "...So, you two are discussing arranging a marriage for Zhang Xiaojing?"
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Chapter Seventy-Four: The Wool War
Lu Xuan couldn't understand women's thought processes even after two lifetimes combined. It was like he had no idea when Xu Hezi, Wen Zhu, and Wen Ran had become best friends. His own wife was even arranging blind dates for her subordinates...
What kind of nonsense is this? Lu Xuan racked his brains, and the atmosphere of his battle of wits with Li Linfu was instantly squeezed out. He shook his head, trying to refocus.
"You two continue your discussion." With that, he prepared to go inside. But Xu Hezi stopped him.