Chapter 52: I Have Actually Been Part of an Organization All Along?

Is it really this nerve-wracking right on the very first day?

Zhang Rui felt a splitting headache at this moment. The Crown Prince definitely had nothing good in mind on his end, and even if beaten to death, he would never dare to live in a residence bought by the other party; who knew what kind of terrifying evil spirit might be hidden inside.

As for the Third Prince's side, there was no need to dwell on it. Before coming here, Yuchi Hong had explicitly warned him to have as little to do with the Third Prince as possible. Although the Crown Prince's foundation was currently shaken, he was still far from being someone other imperial princes could easily challenge for the time being. Over the past twenty years, the court and the public had universally believed that the Crown Prince's position was rock-solid, so naturally, no one would dare to back the losing side and pledge allegiance to any particular imperial prince. If he accepted the Third Prince's open solicitation right now, he would literally be setting himself up as a target for the Crown Prince's faction to shoot at.

As a mere minor seventh-rank official, his bones would be chewed to dust by that group of Crown Prince loyalists in the blink of an eye.

"Your Eunuch is truly too kind. I am deeply honored by His Highness's immense favor, but this humble official is utterly unworthy and dares not accept..."

"Lord Zhang, please do not stand on ceremony..." The white-haired Eunuch Yuan beamed with a flattering smile, his eyes narrowing into a pair of slits. "This is a residence bestowed by Her Majesty the Empress to express her gratitude for your saving of His Highness the Crown Prince. Its location is right near the Vermilion Bird Gate. Lord Zhang's new appointment is at the Ministry of Justice, and the mansion Her Majesty has arranged for you is situated not far from the Ministry. Traveling to and from work every day will be exceptionally convenient. Although it is not as prestigious as the Azure Dragon District, it is still a rare gesture of sincerity. I must ask Lord Zhang not to decline."

"My son, this is a token of Her Majesty's grace after all..." The old lady in the back could not help but swallow hard. Though she had intended not to chime in, she truly could not hold back any longer.

A gift from the Empress herself—no matter how anyone looked at it, there was nothing wrong with it! She certainly did not want her entire family to go rent some run-down civilian housing that was shabby to the extreme yet exorbitantly expensive. According to the price mentioned by the post station official just now, relying solely on her son's meager salary, they would probably never be able to afford a home in the capital for the rest of their lives. Even if that wicked daughter-in-law had a generous dowry, she feared it wouldn't secure a location this favorable.

A location like that, right near the Ministry of Justice, meant there would inevitably be many officials' family members residing around there. Interacting with them would be immensely beneficial to her son's future prospects!

Upon hearing this, however, Zhang Rui felt a chill run through his heart.

He didn't believe for a second that the Crown Prince could be so kind-hearted. Yuchi Hong had already stated that the Crown Prince appeared gentle on the surface but was actually petty and narrow-minded with a very limited capacity for tolerance. He would undoubtedly seek revenge. The Ministry of Justice frequently handled cases involving evil spirits, and a residence so close to the Ministry was bound to have hidden tricks. If his family moved in, who knew what kind of disasters might happen.

It was an absolute no-go. Yet since the other party explicitly stated it was the Empress's goodwill, a rash refusal might also draw accusations of disrespect. He had to come up with an excuse.

Just as he was pondering how to refuse tactfully without offending anyone, a voice suddenly echoed from outside once more.

"Is Lord Zhang in?"

Zhang Rui's heart skipped a beat: Who is it this time?

Fang Qin and Eunuch Yuan also looked over with curiosity. Neither of them found the other's arrival strange, but they certainly hadn't expected a third party to appear. Could it be...

Fang Qin harbored a suspicion in his heart. In Beihai, apart from the Third Prince, the Crown Prince, the Yuchi family, and that master of the painting market whose plans had been ruined by Lord Zhang, there was no one else tangled up with this young Lord Zhang.

As for that covertly hidden imperial prince, not even His Majesty had managed to guess his identity. Surely he wouldn't boldly step out into the open now, would he?

Amidst everyone's puzzled gazes, a kind-faced, corpulent elderly man walked in.

"Oh, Eunuch Yuan and Eunuch Fang are here too?"

Fang Qin frowned, instantly recognizing the newcomer: "Head Steward Lu?"

Eunuch Yuan also furrowed his brows as he looked over. He recognized him as well; this chubby old man was none other than the chief steward of the Lu family, who usually managed the vast majority of the Lu family's business in the capital. He had crossed paths with him a few times before. How on earth did the Lu family end up connected to this young county magistrate?

Observing Eunuch Yuan's bewildered expression, Fang Qin knew in his heart that the Crown Prince probably had no idea the Lu family had come looking for Zhang Rui.

This was getting interesting...

The Lu family was a steadfast pillar of the Crown Prince's faction. The two most outstanding sons of the Lu family's current generation had been sent into the Crown Prince's residence at an early age to serve as strategists. During the recent Beihai City incident, Lu Yuan, the Lu family's most brilliant scion, had died, and Lu Sheng was currently recuperating from health issues after contracting the plague. Who would have thought that at a juncture like this, they would secretly bypass the Crown Prince to seek out this young Lord Zhang? Could they be here to inquire about the cause of Lu Yuan's death?

However, the words spoken next by Steward Lu left everyone utterly dumbfounded.

"Lord Zhang, it has been a while. Trust you have been well?"

Everyone: "........."

Zhang Rui: ".........."

No wait... Uncle... Who the hell are you?

A wave of utter confusion swept through Zhang Rui's mind at that moment. Am I even that close with you? Why are you acting like... Wait... No way, right?

Right as he was left speechless, Zhang Rui suddenly recalled something. He had no memory of taking the imperial examinations to enter the capital back then; could it be that this body of his had actually pulled off some stunts in the capital in the past?

"Are the two eunuchs here to bestow a residence?" Upon seeing the deed on the table, Steward Lu chuckled. "You've certainly gone to the trouble. My master has an old friendship with Lord Zhang and has already prepared a residence for him well in advance. It seems you two have made a wasted trip."

"Lord Minister of Revenue and Lord Zhang share an old friendship?" Eunuch Yuan narrowed his eyes. "This humble servant was truly unaware of that."

"Ah, it dates back three years ago. Back then, Lord Zhang was merely a scholar coming to the capital for the examinations, and he happened to make the acquaintance of my master through sheer coincidence. Lord Zhang's extraordinary eloquence made them fast friends despite their age gap. Now that Lord Zhang has been promoted to the capital, my master is just about to host a banquet to welcome him."

"Such a thing actually happened?" Eunuch Yuan turned to look at Zhang Rui. "Lord Zhang hides his connections quite deeply..."

The corners of Zhang Rui's mouth twitched slightly. He refused to believe that he, a destitute scholar going to the capital, could forge a generational friendship with the grand minister of a prestigious noble clan, unless...

He suddenly thought of a possibility and glanced at the fountain pen beside him. Is there any chance—just hypothetically—that during that period when he lost his memory, he had also used this pen?

What the hell...

The mere thought of this possibility made Zhang Rui shudder all over. If that were the case, this mountain of plotholes would never be filled...

"Lord Zhang, the residence is all prepared. Shall we head over before the sun sets to see what might be missing so I can have someone furnish it for you?"

"This... This is too precious!" Just as Zhang Rui was about to refuse, he heard the other party chuckle.

"It can hardly be called precious; it is entirely what Lord Zhang has earned. Surely Lord Zhang hasn't forgotten? This was something you won from my master?"

Zhang Rui: "......."

I even have this kind of superpower?

"Lord Zhang, shall we depart now?" Steward Lu urged with a smile.

"No need to rush..." Zhang Rui drew in a breath, then turned to look at his bewildered mother and the others behind him. "Mother, you all wait here for a moment. Your son will be right back."

With that, he turned his head back to Steward Lu. "How about I pay a visit to Lord Minister first before we discuss the matter of the residence?"

"Oh? If that's the case..." The other party nodded. "Very well. Lord Minister has also been quite curious, as Lord Zhang has changed quite a bit over the years."

Hearing this, Zhang Rui felt even less confident in his heart. Just what kind of entanglement did he have with the Lu family back then?

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"Are you certain, Father?"

Back at the Lu residence, Lu Sheng listened to the conversation between his father and several elders, looking utterly astonished.

"Unless someone was swapped out midway, there is no mistake."

Inside the grand hall of the Lu estate, the head of the family, Lu Chengfeng, sat in the seat of honor. He bore an eighty-percent resemblance to Lu Sheng, but his brow carried a far more steady and composed air, lacking the gloomy and sinister demeanor of his son. As the head of the Lu family for this generation, he appeared to outsiders as the most mediocre of them all, having reached the age of fifty without yet stepping into the realm of a First-Rank Sorcerer—truly somewhat shameful for a grand family like the Lu.

He was far inferior to his own son.

Yet right now in the Lu family hall, whether it was the eldest son Lu Sheng—who had already reached the peak of the Second Rank—or the various elders, all of them seemed to hold this family head in deep respect.

At this moment, recalling the fragmented memories of three years ago, Lu Chengfeng spoke with a hint of bewilderment: "Back then, the steward brought back a total of nine seeds. That fellow surnamed Zhang was the most inconspicuous of them all, a spineless scholar who had been entrapped by the steward into owing a mountain of debts. After planting the Divine Lord's seed, our family secretly pulled strings to have him pass the second tier of the imperial exams. Otherwise, based on his foundation in classical texts, he wouldn't have necessarily passed even if he took the exams three more times. To be honest, after he was banished to the north, I never expected him to return to the capital; I merely hoped to plant a covert chess piece in the north."

"Yet I never imagined my judgment would be so flawed. Judging by your tone, that fellow is concealing his true depth?"

"More than just concealing it!" Lu Sheng gritted his teeth. "He was able to instantly see through Tian Ye's illusions. When dealing with Tian Ye, he didn't even have to make a move himself—a maidservant under his command openly executed Tian Ye right in front of the Crown Prince!"

"Tian Ye's Yin-Yang Shroud was the signature technique of the Ouyang family back in the day. With his level of skill and advance preparation, even if I were to personally make a move, I couldn't guarantee a definitive victory. Yet it was broken by a maidservant?" Lu Tong, the grand elder of the Lu family, stroked his beard with disbelief.

"Yuchi Hong stated that that maidservant is a top-tier martial artist, likely surpassing Long Cheng!"

"How very interesting..." Lu Chengfeng chuckled upon hearing this. "Could it be that my judgment back then was truly flawed? Or perhaps, the current him is no longer that scholar from the past?"

As they were speaking, someone reported from outside the hall: "Lord Family Head, the Chief Steward has returned, and he has brought Lord Zhang with him."

"Oh?" Lu Chengfeng rose to his feet. "Let us go. We shall meet him in person and see what this is all about!"

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Something feels rather wrong...

As soon as Zhang Rui stepped foot into the Lu estate, he sensed that something was amiss.

It was a physical anomaly; he vaguely felt as though something inside his body was responding to some sort of summons from this estate, creating a sensation as if his chest were about to be torn open!

What is going on?

"The Divine Lord's imprint is still there..." Steward Lu, standing off to the side, appeared rather astonished. "This old servant thought someone had been swapped out. Lord Zhang truly manages to startle this old servant; your current aura is completely incomparable to the one you had back then. Did Lord Zhang encounter some miraculous opportunity over these past few years, or... was the Zhang Rui of back then simply a master of acting?"

Zhang Rui: "........"

"This old servant dares to ask: does the present Lord Zhang still remember the vow he made back then to pledge allegiance to the Divine Lord as his master?"

Holy crap...

Zhang Rui completely broke down inwardly. I actually had an organization backing me from the very beginning?!