TGCFNM -Chapter 396 It’s Too Late for Regret Now

Inside the study at the Lu Residence.

Lu Shi was seated behind his desk, reviewing case files. At times his brows furrowed, at times they relaxed. The brush in his hand moved without pause. The attendants had already trimmed the oil lamp several times to make it burn brighter.

On the other side of the desk, about a meter away, Chu Ling, Wan Sanjin, and Su He stood quietly. They neither dared to sit nor dared to say they would leave.

As for Zhang Dong and Xiao Hua, they insisted on keeping an eye on the carriage, so they followed the household servants away without even looking back.

Finally, Lu Shi paused, then at last lifted his head to look at the three of them.

“What did you come here for?” Lu Shi asked, his sharp gaze sweeping over them.

All three stiffened at once, straightening their backs involuntarily.

Chu Ling cleared her throat. “We came to see you… and brought you some pastries.”

Lu Shi gave a cold snort, set down his brush, and fixed his eyes on them. “You went out for leisure today, solved a case, and happened to run into rain on the way back. After such hardship, instead of going home to rest, you came here to see me?”

As he spoke, he glanced at their shoes and hems—water stains were still clearly visible.

Chu Ling gave an awkward laugh. “Well… Uncle Hong said we should pay our respects to our elders more often.”

Lu Shi looked at her. “You’re lying.”

Chu Ling pressed her lips together and lowered her head, staring at her toes.

Wan Sanjin glanced at Chu Ling, then cupped his hands respectfully. “We passed by this pastry shop and thought it tasted good, so we bought some. We truly came to pay our respects.”

Lu Shi narrowed his eyes. “These are pastries from Yunwai Tower. Leaving aside the fact that someone from the Wan family wouldn’t go there to buy things, Yunwai Tower is on West Street, quite a distance from your Wan residence. How many turns did you take to get there? And this assortment is clearly a mix of leftovers put together—obviously a last-minute purchase.”

Wan Sanjin forced a laugh, suddenly short of breath. “…How could that be?”

Lu Shi snorted again and turned to Su He.

Su He lowered his head and stared at his toes, looking exceedingly obedient.

“Just because Prefect Fang didn’t have time to deal with you today doesn’t mean no one knows what you’ve done,” Lu Shi said, his authority palpable even without anger. “You led a crowd large enough to fill an entire street to the Wei family’s residence to demand money, and even stirred up a commotion. The yamen thought something serious was about to happen and actually went to summon the Imperial Guards.”

Wan Sanjin blurted out instinctively, “We only brought people to watch the show. We didn’t use force.”

Lu Shi looked at him. “You were planning to use force, weren’t you? You even had handy weapons prepared?”

Wan Sanjin rubbed his hands. “Well… that was just to scare them. We were afraid they wouldn’t pay. The Wei family is especially shameless.”

Lu Shi let out a long breath. “Have I not told you before? When something happens, report it to the authorities. Yunliu did no wrong, yet was driven to death. The Wei family cannot escape responsibility. Why did you have to march over there in such a grand display to demand money yourselves?”

“Are you tired of being obscure? Or do you think your lives are too long?”

Chu Ling thought for a moment. “We acted in a moment of anger.”

Lu Shi looked at her. “It wasn’t just anger. The way you demanded money was methodical… You clearly knew it would be more convenient to collect it that way. And you also believed that if you reported the case, Prefect Fang might not handle it impartially because of the Xuanyuan family’s affairs. You don’t trust court officials to seek justice for the common people.”

Chu Ling fell silent.

Lu Shi frowned slightly. “I learned quite a few things from Hong Shiyuan. I also know why you act this way.” After experiencing so much and witnessing so much darkness in officialdom, how could one easily trust court officials?

Chu Ling felt she should admit her fault, so she bowed in apology. “Lord Lu, I was rash in this matter. It won’t happen again.”

“No, you will do it again.” Lu Shi sighed. “I don’t know what the person behind you ultimately wants, but it’s clear you have backing. You act deliberately, and quite cleverly avoid danger. What exactly are you trying to do?”

Chu Ling was startled.

Ghost Scholar chuckled. “He was already formidable back then. Now that more than ten years have passed, it’s only natural he’s even sharper. It’s normal that he can guess. Just say it—say that I came to the capital to see for myself, to see whether there is still justice left in this world.”

Chu Ling took a deep breath. “Lord Lu, I’ve gone through much on my journey here. The reason I insisted on coming to the capital was to see—whether there is still justice in this world.”

Su He silently lifted his head. “Does Lord Lu think we are too reckless? That we overestimate ourselves?”

Lu Shi shook his head. “Not at all. There’s nothing wrong with having a sincere heart. I don’t think it’s wrong. Perhaps some might find it laughable—but I am not one of them.”

Chu Ling and the others let out a breath of relief.

Lu Shi studied Chu Ling’s expression carefully. “Do you know that the Wei family intends to form a marriage alliance with the Si family?”

Chu Ling was startled. “Those two families are going to intermarry?”

With a single glance, Lu Shi understood. “You didn’t know before you made a move against the Wei family. But after I mentioned it, you weren’t nervous. For a split second, you were even pleased. You have enmity with the Si family, and you’ve already formed grudges with the Wei family. So…”

He paused. “No, before that there was the Xuanyuan family. You were even afraid that Perfect Feng might seek personal revenge under the guise of public duty, so you had someone else report the case in the outer suburbs.”

“Your target is the Four Great Clans?”

Chu Ling’s back stiffened. What kind of person was this?!

“The one behind you wants you to drag the Four Great Clans into the mud. Even the merchant Wan family dares to wade deeply into this. That means your backer is…” Lu Shi’s eyes sharpened. “Ah, right—you’ve been to Prince Rui’s residence. But Prince Rui’s temperament is steady and calculated, while you are flamboyant and restless. So the one behind you isn’t Prince Rui. Yet your goal aligns with the imperial clan’s interests. Which still brings us back to the Four Great Clans.”

Chu Ling felt like crying. If she’d known, she would have simply used Prince Rui’s name as a banner.

“It’s too late for regret now,” Lu Shi said calmly.

Chu Ling jumped. “You can even tell what I’m thinking?”

“Your expression is too obvious. You clearly regret coming to see me.” Lu Shi glanced at her with disdain. “You’re completely ignorant yet fearless. The reason you’ve managed to avoid danger is because someone has taught you—and someone has helped you. The one helping you is most likely Prince Rui.”

Chu Ling wasn’t entirely sure about that point.

Lu Shi carefully observed the expressions of the three of them again before looking back at Chu Ling. “The person behind you must have a grudge against the Four Great Clans. And the reason you follow him is because you agree with his ideals—you believe the Four Great Clans are the root of chaos. As for why you dare to take risks—no, you don’t even see it as taking risks. You speak of noble families, the imperial clan, and the common people as if you stand above them.”

Chu Ling muttered a quiet protest. “I’m not standing above anyone.”

“Then you simply do not agree with the current relationship between the court and the people,” Lu Shi said. Then he turned to Wan Sanjin. “The Wan family is interesting as well. The more chaotic things become, the more they expand. Bold, too. As if preparing for something. Although I am familiar with Hong Shiyuan, I don’t know what he is doing. That alone tells me the Wan family must be harboring a great secret.”

Wan Sanjin looked confused. “Really?”

“…Is it that they look down on you, so they deliberately exclude you?” Lu Shi asked flatly.