The history of the Lu family

~Lu Qing Feng ~

Young lady, young lady, young lady… she replied, who is calling me?

Who is it?

A young merchant asked, can you save me?

Yes but what happened to you, why are you here and why do you need me to save you???

Just now I saw... What happened to your family?

My family, my... Family, tears rolling down his eyes; my family was the family of Lu, who once live in the capital before his majesty exiled my father who was once in charge of the royal treasury to Hu County for the crime of theft but my family was innocent.

We were exiled to Hu County there my family became merchants suddenly one day group of bandits came to rob my family, they said my father robbed the royal treasury so is a return gift, my father pleaded with them, before they decided to leave.

Two days later they came back asking for the treasures or they will rape my two sisters, our father was out of options so he had to give them everything we have.

However, the following day they came back again asking for more, we didn't have anything not even food to eat at the time so my father pleaded with them to leave us alone but they said at that time so what if we don't have the treasuries, we can give something much more valuable to them than the treasures but my mother said we had nothing!!

They said "you do have something or should we say things".

Please what do you want?

My mother asked, they answers echoes in our ears, your daughters…my daughters? "Yes"

Please I beg you don't… my parents got down on their knees, crying and begging them to spare my sisters but they tied them all, they dragged them and rap****d them until they stop screaming and eventually dead.

Because of that my father suffered a heart attack and my mother committed suicide before she died her last wish was justice.

I was the only one left to performed the last rites of my family and to seek justice for them but I was a coward who couldn't achieved anything however, seeing my family copses no longer do I care about life and death I wanted revenge, and I swore to avenged them even at the cost of my life. After I buried my family members, I thought of a plan that will help me kill all the bandits who killed my family and to my surprised all the bandits of Hu County are on Hu Mountain celebrating their reunion day at bandits.

I pretended to be their slave and I poisoned them all, by poisoning their wines with jelly herbs which I collected on the valley near the mountain but jelly herbs can be detoxify however, when you combined jelly herbs with earthworm and wolf grass, there is no cure that's because it is not only capable of blocking the vitals but it can also destroy the meridians and in no time the body system will stop functioning leading to a painful death.

Unfortunately, they all drank it except for their leader, he saw me spiked their drinks but before he could warned them,they already consumed it.

Where is the cure?

Give me the antidote, the antidote, I don't have it but if you allowed me to go down the mountain and gathered some herbs, I can make the antidote and will hand it over to you.

Do you think I am stupid to believe you.

What are the ingredients?

Tell me!!

Hyacinth's roots, opium and moon grass dew.

Where will I get the ingredients?

On top of the mountain.

Lead the way and if you try anything, I will kill you on the spot.

Okay, I won't do anything.

Is good that I thought of backup plan; if my plan of poisoning fails, I will set the mountain on fire but doing that will not guarantee success so the only way is to die together with them...

Mother, father, sisters I'm coming, we will be together soon.

Hey, where are you leading us to?

To our deads.

What … what is that?

This is gunpowder.

Gunpowder?

Yes, you must be thinking how did a poor boy like me has such an explosive, right?

Well I stole it from the blacksmith and we are all gonna die here together.

Don't you dare trigger that thing, I'm warning...

And after that Ling Xian asked?

Well we became devoid without any remains.

If that is the case why are you still here and how can I help you?

Well I did manager to kill all the bandits but I was too obsessed with revenge and I forgot my mother's last words justice.

Justice?

Yes, you know justice is all about proving what is right and exposing what is wrong not killing, killing is vengeance, that is why I can't attain salvation, although I don't have a grave yard, if I had fulfill my my mother's last wish, I will be resting now, and not wondering as ghost.

You..yo..you are a what?

I am a ghost!!

So ghosts are real not a fairy tale??

Yes if you are holding a grudge against someone or you have unfinished business you will become a wondering ghost, unable to rest in peace but not every human can see ghosts.

So why can I?

I have no idea!!

Ok, she said.

But you do know where we are right and what did I just saw?

This is your dreamland, I saw you feeling sad so I followed you and entered your dreamland, but I didn't expect you to see a part of my memory from decades ago.

What happened to you and why were you sad?

Nothing serious, I just missed my mother so much and is almost her favourite festivals...

Where were you when all that happened to your family?

My mother has always wanted me to become a general or soldier in the Hu county but I never wanted that, so I became a scholar and mostly stayed with my mentor.

I heard about whatever happened from our neighbors and friends so I came home and found my mother committing suicide.

How can I help you?

I need your help to prove my family's innocence and bring out the truth about the royal robbery case and catch those burglars.

What the royal robbery case but the royal robbery case has already been closed?

Then we have to reopen the royal robbery case again.

Should we report to the ministry of Justice and the ministry of revenue?

We don't have any evidence now, you think they will believe you and reopen the case just like that?

You do have a point, we have to get some evidences at least and the court's permission to reopen the old royal robbery case.

How do we start then?

By you disguising as me and getting close to the burglars.

Me impersonating you, wouldn't it be risky and we may also alerts the enemies, we must be cautious because people that are capable of committing a royal theft, are capable of anything just so you know.

No, it wouldn't be a problem because no one knows me here and the are many Lu merchants in the world but you're right, we should be cautious and I have a good plan in mind but I will need your permission.

What is it?

I will tell you all the details but first meet me today as the lake's oracle.

Well... What, are you afraid of escaping from home again or scared of his Majesty's domineering anger?

Hmm well, since this involved the royal robbery case and also proving someone's innocents, I will help you and it's my duty as a citizen of Tang and also a princess.

When do we start the investigation?

No need, because I have already investigated everything, is marquis Chen and all the stolen treasuries are in the Chen's residence.

Marquis Chen, the enemy of Duke Chan so he is a traitor but we will need serious evidences to accused him of treason.

If we wish to combat him in court we will need Duke Chan because only he is his rival in court.

Yes, you are right, only he is his opponent in court but we need someone who has no ranked in court someone who is invincible. His majesty?

Yes his majesty.

Hmmmm I am curious about one thing.

What?

How will we get into Chen's residence and find the evidences?

Tomorrow is the lanterns festival, at the lake oracle's, I will pushed someone from the Chen's family into the lake and you should dress like a commoner or a refugee doing this we might own marquis Chen's trust.

But what if he doubts us or suspect us, what should we do?

I have thought of that too and I have a plan in mind….

Fine!

We just have to get into the manor and find the treasure room.

On one condition; you have to tell me how you knew about herbs.

Well I secretly learn about medicines, self-taught.

And one last thing, you didn't tell me your name.

Lu Qian Feng

I thought you were gonna asked whether I am using you or your identity as a princess but why didn't you?

Will you?

No you won't, I have seen many kinds of people and know how they are, and like you said I am a princess when it comes to mind games no one can beat the royals.

If you can trust me despite knowing I am his Majesty's daughter then I can also trust you too.