The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

The distance from Luoyang to Chang'an is over 800 li.

First, travel more than 300 li west to Shanzhou, then more than 200 li to Tongguan, then 100 li to Huazhou, and finally to Chang'an.

The Shanzhou section is divided into two routes, north and south. The northern route follows the Gu River and is relatively short, but there are few official post stations along it. The southern route follows the Luo River and is fifty li further away. There are many post stations along the way, and the road is also wider.

Lu Jun and his party traveled along the southern route, exiting from Dingding Gate and heading southwest towards Lindu Post Station.

The Imperial Guards led the way, with the rear guard providing protection, and patrolling cavalry on both sides, forming a well-organized formation.

Xue Ne's two sons, Xue Hui and Xue Zhi, were competing in horsemanship, acting as scouts far ahead and displaying great energy.

Ade rented a carriage, had Yan Niang and Ying Niang sit in the carriage, and drove the carriage behind Lu Jun.

Zhang Yue and Cui Shi also had servants accompanying them, while Du Shenyan took his nine-year-old son to Chang'an to broaden his horizons.

Lindu Post Station is less than six miles from Shendu. Officials and scholars often greeted and bid farewell to each other here.

Su Weidao, Shen Quanqi, and Chen Zi'ang escorted them all the way here. Chen Zi'ang looked at Du Shenyan with great envy.

"Brother Bijian, when you made that bet with Chu Yu, you probably never imagined you'd be involved in such important matters and achieve such great things, right?"

A hint of regret crept into her expression.

Su Weiwei laughed and said, "It's not just Brother Bijian who benefits; Brother Jushan went to Lingnan because of Chu Yu's petition to be exiled to the army."

Li Qiao was also an imperial censor who had served in the army to quell the rebellions in Yong and Rong prefectures, which is why the Empress Dowager ultimately arranged for him to go.

What seemed like a troublesome task could actually earn him military merit, making it a truly desirable position for Li Qiao, who was familiar with Lingnan.

Lu Jun was the youngest among the famous scholars, and his official position was not as high as Su Weidao and Shen Quanqi, but he was already able to help his friends, which made them value him even more.

The group chatted idly all the way to Lindu Post Station. Just as they were about to break off willow branches as a farewell gesture, suddenly, several people rushed towards Lu Jun from the roadside...

After being stopped by the Imperial Guards, he knelt down and shouted loudly:

"Young Master Lu, now that you have been appointed Imperial Censor, it is your duty to investigate wrongful convictions. My elder brother has been unjustly imprisoned, and I have come here to present this petition, humbly requesting Imperial Censor Lu to examine it carefully!"

"Even if Censor Lu doesn't care about our past relationship, shouldn't he at least fulfill his duties as the Censorate and clear the people's names?"

"If Imperial Censor Lu does not accept the petition, we will not get up, and we will let all passing travelers see it!"

These were the same people who had previously come to the Lu residence to protest their innocence, claiming to be family members of Lu Jun from the same year.

He was still wearing the same old clothes, even more tattered than before, his back soaked with sweat, leaving patches of white residue.

It is sun-dried salt.

Travelers flocked to and fro on the official roads between the two capitals, and many stopped to watch from afar upon seeing this spectacle.

Xue Ne drew his sword and rode his horse in front of the group, shouting, "The Imperial Guards are here! Anyone who harasses the Censor will be executed!"

The blade was blindingly bright, startling the group. They choked back a few sobs, but did not retreat.

"My elder brother is already dying. If the censor refuses to save him, then we will leave our heads here!"

Bangbang, bound, kept kowtowing on the ground.

Xue Ne had only intended to scare away the people blocking his way. Seeing that they were not afraid of death, he had no choice but to turn back and ask Lu Jun for his opinion.

"I know them. They are Liu Yan's brothers. Liu Yan was labeled as an accomplice of the Prince of Shu because he served as a military advisor in Huazhou... Brother Chu Yu, please ignore them. I will go and persuade him."

Zhang Shuo dismounted and went up to the group of men. They stood up and pleaded with him.

So it was Liu Yan… Lu Jun remembered this classmate; he had a pretty good relationship with both her and Zhang Shuo back then.

It may not be a trap set by Zhou Xing.

Shen Quanqi sighed, "It's a pity, of all things, that he went to Huazhou, and of all things, the governor of Huazhou is the Prince of Shu..."

He was the one who recruited these candidates for the imperial examinations, and he was also very saddened to see Liu Yangang implicated as soon as he took office.

Chen Zi'ang snorted: "These days, cruel officials are becoming increasingly rampant. Just a few days ago, Suo Yuanli, in order to force a woman to marry him, falsely accused her family of treason and actually killed the entire family!"

"Ah, is that so? How dare Suo Yuanli, a barbarian, be so arrogant?" Su Weidao was greatly surprised.

Chen Zi'ang came from a wealthy family and, as a young man, traveled extensively, making many friends and thus having a wide range of sources of information.

He said bitterly:

"He is becoming increasingly audacious, relying on the Empress Dowager's favor and the recent sensitive period in the court."

"The family that was killed was the Zheng family of Xingyang, a renowned and prestigious family throughout the land. How dare they do such a thing!"

"This incident occurred in Lirenfang, causing widespread public resentment, but the Empress Dowager only said a few words to him."

"Qiu Shenji and Lai Zixun took advantage of the situation to extort money from wealthy families and ordinary people. Anyone who refused to bribe them was immediately implicated in a wrongful imprisonment, had their property confiscated, and was executed!"

"I'm afraid this is just the beginning. Most cruel officials are just bored commoners who are greedy for money and lustful. They might just follow suit..."

Su Weidao, Shen Quanqi, Du Shenyan, and others were all indignant, while Cui Shi's face showed a hint of worry.

As she listened, Lu Jun's mood gradually became heavy, and her shoulders felt as if something was pressing down on them.

At this time, Zhang had been advising Liu Yan's family for a long time, saying that Liu Yan was not the main culprit and at most would be exiled to Lingnan. He told them not to act rashly so as not to add to their brother's punishment.

"I'll leave you a token. Go back to the Zhang residence in Kangsufang, Shendu, and stay at my house to await your judgment."

He wasn't afraid of being implicated, and generously took in the family members of his classmate, who finally agreed.

Just as they were about to leave, a group of men who looked like government officials rushed over and tied their arms without saying a word.

Zhang was taken aback, then shouted, "Who are you? What right do you have to arrest people in the street!"

"Di Renjie, the Prefect of Luozhou."

A red horse caught up, carrying a burly old man who directed the clerk to take the person away.

He turned to Lu Jun and said, "Imperial Censor Lu, I have been waiting for you for a long time. May I speak with you in private?"

Di Renjie was very famous, so Zhang Shuo naturally recognized him. He was stunned for a long time, wondering what this Lord Di wanted to do...

Lu Jun shook her head at him, and the group went to the inn to rest their horses. Di Renjie led Lu Jun to a secluded spot:

"I came here specifically to see you off. I arrived at Lindu Post Station ahead of time and saw that the road was in bad shape, so I came to deal with it."

"Chu Yu, don't worry. I will take good care of those people. The arrest is just for show."

"They are safer in Luozhou Prefecture, and it would be bad if someone else took them instead of me."

"Thank you for your help, Judge Di!" Lu Jun bowed deeply. "Those people are relatives of my fellow graduates. They are not bad people. Please help take care of them, Judge Di, so that they will not be used by cruel officials."

It's not surprising that Liu Yan's brother went to the Lu residence to plead.

There's a problem with blocking the road here.

I went to Yongzhou on official business, how did they know?

Someone must be secretly instigating this!

Di Renjie returned the greeting: "Rest assured, with me here, I will ensure the safety of these people."

Lu Jun straightened up, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Don't worry, Lord Di, I will definitely stay in Chang'an for a while longer."

Di Renjie smiled: "Chu Yu's method is good. I also have another piece of information. I recently discovered that Zhou Xing is making trouble about your background..."

"My background?" Lu Jun was taken aback. "What's there to make a fuss about regarding my background?"

His heart pounded a few times, and he suddenly remembered Zhou Xing's threat from yesterday, which made him uneasy.

Di Renjie asked, "Is your mother from the Pei clan of Hedong, and related to the former prime minister Pei Yan?"

Lu Jun shook her head: "I don't know about that. I don't remember ever having any contact with you."

Di Renjie said, "Your mother's great-grandfather was Pei Xiang's biological father, so she should be called Pei Xiang's great-uncle. She is Pei Xiang's grandniece."

"Perhaps your mother mentioned it when Chu Yu was young, but she married into Lu Hun and therefore they rarely kept in touch."

hiss--

Lu Jun gasped sharply.

Pei Yan was a regent appointed by Emperor Gaozong. He was executed because he advised Wu Zetian to return power to Li Dan when Xu Jingye raised an army.

Lu Jun suddenly understood why Wei Xuantong was helping her. He had a deep friendship with Pei Yan and was probably entrusted by Pei Yan before his death to take care of his relatives.

No wonder Zhou Xing said, "I found out far more than you could have imagined," it turns out he had stumbled upon this clue...

If he revealed his mother's identity to Wu Zetian, it would indeed arouse her suspicion.

Furthermore, considering that Wei Xuantong had helped him and that he had indirectly saved Wei Yin's return north...

Yesterday's threat was indeed very tough.

"Don't worry, Mr. Lu. I found out about this before Zhou Xing did and have already moved your mother's place in the family genealogy."

"What he could find out was that your mother and Prime Minister Pei were not within five degrees of kinship. Even if he told the Empress Dowager, she wouldn't care."

Di Renjie smiled slightly, gently stroking his five-strand beard. His plump appearance exuded a sense of security.

The fact that the Pei clan of Hedong could alter their genealogy shows that Pei Yan's clan had organized members with considerable power...

Lu Jun, who had been tense, immediately relaxed upon hearing this and bowed deeply again:

"Thank you for your help, Judge Di."

It turns out that Zhou Xing was cheating!

He only found out that his mother was from the same clan as Pei Yan, and they weren't that close. He was trying to use his nervousness to intimidate people!

He never expected that he had the means, and that he also had powerful backers on his side, so he wasn't afraid of him playing this trick!

They've even resorted to trickery; it seems they're genuinely afraid of me.

"Di is also waiting for news from Chang'an..."

"The rampant cruelty of these officials has reached a point that has aroused the wrath of both gods and men!"

"Previously, only members of the Li imperial family were executed; later, officials lived in constant fear; now even commoners are suffering. This is an unprecedented period of political chaos!"

"Though you acted in self-preservation, your willingness to step forward in times of danger makes you a pillar of the nation!"

"Chu Yu, someone asked me to thank you on behalf of the Tang Dynasty!"

Di Renjie bowed deeply in return and took his leave, then led Liu Yan's family back to Shendu.