The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

Chapter 12 The Ambition of a National Hero, Words of Wisdom for the Nation

Ding-dong, ding-dong—

Lu Jun heard the camel caravan bells ring, pushed open the carved window on the second floor of the tavern, and the bustling noise of the South Market rushed towards her like a tide.

Merchants from both the Central Plains and the Han Chinese thronged the streets, filling them with their wares. Silk shops and wineries displayed colorful flags, and vendors hawked their wares. In the distance, the faint sounds of gold and silver shops could be heard.

Looking north, beyond the towering buildings and long pavilions, the cargo boats on the Luo River appear and disappear, and the elms and willows intertwine to provide shade.

"The prosperity of the two capitals was at its peak because of this."

Li Zhaode had been observing Lu Jun for a long time; his gaze seemed to burn people, making them afraid to meet his eyes.

After Lu Jun bowed, she felt very uncomfortable being stared at, so she deliberately opened the window to divert attention.

Li Zhaode's lips curled into a slight smile: "Lu Chuyu, you don't seem to go out often, how could you possess such knowledge?"

Lu Jun focused her gaze and answered:

"I rarely visit taverns, but I often go to the docks to chat with foreign merchants and have heard many interesting stories about foreign lands."

"There are students from various countries in the Imperial Academy, and I often consult them. I have simply compiled what I have seen and heard. You flatter me, Li Gong."

Lu Jun was bound to be asked about her understanding that transcends time, place, and age, and she had prepared her answers.

Li Zhaode was around fifty years old, quite tall, with a long, serious face. He stroked his beard as he listened, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

He suddenly spoke up: "Your article is indeed well-written, a rare masterpiece, but..."

"What if I don't want you to pass the imperial examination? What will you do then?"

A hint of surprise appeared on Lu Jun's eyebrows.

On his way to Nanshi, he had guessed Li Zhaode's intention in inviting him, but he did not expect it to start like this.

As far as I can remember, Li Zhaode was extremely protective of the Li Tang imperial family and dared to fight against cruel officials and princes of the Wu clan. However, due to his outstanding talent and upright character, he was trusted by Empress Wu Zetian.

At this time, he had risen to the rank of Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, a very high position among the six ministers, and had entered the pool of candidates for prime minister.

Why would someone like that interfere and make things difficult for an unknown nobody like me?

There must be a hidden meaning in what he said...

"The imperial court has its own rules for selecting officials. Whether one passes the exam depends on whether one is virtuous or not. If one fails, one should simply study hard."

Lu Jun made a polite remark, then smiled and said, "But there must be a reason for your question, Lord Li. Please enlighten me."

Li Zhaode's gaze softened slightly: "You are indeed very calm, which is in line with my thoughts. It's quite rare to see someone like that among the younger generation."

Changing the subject:

"I ask you, why did you encourage the Empress Dowager to wage war on all fronts?"

"Should I seek advancement, or pander to their preferences?"

"If your only goal is to obtain an official position, with your talent and learning, your policy proposal doesn't need to be so radical."

"If someone seeks to curry favor with the emperor and gain border merits while disregarding the burden on the people, I, as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, absolutely cannot tolerate it!"

Seeing the Empress Dowager's high regard for Lu Jun yesterday, he was very worried that the policy document would affect the court's future strategies.

It wasn't because the strategy was flawless, but because it accurately grasped the Empress Dowager's pulse and catered to her ambitions.

The recapture of Anxi, southern Mongolia, and northern Mongolia was a magnificent feat, but how many soldiers and civilians would be sacrificed and how much manpower would be wasted!

Wanting to become an official, yet using countless bones as stepping stones!

Li Zhaode was always upright and despised sycophants. Even if the person was exceptionally talented, even if the person's surname was Wu, even if the person was a cruel official, he would never tolerate it.

After asking the question, the burning flames in his eyes turned into cold, icy blades, stabbing straight at Lu Jun.

We need to dissect him and see his true motives—whether they are the former or the latter.

Lu Jun's answer was the third one.

"Lord Li, do you support the Empress Dowager's reforms?"

He made no choice, but instead threw a question back at Li Zhaode, a more pointed one.

"This..." Li Zhaode trembled slightly, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes, and he was speechless for a moment.

He holds a high position and is very shrewd. Today he was in the upper hand, but he was still caught off guard.

Even though she knew everyone had been dismissed from the private room, she subconsciously glanced around, afraid of being overheard.

"You ignorant brat! Asking such a taboo question, aren't you afraid of being punished by law?"

After calming down, Li Zhaode angrily shouted at him.

Lu Jun smiled and said, "When Master Li speaks with me alone, isn't the point to be frank and open? What's there to be afraid of offending?"

Li Zhaode coldly replied, "It is I who asked you to speak frankly and honestly; it is not your place to ask me."

Lu Jun smiled faintly: "Since Lord Li did not immediately say he supports it, that means he does not support it. I already know the answer. Since Lord Li is in a difficult position, there is no need to answer."

Loyalty that is not absolute is absolute disloyalty.

Li Zhaode snorted: "That's your own opinion. Given your status, I don't deign to answer you."

"It's alright," Lu Jun immediately replied. "May I ask another question? Can Lord Li stop the Empress Dowager from changing the system?"

Li Zhaode had intended to shut up the arrogant young man, but upon hearing the new question, he suddenly felt as if his soul was being interrogated.

He froze, speechless.

Lu Jun did not stop: "Could Lord Li have prevented me from passing the imperial examination, could he have prevented the Empress Dowager from employing cruel officials, eliminating dissidents, eradicating members of the imperial clan, promoting sycophants, indiscriminately granting official positions, seeking military merit on the frontier, venerating Buddhism and belittling Confucianism, and constructing extravagant buildings?"

Every word uttered was like a sharp blade carving into Li Zhaode's face, causing it to swell and turn purple.

He wanted to interrupt, but his arm felt heavy and he couldn't lift it, as if the other person's question had weighed him down.

Suddenly, he realized something.

"So you knew all this, which means you're not just a sycophant..."

Li Zhaode raised his eyes: "If that's the case, why incite the Empress Dowager to wage war and expand militarily?"

Lu Jun shook his head: "I am currently answering Lord Li's question, but Lord Li needs to be frank with me first."

Li Zhaode pondered for a long time: "Not now."

Lu Jun pressed further, "And then?"

Li Zhaode said, "Let's take it one step at a time."

Lu Jun nodded, "Since Lord Li answered in this way, it means he could not stop the Empress Dowager. I would like to ask again, given the Empress Dowager's wisdom, why did she do such foolish things?"

Li Zhaode was stunned and speechless. He realized that this wild and reckless young man was extremely outspoken.

No wonder he dared to write anything in the article, and yet the Empress Dowager didn't blame him and openly protected him; that's strange indeed...

In fact, Lu Jun valued her life, but she only dared to ask such a question after she had figured out the other party's integrity and stance.

Seeing that Li Zhaode did not answer, he replied directly:

"The Empress Dowager did this naturally to win over the people."

"The practice of appointing cruel officials, eliminating dissidents, and eradicating members of the imperial clan stems from the knowledge that some people would certainly not submit and must be eliminated."

"Promoting sycophants and indiscriminately granting official positions is because there are few people who listen to you, so you can only cultivate your own confidants."

"Seeking military achievements on the frontier, venerating Buddhism and belittling Confucianism, and building extravagant structures are all ways to create momentum for oneself and to gain the respect of the world."

"The more insecure she feels, the more she will do these things."

"If Lord Li couldn't stop the Empress Dowager, how could I, a mere poor scholar, possibly stop her, could I?"

"I want to help the Empress Dowager establish an unparalleled legacy, so that the people of the world will truly support her, and she will become even more confident."

"The more confident she is, the less she'll do these things. What's wrong with that?"

"When Lord Li spoke of exhausting the army and being warlike, he probably hadn't finished reading the strategy document. My strategies were well-organized and not driven by greed or recklessness."

"Moreover, Li Gong underestimated the Empress Dowager. Although she sought merit, she would never want to cause suffering to the people."

Finally, Li Zhaode heard the answer.

He listened intently to these words, his expression shifting from initial evasion to surprise, then to admiration, and finally to respect.

The wariness in his eyes gradually faded as his pupils relaxed, his brows and forehead loosened, and a smile appeared on his lips.

He stood up and said:

"Lu Lang, I take back what I just said. Your article deserves a high ranking; it's the most substantial piece of writing I've ever seen."

"I may speak frankly to you, the Empress Dowager greatly admires your writing, and I predict she will certainly value and employ you in the future!"

"If your intention is truly as you just said, then it is the ambition of a patriot and the words of a strategist for the country."

"I not only..."

A dark glint flashed in his eyes, his lips trembled slightly, and he changed his words, saying, "Lang Lu, remember your words."

If you're going to reuse someone, then reuse them. Why wait until later... Lu Jun thought to herself.

He rose and bowed deeply: "Thank you for your kind words, Lord Li."

Li Zhaode helped him up, then suddenly lowered his voice: "Let me ask you a question too, do you support the Empress Dowager's reforms?"

Although his tone was not as aggressive as before, it still carried a stern and serious air.

Lu Jun immediately replied, "I support it."

Li Zhaode was taken aback: "You... genuinely support me?"

Lu Jun smiled brightly: "It couldn't be more real."

In this world, people have different personalities. Some are born tigers, some are wolves by nature, and some just want to be sheep. It's hard to change them.

You can't make a tiger docile unless it's surrounded by dragons; only then will it bow its head.

But the Empress Dowager's sons were all Hello Kitty characters, so at this time, no one else was suitable to be the emperor except for her.

Besides, for Lu Jun, the emperor surnamed Li had never shown him any favors.

Why should we protect him?

Back at the dormitory, as expected, Cui Jing and Lu Yuan swarmed around him again, eagerly asking him all sorts of questions.

"It is said that Vice Minister Li is highly trusted by the Empress Dowager and will surely enter the Council of State Affairs in the future. Brother Chu Yu was actually chatting and laughing with him..."

"Brother Chu Yu, with the princess's favor and the high regard of Vice Minister Li, is almost certain to achieve high rank..."

Over the next two days, his two roommates took turns hosting him, inviting him to enjoy the spring scenery along the Luo River after class, and also taking him to a tavern for drinks and conversation, and to appreciate the graceful dances of the courtesans.

Both Cui and Lu married women of equal social standing, but their talk was all bark and no bite; they had the desire but not the courage.

When the songstresses come to offer him drinks, his head droops like a little Pekingese, and he can't even speak.

It's a pity about this spending power.

Having guessed that Lu Jun had written a good article, they had let go of their resentment over the matter of the appeal and praised him while drinking:

"The Chancellor has excellent judgment; he recognized Brother Chu Yu's outstanding talent. He truly has a discerning eye!"

They figured it out, but Lu Jun couldn't...

Why did the chief priest issue a petition for his own release?

The original owner didn't know the priest, had no money to befriend the teacher, and had no reputation, so how could she have received a recommendation?

Fortunately, there's no need to speculate anymore.

That day, Lu Jun returned to his dormitory with his roommate and was stopped outside the courtyard by a clerk from the Imperial Academy: "Young Master Lu, the Chief Instructor requests your presence."

"The Chief Priest is looking for me?" Lu Jun sensed something was wrong and followed him nervously to the Chief Priest's office.

Prince Li Ying of Nan'an was in his forties, dressed in a purple robe and jade belt, with a long, flowing beard. He had the refined air of Emperor Gaozu and sat upright in the main seat of the hall, smiling and beckoning to him.

On the main table were writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones; the brush tip was damp with ink, as if someone was writing something.

Lu Jun quickly stepped forward and knelt down to pay his respects: "Student Lu Jun greets the Chancellor."

Whether it's a prince or a chairman, they always prefer to be addressed as principal.

"Chu Yu, please rise."

Li Ying raised her hand, gesturing for him to sit in the side seat.

He then cut to the chase: "I heard that your policy proposal was appreciated by the Empress Dowager, and you were summoned to the palace that day?"

How come everyone knows about this... Empress Dowager, you have spies all around you, don't you know that?

Lu Jun replied, "The student accidentally fainted, and the Empress Dowager took care of the examinee who suffered from heatstroke, so she brought him into the palace."

"Haha, you are a student of my Chengjun Prison. It's a good thing to receive special care. There's no need to hide it."

Li Ying changed the subject: "Do you know why I recommended you to participate in the specialized science program?"

Lu Jun shook her head: "This student does not know."

Li Ying waved towards the door, and after the clerk and servants had walked far away, her eyes gleamed with a bluish light:

"I hope you can take this opportunity to argue with the Empress Dowager in court tomorrow during the palace examination and speak out for someone who has been wronged."