Chapter 12: Doing nothing is a great achievement

On the second day, after Lu Ji left the court, he went to the imperial study to receive the emperor's decree. The emperor promoted him to the first-class Longwu general, appointed him as the governor of the Nine Gates, commanding the capital's infantry battalion and five patrol battalions, and holding the first rank.

However, at the age of twenty-five, Lu Ji has already reached the highest position of a military general.

The sage kept Lu Ji and talked for a long time. At the end, he personally gave him a waist badge and allowed him to enter the inner palace to visit the Empress Shu.
The palaces are numerous with flying eaves and flowing walls. Shufei, the eldest daughter of the Ningguo Duke, has been deeply favored by the emperor since she entered the palace. She is one of the four great concubines of the sage.

Shufei lived in Yilan Palace.

Lu Ji entered the palace and was led by the eunuch along a winding road to Yilan Palace. Halfway there, he saw a woman in gorgeous clothes standing on the side of the road from afar.

The spring scenery is pleasant, and the spring in the palace seems to come earlier than anywhere else. However, no matter how colorful the flowers on this corridor are, they can never compare with the scenery of the Imperial Garden. But the woman in the gorgeous dress was inexplicably fascinated by a flower tree on the side of the road.

I don’t know if she was really attracted by that ordinary flower tree, or if she was just a young girl in love and had other thoughts in her mind.

Lu Ji stopped and cast his deep eyes at the palace servant who was leading the way.

The one leading the way was an old eunuch who boasted of his knowledge. He smiled and said, "My Lord, the palace of Concubine Shu is just ahead. Why don't you go?"

Lu Ji glanced at him calmly and said, "Take another route."

"What's the matter?" The eunuch pretended to be confused.

"This prince entered the palace by imperial decree and does not want to offend the noble." Lu Ji explained patiently.

The old eunuch was delighted when he heard this, and pointed at the beauty in palace dress in front of him. He narrowed his eyes and whispered to Lu Ji, "Your Highness, don't you recognize her? That is the saint's fellow sister, the Seventh Princess."

"Take a detour." Lu Ji's tone was already filled with displeasure.

"My Lord, since we happened to meet, if you really don't want to go over and say hello, perhaps the princess has already seen you." The old eunuch said ramblingly.

Lu Ji stopped talking, but the old eunuch felt uncomfortable all over. He raised his eyes and met Lu Ji's gloomy gaze, and he couldn't help but shiver.

The spirit and aura that had been tempered through experience in fire and sword mountains, and a slight anger, were a suffocating pressure that not many people could withstand.

"Young Master, please come this way." Although he had received the Seventh Princess' order, facing Lu Ji's intimidation, the old eunuch still chose to compromise.

Lu Ji took a detour and came to Concubine Shu's palace.

Concubine Shu had been waiting for a long time. When she saw her brother step into the palace, she couldn't wait to greet him before he was led in by the female officials.

"Brother--" Concubine Shu called excitedly.

Lu Ji greeted Concubine Shu, and after Concubine Shu waved her hand and the female officials and maids in the palace left, Lu Ji spoke: "I haven't seen you for a few years, and you are still so impatient, sister?"

Concubine Shu realized that Lu Ji was blaming her for being so eager to see him when she accompanied the emperor on the hunting trip a few days ago.

Lu Ji has made great contributions. At present, the Ningguo Mansion is in its heyday. The saint ascended the throne by stepping on the corpses of his brothers. How can he be an ordinary person? At this time, she can't wait to meet Lu Ji, which will inevitably make the saint suspicious.

Concubine Shu also knew that she was reckless, and a trace of guilt appeared on her face. She said angrily: "I didn't think enough. It's just that I haven't seen you for several years. Sister, I really miss you."

The Queen passed away without leaving any offspring, leaving the position of Queen vacant and the position of Crown Prince vacant. Naturally, the four concubines were eager to make a move, all of them coveted the position of Queen. At this time, Concubine Shu had to rely on her natal family for support. Although there were many outstanding children in the mansion, the most strategic one was her brother who was born from the same mother.

Concubine Shu was anxiously waiting for her brother to make a decision.

Lu Ji could also understand Concubine Shu, so he said in a gentle tone, "I know what you are thinking, but the more critical the moment, the more you need to keep your composure."

Of course you have to fight for it, and if you are going to fight for it, you have to win it.

Lu Ji never fails to get what he wants.

Concubine Shu knew that her brother had always been a man of many ideas, so she had become a pillar of support since he returned to Beijing: "Brother, I will listen to you."

Lu Ji asked, "How is the palace doing recently?"

Speaking of serious matters, Concubine Shu's face became slightly solemn, and she replied: "Since the Queen passed away, there have been undercurrents in this palace."

The emperor had four concubines. The head of the four concubines, Concubine Duan, was born in the Prime Minister's Mansion and had a son and a daughter. The next one was Concubine Shu, who had a son. Concubine Chen, who was born the daughter of a vassal prince, also had a son and was currently pregnant with another. Only the last Concubine Jing had no children.

"Normally, after the Queen passed away, Concubine Duan should be in charge of the affairs of the inner palace, or at the very least, I should be in charge, but His Majesty bypassed the two of us and handed it over to Concubine Chen who is pregnant." Concubine Shu's phoenix eyes were slightly annoyed: "I am really getting more and more confused about His Majesty's thoughts."

Listening to Concubine Shu's complaints, Lu Ji's eyes moved slightly, but he didn't respond. Instead, he asked, "How is Pan'er doing recently?"

Li Pan is the son of Concubine Shu, the third son of the saint, and is named King of Qi. He is now fourteen years old.

Speaking of her son, Concubine Shu's frown relaxed a little and she replied, "Pan'er is fine. He is good at studying and martial arts. His Majesty likes him very much and often praises him."

Hearing this, Lu Ji still looked indifferent and replied, "Teach Pan Er well."

Concubine Shu couldn't help but think, staring at Lu Ji and said: "Brother, what do you think His Majesty is thinking? Could it be that he wants to make the prince's daughter the queen?" Then she frowned again and complained: "She entered the palace three years later than me. If she becomes the queen, I will have to live my life under her control. I can't stand it. Besides, she and I have never gotten along well."

Before Concubine Shu finished her rambling, Lu Ji interrupted her and said, "Sister, don't be so impetuous."

There are naturally no simple ladies in the palace. Concubine Shu also knew that she had lost her sense of propriety today, so she smiled and said, "I am meeting you now, but you are my brother. Do I have to act so politely?"

Lu Ji raised his eyes and glanced at Concubine Shu, and said, "What elder sister needs to do now is to keep calm and not fight or compete for anything."

Concubine Shu was puzzled: "How can we not fight for it at this time? The position of queen is right in front of us, and it is the time for us to make great achievements."

Seeing that she still didn't understand, Lu Ji frowned and said, "Doing nothing at this moment is the best way to achieve great things." Seeing that Concubine Shu still didn't quite understand, he reminded her, "Eldest sister, just remember one thing, it's the same now as it was before, and leave the things outside to me."

Shu Fei knew her brother's ability. If he didn't allow her to fight, then she wouldn't fight. She agreed without hesitation, "I'll listen to my brother."

After finishing the business, she couldn't help but ask about her brother's lifelong event: "You are already an adult, do you have any ideas about marriage? A while ago, His Majesty told me that the Seventh Princess seems to be interested in you. Also, the old lady of the Zhongshun Marquis's Mansion came to my palace a few days ago, and her words implied that she wanted to marry her eldest daughter to you. Brother, what do you think?"

Lu Ji didn't say anything for a long time, then replied, "Don't worry about my affairs for now, elder sister. You just need to take care of yourself and Pan Er."

After saying this, he did not stay any longer and left Yilan Palace.

(End of this chapter)