"Ah?" Patriarch Lu lifted his head with stunned shock, then seemed to feel it inappropriate to look directly at the imperial visage this way. He hastily ducked his head and shook his head rapidly. "Impossible, how could this be? If my grandson really did obtain the treasure map, he would hand it over to Your Majesty immediately. How would he…"
"So you mean that We falsely accuse Lu Heng?"
"This old subject wouldn"t dare!" Secretariat Lu kowtowed. "Your Majesty, is there a misunderstanding in any of this?"
"Misunderstanding? We just learned of the map"s existence and sent men to retrieve it, when your precious grandson left the capital on the back of fast horses, along with an escort!"
"This, this… I don"t know of this. My grandson didn"t report this at all. That brat! How dare he do so! If I learn of where he"s gone, I won"t let him easily off for this!"
"So beloved subject Lu means to say that you don"t know of any of this?"
"Of course not!" Tears streaked down an anxious Patriarch Lu"s face. "How dare that little b.a.s.t.a.r.d do this! What a travesty, oh what shame!"
The old official wept until he became short of breath. He fell sideways to the ground with shaking hands.
Li Guanwen hastily ran up to support the Lu patriarch. "Secretariat Lu, are you alright?" He looked questioningly at his master. If they didn"t want to give birth to an enormous disaster, they should summon an imperial physican.
Li Qitian gnashed his teeth as he looked at the old man. I should just let him die here!
But it wouldn"t sound good if word got out that something happened to the Lu patriarch while he was in the imperial study. The consequences would also be quite disastrous.
When his thoughts travelled here, Li Qitian could only ask in a worried, hushed tone, "Are you alright, Elder Lu? Hurry, summon the imperial physician!"
"This old subject, old subject, is fine. This old subject really is, that unfilial boy, really will be the death of me!"
It was Li Qitian who almost spat out a mouthful of blood when he saw his loyal subject still remember to spare curses for his unfilial grandson in the midst of his pain. The emperor decisively turned around and decided out of sight was out of mind.
An imperial physician quickly rushed to the imperial study to begin his diagnosis.
"In response to Your Majesty, Secretariat Lu is advanced in age and just suffered shock and fright. Anger shot straight to his heart and overly agitated emotions caused an excess of internal fires. This is why he momentarily endured dizzy spells. This subject will write a prescription for the elder, and the elder needs to mind his emotions and refrain from becoming unduly worked up."
The imperial physician was an exceedingly honest and kind person. He didn"t even dare gaze upon the imperial visage directly, so he had no idea that Li Qitian"s face darkened with each word he spoke.
Li Guanwen had already shrank in on himself, trying with all of his might to decrease his own existence. He was deathly afraid of being embroiled in flames of imperial rage.
Li Qitian compressed his lips, looking silently at Secretariat Lu.
Cold shudders ran down the old man"s back and he hastily knelt. "Mercy, Your Majesty. This old subject will send servants to immediately bring that unfilial child home. His punishment shall be as Your Majesty decrees!"
Could he really bear to hand over his most beloved grandson?
This was obviously just a show to back Li Qitian into a corner!
If the emperor responded too harshly, then the Lu would officially be on guard.
Being on guard was of only secondary importance.
If the Lus acted on their fear and allied with other aristocratic houses in rebellion, Li Qitian wasn"t so confident that he"d be unable to quell this uprising.
Therefore, even though he had a belly full of anger, he could only uselessly swallow it all.
"Forget it, this matter isn"t Elder Lu"s fault to begin with. We did not properly control our emotions just now in our anger."