Luo Ze’s expression changed as soon as he saw Liu Wu Sheng.
“What the hell is this guy doing here?” Zhao Jun Yi whispered to Luo Ze.
“No idea,” Luo Ze answered.
Liu Jun Bo had always been a steady, serious person. He took a step forward and stood next to Luo Wei, addressing his younger brother and Luo Ze, “The two of you need to keep your temper and be cautious. Don’t forge that Xiao Wei’s here with us.”
Luo Wei watched Liu Wu Sheng. Here stood the key figure in his eldest brother, Luo Qi’s death. What Luo Wei didn’t remember, however, was Liu Wu Sheng ever showing up at the general of the capital’s camp to cause trouble.
Liu Wu Sheng didn’t dismount at the gate to the camp, instead, he watched the four people standing near it.
“What…” Luo Ze was about to open his mouth.
Luo Wei gave Luo Ze a tug from behind, “He’s waiting for someone.”
“And we’re supposed to just let him wait here, blocking the gate?” Luo Ze asked.
“Since we’re all in service to the emperor,” Luo Wei suggested, “Why not ask him to wait inside the camp?”
Zhao Jun Yi was agitated, “He’s the junior chancellor’s kid! How could we invite him into the general’s camp? If word got out, we’d be laughed out of the city.”
“It’ll be fine, what’s he going to do? Cause a revolt?” Luo Wei answered, “It’s not as if this camp belongs to the Luo family. Let’s just invite him in.”
Luo Ze was still unsure, “Will it really be fine?”
Luo Wei smiled lightly as he held eyes with his older brother, “With the three of you here, why would we be scared of one little Liu Wu Sheng?”
Liu Wu Sheng’s face looked defensive as soon as he saw Luo Ze and Zhao Jun Yi coming towards him.
“Does the young master Liu have business at the general’s camp?” Luo Ze asked him.
Liu Wu Sheng answered, “Of course I have business here.”
Luo Ze turned and motioned his hand in an invitation, “Then let’s talk inside the camp instead of outside of it.”
Liu Wu Sheng didn’t think that Luo Ze would invite him inside, and for a moment, he was struck silent.
Zhao Jun Yi watched Liu Wu Sheng, finding it a little funny, “What? Is the young master Liu afraid of us scheming against him? Are you scared of coming in now that you’re at the doorstep of the camp?”
Provoked by Zhao Jun Yi’s words, Liu Wu Sheng actually dismounted and brought his people into the camp as if to prove a point.
“Please,” As general of the camp, Luo Ze lead Liu Wu Sheng into the grand tent at the center of it.
“Are you not coming?” Zhao Jun Bo asked Luo Wei, who still stood where he was.
“I want to see who he’s waiting for,” Luo Wei answered, “Big brother Zhao, you should go keep an eye on my brother and yours, don’t let the three of them get into a fight.”
“Be careful, then,” This was Luo Ze’s camp after all. Zhao Jun Bo wasn’t worried about leaving Luo Wei by himself. He gave Luo Wei a little clap on the shoulder before heading off to the tent too.
Luo Wei waited for about half an hour before he saw two covered sedans arriving at the gate, both with the insignia of the imperial court.
“Send word to the general,” Luo Wei said to the soldier behind him, “Tell him that Gu Jun from the ministry of justice(1) is here.”
Gu Jun, the minister of justice, descended from his sedan, followed by the capital’s prefect, Yi Jiang Yun Si(2) close behind him.
“Minister, prefect, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?” Luo Wei stepped forward and greeted them both, but his eyes were caught on a commonly dressed woman in the midst of runners from the magistrate.
“So the third young master from the Luo family is here as well,” Gu Jun was a little taken aback at the sight of Luo Wei.
“Why did you bring a woman into camp?” Luo Ze had just arrived at the gates and became enraged the moment he laid eyes on the woman. He didn’t know what was going on, but he knew he didn’t like it.
“Big brother,” Luo Wei held Luo Ze back, “Let’s invite our two honored guests inside first.”
At this moment, the sound of yet another horse arrived. Long Xuan and his group of attendants appeared in front of Luo Wei’s eyes.
Luo Wei observed the wild game draped across the back of Long Xuan’s horse, and smiled, “Did Your Imperial Highness just return from the hunt?”
Everyone present knelt to pay their respects to the second prince.
“General Luo, looks like you’re pretty busy here today,” Long Xuan gave leave for all to stand, then addressed Luo Ze.
Luo Ze answered, “Your humble general wasn’t expecting it to be this busy either.”
“Your Imperial Highness,” Gu Jun spoke up too, “Perhaps you’d like to watch the proceedings too.”
Long Xuan looked at Luo Ze.
Luo Wei tugged Luo Ze from behind again.
“It’d be an honor, Your Imperial Highness.” Luo Ze invited Long Xuan into the camp.
FOOTNOTES:
1. ministry of justice – Original text said the ministry of punishment / torture, but they handle investigations as well.
2. Yi Jiang Yun Si – Uncertain of the original text, but believed to be a compound name in Chinese. The prefect might be from a non-Han ethnicity in China.
TRANSLATOR’S NOTES:
Thanks for all the input, everyone! : ) I think I’m going to translate on the weekend and schedule for the rest of the week like I’m doing this week. That’ll leave some time for me to do other things on the weekdays.