The Inverted Dragon’s Scale

051 – Father and son dilemma!


Gongsun Yu pushed open the door to enter; in front of her was a hectic scene.

Several books were spread across the table, and under the table were a disarray of discarded papers.

A man was bent over at the desk, scribbling away rapidly; the beautiful calligraphy he wrote seemed to leap out of the page in a neat row. It was as if each and every character was a little spirit filled with life.

Gongsun Yu stood in the doorway for a moment, then realised her arrival did not disrupt her busy husband at what he was doing. She then deliberately asked aloud: “Qingming are you busy? ”

Lu Qingming’s wrist paused, took a glance at his wife and said: “Xiao Yu, what are you doing here? Go back and rest. I still have some work to finish; after I’m done I’ll come over. The Kingdom is in troubled times. The border areas are making every effort to handle everything, but we still can’t afford to slack off at all. Even if I, the newly appointed Governor, has returned to Tiandu, there is still no way I could set aside the matters of the provincial areas—–there’s too many matters, you will have to bear with it. “

Not only did Gongsun Yu not leave, but she turned around, shut the door and said: “Qingming, I want to speak with you.”

“Fine. You can speak as much as you want with me. Go back first, then in a while I’ll come to the room to see you—–”

“I want to say it now—-in your study.” Gongsun Yu’s eyes watched her husband with a gentle expression; but her attitude was exceedingly stubborn and firm.

Lu Qingming placed down the writing brush in his hand and his handsome facial features revealed a smiling expression. The southwest wind ruffled his skin but did not blow away his warrior spirit. He pushed the chair, stood up, and smiled: “Okay. What do you want to say? ”

Gongsun Yu handed over the leather bag and said: “Take a look at this first.”

“What is it?” Lu Qingming received the bag and asked as he untied the string on the bag.

“Guilt and remorse.” Gongsun Yu said in a calm voice. But her eyes were slightly red, a sign of her extreme emotions.

Lu Qingming’s expression went slightly stiff, then instantly return back to his usual self, pretending not to see the strange expression on his wife’s face and said with a smile: “I’m curious, what is it that’s so serious? ”

Lu Qingming unfastened the bag and took out the pile of papers from the inside.

“Huh?” Lu Qingming glanced over at Gongsun Yu with a puzzled look and said: “Exam papers?

“The examination paper of the Kingdom this year.” Gongsun Yu said with a calm face.

“Interesting. Perhaps I need to sit this test?” As Lu Qingming spoke, he had already begun to read the several papers in his hand.

Lu Qingming’s has a wide accumulation of knowledge; without any difficulty he had already finished reading all the text.

He inserted the papers back into the leather bag and said: “He could have gotten a higher score if he carefully checked over some of the questions. He dropped points at the places where he shouldn’t have, but instead the difficult questions were answered very well——this student is gifted, he should be attending West Wind University, right? Or other famous universities in the Kingdom? ”

“You know who he is.” Gongsun Yu stared at Lu Qingming as she stated.. This was not a question, it was a statement.

“What does that mean? “Lu Qingming once again flipped through papers and inspected again, then said with a smile: “Li Muyang. A very strange name. Why would I know who he is? ”

“I know you know who he is.” Gongsun Yu stared at her husband without blinking and said: “You lied to me sixteen years ago and now you still want to lie to me? Lu Qingming, if you dare lie to me once more, I will never forgive you in my entire life. ”

Distress can be seen within Lu Qingming’s eyes and his expression displayed the colour of pain as he said: “Xiao Yu, what do you want me to do? ”

“I want him to come back.” Gongsun Yu said in a firm voice: “I want to bring him back. ”

“That is impossible.” Lu Qingming shook his head. “Sixteen years ago, we sent him away, and now can we no longer can take him back—-Xiao Yu, you should know very clearly. That is simply impossible. What reason can we use to take him back? How do we explain his existence? ”

“Lu Qingming, he is my son, he is our son——Back then you all thought he has a disability, he was a trash, and were afraid that he would not have survived or would become a deformed child and he will humiliate the Lu family. And that if he live for another day, then the Lu family will be the joke for another day—–”

Gongsun Yu desperately clenched her fists, holding back her tears. She gritted her teeth and said: “But look at him now. He is not disabled, not a trash, and not a deformed child—–instead, he’s much smarter than a lot of people and he works much harder than many people. He should get a better education; he should get everything he deserves. He should return to the Lu family, to his parents—–I will explain everything to him, so that he does not hate us, so that he does not hate the Lu family. Then, we will use the rest of our lives to atone for the sins we committed.”

Gongsun Yu stared at Lu Qingming and said each word carefully: “Therefore, I want him to come back.”

“Xiao Yu——” The veins on Lu Qingming’s forehead bulging out and within his eyes was strong intractable agony. “These days I have been hiding from you, I was afraid you and I would argue, worried that you would bring up everything in front of me and ask me to give you a answer. I admit it I know who he is. I’m even more concerned about his existence than you—-This exam paper I have seen it already. I also know you will have surely seen it. ”

“I also want to collect him; just like you, I also want to take him back. I don’t need you to explain, I’ll personally explain everything to him, I would like to atone for my mistakes—-I don’t know if he will forgive me or not, I just want to stand in front of him and tell him everything. I want him to know what exactly happened that night. I want to let him know that he should have had a completely different life—–”

“However, we can’t do that. As you said, back then we sent him away because we were afraid he wouldn’t survive or even if he survived he would become a deformed child, we were worried he’ll be laughed at, be criticised by our political enemies—–if we take him back now, how do we explain his existence? How do we explain our relationships? How do we explain where did he go? The scandal that happened sixteen years ago, after sixteen years of fermentation and brewing, will possess an unbearable stench —-if we announce to the outside world now that Li Muyang is an abandoned child of the Lu family, then what will happen to the reputation of the Lu family in Tiandu? Furthermore, would the Lu family have any face to stand up in the Imperial court anymore?”

“Moreover, the situation in Tiandu now is complicated. Father is attacking for the position of the Left government minister. Lu family is in a vortex, countless people are watching us attentively, every single member of the Lu family is particularly cautious. If there’s any noise leaking out at this crucial moment——-Xiao Yu, if we bring him back at this time, then is that not the same as putting up a target on our bodies? ”

“This is the reason that you refuse? ” Gongsun Yu stared at her own husband with extreme disappointment: “Just like the reasons you abandoned him sixteen years ago, it is utterly absurd.”

“Xiao Yu, give me a little more time. Now we know he is living happily, and there’s also a high possibility that he will be coming to Tiandu to study. When that time comes he will be right under our noses, we can properly look after him then. Wait until there’s an opportunity, we will bring him back and we can reunite—–How does that sound? ”

“Lu Qingming——–”

“Xiao Yu—–”

“I don’t even want to wait another day. ”

“Xiao Yu—–”

“I want him to attend West Wind University.” Gongsun Yu said aloud.

“Fine.” Lu Qingming immediately agreed: “I’ve read his papers, if there isn’t any accidents, then without a doubt he can attend to West Wind University.”

“I want to make sure he goes to West Wind University.” Gongsun Yu said.

“Fine.” Lu Qingming nodded and said: “I can guarantee that. He will definitely be admitted to West Wind University. If they do not allow Li Muyang to study in West Wind University, I will personally go to and tear down West Wind University’s entrance and use it as firewood.”

“Lu Qingming, I hope you won’t disappoint me this time.” Gongsun Yu’s eyes swept across her husband with a deep expression, then turned and walked towards the outside. ”

Lu Qingming’s emotions were extremely agitated, walking up and down in the study.

“Guards.” Lu Qingming shouted loudly.

Guard Li Pingan knocked on the door and entered, asking: “General, is there something you want me to do? ”

Lu Qingming is a high-ranking general that fought on the battlefield; both Li Pingan and Yue Feilong were members of his army. Later he transferred to a civilian post and became a provincial Governor, but the people around him still likes to call him ‘ General ‘.

“Is the head of family in?” Lu Qingming asked aloud.

“About that—–I’ll go find out?” Li Pingan said in a low voice. But he thought to himself that whether or not the head of the family was present was something that he won’t know and also wouldn’t dare to know.

“No need.” Lu Qingming waved his hand and said: “You may leave. ”

“Yes. General.” Just as Li Pingan left the room, he looked at Yue Feilong with a meaningful glance and said: “The lady is certainly not satisfied with General’s performance; the lady is angry and General is frustrated——–”

“Li Pingan——–” Yue Feilong drew out his sword once again. ”

Before the two of them even have the time to fight, Lu Qingming walked out carrying a document bag.

Just as the two of them were trying to catch up to him, they heard Lu Qingming’s orders: “You don’t need to come.”

Lu Qingming arrived at the left side of the yard, seeing the old butler coming to greet him, he asked: “Where is father? ”咩? ”

“Master is at a meeting in the study.” The butler said with a smile. “Young master, do you want to come back later? ”

“I’ll sit here and wait.” Lu Qingming glanced at the butler as he answered him. ”

Butler took a glimpse at Lu Qingming and said: “Young master, please go to the tearoom for a cup of tea. ”

“Thank you.”

Lu Qingming sat at the tearoom and waited for half an hour, the butler then came to ask him to come into the study.

Lu Qingming entered, seeing his father sitting inside like the towering high mountains, he said in a low voice: “Father, I want to bring Muyang back.”