1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3845

Lu Congshan was undoubtedly a clever man. He had long realized that Yue Shizong's guise of gathering business information in Jiujiang was actually for ulterior motives. However, since Yue Shizong had never revealed his intentions, Lu Congshan naturally wouldn't take the initiative to express his stance either.

When Yue Shizong invited him to meet in Tongling County, Lu Congshan had a vague feeling that the other party wanted to confront him directly. If Yue Shizong was truly working for the Haihan people, then high-ranking Haihan officials would inevitably be involved in this meeting.

Lu Congshan's prediction was remarkably accurate. After he expressed his opinion, Yue Shizong indeed wanted to introduce him to the so-called "noble person".

However, the identity of this important person was still somewhat unexpected for Lu Congshan.

He had assumed that Haihan would send a diplomatic official of similar status to Yue Shizong to try and make contact with him. After all, it was their first time dealing with each other, and the other party would probably be testing the waters. It was unlikely that any important figure would come to Tongling specifically to meet with him, otherwise, it would be a wasted trip if no agreement was reached.

But to his surprise, the person standing in front of him was Shi Chengwu, the commander of the Nanjing garrison.

Lu Congshan's Lufax distribution center shipped more than half of its goods to Nanjing for distribution, so he was well aware of this young general's background. It's no exaggeration to say that, given Shi Chengwu's status and position, his attitude could, to some extent, represent the Haihan Executive Committee.

Lu Congshan immediately realized that the meeting arranged by Haihan was not a test; Haihan was genuinely there to reach some agreement.

"Lord Lu, I have long admired your name. It is an honor to meet you today. Please forgive my abruptness in not informing you in advance."

When Lu Congshan saw Shi Chengwu take the initiative to greet him, he quickly cupped his hands in response and said, "General Shi, you are too kind! I have been grateful for your care for a long time, and I should thank you."

The "favor" that Lu Congshan referred to naturally meant the trade between Jiujiang and Nanjing. Lu Faxing had earned substantial profits from the Yangtze River shipping trade in recent years, and most of those profits ended up in Lu Congshan's pocket.

These inside stories might not be widely known to outsiders, but he was certain they couldn't be hidden from the young general before him. Shi Chengwu could have cut off his source of income with a single decree, but he hadn't bothered Lu Faxing for several years. This was not only because Lu Faxing knew the rules, but also perhaps because the Nanjing government had intentionally let him off the hook.

Lu Congshan's attitude eased Shi Chengwu's mind a little. He had been worried that Lu Congshan would be resistant to his intervention, but it seemed he had worried unnecessarily. Lu Congshan was at least a sensible and understanding person, which would make communication easier.

Shi Chengwu said, "Since Lord Lu is so straightforward, then I won't beat around the bush. The reason I invited Lord Lu to Tongling County this time is for the safety of the people of Jiujiang Prefecture and even the entire Jiangxi region."

Lu Congshan asked, "General, what do you mean by this? Is your country about to launch another war against the Ming Dynasty?"

Shi Chengwu said, "Lord Lu misunderstands. The topic I am about to discuss is precisely to avoid a war that could affect Jiujiang."

Lu Congshan said, "Oh? I wonder what brilliant idea General Shi has?"

Shi Chengwu said, "Lord Lu is the Prefect of Jiujiang, so of course you have the ability to decide the fate of Jiujiang. If Lord Lu can lead the officials and people of Jiujiang to surrender to our country, then a war can be averted, which would be a great act of kindness!" Lu Congshan said, "General Shi, you are overestimating me! This place of Jiujiang has the imperial court and the Jiangxi Three Departments above it, and the Assistant Prefect, Sub-Prefect and a group of military officers below it. It is not up to me alone to make the decisions."

Shi Chengwu said, "The emperor is far away and your country's court is too busy to manage the specific affairs of these southern prefectures. As for the Jiangxi Three Offices, they are not located in Jiujiang, so they can't possibly keep an eye on Lord Lu's every move, can they?"

Lu Congshan simply smiled but didn't respond. The authority of the imperial court and the Three Departments was not something a mere fourth-rank prefect like himself could challenge. It was fine if his collusion with Haihan officials remained unknown, but once exposed, Lu Congshan couldn't be sure what kind of punishment he would face.

Even if Haihan had a million soldiers, he might not be able to rescue him from his predicament in time.

Shi Chengwu continued, "As for those around Lord Lu, if there are any unruly individuals who disagree with you, Lord Lu may leave them to me to handle. I guarantee I will clear these troublemakers away for you."

These words tempted Lu Congshan. If he could use the Haihan people to eliminate his rivals, he would indeed have a good chance of staying out of it.

But then he realized that this was also a form of provocation from the other side.

If Haihan people have the ability to make certain people in Jiujiang's officialdom disappear without a trace, then Lu Congshan himself could certainly become such a target. If he is unwilling to cooperate with Shi Chengwu, Shi Chengwu might arrange such private meetings with others, and then it's hard to say whether he will become a stumbling block in the eyes of others that must be eliminated as soon as possible.

Lu Congshan feigned difficulty and said, "General Shi may not know this, but in addition to these officials, the court has also secretly planted secret police to monitor local officials. These people are not subject to local control and have great authority. Investigating and arresting officials is commonplace for them. If they notice anything amiss, it will be extremely dangerous."

Upon hearing this, Shi Chengwu gave Yue Shizong, who had remained silent, a subtle wink, signaling that it was time for him to share his experience.

Yue Shizong coughed and said, "Brother Lu, you don't know this, but even the Imperial Guards are easily manipulated by Hai Han and have no power to fight back."

“A few days ago, a commander of the Imperial Guards led a group of men to infiltrate Hangzhou, intending to cause me trouble. In my moment of crisis, I was fortunate to have Haihan come to my aid and resolve this problem for me.”

Yue Shizong immediately recounted to Lu Congshan the details of how Huo Jingxing, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had coerced and extorted him, and how Hai Han had dealt with Huo Jingxing and his gang.

Upon hearing this, Lu Congshan's expression changed slightly, and he said, "These Imperial Guards actually used Brother Yue's family's lives as bargaining chips. They are truly despicable and deserve to die!"

Yue Shizong said, "What I fear most is that Huo Jingxing's evil deeds are not his personal will, but rather an act carried out by imperial decree! I was originally a loyal and patriotic person, but my many sacrifices have not only failed to earn the court's trust, but have instead been bullied by these lackeys. It is truly disheartening! From then on, I, Yue, have decided to prioritize the overall situation of the world. Whoever can bring peace and stability to the common people should be the ruler of the world!"

“Back when I worked with Brother Lu in the Hanlin Academy, I knew that Brother Lu had the world in his heart and was unparalleled in benevolence and righteousness. Therefore, when General Shi planned to conquer Jiangxi, I asked to contact Brother Lu in advance to try to avoid Jiujiang being affected by the war.”

Yue Shizong spoke with righteous indignation, completely blending into the atmosphere, no longer a mere tool to be ordered around.