Jiuxi

Chapter 642

The river flows endlessly.

The magnificence of the Hengjiang River can only be truly felt by seeing it with your own eyes.

“South and north of the Yangtze River are originally one, but unfortunately many people don’t understand this truth.”

Xiao Wangzhi stood on the north bank with his hands behind his back, his eyes deep and distant.

Lu Chen followed his gaze and saw the river sparkling with waves and boats coming and going, a lively and orderly scene.

Recalling Xiao Wangzhi's feelings, Lu Chen said, "It's not that they don't understand, it's just that the world is bustling for profit, and the court is busy for fame. If there hadn't been the Yuanjia Rebellion, the Jiangnan clans would have been doomed to never rise to the center of the court of Da Qi. That incident was a disaster for Da Qi, but it was actually a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them. Over the past decade, the Northern Expedition has always been difficult to carry out because these people are afraid that once the Northern Expedition succeeds and the court moves north, they will not be able to continue to control the power of the court."

Xiao Wangzhi lowered his head slightly, sighed softly, and said: "Whether the two moves of the late emperor are good or bad, at least it will make me very embarrassed."

The so-called two-step plan was to let Li Tianrun return to Beijing for recuperation, and to let Xiao Wangzhi take over the Military Academy and take charge of the military power.

These two border army commanders had worked hard and made great contributions, and the late emperor's move was impeccable. However, from another perspective, the network of contacts they had built up in the border army for more than a decade was thus broken up.

Li Tianrun had no objection to this, and Xiao Wangzhi seemed to have no reason to feel resentful because his successor was Lu Chen.

The question is what happens to the two of them in the future.

Li Tianrun was plagued by illness, especially in the past two years, he had almost exhausted all his energy in Jingzhou. He was no longer able to interfere in court affairs. Of course, the emperor and his ministers in the court would treat him as they once respected Han Lingfu.

Xiao Wangzhi rarely has a free time. As the Chief Military Minister of the Military Academy, he holds a high position with great power and must be cautious almost all the time. However, he has no roots in Jiangnan. It is foreseeable that it will be a very difficult task for him to steer the ship calmly in an extremely complex environment.

Lu Chen naturally understood these entanglements and said softly: "Uncle Xiao, why not go with the light and dust."

Xiao Wangzhi heard the concern in his tone and understood the deep meaning in this short sentence. He smiled and nodded, then asked, "Among the four commanders in the capital, who is loyal and who is treacherous?"

He was referring to the chief commander of the Imperial Guards, Shen Yulai, and the three chief commanders of the Beijing Camp, Zhang Xu, Han Zhongjie, and Chen Lanyu, all of whom were also ministers of military affairs.

Lu Chen was slightly startled and said, "Uncle Xiao, Chen Lanyu is a general you promoted."

Xiao Wangzhi said calmly: "I want to hear your opinion."

The two of them strolled along the river bank, and Lu Chen said slowly: "Shen Yulai's position is too important. If it weren't for his absolute trust, the late emperor would not have allowed him to lead the imperial guards. Moreover, during the rebellion in the capital, Shen Yulai's performance was impeccable. In my opinion, his loyalty is worthy of recognition, and Your Majesty is also aware of this. As for Zhang Xu, the Marquis of Yongding, I can't see through his background. He is the only special case who has changed from a civil official to a military general. He can obviously get along with everyone, but he has no particularly obvious helpers in the court."

"Do you think Zhang Xu is a lone minister?"

"Only people like Qin Tiju, the head of the Textile Bureau, can be called lone ministers."

"That's right. There are not many people in this world who can do what Qin Zheng did."

Xiao Wangzhi's tone was vicissitudes, and he continued: "It seems that Zhang Xu's attitude is very crucial."

If he wanted to take full control of the Military Council, the positions of these four military ministers could not be ignored.

Shen Yulai is undoubtedly an absolute supporter of the emperor, but the commander-in-chief of the imperial guards has always been responsible for his own duties and will not interfere in military decisions. Shen Yulai is well aware of this. In the past, he basically said nothing in the Military Academy and only served as his eyes and ears.

Among the other three, Han Zhongjie's ambition has gradually been revealed. He will certainly not easily let the Military Academy become a one-man show for Xiao Wangzhi. The two sides are bound to have continuous struggles. If Zhang Xu stands on Han Zhongjie's side at this time, Xiao Wangzhi's situation will become embarrassing.

He has no foundation in the Beijing army, so it is not impossible for him to be sidelined.

Lu Chen turned his head and looked at the solemn face of the middle-aged man, and couldn't help but said: "Uncle Xiao, Chen Lanyu is your greatest helper."

“Many things in this world will never change, like the river in front of us, which keeps flowing day and night. But many things are prone to change, like the human heart, which is the most unpredictable.”

Xiao Wangzhi stopped and laughed at himself, "In the bitter cold of the border, you can only win merit by risking your life on the battlefield. Even if there are some struggles for power and profit, it is better to be simple. The capital is different. It is the best place under the feet of the emperor. It is also extremely prosperous and wealthy. There are countless extravagant places. Not everyone has such a firm will as you."

It was like a bolt of lightning struck Lu Chen's mind.

He suddenly remembered the conversation he had with Li Daoyan before leaving Beijing.

The old man once said something similar to Xiao Wangzhi.

He had felt something at the time, but it was hard to tell what it was. When Xiao Wangzhi mentioned it again, he couldn't help but say solemnly, "Could it be that Chen Lanyu has other intentions?"

"I do not know."

Xiao Wangzhi shook his head and said in a slightly bleak tone: "I feel that I am facing many difficulties when I go south to take over the Military Academy. The reason why the late emperor made this move is, on the one hand, to weaken my reputation in the border army, and on the other hand, to add some protection for you. As long as I can gain a foothold in the court, the border army will not face too many crises. The late emperor's original intention is naturally good, but it is difficult for me to relax, because dealing with those old foxes in the south may not be easier than facing the Jing army directly." Lu Chen nodded and said, "Indeed."

Xiao Wangzhi met Lu Chen's gaze and said slowly, "So I can't understand why even someone with my qualifications and status is troubled. How could Chen Lanyu, as the commander-in-chief, easily control the Dingwei Army from top to bottom in just one year?"

Lu Chen frowned slightly.

Just as Xiao Wangzhi said, he was promoted to the Duke of Rong based on his military merits. No one in the court could compare to him. In addition, with Lu Chen watching over and helping him at the border, it would be very difficult for him to hold power in the Military Academy alone, let alone Chen Lanyu, who was not well-known at the beginning?
Even if Chen Lanyu had the support of the late emperor, he should not forget that the rebellion in the capital had not yet occurred at that time, and the Beijing army was almost completely under the control of the Jiangnan clans.

How could a general of the frontier army, who had no family support, achieve that?
Thinking of this, Lu Chen's eyes flashed with a bit of coldness, and he said: "Chen Lanyu should not be disloyal to Da Qi."

"It's natural. No matter what he becomes, I believe he can hold the bottom line."

Xiao Wangzhi did not completely deny his former confidant, and said calmly: "It's just that he has a lot of issues to consider and a lot of people to care about. The support I gave him back then may not be comparable to the help those people in Jiangnan gave him, not to mention the extravagance and wealth that ordinary people can hardly imagine."

Lu Chen looked at him with some concern.

From their point of view, if Chen Lanyu really had second thoughts, or was being wooed by the Jiangnan clans, it would naturally be very disappointing news.

But people go to high places and water flows to low places, so who can conclude that Chen Lanyu is definitely wrong?
After all, he was still loyal to Da Qi, otherwise he would not have led 30,000 Jing troops on a long journey of thousands of miles to deal a fatal blow to Jing's army outside Yongqiu City.

Xiao Wangzhi let out a long sigh, a relieved smile appeared on his face, and he slowly said: "In fact, I have always been confused and have been waiting for his explanation, but he never mentioned it in the letters he sent me. Until this moment, I know that parting ways is inevitable. He is no longer the introverted and quiet strategist under my command, but the commander-in-chief of the Beijing Camp who is at the center of power and has his own desires and goals."

Lu Chen said coldly: "If he really wants to be an enemy of Uncle Xiao, I can--"

Xiao Wangzhi interrupted him and said, "You have more important responsibilities. I can handle the intrigues in Jiangnan. You don't have to get involved."

Lu Mo remained silent.

After a long while, he sighed and said, "Well, after Xiao Shuyi goes south, in addition to the people in the Military Academy, there are two more people who need to be paid special attention to."

"You said."

"Li Shizhi, the Minister of Rites, and Ding Hui, the Minister of War."

Xiao Wangzhi's eyes narrowed slightly and he asked, "Why?"

Lu Chen replied: "Ding Hui may seem shallow, but he has never been wrong about major events. Whether it was the criticism of me by some ministers in the court or the rebellion in the capital, he was able to stay out of it very rationally, but he likes to stir up disputes. Uncle Xiao will inevitably have to deal with the Ministry of War in the future, so don't be fooled by Ding Hui's appearance, otherwise you will fall into his trap if you are not careful."

Xiao Wangzhi understood and said, "Okay."

"As for Li Shizhi..."

Lu Chen thought for a moment and said seriously, "To be honest, I didn't pay much attention to this person before. Because of the existence of Prime Minister Li, most people, including me, would ignore Li Shizhi. However, he was able to quietly win the favor of His Majesty, and it has nothing to do with the old Prime Minister. This shows that this person is definitely not as simple as a noble official. If I am not mistaken, after Prime Minister Li retires, Xue Nanting and Zhong Cheng will serve as the left and right prime ministers respectively, and the vacant position of Minister of Personnel will most likely fall into the hands of Li Shizhi."

Through his statement, Xiao Wangzhi had a clearer understanding of the situation at the center of the imperial court, and said with relief: "I will pay attention. In addition, regarding the matter we talked about last time-"

This time Lu Chen interrupted him and said firmly: "Uncle Xiao, whether His Majesty and Han Zhongjie are behind this, I will have someone investigate it, so don't worry about it."

Looking at Lu Chen's sincere expression, Xiao Wangzhi naturally understood that he was concerned about him and didn't want him to take on too many responsibilities in the capital.

He smiled slightly, reached out and patted Lu Chen on the shoulder, and said, "Okay."

The two chatted for a while, Xiao Wangzhi glanced to the north and said casually: "You can go back."

Lu Chen bowed and said, "Uncle Xiao, have a safe journey and take care."

"You have to take care of yourself."

Xiao Wangzhi gave a final instruction, then turned around and strode away, walking towards the ferry with his personal soldiers who were waiting not far away.

The river flows slowly towards the sea.

Lu Chen looked at his back, and suddenly a feeling of sadness welled up in his heart.

After this separation, I wonder when we will meet again?

He couldn't help but sigh softly.

(End of this chapter)