Jiuxi

Chapter 645: 643 [Huaiyou Gentleman]

For Lu Chen, the burden on his shoulders is actually extremely heavy, not as easy as he appears in front of Wang Chulong.

Everything is messy, like a myriad of threads.

The first thing is the reform of the border troops, which Lu Chen has been thinking about for a long time.

According to the decision made after consultation between the emperor and the ministers of the Military Academy, the Huaizhou Military Governor's Office was abolished, and the Panlong Army, Guangling Army, Zhenbei Army, Taixing Army, Xunyang Army and Jianghua Army were all merged into the Dingzhou Military Governor's Office.

However, the Dingzhou Military Governor's Office only had one battalion and nine armies, which meant that some soldiers would leave the army and some generals would be idle.

Who goes and who stays is a question Lu Chen needs to consider.

The defense area of ​​Dingzhou Military Governor's Office extends to Panlong Pass in the southwest, Qingliu Pass in the west, and Dingfeng Road in the north. How to properly deploy the defense is also not so easy.

The second is the consideration of personnel in government offices at all levels in Dingzhou and Huaizhou. Originally, Lu Chen only focused on the selection of governors for the two states, but because of the suspicions surrounding Li Zongben and Han Zhongjie, Lu Chen had to consider it more deeply.

If he wanted Jiangbei to have a certain ability to resist risks, or if he wanted the Jiangnan central government to take action against the border troops, he should at least have room for buffer, then he would inevitably intervene in Jiangbei's political power.

This is not something that can be achieved overnight; it requires long-term planning and overall planning.

The next step is to arrange the various talents of the Lu, Lin, Wang and Li families, allowing everyone to give full play to their talents while avoiding unexpected hidden dangers. Lu Chen has spent countless efforts on this.

Now he could finally fully understand why the late emperor had become ill due to overwork.

Fortunately, he had laid a solid foundation by practicing the Shouzheng Jue since he was a child. After practicing the Shangxuan Jing, his body functions became stronger and stronger. At least he would not suffer from any illness. The only thing that needed to be adjusted was his mental state.

He just didn't want to show his fatigue in front of his family, so he looked at Lu Tong with a smile and said calmly: "Dad, do you want to go north with me to relax?"

Lu Tong studied his face and said gently, "I will go to Dingzhou in a while. The business in Huaizhou has reached a bottleneck, and we can only expand to Jingzhou and Dingzhou. I know you have a hard time during this period, and there are many and complicated issues to consider, but there is at least one thing you don't have to worry about. The Lu family's business will be connected to various places in Jiangbei, and will gradually have an impact on the local area, cooperating with your overall strategy."

There was no need to explain things too clearly between father and son. Lu Chen smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Dad."

"Since you have made up your mind, the Lu family will no longer hesitate."

Lu Tong looked calm, and then said: "But you are still missing some people around you."

Lu Chen asked curiously, "Who is it?"

Lu Tong said calmly: "Someone who can really help you with advice."

Lu was silent.

He has always been very confident in his abilities and is used to solving problems on his own.

This cannot be said to be wrong. After all, he did accomplish an unprecedented feat. Whether on the battlefield or in the court, he was able to advance and retreat with confidence and rise step by step.

Lu Tong said earnestly, "Before, you were able to complete the tasks at hand independently because you were not at a high enough level, and someone helped you to hold up the overall situation. For example, in the battle you participated in when you first joined the army, on the surface, you planned the strategy of luring the tiger away from the mountain, making the main force of the Yan army stay stupidly in the north of Qingtian City, so that the Huai and Jing armies could go west through Panlong Pass and seize nearly half of the territory of the original pseudo-Yan Moyang Road. But in fact, is this your own credit?"

Lu Chen's heart sank, and he shook his head and said, "No. Without Uncle Xiao's full support, it would not be my turn to plan. Without Uncle Li's absolute trust, this plan would definitely not be realized. The most important thing is that without the elite soldiers they spent ten years training, my plan would be nothing but a mirage."

"Yes."

Lu Tong nodded slightly and said slowly, "For example, the Battle of Yongqiu that made you famous. No one can ignore your contribution. The question is, what was the root cause of the victory in this battle? It was the late emperor who was not afraid of life and death, Li Tianrun who took the initiative to participate, and Xiao Wangzhi who took the overall situation into consideration. Without these people helping you clear the obstacles and lay a solid foundation, you would not have been able to defeat Qing Yugong."

There was no resentment on Lu Chen's face.

The fact is just as Lu Tong said, he can achieve what he has today by standing on the shoulders of those people.

"You and I, father and son, do not talk nonsense. What I am saying today is not to belittle your ability."

Lu Tong picked up the teacup and moistened his throat, then said solemnly, "I just want to tell you that in the past, when you were in a lower position, others helped you bear the pressure, and you only needed to do your own duty, but it will be different in the future. You are now in a higher position, and you need to deal with all the pressure from the outside and inside, and consider the interests of all parties. If you still shoulder all the pressure alone at this time, the pressure will crush you."

Lu Chen pondered for a moment, smiled bitterly and said: "Dad, of course I know the importance of recruiting talents, but..."

"You have been in contact with people like Prime Minister Li and Prime Minister Xue in the capital, so your standards are bound to be very high. Unfortunately, you cannot use the talented people in Jiangnan. I know you have considered this issue."

Lu Tong paused for a moment and said with emotion: "I just don't understand why you only focus on Jiangnan? Have you ever carefully examined all the places in Jiangbei?"

"Jiangbei?"

Lu Chen was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood, and said with shame: "I overlooked it."

Lu Tong said gently, "It's not too late. After all, you need to adapt to the change of your status. You are going to intervene in the appointment and removal of officials in various parts of Jiangbei, and at the same time rely on the Lu family business to manage the country and benefit the people. There is no problem with these, but in my opinion, the most important thing for you right now is to respect the wise and humble yourself. By recruiting talented people, you can make the Jiangbei people feel attracted to you. It's true that you are a minister of Da Qi, but you have to consider the gap between Jiangnan and Jiangbei. Only when you stand on the same boat with the people of Jiangbei, your foundation will be truly solid."

Lu Chen said respectfully: "Remember my father's teachings."

Lu Tong smiled and said, "I have found two famous scholars for you. They will come to your house soon. Don't be arrogant in front of them. These famous scholars are certainly more reserved and proud, but as long as they serve you as their master, they will not betray you even if they are killed by swords and axes."

Lu Chen suddenly understood. The old man's long speech was indeed to wake him up, but also because he was afraid that he would be young and arrogant and put on airs in front of those celebrities.

He couldn't help but shake his head and laughed: "Dad, am I that stupid?"

Lu Tong smiled without saying anything, his eyes becoming more profound.

He has seen too many brilliant people in his life. From following Yang Guangyuan to managing a huge family business on his own, he knows well how fickle human hearts are.

No one in this world remains unchanged, especially a young man like Lu Chen who is young, noble and powerful. He certainly believes in Lu Chen's character, but he also knows that power can change a person imperceptibly.

fine……

At least for now, Lu Chen still did not disappoint him.

After half an hour, two scholars walked into the Duke's Mansion.

The demeanor and bearing of these two men were different. One was wearing a long blue robe, was over thirty years old, had a pale face and a short beard, and was calm and composed.

The other man was over forty years old and was wearing hemp cloth that had turned slightly white due to long-term washing.

The man has a slightly dark face, a tall and thin body, hands covered with calluses, and long and strong joints. It is obvious at a glance that he has experienced long-term labor.

"I am Chen Xun, also known as Dezun, and I am here to greet you, sir."

The man in his thirties was the first to pay his respects. His tone was calm and neither hurried nor slow, and he had the demeanor of a young man from a wealthy family.

Lu Chen said gently: "De Zun, there is no need to be polite."

Lu Tong had already introduced the origins of these two people to him before.

Chen Xun was 32 years old at the time. He was born into the Chen family of Taixing. Although it was not a prominent family, it could be said that farming and studying were a family tradition.

He had experience in imperial examinations. Before the examination, he had passed every time smoothly. However, he missed the chance to be on the list because of illness. He recuperated in the capital for several months and then returned to Huaizhou.

This man was well-read, knowledgeable and could quote from a wide range of sources at will. However, for some reason, after failing the imperial examination, he did not continue to go south to take the exam. Instead, he stayed at home studying the books of sages and paid no attention to what was happening outside.

Yao Chong, the governor of Huaizhou, had summoned Chen Xun several times, but Chen Xun always declined on the grounds that he was serving his parents.

Lu Chen then looked at the other person.

The man saluted without being servile or arrogant and said, "Liu Bingyuan greets the Duke."

This Liu Bingyuan's full name was Liu Yuan, with courtesy name Bingyuan. He was from Li County, Donghai Prefecture.

Compared with Chen Xun, who came from a wealthy family, Liu Yuan's life over the past 43 years was full of twists and turns.

Liu Yuan lost his father at a young age and his mother at the age of twelve. He grew up relying on the support of the village elders.

He was extremely intelligent since he was young. Although he had no conditions to study, he relied on his photographic memory and extremely tenacious willpower to start his own educational journey by attending a private school. Later, he was taught by an old scholar. He suffered a lot along the way, but finally he made it through the imperial examination.

However, sixteen years ago, he had finally gathered enough money to go to Heluo for the imperial examination. Before he arrived in Heluo, he received bad news.

The Jing army broke through Heluo, and the Emperor of Qi and the Crown Prince died in the palace. The Great Qi was already in danger of collapse.

Liu Yuan had no choice but to return. He was robbed by bandits on the way. He luckily survived in the mountain stronghold and escaped several years later.

Now he works as a teacher in a wealthy family in Li County and barely supports himself.

"Brother Bingyuan, there is no need to be so polite. Please take a seat."

Lu Chen looked at this pair of scholars with completely different identities and experiences, and for a moment he didn't know where to start.

The two of them sat down at the bottom, and Chen Xun had a smile on his face, looking unperturbed by fame or disgrace.

Liu Yuan looked at the overly young nobleman in front of him and suddenly asked, "May I ask why you are recruiting us?"

This sentence is undoubtedly sharp and abrupt.

Lu Chen met his gaze, saw the depression in this person's heart, and suddenly felt relieved.

He calmly asked back: "Why did Brother Bingyuan risk everything to go to Beijing to take the exam?"

Liu Yuan was silent.

Lu Chen looked calm and said calmly, "This is why I want to ask you two to come out of retirement."

(End of this chapter)