Jiuxi

Chapter 646 [Homecoming]

Hearing Lu Chen's answer, Chen Xun's heart moved slightly, and his eyes looked meaningful.

Judging from his expression, Lu Chen's attitude was very clear, which was to give the two a chance to realize their ambitions.

Chen Xun missed the chance to be admitted to the imperial examination because of illness, and Liu Yuan's experience was even more difficult. Both of them had great talents but could only live in seclusion in the mountains. Now Lu Chen can give them a smooth path that is far better than the imperial examination.

However, these two were well-read and naturally understood that all government orders came from above. Lu Chen's words were a little bit beyond the rules, but they also revealed a certain frankness and sincerity.

Liu Yuan was not moved by this. He still looked at Lu Chen solemnly and asked, "I am just an unknown countryman. I live in poverty and can barely support myself. I am not well-known in the market and I am not well-known. So I am quite puzzled as to why I have received the attention of the county lord. As far as I know, the county lord's Taishan is the contemporary Wenzong Anqigong. The Zhailin Wang family can be called the first aristocratic family in the north. There are countless outstanding people in the family, far better than a vulgar person like me."

This is a very stubborn character.

Through Lu Tong's detailed introduction, Lu Chen already knew the whole story.

Liu Yuan lived in seclusion in the countryside, working hard with his own hands. The only reason he went to work as a teacher in a wealthy family was to get money to buy writing books.

Having lost his parents at a young age and having suffered hardships since his childhood, Liu Yuan's passion had long been chilled. Without the support of his clan elders or the flattery of scholars, he had no chance of becoming famous in his middle age and could only put all his energy into books.

By chance, Lu Tong and the business managers passed by the small village on the outskirts of Li County and met Liu Yuan.

It was just a casual chat, and with Lu Tong's eye for knowledge, he could naturally discover the extraordinary qualities of this person. Then he repeatedly sent people to contact him directly or indirectly to learn more about him, and finally concluded that this person had talent for managing the world. What was particularly rare was that he had a noble character and was untainted by the world.

So Lu Tong specially sent someone with generous gifts to invite Liu Yuan, and after much persuasion he finally invited Liu Yuan to Guangling.

However, this does not mean that Liu Yuan will bow down to Lu Chen.

The main reason why he agreed to Lu Tong's request was that he wanted to see Lu Chen, the unprecedented young nobleman, with his own eyes.

If Liu Yuan's question was extended further, he actually wanted to ask why Lu Chen ignored those children from aristocratic families and instead paid attention to a poor person like him.

Chen Xun, who was sitting next to him, looked calm, but was also curious.

His family background is much stronger than Liu Yuan's, but he is still from a humble family, and there is a huge difference compared to the aristocratic families.

The atmosphere in the hall was a little solemn.

Lu Chen picked up the teacup and took a sip, then looked into the middle-aged man's eyes and said calmly, "To be honest, I had never heard of your names before an hour ago."

Liu Yuan and Chen Xun were both stunned. This answer was completely beyond their expectations.

Normally, Lu Chen could have said some nice polite words, such as saying that he was willing to recruit talented people regardless of their backgrounds, or that he appreciated the talents of both of them. In short, he just needed to show an attitude of respect and humility, and give both of them enough respect, and then everything would fall into place.

Since the two of them were willing to come to Guangling, it meant that they at least had no rejection or rejection of Lu Chen.

Liu Yuan asked bluntly: "If that's the case, why does the Duke want to see us?"

"Because my father strongly recommended you two, how can I disobey you as a son?"

Lu Chen smiled calmly, and then said calmly: "I can understand your hesitation and hesitation, but this matter is actually not as complicated as you think."

Liu Yuan remained silent, so Chen Xun took over the conversation and said, "Please enlighten me, sir."

"I don't deserve your advice." Lu Chen waved his hand and said, "You two gentlemen should know that I have never taken the imperial examination. My process of becoming an official is different from that of most people in the court. So even though I am in a high position and have great power now, I don't know enough about many things. Another point is that I have basically not rested in the past few years. I have been busy all the time and have had little time to relax. Take this year for example. At the beginning of the year, I led troops in Jingzhou, and then the late emperor passed away. I returned to the capital to participate in the ceremony. Then the new emperor ascended the throne, and I participated in the appointment and transfer of various officials and generals. One thing after another."

The two nodded thoughtfully.

Lu Chen continued, "As Mr. Liu said just now, there are many talented people in the Wang Clan of Zhailin. I haven't even decided how to arrange for them, so how can I think of anything else? Fortunately, my father helped me find out the shortcomings and invited the two gentlemen to help me plan in advance. How could I not see it?"

If he had given this answer at the beginning, Liu Yuan and Chen Xun would not have been surprised, but he first told them the whole story frankly, and his subsequent appreciation seemed more sincere.

Liu Yuan said slowly, "I see. The Duke is a man of high character and integrity, and I have nothing but respect for him. However, I have not yet entered the officialdom and do not understand the human nature. I am also not very knowledgeable and I am afraid that I am not able to serve you."

"Sir, you are too modest."

Lu Chen's expression was gentle, and he continued, "Mr. Master has gone through many ups and downs in the past forty years, but he has never complained about poverty, nor has he been confused because of loneliness, nor has he fallen into depravity because of hardships. What a strong and extraordinary mindset this is! Looking back to the past, Mr. Master was able to open his mind and wisdom by just standing outside the private school, remembering poems and books at a glance, and understanding the meaning of the classics without a teacher. What an outstanding talent this is?"

Liu Yuan looked at him with a complicated expression.

Lu Chen added: "I am truly a person of little talent and learning, but if you don't mind, I have something to say to you."

Liu Yuan took a deep breath and said seriously, "Please speak, Lord."

Lu Chen said word by word: "If you are poor, you should take care of yourself; if you are rich, you should help the world. I hope you can encourage me as well."

Liu Yuan was silent for a long time, then he stood up, bowed and said, "Thank you for your advice." Lu Chen stood up, supported his arms and said, "Please sit down."

The two men sat down again, and Lu Chen struck while the iron was hot, saying, "Your Majesty ordered me to take over as the governor of Dingzhou. Right now, everything is in a mess and I have no idea what to do. Even the officials of the governor's office have not been decided. If Brother Bingyuan doesn't mind, please temporarily serve as the chief clerk of the governor's office and concurrently as the clerk of the Ministry of Revenue."

Liu Yuan was stunned by this sentence, and even Chen Xun, who had been calm and composed beside him, showed a look of surprise.

They are well-versed in history and naturally know the meaning of these two official titles.

The rank of the chief clerk in the Governor's Office was not high, only the sixth rank, and he was mainly responsible for managing documents and transmitting information up and down, but he was a trusted official that the Grand Governor relied on very much.

If it were placed in Lu Chen's previous life, it would probably be similar to the position of office director.

The Duzhi Lingshi was a seventh-rank official, whose duty was to plan the expenditure of silver and money in the Metropolitan Governor's Office. He was also a low-ranking official with great power.

Judging from the rules of officialdom alone, it is already extremely rare to directly jump from a commoner to the sixth rank, not to mention the trust and respect implied by Lu Chen's move.

Liu Yuan stood up again and said, "My Lord, I...I..."

I hesitated to speak several times.

It can be seen from his slightly trembling tone that Lu Chen's trust makes it difficult for him to control himself.

This time Lu Chen did not stand up. He smiled and said, "Brother Bingyuan, I always like to speak frankly. If you are not competent, whether it is because of your lack of ability or because you are blinded by the sudden power and wealth, I will not forgive you. At the very least, you will be sent back to that small village in Li County to continue to work hard, or at the worst, you will be subject to military law."

Liu Yuan felt much more comfortable, and said sternly: "If I fail to live up to the expectations of the Duke, I will have no regrets even if I die."

"Very good, please take a seat."

Lu Chen raised his hand to signal, then looked at Chen Xun beside him and asked slowly, "De Zun missed the imperial examination due to illness. Why did he not want to take the imperial examination again?"

Chen Xun seemed to have been prepared and replied frankly: "Sir, I didn't get sick back then."

"You may as well elaborate."

"That was my first time traveling far away from home. I had great expectations and only wanted to serve the court. However, after arriving in the capital, I saw the children of the rich and powerful everywhere. The power of the court was controlled by the aristocratic families. Some even advocated the division between the north and the south, as if the people north of the Hengjiang River were not the people of the Great Qi, but just a dam for them to use their flesh and blood to resist the iron cavalry of the Jing army. I was extremely disappointed, so I pretended to be sick and stopped the exam in anger."

"Later, Yao Chong invited you to serve several times but was rejected. Was it because of this reason?"

"Yes, sir."

Lu Chen looked at the face full of noble and scholarly air, and immediately understood.

When Chen Xun went to Beijing to take the imperial examination, the Great Qi had just recovered from the ordeal of the Yuanjia Rebellion. The late emperor was trying every means to stabilize the throne and making all kinds of concessions to the Jiangnan clans. The so-called Northern Expedition was more like a slogan to deceive the people in northern Jiangnan. No wonder he was so disappointed.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen asked again: "Then why are you willing to come over to chat now?"

Chen Xun replied, "Because you were born and raised in Jiangbei, rose to prominence in the border army, defended the enemy outside the country, and even launched a surprise attack on Heluo, which is completely different from those officials in the court. I yearn for you and am willing to be your lackey. Even if Master Lu doesn't send someone to invite me, I would also like to take the initiative to come and serve you."

Lu Chen asked without comment: "If one day, I am forced to abandon the Jiangbei defense line, how will you deal with it then?"

"My Lord won't."

Chen Xun looked calm and said slowly, "Everyone else in the court might do this, except you, the Duke."

Lu Chen asked: "Why?"

Chen Xun was silent for a moment, then faced Lu Chen's scrutinizing gaze and replied, "If you lose Jiangbei's support, you will no longer have a place in the Central Government."

There was silence.

Lu Chen suddenly laughed, and did not continue discussing the issue. He said gently, "Would Dezun be willing to take the position of Zhonglang in the Governor's Office?"

The post of Zhonglang was similar to the post of Jianshi Xiaowei that Lu Chen had held before, both of them were staff members who provided reference opinions to the Grand Commandant, but there was a difference between the two in terms of civil and military positions.

Chen Xun stood up and bowed, and said respectfully but without flattery: "Thank you for your appreciation, sir. I will do my best and will not slack off in the slightest."

Lu Chen looked around at the two of them and said with a smile, "I'll ask the mansion to prepare a banquet, and I'll have a drink with you two gentlemen later to celebrate."

Liu Yuan and Chen Xun looked at each other and said in unison: "Yes, sir."

(End of this chapter)