Jiuxi

Chapter 978 Chapter 976 [The Wheel of History]

Just as Lu Chen said, the family dinner in the evening was unremarkable. The four cold dishes and eight hot dishes were all very common ingredients, and the wine was pine wine produced locally in Dingzhou.

Because Lin Xi and Lu Jiusi were present, Lu Chen and Xu Zuo no longer discussed those heavy topics, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious and relaxed.

After both the host and the guests had a great time, Xu Zuo took Jiang Hui back to the house where they were staying.

The servant arranged by Lu Chen served fragrant tea and then left obediently, leaving a private environment for this special master and disciple pair.

In the soft candlelight, Jiang Hui said, "Teacher, you don't seem happy?"

Xu Zuo picked up the teacup and took a sip, then said calmly, "I'm just worried that I won't be able to complete the important task entrusted by the Queen Mother."

Jiang Hui seemed a little puzzled.

During the day, Lu Chen had already agreed to the two requests put forward by Xu Zuo, and this should be the issue that Empress Dowager Ning cares about most.

Xu Zuo looked at him calmly and explained, "Whether it's the Jiangnan camp or the Heluo defense, these are the procedures that should be followed. If it was just to resolve these two matters, the Queen Mother wouldn't have to let me go. This time, I'm ordered to go north. What I need to figure out is not whether Lu Chen will rebel, but how the power structure of the court will be adjusted after the capital is moved."

Although Jiang Hui was intelligent, it was still difficult for him to understand the conflicts at the highest level of the court. However, he could sense the ruthlessness implied in his master's last words.

"From today's contact, it can be seen that the Prince of Huai'an has already drawn a bottom line, that is, he will never give up the military power. If the court makes any move on this matter, he will roar like a tiger in the mountains and all the beasts will scare away. On this basis, other issues can be discussed, and we can make concessions and work together."

Xu Zuo leaned back in his chair and said a little tiredly: "But this is difficult for the court to accept. Before leaving Beijing this time, the Queen Mother summoned Xue Xiang and me and clearly proposed to appropriately split the military power. As the greatest meritorious official, it is natural for the Prince of Huai'an to be in charge of the military affairs of Daqi. No one will question this matter, but meritorious officials like Liu Shouguang, Zhang Xu and Chen Lanyu cannot be deprived of their right to command troops."

Jiang Hui felt a little puzzled. As far as he knew, Queen Mother Ning just wanted to find out Lu Chen's next plan and did not directly ask Lu Chen to hand over part of his military power.

Facing his teacher's deep gaze, the young editor of the Hanlin Academy was suddenly startled.

where is this place?
I'm afraid that what they just said will reach the ears of the prince in a moment.

Jiang Hui's mind raced, and he soon understood his master's intention, so he said, "Master, will this arouse the wrath of the Prince of Huai'an? A wrathful emperor can kill millions of people. Although the Prince of Huai'an is not the emperor, he now has more than 200,000 soldiers under his command. I'm afraid the court cannot force him to give in."

Xu Zuo looked at him approvingly and said slowly, "I told you before that the Prince of Huai'an cares about the people. He would not want to see the Great Qi Dynasty fall apart and suffer. Even if he can really put aside all his concerns, raising the banner of rebellion is still the worst option."

Jiang Hui said: "My disciple is dull, please teach me, Master."

Xu Zuo pondered for a moment and said patiently, "First, although the foundation of the Prince of Huai'an's career is military merit, his rise from obscurity was inseparable from the appreciation of Emperor Gaozong, and his later achievements were also inseparable from the full support of the Queen Mother and the court. Throughout history, it has never been seen before that a person could go from being a commoner to holding the military power of a country in just eight years. This is not only the result of the Prince of Huai'an's own efforts, but also the trust of the royal family and the court in him."

Jiang Hui nodded and said, "If the Prince of Huai'an rebels just to get a share of military power, it would be considered disloyal in the eyes of the world."

"That's right. With his military attainments, he must understand the significance of the four words 'just cause'."

Xu Zuo continued, "Secondly, for many soldiers, those living in Jiangnan are not their enemies, but their parents, children, brothers and sisters. Even if some people are bewitched by power and wealth, I still believe that most soldiers will not attack their relatives. If the Prince of Huai'an forcibly poisoned Jiangnan and committed murder without a righteous cause, do you think he can still maintain his current prestige? Can he still win the respect of so many people?"

Jiang Hui said decisively: "Of course not, this is an inhumane act."

"The last point is also the reason why I think the Prince of Huai'an will not act rashly. His power in the court is too weak. One can gain the world but cannot rule it. This is a truth that has been proven throughout the ages. Even if the Prince of Huai'an is a genius, he cannot govern such a vast territory by himself. He needs countless officials to serve him."

When Xu Zuo said this, a strange idea suddenly came to his mind. He shook his head and suppressed it in his heart, and said slowly: "If he acts recklessly and is disloyal and unkind, there will be endless troubles. Even if he can sit on that chair, can his descendants defend this country? With the prestige of the Prince of Huai'an in the army, he can indeed suppress everyone when he is alive, but what about in the future? There is a saying that those who start to make clay figures will have no descendants, which is the truth."

Jiang Hui's mind was as clear as a mirror. He knew that what his master said was actually meant for the prince.

He said seriously: "Teacher, the Prince of Huai'an has made outstanding contributions. The court can't just force him to give in."

"This is the significance of my personal trip to the north, hoping to find a solution acceptable to both sides."

At this moment, Xu Zuo didn't know whether to tell the ears outside the window or mutter to himself, and said with a sigh: "No one is willing to give in. In the end, it all depends on what you choose."

……

In the adjacent house, which looked ordinary in appearance but was actually heavily guarded, Lu Chen stood in the atrium corridor, looked up at the crescent moon in the sky, and listened quietly to Nan Yi's report.

Now the Lu family secret guards are divided into two parts, north and south. The three leaders in the north each have their own responsibilities. Yin Shangfu is in charge of the Heluo area, Qi Lianfu is in charge of the rest of the prefectures, and Nan Yi is in charge of the overall situation, following Lu Chen and waiting for orders.

"Your Highness, this is the entire conversation between Prime Minister Xu and Jiang Xiuzhuan."

Nan Yi paused for a moment, then said cautiously, "I think Prime Minister Xu did this on purpose, otherwise he wouldn't have spoken rashly given his caution." "Got it, you go down, and be careful not to let anyone disturb Prime Minister Xu."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After Nan Yi left, Lu Chen stood alone for a while before turning around and returning to the backyard.

"Busy working?"

Lin Xi, who had just coaxed Lu Jiusi to sleep, came forward.

Lu Chen smiled at her and said, "Yes."

"Take a break?"

"it is good."

The couple washed up and went to bed.

The candlelight in the room was dim. Lin Xi nestled in Lu Chen's arms very naturally, adjusting herself to the most comfortable position.

Holding his wife's graceful body, Lu Chen had no sleepiness at all and stared blankly at the top of his head.

"It seems that the Right Prime Minister has caused you a lot of trouble."

As one of the top five masters in the world today, Lin Xi can judge whether her husband is awake just by his breathing. She also knows that her husband is in a very delicate and critical moment. If he takes a step forward, he will be filled with worries, but if he takes a step back, he will fall into an abyss.

"I can't say I'm troubled, I just feel..."

Lu Chen hesitated to speak, and simply asked: "Senior sister, who do you think is better, Xu Zuo or Prime Minister Li?"

"I think it's Old Prime Minister Li. He stands higher and sees farther. He can control the overall situation in the court. After leaving office, he can let go of his obsession and won't force you to give in. Although Xu Zuo has helped you, he doesn't quite understand the situation. Even now, he's still trying to trap you with those illusory righteousness."

Lin Xi is very direct and doesn't hide anything.

Lu Chen did not comment and continued to ask: "If you were in Xu Zuo's position, what would you do?"

"Of course I will—"

The voice stopped abruptly, and Lin Xi suddenly realized a problem. As the right prime minister and the leader of the upright officials, Xu Zuo, when the royal family and the court had done nothing wrong and were in a weak position, if he chose to stand on Lu Chen's side, regardless of how much scholars would despise him, Xu Zuo would probably find it difficult to get over the hurdle in his heart.

Lu Chen briefly recounted the conversation between the master and the apprentice not long ago, and then said: "Old Prime Minister Li is undoubtedly one of the smartest people in the world. I have received many valuable teachings from him over the years and have always respected him. But if you force Xu Zuo to compare him with him, it is actually very unfair, because Old Prime Minister Li has almost perfectly completed his mission, even if there is a flood in the future, it will not affect him in the slightest. Xu Zuo is different. His choice will determine the fate of this dynasty with a history of 180 years."

"I admit that he is a rare good official. With him and Xue Nanting in charge of the central government for more than a year, the pressure on your shoulders has been reduced a lot."

Lin Xi sighed softly, then said seriously: "But you can't give in just because you are concerned about his difficulties. Once you start to give in, the people around you will become hesitant, and the court will become even more aggressive."

"Of course I won't retreat. This concerns the lives of too many people."

Lu Chen gently stroked her shoulder, signaling her not to worry, and then said: "It's just that Xu Zuo is right. My influence in the court is too weak. Unless I can get the support of Xue Nanting or Xu Zuo, it will sooner or later end up in bloodshed."

Lin Xi said: "I'm afraid this is difficult."

Although she was not familiar with the inside story of the court, she knew the personalities of Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo. To be honest, it would be more difficult to make these two abandon the principles of monarch and subject that they had adhered to for decades than to kill them.

"It's only because they underestimate me and don't understand why I am so determined to hold on to power. After all, only if I hold on to power can I hope to realize my ambitions step by step. Even if the world doesn't change in the future, at least I can make people's lives better."

Lu Chen confided his ideals to the person beside him for the first time, and then whispered: "I can feel that Xu Zuo is actually very conflicted, otherwise he would not have made that request. I just hope that what he sees and hears next will make him understand what I am doing, and maybe he will understand my determination."

Lin Xi hugged him and said, "I definitely will."

Lu Chen smiled slightly, his expression extremely determined.

(End of this chapter)