At the end of the Han Dynasty: a stingy husband from his hometown

Chapter 154 Young and Smart, Lu Jun Resigns

In the Huaihe River, Zhou Jin was waiting in strict battle.

But after waiting for a long time, he still didn't see Zhou Tai surfaced, so he couldn't help being shocked.

"This Zhou Tai looks like he has just reached the crown. I never thought that he would be so watery. He has been lurking in the water for such a long time. It is extraordinary."

Although Zhou Jin was amazed by Zhou Tai's water ability, he was not afraid because he could do it himself.

"Ok?"

Zhou Jin, who was waiting for Zhou Tai to emerge from the water, suddenly felt that the water flow under him was not right, and immediately plunged into the water and disappeared on the spot.

Almost at the same time that Zhou Jin disappeared, Zhou Tai, who had been diving for a long time, surfaced from the position just now, took a few deep breaths, and then showed an excited look on his face.

"Although this guy's mouth is not very clean, he does have some skills. I have been on the Huaihe River for so many years and I have never seen anyone with such good water skills."

As soon as Zhou Tai finished speaking, he felt himself being hugged by the waist, and then a force came from his waist, dragging him directly into the water.

But it was said that the dozen or so soldiers who followed Zhou Jin saw Zhou Jin entering the water, took Zhou Jin's clothes, found two boats, and began to follow Zhou Jin towards the south bank of the Huaihe River.

Even the boatman who was in charge of ferrying the guests was astonished to see Zhou Jin being so watery, and couldn't help but praise him.

The dozen or so men were proud of themselves and held their heads high.

Unexpectedly, before everyone arrived at the south bank, they saw a conflict between Zhou Jin and a person. The two were fighting in the river. They were all shocked and dripping with cold sweat.

They hurriedly asked the boatman: "How many people in Taizhou this week can actually compete with my army in the water?"

The two boatmen hurriedly said: "This man's surname is Zhou Mingtai, and his surname is Youping. He has extraordinary martial arts since he was a child, and his water skills are excellent. In a radius of tens of miles, no one can match Zhou Youping."

"Zhou Youping is brave and bold, and he usually doesn't have a bad reputation. It should be because he saw your military marquis's excellent water quality, so he saw Lie Xinxi. If he wants to compete with him, you don't have to worry about it."

But it is said that Zhou Jin and Zhou Tai are both excellent in water, and the end of fighting in the water is "when you meet an opponent, you will meet a good talent".

If he were on the shore, with Zhou Tai's martial arts skills, he might be able to defeat Zhou Jin in less than twenty rounds.

However, Zhou Jinshui is really good, and he is seven or eight years older than Zhou Tai, and has more experience.

Because water has buoyancy and resistance, fighting in water does not require high personal bravery, but water quality is more important.

The two fought up and down in the river for half an hour. Zhou Jin choked on several saliva when Zhou Tai held her down in the river because of lack of energy.

"We are under the command of General Chariot and Cavalry. We have something important to go to visit the governor of Yangzhou and ask the brave man to show mercy."

More than a dozen sergeants were shocked when they saw Zhou Jin's defeat.

If they were on the shore, they would rush up and rescue Zhou Jin.

However, this is the middle of the river. Not to mention their soldiers, even brave men like Dian Wei and Xu Chu would not dare to compete with Zhou Tai, so they revealed their identity in the hope of saving Zhou Jin.

Although Zhou Tai had the upper hand at this time and had controlled Zhou Jin, he had also consumed a lot of energy and was somewhat out of breath.

He was just happy to see Hunter Xin, and during the fight with Zhou Jinshui, he couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for each other, and he didn't really intend to kill Zhou Jin.

Therefore, when the dozen or so sergeants accompanying him came to plead for mercy, Zhou Tai did not continue to embarrass Zhou Jin, but dragged her out of the water.

"cough."

"Cough cough."

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Zhou Jin coughed a few times, choked out a few sips of water, and then began to take a big breath.

Zhou Tai dragged Zhou Jin's neck to float on the water, and asked, "Are you convinced?"

Zhou Jin hurriedly said: "A certain self-proclaimed water quality, never thought that he met an opponent today, and his skills are not as good as others, how can he not be convinced?"

After Zhou Tai heard this, he said with a slight complacency: "In this Huaihe River, I have never met an opponent. This guy is really good. He can actually fight with me for such a long time."

"I'll let you go, and I'll let you know what happened today, okay?"

Zhou Jin said: "Yes!"

Zhou Tai asked again: "I let you go, do you still have the strength to swim to the shore by yourself?"

Zhou Jin said: "It's just the Huaihe River, why bother? Even if I am exhausted, I can still swim to the other side."

Zhou Tai did not doubt Zhou Jin's words.

He knew the other party's water quality, even though he seemed exhausted now, as long as he slowly regained his strength by backstroke first, it would not be difficult to swim to the other side of the river.

When Zhou Tai heard this, he immediately let go of Zhou Jin and prepared to return to his fishing boat.

Seeing this, Zhou Jin hurriedly asked: "Dare to ask the strong man, can you invite me to board the boat together?"

Zhou Tai narrowed his eyes slightly when he heard the words, and said: "Why, you are still not convinced and want to fight with me on the boat?"

Zhou Jin hurriedly shook his head and said, "That's not the case."

"To tell you the truth, someone is General Cheqi, Yangzhou Mu, and a military marquis under the Marquis of Anfeng County. This time, he is passing through this place because he has official duties."

"The chariot and cavalry general is valued by the court, and he was named Yangzhou Mu. Sooner or later, he will form a navy."

"In my opinion, strong men are very human. Chariot generals are thirsty for talents. If they can be recruited under the command of chariot generals, they will definitely be reused."

Zhou Jin, as Xi Zhicai's relative and Zhou Qi's confidant, naturally knows Zhou Qi's intention to form a navy.

If nothing unexpected happens, Zhou Jin will also hold an important position in the navy.

However, Zhou Qi now has no generals who are proficient in water skills except Zhou Jin. If he wants to make the navy bigger and stronger and create glory, he must recruit talented people.

Zhou Tai has excellent water skills and is superior to Zhou Jin in martial arts. If he can be recruited, he will definitely become a general in the Yangzhou navy in the future.

It was precisely for this reason that Zhou Jin invited him.

When Zhou Tai heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little moved in his heart and said, "Let's get on the boat and talk in detail."

As a man and capable, Zhou Tai is naturally willing to find a master and do a great job.

The name of General Zhou Qi, even Zhou Tai, who lives far away in Xiacai, is well known.

Therefore, after hearing Zhou Jin's invitation, Zhou Tai's mind became very active, and he wanted to take a good look at it.

Above the water.

Three fast boats went up the river, starting from Xiacai, and galloping towards Shouchun.

Xiacai happens to be the confluence of Huaihe River and Feishui, and Feishui happens to pass through Shouchun. A waterway directly runs through the two places.

With Zhou Tai, a local, as a guide, Zhou Jin and the others arrived in Shouchun within a short time by boat.

Governor's House.

When Bian Rang and Gu Yong learned that Chen Wen had been dismissed from the position of governor by the imperial court and that the chariot and cavalry general Zhou Qi had been appointed as the shepherd of Yangzhou, they had different expressions.

Although Gu Yong is young, he is already very smart. At this time, there is a complicated look in his eyes.

Zhou Qi serves as the shepherd of Yangzhou. For the Gu family, it is unpredictable whether he will be good or bad.

In terms of talent, Zhou Qi is naturally far better than Chen Wen. In this troubled world, he may be able to save Yangzhou from the suffering of war.

If the Gu family could live in a relatively stable environment, it would not be a bad thing for the Gu family.

However, everything has advantages and disadvantages.

It is precisely because of Chen Wen's mediocre talents that the major families will not be easily manipulated. Chen Wen, the governor of Yangzhou, depends on the faces of the major families.

On the other hand, Zhou Qi, who was born in the military, has a heavy hand and is decisive in killing, must not be willing to be constrained by the major families.

It's good that the major families are willing to compromise.

If not, a huge storm will inevitably break out in Yangzhou.

Compared with Chen Wen and Gu Yong's anxious and complicated psychology, Bian Yi was a little indifferent.

He was a well-known figure in the country, good at scholarship but not good at politics. He didn't think he was qualified for the position of Jiujiang Governor.

That's why.

After Bian Rang was named the prefect of Jiujiang, he appointed Lu Jun and Lu Jicai as the captain of Jiujiang County to assist Bian Rang in managing Jiujiang affairs.

Lu Jun was a famous scholar in Wu County and a member of the Lu clan, one of the four major families in Wu County. His father also served as the prefect of Lujiang in Lujiang.

Now there are two high-ranking officials of two thousand shi in one family, one in power and the other in charge of the army, which can be described as extremely prominent.

With Lu Jun serving as the captain of Jiujiang County, Bian Rang didn't worry about any troubles in Jiujiang at all, so he could be an official here with peace of mind.

He himself is not greedy for power, whether Chen Wen is the governor of Yangzhou or Zhou Qi is the shepherd of Yangzhou, Bian Rang doesn't care.

If nothing else works, Bian Rang can still resign and return home.

Guessing that with Bian Rang's reputation, Zhou Qi would never dare to embarrass him.

Chen Wen's face was ugly at this time, and he said to Bian Rang, "Wen Li thinks, how should I deal with it?"

While letting his eyes move slightly, he said: "This matter is all decided by the envoy with a single word, so it is inconvenient for me to say more."

When Chen Wen heard this, his expression became even uglier.

He thought that if he gave in so kindly, the other party would at least stand on his side.

I never thought that Bian Yi would have such an attitude.

He set his sights on Gu Yong again, and asked, "I don't know what County Magistrate Gu thinks, how should I deal with it?"

Even though Gu Yong was just a county magistrate of Hefei, he was also from the Gu family in Wu County. The Gu family's attitude was very important, so Chen Wen would test it out.

Gu Yong lowered his head and said, "I'm just a county magistrate, how dare I discuss this matter arbitrarily."

I never thought that although Gu Yong was young, he was also cunning and cunning, and he was reluctant to say much when he saw the side, so he didn't make a clear statement.

Seeing the disappointment on Chen Wen's face, Gu Yong suddenly said: "I heard that Lu Jicai served as the county captain in Jiujiang. The Lu family is the largest family in Wu County and has extraordinary influence."

"Since Shijun is doubtful, why don't you invite Captain Lu to discuss it?"

As one of the four major families in Wu County, Gu Yong also wanted to see what Lu Jun, who was born in the Lu family, thought about Zhou Qi's appointment as the shepherd of Yangzhou.

Chen Wen was slightly moved when he heard this, and hurriedly sent someone to invite Lu Jun to come to discuss the matter.

Lu House.

"Cough cough cough."

Lu Jun, captain of Jiujiang County, clutched his chest, coughed violently, his face flushed red.

His health was not very good. After the winter, he suffered from a little cold, and he coughed continuously, and the medicine and stone were ineffective.

"Father, have some hot soup."

Next to the bed, Lu Jun's seven-year-old son Lu Yi hurriedly brought a bowl of hot soup with a concerned look on his face.

"My son is so sensible!"

Lu Jun drank some hot soup, sweated a little, and felt much better. He couldn't help but touch Lu Yi's little head and said.

Although Lu Jun was born in the Lu family of Wu County, he was not proud of his origin and achievements. Instead, he was sincerely proud of his son who was extremely intelligent at a young age.

Although Lu Yi is only seven years old, he has shown extraordinary talents early on. If he is carefully cultivated, he will definitely become the leader of the Lu family in the future.

"Captain, the governor is here to invite you."

Lu Jun was about to get up and take a walk when he suddenly heard the servant's voice and couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Do you know why the governor is looking for me?"

Lu Jun's attitude towards Chen Wen, the governor of Yangzhou, was very complicated.

Emotionally speaking, Lu Jun should be grateful to Chen Wen and Bian Rang. Without their recommendation, he would not have been able to hold the official position of Captain of Jiujiang County.

Because before this, Jiujiang County did not have the position of county captain.

This is why, when Zhou Qi said that he wanted to present Chen Wen as the capital of Jiujiang County, Chen Wenhui couldn't believe it.

Because Chen Wenshang didn't know that Jiujiang County also had a county captain.

But Lu Jun also has his own ideas.

In his opinion, although Chen Wen, governor of Yangzhou, and Bian Rang, prefect of Jiujiang, were well-known among scholars, they were not suitable for their current official positions.

Their strengths lie in scholarship, not in politics.

It was precisely because the two of them could not suppress the situation that they named Lu Jun, a descendant of the Lu family, as the county captain, and they named Gu Yong, a descendant of the Gu family, as the county magistrate of Hefei.

Although their move was beneficial to the wealthy families in Yangzhou, it also had great hidden dangers.

Chen Wen, the governor of Yangzhou, could not control the situation in Yangzhou at all. The world was peaceful and peaceful. Once the world was in chaos, I am afraid that separatist regimes would form in various parts of Yangzhou.

If there is no strong and skilled person to integrate Yangzhou, Yangzhou will be affected by the flames of war sooner or later.

Lu Jun became famous at a young age, was knowledgeable and arrogant, and did not think highly of Chen Wen and Bian Rang.

When the servant heard this, he immediately said: "The imperial court has appointed Zhou Qi, the general of chariots and cavalry, as the shepherd of Yangzhou. He will come to Yangzhou to take up his post soon. It is for this reason that the governor summoned the captain to discuss matters."

Lu Jun couldn't help but frown slightly when he heard this.

He turned to look at his seven-year-old son Lu Yi and asked, "Yier, what do you think about this matter?"

Lu Jun knew that his son was extremely intelligent, so he always asked Lu Yi for his opinion no matter what happened.

He did this not because he lacked judgment, but because he wanted to cultivate his son's judgment on things from an early age.

Xiao Lu Yi pondered for a long time and said: "I have heard that the Chariot General Zhou Qi is loyal, filial, courageous, wise and trustworthy, and he is also very good at leading troops. If chaos breaks out in the world, the Chariot General is obviously more suitable to rule Yangzhou than Chen Governor."

"However, the governor is kind to my father, and I am afraid that I called my father to discuss the matter this time to discuss countermeasures."

"Judging from the current situation, the Zhou chariots have a large number of troops and there are imperial edicts, so Governor Chen is simply unable to compete with them."

"If my father supports Governor Chen, he will definitely offend Zhou Chaiqi. With Zhou Chaiqi's methods, I am afraid that it will harm the Lu family in the future, and the gain will not be worth the loss."

"If my father does not support Governor Chen, people will criticize him, saying that his father does not know how to repay his kindness, which will damage his father's reputation."

A smile appeared on Lu Jun's face when he heard the words, and then he continued to ask: "Then, in your opinion, what should you do as a father?"

Lu Yi pondered for a long time, and then said: "My father happens to be unwell. Everyone knows about this, so why don't we use this as an excuse to shirk it."

"In this way, you will not be involved in the dispute between Zhou Cheqi and Chen Governor, and you can protect yourself."

Hearing this, Lu Jun smiled even wider. He stroked Lu Yi's head affectionately, and finally said, "If that's all, it's not enough."

Lu Yi frowned, and asked, "Is it because the child is not thinking well?"

Lu Jun put his hands behind his back and said: "No matter what, Ambassador Chen has been kind to me. Even if I excuse myself by saying that I am seriously ill and do not show my support for you, I will still be criticized."

Hearing this, Lu Yi asked, "What can I do?"

Lu Jun smiled and said, "It's easy."

"Since it was Chen Shijun who proclaimed me to be the captain of Jiujiang County, I resigned as the captain of Jiujiang County on the grounds of illness. Without my official position, it is naturally inconvenient to participate in the battle between Zhou Cheqi and Chen Inspector."

Hearing this, Lu Yi lost his voice and said: "The captain of the county is a military officer with two thousand stones, enough to make the whole family rise up, how can father resign from the post of captain so easily?"

Lu Jun looked at Lu Yi and said seriously: "My son, you should remember that in everything, there are gains and losses."

"If I continue to serve as the captain of Jiujiang County, even if I don't express my support for Governor Chen, because I am the person promoted by the envoy, I will be jealous of Zhou Cheqi in the future."

"Besides, Zhou Cheqi has just arrived in Yangzhou, and there are a large number of talents under his command. Such an important position as the captain of Jiujiang County will definitely be handed over to his confidants."

"If you don't retire as soon as possible as a father, this is a recipe for disaster."

Hearing this, Lu Yi couldn't help but suddenly realized, and said: "Father is still thoughtful."

Lu Jun smiled and said, "You are already able to have such insight at such a young age, it is already very good, there is no need to belittle yourself."

"Our Lu family of Wu County, besides our father, the captain of Jiujiang County, also has an uncle who serves as the prefect of Lujiang. Even if he abandons his position for his father, the Lu family will not decline because of this."

"Besides, for my father, before Zhou Cheqi arrived in Yangzhou, he voluntarily stepped down as the captain of Jiujiang County. Zhou Cheqi must understand his father's intentions."

"If Zhou Cheqi is willing to use local scholars in Yangzhou, he will use him as his father."

"At that time, being a father was not the former minister of Chen Shishi, but the person supported by Zhou Cheqi, and he was supported by Zhou Cheqi."

"With this relationship, Zhou Cheqi will rest assured that he can reuse him as his father."

When Lu Yi heard this, he suddenly realized.

For the same important position in Yangzhou, the meaning is completely different whether he was promoted by the previous governor of Yangzhou or by Zhou Qi, the new pastor of Yangzhou.

As the saying goes: one emperor and one courtier.

If Lu Jun is labeled as Chen Wen, even if Chen Wen leaves in the end, he will definitely be jealous of Zhou Qi.

in contrast.

If Lu Jun was born in vain and Zhou Qi promoted him and entrusted him with important tasks, then both Lu Jun and the Lu family would have to inherit Zhou Qi's affection.

With this kindness, the Lu family has an excuse to be loyal to Zhou Qi, and Zhou Qi is not worried that Lu Jun will rebel at will.

Otherwise, Lu Jun's reputation will be ruined.

At that time, no matter how Zhou Qi dealt with Lu, Lu had nothing to say.

Seeing his son's suddenly enlightened expression, Lu Jun smiled even wider, and then took out his seal ribbon and handed it over to his servants.

"You help me return the seal and ribbon to the governor, and say that I am seriously ill and have no time to manage politics, and I have a heavy trust from the envoy. Now hand over the seal and ribbon, and ask the envoy to choose another talented person to take on this task."

After speaking, Lu Jun couldn't help coughing violently a few times.

(End of this chapter)