Jiuxi

Chapter 633 [Under the Sky]

After the rain, the lotus leaves and water chestnuts are fragrant, and cicadas are chirping among the willows on the shore.

It was midsummer and the dryness was overwhelming. The city of Yongjia was sweltering with heat waves, and the area around Jianhu Lake southwest of the city became a summer resort for dignitaries.

Although the emperor ruled the world, he could only live in the palace. At most, he could stay by the Tamamo Pond to cool off in the coolness.

Li Zongben sat in the pavilion, watching the ripples on the water, and said to the officials around him, "Xu Qing, please sit down."

This official, who was in his forties, was named Xu Zuo. He had a calm demeanor and a strong character.

As early as the previous emperor's dynasty, he was already the Left Censor-in-Chief. Although his rank was not high, he held great power and was highly trusted by the previous emperor.

During the five years he served as the Left Censor-in-Chief, the officials he impeached ranged from the Left Prime Minister Li Daoyan to minor officials of the sixth or seventh rank, and the scope of his impeachment was so wide that it almost covered the entire court.

With his upright and honest style, as well as his extremely sharp memorials, Xu Zuo once became the most feared censor in the court.

Not only did he have the merit of supervising the government, he later traveled to Heluo to negotiate with the Jing Kingdom, and lived up to expectations and completed his mission perfectly. He also supervised Li Jingda in Dingzhou, and also lived up to the expectations of the late emperor.

After the previous emperor passed away, the former Imperial Censor Chu Huaizhong resigned from his post, and Xu Zuo naturally took charge of Lanting, and his position in the court became increasingly transcendent.

Such a high-ranking and powerful minister, facing the favor of the young emperor, still said calmly: "Your Majesty, I will stand."

Li Zongben knew his temperament very well, so he did not force him. He changed the subject and said, "The Duke of Shanyang will be getting married on the sixth day of next month, which is only more than 20 days away. I am planning to send someone to the north with rewards, but I have not yet decided how to reward them. Does Mr. Xu have any suggestions?"

Xu Zuo said expressionlessly: "Your Majesty, the court has its own rules for rewards, so just follow the old rules."

Li Zongben said slightly embarrassedly: "That's the truth, but Lu Chen is a little different."

Xu Zuo asked in confusion: "May I ask your Majesty, what is the difference between the Duke of Shanyang County?"

Li Zongben sighed softly and said slowly: "Xu Qing, Lu Chen is the pillar of the country. We will rely on him for all border defense matters in the future. Of course, I want to reward him heavily, but I am afraid that too much reward will attract criticism from the court and the public. It is really difficult to grasp the right measure."

These words were spoken from the heart, and Xu Zuo understood them.

He looked at the embarrassment on the emperor's face, thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, the Duke of Shanyang is a young nobleman, and it is not appropriate for him to advance any further, whether in terms of title, official rank, position, or honor. If Your Majesty insists on giving him a generous reward, you might as well add some gold and silver toys to the reward, so that the people of Jiangbei can understand the importance of your grace and have an explanation in public."

Li Zongben praised: "Xu Qing's words make sense, so let's do it. By the way, I heard that many mansions in the capital are preparing gift lists, which will be sent to Huaizhou Guangling Mansion at the end of the month. I wonder if Xu Qing has any plans in this regard?"

Xu Zuo said frankly: "Your Majesty, my family has always been poor and I cannot afford a decent gift. Moreover, as the Imperial Censor, I should set an example and stay away from these social gatherings, so I do not intend to join in the fun."

Li Zongben did not comment too much on this, because he knew that Xu Zuo's heart was as clear as a mirror, and some things were better kept hidden than spoken, otherwise it would only make the other party suspicious.

After appreciating the scenery in the palace for a while, he asked again: "What does Mr. Xu think of the future situation in Dingzhou?"

This is a bit straightforward.

Xu Zuo was summoned to the palace today. When he arrived at the Tamamozu Pond, he felt a little strange. The emperor chose this place on purpose to show his closeness.

Then there was another round of rambling chat, as if there was no serious business in summoning this Imperial Censor into the palace. Until this moment, Xu Zuo finally figured out the emperor's thoughts.

First he hinted at it through Lu Chen's wedding, and then he turned the topic to Dingzhou. The deep meaning behind the emperor's actions was self-evident.

Xu Zuo had been an imperial censor for more than ten years. In the eyes of outsiders, he was a smelly and hard stone in the toilet, but he was by no means as simple as some people imagined. At least he saw through the intrigues in the court very clearly, but he just didn't want to associate with those people.

"Dingzhou..."

Xu Zuo looked at the young emperor and said bluntly, "Your Majesty is worried that Lord Chen can't compete with the Duke of Shanyang?"

The current governor of Dingzhou, Chen Chun, is a veteran official in the court. He is very skilled in handling government affairs, but he is a bit slick. In simple terms, he lacks principles.

Li Zongben was silent for a while, then nodded and said, "I do have concerns about this. After the great victory at Yongqiu, the situation in Jiangbei has gradually become clearer, and Dingzhou will inevitably become the focus of contention between Qi and Jing in the future. Lu Chen started out as a frontier soldier, and he already has a very high prestige in Jiangbei. If officials at all levels in Jiangbei only follow his lead, it will not be appropriate after all."

Xu Zuo's expression remained unchanged. He lowered his head slightly and said, "I wonder what your majesty wants me to do?"

His statement was too straightforward, so Li Zongben didn't have to use a lot of preparations, but this was not a bad thing. So he looked at Xu Zuo and said with a sharp gaze: "I want you to go to Dingzhou to replace Chen Chun and guard the northernmost territory for Da Qi."

Xu Zuo did not respond immediately, but said calmly: "I have a question in my mind, please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

"But it doesn't matter."

"Your Majesty asked me to go to Dingzhou. Did the Duke of Shanyang do something wrong?"

Li Zongben met his gaze and said calmly, "I just want to prevent trouble before it happens. Xu Qing is well versed in historical records and should know that there are countless examples of this in history books. If a minister holds too much power, even if he has an open mind, the environment around him will push him to keep moving forward."

Xu Zuo looked at him quietly, then bowed and said, "The late emperor ordered me to assist Your Majesty, and I dare not be careless. Since Your Majesty is worried about this, how can I stay out of it? I am willing to take the post of Governor of Dingzhou, please rest assured." Li Zongben was deeply moved, and stood up and said, "Xu Qing's loyalty is well known to me. After Lu Chen gets married and goes north, I will have someone present this proposal in the court, and Xu Qing can also use this time to arrange the government affairs of the Censorate."

"The minister obeys the order."

Xu Zuo bowed and left immediately.

Walking in the magnificent imperial palace, Xu Zuo looked straight ahead, only at the eunuch leading the way in front of him.

The emperor's considerations were reasonable, especially the one about taking precautions before they occur, which left this upright civil servant no reason to refuse.

He has been in the Censorate for a long time and is well aware of the extent to which power without restraint can expand. Considering Lu Chen's age, this is especially important to note.

If the Governor of Dingzhou becomes a puppet of the Grand Commander of Dingzhou, Lu Chen will inevitably concentrate both military and political power in his hands in the long run. This is a situation that no knowledgeable person in the court wants to see, let alone Xu Zuo who is loyal to the Great Qi.

But he couldn't help but think of the past.

He and Lu Chen had never had any private contact, but he witnessed with his own eyes the young man's unprecedented achievements. Even though Heluo City was only briefly returned to the rule of Da Qi for a short period of time, many court officials including Xu Zuo were still excited and excited about it.

He had also tried to test Lu Chen on behalf of the late emperor, and in his opinion, the other party had absolutely no intention of being disloyal.

only……

"I hope you won't change."

Xu Zuo muttered to himself, his brows slightly frowned subconsciously.

Several people were walking towards them, led by a palace eunuch, followed by an official in his forties.

Xu Zuo recognized the other party's official uniform at a glance. He was a third-rank official in the Weaving Bureau.

The name "Su Yunqing" appeared in his mind. When he got closer, the two people nodded in greeting and then passed each other.

Su Yunqing naturally knew this Imperial Censor. He thoughtfully wrote down the name Xu Zuo, and then continued walking until he reached the edge of Yumozuo Pond.

Li Zongben was still sitting in the same place. When he heard Su Yunqing's greeting, he said calmly, "No need to bow. Stand up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Su Yunqing stood up and stood solemnly beside him.

Li Zongben looked at the clear water in the pond and said slowly, "Do you think Jiangbei Prosecutor Yang Jingxuan is competent for his job?"

This question came out of the blue, without any preparation, but Su Yunqing seemed to have been prepared for it, and answered: "Your Majesty, although Yang Jianxiao is young and is the nephew of Qin Tiju, he is not able to achieve what he has today by relying on nepotism. Whether it was analyzing intelligence and researching countermeasures in the general office, or going to Jiangbei to personally take risks to help the border troops, Yang Jianxiao's contributions are all well documented and unquestionable. In my opinion, such talents should stay in the right position, so that they can serve the court wholeheartedly."

Li Zongben was silent for a moment, then said meaningfully: "Among the three advisors, you are the only one who spoke for him, and the only one who told me the truth about the internal situation of the Textile Bureau."

Su Yunqing said: "Your Majesty has asked, I should tell the truth, how can I speak nonsense just because of my personal likes and dislikes?"

"Personal likes and dislikes? Not necessarily."

Li Zongben shook his head slightly and said, "They just saw that Qin Zheng was temporarily unemployed at home and thought that I no longer trusted him, so they tried to figure out my thoughts. How could they speak for Yang Jingxuan?"

Su Yunqing remained silent.

Li Zongben turned his head and looked at him, and asked calmly: "Do you think I should dismiss Qin Zheng?"

Su Yunqing bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, the assassination of the emperor was indeed due to the negligence of the Textile Bureau, but there are many ways to punish. Qin Tiju is devoted to the country and has never wavered in his determination after more than ten years of trials. I have been in Huaizhou for many years and have not had much contact with Qin Tiju, but I have always admired him. Your Majesty asked, I dare not not answer, for the sake of the overall situation of the court, I beg Your Majesty to forgive Qin Tiju once. If someone else is in charge of the Textile Bureau, he will definitely not have the ability of Qin Tiju."

"ability……"

Li Zongben narrowed his eyes slightly and asked expressionlessly, "Who do you think is better, you or Qin Zheng, in terms of ability?"

Su Yunqing said calmly: "I am far inferior to Qin Tiju."

Li Zongben smiled faintly and said calmly, "In my opinion, you just lack a suitable opportunity. Otherwise, you may not be able to realize your ambitions."

Su Yunqing was startled, then he bowed and said, "I thank your majesty for your praise. I will do my best in the future and live up to your majesty's expectations!"

Li Zongben could hear the suppressed eagerness in his tone and could not help but said approvingly, "Very good, you can help me do something first."

Su Yunqing did not ask for details and said respectfully: "I accept your order!"

(End of this chapter)