Jiuxi

Chapter 658: 656 [God’s Will is Always Difficult to Question]

Lu Chen served tea to see the guest off, but Xu Zuo remained unmoved.

Xu Zuo was not a rookie who had just entered the officialdom. He would not do things just based on enthusiasm. Even during the years when he served as Chief Censor, he was not a vicious dog that would bite anyone he saw.

Every time he impeached someone, he did not have solid evidence, but at least had a certain basis, and it was definitely not hearsay in the literal sense. Otherwise, how could those powerful people who hated him so much allow him to continue to stand in the court.

As for today's debate, he also occupies the position of righteousness.

The Seven Star Gang are not ordinary people. Over the past two or three decades, they have formed a very stable internal structure. Coupled with their long experience of becoming bandits and gathering in the mountains, they will inevitably be a hidden danger in the long run. Dispersed resettlement is the safest arrangement.

This is the position that Xu Zuo must adhere to as the governor of Dingzhou, and he cannot turn a blind eye to it.

Of course, the reason why Xu Zuo brought up this argument when they first met was that he wanted to try to persuade Lu Chen and try not to damage the harmony between the two sides. After all, the two of them will need to work closely together in the future to jointly deal with the threat from the powerful enemy in the north.

On the other hand, when Xu Zuo left the capital, he was thinking about a question: what exactly happened between Lu Chen and the emperor? Did some of Lu Chen's actions cross the boundaries of a minister, or was the young emperor too suspicious?

Looking at Lu Chen's calm but somewhat indifferent expression, Xu Zuo said slowly: "My Lord, I have no ill intentions. I just think that the tens of thousands of members of the Seven Stars Gang should be properly resettled for the long term. As long as you agree, I will guarantee that everyone will be allocated enough land, the government will help them build houses, and give these people a certain degree of autonomy. You can send someone to monitor the whole process. If I do something wrong, I am willing to let you deal with it."

As a governor and the chief official of a state, Xu Zuo's statement was very sincere. He always valued his good reputation and would not bow down to the powerful.

Not to mention that his last sentence meant that Lu Chen could directly intervene in the government affairs of the Governor's Office, which was a huge concession.

Huang Gongfu, who was sitting below, couldn't help but sigh secretly.

In fact, Xu Zuo is not without means to intensify the conflict. He only needs to write the whole matter in a secret memorial and send it to the capital. Not to mention causing an uproar, it will at least put Lu Chen in a rather embarrassing situation.

Now it seems that the governor's visit today is ostensibly to fight for power, but in fact he has other intentions.

Lu Chen raised his eyes and looked at Xu Zuo, gradually tasting some interesting implications.

The middle-aged man in front of him was undoubtedly a loyal person to the emperor, but he was not the stubborn and lonely minister that Lu Chen imagined. On the contrary, he took the initiative to lower his posture, which was enough to prove that he knew how to stop in time.

It's just that people like this are more difficult to deal with.

If Xu Zuo insists on being tough to the end, Lu Chen will naturally not be afraid. This is the frontier, not the capital. After all, the governor cannot compare to the powerful county lord who holds a large number of troops.

However, Xu Zuo was the first to bow his head, and coupled with the upright character he had demonstrated in the past, this was undoubtedly something worth pondering.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen asked meaningfully: "Master Xu, what kind of answer do you want from me?"

Xu Zuo's heart was slightly moved, and he said calmly: "I have no other request, I just hope that the country will be peaceful and the people will be safe."

"The country is peaceful and the people are prosperous... What a peaceful and prosperous country."

Lu Chen repeated these words and asked, "Does Lord Xu support the Northern Expedition?"

Xu Zuo said without hesitation: "Absolutely support."

"That's strange."

Lu Chen seemed puzzled, and said in a cold voice: "In the past ten years or so, Lord Xu has always firmly supported the late emperor in supporting the Northern Expedition, and has fought endlessly with various forces in the court for this. Now that you have been transferred to the post of governor of Dingzhou, you have tried every means to obstruct my preferential treatment of the families of the border troops. Could it be that your previous behavior was just a disguise in front of the late emperor?"

Xu Zuo's face darkened slightly. He had to admit that Lu Chen's words touched the part of his heart that he cared about most.

Lu Chen continued, "You also said that you only wish for peace and prosperity for the country and the people. Then I would like to ask Lord Xu, if the border troops are not stable, the borders will be in turmoil. If a powerful enemy marches south, no one will stand up to resist. If Dingzhou is lost, Huaizhou will be in turmoil. Jiangnan will be flat and undefended, and the enemy can march directly to the city of Yongjia. When that happens, the country will be overturned and the people will be lost. How can the country be safe and peaceful, and how can the people live and work in peace and contentment?"

After a series of questions were asked and a series of accusations were leveled at him, Xu Zuo finally couldn't resist.

His starting point was actually not wrong, but Lu Chen was considering more realistic issues.

Even Xu Zuo would not jump to conclusion as to whether the Seven Stars Gang would become a hidden danger in Da Qi in the future. He just wanted to take precautions before it happens.

However, if there is a problem with the morale of the people of the Seven Star Gang, it will inevitably directly affect the stability of the Seven Star Army. This army is not only closely related to Lu Chen himself, but the Baotai Mountain defense line where they are stationed is crucial. If this section of the defense line is no longer stable, the Jing Army can march straight in from the northeast of Dingzhou.

Maybe Lu Chen has a way to make up for it, but why should he waste his energy doing this?

One is an uncertain long-term concern, and the other is an immediate concern that must be taken seriously. The choice is self-evident.

Since this case concerns border defense, Xu Zuo would not be able to win even if he brought the case to the emperor.

Xu Zuo's emotions remained calm, and he said slowly, "Your Excellency is right, it is my fault for not considering it carefully."

All the staff and officials in the hall couldn't help but feel relieved when they heard this. No matter what, no one wanted to see Lu Chen and Xu Zuo quarreling openly. After all, the two were important military and political figures in Dingzhou. There would definitely be times in the future when they would need to cooperate sincerely. If the quarrel was too intense at the beginning, it would not be good for the overall border defense in the future.

Now Xu Zuo took a step back on his own initiative. As long as Lu Chen said a few nice polite words, the previous contradiction could be easily resolved. This was a very common scene in the officialdom.

However, Lu Chen raised his eyebrows and said calmly, "Sir Xu, I have always respected your loyalty, so I have always treated you with courtesy. Sir Xu has your own considerations for today's matter, and I have my reasons for insisting. It's not a question of who is right or wrong. However, you and I will have to work together for a long time in the future, so we need to clarify some boundaries in advance. After all, I like to speak up."

Xu Zuo narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly, "Please let the county magistrate know."

Lu Chen looked him straight in the eyes and said resolutely and clearly: "In the future, I promise not to interfere in the government affairs within the scope of Mr. Xu's authority, and vice versa. I don't want something like today to happen again."

Given his current identity and status, these words can't actually be considered youthful or domineering. At most, they are just not tactful enough. He is not as flexible as those old foxes in the court. This is consistent with the strength he has always displayed.

Huang Xianfeng and others looked at the newly appointed governor with a little nervousness.

Xu Zuo was silent for a moment, then stood up and said, "I obey your command."

Lu Chen stood up to see him off, and the two of them did not exchange another word until they were outside the mansion.

After Xu Zuo boarded the carriage and returned, Lu Chen turned around and walked into the mansion.

Several staff members looked at each other, and finally Huang Xianfeng spoke first: "Sir, Xu Fangbo is not a villain with bad intentions. Why don't you give him a little face?"

Lu Chen didn't answer.

Liu Yuan, who was walking on the other side, snorted coldly and said, "Although this man is not bad-intentioned, he has no good intentions! With his vision and experience, how can he not see the importance of the Seven Stars Gang? On the surface, he is considering the overall situation, but in fact he just wants to weaken the prestige of the Duke! Just imagine, if the Duke can't even settle the families of the Seven Stars Army soldiers, how will the people below view the Duke? The Duke's last sentence was to warn Governor Xu not to think that he can suppress the Duke by relying on the favor of the emperor."

Lu Chen's eyes moved slightly, but he still said nothing.

Chen Xun looked at the back of the young duke and said carefully, "Sir, the relocation and resettlement of the people in Gu County cannot be ignored. If not handled properly, it may cause unnecessary trouble. I am willing to do my best to assist the officials of the governor's office in handling this matter."

Lu Chen suddenly turned around to look at him, nodded and said, "Okay, be careful and don't cross the line."

Chen Xun bowed and said, "I will follow your orders, sir."

Lu Chen then said to Liu Yuan and Huang Xianfeng: "Xu Zuo just wanted to test my mind today, and my last words were my answer to him. You don't have to be indignant on my behalf. It's more important to do your own thing well."

The two of them quickly agreed and then watched Lu Chen go to the back house.

Outside, on the ordinary carriage heading to the Governor's Mansion, Xu Zuo closed his eyes and rested with a calm expression.

Huang Gongfu sighed and said, "This Lord Lu really won't give in."

"It's something that was expected, so why be surprised?"

Xu Zuo slowly opened his eyes and said calmly, "It's just that I still have some good reputation. He won't go too far, otherwise he would have kicked me out of the Governor's Mansion long ago."

Huang Gongfu was stunned.

He really hadn't thought of this possibility. He just felt it was incredible when he first heard it. When had such a domineering military hero appeared in the Great Qi? Yang Guangyuan, the commander of Jinghe at that time, and Xiao Wangzhi and Li Tianrun before, would never do such a thing to humiliate the frontier officials.

However, if you think about it carefully, even if Lu Chen really did this, what could Xu Zuo do?

For the imperial court, whether a provincial governor is more important or the backbone of the border army is more important is obviously not a question that requires too much elaboration.

Huang Gongfu couldn't help but smile bitterly and said, "In this case, I should thank the other party for being lenient?"

However, Lu Chen's last words were not polite at all.

"My personal honor and disgrace are not important, even if it really hurts my dignity."

Xu Zuo brushed it off and continued, "But from what I've seen and heard today, it can be seen that Lu Chen is very wary and repulsive to the court and even His Majesty, so he will not give in to me, let alone give me much face, because he knows that I came to Dingzhou on behalf of His Majesty. In his eyes, I must have provoked this incident today at the instruction of His Majesty."

Huang Gongfu remained silent. He certainly knew that this was not the case.

Xu Zuo's face was heavy, and he raised his head involuntarily, his eyes seemed to penetrate the roof of the car, and he said softly: "I really want to know what the problem is between His Majesty and Lu Chen."

“Perhaps, this question will never have an answer.”

(End of this chapter)