Chapter 767: The Onlooker Sees Clearly

Xu Zengyi's words enlightened Chen Wuji.

In anyone's heart, loyalty and righteousness have varying worth.

Zhang Xiuer is loyal to the Emperor and unwilling to reveal too much of the tasks he gave her, so Chen Wuji naturally finds himself in the second tier.

This is like modern women having to choose between career and feelings.

When the two cannot be balanced, one must make a choice.

Chen Wuji suddenly felt his mind open: "Truly, the bystander sees clearly; a single word from you has cleared my confusion."

"My lord, you place too much emphasis on loyalty and righteousness," Xu Zengyi advised.

Chen Wuji stared into space for a moment before giving his answer: "I don't think valuing loyalty and righteousness is bad; I cannot be a heartless lord who puts profit first—that's not what I want, nor do I wish to live that way."

"Zhang Xiuer once took good care of me and even tried to save my life in danger; later, because my whole family was imprisoned, I feel I owe her something, even though I never thought I was wrong."

"This is also why I'm troubled; if she were an ordinary woman, I wouldn't be so indecisive. If she shows any sign of using me, I could pry open her mouth and uncover her entire ancestry."

Chen Wuji likes beautiful women, and there's no need to hide that.

But he has never been the sort who loses himself in beauty and forgets who he is.

The so-called "letting go" is, for him, basically a false proposition.

Xu Zengyi nodded slightly: "That emperor far away in the capital ought to hear the lord's words; one who seeks hegemony is not a rat hiding in the dark, only scheming—that's merely a petty path."

"Old Man Snake Staff is full of tricks, having schemed against countless people, but now he's like a grasshopper after autumn—no matter how great his abilities, he won't last long."

Having said that, Xu Zengyi suddenly shifted tone: "My lord, regarding Miss Xiu Er, it wouldn't hurt to look further; remain ignorant for now, wait a while, and then decide—it's not too late."

"Whatever the lord has done in Nan Jun, even telling the Emperor everything would be no problem. The mountains are high and the Emperor far away; if the Emperor in the capital could know all, it might actually be good for the lord."

Chen Wuji lifted his eyelids: "Why say that?"

"Although the Emperor is like a prisoner, his imperial power does not leave the capital, yet his heart never dies; he constantly longs to regain control of the court and sweep away chaos," Xu Zengyi explained.

"If he could clearly know the lord's present strength, he would certainly act more honestly, scheme less, and cooperate with the lord in a down-to-earth manner."

"When the lord rises in Nan Jun like a mighty tiger, the Emperor and everyone should realize that scheming is no more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot—utterly insignificant."

Chen Wuji nodded: "Following your advice, I'll just keep doing what I've been doing."

"Let's talk about Songzhou; do you already have ideas about stationing troops and governing affairs?"

"Indeed I have a small idea; let me first share it with my lord," Xu Zengyi said.

"After this turmoil, Songzhou will surely be the prefecture in Nan Jun suffering the greatest loss of vitality—perhaps a hundred miles without inhabitants is no idle talk. As for governing this place, I think we could let Lu Ping'an or Wang Ce give it a try!"

"They've just tidied up Qingzhou and are about to enjoy the fruits of their labor; giving them such a mess now might provoke complaints, right?" Chen Wuji asked.

Having governed Qingzhou well, they certainly have merit.

To reward merit with demotion rather than promotion is hard to justify.

Xu Zengyi chuckled: "This isn't difficult; we can simply grant them higher posts. Precisely because they are exceptionally capable, such thorny problems should be entrusted to them."

"I suddenly thought of someone—Lu Ping'an's son, Lu Chuan!" Chen Wuji exclaimed.

"He's quite capable, somewhat thoughtful; keep him in Songzhou, and transfer Lu Ping'an to Yushan Prefecture to serve as a civil official in charge of land reclamation."

Xu Zengyi grasped Chen Wuji's meaning at once, but still asked unnecessarily: "My lord, are you worried that keeping Lu Ping'an in Qingzhou might cause some trouble?"

"Qingzhou is his foundation; although he served as Chief Clerk there and seemed to have deliberately offended all his old connections, we still must guard against it."

"Just as the Emperor does not wish to be a puppet, he may not be wholly sincere in his intentions either; these officials who have risen to the rank of Strategist may have shallow methods, but in terms of scheming and depth of mind, they are truly profound."

"Recalling how that scoundrel Yang Yu deceived me, I feel uneasy. Back then I was merely a small-time hunter, occasionally acting as a bandit, yet he even managed to deceive me."

Xu Zengyi laughed: "People as meticulous and deep‑minded as Yang Jinglve are rare indeed!"

"But the lord's concern is not entirely unfounded; we should guard against it. Initially the lord sent Lu Ping'an to Qingzhou precisely because he knew the region well, understood its ins and outs, and authority lay in the hands of Wang Ce and Wu Bu Yong, so there was no need to fear his turning against us in battle or stirring rebellion behind the lines."

"Now Qingzhou is settled, the people's hearts are aligned, and he can indeed retire having achieved merit."

Having said that, he pondered a moment, then asked: "I merely heard that the lord has other assignments for Lu Chuan; if we let him take charge of Songzhou now, would it disrupt the lord's other plans?"

Chen Wuji picked up a wine bowl and had Xu Zengyi pour him another, then said: "That fellow once chased hundreds of miles to the army, requesting to investigate Old Man Snake Staff's background, but all he got were trivialities and baseless speculation."

"What he can do is limited; better to let him step aside. However, during this period he has done quite a bit in the Supply Corps, being a merchant by trade, his logistical planning is very orderly."

Lu Chuan has been with the army all this time, apparently bored, so he's been helping out in the Supply Corps.

His suggestions were reported to Chen Wuji by the Supply Corps commanders; they improved many things, making the corps' work far more efficient.

"If that's the case, I have no objections," Xu Zengyi said.

Chen Wuji lifted his wine bowl, took a sip, and asked: "Do you have any ideas about garrisoning troops?"

"After this war, Songzhou's populace is exhausted; there's no need for a garrison," Xu Zengyi said. "My thought is to let Wu Bu Yong, or Zhao Gouer, concurrently oversee Songzhou."

Chen Wuji nodded: "Let Wu Bu Yong concurrently command the Qingzhou Guard."

"Let Zhao Gouer and Chen Qun focus on the gold mines; our purse is still tight, so don't let them be distracted by other matters."

Xu Zengyi nodded seriously: "My lord, if you establish the Qingzhou Guard, should other prefectures also be reformed?"