Chapter 36 Chapter 36 It's My Turn

Chapter 36 Chapter 36 It's My Turn

Everyone in the Cheng family was startled by her and gathered around.

"An An, are you okay?"

Cheng Yian took a deep breath, came back to his senses, and said in a depressed mood,

"I'm fine..."

Everyone saw her aggrieved look and knew that she couldn't bear to leave Cheng Mingyu.

The old man held her in his arms with a loving look in his eyes. The maid bent down to see if her clothes were wet. Seeing that there was no problem, he immediately squatted down and put away the teacup.

Cheng Mingyu looked at his daughter with rolling eyes without saying a word.

Cheng Yiqiao felt the same way, and her eyes also turned red. Finally, she couldn't help but complain to Cheng Mingyu,

"Father, just don't go. The court can survive without you."

Cheng Mingyu glared at his daughter and whispered, "This is a national policy, not a joke."

When Cheng Yian heard this, he became even more anxious.

Precisely because this is a national policy, she has to be cautious. This is not something she can afford to be idle.

We have to come up with a foolproof plan.

However, due to this incident, the atmosphere during the dinner was not very good.

Cheng Yian remained silent the whole time, and Cheng Mingyu felt sad watching her. He had finally recognized his daughter, who had just begun to feel a little affection and dependence on him, but now he was leaving. The child really couldn't accept it.

After the meal, the old man looked at the father and daughter, one of them was silent, the other was worried, and urged Cheng Yian,

"Talk to your dad for a minute?"

Cheng Mingyu also had this idea.

Cheng Yian, however, was like a petulant child, shaking her head with a fierce look on her face, "My husband said he would come to pick me up, so he must be here soon."

Cheng Yian guessed that Cheng Mingyu wanted to comfort her, but she hadn't figured out how to deal with it yet, so she shouldn't reveal any clues.

Seeing that the atmosphere was low, Mrs. Lu wanted to change the subject and asked Cheng Yian, "I heard that An'an has been in charge of the family recently? Is the housework still busy? Are you able to handle it?"

The redness in Cheng Yi'an's eyes did not fade, and he answered her absentmindedly, "Fortunately, the two sisters-in-law are very capable of helping me."

Mrs. Lu smiled and said, "Everyone I meet when I go out these days praises you. They all say you are very capable. At such a young age, you have managed the Lu Mansion like an iron barrel. They say you are worthy of being my father's daughter."

Cheng Mingyu said with concern, "An An, you don't have to carry all the burden on yourself. You are still young, and even if you made a mistake, it is understandable." He was afraid that his daughter would overwork herself and harm her health.

Cheng Yian responded hesitantly.

I still have no plans to say more to Cheng Mingyu.

Cheng Mingyu has a headache.

Soon, the maid came to report that the aunt's carriage had arrived at the alley outside. Cheng Yian did not wait for Lu Xusheng to pick him up, but stood up and said goodbye.

"Grandma, father, An An will take his leave first. As for returning home for a short stay, I will ask my aunt for her opinion..."

Seeing that she looked unhappy, the old lady did not try to persuade her to stay. "Go ahead..." She motioned for Cheng Yiqiao to go and see her off.

The two sisters walked out together.

Watching them leave, the old ancestor sent everyone outside and stood at the window with Cheng Mingyu to watch Cheng Yian leave.

Thinking of what happened just now, the old ancestor felt worried.

Cheng Mingyu hadn't set off yet when Cheng Yian accidentally dropped the teacup, which was a bad sign.

The old man asked worriedly, "Do you have to go?"

Cheng Mingyu remained calm, "Mother has learned to speak nonsense from her two children. Who else can go to do this except me?"

The old man didn't say anything. He was silent for a moment, but couldn't help but say, "You didn't see Ping Ping. She was upset."

Cheng Mingyu saw it clearly, and Cheng Yian was unwilling to say anything to him.

She must be angry that he abandoned her and left just after he recognized her.

The child is still too well-behaved. Even when he is being naughty, he is so gentle and quiet. It is heartbreaking to see him.

Cheng Mingyu said, "Mother will find a way to bring her back, and I will comfort her."

Lu Xusheng had just stepped off the carriage and was about to go in to pay his respects to his elders when he saw Cheng Yian stepping out of the threshold with a serious expression. Cheng Yian winked at him and asked him to get in the car. Lu Xusheng glanced inside the threshold and saw Cheng Yiqiao nodded and greeted him, with no intention of letting him in. Without thinking twice, he bowed to Cheng Yiqiao as a greeting, then turned around and took Cheng Yian to the car.

Cheng Yian waited for him to come up, immediately grabbed his arm and asked in a low voice,

"My father is going to Jiangnan?"

Lu Xusheng's mind moved when he heard this. He first opened the car curtain and moved the entourage aside a little. Then he turned around and looked at her deeply, then sat down beside her. "Yes, I was just coming back to tell you about this."

Cheng Yian said without hesitation, "I can't let my father go."

Lu Xusheng was stunned for a moment and asked, "Why?"

Cheng Yian then expressed his concerns, "I'm worried that something might happen to Dad in Jiangnan."

Lu Xusheng hadn't thought of this yet. "I only knew that your father got sick later, but I didn't know it was related to Jiangnan."

In his previous life, Cheng Mingyu died a year after returning from his southern tour. Lu Xusheng was not in the capital at the time. After divorcing Cheng Yian, he felt very upset and could not get along with his cousin. He spent most of the year at the border and did not know much about the Cheng family.

He thought Cheng Mingyu died of a common illness and originally planned to remind Cheng Yian to ask a doctor to see Cheng Mingyu to take precautions in advance. However, he didn't know that the root cause was the trip to Jiangnan.

"After your father passed away, the Cui family and the Wang family rose up and intended to replace the Cheng family. The court lost its backbone. I often felt that the military supplies at the border were insufficient and the rear was unstable. I regret that your father passed away too early. Now it seems that we really can't let your father go south."

Cheng Yian was extremely grateful that Lu Xusheng was reborn with her. Otherwise, it would be impossible for a weak woman like her to change the affairs of the An Kingdom. "Do you have a solution?"

Lu Xusheng pondered and said, "It's difficult. Do you know why your father was chosen to go south?"

"Ever since the previous emperor was defeated in the battle of Jinshan Fort, the power of the Jin Dynasty has gradually declined. Local tyrants have emerged, annexing land, hiding people, and the court has been unable to make ends meet. The treasury has never been very full. Jiangnan is a tax-intensive area. Once the land and population here are surveyed, it will greatly increase the court's tax revenue and ease the pressure on the government. Therefore, the court must go to Jiangnan."

"This trip requires us to fight against the Jiangnan nobles, but also to appease them and prevent them from causing chaos. We need someone who is highly respected and experienced. Your father is the best choice."

Only Cheng Mingyu has the reputation and means to implement national policies.

"But..." Lu Xusheng recalled the results of Cheng Mingyu's southern tour in his previous life, and shook his head slightly, "It is precisely because your father is the head of the aristocratic family that he has the ability to scare the Jiangnan nobles, but because of his limited status, he decided not to conduct a thorough tax investigation."

In essence, the Cheng family is also a powerful family, and the leader among the powerful families.

To put it bluntly, Cheng Mingyu's trip was a compromise reached between the imperial court and the Jiangnan nobles.

What the emperor wanted was a balance, requiring the powerful families to compromise but not causing chaos.

So Cheng Mingyu had to go.

But there is a better candidate in Lu Xusheng.

"Why not, I'll go."

Cheng Yian looked at his calm face and was shocked. "No, what if there is danger?"

Cheng Yian also hopes for peace and prosperity in the country, but not at the expense of Lu Xusheng and his father.

She is not that selfless or great.

There are always capable people in the court, and the wheel of history can always move forward, but she only has one father, only one Lu Xusheng.

Lu Xusheng smiled and said, "I am different from your father. Your father took the world as his responsibility, worked hard until his death, and did not care about his life. I am different. My daughter and son are not born yet, how can I die? Don't worry, I will be fine."

Cheng Yian refused, "My father was able to suppress those powerful people because of the Cheng family. Although you have a reputation, you have no foundation in Jiangnan. It will be more difficult for you to go."

Lu Xusheng's face was full of generosity, "But only if I go can the situation be truly reversed.

Da Jin Jiangnan situation. An An..." He held Cheng Yian's cold wrist, "Such a great achievement, how can I give it to others?"

After being reborn, how could he do nothing and just stay in this pile of splendor and enjoy himself all day long?

As a man, he has ambitions. Moreover, he has been through a lot and is not one to sit idle.

Cheng Yian shrugged him off and said, "Okay, then give me a divorce letter before you go, so that I won't feel bad if something happens to you."

Lu Xu smiled angrily, "Okay, I'll think of another way."

But I made up my mind to replace him with my father-in-law.

It is not easy to persuade the court to change people, after all, this is against the civil and military officials and the emperor.

After returning to Lu's residence, the couple each had their own worries and tossed and turned all night. It was not until midnight that Cheng Yian fell into a deep sleep, but she could not sleep well, while Lu Xusheng was very energetic.

At this critical moment, he still had the mind to do that kind of thing. It was Ling Chen who woke Cheng Yian up again.

Lu Xusheng had no choice, because this body was full of vigor and vitality, and he couldn't bear to be close to her.

"What if His Majesty really allows me to go south? Wouldn't it be good for you to be pregnant now?"

Cheng Yian was so urged by him that he couldn't speak clearly, "I won't give birth to a child for you..."

She punched him in the chest and back with her pink fists.

Lu Xusheng said calmly, "Your body is much more honest than your mouth..."

Listening to the rippling sound, Cheng Yian covered his face and felt deflated.

Afterwards, Cheng Yian snuggled in his quilt, watching Lu Xusheng getting dressed, and suddenly remembered something, so he asked him,

"By the way, in the previous life, when my father got into trouble, how did Her Royal Highness the Princess react?"

Lu Xusheng paused for a moment, then racked his brains to recall his past life, turned around and said, "Her Royal Highness the Princess almost lost control. When she learned that your father was ill from overwork during the southern tour, she blamed the officials who recommended your father for the southern tour and personally took out a knife to kill them at their homes. Many officials suffered, either because they were in a state of panic while trying to avoid the Princess, or because they were accidentally chopped. Some people died because of this, and Her Royal Highness herself went crazy in the end."

Lu Xusheng recalled that after Cheng Mingyu passed away in his previous life, when the emperor saw him return to the capital, he sighed and lamented in front of him,

"With the departure of Mr. Cheng, the country has lost a pillar."

When Cheng Mingyu was seventeen years old, he was sent as an envoy to Northern Qi to save the dynasty from collapse. Someone predicted his fate, saying that he would be unlucky in marriage. Why? Because his fate was too noble and was linked to the fortune of the Jin Dynasty, so idle women could not control him. Sure enough, after Cheng Mingyu's death, not only did the Cheng family go downhill, but the Jin Dynasty also gradually declined.

Seeing Cheng Yian's pale face, Lu Xusheng comforted her, "Don't worry, I will take care of this matter."

The man showed a resolute profile, gave her a soothing look, then left the tent.

After hearing what he said, Cheng Yian felt relieved.

Lu Xusheng is such a man who can make people feel at ease.

Although the court had decided on Cheng Mingyu yesterday, it was too early to leave and the imperial edict had not yet been issued. Lu Xusheng took the opportunity to immediately arrange for someone to impeach Cheng Mingyu in the court, and even rejected yesterday's proposal in court that day.

"Your Majesty, I don't think it's appropriate for Master Cheng to go to Jiangnan."

When the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty heard this, they almost rolled their eyes.

"Lu Xusheng, how did your father-in-law offend you? Why do you always oppose him?"

"He married his daughter to you, and he still offended you? You either impeach him today or expel him tomorrow. If you, the son-in-law, are involved, it will be Mr. Cheng's fault."

Not to mention the court officials who had always revered Cheng Mingyu, even the Minister of Rites Kong Yunjie couldn't help but scold Lu Xusheng, accusing him of making trouble out of nothing.

"Tell me, who in the Manchu Dynasty is more suitable than Cheng Mingyu?"

Although Kong Yunjie doesn't like Cheng Mingyu, he cannot deny his ability. To go to the south of the Yangtze River to pacify the powerful, Cheng Mingyu is the only one.

The emperor wanted to scold Lu Xusheng, but when he saw that everyone was scolding him, he felt relieved. He ignored Lu Xusheng and asked Cheng Mingyu with a smile,

"Mr. Cheng, in my opinion, Mr. Cheng has wronged his son-in-law in some way. If it is really not okay, Mr. Cheng should privately invite him to your house and comfort him."

Cheng Mingyu was also puzzled. Pingping went back crying yesterday. Could it be that she instigated Lu Xusheng to come to the court to cause trouble?

Lu Xusheng has never been a person who treats state affairs as a joke, and it is even more impossible for him to lose his temper just to consider Pingping's feelings.

He looked at Lu Xusheng deeply and said helplessly, "Xusheng, if you have any objections, please tell me in private."

Lu Xusheng, like Cheng Yian, ignored him and bowed to the emperor.

"Your Majesty, I think I am more suitable for the southern tour than Lord Cheng."

There was an instant of silence in the hall, and everyone glared at him.

It turns out that he is trying to steal credit from his father-in-law.

"You are making a fuss!" The prince could not help but stand up and scold him in an elder brotherly manner.

"Be careful. The powerful people in Jiangnan are all coexisting and annexing people and land. If this continues, the court will be left with nothing. If Mr. Cheng goes there, he can not only collect taxes for the court, but also appease the powerful people. If there is another candidate, Your Majesty will not send the head of the court away from the court."

"I know you are loyal to your country and serve the court wholeheartedly, but you have to distinguish right from wrong. I have to say something unpleasant. Shenzhi has no roots in Jiangnan. Those powerful people don't want to persuade you. I'm afraid that if you go there, no one will even pay attention to you."

Lu Xusheng's contributions were great in the northern border, where people worshipped him like a god. However, the wealthy families in the south of the Yangtze River did not take Lu Xusheng seriously.

"In addition," the prince said another important reason why the court sent Cheng Mingyu away.

"With the support of the Governor-General of Liangjiang, Mr. Cheng will surely bring all the demons to their knees on this trip."

The Governor-General of Liangjiang is Cheng Mingyu's brother-in-law. How could he not let Cheng Mingyu plunder his troops?

Lu Xusheng smiled and said, "The more Your Highness talks, the more I become more competitive. So, I have to meet these powerful men to see if I am stronger with my sword or they are just tougher!"

After saying this, Lu Xusheng bowed to the emperor again.

"Your Majesty, I have a secret report."

"I won't tell you." The emperor flicked his sleeves and turned aside. He understood Lu Xusheng's temper. When Lu Chang was besieged by King Nankang in the north and no one in the court dared to fight, Lu Xusheng also came to Lu's study to make a secret report and tried his best to persuade him to agree to go north.

It was obvious that Lu Xusheng was planning to use the same old trick again.

Last time it was his father, and the emperor could understand, but the southern tour was related to national policy, and the emperor could not afford to take the risk. Once there was chaos in the south of the Yangtze River, the Great Jin would perish.

Lu Xusheng was not in a hurry and smiled slowly.

"Then I will not sign the memorial regarding Lord Cheng's southern tour."

Not long after Emperor Gaozu founded the Great Jin Dynasty, the left prime minister of the Secretariat caused chaos. Emperor Gaozu was very courageous and abolished the prime minister and established eight seats. Who were the eight most powerful people in the court? They were the eight most powerful people in the court who would discuss matters together in the Secretariat. All major policies of the state had to be discussed and signed by the eight seats before they could be implemented. This was to prevent the prime minister from monopolizing power, abusing his power for personal gain, and disrupting the government.

As the commander-in-chief of the border, Lu Xusheng is of course one of the Eight Seats. It just so happens that the southern tour to survey the land is the top priority of the Dajin next year and is listed as the first of all tasks. It can only be implemented with the concerted efforts of the Eight Seats.

Lu Xusheng's resignation will affect the implementation of national policies.

All the officials were so angry that they blew their noses and glared.

In this situation, there is actually a way out. The emperor can just issue his orders and make the decision on his own.

The so-called Zhongzhi was a special decree that was sent directly to various government offices without going through the Eight Seats. Naturally, it lacked persuasiveness. However, since Lu Xusheng was obviously looking for trouble today, the court officials still supported the emperor to issue the Zhongzhi.

The emperor certainly thought of this, but Lu Xusheng was his "own" son after all, and he could not bear to humiliate him like this.

"Lu Xusheng, you are going to piss me off to death!" The emperor turned away.

Lu Xusheng smiled and followed immediately.

Prince Ning followed behind.

When the emperor entered Lu's study, he heard footsteps behind him and knew it was Lu Xusheng. He turned around and started to scold him.

"How old are you? You are already twenty-one this year, and you are still throwing tantrums at me in the court? Is this something you are throwing tantrums about?"

Lu Xusheng held his hands and let the emperor vent his anger for a while, then said with a smile, "Your Majesty, when have you ever seen me lose my temper in court affairs?"

The emperor immediately fell silent.

Really never.

The old man was silent for a moment, then walked around the table, sat down angrily, pointed at Lu Xusheng's nose and said,

"Tell me, if you don't tell me the truth today, I will not care about your wedding and will send you to the border."

Prince Ning followed in and hurriedly poured tea for the emperor. He also signaled the eunuch to bring a brocade stool to Lu Xusheng. The two brothers sat down in front of the emperor's desk.

Prince Ning also blamed Lu Xusheng, "Shenzhi was too aggressive today."

Lu Xusheng, however, looked serious.

"Your Majesty, Cheng Mingyu's departure can indeed solve the problem of an empty treasury, but it cannot fundamentally change the situation in Jiangnan. Your Majesty, only if I go can we accomplish this task in one fell swoop."

The emperor threw a stack of memorials at him and said angrily, "Do you think I don't have any plans? I know everything in my mind, but what I want now is peace and prosperity for the country and the people. Now that the crown prince is about to fight, I will not allow any chaos to occur."

To put it bluntly, stability is above all else.

Lu Xusheng also did not point out

He hoped to convince the emperor in one go. His goal today was to stop the emperor from issuing an edict. As long as the emperor hadn't issued an edict, the candidate would not be decided.

"Your Majesty, please don't worry. I will submit a memorial to you on a certain day, detailing my plan. If you think it is feasible, you can use me. If not, you can send Lord Cheng."

The emperor looked at Lu Xusheng suspiciously. He felt that his behavior was strange, but he couldn't tell what was strange.

"Shenzhi, tell me the truth, what do you want to do?"

Lu Xusheng did not play it safe and sighed, "Your Majesty, think about it, who was the first to suggest that Cheng Mingyu go south?"

The emperor's heart skipped a beat and he exchanged glances with Prince Ning.

Prince Ning thought, "Li Sheng, the academician of the Hanlin Academy."

Li Sheng is a member of the Prince's Party.

The reason why the emperor did not think about the party disputes was that from the very beginning, there was only one candidate, and that was Cheng Mingyu. This was the first time in history that the two parties had made an undisputed decision.

But Lu Xusheng specifically brought this up, and the emperor couldn't help but ponder, "Are you suspecting that the empress dowager is behind this?"

Lu Xusheng said, "We have to be on guard."

The emperor looked at him in silence, then said,

"Will it be okay for you to go?"

Lu Xusheng said, "Your Majesty, Cheng Mingyu has no intention of helping you deal with the prince. Instead of giving this credit to him, it is better to give it to me. Think about it, if I conquer Jiangnan for you, will there be any hope for the prince's party?"

The emperor tapped his forehead with a red pen and said, "Do you think I don't want to? You are too young after all. I am afraid that if you go, you will anger the powerful."

If Cheng Mingyu went, there would be no risk of any error. But if Lu Xusheng went, he would be on the edge of a knife and drink blood. It would be a one-time loss, but a complete defeat would mean a complete loss. The emperor could not afford the risk, so he did not give in and only let Lu Xusheng go back, saying that he would think about it again.

When Lu Xusheng returned home at night, Cheng Yian couldn't wait to ask,

"Have you convinced your Majesty?"

Seeing that her eyes were red from staying up late, Lu Xusheng said to her in comfort,

"Don't worry. Today I have forced Your Majesty to put the imperial edict on hold. There is still time. I will convince Your Majesty to change the person."

Cheng Yian also knew that it would not be easy to change this matter. She was afraid that Lu Xusheng would really take the position himself, so she planned to ask the eldest princess for help.

The next morning, after waiting for Lu Xusheng to leave, Cheng Yian immediately changed his clothes, ate a quick breakfast, quietly took Rulan with him, called Qiu Qing and three other guards, and headed straight for the Princess's Mansion.