Chapter 244: Collective Wisdom
The two county magistrates, Chen Ping and Liu Heshan, arrived very quickly.
Chen Ping came with his husband Li Dan.
Lu Desheng came to greet them personally. As soon as he saw them, he greeted them with a smile, "Master Chen, Master Liu, and Master Li, I have heard of you for a long time—"
Seeing this, Chen Ping and Liu Heshan quickly stepped forward and said, "You are Lord Lu, right? That's quite a compliment. We have long admired your great name."
"No, no, it's a great honor for our humble home to have you all here today." Lu Desheng offered his seat and said, "Come in, please."
Lu Desheng not only invited Chen Ping and Liu Heshan in, but also invited Chen Ping's chief clerk Li Dan in.
Chen Ping felt comfortable with Lu Desheng's courtesy towards Li Dan. If the method proposed by the new Houcheng County Magistrate worked, he would agree to give it a try.
At this moment, Chen Ping was already very willing to give support and cooperation.
Lu Desheng smiled but said nothing. He had the information about the two of them collected by his daughter, which clearly stated the relationship between them as a young master and a servant.
The fact that Chen Ping promoted Li Dan to the position of Chief Clerk after becoming the Magistrate of Wangping County was enough to prove how much he valued his friend Li Dan. How could he neglect Li Dan?
When Chen Ping and Liu Heshan came in, they discovered that the county lieutenant, Lord Le, was also there. They hurried forward to greet him, "Chen Ping | Liu Heshan greets Lord Le."
Le Guicai nodded at them.
Then they found seats and sat down.
Lu Desheng spoke first, "We've gotten to know each other today. How about we stop here and get straight to the point? After all, we have a long way to go. I believe that after we get through this, we'll have plenty of time to communicate with each other in the future."
Le Guicai didn't say anything, he already knew his plan.
Chen Ping and Liu Heshan looked at each other, and Liu Heshan nodded slightly at Chen Ping.
Chen Ping then responded, "The situation is critical. Lord Lu is right to be concerned. Please share your advice and suggestions."
Chen Ping and the other two sat upright.
Lü Desheng: "Faced with the crisis in Liaodong, I do have a plan that can resolve the current crisis."
Chen Ping and Liu Heshan looked at Lü Desheng, then at Le Guicai, feeling anxious. Was Lord Lü simply planning to release the prisoners? Was it him—no, was it him and Lord Le—who couldn't handle the consequences of releasing them directly, and so wanted to drag them along?
Since ancient times, sending troops has always been about having a legitimate reason.
If Liaodong Commandery simply released the hostages at the Xianbei court's request, it would indeed eliminate the Xianbei's reason to launch an attack. However, where would the Dali Dynasty's dignity be? Where would the emperor's prestige be?
In the end, won’t the emperor’s wrath be vented on them?
The two looked at each other and decided to listen.
Lü Desheng didn't keep the secret, "This strategy is very simple. I will lead a negotiation team with you all to negotiate with the Xianbei. The goal is to prevent them from sending troops."
The expressions of Chen Ping and Liu Heshan are hard to describe. Lord Lu, you are not joking, are you?
He and they, just three small county magistrates, negotiated with the Xianbei? What was their hand? Would the Xianbei agree?
Lu Desheng naturally saw their expressions, and he continued, "Fortunately, Lord Le has agreed to support this plan and lend Tuoba Lian to us." Our cards are not enough, but we hold their lifeblood in our hands, and they have no choice but to agree to negotiate.
Chen Ping and Liu Heshan both said: I understand.
The two men came to their senses and realized that they were being recruited into the gang.
"Wait, Lord Lu, have you forgotten someone?"
"I understand what you mean. County Magistrate Zheng Xun will have no objection to me leading the negotiation team with you. The problem now lies with Governor Shi Tao. We cannot let him interfere in this matter."
Everyone was silent. "Do you know what you're saying? You're overstepping your authority and robbing the right holder of power. How can you be so brazen?"
"I know that my actions have been a bit excessive, but I have no choice. It's all my bad luck that I, Old Lu, encountered such a thing just after being sent out." Lu Desheng played the emotional card.
Chen Ping and Liu Heshan immediately felt sympathy for him. No one could understand better than them how difficult it was to be the magistrate of Houcheng County.
Lu Desheng tossed compliments one after another, "I invited you all here because I feel you are all local officials, and you are the only ones who truly care about the people of Liaodong County."
Not to mention the reactions of Chen Ping and Liu Heshan, Le Guicai was quite touched.
"Besides, we share the same suffering. It's not easy for our family to have an official. I don't know if it's easy for you, but my Lu family's ancestor was a peddler. It's really not easy for an official to come from our family. I don't want to die in this tiny place like Houcheng." Lu Desheng's words were sincere and heartfelt.
This remark touched Chen Ping and Liu Heshan. Chen Ping was the first to respond, "That's right! I'm the first in six generations of my Chen family to hold an official position. My parents even say that smoke is rising from our ancestors' graves."
"You are the first official in your Chen family in six generations, so I am the first official in our Liu family in nine generations! My grandfather said that the ancestral tomb was on fire on the day I was born."
The other three people present twitched their lips slightly. The ancestors of your two families also risked their lives to protect you.
Lü Desheng: Are you all really exaggerating? I, Old Lü, have become a Imperial Censor, a recipient of a golden medal of immunity from death. Am I proud of myself?
Le Guicai thought to himself, if you say so, if I became the lieutenant of Liaodong County, wouldn’t the day I was born be so heavy that even my ancestors’ coffins couldn’t hold me down?
Lu Desheng quickly struck while the iron was hot, "Everyone, we are all grasshoppers on the same rope now. This matter concerns our wealth, future, and even our lives. We must work together to save ourselves."
"I hereby issue a military order. If I lead the negotiations and succeed, I will be able to resolve the current crisis, quell this dispute, and keep everyone's jobs. As for the details of the negotiations, keep them confidential for now."
"Also, let me reveal one more thing. If this plan succeeds, I can guarantee that after this negotiation, Liaodong County will be safe for three years and will not be attacked by the Xianbei for three years."
Three years?
Chen Ping and Liu Heshan looked at each other, then quickly looked away, but started to think in their minds.
During these three years, they can definitely use their connections to transfer out of Wangping and Wuliu counties as soon as possible, just like Zheng Qiao!
Three years is enough, let’s do it!
Chen Ping and Liu Heshan said in unison, "Lord Lu, we think what you said makes a lot of sense, so we've decided to follow you!"
"Okay, now, let's discuss how to hold the governor back." Otherwise, once he arrives, the initiative will definitely be transferred to him. Then, they will be finished with all the trouble.
"I can delay the governor Shi Tao for two days, at most two days." Liu Heshan said weakly.
Lu Desheng asked seriously, "Can you tell me how you plan to hold Shi Tao back?"
"I have a cousin who happens to be working for the governor, Shi Tao. I can ask him to give him some croton oil..."
Lu Desheng and Chen Ping both gave him a thumbs up, saying that this was a good idea.
Even Le Guicai looked at him. He didn't expect that.
Liu Heshan smiled shyly. Who doesn’t have a trump card?
"Two days is enough."
Chen Ping thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll take another precaution." The governor came from Liaoxi and had to pass through Wangping...
When he put forward his idea, everyone's eyes changed when they looked at him. You are the one who suffers the most!
Lu Desheng touched the mustache on his chin. As expected, those who could sit firmly in the position of a magistrate in a border county for many years were not simple talents.
At this time, Le Guicai, Chen Ping, and Liu Heshan were really persuaded by Lu Desheng, thinking that they were all on the same page, and everyone took out their trump cards and tried hard to kick.
Later, they realized that they had eaten the pie that Lv Songli had painted for them today! In fact, it was not like that at all. Liar!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
