Mr. Lu, who resigned from his official position to teach, regained his vitality.
Compared with when he was the Minister of the Secretariat, his energy and spirit have improved significantly, and he looks younger.
When he came out of the classroom at the Imperial College, a eunuch came to him and whispered, "Mr. Lu, the Empress wants to see you!"
He was a little surprised.
"Where is the Queen?"
"Mr. Lu, please follow our family."
The eunuch led Mr. Lu all the way up the mountain to the pavilion on the top of the mountain.
The entire mountain road was cleared by the Dragon Cavalry Guards, and not a single student could be seen.
The pavilion on the top of the mountain was also tidied up, and there were palace maids brewing tea with their bare hands and waving round fans.
Gu Jiu leaned on the railing and looked at the mountains, and all the other mountains seemed small.
"I've heard that the hill behind the Imperial College has become a famous tourist attraction in the capital, and outsiders visiting the capital often come here to admire its reputation. This is my first time climbing to the top of the mountain, and I saw many poems along the way. Some of them are quite elegant, comparable to those of famous poets throughout the dynasties."
"I pay my respects to Your Majesty!" Mr. Lu bowed.
Gu Jiu turned around with a smile on his face, "I heard that Mr. Lu's classes are very popular among students in the three academies. Students are vying to become his disciples. Congratulations to the students. After such a short time away from officialdom, they have already started a second life."
Mr. Lu was very modest. "Your Majesty, you are so kind! Everyone is only praising me because I once served as the Minister of the Central Secretariat. This old man is teaching, and this is my first time teaching a young lady in a bridal sedan chair. There are definitely some things I haven't taught well, but fortunately, I have a lot of experience as an official, so I can provide guidance to many students."
"Mr. Lu, there's no need to be so modest. I know your abilities. Teaching is something you're very adept at, and it comes naturally to you. However, there's one thing I'm not sure you're up to."
Mr. Lu became curious and tried to hold back, but he couldn't help asking.
"Besides leading troops in battle and sewing, is there anything else I can't do?"
Gu Jiu pursed his lips and smiled, "Sir, are you capable of persuading Pei Meng to send troops to the Western Regions?"
ah?
Mr. Lu was stunned at first, then he suddenly realized.
"No wonder Your Majesty came to the Imperial College today! With the death of King Anxi, Pei Meng is the natural heir to the throne. I have one question: why did Your Majesty persuade Pei Meng to send troops to the Western Regions? Was it to deplete the Anxi Palace's military strength?"
Gu Jiu shook his head, "No! I'm not that kind of villain! Sir, you know, the war in the Western Region has been going on for a few years, and the flames of war are getting more and more intense. Those war butchers have been slaughtering cities frequently, using killing as a bargaining chip to try to rule the entire Western Region. Seeing that the enemy is about to hit us at our doorstep, if we don't take the initiative to fight, do we have to passively fight back?
"Sir, don't worry. This isn't just about face; it's about culture, territory, and the hearts of the people. The people of the Western Regions have long suffered from war and slaughter. If Pei Meng sends troops now, he will surely win their hearts. The benefits he will gain will far outweigh the cost of war."
Mr. Lu is not someone who is easily persuaded. "However, the Anxi Palace has limited military strength, and most of the troops must remain in Xiliang City to ensure safety. The military strength alone is a limitation in persuading Pei Meng to send troops to the Western Regions. Of course, the Queen's idea is good, but it's not very realistic."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "In order to solve the problem of insufficient manpower in the Anxi Palace, I am prepared to provide mercenaries and even provide loans to the Anxi Palace. As long as we can win this war, the returns will be far greater than ten, twenty, or even a hundred times the loan. I believe that with Pei Meng's intelligence, he should not miss this opportunity."
Mr. Lu was a little confused. "If I understand correctly, mercenaries are equivalent to fighting for a fee."
"Exactly! This is equivalent to the Anxi Palace paying our Great Zhou army to help them fight."
Mr. Lu frowned, "Which army does Your Majesty plan to send to support the Anxi Palace?"
Gu Jiu had already made a plan, "Select a force from the army under the Northwest Grand Military Governor's Office, with no more than 10,000 people."
Mr. Lu looked at the mountain peak in the distance, his heart filled with excitement.
He suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, do you have to attack the Western Regions?"
Gu Jiu nodded heavily, "We must fight! I will not allow a fierce, barbaric, and fearless army to exist outside our territory, nor will I allow an exclusive alien culture that uses killing as a means of survival to exist. The cultural heritage of the Great Zhou is gentle, and it is easy to be swallowed up by an alien culture that uses killing as a means of survival. The only way is to annihilate the enemy before they become stronger, and nip all dangers in the bud."
Mr. Lu nodded. "The Empress's ideas are always different from those of ordinary people. If anyone were faced with such a situation, they would sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, and would never easily intervene. No one would consider culture, ideas, or devouring. Everyone only cares about territory, territory, and more territory."
Gu Jiu laughed. "I am also concerned about territory. Only with territory can there be population, and only with population can there be cultural inheritance. What I want is the inheritance of Han culture, not foreign cultures. All foreign cultures that attempt to swallow up Han culture are heresies and must be counterattacked, suppressed and eliminated without mercy."
This sentence filled with murderous intent made Mr. Lu feel heroic.
He couldn't help but sigh, "If the emperors of the past had thought like the Empress, there wouldn't have been a century of catastrophe. They would have attacked the enemy directly in the budding stage and crushed them to death!"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "I never underestimate any enemy, and of course, I don't overestimate any enemy either. This battle must be fought, but first someone must convince Pei Meng to accept my plan. After much thought, I think only you, sir, can take on this important task."
Mr. Lu stroked his beard and gazed into the distance. "There are so many officials to choose from in the court, why did Her Majesty choose me? The journey to Xiliang is thousands of miles long and dangerous. I am so old that I am not the most suitable candidate no matter how I look at it."
Gu Jiu said solemnly, "Sir, you are wrong! Pei Meng is recognized as the best among the noble generals and is very cunning. No one in the court is sure that he can persuade him to send troops. Only you, sir, have the greatest hope of persuading Pei Meng."
His Majesty has issued an edict to confer Pei Meng the title of King of Anxi. The edict is in the Imperial Palace, waiting for you to lead it to Xiliang to create more great achievements! Your great achievements are deeply appreciated. I plan to compile a biography of famous people, and you should be in the first volume.
"Biographies of Famous People?" Mr. Lu was slightly moved.
As expected, what scholars always pursue is fame both before and after their death.
The Royal Collection's "Celebrity Biographies" will undoubtedly be passed down through the ages, and people will talk about it with great relish thousands of years from now.
If you pick any person, his experience can be written into a long and exciting novel of three million words.
This is awesome!
A single example of "Biographies of Famous People" is more effective than leaving your name in history.
People don't necessarily read history books to learn about the history of a particular dynasty.
But people will definitely be curious about the characters in "Celebrity Biographies".
The characters in "Biographies of Famous People" will definitely be spread in various ways and known to everyone, young and old.
This is the most powerful part of "Celebrity Biography".
Anyone with aspirations and ambitions wants to be included in "Celebrity Lives", and it must be the first volume.
Mr. Lu secretly asked, "If I don't go to the Western Regions, can I be included in the first volume of "Celebrity Biography"?
Gu Jiu shook his head, "No!"
Mr. Lu almost spat out a mouthful of decades-old blood.
"I am a famous official after all, so why can't I be included in the first volume of 'Celebrity Biographies'?"
He is not convinced!
Gu Jiu chuckled softly, "The first volume of 'Celebrity Biographies' must have the merit of expanding territory, or the merit of writing books and establishing a school of thought. Sir, you seem to be a little short of that."
"According to Her Majesty's standards, Chen Zhuangshi and Yang Ji were both included in the first volume of Celebrity Biographies. They are even higher than me, right?"
"Renqiu was even included in the first volume of 'Celebrity Biographies' simply because he accurately predicted rain and drought. This is a natural talent and must be highlighted."
Mr. Lu suffered the worst blow in his life and felt very disappointed.
"I am a famous official of two dynasties." He emphasized his identity and merits.
Gu Jiu smiled faintly, "So, sir, your name will be recorded in history, but you won't be included in the first volume of 'Celebrity Biography'! Sorry!"
Saying sorry is killing me.
No matter what, we cannot fall behind the young people.
And they are young people living in the same time and space.
Mr. Lu was extremely unwilling to accept the thought of losing to Yang Ji, Chen Zhuangshi and others.
Isn’t it Xiliang? Yang Ji and his friends went there, and he went there too.
"I am willing to drive you, Your Majesty, and make a trip to the Western Regions on your behalf." Mr. Lu finally made up his mind.
He gave his all for "Celebrity Biography".
Gu Jiu smiled happily, "Thank you, Mr. Lu! Don't worry, when you return from Xiliang, you will definitely have a place in the first volume of "The Biography of Fateful People."
Mr. Lu wiped his face and said, "Your Majesty's ability to deceive people has improved! I have been prepared for a long time, but I still can't resist Your Majesty's sugar-coated bullets. Sigh..."
A sigh expresses all the sadness.
Who can resist the power of "Celebrity Biography"?
Mr. Lu can be sure that even if there was no such thing as "Biographies of Famous People" originally, the Queen Mother would have fabricated one in order to persuade him to go on the diplomatic mission to Xiliang.
Only works like "Celebrity Biographies" produced by the royal family can be recognized by the world.
If other people compile such books, they will be questioned or even become a laughing stock.
Literary men look down on each other, so how can we let others take the lead?
As a royal product, it is naturally free from all controversy.
"Mr. Lu is such a joker! I'm in the capital, and I hope you have a safe journey and success. When you return, I'll definitely host a banquet to celebrate for you!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty! For the sake of Celebrity Biography and to live up to Your Majesty's expectations, I will do my best to convince Pei Meng to accept Your Majesty's plan."
Gu Jiu was the first to go down the mountain.
Mr. Lu stayed on the top of the mountain, singing loudly, startling countless birds.
Gu Jiu heard the singing and laughed.
"Mr. Lu may be old but his heart is young. He still has ambitions in his heart. This trip is a sure thing!"
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