Zhong Chengmin served as an official here all by himself. He lived in the backyard of the government office with an old servant and two maids who did the cooking and laundry. His wife and children were all in their hometown. It was said that this was because his son wanted to study, and there were no good teachers in Lüzhou.
Early in the morning, Zhong Chengmin, leaning on a cane and accompanied by his old servant, walked to the gate of Zheng Boyuan's courtyard. Zheng Boyuan heard the gatekeeper say and came out quickly. When he saw Zhong Chengmin's appearance, he was startled and said, "Lord Zhong, what's wrong with you?"
As he spoke, he helped Zhong Chengmin into the courtyard. Zhong Chengmin looked distressed and said, "Lord Zheng, Lord Zheng, I am too old to follow you and Lord Xu into the mountains. I know that you two are doing this for the good of Luzhou. Please do as you please, and I promise to cooperate fully, okay?"
Zheng Boyuan said somewhat embarrassedly, "Lord Zhong, look at what you're saying. You are the prefect who governs this region. How could I, a mere fifth-rank general, possibly have the authority to command you? Lord Zhong, we are all paid by the emperor and should serve him faithfully. We are all receiving the emperor's salary, so naturally we should share his burdens. We are not building this road for ourselves, but for the entire Lüzhou and for our Great Liang. This matter has such important historical significance. I hope you can overcome your embarrassment, Lord Zhong."
Zhong Chengmin waved his hand repeatedly and said, "Lord Zheng, I am already over fifty years old. All I ask for is peace and stability. Since you and Lord Xu are helping to devise strategies and secure funds from the court to repair the road, I can only give my full support and cooperate to the best of my ability. Rest assured, I guarantee here that I will do my best to cooperate wherever I am needed, okay?"
Zheng Boyuan could only nod reluctantly and invite Zhong Chengmin to have breakfast in the inner courtyard. Zhong Chengmin was in no mood to eat breakfast and just wanted to go home and lie down to rest his creaking old bones.
After seeing Zhong Chengmin off, Zheng Boyuan went back to have breakfast. Xu Di, having heard about what was happening outside, smiled and said, "I was wondering why you insisted that I bring this Lord Zhong along. So that's why."
Zheng Boyuan nodded and said, "This Lord Zhong is a man who governs by doing nothing. The reason why Luzhou hasn't had any major troubles in recent years is simply because it's close to those steep cliffs along the border river. I've seen him clearly since I came here. He doesn't seek merit but only to avoid mistakes. If I don't subdue him this time, what if he insists on taking advantage of any benefits during the road construction?"
Xu Di took a sip of the fragrant and sticky millet porridge, nodded, and said, "That is indeed a good idea. However, I have inquired about this Lord Zhong at the Ministry of Personnel. He is not someone who likes to stand out from the crowd. He is too timid and, being in a poor place like Luzhou, he has no one to win him over. He is a fairly clean person."
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