CHAPTER 206: CHAPTER 206: LU CONG (PART 2)

Lu Cong was taken aback, and reflexively glanced at Lu Xuan.

Lu Xuan was also a bit surprised and asked, "Chen Sheren, did the Commandery Princess ask me to go along?"

Chen Jinyu smiled without changing expression, "No, she didn’t."

Lu Xuan: "..."

Getting used to losing face is just a habit. Lu Xuan quietly closed his mouth.

Lu Cong felt both excited and anxious as he stood up to follow Chen Sheren to see the Commandery Princess. Jiang Shaohua spent much of her day in the study her grandfather used when he was alive. The officials came to the study every morning for meetings.

Lu Cong stood outside the study, his heart once again racing with excitement.

Chen Jinyu went in to announce him and then led Lu Cong into the study.

In the study, besides the Commandery Princess, were Chief Historian Chen and Chief Historian Feng. The Commandery Princess was instructing the two historians, "I’ll be setting off in a couple of days to inspect the military camp and the Fourteen Counties, and plan to return in four or five months. During these months, the daily affairs of the Prince Mansion will trouble the two historians."

Chief Historian Chen handles external affairs, while Chief Historian Feng handles internal affairs! They are both used to these tasks.

"Commandery Princess, feel at ease with your inspections," Chen Zhuo said with a smile, "With the two of us here, no need to worry too much about the Prince Mansion’s matters."

Chief Historian Feng added quickly, "If there are any urgent matters, we will surely send someone to deliver a message to the Commandery Princess for her decision."

After nearly a year of working together, the two historians had developed a rapport with the Commandery Princess. They could decide on minor matters themselves, but matters concerning the Prince Mansion’s decisions or major internal affairs, or movements from the court requiring responses, had to be determined by the Commandery Princess.

Jiang Shaohua smiled and nodded, "Thank you for your hard work, historians."

Lu Cong stood judiciously to the side and waited.

Once the Commandery Princess and the two historians finished discussing official business and looked over, Lu Cong stepped forward and bowed in greeting, "Lu Cong greets the Commandery Princess."

Jiang Shaohua nodded slightly, "Take a seat and speak."

Chen Zhuo and Feng Wenming exchanged a glance and stood up together to leave.

Chen Jinyu and Ma Yaosong, the two housekeepers, did not need to avoid or leave, and stood beside the Commandery Princess. Then they heard the Commandery Princess ask Lu Cong calmly, "Are you truly willing to serve at the Prince Mansion?"

Lu Cong energized, immediately stood up and answered affirmatively.

Jiang Shaohua tugged at the corners of her lips, speaking slowly, "The court has a convention that officials who have committed crimes cannot re-enter the officialdom; since I am using you for service, it’s inevitable that rumors will affect my reputation negatively. You should be aware of this."

Lu Cong’s face showed a trace of embarrassment but he did not retreat.

In just three short years, he fell from the heights into the depths, miraculously preserving his life yet tasting the fluctuations of human kindness and the fickle world. Since he took this step, he was fully prepared to endure harassment and taunts.

"The Commandery Princess speaks true." Lu Cong naturally changed his form of address, "I made grave mistakes while in office, and the court dismissed and removed me—a lenient judgment indeed. My life was spared thanks to the Prince’s intervention. To serve and exert myself for the Prince Mansion in my remaining days, is to repay the Prince’s life-saving grace."

Truly a clever person. He worked hard behind the scenes in front of Lu Xuan, yet in her presence, didn’t mention Lu Xuan, only spoke of Prince Nanyang’s kindness that day.

Evidently, over the past half month, Lu Cong had already felt out Lu Xuan’s plight within the Prince Mansion.

Jiang Shaohua smiled slightly and suddenly asked, "Let me ask you first, about the riot caused by the unruly populace; to what extent do you feel responsible?"

Lu Cong, an old hand in officialdom, was also momentarily taken aback by the question. He thought of using his rhetoric from facing the court but before he could speak, the Commandery Princess continued, "I want you to speak the truth."

His intuition told Lu Cong that his forthcoming response would be pivotal, concerning whether he could remain at the Prince Mansion.

Lu Cong took a deep breath, scenes of the tragic events from three years ago flashed across his mind, and with a heavy and obscure heart, he spoke, "I did nothing wrong."

"The flood was a natural disaster, I had already done my utmost to provide relief, but there were too many disaster victims and the government simply couldn’t save them all. On the day the governor’s mansion was hit by the mob, I was still distributing porridge at the shelter. Suddenly, I heard the terrible news. I didn’t even have time to gather the bodies of my wife and daughter, and fled in panic..."

"When the court accused me, I felt deep grievance and sorrow with no place to express it, thus I had to bow my head in guilt to avoid dragging down the Lu Family."

"Yet in my heart, there is much injustice."

Lu Cong’s eyes turned red, his voice trembled, his eyes glistening with tears.

Chen Jinyu felt a moment of pity listening, Ma Yaosong also sighed silently.

Jiang Shaohua, listening to Lu Cong’s tragic past, remained unmoved, her words still sharp and direct, "With your mindset, it can be seen the court’s treatment of you was not unjust at all!"

Lu Cong: "..."

"As the head of a prefecture, are you unaware of the situation under your rule? Where there are rivers in the domain, they should be dredged every year to prevent floods."

"Even if the flood was unavoidable, the subsequent relief was problematic. With the manpower, resources, and wealth of a prefecture, why couldn’t one or two thousand displaced people be handled? The people lost their homes and land, had no place to shelter, nor could they fill their stomachs. Isn’t this the wrong of you, the Prefectural Governor?"

"What use is distributing porridge personally at the shelter? You’re performing to show the court, show everyone, that you are a good official. Unfortunately, the starving victims did not buy this act. All they knew was that they were about to starve and broke into wealthy households to seize food, rioted at the county government buildings—all in a bid to survive."

"The court treated you leniently. Had it been me, you would have been executed long ago."

Glistening eyes were gone from Lu Cong, replaced by beads of sweat and a flushed face. Whether unwilling and defiant, or embarrassed by the stabbing truth.

Chen Jinyu secretly drew in a sharp breath.

Ma Yaosong wore a thoughtful expression.

Jiang Shaohua’s gaze was sharp, her words increasingly incisive, "In the entire affair, the most innocent were your wife and daughter. They lost their lives because their husband and father was an inept official. As for you, I truly cannot see where any grievances lie."

Lu Cong, with a face thick as a wall, couldn’t withstand such heart-piercing words, instinctively retorting, "I dare ask the Commandery Princess, were it you, encountering such a natural disaster, how would you respond?"

"First ensure all disaster victims have homes, clothes to wear, and food to eat." Jiang Shaohua spoke mildly, "Don’t say it’s unattainable. If there’s willingness, there’s a way."

"Temples can be used for shelter, government buildings can be used for shelter, wealthy homes can also be used for shelter. Even ordinary households can accommodate a few displaced people."

"If the government stores aren’t enough, have the noble families and wealthy folks bring out their grain."

Lu Cong was left speechless again.

The Commandery Princess spoke truthfully. These are indeed methods of response. Just...

"You couldn’t achieve this." Jiang Shaohua seemed to see through all the hidden weaknesses and cowardice in Lu Cong’s heart, piercing with every sentence, "Because you come from a noble family in Fanyang, in your mind, the clan ranks above the court. You wouldn’t dare act against the wealthy, thus you could only harden your heart and allow the people to starve."