That Li Anlan is really capable of anything; he has absolutely no shame.
He would not easily comply with the request from others, but Lu Yafu was not only a good friend of Lin Rusong, but had also defended him on many occasions in the court. If Lu Yafu came to ask for his help, he simply could not refuse.
Why!
Lu Yafu was both amused and exasperated by the man's behavior. He shook his head helplessly and explained, "I came here of my own volition this time, and also to see an old friend. I'm afraid we won't have much time to see each other again in the future."
"What do you mean? Are you going to die?"
Lin Rusong's pupils contracted, and he couldn't help but grab Lu Yafu's arm. He was taken aback when he saw Lu Yafu's thin hands. This prime minister of Great Ning was so thin, unlike the man he had seen many years ago.
At that time, Lu Yafu was in high spirits. A scholar insisted on drinking a whole jar of wine with him and together they criticized the barbarity of the tribes. How delightful that was!
His governing policies were greatly appreciated even by the retired emperor, and it was he who enabled Great Ning to recover from the war so quickly. He was truly a great talent.
It's really unacceptable that things have turned out like this in just a few years.
Lu Yafu sighed deeply and said softly, "I won't die, but it's close enough. I'll retire to the south and live a carefree life, enjoying the beauty of the world!"
Although he held a position of great power and influence over the years, he was very unhappy.
Emperor Li Anlan was too domineering and ruthless, which made him somewhat disapproving. He felt that governing a country should not be filled with violence, as that would only bring destruction.
As a result, the emperor and his minister disagreed on political matters, making his life difficult. The emperor was constantly diminishing his power as prime minister, and he was often just a puppet. Therefore, he has decided to resign and retire.
"Grass!"
Lin Rusong immediately swore, feeling sorry for his friend; it was clear he was heartbroken.
He used to be such a spirited and ambitious person, but now all that's left is a sense of dejection, which really annoys him.
He invited, "Since you've resigned from your official post, why not come to Northern Liang? With your help, Northern Liang will surely prosper, and the people will welcome you."
Upon hearing this, the guards escorting Lu Yafu were terrified; the Prince of Northern Liang was openly poaching him.
Good heavens, that's way too ruthless!
If the Emperor finds out, he will be furious, and then none of us will be able to escape.
One by one, they couldn't help but grip the hilts of their knives, ready to snatch someone at any moment.
"Haha, thank you so much, Brother Lin!"
Lu Yafu chuckled, calmly waved his hand to indicate that they shouldn't worry, and said with a smile, "I lived the first half of my life for Great Ning, and I want to live the second half for myself and my family. From now on, I'll spend more time with my family."
Why!
Lin Rusong sighed, knowing he couldn't persuade him, and that Li Anlan probably wouldn't tolerate Lu Yafu coming.
After all, he was the prime minister of Great Ning, and his power was considerable.
True friendship is like water, pure and simple. Such a good friend can only be forgotten in the future. Li Anlan is really a jerk; he doesn't even know how to cherish such a prime minister.
Wang Ziwen, standing to the side, couldn't help but sigh. Lu Yafu and Li Anlan, one with a benevolent and the other with a domineering nature, were destined not to be together. It was just a cruel twist of fate.
After catching up for a while, he handed the imperial edict from his arms to Lin Rusong, smiling, "We're old friends, so here's the edict for you. I suppose you've already guessed the Emperor's intentions!"
Let me see!
Lin Rusong didn't pay any attention, and directly picked up the imperial edict to read it. After reading it, he threw it aside and said in a deep voice, "Old friend, we may be friends, but I don't agree to this matter!"
"Oh!"
Faced with Lin Rusong's outburst, Lu Yafu remained unmoved, calmly sipping his tea as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Holy crap!
Seeing his expression, Lin Rusong immediately flew into a rage, shouting, " Lu Yafu, you're playing this trick on me again, aren't you? Let me tell you, my Northern Liang only has 200,000 troops, and 100,000 of them went to support Xiliang earlier."
"I only have 100,000 men left. You want me to fight Tuoba Wanli? That ruthless horse breeder can't be defeated by 100,000 men."
"I won't do it!"
Damn it, they really want me to send troops, and even more so, they want me to send 200,000 troops to threaten Tuoba Wanli's base camp. What gives them the right to do that?
Didn't you only allow me to have 200,000 troops, and only provide provisions for 200,000 people? Now I only have 100,000 left. What's the point of fighting?
Lu Yafu wasn't surprised at all by Lin Rusong's outburst. He calmly glanced at him and smiled, "Alright, just tell me your demands!"
Haha, you really know me!
Lin Rusong couldn't help but burst into laughter, his anger vanishing instantly, replaced by a knowing look.
Lu Yafu rolled his eyes at him and said irritably, "You're like a dog, you turn on me in an instant. I only flicked your son once, and you beat him into a pig's head. I haven't even settled the score with you yet."
"Haha, that's all because I dote on my nephew."
Lin Rusong chuckled dryly and said awkwardly, " Old Lu, since we're on good terms, I won't lie to you. You all know the current situation in Northern Liang. It's so poor it's like a ghost town. My soldiers have no food, and their weapons and equipment are all broken..."
"I'll give you enough food for 300,000 troops for half a year. As for weapons and equipment, I can only give you 100,000. I can also promote your son and let him enter the imperial court." Lu Yafu stated his conditions directly and said in a deep voice.
Lin Rusong shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice, "I can barely accept the first two, but I disagree with the last one. My son won't let those old foxes bully him. Xiliang is quite good. This alone is not enough; the military pay must also be made up."
"Make a deal!"
Lu Yafu nodded, finalizing the deal, and said in a deep voice, "The items are all here; you can retrieve them yourselves. As for the weapons and equipment, they will be delivered later. Old friend, take care of yourself!"
After saying that, he turned and left without the slightest hesitation.
After seeing him leave, the guards were all dumbfounded. After hesitating for a moment, they finally followed him.
Pooh!
Lin Rusong spat at Lu Yafu's retreating figure and said irritably, "What kind of friend is he? He actually tried to scheme against my son's promotion. He clearly wanted to lure him to the capital as a hostage."
That old man has absolutely no sense of loyalty.
Wang Ziwen sighed and said softly, " Lu Yafu was a rare good official, but unfortunately his benevolent rule was destined to clash with Li Anlan's domineering approach, so he could only withdraw from the political stage in disappointment!"
As for his scheme, it was destined to fail; it should just serve as a reminder.
Lin Rusong sighed, picked up the paper in his hand, and couldn't help but chuckle. It turned out that it was all Ran Zijin's property, which had now been given to him by the imperial court.