Chapter 409: Zhang Ran's Dilemma
Chapter 409: Zhang Ran's Dilemma
September 25, 2017
In the residence of Zhang Ran in Luoyang, the eunuch who should have been attending to Emperor Ling in the palace sat in the reception hall with a discontented expression, surrounded by a dozen fully armed guards.
Today was the first time Zhang Ran had returned home after the assassination attempt, specifically to meet the person in front of him.
The man bowed slightly to Zhang Ran, "Student Xin Ping, the magistrate of Qiangyin County, pays his respects to Minister Zhang."
Indeed, the person who had brought Zhang Ran out of the palace was none other than Xin Ping, a subordinate of Lu HaiKong.
"Speak, you've come all the way from Bingzhou, what is it that you must see me for?" Zhang Ran's expression was complex, as if he had hesitated for a long time before finally speaking impatiently.
Ever since the assassination attempt, Zhang Ran had felt uneasy about places outside the palace and was reluctant to linger outside. If it weren't for Xin Ping's almost threatening attitude, Zhang Ran wouldn't have come out.
However, aside from this uneasiness, it was evident that Zhang Ran also felt a sense of unease towards Xin Ping, or more precisely, towards Lu HaiKong, who was behind Xin Ping. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come out at this time.
Xin Ping glanced at the guards around Zhang Ran and then looked at Zhang Ran, the meaning was clear without words.
After a moment of silence and hesitation, Zhang Ran waved his hand, "All of you, get out and guard the outside. No one is to enter or leave without my orders!"
The attendants bowed respectfully and left, leaving only a seemingly effeminate eunuch by Zhang Ran's side.
"Now you can speak."
Xin Ping bowed to Zhang Ran, "Minister Zhang probably doesn't know yet. A day ago, the Uhuang and Xianbei tribes simultaneously rebelled, raising an army of several hundred thousand to attack Wuyuan Prefecture. Currently, Wuyuan Prefecture is most likely on the verge of falling."
"What?" Zhang Ran was startled by the news. The world was already filled with the smoke of war, and now the Uhuang and Xianbei tribes had also rebelled.
However, Zhang Ran quickly realized something. Wasn't Wuyuan Prefecture the territory that had been seized from Lu HaiKong by Ding Yuan? And even if Bingzhou was close to Luoyang, it would still take several days to travel there. How could this person already know about the rebellion that had occurred just yesterday? The implications of this were terrifying!
"Did you do this? And didn't you also do the incident in Jiuyuan County? You have quite the nerve!" Zhang Ran slammed the table in anger.
Facing Zhang Ran's fury, Xin Ping remained calm, "Look at you, this is all because Ding Yuan was too greedy. Within a year, he killed tens of thousands of people, stole their money, horses, and countless livestock. The people couldn't bear it anymore, so they rebelled. What does this have to do with us?"
At this point, Xin Ping paused and looked at Zhang Ran with a hint of playfulness, "Furthermore, even if we did this, so what?"
"How dare you! You have quite the nerve!" Zhang Ran slammed the table and shouted, "Do you believe I'll have you torn apart by five horses right now?"
Xin Ping's face remained calm, "I believe it, but what good will it do you? Doing this will only infuriate my lord and bring you no benefit."
"Nonsense, would I be afraid of a mere county magistrate from a bandit stronghold?" Zhang Ran scoffed.
"No, no, no, Minister Zhang, you're mistaken. My lord is not the magistrate of Qiangyin County, he is the governor of Bingzhou!" Xin Ping's eyes flashed with determination.
"He's the governor? That's absurd! How could I not know about this?"
As Zhang Ran spoke, he looked at Xin Ping, who was calm as ever, and suddenly a flash of realization struck him, and he understood the true meaning behind Xin Ping's words.
At this moment, Zhang Ran finally understood why this scholar had sought him out. The scholar, or perhaps Lu HaiKong himself in Bingzhou, had an appetite far greater than Zhang Ran had anticipated, as he directly demanded a governorship.
(End of Chapter 409)
"The Governor of Bingzhou? That's a joke! What makes him qualified for the position?" Upon understanding Lu HaiKong's intentions, Zhang Ran no longer felt angry and fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"What makes him qualified? It's because the former governor, Ding Yuan, was incompetent and unworthy. He failed to govern and instead incited a rebellion, plunging Bingzhou into chaos. It's because my master, with the combined might of Yunzhong, Dingxiang, and Yanmen, saved tens of thousands of refugees, successfully resisted the Yellow Turban rebels, and most importantly, it's because of your recommendation, Minister Zhang!"
Xin Ping's words carried a significant amount of information and an implicit threat, causing Zhang Ran to fall silent for a long time.
This was the first time Zhang Ran truly engaged with Lu HaiKong, or rather, with Lu HaiKong's faction. Previously, they had communicated through Zhang Li or the minor eunuch.
Initially, Zhang Ran completely disregarded Lu HaiKong, considering him nothing more than a borderland bandit.
He merely wanted to strike at He Jin, and since Lu HaiKong had excellent gold-gathering abilities, Zhang Ran casually pulled him into his plans.
After that, Zhang Ran didn't pay much attention to Lu HaiKong. It wasn't until Lu HaiKong sent a list through Zhang Li, detailing the expenses of Qiangyin for over a month, that Zhang Ran truly understood Lu HaiKong's gold-gathering abilities. That's why he helped Lu HaiKong take over Zhang Yi.
Originally, Zhang Ran thought it would be challenging to take over Zhang Yi, but unexpectedly, He Jin not only didn't obstruct them but also pushed for it, directly removing Zhang Yi and installing Ding Yuan as the Governor of Bingzhou.
In the 169th book, there's a mistake!
Of course, He Jin's actions weren't important; what mattered was the following months, during which Lu HaiKong demonstrated exceptional gold-gathering abilities. In just a few months, he brought Zhang Ran tens of thousands in profits, but unfortunately, Ding Yuan suppressed him, and Lu HaiKong's gold-gathering abilities vanished.
Initially, Zhang Ran thought Lu HaiKong had completely collapsed, so he wanted to discard him. But when he seriously considered the situation, he realized that Lu HaiKong wasn't as easy to deal with as he had imagined, and for the first time, he understood that Lu HaiKong wasn't just a pawn he could pick up and throw away as he pleased.
Soon after, Zhang Ran encountered an assassination attempt, and the Yellow Turban Rebellion erupted. Lu HaiKong's men directly sought him out. When this man, whose words were filled with aggression, stood before him, Zhang Ran realized that he, too, had become a pawn in someone else's game.
This made Zhang Ran furious, but the most important thing at that moment wasn't anger; it was the realization that he now found himself in a difficult situation.
After much contemplation, Zhang Ran finally looked up at Xin Ping and said, "It's absolutely impossible for him to become the Governor of Bingzhou. His background is too humble. No matter what I do, I can't possibly elevate him to that position. The most I can do is recommend him for the position of a prefect."
It was clear that Zhang Ran had compromised, but this compromise didn't satisfy Xin Ping.
"I'm sorry, Minister Zhang, but my master's primary request is for the governorship of Bingzhou. A prefect is simply not enough for my master to bring back."
Zhang Ran didn't expect that even after he had compromised, the other party remained unyielding. He flew into a rage, "That's impossible! You need to understand his identity. He's just a bandit. If not for me, he would've been wiped out long ago..."
"Minister Zhang, there's something I must remind you of," Xin Ping suddenly spoke up, interrupting Zhang Ran.
"I'm sorry for not explaining clearly earlier. Before coming, my master told me that this time, we're not here to discuss anything..."
"This is an order!"
Chapter end
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