Are you crazy? Trying to trick him into military service? He's the number one dragon on the fro

County office.

After leaving Tingfeng Tower, Lu Xiao headed straight for this place.

With Zhou Kang's token, he was quickly led into the hall by a clerk to meet the prefect.

The two locked eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then he lifted his robe and bowed deeply.

"Your subordinate, Lu Xiao, greets Your Excellency the Prefect!"

"Commander Lu, no need for formalities, please come forward and take a seat!"

Prefect Huang Chongshan immediately stood up with a smile and invited him to sit down to the side.

This man was about forty years old, with a plump appearance. Years of pampered life had given him an air of nobility.

He looked at Lu Xiao with a smile:

"Commander Lu, ever since you came to the capital to meet the Emperor, I knew that we would meet one day. After all, we are both students of the Prime Minister, and we will surely have a lot to talk about in the future."

"Have you come here in need of my assistance?"

Hearing this, Lu Xiao felt relieved, thinking to himself that there are indeed no secrets in the world.

As soon as he returned to Yuyang County, the other party learned about some of his experiences in the capital.

However, this makes the following discussion easier.

He nodded and responded with a smile:

"As expected, my lord is a man of uncanny foresight."

"I have come here today to ask the Prefect for permission to recruit soldiers in the prefecture. The source of the soldiers will be the refugees who keep coming in."

"Lord Huang, if you agree, the soldiers of the White Wolf Outpost, the people of Yuyang County, and even the entire Great Zhou will likely hold you in the highest esteem!"

Lu Xiao directly brought up the matter of the nation and its people:

"As long as our troops are strong and well-equipped, my White Wolf outpost guarantees that we will not allow the Hu people to advance even half a step south."

"At that time, the Yuyang County under your rule will be prosperous and peaceful, which will be a great achievement for you."

Upon hearing this, the enthusiasm in Huang Chongshan's eyes faded somewhat.

He originally thought Lu Xiao would bring some gifts to pay his respects, but he never expected that the other party would only want to get things done with his words.

This made him slightly displeased.

However, it's a good thing that someone can share the burden of the displaced people.

After a moment's thought, Huang Chongshan said with a smile:

"Commander Lu truly possesses a heart devoted to the country and its people, and I deeply admire him for this."

"Before you came, I was worried about how to resettle the refugees, because our Yuyang County suffered a severe drought this year, resulting in a significant reduction in grain production, and the county government did not have enough money or grain to feed the refugees."

"You've truly saved me from my dire straits!"

Given his connection with Zhou Kang, it was only natural that he agreed to help.

Lu Xiao wasn't surprised by this, and he understood the other party's refusal to pay, so he smiled.

"Lord Huang, you flatter me. I am just like you, unable to bear the suffering of the people, which is why I am sharing your burden."

"My lord, I heard that the imperial court is about to begin this year's evaluation of officials?"

His face was full of curiosity:

"I've heard that whether a local official can be rated as excellent depends on many factors, the most important of which seems to be people's livelihood?"

"Does Your Excellency have a good plan?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Chongshan shook his head with a bitter face:

"If it weren't for this severe drought, I would certainly have been awarded an honorary title, but unfortunately, this happened... It's truly..."

"Sigh, let's not talk about this anymore."

He pushed the teacup towards Lu Xiao, smiling as he gestured for him to try it.

"I've heard you get along very well with General Long, the Commandant of the Prefecture. Why don't you ask him for help in recruiting soldiers?"

The ball was kicked back and forth between the two players, never touching the ground.

Lu Xiao briefly analyzed their conversation and realized that Long Gui and Fan Changxin were right; Huang Chongshan was indeed very stingy when it came to money.

However, he also gleaned another meaning from the other person's words—

If Long Gui could help gather those refugees, it would undoubtedly be beneficial to Huang Chongshan.

After all, with fewer refugees, his job will be easier to manage.

However, due to the disagreements between the two sides, it is almost impossible to reach an agreement on this matter.

Thinking of this, Lu Xiao slightly modified his prepared remarks and instead smiled:

"Lord Huang may not know this, but General Long's county garrison camp is already overflowing with people. There's no room for more now, so your subordinates are too embarrassed to ask General Long for help."

"My lord, actually, the more refugees there are, the better it will be for your evaluation."

"Oh?"

Huang Chongshan was taken aback, not understanding what the kid meant.

Lu Xiao quickly leaned forward:

"My lord, think about it. This year, it's not just our Yuyang County that's suffering from a severe drought; people in other counties have also been displaced as a result."

"According to past practice, officials of all ranks would set up soup kitchens so that people could have a place to stay and then gradually consume the food."

"Our Yuyang County is not wealthy to begin with. If we follow the usual practices, we will probably be dragged down in no time."

Huang Chongshan was fully aware of this situation and felt particularly distressed about it.

Because for every extra mouthful of refugees, he loses a penny.

So he asked curiously:

"So, Commander Lu has a solution?"

"Just an idea..."

Lu Xiao said that if the refugees were directly removed from the county seat, Huang Chongshan could then report to his superiors that there were very few refugees in Yuyang County.

This standard proves that he, the prefect, is skilled in governing the region.

Secondly, once the refugees were registered in the army, the county government no longer needed to allocate grain to feed them, thus saving a large amount of money and grain.

Upon hearing this, Huang Chongshan stroked his beardless chin thoughtfully, and after a moment nodded earnestly:

"What Commander Lu said makes sense. I will send someone to assist you in recruiting soldiers shortly."

"Thank you, sir!"

Having achieved his initial goal, Lu Xiao quickly expressed his gratitude and then patiently guided Lu Xiao:

"If you can achieve political success in Yuyang County, you will be qualified to compete with your classmates, and the Prime Minister will praise you even more for that."

"However, does Your Excellency merely wish to make an appearance before the Prime Minister?"

"Oh?"

What does this mean?

Huang Chongshan was puzzled, thinking to himself that he had done a much better job than other officials in resettling the refugees.

Moreover, he really couldn't think of any other way.

This kid has some really ingenious ideas?

Lu Xiao smiled and said:

"If you, sir, could use some of your own money and grain to settle the refugees, then the money could be used for a long-term solution."

"impossible!"

"Absolutely impossible!"

Upon hearing that Lu Xiao was after money, Huang Chongshan refused without hesitation and even suggested that Lu Xiao see him out.

He only made time to meet them because they both had a mentor, but he didn't expect the boy to be so heartless. He shouldn't have met him today.

Lu Xiao wasn't annoyed. Instead, he leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said urgently:

"My lord, please don't be hasty. Let me explain the ins and outs of this matter before you decide."

"It won't take you much time anyway!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Chongshan's face showed obvious impatience:

"I'll give you the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. If you can't explain yourself, then get back to your White Wolf outpost immediately, and never see you again!"