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

"Sir, you only need to provide the money; your subordinates will handle everything else!"

Lu Xiao quickly explained:

"At that time, I will submit a memorial to the court, saying that Your Excellency, out of compassion for the suffering of the people and unwilling to see them displaced, personally donated money and grain to resettle the refugees and recommended brave men to guard the frontier for the country!"

"In this way, Your Excellency can settle the refugees before other prefects do."

"His Majesty will naturally make comments and annotations on your resume when comparing you to the Prime Minister."

Upon hearing this, Huang Chongshan's expression changed slightly. After pondering for a moment, he sat back down and nodded secretly.

For them, achieving results first is also one of the advantages that influence their career path, and often the first person to catch the eye of their superiors will leave a deeper impression on them.

Seeing his unusual reaction, Lu Xiao continued his explanation:

"Secondly, once these refugees become soldiers, merchants will be able to freely travel between the Great Zhou and the Northern Hu, and trade will continue."

"Doesn't Your Excellency want to see piles of silver flowing into your hands every day?"

"snort!"

Huang Chongshan scoffed:

"I am acting out of compassion for the people's suffering!"

"Yes, yes, it was because the lord saw that the people's food and clothing were simple that he allowed the common people to trade with the Hu people on a small scale."

Lu Xiao rolled his eyes inwardly, marveling that he had never encountered a guy who loved money but didn't want to tarnish his reputation, but outwardly remained extremely obsequious:

"Furthermore, if I can strengthen my forces at the White Wolf Outpost, I can then work with you both internally and externally to ensure peace in our Yuyang County!"

"In this way, Your Excellency will have the merit of protecting the land and ensuring the safety of the people, and the Prime Minister will be able to echo you from afar in the capital, thus consolidating Your Excellency's position."

"Wouldn't your career advancement path be much smoother then?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Huang Chongshan's eyes, and surprisingly, he found the statement to be reasonable.

He looked at Lu Xiao again, wondering if this was really something a mere centurion could come up with.

Considering that his mentor had given this young man a token, Huang Chongshan's doubts dissipated somewhat, and he guessed that this might be his mentor's secret guidance.

Although Yuyang County currently has several trade routes with the Northern Hu, they are all small-scale operations. If a smoother trade route could be established at the White Wolf Outpost, the benefits would be enormous.

And then there's the career path...

After much deliberation, Huang Chongshan finally succumbed to the allure of trade and nodded in agreement.

"Therefore, while you are recruiting refugees in the county town, I will take some grain from the granary so that the refugees can be well-fed, making it easier for you to select them."

"Dispatch another batch of constables and county soldiers to the scene to maintain order and prevent a riot by the displaced people."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiao felt greatly relieved and hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting:

"Thank you very much, Prefect! Your subordinates and the people of Yuyang County are deeply grateful!"

……

At the end of noon, the people of the county town were surprised to find that the officials who had always ignored the refugees had actually begun to transport grain from the granaries and set up soup kitchens in and around the city, allowing the refugees to eat for free.

In addition, some grain shop owners also joined in.

They were shocked and couldn't understand why the miserly governor had suddenly changed his mind.

When Fan Changxin and his sister, who was disguised as a man, arrived in the east of the city to continue opening the soup kitchen, they found that Lu Xiao had already set up a stall there and was distributing soup to the refugees.

The brother and sister exchanged a glance, then quickened their pace and walked over.

"Lord Lu, you still have properties in the county town?"

Fan Changxin blurted out unconsciously, but Lu Xiao smiled and shook his head:

"How could I possibly have such great abilities?"

"All of this was a decision made by the Prefect out of compassion for the people's suffering!"

"You actually managed to persuade Prefect Huang!"

Fan Changxin was shocked for a moment. After regaining his senses, he quickly went over, grabbed the man's hand, and asked:

"May I ask, sir, how exactly did you manage to do that?"

While Lu Xiao briefly explained the situation to Fan Changxin, Fan Changrui glanced at the good man her brother had chosen for her out of the corner of her eye.

The moment she saw Lu Xiao, she realized that he was very different from the rough and tough soldiers she had imagined. He was not only not burly and foul-mouthed, but he also exuded a scholarly air about him!

In particular, the way the other party persuaded the prefect with a few words and a smile made her eyes light up.

It seems like marrying this kind of person wouldn't be bad.

It means... I'm going to become a concubine in the Lu family!

"Haha, great!"

Just as she was secretly criticizing Lu Xiao, Fan Changxin slapped his thigh and burst into laughter:

"Commander Lu truly possesses talents beyond those of ordinary people; no wonder he has earned the favor of you gentlemen!"

"But in doing so, aren't you just handing over the reputation you've already gained to the prefect?"

Fan Changxin was quite resentful about this, as it was originally the Fan family that could spread their reputation among the refugees, but now it all benefited Huang Chongshan.

He was also hoping to take this opportunity to get more people to buy things from the Fan family's shop.

Lu Xiao smiled calmly:

"Mr. Fan, whether it's the Prefect or you and me, what we're doing now is for the people of Yuyang County, and there's no conflict of interest between us."

"And you've come at the perfect time!"

He gestured with his eyes to the refugees who were arriving one after another:

"There are quite a few refugees here, and I'm afraid I can't manage them all by myself. I'd be grateful if Mr. Fan could lend a hand!"

"If Lord Lu doesn't mind, you can just call me Brother Fan!"

Fan Changxin noticed the unusual look on his younger sister's face and smiled, trying to establish a connection:

"I've taken advantage of your age."

"Brother Fan, you jest..."

The two chatted back and forth, and soon became as close as brothers.

They personally distributed porridge to the refugees at the East Gate, while a clerk transferred by Huang Chongshan from the main camp was responsible for selecting and recording suitable refugees to join the army.

As time went by, more than two hundred refugees agreed to join the army.

However, many people remained undecided, peeking around after receiving the porridge, hoping to get it again.

At this moment, a refugee mustered up his courage and stepped forward to ask:

"Sir, we have all come from afar with our families. One person joining the army can indeed solve the problem of food and clothing, but what will happen to the rest of our families?"

"yes."

"If our families still suffer from hunger and hardship after we join the army, then it's better not to join!"

"..."

In an instant, many refugees stepped forward, looking on with curiosity.

Lu Xiao quickly spread his arms to signal everyone to calm down, and then said loudly:

"Fellow countrymen, there's no need to worry, because here we follow the rule that if one person joins the army, the whole family won't go hungry. All soldiers' families will be properly taken care of!"

"Since everyone has brought this up, I'll explain in detail..."

As he explained the benefits of the newly enlisted soldiers to the refugees, Fan Changxin quietly nudged his sister's arm and whispered a question:

What do you think of Commander Lu?

"I didn't screw you over this time, did I?"

Fan Changrui immediately blushed and lowered her head, her voice several times gentler than usual:

"My brother's judgment is undoubtedly excellent!"