whom Lu enjoyed a friendly relationship), and Zheng, opposing the proposal, argued so vehemently that Lu threw an inkstone on the ground, breaking it. When Emperor Xizong heard about this, he commented, "When the great officials curse each other like this, how can they govern the other officials?" As a result, both Zheng and Lu were removed from their chancellor posts and given the entirely-honorary titles as advisors to the Crown Prince (there being no crown prince at the time), and they were both further sent to the eastern capital Luoyang. They were replaced with Doulu Zhuan and Cui Hang. Between chancellorships Lu Xie was soon recalled to the imperial government to serve as minister of defense (兵部尚書, Bingbu Shangshu). By late 879, Gao Pian, who was then the military Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), had sent his officer Zhang Lin (張璘) to attack Huang and was having repeated victories. As a result, Lu, who had previously recommended Gao to be the overall commander of the operations against Huang, was in imperial favor again. He was thus made Menxia Shilang (門下侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng), and chancellor again with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi. Second chancellorship Lu Xie replaced many generals that Wang Duo (who had been removed after his own defeat in the campaign against Huang Chao in 879) and Zheng Tian had placed in various circuits against Huang. Under his advice, Emperor Xizong also made Gao Pian the overall commander of the operations against Huang. Gao gathered 70,000 soldiers, and at that time, the imperial government was confident that Gao could suppress Huang's rebellion, although some imperial officials had their reservations. Lu, having good relations with Gao and the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi, was thus able to control the imperial governance. In summer 880, Lu suffered a stroke and became unable to walk. He subsequently recovered slightly such that he could meet with Emperor Xizong with some physical assistance, and Emperor Xizong ordered that he be exempted from bowing to the emperor. Despite his illness, because of Lu's relationships with Tian and Gao, he continued to be the lead figure at court. However, as the illness rendered him unable to concentrate on matters of state, his assistants Yang Wen (楊溫) and Li Xiu (李修) made many decisions on his behalf, and Yang and Li Xiu publicly received bribes.