Lu Bu and Zhang Liao sat together, venting grievances on behalf of the beleaguered Bingzhou army, while cursing Dong Zhuo for his wolfish ambitions and wishing him a miserable death.
Fortunately, they had the sense to keep their voices low. Had they shouted loud enough for the servants sweeping the courtyard to hear, within half an hour the Xiangguo himself would have personally led troops to surround the General's residence.
Xun Ye shook his head with an inscrutable expression, pretending to hold a feather fan in his hand, adapting to his role with remarkable speed.
It wasn't that he had any issue with the guards and servants of the residence, but judging by the situation General Lü had presented, the General's residence was most likely a sieve.
Neither of the two men was particularly cultured, and their cursing went around in circles with the same few phrases. After listening for a while, Xun Ye turned his attention away and shifted to conversing with Gao Shun instead.
Regardless of whether the work suited his preferences, one must maintain a serious attitude. If one is to be a Zhubu, one should act like a Zhubu. Not having officially assumed the post didn't stop him from familiarizing himself with the situation in advance.
If General Lü wanted the good life of doing nothing but fighting battles and ignoring everything else, someone would have to bear the burden for him.
—Go get 'em, A'Jue! You're the best!
Gao Shun sat upright and proper. He was reserved when it came to casual small talk, but when it came to serious matters, he spoke with clarity and logic.
When the incident had occurred back then, it had been sudden. Their general hadn't even had the chance to truly take control of the Bingzhou army before the Xiangguo had kept him close under the pretext of "valuing" him. He had almost no troops he could actually command.
Now, they did have seven or eight thousand soldiers under their command, but their quality was questionable. Without a year or two of training, sending them to the battlefield would be sending them to their deaths.
However, whether soldiers could fight or not, they still had to eat. With troops in hand, one had to worry about provisions and supplies for the men and horses.
Military rations were personally controlled by the Xiangguo. How much was given, how little, and when it was distributed—all of it was decided by the Xiangguo's residence.
He had never had to deal with the Xiangguo's residence before because he'd had no troops, but he had seen Zhubus under other generals go to the Xiangguo's residence to negotiate.
The Liangzhou army, Dong Zhuo's direct subordinates, never had to worry about rations. Not only were their funds and grain abundant, but large rewards were frequently distributed to the soldiers.
In Luoyangcheng, the guards—the Huben, Yulin, the Five Battalions of the Northern Army, the Eight Battalions of the Western Garden—totaled around thirty thousand. Most of those soldiers were selected from the common folk and hadn't undergone proper drilling, so their combat effectiveness was lacking. The Xiangguo didn't think much of those troops either, so the Jinjun's rations were often delayed.
But the Jinjun had court ministers advocating on their behalf. They were troops directly under the Dahan emperor, the face of the court, so they wouldn't truly be left without their rations.
Looking across the entire Jingcheng, the worst-treated were still the Bingzhou army that Ding Zhi had brought to the capital.
Their general had poor relations with all of Dong Zhuo's close confidants. If nothing unexpected happened, Zhubu Xun would inevitably face harassment from the Xiangguo's residence in the days to come.
Xun Ye muttered inwardly: It's not that he has bad relations with all of Dong Zhuo's close confidants—it's that he can't stand Dong Zhuo himself along with them.
Got it. His position as Zhubu was on hell difficulty.
Gao Shun glanced at Lu Bu, who was still cursing up a storm, and lowered his voice to speak tactfully, "If Zhubu Xun needs extra hands, Shun will not refuse."
The strategists and advisors around the Xiangguo were not easy to deal with. When going to negotiate, one should bring more people to ensure personal safety. There weren't many reliable people in the General's residence, but if there was a need, he could come find him.
Xun Ye: ??
Wait, what kind of life have you people been living under Dong Zhuo? Even if the claim of "being valued by the Xiangguo" had some water in it, there should still be something real, right?
General Lü! General Lü! Use your brain and think! Dong Zhuo is this outrageous—why are you still following him?
So many people in the capital want Dong Zhuo's head. This is the perfect opportunity to abandon the dark and embrace the light. General, you're being foolish!
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General Lü was terrifyingly perceptive in certain areas. Sensing the gaze upon him, he looked over directly. "What? Is there a problem?"
"Nothing," Xun Ye shook his head. "I was just thinking about how to break this deadlock."
Lu Bu raised an eyebrow. "Then keep thinking."
He knew it—a scion of the Xun clan couldn't possibly be skilled only with swords and spears. Look at that earnest expression of deep thought, as if the next words out of his mouth would be "I have a plan to resolve the General's worries." It fully justified his decisiveness in securing the man before even meeting him.
Zhang Wenyuan has rendered great service. Come, let's have another drink.
Xun Ye: …
How to put it? He felt that the fact that General Lü couldn't get along with others wasn't entirely everyone else's fault.
Back to the main topic. Let him think about what to do with the current situation.
He knew the general direction of events, but he didn't know many of the details. He couldn't even be certain of the order in which plot points occurred. However, the sequence of three events was definitely correct: the Guandong Lianmeng raising troops to attack Dong Zhuo, Dong Zhuo relocating the capital to Chang'an, and Wang Yun persuading Lu Bu to assassinate Dong Zhuo.
His great-uncle and cousin were deeply dissatisfied with Dong Zhuo's atrocities against loyal officials. Their words hinted at eliminating Dong Zhuo to save the realm from crisis. If he guessed correctly, there were already no small number of ministers in the court plotting Dong Zhuo's removal.
Judging by Lu Bu's current attitude toward Dong Zhuo, if anyone dared to come talk to him, even without promises of high office, generous rewards, fine horses, or gold and silver, he would nod fiercely in agreement.
If that was the case, things would be much easier.
Zhubu Xun raised his wine cup and took a sip. Disliking the taste of the wine, he quietly switched to a teacup.
As a newcomer, he knew little about the court situation, and neither his grand-uncle nor his cousin would tell him much. General Lü was clearly not someone reliable, so if he wanted to know something, he would have to ask directly himself.
Dong Zhuo's relocation of the capital to Chang'an and the burning of Luoyang had reduced the area within two hundred li of Luoyang to rubble and ashes, devoid of human habitation. The longer this dragged on, the more variables would arise. He couldn't wait for Wang Yun to extend an olive branch before considering his options—that would be too passive, and it would also make General Lü's already tarnished reputation even worse.
Matters like eliminating a scourge for the nation required taking the initiative. Their General Lü, whose might shook the barbarian tribes and whose valor was unmatched, could slay the Dong Rebel anywhere without needing to pick a spot.
As Lü Bu spoke with Zhang Liao, he kept glancing sideways, afraid of disturbing the newly appointed Zhubu, Xun, who was deep in thought. He even stopped cursing Dong Zhuo, keeping his voice low as he asked, "Zhang Wenyuan, what do you think we can do to break this deadlock?"
"I don't know," Zhang Liao replied bluntly. "But I do know Ming Guang definitely has a plan."
Setting aside everything else, just looking at that undeniable strategist's bearing, one could tell their brother Ming Guang was no ordinary man.
On the battlefield, he was a dashing young general; back at the residence, he was a brilliant mastermind. No wonder he was the Xun Shi's Ming Guang who had the keen eye to recognize Wenyuan's talent—impressive in every way imaginable.
They were rough men from Bingzhou, isolated and without roots in the capital. But Ming Guang was different—if worst came to worst, he could seek help from Sikong.
Connecting with one person meant connecting with an entire clan. The Xun elders must have considered what might happen later before sending Ming Guang to the army.
By the same logic, he, Zhang Wenyuan, wasn't just a helpless, downtrodden, persecuted young commander—he could sometimes represent the entire Bingzhoujun.
There weren't many commanders of Bingzhou origin in the capital. Even if Lü Fengxian hadn't managed to rally all the troops before the old villain Dong Zhuo trapped him at his side under the pretext of "valuing" him, the soldiers of Bingzhou would still respond the moment he raised his voice.
It wasn't just the Great Clans who knew how to form alliances—they rough men who risked their lives venturing out to make their way in the world also knew how to choose what benefited them most.
At home you rely on brothers; away from home you rely on fellow townsmen. Now that Lü Bu, Lü Fengxian, held the highest official rank and title in the Bingzhoujun, the commanders of Bingzhou origin naturally followed General Lü's lead.
Being on good terms with Lü Fengxian didn't necessarily mean being friendly to the Bingzhoujun, but promoting him, Zhang Wenyuan, certainly wouldn't mean rejecting the Bingzhoujun either.
If the Xun Shi looked down on them, people of Bingzhou, they wouldn't have sent Ming Guang to the military camp to meet him in the first place. So if Ming Guang had his clan behind him, that meant all of them had a clan to rely on.
Don't worry—the Xun Shi were all far-sighted and discerning, nothing like that blind old thing Dong Zhuo.
Lü Bu nodded with exaggerated solemnity. That made sense, no problem with that logic.
When he stood guard before the old villain, most people pretended he didn't exist, and a small few avoided him like the plague, as if he, Lü Fengxian, were the same kind of brutal brute as that old thing Dong, who struck without warning.
Compared to those people, Sikong Xun, who would nod and smile at him when they met, had truly excellent judgment.
Summary: If Dong Zhuo could latch onto the Yuan Clan's thigh, they could latch onto the Xun Shi's thigh too.
The two men weren't speaking loudly, but their voices weren't so low that the person beside them couldn't hear at all. Gao Shun listened, looking like he wanted to speak but held back, then held back again. But even if he did speak, he didn't know what to say, so he just lowered his head and studied how many more sips of wine were left in his cup.
Xun Ye had given up all hope on General Lü's emotional intelligence, and it wasn't easy to explain that the Xun Shi and the Yuan Clan weren't on the same level as families. Having a clan as a backing was better than having nothing at all, and he truly did need to meet with his grand-uncle and cousin again before deciding what to do next.
Same goal of hacking Dong Zhuo to pieces, but different methods of hacking would yield completely different results.
Compared to the wild speculations of the two beside him, he was more curious whether Gao Fuyi was so embarrassed he'd dug himself a whole underwater dragon palace, hahahaha.
The first meeting was a resounding success—three of the four people present were beaming with smiles.
Zhang Liao needed to return to the military camp for training, and he also had to find a way to secretly contact the Bingzhou soldiers scattered across the various camps. After eating his fill, drinking his share, and cursing to his heart's content, he rose and left.
Xun Ye didn't leave. Because of the change in his official position, he had directly moved his residence to General Lü's estate.
Gao Shun rose silently, left silently, and then silently carried a sack full of bamboo slips needing processing to the courtyard where Zhubu Xun resided.
Mm, he lived next door.
Xun Ye rubbed his nose and let Gao Shun dump the entire sack of bamboo slips beside the writing desk.
Honest folk shouldn't be bullied.
He'd do it again next time.
It was just clerical work—he had to read books, study, and write reflections every day anyway. Swapping reading for practical application was better for sharpening one's skills.
Legend had it that the First Emperor processed two hundred jin of bamboo slips every day. A mere sack was nothing to him, the First Emperor's newly appointed fine son.
The courtyard had been cleaned out yesterday, and the study was tidied spotlessly. Zhubu Xun scooped up the bamboo slips with grand ambition, brimming with fighting spirit as he began his new work.
With a handsome father at home who loved reading, Xun Agu's academic performance was quite impressive—there was no danger of opening a bamboo slip, recognizing every character individually, but understanding nothing when they were strung together.
Gao Shun dismissed the servants and personally sorted the bamboo slips from the sack, stacking them neatly by category. When he finished and looked up, he found that a small pile of processed documents had already accumulated on the other side of the desk. He fell silent once again.
Clerical work truly required a literate man—the bamboo slips reviewed in this short span exceeded what he could get through in half a shichen.
— Farewell.
Xun Ye waved his hand, letting General Gao go about his own business. He would call someone to tidy up once he finished reviewing the military matters that needed handling.
The Bingzhoujun had been split and scattered, and Lu Bu had few trusted men by his side—all of them fellow Bingzhou men from military backgrounds. When it came to charging into battle, none were fiercer; but when it came to handling documents, they could be enraged enough to kill.
Previously, it was the good-tempered, never-refusing Gao Fuyi who barely held things together. Today, let them see what true professionalism looked like.
Dusk crept in quietly. Zhubu Xun swiftly processed all the official documents, set down his brush with satisfaction, and was just about to shake his head and sing his own praises when he looked up and nearly fainted from fright at the ghost hanging on the window.
Xun Ye clutched his pounding heart, leaning against the bookshelf as he spoke weakly, "Yifu, why didn't you announce yourself when you came?"
"Announcing myself would only delay your work." Liu Che floated down with a beaming smile. "It's only been a few days, and my little one has already become an official. The System truly chose the right person."
Xun Ye was instantly revived at full health. Even if it was his first time handling official duties, that didn't stop him from showing off in front of Apiao-die. "Being an official? A piece of cake."
Zhuzhu Bijia's smile deepened, but the System notification that followed froze the sole audience member on the spot.
[In the past, Wang Mang committed treason, and the Han mandate was interrupted. Guangwu grasped the heavenly talisman, crossed the Northern March, proclaimed his reign at Gaoyi, and established the capital at Heluo. The coalition forces east of the Pass against Dong Zhuo are mighty and formidable. Dong Zhuo intends to burn Luoyang and move the capital to Chang'an. The people of Luoyang are in imminent danger. Brave Child of Destiny, are you the savior descending from the heavens on rainbow clouds?]
Xun Ye sensed that Apiao-die was smiling with particular ill intent. He steeled himself and asked, "Yifu, isn't this mission's difficulty a bit high?"
He did want to hasten Dong Zhuo's death, but the crisis in Luoyangcheng didn't come from Dong Zhuo alone. Killing Dong Zhuo and defending Luoyang were completely different levels of difficulty, Dad.
Last time, it was just rescuing a village about to be plundered by five bandit soldiers. This time, it was directly defending a capital with a population of several hundred thousand. Did this leap in scale even make sense?
Liu Che blinked innocently. "Defending Luoyang is just a piece of cake for our little one."
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