God Three Group Chat: Three Kingdoms

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As a commander in many wars, Liu Tong naturally accumulated a considerable number of military merits, but due to the special nature of his status and position, he did not need to be rewarded or accumulated.

However, as the commander-in-chief, Liu Tong naturally had the right and authority to distribute his own merits.

Even if Liu Tong doesn't take the initiative to assign tasks, everyone else has to accept this.

As members of Liu Tong's guard, they naturally inherited some of the credit, since protecting the commander on the battlefield was itself a merit.

Therefore, by leveraging this part of their achievements and once they meet the basic requirements, becoming a centurion is still not a problem.

However, with so many people involved, this arrangement and setup carried more political and stability significance, while the military merits that followed seemed less obvious.

With a large number of people voluntarily retiring from the military, the vacancies left behind do not necessarily mean that enough replacements can be found in a short period of time.

Those with military merits will be given priority; otherwise, they will have to be considered based on seniority.

“Then we can only choose to fill vacancies based on seniority. However, such a large-scale selection process might affect the morale of Chang’an as an army.” Li You thought about the current situation and shook his head slightly.

The position of centurion candidate seems simple, but once the number of them becomes large, the problem becomes quite complex.

Although a acting centurion has the rights and responsibilities of a centurion, he is ultimately only acting. To become a full-fledged centurion, he must achieve military merit.

But how long would it take to accumulate military merits over time?

So the fastest way to get promoted is through war, and winning the war!

In the preceding years, the Han Empire did not have any large-scale wars on the surface, and there were indeed very few ways to gain military merit.

But this attack by the Yuezhi was a perfectly legitimate opportunity.

For the public good, the fact that the other side dared to assassinate Liu Tong is simply disregard for the Han Empire. It is a desecration and an insult to the Han Empire. This is intolerable!

Only through war can one accumulate military merits, achieve promotions, change the status quo, and transition from acting to official status.

“Hundreds of centurions are eager for merit, which is enough to influence many legion commanders. As a result, the legions around the capital will probably soon send in their requests to fight.” Relying on his mental talent that allows him to immerse himself in multiple perspectives, Liu Ye quickly simulated the most likely behaviors and outcomes.

Soldiers may crave glory, but don't generals also crave it?
To be ennobled and appointed as a high-ranking official—this is the lifelong pursuit of countless people.

There can only be one prime minister, and given the current situation, the difficulty is almost as high as ascending to heaven. In comparison, the difficulty of being granted a title of marquis is much lower, and it is more feasible.

"It's the same for both public and private reasons, but it doesn't align with our initial plan." Fan Qin understood the situation, but still explained the differences.

According to their initial arrangements and plans, their participation in the war against the Kushans was mainly concentrated in the southern army, namely the army led by Guan Yu.

Instead of drawing troops from the central army around the capital to suppress the rebellion.

The two armies are located in different positions and are far from the Kushan Empire. The resources they would consume would differ significantly, making it seem like a losing proposition. However, sometimes an empire cannot simply consider cost-effectiveness; it must consider many factors before making a decision.

“It is indeed inappropriate to send a large army from Chang’an to suppress and quell the rebellion, but if we do not send troops and rely solely on the southern army, it is very likely to cause public resentment…” From the perspective of facts and security, Jia Xu did not want such a thing to happen.

What if something unexpected happens if so many troops are withdrawn from Chang'an?
But if we don't mobilize the army, will the people of Chang'an agree?

Just think about how many people in Chang'an spontaneously mobilized to capture the Yuezhi people this time; the number was dozens of times that of the army.

From this perspective, Liu Tong's level of approval is definitely deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

Such excessive public support is not always a good thing, as is the case now.

The reason they are discussing these things now is essentially because they are being swayed by public opinion and are forced to make choices and judgments.

The common people supported the fight, the army was willing to fight, and powerful families were eagerly awaiting the outcome.

From a certain perspective, it can be seen as a demonstration of a nation working together.

“We were going to fight anyway, so we don’t need to worry about that aspect. What we need to consider is how to fight, what methods to use, and which officers to send.” Although he had a plan, Fan Qin still brought up these questions.

As the commander of the southern army, Guan Yu naturally had a significant say in the previous decision-making process.

But now that the situation has changed, should Guan Yu still be allowed to take the lead?
Whether judging from his battle record or battlefield performance, it's questionable whether Guan Yu's current abilities and achievements rank him among the top five in the Han Empire.

Because of his special status, no one would object in the past unless there were major accidents. But now that such an accident has occurred, let alone Guan Yu, even if Huangfu Song were to go into battle, it would be impossible.

Huangfu Song would probably be happy to set off with the coffin, without any resistance whatsoever.

In other words, the current situation dictates that any skilled commander could lead an army to suppress and subjugate the Kushans.

“Since that’s the plan, let’s proceed accordingly. This will be much more stable. As for the issue of public sentiment in various regions, we’ll discuss it with His Highness later to see if we can take the guards out to demonstrate the Empire’s will…” After a moment’s thought, Chen Xi decided to go with the flow and achieve a result that would satisfy many people.

It would be a waste to bring together so many centurions for use.

However, if this matter is compared with that of an empire, the waste in the former is within an acceptable range.

"Should we send the guards out? Are they capable of accomplishing such a task?" Liu Ye thought about the army that was frequently defeated, and his words still carried some unease.

If this legion represents the Han Empire in battle and fails to demonstrate the necessary combat power and deterrent effect, or achieve the expected results, it would likely become a laughing stock.

“If, under such circumstances, carrying such a burden still doesn’t bring about any change, then dismantling the other party is the best option. Even His Majesty would agree to this choice. This would be a good thing for the guards, the country, and everyone present.” Li You spoke without a trace of sympathy, directly stating the reality.

(End of this chapter)