All the heroes of the world are now in my grasp.

"Your Excellency, in my opinion, you should immediately submit a memorial to appoint Liu Yao as the Prefect of Xihe."

As soon as the words were spoken, the air in the main hall suddenly froze, making it hard to breathe.

The color drained from Zhou Bo's face instantly, leaving it deathly pale. He froze in disbelief, his eyes wide, stunned for a full moment. Then, a surge of overwhelming rage rushed to his head. He stomped his foot heavily, causing the blue bricks to tremble slightly, and strode forward, shouting sharply to stop him. His voice was filled with barely suppressed anger and grief:

"Zidan! Do not speak nonsense before the magistrate!"

His chest heaved violently, veins bulged on his forehead, and his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The disastrous defeat at Jiehekou overnight had wiped out more than half of his three thousand border troops. Countless comrades who had shared life and death with him fell beneath Liu Yao's iron cavalry and scimitars. The snow was soaked with blood, and the corpses lay strewn along the thirty-mile official road from Jiehekou to Loufan, unburied to this day. The blood feud remained unavenged, and the hatred was hard to quell.

But at this moment, Gao Zidan actually wanted Ji Guang, the governor of Bingzhou, to submit a memorial to the court to appoint the Xiongnu Chanyu who had slaughtered Bingzhou soldiers and seized key locations as the governor of Xihe!

This statement is nothing short of a fantasy, a treacherous and absurd tale of betraying one's lord, colluding with the enemy, and aiding the enemy. It is the greatest desecration of the comrades who died in battle!

"Zidan! Do you know what utterly treasonous words you're uttering?!" Zhou Bo stared intently at Gao Zidan, his voice trembling slightly with extreme rage, his eyes bloodshot and filled with grief. "Liu Yao, that despicable scoundrel, took advantage of the laxity on New Year's Eve to launch a night attack on my Jiehekou camp, slaughtering my Bingzhou soldiers and seizing the throat of Bingzhou. This is an irreconcilable blood feud!"

"Instead of preparing your troops, leading them to avenge our defeat and reclaim our lost territory, you instead advise the governor to hand over the position of Prefect of Xihe and appoint this scoundrel to a government official position! How can you face the brothers of Bingzhou who lie buried in the snowy plains, their eyes wide with resentment?!"

He was the commander-in-chief of the border army guarding the northern frontier, adhering throughout his life to the principle of not yielding an inch of land and avenging blood debts. Jiehekou was the western gateway to Jinyang, and Xihe County was the shield of Jinyang's heartland. Now that the gateway had been breached and the shield lost, his heart was filled with the obsession to recover the lost territory and avenge his grievances, leaving no room for compromise or retreat. To give the position of prefect to his enemy was a humiliation he could never accept in his entire life.

Just as Zhou Bo was furious and speaking in a fierce tone, Ji Guang, who was in the main seat, spoke slowly, his voice calm and undisturbed.

"Zhou Bo".

The two words were spoken lightly, without a trace of anger or emotion, yet they carried the unquestionable authority of a regional governor, like a bucket of cold water that instantly extinguished Zhou Bo's anger and abruptly stopped him from saying more.

Zhou Bo abruptly stopped, a surge of resentment stuck in his throat. He turned to look at Ji Guang, his face still etched with anger and resentment. He bowed deeply, his voice hoarse: "My lord, he is... utterly foolish, undermining the morale of the army!"

"I heard everything clearly." Ji Guang calmly raised his hand, interrupting his explanation. His gaze remained fixed on Gao Zidan, his eyes filled not with reproach or displeasure, but with intense interest and scrutiny. "Zidan dares to utter such earth-shattering words at this time; he must have considered everything thoroughly and understood the reasons clearly. As a general, you are of a fiery temperament, but you should calm down, listen to his words first, and then discuss his faults. Why be so hasty in your anger?"

Having said that, he looked at Gao Zidan, nodded slightly, and said in a gentle tone with an undeniable expectation: "Zidan, please speak freely. I would like to hear for myself what profound meaning lies behind your strong advocacy for appointing Liu Yao as the Prefect of Xihe."

Gao Zidan bowed deeply and paid his respects to Ji Guang. He had just recovered from a serious illness, and his figure was still weak and thin, with a pale face. However, when he met Ji Guang's deep scrutiny and Zhou Bo's furious gaze, he showed no panic or retreat. His posture was upright and his mind was firm.

He calmed his breathing, his tone steady yet firm, his logic meticulous and his points clear, and he slowly began to speak:

"Your Excellency, I dare to speak out, not out of momentary folly, nor out of collusion with the enemy or personal gain, nor out of forgetting the greater good of the nation. Rather, considering the overall situation in Bingzhou and weighing the pros and cons of this chaotic world, a forceful attack on Liu Yao and the recapture of Xihe would bring three harms and be a losing proposition; while appointing him as the governor of Xihe would be a way to leverage his power and control him, and would bring three benefits, making it a sure win."

"The advantages and disadvantages are vastly different, and the superiority is immediately apparent. I urge Your Excellency Rong Zidan to explain each point clearly and analyze it in detail."

Ji Guang leaned forward slightly, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, signaling him to continue. Zhou Bo, though still furious and clenching his fists, suppressed his anger under Ji Guang's imposing presence. He stood to the side, holding his breath and listening intently to Gao Zidan's analysis, his eyes still filled with resistance and disbelief.

Gao Zidan took a deep breath, her gaze calm, and was the first to point out the drawbacks of a direct attack, her words hitting the nail on the head:

"The first harm is that the enemy's power has been established, and it is difficult to stop their advance. Their elite troops have been exhausted, and their foundation has been shaken."

He looked up at the two men, his tone solemn and his words resounding: "Liu Yao has already captured the Jiehekou camp, and the gates of Xihe County are completely wide open, with no natural defenses. The governor of Xihe, Xiang Xu, is a corrupt scholar, the county's defenses are weak, and the administration is decadent. He is simply powerless to resist Liu Yao's iron cavalry from the grasslands."

"At this point, Liu Yao's complete capture of Xihe County is a foregone conclusion and an unstoppable trend. If Your Excellency were to mobilize the main force of Bingzhou now to launch a large-scale siege against Liu Yao, not to mention his unparalleled bravery and invincibility among ten thousand troops, his three thousand cavalrymen are all elite warriors who have fought in the grasslands for hundreds of battles. They are fearless in their raids and killings. In the Battle of Jiehekou, Zhou Shishu personally witnessed their formidable fighting power and knows it better than anyone else."

"Even if the Bingzhou army wins by virtue of its superior numbers, it will be a Pyrrhic victory, losing most of its elite troops and suffering heavy losses. Now that the world is divided, with two emperors on the throne, war in the Central Plains is imminent, and heroes are vying for power, ushering in a chaotic era. The elite troops of Bingzhou are the foundation for your survival and your ambition to conquer the world. They should be preserved to deal with the changing times and to plan for the great cause in the Central Plains. How can they be wasted in this quagmire of Xihe, fighting to the death with Liu Yao and destroying our own Great Wall? This is the first harm, and the loss outweighs the gain."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Bo's lips moved, and he wanted to refute it several times, but the words he wanted to say ultimately turned into a heavy sigh, and he could not utter a single word.

He knew Liu Yao's fighting prowess better than anyone, and the ferocity of the Yongming cavalry. On New Year's Eve, that black-armored knight single-handedly pierced through the enemy lines, unstoppable, even suffering a severe wound from a single spear thrust himself, causing the collapse of three thousand border troops overnight. Now, even if they launched a full-scale attack with all of Bingzhou's main forces, even if they won, they would pay a heavy price. In chaotic times, military might reigns supreme, and Bingzhou truly could not afford to waste its resources, nor could it afford to lose.

Seeing Zhou Bo's expression relax, Gao Zidan continued in a deep voice:

"The second problem is that the Hu cavalry can launch surprise attacks without leaving a trace. It is difficult to annihilate them if we win, and if we lose, we will be passive and jeopardize the overall situation."

"Liu Yao's troops are all light cavalry from the grasslands, skilled in long-distance raids and guerrilla warfare. When they win, they advance deep into the grasslands; when they lose, they flee thousands of miles away. They never engage in direct combat with the main infantry force, and their mobility is unparalleled in the northern frontier. Even if we exhaust our entire army, recapture the border river mouth, and defeat Liu Yao's main force, he can still lead his remaining troops back to the depths of the grasslands, or break into smaller units and roam around the border counties, plundering and harassing the northern frontier."

"We cannot keep tens of thousands of our main force tied down in Xihe County year after year, endlessly entangled and exhausted by a roaming cavalry. Now that the world is in chaos, this is the golden time for you, my lord, to consolidate the entire territory of Bingzhou, win over the hearts of the people, accumulate funds and provisions, and strengthen your army. If our main force is tied down in Xihe, we will miss the best opportunity to compete for the Central Plains. Falling behind one step at a time will lead to falling behind step by step. This is the second harm, losing the big picture for the sake of small gains."

Ji Guang sat upright in the main seat, his slender fingertips gently tapping the rosewood table with a soothing rhythm, his eyes filled with increasingly deep approval.

As the governor of Bingzhou, a powerful and ruthless figure, his ambitions were never about the gains or losses of the border crossing, nor about the temporary victory or defeat against Liu Yao, but about the rise and fall of the entire Bingzhou, and the opportunity to seize power in this chaotic world. Gao Zidan's words hit the nail on the head regarding his core considerations, perfectly aligning with his grand ambitions, and were extremely precise.

Gao Zidan paused briefly, her tone growing increasingly heavy, as she revealed the final scourge, and the most pressing hidden danger:

"The third danger is that you should not pursue a desperate enemy. If you force them, they will surely turn against you. Even if you capture an empty city, the loss will outweigh the gain."

"Both the magistrate and Uncle Zhou are well aware of the ways in which the grassland tribes operate. When cornered, they will fight to the death. If Liu Yao is driven to a dead end with no way to retreat, he will surely make a desperate gamble and plunder the entire Xihe County before withdrawing his troops, burning, killing, looting, massacring the people, burning down the city walls, leaving no one alive."

"Even if we exhaust all our military strength to reclaim Xihe County, all we will get is a ruined city, displaced people, barren fields, and a complete breakdown of all industries. We will have to appease the refugees, rebuild the city defenses, restore agriculture, and provide disaster relief. Everything will take time and money. In chaotic times, money and supplies are the army, and time is opportunity. If we spend countless manpower, resources, and wealth to get a dilapidated and empty city, and then have to station troops there year-round to guard against the tribes of the grasslands invading south again, it will be harmful in every way and bring no benefit whatsoever. This is the third harm, which is to destroy our foundation."

After the three evils finished speaking, the main hall fell into a deathly silence, with only the crackling of the charcoal fire echoing through the air.

Zhou Bo stood there, the overwhelming anger on his face gradually fading, replaced by endless complexity and silence, his eyes filled with dejection and resentment. He had to admit that Gao Zidan's three scourges were all true to the chaotic times, and all were real dilemmas that Bingzhou had to face.

As a general, he was obsessed with victory and defeat on the battlefield, with blood debts being repaid in blood, and with fighting for every inch of land. However, he was ultimately limited to the victory and defeat of his own army and failed to take a holistic view of Bingzhou or weigh the pros and cons of the chaotic world.

Ji Guang gazed at Gao Zidan's calm expression, a smile of approval playing on his lips. He spoke slowly, his voice clear and resonant: "What a brilliant analysis of the three harms! Every word is precious and hits the nail on the head. Now tell me, what are the three benefits of appointing Liu Yao as the Prefect of Xihe?"

Gao Zidan bowed respectfully, her mind calm and composed, continuing to speak clearly and calmly:

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the first advantage is turning enemies into friends, leveraging their strength to defend the border, ensuring the safety of the northern frontier, and uniting the elite troops."

"Liu Yao is brave and knowledgeable in military affairs, and his cavalry is elite. Such a fierce general is not to be kept as an enemy, as we would be on guard against him day and night, and it would be difficult for us to eat or sleep. It would be better to appoint him as a subject, use his strength to control him, and make him an ironclad barrier for the northern border of Bingzhou. Appoint him as the governor of Xihe, give him a title from the court, and let him rightfully take charge of Xihe. He will then fight to the death to defend the northern border in order to protect his own foundation."

"His defense of Xihe is a hundred or a thousand times better than Xiang Xu's. As for Li Longji of Yunzhou, even though the two sides have a non-aggression pact, we can still guard against his betrayal and southward advance; the western border can defend against the various tribes of the Shuozhou grasslands, preventing foreign cavalry from raiding and harassing the south. In this way, Bingzhou will have one less major threat and one more powerful shield. There will be no need to station heavy troops along the long defense line of Xihe. We can gather all the elite troops in the entire territory and concentrate our forces to deal with the changes in the Central Plains and plan for a great cause. This is the first advantage, consolidating the foundation and strengthening the source."

Zhou Bo frowned slightly, but ultimately did not utter a rebuttal.

Having guarded the northern frontier for over a decade, he knew best the difficulties of border defense. Xihe was vast and sparsely populated, with a long defensive line; even if lost territory were recovered, troops would have to be stationed there year-round, constantly on the move. If Liu Yao could genuinely defend the northern border for Bingzhou, it would indeed save countless troops and energy, relieving the northern frontier of its worries.

Gao Zidan's eyes were clear as she continued:

"The second benefit is to maintain a proper reputation and business, ensure peace and security for the people, preserve the foundation, and have no worries about the future."

"Once Liu Yao obtains the official title of Prefect of Xihe, he will regard Xihe as his lifelong career and the foundation of his rule. He wants to establish himself in Xihe for a long time, to change from nomadic to settled, to win over the hearts of the people, to collect taxes, to accumulate grain and fodder, and to consolidate his foundation. He will never tolerate his people plundering at will again. Instead, he will strictly enforce military orders, restrain his people, appease the people, manage the people's livelihood, and allow them to recuperate."

"With Liu Yao's wisdom and shrewdness, he would never do something as foolish as killing the goose that lays the golden eggs or draining the pond to catch all the fish. In this way, the people of Xihe can be spared from the ravages of war and slaughter, the city walls and fields can be preserved, agriculture and commerce can continue, and the fundamental vitality of Xihe will not be damaged. Even if the situation changes in the future and Bingzhou reclaims Xihe, what it will gain will not be a dilapidated and empty city, but a complete county with stable people, sufficient food and supplies, and intact vitality. This is the second benefit: preserving people's livelihood."

Ji Guang's smile deepened, and he couldn't help but nod slightly, full of approval.

In chaotic times of war, land is the foundation, and the people are the core. Too many border generals only know how to conquer cities and seize territory, but they don't know how to protect people's livelihoods. They gain land but lose the hearts of the people, possessing territory but no foundation, and ultimately cannot last. Gao Zidan is young and promising, yet he can see through this fundamental point, balancing power struggles with people's livelihoods. His vision is far beyond that of ordinary people.

Gao Zidan took a deep breath and revealed the final advantage, which was also the most insidious and unsolvable open scheme:

"The third benefit is that wealth and honor corrupt one's will, gentleness erodes one's spirit, one subdues others without fighting, and one eliminates future troubles forever."

"Although Liu Yao was a hero of a chaotic era, brave and resourceful, and ambitious, he was ultimately born on the grasslands and spent half his life trapped in the harsh and cold mountains. He had never seen the grandeur of the Central Plains, never enjoyed the wealth and gentleness of a noble family, and never indulged in the pleasures of the mundane world. After the magistrate appointed him as the governor of Xihe and granted him a legitimate title, he continuously showered him with fine wines and delicacies, beautiful women, gold and jade, and brocade and silk, satisfying all his desires."

"Heroes throughout history have all succumbed to the allure of beautiful women and the erosion of wealth and power. No matter how valiant and ambitious you may be, you are ultimately made of flesh and blood. You are most easily worn down by the gentle comforts and riches, your sharp edges worn away, your ambitions extinguished, and you become addicted to pleasure. In the long run, the once mighty hero who roamed the grasslands and aspired to rule the world will eventually become a pleasure-loving, unambitious ruler who has lost all his sharpness and ambition. He will no longer be a threat to Bingzhou, nor will he be able to contend for the Central Plains."

"Compared to the battlefield, where thousands of comrades' lives, vast amounts of money, food, and troops are sacrificed to defeat and kill them head-on, it is far more cost-effective, risk-free, and highly effective to erode their will with wealth and gentleness, and to seize their lifeline with empty titles and positions of power. This is the best strategy to subdue the enemy without fighting. This is the third advantage: to eliminate future troubles forever."

After Sanli finished speaking, the main hall fell into an endless silence once again.

This time, Zhou Bo fell completely silent, speechless. He stared blankly at Gao Zidan, his face filled with shock and complex emotions, unable to utter a single word in rebuttal.

He was a general whose thoughts and intentions revolved around battlefield slaughter and bloodshed; while Gao Zidan's thoughts and schemes concerned the overall situation of Bingzhou, the rise and fall of a chaotic world, and the imperial mindset of winning without fighting through open strategies. Their vision and perspective were worlds apart.

Just then, Ji Guang, who was seated in the main seat, suddenly clapped his hands and laughed heartily. His laughter was so unrestrained that it echoed throughout the main hall, drowning out the crackling of the charcoal fire. It was full of appreciation and pleasure.

"Excellent! What a brilliant explanation of three harms and three benefits! Well said! Thoroughly explained! Exquisitely stated!"

Ji Guang smiled at Zhou Bo, his tone carrying a hint of advice and a touch of regret: "Zhou Bo, you have followed me for many years, a skilled warrior, and the bravest in the army. But in the end, you are just a general, your vision confined to the battlefield, your obsession limited to victory and defeat."

He then turned to look at Gao Zidan, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration and high praise, his tone solemn, each word carrying immense weight:

"And you, Zidan, are a young and talented person with a broad vision, a keen eye for the big picture, and a deep understanding of human nature. You can see through the advantages and disadvantages of a chaotic world and have the ability to control people's hearts and minds. At such a young age, you have such vision, such a perspective, and such shrewdness."

"Given time, you will surely become a kingly advisor, capable of ruling the world, securing peace and stability, and assisting a great ruler in achieving hegemony!"