Emperor Zhaolie of the late Han Dynasty: Rising to power in Liaoxi

In a long conversation, he realized that Wang Lie was inferior in his knowledge of history, Liu Bei was not as capable in his overall strategy, Tian Yu was not as good in his tactics, and Xu Rong was not as good in his military formation. Cheng Pu and Han Dang watched from the sidelines with cold eyes and composed demeanor.

Xu You's arrogance was crushed by the assembled civil and military officials, and his previous conceit and pride vanished completely.

He felt his face turn red, his mind reeling, and his confidence completely shattered. He sat upright in his seat, silent and without a trace of arrogance.

Liu Bei took all of this into account and knew that the time was right.

He raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and said gently, "You have all worked hard and had a pleasant conversation today. Now, everyone should return to their duties; official business is important."

Cheng Pu and the others understood, stood up and bowed, and filed out. In a short while, only Liu Bei and Xu You remained in the main hall, and all was silent.

Liu Bei stepped down from his seat and approached Xu You, personally pouring him a cup of hot tea. His tone was sincere, without the slightest hint of disdain: "Mr. Ziyuan, please don't take it to heart."

"The men who spoke earlier are all trusted and capable subordinates of the commander, each with their own strengths. They have long served on the frontier, which is why they are able to compete with you, sir."

"There are very few people in the world who can rival them. Your talent is already unparalleled in this era."

Upon hearing this, Xu You's heart stirred slightly. He looked up at Liu Bei, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Seeing this, Liu Bei spoke frankly and sighed, "I summoned you here today not to test your knowledge, but because I sincerely seek out talented individuals."

"Among my civil and military officials, Wang Lie is upright, Tian Yu is honest, Xu Rong is cautious, and Generals Cheng and Han are loyal and brave. They are all capable of governing the world and fierce generals on the battlefield."

"But they all adhered to the principles of gentlemanly conduct, followed the rules and regulations, were not good at scheming in officialdom, and did not understand private power struggles."

"Now that the Han dynasty is in decline and eunuchs hold power, it is easy for border generals to make meritorious contributions, but difficult to establish themselves."

"Although we have troops and territory, we have no one who can reach Luoyang, to navigate the circles of powerful officials and eunuchs, to do unconventional things, to preserve our foundation, and to make a name for ourselves in the court."

"Upright men are neither capable of doing such things nor willing to do such things."

Liu Bei gazed intently at Xu You, his words sincere: "Sir, you possess exceptional wisdom and are well-versed in the rules of officialdom. You act without regard for etiquette or law, and you do not seek empty fame, but only to accomplish great things."

"Your talent is exactly what we've been longing for and desperately need—a truly indispensable and capable minister!"

"Of all the things under heaven, only you, sir, are capable of undertaking this weighty responsibility!"

His words, like a gentle spring breeze, struck Xu You's heart.

He wandered around for years, arrogant and conceited, seeking nothing more than a wise ruler who understood him, knew him, dared to use him, and valued his talents without regard for his methods.

All the civil and military officials present humbled his arrogance, but only Liu Bei saw through his talent, understood his ambition, knew his value, and regarded him as an indispensable person.

My lord, you know me well!

These four words exploded in Xu You's heart, and all his pride, resentment, and disappointment turned into deep emotion.

He abruptly stood up, straightened his clothes, knelt down, and bowed deeply, his tone sincere and devoid of any arrogance: "The kindness of my lord in recognizing my talent is something I could never repay, even if I were to die a thousand deaths!"

"I am willing to serve my lord with the utmost loyalty, even unto death!"

Liu Bei was overjoyed and personally helped him up.

"Today, gaining Ziyuan is like Emperor Gaozu gaining the Marquis of Quni!"

When Xu You heard Liu Bei compare him to Chen Ping, one of the three heroes of the early Han Dynasty, he was deeply moved and his self-positioning became clearer.

That night, the side room of the Commandant's mansion was brightly lit with candles. The two dismissed their attendants and talked by candlelight.

Xu You, drawing upon all his knowledge, offered three strategies for uniting with the central court officials and consolidating power in Liaoxi:

Firstly, he secretly sent a large sum of money to Wang Fu, a court attendant, to frequently mention Liu Bei's merits in defending the borders before the emperor, so that the emperor would remember him.

Secondly, Wang Fu promised that if Liu Bei were to remain stationed in Liaoxi for an extended period and exercise absolute control over border affairs, he would be entitled to receive ten million coins annually from the imperial court, thus forging a lasting alliance.

Thirdly, he cultivated connections with eunuchs, ensuring that any slanderous accusations against him in court were tipped off in advance, thus averting potential disasters.

Liu Bei nodded repeatedly, clapping his hands in praise, for this was exactly what he desired.

The two talked about everything from court politics to border strategies, from dealing with eunuchs to consolidating their power. The more they talked, the more they clicked, feeling like they had known each other for a long time. They talked all night long, unaware that dawn had broken.

The next morning, the Commandant's Office held a ceremony, with civil and military officials gathering.

Liu Bei sat upright in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and announced in a loud voice: "Xu You of Nanyang is exceptionally talented and resourceful, and is capable of undertaking great responsibilities."

"Now, Xu You is appointed as the military advisor of the Liaoxi Commandery, to assist in military affairs and oversee all matters related to the imperial court. All generals must treat him with courtesy and comply with his instructions!"

The moment the command was given, the entire hall responded.

Xu You stepped forward and bowed in gratitude, his posture respectful and his heart surging with emotion. He thought to himself, "With such a lord, what more could I ask for?" and resolved to serve him to the death.

No one found Xu You's change in attitude inappropriate; it seemed as if it were the natural course of things.

The succubus of the Han Dynasty is terrifying!

Afterwards, Liu Bei summoned Su Shuang, Zhang Shiping, and Xu You separately to discuss the matter of contacting the eunuchs.

In addition to the eunuch Wang Fu, Liu Bei also instructed that he must win over the eunuchs Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong.

Although the three were puzzled, they did not ask any further questions.

This matter was not exactly honorable, so Liu Bei carefully instructed the three men to keep it a secret and not let anyone else know.

The three men not only did not find anything wrong with it, but also believed that they had a common secret with Liu Bei and had become closer confidants of their lord, so they gladly went there!

After Liu Bei saw the three off, the guards from the prefect's residence came to summon him.

"Commander, the Prefect has been waiting for you at the residence for a long time, saying that he has important matters to discuss with you."

Liu Bei then went straight to the governor's mansion.

Inside the main hall, Hou Chong had already prepared tea. Upon seeing him enter, he first inquired about matters related to spring plowing.

Liu Bei explained the situation of each garrison in detail, and also mentioned several water conservancy repair matters that needed to be coordinated by the prefectural government.

Hou Chong readily agreed, praising repeatedly, "Xuande, you are not only skilled in warfare, but also so adept at governing the people. Liaoxi is truly blessed to have you!"

The two then chatted about the current situation in the imperial court and Youzhou.

Hou Chong sighed and said, "Recently, Xia Yu has been enjoying great prestige in Luoyang. Relying on his ill-gotten military achievements, His Majesty has granted him the title of Marquis of Yicheng County, along with the authority to wield the axe and establish his own government."

"Now he is extremely arrogant in the court, and even eunuchs like Wang Fu and Cao Jie have to give him some face."

"However, Tian Yan, who suffered a great defeat in Yunzhong, has been dismissed from his post and sent back to Luoyang to be punished."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's expression remained unchanged: "As expected."

"His Majesty wants to save face with the great victory of the Northern Expedition, so he will not pursue Xia Yu's crime of deceiving the emperor. He will only punish the defeated generals."

"That's not all."

Hou Chong lowered his voice: "Lord Qiao sent word that Xia Yu has some reservations about you and has spread rumors in court that you are arrogant and disobedient because of your merits."

"If it weren't for the fact that you are a member of the Han imperial family, he would have already impeached you."

"You must be extra careful in your future actions, and never give him any leverage."

Liu Bei nodded slightly, his heart unmoved.

He had anticipated Xia Yu's jealousy, but since he was not yet powerful enough and his foundation in Liaoxi was not yet secure, he decided to avoid the limelight for the time being.

After finishing their official business, Hou Chong changed the subject, a smile appearing on his face, his eyes full of the gentle warmth of an elder: "Xuande, now that we've finished discussing official business, it's time to talk about your personal matters."

"Your engagement with my daughter, A-Yuan, has already gone through the formalities of marriage, and now only the final step of the wedding ceremony remains."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued, "Now that spring planting is complete and Liaoxi is stable, you have some free time. We can't keep my daughter waiting forever."

"In my opinion, the wedding date should be set for late spring or early summer. You should quickly submit a petition to the court to request leave, return to your hometown of Zhuojun to prepare for the wedding, and then go to Shanggu to fetch your bride, thus concluding this important life event."

"Firstly, this will fulfill the marriage agreement between our two families."

"Secondly, it will prevent any complications and put everyone in the household at ease."