Chapter 281: Wielding the Sword of Benevolence and Righteousness for Yao and Shun

At Xuanwu Gate, the east gate of Liangzhou, Zhang Zhao personally led an army of four thousand through the gate.

The sun-moon-stars tricolor banner symbolizing the Great Tang, the Zhang family's great standard, the Guiyi Army's war flag, the recognition flags of each garrison, battalion, captaincy, and general, and the red and yellow flags guiding the army's direction of advance — all of it was enough to be called red flags waving and colored banners fluttering.

Leading the army at the front were three hundred armored cavalry, followed by large numbers of light cavalry and heavy infantry in formation; the four thousand men seemed as if they stretched on without end.

Originally, entering the city through Tonghua Gate at the north gate would have been the shortest route, but at Liu Shaoyan's suggestion, Zhang Zhao insisted on marching these four thousand troops in a full circuit around Liangzhou before entering the city.

Liangzhou's city wall was over ten li in circumference and about five meters high, complete with moat, barbican, bastions, arrow towers, corner towers, and crenellations.

Although many places had now collapsed, one could imagine how imposing the original Liangzhou city had been.

As the great army began entering the city, the descendants of the Tianping Army of Yunzhou at the east gate and the descendants of the Guzang Li family lined up in long rows, kneeling on both sides of the road, and some elders even staged the old show of welcoming the royal army with baskets of food and pots of drink.

But Zhang Zhao did not believe any of it. Before he had even entered Liangzhou, he had already realized that the greatest obstacle to his control of Liangzhou was probably not the Wenmo people, but the Han people of Liangzhou.

Because the Han people of Liangzhou controlled the best irrigated fields and pastureland around the city — the farmland alone amounted to more than four hundred thousand mu — and they had essentially monopolized all offices below the Hexi Acting Military Governor and the Prefect of Liangzhou.

One must understand that the entire Han population of Liangzhou was only twenty-five thousand to thirty-one or thirty-two thousand people. If not for the powerful threat from the Wenmo, they should have been the most comfortable group in Liangzhou.

With so few of them, by headcount each person could average more than ten mu of land, and a single household would have at least sixty or seventy mu — and this was all good farmland.

With such enormous interests at stake, and with Zhang Zhao bringing so many people all at once, it would be strange if they could sincerely welcome him.

Of course, the farmland could not possibly have been distributed evenly; it must have been occupied by the officials, great households, and clan heads among them. But conflict would always exist.

If Zhang Zhao wanted to maintain an army, he could not let them continue in this way. The commoners all attached themselves to the great households to make a living, so moving against the great households would inevitably drag in the commoners.

Moreover, according to Pei Yuan, the fields around Liangzhou were taxed at one-thirtieth, and even that one-thirtieth could not always be collected. If things went on this way, what the hell was the point!

As for the Wenmo of the Six Valleys tribe, they had actually gained very little benefit, and would be far easier to win over than the Han people of Liangzhou.

North of Liangzhou city, in Kumarajiva Temple, at the invitation of the eminent monks of Liangzhou's Great Cloud Temple, Great Buddha Temple, Wenfeng Temple, Ganying Temple, and other Buddhist temples, Zhang Zhao temporarily led his people to take up residence in Kumarajiva Temple.

This temple had originally been built by Lu Guang, King of the Later Liang, for the eminent monk Kumarajiva. Now Zhang Zhao entered it in the capacity of Silver Wheel Dharma King — which was just right.

However, Kumarajiva Temple had suffered much damage in the repeated political upheavals of Liangzhou, and only a portion of its buildings were still usable, so this was only a temporary expedient. In the end, Zhang Zhao would still have to move into the current Hexi Military Governor's yamen.

It was just that the current Hexi Acting Military Governor and Prefect of Liangzhou, Li Wenqian, after Zhang Zhao led his army into the city, had sealed all four gates of the Hexi Military Governor's yamen and shut himself inside. Zhang Zhao had not yet found the time to deal with him.

"Luo Shanxiong, lead your captaincy to hold Tonghua Gate at the north gate. Ma Yaozi, lead your captaincy to hold Xuanwu Gate at the east gate. Guo Guangsheng, go to Chongde Gate at the west gate. Qiong Reduojin, go to Zhaowu Gate at the south gate.

The west and south gates have fallen into disrepair over the years, so set up extra chevaux-de-frise in front of them. The four gates must maintain fast-horse contact with me here, and information must be relayed once every two ke.

Except for my personal guard, the Hanshan Captaincy, the Hanhai Garrison will be stationed at the North Camp and the Yucheng Garrison at the South Camp. All officers of the two garrisons, from the Chief Commander down, except for cooks and patrol soldiers, are forbidden to leave without orders!"

Zhang Zhao had not even warmed his seat — no! He had not even sat down — before he hurriedly arranged the garrisoning and patrolling.

Liangzhou city was too large, and everywhere was still broken and run-down. His four thousand-plus troops, scattered across it, were like sesame seeds on a flatbread — he had to be cautious.

But at this moment Zhang Zhao also understood a principle: subduing people by force really was useful. Originally he had planned to plan carefully before moving and then enter the city, but the day before yesterday, one "welcome gift package" had directly brought the Liangzhou natives to heel.

The time to enter the city had immediately matured. Who still cared what Li Wenqian thought? His opinion — I, Military Commander Zhang, no longer cared about it in the slightest.

The only remaining worry was that Zhang Zhao did not want Li Wenqian to burn the Hexi Military Governor's yamen to the ground.

That was the only place in Liangzhou still well-maintained and suitable as his headquarters. If it were burned down, he figured he would have no choice but to go seize Master Shanyuan's Great Cloud Temple to live in.

Inside the Hexi Military Governor's yamen, Pei Yuan had a large bump on his forehead, and his clothes had been torn. This was Li Wenqian's doing.

It must be said that this Acting Military Governor Li had a military background. Although he had grown somewhat fat and sluggish lately, Pei Yuan was still no match for him, and had been caught off guard and struck several times.

But Li Wenqian had not enjoyed himself for more than a moment before he was pinned to the ground by his own yabing guards.

"Fuck your mother, you field slave! You hit me the moment we meet, is that it? Men, beat him hard! Just don't beat him to death!"

Pei Yuan was so angry his voice trembled. Originally, before Zhang Zhao had even entered the city, he had already persuaded the yabing guards who were watching Li Wenqian.

The reasoning behind the persuasion was very simple — so simple that it came down to just one reason: the four thousand troops outside the gate.

But Pei Yuan had also gotten cocky. He thought that since the yabing guards had all been won over by him, the moment he walked in, Li Wenqian would surely kneel and beg for mercy.

But he never imagined that Li Wenqian, with his dreams shattered, would charge at him and give him a good beating. If the yabing guards had not arrived quickly behind him, he would nearly have been beaten to death by Li Wenqian's mad-dog flurry of punches.

If Pei Yuan had known that, historically, Li Wenqian, upon learning he could not go to the Eastern Capital to enjoy himself, had been ruthless enough to lock his whole family inside their house and burn them all to death together, he would not have run up to take this beating himself.

"Military Commander Zhang has said: the place where Acting Military Governor Li has hidden his gold, silver, and silks, and the title deeds for the hundred thousand-plus mu of land in his hands — if you can find them, the two Captains will each take five hundred strings of cash, and the rest of the squad leaders two hundred strings each. Go home and enjoy yourselves!"

After Pei Yuan finished speaking, he touched the dark bruise and lump on his face and drew a sharp, hissing breath.

Had he offended some evil star? In just a few months he had taken two good beatings for nothing!

Deeply dejected, Pei Yuan hurried out the door to go welcome Zhang Zhao.

In Kumarajiva Temple, Pei Yuan came before Zhang Zhao with a big lump on his head.

Zhang Zhao did rather want to laugh, but thinking that the man had so quickly taken Li Wenqian down for him, he could only forcibly hold it in.

"Military Commander, I have already drafted the document stating that Acting Military Governor Li, being ill and unable to hold this key northwestern town for the state, recommends that the Military Commander succeed him as Military Governor.

The officials of all levels in the Military Governor's yamen, and the County Magistrates of the four counties of Guzang, Shenniao, Changsong, and Jialin, have all signed it!"

"Well done!" Zhang Zhao nodded. Although the situation in Liangzhou was already like this, the broad framework of the Liangzhou Hexi Military Governor's yamen still remained, and even the County Magistrate and County Sheriff posts below had no vacancies.

But this had also created an extremely bizarre phenomenon: it was quite possible that a farmer in the fields was also a formally appointed official of the court, except that sometimes they did not even know they were officials.

"Military Commander, I have always had a doubt. This Li Wenqian is nothing but a fool who murdered the previous Military Governor and set himself up in his place. The officials of the Military Governor's yamen and the County Magistrates of each county are all empty posts with no real power.

Why does the Military Commander need their signatures? And why go so far as to petition the court for appointment according to proper procedure? Even the Military Governors of the Central Plains garrisons do not submit memorials to the court with such strict adherence to protocol."

Pei Yuan looked at Zhang Zhao in puzzlement. The present age was an age when military men ruled the state. With a sword hilt in hand, one had everything; even the Emperor would have to humor you.

Without a sword hilt in hand, no matter how scrupulously one followed the rules, one was nothing but meat on the chopping block.

Zhang Zhao gestured for Pei Yuan to sit down before him, then personally rose and brewed him a bowl of milk tea with white sugar, dried dates, goji berries, walnut kernels, and raisins added.

This kind of milk tea was similar to the butter tea of later ages, with sweet and salty varieties. After Zhang Zhao improved the tea bricks, it had quickly become popular in Anxi, Hexi, and the Qingtang Plateau. It was a very fine drink — filling and delicious.

Pei Yuan had by now grown accustomed to this manner of Zhang Zhao's. This Military Commander Zhang, who bore a long string of titles and commanded several thousand elite troops, was always like this when he was not handling military affairs.

He would brew tea for his civil and military subordinates, and sometimes even personally make strange dishes. Of course, Pei Yuan did not think Zhang Zhao was accustomed to doing such things; rather, he believed Zhang Zhao was winning hearts — the same routine as the Duke of Zhou spitting out his food to receive guests.

"Yuying, the realm is now in turmoil. Military Governors rebel again and again; yabing officers constantly hold their commanders hostage; yabing guards in turn coerce their yabing officers. There is no loyalty or righteousness left. As for the civil officials, they are either shameless and brazen, or walking corpses.

In the thirty years since the traitor Zhu usurped the throne, from the Son of Heaven above down to the Military Governors below, they have changed like figures in a revolving lantern.

In the localities, waterworks go unbuilt, roads are impassable, culture and education are utterly absent, and harsh taxes and levies are as numerous as the hairs on an ox. The common people have become fish and meat in practice. What do you think is the root of all this chaos?"

"The Zhu traitor usurped the throne?" Pei Yuan's head was full of question marks. Who still talked about such things these days?

The last man who called the Zhu traitor a usurper, after entering the Eastern Capital, proved no better than the Zhu traitor himself. And as for usurping the throne — wasn't that perfectly normal? Without soldiers under your command, how could you be Emperor?

Besides, wasn't Commander Zhang's question a little too big? Right now he ought to be asking me how to stabilize Liangzhou!

But though puzzled, faced with Zhang Zhao's question, Pei Yuan stroked his chin and thought for a moment, then still gave his answer.

"The realm is in chaos, the people can barely survive — this is the very picture of a troubled age!

And in a troubled age, local yabing guards pass their posts from father to son and intermarry among themselves, so that the court and even their own superiors have completely lost control over them.

If the realm could be unified and the powers of the various garrisons confiscated, then it could be stabilized. In the early years of this dynasty, there was likewise the appearance of a realm at peace."

Zhang Zhao knew that by "this dynasty" Pei Yuan meant the Later Tang. He shook his head. "But how can the realm be unified?

I have observed that Emperor Zhuangzong of this dynasty also strove to govern well, yet the military provinces everywhere surrendered and rebelled, rebelled and surrendered again. Men like Meng Zhixiang, who at least understood loyalty and righteousness, once they entered Shu, blocked up the Sword Pavilion and set themselves up as masters.

For thirty years now, whenever an Emperor has succeeded to the throne, there has inevitably been bloody contention. Calling him Son of Heaven is not as good as calling him a great banner for warlords and soldiers to seize wealth and power from. The whole court, high and low, is utterly without loyalty or righteousness. The ruler is no ruler, the subject no subject — how can one speak of unification?"

Pei Yuan was stunned by Zhang Zhao's words. His right hand stroked the beard on his chin even faster. Indeed! With such a situation, what was there to unify with?

Even the Son of Heaven had to guard against and placate the officers and men below him. The imperial guard troops were like this, and so were the yabing officers and yabing guards under the Military Governors.

The so-called court was nothing more than the Son of Heaven placating the governors, the governors placating the yabing officers, the yabing officers placating the yabing guards, and the yabing guards banding together to survive. Everyone was barely holding together.

These men who gripped the hilts of their swords would gather in howling rebellion the moment anything displeased them. Before one place was pacified, another rose in revolt.

The troops sent to suppress them had just scattered the rebel troops, and then they themselves might immediately rebel because the court's rewards had not been sufficient. In such circumstances, even if the realm were unified, what use would it be?

At this thought, Pei Yuan took a light sip of the fragrant, sweet milk tea and cupped his hands toward Zhang Zhao.

"Commander, though far from the Central Plains, can still see through the affairs of the realm. I am foolish — I beg the Commander to enlighten me."

Zhang Zhao waved his hand, turned, and also brewed himself a bowl of milk tea. "I have long been in Anxi; how could I claim to see through anything? I have merely gleaned a little information from old papers.

Yuying has come from the Central Plains and is a scion of a great house with broad learning. You and I can verify each other's views — there is no talk of enlightenment."

Old papers? Hiss! Pei Yuan let out a soft hiss and accidentally pulled out several of his own beard hairs.

No matter how he thought about it, he could not understand what Zhang Zhao meant by "old papers." Wasn't this what was happening right now? What old papers would record such things?

But Zhang Zhao had not thought that far. The situation of the Five Dynasties, with soldiers running rampant without restraint, was indeed very hard to solve. He had studied it a little before his transmigration.

As for the method of Zhao the Great in history, Zhang Zhao disagreed with the vast majority of it. That fellow had been thoroughly frightened, seeing a snake in every cup and shadow, and had developed a stress reaction, going from one extreme to the other.

But if one did not use Zhao the Great's method, then what adjustments should be made to the soldiers of the Five Dynasties?

The soldiers of the Guiyi Army were not the same as the Five Dynasties warlords, and Zhang Zhao had not yet seen for himself exactly how arrogant the soldiers of the Five Dynasties could be. So he could only raise a topic and find someone like Pei Yuan, a man of the Central Plains, to verify it against.

"People say the realm is in chaos because of the military provinces and soldier-rule since this dynasty began, but I believe that whether it is the military provinces or soldier-rule, these are only surface appearances, not the underlying cause.

In the last years of the Later Han, just as in this dynasty, there were likewise military provinces, and the harm of their division even far exceeded this dynasty's. But in the last years of the Later Han, were there yabing guards who routinely coerced their superiors? How many cases were there of yabing officers murdering their lords?

Why were Cao Mengde and Liu Xuande not murdered by their subordinates, but instead had loyal ministers and righteous men like Zhuge Kongming, Guan Yunchang, and Zhou Gongjin?

Yet in this dynasty, inferiors overthrow superiors, sons kill fathers, and after a foster father dies, his foster sons slaughter his entire family. All manner of treachery is as common as eating and drinking. Why is that?

If one says soldiers rule the state, then in the Former Han they raised altars at Langjuxu, and in the Later Han they carved stone at Yanran. From Emperor Gaozu to the Kaiyuan era of this dynasty, the status of soldiers was not low either. Why did they not rise up in violence, murder their governors and commissioners, or even plunder the Sage?"

Pei Yuan bared his teeth and nodded with deep agreement. "The soldiers of this dynasty have indeed gone too far. Their arrogance far exceeds any previous dynasty!"

"This is no longer merely a matter of arrogance. In truth, as Yuying said, it is because the soldiers have completely lost all restraint.

And the reason they have lost restraint, I believe, is to an even greater degree the chaos of the state over the past hundred years.

The court lost wars abroad and lost wars at home. It abandoned Anxi without a care, abandoned Hexi and Longyou and failed to soothe the Wenmo. It arbitrarily killed Gao Xianzhi, Feng Changqing, Lai Tian, and others, and drove Pugu Huai'en to rebellion, chilling the hearts of the loyal and righteous military officials, who were already few enough.

Starting from the Sage at the very top, they all lost their sense of responsibility and honor. What those above do, those below imitate.

The Sage lost responsibility and honor, and so the state collapsed. When soldiers lose honor and responsibility, all that remains to them is the long blade in their hands.

If there is a dispute — take a slash from my blade. If treatment is unfair — take a slash from my blade. If my pockets are empty of silver — take a slash from my blade.

If your lady is beautiful — then take a slash from my blade too. Even if you merely glance at him one extra time, you will take a slash from his blade!

As days stretch into years, the sword hilt becomes the only choice for solving every problem. Without restraint and without honor, how could there not be chaos?"

Zhang Zhao said a great deal in one breath. This was also the source of the unease and fear in his heart.

To any normal person, the soldiers of the Five Dynasties were utterly terrifying!

This was one half madmen dragging along one half normal men, until as days stretched into years, everyone became a madman. If the root of the Five Dynasties soldier is not cut off, no one will ever have peace.

He, Zhang Zhao, suddenly felt that the greatest mission of his coming to this dynasty was perhaps precisely to cut off the root of the Five Dynasties soldier while also preventing the social climate from sliding completely in the direction of exalting the civil and debasing the military.

After a mouthful of milk tea, Zhang Zhao looked at Pei Yuan and said tentatively, "I will not hide it from Yuying: I, Zhang Erlang, have come precisely because I want to correct this bad habit of theirs!"

Holy shit! A light shone in Pei Yuan's eyes — a light of terror. Did you think he would kowtow and pledge himself on the spot because of Zhang Zhao's words? Think again!

In Pei Yuan's view, in this age when soldiers ruled the state, Zhang Erlang actually wanted to correct the soldiers' faults? Did he think he wasn't dying fast enough?

"Commander, think thrice! If the Commander only wishes to hold Hexi and Longyou, and also possess the Hetao and Shuofang, then I will follow you to the death. But if you wish to correct the soldiers' faults of several hundred years, I fear the final result can only be the destruction of your person and the extermination of your clan!

Emperor Zhu Wen of Liang and Emperor Zhuangzong of this dynasty were both heroes among men. Did they not also wish to correct the soldiers' faults?

But in the end, the Liang Emperor wished to deal with the Silver Spear Xiaoji Army of Weibo, and it brought his house and state to ruin.

Emperor Zhuangzong of this dynasty also wished to deal with the yabing guards of Weibo, and in the end came the Xingjiao Gate Incident, and he died pierced by three arrows. The Commander must not fail to take note!"

Zhang Zhao drained the milk tea in his bowl in one breath, then stood up. "Zhu Wen was bloodthirsty and wantonly murderous, not even sparing his own daughters-in-law. He may be called a fierce warlord, but how can he be called a hero among men?

As for the Zhu Liang dynasty, Zhu Wen's nephew Zhu Youning slaughtered commoners by the hundred thousand at every turn. The deposed Emperor Zhu Yougui murdered his father and seized the throne, wallowing in debauchery without limit.

The last Emperor Zhu Youzhen had grand ambitions but little ability. His subordinates were all shameless and dishonorable ministers who tormented the common people in endless varieties of ways, yet had not a single policy for governing the state. They had no qualifications whatsoever to speak of these matters.

As for Emperor Zhuangzong of this dynasty, before entering Luoyang he was an enlightened ruler under heaven, but after ascending the throne, he favored actors and could not even control the people around him. Empress Liu controlled even firewood, vegetables, and fruits for profit.

In the fourth year of Tongguang (926), famine struck the land. The Luoyang treasuries were empty, and even the imperial guard troops were not issued rations. Their families could only fill their bellies with wild greens, and countless died of cold and hunger. Many soldiers were even forced to pawn or sell their wives and children.

At that time, Emperor Zhuangzong wished to open the treasuries for relief, but Empress Liu refused, saying that life and death were decided by Heaven's mandate and could not be reversed by human effort. She even sent the princes and princesses to the Chief Minister, telling him to sell them to raise military funds.

Such absurdity, and Emperor Zhuangzong could not restrain it. How can he be called a hero among men? By what right could he bring peace to the realm?"

Pei Yuan also abruptly rose. He walked to Zhang Zhao's side and suddenly performed a solemn bow with clasped hands.

"I did not expect the Commander to possess such heroic passion for guiding the realm. May I ask how the Commander wishes to correct the soldiers' various faults?"

"Very simple!" Zhang Zhao took Pei Yuan by the arm and said with great seriousness, "I have come from the west, and under my command are all descendants of the realm's loyal ministers.

If the warriors of the Central Plains know no loyalty or righteousness, have no honor, and shirk all responsibility, then I shall lead my own men by example and show them what loyalty, righteousness, integrity, shame, honor, and responsibility truly mean.

The governors and the Son of Heaven in the Central Plains rule by cruelty and terror; I shall rule by benevolence and forgiveness. They lure men with profit; I shall provide food and clothing, and then teach them righteousness.

If I become lord, I will not kill a single man without cause. I will spread benevolence and righteousness far and wide, govern the realm by law, and make nobles who break the law suffer the same punishment as commoners, while the innocent, even the lowliest, shall not be harmed.

No oppressive levies, no extortionate taxes. I will cherish the people's strength, establish proper rules, promote culture and learning, spread loyalty and righteousness, and as a ruler emulate Yao and Shun, so that the customs of the age may be made pure again!"

Pei Yuan stared at Zhang Zhao in shock. He had thought he had found a lord for Hexi and Longyou, but he had never expected this man to harbor the ambitions of a Yao or a Shun.

Whether or not it could be achieved, at the very least, these were words Pei Yuan had never heard from any Son of Heaven or military governor of the Central Plains. Gripping Zhang Zhao's arm, he suddenly understood.

"So that is why! That is why the Army Commissioner would rather risk entering Dunhuang than order the army to storm the city, and why he would rather go far away to Liangzhou than kill a single member of the Cao family.

The various peoples of Dunhuang betrayed the Army Commissioner's father, yet the Army Commissioner is still willing to forgive them. So it was all to spread benevolence and righteousness!"

"And I will not kill Li Wenqian either, nor a single member of his household. I have already sent Guo Tiance to inform him: as long as he hands over the wealth he has embezzled over the years, I will allow him to keep twenty thousand strings of goods. He may leave if he wishes, or remain in Liangzhou if he prefers!"

"The Army Commissioner is truly a benevolent lord. But the Army Commissioner must understand that practicing benevolence and righteousness is far slower to show results than wielding the sword. It may take three to five years, or even ten, before there is any visible effect!"

"Whether three to five years, or ten, or even longer, I do not fear it. I am only twenty-four this year; in ten years I will be just thirty-four. Even if it takes twenty years to bear fruit, I would still be five years younger than my Grand Guardian father was when he raised the banner of righteousness in Shazhou.

Since the Yan traitor brought chaos upon the realm, the Hua-Xia people of the Central Plains have long lost their loyalty and righteousness, and all sense of shame has been extinguished. If within my lifetime I can see Hua-Xia unified and the rites restored, what matter if it takes twenty years? What matter if it takes thirty?"

"If my lord holds such aspirations, how could I, Pei Yuan, Pei Yuanying, not follow! Here are the Eight Strategies for Pacifying Liang that I have written. May my lord examine them!"

Seeing such resolve in Zhang Zhao, Pei Yuan was deeply moved. He drew a piece of silk cloth from his bosom, densely covered with writing.

Only now did Zhang Zhao feel that he had finally won over this thick-skinned, black-hearted scholar before him.

The term "my lord" was not one to be used lightly. Who knew how long he had spent writing these Eight Strategies for Pacifying Liang? A man like Pei Yuan would never bring them out unless he had found a worthy lord worth staking everything on.

Zhang Zhao did not look at Pei Yuan's Eight Strategies for Pacifying Liang. Instead, he took Pei Yuan by the arm and sat him back down. "Yuying, rest for today. Tomorrow, lord and minister, you and I shall properly discuss how to govern Liangzhou."

Pei Yuan shook his head. "Everything I have learned about governing Liangzhou is already written on this silk. Moreover, I must leave Liangzhou tomorrow. I ask the Army Commissioner to assign me a dozen or so soldiers, and a hundred strings of silk and silver coin."

"Where is Yuying going?" Zhang Zhao was stunned. What was Pei Yuan planning?

"Having heard the Army Commissioner's true heart today, I have learned that there are still men among the meat-eaters of this world willing to plan for the sake of the nation.

Liangzhou is remote. The Army Commissioner has brave generals in abundance, but men who can govern commanderies and counties, handle documents, manage money and grain, and educate the common people are very few.

Only a few of the Song family can be considered passably talented, but for all of Hexi and Longyou, that is far too few.

My family, the Pei of Wenxi, is a great clan of Hedong. Within the family, and among certain cultured households connected to us, there remain some unrecognized talents. I beg the Army Commissioner's leave to return to the Central Plains and recruit them, for the Army Commissioner's use in pacifying Hexi and Longyou!"

What is a true chief strategist? This is a true chief strategist. Only one who knows to gather talent for his lord is a brilliant strategist. Zhang Zhao was overjoyed — this was exactly the moment when he desperately lacked civil officials!

"I shall immediately assign twenty skilled fighters from the Hanshan Unit to escort Yuying east. What use is a mere hundred strings of silver? I shall prepare a thousand strings for Yuying!"

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