Chapter 13: Recommendation of Talent

  Because the city guard's mansion had been burned to ashes by a big fire, Haotian and others simply found a large courtyard to rest. The original owner of the house was once a prominent figure in Yan State, but when the northern expedition failed and the alien tribes invaded the south, he fled with the imperial army to Tian Du Shengjing, and this large courtyard naturally became Haotian's territory.

  The host and guest sat down, and after offering a cup of tea, he asked: "Sir, I don't know if you have come this time because of some important matter?"

  Hao Tian smiled slightly: "I just arrived in Yan State, first to reward your achievements, and second to discuss the next battle with you."

  "What's the next move? Are you planning to attack the remaining three states immediately, my lord?" Rong Xiang asked in surprise. He was originally on his way to comfort the people of Kezhou, but he met Haotian who was preparing to head north to Yan State along the way, so he followed him together. Along the way, everyone was rushing, and he naturally had no idea what Haotian was thinking.

  Hao Tian nodded: "Not bad. I plan to launch an attack on the three northern states within two to three days."

  "Your Excellency, please reconsider. Our army has been at war for a long time and the soldiers are exhausted, it's not suitable to fight again, this is the first point. The formation is in disarray and we can't form an effective fighting force, so in these two battles, we were only able to win by strategy rather than brute force, this is the second point. The total military strength of the three northern states plus the escaped Yelü Zhaochang exceeds one million, far surpassing our own military strength. Moreover, it's a siege war and the enemy has already taken defensive measures, our army can't use the same tactics as before to launch a surprise attack, the chances of winning are not great, this is the third point. Therefore, I think that even if we wait until after we have controlled the three states for a period of time to take action, it's not too late."

  After listening to Luo Xiang's words, Huan Tian's face remained expressionless, but in his heart, he was slightly disappointed. In the previous battle of Kezhou, Luo Xiang had performed exceptionally well. Not only did he intentionally leak false information to the enemy, annihilating their main force, but also cleverly captured Kezhou through strategy. After this battle, Huan Tian had thought that Luo Xiang was also extremely insightful in military strategy, but now it seemed that his true strengths lay in his endurance and plotting.

  Huang Tian looked around at the various generals below and only then said: "Do you have any other opinions?"

  "Feng Jing Shuai said, 'I do not agree with your views, sir. Although our army also has many shortcomings at present, it also has many advantages. Firstly, we have sufficient troops. After capturing the three southern states, our army rescued over 100,000 prisoners of war. These prisoners were originally regular soldiers of the empire who had received strict military training. With some reorganization, they can become a powerful force again. Yesterday's battle showed that this newly formed army from former prisoners of war defeated the armies of Haixi and Mandan in one go. Moreover, the people of He Tao have always been martially inclined and are extremely hostile to the Hu barbarians. In the past two days, countless civilians have joined the army voluntarily. By now, our army has nearly 100,000 soldiers, which is not inferior to any state in the northern three states in terms of military strength. Secondly, speed is precious. After two days of fighting, the soldiers are somewhat fatigued. However, this is precisely why we must fight quickly and decisively, taking advantage of their current morale before it dissipates. If we let them rest now, they will inevitably lose their original combat effectiveness due to temporary relaxation. Thirdly, the people's hearts are with us. Because the Hu barbarians have been burning, killing, looting, and plundering in He Tao, the people here hate them deeply. We are fighting for our nation and for the people, so wherever our army goes, the people will surely follow closely behind. With the support of the people, we will undoubtedly win.'"

  "What do you think?" Haotian turned his gaze towards Blood Kill.

  Xue Sha hesitated for a moment before speaking: "I think General Feng's words are reasonable. Moreover, although the six tribes of the Western Regions withdrew back to their respective countries due to various reasons in the previous period, with the drastic change in the situation at the Yellow River Bend, it is hard to say whether they will reorganize and launch another southern campaign. Therefore, I believe that our top priority should be to conquer the Yellow River Bend, then rely on the natural barrier of the great river to counter the revenge of the six tribes of the Western Regions."

  The views of the two were based on military considerations, and if they were just a commander, it would have been enough. However, as a superior, Haotian saw more than that, so he cast his gaze at Xuanji who had been silent all along.

  "Your Excellency, the two generals are right. However, there is still one crucial point that has not been mentioned - on the land of the three northern states, there are at least 30 million citizens of Shen Zhou. The barbarians are naturally cruel, and now that they have been threatened by us, who knows whether they will take out their frustrations on these civilians?"

  Haotian nodded in approval, while the others changed their expressions. The outsiders' skill at killing they had witnessed before. In less than a year, the 16 states of Youyun had fallen, and the original 40 million people of the Divine State were reduced to less than 5 million, mostly consisting of the elderly, weak, women, and children. If it weren't for the outsiders' intention to exhaust the country's strength by making these non-laboring citizens consume its resources, there might not be any human presence left on the five roads of Hebei. In less than half a month since the fall of the Yellow River Basin, the population had decreased by at least one million. If no drastic measures were taken, the three northern states would truly become rivers of blood.

  The words struck a chord deep in the hearts of the people. As a native of Hezhou, they had a deeper connection with the people of Hezhou's six states than ordinary people did. Especially for Haotian, he had risen up to conquer Dingzhou precisely for the sake of the people of Shen State; if he were to allow his parents and fellow villagers to fall under the butcher's knife of an alien tribe, Haotian truly could not accept it. Therefore, although he clearly knew that Lu Xiang's words made sense, he still firmly advocated for a swift counterattack.

  Luo Xiang also closed his mouth honestly. Although he was facing great difficulties, all the difficulties were insignificant compared to the worries and fears of the Hexi people who were still under the butcher's knife of the alien tribe.

  Haotian saw that everyone had no objection, and only then said: "Since everyone agrees, let's settle it this way. However, before that, we must reorganize the soldiers under our command to quickly form combat effectiveness. And the three southern states under our rule also need to recover as soon as possible. It's just that there are too few administrative personnel under our command. The local officials in the Hexi region were either killed or had gone south at the beginning, which is a problem. Does anyone have any good candidates?"

  This is what Haotian was worried about. The territory had been taken down, but now there was no one to govern it. He was originally from the military and didn't have much talent in administration. Although Lu Xiang and Xuanyi were both talented in this area, he wasn't willing to let them be humiliated by being placed in such a position. Moreover, the matter of recovering the three northern states still required their planning, so Haotian had no choice but to choose someone else.

  The words made everyone present fall silent. After a long while, Xuanji finally spoke up: "Your Excellency, I have a suitable candidate in mind. His name is Lin Taiyue, one of the four great Confucian scholars of Qingfeng. He was originally the governor of Jiangnan Road, with exceptional talent and expertise in internal affairs. However, he is extremely upright and has a strong sense of justice, which made him resign from office due to his disgust with the darkness of the officialdom. If not for unexpected circumstances, he should be living in seclusion in Puyun County, Kezhou, but I don't know if he has followed the imperial army southward amidst this chaos."

  "If we can really find this person, then he's a talented individual." Haotian nodded and said. Since this person is disgusted with the corruption of the officialdom and has resigned, he should also be a passionate and chivalrous man. Although it's a bit beneath him to govern a state, he probably won't mind. It's just that these scholars are often proud and aloof, so it might take some effort to persuade him to come out of retirement.

  At this thought, Haotian shouted at Xinkai who was sitting below him supplementing his sleep: "Xinkai!"

  "Shǔ xià zài!" Xìn kè hadn't reacted at all, until the servant next to him pinched him hard. Only then did he wake up. Seeing Huáng Tiān's ambiguous smile, Xìn kè suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and hastily replied.

  Haotian didn't bother to argue with him, having grown up together since childhood, Haotian naturally understood his temper: "In the county of Puyu in Kuzhou, there is a recluse official named Lin Taiyue. This person is particularly good at internal affairs, but as a scholar, he can't help being a bit proud. You go and invite him over for me, remember, Mr. Lin is a scholar, so be polite and courteous, got it?"

  "Your Excellency, although General Xin Ke is brave and skilled in battle, shouldn't you consider this matter carefully?" Zhuan Ji hastily said. As one of the four great Confucian scholars of Qing Feng, Lin Tai Yue naturally had the pride of a scholar. Even if Emperor Huang Tian himself went to ask, it would be difficult to persuade him, let alone someone like Xin Ke who was under his command. Moreover, Xin Ke was also a rough person, and Zhuan Ji was truly afraid that if they disagreed, Xin Ke might bring back Lin Tai Yue's corpse with one swing of his axe.

  Haotian smiled slightly: "No need, someone has his own measure. Since this person is particularly proud, ordinary people can't invite him even if they go in person. If he has time, he will naturally visit himself. It's just that now things are busy and can't be left behind. In extraordinary times, use extraordinary means, set out immediately, and must achieve success." The crowd below suddenly understood his meaning and smiled. As the saying goes, a scholar meets a soldier, and reason cannot be explained clearly. This person has been disgusted with the officialdom's chaos and resigned, so he must have the commonality of the Chinese nation in his bones. He had refused their invitations countless times before because he knew these people didn't dare to do anything to him. Refusing many times actually helped to boost his reputation. However, Haotian was just a martial artist who obeyed orders, and Lin Taiyue's intelligence would make him understand the consequences of refusing Haotian. It's just that this matter was not handled properly, and it may become a trouble in the future.

  "Now that one person has been chosen, are there any other candidates worth considering?" Haotian asked.

  "My lord, I have taken a liking to someone." Tian Yi said in a crisp voice as she saw that everyone else was silent.

  Everyone was stunned, and Haotian also curiously said: "Who is that person, who can make the heavens take notice of him? He must not be an ordinary person."

  Tianyi smiled and said: "This man is also one of the master's old subordinates. On the day when Dingzhou was conquered, the master specially let him take charge of military preparations."

  "Wei He?" Huan Tian reacted at this time. Wei He was an old subordinate who had been following him since he became the commander of a thousand riders. However, this person was taciturn and his performance on the battlefield was also ordinary, so Huan Tian didn't pay much attention to him either. It wasn't until after they conquered Dingzhou that there were no more capable people under him, and Wei He happened to come to report on the situation, so Huan Tian put him in a combat position like drafting a strong soldier, but he didn't know what Heaven's intention had seen in him.

  Tian Yi explained, "After our army captured Dingzhou, the number of troops suddenly increased from one thousand to tens of thousands. However, looking at the battle situation over the past few days, although our army was hastily assembled, there has never been any mistake in war preparations and logistics, and they have strongly supported the progress of the battlefield. From this, it can be seen that Wei He must possess good organizational skills and coordination ability. It seems that he is more than capable of serving as a prefectural governor."

  Hao Tian waved his hand and said, "Since that's the case, let Wei He try it out. Lin Taiyue has been hiding in Kezhou, so let him take office as the governor of Kezhou. With such a great scholar presiding over the place, I'm sure Kezhou will soon be back on track. Wei He is exceptionally capable, so let him come to Yanzhou instead. The environment here is complex, and there are strong enemies lurking around, so I hope he won't disappoint someone. As for Dingzhou, it's our base of operations, and the situation is relatively stable. How about this: let He Fu take charge? He has been an official in Dingzhou for many years, and Master once said that he excels at governance. Mr. Luo, what do you think?"

  Xuanji nodded in approval, while Luo Xiang smiled. He knew that Haotian was doing this to prepare for the upcoming military reform. Although He Fu had made great contributions during the recovery of Dingzhou, he didn't have any particularly outstanding advantages, and it would be difficult for him to make a name for himself in the military, so Haotian specially transferred him to an administrative position, hoping that he could utilize his good relationships over the years to demonstrate his abilities. It seemed that Haotian was indeed a man who valued emotions and righteousness.

  Highly recommended books: "The Little Prince", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "1984", "Pride and Prejudice", "Jane Eyre", "Wuthering Heights", "Great Expectations"

  Latest full version: The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap