The emperor wants to personally build an army to serve him?
It sounds terrifying, but any seasoned general can see through it at a glance.
The key is the people.
To train a ragtag army, you need the right people. If the people aren't good, even the best investment is useless.
Add to that the infighting with powerful clans, and the reality will be quite disheartening.
"I recommend Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu, a talented young man from the Yuan family. Yuan Shao is an outstanding young talent from Luoyang, who participated in the suppression of the Yellow Turban Rebellion and has many merits. He is capable of great responsibility." General He Jin immediately recommended his subordinate Yuan Shao, a reciprocal gesture.
By recommending Yuan Shao, his son could correspondingly receive favors from the Yuan family.
This is the exchange of favors. Even if He Jin were a butcher, as long as he remained General, he would still enjoy this power and treatment.
Seeing He Jin's reckless behavior, having completely forgotten his original intention to suppress the powerful clans and instead colluded with him, Emperor Ling was furious. His hands, hidden beneath his dragon robe, clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh, almost breaking the skin!
But for now, he had to endure, he had to hold back.
A small act of impatience could ruin a great plan. Yuan Shao was capable, and he knew that his new army would inevitably be infiltrated by members of powerful clans. Rather than passively being infiltrated, he preferred to decide who was qualified.
"Excellent. Since Yuan Gonglu is capable and recommended by the Grand General, he shall be appointed Commandant of the Central Army. Gentlemen, is there anyone else to choose from?" Emperor Ling continued to look at his ministers with an expressionless face. When his gaze swept over Liu Bi, the Marquis of Zhao, he nodded slightly.
This was a plea for him to step forward, at least to prevent all eight commanders from being taken away.
Zhao Hou pondered for a moment, quickly reviewing a list of potential candidates.
However, none of them were qualified. Zhang Wen was already Grand Commandant; asking him to return as a Colonel was a joke, impossible.
None of his own sons or relatives were suitable for the position.
As a confidant of Emperor Ling, he knew the new army needed to be effective.
It wasn't enough to just pick anyone who held a position without merit; he needed someone capable, talented, and loyal.
After much deliberation, he thought of his new ally, Lu Ming!
But Lu Ming was already the Prefect of Longxi Commandery. Recommending him to stay there would be beneficial for his medical treatment; the Prefectural position could be held concurrently, as he didn't necessarily need to immediately assume it.
Now that the position was occupied, even if he didn't use it, he couldn't let others use it.
"I recommend Lu Ming, the Prefect of Longxi Commandery. He was originally the County Commandant of Tao County, and his ancestors were hereditary officials. When the rebel Yang Feng led 5,000 men to attack Tao County, Lu Ming single-handedly repelled them, taking the enemy general's head from the midst of ten thousand soldiers as easily as taking something from a bag. Furthermore, in a decisive battle with the rebels, he killed the rebel leader Bian Zhang in battle, decisively defeating their offensive with a single sentence. This forced the remaining rebels to surrender and return to the court. He is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and is also proficient in traditional Chinese medicine. Now is a time when talent is needed, and I humbly recommend him to Your Majesty." Zhao Hou clearly stated Lu Ming's family background. In the eyes of these noble and powerful families, this was essentially a humble background. Children from humble backgrounds were far better off than ordinary people; they simply lacked a path to advancement.
The others didn't seem to have much of an impact, but Yang Biao, who had just succeeded Zhang Wen as Minister of Works, glanced at Zhao Hou with some surprise.
His cousin came to see him a couple of days ago, saying he had found a promising young talent and wanted to recruit him into the Yang family's ranks.
Powerful clans, besides their direct relatives, would certainly absorb talent, assimilating them through marriage alliances.
A young talent skilled in both warfare and medicine—that was a treasure!
Only powerful clans with a long-term vision would understand the potential benefits of a skilled physician.
People age, and after decades in officialdom, their interpersonal relationships become invaluable.
At that point, the older one gets, the more advantageous it is for the family; protégés and former officials are often treated with respect.
Ability to fight is also extremely valuable; the world is currently unstable, and undercurrents are subtly present. All that's lacking is an opportunity, a catalyst for change.
Upon learning that the person recommended by Zhao Hou was his own cousin, Yang Biao couldn't help but feel curious.
The Yang family, with four generations of high-ranking officials, was no less powerful than the Yuan family. They had both cooperated and opposed each other, and intermarried.
"I also recommend a man from Xiliang, Lu Ming."
"Oh? This man has such talent?" Emperor Ling seemed skeptical. "How old is he?"
"Just reached the age of seventeen." Zhao Hou answered truthfully; he was far too young.
"Hahaha! Just reached the age of seventeen? Zhao Hou's recommendation is rather immature." A pale-haired, slightly effeminate official stepped forward. Others dared not criticize him, but Zhao Hou was someone he could challenge; the latter was a kind-hearted man, and a good tool for gaining attention.
"The former General Huo Qubing, the Cavalry General, was only in his early twenties when he led his cavalry to victory at the Battle of Langjuxu. This young man is talented, why can't he? Does Lord Wang think the rebels of Xiliang are just child's play?" Lord Zhao's words were a linguistic trap. If Wang Yun admitted it, he would offend Grand Commandant Zhang Wen, implying that Wang Yun's achievements were unjustified.
If he didn't admit it, it would mean Lord Zhao was right, and he would be contradicting himself. The officialdom is always a battle of words, an unseen struggle.
"This humble official merely raised some objections. If you truly have the ability, you will not fail the Emperor's boundless grace." Wang Yun wouldn't take the bait. The old fox who devised the beauty trap wouldn't fall for it.
"Since he's talented, let him come and let me see him. I'll then know if he's capable." Emperor Ling didn't want to miss out on a poor, rootless young man who wouldn't be assimilated by the powerful clans and would remain loyal only to him, thus preparing him for the future arrangement of his heir.
At this moment, Lu Ming was at Zhang Wen's residence.
In a private room, Lu Ming had Zhang Wen's wife, Liu Liu, in a doggy-style position on the couch. He grabbed her two large, plump buttocks and thrust into her forcefully from behind, his lower abdomen slamming against her buttocks, creating waves of flesh on her white, plump buttocks. While pleasing to the eye, there was also a hint of lewdness in it, especially the deep moans of the mature woman, which greatly excited him.