Seeing Jia Xu, Lu Ming was genuinely surprised.
After settling Chen Rong and her daughter, he went to the military camp.
Besides Xu Rong, there was another unexpected figure: Zhang Ji.
A hapless fellow, Zhang Ji was famous for two reasons: first, his wife, Zou Shi, was young, beautiful, and still alluring, but Cao Cao secretly took her into his bedchamber, leading to the deaths of Dian Wei and Cao Ang.
Second, his nephew, Zhang Xiu, was the one who avenged him, the man who had forced Cao Cao to flee for his life.
A series of surprises stirred Lu Ming's emotions. Since obtaining the system and awakening the companion system, his desire for women had greatly increased; he wanted and craved more women.
Women with historical names and identities, and Zhang Ji's wife was clearly a good choice.
On the eve of departure, Lu Ming rested in the military camp.
He talked for a long time with Xu Rong and Zhang Ji, determining the direction of the attack.
His mission was to spearhead an attack on the rebel army, disrupting their formation.
If the battle was successful, Dong Zhuo would recommend him for credit. As Dong Zhuo's nephew, to establish merit, he had to fight on the battlefield; otherwise, he wouldn't have a foothold.
At the time, he had no choice but to take the plunge.
That night, Lu Ming found Jia Xu's tent and paid his respects to this renowned strategist who, among the most prominent figures of the Three Kingdoms period, had a rare peaceful end.
Jia Xu was a middle-aged man with a beard, about 1.7 meters tall, of average height for a man from Xiliang.
His refined demeanor and goatee gave him a somewhat fortune-telling air.
"Greetings, sir. It is truly an offense to disturb you so late at night. However, I have a question I do not understand; please enlighten me."
Being disturbed from rest is naturally very unpleasant.
Jia Xu was no exception, but he seemed to have anticipated something, stroking his beard with a confident air. "It's alright, General. What is it you wish to ask? While my humble opinion may not be able to answer your question, I can offer some explanation."
"Sir, you are a man of prudence and self-preservation; a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall. Why then do you appear here? Tomorrow is a great battle; swords and spears have no eyes on the battlefield. This is not in line with your usual practices!" Lu Ming spoke directly, his eyes fixed on Jia Xu. He didn't know what the other man wanted. Was he here to offer advice?
Impossible, because Jia Xu hadn't offered any strategies when he served under Dong Zhuo; his official position was that of a civil official in logistics.
Seemingly surprised by Lu Ming's question, Jia Xu paused for a moment, his eyes gleaming with thoughtful consideration. "General, you jest. Who isn't afraid of death? General, your courage is unparalleled. Your past exploits in conquering cities are still vivid in my mind, much like the Battle of Pengcheng, where the King of Chu rose to fame. General, you are no less formidable. I believe following you wouldn't be a bad idea."
"Then, sir, would you be willing to be my Fan Zeng?" Lu Ming laughed heartily. The King of Chu was none other than Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu—equally valiant.
Jia Xu smiled without speaking, stroked his beard, and shook his head. "I am not Fan Zeng."
"And I am not Xiang Yu, sir. Look how good Xiliang is, it's just that there are too many bandits. Ma Teng and Han Sui, I regard them as mere weeds. This time the court is suppressing the rebellion, it's the perfect opportunity to gain military merit. First, take one territory, then attack Ma Teng in the east, and Han Sui in the west, and take Xiliang. Relying on the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions and the Silk Road, we can become wealthy. We can observe the changing situation of the world, develop water conservancy, and stockpile grain." Lu Ming explained his plan, speaking tactfully yet boldly.
"When the world is in turmoil, can one advance to achieve hegemony, or retreat to live a peaceful life as a regional lord?" Jia Xu couldn't help but add, this was almost the strategic position needed by a clear-headed leader.
Without one's own territory, everything is meaningless.
Having territory but not knowing how to manage it is also meaningless; knowing how to manage it but lacking a grand strategy is not the mark of a wise ruler.
Therefore, when Lu Ming subtly revealed his plan, it proved that he was a clear-headed person with a good understanding of his own strength.
The worst thing for a person is to lack self-awareness; to confront others head-on without strength will only hasten one's demise.
Jia Xu took a few steps back and bowed deeply to Lu Ming, "General, if you do not despise me, I am willing to offer my strategies."
"Good, with Wenruo, I am better than a thousand armies." Lu Ming was overjoyed and immediately helped the bowing Jia Xu up.
"Ding, Jia Xu has become your follower."
On the panel, you can see Jia Xu's portrait, below which are his status, strategies, etc., showing his strengths.
Besides these skills, you can also see his attributes: martial prowess, intelligence, charisma, leadership, and political strategy.
Each corresponds to a related job; high intelligence means being a strategist, high leadership means leading troops into battle.
"My lord," Jia Xu said, producing a map of the southern city, pointing to a hillside passage, "to achieve great deeds, besides battlefield victories, interpersonal relationships are also crucial." He continued, "This is a pincer movement by the imperial army, currently occupied by rebels. If the rebels amass troops here to meet the enemy, and then send another force to strike at a critical moment, they can cut the imperial army in two, preventing them from supporting each other. While it's true that figures like Bian Zhang have ravaged the people, they are not weak in battle."
"Then I'll lead troops to the rescue and gain political merit?" Lu Ming asked suspiciously. This was a scheme, but at the cost of countless dead soldiers—a classic case of "one general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand."
Jia Xu shook his head. It seemed his lord was somewhat lacking in cunning and intrigue. But that was for the best; at least he had observed for a long time before tentatively betting on Lu Ming. If Lu Ming truly proved incapable, he would surely flee. "No," he said, "we must wait until Zhang Wen is defeated and on the verge of death before sending troops to his rescue. Not too early, not too late, so that he will be appreciated. With the recommendations of Lord Dong and Zhang Wen, lord's gains will certainly be substantial."
Speaking of cunning and intrigue, one must possess real strength.
Firstly, Lu Ming was Dong Zhuo's man. Given their relationship, Zhang Wen certainly wouldn't speak well of Lu Ming.
But what if it was a life-saving favor?
That would be harder to say.
However, if it was a rescue during a disastrous defeat, the credit would ultimately go to Lu Ming, and Zhang Wen wouldn't treat him unfairly. He needed to silence Lu Ming.
Don't assume that all renowned scholars are elegant and refined; it's all an act.
When interests are involved, everyone has to be calculating; otherwise, why is he a renowned scholar while others aren't?
Does one really think that being able to write articles and recite classic poems makes one a renowned scholar?
That's all just fooling the common people; the core issue is still the exchange of interests!