Half a month ago, Puyang had already fallen. Led by the Liangshan heroes, they captured the city gates.
Ma Chao led the charge into the city, and before he could even begin his killing spree, Puyang's prefect, Cai Jing, surrendered.
Decisive and swift.
According to Jia Xu, he used resistance to preserve his reputation, avoiding being labeled a surrenderist.
His decisive surrender demonstrated Cai Jing's shrewdness; he didn't want to die. In short, he was an old fox, a master of calculation and understanding human nature.
Lu Ming chuckled upon hearing this. Who was Jia Xu? Not just a prime minister or a cunning strategist. He was a cunning old fox who understood human nature.
To say he lacked ambition would be a lie. He was merely seeking protection in this chaotic world.
Now that Qin was powerful and the ruler trusted him, there were no more concerns; he could act freely.
Jia Xu could tell what those people below were thinking and what they wanted just by seeing them lift their buttocks.
Therefore, Cai Jing, that old fox, couldn't be used! Since he couldn't be used, he had to replace him.
And Puyang was an important economic center, so Jia Xu recommended someone: Mi Zhu!
The Mi family was originally in business, and Mi Zhen was Lu Ming's princess consort, so they could be trusted.
Mi Fang worked in the Commerce Department, always engaged in business, using the title of imperial merchant. Xue Pan also worked there with Mi Fang, not seeking great fortune, but only modest wealth.
These two, one's sister married to Lu Ming, the other's mother married to Lu Ming, so essentially, they could be considered relatives.
Xue Pan's mother was Aunt Xue, and she and Jia Baoyu's mother, Lady Wang, were sisters.
Both sisters were now pregnant again, and after giving birth, they were frequently subjected to insemination.
Lu Ming demanded that they bear at least four children, more than their ex-husbands.
Aunt Xue had given birth to Xue Pan, Xue Baochai, and Xue Baoqin, so she needed to have four children for Lu Ming.
The same applied to Lady Wang, who had given birth to Jia Zhu, Jia Yuanchun, and Jia Baoyu, so she also needed to have four children for Lu Ming.
After crossing the Yellow River, they arrived in the Central Plains.
This place happened to be Guandu, though the historical Battle of Guandu never took place.
That battle was based on Yuan Shao ruling four northern provinces, while Cao Cao ruled three central provinces, rallying the warlords of the Central Plains, devastated by years of war, to fight against Yuan Shao, and ultimately barely winning.
Even after Yuan Shao's defeat, Cao Cao was unable to pursue him.
Now, Lu Ming's advance was steady and methodical, without rushing for quick success, so Cao Cao had no way to engage him in a decisive battle.
Moreover, he hadn't even conquered the Central Plains; Lü Bu and Liu Bei were still to the east, and Yuan Shu remained to the south.
After the reckless Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, Cao Cao constantly urged Sun Ce, Liu Biao, and Liu Bei to eliminate him.
Initially, Cao Cao's plan was to occupy Shouchun and seize the fertile land of Yangzhou to support his army.
However, just as the fighting was reaching its climax, and they were about to reach Shouchun,
Chenliu in his rear was attacked, exposing even the capital Xuchang, where Emperor Xian of Han resided, to the enemy's advance. Forced to abandon his campaign against Yuan Shu, Cao Cao turned his attention back to Chenliu.
With his three cousins—Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Dun, and Cao Ren—all killed in battle, Cao Cao, though unwilling, had to send troops to attack Chenliu to appease his clansmen.
As expected, Cao Cao fought a fair and square battle against Pang Tong in Chenliu. Seeing the Qin army's towering well ramparts, powerful crossbows, and the terrifying Mo Dao soldiers, he knew he couldn't win!
The Mo Dao soldiers were few in number, only a thousand, each a burly man weighing 180 jin (approximately 90 kg), their heavy armor weighing 30 jin (approximately 15 kg), with foam padding inside for excellent cushioning.
The Mo Dao was two meters long; simply by bracing the hilt against the ground, it could withstand a cavalry charge.
And against infantry, it was a one-sided massacre!
Ordinary broadswords would cut through the armor in one stroke, but the Mo Dao soldiers were unharmed, and instead, they cleaved Cao Cao's infantry in two!
Such sturdy armor represented a technological superiority.
Combined with the powerful impact and extremely long range of the composite bow, Cao Cao was thoroughly shocked. It is said that Cao Cao suffered a headache and fainted on the spot.
The fact that they withdrew their troops only after the fact raises questions about whether it was a genuine attack or a feigned retreat to cover up their embarrassment.
The decision to avenge their kinsman, only to abandon their mission halfway, resulted in either a forced or voluntary withdrawal, ultimately impacting public sentiment.
After Cao Cao was driven away, Pang Tong deliberately arranged for Emperor Xian of Han in Xu County to flee with Cao Cao to Jingzhou.
He left Pang De to guard Chenliu while he led a large army, along with Ma Chao and Ma Dai, to attack and capture Puyang.
Now, Pang Tong is resting in Puyang, as his army needs time to regroup. He will then return to Zhengcheng to report to the military council and discuss the next steps.
His mission is complete, and he has accomplished it brilliantly.
He defeated Cao Cao, forcing him to flee. While he possessed a significant technological advantage, Pang Tong's strategic brilliance was undeniable.
Meanwhile, Zhuge Liang's efforts were equally impressive, driving away Liu Bei. He recruited Zang Ba, a bandit who had fled to Mount Tai, and used Zang Ba to persuade other bandits to surrender, thus resettling the displaced people and bandits.
He also recruited Lü Bu from Xiaopei, persuading him to surrender through reason and emotion.
Compared to Pang Tong, Zhuge Liang also managed the administration of Xuzhou much better, preventing major instability.
He didn't rely heavily on reinforcements, able to raise 30,000 surrendered soldiers to form an army on his own.
Both Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong were outstanding; as for their reward, promotion was the obvious choice.
Lu Ming talked with Jia Xu for a long time, and Jia Xu gave him a list of rewards, allowing them to choose.
Promotion was certain; what they would do next was their choice.
Jia Xu thought Zhuge Liang was quite good and could assist him in the Prime Minister's office.
However, before that, he needed further training and experience.
He should travel far and wide to gain experience, broaden his horizons, and accomplish more.
This seems to be the intention behind grooming him into a future prime minister, or at least that's the idea.
Jia Xu's judgment of character is usually accurate. Although Zhuge Liang initially didn't really want to serve Lu Ming, now that he has, and has done quite well, he should be given serious consideration.
Regarding Jia Xu's opinion, Lu Ming didn't immediately reply, but said he would consider it.