The Three Great Han Dynasties: Awaken Liu Bei with a scolding; you weave mats and sell sandals.

Chapter 180 Li Su Recruits Lü Bu? He's Granted a Marquisate and Appointed Prime Minister

A smile appeared on Li Su's lips as he bowed deeply, secretly calculating in his heart: If this matter is accomplished, this governor of Liangzhou will...

The lord he serves now does not yet regard him as a confidant. When that time comes, he will go directly to the Hall of Recruiting Talents and pledge allegiance to the Grand General.

Whoever in the Dong family wants to be loyal to them can be loyal to them.

Li Su has completely stopped serving him.

With this in mind, Li Su quickly approached Lü Bu and presented him with the prepared fine horses, gold and silver, and promises of high-ranking positions, but Lü Bu refused them on the spot.

He absolutely cannot ruin his image now, lest it affect his future promotion in the Han Dynasty.

At this time, he was not the same as in the historical timeline where he could take sole control of the Bingzhou military after killing his adoptive father. The Bingzhou army was still under the control of the Han Dynasty. As long as Ding Yuan was alive, the soldiers would naturally obey the orders of this governor appointed by the Han Dynasty. Even if Ding Yuan was not alive, the military power would belong to the newly appointed general of the court, and it would have little to do with him, Lü Bu.

Although Lü Bu had considerable prestige on the border of Bingzhou, this prestige was ultimately limited to a small area. Compared to Liu Hong, a powerful general who held sway over the entire court, he was far inferior.

Furthermore, Lü Bu is no longer just a servant under Ding Yuan, but a Colonel of the Western Garden. Although his rank is not high, he holds real power and is backed by the Liu family of Youzhou.

With just this one relationship, it's by no means easy to persuade him.

However, Lü Bu was not a man of unwavering resolve, and after Li Su left...

His mind was in complete turmoil.

"To be ennobled and appointed prime minister—I wonder when and where I, Lü Fengxian, will finally be ennobled and appointed prime minister. If I can reach that point, I, Lü Fengxian, will be content even if I die on the spot."

"But that prospect seems far off. Perhaps only by following the General can we have a slight chance of success. Otherwise, no one can help us."

Lu Bu gazed out the window and murmured with emotion.

At that moment, yet another person stepped into the imperial city of Luoyang.

In terms of historical trajectory, this person had a great entanglement with Lü Bu, and was a county magistrate outside Luoyang.

Chen Gong.

Although he came from a noble family, it was only a third-rate clan. Upon closer examination, it was no different from the local powerful clan of Zhao Yun's Zhao family in Changshan Zhending County. Otherwise, he would not have been able to sit in the position of county magistrate.

In today's political climate, the most correct way to be an official is to curry favor with the elite and find a powerful patron, so that one can be remembered in history. In these times, this has absolutely nothing to do with the lives of ordinary people.

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Chen Gong stood outside the Hall of Recruiting Talents, gazing at the plaque that read "Wanting to rival the heavens in height, recruiting talents without being bound by convention," and muttered to himself, "This Hall of Recruiting Talents really does seek talent over fame and value ability over power; it's quite pragmatic."

I wonder what this current general is thinking?

Whether he is a wise minister, a rebellious minister, or a man with the ambition to open up new horizons, even I, Chen Gong, cannot see clearly or understand him at this moment.

His visit to the Zhaoxian Pavilion was not to recommend someone for a position in the Liu family of Youzhou.

He was already an official appointed by the imperial court; why would he need to take this detour?

Because of his outstanding achievements during his tenure and the assistance of people in the court, he has now been promoted to the position of Zhongsan Dafu in Luoyang, in charge of the military order of the imperial city. This trip was merely a stopover at the Zhaoxian Pavilion.

Suddenly, a servant from the Recruiting Talents Pavilion noticed his distinguished bearing, well-proportioned features, and cheerful demeanor. He stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Young master, are you seeking to join the Recruiting Talents Pavilion?"

Chen Gong shook his head without saying a word, then turned and strode towards the Luoyang Imperial City Government Office.

Only after submitting the contract and completing the appointment procedures can one proceed.

Only then did he truly become a high-ranking official in the capital, right under the emperor's nose.

At this moment, inside Liu Hong's General's Mansion, a list of names was already laid out on the table.

This wasn't the first one, but the third one.

Cui Dan and Jia Xu stood on either side, their eyes filled with complex emotions as they looked at the names on the list. Liu Hong, however, smiled slightly, his eyes serene.

"These people are all highly talented, but they are also arrogant and conceited. They cannot be used by the Liu family of Youzhou. There is no need to kill them, but I'm afraid they will never be employed in their lives."

Liu Hong spoke slowly, his voice still steady, yet he silently determined the fate of countless people.

These words, however, were exactly what Jia Xu and Cui Dan wanted to hear.

These two were ruthless by nature, and they immediately nodded upon hearing this.

Jia Xu wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "That's exactly right."

Cui Yan smiled faintly.

Their eyes met, revealing that their philosophies of action were perfectly aligned and their understanding was impeccable.

Liu Hong put away the list and instructed Jia Xu to handle the matter, with Guo Jia providing support from the side.

Their destination was Yingchuan.

Yingchuan has been known for producing talented people since ancient times. The eight Xun brothers, Mr. Shui Jing, and even the descendants of the Zhuge family and the virtuous talents of the Huang family all came from here and studied here.

The private schools of various clans could never compare to the gathering place of the great Confucian scholars of the world. Yingchuan Academy was like the Jixia Academy of the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. After hundreds of years, its influence was still very great, and it naturally became the first place for Jia Xu and Guo Jia to go.

In a side hall of the mansion, Guo Jia held a seven-colored feather fan with intricate embroidery on its surface, exuding unparalleled extravagance.

He glanced at Jia Xu beside him and chuckled, "The General is truly ruthless. He'd rather wrongly imprison a thousand than let go of a single useful person."

That's all.

He suddenly pulled out a stack of oil paper packets from his pocket and handed them to Jia Xu.

Jia Xu remained calm, showing neither liking nor disliking, but simply shook his head in refusal: "Let's forget about this Five-Stone Powder. Long-term use will be detrimental to health."

Guo Jia shrugged after hearing this, without arguing, and simply put the oil paper package aside.

He was indifferent to this thing to begin with.

This is merely a social custom among the younger generation of the aristocracy, much like how brothers in later generations would greet each other with "Want a cigarette?" It's just a common greeting.

The Imperial Guards of Luoyang, Military Camp.

The Imperial Guards were numerous. Apart from a portion used to protect the palace, the majority were stationed near the imperial city of Luoyang to serve as a symbol of imperial authority and to demonstrate the might of the emperor.

Even during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Han Imperial Guards barely made a move.

This alone demonstrates just how important the Imperial Guards were to the Emperor, the royal family, and all the officials in Luoyang.

At this moment, Liu Hong also appeared here.

He raised his eyebrows, a slight smile playing on his lips: "As expected of the Imperial Guards of the Han Dynasty, they are no different from the Liu Family Army of the Liu Clan of Youzhou. Their strength is extraordinary and truly remarkable."

Liu Hong looked at the group of brave men inside the barracks.

Whether it was the formation arrangement or the selection of soldiers, they were all top-notch men from good families, and they were also burly and strong.

Among all the armies in the world, the Imperial Guards were naturally the highest in rank. Their daily treatment was no different from that of the Liu family's army in Youzhou. It was only natural that they could be raised to be so fat and strong and so brave.

The Liu family of Youzhou was never the only one in the world willing to pay exorbitant prices between armies.