Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

The two men walked to the center of the hall, knelt on one knee before Liu Ce, and said in unison, "Your humble generals Chang Yuchun and Li Wenzhong pay their respects to our lord!"

Liu Ce smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Get up, get up, all of you, get up."

He stood up, walked over to the two men, and introduced them to everyone:

"This is Chang Yuchun, courtesy name Boren, a fierce general who is unmatched in bravery and can defeat ten thousand men. This is Li Wenzhong, courtesy name Siben, a man of both wisdom and courage, skilled in both literature and martial arts, a rare talent among generals. From now on, they are our own people."

Chang Yuchun clasped his hands in a fist salute and declared loudly, "This humble general is willing to die for his lord!"

The sound was so loud that it made the hall buzz.

Li Wenzhong also clasped his hands in a fist salute and said calmly, "This humble general will certainly do his utmost and live up to the trust placed in him by our lord."

Li Jing, Xu Da, Xue Rengui, and others all stood up and greeted the two men.

Chang Yuchun was a very easygoing person. He would greet everyone with a fist and palm salute, and his voice was as loud as Zhang Fei's.

Li Wenzhong, on the other hand, was gentle and refined, always smiling when he spoke to anyone, making people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.

Zhang Fei leaned over, patted Chang Yuchun on the shoulder, and laughed:

"Good sir! Shall we have a match sometime?"

Chang Yuchun's eyes lit up, and he immediately agreed, "Excellent! This humble general has been wanting to learn from General Zhang!"

Everyone laughed.

After getting to know each other, Liu Ce returned to the main seat and began to arrange important matters.

He began, "Xu Da, Li Ji, Qin Qiong, Yuchi Gong, Yuwen Chengdu, Cheng Yaojin, Huang Zhong, heed my command!"

The seven men stepped forward in unison, kneeling on one knee: "Your subordinate is here!"

"I hereby order you and seven others to lead the Second Army to Youzhou to replace Yue Fei and Qi Jiguang in guarding the north. Once you arrive, inform Yue Fei and Qi Jiguang to lead their troops south to Luoyang. The northern frontier is our stronghold; you must defend it securely and not be careless in the slightest."

Xu Da calmly clasped his hands and said, "This humble general obeys! I will certainly defend the northern border and prevent the barbarians from advancing any further south!"

Li Ji, Qin Qiong, Yuchi Gong, Yuwen Chengdu, Cheng Yaojin, and Huang Zhong all responded in unison.

Cheng Yaojin rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "Don't worry, my lord. I've been in the northern frontier for several years, I know the place like the back of my hand, I guarantee it'll be as solid as an iron fortress!"

Li Ji said with a smile, "Youzhou is our old territory. Going back is like coming home. My lord, you don't need to worry."

Liu Ce smiled and nodded, saying, "Go ahead, pack your things, and set off as soon as possible."

He then looked at Chang Yuchun and Li Wenzhong: "You two, first familiarize yourselves with the situation in Luoyang, and we'll arrange your duties once Yue Fei and the others arrive."

Chang Yuchun clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes! This subordinate will obey your command, sir!"

Li Wenzhong nodded and said, "This subordinate obeys."

...

A few days later, in the council chamber.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xun Yu, Guo Jia, Xi Zhicai, Xun You, Jia Xu, Cheng Yu and others sat down below, each with a serious expression, as if they were about to attend court.

Sitting in the main seat, Liu Ce looked at the group's impressive display and knew they had something to say. He couldn't help but smile and say:

"What's wrong? What day is it today? The way you all look at me is like you're about to give me a denunciation meeting."

Fang Xuanling rose, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty is too kind. We have come today to discuss important matters with you."

"Speak, what is it?"

Fang Xuanling spoke first, saying, "My lord, those veteran officials have already resigned from their posts, leaving many positions vacant. We have already controlled ten provinces, and our sphere of influence is too vast. We believe that you, my lord, should bestow these official titles upon them. This would be reasonable and justified."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ce leaned back in his chair and said with a smile:

"Oh? Which official titles should be worn?"

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xun Yu, and the others looked at each other and began to discuss.

They chatted amongst themselves, counting on their fingers, the more they counted, the more lively it became.

Guo Jia waved his feather fan, occasionally interjecting with a comment... Xun Yu frowned, pondering repeatedly... Du Ruhui took a pen and wrote down each point one by one.

After much discussion, a decision was finally made.

Fang Xuanling stood up, bowed to Liu Ce, cleared his throat, and began to read the list:

"Grand Commandant and Minister of Works: The Grand Commandant is in charge of military affairs, and the Minister of Works is in charge of civil administration. They are the highest-ranking officials in the court and are indispensable."

"Prime Minister: The Prime Minister commands all officials and has complete administrative power over the entire country. This position is of utmost importance and can only be held by Your Majesty."

"The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat: The highest-ranking official of the Imperial Secretariat, directly responsible to the emperor, in charge of drafting edicts, reviewing memorials, and participating in core decision-making. Although it was an old system from the Eastern Han Dynasty, it wielded immense power, and the emperor could not do without it."

"Governor of Youzhou and Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of the nine provinces of Ji, Bing, Qing, Liang, Yan, Sili, Jing, Yu, and Xu: The governor of a province holds supreme military and political power over the province. With the addition of the title of 'Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of several provinces,' he can hold supreme military and political power over multiple provinces, enjoying a high degree of autonomy. As the lord holds ten provinces, this position is indispensable."

"The Commandant of the Capital Region: He governs the seven prefectures of the Three Auxiliary Regions, the Three Rivers Region, and Hongnong Region. He is the highest military and political official in the capital region and also holds civil administration, supervision, and military power. Luoyang is the capital, and this position must be held by the lord himself."

"The Grand General, combined with the titles of Guanglu Xun and Weiwei: The Grand General commands all the armies both domestically and internationally, and is the supreme military commander of the country. The Guanglu Xun is in charge of the palace guards and the command of the imperial guards, while the Weiwei is in charge of the palace gate garrison and the security of the capital. Only by combining these three positions can absolute security be ensured."

After reading it aloud, Fang Xuanling smiled and looked at Liu Ce, saying, "My lord, we have discussed it, and these official positions are indispensable."

After listening, Liu Ce paused for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle and said:

"Isn't that a bit too much?"

Fang Xuanling smiled and said, "Not many, just right. Our lord now commands ten states across the land, his achievements are unparalleled, these official positions are truly well-deserved."

Du Ruhui nodded and said, "That's right. If our lord doesn't wear these titles, it would be improper for him to have the right to rule. People would say that our lord holds great power in the world, yet he doesn't even have a formal title, which is against the rules."

Xun Yu said solemnly, "My lord, when the name is correct, the words will be proper, and when the words are proper, things will be accomplished. These official positions are not only what you deserve, but also what is necessary for stabilizing the realm."

Guo Jia, waving his feather fan, said with a smile, "My lord, please don't refuse. If you don't wear it, we'll bother you every day, believe it or not?"

Looking at the serious expressions on the faces of these strategists, Liu Ce knew that they were determined to pin all these accusations on him.

He thought about it and didn't refuse; these official positions were well-deserved.

He thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, it's settled then. You help me write the imperial edict, and I'll go get the Imperial Seal to stamp it."

Everyone responded in unison, "Yes!"

Liu Ce got up and strolled off to his study.

The Imperial Seal of the State was locked in a secret compartment in his study. After Xu Da captured Luoyang, he immediately protected the palace, ensuring that the Imperial Seal, the classics, and the ancestral temple were all intact.

He opened the hidden compartment and took out the bright yellow brocade box.

Upon opening the lid, a large white jade seal lay quietly inside, inscribed with eight characters: "By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous."

It was the very jade disc that Qin Shi Huang ordered Li Si to forge using the He Shi Bi jade.

Liu Ce picked up the imperial seal and weighed it in his hand. It was quite heavy.

He smiled, took the imperial seal, and returned to the council hall.

Fang Xuanling and his colleagues had already written the imperial edict, each stroke meticulous and neat.