In any case, in the tenth month of the fourth year of Zhongping, Liu Hong announced a message in the court.

Due to the rebellion of Hedong and Black Mountain bandits in Bingzhou, and the potential disloyalty of the Xui Tu King of the South, it was therefore intended to reinstall the position of General of Northern Territories.

Nowadays, most of those qualified to hold this position also have duties in suppressing rebellions elsewhere.

Therefore, the position of this general will be selected in the suburbs of the capital.

This message immediately caused a stir.

The method of training?

During the reign of Emperor Xiao Zhao of the Former Han Dynasty, the first person to be appointed as General of the North, Fan Mingyou, was promoted from the position of Chang Lang Jiang, such as Qiao Gongzu, who had been selected for this position by three public recommendations.

This position of General of the North is responsible for maintaining the defense of the Han Dynasty.

Today in the court, discussions were lively about why, after Marquis Leping entered the capital, Liu Hong proposed such a selection process for the reinstatement of the General of the North.

Even during the discussions at General He Jin’s mansion, many were puzzled.

Upon closer examination, most of the candidates Liu Hong mentioned have other important duties, which makes sense.

Some are busy suppressing rebellions in other parts of the empire, others have been promoted to higher positions, making them unsuitable for the position of General of the North.

Some are feared by Liu Hong and unlikely to control military power in the short term.

These various reasons have made what initially sounded like a ludicrous selection of generals into a necessary course of action.

Moreover, besides Liu Hong’s reasoning for choosing Jianshuo based on his stature and military strategy, at least he didn’t propose testing everyone’s martial skills as a criterion.

Instead of selecting the General of the North through traditional means, they would have soldiers from the Northern Army, all from the five camps, join under each candidate’s command, relying on their ability to command and judge their military prowess.

If one is to oversee military operations in the north, indeed such ability to respond is necessary.

He Yong and Yuan Shao exchanged glances, and Yuan Shao stood up and replied, “I don’t find this approach peculiar.”

In recent years, He Jin had risen to a high position, shedding many of his butchering habits, yet his arrogance had grown due to the presence of noble-born and learned scholars surrounding him.

Seeing Yuan Shao step forward, He Jin asked with some seriousness, “What do you mean by this, Xu Chu?”

Yuan Shao replied with a bow, “Earlier, my brother and I unexpectedly received news that the Emperor intends to appoint some of the outstanding candidates for the General of the North as captains of the Western Garden’s Eight aarmy. While we doubted the news, seeing the Little Yellow Gate also included in the selection, it seems somewhat credible.”

A smile froze on He Jin’s lips.

Before He Jin could interject, Yuan Shao continued, “As for Jian Shuo’s abilities, we know them well. These eunuchs and attendants around the Emperor may hold court positions, but they have never been sent outside before. It’s unlikely the Emperor expects him to dominate and become a regional governor with a salary of two thousand stones.”

“So, Great General, why would the Emperor favor this Jian Shuo so highly?”

He Jin wasn’t foolish enough to miss the implications.

He asked in a serious tone, “Could it be that the Emperor intends to reward him with a new position, despite this failed but distinguished attempt?”

He was asking in his words, but considering Liu Hong’s attitude towards those eunuchs, he realized it was not an impossible scenario.

If not for Yuan Shao’s reminder, his focus would have remained solely on the position of General of the North.

But now, upon deeper reflection, he felt anger rising within him.

During the Han dynasty, the Grand General commanded all military forces across the empire, unlike the Grand Commandant, who focused more on military strategy and decision-making without direct military authority!

Take He Jin, for example.

Since assuming the position of Grand General in the seventh year of Guanghe, he had the authority to raise troops and manage recruitment, even renowned generals like Huangfu Song had to defer to him.

However, if Liu Hong intended, as speculated by Yuan Shao and He Yong, to establish a private army through this opportunity, it was clearly an attempt to weaken his authority.

With the deaths of Liang Ji and Dou Wu before, and Liu Hong’s occasional dissatisfaction with Liu Bian over the past two years, it was difficult for someone like He Jin, who relied on his marriage connections rather than real ability, not to anticipate a worsening situation.

He glanced towards He Yong and saw him nodding, indicating that Yuan Shao’s words echoed their joint deductions, further sinking his heart.

At this moment, Yuan Shao continued speaking, “Grand General, why show such a wary expression?”

He Jin’s face hardened, “Speak plainly, Yuan Chu.”

Yuan Shao replied, “If we were unaware before, the Emperor kept secrets while we were in the light.

But now, we are aware while the Emperor remains in the light.

Therefore, we have two approaches: one is to do nothing and wait until the captains of the Western Garden Eight Army are selected, then attempt to influence them.”

“That method won’t work.” He Jin shook his head, unwilling to act passively.

“The second approach, then,” Yuan Shao continued without surprise that He Jin rejected the first option, “is to support our own people, whose allegiance to factions is unclear, into high positions. As long as the Emperor doesn’t see them as our allies, why should he reject them?”

“Who are you referring to?”

“For example, Han Fu, Han Wenjie.” Yuan Shao promptly gave this answer, an outcome discussed with Yuan Wei.

Han Fu owed much to the Yuan family’s favor in his early years, which led to his current position as Deputy Imperial Secretary mostly based on his own capabilities.

What made him particularly unique was his inclination towards military roles.

In his early years, he recruited a talented general named Qu Yi from Liangzhou, who followed closely by his side.

Whether to vie for the position of General of the North or to become one of the captains of the Western Garden Eight Schools, it was a sure bet for the Yuan family.

He Jin pondered for a moment and nodded, “If that’s the case, it’s not a bad strategy.”

However, in his view, relying solely on candidates proposed by the Yuan family wasn’t enough.

If anything went wrong with the Little Yellow Gate, Jian Shuo, during these military exercises, he would still have seven positions to fill.

He needed to place some of his own people there.

Seeing Yuan Shao about to say something more, he gestured to stop, signaling that the discussion should end there for today.

Seeing He Jin’s unyielding stance after understanding the situation, Yuan Shao exchanged a glance with He Yong once more, both sensing an unsettling premonition in each other’s eyes.

However, considering the time needed for registrations, approvals, and arrivals in Luoyang, there should still be opportunities to dissuade them.

Fortunately, another figure eligible for the selection of the Western Garden captains was about to arrive in Luoyang.

It was indeed Cao Cao, mentioned in the discussions between Qiao Yan and Liu Hong.

During his tenure as magistrate of Jinan, his reputation was polarized.

To the common people, he was a commendable official, especially in handling major epidemics and locust plagues with effective measures.

However, to the local officials in Jinan, he was seen as a harsh figure.

His swift actions in dismissing eighty percent of the local officials caused panic, leading many corrupt officials to flee.

Despite holding a prestigious appointment as a Court Adviser, he returned home to live in seclusion, finding the dealings of the powerful boring.

Upon hearing about the selection for the General of the North in Bingzhou, he felt it suited him and hurried to the capital.

Surprisingly, the first person he encountered was not Yuan Shao, but Qiao Yan.

She had just finished her duties as a scholar entering the Imperial Academy and was heading towards Lingtai to visit Lady Ma when Cao Cao disembarked from his boat and approached from across the Luoshui Floating Bridge.

It was quite a coincidence.

Currently without official status, Cao Cao wasn’t wearing his official attire, yet his bold and gallant stride set him apart in the crowd of Luoyang.

What made this encounter particularly unique was the striking young man accompanying him.

Remembering Cao Cao’s earlier remark to her—that she and Cao Ang were of similar age—Qiao Yan easily deduced the identity of the young man.

Cao Cao was pleasantly surprised to meet her here and immediately introduced the young man beside him, saying, “This is my eldest son, Ang. I’ve brought him along to Luoyang this time.”

Despite not seeing each other for three years, their correspondence kept their relationship intact, allowing them to seamlessly continue their conversation.

Cao Cao then raised a matter that Qiao Yan had not previously considered.

“Considering your current position as Marquis of Leping and the leader of the Qiao family, our frequent correspondence is appropriate.

However, publicly referring to each other as niece and uncle may be inappropriate.

If that’s the case, it would be better to acknowledge you as a peer among equals!”

Cao Cao affectionately patted Cao Ang’s back and added, “So, let my son, Ang, consider you his elder!”