"Brother Gao, Brother Zhang, I'll be frank."
Currently, he has two generals under his command, each capable of leading an army independently.
I wonder if you two would be willing to serve as their deputy generals and participate in the battle to eliminate the traitor Dong Zhuo.
If new achievements are made, further promotion will be considered.
There's not much to say about Zhang He and Gao Lan, even though they were both capable generals leading their own armies under Han Fu.
But when he thought that Zhao Hao's side had extraordinary talents who could lead an army on their own and could immediately join the battle, he no longer hesitated.
"We all obey the orders of the Marquis of Qin!"
Zhao Hao nodded slightly. Zhang Yan's deputy generals, such as Li Damu, were still capable, but their abilities were just average.
Xue Rengui and Chang Yuchun were both newcomers to the military and naturally lacked suitable deputy generals.
Next, Zhao Hao planned to send the two of them to the infantry battalion to help Zhang Yan keep these people in check.
Secondly, with many siege battles to come, cavalry will have very few opportunities to make a difference, and only infantry battalions will be able to achieve great success.
Or perhaps these few individuals can bring about some change in this ragtag infantry battalion...
"Therefore, you two take my order. Zhang He, go to General Xun Yuchun, and Gao Lan, go to find General Xue Rengui. Have them take you two with them to report to General Zhang Yan."
"I have long heard of your fame throughout Ji Province. Please have a seat."
Zhao Hao had not anticipated that Ju Shou would not betray Han Fu and instead seek out his good buddies Shen Pei and Tian Feng.
According to his scouts, Ju Shou must have also contacted the envoys sent by Yuan Shao, but he never responded to Yuan Shao. Even when Guo Tu came to persuade Han Fu to surrender, he kept urging Han Fu not to hand over the governor's seal.
"Lord Qin, you are too kind. Please, Lord Qin, grant me this honor."
Zhao Hao nodded slightly, and after sitting down, he gestured for Ju Shou to sit down as well for a detailed discussion.
At this time, kneeling was no longer customary in Zhao Hao's army. The army had chairs for people to sit and rest on, and Zhao Hao and Ju Shou were sitting on wooden chairs.
"Ju Shou, what's your opinion on our army's current offensive against Dong Zhuo?"
A thorough examination was necessary, and Ju Shou nodded in agreement upon hearing this, stroking his beard as he pondered.
Before I came to this place, I heard that strange proverbs, prophecies, and nursery rhymes were circulating in the capital, the left Fengyi, and various places in Liangzhou.
Thinking about it this way, this was the work of the Marquis of Qin. His plan was to let Dong Zhuo usurp the Han throne and establish himself as emperor, so that the Marquis of Qin would once again have a legitimate reason to launch a campaign and be invincible.
But Lord Qin... after this traitor Dong Zhuo declares himself emperor, he will surely bestow titles and fiefdoms upon the various lords of the land. At that time, the people's hearts will be restless, and I fear things may change."
Zhao Hao smiled and took a sip of tea, gesturing for Ju Shou to take a sip as well.
This is a tea specially made by Zhang Ning, which can refresh the mind and calm the nerves.
Just as Ju Shou was marveling at the wonder of the tea, he heard Zhao Hao speak.
"Sir, what if I were to say that the Emperor and the Empress Dowager are not dead?"
Ju Shou raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't it said that... His Majesty and the Empress Dowager perished in the fire of Luoyang? When I passed through Luoyang, the mottled burn marks hadn't completely faded..."
"It is true that the area around Luoyang was burned and destroyed by the rebels from Xiliang. But I had already ordered my men to secretly rescue His Majesty and the Empress."
Therefore, let me discuss this with you, sir. If, at that time, all the feudal lords of the land accept the investiture bestowed by Dong Zhuo, Your Majesty and the Empress will reappear in the world.
"And what about Qin?"
Ju Shou swallowed hard, his eyes widening involuntarily.
"Lord Qin...does he intend to unify the world with his military might?"
Zhao Hao's pupils contracted. "Unify the world with force?" That's a well-chosen phrase!
Although Zhao Hao understood that Ju Shou's meaning was merely an implication that the Marquis of Qin wanted to conquer the thirteen states of the world, what Zhao Hao truly believed was that every piece of land on this planet deserved to be called the world!
"Hahaha! To unify the world with force, that's right, I, Zhao Hao, will unify the world with force!"
"Sir, would you be willing to help me fulfill my wish?"
What an overbearing and grand ideal this is.
He was dismayed, thinking that Yuan Shao's ambition to block Yan and Dai in the north and control the area north of the Yellow River in the south was already great enough to make him a great ruler.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Hao's magnanimity was even greater than that of Yuan Shao!
However, just as he was about to accept the order, Ju Shou's face darkened.
After a long while, Ju Shou cupped his hands and asked.
"Lord Qin, pacifying the world is a grand ambition of a military man, which is understandable. However, with the world in disarray and the people displaced, as the ancient saying goes, 'Even a great country will perish if it loves war.'"
If the Duke of Qin were to use his military might to conquer the world, countless fathers, husbands, brothers, and other family members would die on the battlefield or be forced into labor.
"Regarding this situation, does Your Majesty have a solution? I, Ju Shou, am foolish and dull; please instruct me, Your Majesty."
Zhao Hao smiled. Here we go again. These ancient scholars loved to engage in the old trick of choosing ministers based on their own merits.
In reality, the main reason was Zhao Hao's humble origins. If Yuan Shao, a person of high status, had said these words to Ju Shou, Ju Shou would never have questioned him.
This is the limitation of scholars of this era...
"Hehe, easy."
Zhao Hao picked up a small twig and wrote a few simple words on the empty sand basin.
"First and foremost, the territory must be governed by law, ensuring that there are laws to follow and that these laws are strictly enforced. Violations must be investigated and punished!"
Ju Shou's heart skipped a beat. Zhao Hao actually understood Legalism and knew the meaning of the law?
These twenty short words are the very essence of the law.
However, Zhao Hao hadn't finished speaking.
"Subsequently, science and technology became the primary productive force... Simply put, it was about rationally promoting agriculture, solving the problem of illegal land annexation by powerful families and gentry, and ensuring that the people had land to cultivate and surplus grain."
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