Driven by his eagerness to save his lord, Cao Cao led his troops in pursuit. Reaching the Bian River near Xingyang, he clashed with Dong Zhuo's general Xu Rong and suffered a crushing defeat. Many of his soldiers were killed or wounded, and Cao Cao himself was wounded by a stray arrow. Fortunately, his cousin Cao Hong rescued him, saving his life.
Seeing that Cao Cao, though outnumbered, had fought for a considerable time, Xu Rong concluded that Suanzao would be difficult to capture and withdrew his troops.
This shows that Cao Cao was, in fact, a loyal minister; at least, one cannot say he was inherently rebellious.
Anyone whose power grows will want what is not rightfully theirs—this is called pursuit.
Being unworthy of one's position and having talent but actively seeking it are two different things.
"Mengde, are you pondering something?" Yuan Shao asked, a hint of smugness in his eyes as he looked at his friend.
The reason he became close friends with Cao Cao, besides the latter's flattery, was also because Cao Cao was not handsome; his complexion was sallow, and his physique was thin. Compared to Yuan Shao, Cao Cao was like the moon and a firefly, a world apart.
Being with someone like that, everyone's eyes are constantly on him; even flowers need green leaves to set them off.
"I'm thinking about how to train a battle-hardened army within six months," Cao Cao said, clearly aware of the affairs of the court. They were merely at the back, not out of the picture.
"Haha, what's so difficult about that? Since Anmin can boast like that, he must already have a plan. Anmin, what are your thoughts?" Yuan Shao, thinking himself clever, passed the question to Lu Ming. Since the other could boast, let him take responsibility.
"That's right, for someone to speak like that before the Emperor, he must have considerable ability. Perfect, we can wait and see." A burly man with a full beard laughed and joined in the mockery. There's no first place in literature, but there's always a struggle; it would be abnormal not to. Everyone has a sense of pride—why should you be the best?
Actually, at this point, history had already begun to shift.
The suppression of the rebellion in Xiliang was originally planned to take four or five years, but it ended in less than a year. This resulted in many who should have been fighting on the battlefield being relegated to other posts.
Dong Zhuo was also assigned to Bingzhou to replace the deceased governor.
Originally, Dong Zhuo was supposed to stay in Hedong Commandery and observe the situation in Luoyang.
But what's the point of observing now? Emperor Ling, though in poor health, should still live for at least another three to five years. Even if Dong Zhuo had the guts, he wouldn't dare to play any tricks.
Lu Ming laughed after hearing Yuan Shao and Chunyu Qiong's veiled sarcasm. "The Eight Colonels of the Western Garden, each leading an army, whoever fails to train them properly is considered incompetent. Gentlemen, you are all generals handpicked by His Majesty, and I need to learn from you."
Good heavens, so blunt?
Those who can't train are useless—that sounds plausible, but training troops in Luoyang is easier said than done.
Only Lu Ming felt confident. At least in his view, he had discerned a crucial point through observation and historical understanding:
Emperor Ling would undoubtedly value the Western Garden Army highly. A capable army was of paramount importance to an emperor.
Emperor Ling's past rampant corruption and collection of rare treasures were not considered problems.
Power was largely concentrated in the hands of powerful clans; what was wrong with an emperor simply being greedy?
An emperor without power or troops was essentially powerless.
While the Ten Attendants he had promoted wielded considerable influence, they were not invincible. To challenge the powerful clans was a pipe dream.
As for the Grand General, a relative of the empress, he had already been flirting with the Yuan family, and the methods used to check and balance the emperor were gradually losing their effectiveness.
Military power was irretrievable. Therefore, the Western Garden Army was Emperor Ling's last resort; if he failed, he would be finished!
Therefore, training the Western Garden Army would not encounter much resistance.
It's entirely possible to begin training and then use combat to sustain the army. Only through the crucible of blood and fire can a powerful army be forged.
Lu Ming had already planned this out, even arranging his subsequent entry into Bingzhou.
The Yuan family would undoubtedly target him by every means possible, so he needed to remain detached from Luoyang, using combat to sustain the army, nurturing a formidable force so they wouldn't dare underestimate him.
"His Majesty trusts us, which is why he entrusted the Xiyuan Army to us. Gentlemen, let us work together diligently. Today's meeting is adjourned. Tomorrow, everyone should begin preparing for the military, each fulfilling their duties, and quickly establishing their respective units." Jian Shuo, as the commander-in-chief, made the final decision.
Currently, the Xiyuan Army is just an empty shell, lacking everything. It needs to be built from scratch, which means two things: firstly, there are many vacancies; secondly, recruiting soldiers will be exceptionally difficult.
After everyone left, a young eunuch approached and whispered something in Jian Shuo's ear.
Jian Shuo frowned slightly, then beamed. "Captain Lu, His Majesty summons you to the Daming Palace for an audience. I will accompany you."
"Then I will trouble you, Captain Jian," Lu Ming said, clasping his hands in a fist salute. He frowned slightly; one problem after another, what on earth was going on?
They entered the palace again via a side road near the West Garden. There were three more palace gates along the way, each guarded by no fewer than two hundred imperial guards. A surprise attack on the palace from here would be futile once the gates were closed.
Moreover, the larger the scale, the greater the cost. The imperial family needed money; money was needed everywhere.
The Daming Palace, the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Emperor Ling, Liu Hong, usually preferred to work here, although he didn't handle state affairs much, delegating those to the Ten Attendants and the Secretariat.
Yuan Kui was the Minister of the Secretariat.
From Grand Commandant to Minister, it might seem like a demotion, but it was actually a promotion.
The Three Dukes of the Eastern Han Dynasty were merely nominal titles with little real power.
Most of the authority was managed by the Secretariat, making it the truly authoritative department.
When Lu Ming arrived, he saw Marquis Zhao was also there. He bowed to Emperor Ling and Marquis Zhao, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty, greetings, Marquis Zhao."
"Hmm, Anmin, I've heard you're skilled in medicine. Is that true?" Emperor Ling asked directly, clearly aware of Lu Ming's reputation.
"I know a little. What are your orders, Your Majesty?" Lu Ming didn't mind currying favor; besides prolonging his own life, he used his medical skills to treat others for personal gain.
Having an extra skill always improved his life, especially in ancient times—a skilled trade ensured he wouldn't starve.