To Qin Tian, Huang She was actually quite a stranger.
It was not that their interactions over this period meant nothing to him, but rather that historical records contained very little about Huang She.
He only knew that Huang She enjoyed poetry, prose, and stele inscriptions, and was therefore close with Mi Heng, the greatest loudmouth of the late Han.
Beyond that were Huang She's two defeated expeditions.
The first came when Liu Xun was defeated. Huang Zu ordered Huang She to lead troops to reinforce him, only for Sun Ce to defeat him.
The second came when Huang She led several thousand men against Chaisang, only to be savagely crushed by Xu Sheng's force of fewer than two hundred.
From these incidents, he could initially judge that Huang She leaned toward literary pursuits and was not skilled at commanding troops.
Yet after associating with Huang She, he discovered that the man was far from as simple as he appeared.
For from Cai Mao, he had learned that the Huang Clan could be called a hegemon in Jing Province. They held independent military power and carried immense weight in decision-making.
Compared to the Cai clan, which had risen by looking to Liu Biao, the Huang Clan's power was truly the greater.
With such a foundation, Huang She did not hold Liu Biao in much regard, yet he committed no overstepping acts.
In both word and deed, he seemed to serve as a bridge easing tensions between the Huang Clan and Liu Biao.
He had to preserve his family's independence under Liu Biao while doing his utmost to ensure Liu Biao did not develop resentment.
None of these matters could possibly be handled by an ordinary mediocrity.
Thus, in Qin Tian's view, Huang She was not entirely without merit. At the