A transmigrator usually had some kind of cheat.
For those who transmigrated to ancient times, the greatest cheat was knowing history in advance.
Qin Tian had that same advantage.
But besides that, he had another cheat.
It wasn't a system or an old man living in a ring. It was his memory.
Simply put, Qin Tian's memory was astonishingly good.
He didn't know why, but after transmigrating, he could recite everything he had read in his previous life, and he could also read ten lines at a glance and recite anything he'd seen backward without missing a word!
That was also why Cai Yong had taken a special interest in him and accepted him as a disciple.
Thanks to his powerful memory, he was also exceptionally good at spotting the opportunities hidden in every historical detail and turning circumstances to his side to secure the greatest possible advantage.
The reason he dared suggest that Liu Bei seize Huainan was that, starting with Yuan Shu's declaration of himself as emperor, there would be plenty of opportunities for Liu Bei to rise with the tide!
The entanglement between Yuan Shu and Lu Bu was an especially important part of it.
But while he knew these things would happen, Liu Bei and the others had no idea.
Jian Yong, in particular, was taken aback as soon as he heard Qin Tian's words.
"May I ask who this gentleman is?"
Seeing this, Liu Bei hurriedly smiled at Jian Yong.
"This is a great talent who has just joined our army. His surname is Wang, and his given name is He!"
Then he leaned over and whispered a few words in Jian Yong's ear.
Jian Yong's eyes flashed with excitement. He hadn't expected Liu Bei to actually bring Qin Tian over!
This was truly wonderful news for them.
But recalling what Qin Tian had just said, he quickly asked, "From what you said just now, do you mean you already knew Lu Bu would ally with Yuan Shu?"
Qin Tian shook his head and smiled.
"I didn't know it in advance. It's simply what the circumstances would lead to!"
"Now that Sun Ce has broken with Yuan Shu, Yuan Shu may have declared himself emperor, but he's surrounded on all sides!"
"To his north is Cao Cao, to the east is Lu Bu, and to the south is Sun Ce!"
"He'll have to find an ally if he wants to break out of this predicament!"
"But Cao Cao has the emperor in the north, and Sun Ce has only just rebelled in the south. Lu Bu is the only one left for him to ally with."
"Though Yuan Shu may have that intention, Lu Bu may not agree. There's no need to worry!"
After hearing Qin Tian's analysis, Jian Yong couldn't help but admire him.
"No wonder Yuanzhi praised you so highly. You truly are extraordinary!"
Seeing Qin Tian lay out the situation so clearly in just a few words, Liu Bei wore a pleased smile.
That was the value of a military strategist!
If he had heard this news in the past, he would have had to summon everyone to discuss it, and they might have spent half a day without reaching a conclusion.
But Qin Tian had immediately found the answer.
What a wonderful feeling!
His smile widening, Liu Bei said, "All right, Xianhe has met him now. Since you're here, go summon Zizhong, Gongyou, and the others to discuss the matter. They should meet our gentleman, too!"
"Of course. I'll go at once!"
Jian Yong accepted the order and quickly sent people to notify the others.
Xu Shu also cupped his hands.
"I was just about to return to the army and let the generals know they should come."
Since Guan Yu and Zhang Fei needed to be told about Qin Tian's identity, he had to go in person.
Liu Bei nodded and let Xu Shu leave. Then he personally led Qin Tian into the county office.
Once inside, he arranged a banquet and took Qin Tian to the main hall.
There were several low tables and cushions set out in the hall.
Liu Bei had a servant bring over another table and place it to his left, then smiled.
"The county office is humble. I hope you won't mind, Zixuan!"
His smile was strained, as though he felt he was imposing on Qin Tian.
Qin Tian responded with an easy smile.
"Though my room is humble, my virtue gives it fragrance!"
"With a lord of such virtue dwelling here, how could anyone call it humble?"
Liu Bei was deeply moved by those words.
He knew Qin Tian had been highly valued under Cao Cao and must have received plenty of gold and silver.
He had thought Qin Tian might find his humble conditions a little lacking.
He hadn't expected Qin Tian to turn around and comfort him instead.
Such indifference to wealth and fame, such noble aspirations, was rare indeed.
Though Qin Tian didn't mind, Old Liu wasn't the sort to treat his subordinates poorly. He silently resolved that once he gained a foothold, he would never shortchange these founding veterans.
As he thought this, he praised Qin Tian again.
"Zixuan, you truly are a man of noble character!"
After praising him, he sat beside Qin Tian and began discussing the current situation with him.
They talked for a long while before people began arriving at the county office, one after another.
Sun Qian, Mi Zhu, and the others arrived with Jian Yong. When they saw Qin Tian sitting alongside Liu Bei, their expressions shifted in surprise.
In this era, one's seat was closely tied to one's rank!
In their army, Liu Bei had always sat alone in the seat of honor, with Guan Yu as the foremost military officer and Mi Zhu as the foremost civil official.
Even after Xu Shu arrived, he had ranked below Mi Zhu.
Yet now this young man was sitting beside Liu Bei. It was clear how highly Liu Bei regarded him!
So who exactly was this young man?
As Xu Shu had said, Qin Tian had previously refused to come out of seclusion, so Liu Bei's ministers still didn't know who he was.
Even Mi Zhu and the others hadn't heard a thing. Seeing this, they hurriedly asked Jian Yong.
Jian Yong only smiled.
"He's a great talent in our army. Once everyone has arrived, the lord will introduce him."
The two could only suppress their curiosity.
After a while, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and the other generals entered the county office with Xu Shu.
Once everyone had arrived, Liu Bei sat up straight and smiled at them.
"You're all here. Let's begin the council."
"But before we discuss business, let me introduce someone to you all!"
He pointed to Qin Tian.
"This gentleman's surname is Wang and his given name is He. He is a great talent of our age!"
"From today onward, he will be our army's strategist. His orders are my orders, and when he is present, it will be as though I myself am there!"
"I expect you all to heed and trust him. Do not break the rules!"
Liu Bei's announcement caused an uproar in the hall.
Xu Shu and Jian Yong were all right, but Guan Yu furrowed his brows, while Zhang Fei looked displeased.
Though they knew Qin Tian's identity, it still rankled to have someone come in and immediately climb over their heads.
The others were even more astonished.
They had never even heard the name Wang He!
Yet Liu Bei had entrusted him with a position of great responsibility right off the bat, nearly handing over his own authority to him!
Even Guan Yu probably hadn't received such treatment!
Who was this young man, really?
How had he earned such trust from Liu Bei?
Amid the uproar, Qin Tian only smiled faintly.
"I am grateful for my lord's trust in entrusting me with this important duty. Even if I died, I could never repay him. I can only fulfill my duties with all my heart. I hope you'll all bear with me, work together, and achieve great things!"
"Our lord has given you only my name, not my courtesy name. Allow me to introduce myself: my courtesy name is Ziye. If you don't mind, you may call me that!"
After Qin Tian's brief introduction, Liu Bei looked around at the others.
"That's how things stand. Does anyone object to Ziye taking up the position of strategist?"
The others looked at one another, but no one spoke. The hall fell silent.
Yet this silence itself startled Mi Zhu and the others. They turned their eyes toward Guan Yu and Zhang Fei!
This wasn't how things were supposed to go!
It was one thing for them to have no objections, but how could Guan Yu and Zhang Fei have none?
The two of them had always recognized only Liu Bei and refused to submit to anyone else.
Why weren't they saying a word now?
While they were wondering, Liu Bei grinned.
"Then it's settled. Let's begin the council!"
"I summoned you all today, first, to announce Ziye's appointment and, second, because our army has received word that Yuan Shu intends to ally with Lu Bu. His envoy has now arrived in Xuzhou."
"Tell me, what should we do?"
Hearing the topic, everyone began weighing the pros and cons.
But today was different from usual. After thinking it over, they all raised their heads, yet not one of them said a word.
Liu Bei frowned.
"Why is no one saying anything?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Mi Zhu smiled.
"My lord may not know this, but when we discussed matters before, no one presided over us, so we could speak freely!"
"But now that the strategist is here, we'd all like to hear his wise counsel. That's why we're keeping quiet!"
After Mi Zhu finished, Zhang Fei chimed in.
"I was just waiting to hear the strategist's wise counsel, too!"
After the two of them spoke up, Sun Qian and the others began echoing them, while Guan Yu remained silent.
Only Xu Shu and Jian Yong furrowed their brows.
This wasn't a good sign. The way everyone was acting clearly showed that they didn't accept Qin Tian's immediate rise to such a high position.
That was one thing for the others, but Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were acting the same way. It seemed Liu Bei's decision to hand over authority might have backfired.
But when the two of them looked at Qin Tian, they saw him sitting there with an air of untroubled calm, as if none of this concerned him. They couldn't help but feel surprised.
Could this be part of Qin Tian's plan, too?
As the others reacted in different ways, Liu Bei gave Qin Tian an apologetic look.
"Since everyone wishes to hear the strategist's opinion, may I ask you to say a few words?"
Qin Tian's lips lifted slightly. He shook his head and smiled.
"In my view, this matter isn't worth discussing!"
"Though Lu Bu is fickle, he still draws a Han salary and serves the Han. He would never agree to Yuan Shu's proposed alliance!"
His words made everyone frown. Zhang Fei couldn't hold back any longer and sneered.
"Strategist, what a bold claim! If even this matter of state isn't worth discussing, then what is?"
Qin Tian didn't take offense.
"Though Lu Bu's affairs are important, the development of our army matters more!"
"If you ask me, we should discuss seizing Xiang County and taking all of Pei Commandery!"
Seize Xiang County and take all of Pei Commandery!
Everyone was shaken by his words, and even Liu Bei was surprised.
They had already discussed seizing Xiang County.
Their conclusion had been that it was impossible!
At least with their current forces, it would be difficult to achieve.
They hadn't expected Qin Tian, the moment he took office, to go after such a tough nut to crack!
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