With Lan Tian's endorsement, Liu Bei returned to Xinye and immediately appointed Xu Shu as his military advisor.
Seeing how sincerely Liu Bei wanted him, Xu Shu accepted at once. He didn't want his talents to go to waste, either.
He had once considered serving Liu Biao, but the man had little schemes and no grand ambitions. It wasn't until Sima Hui recommended Liu Bei that Xu Shu began paying attention to his current lord.
Xu Shu truly couldn't understand why Liu Bei, with a great talent like Lan Tian at his side, had accomplished nothing before.
Liu Bei sighed when he heard this. "I was blind and failed to recognize talent. I buried Lan Ziyu's abilities. It wasn't until we came to Jing Province that I began putting him to good use."
"Lan Ziyu's learning is extraordinary. Why didn't you appoint him as your military advisor earlier?" Xu Shu asked.
"I already asked him before, but Ziyu said his ability and wisdom weren't up to the task. He could see the broad trends but had no plans to respond to them, so he volunteered to settle in Deng Family Village and oversee farming. But he truly understands agriculture," Liu Bei explained.
Xu Shu sighed. "Lan Ziyu's talent is no less than mine, yet he's so humble. I can't match that breadth of spirit. But his farming and grain production can ease my lord's worries, and that's an important duty, too."
"I understand that. Cao Cao has people farming in Xudu, and he even assigned a great general like Xiahou Dun to oversee it. Grain supplies are naturally of the utmost importance." As he spoke, Liu Bei suddenly thought of Legend of the Condor Heroes. Though the mysterious Jin Lao had passed away, perhaps Lan Tian knew about Genghis Khan's