Yielding the Allied Commander Post
While contracting the oil marshes discovered in the south to Ratchet, Zul'ra was also exchanging opinions by telegram with Tyrande Whisperwind of Darnassus regarding the selection of the allied commander for the Second War of the Shifting Sands.
To Zul'ra's surprise, Tyrande Whisperwind did not immediately reject Malfurion's suggestion to be the commander-in-chief of the allied forces. Instead, he replied to Zul'ra humbly, asking whether Malfurion's appointment as commander-in-chief would provoke dissatisfaction from the Alliance.
When Zul'ra received the telegram, he immediately thought his guess was wrong, that Malfurion had not yet been dragged into a deep sleep by the Nightmare. However, he quickly dismissed this idea.
Malfurion is the leader of the Kaldorei, and his safety and whereabouts are directly related to the safety of the Kaldorei race. Therefore, it is inevitable that the Kaldorei would conceal information about him and take precautions against the Horde.
Although he was being guarded against, Zul'ra was still quite happy, because this kind of guardedness also existed for the Alliance, and at no less severe level. From a personal perspective, Tyrande Whisperwind's concern that the Alliance was dissatisfied with him meant that the Kaldorei were to some extent closer to the Horde. At the very least, the debt of Grom killing Cenarius could be considered to be over as long as no mistakes were made.
Given the possibility of winning over the Kaldorei in the future and their lack of objection to Malfurion serving as commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces, even if her speculation was wrong, Zul'ra still replied to Tyrande Whisperwind with strong language, stating that if the Alliance believed Malfurion was unsuitable to serve as commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces, then the Horde believed that no one else was qualified to serve as commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces.
In response to Zul'ra's telegram Horde the Horde in support of Malfurion, Tyrande Whisperwind replied after some thought. First, she thanked the Horde for their support. Second, she explained that Malfurion had been working to repair Nordrassil and was seeking the help of the Green Dragonflight. Fandral Staghelm was unable to participate due to injuries sustained in the last war, and she asked the Horde to provide some warriors like Broxigar to consider. She added that if Zul'ra himself were to participate, the Kaldorei would also support him.
Tyrande Whisperwind's words must have confirmed Zul'ra's speculation. Even if Malfurion isn't currently entangled in the Nightmare, he can't escape the dream. However, that's not important. What's important now is the selection of the Allied Commander. Tyrande Whisperwind's words must mean that the Kaldorei have given up on becoming the Allied Commander and have even expressed their willingness to support the Horde for selection, out of respect for Broxigar.
In fact, the Kaldorei do have suitable candidates for leadership, such as Tyrande Whisperwind herself. Although she is a priestess of Elune, she is also a powerful Warrior. However, if the Horde insists on having the Kaldorei as the commander of the allied forces, it would seem like they are groveling and would be too embarrassing.
The Allied Commander will be chosen between the Alliance and the Horde. Should the Horde take the lead? Zul'ra pondered. Perhaps they could bring Varok back from Outland now; his charisma was enough to handle the task and generate reputation for the Horde. But did the Horde really need that reputation?
The Horde used to have a bad reputation, a reputation associated with weakness, poverty, and Bloodlust, which made the Horde look rather bad in the eyes of the neutral faction and thus needed to be improved. However, as the Horde settled and developed in Kalimdor, their pockets gradually filled up, and their hard work and simplicity showed through their sweat improved Horde reputation in the neutral faction.
Continuing to improve their reputation would change the image of the Horde in the eyes of the Alliance, but this is something that cannot be changed by the position of commander-in-chief of the Alliance. Pushing Varok to the position of commander-in-chief of the Alliance might establish a typical hero image, but it will not change the image of the Orcs and the Horde.
Introducing Varok as a hero would likely lead the Alliance to see him as an exception among the Orcs, much like the discrimination against Black people on Earth. Any Black person who achieves even a little success is considered mixed-race or an exception. They have no idea what determines intelligence and have forgotten that Einstein was once considered mentally challenged.
After further deliberation, Zul'ra finally sent a telegram to Darnassus, listing several candidates for Tyrande Whisperwind: Vol'jin, Cairne Bloodhoof, Varok, Sylvanas, Thrall, and possibly herself.
After listing the candidates, Zul'ra gave reasons for each of them: Vol'jin was responsible for Hakkar's resurrection, Cairne Bloodhoof was busy with important matters, Broxigar's brother Varok Outland, Sylvanas was fighting the the Scourge, and the Warchief was in Blackrock Mountain saving the world. Sanra himself had no experience in directly commanding troops. In short, the Horde would not take on the responsibility of leading the Horde. Not taking on this responsibility would improve the Horde's image more than taking it on.
Faced with Zul'ra's initial refusal, Tyrande Whisperwind was probably bewildered. She only called back the next day, Horde if it was inconvenient for the Horde, then the Alliance would have to send someone.
The Horde doesn't trust the Alliance, but for the sake of the bigger picture, Horde are willing to trust Darnassus's vision and cooperate with the future Allied Commander's reasonable arrangements. In her reply to Tyrande Whisperwind, Zul'ra both praised the Kaldorei and expressed that the Horde trusts Darnassus's judgment, while also giving the Horde a "considering the bigger picture" message. In short, she said only the nice things.
Zul'ra had already made up his mind. No matter who the Alliance selected, as long as it wasn't Daelin, the Alliance wouldn't let Daelin take the lead, and Darnassus wouldn't do something so stupid. In short, this was a good opportunity to dig a hole for the Alliance and send them to their deaths as the main force.
The outcome of this great battle concerns the safety of the world, but sabotaging the Alliance while ensuring victory is no small matter. Even if they don't succeed in sabotaging them, performing slightly better than them in battle is also a victory.
With various ulterior motives at their disposal, Zul'ra and Tyrande Whisperwind finalized the matter through telegram exchanges, and then forwarded the decision to Jaina in Theramore via public telegram, asking the Alliance to find someone suitable to serve as the commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces.
Jaina was also stunned by the sudden news. After thinking for a while, she decided to consult with her Alliance allies first. Since there was no teleportation in the Eastern Kingdoms, she could only use teleportation to inform them one by one. Eventually, a meeting was held in Stormwind.
Four or five days later, Jaina returned to Theramore, still suffering from the aftereffects of the repeated teleportation spells. She then had the Amani'lai telegraph operator in Theramore send a reply to Orgrimmar and Darnassus, informing them that the Alliance was willing to appoint Duke Bolvar, the Duke Fordragon of Stormwind, as the leader of the Allied Forces.
Just as Zul'ra rejected the idea of the Alliance leader, the Alliance's willingness to take on the burden of the Alliance also stemmed from the desire to prove to the Kaldorei that the Alliance was righteous and brave, and to suppress the Horde.
The Alliance had made its decision, but Tyrande Whisperwind from Darnassus hesitated, sending a telegram to inquire about Bolvar Fordragon's credentials to justify his appointment as leader of the alliance, her words clearly indicating her distrust.