After exchanging pleasantries, Yuan Shu ordered some fine wine to be served.
The aroma of the wine was intoxicating, mingling with the incense in the room, making it even more enchanting.
After each of them finished a pot of wine, Yuan Shu's face was flushed, and he was already somewhat drunk.
"Have you heard the rumors circulating in the capital recently, Fengxian?"
Yuan Shu suddenly asked.
Lü Fengxian nodded. "Brother Yuan, are you referring to the rumors from Jiannan Circuit?"
"That's good. What does Fengxian think?"
"What a coincidence, His Majesty also asked me about this matter today."
"Oh?"
"I told Your Majesty, the rumors are just rumors."
Yuan Shu looked at Lü Fengxian with a half-smile, "But what if the rumors are true?"
Lü Fengxian's eyes shifted. "Brother Yuan, do you know something inside?"
"Haha, that's just a hypothetical situation."
Yuan Shu laughed and said, "If there really were a nineteen-year-old Great Grandmaster, what changes do you think would occur to the world's situation, Fengxian?"
Lü Fengxian picked up his wine cup, drank it all in one gulp, and said proudly:
Even if someone truly possesses such extraordinary talent, in the grand scheme of things, they are nothing more than a few ripples in a mighty river.
What do you mean?
"Lu Yulin was once the top martial arts scholar, but he was only assigned to tend horses for the Imperial Guards. Even if he truly becomes Grandmaster now, he's still a rebel in the mountains, unlikely to amount to anything. As for Wu Shuangren, no matter how powerful he is, he's just a local militia leader; what does the fate of the world have to do with him?"
Lü Fengxian shared his opinion.
Today he told the emperor that a common man's bravery is only enough to defeat a hundred men, while leading an army of a million is the true measure of power. Although these words were flattery of the emperor, they also reflected his true thoughts.
Personal martial prowess is certainly useful, but it must be used in the right place and in a way that leverages existing circumstances.
For example, the Prince of the Western Capital was both Great Grandmaster and the head of the Xiang Clan family. He held military power and relied on the strength of the Xiang Clan to rise step by step. He was invincible on the battlefield and became a hereditary king at the age of twenty-five!
This is the best use of personal martial prowess!
If one becomes like Lu Yulin, even after becoming Great Grandmaster, one is still a rebel with only a few thousand rabble under one's command.
Or perhaps it's like that guy from the Deer-Slaying Palace, who only reigns supreme in the martial arts world.
In Lü Fengxian's view, they were all just acting on momentary impulses, with limited vision.
The fate of the world will never be decided by these people!
"Haha, well said!"
Yuan Shu slapped his thigh hard and laughed loudly.
He suddenly grabbed Lü Fengxian's hand, his gaze fervent. "Fengxian is Grandmaster time, and has long served by the Emperor's side. He possesses a broad vision and a far-sighted perspective! In Fengxian's opinion, who are the figures in the world today who can dominate the political landscape?"
Lü Fengxian was taken aback and immediately said, "Brother Yuan, you flatter Fengxian. I am but a mere warrior, and I am unworthy of such praise."
"Hey, stop being so modest!"
Yuan Shu exerted force in his hand.
His strength was nothing to Lü Fengxian, but Lü Fengxian could sense his seriousness.
After a moment's thought, Lü Fengxian, "The Yuan Clan produced three high-ranking officials for four generations, making them the leading aristocratic family in the land. Brother Yuan, as the head of the Yuan Clan family, is naturally at the forefront."
Yuan Shu smiled, still not letting go of the other person's hand. "Besides me, who else is worthy of Fengxian's attention?"
"The Prince of the Western Capital reigns supreme in the northern border, commanding an army of 200,000, and is renowned as the most powerful man in the land!"
"The Prince of the Western Capital goes without saying, and with the Lu Clan of Jiangnan and the Cui Clan of Qinghe, the Four Great Aristocratic Clans are already well-known. What else?"
"Grand Commandant Han Shizhong, whose prestige and seniority are unparalleled in the Imperial Guards, is capable of taking charge of the overall situation?"
"Grand Commandant Han is unparalleled in loyalty and bravery, but unfortunately, he lacks strategy. He is capable of being a great general, but not a commander-in-chief. He cannot stand firm at the forefront of the great tide of the world."
Yuan Shu shook his head.
Lü Fengxian then said, "Zhao Yunlong of the Shanbei Army is a renowned Dragon General, a valiant and skilled warrior with a illustrious reputation. Can he take charge of the overall situation?"
Yuan Shu shook his head again. "The Zhao Clan is ambitious and eager for glory. They suffered too many elite losses in the several battles with the Tubo. Zhao Yunlong is brave and skilled, but the Zhao Clan behind him can hardly support him to go very far."
Lü Fengxian thought for a moment and said, "Then, what about Dong Zhuo of Shannan Circuit? Of the three military towns in the western border, his strength is the most formidable."
Yuan Shu finally released Lü Fengxian's hand, and while pouring him wine, said, "Dong Zhuo is indeed a man of outstanding talent. My father mentioned him many times when he was alive."
"Oh?"
Lü Fengxian knew that they had finally gotten to the topic of the evening.
My father said that Dong Zhuo is an ambitious man with the appearance of a tiger or wolf.
Yuan Shu looked into Lü Fengxian's eyes and said, word by word, "If you want to control these tigers and wolves, you need a divine general to subdue them before you can succeed!"
Lü Fengxian narrowed his eyes, didn't reply, and just drank.
Yuan Shu didn't continue speaking, but suddenly clapped his hands.
The curtain of the side door was lifted, and two maids helped a woman out slowly.
Lü Fengxian turned his head and saw that the woman was about eighteen or nineteen years old. She had a delicate nose, cherry-like lips, and skin so white that it was almost transparent. Under the glass lamp, she looked like a beauty carved from mutton fat jade!
She wore a light red gauze dress, her alluring curves faintly visible beneath, every movement exuding a natural charm.
"Greetings, Lord Yuan; greetings, General Lü."
The woman bowed gracefully, her voice soft and sweet.
Yuan Shu pointed at the woman and laughed, "This woman's surname is Du, and her given name is Xiu'er. She was originally the Du Clan in Nanyang. Later, due to the decline of her family, she came to my household after many twists and turns. I raised her in my household for three years and taught her all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting."
As he spoke, he gestured to Du Xiu'er with his eyes.
Du Xiu'er stood up, took a pipa from a maid beside her, and gently plucked it while singing.
The pipa music was melodious and graceful, and Du Xiu'er's voice was even more tender and lingering, captivating the listener.
When the song ended, Lü Fengxian was the first to applaud.
Yuan Shu glanced at him. "Fengxian, your wife is not in Chang'an, and you have not taken a concubine. Fine wine and beautiful women are a match for a hero. Tonight, let us drink fine wine to our hearts' content, and you may also take this beauty as well!"
Lü Fengxian glanced at Yuan Shu, then turned to look at Du Xiu'er.
Du Xiu'er lowered her head slightly, her eyes both delicate and timid, her expression alluring.
Lü Fengxian's heart stirred at this, and he immediately picked up his wine cup and gestured to Yuan Shu:
"I would be honored to accept your invitation. Thank you, Brother Yuan!"
"Hahaha, great!"
The atmosphere inside the hall was lively.
That evening, Lü Fengxian returned home laden with several jars of fine wine and the beautiful Du Xiu'er.
After seeing Lü Fengxian off, Yuan Shu returned to his study and wrote a letter.
"Give this letter to Wang Junning, and have him pass it on to Dong Zhuo."
Yuan Shu gave instructions to his trusted aides.
After his trusted confidant left with the letter, Yuan Shu gazed intently at the night outside the door.
Since the Xu Family and Wu Shuangren are ungrateful, there's no need to consider them anymore.
Just as Lü Fengxian said, the affairs of the world are no longer their concern!
211 Shannan Dong Zhuo, Lianfeng Guard
Shannan Circuit.
Liangzhou, Liangzhou City.
This was the seat of the Shannan Circuit, and because the Shannan Circuit was a military town, the headquarters of the Shannan Army was also located in Liangzhou City.
On the drill ground, thousands of elite soldiers clad in heavy armor were training, their battle cries shaking the heavens!
These elite soldiers were called the Western Liang Guard, and were the personal guards of Dong Zhuo of Shannan Circuit.
Dong Zhuo was born into a gentry family in Liangzhou. Most of the soldiers in the Western Liang Guard were his loyal followers from the very beginning, and they were battle veterans!
The Western Liang Guard now has three thousand men, all of them the elite of the elite. A saying has long circulated in the Shannan Circuit—
Three thousand Western Liang Guard are enough to defeat an army of ten thousand!
A burly general stood on the training platform, leading the Western Liang Guard below in drills.
This man had thick hair, a full beard, dark skin, and a fierce look. Standing there, he resembled a lion!
"Kill!"
He stood on the platform and shouted loudly.
With each roar, the Western Liang Guard below fiercely swung their weapons.
Every utterance of the word "kill" carried the sound of metal and stone, resounding like the roar of a dragon or the howl of a lion!
Upon hearing this roar, the Western Liang Guard felt their bodies heat up, their blood rush to their heads, and their fighting spirit soar.
This requires profound Internal Skill combined with extremely advanced sonic martial arts, along with the principles of battle formations and training methods.
The general on the stage possesses top-tier Internal Skill, even among those at the First Rank!
His name was Hua Xiong, and he was the commander of the Western Liang Guard.
He was also the top expert in Shannan Circuit and the fiercest general under Dong Zhuo!
A group of people suddenly entered the training ground. Hua Xiong looked closely and saw that the leader was dressed in ordinary clothes, with a slightly bloated figure, but with an extremely imposing presence.
Standing in a crowd, this person will be noticed by everyone immediately.
"Stop!"
Hua Xiong immediately raised his hand and gave the order.
The thousands of Western Liang Guard stopped at the sound, their movements perfectly synchronized.
Hua Xiong immediately stepped down from the platform and hurried to greet him.
"Grown ups!"
Hua Xiong, the leader, bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.
"Greetings, Commander!"
Thousands of Western Liang Guard knelt down on one knee in unison.
The visitor was none other than Dong Zhuo of Shannan Circuit!
"Get up, all of you."
Dong Zhuo said, "Everyone has been practicing well lately, so we'll have extra meat tonight."
"Thank you, General!"
Everyone exclaimed in unison, their faces beaming with joy.
The Western Liang Guard received the best treatment among the Shannan Army, but even they couldn't eat meat every day.
Dong Zhuo looked at someone in the crowd. "Ma Chen."
"Your subordinate is here!"
Upon hearing the sound, Ma Chen immediately stepped forward and quickly approached Dong Zhuo.
Dong Zhuo stepped forward, took the sword from his waist, and handed it to the other man. "You performed the best in the military exercise the other day, this sword is yours."
Ma Chen accepted Dong Zhuo's sword with both hands, his face filled with excitement. He knelt on one knee and said, "Thank you, General! I will certainly use this sword to kill the enemy and achieve merit!"
Dong Zhuo nodded and personally helped him up.
The Shannan Army is the official name used to refer to the military. In reality, the Shannan Army consists of seven armies. Each army regularly sends an elite force to conduct combat exercises, with the winner receiving a reward.