Volume 1, Chapter 19: The Victory Banquet, Civil and Military Officials

Inside the resplendent main hall of the Weiyang Palace, the gilded, coiled-dragon pillars shimmered under the light of hundreds of palace lanterns. Vermilion curtains swayed gently in the breeze, swirling the rich, heavy scent of incense throughout the hall, now thick, now faint.

With the successive return of generals such as Yue Fei, Zhang Ji, and Fan Chou, the ten commanderies of Yongzhou had finally been restored to the map of the Great Han.

At the victory banquet, Liu Xie sat upright upon the gilded throne. His fingertips unconsciously traced the ivory carvings on the table before him, his gaze sweeping across the ministers clinking cups in the hall below, yet a flicker of anxiety rose in his heart.

Looking at the crowd in the hall, Liu Xie realized there were still far more military officers than civil officials. It had not seemed like a problem during the heat of the campaigns, but now that he possessed territory, he felt a dire shortage of administrative talent.

Yue Fei, the foremost among the military commanders, sat with dignified posture, his hawk-like eyes remaining as clear and sharp as ever. Yang Zaixing and Xu Huang conversed in low tones, occasionally gesturing on their table as they spoke. Hu Che'er was locked in a drinking contest with Zhang Ji, both men flushed with wine. The former Xiliang subordinates—Zhang Ji, Fan Chou, Yang Feng, Duan Wei, and Dong Cheng—had formed a small, boisterous circle of their own, trading drinks back and forth with great fervor.

Zhu Jun, though a military man, was advanced in years and had seen much, looking upon the rowdy crowd with a benevolent smile. As a pillar of the late Han, Zhu Jun’s abilities remained respectable, but one could only lament that the general was in the twilight of his years; his prowess had begun to wane.

Zhu Jun:
Command: 83 (88)
Might: 62 (78)
Intelligence: 80 (85)
Politics: 70 (75)
Charisma: 85 (88)
Special Ability: Blazing Military Might
Effect 1: Regions under his jurisdiction will suffer no rebellions, and his troops will not defect.
Effect 2: Success rate of fire attacks +20%, efficacy +20%.

General Huangfu Song, though eager to assist Liu Xie, was plagued by illness. Liu Xie had not asked the old general to return to the burdens of court, instead arranging for him to rest and recuperate in Chang'an.

Zhang Ji’s nephew, Zhang Xiu, did not drink; he stood by his uncle’s side, supporting the swaying man. Through the system, Liu Xie accessed Zhang Xiu’s information, and his abilities were truly exceptional.

Zhang Xiu, courtesy name Youtu:
Command: 80
Might: 85
Intelligence: 70
Politics: 55
Charisma: 60
Loyalty: 85
Special Ability: Northern Cavalry
Effect 1: When leading cavalry, unit mobility +20%, assault damage +15%.
Effect 2: Can execute Jia Xu’s strategies with 100% efficiency, and remains unaffected by enemy skills or tactics during execution.

Zhang Xiu was a natural match for Jia Xu! Not only could he execute Jia Xu’s plans perfectly, but he could also lead an army with a "resistance aura," immune to all interference. It was no wonder that the duo of Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu had managed to leave Cao Cao’s most valued eldest son, Cao Ang, and his favorite general, Dian Wei, permanently in Wancheng.

Compared to Zhang Xiu, Duan Wei’s abilities were far more mediocre.
Duan Wei:
Command: 78
Might: 75
Intelligence: 68
Politics: 70
Charisma: 60
His attributes were average—a blank slate with no special talents.

As for the civil officials—
"Cough, cough..." Yang Biao suddenly choked on his wine, his aged face turning deep red. His son, Yang Xiu, hurriedly patted his father’s back, though his sharp eyes, belying his youth, cast frequent glances toward the military seats.

The civil faction was led by the newly favored Jia Xu, followed by Yang Biao, Chunyu Jia, Shi Sunrui, Yang Qi, Zhong Yao, Zhang Xi, Yang Mi, Huangfu Li, and Fu Wan, with assistance from Yang Biao’s son, Yang Xiu.

Zhang Xi: Command 45, Might 40, Intelligence 70, Politics 75, Charisma 60. With such mediocre stats, it was no wonder that in history, Liu Xie’s attempt to have him mediate the dispute between Li Jue and Guo Si had proven entirely futile.

Chunyu Jia: Command 50, Might 45, Intelligence 78, Politics 85, Charisma 70. As the figurehead promoted by Li Jue and Guo Si for the Chang'an court, he possessed some ability, though he too was a blank slate.

Shi Sunrui: Command 68, Might 65, Intelligence 80, Politics 82, Charisma 75.
Yang Qi: Command 55, Might 50, Intelligence 75, Politics 80, Charisma 70.
Yang Mi: Command 60, Might 50, Intelligence 70, Politics 75, Charisma 70.
Huangfu Li: Command 75, Might 72, Intelligence 78, Politics 70, Charisma 75.
Fu Wan: Command 60, Might 25, Intelligence 70, Politics 72, Charisma 75.

The others’ stats were also uninspiring. Uncle-in-law Fu was slightly more capable than Uncle-in-law Dong, but not by much. However, he had connections in Bingzhou and had previously sent a military map through Empress Fu Shou; his loyalty was commendable. But when it came to major appointments, one had to rely on ability.

Yang Xiu: Command 40, Might 35, Intelligence 88, Politics 80, Charisma 78.
Special Ability:
Sharp Wits: Intelligence +5 during rhetorical debates.
Yang Xiu was a rare talent with a special ability, yet this skill felt somewhat like a chicken rib—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard. If sent as an envoy, his arrogant nature, lacking in restraint, might offend others and prove counterproductive. As for debates—would an opponent simply hand over their city because they lost a verbal argument?

Hmm, perhaps when the two armies faced off, Yang Xiu could be sent to engage in a war of words? That seemed like a decent idea; he might even become the founding father of the pre-battle verbal sparring match, which would be quite a fine accomplishment!

Among the civil officials, they were either too old and frail to travel, too young to shoulder responsibility alone, or possessed such mediocre skills that they could not be entrusted with heavy burdens. Liu Xie was in desperate need of talent—a vast amount of talent.

Lost in thought, Liu Xie was jolted back to reality by a sudden shout.

"Your Majesty? Your Majesty is truly sagacious!" Zhang Ji stood up unsteadily, holding a bronze goblet, his dark face flushed with the effects of the wine. "This subordinate offers a toast to Your Majesty!"

Liu Xie smiled and raised his cup, the amber liquid rippling in the glow of the night-pearls. He noticed Yue Fei sitting straight at the head of the military officials; though he also raised his cup, those hawk-like eyes remained as clear as they had been at the start. In contrast, Fan Chou was already swaying, drunkenly draped over an attendant while loudly recounting tales of the battlefield, the fumes of his wine causing the fragile scholars nearby to lean back repeatedly.