Despite some astonishment at Ye Feng's attitude, Chen Gong respectfully repeated himself.
"This commoner's surname is Chen, given name Gong, courtesy name Gong Tai, and I am from Dongwu Yang in Dong Commandery!"
"Chen Gong, Chen Gong…"
As Chen Gong spoke, Ye Feng repeatedly muttered the familiar name, his eyes filled with an unusual brilliance.
He never expected this!
His very first little fanboy in the late Han Dynasty was none other than the Renowned Chen Gong of later generations!
This fellow should be the top-tier strategist he had encountered in the late Han, right?
After all,
In the early days of the late Han, strategists were not yet famous. Whether it was Guo Jia or Xi Zhicai, they were probably still studying in academies.
Therefore,
Even when Ye Feng was at the Allied Army camp during the campaign to aid the Emperor, he hadn't seen many strategists. Most were like Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and other future warlords.
Indeed!
The Han Dynasty's residual power still lingered.
Those with talent either lived in seclusion to study or served in the Han court.
Who would serve a petty, unknown figure as a retainer?
So,
Chen Gong could be considered one of the top strategists to have appeared so far.
Even when compared to Xi Zhicai and others who would emerge later, Chen Gong was in no way inferior.
Who could forget that he almost ended Old Cao's grand ambition for empire?
He was just that close!
If not for Xun Yu and those few from the Xiahou family desperately protecting him, Old Cao would have truly capsized in the gutter.
This was also one of the reasons why Old Cao, after recapturing Yan Province, massacred the entire families of Chen Gong, Zhang Miao, and others.
The wound was too deep!
Of course!
These were all events of later generations and would essentially not occur in this lifetime.
Even if Old Cao became a warlord as he did in later history, Chen Gong would not be able to assist him again.
After all,
Just by looking at the gleam in Chen Gong's eyes now, Ye Feng didn't believe he would betray him.
With this thought,
Ye Feng released his hand from Bian Yuer and personally stepped forward to help Chen Gong up.
"Gong Tai, is it?"
"My command has an opening for an accompanying strategist. Are you interested?"
"Wh-what?"
Even Chen Gong, who had a high opinion of himself, was startled by Ye Feng's grand gesture.
Who was this man?
He was just an unknown figure right now, wasn't he?
And he was being offered a position as an accompanying strategist right off the bat?
If he remembered correctly, the army under Ye Feng currently numbered twenty thousand cavalry?
This was a bit outrageous, wasn't it?
However,
When Chen Gong looked up into Ye Feng's eyes, he saw nothing but earnestness.
This meant that
Ye Feng truly intended to offer him the position of accompanying strategist, despite his having achieved no merit whatsoever?
"It's improper!"
"This is improper!"
Perhaps to demonstrate his sincerity, Chen Gong immediately changed his address:
"My Lord, your subordinate has achieved no merit yet. I cannot rashly assume a high position!"
Saying this, and seeing Ye Feng's expression change, Chen Gong quickly amended his statement:
"Even if I myself felt suited for it, we cannot break the rules, can we?!"
"This…"
Ye Feng, who had intended to make a decisive offer, hesitated upon hearing this.
Rules?
Indeed!
Without rules, there would be no order!
Whether in the various professions of later generations, or in the military and court of the present, it was a place that valued rules.
For only by establishing clear rules could those below have the motivation to strive.
Even if his subordinates were all system-trained soldiers, they still needed to adhere to rules.
Otherwise,
Even if they remained unconditionally loyal to him, what could he do if they didn't fight with all their might on the battlefield?
Why did so many people dislike parachuted officials?
Was it not because they broke the rules?
Logically, each position should be filled by someone from within, replacing those who leave.
Everyone would know each other, and even if they were not satisfied, they wouldn't say much.
But parachuted officials?
On what grounds?
Even if your ability surpassed everyone else's, before you demonstrated it, you would still inevitably be branded as having gotten the position through favoritism.
And among the renowned scholars of the late Han, their reputation was paramount.
Perhaps he could overcome all opposition and secure Chen Gong's position.
But would Chen Gong feel at ease?
Definitely not!
No one who clearly possessed true talent would be happy being accused of nepotism.
With this thought,
Ye Feng suppressed his urge to make a definitive decision and re-offered Chen Gong a different position.
"Since accompanying strategist is a bit too high, then serve as an advisor by my side!"
"Ad-advisor?"
Chen Gong was taken aback upon hearing this, unable to immediately grasp Ye Feng's intention.
What kind of position was an advisor?
Did the Han Dynasty have such a post?
After a brief recollection of the various official positions in the Han Dynasty, Chen Gong immediately reached a conclusion.
No, it did not.
So, was this position… specially created for him by Ye Feng?
"Rest assured!"
As if sensing Chen Gong's concern, Ye Feng smiled and explained:
"An advisor holds no actual power, it's akin to a servant by my side."
"Although you can listen, observe, and offer suggestions, the final decision rests entirely with this governor."
"Uh…"
After listening to Ye Feng's explanation, Chen Gong nodded, as if understanding but not quite.
Indeed!
Judging purely by the literal meaning, this was the most suitable position for him.
Although he only had the power to listen and suggest, wasn't this precisely the space for him to demonstrate his abilities?
After all,
What use would a strategist be if he had no right to offer suggestions?
The only thing that troubled Chen Gong was… this position seemed even higher than that of an accompanying strategist?
Why?
Because an accompanying strategist, no matter what, was only responsible for the affairs of his specific army.
But he?
As Ye Feng's personal think tank, he would be responsible for the overall situation.
Could one argue that this position was not higher than that of an accompanying strategist?
Although without decision-making power, an accompanying strategist was clearly more independent.
But…
"No buts!"
As if sensing Chen Gong's dilemma, Ye Feng smiled and patted his shoulder.
"Currently, my command does not have many official positions. You wouldn't want to be a registrar in the army, would you?"
"If that were the case…"
"If you wished to display your talent, you would likely have to wait for several years."
"…"
Chen Gong heard this, opened his mouth, and finally fell silent.
Ye Feng's last sentence had indeed hit a nerve.
Several years later?
Was he kidding?
Even if Chen Gong could wait, the positions for Ye Feng's trusted confidantes could not afford to wait!
It was evident that
As the situation in Luoyang unfolded, Ye Feng, who had orchestrated this entire play, would undoubtedly be the biggest winner.
At that time,
Even the staunch royalists might waver, let alone the influential noble families who were adept at playing both sides.
They didn't care whether the Liu family or the Ye family sat on the throne.
As long as their interests were guaranteed, they wouldn't mind stabbing the Liu family in the back.
In other words,
If he wanted to make a name for himself under Ye Feng, he had to establish a firm foothold from the outset.
If he missed this opportunity due to his not-so-valuable pride…
"Your subordinate accepts the order!"
After a long silence, Chen Gong finally bowed to Ye Feng.
He had yielded!
It wasn't that he was willing to be a parachuted official, but rather that he was willing to demonstrate his abilities by Ye Feng's side.
After all,
In the eyes of the common soldiers, the little lackeys around Ye Feng were insignificant.
Especially the generals who held military power.
He believed that
If he truly provoked those people, they would definitely dare to slap him.
This was also why he agreed.
From being overlooked to being valued, there had to be a process, wasn't there?
Seeing this,
Ye Feng revealed a satisfied smile and prepared to return to Bian Yuer's side.
The warm embrace of that pure girl truly made him linger.
"My Lord~!"
Seeing Ye Feng turn to leave, Chen Gong felt a surge of urgency and quickly stepped forward, saying:
"My friend Yuan Mao also greatly admires My Lord. I wonder if…"
"Yuan Mao?"
Hearing the somewhat familiar name, Ye Feng raised an eyebrow subconsciously.
No way!
Was today his lucky day?
Not only had he found the wife of Cao Cao's past life, but he had also gained the allegiance of the renowned Chen Gong, and now he was going to get another historically famous strategist?
After all,
A man who could associate with Chen Gong couldn't be too bad, could he?
With this thought,
Ye Feng suppressed his carnal desires and looked with a smile at the young man not far away.
"Is this the Yuan Mao?"
"Yes, yes…"
Facing his friend Chen Gong's expectant gaze, Yuan Mao could only offer a bitter smile and, with a 'thump,' knelt before Ye Feng.
"Your subordinate Pan Zhi, courtesy name Yuan Mao, a native of Zhongmu, Chenliu, greets My Lord!"
"Not bad!"
After listening to Pan Zhi's introduction, Ye Feng's smile became a little stiff.
He was unsure!
He couldn't help it!
No matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't recall any strategist named Pan Zhi in the Three Kingdoms period.
He did remember someone named Pan Zhang, but wasn't that fellow from Jiangdong?
Of course!
Despite his slight embarrassment, Ye Feng didn't panic much.
As the saying goes:
When in doubt, ask the system!
If even the dog system couldn't handle it, then it would be time for him to panic.
"Dog system!"
After calling out in his mind, Ye Feng, with a smile, commanded internally:
"Quickly help me check this fellow's attributes. See if he's some renowned general!"
"Renowned general?"
Hearing Ye Feng's command, the system let out a contemptuous laugh and said dismissively:
"He's not exactly a renowned general, but he can be considered a minor strategist!"
"See for yourself!"
Saying this, the system projected an attribute table before Ye Feng's eyes.
----------
Pan Xu
Courtesy Name: Yuan Mao.
Original name Pan Zhi, later changed to Pan Xu to avoid taboo, a native of Zhongmu, Chenliu.
Strength: 78
Leadership: 67
Intelligence: 92
Politics: 88
Skills: Strategy, Poetry, Swordsmanship, Horsemanship…
Special Attribute: [Ninefold Decree of Fate] (When inscribing epitaphs, the probability of being remembered by posterity increases by 50%.)
----------
"???"
"What the hell…"
As Ye Feng finished reading the attribute table before him, his stiff smile almost broke.
What in the world was this?
The initial attributes looked decent, classifying him as a minor treasure.
But this special attribute…
"Dog system~!"
Suppressing the urge to unleash a string of curses, Ye Feng gritted his teeth and muttered mentally:
"You honestly confess, did you do this?"
"Where does such an outrageous special attribute come from?"
"Don't tell me you're jealous of my good fortune today and deliberately trying to sabotage me?"
System: "???"