Even though Ye Feng didn't consider himself a good person, he had drawn a line.
To gain rewards and accumulate strength, he had slaughtered the Wuhuan barbarians.
To protect the common folk of Youzhou from harm, he had instructed Gongsun Zan to commit atrocities in Liaodong.
And even,
To make the Han court and the Yellow Turban rebels fight to the death, he had continuously provoked and manipulated both sides.
Yet, he felt he still had a bottom line!
That line was the ordinary people!
Whether it was encircling and annihilating barbarians in Youzhou or instigating the epic war between the Yellow Turbans and the court, Ye Feng had tried his best to avoid involving the common populace.
Some might argue, weren't the Yellow Turban rebels also common folk struggling to survive?
Ye Feng disagreed.
In his opinion,
While these people who dared to resist the government were admirable, the moment they picked up a weapon, they ceased to be ordinary citizens.
Uprisings required sacrifice!
If they succeeded?
They would undoubtedly enjoy endless wealth and glory, reaching the pinnacle of their lives.
If they failed?
They couldn't blame heaven or earth; at least they had tried.
But all of this showed they were no longer ordinary people.
Everyone must bear the consequences of their choices.
They were no exception!
After all,
Ye Feng was now looking at things from the perspective of a ruler.
For those who wished to remain common folk, he would provide protection to the best of his ability.
For those who didn't?
Stay away!
As long as you didn't cause trouble within his jurisdiction, Ye Feng could pretend not to see.
But did you expect him to go easy on you?
Apologies!
The path to conquering the world might not be lonely, but he preferred to ascend to the top alone.
Therefore,
Ye Feng would show no hesitation towards either the Yellow Turban rebels or the imperial army.
His only concern was the common people.
If the chaos of warring lords led to a massive depopulation of the Han Dynasty,
Then he, Ye Feng, would be inexcusably responsible!
Not to mention,
After conquering the vast Han Dynasty, he would need people to inhabit it.
He couldn't rely solely on the summoned soldiers under his command, could he?
That wouldn't do!
If it was all men, wouldn't the Han Dynasty turn into something…
*Hiss!*
Thinking of such dire consequences, Ye Feng couldn't help but shiver.
No!
Absolutely not!
Even if this era of warring lords hadn't arrived, he couldn't stand by and watch such a situation unfold.
"Gongtai~!"
Glancing at Chen Gong, who seemed hesitant to speak, Ye Feng forced a smile, his expression grim.
"Tell me your specific thoughts!"
"If we truly agree to Emperor Ling's plea for help, how should we rescue them?"
"Should we directly defeat the Yellow Turban rebels?"
"If the Yellow Turban rebels are truly annihilated, Emperor Ling, having stabilized the situation, might set his sights on us next!"
"Although this governor is not afraid of what he might do, having someone constantly watching is quite displeasing!"
"My Lord~!"
Seeing that Ye Feng had adopted his suggestion, Chen Gong smiled, his voice filled with excitement.
"We should help, of course, but we don't necessarily have to defeat the Yellow Turban rebels!"
"Hmm?"
Ye Feng raised an eyebrow at this, giving Chen Gong a playful glare.
"Just say whatever you have to say. If you keep playing coy, I'll send you to wash horses!"
"Hiss…"
Startled by Ye Feng's threat, Chen Gong's expression shifted slightly, and he explained with a wry smile,
"My Lord, aren't those aristocratic families plotting against Emperor Ling? We can perfectly turn their scheme against them!"
"For example…"
...
As Ye Feng and Chen Gong finalized their plan, Yu Huatian was already galloping towards Luoyang.
Seeing this,
Ye Feng beckoned to Chen Gong beside him and, with a smile, instructed,
"You go pack your things too. We'll depart for Chang'an tonight!"
"Ah?"
Hearing Ye Feng's command, Chen Gong was taken aback and asked uncertainly,
"My Lord, is there a need to be so hurried? The army traveling through the night…"
"The army will not move!"
Ye Feng shook his head with a smile and, under Chen Gong's bewildered gaze, waved his hand.
"Don't worry about that. Go pack. Prepare to depart tonight!"
"Right…"
Ye Feng paused, then beckoned to Pan Zhi on the other side.
"Yuanmao, come with me for a moment."
"Yes!"
Despite being puzzled why Ye Feng was calling him specifically, Pan Zhi quickly followed.
Soon,
Led by Ye Feng, the two arrived at a separate courtyard nearby.
The Xuanjia cavalry guarding the entrance immediately saluted Ye Feng and the two.
"My Lord~!"
"Mm!"
Ye Feng returned the salute with a slight nod and then, with a hint of amusement, asked,
"Has that fellow tried to escape?"
"No!"
The Xuanjia cavalry guard shook his head, his voice steady.
"Just like the past few days, apart from his meals, he basically stays out of sight."
"This fellow…"
Ye Feng chuckled, shook his head, and pushed open the courtyard gate, walking inside.
"Dian Wei?"
"Where is he!"
"Come out and take your beating!"
"…"
Dian Wei, who had just walked out of the house, paused in his steps, suddenly feeling an urge to turn around and flee.
Damn it?
Is this guy serious?
His injuries had only just begun to heal, and he couldn't possibly fight anyone!
Thinking of being brutally beaten by Ye Feng later, Dian Wei felt a sense of despair.
If life continued like this, he might as well just crash his head against a wall and die.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Dian Wei's extremely displeased expression, Ye Feng asked as if he didn't know.
"Your arm seems to be recovering quite well, doesn't it? Even if it's broken again, it can be reattached!"
"…"
Facing Ye Feng's taunts and provocations, Dian Wei suppressed his frustration and remained silent.
You're amazing!
Keep going!
If I utter a single word back to you today, may I be considered your pet!
"Hey?"
Seeing Dian Wei's persistent silence, Ye Feng grew bored and decided to get straight to the point.
"How about I let you lead the cavalry under my command?"
"???"
Dian Wei was stunned by this and pointed at himself with uncertainty.
"Cavalry?"
"For me to lead?"
"That's right!"
Ye Feng nodded without hesitation and then explained with a smile,
"I need to go somewhere to handle a matter, but someone needs to be in command of the upcoming journey."
"My plan is simple!"
"You, Dian Wei, will be in charge of leading the cavalry, but you must take orders from Yuanmao!"
"What do you say?"
"This…"
Dian Wei swallowed with difficulty, completely forgetting the vow he had just made.
"Governor, Governor, can I know the reason?"
"Reason?"
Ye Feng sized up Dian Wei and said with disdain,
"You're only good for your muscles, and they're still worth something. It would be a waste not to let you utilize them!"
"…"
The apprehension that had just surfaced in Dian Wei's heart vanished, replaced by a surge of frustration.
"I, I'm still quite capable of fighting, alright?"
"Capable of fighting?"
Ye Feng chuckled and beckoned to Dian Wei, saying playfully,
"Then come on!"
"Let me see how capable the capable Dian Wei truly is!"
"…"
Glancing at Ye Feng's not-so-burly arms, Dian Wei's frustration was immense.
This is illogical!
He clearly doesn't look very strong, so why does hitting him hurt so much?
Feeling his arm still ache faintly, Dian Wei finally sighed.
"Governor, since you value me so highly, if I'm still uncooperative, I'm just asking for death!"
"How about this…"
"As long as you don't ask me for sparring sessions anymore, I'll do whatever you ask!"
"Heh heh…"
Hearing Dian Wei's near-surrender, Ye Feng's smile remained unchanged.
"No!"
"???"
"Listen closely!"
Meeting Dian Wei's bewildered gaze, Ye Feng's smile suddenly vanished.
"Dian Wei, I spared your life because I recognize you as a talented individual and because you have an elderly mother to care for, hence my momentary leniency!"
"But that doesn't mean this matter is closed!"
"Remember this!"
"Since I dare to employ you, I'm not afraid of any tricks you might pull."
"But I advise you!"
"Before you do anything, you'd best consider whether you can bear the consequences!"
Saying this, Ye Feng ignored the grim-faced Dian Wei and walked out with Pan Zhi.
On the way,
Recalling Ye Feng's previous arrangements, Pan Zhi said somewhat uneasily,
"My, my Lord, you, you're truly letting me and that brute lead troops together?"
"What?"
Ye Feng, with a smile returning to his face, turned to look at Pan Zhi.
"You're unwilling?"
"This…"
Pan Zhi's voice faltered, and he opened his mouth, but found himself unable to refuse.
This was leading twenty thousand cavalry!
As a strategist or a general, who didn't harbor the dream of commanding an army?
But could he truly do it well?
Especially,
When his partner was a brute who had just offended his Lord.
"My Lord~!"
After a flurry of thoughts, Pan Zhi finally bowed to Ye Feng.
"Your subordinate, your subordinate may not be competent enough…"
"Yuanmao!"
Before Pan Zhi could finish speaking, Ye Feng stopped and shook his head with disappointment.
"What positions do you think you can competently fill under this governor?"
"This…"
Pan Zhi blushed at Ye Feng's blunt question.
This was something he had been pondering these past few days!
What could he do?
Or rather,
Among the many positions under Ye Feng, which ones was he qualified for?
Offering advice?
He believed he was inferior to his close friend Chen Gong, which was why he had remained silent during Ye Feng's consultations.
Governing a region?
Let alone daring to even consider it now, Ye Feng wouldn't agree even if he did.
Entrusting the people of a county or prefecture to a young graduate fresh from the academy?
That would be irresponsible not only to the people but also to Pan Zhi himself.
After all,
If the people suffered due to mismanagement, he would be held accountable.
As for other positions?
While Pan Zhi might be capable of some, there was always someone better suited for the job.
This situation brought not only helplessness to Pan Zhi but also a headache for Ye Feng.
He couldn't possibly relegate a strategist to the barracks to be a mere decoration, could he?
Even if Pan Zhi was willing to be a chief clerk, Ye Feng wouldn't let him go.
Wouldn't that be a waste?
Although Pan Zhi's historical fame wasn't as great as Chen Gong's, he was still a figure recorded in history.
For him to serve as a petty official in the army, Ye Feng himself felt it was extravagant.
Therefore,
With the need to divide forces on this occasion, Ye Feng specifically wanted to cultivate Pan Zhi.
*Ahem*!
Although the cultivation method was a bit rough, he hadn't expected Pan Zhi to be afraid to accept!
How could this work!