Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1290: Chapter 1244: Army Reorganization and Merger

”Everyone is here,” Zhang Fei said, his boisterous smile disappearing, fingers lightly tapping the edge of the table. His presence shook everyone to their core, bringing their attention sharply to him.

”From today onwards, you are under the command of my brother Liu Xuande. Your previous military duties remain unchanged, and your stipend remains the same. After a month’s observation and rest period, further military duties and stipends will be decided,” Zhang Fei declared with a slightly domineering tone.

Without giving the officers under Tian Yu a chance to protest, Zhang Fei continued, ”Below the rank of Centurion, all soldiers are eligible to compete. They just need to defeat any Centurion publicly. Above Centurion, to rise in ranks, not only must you defeat a peer, but you must also undergo a military simulation.”

What Zhang Fei spoke about was actually dictated to him by Zhuge Liang. They only had a month’s rest, during which they needed to integrate both armies thoroughly and also for Zhang Fei to grasp a larger portion of authority.

Simply put, it wasn’t about distrust in Tian Yu. Rather, as a commander, you must be fully aware of your subordinates’ capabilities; only then can you truly display your strengths in the upcoming battles.

”Military simulation?” The officers on Tian Yu’s side could barely comprehend what Zhang Fei was talking about.

”It’s paper warfare, with General Tian as the referee. Both sides will conduct a paper-based battle simulation and must pass according to Kongming’s judgment.” Zhang Fei pointed to Zhuge Liang as he spoke. Seeing that their opponent was a mere fourteen or fifteen-year-old, the officers on Tian Yu’s side visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

[Hehehe, if you can beat Kongming on paper, I wouldn’t mind granting you a cavalry unit.] Zhang Fei thought with a smirk. Though he hadn’t interacted much with Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei considered him on par with Fa Zheng.

Fa Zheng might look youthful, but even with all those present combined, they might not outmatch Fa Zheng in military strategy. Similarly, Zhuge Liang, who could obtain a fan, was certainly not one to be underestimated.

The main purpose of Zhuge Liang instructing Zhang Fei to conduct military simulations with these officers was to better understand their capabilities.

To trust someone, the best route is to familiarize oneself with their skills. Zhuge Liang realized that by unlocking his Spiritual Talent, he could easily spot a person’s strengths and suitable development direction, sometimes even without that person’s awareness.

”All my troops can participate in this promotion; those who maintain their positions after a month will be awarded military credentials and corresponding stipends,” Zhang Fei announced. He looked at the eager officers below, smirking inwardly. With Zhuge Liang overseeing, no middle-ranked officer above Centurion would pass without discretion!

”The selection begins immediately.” Zhang Fei remained indifferent to the subtle defiance shown by Tian Yu’s men and equally unmoved by his own troops’ eagerness.

”May I ask, General, can any position under your command be challenged?” Wang Yu stood up and asked Zhang Fei, ”If one were to become a Colonel, what level of assessment would they need to go through?”

”To become a Colonel, as long as you’re alive and can wield a weapon, you must defeat me, National Consent, or Kongming in military strategy,” Zhang Fei chuckled. This time, he didn’t rely on Zhuge Liang’s advice, glaring at Wang Yu with undisguised menace.

In that moment, Wang Yu felt like a rabbit caught in a tiger’s gaze. A chill ran down his spine, his back drenched in cold sweat, leaving him speechless, until Zhang Fei turned away, at which point Wang Yu collapsed into his seat, drained.

[How terrifying...] Wang Yu dismissed any desire to challenge for Tian Yu, nor did he entertain the idea of competing against Zhuge Liang; as for Zhang Fei, he had no wish to face him at all—such a formidable general was entirely out of his league.

”Everyone should prepare themselves. What General Zhang has said aligns with my thoughts; I encourage you all to interact more with each other,” Tian Yu remarked with keen observation, recognizing that Zhang Fei’s officers were significantly more elite than his own.

Tian Yu was pleased with Zhang Fei’s arrangements. If he were to fully support Liu Bei, then there should be no hidden agendas; allowing Zhang Fei to manage military power effectively was the clear path.

Zhang Fei’s earlier strategic plan had indeed surprised Tian Yu. He had not anticipated that Zhang Fei would demonstrate such wisdom after just a few years apart. It seemed inevitable that many of Tian Yu’s officers would be overshadowed.

Additionally, since military simulation required his personal arbitration, it would be easy for him to secure his own key men while eliminating those middle-level officers who lacked discernment and competence.

One could say this move was a friendly gesture to Tian Yu, effectively refining his circle, all without eliciting any displeasure from Tian Yu.

In truth, Tian Yu was prepared to hand over authority, but he wasn’t inclined to waste his time on internal conflicts. Successfully defending against the invasion of the Hu People and witnessing the people welcome and send him off with food and drink gave great fulfillment to Tian Yu, whose family was quite wealthy.

For Tian Yu, his family was akin to Youzhou’s local tyrants. What he sought was not power or prestige, but an experience of self-actualization, which was greatly satisfied by the people’s welcoming gestures.

Even though the people’s offerings weren’t particularly sumptuous, Tian Yu found the dry mushrooms given by the people more enjoyable than his own meat stew. For Tian Yu, life was about revitalizing his family and living more comfortably.

Internal strife contradicted his nature, but after safeguarding the border, the admiration from the people of Youzhou gave him a sense of achievement. Since both internal and external conflicts required fighting, why not choose the path that he found most enjoyable?

By inheriting Gongsun Bogui’s legacy and fulfilling his own sense of achievement while being happier, where was the sense in engaging in internal battles?

With Tian Yu’s words, all middle-level officers began scrutinizing their counterparts, each ready to pick a target.

Zhang Fei had just two thousand men, but once combined with Tian Yu’s forces, their number rose to six thousand. If Zhang Fei’s middle-level officers performed well enough, promotions by two ranks might be entirely possible.

Likewise, for the officers on Tian Yu’s side, securing a higher military rank was feasible as long as they succeeded in this competition. Given these stakes, how could they not vie for positions?

After the officers of both sides departed, the relationship between Zhang Fei and Tian Yu grew significantly closer. At this point, Tian Yu finally got the opportunity to ask the question he had been pondering.