Mi Heng straightened his sleeves, seemingly to tidy his appearance, before respectfully bowing to Lu Ming.
"I am willing to serve the King of Qin. I only wish to one day display my talents again."
"Very well, Zhengping, I need you to go to Black Mountain and persuade Zhang Yan to surrender to me.
Back in Zhongshan Commandery, Zhang Yan led troops in a surprise attack on Wuji County, capturing Yuan Shao alive.
Now Yuan Shao has been released, but he has become a sworn enemy of Zhang Yan. I had some contact with Zhang Yan then, and it was relatively amicable.
This time, you should not focus on Zhang Yan himself, but rather on the leaders and chieftains under his command.
You have a silver tongue; you should understand their character and personality, and then use the appropriate approach to persuade them.
I await your good news. Remember, use the appropriate approach.
Are you confident you can accomplish this?"
Lu Ming was wondering who to send. He had originally considered Xu Shu, but now that Mi Heng had arrived.
"Then let him go." If we can capture Black Mountain, then the rear of Ji Province will be secured.
Then, occupying Ye City, relying on the Taihang Mountains, connecting Bing Province, and directly linking with Liang Province, forming a right-angled strategic zone, would be perfect!
Mi Heng pondered for a moment, then bowed deeply to Lu Ming, his hands clasped together. "This is my duty."
"But may I ask, my lord, what grudge exists between Yuan Shao and Zhang Yan?"
Lu Ming revealed the secret, since it was none of his concern.
"So, you understand now.
Zhang Yan is easy to deal with, but he still has 100,000 troops under his command, and not all of them are loyal to him. Therefore, you need to be extra careful and cautious."
Everyone had strange expressions…
Especially after hearing that Yuan Shao had been sexually assaulted by Zhang Yan's men, they felt a slight ache in their backsides.
No normal man would want to play with another man; only extremely bored nobles would do such a thing.
"Yes, that's right, Jia Baoyu, I'm talking about you!"
"I understand. When does my lord wish me to depart?"
Mi Heng was somewhat alarmed. From this glimpse, he knew his lord was definitely not as simple as he appeared.
"Depart tomorrow. I will send a thousand men to escort you."
After giving a few more instructions, Lu Ming kept Mi Heng behind and began explaining the subsequent strategic plans.
Mi Heng felt somewhat uneasy, so he cupped his hands and said, "My lord, this matter is confidential. Should I leave first?"
"No, if you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them.
Zhengping, I know you are resentful, possessing great talent but having nowhere to use it—this is the most frustrating thing.
You will have plenty of time to work in the future. In the north, besides Han Fu, there are Yuan Shao, Gongsun Zan, and Liu Yu; in Liaodong, there is Gongsun Du.
I will take over the entire north…
As for the Central Plains, let them fight like dogs."
Lu Ming did not drive Mi Heng away; this was also a way to win people's hearts.
"Thank you, my lord."
Mi Heng bowed deeply to Lu Ming again. Scholars are sometimes easy to win over; basically, a scholar will die for one who understands him.
To repay Lu Ming, he devised a plan. "My lord," he said, "I once attended Yuan Shao's birthday banquet in Nanpi with Kong Rong.
Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao are outwardly friendly but inwardly hostile. This time, Yuan Shao will surely promise Gongsun Zan that he will send troops to aid him.
However, Youzhou doesn't belong to Gongsun Zan, and he has Liu Yu above him. I can write a letter to both Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan, sowing discord between them, making Gongsun Zan hesitant to risk being attacked from the side by Liu Yu and march south.
Their struggle in Youzhou will free up our resources to deal with Yuan Shao."
"Good, as you say.
If this is done well, it will be a great achievement."
Lu Ming was overjoyed; he had originally planned the same thing.
The strategy of "befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones" refers to allying with distant states to attack neighboring ones.
This was a diplomatic strategy adopted by the Qin state during the Warring States period.
Because even enemies have allies, the strategy is to contain them while focusing on the main force, avoiding dealing with a large group of enemies simultaneously.
Lu Ming has many elite troops, but distributing them would be insufficient.
At least 10,000 men are needed to garrison Xiliang—the elite of the elite—otherwise, he won't be able to subdue the Western Regions states.
Another 10,000 are needed in Nanzhong, because besides the Nanman, nomadic tribes like the Yuezhi will also raid, so some need to remain to guard the area or for the lord to attack.
The larger the territory, the more troops are needed. If Lu Ming wants more elite troops, he must expand the war, forging soldiers from the flames of war.
Avoid fighting if possible, even after conquering Heishan, there will be many people to deal with.
First are the Wuhuan and Xianbei, then there's governing Bingzhou—many things to attend to.
The meeting lasted all day.
With the general direction set, the next steps were left to Jia Xu and Xu Shu.
He was in charge of troop deployment, and this time he planned to send Zhao Yun and Xu Huang. Having two renowned generals leading the charge was already a great honor.
After a busy day, Lu Ming returned to the palace and, attended by palace maids, soaked blissfully in the hot springs.
A fragrant breeze wafted in, and a mature woman entered the bath, completely naked. "Your Highness."
"When no one else is around, call me husband!"
Lu Ming didn't even open his eyes, leaning against Shi Xiangyun's lap. Shi Xiangyun was gently massaging his forehead, her smile charming and obedient.
"Husband."
The woman was none other than Aunt Xue.
Aunt Xue's belly was already quite large; she was carrying Lu Ming's child.
"My lord, may Baochai and Baoqin serve you tonight?"
Looking at the beautiful mature woman before him, he knew she couldn't compare to Diaochan in terms of looks…
Especially Diaochan, fresh from childbirth, exuded a mature and alluring charm, even surpassing Yang Guifei, becoming the most captivating and seductive presence.
However, Diaochan was still in her postpartum confinement period and needed to recuperate, so she hadn't come to serve him.
It was obvious even to a fool that Diaochan would likely be serving him every day from now on, simply because of her beauty, good figure, and long legs in black stockings—any man would be captivated.
Aunt Xue often chatted among the women in the harem, so she knew every woman's character inside and out.
Now that Lu Ming had taken all the women from the four great families into his harem, she was quite anxious. Her two daughters hadn't had many opportunities to serve him, and if they didn't appear soon, they would be forgotten.
Unlike Lin Daiyu and Tan Chun, who held great power and frequently appeared before men, never fearing being forgotten.