The grand procession officially crossed the threshold of the State Prefecture of Ji Province.
Inside the central government compound, Xun You had already been waiting for a long time. As Zhang Xin stepped into the courtyard, the two looked at each other and shared a subtle, knowing smile—everything between lord and strategist was completely understood without words.
Zhang Xin felt a burning itch in his throat; he desperately wanted to pull Xun You aside right then and there to ask if Wang Meng's ambush in the Black Mountain passes had successfully ensnared the escaping Yuan Shao. However, looking at the massive entourage of newly surrendered Hebei officials filing in behind them, he knew now was absolutely not the time for private tactical updates.
Under Ju Shou's meticulous guidance, Zhang Xin strode into the grand main hall of the State Prefecture and sat down firmly in the principal seat of power. There were far more urgent administrative matters demanding his immediate attention. As for Yuan Shao's fate, he could easily grill Xun You about it the moment this formal assembly concluded.
Inside the hall, another brief round of polite, ritualistic resistance took place. Under Zhang Xin's unyielding insistence, a deeply nervous Han Fu was eventually coaxed into sitting on a smaller cushion directly beside him. The remaining civil and military officials of Ji Province then filed into the hall, taking their seats along the left and right corridors in strict accordance with their bureaucratic ranks.
Once everyone was seated and the rustling of silk robes subsided, Zhang Xin placed the massive, heavy jade Governor's seal squarely on the low table in front of him. He looked out over the crowded room and spoke with a warm, open demeanor:
"I am a newcomer to this administration, and I am not yet intimately familiar with the names and faces of everyone present. Please, let us begin with a round of introductions."
As the Chief Coordinator (*Biejia*), Ju Shou was naturally the first to stand up, delivering a formal, articulate re-introduction of his lineage and current duties.
Following Ju Shou, Li Li stepped forward. Then came General Geng Wu, Min Chun, and the rest of the high-ranking executive circle, followed by the mid-level military commanders and administrators: Meng Dai, Jiang Qi, Shen Pei...
Zhang Xin watched each official speak, his mind spinning with historical context as a surge of profound emotion washed over him. Some of these names were legendary figures he knew intimately from his historical knowledge, while others were minor, forgotten bureaucrats.
Yet, looking at them as a collective unit, he couldn't help but realize that almost every single person capable of holding a seat in this hall possessed exceptional administrative or military talent. In his original timeline, at least half of Yuan Shao's future core cabinet and legendary high command were entirely inherited from Han Fu's original staff. It was truly mind-boggling that Han Fu, despite sitting on an absolute goldmine of human capital, had been completely incapable of utilizing them effectively.
Take **Shen Pei**, for instance.
Setting aside the toxic internal political factionalism that would later ruin the Yuan family's strategists, Shen Pei was an incredibly capable, stubbornly loyal administrator. When Cao Cao would later launch his massive, historically devastating siege against Ye City, it was Shen Pei who single-handedly shouldered the burden of the capital's defense.
Not only did Shen Pei successfully hold out against Cao Cao's elite, unrelenting offensive for more than half a year, but he even came hair-raisingly close to assassinating Cao Cao himself during the counter-sorties. If his own biological nephew, Shen Rong, hadn't ultimately committed treason by secretly opening the city gates to welcome the enemy, Cao Cao's pacification of Hebei might have been delayed by another two full years.
And yet, under Han Fu's current administration, a titan like Shen Pei was merely a minor, low-ranking official buried in the bureaucratic background of the State Prefecture.
Zhang Xin lingered his gaze on Shen Pei for a few extra seconds, taking mental notes, before seamlessly withdrawing his eyes. This person absolutely needed to be promoted to a position of real authority—but not today. What Ji Province required above all else right now was structural continuity and absolute peace. Initiating a radical, sweeping purge or reshuffling the personnel deck the very first hour he took office would only trigger unnecessary panic among the local gentry.
Once the final official completed his introduction, Zhang Xin stood up from the principal seat. He walked directly into the center of the hall, adjusted his robes, and delivered a profound, respectful bow to the assembled Hebei bureaucracy.
"Today, the grand lands of Ji Province lie in ruins, desperately awaiting complete reconstruction," Zhang Xin declared, his voice echoing with absolute sincerity. "I humbly ask all of you to join hands and strive together alongside me. I assure you, if there are merits achieved under my governance, I will never be stingy with high offices, grand titles, or wealth."
"Governor, you speak far too highly of us!"
The officials of the State Prefecture frantically scrambled to their feet, bowing deeply in return. "To pour our souls into restoring this land is merely our sacred duty as your subjects."
Zhang Xin nodded dynamically, turning on his heel to return to the principal seat. The moment he sat back down, his tone shifted directly into sharp, efficient military command.
"Do any of you have an immediate memorial to present to the desk?"
The entire room of Hebei officials instantly froze, thoroughly stunned by his words.
*We are starting actual governance already?*
*Is this new Governor genuinely this much of a workaholic?*
*Can you at least change out of your heavy battle armor first?!*
It felt utterly bizarre and slightly intimidating to conduct a high-level civil administrative meeting while their new lord sat before them clad in blood-stained, iron-plated armor, looking like he was ready to chop a horse in half.
"Your loyal subject, Ju Shou, has a critical memorial to present," Ju Shou said, breaking the silence as he stood up and stepped into the aisle.
"Speak," Zhang Xin said, locking eyes with him.
"Currently, there are three urgent, foundational priorities that Ji Province must execute without a single moment of delay," Ju Shou explained, bowing slightly as he spoke with seamless, fluent precision.
"Firstly, now that the Governor has officially assumed control of the capital, the various commanderies, distant counties, and local garrisons across the province are completely unaware of the political transition. A formal, authoritative proclamation must be drafted and dispatched to every single territory immediately to stabilize the bureaucracy and reassure the common people."
"Excellent," Zhang Xin nodded instantly.
Ji Province had officially changed its CEO, and this corporate transition absolutely needed to be blasted to every branch office below. The local magistrates needed to know exactly who was signing their paychecks from now on.
"Secondly," Ju Shou continued, his voice steady. "The Governor must issue an immediate, absolute ceasefire order to all operational military departments currently deployed in the field."
"Agreed," Zhang Xin said.
The immediate fighting within the vicinity of Ye City was over, but General Zhang Liao's vanguard and the Black Mountain Yellow Turban forces up north in Changshan Commandery were still actively locked in brutal, bloody engagements. Now that the entirety of Ji Province legally belonged to Zhang Xin, any ongoing combat was effectively his own soldiers killing his own taxpayers. They needed to cease hostilities immediately to halt further economic self-destruction.
"Thirdly," Ju Shou was exceptionally well-prepared, his delivery flawless. "The basic livelihood of the common people in Hebei has completely collapsed into severe decline. Currently, counting our own vanguard and the remnants of the surrendered forces, there are well over a hundred thousand active, consuming troops stationed inside and outside the walls of Ye City. The grain reserves of the State Prefecture simply cannot sustain this massive, non-productive population."
Ju Shou looked up grimly. "The Governor should immediately initiate a massive demobilization program—dismissing the vast majority of these soldiers, handing them tools, and ordering them to return to their native hometowns to engage in farming. Only by restoring agricultural production can we revive the economic lifeblood of the province."
"Superb!"
Zhang Xin unhesitatingly adopted all three of Ju Shou's strategic suggestions and immediately began delegating the executive tasks on the spot.
"The entire portfolio regarding agricultural restoration and the revival of the people's livelihood will be completely presided over by the Chief Coordinator, Ju Shou."
"Your subject accepts the mandate," Ju Shou replied, stepping back into rank with an internal sense of profound satisfaction. His new lord was a man of immediate action.
"Wen Wei," Zhang Xin turned his gaze toward General Geng Wu.
"Your subject is here!" General Geng Wu stood up instantly, his posture rigid.
"I officially appoint you as the **Military Officer of the Chariots and Cavalry General's Residence**," Zhang Xin declared, before turning his head slightly toward his chief strategist. "The immense logistical undertaking of vetting, disarming, and dismissing the hundred thousand soldiers will be directly handled by my Military Advisor, Xun You, in close cooperation with you."
"Your subject accepts the command with boundless gratitude!" General Geng Wu was internally doing backflips of absolute joy.
Under Han Fu, his title as a "General" was a thoroughly illegitimate, self-styled regional rank, and his position as a Chief Clerk in a makeshift provincial mansion carried zero imperial weight. But Zhang Xin was a completely different breed of warlord. His title as the General of Chariots and Cavalry was officially stamped, signed, and bestowed by the Han Imperial Court itself—genuine, authentic, and prestigious!
For Geng Wu, transitioning into a high-level officer role within an authentic General's residence felt exactly like a freelance contract worker suddenly landing a permanent, high-paying government position with full benefits. It was a massive promotion!
Xun You likewise stood up, calmly bowing to accept the administrative assignment.
General Geng Wu cast a quick, highly respectful glance toward Xun You, bowing his torso slightly lower. Geng Wu was a politically savvy man who understood his exact place in the new hierarchy. When Zhang Xin phrased the order as "Xun You will cooperate with you," it was merely a magnificent display of diplomatic courtesy designed to save face for the newly surrendered Jizhou faction. If Geng Wu actually developed an ego and tried to pull rank or order around a legendary Military Advisor who held a senior imperial rank of *Two Thousand Shi*, it would display a suicidal lack of political judgment.
Xun You offered Geng Wu a warm, reassuring smile and a polite nod, acknowledging his humility.
"Lord Han," Zhang Xin finally turned his attention back to the man sitting beside him.
"Ah? Yes!" Han Fu's entire body instantly went rigid, his voice stammering slightly. "Your humble official... ah, no, this commoner is listening!"
Zhang Xin offered a gentle, disarming smile. "The massive task of drafting and issuing the formal political proclamations to the various distant commanderies—shall it be co-signed by both you and me, Lord Han?"
Han Fu was, after all, the legally recognized, long-standing Governor of the territory. Having his official, familiar signature sitting directly alongside Zhang Xin's new seal on the public documents was the ultimate psychological tool needed to smoothly win over the hearts, minds, and compliance of the stubborn magistrates in the distant counties below.
"Excellent... absolutely, I will execute it immediately," Han Fu agreed with frantic compliance.
As for the immediate cessation of hostilities in the north, that military directive naturally required the supreme commander-in-chief's personal seal.
"Very well, gentlemen. Let us waste no more time. Go and begin your duties," Zhang Xin said, waving his hand dynamically to officially conclude his first grand assembly.
"Your subjects respectfully take their leave!" the hall echoed as the officials bowed in unison and exited the chambers to begin their respective assignments.
---
### The Choices of Retirement
Zhang Xin remained seated in the grand hall, keeping Han Fu and his former administrative secretaries behind to immediately begin drafting the official provincial proclamation. Simultaneously, Zhang Xin dipped his own brush into heavy ink, rapidly drafting a series of urgent, ironclad military orders. He immediately dispatched high-speed riders to General Zhang Liao's camp and the headquarters of the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans, commanding both factions to instantly freeze all operational maneuvers, encamp on their current positions, and strictly await further organizational directives.
By the time the military couriers had sprinted out of the compound, Han Fu's secretaries had finished cleanly composing the grand proclamation. Zhang Xin thoroughly reviewed the elegant calligraphy, found absolutely no political errors, and firmly signed his name at the base of the silk scroll.
Han Fu picked up his own brush with a slightly trembling hand and signed his name directly beside it.
Taking up the heavy, jade Governor's seal, Zhang Xin stamped the document repeatedly, the bright red ink sealing the fate of the province. He then summoned a detachment of minor officials, ordering them to sprint the documents out to the various commanderies and counties.
With the mountain of immediate paperwork finally cleared, Zhang Xin rubbed his aching wrists, stood up from the desk, and took a long, deep stretch to ease the tension in his muscles.
Han Fu remained standing awkwardly at his side, looking like an incredibly anxious houseguest who didn't know where to place his hands.
"Lord Han," Zhang Xin turned around, his tone casual. "When my carriage was parading through the main avenues of the capital just now, I couldn't help but notice a particular residential estate within the inner ring that looked extraordinarily opulent, sprawling, and luxurious. I wonder, who exactly owns that grand property?"
Han Fu quickly bowed, replying from memory: "Ah, that... that is the ancestral residence of the late Lord Chamberlain, Zhao Zhong."
"Zhao Zhong's estate?"
Zhang Xin's expression momentarily froze, a sudden, powerful wave of complex philosophical emotion hitting his chest. *Zhao Zhong—one of the infamous Ten Eunuchs who once held the entire imperial court in a stranglehold of absolute corruption.* No matter how unimaginably wealthy, ruthless, or politically bulletproof a person might be in life, after the wheel of history turns, they are still ultimately reduced to nothing more than a handful of yellow dirt in a forgotten grave.
Letting out a soft sigh, Zhang Xin asked, "Is anyone currently occupying that estate?"
"No," Han Fu shook his head. "Following the outbreak of the capital crisis, Yuan Shao falsely weaponized an alleged General's decree to ruthlessly arrest and exterminate the entirety of the Zhao clan within Hebei. Ever since Zhao Zhong's execution, that massive estate has been completely locked down and left entirely vacant."
"Mmm..."
Zhang Xin pondered the spatial logistics for a brief moment, before turning his gaze directly into Han Fu's anxious eyes. "Lord Han, since the shifting tides of the realm have brought us to this exact juncture, I am going to give you two distinct paths for your future."
Han Fu's heart violently constricted, his breath catching in his throat. *Here it comes. The final sentence.*
"If you truly wish to remain here within the capital of Ye City, you and your family may immediately pack your bags and move directly into that grand Zhao estate," Zhang Xin said, his voice entirely warm and devoid of malice. "However, if your heart yearns for total peace away from politics, you are entirely free to pack your wealth and return to your ancestral hometown in Yingchuan to comfortably live out the rest of your natural days."
Zhang Xin stepped forward, patting the older man's shoulder with genuine reassurance. "Regardless of whether you choose to stay under my eye in Ye City or return to the south, I will personally guarantee a massive, continuous stipend of gold coin, premium grain, and priceless treasures from the state treasury to ensure that you, your children, and your grandchildren enjoy absolute luxury, security, and material comfort for the rest of your lives."
---