Chapter 43: Reputation Over , Hidden Talent [Seeking Follow-up Reading]

Night is falling.

When Zhang Liao walked up to the top of the city wall in the southeast corner of Luoyang, Ding Yuan, wearing a thin shirt, was watching the troops under the city preparing to march towards the imperial palace.

"Principal of the Guards!" Zhang Liao stepped forward to greet him.

"No need to be formal."

Ding Yuan said in a deep voice, "A few days ago, Dong Zhuo led his troops to attack Luoyang, and Cao Shangjun and I each seized the city gate.

Afterwards, he gave the city gate to me. I knew he was going back to the city to make other arrangements, but I was still grateful to him for doing such a great deed for me.

In recent days, the Queen Mother has been rewarding me almost every day."

Zhang Liao listened silently without rushing to speak.

It was indeed a great achievement to keep the city gate intact, otherwise Luoyang might have fallen into Dong Zhuo's hands by now.

Ding Yuan turned around and looked at Zhang Liao, "Do you know why I asked you to come here?"

Zhang Liao asked, "Can the Imperial Guards please tell me?"

"In the evening, General Cao sent me a handwritten letter, saying that he met you by chance on the street and talked about military affairs. He recognized your military talent and praised you as a good general who could be trusted and entrusted with important tasks."

Ding Yuan: "Even if I don't mention General Cao's recommendation, I also know that you are very brave and I plan to appoint you as the Zuo Fuwei. What do you think?"

The Zuo Fuwei was an official under the Praetorian Guards, in charge of patrolling the surrounding areas.

To be precise, it should be called Duwei.

Zhang Liao didn't expect that after discussing military affairs with Cao Cao, he would be valued so much and personally recommend him to Ding Yuan.

The Zuo Fuwei had the power to lead troops and was responsible for patrolling Luoyang. He was an important official position under the Praetorian Guards.

Part of Ding Yuan's troops will be actually controlled by Zhang Liao.

Zhang Liao bowed and said, "Thank you very much for your cultivation and trust. I will not let you down."

Although he had always been valued by Ding Yuan, he was still engaged in work.

Now Ding Yuan has appointed him as Zuo Fuwei, which will take effect immediately and will elevate his status in this special period.

"I will send someone to report the appointment to the Grand Commandant tomorrow, and the authority will be given to you now. Dong Zhuo is leading his troops to attack the palace again, so you will lead your men to the palace to assist in the defense with the imperial guards."

Ding Yuan said gently: "If you have the chance, you should thank General Cao."

Both Cao Cao and Ding Yuan acted openly in this matter.

This is also Ding Yuan's personality characteristic. In terms of selecting talents, he is somewhat similar to Xun Yu and never suppresses his subordinates.

Lu Bu, Zhang Yang, and Zhang Liao were all brought up by him, and he also recommended many people to He Jin.

"Don't worry, Praetorian Guard."

Zhang Liao agreed solemnly, and then he came down from the city wall. A look of joy appeared on his face, and he thought to himself: General Cao is really a distinguished person...

----

The summer night breeze blows into the house through the window lattice.

Lying on the couch, Yu Qing was wearing a light yellow dress. Under the light, her round shoulders and arms looked like warm jade, delicate and flawless.

She moved the small box in front of her, took out the only two remaining Mohist sea pearls, and pushed them to Cao Cao.

"Here, this may be useful to you." While speaking, Xiaoyi observed Cao Cao.

"When I return to my home in Yecheng, I will help you with the horse farm business."

"If you are concerned about my identity, you cannot show up in public and let others know. I have already thought about it. My Yu family can announce to the public that the former Concubine Yu has passed away in the palace. I have five or six sisters in my family who are about the same age as me and look slightly similar to me."

"After I entered the palace, few people have seen me except those in the palace. I try not to show up in front of people and just stay at home to help you take care of the inner house."

She picked up a small jade box that looked quite valuable.

When I opened the box, I saw a chain with a silver buckle and a round bead as big as a fingertip hanging on it.

When Yu Qing put the pearl necklace around her neck, the pearls immediately fell into the ravine, which was bottomless.

There were some strange changes on her face, as if she was surrounded by a layer of water vapor. Her original features could hardly be seen in the mist, and her temperament became a little colder.

“This bead is the first of the five Mo family beads. It can receive information from the other five beads at the same time and has a certain effect of concealing one’s appearance.

As long as I wear this bead, even if the Queen Mother sees me, she will hardly recognize me at a glance, and I won't cause you any trouble."

Yu Qing said seriously: "Let me be your wife, okay?" After saying this, he stretched out his feet from under the quilt.

Cao Cao remained silent.

This woman had even thought about how to hide her identity. She said before that there were five beads, but now she took out the first one, and she still knew to keep one back.

When Cao Cao decided to take Concubine Yu out of the palace, he had already considered the follow-up comprehensively.

Whether Dong Zhuo invades Luoyang or not, the world will be in chaos. The only difference is the method.

Dong Zhuo simply accelerated some things.

When the world is truly in chaos, with warlords rising up and smoke of war spreading across the land, who would care about the whereabouts of a concubine in the palace?

Just as Concubine Yu said, there are more than one sisters of the same age in the Yu family of Yecheng. Would anyone seize on this matter if she fabricated a new identity?
Even if there is, Cao Cao has the means to deal with it.

As for the subsequent identity of Concubine Yu, the Yu family of Yecheng, he had other plans.

Cao Cao was now interested and asked, "You were unwilling last night, but today you changed your mind and want to be my principal wife?"

"I am not a shameless woman. Since I have slept with you, I must follow you."

Yu Qing stretched his long legs forward again, reached out and grabbed Cao Cao's arm, intending to discuss more in-depth issues.

Cao Cao said decisively: "Don't think about being my wife anymore, just be my concubine."

"You go to bed first, you don't have to wait for me."

Yu Qing stared at Cao Cao in a daze. After she had done everything she could to stop him, he just left without any hesitation. All her efforts were in vain.

After Cao Cao left the house, Yu Qing fell on the couch in anger.

Cao Cao came to the study.

He just received the entry prompt:

[Your reputation is 10001/20000. With a reputation of over , you use the fontanelle to draw the spiritual rhythm of heaven and earth into your body, which helps your strength rise. Your innate military strategy: Listening to the battlefield (minor success, improving)]

[Military strategy: Watch the fire from the other side of the river, sneak into Chencang (minor success, improving)]

[Your cultural talent: Insight (legacy level, minor accomplishment, improving)]

[Your hidden talent has been revealed: you have two souls, and the relationship between your soul and spirit is abnormal]

[Caoying was just established, power rating: Gui level (starting)]

Cao Cao observed the entries.

Gaining reputation can drive many changes, including talents.

What do hidden talents and abnormal markings of spirit and soul specifically mean?
After a while, Cao Cao left the house and went to the East Palace Gate. After all, he had the duty to guard the imperial palace, and he had to come and see what Dong Zhuo's men were doing.

Early the next morning, Cao Cao met Lu Zhi in the palace.

The two walked towards Chongde Hall.

Lu Zhi's face was solemn: "Dong Zhuo has been attacking the palace for days. If this continues, the Queen Mother and Your Majesty will have no time to focus on other matters, and the government will become worse and worse."

Lu Zhi intended to discuss how to change the political situation, but Cao Cao did not respond.

A good policy can only be implemented if a wise ruler and many ministers work together.

The government was controlled by Empress Dowager He. Emperor Liu Bian had neither ambition nor talent. What was the use of having strategies?

It's all in vain to say more.

The next two days passed in a flash.

Over the past two days, Dong Zhuo attacked the palace every night, and the friction with the imperial guards and the Xiyuan Army continued to intensify. Small-scale clashes occurred many times in various parts of the city.

The emperor and the empress dowager were restless and summoned Lu Zhi, Cao Cao and others to the palace several times in one day to ask for advice. They had directly proposed the idea of ​​leaving the soldiers in the city to protect Luoyang temporarily and leaving the palace to reunite with Huangfu Song, but Lu Zhi dissuaded them.

Two nights later, in the dark blue night sky, flashes of lightning flickered.

After nightfall, it rained heavily.

Cao Cao stood on the porch of his home, with Dian Wei and Xiao Xiang holding an umbrella for him behind him.

In front of him, the entry quietly passed by: [The incident has occurred...]

At the same time, a group of people stood at the South Gate, holding a handwritten letter, demanding to leave the city.

There were only a dozen people, and they were holding an order to leave the city with the Queen Mother's seal. The officers guarding the city opened the city gate.

The group left the city in the night.

One of them, after leaving the city, looked back at Luoyang.

Just then, a flash of lightning flashed by, revealing the face of the man hidden under the umbrella. He was a pale young man.

(End of this chapter)