At this point, Min Chun paused, then his voice continued to emerge!
“Ming Gong, should you carefully consider whether you truly want to pledge allegiance to the General?”
“After all, He Jin rose to power through connections, his foundation at the court is weak, and his authority is not very great; even the aristocratic families and Eunuchs do not take him seriously.”
Min Chun heard this, quickly shook his head, and said with a smile!
“Not so.”
“I, on the other hand, think the General is worth pledging allegiance to. He is currently in need of people and wishes to recruit heroes from all over the world to serve him.”
“If General pledges allegiance now, it would be like sending charcoal in winter, and he will certainly be heavily relied upon. It is definitely more worthwhile than pledging allegiance to aristocratic families or Eunuchs.”
“Although the General’s power is not great now and he is constrained by the Eunuchs and aristocratic families, that does not mean his power will not be great in the future.”
“Especially since the current Emperor is frail and often ill, this is the General’s opportunity to act, and his eldest imperial nephew, Liu Bian, is his biological nephew.”
“After he ascends the throne, with this identity, the General will legitimately control the court, possess all power in the realm, and the Eunuchs and aristocratic families will naturally be unable to compare.”
“Moreover, Ming Gong does not intend to contend with the court, aristocratic families, or Eunuchs, but rather to be stationed outside. In terms of military power, he will naturally be under the General’s command. With him backing you from above, Ming Gong’s actions can naturally accelerate.”
“Therefore, I believe pledging allegiance to the General is more beneficial than detrimental.”
Liu Jin heard this and a smile appeared on his face. Min Chun’s thoughts were exactly the same as his own.
Furthermore, his vision was very broad, as he could even foresee the future situation.
After Emperor Ling of Han died, the General indeed held power and wielded great influence over the court. Many aristocratic family scions came to him, and he recruited numerous talented individuals.
However, his luck was poor, and he was killed by the Eunuchs, leading to complete chaos throughout the realm.
But that did not prevent him from being stationed outside; having the General’s support at the court was definitely more worthwhile than pledging allegiance to aristocratic families or Eunuchs.
In contrast, Li Li’s thinking was relatively simple, and his vision was also very limited; he could not see through the grand scheme of the world.
But he was also a rare talent; he should be very capable in handling government affairs.
Once he had territory, he would let him handle government affairs and pacify a region.
Liu Jin’s voice slowly emerged!
“I will listen to Bo Dian’s words and pledge allegiance to the General.”
Min Chun heard this, stroked his beard, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
The General's Mansion was located in a prosperous area within Luoyang City, just a stone’s throw from the imperial palace.
Two stone lions, with stone pearls in their mouths, roared towards the sky, displaying a majestic aura.
On either side of the steps, dozens of guards, clad in armor and with sabers at their waists, scanned their surroundings with fierce eyes, scrutinizing anyone who passed by.
Several carriages were slowly approaching this place and then stopped outside the mansion gate.
Liu Jin lifted the carriage curtain and stepped out directly, looking at the massive mansion before him and the heavily guarded soldiers.
As expected of one of the most powerful individuals of the time, the courtyard walls of this mansion alone stretched as far as the eye could see, comparable to a county town.
The commander of the guards stationed at the entrance looked at Liu Jin, who had a silver seal and green ribbon at his waist, wore a Shu brocade robe, had his hair in a topknot, and exuded a vigorous aura of bravery.
He did not expect that the young man before him was an official of two thousand shi, and the fierce aura about him clearly indicated he was a General who had fought in battles.
The wary expression in his eyes slowly disappeared. He immediately walked down the steps, bowed respectfully with clasped hands, and asked politely!
“May I ask, esteemed sir, what brings you to the General's Mansion?”
Liu Jin looked at the other party’s polite demeanor, nodded slightly, and said with a smile!
“I am Liu Jin, here to pay my respects to the General.”
The guard commander was startled upon hearing this. No wonder the young man before him had such an extraordinary aura; he was the renowned Liu Jin who had gained fame recently.
He couldn’t help but scrutinize him for a moment longer. He was indeed exactly as rumored: young and handsome.
Not daring to be negligent, he quickly bowed!
“General Liu, please proceed quickly.”
After saying this, the guard commander winked at several people beside him, and soon someone went to report inside the mansion.
Liu Jin, led by a guard, slowly walked into the General's Mansion.
Along the way, he encountered many patrolling guards, as well as some officials coming and going, and even quite a few young scholars.
Moreover, these people held high official positions; they mostly wore bronze seals and black ribbons at their waists, and many even wore silver seals and green ribbons.
As for officials below one thousand shi, they were simply not qualified to enter the General's Mansion.
But these high-ranking and powerful officials, within the General's Mansion, all appeared respectful, gentle, and refined, without any hint of arrogance or aloofness.
Seeing this scene, Liu Jin felt a bit emotional. As expected of the General, he could be said to have already reached the pinnacle of power in the Han Dynasty.
He was already qualified to establish a personal administration and recruit civil officials and strategists to serve him.
Moreover, he indeed had many civil officials, strategists, and military Generals under him, dozens, even hundreds, of people who would be remembered in history.
However, they were not given important positions, which led to all of them being divided among Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and others.
Liu Jin shook his head. While he envied them, he did not dwell on the matter.
Anyway, these people were not truly loyal; they were merely passing through the General's Mansion, and he was still confident he could win some of them over.
Soon, he was seated in the main hall, with a maid serving tea and refreshments on the side.
Liu Jin picked up a cup of hot tea, gently blew on it, and took a sip.
The tea fragrance permeated his throat, continuously spreading, first with a bitter taste, then followed by a sweet one.
His eyes narrowed slightly, with a hint of enjoyment. The tea before him was indeed very rich and could be considered a rare commodity.
Just then, several footsteps came from outside the main hall, and a hearty laugh echoed!
“Hahaha!”
“Wen Yi has arrived, and you didn’t send someone to inform me in advance. General would have personally gone to greet you.”
Hearing this vigorous laughter, Liu Jin naturally knew who had arrived.
However, he automatically filtered out that sentence in his mind. Although he had some fame and gained many merits by quelling the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he was not yet qualified to have the General greet him at the door.
Saying that was merely a polite formality.
The General He Jin appeared, with a resolute face, a burly physique, a sharp blade at his waist, and a gold seal with a purple ribbon, exuding an imposing aura.
He slowly walked in, surrounded by several people.
Liu Jin quickly put down his teacup, stood up directly, and with a respectful expression, bowed slightly with clasped hands!
“Your subordinate greets the General.”
He Jin nodded, his eyes scrutinizing Liu Jin. After a moment, he clapped his hands and laughed!
“I had long heard that Wen Yi was young, and seeing him today, it is indeed true. He is even a few years younger than I imagined.”
“Especially the valiant aura about him, no wonder he was able to slay Zhang Liang and pacify the Yellow Turban.”
“He truly deserves to be called a Qilin Child of the Imperial Clan.”
Hearing this praise, Liu Jin’s face showed humility and trepidation, appearing very cautious, bowing respectfully as he replied!
“The General overpraises me. My small contribution is not worth mentioning.”
“All of this is thanks to the General’s steadfast presence in the capital, his proper arrangements, effective command, and the boost he gave to the morale of the frontline army. Only then could we, the Generals on the outside, work together, win battle after battle, and quell this rebellion.”
