Soon, they arrived at the main tent and slowly walked inside.
What greeted their eyes was a gathering of Generals, with a young man seated at the head. Though handsome, the aura of a superior emanating from him made people dare not meet his gaze.
At first glance, Wang Min already knew that the person before him was the renowned General Zhenbei Liu Jin, who controlled six commanderies and could be considered his direct superior.
Not daring to be negligent, he immediately bowed and said loudly!
"Your subordinate greets Lord!"
Liu Jin heard this, laughed heartily, and with a polite expression, quickly waved his hand and said!
"Prefect Wang, there's no need to be so formal. From now on, we are all our own people. Please, take a seat."
Wang Min's heart filled with excitement upon hearing the words "our own people."
Before coming, he had been somewhat uneasy, unsure how General Zhenbei would treat him.
Now, hearing these words, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief. After all, Liu Jin held a high position of power, was a descendant of the imperial clan, and was deeply favored by His Majesty. His future achievements were absolutely immeasurable.
If he could cling to this powerful figure, it would be a very good path forward.
He himself had no significant background, and his birth was relatively ordinary, from a common family. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to the desolate Shang Commandery to serve as Prefect.
The place was not only barren and poor but also constantly plagued by horse bandits, causing him to live in constant fear of being killed by them.
He immediately went to the side and took a seat at the lower end.
He saw several Generals who had followed him, one of whom had red eyes and a trembling body, clearly very emotional.
With a thud, he knelt on one knee and said loudly!
"Your... Your humble General greets Lord!"
Liu Jin saw the person before him was indeed Wei You, whom he hadn't seen in two years. After the Yellow Turban Rebellion was quelled, he had been transferred by the imperial court to Shang Commandery to guard it.
With an excited smile on his face, he quickly stood up, walked over, and helped him up, saying with a smile!
"Yuan Cheng, long time no see."
Wei You was incredibly emotional, holding Liu Jin's hands tightly, and said with a trembling voice!
"Lord, long time no see."
Zhang Fei, Zhao Teng, Wu Xing, and others seated in the tent all smiled and gathered around, greeting him.
After all, they had all known each other in Zhuo Commandery. When Liu Jin was merely a Military Marquis, they had already fought desperately on the battlefield, forging deep bonds.
Especially Zhang Fei, who directly picked up Wei You, muttering!
"You've gotten much thinner than before, kid. Didn't you eat well?"
Wei You, seeing his old brothers, also showed an excited smile. After a bit of banter with Zhang Fei, his expression remained serious.
He didn't continue to fool around. After all, they were in the main tent, and various Generals were present, so he needed to be mindful.
Liu Jin patted his shoulder, expressed his concern, and then had Wei You take a seat nearby, sitting with Zhang Fei, Zhao Teng, and the others.
He saw another young General standing in the tent, around thirty years old, with a resolute expression on his face. He cupped his fists and said loudly!
"Your humble General Wei Xu greets Lord!"
Liu Jin heard this, paused slightly, and felt a little surprised.
He hadn't expected that the person before him was Wei Xu. Although his reputation wasn't particularly prominent, he was a figure recorded in history and could be considered a notable person.
He was one of Lü Bu's Eight Valiant Generals, and at that time, he was as famous as Gao Shun, Zhang Liao, and others.
Thinking of this, Liu Jin's gaze couldn't help but glance at Lü Bu, finding that he still maintained a calm expression, seemingly not recognizing Wei Xu.
With a slight smile, it seemed Lü Bu didn't recognize Wei Xu. He could extend an olive branch and recruit him into his command.
Although he wasn't a top-tier talent and couldn't become a great General presiding over a region, becoming a Deputy General shouldn't be a problem.
He then reached out and patted the other's shoulder, saying with a smile!
"Good, General Wei, please take a seat quickly."
Wei Xu nodded upon hearing this and immediately prepared to take a seat nearby.
Zhang Fei, sitting next to him, was slightly stunned when he heard this. He quickly stood up, and his booming voice came!
"You're Old Man Wei's son?"
"I heard him say he had a son named Wei Xu who was an official in Shang Commandery."
Wei Xu heard this, a look of confusion on his face. He looked at Zhang Fei and asked!
"Is the General referring to my father, Wei Zhong, the Magistrate of Gaoliu County?"
Zhang Fei heard this and nodded with a smile!
"Yes, yes, yes!"
"It seems you really are Old Man Wei's son. When I was stationed in Gaoliu, your father talked about you a lot."
After saying this, Zhang Fei quickly pulled Wei Xu to sit down beside him, and the two began to whisper to each other.
Liu Jin, seated at the head, saw this scene and also smiled. He hadn't expected that several of the Generals from Shang Commandery had some connection to him.
One should know that Zhang Fei and Wei Zhong, the Magistrate of Gaoliu County, had a very good relationship, even one of life and death.
Since this Wei Xu was Wei Zhong's son, with this connection, he should be able to recruit him easily, without much effort.
He lightly coughed and looked at Wang Min beside him, saying with a smile!
"Shuli, since you have already led your troops here, I won't keep you in suspense any longer."
"The Shang Commandery troops need to be reorganized in the next few days. Everything must abide by the military laws and regulations under my command. Do you agree to this?"
Wang Min heard this and naturally understood Liu Jin's intentions; he clearly wanted to control these several thousand troops for his own use.
He had no intention of refusing in his heart, otherwise, he wouldn't have led his troops here.
Even with his two Generals having close ties to Liu Jin, even if he had some ideas, he probably wouldn't be able to mobilize any troops.
Rather than that, it was better to appear magnanimous, at least to make Liu Jin feel satisfied.
Wang Min immediately stood up, cupped his fists, bowed, and said loudly!
"Your subordinate respectfully obeys Lord's command."
Liu Jin heard this and nodded with satisfaction, showing a bit more approval for Wang Min before him.
He was a sensible person, at least he didn't covet military power and knew to yield it.
If he performed well, he would be carefully cultivated in the future to become an important minister under his command, which would be a fair reward for his magnanimity.
He pondered in his heart. With these more than three thousand troops arriving, his forces in Shang Commandery would total around eleven thousand men, giving him greater confidence in dealing with the horse bandits in Langxu Mountain.
Liu Jin's gaze swept across the Generals in the tent, and his voice slowly came out!
"In these two days, thoroughly integrate the troops. Wait for news from within the mountain, and be ready to enter the mountain at any time."
The Generals heard this and quickly bowed in obedience.
Soon, the banquet in the tent began. Liu Jin actively engaged Wang Min in conversation, showing great respect and politeness.
After all, he was the Prefect of Shang Commandery, an official of two thousand shi, a high position throughout the Han Dynasty, and would be an important figure under his command in the future. Naturally, he had to be given some deserved status and face.
