Chapter 37

Liu Yao followed the bodyguards to the Recruitment Hall. The Recruitment Hall, which Liu Yao had established for some time, had only managed to recruit a few people with the talent of a county magistrate or some blacksmiths and craftsmen. There wasn't a single person Liu Yao could name, which couldn't help but make him somewhat depressed.

As soon as Liu Yao walked into the Recruitment Hall, he noticed that Tian Feng was already there, and Gao Shun had arrived at some point as well. In front of them stood four people. The six of them were in conversation.

Liu Yao was immediately stunned, overwhelmed by the sudden happiness. If they were going to come, they might as well come all at once. Four people, plus Zhao Yun, made five. As for the abilities of these four, there was no need to elaborate; those who could earn the respect of Tian Feng and Gao Shun certainly weren't incompetent.

"Cough, cough." Liu Yao's cough interrupted their conversation. All eyes immediately turned to him.

"Pay respects to the Lord." Tian Feng and Gao Shun saw Liu Yao and immediately came forward to greet him.

"Exempt from the formalities." Liu Yao said casually, then turned to look at the four people. "I am Liu Yao, the Governor of Youzhou. I have yet to be introduced..."

"I am Cheng Yu, Cheng Zhongde (Chen Lin, Chen Kongzhang, Zhang He, Zhang Junyi, Gao Lan, Gao Yuanbo). We pay our respects to the Governor." The four people bowed simultaneously.

Upon hearing their names, Liu Yao's heart couldn't help but tremble, and he was instantly filled with joy. Among these four, Chen Lin was one of the Seven Scholars of Jian'an, known for his essay "The Edict of Yuan Shao to the State of Yu," which criticized Cao Cao's entire family without using a single foul word, even curing Cao Cao's headache. Cheng Yu was one of Cao Cao's most important strategists, a Legalist scholar whose ruthlessness was on par with Jia Xu. Interestingly, he was one of the longest-serving people under Cao Cao, living to the age of eighty, which was considered a great age in the Three Kingdoms era.

As for the other two, they were also remarkable. Gao Lan and Zhang He were two of the Four Pillars of Hebei under Yuan Shao. Although Zhang He's martial skills were not as good as Yan Liang and Wen Chou, he was both brave and strategic, a true general. In his later years, the Wei Kingdom relied on Zhang He and Sima Yi to hold back Zhuge Liang at Qishan, gradually wearing him down, which demonstrated his abilities. Gao Lan was also a formidable general.

"Liu Yao has long admired your reputations. I apologize for not welcoming you earlier." Liu Yao laughed heartily. Then, he asked somewhat rhetorically, "I wonder what brings you here from afar."

Zhang He stepped forward and said, "My lord, we have been practicing martial arts since childhood, all for the sake of serving the Han Dynasty. Now, we have heard that Governor Liu of Youzhou has defeated the Wuhuan and protected Youzhou, and we have long admired you. We have also heard that you have established the Recruitment Hall to gather talented people, and anyone with a skill can try. We believe we have some martial prowess and have come to seek a position."

Gao Lan added, "We beg your lordship to grant us this opportunity."

Gao Shun interjected, "My lord, these two are even more skilled in martial arts than I am. They are definitely two formidable generals." It turned out that before Liu Yao arrived, Gao Shun had already practiced with the two and had a good understanding of their skills.

Liu Yao laughed heartily, "I have long known of your martial prowess. With your help, I will be like a tiger with wings. How about you both serve as colonels under me for now? Is that satisfactory?"

The two exchanged glances, their excitement evident. They had thought that being appointed as military commanders would be good enough, but to be appointed as colonels was beyond their expectations. "We pay our respects to the Lord."

"Good, good, please rise quickly." Liu Yao helped them up and then said to Gao Shun, "Gongxiao, why don't you take them to familiarize themselves with our camp first?"

"Understood." Gao Shun replied and led the two excited men towards the camp.

After the three left, Liu Yao turned to Cheng Yu and Chen Lin, "I apologize for the earlier neglect. Please do not take offense."

"My lord is too kind." Cheng Yu and Chen Lin replied with a bow.

"Why don't we sit down and talk?" Liu Yao suggested.

"As you wish." They all took their seats.

Liu Yao sat in the main seat, looking at the two, and asked casually, "I wonder if the two of you came to Youzhou together?"

Cheng Yu shook his head, "Not exactly. I came from Dong'e in Dongjun, but I met Brother Kongzhang on the way."

"That's right. I came from Luoyang and met Brother Zhongde on the way." Chen Lin added.

"Then, I wonder if the two of you came to the Recruitment Hall of Youzhou to join my ranks?" Liu Yao asked straightforwardly.

The two exchanged glances and said without hesitation, "Yes, that's exactly it."

Liu Yao couldn't help but feel a bit smug but remained humble, "What virtue or ability do I have to deserve your assistance?"

Chen Lin shook his head and said firmly, "My lord, you are being too modest. As the heir of the Han Dynasty and the Governor of Youzhou, you have defeated the Wuhuan and driven them away. If you don't have the qualifications, I don't know who does."

"Too kind." Liu Yao smiled.

Cheng Yu added, "Speaking of which, this isn't the first time Brother Kongzhang and I have met you."

"Oh? When was that?" Liu Yao asked curiously, though he knew Chen Lin and Cheng Yu but couldn't recall when he had met them.

Chen Lin smiled and reminded him, "Do you remember the poetry gathering at the Cai family's residence six years ago?"

"Oh, you mean that one?" Liu Yao tried to recall but still couldn't remember when he had met Chen Lin and Cheng Yu. He said apologetically, "I apologize, Kongzhang, Zhongde. I really can't remember meeting you. If we had met, I would have visited you."

"Hehe, naturally, you didn't see us." Cheng Yu laughed. "At that time, we were just ordinary scholars, only able to watch from the outside. We didn't have the qualifications to enter the inner hall. But when I saw you as a child, I knew you were not an ordinary person. I didn't expect that in just a few years, you would achieve so much."

"I see." Liu Yao was enlightened. He couldn't help but admire Cheng Yu's keen insight. Even though he had concealed himself well, he was still discovered. "Since that's the case, I won't be formal. I currently lack many positions in my ranks. Would the two of you be willing to assist me?"

The two bowed without hesitation, "Liu Lin (Cheng Yu) pays respects to the Lord."

"Please rise quickly." Liu Yao was delighted as he helped them up. "I wonder what positions you would like."

"This..." The two were taken aback by Liu Yao's directness and were momentarily stunned.

Tian Feng, seeing that they hadn't spoken, suggested, "My lord, why don't we appoint Kongzhang as your chief clerk and Zhongde as the administrative officer of Youzhou?"

Liu Yao nodded in satisfaction. These were indeed the most suitable positions for them. "Let's do it as you suggest."

Chen Lin and Cheng Yu were delighted. These were significant positions, among the most important in Youzhou. "Thank you, my lord."

"Haha, since you are under my command, we are one family. There's no need for such formalities." Liu Yao said casually.

"Etiquette cannot be dispensed with." Chen Lin quickly said, but he gained a deeper understanding of this approachable lord.

Liu Yao didn't mind, as Tian Feng and the others were also like this. There was no way to change it, so he let it be.

"By the way, what do you think of Zhang He and Gao Lan?" Liu Yao couldn't help but want to test Cheng Yu's insight.

Cheng Yu understood that Liu Yao was testing him. After some thought, he said, "From our brief conversation, Gao Lan has martial prowess but lacks strategy, making him a formidable general. As for Zhang He, he is brave, strategic, and has a broad perspective, a true general who can lead an army independently."

"Is that so." Liu Yao said casually, but he was inwardly surprised and deeply impressed by this old man. Despite only a brief conversation, his assessment of the two was spot on. Indeed, the older, the sharper.

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