novelSusiti Chapter 7 Summoning Begins, Talents Emerge
Chapter 7 Summoning Begins, Talents Emerge
When they returned to the Prince of Qin's residence, it was past midnight, and all was quiet.
Tian Heng dismissed all the servants and stepped into the inner room alone. The door closed behind him, shutting out the noise and prying eyes of the outside world.
Only a single lamp remained in the room, its dim yellow light floating across the walls, stretching his shadow to varying lengths.
He walked to the window, his fingertips caressing the warm, smooth jade pendant at his waist.
This was tied to his head by his mother on his tenth birthday. The jade was not of the highest quality, but it was the only keepsake his mother received from his maternal grandmother when she entered the palace.
The jade pendant is engraved with the two characters "守心" (shǒuxīn, meaning "guard the heart"), written in a childlike hand, which was left when he was seven years old and first learning seal carving.
"Guard your heart..." Tian Heng murmured these two words, a bitter smile appearing on his lips.
Over the years, he has been cautious in his words and actions in the palace, always giving way to his two elder brothers, being respectful and courteous to the court officials, and never speaking harshly to the eunuchs and maids in the palace—isn't this another kind of "guarding one's heart"?
Holding onto that obedience that was hopeless yet had to be maintained, holding onto that responsibility to the Emperor, to the Empress, and to this crumbling empire.
But now, everything is different.
The insightful words of the young girl, Minami, still echoed in his mind, her clear voice as if still ringing in his ears. With such a promising man, with his father's secret edict and the three thousand imperial guards as a foundation, and with his uncle Su Mu's long-established base in Youzhou, the road to Youzhou, though treacherous, had become much more promising.
But he knew that these alone were far from enough.
The powerful clans of Youzhou are deeply entrenched, the border troubles are not yet resolved, and displaced people are displaced. If they want to gain a foothold and realize their ambition of revival, they must have top talents to assist them.
Within this capital city, within the Great Xia court, those who are truly capable have either already been won over by aristocratic families, or have chosen to protect themselves wisely.
"It's time."
Tian Heng's eyes narrowed, he took a deep breath, and silently recited in his mind, "System."
The next moment, a cold, mechanical voice rang in his mind, devoid of any emotion, yet it made his heart tighten: "Hello, host."
A prime minister in the mountains, a veteran of four dynasties, he was well-versed in the ways of emperors, adept at planning the big picture, and indifferent to fame and fortune.
"Fourth place, Wei Jin, Cui Hao, Intelligence: 99."
He was the foremost strategist of the Northern Wei Dynasty, helping Emperor Tuoba Tao unify the north. However, he angered the Xianbei nobles by writing history, and his clan was eventually exterminated.
"Fifth place, Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Pu, Intelligence: 99."
A famous prime minister in the early Song Dynasty, and one of the planners of the Chenqiao Mutiny, he formulated the "south first, then north" strategy for Zhao Kuangyin.
"Extract".
"Congratulations, host, you have obtained Li Ru from the Eastern Han Dynasty."
Li Ru
Strength: 78, Command: 80, Intelligence: 98, Politics: 91
Implanted Identity: A poor scholar, originally named Li Wen, from a distant branch of the Li clan of Longxi. He traveled to the capital to take the imperial examination. His essay was worthy of passing, but he failed because he couldn't afford to bribe the examiners. Having run out of money, he nearly froze to death in the outskirts of the capital last winter, only to be rescued by the host who was out hunting. He is currently a staff member in the Prince of Qin's mansion, using the alias 'Li Wen'.
Persons accompanying: None
A new memory flooded his mind: last winter, when Tian Heng went hunting outside the city and found a scholar who was almost frozen to death in the snow.
He took the man back to his residence for treatment. After the scholar woke up, he introduced himself as Li Wen and offered to become his advisor to repay the life-saving grace.
Over the past six months, Li Wen has handled the documents of the Prince's Mansion in an orderly manner, and his occasional suggestions have been quite insightful, so Tian Heng has gradually begun to value him more.
"Li Ru is not bad," Tian Heng thought to himself.
"For my current situation, it's certainly enough. But I didn't bring Dong Zhuo with me... Oh well, bringing him along probably wouldn't be very useful, and might even cause trouble."
He composed himself: "Let's continue, this time focusing on the commander!"
"The summons of the Golden Commander begins—"
This time, five top commanders who have made their mark on history appeared on the screen, each name enough to make any contender's heart race.
"First place: Warring States period, the butcher Bai Qi, commander: 105."
Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi, never suffered a defeat in his lifetime of battles. In the Battle of Changping, he massacred 400,000 people, earning him the reputation of a butcher that terrified the six states.
"Second place: Wu Qi, the second sage of the Warring States period, with a commanding force of 104."
Wu Qi implemented reforms and created the Wei Wu Zu (a type of elite infantry). He won all 76 battles in his life and was known as "Sun Wu" alongside Sun Tzu.
"Third place: Spring and Autumn Period, military strategist Tian Rangju, commander: 103."
He wrote "The Sima Code" to reorganize the Qi army. He was a master of military strategy, strict in his military discipline, and clear in his rewards and punishments.
"Fourth: Marquis Wucheng, Wang Jian, during the Warring States period, with a total of 103 commanders."
Fifth place: Zhao She, Lord Ma Fu, during the Warring States period, with a command score of 99.
He was adept at using surprise attacks, and in the Battle of Eyu, he decisively defeated the Qin army, shattering the myth of the Qin army's invincibility.
"Extract".
"Congratulations, host, you have obtained..."