High Martial Arts Three Kingdoms: The Incompetent Strategist

Tang Ke bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have only had a sudden insight after listening to Your Majesty's teachings."

Emperor Ling of Han sighed: "But these officials are really annoying. I only asked He Jin to give me a title and sit in the rear, and they are still unwilling. Am I the emperor or are they the emperor?"

"The rites, music, and military expeditions originate from the Son of Heaven. Your Majesty certainly has the power to appoint people you like or trust to important positions. However, the duty of the censors is to advise Your Majesty to revise your directives based on their understanding. Although Your Majesty is wise, you still need ministers to voice different opinions and check and balance each other."

“A relatively stable but mutually restraining system is far more important than letting them conform to the status quo. If Your Majesty hears the same voice all day long, those who make these voices will become more and more closely connected, and treason will be inevitable. Has Your Majesty forgotten about Liang Ji?”

Tang Ke talked on and on. Emperor Ling of Han patted him on the shoulder and smiled bitterly: "How could I forget the affairs of the previous dynasty for even a moment? You can say such things, so your knowledge is naturally far beyond that of ordinary people. You should know that I cultivated the power of the eunuchs in order to restrain the maternal relatives. Now that the maternal relatives are weak, I have also cultivated the eunuchs into what you call the 'pure stream' faction."

"It's a pity that Feng Xu and Xu Feng don't know how to cherish themselves. The Qingliu faction is leaderless, and Zhang Rang's gang will become powerful again. Look at the scene in the court today. Even I would find it difficult to succeed if they don't support something."

He paused for a moment before asking, "I heard you say last time that we could establish an agency to act as my eyes and ears, to monitor the officials of the court internally and to monitor all the provinces of the country externally. Do you have any specific plans? Tell me in detail."

Tang Ke immediately gave a detailed account of the organizational structure, responsibilities, and operation of the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard, only omitting the part about it being under the command of eunuchs. He changed it to be directly under the command of the emperor, similar to the Qing Dynasty's Sticky Rod Guard, and also added some assassination functions.

He spoke intermittently for nearly an hour, and Emperor Ling of Han listened attentively for a rare moment.

"If this is the case, the leader of this organization will be a combination of the Commandant of the Capital Region and the Commander of the Imperial Guards, wielding immense power."

After Tang Ke finished speaking, Emperor Ling of Han made a decision on the positions: "However, there will be a war soon. In addition to these people, we also need to supervise the generals who lead the troops. It is indeed necessary to set up a special agency. The Commandant of the Capital Region is not suitable, as he is too involved with He Jin."

His gaze shifted to Tang Ke, making Tang Ke's scalp tingle. He had no intention of taking on this hot potato. Given Emperor Ling's current approach to personnel management, if he took on this task, he would inevitably become the scapegoat that the emperor would later push out.

Take the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard as an example. It was like a sharp blade hanging over the heads of all the ministers, which could fall at any time, making them dare not overstep the bounds of imperial power.

Because the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was only responsible to the emperor, his power was unimaginable. However, the problem was that almost none of the commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard throughout history had a good ending. Most of them were attacked by a group of people because they offended too many people, and their end was tragic.

This was still a time of peace. If it were the impending war, Tang Ke dared not imagine what would happen to this person who had incurred the wrath of the people if things went wrong in Luoyang.

Emperor Ling of Han saw that Tang Ke did not respond, so he encouraged him, "The reason I put you in charge of the Imperial Guards was because I saw that you had no roots in Luoyang, which made it easier for you to do anything. With a little modification, the Imperial Guards under your command can smoothly complete the transition."

Having said all that, Tang Ke could no longer pretend to be deaf and dumb, so he had no choice but to reply, "Your Majesty is wise. Your humble servant is willing to resign from the position of Commander of the Imperial Guard and step down to a more worthy successor."

Emperor Ling of Han could easily see through his thoughts. He patted his back and laughed, "Hey, Ziyou, what are you saying? You have just made a great contribution, and I am about to reward you handsomely. You should help me set up this institution well, and then I will hand it over to you so that you can bring glory to your ancestors."

Before Tang Ke could say anything more, Emperor Ling of Han had already handed him the pre-prepared edict.

"I hereby issue you an imperial decree: go ahead and do it. Provide the manpower and funding you need, but you must complete the establishment of the organization and get it operational within ten days. Don't strive for perfection at the beginning; first, get the team up and running."

Tang Ke had no choice but to kowtow, accept the imperial decree, and express his gratitude. With mixed feelings, he withdrew.

The ten-day deadline was far too tight. Just the selection of personnel and the formation of the team were enough of a headache. After all, he didn't even know all the members of the Imperial Guards, let alone how to capture people from other places.

He arrived home at midnight, exhausted from the day's ordeal.

The guards outside were used to their lord leaving early and returning late, greeting him with a smile, though there was clearly an indescribable meaning behind that smile.

The lights were still on inside, and a small stove was burning in the hall. Li Jin and Ru Yan sat facing each other, exchanging knowing smiles from time to time, just like a newlywed couple.

What a pity! Tang Ke felt a pang of regret. Li Jin was a talented man who would surely achieve great things in time. Ru Yan was as beautiful as a lotus emerging from the water, and in terms of appearance, she was a perfect match for him. It was clear that he and Ru Yan got along quite well.

Under normal circumstances, if I were to act as a matchmaker, I might actually become the matchmaker this time.

Unfortunately, Ruyan's background made her an unsuitable match. Not every courtesan could become Liang Hongyu, nor could every one find a man like Han Shizhong. Most of the time, as their beauty faded, they would end up like Du Shiniang.

"Brother-in-law is back! Come and eat, I've heated up some food for you here!" Ruyan saw him standing in the yard in a daze, so she called out to him and hurriedly got up to get the bowls and chopsticks.

Li Jin also stood up and bowed: "My lord, you're finally back. I was worried something might have happened to you."

Tang Ke revealed a mischievous smile: "You guys seem to be having a good chat. You don't seem worried about me at all. You probably wish I wouldn't come back, right?"

A rare blush appeared on Ruyan's face: "What are you saying? Someone kindly waited for you here until so late, and you're still criticizing them, really."

"Okay, okay, I won't say anything, I'll eat." Tang Ke was really hungry, so he sat down on the stool, picked up his rice bowl, and started shoveling food into his mouth.

Li Jin, who had been chatting and laughing, suddenly felt awkward about standing or sitting and said, "Since you've returned, sir, I'll take my leave now."

"No, don't rush off now. Help me dig something up first." Tang Ke didn't even look up, his mouth still full of food. He pointed with his chopsticks at the loquat tree in the yard: "It's right under the tree. Be careful not to kill it."

Ruyan advised, "It's so late, you can dig again tomorrow."

Tang Ke shook his head: "No, I'm afraid I'll lose it or forget about it later."

"It's okay, I'll take care of it."

Li Jin pulled out a hoe from somewhere, lit a torch, circled the tree a few times to get a clear view, and then started digging with a clang.