Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

Then Liu Ce continued speaking, this time his voice was a few decibels higher than before, carrying the imposing air of war:

"Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the world has been in chaos, with numerous warlords rising up and the flames of war raging for ten years. In the Central Plains, bones lie exposed in the wilderness, and for miles there is not a rooster's crow... Thanks to the bloody battles fought by you gentlemen... we have finally swept away the four seas and unified the world. I remember the suffering of the people day and night; I dare not forget the responsibility for the stability of the world."

His voice echoed throughout the hall, each word striking a chord in the hearts of those present.

Some people recalled the scene of raising an army in Zhuoxian, some recalled the brothers who fell on the battlefield, and some recalled the days when corpses of the starving were everywhere.

Some of the veterans had tears in their eyes and secretly wiped them away.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the generals who had followed him through thick and thin, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes.

"However, although the world is at peace, the border troubles have not been eliminated. To the west, the Qiang, Hu, and Di tribes are eyeing the Hexi Corridor; to the north, the Xianbei and Xiongnu... to the south, the barbarians and natives do not submit to the king's rule and often rebel; to the east, sea pirates harass the coastal counties and plunder merchant ships. If we do not establish a military system as soon as possible and divide the troops to guard the four directions, the border troubles will rise again in the future, and the people will once again fall into misery."

When the military officers heard the words "border troubles," their eyes lit up, as if they saw an opportunity to make a name for themselves.

Zhang Fei was already planning to go north to fight the Xiongnu, while Cheng Yaojin was thinking about going west to eat mutton.

Liu Ce stood up, walked to the edge of the imperial steps, and declared in an even louder voice: "I have decided to divide the country into five major war zones: Central, Western, Northern, Eastern, and Southern. Troops will be stationed there, each fulfilling its specific duties!"

The eunuchs immediately hung up a huge map.

The map was drawn on the finest silk, measuring two zhang in length and width. It marked mountains, rivers, counties, and passes, and used different colored pens to indicate the boundaries of the five major war zones.

The red area is the central region, the blue area is the western region, the black area is the northern region, the green area is the eastern region, and the yellow area is the southern region. It looks colorful, like a large floral fabric.

Liu Ce pointed to the map and explained each element to everyone one by one, trying to use plain language so that no one would be unable to understand:

"First, the Central Theater Command, encompassing the entire territories of Sili, Yuzhou, and Yanzhou, with its capital in Luoyang. This is the core of our Great Han's capital region, the very foundation of the nation. Calling it the heart is no exaggeration. Its core mission is to safeguard the capital Luoyang and the imperial palace, command the central strategic reserve, coordinate national military deployment, and deter any disobedient forces. Its strength is 200,000 troops. These 200,000 are elite soldiers, the cream of the crop."

"Second, the Western Theater Command, which encompasses the entire Guanzhong Plain, Liangzhou, and Hexi Corridor, extending west to the Pamir Mountains and north to the desert. Its capital is Chang'an. Its core missions are: to defend against incursions by the Qiang and Hu tribes and the Di people, to control the Hexi Corridor and the Silk Road, to quell rebellions in the northwest, and to ensure the smooth flow of trade routes between the East and West. Its troop strength is 100,000."

"Third, the Northern Theater Command, encompassing the entirety of Bingzhou and Youzhou, extending north to the Yin Mountains and east to Liaodong. Its capital is Zhuoxian. Its core missions are: defending against the southward incursions of the Xianbei and Xiongnu, constructing border fortifications and the Great Wall, controlling the grassland buffer zone, and protecting the security of Yanzhou. It will have a force of 100,000. That's where we started; we can't afford to lose it."

"Fourth, the Eastern Theater Command, which governs the entire territory of Yangzhou and Xuzhou, extends east to the sea and south to the Yangtze River. Its capital is Jianye. Its core missions are: to defend the Yangtze River defense line, control the southeast coast, eliminate pirates, support the northern operations from the Xuzhou direction, and independently command large-scale joint land and sea operations. Its strength is 70,000."

"Fifth, the Southern Theater Command, which governs the entire territories of Jingzhou, Yizhou, and Jiaozhou, extending south to the South China Sea and west to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Its capital is Chengdu. Its core mission is to quell the rebellions of the barbarians in Nanzhong and Jiaozhou, ensure the smooth flow of grain routes in Jingzhou and Yizhou, maintain stability in the southern rear, and provide food and supplies to the whole country. Its troop strength is 50,000."

As soon as he finished speaking, the breathing of the military officers in the hall became rapid.

They straightened their backs, their eyes filled with anticipation and nervousness.

Two hundred thousand, one hundred thousand, one hundred thousand, seventy thousand, fifty thousand—these numbers swirled in their minds as they calculated how much of the pie they could get.

Liu Ce paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire hall: "Today, right here in the Deyang Hall, in front of all the civil and military officials, I will announce the appointments of the commanders-in-chief and generals of each war zone, as well as the troop formations."

As soon as Liu Ce finished speaking, the breathing of the military officers in the hall became rapid.

They straightened their backs, gripped their swords tightly, and looked at each other with anticipation and tension, like a pack of hungry wolves waiting to be slaughtered.

Cheng Yaojin wrung his hands anxiously and whispered to Yuchi Gong, "What do you think I could be? A war zone commander? A corps commander?"

Yuchi Gong shook his head: "You? At most, you'll be a corps commander."

Cheng Yaojin protested, "Why?"

Yuchi Gong said, "Because you can't write reports."

Cheng Yaojin: "..."

Xun Yu, the Minister of State Affairs, came before the assembled officials with the first policy document. He slowly opened the document, cleared his throat, and began to read it aloud.

Xun Yu's voice, already loud, echoed in the spacious hall, making it sound even more solemn and dignified.

"Emperor's Decree of the Great Han Dynasty:"

Li Jing was appointed concurrently as commander of the Central War Zone, leading an army of 200,000 to defend the capital region and reorganize military preparations...

The fifteenth day of the first month of the first year of the Shenwu era.

Everyone was taken aback when they heard this. Why had the format of the imperial edict changed? But then they thought about it and realized that it was quite powerful and imposing.

Immediately, Li Jing stepped forward, lifted the hem of his court robe, knelt on one knee, and declared in a booming voice: "Your subject Li Jing kowtows to thank Your Majesty for your great favor! I will do my utmost to defend the capital, strengthen military preparedness, and protect the vast land of our Han Dynasty! If I fail in my duty, I will gladly accept military punishment!"

Liu Ce raised his hand to signal Li Jing to return to his place.

Li Jing stood up and stepped aside. His face was expressionless, but those who knew him well knew that he was actually quite excited. Commander of the Central Theater Command, with 200,000 troops—what a great trust that was!

Cheng Yaojin muttered under his breath, "It's only right that Li Jing goes to the central region. He's a reliable general and is best suited to guard the capital."

Qin Qiong, who was standing next to him, rolled her eyes at him and said, "Shut up."

Cheng Yaojin immediately shut his mouth, but his face still had an expression that said, "Am I right?"

Xun Yu, the Minister of State Affairs, began reading aloud the second policy document:

"Emperor's Decree of the Great Han Dynasty:"

Li Ji was appointed concurrently as Deputy Commander of the Central Theater Command, in charge of the Central Reserve Force, stationed outside Luoyang City...

The fifteenth day of the first month of the first year of the Shenwu era.

Li Ji stepped forward and knelt, his voice steady: "Your subject Li Ji obeys the decree! I will certainly train the central reserve force into an iron army that can be summoned at any time, fight effectively, and win decisively, ready to go through fire and water for Your Majesty!"

Liu Ce nodded, signaling him to return to his place. Liu Ce thought to himself that these two men surnamed Li, one a pharmacist and the other a martial arts master, one a commander and the other a deputy commander, should be able to work together without any problems.

Xun Yu, the Minister of State Affairs, began reading aloud the third policy document:

"Emperor's Decree of the Great Han Dynasty:"

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Qin Qiong, and Cheng Yaojin were appointed as commanders of the Central Theater Command, leading their respective troops...

The fifteenth day of the first month of the first year of the Shenwu era.

The five men stepped forward at the same time, and with a "thud," they knelt on one knee. The sound of their armor clashing made the ground tremble slightly.