Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

Good heavens, now everyone's here! Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Jian, the main characters of the future Three Kingdoms, actually had an "informal meeting" ahead of time on their way back to the capital!

For some reason, the three of them got along quite well, which made Liu Ce secretly happy.

"What a coincidence! The main characters of the 'Three Kingdoms' have reunited ahead of schedule? It's a pity that Sun Quan is missing, otherwise the group would be complete."

After another week of travel, finally, the enormous city that symbolized the center of power in the world—Luoyang—appeared like a giant beast on the horizon.

The city walls are so high they make your neck hurt, and the city is so large that you can't see the end of it. It truly deserves to be called a "first-tier megacity" in the world today.

According to the rules, a triumphant army cannot simply march into the city.

At a luxurious post station thirty miles from Luoyang, specially set up to receive victorious troops, the "reception delegation" sent by the imperial court was already waiting.

Leading the procession was the old man from the Grand Herald Bridge, who carried the imperial staff and was followed by a string of officials in court attire. The procession was quite impressive.

Qiao Xuan, representing Emperor Liu Hong, first bestowed upon Liu Ce "two bushels of imperial wine and one hundred catties of meat." Liu Ce accepted the reward on behalf of the entire army, but what he was thinking was:

"This little bit of wine and meat isn't even enough to fill a tooth gap. The Emperor is far too stingy..."

Then, he read aloud a flowery, bookish, and drowsy edict of condolence.

It basically means the same old thing: "Comrades, you've worked hard. The emperor is very pleased. Keep up the good work!"

Afterwards, under Qiao Xuan's careful arrangement, the army began a grand "entry ceremony".

The procession entered from the east gate, led by a professional honor guard playing music. Crowds of people lined both sides of the road, all Luoyang residents who came to watch the spectacle.

Whether it was spontaneous or organized, the people were very enthusiastic, cheering and throwing grains at the procession, which made Liu Ce's helmet clang loudly.

Liu Ce, Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun and other major generals rode at the front on tall horses, enjoying the "star" treatment of being the center of attention.

Behind them was a team displaying their spoils, carrying tattered flags, broken weapons, and the like. Although it was a bit shabby, they had to make a show of force.

Liu Ce smiled and waved to the crowd (thinking to himself: my face is about to freeze from smiling), while secretly complaining:

"It was arranged like the opening ceremony of the Olympics, quite elaborate."

This wasn't the end of it. After the army entered the city, they couldn't be disbanded immediately. They had to be taken to the ancestral temple and the local earth god's shrine in the south of the city to perform sacrifices and report to the ancestors and the earth god (paraphrased):

"Look, we've eliminated the traitors, and the country is stable! Your souls can rest in peace now!"

It was another set of tedious rituals: kowtowing, burning incense, reciting prayers... Liu Ce's knees went numb from kneeling, and he had already cursed the ancestors of the person who devised this procedure in his mind.

After the sacrificial ceremony, they still had to go to the Northern Army camp to complete the "handover of military power procedures".

Liu Ce used symbols such as tiger tallies and seals to grant command of the Central Army units that did not belong to him.

They were handed over to the relevant departments one by one, and the captured weapons were registered and put into storage.

By the time we finished all that, the sun was almost setting.

Liu Ce felt even more tired than if he had fought a day's battle. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and all he wanted to do was find a place to lie down.

Just as he was preparing to leave the city with Zhao Yun, Dian Wei, and a hundred Xuanjia Iron Cavalry, intending to camp anywhere for the night and await the emperor's summons and rewards, he suddenly heard someone calling his name. (There were special inns for generals to stay in, which are not described here.)

"General Liu! General Liu, please wait!"

Liu Ce turned around and saw a well-dressed man who looked like a butler, but he didn't recognize him.

The man jogged over, bowed deeply to Liu Ce, and smiled broadly.

"I am the steward of the Zhen family in Luoyang. I am here to await the general on the orders of the head of the family, Master Zhen Yi."

The head of the household said, "When the general arrives in Luoyang, how can he stay at an inn or camp in the wild?"

"Please, General, move to our Zhen family's residence in Luoyang. Everything is ready!"

Liu Ce was taken aback, then his heart leaped with joy:

"Wow! That's impressive! My future father-in-law's family really knows how to handle things! So thoughtful and considerate! The service is top-notch!"

The steward added, "The general's elite personal guards can also choose a suitable location outside the city to set up camp."

"All provisions, meat, and wine will be immediately delivered by the Zhen family. We will ensure that the soldiers are well-fed and well-rested, and we will not dare to neglect them!"

Listen to this arrangement! Liu Ce mentally gave Zhen Yi a thousand thumbs up, and he immediately said to Zhao Yun:

"Zilong, take the brothers to find a good place to camp outside the city. After you've settled things at the camp, come to the Zhen residence to see me."

"Yes, brother!" Zhao Yun accepted the order.

Liu Ce, accompanied by Dian Wei, followed the Zhen family steward with great satisfaction. After many twists and turns, they arrived at a magnificent and luxurious mansion located in the inner city of Luoyang. The plaque above the gate bore two gilded characters: "Zhen Mansion".

Upon entering the mansion, the treatment was simply amazing. Hot water, fragrant soup, clean and comfortable clothes were already prepared, and there were also beautiful... uh, quick and efficient maids serving us.

Liu Ce took a relaxing bath, changed into casual clothes, and felt like he had been reborn.

He thought for a moment, picked up his pen and wrote a short letter. He also asked the steward of the Zhen family to prepare a gift box that was not particularly expensive but very exquisite, and sent it secretly to the residence of Zhang Rang, the Grand Eunuch.

The capital city is a treacherous place; you can't be without connections. After all, it's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings.

After Zhao Yun returned and settled the affairs of the military camp, Liu Ce looked at his two brothers who had been with him all day and said:

"Zilong, Elai, you must be exhausted today, right? Don't think about anything, just get some rest! Who knows what tomorrow will bring?"

Lying on the soft, brocade-covered bed in the Zhen family home, Liu Ce couldn't fall asleep, his mind racing with complaints:

"This 'triumphant return' is just too exhausting! It's much more tiring than leading troops into battle and charging into the fray!"

It's pure mental and physical torture! Where did these ancient people get all these ridiculous rules from? And how could they all have so much energy?

At this moment, in the luxurious bedroom of Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, in the imperial palace.

Liu Hong wasn't asleep either; he was thinking about something.

His trusted chief eunuch, Zhang Rang, approached silently like a ghost, bowing low and asking cautiously:

"Is Your Majesty considering how to reward General Liu Ce?"

Liu Hong glanced at him and laughed: "Hehe, it's still better to let Father understand my thoughts."

Upon hearing this address, Zhang Rang felt as light as a feather, his face crinkling with a smile. He quickly showered Liu Hong with compliments, using the words Liu Hong loved to hear most:

"Your Majesty is wise! General Liu Ce is indeed a man of both wisdom and courage, skilled in military strategy, and a truly outstanding general!"

Just think about it, those rebel leaders like Zhang Jiao, Zhang Bao, Zhang Liang, and Bo Cai—weren't they all infamous? And what happened? They were all dealt with by General Liu!

What does this show? It shows that Your Majesty has a keen eye for talent and knows how to appoint the right people! You are the discerning judge of character, and Liu Ce is the true genius!

He glanced at Liu Hong's expression and continued to fan the flames:

"Furthermore, General Liu is no outsider; he is a genuine member of the Han imperial family, with the blood of Emperor Gaozu flowing through his veins! He is currently the Prefect of Zhuojun."

I've heard that things aren't peaceful in Youzhou. The Xianbei and Wuhuan barbarians come south every year to raid for grain, money, and women, causing immense suffering to the border people and leaving them displaced. It's a real headache for the imperial court.

If you ask me, when it comes to the important task of guarding the borders and protecting the country, we can never trust or rely on outsiders as much as we do on our own people. Don't you agree?