Chapter 025: Politics
[Ding! Quest: Unstoppable Valor Complete.]
[Ding! Reward Granted: Companion System.]
[Companion System]: Your companions will stay by your side for a lifetime, sharing in your joys and sorrows. Please cultivate your companions well so they may become your capable assistants.
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- Activation: Only after a formal marriage ceremony (including private vows of lifelong commitment) can a woman become a “Companion.”
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- Benefits: Each companion will randomly grant you three of her unique skills.
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- Lifespan: Your companions’ lifespan will be synced to yours.
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- Loyalty: Companions will never betray you, but you must maintain a high Intimacy level.
Long Tian looked at the Companion System with a mix of confusion and interest. A marriage ceremony? Did he have to actually marry them?
Looking at the currently empty Companion Panel, he felt a spark of anticipation.
What if it displayed portraits of all the beauties from the Three Kingdoms era? wouldn’t that be a massive achievement?
The thought alone gave him a new sense of drive: he was going to collect them all!
Since a companion’s lifespan was bound to his and they couldn’t betray him, why not use this system as the foundation for his expansion?
Moreover, filial piety was highly valued throughout the Three Kingdoms period.
The most iconic example was Xu Shu, who was forced to leave Liu Bei for his mother’s sake.
Even if it meant never offering a single strategy for the rest of his life, he couldn’t ignore his mother’s safety.
This gave Long Tian a bold, somewhat shameless idea: Target the mothers of famous strategists and officials, then use the mothers to bring them into his service!
The idea was undeniably disgraceful, but the success rate was likely very high.
If these mothers were willing to speak on his behalf, he would have a genuine chance to recruit the geniuses of this era.
Besides, the idea of “conquering” the mothers of famous men… it felt incredibly thrilling in its own twisted way.
Having made his decision, Long Tian resolved to begin with Fa Zheng.
First, establish a foothold; then, commence recruiting talent.
<<<•>>>
Arriving at the former county office, Dong Zhuo still wore plain clothes, his face beaming with satisfaction, likely from some woman’s company.
Spotting Long Tian, he beamed with delight, personally pulling Long Tian by the hand to sit on the couch.
“Little Tian, you’ve come at the right time. I assume you rested well yesterday?”
The lecherous grin between the two men spoke volumes. It was blatantly suggestive, asking if fucking women was satisfying.
“Very well. This nephew rested exceptionally well yesterday. Uncle, now that the rebels have been subdued, should we press our advantage?”
Long Tian licked his lips, intentionally acting like a brash youth without much hidden depth.
In Dong Zhuo’s eyes, this was simply a young man eager to earn more military merit.
He couldn’t help but laugh heartily, pleased with this promising young man.
“Little Tian, no need to rush. War isn’t merely a military contest; it’s also a game of political maneuvering. No need to rush, it’s Zhang Wen who should be anxious!”
His mention of Zhang Wen was laced with gritted teeth, revealing his lack of fondness for the commander.
Seeing Long Tian’s puzzled expression, Dong Zhuo’s mood improved further.
Combined with Long Tian’s stellar performance the previous day, he decided to offer some guidance.
“Little Tian, wherever there are people, there is struggle. Where there is struggle, caution is required. The most important thing here is the exchange of interests.
Zhang Wen wants to save face and look good to the court, so the retreating rebels are his bargaining chips. I’ll negotiate with him. If the deal is right, we all get promotions and wealth, and he gets to return to the capital with success.
Hmph… but if the deal isn’t right, he’s a dead man!”
Listening to Dong Zhuo’s explanation, Long Tian pretended to only half-understand.
This exchange of interests was clearly complex, and it seemed Dong Zhuo didn’t even want to completely wipe out the rebels; he wanted to keep them around as a resource to farm for merit.
A realization dawned on him: perhaps this was the world of politics, all for the sake of greater power.
Thinking of this, Long Tian felt a bit tired.
This kind of mental chess wasn’t really his style.
For three consecutive days, Dong Zhuo hosted banquets for his subordinates and allowed the soldiers to run wild and plunder.
At the same time, he sent out scouts to monitor the rebels’ movements.
The enemy hadn’t fled far; Instead of directly attacking Jincheng, the rebels had chosen to establish themselves in a neutral county town.
Caught between the massive armies of Dong Zhuo and Zhang Wen, it seemed the final decisive battle was imminent.
<<<•>>>
Zhang Wen is an official sent from the capital to oversee the suppression of the rebels, while Dong Zhuo is a local commander and warlord.
