When the two men arrived, they clasped their hands, bowed deeply, and announced loudly!
"Your subordinate Zhang Yang greets the Prefect!"
"Your subordinate Hao Zhao greets the Prefect!"
Liu Jin scrutinized the two; the older one was Zhang Yang, and the younger one was Hao Zhao, making them quite easy to distinguish.
He waved his hand, signaling for them to rise.
Only after receiving permission did the two cautiously retreat to either side.
A majestic voice slowly emanated!
"As the Prefect of Yanmen, my primary duty is to protect the peace of the people here and to resist the southward incursions of the Hu. I hope you two can cooperate fully."
"If you have any dissatisfactions, you can directly bring them up, and I can also report to the Imperial Court to help you find other opportunities."
Zhang Yang and Hao Zhao were stunned upon hearing this.
This Liu Jin was indeed rather forceful; he had no intention of being polite to anyone, immediately asserting his authority.
Neither dared to resist. The man before them had risen during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, his fame echoing throughout the land. He had been enfeoffed as a marquis and appointed as a general by the Imperial Court, serving as the Prefect of Yanmen, but his authority extended over three commanderies.
Whether it was his general's rank, his Prefect's position, or his marquis's title, they could not afford to offend him.
They bowed once more, deeply saluting!
"We have no dissatisfactions whatsoever."
Upon hearing this, Liu Jin nodded, and his stern voice continued!
"Since you two have no dissatisfactions, then my orders must be strictly followed. If anyone dares to feign compliance or disobey orders, do not blame the sharpness of the sword at my waist."
At this point, Liu Jin stroked the long sword at his waist, which emitted a faint cold gleam, serving as a deterrent.
Zhang Yang and Hao Zhao both swallowed hard upon hearing this, feeling a chill down their spines.
They had only one thought: if anything caused dissatisfaction, this Liu Jin would genuinely dare to kill them.
Without further ado, the two bowed again!
"We respectfully obey the Prefect's orders and would never dare to defy them."
Upon hearing this, Liu Jin's stern expression slowly faded, replaced by a smile!
"Generals, there's no need to be so tense. I am a reasonable person; as long as you are honest, I won't do anything to you."
"Since you two have arrived, your troops must be stationed outside the city, correct?"
Zhang Yang and Hao Zhao were somewhat puzzled by this but still nodded.
Liu Jin's voice continued!
"How about this: as the Prefect of Yanmen, I naturally must reward all the troops to show my respect for everyone."
"You two will accompany me to the military camp outside the city to inspect and reward the troops."
Zhang Yang and Hao Zhao could only nod upon hearing this.
They knew full well what the Prefect was thinking: he clearly wanted to inspect the military camp and gradually gain control of these three thousand commandery soldiers.
Even though they knew, there was nothing they could do. Liu Jin's status was so high that resistance was impossible, unless they wished to die. Otherwise, they could only obediently comply.
Thus, Liu Jin arrived at the military camp outside the city, bringing with him a good deal of wine and meat.
This sparked envy among the soldiers. Stationed on the frontier for years, meat was not too rare; they could occasionally have a full meal.
However, the wine was a novelty. For these men, a hearty drink was a great joy in life.
Liu Jin gathered these three thousand commandery soldiers and delivered an impassioned speech, then distributed the wine and meat.
Not only that, but he also bestowed a considerable amount of cloth, money, and grain, ostensibly to reward them for their long service on the frontier, but in reality, to win their hearts.
After this series of moves, the three thousand commandery soldiers were both excited and thrilled, shouting loudly!
"The Prefect is mighty! The Prefect is mighty!"
"We will definitely follow the Prefect's lead!"
Praises poured forth, echoing throughout the entire camp.
Liu Jin then remained in the military camp outside the city, assigning some of his own officers to serve as mid-level commanders within this force.
Among them were Zhao Yun, Liu Wei, Liu Neng, and others, either his own clansmen or his trusted subordinates.
The purpose was to firmly control these three thousand commandery soldiers, completely assimilating the only force in Yanmen Commandery that could threaten him, turning it into his own strength.
In this way, there would be no unstable factors left in Yanmen Commandery. He would also gain three thousand soldiers, bringing his total to seven thousand men.
If one added the four thousand soldiers under Zhang He and Zhang Fei in Yunzhong Commandery and Dingxiang, he would have a total of eleven thousand men.
It was important to note that these troops were firmly under his control. Whether mid-level or high-level officers, and even many soldiers, were people he had personally cultivated.
Even the Imperial Court's orders would not be as effective as his own.
However, Liu Jin dared not be too arrogant. With only a little over ten thousand men, it was still not enough to contend with the entire realm.
Even the current Imperial Court could easily muster hundreds of thousands of troops. If he harbored any rebellious intentions, he would probably be annihilated within three months.
Beigong Boyu, Han Sui, and others who rebelled fought back and forth with the Imperial Court, having at least tens of thousands of troops, giving them the capital to be arrogant and boastful.
If he were to raise an army with these ten thousand men and act recklessly, it would be no different from seeking death.
Even if he could escape, he would only be able to flee to the grasslands or join the Xi Liang Rebels.
Liu Jin did not want to choose either of these paths, so he could only remain low-key and slowly accumulate strength.
Inside a large tent in the military camp outside the city.
Zhang Yang sat to one side, picked up his wine cup, and drained it, looking somewhat dejected.
He looked at Hao Zhao beside him and slowly said!
"After the Prefect's series of actions, our power in the army has plummeted, no longer what it once was."
Hao Zhao frowned upon hearing this, his tone relatively calm as he said!
"It's normal for the Prefect to do this. After all, he's just arrived and wants to govern Yanmen, so he naturally needs to control military power, rather than having everyone fight independently, which could easily lead to unnecessary trouble."
Zhang Yang understood these words, but deep down, he was still somewhat depressed.
He, a dignified Two Thousand Stone Commandant, had now fallen to this state, with no authority beyond a hundred or so personal guards.
Compared to before, it lacked a certain flavor, and he even felt somewhat unnatural.
Hao Zhao glanced at Zhang Yang's dejected expression and then advised him!
"General Zhang, there's no need to worry. Our Prefect is no ordinary person; he earned his title as a marquis and general through genuine military achievements, and his fame echoes throughout the land."
"Think about it: he is now in a high position, with the Grand General supporting him, so why would he come to this desolate Yanmen, and face so many Hu tribes? It's fraught with danger; a slight misstep could cost him his life."
"Why do you think that is?"
Zhang Yang was stunned upon hearing this, then pondered for a moment. His eyes lit up, and he eagerly asked!
"Could it be to gain experience and military merit, so he can enter the Imperial Court later as a high-ranking official?"