Thinking of this, Liu Jin's mouth curved into a smile.
Li Li was just a minor official now, his rank not very high, so Liu Jin could try to recruit him.
What he lacked most at the moment were civil officials and strategists to offer advice.
As for military generals, he had Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, Han Dang, and others who could each hold their own.
Even Wei You, after this battle, was completely convinced and wanted to acknowledge Liu Jin as his lord.
Liu Jin looked at Zhang Fei, who was standing beside him, and immediately spoke!
“Since this Li Li has some ability, then please invite him in.”
Zhang Fei immediately bowed and assented!
A moment later, a young man dressed in a grey robe slowly walked in.
Seeing Liu Jin, who had a bronze seal and black ribbon at his waist, he naturally knew that the person before him must be the commander of this army.
He was filled with emotion; this young man, so young, had quelled thirty thousand Yellow Turbans with only three thousand men and killed Zhang Liang.
This person was truly extraordinary.
Moreover, after this battle, this young man's official rank would likely be promoted, at least to an official of the two-thousand-stone level.
Thinking of this, his respect grew, and he cupped his hands, respectfully saying!
“I am Li Li, courtesy name Bo De, greetings, General!”
Liu Jin nodded, examining the man before him.
He had a thin face, a long beard, and wore a scholar's robe, indeed possessing the demeanor of a scholar.
A majestic voice slowly came!
“Bo De, let me ask you, Baixiang County was occupied by the Yellow Turbans.
As an official, why did you not flee, but instead remained in the city?”
“Could it be that you defected to the enemy?”
Upon hearing this, Li Li's body trembled involuntarily, but he still stood straight and said loudly!
“General, you misunderstand.
I am from Baixiang County.
When I learned of the Yellow Turbans' arrival, I advised the county magistrate to defend the city to the death.”
“Unfortunately, the county magistrate did not listen and instead abandoned the city and fled.
In desperation, I resigned my post and stayed at home, hoping to avoid the Yellow Turban Rebellion.”
“Who would have thought that these Yellow Turbans, after entering the city, would disregard everything and plunder it clean.
I was a little luckier, having secretly stored some grain, which allowed me to survive until now.”
“Yesterday, I learned that the General defeated thirty thousand Yellow Turbans and killed Zhang Liang, which was incredibly inspiring and scared the Yellow Turbans in the city into fleeing in disarray.”
“So, I stepped forward, organized the city's populace, pacified the area, and awaited the General's arrival.”
Liu Jin nodded slightly upon hearing this.
Li Li could be considered a loyal person.
When the bandits arrived, he did not abandon the city and flee; instead, he actively advised the county magistrate, showing commendable courage.
His tone remained sharp as he questioned!
“Since you resigned your post and returned home, you are now a commoner.
Why did you still pacify the populace in the capacity of a county official?”
“Falsifying the identity of an imperial official is a capital offense.”
Upon hearing this, Li Li did not show fear; instead, he said firmly!
“General, I am indeed guilty, but the situation was urgent.
After the Yellow Turbans left, many ruffians and thugs emerged in the city, burning, killing, and plundering.”
“I could only step forward, organize the populace, maintain order, and stabilize the city, also to welcome the General's arrival.”
“There were indeed improprieties, and I ask the General to punish me.”
After saying this, he knelt on one knee, but his face remained firm, without any trace of panic.
Liu Jin saw that Li Li was just a minor official, yet he could display such courage in the face of a Thousand-Stone official like himself; he was indeed not simple.
He immediately stood up, slowly walked over, helped Li Li up, and clapped his hands, laughing!
“Bo De, you risked death to pacify the city's populace and maintain order.
This Sima greatly approves.”
Li Li heard this and rejoiced in his heart; it was exactly as he had guessed.
Liu Jin would certainly not punish him for such a minor matter.
However, Liu Jin's expression suddenly changed, and a stern voice resonated in his ears!
“But you impersonated an official without authorization, which has violated the laws of the Han Dynasty.
As an imperial official, this Sima naturally cannot allow you to act recklessly.”
“Men, drag him out and execute him!”
Immediately, the personal guards on either side strode towards them, preparing to drag the man out.
Li Li heard this, his face showing panic.
He had not expected to be wrong; Liu Jin actually intended to execute him.
He no longer had his previous composure and hastily said!
“General... this... this, I also had extenuating circumstances.
Can you spare my life?”
Liu Jin heard this, a smile playing on his lips, and slowly said!
“Sparing your life is possible, but you must serve in my army from now on.
Are you willing?”
Li Li heard this and breathed a long sigh of relief.
How could he not understand that Liu Jin seemed to value him and wanted him to serve him?
He couldn't help but inwardly complain, 'If you want to recruit me, just say so.
I'm not some famous scholar who would put on airs or refuse; there's no need to threaten me.'
Moreover, he was just a resigned official, now a commoner; being recruited by him filled him with joy.
After all, he was no fool.
Although Liu Jin was only a Thousand-Stone Sima, with the military achievements from this battle, he could already rise to a two-thousand-stone official.
Following him naturally promised a boundless future.
Li Li did not hesitate at all; he immediately cupped his hands and respectfully said!
“Your subordinate is willing to follow General Liu, serving him diligently.”
Liu Jin nodded, a smile on his face, and said!
“Since that is the case, I hereby appoint you as the Army's Grain Supervisor, in charge of managing the army's grain allocation.”
Li Li heard this and was delighted, not expecting to be so highly regarded as to manage the army's grain affairs.
He immediately bowed deeply and said loudly!
“Thank you for the General's trust; your subordinate will never forget it.”
Liu Jin waved his hand, telling Zhang Fei to take him down to begin familiarizing himself with the army's grain affairs.
Watching Li Li leave, his face was radiant with a smile.
Although he did not know if this person was the historical Li Li, the abilities he displayed were indeed worth his heavy reliance.
Luoyang City!
In the study of the General's Mansion, He Jin sat alone at his desk, looking at the newly submitted battle report, his brows deeply furrowed.
His face showed anger; he had not expected this Zhonglang General Zhu Jun to be so useless.
Leading the army out of Luoyang, he was chased and beaten by the Yellow Turban general Bo Cai in Yingchuan Commandery, truly losing the morale of the Han Army.
If the front-line battle situation were reported to the imperial court, His Majesty would probably be furious again.
It was not easy to become the Grand General, and he might not even be able to sit firmly in his position.
He was in charge of the world's military forces.
Now that the Yellow Turban Rebellion was ravaging the Han Dynasty, in various prefectures and regions, although he did not actively command the troops, he had the authority to mobilize them.
If the various armies did not perform well in suppressing the rebellion, it would probably be difficult for him to firmly establish himself as the Grand General.
Especially these Eunuchs, powerful aristocratic families, and high-ranking officials, more or less looked down on him, disdaining him for being from a pig-butchering background.
He Jin exhaled roughly through his nostrils, his hands clenched tightly, and he slammed them heavily on the desk, producing a clang.