Chương 613: Arrangements for the Three

Good heavens! Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, and Fa Zheng! This has raised the bar for the brain trust of this era to the highest level! A lineup that was impossible to assemble even in traditional Three Kingdoms games is now delivered right to our doorstep! A huge win! A massive win indeed!

He quickly calmed down, cleared his throat, and said calmly:

"Not bad, not bad. Where is he? Bring him in so I can see him."

"They are waiting outside the hall."

"Announce!"

A short while later, three young men followed the eunuch in, their clothes still covered in snowflakes from outside.

Zhuge Liang, who was walking at the very front, was dressed in a moon-white long robe. He had a face like jade, eyes like bright stars, and a tall and straight posture like a pine tree. He walked with a breezy air.

It was snowing outside, but he wasn't even wearing a cloak. He walked at a leisurely pace, as if he were strolling in his own backyard.

His gaze was calm and composed, as if nothing could make him flinch, and he was completely confident.

The man in the middle, Fazheng, wore a black brocade robe. His eyes were sharp as a hawk's, and the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, giving him a somewhat unruly air...

As he swept his gaze across the assembled officials, it lingered on Guo Jia and Xi Zhicai for a moment, clearly recognizing these two "cunning strategists," and he nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Pang Tong, who was at the very back, really did let the readers down a bit.

He was dark-skinned, thin, and short, with a flat nose and thick lips. His hair was messy and covered in snowflakes, and his robe was a bit wrinkled, making him look like he had just crawled out of bed.

She almost tripped over the threshold while walking, stumbled, and her face turned bright red. She quickly lowered her head, clutching the hem of her clothes and following behind like a child who had done something wrong.

The three walked to the center of the hall and respectfully bowed to Liu Ce, their movements perfectly executed.

"Your Majesty, your subjects Zhuge Liang, Fa Zheng, and Pang Tong pay their respects!"

Liu Ce stared at them, secretly opening the system panel in his mind, his eyes practically glued to the screen, almost drooling: [Name]: Zhuge Liang/Pang Tong/Fa Zheng Gender: Male/Male/Male Age: 18/20/23 【force】: -/-/- [Commander]: 97/90/85 [Politics]: 99/92/85 [Intelligence]: 99/98/97 【charm】: -/-/- [Appearance]: -/-/- Zhuge Liang Skills: Strategist (95% accuracy in predicting enemy actions), Governance (30% efficiency in local administration), Devotion (Loyalty never decreases).

[Fa Zheng] Skills: Ingenious Schemes (Surprise attack success rate +40%), Unforgiving (Damage to enemies +20%), Judgmental Insight (Decision error rate reduced by 80%) Pang Tong Skills: Phoenix Spreads Its Wings (Success rate of combo tactics +50%), Adaptability (Probability of turning the tide in desperate situations +35%), Recognizing Talent from Afar (Accuracy rate of recognizing people 90%)...

Liu Ce was overjoyed inside, but kept a straight face: These are all monsters with intelligence 95+! One is even close to max! From now on, I can just lie back and do nothing while fighting wars and governing the country! This is a huge profit, a truly huge profit!

He smiled and waved his hand: "No need for formalities. Raise your heads, don't be shy. Would you like some milk tea? Li Dequan, give them three cups too."

The three looked up, and Pang Tong saw Liu Ce staring at him. His face flushed red to the roots of his ears, and he quickly lowered his head again, his fingers almost tearing the hem of his clothes.

Liu Ce almost couldn't help but laugh, but quickly composed himself and casually asked a few questions, starting with Zhuge Liang:

"Kongming, what do you think is the biggest bottleneck in our current industrial development? Don't be afraid to speak freely."

Zhuge Liang answered calmly:

"Your Majesty, there are three major bottlenecks:" First, there is a shortage of skilled workers. Most craftsmen only know the techniques but not the underlying principles; they know what to do but not why...

Secondly, transportation remains inconvenient; the cost of transporting coal and iron ore is too high, and many places have mines but cannot transport them out...

Third, funds were dispersed; private capital dared not invest in industry, fearing a change in government policy...

The most urgent task is to continue establishing specialized industrial schools to cultivate technical personnel; at the same time, to continue accelerating the construction of the Grand Canal to reduce transportation costs; and to introduce stabilizing policies to encourage private investment in factories.

Only by taking a three-pronged approach can we achieve results.

Liu Ce nodded repeatedly, patting the armrest of the dragon throne: "Well said! You hit the nail on the head! A perfect observation!"

He then asked Fazheng, "Xiaozhi, the Western Regions have just been pacified and Kangju has just submitted. How do you think we should govern these newly conquered areas? Share your thoughts."

Fa Zheng's eyes sharpened, and he spoke crisply and decisively, his voice firm and resonant:

"Return to your majesty and show me kindness and power.

First, relocate 100, 000 people from the Central Plains to settle down and cultivate the land, establish a foothold, and put down roots. Then, build roads, set up post stations, and build schools to spread Han culture and allow locals to receive Han education from a young age. Finally, send capable officials to take charge of the overall situation, implement Han laws and systems, and treat everyone equally.

Anyone who dares to rebel will be immediately suppressed by troops, executed as an example to deter others, without mercy. Only by combining appeasement with an iron fist can long-term peace and stability be achieved on the frontier.

"Good! Ruthless enough! I like it!" Liu Ce slapped the table, then looked at Pang Tong, "Shiyuan, what do you think...?"

Pang Tong scratched his head, his voice soft but his logic clear:

"Your Majesty, I believe that the key to good governance lies in the selection of officials. Newly conquered territories cannot be sent to just any bookworm; we must send pragmatic individuals who understand military affairs, civil administration, and are able to endure hardship."

Your subject suggests selecting a group of cultured officers from the army and a group of courageous scholars from the imperial examinations, and assigning them to a combined force. With one civil and one military officer working together, they can effectively maintain order and control the situation.

"Not bad, very good," Liu Ce said with a smile, his eyes full of approval as he looked at Pang Tong.

Upon hearing this, Pang Tong paused for a moment, then smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.

Liu Ce waved his hand with satisfaction: "Alright, all three of you are excellent. You can go out now."

"We take our leave." The three bowed again, turned and walked out of the Liangyi Hall.

As soon as he stepped out of the palace gate, Pang Tong breathed a sigh of relief, patted his chest, and said, "It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders."

"I was so scared! His Majesty's aura is too strong. My legs were shaking just now, and I almost misspoke. My tongue was tied in knots."

Fa Zheng patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile:

"Don't be afraid, His Majesty is a very kind person, not at all pretentious. What you said just now was particularly good, His Majesty praised you. The way His Majesty looked at me, he truly appreciated you."

Zhuge Liang looked at the distant palace, snowflakes falling on his feather fan, and said with a smile:

"That's right. His Majesty is a man of great talent and ambition, and he cares deeply for the people. He is a rare and wise ruler. With His Majesty by our side, we will surely be able to accomplish something truly extraordinary."

Pang Tong nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with anticipation, and he clenched his fists.

Inside the hall, Liu Ce watched their retreating figures and said to Xun Yu and the others:

"These three are all exceptional talents, and they should be nurtured well. Therefore, Zhuge Liang will first arrange for them to work in the government office, where they will learn governance from Wenruo, Xuanling, and Ruhui. They will be your successors in the future."

"Leave Fazheng and Pang Tong to Fengxiao and Zhicai to work with you on military strategy and intelligence analysis; this will allow them to fully utilize their strengths. Also, pay them the highest monthly salary; don't mistreat talented people."

"Your Majesty, we obey!" the crowd replied in unison.