Guanghe Year Seven, mid-July!
Outside the Han Army camp in Guangzong City, Julu Commandery, a contingent of soldiers approached, bearing the 'Dong' banner, fluttering in the wind, looking majestic.
On the war chariot stood a middle-aged man with a robust face and a strong physique.
A sharp blade hung at his waist; he was none other than the newly appointed Central Protector-General, Dong Zhuo.
Looking at the military camp ahead, stretching for several miles, his eyes gleamed with excitement.
He had finally become a commanding General, in charge of tens of thousands of Han Army soldiers.
However, the thought of his Deputy General, Liu Jin, made Dong Zhuo's brow furrow, finding it somewhat troublesome.
He turned to the slender scholar beside him and asked,
"Wen You, now that I have been appointed Central Protector-General by the imperial court, controlling the northern situation, I wonder if that Deputy General Liu Jin will be easy to get along with. What if he tries to contend for power with me and sideline me?"
"After all, he achieved fame at a young age, is full of vigor, and his reputation echoes throughout Hebei. Furthermore, he has deep roots in the army, and I am new here, my position not yet stable. I fear it will be difficult to compete with him."
Li Ru heard this, and his deep eyes, like a venomous snake, slowly smiled and said,
"General, have no worries. You are the Central Protector-General appointed by the imperial court; how can a mere Deputy General compare to you?"
"Besides, from my observation of his mind, he should not be someone who disregards the bigger picture. He should get along well with General, taking the pacification of the Yellow Turban as his duty."
Dong Zhuo heard these words, but his brow remained furrowed, still somewhat worried in his heart.
Seeing that Dong Zhuo was still troubled by this matter, Li Ru quickly thought and then spoke up from the side,
"General, if that is the case, why don't you test Liu Jin to see if he is overly ambitious and wishes to contend for power with General?"
Dong Zhuo nodded upon hearing this, deciding to test him after all, so he could be prepared and not be led by the nose by Liu Jin.
Outside the military camp, Liu Jin, clad in armor and with a sharp blade at his waist, stood with dozens of Generals behind him, gathered there.
Lu Zhi and Zong Yuan had already been escorted back to the capital a few days prior.
During this time, Liu Jin had been stationed here, exercising the authority of the commanding General.
A smile appeared on Liu Jin's face. He hadn't expected General He Jin to be so effective; he had not only become a Commandant but also the Deputy General of this army.
He now had the authority to mobilize soldiers in the army, and even for some minor actions, he could deal with them as he pleased. His status was vastly different from before.
Although there was still a superior, Dong Zhuo, it was still acceptable.
Just then, a large number of figures appeared ahead, approaching in a mighty procession.
Seeing the 'Dong' banner, Liu Jin naturally knew that the newly appointed Dong Zhuo had arrived.
Moments later, Dong Zhuo's retinue suddenly halted in front.
A messenger galloped towards them and respectfully said to Liu Jin, who was at the forefront,
"Reporting to General Liu, Zhonglang General Dong's war chariot has broken down. He wishes for you to lead the Generals to personally greet him."
As soon as these words were spoken, the Generals around him began to whisper among themselves.
Zhang Fei, standing behind, said with a hint of resentment,
"How is that possible? A perfectly good chariot doesn't just break down. He clearly wants Big Brother to personally greet him and give Big Brother a show of force."
Guan Yu, Han Dang, Zhao Teng, and others all nodded, their eyes showing displeasure. It seemed this newly appointed commanding General was not easy to get along with.
Liu Jin heard this and chuckled, not expecting Dong Zhuo, as a new official, to immediately try to suppress his spirit.
But thinking about it, it made sense. Dong Zhuo was a newly transferred Zhonglang General with weak roots in the army. To exercise the authority of the commanding General, his biggest obstacle would be Liu Jin, the Deputy General.
Liu Jin had no intention of contending with Dong Zhuo. After all, the other party was the commanding General, and his status was always one level higher than his own.
If the two sides were to clash, it would only give the Yellow Turban Army an opportunity, which was a major military taboo.
Liu Jin waved his hand, suppressing the noisy voices, and led the Generals behind him towards the retinue ahead.
From atop his war chariot, Dong Zhuo watched the dozens of people approaching, a smile playing on his lips.
He stroked his beard and said with a smile,
"Wen You, it seems your guess was correct. This Liu Jin indeed has no intention of contending with me."
Li Ru smiled and nodded, but there was a hint of apprehension in the depths of his eyes.
Such a person, capable of both yielding and extending, was the most difficult to deal with. A reckless person, on the other hand, would be easier to handle.
Liu Jin arrived beside the war chariot and looked at Dong Zhuo, whose eyes were sharp, face rugged, and physique robust, emanating a surging aura, clearly someone seasoned in battle.
He secretly praised in his heart, this Dong Zhuo truly deserved to be the Hero who started the chaos of the Han Dynasty; he indeed possessed an extraordinary demeanor.
Without delay, he immediately bowed deeply and said loudly,
"Your subordinate greets General Dong."
The dozens of Generals he had brought with him all bowed deeply and said,
"We greet General Dong."
Dong Zhuo stood on the war chariot, brazenly observing Liu Jin.
He was quite young, appearing to have just come of age. To achieve such accomplishments was indeed rare.
After a moment of silence, Dong Zhuo said with a smile,
"Wen Yi, quickly rise."
"General has long heard of your reputation, and seeing you today, you are indeed extraordinary, truly a prodigy of our Great Han."
Liu Jin heard these words, slowly straightened his waist, and with a respectful expression, said with a smile,
"Thank you for your praise, General. My humble achievements are not worth mentioning; how can they compare to General's? Jin only hopes to follow by General's side, to achieve meritorious deeds, and desires nothing else."
Dong Zhuo heard this and laughed heartily, very satisfied with Liu Jin's demeanor.
He immediately stepped down from the war chariot, took Liu Jin's hand directly, and said softly,
"Wen Yi, with your words, General can finally rest assured."
"As long as you follow me diligently to pacify the Yellow Turban, I will certainly not mistreat you."
After saying this, he looked at the Generals behind Liu Jin and said loudly,
"And you all need not worry. As long as you obey General's orders, you will certainly not be mistreated. Being ennobled as a marquis and appointed as a General is just around the corner."
"Additionally, I have brought a good amount of fine wine. Tonight, we will hold a feast in the army, allowing everyone to drink to their heart's content."
The Generals heard this, their eyes filled with excitement, and they clasped their hands, bowing in promise.
Liu Jin secretly thought that this Dong Zhuo was indeed an old fox. He immediately drew a grand vision to make everyone obey his orders.
However, he didn't say much. Dong Zhuo's ambition at this moment was not as vast as it would be a few years later; for now, he was still a good General for the Han Dynasty.
Soon, Dong Zhuo, surrounded by the Generals, slowly entered the main army tent.
He distributed the fine wine he had brought, letting all the soldiers in the army know of the new commanding General's arrival.
Dong Zhuo took the main seat, sitting on the ground, while Liu Jin sat in the seat below him.
The other Generals took their seats on both sides, with those closer to the front indicating higher official ranks, and those further back indicating lower ranks.