As for Gao Shun, Li You didn't know much about him, but the stunning display he had witnessed during an unexpected encounter left a deep impression on him. Although Gao Shun had fewer than 800 troops in his Ferocious Cavalry, their sharpness made Li You feel uneasy.
"Is that so?" Liu Bei asked curiously, though he didn't doubt Li You's knowledge in the slightest.
"That crafty Jia Wenhe! He oversees the intelligence network, yet he overlooked such an important matter!" Li You complained indignantly. If they had gone in unprepared, they might have faced a serious setback.
"Oh, Wenhe has had a lot on his plate lately. It's understandable if a few things slip through the cracks, and no major mistakes have been made. But Wenru, I'm truly glad you've returned. Without you by my side to fill in the gaps, I always feel something is missing," Liu Bei said with a smile, showing no intention of blaming Jia Xu.
To be fair, it wasn't really Jia Xu's fault. He had never interacted with Gao Shun or Zhang Liao. When Jia Xu served under Dong Zhuo, he had only had brief contact with Lü Bu. As for the unassuming Gao Shun and Zhang Liao, Jia Xu, who had always kept a low profile, hadn't paid much attention to them. After all, when he foresaw Dong Zhuo's impending downfall, Jia Xu had quietly started to withdraw.
"Well, the matter in Xuzhou has been resolved. Chen Yuanlong's transfer order will be arriving soon, so I won't need to stay in Xuzhou any longer. Our preparations in Yuzhou are almost ready to be activated," Li You nodded. "However, there may be some issues with Yuan Gonglu. Sun Bofu and Zhou Gongjin are truly outstanding men."
"Oh, Yuan Gonglu can be set aside for now. If we succeed, it will be fortunate, but if we fail, there's no significant loss. As Jia Wenhe said from the beginning, it was merely an opportunistic move. If it doesn't work out, we lose nothing," Liu Bei said calmly. He understood that his main focus should be elsewhere. The gains and losses in Yuzhou were temporary; as long as they could secure Jizhou, everything else would eventually follow.
"It's good to see you with such a mindset, my lord. However, in the short term, I will primarily stay in the administrative hall. One reason is to help Zijing handle the backlog of matters left by Zichuan and others. Another is to keep up appearances for Jushou and the others," Li You explained calmly.
He believed in putting on a complete performance. Regarding the situation in Xuzhou, Jushou and Xu You were very satisfied with Li You's actions. Although there were some minor imperfections, this only made Jushou and Xu You believe that Li You was acting naturally.
"Very well, you can assist Zijing with the administration. Ziyang will also lend a hand. By the way, there's also the new legal code from Baining that needs your review. But Wenru, do you understand the law?" Liu Bei nodded slightly in agreement with Li You's plan, then habitually asked a couple of questions.
"I know a bit, enough to handle a review. Is Baining's new law more focused on legal principles or human compassion?" Li You inquired. He wasn't joking—he genuinely had some knowledge in this area. However, to be safe, he wanted to understand the law's focus before diving in.
"I'm not entirely sure, but Baining mentioned that it incorporates many customary laws that weren't previously written down, as well as some clan regulations," Liu Bei explained vaguely.
"Oh, now I see. So it's more inclined toward human reasoning. I always thought Baining had a strict, authoritarian approach, but it seems he's been influenced by someone toward compassion," Li You nodded, quickly grasping the situation from Liu Bei's brief explanation.
"That's about right. As for being influenced, I had Baining and Zhongyu work together on this legal code. As you mentioned, Baining does have a bit of a harsh streak," Liu Bei said with a touch of resignation.
Realizing that Li You might not be familiar with the other person he mentioned, Liu Bei added, "By the way, after our ritual for the fallen heroes, two people from the Xun family came to us. One is Xun Yan, styled Xiuruo, who has a talent for governance. The other is Xun Yue, styled Zhongyu, who excels in creating laws, cultivating virtue, and educating the people."
Compared to Xun Yan, Liu Bei held Xun Yue in much higher regard. He believed that Xun Yue's talent was enough to make him a candidate for one of the Nine Ministers.
Li You nodded but remained silent. While he wasn't as familiar with the younger Xun Yan, he had heard of Xun Yue. When Dong Zhuo had risen to power, the Xun family had frequently sought out Xun Yue, who, as Liu Bei had described, had a knack for creating laws and teaching the people.
"Congratulations to Lord Xuande on gaining such a great talent," Li You said with a smile. It seemed that the aristocratic families were finally beginning to soften under Liu Bei's growing strength.
"In truth, I'm more grateful to have you all by my side. Any one of you could serve as one of the Nine Ministers, but it would be beneath your abilities. Zichuan may seem lazy, but the ability he shows in the little time he spends working proves he's fully qualified to be Chancellor. Zijing works tirelessly, and half of our governance's smooth operation is thanks to him. He, too, could easily be Chancellor," Liu Bei said with deep admiration.
"Zichuan and Zijing complement each other perfectly. Zichuan handles the grand strategy, and Zijing manages the details. Together, they are flawless," Li You said solemnly. "But Zijing works too hard—he neglects his own well-being, and it will catch up with him eventually."
"Yes, Zijing is too diligent. He works until midnight and starts again before dawn," Liu Bei said with frustration.
Liu Bei had often urged Lu Su to rest more, but after taking a break for a couple of days, Lu Su would return to his old ways, working around the clock. Most leaders worried that their subordinates wouldn't work hard enough—Liu Bei worried that Lu Su's overwork might lead to an early death.
"All I can do now is ensure the kitchen prepares regular meals for Zijing. I finally understand what Zichuan meant when he said a constantly running kitchen was essential," Liu Bei sighed.
"Hahaha..." Li You let out a stiff laugh. Lu Su, the workaholic—if you visited him in the morning, he'd be working, and if you left in the evening, he'd still be working. That man never rested, and it seemed his relentless work ethic would be his downfall.
"By the way, Wenru, you seem to know a little bit of everything, don't you?" Liu Bei asked uncertainly. "Sometimes I find you hard to read. Like Zichuan, you don't seem driven by power, yet you can handle almost anything. Sometimes I wonder if you two might be fellow disciples."
"Better not compare me to Zichuan. I'm not on his level. As for Chancellor, that's a role for Zichuan, Zijing, or even Kongming. If we're talking about government roles, I'd be best suited as Chancellor of the Secretariat, filling in the gaps. The role of Chancellor should go to them," Li You said, shaking his head. His desire for power had waned. He was content with achieving his goals and had experienced enough in life.
"Very well. Once the Han dynasty is restored, I will recommend you to His Majesty as Chancellor of the Secretariat," Liu Bei said solemnly, not noticing the slight twitch in Li You's expression.