Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

Emperor Xizong of Liang hurried forward and helped the old minister to his feet, "Zheng, how could this possibly be your fault? I plan to proceed to Xingyuan and have decreed that all Military Governors throughout the lands recover the capital. As the Fengxiang Commander, you must hold all strategic locations firm and ensure the enemy's influence does not expand again."

The old minister nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty!

"However... the journey to Xingyuan is arduous and difficult to traverse. Should any emergencies arise, I fear I will not be able to report to Your Majesty in time. Please allow me to make decisions on the spot as needed."

After some thought, Emperor Xizong finally agreed, "Very well! If it benefits the dynasty and society, you may act as you see fit!"

At this point, the perspective of Chu Ge finally descended rapidly, settling on the body of this old minister.

Then, the Talent/Skill Cards finally appeared.

[Wu · Keen Observation (Blue):Your observation and memory of details are enhanced.]

[Wu · Eloquent Speech (Blue):Your speech becomes more compelling and persuasive, and also enhances the effect of your integrity.]

[Ding · Military Deployment (Gold):You naturally grasp the basic strategies of troop deployment and battle array, reaching the level of a regular veteran general.]

In addition, there were the default gold talents of "Memory Fragment," "Inspiring Morale," and "Fortuitous Survival."

Looking at the three Talent/Skill Cards before him, Chu Ge fell into deep thought.

Following the dialogue between the old minister and Emperor Xizong, Chu Ge had naturally ascertained his identity.

Zheng Tian, fifty-five years old, had once served as Prime Minister of the Liang Dynasty and was now the Fengxiang Commander.

Chu Ge had read through the historical records, so he had a fairly good understanding of Zheng Tian.

Although Zheng Tian's abilities were limited, and he couldn't possibly save the Liang Dynasty from its precarious state, he was one of the few people in the court at the time who could genuinely get things done.

During his term as Prime Minister, he disagreed with another Prime Minister on whether to reconcile with Huang Xianzhi or to exterminate him.

The other Prime Minister, Lu Xie, believed that the Jianghuai Military Governor Gao Pian was more than capable of exterminating Huang Xianzhi and therefore did not agree with the reconciliation plan.

However, Zheng had already recognized the threat of Huang Xianzhi, "with an army over a million strong, having repeatedly defeated the imperial forces," and thus suggested reconciliation first by appointing him as the Lingnan Envoy to temporarily appease him until the right moment to strike arrived.

Many of Huang Xianzhi's followers had turned to rebellion due to famine, and once granted official positions, they would naturally long for home in the rich and warm lands of Lingnan. With their departure, Huang Xianzhi's forces would inevitably disperse, presenting an opportunity to decide the fate of the realm in one battle.

However, Emperor Xizong did not adopt Zheng's view.

As a result, during the issuance of the imperial edict, the two Prime Ministers came into conflict, with Lu Xie angrily throwing his inkstone to the ground. Emperor Xizong, furious, deemed it improper for Prime Ministers to quarrel and set a bad example for all under heaven, thus demoting both of them.

Subsequently, it became evident that Zheng had been right all along.

At that time, Huang Xianzhi occupied only Lingnan, so appointing a Lingnan Envoy could have placated him. But since the court did not fulfill his demands, Huang Xianzhi furiously continued to raise his army and march northward, moving directly towards Jianghuai.

And Gao Pian, whom Lu Xie had so highly regarded, did not launch an offensive at all, merely adopting a passive defense and allowing the rebels to cross territories.

It was only then that Emperor Xizong regretted not listening to Zheng and reappointed him as Fengxiang Commander.

Afterward, with Huang Xianzhi's army taking over Chang'an, Emperor Xizong fled in a panic and encountered Zheng coming to his rescue, hence the above conversation.

Looking at the outcome, although Zheng could not prevent the demise of the Liang Dynasty, he successfully rallied a large army, drawing in scattered Divine Strategy Army units and various Military Governors, and defeated Huang Xianzhi's forces, granting the Liang Dynasty a last breath of life.

Chu Ge surmised that he would now need to find a way to replicate Zheng's actions from that time.

But gazing at the Talent/Skill Cards before him, Chu Ge hesitated.

"With three default gold talents, 'Inspiring Morale' and 'Fortuitous Survival' are both very useful.

"Fortuitous Survival allows a character to unleash their limits in a desperate situation, and it's not just an enhancement for Martial Artists, but for scholars as well.

"As for Inspiring Morale, that goes without saying—it's nearly a panacea of a skill.

"This refresh brought two blue and one gold talent, and they're all Wu and Ding level talents, which is quite strong.

"However, this Wu level gold talent is somewhat of little use.

"Military Deployment allows me to naturally grasp the basic strategies of troop deployment and battle arrays, achieving the standard of a regular veteran general.

"If it were a player who is completely inexperienced in military tactics, this would be a significant boost. But I already know how to lead troops in battle; I don't need this...

"If it were a talent that directly enhanced my combat abilities, it would be worth considering.

"Keen Observation seems to have limited use, so Eloquent Speech, combined with 'Inspiring Morale,' should be the most useful talent, right?"

After analyzing, Chu Ge lightly tapped on the "Eloquent Speech" Talent/Skill Card.

Zheng was a scholar, so combat-related talents wouldn't be of much use.

Military Deployment was indeed worthy of a gold talent, directly allowing a player with no knowledge of military affairs to reach a veteran general's level. But for players like Chu Ge and Zhao Haiping who already understood warfare, the meaning was not significant.

Unless this talent could further improve leading troop abilities, directly elevating them to the level of Generals like Han Fuyue and Deng Yuanjing, it would be very worthwhile to acquire.