Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

[Steady as Mount Tai (Blue): Your stance is stable, less likely to waver from enemy impacts.]

[Proficient in Archery and Horseback Riding (White): Enhances your riding and archery skills.]

[Endure Hunger and Thirst (Blue - Disseminating): Compared to ordinary people, you possess higher endurance against hunger and thirst. This effect can also influence those around you.]

Seeing this, Zhao Haiping was taken aback.

"New talent skills? With a disseminating effect?"

He had seen all three talents before, especially Endure Hunger and Thirst, which he had already tried in the instance of the military recruit trial.

It could only be said that to avoid drinking horse dung soup, this talent was even more crucial than a golden talent.

But now, this talent appeared again, albeit with an added "disseminating" note.

Disseminating meant that the skill had transformed from a personal talent into an aura effect that could also affect those around him.

"However, what use is the talent Endure Hunger and Thirst?

"In these chaotic times, there really isn't much food. If I had acquired this skill earlier, maybe I could have held Tong Pass for a few more days without food.

"Forget about it, forget about Tong Pass.

"Without arrows and rocks, no amount of not eating is going to keep it. Moreover, from the current situation, whether or not Tong Pass is held seems to have little impact on clearing this instance..."

After contemplating, Zhao Haiping still chose the talent Endure Hunger and Thirst with its disseminating effect.

Then, he prepared to roam the vicinity of Chang'an with the people around him.

The target was very clear: the Divine Strategy Army near Chang'an!

According to historical records, there were still tens of thousands of Divine Strategy soldiers in Guanzhong at this time.

One couldn't expect too much from the combat power of these soldiers, but in any case, they were much better than the three thousand men that Zhang Chengfan had previously taken to defend Tong Pass.

After all, those Divine Strategy soldiers who remained in Chang'an city were sons of wealthy families, and those dispatched outside of Chang'an, scattered throughout Guanzhong and away from the capital, had a far lower proportion of such wealthy sons.

Such hard and tiring tasks were something the sons of the rich would definitely not undertake.

From historical records, it is clear that later, Fengxiang Military Governor Zheng Tian indeed summoned and soothed the tens of thousands of scattered Divine Strategy soldiers in Guanzhong, integrating them into the ranks of the Liang Army in Fengxiang. This greatly boosted their morale and eventually led to the defeat of Huang Xianzhi.

Most of these Divine Strategy soldiers were from Chang'an, and upon Huang Xianzhi's entry into Chang'an and his subsequent plundering and killing, he lost the support of the people. Those who were previously on the fence became grief-stricken upon hearing about the happenings in Chang'an city and were united by a common hatred of the enemy.

But at this moment, Huang Xianzhi had just begun to enter Chang'an; these Divine Strategy troops were still hesitating and watching.

Their hesitation was partly due to the fearsome approach of Huang Xianzhi's army, which plunged them and other military governors into confusion, and largely because Emperor Xizong of Liang's court was too corrupt to rally the forces around Chang'an, not even issuing clear orders to the Divine Strategy Army.

Considering that Emperor Xizong fled in such haste without even informing the royal family and officials, it wasn't surprising that he would do such a thing.

Therefore, Zhao Haiping, after some consideration, made a plan.

He still had the identity of Zhang Chengfan, and Zhang Chengfan's official position, after all, was a General of the Left Shence Army. In such an urgent situation, he could still recruit these Divine Strategy troops for his own use.

If he could gather all these soldiers, maybe he could, through simple training, give them a certain combat capability.

Coupled with Zhao Haiping's leadership ability, he might just find an opportunity to defeat Huang Xianzhi.

"Ah, the chaos of the end of the Liang Dynasty is really a tough mess to clean up."

As Zhao Haiping skirted around Huang Xianzhi's forces, advancing toward the Divine Strategy troops scattered around Chang'an, he lamented the current predicament.

It must be said, the chaos of the end of the Liang Dynasty is like a nightmare instance for a transmigrator.

Zhao Haiping did think of trying other methods, but after much consideration, there were really only four powers to contemplate at this time.

And these four forces were all quite unreliable.

Not to mention Emperor Xizong of Liang, with Tian Lingzi, that pitiful eunuch always lurking around, Emperor Xizong might still be the nominal sovereign of the land, but he was a confirmed ineffectual ruler, and allying with him was sure to bear no good fruit.

The second force was Huang Xianzhi, but on all accounts, Huang Xianzhi was the typical leader of a peasant uprising, unable to control his subordinates, incapable of enforcing orders. While he was capable of destroying the old system, the idea of establishing a new world was far-fetched.

Moreover, even if one were to side with Huang Xianzhi, it would be impossible to gain Huang Xianzhi's attention, and it would be difficult to work alongside his arrogant and fierce generals.

The third force was Li Keyong, the leader of the Sha Tuo Cavalry, and the fourth was Zhu Wen, who was gradually emerging under Huang Xianzhi and later surrendered to the Liang Dynasty.

Whichever power it was, none seemed to be a sage ruler who could support and mend the state.

In the end, the history of the late Liang period was the history of rampant militarism and regional military governors, with unbridled chaos ensuing following their enfeoffment.

Military governors and those with mighty soldiers and horses acted as emperors in their respective territories. That was the main theme of this period of history.

Not only was the whole Liang Dynasty fragmented into military governorships, but the governorships themselves were further breaking down internally.

The leader of a governorship was essentially the Alliance Hierarch elected by numerous military chiefs. If he couldn't satisfy the interests of the chiefs below him, he could be deposed at any time.