Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

In contrast, Lord Qin, although he too boasted unbroken victories, appeared more like a fierce general in stature, lacking the composed and strategist-like demeanor of Prince Qi.

Next, Prince Qi's military achievements had already surpassed those of Lord Qin.

Since the battle at Qianshui Plain where he defeated Xue Ju, Li Hongyun had won against Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang too, seizing all the credit that originally belonged to Lord Qin.

Therefore, in the eyes of the Liang Army, Prince Qi had become a victor surpassing Lord Qin, his prestige unmatched for a time.

Lastly, there was a very important point, which was Emperor Gaozu of Liang's partiality.

According to the original historical development, it was because Emperor Gaozu harbored the intention of disciplining Lord Qin that he watched the situation in Jinyang and the entire River East area gradually deteriorate beyond repair. Rather than allowing Lord Qin to make a mess of things, he preferred to let Pei Ji lead troops to the rescue.

Lord Qin had won against Xue Ju, and his prestige in the military was too high, so Emperor Gaozu also began to feel he couldn't rely solely on him.

However, later, having been taught a lesson by Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang, he realized that aside from Lord Qin, no one else could handle the situation, so he had no choice but to turn to Lord Qin again.

In this world line, although Lord Qin hadn't directly won the battle at Qianshui Plain or defeated Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang, his military capabilities were still solid, and his prestige in the army remained extremely high.

Moreover, the Crown Prince obviously had grown closer to Prince Qi.

In the eyes of Emperor Gaozu and the Crown Prince, Lord Qin was still a massive threat capable of directly challenging the position of the Crown Prince.

And Prince Qi? Too young, and more like a strategizing advisor, lacking the aggressive force of Lord Qin.

Thus, after much deliberation, Emperor Gaozu decided to grant the authority to lead the troops to Prince Qi.

Lord Qin, on the other hand, was to assume the role of Prince Qi's important assistant and a ferocious vanguard general.

Finally, the battle at Hulaoguan Pass arrived.

Li Hongyun had experienced this many times, growing even more familiar with it than battling Liu Wuzhou or Song Jingang.

He began to deploy his troops, steadily eroding Wang Shichong's military strength and gradually surrounding Luoyang.

Lord Qin then discovered, to his surprise, that it seemed this younger brother of his was always in sync with his own thoughts.

But this no longer brought him joy; it left him feeling dejected.

For he felt as if there was some invisible barrier ahead, thwarting his actions every time he tried to do something, only to find Prince Qi already waiting there...

This sensation was like that of a poet whose original works had been plagiarized in their entirety by a transmigrator, a feeling of powerlessness.

However, Lord Qin didn't ponder much over it and continued to lead his troops in battle with all his heart.

This time, Li Hongyun was brimming with confidence, since without the previous major defeats at Qianshui and Jinyang, the Liang Dynasty could mobilize even more soldiers.

Moreover, with his seamless collaboration with Lord Qin, as he deployed troops and strategized from behind, almost as if cheating by predicting the future, and with Lord Qin charging into battle alongside other warriors at the front, this battle was more straightforward than ever before.

However, what Li Hongyun didn't anticipate was that just when he was about to face off against Wang Shichong and force him into staying within Luoyang City, an unexpected event occurred.

Prince Qi, played by Li Hongyun, was leading a charge when a precision arrow from his bow never missed its mark.

Yet, suddenly, a band of Turkic cavalry burst forth from behind, disrupting the formation of Li Hongyun's own troops.

Wang Shichong seized the opportunity to attack from both sides, combining forces with this Turkic cavalry.

Dumbfounded, Li Hongyun was slain on horseback, his mind filled with countless unanswered questions.

Where did these Turkic cavalry come from right behind me?

Are the Turkic people from the far north sprouting wings to fly over the land of River East all the way to Luoyang?

Upon closer inspection, he realized something was off; these seemed to be his own Turkic cavalry...

With confusion and reluctance, Li Hongyun absurdly ended this victory streak and also his role-play.

Upon reviewing the entire campaign, he finally pinpointed the problem.

These Turkic people were a contingent he had inadvertently recruited after defeating Liu Wuzhou.

Just like before, Li Hongyun treated these prisoners of war with exceptional tolerance, not only incorporating them into his ranks as they were.

He did not disband their formation but even allowed their original leaders to command them.

Such was his treatment towards defectors like Zong Luohou during the pacification of Xue Ju.

And the same approach was adopted with Yuchi Jingde and other defectors after defeating Liu Wuzhou.

This strategy was consistent with Lord Qin's style.

However, while Zong Luohou and Yuchi Jingde remained utterly loyal, the Turkic people simply did not abide by these terms.

Upon hearing about a group of Turkic people in the Liang Army, Wang Shichong immediately dispatched emissaries to bribe them with a hefty reward, leading them to turn traitor in the midst of battle.

This strategy proved effective; even the seemingly omniscient strategizer Prince Qi capsized in this uncharted gutter.

Li Hongyun was furious, and as he began his trial anew to execute all these Turkic individuals, he also gained a deeper understanding of a principle.

Trust in people should indeed have a prerequisite.

And this prerequisite is to know how to assign the right tasks to the right people, to see into their hearts.

For commanders like Zong Luohou and Yuchi Jingde, who understand honor and righteousness, they could be bound by benevolence and thus serve loyalty faithfully.

But what about the Turkic people?

Barbarians are but animals, who fear power but do not cherish kindness.

Although this saying is somewhat extreme, indeed it is the truth. Since Turkic people and Central Plains people do not share the same moral standards, controlling them and ensuring their loyal service is not a simple matter.

Li Hongyun also wondered how did Emperor Taizong manage it?

Not only did the Turkic people willingly submit to him, but upon his death, there were many barbarian commanders who volunteered to be buried with him.

Even more magical was that Emperor Taizong had anticipated this before his death and specially left an imperial edict forbidding these barbarian commanders from committing ritual suicide, urging them to live on.

This incident taught Li Hongyun a lesson; mere kindness is futile. In turbulent times, many harbour ulterior motives, and if you lack sufficient military might and wisdom, they will not see you as a just monarch but as a weak and foolish ruler.

Thus, Li Hongyun chose once more to enhance his talent for discerning people's true nature and returned to the battle at Hulaoguan Pass.