Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

In the fourteenth year of the Daye era, which was also the first year of Wude, in May.

In Luoyang City.

Wang Shichong was in his residence, scrutinizing the current map and the strategic situation, frowning deeply.

Over the past year, the world could be said to be in turmoil.

Last year, the power of the Liang emerged in Jinyang and gathered a roar in Guanzhong, occupying Chang'an and becoming another separatist force.

Wang Shichong, still considered a high-ranking official of the former dynasty at this time, was naturally very dissatisfied with this, for it was obvious to anyone that Guanzhong was a piece of fat meat.

Situated in Luoyang, if he could take control of Chang'an as well, using Guanzhong as the base, and then marching eastward from Luoyang, the possibility of pacifying the world would greatly increase.

However, there was not much he could do since, at the moment, he was being thrashed by Li Mi and simply had no strength to deal with the matters in Guanzhong.

On the map, Wang Shichong's situation was precarious.

In March of this year, Yuwen Huaji rebelled in Jiangdu and assassinated the emperor of the former dynasty.

When this news arrived, Emperor Gaozu of Liang immediately ascended the throne in Chang'an.

And on the Luoyang side, they were not idle either, Wang Shichong and Duan Da, among six people, jointly supported Prince Yue as the new emperor, designated the reign as Huang Tai, historically known as Emperor Huang Tai.

Wang Shichong was also granted the title Duke Zheng for this, a position of great prominence.

For Wang Shichong, he certainly couldn't be considered a loyal official of the former dynasty; he was merely accumulating his own power under the guise of quelling rebellion for the former dynasty.

Engaged in battle with Li Mi and suffering defeat after defeat, even if he harbored treacherous intentions of usurping the throne, he lacked the gall to act on it.

For now, the matter of seizing power was put aside, and the situation on the battlefield had completely deteriorated.

Luoyang was surrounded layer by layer by Li Mi, and the only real area Wang Shichong could control was the city of Luoyang itself.

And Yuwen Huaji's rebel forces, after assassinating the former emperor, had also reached the outskirts of Luoyang City, intending to capture Luoyang as their base.

Both factions saw Luoyang as a piece of fat meat.

And what about Wang Shichong?

He was the fat meat itself.

Historically, Wang Shichong suffered defeat after defeat against Li Mi, and although he was reprimanded for his losses multiple times, Emperor Huang Tai trusted him greatly and continued to support him. This enabled Wang Shichong to finally defeat Li Mi in the last battle and eventually become a formidable rival to Lord Qin.

But Wang Shichong at this time could not foresee the future.

Therefore, he remained extremely worried about his own future and fate.

At that moment, someone outside reported.

"Report! Wei Zhen from Wagang Village requests an audience, he says he also brings personal letters from Qin Shubao and Cheng Zhijie!"

Wang Shichong paused for a moment, then abruptly stood up: "Quick, let him in!"

At this time, Wei Zhen was still rather insignificant. From the very beginning, he followed Li Mi but had never been given a significant position.

In real history, he surrendered to the Liang Dynasty in the first year of Wude and along the way, he managed to sway Li Ji, who was also under Li Mi, to surrender; thereafter, he was appointed by Emperor Gaozu of Liang as a groom of the bedchamber for the Crown Prince, offering guidance all the while.

It is fair to say, a famous minister of Emperor Taizong's time had yet to display his talents at this moment; he had ability, but Li Mi didn't understand how to recognize and make the best use of talented individuals.

And Wang Shichong? He wasn't much better than Li Mi in this respect.

In the aspect of recognizing and utilizing talents properly, thanks to a superior matching mechanism, the two were pretty much on the same level, fools sparring with each other.

And now, Wei Zhen was being played by Lu Heng.

For someone as inconspicuous as Wei Zhen to seek an audience with Wang Shichong on his own, even if he were granted the meeting, it would probably be challenging to persuade.

Because he carried too little weight.

Lu Heng, of course, was well aware of this, but as a player, he was not alone.

Huo Yun Ying, who played Qin Shubao, and Li Hongyun, who played Cheng Zhijie, were also under Li Mi at this time, and both of their statuses were quite prominent.

At that time, Li Mi had selected eight thousand elite warriors from his best soldiers to form four Cavalry General teams, known as the Inner Army.

He had once boastfully said: these eight thousand could withstand a million-strong army.

Both Qin Shubao and Cheng Zhijie were one of the Cavalry Generals of the Inner Army, indicative of their esteemed positions under Li Mi.

Since Wei Zhen brought personal letters from these two men, Wang Shichong certainly had to meet him.

"Greetings, Duke Zheng."

Lu Heng, playing Wei Zhen, entered with his head held high, a natural expression on his face, the very picture of a sage.

Wang Shichong naturally also acted very affectionately: "Please, take a seat, Master!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Wang Shichong couldn't wait to get to the point.

"May I ask, Master, what strategy you have come to teach me?"

Lu Heng offered a slight smile: "I am here to offer Duke Zheng the entire world!"

Wang Shichong couldn't help but be startled: "Please, Master, do not jest!"

Could such a thing even be spoken of?

Although Wang Shichong had long harbored intentions of usurping the throne in his heart, his current persona was still that of a loyal official of the former dynasty, and the majority of the forces he controlled were still nominally under the former dynasty.

To truly proclaim himself emperor, that would happen after he had integrated the forces within Luoyang and eliminated dissent.

Now that Wei Zhen had spoken so blatantly, it naturally startled him.

Lu Heng laughed heartily: "So Duke Zheng lacks the ambition to sweep across the world and pacify the four seas. If that is the case, then I shall take my leave."

As he saw the other party about to leave, Wang Shichong quickly rose to detain him.

"Hold on, Master! That ambition to sweep across the world and pacify the four seas, I certainly possess it, but the current situation..."

Seeing Wang Shichong's attitude soften rapidly, Lu Heng couldn't help but smile slightly, knowing that his plan was already initially successful.

Many times, once things are said openly, they become easier to manage.

He sat down again, smiling: "Duke Zheng might feel trapped and helpless in this solitary city, but I know you have always been the sort who becomes more resolute with each setback, indefatigable in the face of adversity. Such a small difficulty cannot break Duke Zheng."