After handling government affairs, Jia Xu would always check on the academy's affairs.
Upon reviewing the memorials, he discovered that a talented individual had passed the initial test and was awaiting a second interview.
The assessment process consisted of a written exam followed by an interview.
The written exam used a brush and blank paper, commonplace in Guanzhong…
But outside Guanzhong, those would be priceless calligraphy and paintings. Using blank paper for the assessment was inherently a burden.
Cheating was possible in the written exam, but not in the interview, as he would verify the candidate's identity. No one could fake it in front of him; his talent was immediately apparent.
Jia Xu briefly glanced at the resume and then at Guo Jia's exam paper. At first glance, some answers seemed far-fetched, but upon closer inspection, he found Guo Jia's answers to be quite good and without any deviations from the norm.
One question asked how to conquer the entire Central Plains based on the King of Qin's strategy. Without specific information, the candidate had to rely on information they had gathered.
This was inherently a question that tested comprehensive abilities, but it was placed as the last question.
Before this question, there were simple arithmetic problems, administrative handling issues, and questions about the daily work of a county magistrate.
Many people think that county magistrates have a very leisurely job, only responsible for judging cases.
That's just one part of the job. A county magistrate is responsible for all matters, large and small, in the county, from maintaining the city walls, cultivating land, ensuring people's livelihood, security, and maintaining order. They wear many hats and are very busy.
However, since the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling of Han, corruption had begun. There were signs before, but these two emperors amplified them infinitely.
Everyone thought that county magistrates were there to make money and exploit the people, not to do practical things.
In the afternoon, Jia Xu met with Guo Jia at the Prime Minister's residence.
On the wall of the reception room, there was a map. This map was not of the thirteen provinces of the Eastern Han Dynasty, but of Jing Province, divided into Jing Province and Jingnan.
The so-called Jingzhou mostly refers to Xiangyang, Fancheng, and the prosperous areas of Jiangxia.
Jingnan, on the other hand, is mostly desolate mountains and wilderness, inhabited by the Wuxi barbarians. The self-important Jingzhou literati don't consider Jingnan part of Jingzhou, but rather refer to it simply as Jingnan.
One of Lu Ming's consorts, Lady Fan, was from Jingnan. She was the wife of the then Prefect of Guiyang and was sent to Lu Ming's bed by Empress He.
Besides that, there's not much news about Jingnan.
Whether there's real talent or not, we can find out by asking.
"Guo Jia, Guo Fengxiao? From Yingchuan?"
"This humble subject, Guo Jia, greets the Prime Minister."
Guo Jia takes this meeting very seriously and is somewhat expectant. It seems this time he can get direct access to the Emperor.
Moreover, it seems the factional infighting here isn't obvious; it's all been differentiated, or rather, deliberately suppressed.
"One should respect appearances before character," as the saying goes, and a presentable appearance certainly adds to a positive first impression.
Jia nodded, acknowledging the greeting, and gestured to the cushions in front of him, "Please sit."
A servant brought in a small stove to boil water, while Jia Xu's son attended to him. Tea was brewed and served in silence.
Only after pouring the tea did Jia Xu gesture an invitation to the two men.
"Please have some tea."
"Please!"
"Please, Prime Minister!"
After exchanging pleasantries, Jia Xu already had his answer.
"I wonder what Fengxiao's ambitions are. Now that Qin has been newly established, apart from Xiliang and Guanzhong which are relatively stable, Yizhou and Bingzhou are newly settled. Yizhou is still in better shape, but Bingzhou has been desolate for a long time and is in dire need of reconstruction."
"The King of Qin has always aspired to pacify the world, and Fengxiao is a man of great talent. Does he wish to conquer territories through military campaigns and pacify the world?" "Or should I take up a post to benefit the people?"
This was essentially asking whether Guo Jia wanted to pursue a political or military career. Jia Xu asked this because Guo Jia had performed well in both areas.
If it were someone who excelled in only one area, they would probably have made a hasty decision.
Asking in this way was already giving Guo Jia considerable face.
Guo Jia was still enjoying the unique taste of the summer tea. He preferred wine to tea, but this tea had a slight spiciness that left his stomach and body feeling warm and comfortable.
He bowed slightly to Jia Xu, "I want to join the army and help the King of Qin pacify the world."
Jia Xu nodded approvingly and then handed him a ruler. "There's a map of Jingzhou on the wall. Wei Yan is currently stationed in Shangyong, using it as a springboard. If you were the strategist, how would you proceed to take Jingzhou?"
Guo Jia took the ruler and then asked, "How many men can I mobilize?" "Are you familiar with naval warfare drills? Are there any warships deployed?"
He didn't answer rashly, but instead inquired about relevant data.
Guo Jia dared to ask this because he was determined not to leave. This data was classified. He couldn't possibly leave after learning such classified information.
Jia Xu didn't hide anything and gave Guo Jia some of the data.
Then, he picked up his teacup, signifying that the discussion was over and it was time for Guo Jia's performance.
Guo Jia bowed again and then went to the map.
"To take Jingzhou, you must first take Xiangyang. To take Xiangyang, you must first capture Jiangling."
"Liu Biao, imitating the beacon fire system of the Warring States period, built beacon towers along the river to detect our army's movements."
"Our army can depart from Shangyong, using merchant caravans as cover, and under the guise of bribery, dismantle the beacon towers one by one."
"Then we'll besiege Jiangling. Liu Biao will surely send his navy to reinforce Jiangling. At this time, our army can intercept and annihilate the reinforcements, then turn back to attack Jiangling, using the momentum of a great victory to force it to open its gates and surrender..."
"If it doesn't surrender, we'll attack it by water. The Jingzhou soldiers have been out of practice for a long time; in less than half a month, their morale will collapse, and Jiangling will easily fall into other hands."
Guo Jia, as expected of a genius, had some ideas of his own.
His understanding of Jingzhou wasn't very deep; he was mostly familiar with things in Hebei.
However, when Jia Xu asked, he calmly offered his insights.
However, despite his apparent composure, he was actually somewhat apprehensive.
Jia Xu remained silent after listening, which made Guo Jia even more tense.
After an unknown amount of time, Guo Jia felt his back was damp with sweat, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Only then did Jia Xu speak: "Would you be willing to serve as the military advisor of the Second Army Corps in Shangyong?"