Chapter 1066: Personal Qualities

As for Zhao Yun, he is known for his steadiness and meticulousness. One could say that Zhao Yun, as a commander, may not have remarkable battle achievements, but it is virtually impossible for others to rack up achievements at his expense.

Moreover, Zhao Yun joined early in this life, and with the Liu Bei army's formidable strength, what reassures everyone the most is that he has never made any mistakes.

In terms of accumulating merit, even if Zhao Yun were promoted to the position of commander of the army, other generals might find it somewhat unexpected, but Chen Xi can guarantee that all generals, including Guan Yu, would accept this decision.

This is Zhao Yun—his presence isn't overly strong, but all the generals who partner with him feel incredibly reassured. They need not worry about being overshadowed by his achievements; they need not worry about reinforcements not arriving when encircled. As long as their partner is Zhao Yun, they can act freely; he will handle any dangerous tasks himself.

Thus, Zhao Yun enjoys great popularity. In the military, which values both seniority and ability, he is a core veteran by virtue of his seniority and has the unique ability to retreat unscathed from encounters with Lü Bu. His innate talents allow him to be immune to all negative psychology, and he possesses immense strength in direct combat.

With both capability and seniority, Zhao Yun's position remains stable.

As for Hua Xiong, Liu Bei has already given him a role: the central army's spearhead, relying on him to secure victory. Liu Bei understands well that Hua Xiong is the only one among these four who could not command a large army.

This is due to Hua Xiong's lack of talent; he relies on his body to memorize all military strategies rather than using his mind. His way of conducting military operations is instinctive, and while these instincts are honed through countless battles, this method is unsuitable for commanding large armies, which depend on strategic coordination.

In fact, Liu Bei is already quite surprised that Hua Xiong has reached this level. It can be said that, at present, only a handful in the world can match Hua Xiong in cavalry combat.

This involves a military spirit reborn from hardship, a resolve forged in countless battles, and instincts developed through rigorous training. Everything that cannot be memorized by the mind has become instinctual; the body reacts to situations seen with the eyes, requiring no processing by the brain!

In theory, others like Xu Chu, Wu Anguo, and Dian Wei, who aren't adept at commanding armies, should also learn this method. Unfortunately, it seems only Hua Xiong has achieved this level, while others can only smile wryly.

Hua Xiong has never aspired to become the supreme commander of any army; he is very realistic. After being influenced by Li You and Jia Xu, he is very clear in his mind that fulfilling his role well is enough for a lifetime of glory.

In fact, the most troublesome among the four core generals is Zhang Fei. When Zhang Fei's brilliance flashes, he can indeed deceive top figures, but most of the time, he is rather reckless, his temperament too hot-headed. He can act impulsively without thinking.

In summary, Zhang Fei is problematic, but one must admit that he, like Hua Xiong, embodies the classic example of muscle memory. Having suffered many setbacks, Zhang Fei instinctively knows what to do without thinking. Well, at this point, it’s no longer intuition but physical experience.

This means that Zhang Fei has actually grown through hardship. Initially, he was beaten down, but later he turned the tables on his opponents. Thus, historically, Zhang Fei's impressive military record was built in the later stages; in the beginning, he was merely a pawn for others.

Essentially, Zhang Fei's approach is to suffer losses first and then rely on instinct to avoid similar situations. When a flash of brilliance strikes, he can flip the enemy's vehicle.

Historically, Zhang Fei experienced the pitfalls of Sun Tzu's Art of War and the Thirty-Six Stratagems in the early stages, but later on, no matter how many traps the opponent set, they could hardly ensnare him. Zhang Fei has repeatedly exploited those once formidable opponents through his flashes of brilliance.

The issue is that in this life, Zhang Fei has not had the opportunity to suffer losses. This means his body has not yet memorized many past hardships. If he were to command an army now, he could be reckless, even if he wanted to hold back.

Despite Zhang Fei's respect for Chen Xi and Lu Su, when his temper flares, he cannot be reasoned with.

Therefore, Chen Xi believes that Zhang Fei should first be sent to the north to practice against the Hu people, whose tactical abilities are below average. Without the assistance of civilian officials, he should suffer some minor losses and then refine his skills upon returning to the Central Plains. After all, Zhang Fei has the potential to grow into a renowned general; such talent cannot be wasted!

Liu Bei also hopes Zhang Fei can perform better. He wishes for Zhang Fei to reach another height, rather than simply being a fierce warrior or a reckless general.

However, Liu Bei cannot voice this in front of others. While creating opportunities is possible, whether Zhang Fei can seize them remains uncertain.

Liu Bei had previously given Zhang Fei several opportunities to command troops alone. Unfortunately, Zhang Fei's performance was lackluster, showing no potential to become an outstanding commander.

Over time, Liu Bei began to doubt whether he had been too eager in pushing Zhang Fei into command. After all, he is well aware of Zhang Fei's character and abilities—he is more than capable as a fierce warrior but seems less suitable as an excellent commander. The long-term results of Liu Bei's experiments in delegating authority seem somewhat naive.

Nevertheless, Liu Bei did notice Chen Xi's gaze, and Liu Ye's suggestion on the matter allowed Liu Bei to suppress his inner hesitations. After all, he could not let his third brother merely be a fierce warrior; that would be a pity.

After much contemplation, Liu Bei ultimately decided to appoint Zhang Fei as commander, Xu Shu as military strategist, and Huang Zhong and Wei Yan as assistants to strike against the Hu people.

As for how this decision would be perceived, many in the military were dissatisfied with appointing Zhang Fei, who currently lacked significant achievements, as the main commander; it felt a bit like favoritism.

However, Liu Bei has always been fair and just, rarely showing favoritism. An occasional lapse wouldn’t draw too much scrutiny; generally, the matter was passed in silence. After all, every person has emotions and desires; it is impossible for anyone to be completely free from emotional constraints.

This topic was soon settled, and Zhang Fei received the responsibility with confusion. Of course, some prudent officials expressed concerns, but none mentioned it in this setting. Instead, many advised Xu Shu on the matter.

Chen Xi smiled at the wide-eyed Zhang Fei, finding the situation quite amusing. It seemed Zhang Fei had never imagined that he would be appointed as the commander for pacifying the east, and even less so that Chen Xi intended for him to fight alone this time, without taking Xu Shu as an advisor!

Chen Xi always felt that Zhang Fei's growth in this life was slow, not only due to a lack of setbacks but also because he bore no burdens and felt no pressure!

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