Many people wanted Xu Shao to evaluate their talents. Almost as soon as Xu Shao finished speaking, a crowd rushed to the inner hall to register, most of them being stewards of noble family heirs.
Those who could afford to spend a hundred thousand coins just to gain a reputation were mostly served by attendants.
In no time, the ten spots were filled.
Yuan Shu wasn't particularly interested in this matter. His focus on Xi Zhicai far outweighed his interest in Xu Shao.
If he could truly recruit Xi Zhicai, not only would he gain a top-tier strategist, but he would also complete the talent recruitment mission—and in an exceptional way.
It was hard to imagine what kind of reward such an extraordinary talent would earn from the system.
Xi Zhicai, however, simply sat there sipping tea, entirely indifferent to the actions of others.
After paying the fee, Xu Shao's steward would issue a numbered token, which allowed participants to take the stage for evaluation.
The tokens Yuan An brought back were numbers five and six, one for Cao Cao and one for Yuan Shu.
"Brother Gonglu, would you mind giving me the earlier number five token?" Cao Cao looked at the tokens Yuan An had retrieved and asked Yuan Shu.
Yuan Shu didn't expect Cao Mengde to be so eager. Smiling, he replied, "I don't mind. Brother Mengde, feel free."
"In that case, many thanks, Brother Gonglu." Cao Cao immediately picked up the number five token and tucked it into his sleeve.
Having sorted their order, the two began drinking Huayuxuan's fine tea while watching Xu Shao evaluate talents.
In truth, there weren't many people who could afford to spend a hundred thousand coins for an evaluation. Even someone like Cao Cao had to rely on Yuan Shu to manage it, let alone those of lower status.
As a result, most of the attendees were just there to watch the spectacle.
Xu Shao's evaluation process was straightforward: the participant would step onto the stage and stand properly, allowing Xu Shao to observe their appearance.
Then, the person would be asked to take a few steps, drink some water, and say a few words to assess their demeanor and conduct.
This process would typically reveal around eighty to ninety percent of the person's background.
Each evaluation took less than fifteen minutes, making it fairly efficient.
The first three participants took the stage one after another, all appearing to be noble family heirs.
Xu Shao's comments on them were simple, describing them as possessing talent suitable for a county magistrate or a scholar of classical studies.
Yuan Shu observed Xu Shao's evaluations and found them to be quite accurate.
Those who could afford Xu Shao's evaluation and had the courage to step onto the stage were typically well-educated noble youths with confidence in their abilities.
During the late Han dynasty, noble families placed great emphasis on cultivating their descendants. Someone like Yuan Shu, who was a prodigal son, was almost unheard of.
The three young men evaluated by Xu Shao either sighed in disappointment or beamed with joy, as though their destinies had been sealed.
Yuan Shu frowned slightly as he watched their reactions.
No matter how accurate Xu Shao's assessments were, relying on a few words to determine one's fate showed a lack of ambition.
Yuan Shu didn't even bother using his system's query to investigate these individuals.
The fourth person to take the stage was a young man in a white brocade robe. He was tall and slender, carrying a feather fan, with an air of refinement and extraordinary beauty that seemed almost otherworldly.
As soon as this young man stepped onto the stage, he attracted the attention of most of the audience.
What an elegant nobleman in a chaotic world.
Even Yuan Shu's gaze was drawn to him.
Xu Shao carefully observed the extraordinarily handsome young nobleman and suddenly asked:
"What is your ambition, young master?"
The young man in white smiled and replied:
"I wish to follow in my father's footsteps, governing and bringing peace to the people."
Xu Shao, knowing the young man spoke sincerely, nodded in approval but then shook his head in slight disappointment, sighing as he said:
"If only the young master were willing to pursue a military path... alas, never mind."
After speaking, Xu Shao gave his evaluation of the young man in white:
"A talent for supporting the age, fit to govern a great city."
This assessment caused a stir among the audience. Such a high evaluation suggested that this man might indeed become a high-ranking official, governing a significant region in the future.
Some who recognized the young man whispered among themselves:
"This is the legitimate son of Lord Zhou—truly remarkable."
Yuan Shu, seeing everyone discussing the young man in white, thought to himself:
"System, investigate this person's attributes!"
The system immediately responded in its cold voice:
"Ding! System is analyzing… Analysis complete!"
"Talent name: Zhou Yi (Note 1)
Attributes of Zhou Yi:
Force: 79, Command: 92, Intelligence: 87, Politics: 78, Charm: 85, Luck: 32
Skills of Zhou Yi:
Charismatic Presence (Awakened): Charm increases by 5 when interacting with others, and goodwill rises at twice the normal rate.
Military Overseer (Awakened): When appointed as a general overseeing troops, Command increases by 10."
It turns out this man was Zhou Yi!
Yuan Shu thought, "No wonder he looked familiar, like some legendary historical figure—he's actually Zhou Yu's father."
Zhou Yi's attribute panel was impressive. Even his weakest stats, Force and Politics, were above seventy, while his strongest stat, Command, reached an astounding 92. If he became a commander of three armies, this attribute would increase by another 10 points.
His son, Zhou Yu, must have inherited these outstanding traits.
Such high Command was something Yuan Shu had only seen in peak-level figures like Cao Cao. At this stage, even Cao Cao couldn't compare to Zhou Yi in military leadership.
It's no wonder Xu Shao lamented that Zhou Yi was not pursuing a military career.
As an administrative leader, Zhou Yi's 78 Politics could only be considered above average.
Xu Shao's evaluation was fair: fit to govern a great city. If Yuan Shu recalled correctly, Zhou Yi later became the Prefect of Luoyang, the largest city of the Eastern Han dynasty.
Yuan Shu felt it was a waste for Zhou Yi not to maximize his talents. Recruiting this man to his service would provide an exceptional commander, and as a bonus, he could later enlist Zhou Yi's son, Zhou Yu.
After receiving Xu Shao's evaluation, Zhou Yi gracefully bowed to him and calmly returned to the audience.
The manager on stage called out:
"Would the holder of the number five token please come forward!"
"Brother Gonglu, it's my turn. Are you ready?" Cao Cao grinned at Yuan Shu before rising and heading to the stage.
One young noble, recognizing Cao Cao, exclaimed in surprise:
"Isn't that Cao Mengde? He's here for an evaluation too?"
As the North District Captain of Luoyang, Cao Cao was a familiar face among the noble circles in the city.
Standing on the stage, Cao Cao held his ground as Xu Shao studied him intently for a long moment before asking:
"If you were to govern a region, how would you rule?"
Cao Cao solemnly replied:
"I would uphold the law to govern the people and implement benevolent policies to benefit the masses."
Xu Shao nodded in satisfaction and continued:
"If you were a deputy general, leading troops on a distant campaign, and your commander was foolish, intending to lead the army into a perilous situation with no return, what would you do?"
Cao Cao answered loudly:
"I would risk my life to remonstrate with him!"
Xu Shao pressed further:
"If your remonstration was ignored, what then?"
Cao Cao's expression suddenly turned fierce, and he replied coldly without hesitation:
"If he ignored my remonstration, I would kill him! Such an incompetent general who endangers the country and harms the people deserves death!"