[OBJ] A New Brand of Defense

[Yuan Shao]

Guan Shao returned to Ye not too long after leaving Luo Yang; indeed, he made the best time he ever had. He only lost 20 men, a solid amount but way under his expectations for his mission. He rode directly into the palace, hopping off his mount, half his armor shed almost immediately as he walked forwards to speak with Lord Yuan Shao.

"My liege."

"Ah, Guan. How was declaring my intent for emperor?"

"Went over like a city on fire."

"That's what I like to hear! Now, onto the next mission. Guan, you will be going to-"

"Negative, sir. We need to worry about security here. They killed 20 of my men, or at least 20 did not return. We have to suspect that they have taken them and are interrogating any number of them. The Wu Han are some of our best units, and they are privy to a lot of information. The only group in the army above them is the Swordsmen, and they've yet to be tapped.

We need a security net. Send out roving patrols of all cavalry and all army. All garrisons on high alert, everyone needs a passport in or out of the city. Give them easily to our men, but our people must not be able to easily get a hold of them. They will sell them to someone for any amount.

I will get Wen Chou's Faceless Men to mobilize as well, as soon as they are ready."

Yuan Shao looked at Guan. Any other man taking this sort of initiative would be regarded as too ambitious. However, Guan Shao had imperial conditioning, and he was probably the most trustworthy of his advisers, born and bred to serve him and his son.

He stood and walked over to his planning table, putting cavalry figures throughout the countryside, all roads now doubled with patrols. He sighed; this would negatively impact his ability to wage war, but not too much. Tan would be an effective grand commander in his absence, and Guan would be personally responsible for security within Ye.

Shao immediately began a list, it was a list of materials. He would create a form of secret police, they would be tasked with security within his cities. The army would deal with policing the village around his territories.

He smiled. Everything was going swimmingly, and only a small minor annoyance. Within a few days most of any sort of sabotage that Cao Cao would attempt would be cut short, and he would be ensconced within Ye, and safety.

Emperor of the New China. He liked that title.

Emperor.


Emperor.

[Yuan Shao]

Almost immediately Guan went to the task of securing Ye. All gates were double staffed, everyone on high alert. The towers were ringed with archers, ballista sitting high upon the tower aiming down towards the road where the gate was, the kill corridor covered heavily by archers. Anyone trying to enter the city was identified and searched, anyone not able to identify themselves or disallowing a search was either taken into custody or turned away. No one would be allowed in that did not have someone to vouch for them, or disallowed the complete and total searching of their person for weapons.

On the roads, extra cavalry patrols were sent out. He Bei Cavalry would stop anyone they saw and question them, no prisoners taken should they be unable to adequately explain themselves. They were ever vigilant.

Inside the city, Guan set about creating the secret police force that Yuan Shao wanted. They were selected from the cream of the crop of the military, from every single unit. Specific men that would not be hard to replace in the army, but that showed an excellent degree of control and intelligence.

They were brought into the palace's specific barracks, normally reserved for the Imperial troops. There they were set about being trained, both mentally and physically. They would take about a month to train in basic, but their regiment involved lots of calisthentics and schooling; Shao wanted an intelligent force, not a powerhouse force. They would be used as security officers throughout the realm, and Guan wrote down the training regiment, and had it messaged to every city, where similar schools would be created.

The Bene Gessiret, as they were called were a political and security tool. They were able to read the minutia of every day life, their proficiency was intended to be reading people. They watched for subtle clues, such as the way someone spoke, listening to their voices for wavering sounds or keys to truth. They were all adept at fighting, but excelled at intelligence, the brightest of the bright from the Yuan empire. Future classes would be trained from birth, though this initial class would serve well enough.

They would be stationed at every entrance to a city, as well as within the markets, palaces and major meeting places, as well as kept on retainer for lords to use. They would be used as tools, and they would understand, and would cherish, their use as this.

Guan Shao was their progenitor, the initial Bene Gessiret, before the Bene Gessiret were even founded. Shao had trained him as a test to see if this sort of conditioning were possible, and Guan was just now putting two and two together. He was elated to learn that Yuan had chosen him, and he would do everything he could training the new class to appease him.

[Norion]

REWARDS:

• 150 gold
  
• Security within the walls of the Yuan Empire have increased. Chances of infiltration or sabotage/assassination have decreased drastically.