"I understand. It would be foolish to hand over command of your soldiers to someone you know little about," Shi began, nodding his head in agreement. And it certainly would be. The King could not commit himself or his kingdom to mere rumors and entrust blind faith to someone whom they absolutely nothing about. Perhaps now was the time to remedy.Xiang Zhuang wrote:"Perhaps I do appear to be indecisive, then," he replied. He paused for a second, then smiled awkwardly. "No matter. If I do not appear to be a threat, then perhaps that will also serve to the protection of my lands. There is no need to apologize. It is difficult; my position. I control armies and lead men, but I rarely have the chance to interact with my people. So what they are saying rarely reaches my ears, unless I bring them in to speak with me and allow them to speak freely," he said as he motioned to the entrance, "such as I have today."
"But yes, I do need men of ability, and I have heard that you possess a good deal of it. To explain your duties would be difficult, however, because I have yet to see you in action, or to hear you describe yourself. My reports are vague, but lean along the lines that you are a capable fighter and possess some knowledge of leading men as it regards battle. If this is true, then I would use you along those lines, likely either to replace a man that has moved into Zhao, or to move into Zhao yourself. I do not know if I would commit you to battle, because I do not know where your expertise lies in this. Really, I would want to know precisely where your talents lie before I would consider assigning you anywhere. I believe one of the mistakes lords make before all others is in the mismanagement of their own men. The more I know about your own talents, the more effectively I can use you, which benefits both of us."
"I was originally a man of Nanyang. During the rise of the Qin, my family fled their homes and traveled west to a land called Bactria. It was there that I recieved education in warfare and military tactics, and have since devoted my life to such studies. When news arrived of a civil war brewing in my homeland, I immediately returned to see where I could make the best use of my skills..."
Pausing, he recalled the skills and talents he possesed that he could put forth to King Xia. "I am capable and talented at leading the vanguard of an army into battle, and can have a keen eye in shoring up defenses and weaknesses in such formations. But along with being able to perform such feats with my own front line soldiers, I have also been effective at exploiting the weaknesses of attacking enemy formations as well... I am adept in the verses of personal combat and the sword arts, and feel that I am a more than competent warrior in my own right..."
Giving pause, he tried to recall more, but it was difficult given the situation. "I also believe that I possess exceptional administration skills in terms of military law and jurisdiction, and can efficiently manage any cities or fortifications I should be given charge of... But above all, I have excellent judgement and reaction capabilities. Whether it is in the field, on peacetime duties or in a diplomatic responsibility, I can be trusted to perform my duties with great effectiveness and skill."
Pausing once again, Shi believed he had explained himself adequately and Xia Xi should have a good idea as to his talents. "Does that satisfy you, Your Highness?"