Summary: If you have the ability, it means you're able to produce the goods. If only life is truly that fair lol!
This time round, I'll touch on Chen Ping's two club stint. Technically speaking, he's indeed a one team man. Strictly speaking, he's not.
It's just like a player who has the ability to turn the game onto its feet. This lad tried playing for Team A, Team A rejected him b/c the rest of the dressing room hated him for whatever stupid reasons.
After that, player jumped ship to Team B. Team B has the pedigree, but Team B also has a stupid gaffer who can't do a piss about managing the dressing room and transfer dealings.
Then poor lad finally went for broke and tried advertising himself shamelessly to the last option: Team C. Team C has a capable gaffer, said gaffer appreciates a true blue talent. End of story...
[里中社，平为宰，分肉甚均。里父老曰：“善，陈孺子之为宰！”
平曰：“嗟乎，使平得宰天下，亦如此肉矣！”]
《汉书卷四十：张陈王周传》
[As a local leader, Ping was always be able to distribute the meat proportionately. Hence the locals praised him: "It is good fortune to have scholar Chen as a leader!"
Unto this, Ping replied: "Not just merely that, for if I can manage the country, it will be like how I distribute this piece of meat!"]
《Book of Han, Fortieth Scroll: Accounts of Zhang, Chen, Wang, Zhou》
Talent analysis: It's really quite simple, folks. Chen Ping understood the respective needs of the people. Just like how different people of different age, gender, and physique have different extent of basic needs, likewise different individuals required different portions of food.
I know this is a stupid explanation b/c I'm not good with words. Maybe we can try asking ourselves this question: How much nutrition does a child need?
If we start asking ourselves this question, it means we need to understand how much nutrition does an adult needs.
Back then, husbands had to provide for themselves AND their families, therefore distribution would become a major challenge. It's NOT about equal sharing, but rather it's all about understanding how much should be given.
And herein lies Chen Ping's talent: he didn't have to give a two shit's worth on any rules. It's far more of a commonsense to choose an equal distribution, but Chen Ping would have none of that. It's the end that matters the most, NOT the means, i.e. distribution=means, fulfilling the people's needs=end.
And to me, Chen Ping is indeed born to be a problem solver. Is he good in mathematics? It's pointless to ask this stupid question b/c we're talking about a person who refused to play by the conventional rules. Stats and figures are there for references, whatever rules acceptable shouldn't be worshipped. Chen Ping only cared about the most positive outcome, he only saw the rest as vital factors at best.
There has been an interesting debate ongoing for N ages. History has a hand in this type of funny debate and it's called Idealism VS Realism. In short, how do you define the two? Individual mileage varies, but I still do see Chen Ping as an idealist. That is why he actually harboured a lofty aspiration and it's called serving the country.
Interestingly enough, there's nothing much a decent country to start with. It's either the First Emperor was still alive and Chen Ping understood that once a despot, forever a despot. Or if it's the Second Emperor, then we should understand why the Qin dynasty collapsed oh-so spectacularly.
Political implosion=Greatest WMD ever known to man.
(Foinikas deserves a shout out here, Foin is actually my online Greek friend)
Nobody loves me!!!!!
[陈涉起王，使周市略地，立魏咎为魏王，与秦军相攻于临济。平已前谢兄伯，从少年往事魏王咎，为太仆。说魏王，王不听。人或谗之，平亡去。
项羽略地至河上，平往归之，从入破秦，赐爵卿。项羽之东王彭城也，汉王还定三秦而东。殷王反楚，项羽乃以平为信武君，将魏王客在楚者往击，殷降而还。项王使项悍拜平为都尉，赐金二十溢。居无何，汉攻下殷。项王怒，将诛定殷者。平惧诛，乃封其金与印，使使归项王，而平身间行杖剑亡。度河，船人见其美丈夫，独行，疑其亡将，要下当有宝器金玉，目之，欲杀平。平心恐，乃解衣裸而佐刺船。船人知其无有，乃止。]
《汉书卷四十：张陈王周传》
[Upon Chen She declaring himself as a King, he ordered Zhou Shi to raid the lands while appointing Wei Jiu
as the King of Wei, hence creating a military engagement against the Qin army at Linji. Ping had already bade farewell to his brother Bo by then, where he followed the young men in pledging his service to Wei Jiu. As the Imperial Servant, he attempted giving counsel to the Wei King unto no avail. In the end, he was forced to flee due to people slandering him.
When Xiang Yu attacked the territories unto the upper boundary of the River, Ping went to him. In reward for his opportunistic assault against Qin resulting in victory, he was granted the rank of a Duke. Xiang Yu's capital city, Peng, was towards the east. As the King of Han travelled east after defeating the three generals of Qin, the King of Yin rebelled. Xiang Yu appointed Ping as the Lord of Xingwu. Ping managed to successfully attack the Wei soldiers staying in the lands of Chu. Hence, the King of Yin surrendered as a result. Thus, Chen Ping was promoted to the title of Grand Commander plus an excessive reward of gold. Within a short period in office, the Han forces managed to conquer Yin. The King of Xiang (i.e. Xiang Yu) was angered and decided to execute the King of Yin. Fearing implications, Ping locked away his gold and office seal while sending an envoy to the King of Xiang as a gesture of peace. At the same time, Ping ordered his followers exact physical punishment onto him. As he crossed the river, the boatman suspected him to be a deserting general as he was alone and good looking. Demanding riches, he threatened to kill Ping should he disobey. Ping was terrified and stripped off his clothes. after which he helped out in manning the boat. Upon knowing Ping had nothing valuable with him, the boatman finally relented.]
《Book of Han, Fortieth Scroll: Accounts of Zhang, Chen, Wang, Zhou》
Talent analysis: Erm... is calling a bluff counted? That's what he did on the boatman. However, this was a calculated bluff. Firstly, he understood Xiang Yu's character. Xiang Yu was someone easy to anger and easy to condone his men's wrongdoings. By that time, Xiang Yu had already created a notoriety as a war despot. In short, the people were starting to see him as the First Chu Emperor. Chen Ping wasn't an idiot, he knew what Xiang Yu has done to the city of Xianyang, i.e. the only difference between getting killed or captured as a civilian is down to whether you're a guy or a girl. In short, the bluff was actually a well thought out scheme. By locking away his office seal and riches, he's free from getting robbed. By ordering his men to beat him up via the feudal rotan system, i.e. caning your kar-cheng with a wooden rotan (Note:
if you dunno what is a rotan, this is a rotan...).
In short, I pokkai and I dio-pok=what you see is what you get...
As for the King of Wei, i.e. Wei Jiu, he's a moron. I don't know wtf he was smoking back then, but if you can't even take a true blue talent seriously, then you don't deserve any respect, i.e. respect others first, then you will gain respect. Imperial Servant? LOL please lah! You give people grand title, of course you must give them grand duties what! It's just like telling CR7 that he can earn 1 million bucks per week w/o doing a shit on the pitch. Guys, it's called respecting a professional. And Chen Ping (plus CR7 for that matter) IS a professional.
For Xiang Yu's case, he treated Chen Ping better. However, this Chu bastard was quick to anger and quick to kill your father, mother and brother if you pissed him off. If you have a pretty sister though...
Now one interesting part on Chen Ping's military ability is bidding his time. The correct time to strike. The nature of assault is always that of a shock nature. It's NOT meant to destroy, but to disrupt.
In short...
Weapon of Mass Disruption=Weapon of Mutual Destruction
The key in such a tactic? Take a good wide eyed look at the first excerpt and my half-assed analysis. This is even crazier than winning any Tougeki SBO with Iron Tager for BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger, i.e. you play Tager=your Tager wins every round, PERFECT. Yes, we're talking about an accurate allocation of troops. And terrain warfare will always be a fun playground for war.
Another interesting fact: the King of Wei in the second part wasn't the same Wei Jiu. Rather, it's his brother Wei Bao (魏豹)...
[汉王还定三秦，渡临晋，魏王豹以国属焉，遂从击楚于彭城。]
《史记卷九十，第三十：魏豹彭越列传》
[As the King of Han defeated the three Qin generals and proceeded to cross Linjin], the King of Wei, Bao, proclaimed independence, and attacked Chu via Peng.]
《The Historical Annals, Ninetieth Scroll, Chapter Thirty: Accounts of Wei Bao, Peng Yue》
In short, the King of Yin's rebellion was down to Wei Bao declaring "all your base are belong to us
LOL!"
In short, kill the terrorist and let's see the
London Bridge Falling Down (albeit it has to be noted that Wei Bao ended up defecting to Liu Bang instead).
Remember the verse below?
[殷王反楚，项羽乃以平为信武君，将魏王客在楚者往击，殷降而还。]
[Ping managed to successfully attack the Wei soldiers staying in the lands of Chu. Hence, the King of Yin surrendered as a result.]
To be continued...
Note to self: Have to stop here. No choice, now have to learn self-discipline liao...
