Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 3: Galloping Through Bingzhou, Troops Depart from Hedong Chapter 79: Hedong Wei Ji

The book it belongs to:


Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 79: Hedong…

The Wei and Fan clans are the pride of Hedong.

This is an evaluation later spoken by Du Ji.

Now, they are still a bit short, but not far off.

If we trace their origins, after Wei Hao was appointed by the court and died of illness on the way to Hedong Anyi, the entire family moved here, inheriting Wei Hao’s Confucian family tradition, gradually becoming the local gentry of Hedong.

Suddenly hearing the name “Hedong Wei Clan,” Qiao Yan’s brush, which had been still due to contemplation, paused. “Invite him in.”

The Hedong Wei Clan had contributed significantly by sending their retainers to help quell the Yellow Turban chaos outside the Eight Passes of Sili. As Qiao Yan knew, they had also gained considerable prestige within Hedong Commandery. Their sudden visit indeed surprised her.

The identity of the visitor was equally unexpected.

Shortly after Xu Fu went to receive the guest, Qiao Yan saw a young man in his early twenties stride into the tent and stand before her.

“A direct descendant of the Hedong Wei Clan comes to visit, and it’s just called sending someone?” Qiao Yan looked up at him and asked.

The young man cupped his hands and replied, “Lord Qiao is indeed discerning.”

Having acknowledged his identity, he continued, “Wei Ji of Hedong, greets the Lord. Earlier, I mentioned to those outside the camp that it was just someone sent by the Wei Clan, as my presence should not be widely known. However, the Lord’s keen eyes saw through my identity.”

This wasn’t really about keen eyes or not.

Qiao Yan gestured for him to sit and replied, “I’ve long heard that the Wei Clan’s sons have a radiant demeanor. Bo Yu’s presence is extraordinary, how could he just be a messenger?”

Wei Ji sat down gracefully, his demeanor indeed as Qiao Yan described, exuding an air of elegance.

After settling, he said, “Lord Qiao flatters me, Wei Ji is unworthy.”

No need to be unworthy.

Whether before crossing over or after arriving in Bingzhou, Qiao Yan had heard of Wei Ji.

Among the future calligraphy masters of Cao Wei who would leave their mark in history, only Wei Ji could rival Zhong Yao. He was famous from a young age and now had a reputation throughout Hedong.

It wasn’t just because he was a young genius, but also because he delved into cursive script, giving him a wild and scholarly air.

Who would send such a person as a mere messenger?

Moreover, Wei Ji’s great-grandson was the famous Wei Jie, known for the “death by admiration” anecdote. As Wei Jie’s great-grandfather, while he might not have the looks of a jade statue, he was certainly not ordinary.

Hearing such a person say “Lord Qiao is indeed discerning,” Qiao Yan couldn’t help but wonder if the Wei Clan’s descendants had some mistaken self-perception.

Not recognizing him would be strange.

But with Wei Ji sitting here, looking like an exceptionally beautiful ornament, Qiao Yan dared not treat him as just a pretty face.

When the north was somewhat stable, during Dong Zhuo’s tyranny, refugees returning to Guanzhong, Wei Ji wrote to Xun Yu suggesting to increase the number of Sili Commandants to properly govern these returning refugees. Before the appointment of the Sili Commandant was decided, he governed Guanzhong until the region was pacified.

Only after the people were no longer easily recruited as private soldiers did he return and was promoted to the position of Secretary.

He was a true talent in governance.

Having such a person come to her was clearly not just because she had previously attacked the White Wave Bandits in Hedong and was now stationed in Pingzhou County, just a step away from Hedong Commandery, thus receiving a visit from this neighbor.

He must have important matters to discuss.

Such matters would not change due to his young age, as he was already of age, and his presence represented the stance of the Hedong Wei Clan.

Sure enough, Qiao Yan soon heard him say, “Wei Ji has come to borrow troops from the Lord.”

Wei Ji’s timing was indeed not for a casual visit.

Qiao Yan showed no emotion and replied, “Bo Yu has come so quickly, surely you have thought of a reason to borrow troops. Why not share it?”

Wei Ji had indeed come too quickly.

From Qiao Yan driving the three White Wave Bandit groups to Yang Feng’s territory, it had only been a little over a day.

This time was only enough for the news of her stationing troops to reach the ears of the White Wave Bandits to the south and the Governor of Xihe Commandery to the north.

It was not enough to first reach the Hedong Wei Clan’s territory, go through the clan’s discussions, and then send the eldest son to negotiate.

Qiao Yan even felt that Wei Ji had set off before the news of her victory reached the Wei Clan.

This meant they might have decided to borrow troops even before Qiao Yan’s troops set out.

Wei Ji observed the young girl’s expression, seeing that though she showed no anger, her demeanor was still intimidating. He couldn’t help but admire her reputation, replying respectfully, “The Wei Clan comes with sincerity to borrow troops, not daring to hide from Lord Qiao. This idea stems from the Lord’s rescue battle in the valley a few days ago.”

The valley battle?

Qiao Yan raised an eyebrow.

At that time, the battle left no survivors among the White Wave Bandits. Thus, they only knew their people were killed by Leping’s troops, not knowing the leader was not Zhao Yun but Qiao Yan.

But some knew.

Wei Ji continued, “Among the merchants were people from the Hedong Wei Clan traveling between Sili and Bingzhou.”

“Lord Qiao, do not ask why the Wei Clan would seek refuge in another’s merchant group. If you must ask, better ask the Donghai Mi Clan’s thoughts.”

“Anyway, this person wrote of the Lord’s performance in a letter and sent it to the Wei Clan. Wei Ji dares not speculate on the Lord’s thoughts, only knowing the Lord is not bound by rules. Since you are now free from house arrest, you must have a plan to deal with the White Wave Bandits. Thus, your words about eradicating bandits are not just a temporary measure to secure trade routes.”

Seeing Qiao Yan’s gesture to continue, he relaxed slightly and went on:

“However, the White Wave Bandits roam the mountains, unlike Leping County where traps can be set, making it easy for them to escape. With the Lord’s reputation, these bandits will not dare to attack Bingzhou but will target the wealthy in Hedong. The Wei Clan, seeking self-preservation, can only come to seek the Lord’s help.”

Wei Ji smiled wryly, “The Lord might say, with the Wei Clan’s strength and retainers, why fear mere bandits? But the Wei Clan rose through calligraphy, without high-ranking officials in court. With frequent natural disasters and many retainers, we cannot sustain them and fear some may have ulterior motives. It’s better to disband some, keeping only those loyal to the Wei Clan, to guard against unforeseen events.”

“Ordinary bandits are not feared, but if the White Wave Bandits are truly defeated by the Lord, they will be desperate. Such ferocious beasts, the Wei Clan’s fortress cannot withstand.”

He stood up and bowed to Qiao Yan, “Wei Ji has come boldly for this matter. The White Wave Bandits’ menace, the prefecture cannot manage, leading to today’s harm. They will not mobilize troops based on the Wei Clan’s speculation. Only the Lord dares to defy the Governor to protect the people, thus likely to lend troops.”

From his serious expression, the Wei Clan’s inability to withstand the White Wave Bandits’ attack was indeed the result of their analysis.

The Wei Clan indeed could not produce talents like another Wei from Hedong, who could achieve great military feats.

Their talents lay in governance and literary arts.

Thus, after foreseeing potential danger, quickly finding a patron was natural.

“But the Wei Clan cannot represent the entire commandery.”

If it were someone else, Wei Ji’s eloquence might have moved them, but Qiao Yan coldly interrupted.

Hearing this, Wei Ji’s refined face showed no dismay, only continuing, “Before I came here, perhaps that was the case. But now, it may not be.”

He looked at Qiao Yan with certainty, “May I ask, Lord, did you truly lack the strength to pursue, causing the two White Wave leaders to escape?”

Qiao Yan smiled, not denying his words.

But having too many smart people around was indeed troublesome.

If not for the multiple advantages in this battle and Wei Ji’s status making it impossible for him to side with the White Wave Bandits and reveal her secrets, Qiao Yan should have detained him.

She asked in return, “So what if it is, so what if it isn’t?”

Wei Ji could confirm that his judgment upon arriving in Pingzhou, based on the information he gathered, was indeed correct.

He replied frankly, “If the Lord wishes to watch the tigers fight, letting the enemy’s internal strife turn you from an external threat to their choice of allegiance, then aiding the Wei Clan now is a quick method.”

“With all sides gathered, food will be insufficient, only plundering Hedong is possible. But plundering counties requires sieges, which is difficult, while plundering villages yields far less than plundering noble fortresses. The Hedong Wei Clan’s defenses are inferior to the Fan Clan, making us the prime target.”

“If the Lord lends troops, defeating the plundering bandits outside the Wei Clan’s fortress, worsening their plight, perhaps you can return to Leping sooner.”

With that, Wei Ji bowed again, “I am unworthy, but I beg the Lord to consider carefully.”

Qiao Yan couldn’t help but clap lightly.

Bravo!

Wei Ji’s speech not only demonstrated the necessity of action for her but also maintained the Wei Clan’s dignity, truly a splendid performance.

In fact, he was indeed correct. Qiao Yan had to stop some White Wave Bandits from plundering Hedong.

But—

“Bo Yu, one of your statements is slightly off,” Qiao Yan said leisurely. “To incite conflict among the White Wave Bandits, it’s not best for them to gain nothing in Hedong. If that were the case, with a fierce tiger still nearby, they would remain an unbreakable force.”

She looked up, her youthful face showing remarkable sharpness.

“In my view, the most suitable situation is for one group to gain much while others return empty-handed during their plunder of Hedong. So why not let the one who gains not be the one to bite a piece off the Wei Clan?”

“Bo Yu, don’t you think that makes sense?”

Wei Ji’s face paled.

He quickly pondered this possibility, suddenly realizing that letting the White Wave Bandits gain nothing was indeed less effective in stirring internal strife than uneven gains.

This was a more ingenious trap.

As for the Wei Clan knowing her plan? This was clearly not a leverage to threaten.

In these times, only those with troops truly had a voice. Qiao Yan was clearly such a person, and her actions proved she could control this army and achieve victories.

But in his panic, he suddenly saw Qiao Yan’s expression shift from profound to leisurely, her tone softening. “However, I enjoy dealing with smart people, so the matter of lending troops can be discussed.”

What a twist!

Wei Ji quickly said, “Then may I ask, Lord, if you are willing to lend troops, what reward does the Wei Clan need to offer?”

He naturally realized that with Qiao Yan’s earlier statement, the initiative had shifted.

But in times of crisis, choosing between initiative and preserving the clan’s legacy was not difficult.

Only, he couldn’t understand why Qiao Yan didn’t immediately give an answer but instead looked at his face.

But this couldn’t be blamed on her overthinking, as she suddenly pondered something.

Wei Ji, styled Bo Yu, and if she remembered correctly, Cai Zhaoji’s future husband from the Hedong Wei Clan was named Wei Zhongdao, perhaps Wei Bo Yu’s younger brother.

Due to her regard for Zhaoji, Qiao Yan wondered if she should try to avoid this marriage that lasted only a year, ending with the husband’s death.

But looking at Wei Ji’s face and the Wei Clan’s demeanor, Qiao Yan thought it might not be necessary to be so harsh.

If Wei Bo Yu was like this, perhaps Wei Zhongdao, though physically weaker, wouldn’t be too bad.

The Wei Clan produced many capable individuals during Cao Wei and the Two Jin periods, such as Wei Guan of the Three Excellencies in the Western Jin and Lady Wei Shuo, who taught Wang Xizhi calligraphy. If Wei Zhongdao had even a fraction of his clan’s talent, he and Cai Yan might be well-matched.

After all, Zhaoji was now her scribe. If there was any fate between her and Wei Zhongdao, she could lure the second son over when they grew up. No need to rush any decisions now.

No rush!

As for the eldest son before her…








Kid, so decisively running up to her to borrow troops, and judging so much information based on what he knew, obviously a genius.

As he said, the foundation of the Wei family in Hedong is not enough to support their household in troubled times, and the state’s military force is not something to rely on. They must choose an external ally for support.

This ally could be Cao Cao, with Wei Ji serving under Cao Cao as a sign of the Wei family’s loyalty. So why can’t this ally be her, Qiao Yan?

As she begins to expand beyond Leping, such assistance is naturally the more, the better.

However, saying things like “you come with me” right off the bat sounds a bit like wild words and is clearly not suitable to say to the gentry forces outside Bingzhou.

Wei Ji had no idea that Qiao Yan had so many thoughts flashing through her mind in that glance. He only heard Qiao Yan immediately say, “First, we can mobilize a thousand men this time, and the provisions for this thousand-man march must be provided by the Wei family.”

“Naturally,” Wei Ji replied without hesitation.

If you want others to help, you must let them eat their fill.

Based on his analysis of the inevitability of the White Wave Bandits’ plundering, this march might not even last ten days.

The Wei family can afford this expense.

“Second, if I capture the White Wave Bandits, I must implement educational control as I did with the Black Mountain Bandits to prevent further unjust actions. However, there are few people in Leping who can take on the teaching role. I heard the Wei family has a thriving school, so I would like to borrow two people from the Wei family.”

“That’s not difficult either.”

As the eldest son of the Wei family, Wei Ji has the authority to make this decision.

“Then that’s all. Tomorrow, I will send troops. Young Master Wei can stay in the camp for the night or return to the Wei family first.”

Wei Ji was somewhat stunned.

That’s it?

He had prepared for Qiao Yan to make exorbitant demands, but he didn’t expect her conditions to be so simple.

But as a County Marquis and a military commander, she would never joke about such matters.

These were clearly her final terms.

Wei Ji immediately bowed in thanks and replied, “I will find a place to stay in the military camp. Thank you, Marquis Qiao, for your assistance.”

What thanks? Qiao Yan thought to herself, there are still three, four, five, six things to discuss later.

But for now, it was a pleasant farewell.

Once Wei Ji left, Qiao Yan turned her attention back to thinking about the military reward system.

Originally, she could have hesitated a bit longer.

But since she agreed to Wei Ji’s request for troops, her forces would inevitably clash with the White Wave Bandits raiding Hedong.

Thus, it would be best to establish a framework for the reward system before this expedition.

Although her two years of governance in Leping had earned her the respect of most soldiers following her into battle.

But one must know that in the face of life-and-death situations in combat, reputation is the least expendable thing.

Once or twice is manageable, and small-scale operations with high safety are still acceptable. But to truly step from Bingzhou into Hedong County, ostensibly to protect the wealth of a gentry family, one cannot rely solely on reputation.

Qiao Yan’s pen turned, leaving the words “First Merit System” on the paper.

The “first” in the First Merit System does not mean primary but refers to the head.

The Han Dynasty’s military merit system, like most legal systems, inherited the Qin Dynasty’s system, specifically the “count heads for titles” proposed since Shang Yang’s reforms.

But the Qin Dynasty’s “count heads for titles” was quite rigorous. For example, officers above a certain rank had to lead their subordinates to gain military merits and could not greedily kill for heads. They could not kill civilians to falsely claim merits, and they had to ensure the heads were from the hairline to the throat to prevent using women and children to falsely claim merits.

By the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the original three-day display period for heads and the above rules were hardly enforced.

Thus, when Dong Zhuo passed Yingchuan’s Yangcheng, he beheaded all men participating in the February festival, hung their heads on chariot poles, and returned singing, claiming they were bandits.

This was killing innocents for merit.

However, it is undeniable that despite the flaws of the First Merit System, since Qiao Yan cannot yet break away from the Han Dynasty’s system and, at her current stage of having only a noble title without real power, cannot offer promotions, transfers, or titles, continuing the First Merit System and rewarding heads with specific material rewards is inevitable.

This is also the most suitable system for the current social situation, and it is not appropriate to make provocative changes at this stage.

However, she does not intend to blindly follow the original system.

She wrote down a few more words.

[Replace heads with captives, front and rear formations, auxiliary performance for merit, establish a supervision team.]

Replacing heads with captives is easy to understand.

If only heads count for merit, such as in the Ming Dynasty system where one head is worth thirty taels of silver, given the current scarcity of resources and money among soldiers, they would absolutely do such things—

If Qiao Yan dares to price heads, they will dare to leave no enemy alive.

But she lacks not only military merits but also population. If such a rule were enforced, after a battle, she would see few captives alive, only a pile of heads.

This is detrimental to her population development.

Another advantage of replacing heads with captives is that in the current environment where anyone who provides food fights for them, individual defections to the enemy are not difficult. Perhaps without much ideological training, captives could pick up weapons and assist in battle, which is undoubtedly more efficient than cutting heads on the battlefield.

Considering the hardness of neck bones, cutting off a head in battle is a challenging task.

This is precisely why Qiao Yan wrote [front and rear formations].

This idea has a historical reference, namely the Ming Dynasty’s anti-pirate general Qi Jiguang.

The Ming Dynasty’s military merit standards shifted from a performance-based system to a head-counting system after the Hongxi and Xuande eras.

Both have flaws.

The former had typical issues in the Song Dynasty, such as Tong Guan doubting the authenticity of reports, leading to Han Shizhong’s merit for beheading a Xixia prince only resulting in a one-rank promotion. The latter’s flaws were evident in battles against pirates.

The so-called “in battle, first send a few pirates to test the formation. If victorious, the group advances; if not, wait for our troops to fight for heads and then attack, thus often winning.”

This means that since heads can be exchanged for money, pirates first send expendable men forward, then swarm when the Ming army fights for heads.

In the midst of battle, changes happen in an instant. Greed for a head’s benefit will disrupt the formation, giving the enemy an opportunity.

Qi Jiguang provided a feasible solution.

When fighting pirates in the south, he trained a front and rear formation, the “Mandarin Duck Formation.” All soldiers with long weapons, including long shields and spears, were strictly prohibited from carrying head-cutting knives, which were to be handled by rear soldiers with short weapons.

With one head worth thirty taels, the long weapon soldiers in the most dangerous positions, who completed the kills, would receive twenty taels, while the rear soldiers assisting and cutting heads would share the remaining ten taels.

This ensured no chaos in formation advancement due to head disputes.

Qiao Yan plans to gradually form formations in this manner.

This is not an overnight process, especially since her current troops lack qualified long weapon frontlines.

But that’s fine; establishing the system framework is the right move.

Complementing [front and rear formations] is Qiao Yan’s fourth point [establish a supervision team].

Of course, when implementing this, whether to reference Qi Jiguang’s method of having personal guards wear “merit-taking” badges to assist in head-cutting and record merits, or to use a text-based supervision team, can be explored in actual combat.

The remaining point [auxiliary performance for merit] is an additional note on the First Merit System.

In battles, besides killing enemy soldiers, there are special cases like killing generals, capturing flags, and being the first to ascend.

These special merits will be categorized and supplemented based on the First Merit System.

Qiao Yan had a plan and assessed the rewards needed for this battle before calling Zhao Yun, Zhang Yang, Chu Yan, and others.

Hearing that Qiao Yan did not abandon generous rewards despite the advantage from her strategy, and even intended to set a standard for future rewards, their eyes lit up.

No one dislikes a generous superior, and food rewards are undoubtedly a way to win hearts.

This is also beneficial for those leading troops.

Zhao Yun thought and asked, “As you say, how much grain is one head worth?”

Before they entered, Qiao Yan had already calculated this, so she replied decisively, “Thirty dan.”

Xu Fu, after a quick calculation, knew this was a suitable amount and praised, “This number is perfect.”

With Qiao Yan’s deep knowledge of Leping’s reserves, this reward system no longer needed approval from advisors.

So she just wrote a letter, sending a servant from Pingzhou County to Leping to inform Cheng Li to reserve the grain for rewards.

Then, before the promised troop dispatch to assist Wei Ji, she gathered all soldiers on the open ground outside the camp.

With Chu Yan’s guerrilla forces combined, she had three thousand soldiers. Including captives from the White Wave Bandits, it was nearly five thousand.

Standing on a slightly elevated slope, Qiao Yan looked down, feeling as if she were conducting a high school morning assembly.

A doubled version.

No, not quite.

She suppressed this strange thought and addressed the Leping soldiers.

With more people than her previous speeches at the county office and no loudspeaker, she relied on messengers in the ranks to relay her words, ensuring even the last row heard clearly.

This meant her words had to be concise and powerful to avoid misunderstandings.

“In the battle against the White Wave Bandits, we killed fifteen hundred enemies and captured two thousand.”

This is merit!

First, stir up emotions!

Although some were intentionally let go, this achievement is impressive.

But this is not Qiao Yan’s main point.

She continued, “This merit is not mine but yours.”

“I intend to use this battle as an example for the future. Killing or capturing one enemy is worth thirty dan of grain. Detailed merit rules will be announced later.”

“We mobilized three thousand men. Due to unclear previous rules, this battle’s merits are not detailed. Each participant will receive thirty-five dan of grain, to be collected upon returning to Leping.”

Thirty-five dan!

With her pause and the messengers’ shouts, the “thirty-five dan” reward spread like a wave.

Standing high, Qiao Yan saw the soldiers’ joy and surprise at this reward.

Three years of Leping governance, she never broke a promise, so no one doubted her words.

Thirty-five dan! This is half the harvest a strong laborer can get from farming, with the Han Dynasty’s average yield of three dan per mu.

But farming requires taxes; this thirty-five dan is pure reward!

For the identity of Leping’s good people and this substantial battle reward, they would gladly be Qiao Yan’s vanguard!

The compensation she announced for the fallen was also suitably generous.

Before they could calm down, Qiao Yan said, “The previous three battles were incomplete. Now, a thousand of you must march to Hedong to intercept the White Wave Bandits’ plundering.”

“The merit system is the same, but the danger is greater.”

“Among you, who dares to join this battle?”

A thousand? With the eager White Wave captives, they have five thousand!

Only a thousand? Who do you think we are?

Before Qiao Yan finished, she heard a chorus of determined voices.

“Marquis—we are willing to go!”