Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Can’t a strategist ascend the throne? Volume 3: Galloping Through Bingzhou, Troops Depart Hedong Chapter 81: Stirring the Waves

The book it belongs to:


Can’t a Strategist Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 81: Stirring the Waves

Six hundred dan, twenty heads of merit.

Numerically speaking, that’s indeed the case.

But according to the usual official system, the various subsidies enjoyed by a six-hundred-dan official can double their annual salary, and if they hold a position of real power, it’s even more astonishing.

Xi Zhicai, currently in Leping, enjoys additional subsidies, including expenses for alcohol and supplies of ink, paper, and brushes, which aren’t much less than a true six-hundred-dan official.

In comparison, the reward system of thirty dan per head in battle seems substantial, but in reality?

The reward for one head, when distributed to the soldiers in the rear, is less than a tenth. Unless one is willing to risk their life by charging to the front with a long spear, a squad would need to kill or capture two hundred enemies to truly earn the reward of twenty heads.

This is a result that’s hard to achieve even after several battles.

But it doesn’t stop Xi Zhicai from using this comparison to motivate himself for a promotion and raise, especially since—

It’s not just for himself!

Indeed, it’s time to push Lord Qiao further up!

Otherwise, not only will the annual salaries of high-ranking civil and military officials not increase, but it will also be impossible to recruit more talented individuals without a substantial enough offer.

Guo Jia, hearing this, couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“If you really envy the fixed reward per head, go to the battlefield yourself. Two years ago, you were bragging about climbing up and down the mountain ten times. Now, with armor on, carrying the banner, marching a thousand miles shouldn’t be a problem.”

Xi Zhicai: “…”

That’s not necessary.

The banner weighs a hefty one hundred and sixty Han jin, which translates to forty kilograms in modern terms, and is an important symbol of the central army’s ceremonial.

This kind of thing is better left for Dian Wei to carry.

As for him… he might as well go chat with Mi Zhu of the Donghai Mi Clan.

Qiao Yan daring to propose a revised version of the head-count merit system as a standard for rewarding soldiers at this time was something Xi Zhicai hadn’t anticipated.

Given her current reputation and Leping’s superior conditions compared to other parts of Bingzhou, it would have been feasible to motivate the masses just by the need to defend Leping and stabilize Bingzhou.

After all, none of the soldiers, whether they were Leping locals, refugees, or Black Mountain Bandits, wanted to return to the state of life from three years ago.

But her willingness to first establish a rough framework for the reward system and make decisive judgments on the matter was only a pleasant surprise for Xi Zhicai.

This is the kind of wise leadership one should expect from someone destined to rise to the position of a provincial governor or higher.

So the question arises: the premise of this reward system is sufficient grain.

Yam cultivation, while depleting the land’s fertility, has accumulated three years’ worth of grain, but this doesn’t mean it can continue to be used as the method when manpower expands and battles become more frequent.

The so-called fertile lands of Bingzhou are strongly limited by geography, with the pattern of northern pastoralism and southern agriculture hard to break.

This has already halved the arable land.

But the Xiongnu and Xianbei tribes outside Bingzhou are not easily subdued, meaning there needs to be a long-term expenditure on border management.

For the past two years, the reserves of Leping’s government storehouse have been able to support the consumption, but this may not be the case in the future.

It would be best to bring in an external ally.

And since we’re bringing in an external ally to fill this grain gap, why not set our sights on this self-caught member of the Donghai Mi Clan?

Don’t think Xi Zhicai didn’t notice; he might have initially been interested in his fishing rod, but now he’s more intrigued by toothpaste and soap, and keenly aware of the potential market for these items.

Unfortunately, these items aren’t like the curved plow currently being refined in the academy, which can be copied just by seeing its shape.

If he really wants to do this business, he’ll have to negotiate terms with Leping.

Because of the letter sent by Qiao Yan, Cheng Li has to worry about the scheduling of the granary, so this idler might as well go set a trap for Mi Zhu.

After casually chatting with Guo Jia, he planned to go out to find someone.

But suddenly, Guo Jia said, “The autumn sky is clear and refreshing, I’m going out for a walk to clear my mind.”

He suspiciously looked at the other, sensing that the meaning behind these words wasn’t so simple. “Where are you going for this walk?”

Guo Jia yawned, slowly getting up with a wine jar in hand, “To Pingzhou, going a bit further can help sober up.”

In the main tent of Pingzhou’s military camp, Qiao Yan sat with a brush in hand.

The mulberry bark paper in front of her was already filled with her definitions for the merit system in battle, but there were also many discarded papers on the ground.

Seeing her troubled expression, Dian Wei said nonchalantly, “If you want to know the rewards for beheading generals, capturing flags, and being the first to ascend, just let me try it all out in the next battle. After all, I’m not one to lie.”

Qiao Yan’s brush paused, leaving a blot of ink on the paper, “…You can say that here, but don’t go saying it outside.”

Dian Wei’s words were truly hate-inducing.

Qiao Yan was even a bit conflicted; if she put him on the battlefield, what’s difficult for others in beheading enemies might be as easy as eating and drinking for him and Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun is manageable; he prioritizes military command, but Dian Wei is suited to lead personal guards to break through formations, which is clearly…

In that case, could he earn two thousand dan in a single battle?

Qiao Yan felt this was inappropriate.

In this situation, should she set a yearly battle package price?

Qiao Yan realized she needed to add another restriction to prevent a serious imbalance in earnings between civil and military officials.

Dian Wei scratched his head, not understanding why Qiao Yan told him not to say that outside, nor why she then looked at him with a hint of gratitude.

But his intuition told him this gratitude wasn’t a good thing.

However, this restriction, or rather, setting a cap on rewards for military officials through fixed rewards, is undoubtedly necessary.

The lethality of top military generals against ordinary soldiers is further amplified when cavalry charges against infantry.

For example, outside the Wei Clan’s fortress.

Li Le had just heard the commotion from his troops behind him and turned around quickly enough, but what he saw was the exceptionally fierce cavalry charging into the formation with a momentum to pierce through, covering a significant distance in an instant, like a ship cutting through waves at sea.

He gasped, and immediately saw the young general wielding a long spear, followed by several hundred infantry, who in a short time had sandwiched them between the incoming enemies from behind and the Wei Clan’s fortress in front.

But the considerable number of soldiers and the approaching predicament couldn’t completely divert his gaze from Zhao Yun.

This was truly an astonishingly impressive general.

So impressive that as the young man charged on his mount, the spear flowers he twirled with his long spear left almost no one capable of catching the edge, and no one could withstand the sweeping and thrusting attacks!

It seemed like just a moment’s change, and Li Le saw him charging straight towards the nearest leader, lifting him up with a single spear thrust.

The just-brightened sky was suddenly splashed with a burst of hot blood.

In the face of the cavalry’s fierce charge and such a terrifying leading general, those hit head-on had no chance of survival.

Seeing this, Li Le clenched his teeth, as if it wasn’t the unlucky one hit by the cavalry, but himself.

Because he immediately recognized that the leader Zhao Yun had broken through the formation to kill was none other than Yang Da, sent by Yang Feng to act together with them.

This was just too unlucky…

He couldn’t help but grumble in his heart.

Before he was ready to first win over the troops left by Hu Cai’s death and then turn against Yang Feng, Yang Da’s death here was nothing but harmful to him, only exacerbating the conflict between the two sides.

But in fact, Zhao Yun didn’t randomly choose his target.

In the previous mountain battle, because he had encountered and let go of Han Xian, who he had met once before, he could recognize him by the faint light of dawn and his vantage point on horseback.

Recognizing Han Xian made it easy for Zhao Yun to further recognize Li Le, who wasn’t too far away.

The obvious alliance between these two made another person, also surrounded and protected, stand out.

With Hu Cai already dead, it was more likely this person belonged to Yang Feng’s faction.

After determining this, Zhao Yun decided without hesitation to kill this person first!

In the heat of battle, as the leading general, one must make their own judgments, as there’s no time to consult Qiao Yan for feedback.

So, take action!

As his spear took a life, hearing the soldiers around shout “Young General Yang,” Zhao Yun was sure his almost assassination-like move wasn’t wrong.

His spear tip then swiftly deflected the weapons of Yang Da’s followers attacking him, not diminishing his ferocity after killing one.

And as the rest of the cavalry pressed forward, this unified advance left no chance for Yang Da’s men to seek revenge.

Behind the cavalry, the infantry…








Their ferocity was truly astonishing.

But this was not hard to understand. After all, the people of Leping had just been informed of the system where beheading enemies would earn them merit. Moreover, before they followed Zhao Yun and Zhang Yang into battle, they had been divided into teams of five.

This was their chance to build a foundation for themselves!

Before they left, Qiao Yan had instructed them that the purpose of this battle was to intimidate and kill, and they need not overly concern themselves with the rules of taking prisoners. They were to focus on driving the enemy back first, which allowed them to fight more freely.

“Move! What are you standing around for? Hurry up!” Han Xian grabbed Li Le, who was almost stunned by Yang Da’s death, and dragged him away.

Zhao Yun could recognize him, and he could certainly recognize Zhao Yun!

Seeing the man who had nearly taken his life last time, Han Xian was on the verge of collapsing on the spot.

Last time, due to the mountainous terrain, Zhao Yun couldn’t charge forward on horseback, but now he could.

From Zhao Yun’s deadly spear technique, it was clear that he was even more adept at mounted combat.

There was no time to wonder why Zhao Yun seemed to have anticipated their movements and appeared here. The only option was to flee!

Han Xian was extremely grateful that his position was still some distance from Zhao Yun, giving him a chance to escape.

Li Le, who had been pulled along, also quickly realized that now was not the time to worry about Yang Da’s fate. Saving his own life was far more important.

If the enemy only had infantry, he might have been able to rally his men and put up a fight, but there were cavalry as well!

The casualties caused by the cavalry charge were enough to make his men flee in panic. If he didn’t leave now, he wouldn’t be able to later.

With both commanders agreeing to flee, their subordinates were left in a dire situation.

In a battle where one side flees and the other pursues, the advantage is easily amplified. Moreover, Zhao Yun and Zhang Yang were tasked with making the White Wave Bandits pay dearly.

By the time Han Xian and Li Le no longer heard the ominous sound of hoofbeats behind them and finally confirmed their escape, they looked back to find only a handful of men left.

Fortunately, in places they didn’t know, Zhao Yun had shown some mercy, allowing them to regroup later.

In this sorry state, Li Le whispered, “What should we do now?”

What should they do?

Han Xian glanced at the men who had caught up and understood why Li Le was asking this.

For any commander, repeated defeats were terrifying, especially when defeat meant their lives were at risk. For these bandits, it was a heavy blow to morale.

The men following them were less out of loyalty and more because they had no other path than banditry.

But if they couldn’t explain this failed raid and the loss of troops, they would likely become scapegoats, offered as a gift to Yang Feng!

Han Xian, with a stern face, whispered back, “Find a scapegoat.”

Yes, they needed a suitable scapegoat.

People like them would never admit their own faults or acknowledge the vast gap in strength between themselves and the Marquis of Leping’s forces.

So, someone else had to take the blame for this defeat.

Knowing they couldn’t afford to offend Yang Feng too much, lest they lose their remaining forces in the mountains, the two exchanged a knowing glance.

Who could be the scapegoat?

Only Xu Huang!

Han Xian immediately approached Yang Feng’s men who had come with Yang Da. Despite their hostile glares, he walked over and said, “Let me say a few words first.”

Seeing them hesitate, Han Xian pressed on, “The Marquis of Leping doesn’t have extra eyes or heads. How could he know our movements so clearly? We had just arrived outside the Wei family’s fortress when they showed up. What does that tell you?”

Wei Ji, true to the homophone of his name, had a strong sense of crisis, something these bandits who thought the Wei family was easy prey couldn’t understand.

Hearing Han Xian’s words, Yang Feng’s men began to see some truth in it.

“Commander Han, what are you suggesting?”

“Our movements must have been reported to the Marquis of Leping, leading to today’s disaster,” Han Xian said, convincing himself as he went.

He continued, “Young General Yang was also in the group. Given Commander Yang’s concern for him, he would never have risked Young General Yang’s life to eliminate us. Of course, Commander Yang is kind-hearted. Since he accepted us, he wouldn’t play tricks. Only by helping each other can we stand against the Marquis of Leping.”

“Who could have done this?”

“Commander Guo or… Xu Huang?” one of the bandits blurted out under Han Xian’s guidance.

“Xu Huang is more likely!” Li Le immediately chimed in.

“He opposed our attack on the Wei family fortress from the start. Leaking the information to stop us would prove him right and keep him above suspicion. That’s the best outcome for him.”

“But… Young General Yang and Xu Huang are both Commander Yang’s right-hand men?” one of Yang Feng’s men asked, confused.

“A right-hand man is nothing compared to being the sole reliance,” Han Xian said gravely. “Besides, how do you know Xu Huang doesn’t want to replace Commander Yang?”

“Of course, these are just our speculations. Just tell Commander Yang we were ambushed.”

Han Xian sighed, feigning reluctance to stir trouble, leaving the bandit he had guided even more confused.

The bandit thought he would just report the situation truthfully to Yang Feng, who would surely know better.

Unfortunately, in their frantic escape, they hadn’t even retrieved Yang Da’s body, leaving them unsure how to explain to Commander Yang.

As the soldiers pondered these things, Han Xian and Li Le watched their reactions, worried their story hadn’t convinced them, resulting in an unusually silent group.

But perhaps fate was on their side. Before they returned to the mountains, they ran into Xu Huang’s group again.

However, compared to the difference in numbers when they descended, the two sides were now nearly equal.

Moreover—

Xu Huang’s group was returning with a full load.

The men pushing the grain carts were visibly joyful, whispering about the weakness of the Zhao family in Ji County, creating a stark contrast in morale between the two groups.

The two sides met, clearly divided and contrasting.

Han Xian and Li Le felt an indescribable discomfort.

They even thought Xu Huang’s gaze held mockery.

But this was too unfair to Xu Huang.

He was always broad-minded and loyal, never one to kick someone when they were down. At most, he frowned and asked, “Where is Yang Da?”

But his question only elicited resentful looks from the group before him.

Xu Huang couldn’t mistake such looks.

This unbridled blame, when gathered, was unmistakable.

He sensed something had happened to Yang Da, but more than that, he felt an ominous premonition.

Compared to these bandits running back and forth, Qiao Yan was much more comfortable.

Though she didn’t know how the bandits would react when faced with Zhao Yun and Zhang Yang’s combined assault, or how Xi Zhicai’s “distant fragrance, close stench” theory would play out.

But the difference only lay in whether she could recruit Xu Huang and capture more prisoners.

This difference didn’t change one fact.

After two years of preparation, her move out of Leping demanded an inevitable victory.

And the current developments were leading precisely to that goal.

In this calm state, though stationed in Pingzhou, she hadn’t changed her habits from Leping.

She practiced spear techniques, archery, and horsemanship every morning, and by the time she finished, the sun was fully up.

Guo Jia arrived in Pingzhou at just such a time.

He was led to Qiao Yan, who showed no signs of slacking off despite being on a campaign. She was just wiping the sweat from her forehead and neck with a handkerchief handed by her attendant.

Having just put down her spear, the sweat-absorbing cloth around her wrist was still in place. When she turned to look at Guo Jia, she seemed…

Capable of knocking him out with a single punch.

“Why are you here?” Qiao Yan was surprised to see him coming alone.

Of course, his opening words were equally surprising.

Guo Jia forced his gaze away from her wrist and met her eyes, replying, “I believe there are issues with the merit system you proposed, so I came to discuss it.”