Chapter 98

Chapter 98

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 3: Galloping Through Bingzhou, Troops Depart from Hedong Chapter 98: Retreating to Advance

Book: Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 98: Retreating to Advance

After Liu Hong’s words fell, the people present were still in a state of almost thinking they had misheard.

Promoting Dong Zhong, the nephew of Empress Dowager Dong, to the position of General of the Agile Cavalry was a result of the Han Dynasty’s tradition of allowing maternal relatives to control the military.

Although it was surprising that Liu Hong intended to promote the Dong family to compete with the He family, clearly indicating a wavering in choosing between Liu Bian and Liu Xie as the heir, this could still be explained.

But—

Appointing Qiao Yan, the Marquis of Leping, as the Governor of Bingzhou?

Under the Provincial Governor System, a Governor not only held the original power to supervise and select officials but was also granted the authority to command troops, thus possessing both military and administrative control.

When local officials wielded such power, it was almost indistinguishable from establishing an independent regime.

Especially considering Bingzhou’s geographical environment, shielded by the Taihang Mountains, it had the conditions to operate independently. Although it was not as advantageous as Yizhou, which had fertile lands but was blocked by dangerous passes, with the Hu barbarians eyeing covetously beyond the borders, it was clearly not a position to be handed over lightly.

Everyone instinctively looked towards Han Fu, and unsurprisingly, they saw the smile on his face stiffen.

Just a moment ago, Han Fu felt that taking on the heavy responsibility of the General Who Crosses the Liao River, overseeing military affairs in Bingzhou towards the northwest and northeast, was a great opportunity.

Although successfully keeping the Xiongnu and Xianbei outside the Great Wall was no easy task, the military power itself was already a significant stepping stone. After all, Qiao Yan’s grandfather, Qiao Xuan, had started his rise to the Three Excellencies from the position of General Who Crosses the Liao River!

If he could achieve what Qiao Xuan did, bringing peace to the borders within three years and deterring the Hu barbarians from invading, it would be a feat recorded in history.

But the next moment, he received such a surprise.

If there was a Governor of Bingzhou, and since the General Who Crosses the Liao River was also stationed within Bingzhou, the Governor would be the superior of the General, able to control his military power. In most cases, Han Fu would have to follow Qiao Yan’s command.

Moreover, with the Governor also taking on the role of the Governor of Bingzhou, Han Fu’s promotion path would be blocked.

Han Fu’s position was now particularly awkward.

If the Governor of Bingzhou were someone like Liu Yu, Han Fu might still find a way to coexist. But if the Governor’s power fell into the hands of someone as ambitious and dynamic as Qiao Yan, it would be bad news for the General Who Crosses the Liao River.

Once this position was solidified, she wouldn’t even need to go through the process of submitting a memorial to confess her crimes after coercing others.

Because this wouldn’t be considered an overreach of the Governor’s authority.

Just as Liu Hong felt suffocated upon discovering that those people were from noble families, the newly appointed General Who Crosses the Liao River now felt the same.

Not to mention that such great power was being handed to a child not yet fifteen years old.

“Your Majesty, I believe this move is inappropriate.”

After a long silence, someone finally spoke up.

However, upon hearing the voice, everyone realized it wasn’t someone bravely protesting against Liu Hong, but Qiao Yan herself who had preemptively responded.

No matter how much today’s exhibition match was just a show, it was still a cavalry confrontation. When she returned to the front after defeating Jian Shuo earlier, there were still traces of sweat on her temples, which had now almost frozen into a thin layer of frost due to standing outside for so long.

This gave her a frosty, decisive aura when she spoke, appearing exceptionally resolute.

No one expected her to be the one to first reject this authority.

Yet, what she said was particularly well-founded.

“Cui Lie, the Governor of Bingzhou, has been diligent in his duties, promoting education. After the Xiongnu invasion, he sent messages to various commanderies, appointing a Military Officer under the Governor of Bingzhou as the general, and with the approval of the Prefects of Yanmen and Yunzhong, he dispatched troops, which led to my successful surprise attack outside the borders. Since he has not committed any faults, why should I replace him as the Governor of Bingzhou?”

Indeed, there were no vacancies among the Three Excellencies, nor were there any obvious natural phenomena that would allow Liu Hong to dismiss one of them.

Cui Lie clearly wouldn’t ruin his reputation again to buy a position among the Three Excellencies.

Thus, with the Governor of Bingzhou essentially being an upgraded version of the Governor of Bingzhou, where would Cui Lie go?

There was nothing wrong with Qiao Yan saying this; in fact, it would have been criticized if she hadn’t.

After all, another responsibility Cui Lie had when sent to Bingzhou was to educate the unruly Marquis Qiao, effectively making them teacher and student.

For a disciple to seize the position of their teacher was a major taboo in an era where filial piety was highly valued.

But Qiao Yan also emphasized one thing in her words—

She held the merit of defending against the Xiongnu, giving her the capital to become the Governor of Bingzhou.

Han Fu was far inferior to her in terms of actual achievements, and having lost to her in the selection for the General Who Crosses the Liao River, if judged by actual merits, then if Han Fu could be the General Who Crosses the Liao River, why couldn’t Qiao Yan be the Governor of Bingzhou?

Liu Hong looked at Qiao Yan, and while he appeared somewhat displeased with her resignation on the surface, he was satisfied in his heart.

But now, both the noble families and the maternal relatives were holding sharp blades, pushing him to the edge of a cliff. He had to wield an even sharper weapon to cut a bloody path and preserve the dignity of the Han imperial family.

Among the Eight Commanders of the Western Garden, those who could still be considered his own were naturally weapons he could rely on, but Qiao Yan was also one.

He replied, “Appoint Cui Lie as the Prefect of Taiyuan Commandery, also managing the affairs of Xihe Commandery. The Prefects of these two places will be transferred elsewhere, and Lord Cui will still be responsible for your moral education.”

This wasn’t exactly a demotion, but with the existence of the Governor of Bingzhou, the Prefect’s authority was greatly reduced. Although Xihe Commandery seemed large, the northern part would have the Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu further dividing the military power.

It was unclear what Cui Lie’s feelings would be if this appointment were carried out.

But regardless, Liu Hong had provided an answer to Qiao Yan’s rebuttal.

Hearing this, Qiao Yan still did not rise but continued, “Over three years ago, I wrote a policy essay at the Dingzhong Temple in Luoyang, discussing the drawbacks of the feudal system of provincial governors, which led to my audience with Your Majesty.”

“At that time, I stated in the essay—if one person governs a province, even if they cause chaos, it would only be a matter of relatives. Once a rebellious heart arises, and the place can be defended with natural barriers, what can the court do?”

“I still hold this view today. The harm of provincial governors lies not in the present but in the future. Currently, there is a rebellion of the Banqiao barbarians in Ba Commandery of Yizhou, and Zhang Ju in Youzhou proclaiming himself the Son of Heaven. The Governor supervising military power, titled as Provincial Governor, is indeed a stopgap measure. If this method is extended, Bingzhou, Liangzhou, Jingzhou, and Yuzhou could also establish Provincial Governors. But the current Provincial Governors are all members of the Han imperial family, with precedents to follow. Appointing me as the Governor of Bingzhou would be inappropriate.”

“Moreover, how can one first reject and then accept?”

Her reasoning was still quite lofty.

When Xu Zijiang gave her the evaluation of a young phoenix with a clear voice, Qiao Yan had criticized this system.

Although at the time, she was merely seeking to establish her reputation and gain some prestige from the Monthly Appraisal by writing this essay.

She probably didn’t expect that, in the process of gradually seeking opportunities for advancement, she would have the hope of securing the position of Governor of Bingzhou while Liu Hong was still alive.

But now, this preemptive essay undoubtedly became her safety net.

In this public setting, she once again stated her position.








She thought the Provincial Governor System was inappropriate back then, and she still thinks it’s inappropriate now!

So how could she criticize the system for easily breeding rebellion while also accepting the official position without hesitation when His Majesty offered it, tempted by the power?

This is clearly against common sense.

Yuan Shao looked at Qiao Yan and suddenly felt he had underestimated her.

If she hadn’t spoken up first, given everyone’s belief that she was unsuitable for this position, they would have surely advised against it using similar reasons.

But now that she had already spoken, regardless of whether Liu Hong would retract his decision or whether her refusal was sincere, one thing was already certain—no one could morally condemn her over the appointment of the Bingzhou Governor.

At the very least, they would have to come up with a different argument.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit wary of Qiao Yan’s earlier move of having Guo Jia leak the news to He Yong.

But she had already spoken very thoroughly at the time, reminding them to be careful in selecting candidates and not to push people too hard. It was entirely He Jin’s lack of restraint that first alerted Liu Hong.

Yuan Shao still didn’t know what had caused the earlier upheaval, but it clearly couldn’t be blamed on Qiao Yan.

Her unauthorized military action had already escaped blame, which was a significant gain. How could she have guessed that Liu Hong would let her skip several levels and directly inherit the position of Bingzhou Governor?

She wouldn’t even have dreamed of it!

So why would she do something so unnecessary?

If Liu Hong found out she had leaked such information and indirectly befriended the noble families, it would definitely not be good news.

Yuan Shao suppressed his suspicions after analyzing the situation and then heard Liu Hong reply, “What you said is correct, but as I told you back then, times change, and so do policies. The Provincial Governor System is feasible now, and I intend to appoint governors for Liang, Bing, Yu, and Jing Provinces.”

“Huang Wan, the Governor of Qingzhou, has done an outstanding job in stabilizing the people’s livelihood in Qingzhou. He is hereby transferred to Yuzhou as the Governor of Yuzhou.”

“The remaining two provinces’ governors will be decided after suitable candidates are found.”

He Jin was already numb.

Military power is like a big cake.

First, the establishment of the Western Garden Eight Divisions, directly under the current Son of Heaven, even if the soldiers are not selected from the Northern Army Five Divisions, still takes away a portion of the power to deploy troops in the capital.

The establishment of the Cavalry General takes another piece.

The Du Liao General, under the Grand General’s jurisdiction, is too far away to manage, so another piece is taken.

The Provincial Governors have the authority to make decisions on local military affairs, so aside from the retired Huangfu Song, Liu Yu of Youzhou, Liu Yan of Yizhou, Huang Wan of Yuzhou, and the most controversial Qiao Yan of Bingzhou, take away four more pieces.

What’s next?

Depose the Empress, and then depose him, the Grand General, who is only in this position because of his sister and Prince Bian?

Not only did Liu Hong feel besieged by everyone’s pressure, but He Jin also felt like he was heading towards destruction from the height of his glory.

It took him a long time to calm down his stiff expression, and then he heard Qiao Yan say, “Although Your Majesty has your own considerations, I still wish to ask Your Majesty to listen to the opinions of the court officials.”

“But if Your Majesty insists on appointing me as the Governor of Bingzhou, I will not forget Your Majesty’s trust and my grandfather’s teachings. I will dedicate myself to the country, defend the border, and never let the reports of Hu people invading disturb Your Majesty’s peace, nor let the people of Bingzhou suffer chaos.”

This third statement still left no room for criticism.

He Jin felt that his lack of education had really cost him, and another path was blocked.

But Qiao Yan’s words were not spoken lightly.

The so-called “three requests and three refusals” is a process one must go through when accepting abdication. Did Qiao Yan, who was parachuted into a high position, not need to do the same?

So this statement about listening to the court officials was her third reason for declining.

But one cannot just keep refusing, especially for Liu Hong at this moment. If she didn’t even have the courage to step into a position of power, always saying she was too young or using her gender as an excuse, how could Liu Hong continue to see her as a lifesaving tool?

So she had to retreat, but not completely.

Moreover, she had to say openly and honestly that if His Majesty did not change his decision, she could take on this challenge, dedicating herself to the livelihood of Bingzhou and the stability of its borders, and would never let Liu Hong down!

As she looked up at Liu Hong, her face, having removed her cavalry helmet, was illuminated by the sunset. The determination in her words seemed to be infused with the fiery glow of the setting sun, exuding the boldness of youth.

Liu Hong was increasingly satisfied with her performance.

Though he didn’t have a Huo Qubing, having a Qiao Bingzhou wasn’t bad either!

Although the decision to appoint the Bingzhou Governor came suddenly, pushed by the abrupt news, since the words were already spoken, he might as well take the opportunity to see how many in the court truly supported him!

“Very well, let’s discuss this in detail back at court.”

As the imperial procession left the western camp, Dong Min, who had been drunk and venting his anger, finally arrived late.

Since Liu Hong had already used Qiao Yan to suppress He Jin’s faction, Dong Min was only punished for disrespect, so he had no idea what role he had played in all this.

As a Xiliang general, he was often looked down upon in Luoyang. It was only He Jin, the Grand General with a butcher’s background, who treated him well. However, during the selection, he was deliberately placed opposite the Marquis of Leping.

Qiao Yan’s direct assault on the enemy formation undoubtedly put immense psychological pressure on Dong Min.

Her frequent “coincidental” appearances in front of him and her seemingly provocative apologies only added to this burden.

Until the news that most of the top nine candidates were from noble families was conveniently delivered to him at the “right” time, and just as conveniently, good wine for rewarding the soldiers was delivered to the camp…

Whether he happened to get drunk and was overheard by the eunuch who came looking for him, or he made a scene in front of the emperor, or after the rewards were announced and they returned to the capital, Qiao Yan escalated the conflict to deliver this message to the emperor, it didn’t make much difference.

Because this had to happen after the position of Du Liao General was finalized.

Only then could she secure the position above the Du Liao General.

But everything now happened just right, with a dramatic flair of forcing someone to the brink.

If the timing hadn’t been inappropriate, Qiao Yan might have even expressed her sincere gratitude to Dong Min.

Though Dong Min probably wouldn’t have wanted to hear it.

He had just sobered up when he heard the news of Qiao Yan’s promotion to Bingzhou Governor. Seeing everyone following the imperial procession back to the capital, he blurted out, “What kind of logic is this?”

Yes, what kind of logic is this?

Huang Wan’s promotion to Yuzhou Governor could still be justified by his age and achievements, and since Yuzhou was close to Luoyang, it would be easy to control.

But Qiao Yan’s promotion to Bingzhou Governor was like a thunderbolt striking Luoyang.

The high-ranking officials in the court would likely have a sleepless night.

Even Lu Zhi, who didn’t think Qiao Yan was unqualified for the position, couldn’t help but get up in the cold night and walk to the courtyard, sighing deeply, “Tomorrow’s court meeting is bound to be lively.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Qiao Yan’s voice from the other side of the courtyard, “In your opinion, will they be more inclined to debate whether I can be the Bingzhou Governor, or—”

“Who should be the Governors of Liangzhou and Jingzhou?”