Chapter 233

Chapter 233

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 7: Eight Hundred Qin Rivers, Occupying Guanzhong Chapter 233: The Name of Master and Disciple

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Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 233: The Name of Master and Disciple

Driven by this thought, when Pang Tong received an invitation from Qiao Yan for a private meeting after the onlookers dispersed, and heard her ask if he was willing to study at Leping Academy, he agreed without much further consideration.

However, Pang Tong was no ordinary youth.

He had already considered his academic plans and his path to fame and officialdom. Thus, after accepting the invitation to enroll, he inquired about the duration of study at Leping Academy.

“If you want to live up to the name of ‘Young Phoenix’ within five years, you still have much to learn,” Qiao Yan replied seriously after looking at him. “But… if you want to know the possibilities of the future, I also need to know your stance.”

The more these young people were clearly marked as her own, the less likely they were to be used by others.

But as the composition of Leping became more complex, it could not yet be considered her exclusive talent cultivation base, only that it was highly likely to lean towards her.

Just as Zheng Xuan, when teaching his disciples, would at most recommend those who were interested in serving under Qiao Yan to her, rather than bundling them all together and forcing them to stay.

In the late Han Dynasty, where academic freedom was prevalent and one could even study across regions, at most there were mutual recommendations due to master-disciple and fellow student relationships, but it had not yet reached the point of determining one’s future.

If Qiao Yan were to gather talent by restricting their movement, the appeal of figures like Zheng Xuan and Cai Yong to top talents would be greatly diminished.

Thus, Pang Tong’s specific inquiry was a test of stance.

By traditional age reckoning, he was fourteen this year, the age at which Qiao Yan had already become the Prefect of Bingzhou. He wanted to clarify Qiao Yan’s age restrictions in employing people.

Seeing Pang Tong hesitate, Qiao Yan added, “I’ll give you two years, or rather, these two years are not just for you but also for Zhuge Liang. If you feel you have gained something from studying at Leping Academy within these two years, and Bingzhou aligns with your ambitions, then come to Chang’an.”

Sixteen years old was already an age where he could work for her.

“But there are some things in Leping Academy that your current status cannot access. If you reach a conclusion within these two years, you can inform me in advance.”

This restriction was not unique to Pang Tong but was an unwritten rule within the academy.

Due to Cai Yong’s lack of political acumen, Qiao Yan did not dare to entrust this task to him but instead to Cai Zhenji. While Zhaoji occasionally needed to go out for content collection for Leping Monthly Report, Zhenji strictly guarded this checkpoint.

Hearing this, Pang Tong replied, “If it is as you say, Lord, then I understand.”

By laying it out plainly, Qiao Yan made Pang Tong feel more at ease. Moreover, she did not say he could not leave Bingzhou after gaining something, as long as he did not cross the boundaries, only then would he be forcibly kept.

However, what Pang Tong probably did not know was that Qiao Yan had other arrangements for him, confident in keeping him.

Pang Tong’s arrival represented a special force joining her ranks.

Huang Yueying alone was not enough.

In the current social context, Pang Tong serving under her signified the emergence of scholars from Jing Province in her ranks.

Of course, by a more standard term, they should be called Southern Scholars.

This “south” did not include Yingchuan but referred to the areas of Jingxiang and Jianghuai.

With Northern Scholars increasingly forming a dominant majority under Qiao Yan, and Yingchuan scholars jumping into the pit one after another, she needed to balance this.

Southern Scholars were a good choice.

It might not just be about balance but also a potential succession plan.

After Pang Tong left, Qiao Yan asked Cheng Yu, “What do you think about having Zhuge Liang continue studying under Wenruo and Pang Tong under Gongda after two years, gaining experience through practical affairs?”

Cheng Yu laughed, “Lord, are you trying to replace the old with the new as soon as possible?”

Qiao Yan coughed, trying to appear innocent, indicating she had no such intention.

Succession, or competition between generations, was just a saying.

Given her current lack of assistance, she would not replace people so quickly.

Besides, she hoped Cheng Yu would work for her until after eighty, as he did historically.

If one had to count, Xu Shu was also taught by Cheng Yu and graduated, but he did not replace Cheng Yu’s position.

“Just healthy competition,” she replied.

It was hard to say if this was because Li Ru and Jia Xu reported their decision of each taking a disciple, which inevitably led to such associations.

Moreover, Pang Tong, who seemed silent and inconspicuous at first glance but revealed a sharp aura when discussing his ideas, and excelled in military strategy, was somewhat similar to Xun You.

With two years left for him and Zhuge Liang to accumulate more knowledge, Qiao Yan could adjust her decisions if necessary.

But she thought it would be quite interesting to have Xun Yu lead Zhuge Liang and Xun You lead Pang Tong, creating a competitive scene.

With Pang Tong as a catalyst to attract scholars from Jingxiang, it would likely reshuffle the forces under her command.

However, she was well aware of the severe consequences of Yuan Shao’s laissez-faire approach to scholar disputes and would pay attention to this situation in advance.

Moreover, in the current situation, her strategic decisions had proven correct through repeated victories; these scholars had many tasks beyond strategy to busy themselves with; and she was young enough not to worry about succession issues—

Gaining the right to speak for one faction was secondary.

Defeating their opponents and planning military achievements for herself were more important.

Cheng Yu agreed with Qiao Yan’s notion of healthy competition.

Internal competition among potential talents would enhance their strength, becoming a nightmare for opponents when united.

But—

“Wouldn’t that make Pang Tong a generation below Zhuge Liang?”

After all, Xun You was Xun Yu’s nephew.

Qiao Yan waved her hand, “If we must say so, let’s add a poetry class under Master Ciming for both of them.”

Xun Shuang was still in Chang’an, but as his position of Jin Ziguanglu Dafu was a nominal one, he would soon depart for Leping.

Since Xun Shuang did not want to be idle, Qiao Yan arranged for him to teach a course in Leping.

Given Xun Shuang’s achievements in classical studies, he could teach many courses, but some were slightly advanced for the students of Leping Academy.

Moreover, it was best not to overlap with Zheng Xuan and Cai Yong’s courses, effectively reducing their teaching time and workload.

After discussions between her and Xun Shuang, the course was decided to be on the Book of Songs.

Before being forcibly summoned to the capital by Dong Zhuo, Xun Shuang had lived in seclusion by the Han River and wrote a book called “Shi Zhuan,” his annotations on the Book of Songs.

If one had to say, Xun Shuang’s achievements in the Book of Changes were particularly outstanding, even incorporating some theories from the Yin-Yang School to construct a new framework. However, Zheng Xuan, also an expert in the Book of Changes, was present.

In-depth studies should be left to their respective disciples, not forcing academy students to listen to Fei’s and Zheng’s interpretations of the Book of Changes alternately.

Qiao Yan found it difficult.

She feared that during her next inspection of Leping Academy, the two old scholars might end up fighting, making it hard to mediate.

The Book of Songs was a safer choice.

Having Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang attend Xun Shuang’s class would maintain a half master-disciple relationship. If one followed Xun You and the other Xun Yu, they would each follow their own path.

Hearing this, Cheng Yu had no further reminders.

He reported to Qiao Yan on recent statistics of farmers before spring plowing, field demarcation, and agricultural tool instruction, then prepared to leave.

Just as he was about to rise, Qiao Yan had an attendant summon “Yuan Feng.”

Cheng Yu knew Yuan Feng’s true identity.

He understood that Qiao Yan did not intend to reveal Tian Feng’s identity directly, so summoning him was not to expose his disguise.

This thought made him want to shed a tear of sympathy for Tian Feng.

Thinking so, he sat back down.

Meeting Qiao Yan’s playful gaze, Cheng Yu calmly replied, “Let me see if Tian Yuanhao might become my colleague.”

Qiao Yan thought he might flee due to pressure before becoming a colleague but accepted Cheng Yu’s choice to stay and observe.

Fortunately, Tian Feng, having experienced major events in Hebei, assumed his identity was still undisclosed. Upon entering Qiao Yan’s office and hearing her praise his recording efficiency, he replied, “Lord, you flatter me. I merely write what I hear. If I were to speak or write, I might only be a mute.”

Qiao Yan replied, “You are too modest.”








With such speed to record information without any omissions, it’s not just about the speed of writing, but also the speed of reaction not lagging behind the speaker.

She pinched the recording paper in her hand and threw out a sentence that was like a bolt from the blue for Tian Feng, “You’re a genius!”

Tian Feng struggled hard to keep his face from cracking with any expression.

However, in his mind filled with thoughts of “Have I been discovered?”, he only heard Qiao Yan ask, “With such talent, it’s a pity for you to just be a recorder. If it weren’t for watching the debate between those two, I would have almost missed you. It’s fine if you say your skills are not enough, but if given the chance for systematic learning, would you be interested?”

In the tension that almost made his heart leap out of his chest, Qiao Yan looked him up and down and said, “They say the old get stronger, but you’re not even at the age to be called old yet. At least compared to Mr. Yuanfang, you’re much younger. Since you’re both at Hongwen Hall, how about he teaches you a thing or two while selecting talents?”

“Mr. Yuanfang is over sixty after all, and I want to find him a subordinate. Since you’re also working at Hongwen Hall, why not follow him to learn more and lend a hand? What do you think?”

“…” Tian Feng’s heart was filled with mixed feelings.

Who remembers that he initially just wanted to sneak into the farm tool workshop to be a handyman?

Why does every step he takes seem to have a legendary quality?

Because of simple calculations, he was chosen by the lucky but uncultured Zhang Niujiao as a future confidant.

Because he caught up with the Son of Heaven’s ascension, he followed the Lingtai official to Chang’an.

Because Hongwen Hall was newly built, he was transferred here as part of the manpower.

Now, because of the debate between Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, he made a decent record in front of Qiao Yan and is about to become Chen Ji’s assistant!

He’s even worried that if this trend continues, before Yuan Shao discovers his whereabouts and sends someone to pick him up, he might end up as the head of Hongwen Hall…

But thinking about it, since he only showed recording and literacy skills, there’s no way he could replace Chen Ji, so Tian Feng dismissed this speculation.

Forget it, now is not the time to think about future developments, but to think about how to answer Qiao Yan’s “What do you think?” question.

Tian Feng really wanted to refuse.

But think about it, Chen Ji holds the position of Dahonglu among the Nine Ministers in the Chang’an court, and as a subordinate of Dahonglu is Qi Zhou, a confidant under Liu Yu.

Anyone would say that this is the most suitable position for someone of Chen Ji’s age and experience, fully reflecting the high regard from Liu Yu to Qiao Yan.

If Tian Feng hesitated even a bit, it would be disrespectful to Chen Ji.

Becoming Chen Ji’s assistant, there’s still a possibility of keeping a low profile, but refusing this proposal would probably lead to his background and resume being thoroughly investigated.

He forced a smile and replied, “To be valued by Your Lordship is truly my fortune. However, if the affairs of Dahonglu are too busy, I wouldn’t want to disturb. I’ll just be a scribe.”

Qiao Yan didn’t insist, saying, “Then just follow him to learn and observe more for now.”

Tian Feng retreated with relief.

But on his way back to Hongwen Hall, he couldn’t help but consider the possibility of escaping directly.

Given his current position, it seems quite feasible to quickly blend into the Chang’an market.

But just as he had this thought, he saw Xun Yu coming out of a nearby official residence, who immediately called him down upon seeing him, asking for help to deliver several ancient books to the reading area of Hongwen Hall.

As the first to recognize Tian Feng’s identity and inform Qiao Yan about it, Xun Yu guessed Tian Feng’s thoughts upon seeing his behavior and immediately found an excuse to keep him.

Even citing the reason of too many books, he arranged for another person to return to Hongwen Hall with him.

Tian Feng: “…”

Facing Xun Yu’s elegant and calm face, he didn’t see the hidden meaning behind it, wondering if he shouldn’t suspect any ulterior motives in this move.

Probably overthinking it.

When he returned to the front of Hongwen Hall with the books, he saw that someone had cleared the area on both sides of the door for hanging couplets, presumably to be adorned with the twelve characters written by Qiao Yan once they were properly mounted.

Thinking of the twelve characters “Laughing and talking with great scholars, coming and going with talented dragons” written by Qiao Yan, Tian Feng couldn’t help but sigh.

My lord… With a Son of Heaven in hand, why is the situation in Chang’an so different from Ye City!

But before he could finish his sigh, Chen Ji found him.

In Tian Feng’s view, this old man is not at all as Qiao Yan described, needing an assistant due to his age.

Upon hearing that Qiao Yan wanted Tian Feng to follow him for learning, Chen Ji immediately said, “This is a good thing. Look at those who have been staying at Hongwen Hall recently, many are not as good as those two kids today. Once I teach you, you can go and…”

Recently, having received Qiao Yan’s promise to have his great work “Chenzi” copied several times on mulberry bark paper, Chen Ji felt much younger, clearly in a state of walking with the wind.

Although he couldn’t figure out why Qiao Yan wanted to find him a disciple over forty, after glancing at the “oddballs” left in Hongwen Hall, he made a bold statement.

“Go and engage in a battle of wits with the scholars!”

Tian Feng decided, starting today, to exercise with the officials in Chang’an to find an opportunity to escape!

Similarly, as a scholar in someone else’s territory, Li Ru is much more comfortable than Tian Feng.

In Yizhou, he first taught Qiao Ting how to piece together the situation from fragmented information, then taught how to subtly convey messages to those who need to know.

With the task completed, he started practicing the Five Animals Play in the courtyard in the morning.

When Qi Zhou got up, he saw Li Ru finishing his exercises, looking completely at ease in this place.

Having been together for so many days, Qi Zhou had somewhat adapted to Li Ru’s demeanor, but still couldn’t help but remind him as he passed by, “Tomorrow is the day for the imperial decree, be a bit more serious, don’t let the people of Yizhou laugh at us.”

Li Ru slowly replied, “You can rest assured, I gave myself a style name with the character ‘Ming’ to remind myself not to be confused when it’s time to be clear, don’t you think?”

Besides, how could he be the one laughed at?

Of course, there’s someone else to be laughed at.

The person Li Ru guided Qiao Ting to judge as useful, the representative of Yizhou scholars, Zhao Wei, received unexpected news from his own people at the posthouse yesterday—

Liu Yan’s appointment as Grand General was not just a unilateral goodwill gesture from the Chang’an court, but a mutual choice.

He planned to send his youngest son to Chang’an as a hostage, intending to form an alliance with the Chang’an court.

The Chang’an side accepted his goodwill, hence the reciprocal gesture.

The reason he could send just a youngest son was that, compared to Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan, Liu Yan’s performance was considered quite good.

At most, Zhang Lu caused some trouble in Liangzhou.

After all, Liu Yan had no intention of overstepping, did not support the Ye court, and was a relative of the Han Dynasty.

Considering the future need to maintain many transactions between the two places, there’s no need for such strict restrictions.

Upon receiving this news, Zhao Wei immediately changed his expression.

Sending the youngest son to Chang’an as a hostage?

This might not be a difficult request for Liu Yan, but for Zhao Wei, it’s definitely not!

In recent years, Liu Yan’s favoritism towards the Dongzhou scholars has become increasingly apparent.

But haven’t the Yizhou people spent much effort to keep him securely seated in Chengdu?

If it weren’t for Dong Fu informing Liu Yan that Yizhou was a place of great potential, Liu Yan might have already become the governor of Jiaozhou.

And if it weren’t for the support of these Yizhou scholars, before he gathered his Dongzhou troops, he would have been swallowed up by the southern barbarians, rebels, and powerful families of Yizhou.

There’s no such thing as killing the donkey after it’s done grinding in this world!

If it weren’t for the arrow wound on Liu Yan’s body, which, according to the doctor Zhao Wei bribed, would worsen in two or three years, and he happened to have a son who got along well with the Yizhou scholars, Zhao Wei would have wanted to give Liu Yan a warning long ago.

But now… now he actually wants to send Liu Zhang to Chang’an?

After learning that the envoy to Yizhou had specially visited several of Liu Yan’s sons, and that Li Ru had frequently visited Shu embroidery shops and taverns these days, inquiring about the rice yield per mu in Shu, very much like he was about to do business, Zhao Wei became more convinced of this news.

The current situation is really not good.

Once Liu Yan’s eldest son Liu Fan takes over, he will inevitably follow Liu Yan’s complete intentions.

The scale of the Dongzhou troops is gradually expanding, holding the key areas of Yizhou.

Coincidentally, some of the divided Yizhou people haven’t yet realized Liu Yan’s planning intentions, instead gathering around Liu Yan, becoming obstacles to their own people.

In this way, his only chance lies with Liu Zhang.

But thinking that shortly after the imperial decree is announced tomorrow, the envoy might take Liu Zhang away, making the results of his contact with Liu Zhang over the past half year come to naught, he felt a sense of urgency.

No, this must not be allowed to happen!

He must come up with a way to turn the situation around!