Chapter 275

Chapter 275

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 8: Chang’an Wine Debate, Autumn Changes Chapter 275: Six-Party Game

When Mi Zhu arrived in Guangling County, it was already mid to late June.

A full month had passed since the wine debate in Chang’an and the unveiling of the new roads in the city.

As poems about Chang’an’s new roads were sung as ballads, the news eventually spread to Xuzhou through traveling merchants.

The Shu merchants named “Huang Yi” and “Huang Ting” were perhaps the wealthiest among them, but certainly not the only ones.

Following Jia Xu’s advice to stay out of the fray, Qiao Lan only made a small stir on her first day in Sheyang, then behaved like any ordinary merchant.

As for Qiao Ting, aside from visiting Chen Deng to convey Chen Gui’s greetings to his son, she merely sold Luoyang goods in Tan County.

This made them even less conspicuous.

As the top financier of Donghai, Mi Zhu was well aware of anyone in Donghai County who could influence market prices.

But in the sisters’ deliberate low-profile approach, he never imagined they were related to Qiao Yan, her clansfolk.

Qiao Yan had considered not involving Mi Zhu directly in the intelligence department, so she naturally wouldn’t expose the sisters’ identities to him.

Thus, Mi Zhu and Bao Hong, heading towards Gaoyou, only knew that Bao Hong found Ze Rong’s invitation to Mi Zhu suspicious and reported it to Qiao Yan. Her response was to have Mi Zhu feign acceptance to uncover Ze Rong’s true intentions.

Otherwise, she couldn’t have prescribed the right remedy from afar.

“Though I’m from Xuzhou, it’s been years since I last visited Guangling,” Mi Zhu said, riding his horse and scanning the surroundings.

Even before officially entering Gaoyou, he noticed the area was different.

Buddhist temples dotted the outskirts of Gaoyou, numerous and widespread.

Yet, perhaps due to his preconceived bias against Ze Rong, the sight of this foreign Buddhist invasion didn’t evoke a sense of religious sanctity but rather an eerie discomfort.

As Mi Zhu spoke, a commotion arose from the rear of the procession. Turning back, he saw a group of monks carrying a wooden frame, causing the two groups to intertwine due to the narrow road.

Through the crowd, it was easy to spot the large Buddha statue on the frame.

The statue’s surface gleamed with gold, exuding opulence. Mi Zhu, with his keen eye, could tell that regardless of the statue’s core material, the outer layer was genuine gold.

Real gold.

Given the monks’ heavy steps, the statue was unlikely to be hollow.

It had to be a solid copper statue, plated with a thick layer of gold!

This was no small expense…

Moreover, Mi Zhu doubted he’d coincidentally encounter the only such statue being transported to Gaoyou.

He turned to Bao Hong, “How many such statues have you seen before?”

Bao Hong thought for a moment, “Three, I think?”

Adding this one, that made at least four.

Mi Zhu felt a pang of alarm.

Don’t mistake the crafting of such statues for a trivial matter.

Bao Hong might dismiss it as mere extravagance, but Mi Zhu vividly remembered the backlash Emperor Ling of Han faced for casting hollow bronze statues in Luoyang.

Given the limited copper mining, such statues were often made by melting coins, effectively exploiting the people’s wealth.

And considering the gold plating, the cost was even more staggering.

As Mi Zhu pondered, the procession carrying the statue passed by, their tail end brushing past him.

He clearly saw a line of plainly dressed, even patched, commoners.

Fortunately, it was summer, so their slightly tattered clothes weren’t a major issue.

But what struck Mi Zhu was the expression on their faces.

They seemed oblivious that, given their circumstances, they couldn’t afford such extravagance, yet they followed the statue with a pilgrim’s devotion.

He immediately had one of them stopped for questioning, only to be met with a look of why he was meddling.

According to this man, he had donated his family’s savings to Buddha’s earthly representative, ensuring the family’s peace and exempting them from corvée labor.

Mi Zhu’s temple twitched, “Ze Rong isn’t the Prefect of Guangling. How can he exempt these people from corvée labor?”

Tao Qian’s continued respect for Ze Rong, despite his peculiar methods of settling refugees, stemmed from Ze Rong delivering the required number of people for military grain transport to Donghai without openly opposing him.

But if Buddhists could enjoy such privileges, did it mean non-believers in Guangling had to shoulder double the corvée?

Bao Hong finally sensed something amiss from Mi Zhu’s tone.

He tentatively asked, “So, Ze Rong is forcing people to accept his faith by doubling the corvée for non-believers, eventually turning all of Guangling into his followers, then exploiting their wealth for his own display and pleasure?”

Mi Zhu gave Bao Hong a somewhat exasperated look, finding his obliviousness almost impressive.

Given his time in Guangling, it was remarkable he only realized this now.

Perhaps his only redeeming quality was his slight sensitivity to Ze Rong’s overtures.

No wonder, among the eight commanders of the Western Garden, Cao Cao had risen to Governor of Yanzhou, while Bao Hong remained underutilized by Qiao Yan.

But considering Bao Hong might not aspire for higher positions and seemed content with his current “exile,” Mi Zhu decided not to comment further.

He replied, “It might not just be for display and pleasure. He could be amassing military resources.”

These four bronze-gold statues were theoretically just the face of Buddhism, but bronze, referred to as “gold” in trade, was a hard currency.

Ze Rong wasn’t foolish enough to convert all his wealth into consumables.

But that didn’t negate the peculiarity of his actions.

If not for the need to feign cooperation with Ze Rong, Mi Zhu doubted he could calmly inquire about the statues upon meeting this “Buddhist master.”

Without the Liang Dynasty Emperor’s prohibition on meat, Ze Rong ate well and, due to martial training, had a robust, almost affable appearance.

Especially when he lowered his gaze, he exuded a semblance of compassion.

Perhaps it was this facade of benevolence masking his greed that made people overlook his true nature as a ruthless operator.

Hearing Mi Zhu’s question, Ze Rong replied, “This is an offering to the Buddha. The Mi Clan of Donghai, with its vast wealth, would find my four statues mere trifles.”

Mi Zhu remained silent, not responding.

He knew whether it was a trifle or not.

The Mi Clan of Donghai, despite its wealth, never indulged in such extravagance.

Ze Rong’s remark left Mi Zhu at a loss for words.

But Ze Rong had his own interpretation of Mi Zhu’s silence.

Recalling Mi Zhu’s previous refusal of his invitation, he thought it best to ease Mi Zhu’s guard, saying, “Your arrival from Donghai County is an honor for our Buddha Bathing Ceremony. Please rest first, and tomorrow I’ll show you around.”

Mi Zhu graciously accepted Ze Rong’s suggestion. But the next day, as he toured Gaoyou County with Ze Rong, he struggled to suppress his astonishment.

Ze Rong’s Buddhist temples, shaped like stacked copper plates, rose nine stories high, with various multi-story pavilions below.

Before the grand temple was a spacious square, which Ze Rong claimed could accommodate three thousand people chanting sutras simultaneously.

And during festivals, processions would start from here, heading in two directions…








The streets were extended sideways, fully covered with set up banquet tables, truly a scene of victorious friends like clouds.

Ze Rong, speaking up to this point, couldn’t help but proudly say to Mi Zhu, “Although this place is not as rich in products and bustling with merchants as Donghai County, it can still be considered a place of happy livelihood and people’s hearts turning towards Buddhism. I heard that in Chang’an city, there is a new road praised for its resistance to swords and axes, but I think this golden road before the Buddhist pagoda, where porridge and meals are given to countless living beings, inspiring goodness in those who see it, is not much inferior to that of Chang’an.”

Mi Zhu: “…”

How dare Ze Rong say such a thing!

The various wonders of the Buddhist temple, pagoda, and statues have turned the local populace into deceived zombies for him.

If we only talk about livelihood, Leping in the fourth year of Zhongping was far better than this place!

But as he watched, when Ze Rong spoke these words, he seemed to genuinely believe them.

Yet Mi Zhu quickly realized that comparing the Buddhist pagoda and the road of meals to Chang’an was not a normal signal.

If Gaoyou in Guangling could be compared to Chang’an in his cognition, what about Tan County in Donghai?

Did Ze Rong place himself above Tao Qian?

Mi Zhu initially couldn’t believe that Ze Rong, who governed Guangling with such methods, would have such further ambitions and display them so openly to visitors.

But perhaps it was his tacit approval of Ze Rong’s governance results, or the lavish praise from those who fled from Wu County to join him, that led Ze Rong to make a bolder decision.

Of course, there was no such thing as alcohol restriction in Xuzhou, so it theoretically made sense for Ze Rong to invite Mi Zhu to discuss Buddhist principles over drinks.

But after three rounds of drinks, seeing Mi Zhu seemingly half-drunk, Ze Rong suddenly probed.

He said to Mi Zhu, “I say, at this time, one must give to gain. Tao Gongzu should yield some profits from the Donghai salt fields to you, which is the way for him to last long in Xuzhou.”

At these words, Mi Zhu’s drunkenness instantly sobered up!

He wasn’t drunk to begin with.

Having tasted the high-purity liquor distilled in Bingzhou, the drinks Ze Rong offered were no different from plain water.

He often traveled and had to guard against agreeing to contracts while drunk.

Even so, Ze Rong’s words completely dispelled any remaining alcohol from his mind.

Mi Zhu couldn’t fail to understand the implication of Ze Rong’s words.

He was suggesting that if he were in Tao Qian’s position, he would surely offer more benefits to Mi Zhu.

But how could he be in Tao Qian’s position?

Only by usurping it.

Not only did he want to turn the population of Guangling County into followers of his Buddhism, but he also coveted Tao Qian’s position as governor.

And the fact that he had reached the point of probing Mi Zhu suggested this wasn’t a sudden thought.

Mi Zhu’s heart tightened; Xuzhou was likely to fall into chaos because of this!

No wonder Qiao Yan specifically mentioned in her letter that he should remember the principle of giving to gain after the meeting.

If Xuzhou fell into chaos, the Donghai Mi Clan would also be caught in the turmoil.

Fortunately, he now had a backer; if the situation turned bad, he could simply retreat to Bingzhou. Knowing in advance, there was still room for maneuver.

However, the situation wasn’t at its most troublesome yet; Ze Rong, always aiming high but achieving little, could only cause limited trouble.

As Mi Zhu’s thoughts swirled, he appeared to be slow from drunkenness, not immediately reacting to Ze Rong’s words. After a moment of confusion, he said, “The state monopoly on salt and iron is a convention; even if one wants to make money, there’s no reason to meddle in this. I prefer making money through trendy trades.”

Ze Rong smiled, “True, Mr. Mi is in big business, not short of this one venture.”

This probe was thus turned over.

Not hearing agreement from Mi Zhu didn’t surprise Ze Rong much, nor did it disappoint him.

After all, the Donghai tycoon was already here; it wouldn’t hurt to formally inquire again after the Buddha Bathing Festival.

Ze Rong, daring to compare his territory to Chang’an today, naturally thought he could compare in other aspects as well.

For example, after Qiao Yan’s display on Chang’an Road, she held a wine discussion meeting, which made the noble families bow down, even giving away the highly profitable liquor.

So, when he showed the unity of faith in Guangling during the Buddha Bathing Festival and demonstrated his military strength, could he also make Mi Zhu lean more towards him?

Ze Rong didn’t know how much planning and exchange were behind Qiao Yan’s success, dreaming on his own and falling asleep.

Mi Zhu, on this night, found an opportunity to send out the report of Ze Rong’s great ambition.

Ze Rong’s subordinates were watching Mi Zhu and his entourage’s movements, fearing that Ze Rong’s slightly overstepping inquiry would be directly reported to Tao Qian, but they wouldn’t have thought that the message was sent out by a bird that suddenly jumped onto the windowsill to eat grain.

And the subordinates accompanying Qiao Lan in Guangling, always alert for any carrier pigeons, caught the release and informed Qiao Lan.

“It seems the lord’s earlier judgment was not wrong,” she thought to herself, then ordered, “Send this message to Tan County to inform A Ting, and also send the information you previously investigated.”

Ze Rong’s incorporation of Yan Baihu’s subordinates and the invitation of Zu Lang did not escape Qiao Lan’s investigation.

Anyone would say it looked like a gathering of all sorts of demons and monsters.

For Xuzhou, originally in a state of calm, this was certainly not a good thing, but for Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting, the more chaos, the better.

So these people came just in time!

Moreover, Ze Rong might not have realized one thing, but Qiao Lan, after all, was taught by Jia Xu, couldn’t miss another unstable factor.

From an outsider’s perspective, could the successive movements of Yan Baihu’s old troops and Zu Lang have gone unnoticed by Yang Province?

Impossible!

At least if Qiao Lan were in Zhou Yu’s position, she wouldn’t turn a blind eye to it.

And for Yang Province, would it be more beneficial for Ze Rong’s rebellion to be quickly quelled by Tao Qian, with Lu Su taking over as the governor of Guangling?

Or… to let Xuzhou fall into further chaos, leaving them no time to consider Yang Province’s situation?

Probably the latter.

After all, Xuzhou and Yang Province have different stances on which court to support; hoping the other side also falls into chaos isn’t a dirty thought.

Tao Qian, having appointed Sun Guan, Zang Ba, and others in his early years and turned a blind eye to Ze Rong’s actions, now faces troubles as a result of his choices.

Upon receiving Qiao Lan’s letter, Qiao Ting in Donghai County also speculated similarly.

Before her lay a blank sheet of paper, on which she wrote down names one by one.

Just like when Li Ru led her to analyze the situation in Yizhou, she first listed all the forces surrounding the current dispute in Xuzhou.

Then, she crossed out those who couldn’t fundamentally influence the current situation, such as Sun Guan and others used by Tao Qian to deal with the Yellow Turbans in Xuzhou.

These people didn’t have the geographical advantage of independence like Ze Rong, nor his means of preaching, so at best, they could only be considered Tao Qian’s henchmen.

The real players on this chessboard were:

Tao Qian, the governor of Xuzhou, surrounded by soldiers, Xuzhou scholars represented by Chen Deng and Zhao Yu, and Xuzhou magnates represented by Lu Su.

Ze Rong, the master of Buddhist propagation, his followers, Yan Baihu’s old troops under his protection, and Zu Lang, who came for free meals, could all be considered his deployable manpower.

Zhang Yi, the former governor of Guangling who had already stepped down, according to Qiao Lan’s investigation in Sheyang, still held some of the people’s hearts here, so he couldn’t be completely considered a loner.

Sun Ce, Zhou Yu, and others from Yang Province, should be considered as lurking on the sidelines, perhaps ready to stir the pot.

Hidden in the shadows, Qiao Yan was the final party, having sent out the sisters Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting, with Mi Zhu, who had long been loyal to her, and Bao Hong, who acted as a communication medium, in Xuzhou.

After listing these five parties, Qiao Ting rested her chin on her hand, pondered for a long time, and added another name as the sixth party that could also be considered to have entered this good show.

During her conversation with Chen Deng, praising his ability in farming and land reclamation, Chen Deng mentioned his name.

He said that the person, not taking the victory over Yuan Shu as the primary goal but first considering the livelihood issues in Yu Province’s Pei State, stopping to govern, could be considered selfless, and that was truly admirable.

And now, this person really seemed to have a chance to enter the scene.

That was—

Liu Bei.

Liu Bei, just a step away from Xuzhou!

So within this small Xuzhou, it could be considered a six-party game!