Chapter 379

Chapter 379

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Final Volume: The Rise and Fall of Royal Power, Unification of the World, Chapter 379: Audience with the Emperor in Chang’an

Under normal circumstances, Emperor Liu Yu would at most exchange some court arrangements in correspondence with Qiao Yan.

Whether it was because he had clearly realized that some situations were beyond his control, or as the Emperor, he wanted to give Qiao Yan, the minister who was conquering all directions, absolute initiative, Liu Yu rarely interfered with Qiao Yan’s personal whereabouts.

With the two major enemies, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, still present east of Luoyang, Liu Yu would never make such a foolish decision!

Because in the rapidly changing situation, Qiao Yan could suddenly arrive in Yang Province, then head north to Xuzhou, officially ending the north-south confrontation there. Similarly, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao could also take advantage of Qiao Yan’s absence from Luoyang to launch an attack on the area.

The time spent on the road might seem insignificant, but it could become a fatal delay at a critical moment.

Liu Yu had already proven with his own experience that he was indeed not a military expert, so he would not make such an intrusive interference.

But for Liu Yang, who now held the imperial seal, and Wang Yun, who intended to assist him in eliminating Qiao Yan, such issues were not what they needed to consider at this moment. They would ponder over them only after they had removed Qiao Yan, the Grand Marshal!

This was the difference.

In their view, the deployments in Youzhou, Bingzhou, Xuzhou, Yang Province, and Jing Province could at any time pose a deterrent and attack on the territories of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao. They felt that even if those two joined forces, they would never coincidentally launch a counterattack at the beginning of the fifth year of Jian’an.

It was precisely because of this thinking that they were so resolute and decisive when stamping the imperial seal on this forged certificate.

The handwriting was from a skilled forger specially sought by Chunyu Jia, imitating the handwriting used by the Secretariat to draft imperial edicts for His Majesty.

The seal was directly seized by Liu Yang from Liu Yu, without any forgery, and there were no issues.

This was an imperial edict that Qiao Yan, in her capacity, had no choice but to accept.

As for whether the edict was appropriate, that was another matter. It could be discussed when Qiao Yan arrived in Chang’an.

But once she truly went to Chang’an and found herself trapped in that prison, whether she could still control the situation was hard to say.

Xianyu Yin, who had read this edict countless times on the way from Chang’an to Luoyang, even though he knew Qiao Yan would not find any problems with it, he still couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.

In this tense atmosphere, he naturally failed to notice the momentary mockery in Qiao Yan’s eyes when her gaze fell on the words “return to the capital immediately.” He only heard Qiao Yan ask:

“Why didn’t His Majesty specify the matters to be discussed in the edict, so I could ponder over them on my way back to Chang’an? Or at least give me a general idea. If the affairs in Luoyang are more urgent, I could handle them first before returning?”

“In Chang’an, there are Grand Commandant Huangfu, Minister over the Masses Wang, and Minister of Works Huang, along with other loyal ministers. What could be so urgent that I also need to return?”

Qiao Yan’s reaction was not too surprising to Xianyu Yin. When he set out from Chang’an, Wang Yun had already told him that Qiao Yan might invoke the principle of “a general in the field is not bound by the emperor’s orders.”

This might not necessarily mean she had seen through the issues in the edict or the plans against her in Chang’an, but because—

When she was in Luoyang, she was not only the Grand Marshal to the Chang’an court but also the highest-ranking official there, not subject to anyone’s constraints. But in Chang’an, she would inevitably face various restrictions.

Last year, Yu Fan had even predicted that Qiao Yan and Chang’an were in conflict. If she stayed there, she might face the threat of being beheaded within two years.

Although Qiao Yan did not believe in fate, only in the principle that man can conquer nature, she still needed to be cautious.

Thus, temporarily not returning to Chang’an might be the best choice.

Thinking of Wang Yun’s reminder, Xianyu Yin did not say anything like “You will know when you return to Chang’an” or “Are you questioning the Emperor’s edict?” Instead, he softly replied, “This is a matter of necessity. His Majesty’s health has not been good since last October, and now it’s… some things are not convenient to write in the edict summoning you back to court. We can only ask you to return first.”

Hearing this, Qiao Yan immediately frowned, “Is this true?”

“How dare we fabricate such a thing,” Xianyu Yin replied. “His Majesty has rarely questioned your actions, but now he is unusually asking you to return for discussions. This is a very serious situation. Master Zhang Zhongjing has already been stationed in the palace half a month ago, changing from a consultation every three days to a permanent residence. It’s not a good sign.”

Qiao Yan’s gaze locked onto Xianyu Yin.

Just as his heart was about to leap out of his chest, he heard her say, “Alright, I will return to Chang’an immediately.”

If it weren’t for the inappropriateness of the moment, Xianyu Yin would have almost sighed in relief at this response.

However, one thing he said earlier couldn’t be entirely considered a lie.

When he set out from Chang’an, Zhang Zhongjing had been summoned to the inner palace.

Liu Yang was not unaware that his and Wang Yun’s conspiracy to eliminate Qiao Yan, though they could wave the flag of acting for the sake of the Han Dynasty’s foundation, when their actions also included restricting Liu Yu’s personal freedom, compared to Qiao Yan, who might “possibly seize power,” he was the real rebel!

Because of this, he absolutely could not add another crime to himself.

Liu Yu must not be angered to death by his act of seizing the imperial seal!

Thinking that his father’s illness had already made his health poor, Liu Yang’s brain finally worked properly for once. After using the imperial seal to issue the temporary suspension of court and the order to summon Qiao Yan to Chang’an, he used the excuse of caring for his father’s health to summon Zhang Zhongjing.

But rather than saying this was to have Zhang Zhongjing stationed in the palace, it was more like detaining this divine doctor there.

Liu Yu was almost angered to the point of fainting by Liu Yang’s series of actions.

When Zhang Zhongjing removed the long acupuncture needles from his body, he barely regained his breath and immediately cursed, “You unfilial son! How could I have given birth to such an unfilial son!”

He thought Liu Yang was at most unlearned and had some of the arrogance common among the Han imperial family.

After all, he had already shown his attitude that Liu Yang was not suitable to succeed him to the throne. It seemed that no official in Chang’an would be so foolish as to bet on him. At most, he would squander the property and land Liu Yu had allocated to him in the manner of a prodigal son, and should not cause any major trouble.

With his promise not to oppose Qiao Yan, even if the worst situation Liu Yu anticipated occurred, Qiao Yan’s temperament would not harm Liu Yang.

But Liu Yu never expected that Liu Yang’s ambition, which did not match his abilities, would actually gain someone’s support, leading him to first accomplish the feat of controlling the Chang’an palace and imprisoning his father!

Indeed, this was not something Liu Yang could have achieved on his own.

Thinking of the unknown individuals gathered around Liu Yang, inciting his overly ambitious son to engage in power struggles, while he was already under house arrest, Liu Yu felt extremely anxious.

“Why does this scoundrel think that’s something I didn’t have the courage to do!”

Was it lack of courage? No, it was impossibility!

“Your Majesty, please do not be so angry. Your illness is originally due to pent-up frustration. If you cannot control your temper now, it will not bode well for your longevity,” Zhang Zhongjing said while soothing Liu Yu, causing the distressed old father to shift his gaze to Zhang Zhongjing.

Forcing the soldiers outside the door to open it under the Emperor’s authority was clearly not feasible. Those guarding were all Liu Yang’s trusted men. Liu Yu wasting energy on this would be futile and, as Zhang Zhongjing said, only harm his own life.

Suppressing the frustration in his heart, he sat down and sighed, “I have implicated you, sir.”

At Chiyang Medical Academy, Zhang Zhongjing could save countless patients or teach dozens of students in a day. Now, he was forced to be a hostage here with him, making Liu Yu feel deeply sorry.

Whether Liu Yang’s absurd actions would succeed or not, Zhang Zhongjing’s situation was unsafe, as if he had been innocently dragged into this.

Zhang Zhongjing shook his head, “Your Majesty, do not say so. A doctor’s heart is like that of a parent. Even if today I were to visit for a consultation, facing a dangerous situation involving Prince Yang himself, I would still choose to come, let alone for a benevolent ruler like Your Majesty.”

“A benevolent ruler?” Liu Yu smiled bitterly, “If when I was first supported as Emperor, I thought a benevolent ruler was necessary to stabilize the hearts of the people in Guanzhong, today I must admit that a true benevolent ruler and someone like me, who cannot even discern the court’s movements, are not the same.”

“You said my illness is due to pent-up frustration, and that’s correct. But while frustration can be resolved, worms eating away at a tree’s trunk will only lead to its collapse!”

Seeing Zhang Zhongjing’s somewhat puzzled gaze, Liu Yu sighed, “It’s good that you don’t understand what I’m saying now. I only hope that if the imperial seal is truly used as a lure to trick Ye Shu into returning to court, Ye Shu must not return.”

That was the only hope for the world’s stability, so why did such a disaster suddenly appear!

He suddenly thought of something and asked Zhang Zhongjing, “Is there any illness that requires medicine from outside, the more commotion the better? Perhaps we still have a chance to send a message out!”

As long as everything could be stopped before it happened, Chang’an could still maintain its facade of peace.

At least… at least it’s not yet time for Qiao Yan and the Han court to break ties completely.

“Your Majesty,” Zhang Zhongjing instinctively felt that Liu Yu’s current mood was not right and quickly advised, “Please do not be so pessimistic. Grand Marshal Qiao is so intelligent and resourceful, how could she be deceived by Prince Yang’s control of the palace and seizure of the imperial seal? If something happens to your health now, that would truly be bad.”

If Liu Yu really endangered his life in an attempt to send a message, then in the eyes of the world, Liu Yang, who forced him into this situation, would inevitably be held accountable, and Grand Marshal Qiao would also bear some responsibility. This was definitely not the result Zhang Zhongjing wanted to see.

Rather than that, it would be better to let the Grand Marshal complete this breakthrough.

Since he was invited by Qiao Yan from Nanyang to Chang’an and personally witnessed the establishment and prosperity of the medical academy north of Chang’an in Chiyang, in Zhang Zhongjing’s mind, Qiao Yan had become a figure who frequently created miracles.

If even she couldn’t solve the current predicament, who could?

After all, even the lowly status of doctors a few years ago had achieved such career progress under her command!

Hearing Zhang Zhongjing’s firm reply, the despondent look on Liu Yu’s face eased slightly but did not completely disappear.

Zhang Zhongjing was right. With Qiao Yan’s abilities, even if Liu Yang truly had high-level assistance behind him, it should not cause her any fatal blows.

But he also understood that Zhang Zhongjing and he were not thinking about the same thing.

Liu Yu looked towards the sealed window. The sunlight outside, after being blocked, cast a dim light into the hall, adding a bleak atmosphere.

What he was worried about was not just Qiao Yan’s safety.

But what could he do now?

Perhaps the only thing he could do was to calm his mind and hold on for a few more days!

“My lord, don’t you think that the stale fish officer who came to deliver the message seems a bit off?”

As Lu Lingju prepared for Qiao Yan’s return to Chang’an, she…








She also took pride in bringing it along, but couldn’t help thinking that Qiao Yan had previously told her she intended to fight side by side with Lu Lingju. If that were the case, the situation of returning to Chang’an would be somewhat微妙.

With this preconceived notion, Lu Lingju’s gaze towards Xianyu Yin became more挑剔.

Perhaps due to her instinctive reaction, she couldn’t help but feel that something was off with this guy.

Too心虚!

Yes, just too心虚!

“If he were truly concerned about His Majesty’s health and had invited you back to Chang’an, he should be anxiously thinking about the situation in Chang’an. If we still have the leisure to see him, he should urge us to hurry. Why avoid my gaze?”

The more Lu Lingju spoke, the more she felt it was true. She干脆 jumped off her horse and climbed onto Qiao Yan’s carriage.

With the carriage curtains隔绝, Xianyu Yin couldn’t possibly hear their conversation. Lu Lingju then continued, “My Lord, I think we need to be careful.”

“That’s Captain Xianyu, not Stale Fish Captain. Give him some face,” Qiao Yan smiled and replied.

Although she said to give Xianyu Yin some face, the嘲讽 in her words was evident even to someone as straightforward as Lu Lingju.

She quickly asked, “Am I right? Does this guy really have a阴谋?”

Qiao Yan replied, “Half right. But if you call his little scheme a阴谋, you’re overestimating him. At best, he’s just a pawn thrown out as a前锋.”

A前锋 who could only be used as a messenger.

In the grand scheme of things, he was just a small fry.

Qiao Yan’s subtle implication made Lu Lingju jump from her seat, but she forgot she was in a carriage. The jump caused her head to hit the ceiling, and she sat back down in pain.

Seeing this, Qiao Yan, who had been somewhat displeased by Wang Yun’s schemes, couldn’t help but smile.

Lu Lingju muttered, “My Lord! Is this the time to laugh at me?”

“Indeed not, but you don’t need to worry so much.”

Qiao Yan glanced out the window. The commotion in the carriage had made Xianyu Yin forget his心虚 and instinctively look towards the carriage. Unfortunately, the window纱 blocked his view, and he couldn’t see what was happening inside, nor the冷意 in Qiao Yan’s gaze.

“If I hadn’t prepared for them, why would I bring you, Zilong, and our牙门将军?”

Lu Lingju nodded.

My Lord bringing them along clearly showed she had considered her safety.

Not to mention Dian Wei’s close combat skills and Zhao Yun’s ability to command troops, even Lu Lingju herself was a capable fighter.

If she could fight进出 on the Liaodong battlefield, Chang’an should be no problem.

If only she could ride freely.

Qiao Yan added, “Moreover, how much of Chang’an do you think they control?”

Her second question made Lu Lingju掰了掰手指.

Although Chang’an was nominally under the Emperor’s jurisdiction, since Qiao Yan led troops from Liangzhou into Guanzhong and captured Chang’an, it had been heavily marked with her专属烙印.

The金吾卫 directly under Liu Yu only controlled the area around the Chang’an宫城, not the entire city.

The守城兵卒 on the outskirts and the屯兵 in the三辅 region were almost all under Qiao Yan’s control.

At most, they could control the宫城, but forming a强兵劲卒 to threaten Qiao Yan was simply无稽之谈!

“Wait,” Lu Lingju frowned, “Falsely reporting the Emperor’s illness, controlling the宫城, luring you back, likely to harm you, isn’t this…”

“Isn’t this the same method Emperor Xiaoling used against Grand General He Jin?!”

To prevent the students from being out of touch with the times, Leping Academy’s curriculum included a full analysis of Dong Zhuo’s rebellion, including Emperor Ling’s attempts to eliminate外戚.

This couldn’t be blamed on Qiao Yan, who enjoyed the fame and status Liu Hong gave her before背刺 him. It was Cai Yong’s fault for including后续 events in the “Dongguan Hanji,” including the late Emperor Ling.

As an outstanding graduate of Leping Academy, Lu Lingju had studied this and couldn’t mistake the similarity.

But realizing this, especially after Qiao Yan’s默认回应, Lu Lingju was about to explode.

“How can they compare you to He Jin!”

Madness! Absolute madness!

In Lu Lingju’s eyes, comparing Qiao Yan to霍光 was already亵渎, let alone He Jin.

He Jin’s mansion was indeed full of talent, but how many truly served him or contributed to the Han Dynasty’s foundation? The answer would make He Jin jump out of his grave.

Using He Jin’s methods against Qiao Yan showed they either underestimated her or overestimated themselves.

If Qiao Yan hadn’t示意 Lu Lingju to sit still, she would have grabbed her长戟 and砍了 Xianyu Yin on the spot!

But even without such凶残举动, she couldn’t help but whisper, “My Lord, can’t we just turn back?”

Knowing someone was plotting ahead and still walking into the trap made Lu Lingju increasingly uncomfortable.

Perhaps, if they直接领兵包围 the Chang’an宫城, these shameless people would still dare to say they had no intention of刺杀 My Lord, and it was My Lord以小人之心揣度君子之腹!

“Turn back? There’s only千日做贼, no千日防贼! Rather than日夜提防 these people, even忍着恶心 letting them sit in high positions they don’t deserve, it’s better to坚决一点, use this引蛇出洞 method to一网打尽 them.”

Lu Lingju was about to say more when Qiao Yan suddenly said, “Protector of Wuhuan, Lu Lingju,听令!”

She immediately swallowed her words and replied, “Here! Please吩咐, My Lord!”

“Once we reach Chang’an’s城门, without delay, immediately调度大司马府内精兵,前往…前往卫尉府营救鲜于将军.”

“Huh?” Lu Lingju愣了两三息 before realizing Qiao Yan meant to rescue the brother of that Stale Fish Captain outside.

Why was he imprisoned? Why did he need her rescue?

But Lu Lingju quickly realized she couldn’t keep up with Qiao Yan’s博弈. Instead of wasting time on questions she didn’t understand, she should just follow My Lord’s orders. This was the并肩作战 opportunity she had been waiting for.

So what was there to hesitate about? Just agree!

“Lingju领命!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Qiao Yan gave another指令, “Once successful, immediately率部攻破长安宫城,不得有误.”

Hearing this, Lu Lingju’s expression brightened.

She knew My Lord would never compromise.

Breaking into the Chang’an宫城 might seem叛逆, but when someone plots against you, why should My Lord忍气吞声 on the basis of being a Han忠臣?

Strike these guys down!

But…

“My Lord, if I recall correctly, your大司马府上的精兵精骑, though numerous, only number over a hundred. Adding those who hurried back to Chang’an with us, it’s only about four hundred. If the卫尉 doesn’t cooperate, we might not be able to breach the宫墙.”

During Chang’an’s修缮, Qiao Yan, under the pretext of considering the Emperor’s safety, had the宫墙严苛修缮, almost installing弩机. Only the thought of appearing草木皆兵 and损天子风仪 made her slightly收手.

But even so, it wasn’t an easy place to breach.

Now, Qiao Yan wanted her to rescue someone from the卫尉府, but relying on these troops to breach the宫墙 was troublesome.

Qiao Yan replied, “Who said you only have this一路兵马?”

Dian Wei would definitely follow her into the Chang’an宫城.

To expose Liu Yang and Wang Yun’s plots, she had to亲自深入虎穴.

After sending Lu Lingju to rescue Xianyu Fu, there was still one person left.

“Look, there’s Zilong,” Qiao Yan pointed behind the carriage.

Lu Lingju suddenly realized why Qiao Yan had赵云 not as a将军 but as an不起眼的小兵.

It wasn’t for赵云 to provide武力值支援 when least expected!

Indeed, before they reached Luoyang, passing through Huayin,赵云 had already悄无声息 disappeared from the队尾.

Xianyu Yin, focused solely on bringing Qiao Yan to Chang’an, didn’t notice this插曲.

As they正式过潼关 into Chang’an’s vicinity, Xianyu Yin’s mind was almost flying to the city.

If he hadn’t remembered his mission and勉强 could say his急迫 was due to the Emperor’s急召, he would have暴露 his thoughts entirely.

Seeing the open宫城城门, he silently sighed in relief.

Then he saw Qiao Yan, seemingly unaware of the重重陷阱 inside,整理 her衣冠 for the面圣 and walked straight into the宫城.

Step.

Another step.

Xianyu Yin’s breath almost stopped.

But just as she was about to enter, she suddenly stopped.

This差点让 Xianyu Yin bite his tongue.

Seeing Qiao Yan turn back, Xianyu Yin quickly asked, “Does the Grand Marshal have any further吩咐?”

She招手 to the亲卫 behind her, “Follow me in to面见天子.”

“This不合规矩!” Xianyu Yin tried to阻止, but before he could move, Dian韦 had already拎 him aside.

Qiao Yan calmly replied, “不合规矩? Who set the规矩?”

“The Emperor ordered me to return from Luoyang immediately. I’m back. But I recently caught a cold, and it’s freezing now. To prevent worsening my illness, I need二三十壮丁 to form a屏障遮风. What’s wrong with that!”

“This isn’t明文规定, is it!”

With that final statement, Qiao Yan didn’t bother征求 Xianyu Yin’s意见 and led Dian韦等人 into the宫城.

“My Lord, what should we do?” A小卒 on the宫墙, seeing this荒唐 yet有理的一幕, hurried to Liu Yang in the望楼.

Although Qiao Yan only brought二三十 people, they formed a人墙 around her, making it much harder to射杀 her with弓弩.

This was an unexpected意外.

Liu Yang咬牙切齿 replied, “Let her in! If she wants to bring her subordinates to their deaths, let them accompany her on the黄泉路!”