“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 19: Xu Fu of Yingchuan
Qiao Yan’s knowledge of Huangfu Song was merely limited to a few lines in the Book of the Later Han, and her understanding of Zhu Jun was just about his life story.
Before making this move, she pondered over how to ensure her words left a significant impression on them.
She might not deliver a perfect answer, as anyone’s judgment of others’ actions will inevitably carry a bit of subjectivity.
However, she could certainly offer an answer that would score above ninety in the context of the Han Dynasty.
“Filial piety.”
This was an answer that would never go wrong.
Throughout the Han period, apart from Liu Hong, who still occupied the throne, and Liu Xie, who would become Emperor Xian of Han, a total of 17 emperors had the character “filial” added to their posthumous titles. The only exceptions were the founding emperors Liu Bang and Liu Xiu.
Even Emperor Wu of Han had the title “Filial Martial Emperor.”
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the Han Dynasty engraved the principle of filial piety upon the throne.
And this wasn’t merely a slogan about “governing the world with filial piety”; beyond tax exemption, silk gifts, and noble titles, the most well-known way to promote talent in the Han was through the recommendation for filial piety and integrity.
Interestingly, while Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun came from different backgrounds—a military family and a humble family, respectively—they both rose through this system.
In an environment where the culture of filial piety had deeply rooted itself among the people of Han and had a profound influence, it was unnecessary to probe whether they were sincerely filial or simply performing.
All Qiao Yan aimed to do was to leverage the rules to craft a stellar early resume for herself.
As she stood up and met the gazes of Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, she felt sure she’d hit the jackpot.
“Loyal, righteous, courageous, and commendably filial,” Zhu Jun remarked.
What definitely resonated more with Zhu Jun was that she didn’t miss mentioning “parents” in her words.
Having lost his father at a young age, he was raised by his mother, and being recommended as a filial and upright person by the governor of Kuaiji was thanks to his dedicated care for her. Any slight addition to Qiao Yan’s words meant more for him.
If he and his mother had been swept away by the Yellow Turbans, resulting in her death, would he have fought to the death to eliminate the Yellow Turban bandits?
Perhaps he would.
Zhu Jun couldn’t help but admire Qiao Yan even more, especially after hearing Huangfu Song echo his thoughts.
But because Huangfu Song was more closely related to Qiao Yan in terms of family background, he said it with a friendly tease, “Didn’t you say yesterday, there’s no need to kill those surrendering Yellow Turbans from Yanzhou?”
“That’s a different matter,” Qiao Yan replied. “Not killing these rebel Yellow Turbans is because the general still needs momentum to move north and subdue the bandits. At this time, killing people serves no deterrent purpose. Moreover, both provinces’ populations are exhausted and dwindling after the chaos. Many among the Yellow Turbans are just blind followers; killing them would be futile, making it harder for the two provinces to recover and restore production.”
Huangfu Song nodded, signaling her to continue.
Previously, while in the capital Luoyang, he heard Qiao Xuan mention that his eldest son’s talent in political matters wasn’t that high, and since Qiao Xuan, as Grand Commandant, hadn’t accumulated much wealth, he didn’t intend to get him a decent official position. Thus, it was wise to keep him in Rencheng, ensuring safety.
But now it seemed the “lack of talent” mentioned by Qiao Xuan might not align with what he understood as talent.
Had it not been for the vision of wise elders mentoring him, Qiao Yan wouldn’t have had such capabilities at her young age.
Thankfully, this Yellow Turban calamity hadn’t caused such promising youth to perish unfulfilled.
Qiao Yan continued, “But Bo Cai is different; he knew full well that my father’s cart wasn’t an ordinary civilian one but belonged to an official, yet he still allowed his men to attack, resulting in my father’s death. This man holds no respect for the Han court and should be dealt with according to the laws. If we show him unwarranted leniency, as General Zhu rightly said, it would instill fearlessness in the populace toward insurrection.”
“Indeed, he deserves to die,” Huangfu Song agreed with her.
“I seek not to take credit for capturing Bo Cai in battle; if this can be achieved, it wholly relies on the strength of the warriors from Chenliu, and the general’s decisive order for encirclement. I merely wish to use his head as a tribute to express filial piety.”
Upon hearing the hint of leniency in Huangfu Song’s words, Qiao Yan relaxed a bit.
She paused and spoke with a slightly softer tone, “This may indeed go against military order, but I believe the emperor desires peace across the realm, where the people can be safe at home and be filial and virtuous. Even if written in a military report, I doubt that His Majesty would hold it against me or the general.”
Stepping back a bit, her words revealed a childlike innocence that made Huangfu Song chuckle, “Of course not! In ancient times, there were tales of warming a pillow to comfort the parents and fierce loyalty, yet none compare to your bold feat of destroying the Yellow Turbans in the two provinces while chatting! I will definitely report this to the emperor after our campaign into Jizhou, and you can take Bo Cai’s head. But—”
Huangfu Song paused, not because he had any conditions but simply asked, “What do you think of the rebel leader from Yanzhou?”
Qiao Yan didn’t feel any obligation to ensure Liang Zhongning’s safety after using him as a tool all this time.
And she certainly didn’t feel any guilt about it.
However, during her time in Yanzhou, she had gathered a bit of insight about him; at least when he occupied Puyang, he didn’t engage in any reckless behavior like Bu Ji attacking Juye, so he was somewhat redeemable.
She responded, “The general might as well bring him along to witness the demise of the Yellow Turbans. The majority of the Yellow Turbans in Yanzhou still trust him to some degree; changing his mindset would still be useful.”
Huangfu Song didn’t particularly care about Liang Zhongning’s life or death.
What pleased him more wasn’t “still somewhat useful” but “witness the demise of the Yellow Turbans.”
This insightful and adaptable younger generation, all believed the Yellow Turbans would fall sooner or later, and wasn’t that a sign of Huangfu Song’s confidence in relying on them to quell the chaos and achieve great deeds?
He laughed heartily, “I’ll take your advice!”
As Qiao Yan stepped out of the temporary command office in Changshe, she finally felt a sense of grounding.
After last night’s victory against the Yellow Turbans, she had claimed she would pay her respects after things calmed down, but in reality, she hadn’t remained in the camp outside the city. Instead, she took Cheng Li and Dian Wei, with Cao Cao’s assistance, to find a place to stay in Changshe.
Now that she had gained another opportunity to enhance her reputation from Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song, there was no need for her to rush back. She leisurely followed the path back.
At this point, it wasn’t like they were in a fiery era requiring weapons or tactics that would lead to dismantling homes to fortify defenses or nibbling on tree bark due to food shortages—
In fact, just overnight, it seemed the traces of war had vanished from Changshe.
Ah, Yingchuan……
[Curious, why have you gained strategist points today after meeting Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun when you were clearly discussing your own affairs?]
The system muttered.
Qiao Yan previously wasn’t accustomed to responding internally, mostly replying aloud, but now in Changshe, with the crowd around her, she needed to be cautious.
She replied internally, “Because Huangfu Song has firmly resolved to launch a surprise attack.”
After temporarily settling last night and gaining a private space, Qiao Yan checked the system interface.
She wasn’t surprised that she didn’t receive basic strategist point rewards for the defeat of the Yellow Turbans in Yanzhou and Yuzhou.
Despite starting in the Han camp, she had previously joined the Yellow Turbans, first taking down the fortress with Liang Zhongning and then merging with the Yellow Turban army. Given that she had already received system rewards, she had essentially gotten a default “defector” status.
There was no chance of exploiting a bug; it was because of that circumstance that, while considered “Yanzhou’s Yellow Turban strategist,” the defeat of the Yellow Turbans by Han soldiers couldn’t be credited to her.
However, she did gain something from the system.
The system had mentioned before that triggering strategist achievements could also earn strategist points, and fortuitously, there was an achievement in the default list called “Defeat a Power After a Successful Strategy.”
Putting it in layman’s terms, a foolish strategist causing their faction’s downfall through poor decisions can achieve it, or an exceptional strategist can successfully assist their lord in destroying an additional power—both counts.
Of course, the former, if not in Qiao Yan’s sneaky circumstance, would sound a bit mocking.
As for why she didn’t achieve this by having Dian Wei kill Bu Ji and Zhang Bo, pushing Liang Zhongning to rise, Qiao Yan pondered up an explanation.
The internal absorption among Yanzhou’s Yellow Turbans could only be considered a change of leadership of the group, not an outright destruction.
But now that they had been defeated by Huangfu Song’s Han army, there was undeniably no longer any entity called [Yanzhou Yellow Turbans].
This judgment for the achievement was reasonable.
The corresponding reward for “Destroying a Power” was 30 strategist points, which corresponded to 3 skill distribution points and 9 attribute distribution points, along with a basic tactical scroll detailing the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation.
That was already a substantial gain!
Today, mentioning Bo Cai’s head as a tribute to her parents was essentially a public declaration of “switching allegiance,” combined with Huangfu Song’s decision to proceed with a surprise attack. It was all interconnected, hence her subsequent rewards.
This entire audacious maneuver turned out fruitful, and it couldn’t help but bring joy to Qiao Yan.
With these skill and attribute points, her possibilities expanded.
For example—
Horsemanship.
This wasn’t a skill that could rapidly improve with short-term training.
She still didn’t have the talent necessary to keep up with the army’s speed through only brief exposure to riding.
This differed from her planning strategies; Qiao Yan didn’t mind using some shortcuts here.
If she couldn’t master riding that wouldn’t hold her back, Huangfu Song wouldn’t likely allow her to join tomorrow’s army march and might very well send her back to Liang Kingdom after she offered Bo Cai’s head as a blood tribute.
But having participated in this Yellow Turban rebellion, missing out on witnessing the decisive battle would truly be a shame!
Moreover, the Great Virtuous Teacher Zhang Jiao was supposed to pass away before October this year; only because this leader of the Way of Great Peace was still alive did the combat capability of the Yellow Turbans in Jizhou plummet along with their morale. This allowed Huangfu Song to take advantage of the chaos and strike decisively.
But now, with this leader still living, no one could guarantee what twists might occur during the impending surprise attack due to his charisma.
Qiao Yan couldn’t claim to have everything figured out, but she sensed she might still have some leeway to exploit in this large-scale operation.
One can’t help but feel a bit greedy.
Starting with 28 points in physique, after the initial point allocation, the fortress battle, eliminating Bu Ji and Zhang Bo, restoring the livelihood in Yanzhou, indirectly influencing Huangfu Song’s decisions, and the fixed points from signing in, plus those 9 attribute points from this achievement, it eventually stacked up to 50.
50 in physique—
That could be considered the physique rating of an average adult.
There was a universe of difference compared to the original 28.
Even if there weren’t any more opportunities for her to showcase her abilities in the short term, while attribute points might not be easy to come by, this foundation was sufficient for her to gradually enhance her physical capacity through training.
Though she relied on her eloquence to climb to where she was today, from a lonely orphan in the chaotic land of the Yellow Turbans, losing both parents, now seen as someone who balanced loyalty and filial piety in the eyes of Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun.
Yet—
Thinking about how Emperor Ling of Han showed no remorse amid the Yellow Turban Rebellion, still indulging in extravagant pleasures, allowing eunuchs and clan members to fight among themselves, and how the Yellow Turbans were re-emerging in various places, followed by He Jin’s death after his demise and Dong Zhuo’s riot—an urgency swelled in Qiao Yan’s heart.
This isn’t enough!
Just relying on excellent speech isn’t enough!
Emperor Ling of Han died in 189 AD, which is just over five years from now.
In a more disorderly environment, family status, reputation for filial piety, and keen eloquence might not hold much weight against the assurance provided by martial prowess.
She couldn’t keep relying on Cheng Li as her charioteer, nor expect Dian Wei to always be by her side in her future endeavors.
Clearly, she had to add another layer of assurance for herself.
This mission of pacifying the Yellow Turbans in Jizhou could very well be her most significant opportunity in the next four to five years.
“Why are you so young and thinking so much?” Qiao Yan’s thoughts were interrupted by an unexpected voice, and upon looking, she saw Cao Cao standing under the opposite eaves, gazing at her.
Qiao Yan felt no guilt about stealing Dian Wei as her bodyguard to ensure her safety as a “strategist” and hiring Cheng Li to assist in planning the defeat of the Yellow Turbans; thus, she felt no awkwardness when facing Cao Cao.
As for the system, it had initially assigned her this identity to integrate her into Cao Cao’s camp and now seemed to have high hopes for him.
Perhaps because Qiao Yan was too assertive regarding the Yellow Turban issue, the system grumbled about “establishing good relations ahead,” then quieted down.
Qiao Yan couldn’t help but silently scoff; a newbie system has its perks, especially when it knew what not to meddle with.
In a shift of thought, she put aside her contemplative expression and cupped her hands in greeting, “Cao Duwai.”
Cao Cao, currently the cavalry commander, carried a title that didn’t sound particularly grand. The main commander of this uprising against the Yellow Turbans was still Huangfu Song, who outranked him. However, in reality, he too was a substantial figure, comparable to a Guo among the two thousand stone ranks. Qiao Yan addressing him by office and showing the courtesy of a junior to a senior posed no issues at all.
However, Cao Cao seemed somewhat dissatisfied with this title.
“I had much contact with your grandfather in the capital…”
Qiao Yan almost braced herself for him to say “why don’t you just call me Lord Cao,” but thankfully, at less than thirty years of age, about twenty years younger than Qiao Yan’s father, Cao Cao refrained from making such brazen remarks.
Seeing a hint of strangeness on Qiao Yan’s face, he chuckled and continued, “I like to elevate my status, let’s say your grandfather and I have become family friends. You are about the same age as my son Ao, so just call me uncle. No need for such formality as ‘Cao Duwai.’
Qiao Yan accepted, calling him “Uncle.”
This person, who in history would seize control of the world, commanding the emperor while ruling as a noble, had retained much of his youthful spirit, unrestrained in this time.
But just like the current Sun Jian, who hadn’t yet risen to prominence during the Yellow Turban Rebellion; few would foresee that he would become a pivotal figure of the chaotic times and that the renowned “Little Overlord” Sun Ce would later establish a foundation in Jiangdong. Presently, however, Cao Cao—
There probably wouldn’t be many who thought Xu Zijiang’s remark on him being a “scoundrel in a time of peace and a hero in chaos” wasn’t inaccurate.
However, now wasn’t the time to think too much.
Qiao Yan had to admit, although Cao Cao’s legacy would later be filled with tales of distrust and amusing anecdotes, with recurring criticisms of him being “narrow-minded” and “suspicious,” having a conversation with him turned out to be quite engaging.
No wonder he could rally so many strategists and generals under his command. Besides holding the Han Emperor as leverage, his personal charisma couldn’t be ignored either.
While Qiao Yan needed to stay deeply vigilant with Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, conversing with Cao Cao could afford her a bit more relaxation.
After all, the subject matter was merely about local customs and culture, such as the name of Changshe County deriving from the flourishing growth of trees in the sacrificial temple.
Adding to the ease was that Cao Cao’s mind was sharp enough not to ask inflammatory questions like why she donned such an outfit.
He had already discerned that Qiao Yan was Qiao Xuan’s granddaughter, not grandson, and wouldn’t find it strange that she changed back to women’s clothing.
The conversation shifted to the Yingchuan noble families.
“The Xun family produces eight dragons, unmatched in their wisdom. It’s a pity Mr. Ciming fled to the banks of the Han River over a decade ago, focusing all his efforts on hiding…”
“To start a new journey of learning, yet unable to see the chance.”
Xun Shuang, indeed one of the victims of the Prohibition of Factionalists, chose to hide and cultivate himself, becoming a great scholar in his own right—a path that wasn’t too shabby.
But when Cao Cao mentioned Xun Shuang, it was clear he wasn’t just chit-chatting about this reclusive sage. Moments later, he cheekily asked, “Speaking of Mr. Ziming, I heard you have a little cover-up with a disciple of Zheng Xuan?”
“Just a temporary measure,” Qiao Yan responded nonchalantly. “If my uncle wants to laugh at me over this, that’s not very grand elder-like, is it?”
Cao Cao felt strangely connected to Qiao Yan; they both had a thick skin, that much was clear.
Qiao Yan blowing smoke about Zheng Xuan as her master and trying to set up connections was probably not a big deal after all.
He stroked his beard and chuckled, “Alright, let’s drop that. Back to the Xun family. Though Mr. Ziming isn’t in Yingchuan, the Xun clan has plenty of young talents. Xun Zhongyu quit the Spring and Autumn Annals and Xun Wenruo received high praise from the renowned He Yong last year as being a Talent to Assist a King. I also hear there’s a younger fellow Xun Gongda—he’s nothing to sneeze at, either. I wanted to meet him before the rebellion got in the way. Now, however, I have a moment of respite. Would you like to accompany me to pay a visit to the Xun family?”
“…But what excuse does my uncle plan to use?” Qiao Yan sensed a subtext in Cao Cao’s words, thinking he might be plotting something with her at the center.
The Xun family had been heavily influenced by the Prohibition of Factionalists, genuinely the clear stream among the noble families.
Even though Xun Yu married a palace attendant’s daughter, that was likely more due to duress than anything else.
But what about Cao Cao?
His dad was adopted by the Grand Chancellor Cao Teng, and Cao Song still held the Grand Minister of Agriculture position. Three years later, he’d even buy his way to a Grand Commandant title, only to be dismissed shortly after—definitely the stuff of a good laugh.
It wasn’t like the Han dynasty was collapsing right now, and Cao Cao hadn’t quite shown the boldness and ability that would come later in his leadership days.
If he were to show up there…
He’d probably get kicked out!
Cao Cao stroked his beard again and replied, “Zhong Yu recently wrote a letter expressing his frustration after seeing the bandits surrounding the city. His writing had interesting elements, so I thought it would be great to have an elder from the Xun family critique it, if possible.”
Zhong Yu, known as Zhong Yao, was not just a political mastermind; he also had impressive calligraphy skills.
Later on, rumors spread about how he fell sick and bled out over a certain calligraphy work he couldn’t get from Cai Bojie, showing he was a top manager and also a calligraphy fanatic.
But Qiao Yan just wasn’t buying this excuse. “Mr. Yu and the Xun family must have had plenty of exchanges. If he needed insight on calligraphy, he could just go himself. No need for my uncle to make the trip.”
That nonsensical excuse felt entirely rehearsed.
It was good he at least had that excuse on hand, but even if he wanted to show up just to admire the Xun family’s reputation, Qiao Yan wouldn’t find it at all surprising.
Who could forget how he was fabricated into a story in the “Shishuo Xinyu” about trying to snatch a bride from Yuan Shao? Clearly, that tells you what people thought of him.
Cao Cao chuckled awkwardly, feeling a bit irked at this young lady’s blatant exposure of his intentions. So, he straight-up said, “That’s why I wanted you to come with me. I could just be a tagalong.”
“Uncle’s grandeur doesn’t seem like that of a mere tagalong,” Qiao Yan’s words made Cao Cao quite pleased, but then she added, “However, I reckon you won’t get a chance to visit the Xun family.”
“Why not?” Cao Cao asked, surprised at her certainty.
“Does my uncle think General Huangfu will idly watch opportunities slip away?”
Cao Cao furrowed his brows.
He wasn’t just a Riding Commander because of his dad; he had his own insight, even if not as seasoned as what he would develop in the future.
After pondering Huangfu Song’s decision not to act against the Yellow Turbans, he started to catch some meaning behind it.
If things were as he suspected, then Changshe wouldn’t be a safe place for long.
Yingchuan was just a region; if he truly wanted to visit the Xun family, it would require a formal process. That would definitely delay troop movements.
“I know my uncle admires the talent of the Xun family, but military matters are pressing, and we must focus on what’s urgent,” Qiao Yan went on. “That Xun Wenruo received high praise from the esteemed Bo Qiu means he’s no ordinary person. Now that the Prohibition of Factionalists has eased, as a son of the Xun family, he’ll have the chance to enter the court. By then, my uncle won’t have to worry about not meeting him!”
Cao Cao had no idea that by the time Xun Yu was ready to work, the Han dynasty’s royal family would be on the verge of collapse, making Qiao Yan’s idea of serving together in court a complete fantasy.
Though a little disappointed he couldn’t pay a visit, he couldn’t help but smile, “Military matters are like putting out a fire, you’re right! Talents are everywhere, and dealing with the bandits is what we need to focus on now. Let’s drop this topic.”
With that realization, the gloom over not being able to meet the Xun family lifted off him.
Even before he could escort Qiao Yan back to her abode, a messenger arrived with news of Huangfu Song’s troop movements.
Once he sent Qiao Yan back, he rushed to the military meeting, where he heard about the plans laid out by Huangfu Song.
Huangfu Song officially ordered Zhu Jun and Sun Jian to attack Wancheng directly, while teaming up with Qin Zhe to encircle the place, making sure Zhang Mancheng wouldn’t seize the chance to take the path north through Jingxiang.
He himself would lead Fu Xie as his deputy, along with Cao Cao’s reinforcements, to sneak into Yanzhou and strike Ji Province!
This whole military preparation would require some time, especially since troops had to be allocated to manage the Yellow Turban captives in Yanzhou and Yuzhou. This was to be handled by Zhong Yao, so the handover couldn’t just be a matter of a few sentences.
As soon as Cao Cao heard this arrangement, he realized his desire to meet the notable folks from Yingchuan was totally dashed.
But was he disappointed? Not at all!
If Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Lu Zhi could suppress the rebellion, they wouldn’t be lacking in recognition as great champions of the Han dynasty!
For him and Fu Xie, Sun Jian, and others, all they lacked was a chance to actually contribute and boost their own status.
Now that they were about to face the main forces of the Yellow Turbans, how could there be disappointment!
Qiao Yan thought similarly.
What she needed wasn’t just to familiarize herself with someone; that wouldn’t fundamentally enhance her standing. Her identity as a junior member of the Qiao family wouldn’t earn her any respect from the elite families either.
Quite the opposite—she needed her reputation to rise to a point where others couldn’t ignore her any longer.
Whether as a strategist for a powerful regime or…
In any case, there’d be no fundamental difference at this stage.
And more importantly, she needed to grip tightly onto the resources at her disposal.
Specifically referring to Dian Wei and Cheng Li.
Cao Cao and Sun Jian were currently mobilizing troops under Huangfu Song’s directives, and in between, they’d be having dialogues like, “Once the siege of Wancheng is cleared, the Yellow Turban threat against Luoyang will diminish considerably; this is paramount,” while she’d respond, “Zhang Jiao is the leader of the Yellow Turbans; if we defeat him, we can cut off the whole Yellow Turban momentum. That’s the way to do it!” Each toasting their visions of the future, Qiao Yan sought out Cheng Li.
As for why not seek out Dian Wei first?
Dian Wei was relatively easy to direct.
This plan of hers ensured that not only would Dian Wei protect his local community, but with the capture of Bo Cai and Liang Zhongning, two Yellow Turban Commanders, he’d no doubt garner considerable praise.
For a warrior with far greater strength than the average man, making a mark would be the ultimate ideal in life.
Even if they were merely facing the Yellow Turbans now, achieving some results would be a whole lot better than being someone just out for revenge in the marketplace.
Not to mention, this wasn’t just about Qiao Yan wanting a bodyguard; Huangfu Song wouldn’t miss out on such capable talent either.
Who knows, with more battle power, they might just score a surprise victory!
But as for Cheng Li, Qiao Yan felt less certain.
She had managed to convince Cheng Li to join forces based on his protective instincts towards his home region of East’e.
He might try to persuade the local strongman Xue Shi to guard East’e for the hometown’s stability, but getting him more deeply involved in facing the Yellow Turbans, transforming his status from bystander to combatant, wouldn’t be so easy.
Before answering Cao Cao’s call to serve, he had repeatedly brushed off the Ji Province Governor Liu Dai’s summons, which just showed he had his own opinions about the situation and was quite picky about allies.
This dream of his about a miraculous event might symbolize something.
So, Qiao Yan sat across from Cheng Li.
She had to speak with him directly.
At this stage, they were in Changshe—they were staying in a Zhong family residence. Finding decent tea utensils wasn’t too challenging; Qiao Yan even managed to set an engaging atmosphere with a nice display of tea in front of them.
As the steam rose, her gaze appeared deeper and more mysterious. After a moment of silence, she finally asked, “What are your plans after this, Mr. Zhongde?”
Cheng Li wasn’t surprised Qiao Yan would ask such a question.
Having interacted with her for some time, he could see her capabilities far exceeded what one would expect for her age; her thoughts were definitely more complex than what was noted in her letters.
In her masterful setup for revenge, if her only goal was revenge, she could have retired successfully now with just a few additional steps of fundamental formalities on her terms.
Yet it was clear she still wasn’t satisfied.
But just like when he watched the siege of Changshe, he hadn’t picked up on what she was truly thinking back then; it seemed he was failing to grasp her mindset now too.
But he could provide a reasonable answer to her query, saying, “With the Yellow Turbans in Yanzhou taken care of, it’s only natural I’d return to East’e and focus on my studies.”
Qiao Yan slightly curled the corners of her mouth.
That didn’t sound very trustworthy at all.
Shutting oneself indoors to study was understandable for someone still young, but for someone like Cheng Li, who had already hit forty and did not take scholarship that seriously, it’d simply be a waste of time.
But conversations don’t start by pointing fingers at others’ lack of depth; one has to be diplomatic about it.
She slowly sipped the tea and then asked, “But Mr. Zhongde, do you genuinely believe Yanzhou is settled?”
This area had seen so much trouble that “disasters” could even be an understatement.
Right now, they had baited the Yellow Turbans into Yuzhou, and while the Han army had them surrounded, what would come next?
In 191 AD, parts of the Black Mountain Army under the notorious Du, alongside the Xiongnu of Yufuluo, would launch attacks on Yanzhou’s Dong’e, in addition to targeting Ye City in Ji Province.
That year, Li Jue’s troops struck a blow against Zhu Jun in Zhongmou, invading Chenliu and Yingchuan, reported to “kill all ages and genders, leaving nothing behind.”
Also in that year, the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans retreated from Taishan under Prefect Ying Shao’s offensive, subsequently heading west into Yanzhou, stirring up chaos in Ren Cheng and Dongping.
These three fronts literally seized seven out of eight districts.
This was, without a doubt, Yanzhou’s most chaotic couple of years.
Clearly, Yanzhou hadn’t been peaceful for quite a long time; it earned its name as a battleground for a reason.
Cheng Li couldn’t help but recognize the perilous condition Yanzhou found itself in—the years of resource accumulation would only heighten its turbulence.
And being in such an environment meant he couldn’t just sit back and hope for the best.
Better to use the chaos of the Yellow Turbans to understand more clearly what the current dynamics of the Han dynasty really were.
Qiao Yan added, “Mr. Zhongde, you needn’t rush your answer to my question. I’d like to share a few more points before you respond.”
“I’m still young and inexperienced; if you asked me why the Yellow Turbans rose to arms, my answer would be terribly superficial. It’s not just because the Great Virtuous Teacher has mythical powers and enjoys the blessings of the Yellow Heaven,”
“Some things might sound a bit heretical to say, but the core issue is probably just one word.”
As Qiao Yan set her teacup down, she dipped her finger into the tea to draw a character in the air.
Cheng Li leaned down to see—she had drawn the character “田” (field).
“I have a heart for serving the nation and rescuing the Han, and I ask you, Mr. Zhongde, to go north with me to hear directly the stories from the Yellow Turbans in Ji Province.”
The next day, as the Han army geared up for action, Qiao Yan brought Cheng Li and Dian Wei along.
Eventually, Cheng Li agreed to postpone returning to East’e and what-not to immerse himself in scholarly pursuits, choosing instead to live by the saying “read thousands of books, travel thousands of miles,” and accompany her to Ji Province to meet the actual core figures among the Yellow Turbans.
The system felt somewhat strange about this persuasive approach—ultimately for the sake of becoming the top strategist, it didn’t seem to have too much significance. But Qiao Yan provided reasons that left it with no ground to counter.
She stated, “Since the early Han got governed by Lu Zhi’s policy to distribute lands to the cultivators, to the problematic land grabs by the elite that initiated the Yellow Turban Rebellion, it’s essential to fully grasp this evolution from historical records; to help a warlord regain peace and order, one can’t rely solely on surface-level knowledge.”
“What I study is history, not local land issues; it’s best to have a local strategist’s savvy assistance in gathering more intel.”
“Also, even if this endeavor bolsters Cheng Li’s capacity, so what? If he’s destined to be the top strategist, that naturally implies comparisons, and as long as his prowess doesn’t outshine mine, that’s all I need.”
The system responded, 【…sure, I guess?】
Its function to transcribe everything the host said couldn’t save it from realizing that Qiao Yan merely meant “observe and learn” and “healthy competition,” which then seemed totally fine!
As for why the host’s skills in horse riding shot up three levels? Well, all for that singular goal.
It observed as Qiao Yan refused the special carriage and instead asked Cao Cao to scout out a gentler warhorse for her. Mounting it, her stance radiated heroism and elegance.
Though this didn’t precisely match the standard image we have of a strategist, comparing it to Cheng Li beside her, the system felt that if one wanted to outshine a fellow strategist, one had to beat them at their own game.
Cheng Li wasn’t slacking in horsemanship, so Qiao Yan naturally needed to keep up.
The system noticed the approving looks coming from Huangfu Song and the others and guessed her display might just boost her reputation a bit more.
Just as it was about to compliment her again, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy leapt from the crowd ahead and stood before Qiao Yan’s horse, cutting off its words.
Qiao Yan glanced him over and realized he wasn’t part of the regular army under Huangfu Song or Cao Cao; instead, he was a wandering knight recruited during the defense of Changshe to supplement the forces.
His non-standard long sword at his waist immediately revealed his status.
After the siege of Changshe, Huangfu Song offered them two options: one was to stay in Changshe for a month watching over the place until they could leave while still receiving food supplies; the Zhong family would commend their contributions and offer rewards upon their return.
The other option was to join the assault on Ji Province.
This boy, it seemed, picked the latter.
What interested Qiao Yan was how, while others were busy making an impression on Huangfu Song, he stood there with open admiration towards her, completely unabashed.
When someone called him back to his post, he boldly said, “Xu Fu of Yingchuan, at your service to take care of your horse, my lady!”
