“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
It’s no wonder Huangfu Song had such a guess; after all, Qiao Yan never played by the usual rules.
Back in the day, during the battle of Gaoping City, she managed to wipe out the Qiang people inside those fortified walls.
That same autumn, she took a clever route to break through Ma Teng’s defenses and advance deep into the territory of Jincheng, which naturally led to Han Sui being taken out by his own subordinates, who delivered his severed head right to her.
Huangfu Song witnessed all this with his own eyes. So, was Liu Yan really safe in Chengdu?
From their current territory to invade Yizhou, one route would be to go through Hanzhong first and then continue south from Bajun, but there’s also another path through Wudu.
In the early days of the Han, Emperor Gao entered Guanzhong with a grand facade while sneaking through Chencang; it wouldn’t be impossible now to pretend to hunt in Hanzhong, while actually entering Wudu and then heading south to Yizhou.
Besides, Qiao Yan had done such things before.
Not to mention, the amount of grain she brought back was downright astonishing.
Given Yizhou’s agricultural output, which was the least affected by famine and war, it’s possible to amass such a stockpile of grain.
But Huangfu Song couldn’t shake the feeling that having a stash of grain and getting Qiao Yan to take it away were entirely different matters.
The high likelihood was that Qiao Yan had a knife at Liu Yan’s throat to coerce him into handing it over.
His question threw the court into complete silence.
Everyone exchanged glances, thinking about the grain supplies in the granaries of Guanzhong, and it suddenly felt like there was some truth to his suspicion.
It was the messenger’s voice that broke this pointless speculation, “The County Marquis and Liu Yizhou are toasting each other, quite peacefully too. It was Liu Yizhou who proposed sending such a hefty quantity of grain to reward the troops, and the County Marquis brought along two hundred thousand stones of grain from Hanzhong, making a total of one million stones.”
Huangfu Song: “……”
The idea of toasting may sound believable between Liu Yu and Liu Yan, but when it’s Qiao Yan and Liu Yan, it just gives off a vibe of utter disillusionment.
The messenger continued, “Liu Yizhou also sent over textile workers, Shu brocade, skilled water conservators, and bamboo from Shu, and even Hanzhong…”
He met the incredulous stares of the high-ranking officials as he relayed the rest, “Even in Hanzhong, it was said that he wanted the Son of Heaven to send people to garrison—it’s just that he lacked the authority for that.”
What others thought was hard to say, but in that moment, it was undoubtedly Qi Zhou, who had previously ventured to Yizhou, feeling like he was in a dream.
Upon hearing the messenger’s words, his mind went blank.
Was he really that good of a person back when he met Liu Yan in Chengdu?
Doubtful.
If Liu Yan truly didn’t care about wealth and had minimal material desires, he probably wouldn’t have built himself a grand carriage with designs that could be viewed as overstepping, and the governor’s office in Chengdu wouldn’t look so extravagantly palatial.
Furthermore, if Liu Yan didn’t mind handing over Yizhou’s territories to others, he wouldn’t have needed to call all the prefects from Yizhou to Chengdu to bear witness to his receiving the title of Grand General as a show of authority.
Unless…
Lu Zhi piped up, “How many days did it take the Grand Marshal to conquer Hanzhong?”
Lu Zhi could still guess Liu Yan’s intent.
For someone like him, to offer such a heavy reward—and even promise to cede Hanzhong from Yizhou—there was only one possibility.
As long as Qiao Yan hadn’t completely severed ties with Liu Yan, her method of intimidation must have yielded remarkable results.
The battle for Hanzhong would have ended exceptionally quickly!
The messenger replied, “Counting from the moment we entered Hanzhong—it was less than six days.”
As soon as this answer was given, everyone gasped collectively.
Knowing how brilliantly Qiao Yan deployed her troops and hearing the speed of this campaign against Hanzhong were two entirely different things.
Six days to subdue Hanzhong—what on earth does that mean?
Even if each city they passed willingly opened their gates to welcome the enemy, and those who defied the kingly commands were picked out from the ranks for punishment, it should’ve taken that long just to cross Hanzhong’s plains from one end to the other.
But obviously, Zhang Lu and Zhang Xiu wouldn’t just sit there with their hands up in surrender.
Zhang Lu was forced back to Hanzhong by Qiao Yan at the start of the first month.
Knowing well he couldn’t find any advantage under Qiao Yan, he obviously wouldn’t take the action of opening the city to greet the enemy.
Zhang Xiu, who was also in Hanzhong, had previously been lumped in with the mobs during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and only became Liu Yan’s subordinate after being defeated, clearly demonstrated his aggressive nature.
Yet it seemed these two didn’t cause Qiao Yan any trouble; instead, they contributed to her swift victory in Hanzhong, which intimidated Liu Yan.
With the result of “less than six days” now laid bare, it was easy to predict the fates of the two.
So much so that when the messenger later reported Zhang Lu’s escape and Zhang Xiu’s death, everyone could only think of one thing: “Just as I suspected.”
However, this didn’t solve the pressing question of how she managed to pull it off.
Sadly, this messenger had only followed Xun You’s party, and explaining the whole situation would be a bit too much to ask.
If he were forced to say something, all he could manage was that they entered Hanzhong via Luogu Path, and the journey had proceeded with some divine assistance, even snakes and bugs in the mountains seemed to avoid them, and one even stumbled straight into boiling water.
Then they went straight for Chenggu County, capturing the central county seat of Hanzhong Plains.
In the days following their division into four paths, Zhang Lu marched six thousand troops from Chenggu City towards Longting. A day later, he attempted to flee back to Chenggu, believing he still had a hold on the place, but was ambushed by hidden troops inside the city.
Zhang Xiu lost his life on the spot, while Zhang Lu escaped to Nanzheng.
But just two days later, they heard that Nanzheng and Mianyang, the two vital gateway cities to Hanzhong, had fallen under their control.
This explanation did more harm than good.
Every word sounded like it was pulled from a storybook.
It seemed they’d have to wait for Qiao Yan to provide an answer.
Fortunately, she was almost in Chang’an.
The delivery of one million stones of military grain to Chang’an was indeed a monumental reassurance for the people.
“The Han are so fortunate to have such a powerful army,” Liu Yu couldn’t help but exclaim.
At this moment, the court had temporarily dispersed, and he shared this sentiment with his subordinate, Xianyu Fu.
After he finished speaking, he furrowed his brow, saying, “While the Grand Marshal hasn’t returned to Chang’an yet, there’s another matter we need to settle.”
Qiao Yan didn’t need to fabricate military exploits, and it was evident that her six-day conquest of Hanzhong, which posed a threat to Liu Yan, was a genuine achievement.
Though before the hunt in Hanzhong, they had already conferred upon her the title of Grand Marshal to keep her in check against Liu Yan, upon her return with the resounding success of Hanzhong and such bountiful spoils, Liu Yu could not simply dismiss her contributions.
Without a doubt, she should be rewarded for her achievements, to ensure that merit was duly recognized.
In this current political climate, sufficient rewards needed to be given to warriors to win their sincere loyalty.
But here came the dilemma—how should they reward Qiao Yan?
She was practically at a point where there was nothing left to bestow!
If you consider ranks, among the five grades of marquesses, a County Marquis is the highest.
Back in the early years of the Han Dynasty, at that time…
“The capital hasn’t moved from Chang’an to Luoyang,” I mused, considering how being a marquis inside the borders is so much more prestigious than being one outside. By this logic, Liu Yu could easily elevate Qiao Yan from the Marquis of Leping to something more fanciful within the borders, even picking another county and potentially increasing the number of households under her.
Just take Huangfu Song’s Marquis of Huali as a classic example of an inner marquis.
But at the end of the fourth year of Zhongping, Emperor Ling of Han rolled out a new scheme to cash in on reputation: they started selling inner marquis positions.
This trick really tanked the value of being an inner marquis.
If Liu Yu really did promote Qiao Yan from Marquis of Leping to, say, Marquis of Huayin, people might think he was declaring war on her rather than trying to win her over.
Plus, on the official ladder, she’s already near the top.
The Grand Marshal’s role at this point was originally just to show that there was some top official above the Three Dukes and Grand Generals managing the military and civil affairs together.
Following the Han Dynasty’s rules against appointing non-clan members as kings, if she were to be promoted further, she’d basically be claiming the throne.
So naturally, that wasn’t an option.
Liu Yu hesitated and asked his subordinate, “If I just give her a bump in fief, wouldn’t that seem like a half-hearted reward?”
He was right to worry.
Leping had successfully gathered more population in recent years solely due to Qiao Yan’s efforts, having little to do with the court, which was, in fact, in need of her assistance.
So how could they claim that adding a couple of extra people from her own territory as her subjects is considered an expansion of her fief as a reward?
Xianyu Fu had mixed feelings about Qiao Yan but was wary of the day when people might only remember the Grand Marshal and not the Emperor. Still, he had his wits about him.
Just giving her more fief wouldn’t cut it.
They also faced another dilemma.
If the Han Dynasty managed to unify again, Qiao Yan would inevitably have to tackle Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan to the east.
If they conquered Hanzhong, would a reward be in order? You bet it would!
So they needed to set the standard for the highest rewards now and then scale up from there, or they would eventually run into trouble with nowhere left to promote.
Xianyu Fu bowed to Liu Yu and said, “Your Majesty, you could just enhance the fief for the Marquis of Leping, but you might want to consult with the court later about allowing her to replicate the treatment once given to Prime Minister Xiao.”
What does imitating Prime Minister Xiao mean?
It’s about giving Qiao Yan the same treatment Liu Bang once gave to Xiao He—
Honor without a name, no need to rush into court, and wear a sword while entering the hall!
This move was essentially yanking the power players out of the formality of court etiquette.
Ritual officials would only refer to titles without shouting names; entering court wouldn’t require the little steps but could instead involve sporting a sword and shoes into the grand hall.
This allowance would place her higher than even the Grand Marshal!
In fact, when Dong Zhuo first arrived in Luoyang, helping Liu Xie ascend, he forced Liu Xie to extend the same sword-and-shoe treatment. Compared to the Grand Marshal’s position, that perk was a serious red flag.
Throughout both the Former and Latter Han, a handful of powerful eunuchs enjoyed similar benefits.
But Xianyu Fu talking about “imitating Prime Minister Xiao” managed to shift the nature of the proposal slightly.
Xiao He of course never rebelled against the Han, and even after Liu Bang’s death, he served as Han Huidi’s minister for two years and earned the posthumous title “Wenzhong.”
Given the age gap between Liu Yu and Qiao Yan, Liu Yu would certainly pass before her; so citing the imitating Xiao He story wasn’t completely off.
Seeing a hint of interest on Liu Yu’s face, Xianyu Fu continued, “This Hanzhong battle isn’t the time for such a reward. The Grand Marshal has merely been hunting for a title before the campaign; if we overreach with her elevation, it would just push Liu Yi to the other side. But when the next battle is won, it’ll be useful then.”
“Besides, while the Grand Marshal can’t be promoted further, her subordinates still can. Your Majesty might as well start there.”
Qiao Yan had quite a few capable commanders under her, like Zhang Liao stationed at Juyong Pass in Youzhou and Zhao Yun assisting her in Hanzhong; they were top-tier.
If Zhang Liao hadn’t come to the rescue in time, Liu Yu might have been six feet under, just another notch on Gongsun Zan’s tally, rather than chilling in the Emperor’s spot now.
However, Zhang Liao was still stuck as a Military Officer in Bingzhou, which really didn’t fit his achievements.
Promoting Qiao Yan’s underlings would definitely count as a reward for her, wouldn’t it? It should.
Liu Yu thought to himself, “Let’s do it your way.”
Making “honor without a name, rush-free court entry, and sword-wearing in the hall” linked to defeating Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao piece by piece probably could give her some additional perks.
Plus, the population in Leping would gradually be added within the Han’s historical standards.
As for the appointments for her subordinates, those would be discussed with her after she returned to Chang’an, to avoid any mishaps in the assignments.
That’s a plan!
Liu Yu had untangled a major headache and felt much lighter.
Suddenly, it hit him like a light bulb, and he asked Xianyu Fu, “If I remember correctly, aside from promoting my subordinates, isn’t it also a good move to promote the family members? Why didn’t you suggest appointing talent from the Qiao clan of Yanzhou?”
Xianyu Fu shook his head, “If Your Majesty really does that, it might come off even worse than making someone an inner marquis.”
Liu Yu was baffled, “Why’s that?”
Xianyu Fu replied, “The Grand Marshal’s residence had an uproar recently; I heard the noise and sent the Golden Guards over to check. Apparently, the Yanzhou Qiao clan’s youngsters were thwarted outside by the Grand Minister of Agriculture and the Grand Marshal’s chief clerk, who claimed it was because the Grand Marshal was away dealing with Hanzhong and the house had some military secrets going on that outsiders shouldn’t see.”
“To be fair, it’s reasonable; the Yanzhou Qiao clan showed up during this sensitive time, and since Yanzhou is under the jurisdiction of Ye City’s court, who’s to say if they were recommending themselves or spying? The Grand Marshal’s chief clerk even had them lodged at the posthouse and managed their food and shelter, which is quite a diplomatic handling. But there they go acting like they aren’t outsiders, claiming the clerk acted without asking the Grand Marshal and disrespected them.”
“Clerk Guo just sent them off to do military labor on the charge of disturbing the order in Chang’an. He said once the Grand Marshal returned, he’d settle the matter with them, risking nothing more than his own head. He was just following the Grand Marshal’s orders—”
“Strictly forbid anyone from entering the military restricted areas unless it’s the Emperor himself.”
Xianyu Fu was quite helpless and could only follow those orders for now.
Since the matter wasn’t settled yet and was more of a family issue, Xianyu Fu hadn’t mentioned it to Liu Yu earlier.
Seeing Liu Yu nearly ready to promote the Qiao clan, he rushed to clarify.
He said, “I think you should just let this one slide, Your Majesty. The Yanzhou Qiao clan might stir up some problems with the Grand Marshal. He generally doesn’t interact much with them, so it’s hard to say he wouldn’t play the family loyalty card. If you did end up promoting them, it could really backfire.”
“You’re right,” Liu Yu nodded, “Let’s steer clear of this matter.”
Better to choose a safer reward method than to get tangled up in family drama.
The very next day after the messenger reached Chang’an, Qiao Yan and her troops arrived with a grand convoy of grain.
To show appreciation for the Grand Marshal’s show of Han dynasty power in battle, Liu Yu personally rode out to welcome them.
The onlookers in the streets saw the spirited Marquis of Leping dismount, holding a ceremonial staff, and as he presented himself before the Emperor with a respectful bow, he declared loudly:
“Your humble servant moved into Hanzhong and upheld the mission, bringing back a grain yield of one million today, to pay respects in Chang’an.”
