Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 1: The Yellow Turban Rebellion, The Clear Voice of a Young Phoenix, Chapter 10: Loyalty and Filial Piety

Belonging to the book:


Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 010

“I am not from Yanzhou, why should I stay here?”

Qiao Yan, as if completely oblivious to Liang Zhongning’s shocked expression and the bread falling from his hand, continued to eat leisurely while replying.

She even managed to say the words “I am not from Yanzhou” so smoothly that it was impossible to tell she was lying.

Under such a composed demeanor, Liang Zhongning couldn’t see that she was actually playing a strategic retreat to advance.

He hurriedly replied, “With chaos all around, if someone of your talent were to meet with an accident on the road, wouldn’t that be a great loss?”

His concern was evident.

But then he saw Qiao Yan’s face darken.

Previously, when he pointed his broken spear at her and during the defense of the Tian Family Fortress, Qiao Yan had been unnaturally calm and mature. Now, suddenly showing a different expression, it made Liang Zhongning feel somewhat uncomfortable.

He suddenly realized that the person who dared to come directly to him was indeed someone with a sharp temperament.

“What are you saying, Commander! Knowing that chaos is everywhere, I should return to Gaomi as soon as possible to serve Master Zheng. How can I stay here for safety?”

Qiao Yan’s stern words left Liang Zhongning speechless.

No matter how much the Yellow Turban Army shouted that “the heavens are dead,” they wouldn’t actually destroy the tradition of respecting teachers and education, which made Qiao Yan’s words particularly convincing.

Liang Zhongning considered acting like a bandit and simply detaining her, but he couldn’t help feeling—

He had just relied on her abilities to capture the fortress and obtained enough food to feed his men for nearly two years. Even his subordinates had changed their impression of Mr. Yan and showed respect. If he were to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs…

No, it would be more accurate to say that forcibly dragging her onto his war chariot would somewhat damage his dignity.

Although this so-called dignity had already been mostly lost when his men carried him like a pig.

His mind raced, and suddenly an idea came to him.

He first spoke kindly, “You are right, sir. But since you helped me capture this fortress and obtain the food, you have essentially saved the lives of my soldiers. You also warned me of impending disaster, which is another favor—”

“With these two combined, if I just send someone to escort you to Gaomi, it would never be enough to repay you. Why not rest here for a few days before leaving?”

Seeing Qiao Yan’s expression soften slightly, Liang Zhongning didn’t have time to reflect on how a person of her age could appear so composed, which was somewhat comical. He seized the opportunity to continue, “Moreover, the various factions within the Yellow Turban Army may not have the same discipline as I do. If you encounter them on the road and they mistake you for an enemy, wouldn’t that be dangerous?”

He added, “Why not let me first speak with my comrades in the neighboring regions and then send someone to escort you on your journey?”

Qiao Yan glanced at him noncommittally.

Liang Zhongning felt that this look was somewhat critical of his boastful claim about his discipline, but it also seemed to show some interest in his proposal.

In any case, not receiving an immediate insistence on leaving was a good thing.

After some thought, he decided to add more fuel to the fire.

But before he could figure out how to do that, as if someone had sent a pillow when he was sleepy, a natural reason presented itself.

With the fortress captured, Qiao Yan no longer had to sleep in a tent as she did the previous night but was given a separate room to rest.

Avoiding sleeping under the open sky allowed her to sleep more soundly.

She slept until the sun was high, but when she stepped out, she almost doubted whether she had truly woken up.

Liang Zhongning stood at the door with a mournful face.

This expression made Qiao Yan feel that there was some exaggeration and pretense in it, but when he revealed the half of his face he was covering, she couldn’t help but feel a twitch in her eyelid.

“Did you run into a tree?” Qiao Yan, smoothing the wrinkles on her clothes, paused her actions.

Inside the fortress, there were children of similar age to her, which allowed her to change out of the clothes she had taken from a dead body.

Liang Zhongning couldn’t help but admire her grace when he saw her, but as soon as he spoke, the pain from the wound on his face made him grimace.

“It wasn’t a tree,” he whispered in reply. “You know, last night I said that since we captured Dian Wei from Chenliu, it would be great if we could recruit him.”

“So I challenged him to a test of strength!”

“…?” You really dared to do that!

But Qiao Yan couldn’t say it so bluntly, so she asked indirectly, “So, how did it go?”

Dian Wei was indeed an honest man.

If Qiao Yan had his level of martial prowess, and the opposing commander was someone like Liang Zhongning, who fancied himself a cultured man but was actually quite clueless, she wouldn’t bother with a contest. She would just take the opportunity to capture him.

Then not only would the siege of the Tian Family Fortress be lifted, but they might even counterattack Puyang.

Thinking of this, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but feel a bit of fear.

But Liang Zhongning clearly didn’t pick up on the reproach in her gaze and continued, “Actually, I’m not that stupid. When I led him into the pit, it took so many sandbags and manpower to subdue him. If I were in his place, I couldn’t have done that. But when I tried to explain the principles of our Yellow Turban Taishi Path to him, he said he didn’t understand and that the only way to win him over was through a test of strength.”

“Commander, where does your confidence in your strength come from?” Qiao Yan asked.

Liang Zhongning chuckled awkwardly, “I don’t have confidence, just a little trick. It’s like the principle of a lever and a scale…”

The “lever” he mentioned was a type of ancient catapult, and like a scale, it relied on the principle of leverage.

Of course, in the Han Dynasty, there was no concept of the principle of leverage, but the idea was the same.

Using such a trick in a test of strength might actually work.

But obviously, if he had succeeded, he wouldn’t be in this state.

Sure enough, the next moment, she heard Liang Zhongning say, “But there was a slight mishap. The crossbar was snapped by that strongman and hit me in the face.”

He pointed to the bruise and scrape on his face, indicating that this was the result of the accident.

It was easy to imagine how comical the scene must have been.

Qiao Yan, torn between laughing and giving this Yellow Turban Commander some face, hesitated for a moment before hearing him start to exploit the situation, “Sir, you said I was in danger. It seems there really is a sign of impending disaster. Even a test of strength with a defeated general could lead to such misfortune. If you leave, perhaps tomorrow you’ll hear of my death.”

“Sir! You can’t leave!”

“…?” Is this reason even valid?

Qiao Yan couldn’t help but fall silent.

Although this was the result she needed, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being tricked.

Liang Zhongning’s face was indeed injured by the wood, but his skin was still thick.

He didn’t care what Qiao Yan thought. Anyone who could help him obtain six hundred thousand hu of grain from the fortress, regardless of age, was a great talent.

If he didn’t keep this talent, he wouldn’t sleep well!

Facing Qiao Yan’s almost blatant expression of speechlessness, he continued without any psychological burden, “Since you’ve already taught me how to capture the fortress, why not save me completely and stay a few more days.”

Qiao Yan hesitated for a moment before replying with a “Yes.”

But how much of this hesitation was genuine, only she knew.

After she gave this reply, the Yellow Turban Commander Liang and the “strategist” Qiao exchanged a glance, both giving a satisfactory evaluation in their hearts.

In a sense, it could be considered a win-win situation.

Perhaps the only one not happy was Dian Wei, who had technically won the test of strength but was re-tied into a bundle by Liang Zhongning’s pre-prepared ropes and the group beating.

Qiao Yan couldn’t do much about him for now.

Given her current conditions, it was much easier to temporarily align with someone who used their brain than to gain the recognition of someone who relied on brute strength.

Liang Zhongning and Dian Wei were different.

The Yellow Turban Army could be “bought” with food, and they also had a filter of seeing her as a disciple of a great scholar.

But Dian Wei clearly couldn’t understand what was so special about this frail child that he should bow to her.

Just as Qiao Yan didn’t know what kind of luck the Tian family had to temporarily employ this “ancient evil.”

Even though she had activated the sign-in system in the strategist system and saw that there were things like temporary attribute cards in the sign-in rewards, which could temporarily make up for her lack of strength.

But to reach the level of defeating Dian Wei’s strength was still far off.

But if she couldn’t figure it out, she wouldn’t dwell on it. After all, despite the injury on Liang Zhongning’s face, he still coveted Dian Wei and wouldn’t let him starve.

As long as he didn’t die, there would always be an opportunity for her to act.

Compared to Dian Wei, how to deal with the people in the Tian Family Fortress was more important.

Since she had achieved the goal of temporarily staying on the pirate ship, it was time to move on to the next step.

To Liang Zhongning, these people were used to a life of luxury and special treatment, and they probably wouldn’t be willing to join the Yellow Turbans and become part of his command.

At the juncture of the confrontation between the Yellow Turbans and the official forces of the Han Dynasty, such powerful families, having lost their means of self-protection, would most appropriately be dealt with by taking their lives.

This was the rule of the game in troubled times.

Liang Zhongning still remembered his promise to Qiao Yan and thought it best to discuss it with Mr. Yan Qiao.

Thus, the imprisoned head of the Tian family heard a familiar voice outside the room.

But this time, it wasn’t the loud cursing outside the fortress but a low voice mentioning that he was considering rooting out the Tian family in dealing with them.

The head of the Tian family, Tian Tao, clenched his fists.

This was indeed the most appropriate way to deal with them, but it was also undoubtedly a disaster for the Tian family!

But strangely, he then heard another voice.

This voice said, “Earlier, when I observed the Commander’s fate, the fatal calamity should not fall on the Tian family. I think we can make the best use of these people.”

Tian Tao heard the Yellow Turban Commander ask, “May I ask, Mr. Yan, what do you mean by making the best use of them?”

Although he couldn’t see the expressions of the two at this moment, it wasn’t hard to hear the respect in Liang Zhongning’s tone.

Realizing this special point, he exchanged a glance with his brother, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.

He then heard the person Liang Zhongning called “Mr. Yan” say, “Since the Commander has occupied Puyang and has ambitions to take over Yanzhou, you can’t deal with these powerful families casually.”








Showing force to make them not dare to resist is one thing; digging into their connections and influence for one’s own use is another.

Most fortress lords have connections, even alliances, and the Tian family head is likely no exception…

Through the door, Qiao Yan’s voice was very low, and Tian Tao didn’t catch everything she said. He vaguely heard her mention a thunderous attack to demonstrate power, while allowing allied fortress lords to pay ransom for a softer approach. She also seemed to mention hidden populations within the fortresses, but her voice became too low to hear.

The only good news for the Tian family was that they could live a bit longer.

But whether the Yellow Turban Commander would follow another’s advice was completely unknown. They couldn’t pin all their hopes on that.

Especially since their survival now was partly due to the Yellow Turban Commander, under someone’s guidance, playing the long game of building reputation, and partly because he saw some remaining value in them.

But who knows if the imperial suppression forces will win, or when they will drive the rebels out of Yanzhou? It’s all uncertain.

In chaotic times, self-preservation is already hard, let alone helping others.

Ransom is almost impossible.

At best, it’s a temporary trick to deceive Liang Zhongning.

Tian Tao couldn’t help but feel that the strategist in the Yellow Turban Army was both clever and strangely inconsistent in places where he shouldn’t be.

When the Tian elders were being transported like goods to Puyang City and tried to gather information about Qiao Yan from the Yellow Turban soldiers, they felt it was somewhat unreal.

She was too young and her background too mysterious!

Historically, Gan Luo became a high official at twelve, so geniuses are indeed different. Thus, a ten-year-old strategist advising Liang Zhongning isn’t entirely unbelievable.

But hearing that she studied under Zheng Xuan was perplexing.

The two Prohibition of Factionalists incidents did disappoint many, but surely not someone like Zheng Xuan, a master of classical studies, let alone teaching a disciple to support the Yellow Turban raids.

This ultimately comes down to the reputation of scholars.

Yet, the child’s unseen presence, clearly outmaneuvering the Tian family and using fortune-telling to control Liang Zhongning, didn’t seem like the work of an ordinary teacher.

Unfortunately, the two couldn’t get a reasonable explanation.

Only the Strategist System 068, seeing Qiao Yan’s eloquence skill level up from lv5 to lv6, fell into deep thought.

It felt like the skill was glowing with golden light, showcasing its unparalleled presence.

It had even changed its name from “Eloquence” to “Heaven’s Number One Con Artist.”

Additionally, her physical stats had also improved.

Her panel now showed 35.

Why 35 and not 34?

Because the first-day reward from the check-in system was somewhat decent, giving a permanent +1 to physical stats, now totaling +1.

Without Qiao Yan explaining, the system already compared her actions to Sima Yi’s strategy of outlasting others.

Thinking of Cao Cao in Changshe and seeing their well-rested, radiant host, the system decided to speak less when unnecessary.

She clearly had her own ideas and hadn’t made any wrong choices so far.

The system even felt her methods were more than just seeking wealth through risk.

Qiao Yan didn’t care what the system was thinking.

She sat in the oxcart Liang Zhongning had specially prepared for her, enjoying unique treatment in the returning convoy to Puyang City.

The biggest advantage of the cart was that she could transport the documents she had scavenged from the Tian family’s study, allowing her to review them during the journey and find useful information not recorded in historical texts.

Although she had gained Liang Zhongning’s trust and he wanted to recruit her, Qiao Yan hadn’t told the system that her initial claim of being a “pet strategist” rather than a “strategist” wasn’t a lie.

She had chosen Liang Zhongning for her own reasons.

This wasn’t just about improving her personal situation; the fortress battle was just a small test, and this was just the beginning of a precarious journey.

As the walls of Puyang City came into view, she put down the bamboo scrolls, feeling more confident.

However, compared to Qiao Yan’s calm, Liang Zhongning was much more frustrated.

The city’s defenses hadn’t slackened during his absence, and there was no repeat of the Dong’e County situation where local strongmen reclaimed control.

But now, two more forces had appeared outside Puyang City.

Bu Ji and Zhang Bo’s forces.

While the three forces cooperated, there was also mutual disdain. Liang Zhongning was particularly annoyed that Bu Ji often called him by his full name, only using “Commander Liang” when others were present.

What frustrated him more was that bringing back a batch of grain to show his dominance over Puyang was undermined when Bu Ji tried to claim a third of it, citing his men’s lack of rations and potential unrest.

“A third? At most, I’ll give him a tenth!” Liang Zhongning muttered.

This tug-of-war over face was different from shamelessly trying to keep Qiao Yan, so he didn’t consult her on this.

This suited Qiao Yan just fine.

She still had things to do.

On the third day of their return, while Liang Zhongning, Bu Ji, and Zhang Bo were feasting at the government office, an unexpected visitor arrived at Puyang’s prison.

Following Qiao Yan’s advice, Liang Zhongning hadn’t harmed the Tian family, instead imprisoning them for potential ransom.

Of course, this didn’t mean they were treated well.

Despite plenty of civilian housing in Puyang, Liang Zhongning didn’t want trouble and locked them up.

The Tian family had never experienced such treatment.

As local strongmen in Yanzhou, even the Dong Commandery Prefect had relied on them before the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

From the Prefect down to the Puyang County Magistrate, all had respected the Tian family head.

But facing the unreasonable Yellow Turban Bandits, things were completely different.

At first, they protested, but with their fortress breached and supplies seized, they had no bargaining chips left. After a few days of hunger and confinement, their spirits waned.

The Tian family head sighed, looking at his unusually silent younger brother and his son, who had matured after initial complaints.

In the quiet, his sigh was clear, as was another sound—footsteps approaching.

Tian Tao tensed, looking towards the sound.

Losing the fortress’s protection, he had prepared for the worst, knowing he had no power to resist.

He stared at the dimly lit prison corridor.

As the footsteps neared, a long shadow appeared under the candlelight.

He thought it was a guard, but the figure was too short.

He realized it was the “Yan Qiao” who had advised Liang Zhongning!

Only she would fit this description!

He was right.

When the figure stopped, the person’s face was revealed.

This was his first face-to-face meeting with the “great contributor” who had breached their fortress.

Though he knew she was only about ten, seeing her in person was still shocking.

The lantern she held illuminated her face.

Despite her young age, she carried an unusual aura, though she looked too small to be competing with Yanzhou’s leaders.

And why was she here?

It was clear Liang Zhongning valued her, so she should be at his banquet, not in this prison.

He pondered but didn’t speak.

Her unexpected visit likely meant she had something to say.

Thus, how to start the conversation was crucial.

But as he hesitated, someone else couldn’t sit still.

The Eldest Young Master Tian, unlike his father and uncle, didn’t see Qiao Yan as equally important as Liang Zhongning. He felt this child was here to mock their plight!

Though no longer in his prime, his strongman pride couldn’t tolerate being laughed at by a child.

He jumped up, gripping the prison bars, locking eyes with Qiao Yan.

Her dark gaze sent a chill down his spine.

Fueled by resentment, he shouted, “Since you follow a good teacher, why follow bandits?”

The Tian family head knew this was bad!

Calling someone a “bandit follower” was a heavy accusation for anyone capable.

But Qiao Yan showed no shame or anger, even smiling faintly.

She replied calmly, “Why follow bandits? For Yanzhou, for the Han Dynasty, and for—”

She paused, then dropped four unexpected words.

“Loyalty and filial piety.”