Chapter 102
Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 4: The End of Zhongping, The Storm in Luoyang, Chapter 102: Each to Their Own Talent (Part 1)
Book: Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?
Chapter 102: Each to Their Own Talent (Part 1)…
Cheng Li looked at the victor who had returned from the capital, and upon hearing the reminder about the name change, a knowing smile naturally appeared on his face.
He told Qiao Yan about his dream of the sun rising over Mount Tai, and her response, which showed no sign of finding anything amiss, was enough to make Cheng Li feel that he had not made the wrong choice.
In his heart, amidst the lament that the ignorant masses could not be conspired with, Qiao Yan was the wise ruler he deemed most worthy to follow.
Indeed, she had not disappointed. In the face of the capital’s precarious situation where a single misstep could lead to utter ruin, although Cheng Li did not know how she managed each step, when the results were laid out before him, the process no longer seemed so important.
She had proven with her actions that she truly had the capital to be this “sun.”
The Governor of Bingzhou and the Marquis of Leping were entirely different concepts.
The existence of the Marquis of Leping meant she could establish a state within a county, but at best, this was merely a social status elevation, with everyone addressing her as “Marquis.”
However, the Governor of Bingzhou was a position of real power, the head of a region.
This signified that the current Son of Heaven had included her among the trusted ministers, no longer just a loyal subject to be rewarded for quelling the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
From relying on Qiao Xuan’s legacy, she had officially developed into an independent political force.
Moreover, to be more realistic, the Black Mountain Bandits and the White Wave Bandits could submit to her because there was food to eat in Leping, Bingzhou, and the commoners and lowly born could place their bets early on her promising future. However, those who had received a good education, especially those from noble families, would never abandon their chances of advancement to serve under her.
Unless, like the Wei family of Hedong, they were not deeply rooted and faced a life-and-death crisis, they might choose to seek her help and form a temporary cooperative relationship with her, or unless, like Yang Xiu, they were still driven by a strong desire to win rather than considering their future…
But when noble families monopolized education, regardless of whether using them was dangerous, attracting people to her side was undoubtedly necessary.
Now, with the position of Governor of Bingzhou, no matter how long Qiao Yan could hold this position, the subordinate officials of the governor were a political capital that could be presented.
This was a situation where the clouds had parted to reveal the sun, and the name change was indeed a good omen.
Cheng Li, no, Cheng Yu, only asked one more question: “Aren’t you afraid, Marquis, that people will think you have ulterior motives?”
Cheng Yu was not a Han minister, so he was less afraid than anyone to ask this question.
He truly believed that the Han dynasty was beyond saving.
The Son of Heaven was solely focused on power balance, never considering how heavy a burden the taxes he levied would be on the common people, and the ministers only thought about the power struggles within their small domains. The so-called extermination of eunuchs and the restoration of peace were merely for the benefit of the scholar-official class.
The powerful hid the population, bandits plundered at will, the people had no land, and the heavens were unkind. This was not an environment that could be changed by the phrase “support the Han dynasty!”
He saw Qiao Yan’s ambition and was immensely grateful to see such ambition at this time.
Thus, while he was delighted by Qiao Yan’s gains, he also worried whether bringing some things to light would cause adverse consequences.
But all he heard was Qiao Yan’s reply: “Master Zhongde, you are mistaken. I, Qiao Yanshu, dare to take such a name, and I take the shining of jade as my ambition. Now, Bingzhou is in need of revival, bandits need to be eradicated, and we need the sun to shine brightly, the vastness to illuminate. How can we not make this change?”
This was a name change that could be justified to the outside and reassure the inside.
Cheng Yu, understanding the meaning in Qiao Yan’s words, replied, “Then Yu will follow the Marquis’s words.”
“We still need to work hard,” Qiao Yan handed the paper deciding everyone’s positions to Cheng Yu and sighed, “The positions we are still lacking, please trouble Master and Zhicai to decide together.”
Cheng Yu took the paper and saw the vacant positions of Merit Officer, Six Commandery Officers, Grand Impartial, Supervisor, Accountant, and Assistant.
As Qiao Yan said, they were indeed short of people.
Previously, within the scope of Leping, the manpower seemed somewhat crowded, but now it seemed particularly sparse, which made Cheng Yu both relieved and anxious.
The Governor’s Chief Clerk and the Governor’s Administrator, as the right and left hands of the governor, were indeed responsible for this.
“There is one more thing Master needs to pay attention to,” Qiao Yan found it unnecessary to hide this matter and continued, “Jia Xu, whom I brought back from Luoyang, was highly praised by the famous scholars of Liangzhou in the past, said to have the talents of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping. However, this person always adheres to… the principle of self-preservation and prolonging life, never sticking his neck out. We are not in a hurry to change his way of doing things now, but I would like Master to keep an eye on him for me.”
“Fortunately, when I took him out of the Grand Commandant’s residence, the reason I used was that he is well-versed in literature and law, and his age is similar to Master’s, so why not come to assist Master as a deputy.”
The suspicious pause in Qiao Yan’s words was quite telling and somewhat amusing.
Cheng Yu had a rough idea of this person and, considering his own long absence from office, could probably guess Jia Xu’s thoughts. However, it was clear that Jia Xu valued his life much more than he did.
He said, “I’m afraid that unless the situation is chaotic and life is at stake, he will not rashly open his mouth.”
“That’s fine,” Qiao Yan was quite tolerant of this strategist known as the “Poisonous Adviser,” “After all, what Bingzhou needs now is his ability to assist in governance, not his strategic planning. There’s plenty of time.”
Hearing Qiao Yan say this, Cheng Yu was also reassured, “Then the Marquis can leave him to me.”
Even if he is slacking off compared to his talents now, Bingzhou is severely short of people, and he cannot reduce the workload. Sooner or later, he will force this old fox to show his true colors.
At worst, he can first grab a few of his sons to serve as laborers.
In Qiao Yan’s impression, Jia Xu’s eldest son, Jia Mu, also came to Leping with him. This person had served as a commandery governor and even reached the position of Hedong Governor, so he must have some management talent. It’s not impossible to start as a minor official now.
When Xi Zhicai arrived in order, he saw Qiao Yan at the table, picking up and putting down her brush, as if calculating something.
However, previously, she was calculating the situation and power dynamics, but now she was calculating how to make people work for her, which seemed much more relaxed.
Of course, when Qiao Yan said that Xi Zhicai would be the Administrator, second only to Cheng Yu’s Chief Clerk position, Xi Zhicai also felt much more relaxed.
When the first merit system was proposed, Xi Zhicai lamented that his salary of six hundred dan was not enough, but now…
The Governor replaced the Inspector’s position, but the salary was higher than that of the Inspector, equivalent to the true two thousand dan of the feudal lords. The Governor’s Chief Clerk was slightly lower than the Commandery Governor, that is, the two thousand dan of the year, and the Administrator was equivalent to the Chancellor’s Chief Clerk, a thousand dan official.
Qiao Yan’s advancement not only gave him a legitimate official position but also nearly doubled his salary.
In addition, as the second person under the Governor, the Administrator’s personnel authority often came with a considerable amount of additional income.
When the boss gets promoted, he gets promoted too, which is much easier than trying to climb up on his own.
Unfortunately, this sweet taste is unlikely to be experienced again anytime soon.
Xi Zhicai gathered his thoughts and spoke to Qiao Yan in a serious tone: “This time, Marquis Qiao has gained the position of Governor of Bingzhou, partly due to luck and opportunity. To keep this position long-term, we must remain vigilant.”
“Previously, Marquis Qiao was just the Marquis of Leping, confined to a single county and often taking risky actions. The Qiao family of Yanzhou wanted to keep their distance, observing Marquis Qiao’s situation carefully. Occasionally, they would send letters, always cautious, at most trying to win favor to show respect. They had hopes for the clan but didn’t dare to send anyone, fearing they might be implicated if things went south.”
“But now the situation is very different. Marquis Qiao’s actions have earned the Emperor’s praise, and he has been appointed as the Governor of a province. Even if the Qiao family is not in Bingzhou, they should understand the current trend. His Majesty relies heavily on Marquis Qiao, so they must ensure that Marquis Qiao remains a member of the Qiao family, a pillar of the clan, rather than someone who cuts ties.”
“This relationship needs to be maintained but not too closely, otherwise Marquis Qiao will no longer be the Emperor’s lone minister. Marquis Qiao has handled this well so far—not too close, not rejecting, but also not truly cutting off all ties. The three-year mourning period provided a reason to limit interactions, but we cannot completely sever connections afterward.”
“I shouldn’t say too much about family matters. Marquis Qiao knows what to do.”
Qiao Yan nodded and replied, “Don’t worry, sir.”
The Han Dynasty actually encouraged family divisions, which made it easier for Qiao Yan to reduce interactions with a valid reason, given the tax policies.
But as Xi Zhicai said, this rejection doesn’t mean completely cutting off ties.
Clan relationships are a part of social connections and add a human touch to the ruler.
“Currently, only Qiao Zhao and Qiao Rui hold official positions in the Qiao family, but Qiao Rui serves the Yuan family as a captain, making interactions seem inappropriate. I intend to write a letter to Qiao Zhao, asking if he is willing to send his second daughter to Leping to study and keep Zhaoji company. What do you think, sir?”
Xi Zhicai replied, “Marquis, this is a proper move.”
It shows goodwill without being too close.
“There’s one more thing I’d like to ask you to handle,” Qiao Yan continued, seeing Xi Zhicai’s approval. “Previously, we were only in Leping and didn’t need to fully understand the powerful families in Bingzhou, but now it’s different.”
“As the Governor, those with connections in the province will surely come to pay their respects. But we need to know who is friend or foe, who should be prioritized, and who should be kept at a distance. We can’t let the Governor’s office turn into a reception hall.”
Since managing personnel is part of the job, it’s convenient to hand this task to him.
Hearing this, Xi Zhicai didn’t immediately accept or refuse but smiled and said, “To be honest, before I came here, someone told me that if Marquis Qiao needed help with this, she could assist. Since Marquis Qiao is taking this step, why should she still hold back?”
Qiao Yan could guess who he was referring to and thoughtfully said, “Let… let Registrar Lu come see me.”
Since her position has been decided, it’s fine to reveal it when Xi Zhicai goes to summon her.
When Lu Yuan entered, Qiao Yan saw her calm and composed demeanor, clearly unbothered by the task of sharing this burden and not taking back her words to Xi Zhicai.
Qiao Yan originally intended her to be a Personnel Officer, but her current position as Registrar wasn’t a mistake.
However, before discussing the reception arrangements, Lu Yuan first bowed and said, “I apologize for hiding this from you, but now it’s time to reveal it. I am from the Lu family of Wu Commandery, specifically the Huating Lu family.”
“Your family elders are…?”
“My father is Lu Jining,” Lu Yuan continued, seeing Qiao Yan’s confusion. “His full name is Lu Kang. Back then, my father was recommended as a Talent by the Governor of Yang Province and served as the Magistrate of Gaocheng County, which is in Ji Province. It was during this time that he married me to the Assistant Magistrate of Xiaquyang.”
“During the Guanghe era, my father was promoted to Prefect of Wuling, then transferred to Guiyang. He was dismissed for advising against the Emperor’s bronze statues but was reinstated as Prefect of Lujiang for suppressing rebels. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, when I received help from Marquis Qiao, I feared tarnishing my father’s reputation, so I didn’t mention it.”
Qiao Yan didn’t feel the need to change her attitude upon learning that Lu Yuan was the daughter of Lu Kang, the elder sister of the famous Lu Xun, but sighed, “Why did you feel the need to hide this?”
Lu Yuan replied, “Indeed, I shouldn’t have felt ashamed of my family. That’s why I’m here today to ask Marquis Qiao to entrust this task to me. I will handle it properly.”
Her determination made Qiao Yan clap and smile, “Good, with such determination, I will support you. I’ll return to Leping and give you three days to gather the necessary personnel. After three days, I want to see results.”
If you’re going to do this, you need to show your capabilities.
Lu Yuan agreed without hesitation.
With one major task delegated, Qiao Yan felt relieved. Now, who should she meet next…?
Just as she thought this, Xu Fu’s voice came from outside: “Marquis Qiao, someone is here to see you, claiming to offer his services.”
Self-recommendation?
“I just told Zhongde that we’re short on people, and someone shows up,” she said to Lu Yuan with a laugh, then stood up and walked out.
Whether this person had planned to come earlier but missed her when she left Bingzhou for Luoyang, or was drawn by her new position as Governor of Bingzhou, as long as he was truly talented, it didn’t matter.
As she walked, she asked Xu Fu, “What do you think of this person?”
Xu Fu replied, “He claims to be from Wuyuan Commandery in Bingzhou.”
Given the distance between Wuyuan and Taiyuan, it’s unlikely he came on a whim, so he must have planned this earlier.
This made Qiao Yan think more highly of him.
He seems to have good foresight.
But the mention of Wuyuan Commandery gave her an indescribable, slightly uneasy feeling.
Xu Fu, unaware of Qiao Yan’s thoughts, continued, “He calls himself Lü Bu, claiming to have the strength to lift a cauldron and fight five barbarians. He was deeply moved when he saw Marquis Qiao’s triumphant return after defeating the Xiongnu, so he resigned from his minor county position and came to join your army.”
“From what I see, he doesn’t seem to be lying. His physique does suggest he could fight tigers and wolves. If Marquis Qiao is worried he’s exaggerating, we can test him.”
Qiao Yan unconsciously paused.
Hearing the name Lü Bu, Qiao Yan knew he wasn’t lying—fighting five barbarians might even be an understatement.
But for some reason, upon hearing this name, her thoughts drifted—thankfully, there’s no Registrar position open in her ranks, and she won’t become Lü Bu’s godfather!
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