Chapter 103

Chapter 103

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 4: The End of Zhongping, The Turmoil of Luoyang, Chapter 103: Each to Their Own Talent (Part 2)

But no matter how much Lü Bu’s past betrayals come to mind at this moment, one must first meet the person.

Brave generals are hard to come by, famous generals are hard to come by, and this is a common situation.

Despite Qiao Yan now having Dian Wei, Zhao Yun, Zhang Liao, and Xu Huang under her command, she still needs to suppress the Southern Xiongnu, sever the connection between the Northern and Southern Xiongnu, prepare against the Xianbei who frequently invade the borders, secure the strategic Taihang paths, build a proper defense system for Bingzhou, and still keep personal guards. The manpower is not as abundant as she imagined.

In fact, what she needs now may not be the top-tier famous generals from history, but second-tier generals who can take on border defense duties. They can be trained now and be ready for battle when necessary.

Lü Bu must be met, and if he can be tamed and utilized, he should be used!

Being timid because of what has not yet happened is not her style!

Thus, Qiao Yan only paused for a moment before continuing to walk out. Even Xu Fu, who was closest to her, thought her pause was just to greet Guo Jia who was passing by.

She continued walking out and met Lü Bu, who had been brought in, in the outermost courtyard of the prefectural office.

Her first thought upon seeing Lü Bu was:

What a fierce general!

His stature, arm span, and the strength of his muscles were evident at first glance, serving as the basic criteria for judging a military officer. Qiao Yan, who also practiced martial arts, could easily see that Lü Bu’s posture was tense, with his fingers, wrists, arms, waist, and legs all exerting force coherently and solidly.

Based on this first impression, he was indeed a promising candidate for a cavalry and archery general.

Not to mention Lü Bu’s physique and appearance, which would make him a representative figure of Bingzhou.

He was in his twenties or thirties, in his prime. If he hadn’t come empty-handed but with a Fangtian Huaji, anyone would think he looked more like he came to cause trouble than to recommend himself.

Qiao Yan clapped her hands, “What, if I hadn’t come out, would you two have started fighting?”

At her voice, the two men facing off each other immediately took a step back.

The reason Lü Bu was so tense was because the person in front of him was none other than Dian Wei.

As soon as Lü Bu entered, he and Dian Wei locked eyes like rivals.

If he hadn’t remembered that this was the residence of the new Governor of Bingzhou and not a place to casually arrange a martial duel, he would have felt the itch to challenge Dian Wei to a fight.

No, that wouldn’t do, at least not now.

He was here to recommend himself, not to start by beating up the Marquis of Leping’s top bodyguard.

Moreover, Qiao Yan was not just the Marquis of Leping but also the Governor of Bingzhou.

The status of a Governor far surpassed that of a Prefect, and there were only four such positions in the world.

Previously, when Qiao Yan, as the Marquis of Leping, returned victorious from a campaign beyond the borders, her aura had made Lü Bu admire her greatly, even to the point of resigning from his minor official position to join her. Now, even more so—

Lü Bu probably couldn’t understand why Qiao Yan had become a Governor after a trip to Luoyang, but it didn’t stop him from feeling an additional layer of awe-inspiring mystery about her, and it cleared away the frustration of having waited two months after resigning too quickly.

Now, with Qiao Yan’s voice and Dian Wei’s retreat, he could turn his gaze to Qiao Yan who had stepped forward.

She often wore dark clothes, so Lü Bu’s first glance fell on her waist.

This wasn’t a rude gesture.

People of the time valued symbols of status, and since official robes weren’t yet color-coded by rank, the seal and ribbon were the most visible symbols.

The most impressive person Lü Bu had seen before was the Prefect of Wuyuan County, but that Prefect only wore a silver seal with a green ribbon. Qiao Yan was different.

A Marquis wore a gold seal with a purple ribbon, truly a symbol of wealth and nobility.

He restrained himself from looking further and turned his gaze to Qiao Yan’s face.

As the Governor held both civil and military authority, and Qiao Yan had once led troops herself, it was hard to classify her as either a civil or military official. Thus, she didn’t bother following the rules of civil officials wearing scholar hats and military officials wearing military caps, simply tying her long hair with a crown and distinguishing her status by the vertical beam on the crown.

Thus, her face, though young, exuded a martial spirit.

What a young Governor!

As Lü Bu had told his fellow villagers, and as Qu Yi had told Han Fu, in martial regions like Liangzhou and Bingzhou, Qiao Yan’s actions would only bring admiration and aspiration, not any underestimation of this young Governor.

Lü Bu had thought this when he saw Qiao Yan riding past Wuyuan County, and now, seeing her up close, he still thought the same.

He even felt that with Qiao Yan’s status as Governor, appearing so quickly upon hearing someone had come to offer their services, given her achievements in campaigns against the Black Mountain, White Wave, and the Xiongnu, she truly deserved the title of a benevolent ruler.

He quickly composed himself, clasped his hands, and said loudly, “Lü Bu, Lü Fengxian of Wuyuan, greets the Marquis.”

Lü Bu was that Lü Bu, but Qiao Yan was not Ding Yuan.

She took two steps forward to stand in front of Lü Bu and said, “It’s natural for warriors to strive to be first. Your name is well chosen, but—”

“I heard you came to recommend yourself. If you’re recommending yourself, you can’t just have a nice name; you need to show some real skill.”

Hearing this, Lü Bu immediately puffed out his chest.

If nothing else, he believed his strength and archery skills were top-notch, and he wasn’t afraid to show his true abilities.

“Bu…”

“Wait, let me ask you a question first,” Qiao Yan raised her hand to stop him and spoke first.

“Please speak, Marquis.”

As Lü Bu replied, he felt Qiao Yan’s sharp gaze sweep over him from head to toe.

Under such a gaze, even though Lü Bu was taller than the not-yet-fourteen-year-old Qiao Yan, he couldn’t feel the difference.

Then he heard her say, “Ability must match position. That’s always been my rule here. If Fengxian only wants a minor official position, lifting the stone lock at the gate will suffice. If you want to be an officer in charge of military affairs, that’s a different test. So, may I ask, what is your goal?”

What is your goal?

Hearing this question, Lü Bu was momentarily stunned.

This question seemed too direct, at least in all the self-recommendations he had heard of, no one had ever spoken like this.

But strangely, perhaps because this Marquis Qiao’s actions always carried a sense of competitiveness, and the impression she left on him was her spirited ride past, he felt this wasn’t a question that required a humble answer.

So, what did he really want?

In his over twenty years in Bingzhou’s Wuyuan, just in the twenty years of the current Emperor’s reign, he had experienced over ten Xiongnu invasions, personally participated in seven, or rather, the entire border region was in a state of universal conscription. Naturally, he wanted a military position!

Best of all, he wanted to emulate the great generals of the past, like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, and win battles!

But telling Qiao Yan now that he wanted to be a general seemed too ambitious, and with the Governor’s authority, she couldn’t just give him a general’s position.

After some thought, Lü Bu replied, “Bu wishes to campaign in the northern borders for the Marquis, as a Military Officer!”

There are only a few military positions, but only one has the word “Military” in its name!

Lü Bu had seen Qiao Yan’s gold seal and purple ribbon at first glance and naturally set his sights on the most prestigious title.

Military, wasn’t that his very image!

Qiao Yan observed Lü Bu’s expression, hardly able to avoid thinking that he wore his heart on his sleeve, and found it amusing, but only said, “Go call Wen Yuan.”

As the news of the Governor replacing the Inspector had reached the borders before the entourage arrived in Jinyang, Zhang Liao had been recalled early and was now awaiting Qiao Yan’s arrangements.

Remembering that he had risen under Zhang Yi’s notice thanks to Qiao Yan’s support, he was prepared that if Qiao Yan had other plans for the Military Officer position, he would have no objections. After all, in the two and a half years in this environment of leading troops against the Xiongnu, he had gained much and achieved real victories.

But what he didn’t expect was that after being called by Qiao Yan, she said to the man in front of her, “This is the Military Officer I have in mind. If you want this position, you can have it, as long as you prove you’re stronger than him.”

Lü Bu’s eyes immediately lit up, and he turned his gaze to Zhang Liao.

To him, this Marquis Qiao was truly straightforward, fitting the style of their Bingzhou people.

Want this position? Then prove you’re stronger than the person currently in it!

And from what he saw, Zhang Liao was not yet twenty, still a young lad. Lü Bu could draw a three-stone strong bow, how much strength could this kid have?

This was a contest with an easily predictable outcome.

But then he heard Qiao Yan say, “However, to be a Military Officer, you can’t just be personally fierce; you need to lead troops fiercely. Knowing how to command, how to set up camp, how to discern the Xiongnu’s movements—to compare these, I can’t rashly give you soldiers to lead. That would be irresponsible to the soldiers’ lives. So, let’s change the method. I’ll give each of you five hundred White Wave bandits, and in three days, you’ll compete on the training ground.”

“These thousand men are all those who failed to take Xiongnu heads in the previous campaign beyond the borders and are redeeming their lives. This time, they’ll fight with wooden sticks, and the side that reaches a hundred injuries first loses.”

“Lü Fengxian.” Hearing Qiao Yan call his name, Lü Bu snapped out of his surprise at this unexpected method of proof and immediately responded.

Qiao Yan said, “You don’t need to worry about unfairness in this contest. The winning side will receive the same treatment as those who redeemed their lives by beheading. To win, they won’t slack off, and they’re not familiar with Wen Yuan either.”

“If so, are you willing to compete with Wen Yuan?”

Qiao Yan was putting into practice what she had just learned from her “study” in Luoyang.

Lü Bu pondered that if Qiao Yan was serious, this was indeed a fair method.

It was winter now, not a suitable time for military campaigns against the northern Xiongnu. At most, they could defend against invasions, which were unpredictable.

Using White Wave bandits for the contest and offering rewards to the winners seemed more appropriate.

He also thought that since they were bandits, they could be persuaded with fists. If there were any disobedient ones, he would have an advantage.

But Lü Bu couldn’t help feeling a bit frustrated. Bandits fighting bandits naturally meant foot combat, but he was skilled in mounted archery and should fight on horseback.

But never mind! He would first defeat that kid Zhang Liao, and then, as a Military Officer, he could gallop on horseback at his leisure.

Seeing Qiao Yan assign someone to take him to settle down, Lü Bu bowed to her again.

Though he was arrogant, it was better to be slightly polite to this exceptionally capable future superior.

Qiao Yan felt she hadn’t misjudged; before leaving, the guy glanced at her gold seal and purple ribbon again, his eyes full of longing. This reminded Qiao Yan that using such a person required great caution, especially not to let go of the leash holding him.

So she needed to teach him a lesson first.

As she watched Lü Bu’s figure disappear from sight, she suddenly heard Guo Jia ask beside her, “If others come to recommend themselves in this manner, will you also use this method to select and replace them? If so, the White Wave bandits might not be enough.”

“From your perspective, Fengxiao, does everyone have Lü Bu’s bravery and… straightforwardness?” Qiao Yan turned her head to look at him.

The pause before “straightforwardness” almost made Guo Jia laugh.








Qiao Yan spoke up, “What Marquis Qiao said is quite right.”

Qiao Yan continued, “But you’re also correct. If people could so easily challenge and replace current officials, while it might foster competition and merit-based selection, it would indeed affect the efficiency of the state government—”

Her gaze shifted to the stone locks at the entrance, which were mentioned in the conversation with Lü Bu, and she added, “Let’s make these stone locks heavier. Unless someone can lift them, they won’t get the privilege of such a challenge.”

Moreover, she needed to quickly appoint someone to the position of Grand Justifier. If this role responsible for talent selection remained vacant, those seeking self-recommendation would have no choice but to come directly to her.

However, everyone under her command was already occupied with substantial tasks, and she had no idea where to find a suitable Grand Justifier.

Qiao Yan pondered but couldn’t reach a conclusion, so she temporarily set the matter aside and beckoned Guo Jia, “Come with me first.”

Originally, it was Qin Yu’s turn for a one-on-one talk, but since Guo Jia had come to her, she decided to clarify things with him first.

However, he didn’t need much instruction. On the way back from Luoyang to Bingzhou, Guo Jia had already guessed the responsibilities he might be assigned. Now, it was just a formal acknowledgment.

Though young and often unrestrained, Guo Jia couldn’t help but show a serious expression when accepting Qiao Yan’s appointment document.

He couldn’t help but glance repeatedly at the titles of “Officer of Yunzhong Commandery” and “Officer of Xihe Commandery.”

In terms of calligraphy, Qiao Yan’s handwriting was decent, but it couldn’t compare to the masters, especially with Cai Yong nearby for comparison.

However, the trust conveyed in those few words stirred a sense of grandeur in Guo Jia.

Confronting the White Wave Bandits, perfecting the merit system, the surprise attack on the Xiongnu, and the careful maneuvering in Luoyang had all shown Guo Jia her capabilities and potential. But it was in this allocation of responsibilities that he truly saw the makings of a wise ruler.

He tucked the document into his sleeve and bowed to Qiao Yan.

Given his temperament, he couldn’t bring himself to say something like “I would lay down my life for Marquis Qiao,” but his current actions were already a form of commitment.

Just as he was getting serious, he asked, “May I ask, Marquis Qiao, could you arrange a good horse for my travels between these two places?”

Qiao Yan raised an eyebrow, “Xihe Commandery has plenty of good horses. With your abilities, Guo Fengxiao, can’t you get one yourself?”

She had already tasked him with intimidating the Southern Xiongnu and, while at it, bringing back some war horses. With Guo Jia’s intelligence, he should be able to manage.

As for Qiao Yan’s straightforward approach to leveraging her subordinates’ initiative, Guo Jia… didn’t find it objectionable.

Thinking about the territory where he could flex his muscles, the still somewhat young Guo Jia, unaware of the sorrows of being overworked, cheerfully took up his new post.

Feeling pleased with himself, he thought about Xi Zhicai’s previous maneuvers and wanted to emulate them.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t just copy them.

Given Qiao Yan’s ambitions and actions in Bingzhou, there was already some suspicion of overstepping. Now, with her appointment as Governor of Bingzhou, she had offended some people and stepped onto the stage of competition. Thus, certain correspondences would be inappropriate.

Xi Zhicai clearly knew this, which was why after hooking Guo Jia, he never wrote again, fully demonstrating what it meant to fish with ill intentions.

Guo Jia calculated that now was the time for Qiao Yan to expand the situation in Leping to the entire commandery, so he decided not to cause any trouble.

He decided to take out his frustrations on the Xiongnu.

What was the name of that Southern Xiongnu noble who was supposedly scared by Marquis Qiao?

He would first discuss with the Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu to find a good time to supervise whether he had properly kept a certain “wine cup”!

The Left Guli Wang of the Southern Xiongnu—

He had already discarded the head of the Xiongnu king!

Seeing that lifeless face, he couldn’t help but recall their failed plans and the scene where Qiao Yan pointed a half-spear at him. How could he keep such a reminder? He never expected that in just three months, he would face a mischievous enforcer.

Now, he was more worried about the winter food supply.

The Southern Xiongnu had settled in Meiji City and gradually learned farming, which was their main source of grain.

But Meiji City, located in modern-day Zhungeer Banner’s Nalin Town, was more suitable for herding than farming.

After handing over a batch, the right faction, following Han commands, didn’t suffer much, but the left faction’s grain reserves were clearly insufficient unless they were willing to trade horses and furs.

The Left Guli Wang had considered raiding to fill the gap, but the scene of Qiao Yan leading troops and stacking 3,000 Xiongnu heads in the square was still fresh in his memory, making him hesitant to act rashly.

Especially after learning that Qiao Yan had gone to the capital to plead guilty, he gloated for a couple of days before the Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu came to spread the news that she not only escaped unscathed but also became the Governor of Bingzhou, with her troops set to expand again.

What about his grain? The Left Guli Wang felt disheartened.

To be honest, Qiao Yan was also quite worried about food.

So when assigning Qin Yu the position of Registrar, she specifically reminded her to thoroughly check the financial inventories of each commandery, ensuring no fraudulent practices.

Others might not know, but she was well aware that once Luoyang faced turmoil, regardless of whether history had changed due to her presence or whether Liu Bian or Liu Xie inherited the throne—

The collapse of the Han dynasty and the ensuing chaos were almost inevitable, and Bingzhou would enter a state of war readiness within two years.

By then, the grain reserves of each commandery would have to be centralized for allocation, so it was crucial to ensure accurate records from now on.

Qin Yu naturally understood the importance and replied, “Marquis Qiao, rest assured. I know the stakes. When you previously tasked me with managing Leping’s agriculture, including the mountain fields’ records, I already have a team for statistics, so there won’t be mistakes. The abacus tools you brought back from Luoyang are also very useful.”

“I think this time, we don’t need to just check grain reserves. We can also send out the commandery assistants to audit the tax revenues, storage, and financial expenditures of each commandery.”

Her decisive tone made Qiao Yan admire her more, observing her actions without the unease of being promoted to a high position.

Perhaps it was her leadership that set a good example, making her subordinates unafraid to showcase their talents.

Qiao Yan thought for a moment and suddenly smiled, “If, as you say, we send out the assistants, it would mean you and your mother working together.”

This could become a beautiful tale in Bingzhou.

Perhaps with this dispatch of the governor’s subordinates, it could set a trend.

Seeing Qiao Yan resting her chin on her hand with a relaxed expression, Qin Yu also smiled knowingly.

After Qin Yu left, Qiao Yan assigned positions like the Officer of Yanmen Commandery, Gatekeeper, and Camp Supervisor. After all, Cui Lie said he needed to pack, so assigning positions first wouldn’t affect his actions.

Dian Wei was quite satisfied with his promotion while still being responsible for Qiao Yan’s safety. However, Chu Yan was even more pleased with his position.

The position of Gatekeeper might not sound as impressive as Military Officer or Commandery Officer, but it was precisely where he could best utilize his strengths.

What made Chu Yan even happier was that Qiao Yan didn’t seem to mind that with his geographical advantage and this position allowing him to recruit followers, he could potentially build his own force in the mountains.

Just like she didn’t mind when he took the hard-to-store yams to the Central Plains to exchange for grain and brought back refugees to Leping.

Even after three years in Leping and developing a sense of belonging, this level of trust still felt overwhelmingly heavy.

Thus, he had to guard this gateway for Marquis Qiao, ensuring no one could cross the boundary without permission!

However, it wasn’t just Chu Yan who felt that Qiao Yan’s appointments were unconventional; Xu Huang felt the same.

Chu Yan was once a bandit, and Xu Huang was also once a bandit. But now?

The Black Mountain Bandits had fully integrated into Qiao Yan’s troops, and while many of the White Wave Bandits were still labeled as captives, they were close to shedding that identity. Xu Huang had even taken a step further, becoming an official and receiving a court salary.

Thinking that just four months ago he was a patrol leader in the mountains, Xu Huang felt a strange sense of displacement.

He heard Qiao Yan ask slowly, “Are you adjusting well down the mountain?”

Her tone wasn’t like addressing a defeated bandit but more like inquiring about a friend.

Xu Huang quickly replied, “Naturally, I’m adjusting well. Thank you for your concern, Marquis.”

Qiao Yan said, “That’s good. After adjusting a bit more, I’ll assign you a troop. Your skills in building defenses in White Wave Valley are top-notch, so—”

“Would you dare to establish a defense line based on the outer Great Wall on Yinshan?”

Xu Huang’s eyes widened.

Over the years, as the Han dynasty had little strength left for border defense, the outer Great Wall’s defenses had become nominal, and even the inner Great Wall’s defenses were often breached by the Hu people. He never expected to hear such ambitious words from Qiao Yan.

But how inspiring they were!

Being a mountain lord in the Taihang Mountains as a bandit versus being a border defender on Yinshan was a world of difference.

With sufficient supplies and troops, and Guanglu Pass as a base, from Xu Huang’s perspective, this was an excellent assignment.

Suppressing his boiling emotions, he asked, “But if it’s as you say, wouldn’t the pressure on Bingzhou’s border defenses be too great?”

Qiao Yan waved her hand, “That’s exactly the result I want.”

At least, it was the most suitable result for now.

Her words were firm, and Xu Huang thought she must have her own plans, so he didn’t press further.

Seeing her rise from the couch, indicating that their conversation was the last for now and she intended to leave, Xu Huang handed her the cloak she had set aside.

Qiao Yan took it and said, “Let’s go. Since you’re now a subordinate officer, you should first ensure my safety.”

Xu Huang asked, “Where are you heading, Marquis?”

Qiao Yan replied, “Back to Leping to see someone.”

Cui Lie had suggested she return to stay for a couple of days, but the rooms in the state government weren’t bad for her to settle in. However, she calculated that the duel between Lü Bu and Zhang Liao would start in three days, and there wasn’t much to do here now. Plus, leaving Jinyang would help her avoid the first wave of visits, waiting for Lu Yuan to come up with a plan before receiving guests. It was indeed more appropriate to leave now.

The person she wanted to see wasn’t Cai Yong but someone else.

On the way from Jinyang to Leping, it started to snow.

Perhaps because she had improved her horsemanship or because she had traveled this path many times, the slippery mountain road didn’t hinder her slow ride. Even with an umbrella, she found a certain charm in the snow-covered mountains.

After entering Leping, she slowed her horse further, seeing the winter wheat sprouting in the fields, now at the tillering stage.

Fortunately, this winter wasn’t as cold as the previous two years, greatly improving the wheat’s survival rate.

Confirming the wheat was fine, Qiao Yan sped up a bit.

By now, Dian Wei, who was following her, had guessed her destination.

Sure enough, she didn’t enter Leping County but headed straight for Qiao Xuan’s shrine.

Some distance from the shrine, she dismounted, adjusted her cloak, and walked forward.

When Dian Wei tied up the horses and caught up, he saw Qiao Yan not entering the shrine but staring at the stele in front of her, slowly brushing off a patch of snow.

Where her fingers touched, the characters below were revealed, reading:

“Brilliant and extraordinary, nothing escapes notice.”