“`html
“Is it really not allowed for a strategist to ascend the throne?”
Chapter 105 rolls in like a storm, and here in Luoyang, things are getting wild!
“This guy is trying to come serve in your state, isn’t it a bit off to hand him over to me?” Guo Yun questioned again.
Honestly, this logic is just a bit upside-down.
Guo Yun didn’t think Qiao Yan was pulling a fast one on him.
First off, he hadn’t realized Lü Bu had an effect on his superiors, and besides, even though Lü Bu got smacked around by Zhang Liao this time, it’s pretty clear he’s a powerhouse of unmatched brute strength. Even as a good luck charm in Yanmen, he’d pack a punch—slotting him as a junior officer wouldn’t be pushing it.
Two years ago, when Qiao Yan shot that arrow at the governor, he had asked for leniency for her, which got him transferred to Yanmen as the prefect.
Yanmen isn’t as secure as Shangdang, but it suits him just fine, though those Xianbei folks can be a bit of a pain.
Thankfully, his previous role as Military Officer helping the Yanmen Commander fend off border issues had lightened his load quite a bit. Now with Qiao Yan adding Zhang Yang to the team, plus Lü Bu with his martial skills, this battleground already has enough big hitters.
But is it a bit of a waste for Lü Bu, though?
Qiao Yan replied, “This guy is a bit unpredictable; putting him straight into the promotion system might be troublesome, so I’ll have to rely on you, Guo Taishou.”
“The position of junior officer in Yanmen has less stature than Zhi Shu and Wen Yuan, needing to work alongside them in battle but on their own terms. That way, it’ll minimize friction between this warrior and his superiors, plus he can learn what real command looks like. Of course, I’ll personally step in to teach him when necessary.”
Listening to Qiao Yan’s analysis, Guo Yun chuckled, “So it seems you actually have some high hopes for this guy, huh?”
“Can Guo Taishou draw a three-stone bow?” Qiao Yan asked, seemingly off-topic.
“Definitely not…” Guo Yun wasn’t foolish, suddenly looking suspiciously towards the training ground, “But can Lü Bu?”
“Three-stone bow drawn, hitting a bullseye at a hundred steps.”
Qiao Yan had to admit, Lü Bu’s skills went beyond what she could manage with some system boost.
Out here on the Bingzhou front lines, archery is the name of the game, pushing back those Hu folks. Even if Lü Bu doesn’t yet grasp troop formations and his temper needs some managing, he’s undoubtedly a heavyweight killing machine.
So yeah, that junior officer gig seems a bit beneath him.
But Lü Bu wasn’t bothered by it at all.
His defeat to Zhang Liao was achieved under fair conditions, and truth be told, Zhang Liao was just better at positioning his men. He barely made a scratch on Zhang Liao’s side but ended up on the losing end with over a hundred of his guys injured.
Zhang Liao, that brat, really knew how to play it right; while Qiao Yan was busy negotiating Lü Bu’s official status, they had a rematch, fair and square, four hundred against four hundred.
And then Lü Bu lost again.
This time he was literally pushed down to the ground by a gang.
No matter how much strength he had, he couldn’t wriggle out like Dian Wei did back in the days!
The winning side, the White Wave Bandits, were practically throwing a party, putting in serious effort this round.
Lü Bu rubbed his almost-broken arm and grumbled; he really undervalued the enemy’s skills!
In the additional tests that followed, he had to admit that even if Zhang Liao can’t match his prowess in horse archery, he’s still one of the top guys in Bingzhou.
According to Qiao Yan’s judgment of overall strength, he really couldn’t replace Zhang Liao! Even that junior officer Zhang Yang had seen more battles than him, so he was definitely not to be underestimated.
Still, chatting with people like them about martial arts and archery was far better than being a boring county official.
And considering these fellows all fell under Qiao Yan’s command, with Lü Bu still fixated on that golden seal and purple ribbon, he figured he might as well raise Qiao Yan’s profile a bit higher.
It’s then that he heard from Qiao Yan about being assigned to Yanmen’s junior officer position and joining Zhang Liao and Zhang Yang in action.
“You may have lost this time, but your courage has been more than enough, yet if I appoint you to an official state position, it’ll likely lead to a parade of self-nominating candidates. And if every single one wants to challenge these gentlemen, we might as well throw in the towel at the borders. You get what I mean?” Qiao Yan asked.
Thinking it over, Lü Bu nodded, realizing she did have a point.
Then Qiao Yan continued, “So while you’re favored by the state, you’re being appointed as an honorary official in Yanmen. Guo Taishou greatly appreciates your archery skills, and saying you’re entrusted with the junior officer title will make it sound better. The junior officer role oversees Yanmen military affairs, ranking below the Yanmen junior officer and Wu Meng’s military officer. Both these two have way more experience in leading men into battle than you, so I hope you can learn a thing or two from them, Lü Fengxian, don’t let me down.”
Lü Bu looked at Qiao Yan; though she had the imposing air of a state official, there was a hint of admiration in her gaze. He glanced over at the Yanmen prefect—the guy seemed way tougher than the Wuyuan prefect, eyes sparkling with expectation for him, and both of his future superiors knew what the deal was since they all had their fair share of competition.
This world had such a great position for him to shine!
Qiao Yan was truly a wise leader!
Once he learns how to command troops, he’ll come back to challenge again, guaranteed to become one of Qiao’s trusted aides.
That eager expression of Lü Bu’s was readable to anyone, including Zhang Liao.
“Does Wen Yuan feel any pressure with such a unique subordinate?” Qiao Yan asked as she called Zhang Liao over to give him some extra tips.
If it had been just Lü Bu leading Zhang Liao before, he might have thought letting Lü Bu grow would mean he’d surpass him in skills.
But now that Zhang Liao has been Military Officer for two and a half years, with Qiao Yan herself stating that he’s the right fit for it, he’s got some confidence thanks to his frontline experience.
Lü Bu’s a born powerhouse, but his character flaws make him more suited as a sharp spearhead than as the top commander of an army.
So someone needs to keep him in check!
Qiao Yan is the governor; her main responsibility is to steer the strategy, leaving her no time to micromanage this.
This matter—
Zhang Liao replied firmly, “Lü Fengxian is like a fierce tiger, but I’m not afraid of this lone tiger’s battle. Please rest assured, my lord, I will not let you down.”
Seeing this young man grow through warfare, Qiao Yan knew he wouldn’t just throw out promises for no reason, and she felt no doubt about him.
Overall, bringing Lü Bu under her banner wasn’t a bad deal.
Lü Bu’s brother-in-law Wei Xu also joined the ranks thanks to his loyalty, so if Lü Bu could convince the generals under him, like Cao Xing and Hou Cheng, to join as well, Qiao Yan would have even more manpower to work with.
As for whether these folks who’d deserted Lü Bu would betray her too, it was just like that dilemma with Lü Bu himself; as long as you put them in the right spots and keep them in check, there’s really nothing to worry about.
And Lü Bu’s kind of character is like a vicious tiger driving competition among the team; just manage it right, and it might even yield surprising results.
Watching Lü Bu now getting all chummy with Zhang Yang since his appointment gave her some relief.
Compared to the thoughts of these warriors, it was those literati that were a pain in the neck.
She had previously given Lu Yuan two days to collect info about the aristocratic families of Bingzhou and establish a ranking, so now was her time to collect that report.
Lu Yuan wasn’t just hanging out in Jinyang.
As Qiao Yan’s primary aide in Bingzhou, she had a small following of her own.
So she first picked a few nutcases from the Black Mountain army in Leping as attendants, then she hit the road to visit several places in Bingzhou, arriving in front of Qiao Yan looking a bit worn.
But when it came time to answer the report, she spoke with unwavering confidence, showing no signs of fatigue.
“The folks you must meet first, my lord, are undoubtedly the Wang family of Jinyang, the Guo family of Yangqu, and the Tang family of Jinyang. You may not want to develop deep ties with these aristocrats, but you can’t shut them at the door either. Especially, you need to use them to send a signal out. These three families either had previous collaboration with you or have members who supported you, thus signing those bonds. This move shows you haven’t forgotten your roots.”
Qiao Yan nodded, “Absolutely.”
Even though she told Cai Yong that these families might fear she’d use the Hu to deal with them once in power, she had no true intentions of going down that road. At least for now, she needed to maintain some necessary relationships.
What she really wanted was to hear Lu Yuan’s findings from her travels.
Lu Yuan said, “For your second round, I suggest meeting the Jia family of Jiexiu in Taiyuan.”
Qiao Yan asked, “And why’s that?”
Lu Yuan replied, “In Taiyuan, there used to be a prominent evaluator named Guo Linzong, and I’m sure you’ve heard of him, so I won’t dwell on him. Regarding the Jia family of Jiexiu, there’s an interesting tale—
“Years ago, Jia Zihou from Jiexiu got into trouble avenging his uncle after being arrested by officials. He sought help from Guo Linzong, who got him off the hook. So, when Guo Linzong’s mother passed away, Jia Zihou attended the funeral to pay his respects.”
“The Jia family is distinguished through generations, yet Jia Zihou was a real piece of work—quite the troublemaker. When Sun Wei from Julu heard about Guo Linzong’s good character, he thought it odd for a villain like Jia Zihou to come pay respects without even entering the door, so he left right after.”
“Guo Linzong, witnessing this, ran after him claiming, ‘Though Jia Zihou has a fierce temperament, he also has potential for reform. Confucius didn’t turn away the local lads, why should I shut my door to him?’ While it might seem indulgent for others, Guo Linzong, a person of integrity, could see through people’s true nature, and Jia Zihou did change. For two decades hence, if he met any of our local community in distress, he helped them out, becoming a figure of praise in Bingzhou.”
“If you meet this person, it would carry deep meaning, showing your desire to guide others towards goodness, appreciation for Guo Linzong, and it’s also a way to curry favor with the Jiexiu Jia family.”
This is virtue and influence!
This selection is brilliant!
Jia Shushu and Jia Zihou, a unique existence bridging the gap between the aristocrats and the erudite, alongside local fame—having him come up first couldn’t be more fitting.
Qiao Yan asked, “And who should we meet for the third round?”
From the look on Qiao Yan’s face, Lu Yuan could tell she was rather pleased with the analysis presented.
In the Han dynasty’s thirteen provinces, there are countless noble families, so she wouldn’t dare to shoot off her mouth, lest she end up embarrassing Qiao Yan, the governor.
She replied, “For the third round, I recommend you meet the Linghu family of Taiyuan.”
“The Linghu family hailed from a notable gentry background, tracing back to the Ji clan, settling in Taiyuan. After Zhang Ju attacked and killed the cavalry commander Gong Qi Chou, the new governor who took over was from the Linghu family. Today, the standout of the next generation, Linghu Shao, is also known for his battlefield charms.”
“Unlike many gentry, the Linghu family lacks arrogance and possesses the guts to fight. Meeting them would demonstrate your commitment against the Xiongnu and Xianbei, and if Linghu Shao is usable, perhaps consider giving him the position of junior officer in Shuofang.”
This projected image is what Bingzhou needed to exhibit in the short term.
Having spent so much time with Qiao Yan, Lu Yuan understood her style, so at this moment, she certainly wasn’t about to misjudge.
The three rounds of meetings she proposed are precisely aimed at establishing her identity as a governor—
Sentimental, open to collaboration with aristocrats, acknowledging potential for redemption, and respecting martial virtue.
For the common folks, noble families, and even those Black Mountain Bandits like Baili Bandits now under her command, this would set a fitting tone.
Lu Yuan continued, “For the fourth round…”
Watching her passionately lay it out, Qiao Yan suddenly felt grateful she didn’t refuse her company back in the day; it had truly been a great decision.
“`
“What a fitting decision!”
She indeed met with those who presented their courtesies in the order suggested by Lu Yuan.
The first to gain entrance was none other than Wang Yang from the Wang family of Jinyang.
Thinking back to three years ago when Qiao Yan came knocking with that Hero’s Wine for a business discussion, it now struck him as ironic that he, the one needing to pay a visit, felt a tinge of bewilderment as he stood before the governor’s door.
However, upon reflection, it was clear that today’s events weren’t completely without previous hints.
He had previously traversed this route when he came looking for Qiao Yan due to her compelling influence over the governor,
only then she was a criminal accused of usurping power to combat a locust plague, while today she was the rightful owner of this place.
Wang Rou’s assessments about her hadn’t missed the mark, and the title of Marquis of Leping wasn’t even a ceiling for her, rather it was just her starting point.
Now, she was the master of this state.
Thankfully, from the very beginning, the Wang family of Jinyang hadn’t turned her away, and even offered her additional rewards; their previous collaboration had maintained a friendly door between them, which was now being reciprocated by this governor.
Wang Yang certainly understood the implications behind this shift from governor to state governor—it wasn’t a position you could just swap out like that.
Now that she had claimed the title of state governor, not a few would come to pay their respects.
And yet, Qiao Yan had chosen him first!
This was enough to boost his steps into that door with pride,
for it was a matter of trust from the Wang family of Jinyang!
However, once he met Qiao Yan, he quickly reined in his pride and said, “I haven’t had the chance to congratulate you, Marquis Qiao, on your promotion to state governor, but with your remarkable achievements, it seems no one else could be more deserving of that label of youth and talent.”
“You’re being excessively polite, Elder,” Qiao Yan said, raising her hand to signal him to sit down, “If we’re going to be formal, I should thank Uncle You for alerting me about my promotion to state governor so I could suppress Yufuluo’s budding rebellion.”
This referred to the reports that had come in from Xihe Commandery yesterday.
Qiang Qu’s son Yufuluo was still aiding the Han Dynasty in combat within Ji Province, while the Southern Xiongnu’s right side found it hard to curb the ambitions of the left, and even with Qiao Yan’s threats, they had been quite restless. Thankfully, thanks to this timely report that got relayed quickly, a potential armed uprising was averted.
Wang Yang replied, “That was just Uncle You doing his duty; there’s no need for you to praise him.”
Qiao Yan chuckled, “Alright then, let’s not talk about Uncle You or the Southern Xiongnu; let’s discuss what I came to see you about.”
Her straightforwardness caught Wang Yang off guard, but then again, given their previous exchanges, it was no surprise she preferred directness.
She slowly began, “I want to discuss a deal over mining rights with you.”
In Qiao Yan’s eyes, the mineral wealth in Shanxi was astonishingly rich.
Even though she planned to wait until she established sufficient barriers before starting extraction, that didn’t stop her from preparing.
Despite having adequate military strength, it was challenging for her to go solo at this stage.
However, if the other party could provide a sufficient number of experienced workers, she could overlook some losses.
Due to the powers of the state governor, the monopoly over salt and iron in Bingzhou fell into her hands, along with the opportunity to develop unowned mineral resources, which was undeniably her greatest advantage.
What disappointed Qiao Yan was that the salt lakes in Yuncheng belonged to the territory of Sili, where rock salt and Glauber salt were under the jurisdiction of the salt monitoring authority, meaning the salt production wasn’t that advantageous.
Fortunately, the quantity of iron and coal mines could well make up for this loss.
North of Wutai Mountain, there were plenty of iron mines around Yanmen and Dingxiang, and many could be found along the border of Xihe and Shangjun.
As for coal, she didn’t even have to mention it; coal mines in the western hills of Taiyuan and Yangquan were already in various stages of extraction.
However, iron mines were a military resource, so to prevent noble families from raising too many private soldiers, Qiao Yan couldn’t share those with the Wang family.
So she added, “To be precise, it’s about the coal mines. What I’m proposing isn’t like the previous trade in honeycomb coal; rather, it’s about the excavation of these coal mines.”
“What exactly do you mean, Marquis Qiao?” Wang Yang sensed that her proposal likely entailed more than just regular coal mining.
Sure enough, he heard Qiao Yan’s next words, “Bingzhou isn’t just limited to Taiyuan for coal; don’t you think that if we have coal mines that can be mined openly, it’s far safer than underground operations?”
The coal mines in Bingzhou were probably concentrated in Taiyuan due to the region’s relatively peaceful conditions, mostly between Jinyang and Yangquan, but unfortunately, all of these were underground operations.
She had once visited the coal mines in Yangquan and saw firsthand the coal mining industry there, which bore a striking resemblance to what she’d seen in a museum.
The narrow, dark tunnels used for coal mining lacked any ventilation, let alone safety equipment; the method employed was merely to break the coal into blocks and send it out from the entrance. Due to these limitations, the majority of heating and daily usage was still reliant on charcoal rather than coal.
Yet in reality, the coal mines in Bingzhou didn’t have to be limited to just this mode.
While Zhang Yang had been facilitating the Military Officer’s operations outside two years prior, Qiao Yan had him pay special attention to the areas she pointed out, and in Yanmen’s Mayi, later known as Shuozhou, there was an impressive open-pit coal mine.
That was the Ping Shuo open-pit coal mine.
Additionally, near the city of Meiji, which belonged to the Southern Xiongnu, lay another open-pit coal mine situated in what would later become the territory of the Jungezule Banner.
During the late Han period, these two coal mines were not easily accessible due to frequent warfare in Yanmen and the area occupied by the Southern Xiongnu.
But given the urgency of the time, why stick to inefficient underground mining instead of choosing to exploit the above-ground resources?
These two must be secured!
In the face of current productivity, the environmental damage caused by open-pit mining was still manageable, and considering that the quality of coal was less significant while smelting temperatures remained limited, it wasn’t too crucial.
With the quality of the miners belonging to the Wang family, along with most noble families in Bingzhou, shifting extraction methods didn’t seem overly difficult to achieve.
This was her optimal solution.
Wang Yang watched as Qiao Yan placed a map on the table, with the locations highlighted in red standing out vibrantly.
She pointed at the two sites and said to Wang Yang, “Since I chose to come to you first, let’s lay it all out; these two coal mines can be mined open with just some topsoil removed, but apart from me, no one in Bingzhou can guarantee their smooth extraction.”
This was the truth.
And it was her confidence that lent a bit of pressure to her words, “If within a year, I can firmly suppress the Xianbei in Yanmen, no, let’s say beyond Yunzhong, and can also subdue the Southern Xiongnu to the point where they would not dare harbor any rebellious thoughts, Elder, will you take my deal?”
Wang Yang asked, “What kind of deal?”
Qiao Yan replied, “You would hand over all your well-trained miners to me, allowing me to oversee the open-pit mining; it would yield considerably more than if you mined it yourself.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Yang couldn’t help but pinch his fingers, his mind racing.
On the surface, while they appeared to be offering just the miners and in return received more coal resources,
the implication ran deeper than that.
These miners, while underground, constantly faced the risks of being buried alive and often met untimely deaths; most of them were hidden away by noble families.
Though Qiao Yan’s approach wasn’t overly forceful, it undoubtedly ventured into a realm that could easily be perceived as overstepping.
But given their earlier interactions involving that specialty wine, her reminders before the locust plague, the hints dropped with the previous trade in honeycomb coal, and with her first welcoming of the Wang family—the understanding was forming in Wang Yang’s mind that
the benefits she spoke of would not be insignificant for them.
So, could it be that this… might not be a bad gamble?
“I’m not saying you must make a decision right now, Elder,” Qiao Yan lightly tapped the table to draw Wang Yang’s attention back, “Today’s encounter is merely to express my gratitude for the Wang family’s prior support; we can discuss the open-pit coal mining matter after some days.”
Wang Yang walked out of the governor’s office in a daze, similar to how he arrived.
Yet just a few steps out, he snapped back to reality.
This newly appointed state governor said she would discuss the coal trade in few days, but during those coming days, she would meet with far more visitors than just him!
Before he reached the street corner, he saw that old man from the Tang family, who was clearly filled with joy, making his way to the governor’s office, clearly also having received an invitation.
Previously, Qiao Yan had relied on them for the mulberry bark clothing trade to ensure Leping was in a safer position, yet she no longer seemed to have such concerns now.
Now wielding the powerful authority of the state governor, she could easily draw in the Tang family for herself.
The Wang family could still hesitate, but what about the others?
The weakened noble families had remaining resources and aspirations to rise, making them prime candidates to flip sides, especially those like the Tang family with whom she had established contacts!
If he delayed his agreement, their earlier camaraderie would surely take a hit.
“Not good!” Wang Yang’s mind raced, cursing himself for lacking the decisiveness his sister Wang Rou possessed.
But thankfully, it wasn’t too late to collect himself.
When he rushed back to the governor’s door, he managed to arrive just before the old man from the Tang family, and he spoke up first, “I was mistaken earlier; I have something I want to discuss with Marquis Qiao. Please let her know.”
Qiao Yan caught a hint of a smile upon hearing his voice.
After she sent off the heads of the Wang, Tang, and soon the Guo families from the governor’s office, she had roughly established the framework for their cooperation.
And perhaps it was a stroke of good fortune, just after she placed this document into the cabinet, the system’s voice—a sound she hadn’t heard in days—suddenly rang out.
Not knowing whether all systems’ communications were as troublesome as hers, it seemed to carry a hint of fatigue as if it had just finished a long journey.
“I’ve established contact with Agricultural System 043, but… its requests are a bit peculiar.”
Qiao Yan asked, “What’s so peculiar about it?”
Hearing that number preceding the system’s name, Qiao Yan guessed the other party might be quite the veteran, but the system continued, not revealing exactly what type of partner it had—just that the host of that agricultural system had something unusual about her.
“She consulted her host about the bargaining chips for this bond. The girl said, accumulating food from farming until exhaustion means rebellion, but given her environment, she feels that for rebellion to be effective, some auspicious signs should accompany it—even inquiring about our timeline. Hence, she offered to trade sections of her agricultural books concerning farming in the north as a bargaining chip—”
“Within three years, you need to hand over the Imperial Seal of the Great Han to her, as she intends to borrow it for ten years and then return it to you. This deal will be executed via a guarantee letter; she can fork over the agricultural books first, but if you can’t provide the Imperial Seal within three years, you’ll forfeit one hundred points of strategist points alongside corresponding data boosts, converted to her points as compensation.”
This seemed much more economically smart than her previous martial arts system.
Qiao Yan pondered, speculating the relationship between the host and system likely leaned toward the host being in control, and that phrase about rebelling after exhausting resources was… quite intriguing.
“But there’s also danger; if she fails in her rebellion, that Imperial Seal would essentially be lost.” The system calculated the duration of the Three Kingdoms and asked, “What if the lord you serve needs the Imperial Seal ten years from now? If others suspect it’s in your possession, that wouldn’t be good for you…”
“Just trade with her!” Qiao Yan said decisively, cutting off the system.
“The power of the Great Han is waning; the presence of the Imperial Seal no longer bears the will of heaven, and even if it were lost, it wouldn’t be a significant regret. Instead, if that agricultural book is obtained, I can attempt to implement viable strategies in Bingzhou next year and potentially save countless people.”
“This trade won’t be a loss!”
