“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
It was February and spring was on the horizon, but the warmth from the furnace in the Velvety Hall was still strong enough to make one feel a bit dizzy.
Or maybe it wasn’t just the heat; the overpowering warmth was mingling with the fragrant aromas wafting from the walls.
To Zhang Rang, it seemed Liu Hong was far better adapted to this environment.
He rested against the thick furs, looking sickly, and reached for the memorial beside him.
Last December, he had officially announced the title of Marquis of Guannei, which could be bought and sold for five million coins.
Five million coins sounds like a lot, equivalent to the half-price of the Three Dukes, but in truth, it wasn’t a bad deal.
The Marquis of Guannei and the other marquises were somewhat different; for example, Qiao Yan enjoyed a fief of ten thousand households in Leping, while a Marquis of Guannei typically managed about a thousand households. Liu Hong was notoriously stingy and had set this figure at eight hundred.
Furthermore, apart from their stipends, they weren’t like Qiao Yan, who had control over the farmers in her fief.
However, for those who couldn’t earn a title through great merits, this presented an easier path!
Not to mention Liu Hong stated in the decree selling the Marquis title that the Marquis of Guannei also enjoyed the privilege of wearing a golden seal and purple ribbon, and this title could be passed down to descendants.
Pass it down to the next generation! This was far more advantageous than the random dismissal faced by the Three Dukes due to political climate changes.
Though many had submitted memorials expressing their concerns after this decree was announced, there were still quite a few paying for the Marquis title.
Liu Hong naturally welcomed them with open arms.
He wanted to support these scholars from the Hongdu Gate and a private army from the Eight Schools of Xiyuan, to hold onto enough wealth for himself to feel secure.
Only in doing so could he guarantee his throne’s stability and ensure that the person ascending the throne would be the heir he desired.
He was utterly indifferent to whether this action undermined the dignity of his royal house.
But if Qiao Yan were to speak on it, Liu Hong’s actions hardly affected her, as she had already secured her position as the Governor of Bingzhou, the Marquis of Leping had little impact, especially when it came to the taxes imposed on the people.
At least the money didn’t have to come from the common folk!
Leping was still under the five-year tax exemption status, but the rest of Bingzhou didn’t share this favorable treatment.
Selling the Marquis of Guannei title simply allowed those wealthy families in Luoyang who didn’t care about the stigma of buying nobility to step out flaunting their purple golden belts, where they’d call each other Marquis Zhang or Marquis Li—
What did this have to do with Qiao Yan!
As long as Liu Hong didn’t find this spectacle amusing, it was fine.
This Son of Heaven only saw the money coming in; he flipped through the memorials, not spotting any notably radical opposition, before grabbing the report on bingzhou sent by Qiao Yan.
Upon seeing the first line, he frowned.
“In the fourth year of Guanghe, Tan Shihui fell, and his son He Lian was a debauchee, losing cash in the northern regions, while He Lian’s son Qian Man is young and has appointed Kuitou as the Xianbei chanyu. I have known for years in Leping of this situation; I intended to support Qian Man against Kuitou to provoke internal strife and restore stability to Bingzhou.”
“However, Kuitou’s three brothers each have heroic abilities. Kuitou is the chanyu, his second brother Fuluohan leads tens of thousands, and the third brother Budugen also commands thousands, keeping a watchful eye on Yanmen. If we cannot defeat this strong tactic first, once the three unite, they will amount to a force of a hundred thousand, and at that point, Bingzhou will be in jeopardy, leading to chaos in the Three Auxiliaries.”
Kuitou, Fuluohan, Budugen—that’s the current Xianbei chanyu and his two equally remarkable brothers, especially the latter two.
Of course, when referring to their respective forces totaling several tens of thousands, Xi Zhicai had clearly exaggerated under the “truthful” reminder from Qiao Yan.
While Kuitou was still chanyu, Fuluohan’s position could in no way surpass that of his elder brother, that “big man” moniker was merely a figure of speech, and as for his several tens of thousands, they barely numbered in the thousands.
However, in these times, slightly inflating the military strength to include those not fit for battle from within their domain was a common tactic, and it wasn’t just Qiao Yan’s maneuver.
That’s how a figure of ten thousand could triple to a hundred thousand—it was basic maneuvering.
Liu Hong had previously heard the straightforward truth from Qiao Yan, how could he suspect she pulled a fast one with wordplay now?
He only saw the urgent military situation within this message.
If Bingzhou were to fall to the Xianbei taking shape, the Xiongnu also within would surely turn hostile; if they existed independently, they would stop at the Taihang Mountains, but combined, the ambitious would no doubt want to try their luck raiding the richer regions of the Three Auxiliaries.
The thought of “chaos in the Three Auxiliaries” was not out of the realm of possibility.
The rebellion in Yuyang led by Zhang Ju had yet to be settled, and his conspirators, the Hu tribes, were precisely the Wuhuan, which undoubtedly gave Liu Hong a skewed perception of those northern Hu.
It appeared Qiao Yan’s prior confrontation with the Xiongnu was indeed a necessary action.
With the current might of the Xianbei soldiers, had it not been for the Han Dynasty previously crossing the Yanshan, slaying the Xiongnu and other Hu, the three brothers would undoubtedly attack Bingzhou as they had in the previous winter and seize winter supplies.
But because he had fortuitously conferred Qiao Yan as the Governor of Bingzhou before the attack that winter, it had caused these three brothers to hesitate, and as Youzhou and Jizhou had already been stripped of resources, they then pulled back.
Liu Hong felt frustrated, coughing a bit before continuing to read.
Fortunately, the following contents in the letter eased his frown.
Qiao Yan’s decision to strike against the Xianbei was not an impulsive one.
Besides the embellishments regarding the Xianbei strength, the preparations for the Xianbei campaign were documented soberly.
For instance, she pointed out that in the twelfth month after taking office, she coordinated with the fake assistants and clerks permitted by the Emperor from the Grand Commandant’s office, conducting registrations and inspections of the government storehouses across various counties.
Specific data was sent alongside this memorial for the Emperor’s review.
This was clearly a straightforward approach.
Liu Hong flipped through the data, a smile gradually appearing on his face.
Since previously, Cui Lie had reported similar data to him as a straightforward person, he naturally could tell whether Qiao Yan had fabricated anything.
This made it clear; his Governor of Bingzhou had not betrayed his trust.
Liu Hong held onto this thought as he saw Qiao Yan later note that a portion of the weapons and food in the government storehouses had to be earmarked as reserves for the capital, some had been used to pay laborers for river repairs in the dry season, another portion was allocated for border defense in the northwest, especially the troop supply at the Du Liao General camp, some were set aside for disaster relief in case of bad weather, and the last portion was for this military campaign.
With such immediate data at hand, Qiao Yan concluded that for this operation against the Xianbei, they could still muster nearly ten thousand men, assuming the border remained stable and supplies were sufficient.
As for where these ten thousand came from—
Some were former members of the Black Mountain Bandits and the Baibo bandits.
And some were assisting from the Du Liao General camp with Qu Yi under Han Fu as the main commander.
Part of it is a reasonable reassignment from the border defense troops.
The rest are the newly recruited soldiers. These recruits have been training during the winter under the guidance of the military officer previously assigned by the Governor of Bingzhou, as well as the new appointee in Yanmen County, and the local military officers from Yanmen. With the overall combat quality of Bingzhou, these recruits will surely become a considerable fighting force by spring.
In addition, during her confinement in Leping, she had spare time to study agricultural practices with the help of the Book on Agricultural Practices. She discovered that adding processed animal bones to the farmland could enhance soil fertility. She also stated while recruiting soldiers that all livestock captured from the Xianbei would not be left for the state, but rather the plows will be used for farming, sheep for fertilizer, and horses for strengthening the border defenses.
Thanks to this declaration, the soldiers are all fired up and ready to establish our Han Dynasty’s prestige.
Out of some twisted humor, Qiao Yan added a line at the end of the documents completed by Xi Zhicai.
“May Your Majesty entrust me with the task of dealing with the bandits and securing the borders. If I fail, I shall be punished…”
Liu Hong, unaware of the future attempts to restore the Han by the Chancellor of Shu Han, only had one thought after reading Qiao Yan’s report.
This battle can indeed be fought!
In the past years, more precisely, each December before the death of Tan Shihui, there were always news of Xianbei either invading Bingzhou or attacking Jiuquan or launching offensives in Liaodong. So why not give them a heavy blow in spring after they’ve achieved nothing in winter?
He had seen with his own eyes how Qiao Yan commanded her troops like a master during the drills at the western garrison and knew of her previous successes during her expeditions.
Since the military officer assigned by the Governor of Bingzhou took office, she had indeed secured the border defense around Yanmen tightly. If not for the enemy’s lack of notable background or significant victories, it was time for her to rise higher.
Now, with these two joining forces, even if the Xianbei have a hundred thousand troops, considering their scattered formations, they could very well be caught off-guard by our proactive strikes, possibly leading to a glorious victory!
Understanding that his condition was deteriorating, Liu Hong, even more than before, placed high hopes on his lethal edge.
Just like the Eight Divisions of Xiyuan led by Jian Shuo…
After a whole winter, Qiao Yan’s preparations were well underway, and the recruitment for the Eight Divisions of Xiyuan was coming to an end.
Liu Hong, despite his illness, reviewed the troops directly under his command.
Though these men came from all thirteen states, there were many who were merely numbers thrown together for recruitment. Compared to the finely selected elite soldiers of the Northern Army Five Divisions, this group was a lot more chaotic. Yet, they were still a supporting force within reach.
Jian Shuo was well aware of what Liu Hong wanted to see, so he placed Xu Chu, who was recruited from Qiao County with Cao Cao’s help, along with three hundred from the Xu clan right at the front.
This troop may have a rustic vibe, but it also carried an aura of ferocity.
With the Eight Divisions of Xiyuan in play, Qiao Yan should certainly not let him down.
He stopped hesitating and marked “Approval for War” at the end of the document.
As soon as those two words were scrawled, he felt a surge of strength.
Perhaps by spring, his health would improve significantly. After a consultation with the imperial doctors, he might even manage to live five more years instead of resembling some reckless fool who said he wouldn’t last another two if he didn’t take care of himself.
If he had five more years…
“Your Majesty, Prince Xie has come to pay his respects.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Hong snapped back to reality, handed the approved report to a nearby attendant, asking him to send it to Bingzhou by a fast horse, and then summoned Liu Xie in.
Anyone in the hall could see that with Dong Zhong’s arrival, a hint of unrestrained joy was evident on Liu Hong’s face.
This emperor favored Liu Xie not merely because he lost his mother shortly after birth, being labeled a visible weakling, nor because he was younger than Liu Bian.
As Liu Xie walked into the hall of honor, this young prince, only nine years old, already exhibited a poised and dignified demeanor. This presence made Liu Hong see a resemblance to himself, especially when compared to the noticeably timid Liu Bian.
Liu Hong certainly didn’t believe that due to the early deaths of several princes, agreeing to have Liu Bian stay with a Daoist priest’s household had caused such a personality deviation.
He waved at Liu Xie, signaling him to sit next to him.
At this close range, Liu Xie easily recognized the lingering scent of medicine in the air. However, being wise beyond his years, he didn’t bring it up and instead mentioned how he had greeted Empress He today, who was in good health thanks to the emperor’s care. He then talked about what books he had read that day, later stating:
“I’ve been training in swordsmanship under Master Wang. I only regret that I’m still too young to possess the strength of a true warrior to help my father.”
The Master Wang he referred to was none other than the renowned swordsman Wang Yue.
Since Wang Yue had ambitions of serving in court, Liu Hong appointed him as the swordsmanship tutor for both princes. Clearly, Liu Xie showed more interest in this martial art than Liu Bian.
Liu Hong, a keen observer of the balance of power, understood that as an emperor, one must have the courage necessary to navigate between various factions. Currently, both sons were too young, but Liu Xie’s spirit gave him hope.
Perhaps it was also because of his own declining health that he wished to see his son flourishing and healthy.
He replied, “Training in swordsmanship requires gradual progress; one cannot achieve a year’s worth of skill in a single day. Even if a prodigy like Si A learned from General Wang, there’s no way he could master swordplay overnight; he can only learn the methods.”
“What the father says is indeed true.”
“You can go now. There’s no need for you to worry about me; I have my own Grand General and trusted men.” Liu Hong patted Liu Xie’s shoulder, signaling him to leave.
The young Liu Xie felt that there was a peculiar tone when his father mentioned “Grand General,” but he didn’t pick up on any deeper meaning and dutifully departed.
Little did he know that the general Liu Hong had dispatched to quell the chaos in Ge Po, Bao Hong, had suddenly been accused of embezzling military rations.
If there hadn’t been so many setbacks during the selection of the Eight Divisions of Xiyuan, Liu Hong, with his notably petty nature, certainly would have executed Bao Hong immediately. But now, he felt that there were restrictions everywhere; upon learning of the news, he first sought to investigate, and surprisingly traced it back to He Miao’s subordinates.
He did not confront He Miao but silently took note of He Jin.
After all, this foolish scheme clearly could only have been concocted by those two brothers of the He family!
Through this incident, he became even more certain that he could no longer allow any further progress from them; otherwise, if Liu Bian took the throne, this audacious external relative would undoubtedly threaten imperial authority.
In contrast, Dong Zhong, who he had elevated to the title of General of Artillery, seemed a lot more subdued and conformed better to his expectations of external relatives.
If he wanted to support Liu Xie for the throne, apart from hoping to live a few more years, with the rising power of He Jin and Empress He, he also had to leave enough power for Liu Xie; or else, before his passing, he needed to eliminate all obstacles.
Thinking back to the report Qiao Yan sent earlier, Liu Hong pondered for a long time and finally spoke, “Zhang Rang…”
Zhang Rang quickly replied, “Yes.”
“Do you think, besides Jian Shuo, Qiao Yan could be the one I can entrust my legacy to?”
