Chapter 112

Chapter 112

Can’t a Strategist Ascend the Throne? Volume 4: The End of Zhongping, The Turmoil in Luoyang, Chapter 112: Annual Tribute of Cattle and Sheep

For Qiao Yan, this was naturally “just the right time.”

Despite the chaotic situation, there was a clear distinction between the Xianbei leaders and their subordinates, such as Budugen before her.

From his attire to the state of his followers, to the calmness he displayed in the face of danger, it was evident that he was indeed a significant figure.

Such a person could not possibly be unknown within the Xianbei tribe.

He didn’t leave with the group being pursued by Lü Bu but instead fled in a direction where she could chase him, which was an unexpected boon.

However, for Budugen standing before her now, this was definitely not good news.

Back when Tan Shihuai watered his horses at Mount Danhan, he had also learned a fair amount of Chinese.

Although he couldn’t understand high-level phrases like “fate’s brief encounter,” he could certainly grasp that Qiao Yan saw him as a big fish she had caught.

Being seen as prey in a net was not a comfortable feeling, but in this situation where he was at the mercy of others, he had no choice but to follow Qiao Yan westward, becoming a hostage who couldn’t be rescued by his tribe anytime soon.

As the campfire was lit in the temporary camp on the grassland, Budugen finally spoke: “What does Prefect Qiao mean by this?”

Qiao Yan didn’t answer his question but instead raised her eyes and said, “You haven’t explained your identity to me yet.”

The fact that he could speak Chinese undoubtedly saved her a lot of trouble, but there was no need to compliment him on that.

Upon learning that he was Budugen and not Quidou, Qiao Yan felt even better.

Budugen was stronger than Quidou, but because he was younger, Quidou had taken the position of Xianbei Chanyu. More importantly, Budugen’s style was somewhat similar to that of the Bingzhou people, which was evident in his willingness to submit to the strong.

After Cao Cao rose to power in the north, Budugen suffered several defeats and showed a tendency to align with Cao Wei.

Regardless of how genuine this alignment was, at least he could temporarily shift from raiding the borders to confronting Ke Biner, focusing on unifying the various Xianbei tribes.

This was a situation Qiao Yan was happy to see.

Thus, there was something to discuss with this Xianbei leader.

But now, she had to wait for some news.

At this moment, she didn’t reveal her intentions to him but leisurely turned the skewer roasting the lamb, enjoying the grassland scenery, which only added to Budugen’s pressure.

Being held by Zhang Yang and unable to move, he could only watch as the young prefect made a few more cuts on the food before him with her knife.

For a moment, he couldn’t tell whether she was roasting a lost lamb or him, Budugen.

This slow, torturous state was temporarily relieved when Lü Bu returned from pursuing Quidou and Qianman.

Lü Bu and Zhang Liao, having joined forces, were brought to the camp by the scouts Qiao Yan had sent out. Upon turning around, they saw Budugen’s grim expression.

What made him feel humiliated wasn’t Qiao Yan’s attack on the Xianbei royal court with just four thousand men.

Given the elite state of Lü Bu and his men, it was understandable that this sudden raid could scatter them.

Rather, it was—

Why had such a number of elite Han troops penetrated deep into the grasslands without any prior news?

Could it be that Prefect Qiao, like General Huo of the former Han, had the ability to descend from the heavens with divine troops?

His gaze briefly lingered on Zhang Liao’s face.

Zhang Liao had been a Military Officer in Bingzhou for nearly a year and had clashed with Budugen multiple times while alternating guard duties with Fuluohan at the outposts.

The young man was exceptionally brave and often led from the front, making it easy for Budugen to recognize him now.

But recognizing Zhang Liao also meant seeing another attitude displayed by the Han army: they could use the Yanmen garrison as part of this raid, even without fear of Fuluohan noticing the emptiness of the border defenses.

Fuluohan must already be dead at their hands!

Within the Xianbei, the relationship between brothers was more like a cooperative alliance than an intimate one, but Budugen couldn’t remain indifferent to Fuluohan’s death.

At this moment, his thoughts leaned more towards the inevitable damage to the Xianbei royal court’s prestige and the significant blow to the central authority they had just established after suppressing the various Xianbei tribes.

As he pondered this, he heard Qiao Yan ask Lü Bu, “What were the results of the battle?”

Lü Bu sighed, “That kid got away.”

Before Budugen could breathe a sigh of relief, Lü Bu continued, “But it doesn’t matter. When I broke through their defenses and charged, I cut off one of his arms and shot him from afar. With the medical capabilities out here, there’s no way he could survive. Even if he barely clings to life, in a tribe where strength is everything, losing an arm would mean a grim fate—unless he’s some wise man among the Xianbei.”

Lü Bu certainly didn’t see any such potential in him.

“It’s just a pity that this might not count as a military achievement.”

Qiao Yan replied, “If news of his death spreads, I’ll credit you with another merit!”

Lü Bu’s face immediately lit up with joy.

Although he knew that being promoted to Commandant for his achievements in this expedition was already remarkable, and he couldn’t possibly rise further to become a General.

But Prefect Qiao was a fair superior who rewarded and punished accordingly. Since she promised to credit him with another merit, there would naturally be a corresponding reward.

Thinking this, he couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful.

While pursuing that Xianbei leader, he had also seen another person fleeing, younger in age, likely another Xianbei noble. But because he was focused on his target, he hadn’t inflicted any harm on that person.

He honestly reported this to Qiao Yan, only to see an even more cheerful smile appear on her face.

For Qiao Yan, no matter the outcome of Lü Bu’s battle, she didn’t lose out from this operation.

Allowing Lü Bu to pursue was precisely because this wasn’t a chase of a desperate enemy but a chance for his martial prowess to fully shine.

After all, no one expected Lü Bu’s bow and arrow to have such immense power and long-range effectiveness. As long as this unpredictable shot was used at the right moment, it was enough.

Even if the enemy wasn’t killed, a Chanyu chased like a stray dog by the Han army would retain little dignity.

The current outcome was precisely the most favorable for Qiao Yan.

This made her wonder if the luck she had recently added to herself was now manifesting.

The situation was as follows—

Chanyu Quidou was shot and injured, likely not long for this world. The young son of the previous Chanyu, Qianman, had escaped. Quidou’s second brother, Fuluohan, had been killed by Lü Bu, and his younger brother, Budugen, had fallen into Qiao Yan’s hands as a hostage.

Qiao Yan looked at Budugen and indeed saw his increasingly grim expression.

Quidou had taken the Chanyu position from Qianman because of He Lian’s tyranny and the fact that Qianman was still young when He Lian died. But now?

The strong authority formed by their brothers had collapsed overnight, with some dead and others injured. If Quidou also died, the Chanyu position would likely return to Qianman’s line.

The Xianbei’s resources were too scarce, forcing ambitious individuals within the tribe to seize power at all costs. Budugen had such ambitions.

But now, it seemed that if he wanted to achieve his goal of succeeding Quidou as Chanyu and gathering the scattered Xianbei tribes, it would be an extremely difficult task, unless…

“If I were to let you go, what could you offer in return?” Qiao Yan asked, directing Zhang Yang to remove the roasted lamb from the fire and place it on the wooden plates they had brought, then gestured for Budugen to sit across from her.

Budugen looked at Qiao Yan in shock, unable to discern her thoughts from her calm expression.

All he could see was her placing another plate in front of him and gesturing for him to sit down.

Though it was such a close invitation, even the brave generals…








They all took a few steps back, as if making space for their conversation. Budugen didn’t feel he had the chance to confront Qiao Yan or take her hostage.

This Marquis of Leping was unusually unpredictable. Not only did she personally lead troops beyond the frontier, but she also demonstrated her own martial prowess.

Though she was casually evaluating food on the northern grasslands, she kept her double-pointed long spear by her side, ready to thrust it forward at any moment.

“Why is Prefect Qiao willing to let me go?” Budugen hesitated but eventually sat down.

For some reason, in the broad actions of this young woman, he vaguely saw the shadow of the former Xiongnu chieftain, or more accurately, the aura of a true leader.

Though defeated, he had to maintain the dignity of the Xianbei people, hence he adopted a proper negotiating stance.

Qiao Yan’s tone remained light, “The northern grasslands are divided. To the west are the migrating Northern Xiongnu, to the east are the Wuhuan invading Han territory. If I kill you, two outcomes are possible—”

“Either a new hero emerges among the Xianbei, or Helian’s son takes up the tribal responsibility, harboring ambitions and hatred towards Han lands, unafraid to invade again.”

“Or, the Northern Xiongnu return east, reestablishing their royal court at Yanran, or the Wuhuan expand further, swallowing you up and becoming a new foreign dynasty in the north.”

“That would be troublesome for me.”

Though she called it troublesome, Budugen saw no worry on her face, only a teasing look as if watching a minor skirmish. Her next words confirmed it: “I’d have to come back here again, what a hassle.”

“…” Even knowing her journey here wasn’t easy, her success in such a difficult task made it clear she could do it again.

After a long silence, Budugen replied, “Prefect Qiao speaks wisely.”

He could infer her thoughts from her words.

Letting him go was indeed a relatively good deal.

He still held authority here. Even captured by her, it wouldn’t affect his ability to rally loyal followers and restore order.

However, his succession wasn’t straightforward. Having faced her, he knew the strength of Bingzhou to the south, ensuring he wouldn’t become her formidable enemy.

Even as he tried to convince himself that Qiao Yan might be exaggerating her success, he realized he couldn’t match her or her generals like Lü Bu and Zhang Liao.

The pre-dawn attack left a lasting impact, one that would persist until someone could defeat her in battle.

But as the Han Emperor’s appointed Prefect of Bingzhou and Marquis of Leping, who would dare challenge her?

Budugen took a deep breath. In this negotiation, he was undoubtedly at a disadvantage.

Qiao Yan faced the choice of whether to send troops again, while he faced a life-or-death decision.

Gritting his teeth, he asked, “What price do you want for my release?”

Qiao Yan calculated, “Twenty thousand heads of cattle and sheep.”

She added, “Annually.”

“That’s impossible!” Budugen exclaimed.

Such a heavy toll would cripple him, making it hard to maintain authority within the Xianbei for years.

But Qiao Yan calmly replied, “Let me do the math. Former Grand Commandant Duan Jiming fought the Qiang for twenty years, capturing 440,000 cattle, sheep, and horses, killing 40,000. Averaging 20,000 annually, I killed over 4,000 of your people, slightly above average. Next year, I might just come for a light raid.”

“If you prefer that, I don’t mind. This northern trip can serve as training. With many passes in Yinshan, the Han can build defenses on the southern slopes, but you can’t secure the northern side. If I come, you can’t stop me.”

“Moreover, the Qiang’s environment is less suitable for herding than your vast grasslands, yet they managed. How much more can you?”

“I’m just offering a choice: part with some wealth to avoid disaster, or let me hunt on your grasslands regularly. Isn’t that fair?”

Budugen’s expression shifted as Qiao Yan spoke.

Mentioning Duan Jiong gave him a bad feeling.

Duan’s fearsome reputation wasn’t just in Qiang and Liangzhou; he had repelled Xianbei incursions at Jiuquan!

Rather than merely suppressing foreign invasions, Duan pursued a policy of extermination.

If this equally martial Prefect of Bingzhou chose the same path after failed negotiations, she could indeed hunt as she pleased.

It might be better to accept her offer of paying to avoid disaster.

Qiao Yan continued, “Think about it. I need a stable supply of cattle and sheep, so I’ll support your position as chieftain. Unlike the Southern Xiongnu, you haven’t submitted to Han rule, so I won’t interfere in your internal affairs. This is actually good for you.”

“If you don’t want to give cattle and sheep, you can provide warhorses on a one-to-one basis.”

Budugen smiled bitterly. The first offer might seem generous, but the second was a blatant calculation. Cattle and sheep are food, but warhorses are strategic resources. Even a one-to-one exchange is a loss.

But given the facts, this was the best he could accept.

He said, “I have a condition. If I return to the Xianbei now, the maximum I can offer is 5,000 cattle and sheep. Any more, and my people might abandon me and choose another leader.”

“Agreed,” Qiao Yan didn’t reject his condition.

In fact, even if Budugen hadn’t said so, she would have demanded payment in installments. With only 4,000 cavalry and 2,000 infantry deep in the grasslands, taking 20,000 cattle and sheep risked an ambush by the enraged Xianbei.

Thinking of another purpose for her trip, she added, “I can even relax your condition. Bring 4,000 cattle and sheep, then gather remnants of a thousand cattle, sheep, and horses, transport them to Yanmen border for exchange. Deliver the remaining 15,000 before winter. In return—”

Qiao Yan clapped her hands, and Zhang Yang, following her orders, brought forward a mulberry bark garment, “I’ll exchange 20,000 winter garments and other supplies. How about it?”

Budugen felt the garment and made his decision, “Since Prefect Qiao doesn’t intend to cut off our livelihood, I accept this deal!”

This royal court raid cost him many men and wealth, but 4,000 cattle and sheep, especially after winter, was manageable as ransom.

Though he watched with heartache as the 4,000 cattle and sheep merged into Qiao Yan’s cavalry and marched away, he had no time to mourn the loss. He had to find his brother Quidou’s whereabouts.

If Quidou was dead, Budugen had to quickly establish himself as chieftain! He couldn’t let Qianman seize the opportunity!

But he didn’t know that amidst the cheers of Bingzhou’s triumphant return, Qiao Yan glanced back north, thinking—

Once back, have Fengxiao contact Qianman or Ke Biner.

She never said she’d only support one chieftain on these grasslands!

With that thought, Qiao Yan turned her gaze forward.

Budugen, eager to regain freedom, gathered the 4,000 cattle and sheep by noon. Under the bright spring sun, the victorious troops moved like a blazing fire, igniting fervor in all.

Moved by the scene, Qiao Yan raised her whip and shouted, “Let’s go! Back to Bingzhou, where I’ll host a feast and carve our victory in stone!”