“Can strategists not be emperors?”
Chapter 115: Before the rain got serious, the farmland on Baidao River had already met Qiao Yan’s cultivation goals.
Among the soldiers who had previously departed for the frontier, aside from those who returned to the Duliang General’s camp, and those left guarding the Yanmen border, the rest had all been diverted to military farmland here.
Afterward, the remnants of the cattle and sheep brought back from the frontier were ground into bone meal as per the agricultural texts, and buried in this already fertile land.
Before the outline of Suiyuan City’s walls was piled up with green bricks, the plowing work in this area had officially been completed.
For the first year of planting, Qiao Yan didn’t intend to make any significant changes, even though the irrigation here was more convenient than most fields in Bingzhou; the final decision for crops was still wheat.
She donned a straw raincoat, walking through the drizzle, and said to Jia Xu beside her, “I’ve entrusted this land to you, please make sure to manage it according to the agricultural texts. By this autumn’s harvest, I want to see the output here surpass that of other areas in Bingzhou.”
Only then could she convince the populace that the bone meal fertilizer really could boost production.
After all, this was something that needed to be buried before planting, and ordinary farmers wouldn’t dare handle it casually.
Jia Xu replied, “You can rest assured, Qiao Hou.”
Being suddenly assigned this task was far from his original plan of clocking in for a regular paycheck. But he couldn’t exactly say he couldn’t do it.
If he did, who knew what excuse Qiao Yan might come up with, something like, “One person’s wisdom isn’t enough, but two’s is just sufficient,” and might drag Jia Mu over here, creating a real hassle for him.
Another event this year made him realize that in these times, staying out of trouble was not as simple as he thought.
After the Yellow Turban Rebellion was subdued, a prestigious scholar from Xiliang named Yan Zhong, who was under Huangfu Song at the time, suggested to him that since he had such military power and the current emperor was so muddle-headed, he might as well rebel.
This suggestion was not accepted by Huangfu Song, and instead, the loyal official of Han publicly denounced it.
As a result, Yan Zhong had to flee Xiliang in a panic, hiding his identity to survive.
However, after the rebel forces from Xiliang failed to capture the Governor of Hanyang and the Inspector of Liangzhou on their first assault, and after the defeat of Beigong Boyu, the Xiliang troops fell into internal chaos and were engulfed by infighting.
To boost the rebels’ reputation in Liangzhou, they dug up Yan Zhong and forcibly installed him as their leader.
Yan Zhong tried to persuade Huangfu Song to rebel out of trust in his character, not because he truly wanted to commit treachery.
Being the leader of the thirty-six rebel factions in Xiliang was undoubtedly torturous for him; even being named General of Chariots and Cavalry by Han Sui and Ma Teng held no meaning for him. In his despair, Yan Zhong just died.
Jia Xu had some past dealings with Yan Zhong, and couldn’t help but feel a sense of shared sorrow.
In his eyes, this young Qiao Yan was not only capable of managing her relationship with the current emperor, but also grounded in the agricultural endeavors of Bingzhou. She was also willing to take the fight to the Xianbei, employing stratagems after military confrontations to contend with various enemies, while also skillfully leading soldiers to quell the disturbances of Heishan and Baibo. It was likely she could manage Bingzhou like a well-oiled machine in a year or two, perhaps making her a qualified object of loyalty.
But there was no rush; best to watch and see. He wondered if it was a young person’s common fault, or if Qiao Yan was indeed taking on slightly too much at this moment.
If not for her exceptional talent and support from the likes of Cheng Yu, Xi Zhicai, and Guo Jia, she may risk dropping the ball on one front while handling another.
At the very least, the results wouldn’t appear until after the autumn harvest.
Jia Xu pondered for a moment and asked, “Qiao Hou, since you’ve stationed Lü Bu here for military drills, is there anything else you need me to do?”
He didn’t actually want to find himself busy; he just wanted to clarify the limits of his rapport with Lü Bu.
However, Qiao Yan found it surprising that he would even ask such a question.
“Just keep an eye on him for me; I have my arrangements,” she replied.
Jia Xu, with his strategic mind, would grasp the implications behind this watchfulness all too well.
Fortunately, two months later, after Lü Bu completed his courses at Leping Academy, he was allowed to come to Baidao River. To Jia Xu, Lü Bu seemed more like a tired hound that had run dozens of miles than the bold and arrogant figure he had imagined.
Then he saw Lü Bu take out a manual from his sleeve, looking serious as he diligently followed instructions.
The scene was somewhat comical.
Later, he learned this was because Lü Bu hadn’t passed his tests against Qiao Yan’s daughter, and they had come to an understanding: he had to complete all the tasks assigned by Qiao Yan first and come back to take a retest.
While it couldn’t be said that he was obsessed with her daughter, Lü Bu felt a tad anxious seeing the young students Qiao Yan was recruiting, all aspiring to be both wise and brave generals, which stirred a bit of a crisis in him.
Even according to her claims, these students wouldn’t officially graduate until a decade of schooling and military exercises in the frontier, by which time he wouldn’t even be forty.
In Lü Bu’s eyes, this was still prime time for a general. If these rising stars overshadowed him, where would he put his face?
Listening to Lü Bu’s rants, Jia Xu fell silent.
For a moment, he wasn’t sure whether to say he too faced a similar crisis or that Qiao Yan’s extensive plans made sense; after all, she was masterful at training subordinates and stimulating competition.
Overall, setting aside the peculiar rivalry between generations, Bingzhou was still thriving in the fifth year of Zhongping.
Yet outside Bingzhou, the court’s affairs were as unpredictable as the weather.
In April, tensions flared again in Runan and Qingzhou due to the Yellow Turban remnants, and Cao Song, who had bought his position as Grand Commandant, was dismissed before even six months in office.
But the treatment given to his successor was even worse.
In May, Liu Hong appointed Fan Ling, the Minor Palace’s preceptor, to take over as Grand Commandant.
But just in June, Liu Hong—perturbed by the frequent strong winds in Luoyang—dismissed Fan Ling, citing that as a preposterous reason.
In July, Liu Hong decided to appoint the Cavalry Officer Ma Ri as Grand Commandant.
Given how significant this position was for the Han dynasty, the situation could only be described as dire, with all observing that Liu Hong’s physical issues were now manifesting in his temper, making him far more irritable than before.
Yet no one dared to voice their concerns.
Under the turbulent currents in the capital, He Jin and He Miao—having received Liu Hong’s earlier warnings—managed to restrain themselves somewhat but were still anxious about one matter.
Liu Hong might, in a fit of emotion, push for Liu Xie’s establishment as the heir.
Meanwhile, another group was busy plotting their survival.
For instance, at this moment, Zhang Rang suggested to Liu Hong that since it had been over half a year since the establishment of the Eight Schools of Xiyuan, Qiao Yan, as the Governor of Bingzhou, had already trained her troops through winter and was ready to send them into battle for a great victory against the Xianbei, so the Eight Schools’ forces must be better trained now.
“If Your Majesty is feeling pent up, why not hold another military rally outside the capital to showcase our strength?”
Liu Hong adopted his suggestion and gathered the Eight Schools, which now resembled a formal army, to display their might at the Ping Le Pavilion in Luoyang.
Also, as Zhang Rang claimed, he presented himself as the Supreme General, to showcase the Emperor’s great authority.
Perhaps due to this exercise demonstrating controllable military power, Liu Hong found some reassurance, leading to a slight calmness in his previously restless mood.
Thus, on the following day at the morning court session, he issued a new order for troop movements—
Commanding Middle General Meng Yi and Left Army Officer Xia Mou to go to Youzhou and join forces with Gongsun Zan to crush Zhang Chun’s unit.
He also instructed Youzhou’s Governor Liu Yu to ensure the main forces of Zhang Ju were conquered by year-end.
All these changes in the capital filtered back to Qiao Yan through her representatives in Luoyang.
In August, Qiao Yan received the final payment for tribute from Budugen, sending back a batch of mulberry bark clothing and coal as a reward, saying it was to “water the chives.”
She pondered over this news and then selected the finest eight steeds from the cattle and sheep sent, dispatching them to Luoyang, claiming they were acquired from raids on Xianbei outposts.
Even with her enormous advantage over many, she couldn’t afford to slack off while her superior was so short-tempered.
She knew she had to maintain her positions as Marquis of Leping and General of Troops, making it to the sixth year of Zhongping before Liu Hong passed away, so she couldn’t just focus on Bingzhou’s harvest but had to keep the ties strong with the capital.
In fact, her decision was quite prudent.
The steeds from outside looked more untamed and powerful than those in the capital, and whether it was Qiao Yan’s claims of victories or the fine steeds she presented, it perfectly aligned with Liu Hong’s preferences.
After the steeds were painted by an artist, they became part of the chariot for this “Supreme General,” and Liu Hong lavishly praised Qiao Yan as a loyal minister of the Han during court sessions.
Of course, this wasn’t just for Qiao Yan’s flattery; her motivations for this gesture were to create a comparative contrast.
Fu Gan, assigned by Qiao Yan, led a group right into Liangzhou from Bingzhou and uncovered some special news.
Huangfu Song and Dong Zhuo had allied to break the siege of Chencang. Although they didn’t deliver a crushing blow to Ma Teng and Han Sui, Dong Zhuo, a martial man from Xiliang, gathered a considerable private army through this.
Huangfu Song sensed something was up and reported this to Liu Hong.
Liu Hong reacted.
More than half a year before Qiao Yan took the governorship of Bingzhou, Liu Hong had already hinted at his intention to establish governors for Jingzhou and Liangzhou.
However, back then, the position of Jingzhou was temporarily taken by Liu Biao through malicious bidding while Liangzhou’s situation hadn’t been resolved.
This time, Liu Hong issued another position.
But rather than allowing bidding, he directly ordered Dong Zhuo to be promoted to Governor of Qingzhou based on his military achievements, tasked with suppressing the remaining Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou, while transferring his Liangzhou troops to Huangfu Song.
If Qiao Yan weren’t positioned as the Governor of Bingzhou, she could have fit Dong Zhuo better in her territory, with Huangfu Song overseeing him from the side.
Nonetheless, Qingzhou wasn’t a bad choice.
Overall, Liu Hong intended to separate Dong Zhuo from his equally ambitious subordinates first.
However, this promotion was outright rejected by Dong Zhuo.
Earlier, Liu Hong suspected Dong Zhuo could become a major threat. He tried enticing him to the center under the pretense of appointed Minor Palace’s preceptor, but Dong Zhuo refused with a tale about how his numerous followers prevented him from leaving.
This time, his response was even more grandiose.
He claimed—
“I possess neither old schemes nor youthful ambition, and the grace of heaven has mistakenly placed me in command for ten years. My soldiers have become accustomed to my ways; they cling to the favors I’ve provided, and I seek only to lead them to secure the northern territories and guard the borders.”
In essence, he was saying he had the capability to ascend to the post of Governor of Qingzhou but preferred to protect his loyal soldiers instead of pursuing such an opportunity, which further consolidated the support of his troops.
Fortunately, he took this action, allowing Fu Gan to swiftly relay the news back to Bingzhou.
Qiao Yan was well aware that some of her behaviors might be somewhat similar to Dong Zhuo’s, so she needed to create a distinction for herself at this moment.
This was also another purpose of sending the eight steeds.
What she was offering were eight steeds, while the underlying message was that she could hand back military control to Liu Hong at any time.
Moreover, from the end of the fourth year of Zhongping to the autumn of the fifth year, she consistently maintained friendly relations with Duliang General Han Fu. Aside from establishing Suiyuan City east of Yunzhong, she hardly got involved in military actions in the Wuyuan and western Yunzhong regions.
This ensured that Han Fu never spoke ill of her in the reports he submitted to Liu Hong.
After receiving a commendation from Liu Hong, she could confirm that she had temporarily passed this hurdle.
Qiao Yan let out a sigh of relief and found extra energy to focus on the autumn harvest in Bingzhou.
The time for a bountiful harvest had come…
In the Han Dynasty, where a full belly took precedence over everything else, this was also…
It’s the time when the common folks in the province are the most eager!
Typically, a Northern field produces three shih per mu, but after the promotion of the Book on Agricultural Practices and the influence of the newly introduced farming methods, yields could reach between three to four shih per mu. And how about this year?
This year, Qiao Yan has implemented deep plowing and meticulous cultivation in Bingzhou, and with the use of ammonium and sulfur as supplementary fertilizers, the yields are bound to increase significantly.
However, with the current conditions not allowing for the large-scale cultivation of quality seeds, Qiao Yan is unsure just how much the yield might improve.
She can only roughly gauge from the recent observation of farmlands that the crops are thriving well this year under favorable weather, and local farmers feel this year’s harvest is better than in previous years. But still, the provincial government will need to present an official figure to the people of Bingzhou.
Qiao Yan tried to maintain a calm demeanor while watching Qin Yu lead the statistics, yet to Lu Yuan, their provincial governor seemed as anxious as the students from Leping Academy waiting for exam results.
After all, she had attended classes there and felt she had some say on the matter.
Then she received a pointed look from Qiao Yan.
“There’s no need for alarm, Lady Qiao. From what the old farmers estimate, aside from the fertile fields along the Fen River, most areas aren’t great, but judging by the grain ear conditions, a yield of five shih is still possible,” Lu Yuan chuckled.
The tension evident in Qiao Yan was even more palpable than when she harvested yams back in Leping, and instead of ruining her image of wisdom, it made her seem more genuine.
Calculating the statistics wasn’t a one-day job, so Qiao Yan firmly decided to visit a few local farmers and merchants in Bingzhou over the next few days, until all the mu yield data was compiled and reported back to her.
When she received the yield data from Qin Yu, she immediately spotted the average figure at the top.
Yield per mu —
Five and one-third shih!
Now that’s an encouraging number!
Don’t let it fool you; this yield still lags behind modern production levels, but going from three shih to over five is almost double.
With such grain production, local farmers will not only have enough to stockpile winter supplies, but the provincial tax revenues will get a much-needed boost as well.
This is crucial for Qiao Yan.
And even though this five-plus shih figure is an average, the yield on the barren lands has also reached four shih.
This not only suggests an overall increase in production within Bingzhou but also means that Bingzhou can attract refugees from neighboring regions like Liangzhou, Youzhou, and Jizhou!
The newcomers might mostly have to clear wasteland themselves, but under the farming methods imposed by Bingzhou‘s governor, even the wasteland can yield better than other regions, making migration worthwhile!
Not to mention, with the chaos in nearby Liangzhou due to the Xianbei uprising, the unrest in Youzhou with Zhang Ju still unresolved, and Jizhou suffering its own troubles, Bingzhou stands as a true haven, much like the name Leping suggests!
With these potential impacts clear in her mind, Qiao Yan felt a bit more at ease.
After passing down the task of collecting land taxes, she headed straight for Yunzhong county.
There’s still more land to look at.
People are never satisfied. This year’s harvest is impressive, but she couldn’t help but wish for even better outcomes next year.
And to satisfy this craving for improvement, she could only check on the yield of new land around Suiyuan City as a basis for promoting fertilizers next year.
This wheat field was planted later than the others; hence, the harvest is slightly delayed.
By the time Qiao Yan arrived, it was early September and the wheat was just ready for harvest.
She looked towards the most iconic new city.
As spring turned to autumn, the mining progress at the nearby open coal mine in Yunzhong, aided by numerous stationed soldiers, showed promising results, matching Qiao Yan‘s earlier production guarantees to the noble families of Bingzhou, and accumulating coal far exceeding last year’s records.
If the coal mine is thriving, then the construction of Suiyuan City is even better.
This isn’t Qiao Yan‘s first visit here, but it’s the first time she’s seen the entire city, including the watchtowers, fully completed.
Looking south from Suiyuan, the scene has changed dramatically from what she observed when she initially marched through Bai Daokou.
Even without coming closer, one could easily tell that these irrigated fields, utilizing the White Canal and wasteland water, showed clustered vitality amidst the golden wheat, certainly surpassing what she had previously witnessed in Taiyuan.
The gradual effects of the gradual-release fertilizers on crop growth became evident, according to Jia Xu, and they exploded in potential as harvest time approached.
Now that Qiao Yan had arrived as the governor, it was time for this new land to officially yield its crops.
But before Qiao Yan could issue any commands, she spotted a familiar figure hopping into the fields.
Who else could it be but Lü Bu!
“Does he even know how to harvest?” Qiao Yan‘s eyelids twitched.
One might find it hard to not associate this scene with a leaping husky.
Jia Xu stroked his beard, replying, “Actually, Lü Bu has done quite a bit of study in this area this year; he should be decent enough.”
With the spring campaign against the Xianbei, Lü Bu racked up plenty of military merits and clearly wanted to add more to his resume.
Unfortunately, with no immediate fighting opportunities, he could only channel that ambition into farming on Bai Daokuan.
If we’re counting, he’s done farming before; he’s just picking it back up again.
With the provincial governor on-site, he felt a need to do a bit of heavy lifting.
Luckily for him, as Jia Xu had mentioned, he had some farming experience; he wasn’t foolish enough to ruin the harvest.
With this capable worker who could shoulder heavy loads and work hard, the ten mu of wheat was quickly harvested, threshed, and weighed.
An astonishing yield statistic was laid out before Qiao Yan.
“Yield per mu… seven shih?”
Seven shih!
Even Lü Bu, who frequently checked on the wheat’s growth, knew this yield was significantly higher than typical fields, nearly dropping his jaw in surprise.
This more than doubled the yields of the military farms, meaning it could fund troop expansions!
He immediately rubbed his hands together, eager to move onto the remaining unharvested fields.
Even though Qiao Yan instructed him only to oversee the harvest and transport it to Suiyuan City for safe storage, omitting any mention of recruitment or battle plans, it didn’t diminish his practical drive at all.
Qiao Yan found his enthusiasm simultaneously amusing and exasperating.
But thinking about how he channeled his competitive spirit here, maybe it would give her some relief in managing things, so she didn’t mind.
With Lü Bu temporarily taking a load off her mind, Qiao Yan turned to Jia Xu.
He was a great choice for managing local affairs, but since harvesting would take time, and there was still much work left for the registered guards and captains, he had some free moments.
After pondering, Qiao Yan asked, “Wenhe, would you be interested in joining me on a mountain excursion?”
In the Eastern Han Dynasty, some regions already had a tradition of climbing high on the ninth day of the ninth month to drive away ill fortune, though it hadn’t been formally named as the Double Ninth Festival yet.
But perhaps due to the plagues of recent years, the custom of taking cornel and chrysanthemum wine up the mountains for rituals spread from the banks of the Ru River, even reaching the borders of You and Bing.
Jia Xu looked at Qiao Yan, sensing she wasn’t really interested in some ceremonial pest control, but rather had other motives.
After all, she had invited him to climb Wutaishan, which isn’t located within the borders of Yunzhong, but to the south in Yanmen.
This was later known as Wutai Mountain.
To Jia Xu, Qiao Yan typically displayed no evident faith in Buddhism or Daoism, so this mountain climb obviously wasn’t because there had just been built a temple at the same time in this site as the famous Baima Temple in Luoyang.
But with the provincial governor inviting him, he naturally obliged.
So, together with the entourage led by Qiao Yan, they headed straight for the summit known as Wanghai Peak of Wutaishan.
While perhaps it still wasn’t officially named then, Jia Xu wasn’t from Bingzhou, and as he listened to Qiao Yan confidently pronounce that title, he adopted it as such.
Naming it Wanghai Peak does fit, though.
The two climbed at dawn, reaching the mountaintop just as the sun began to rise in the east, casting a splendid glow on the rolling clouds below, creating a stunning view akin to watching the sunrise over the ocean.
Beneath this sunrise, if one gazed east from the summit of Wanghai Peak, they could glimpse the Changshan region of Jizhou gradually unveiling through the dispersing clouds.
Perhaps, it shouldn’t just be referred to as Changshan.
As the red sun ascended and the morning fog dissipated, it was a breathtaking view of the entire Hebei Plain unfolding before them, bursting with refreshing vitality.
Jia Xu felt he probably wasn’t mistaken; as he watched Qiao Yan pull her gaze back from the breathtaking expanse of plain to what lay closer, he saw some glints in her eyes that were hardly concealed, indicating her ambitions.
She remarked, “Though we look west here to the peaks of Wutai, Wenhe, I’m sure you recall our journey from Yunzhong to Yanmen, passing through Juzhu Mountain at Yanmen Pass.”
Jia Xu replied, “Of course, I remember.”
Qiao Yan took a couple of steps forward with her hands clasped behind her back, continuing, “Being here, with Yanmen to the west, Jiangbei to the east, Mount Heng to the north, and Luoyang to the south, it’s hard not to feel a surge of sentiment. This is a place full of zest for the whole realm.”
“Mr. Wenhe—”
Qiao Yan suddenly changed how she addressed him, sending a jolt of curiosity through Jia Xu; he sensed she was about to say something significant.
Especially as he glanced around and suddenly noticed the entourage guarding Qiao Yan had retreated on her cue, leaving just the two of them atop Wanghai Peak.
Even though Jia Xu had witnessed the prosperous scenes of military supply in Bingzhou on the day of the autumn harvest, he considered loyalty to Qiao Yan but now felt this exchange could be interpreted distinctly.
Qiao Yan seemed unbothered by her actions, thinking that given Jia Xu’s handling style in Suiyuan City, he had less of an intention to hide his talent now.
If Bingzhou was facing a crisis, he might act on suggestions like Guo Jia had on previous occasions.
But as there weren’t many pressing crises in Bingzhou now, significant changes lay ahead in the coming year that most average folk wouldn’t foresee.
While Jia Xu‘s resolve wavered, Qiao Yan knew she had no time to let him remain in his shell and had to take the initiative.
If we think about it, not even Cheng Yu, who had dreamt of holding Mount Taishan up and bringing sunlight, shared such a mountain-climbing opportunity with her; Jia Xu was certainly the first.
But he hailed from Liangzhou, with rich life experience, and understood better than anyone in Bingzhou what tactics would be needed against the Western Liang army, so this pressure was inevitable!
“You’re not even forty, and witnessing the sky dressed in rosy clouds and boats of mist swirling around should hardly make you feel you’re approaching your twilight years, right?”
Qiao Yan bowed slightly as she addressed Jia Xu, “I, Qiao Yan, am not worthy; I wish to ask for your assistance.”
This conversation atop Wanghai Peak lasted half the day.
After descending, Jia Xu returned to Suiyuan City to oversee autumn harvest matters, while Qiao Yan rode back to the Jinyang provincial government.
It seemed not much had changed since before they climbed, yet the two knew—though they hadn’t formally stated it, they were now to be regarded as lord and strategist.
Fortunately, this roundabout dialogue convinced the system that Qiao Yan was merely consulting Jia Xu about securing Bingzhou’s people after Liu Hong‘s death and preparing for the turbulent times ahead.
In the end, everyone leaves happy. Clever folks and stubborn ones each have their own understanding.
Upon returning to Jinyang, Qiao Yan sent out two letters.
One was for Fu Gan’s arrangements.
At this moment, it wasn’t suitable for him to return from Liangzhou; he needed to continue monitoring Dong Zhuo‘s movements.
This was no easy task for him, as he was now close to the murderer of his father, but he needed to remain patient.
Perhaps it was due to his education in Leping or perhaps he just had that silent patience, but he returned a reply to Qiao Yan, assuring that he would not act rashly.
The other letter was particularly special, addressed to Ma Lun.
After sending these two letters, Qiao Yan temporarily entered a period of leisure.
Or maybe it wasn’t leisure, as she spent the extra time boosting her martial prowess.
During this time, news from both inside and outside Bingzhou streamed into her ears.
In the fifth year of Zhongping, in November, Gongsun Zan clashed with Zhang Chun at Shimen and defeated him.
Zhang Chun barely escaped, and Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, offered a reward for his head, which was then obtained.
Zhang Ju fled beyond the borders, only to be caught by the Xianbei and brought to Bingzhou as a sign of goodwill by Ke Biner, having already made contact with Guo Jia.
Qiao Yan ordered his execution and sent the head to the capital, simply stating he had escaped from Youzhou through Dai County and was captured by her.
The chaos involving Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun had thus reached its conclusion.
In December of the fifth year of Zhongping, Huangfu Song assumed the position of General and, in alliance with Dong Zhuo, defeated Han Sui and Ma Teng.
Due to difficulties in winter marching, the army chose not to pursue further. Dong Zhuo stationed himself at Longxi and frequently clashed with Huangfu Song.
In a blink, the sixth year of Zhongping had arrived.
In January, Qiao Yan received a letter from Luoyang, unfolding the newly received correspondence, she saw only four words on the paper —
The Emperor is gravely ill.
