“Can strategists not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 12
But anyway, this reasoning really hit home for Liang Zhongning, and he was immediately persuaded.
However, if he had just looked a little closer at Dian Wei’s expression, he might have noticed the subtle signs of speechlessness on the other man’s somewhat darkened face.
As soon as Liang Zhongning left, he blurted out, “When did I ever say I wanted my son to bow at your feet?”
Qiao Yan shot him a glance, “So, do you want to wander around helplessly, making the Rebel Leader wary of you, and then end up shackled?”
Dian Wei thought about this scenario and opted for silence.
As Qiao Yan said, with her excuse as cover, Dian Wei, though considered a “fallen general,” could still operate relatively freely in Puyang City.
At first, a few days ago, some people would occasionally size him up.
But to Qiao Yan, rather than caution, that kind of sizing up felt more like people looking at a curiosity, with an admiration lingering in their eyes.
After calling one of them over for an inquiry, she confirmed her suspicion.
The Yellow Turban soldier said, “Please don’t blame us for being abrupt, it’s just that when this warrior Dian was captured, it took quite the effort from our leader. Quite a few of us had to join forces to subdue him, and later the Rebel Leader tested his strength, and it was…”
He couldn’t exactly say the scene Liang Zhongning made back then was a bit ridiculous; he just scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly, leaving it unsaid.
“We just want to see how this warrior Dian possesses such strength. How much food does he eat in a day? If we could learn one or two things from him, it could come in handy.”
Fearing Qiao Yan might have objections, he added, “But after all, you are a scholar, and even such a warrior can end up under your command.”
In these times, those with skills garnered respect from others, especially since Qiao Yan was helping Liang Zhongning feed them well.
Even though she was still a child, it didn’t diminish the respect others had for her.
Seeing Qiao Yan wave him off to continue his patrol, he quickly scampered to catch up with the previous group.
Of course, sending him off wasn’t enough; she figured Liang Zhongning still had a few eyes watching Dian Wei’s actions.
But with Dian Wei’s local community friend well-settled in prison with good food, and seeing that he truly hadn’t made any strange moves, Liang Zhongning felt reassured and called off the watchful eyes.
Just as he had recalled them, trouble arose.
While listening to his soldiers report the situation, his face darkened as he rushed to the scene.
Upon arrival, he found Dian Wei blocking Qiao Yan with his twin halberds, while several corpses lay behind him.
If these were merely disgruntled citizens of Puyang, aiming to act against him and his appointed strategist, that would be fine, but unfortunately, the dead on the ground were also Yellow Turbans—specifically from Bu Ji’s camp.
Not far from the corpses stood a middle-aged man clad in armor, sporting a rough demeanor, his most distinctive feature being a yellow cloth tied around his forehead.
This man stared intently at Dian Wei’s heavy halberd, gripping his own sword tightly.
Seeing Liang Zhongning arrive, his expression instantly relaxed, only to be replaced with a storm of anger, “Liang Jing, you have to give me an explanation!”
Liang Zhongning ignored his furious shout and first gave Qiao Yan an apologetic look, uttering, “My lady, please don’t be afraid,” then turned his attention towards Bu Ji.
Having gathered the situation on his way there, Liang Zhongning was well aware that although Qiao Yan had been moving about a bit too frequently, and “just happened” to run into Bu Ji, ultimately—
This matter still had to be blamed on Bu Ji, and could not fall on the scholar.
Ever since he obtained those 600,000 measures of grain, along with preserved pork and stocks of soy sauce from Tian Family Fortress, Bu Ji’s eyes had never returned to normal.
The three factions had received orders from the Great Virtuous Teacher to garrison in Dong Commandery, and if anything were to happen to Bo Cai’s defenses in Changshe, they needed to quickly regroup to repel the imperial army.
But while stationed in Dong Commandery, they had agreed to mutual support and watch over each other, never meant to share all their food.
Bu Ji, however, didn’t see it that way.
He thought the Liang family was hoarding food for themselves.
Previously, during their drinking session, they had barely reached an agreement where Liang Zhongning agreed to part with one-tenth of his bounty to share with the others, which he saw as a show of support as the “host” in Puyang City.
But Bu Ji wasn’t someone with a small appetite.
Moreover, he felt that the three of them were merely rebel leaders of the Yellow Turbans, and now that the number of people under their command had diverged, his mindset had also begun to swell.
In his view, Liang Zhongning had taken the lead in capturing Dong Commandery’s Puyang because he just happened to have the upper hand in the campaign.
But as for real skills, there wasn’t anything that made Bu Ji admire him!
Especially upon hearing that he was relying on a child’s guidance, Bu Ji felt it was a waste for someone to have two years’ worth of supplies.
Two days prior, after getting no results in demanding more grain, he received Liang Zhongning’s response, “There are countless fortresses nearby, why doesn’t Commander Bu help himself?”
Bu Ji was reckless; he couldn’t resist the provocation and immediately led his men to attack one of the fortresses.
But the amount of food stored there greatly depended on the fortress owner’s financial situation and land acquisitions.
Tian Family—let’s just say, even in Puyang, they could be considered one of the wealthiest.
Thus, after Bu Ji forcibly breached that fortress, his spoils turned out to be far less than Liang Zhongning’s 600,000 measures.
It’s always the comparisons that hurt the most.
Especially with the imperial army yet to threaten Yanzhou, the external pressure forcing the three of them to unite had vanished.
As Bu Ji reviewed his spoils, he couldn’t help but harbor more grievances towards Liang Zhongning.
This resentment festered even more when he attempted to attack another larger fortress, facing setbacks just like Liang Zhongning did previously.
So when he saw Qiao Yan and Dian Wei strutting around, even noticing that the little girl smiled provocatively at him, it sent him over the edge.
But who was Dian Wei? One of the fiercest warriors, his strength was exceptionally pronounced.
He could even lift the Yamen Banner with one hand.
In the originally expected history, during the Battle of Puyang between Cao Cao and Lü Bu, Dian Wei broke the formation, heavily armored, wielding over ten small halberds, remaining unperturbed as the enemy closed in within five steps, throwing halberds to break their ranks, allowing Cao Cao’s army to retreat.
And in the battle of Wancheng against Zhang Xiu, he fought valiantly and died, but carved a path for Cao Cao to escape.
This was a top-notch general!
Bu Ji intended to teach Qiao Yan a lesson, seeing it as a way to warn Liang Zhongning, but little did he expect to bite off such a tough piece.
Dian Wei had already been told by Qiao Yan not to worry about anything else; if anyone came to cause trouble, just take them down.
So in the street, only Bu Ji’s soldiers lay sprawled on the ground.
If it hadn’t been for Qiao Yan shouting for him to stop, it was likely that Bu Ji would have been in serious trouble next.
Feeling a rush of anxiety next to his anger, he understood why he yelled as soon as Liang Zhongning arrived, thinking the other wouldn’t dare delay any important matters of the Great Virtuous Teacher, let alone watch him die here, hoping to seize the upper hand.
Liang Zhongning, however, wasn’t in the mood to waste time on him.
Listening to his soldier’s report, he caught the excuse this guy used to trouble the scholar!
He actually said Qiao Yan had provoked him with her demeanor!
How could that even be possible?
In Liang Zhongning’s view, Qiao Yan was here to help relieve his troubles due to the omens and signs; she was merely seeking a few men to escort her back to Gaomi.
He had never seen her mention her contributions during the attack on Tian Family Fortress while moving about in Puyang City.
Not to mention, just yesterday, Qiao Yan was about to depart but was looking for more manpower to assist her.
A person about to leave this place, with a master talent still restrained for over a decade in Gaomi due to political strife, would only bring in people’s trust after the Yellow Turbans won.
How could such a person provoke Bu Ji out of the blue!
Moreover, ever since Qiao Yan met Liang Zhongning, the eminent demeanor she exhibited had long made a deep impression on him.
Though she was young, she always presented herself coolly, and the idea of her provoking anyone was laughable.
With this realization, Liang Zhongning’s contempt for Bu Ji only grew.
And the more he thought about how Bu Ji addressed himself, he couldn’t help but think, why didn’t Dian Wei just chop this guy down before he showed up?
Then he could simply deal with the aftermath.
No… he can’t think like that.
Bu Ji had as many men as he did; if you counted those who recently joined him, they nearly doubled his force.
Even if these people were not particularly devoted to him, if any of them sought revenge, it wouldn’t be easy to deal with.
If the Great Virtuous Teacher found out, it boomeranged back on him big time.
Having thought this through, Liang Zhongning suppressed his displeasure towards Bu Ji and said, “Commander Bu, why the anger? The General of Heaven’s command states that once we take the city, we must capture the corrupt officials and are not allowed to stir chaos in the city, disturbing the people. Do you intend to defy this order first?”
He couldn’t help but feel a bit smug after saying that.
This was the comeback he had learned from the scholar while trying to retain Qiao Yan yesterday when he mentioned how dire his circumstances were and how he lacked trustworthy manpower to spare.
He figured that by claiming the high ground of public opinion, he could seize the initiative.
And the latter part was just him elaborating, “Or are you implying that you are going to attack the scholar because you were defeated in your assault and need to snatch my underlings to assist your operations?”
Qiao Yan had no idea whether Liang Zhongning had unlocked some grudge-revealing skill during the previous scolding outside Tian Family Fortress.
But perhaps he did have some genuine disdain for Bu Ji that he couldn’t quite mask, as it seemed to leak through his tone.
Thus, just as his words fell, Qiao Yan noticed Bu Ji’s face turned red and white, then pale and then green, looking ever so unpleasant.
For Bu Ji, failing to attack the fortress was undoubtedly a disgrace, and stealing others’ men was out of the question!
This was too piercing!
Bu Ji immediately yelled out, “A scholar is useless, much less such a child! It’s just luck, and only someone with your level of skill would treat the enemy as a guest—what a joke! Why would I take her hostage!”
“You, of all people, are shielding this guy who attacked my soldiers? Might you be planning to take the city for yourself, ignoring the orders of the General of Heaven?”
“Watch your words, Rebel Leader,” Qiao Yan interjected firmly.
Being called ‘useless’ by Bu Ji didn’t even make her show any anger on her face.
Even if Bu Ji had been taking out his frustration on her because of Liang Zhongning, he couldn’t help but respect her composure.
He couldn’t help but question if the provocative look he had noticed earlier was just his imagination playing tricks on him, or if it was a misunderstanding born from his own narrow-mindedness.
Qiao Yan continued, “Liang’s assault on Puyang went smoothly, capturing the city and defeating the Tian Family, leading to unrest among the local warlords. Surely, this aligns with General Zhang’s plans. Labeling this as a disregard for orders seems like a pretext to accuse him!”
Bu Ji, who had meant to demand food, found himself stuttering instead, his words caught by Qiao Yan’s “pretext to accuse.”
Before he could regain his stride, he caught sight of a flash of annoyance in Qiao Yan’s eyes, a hint of which she had not entirely concealed. Her voice picked up pace as she pressed on, “As for what the Rebel Leader claims about being useless or just luck, I can’t agree with that either.”
“If you think that’s just luck, why not give it three days and see if it really was?”
Bu Ji scoffed, “What? You little brat planning to pull the same stunt again?”
He was quite interested in how Liang Zhongning had managed to take the fortress, but those who followed him didn’t care much for Bu Ji’s comments.
All that was left of the Tian Family Fortress was a shell to observe from.
What Bu Ji saw were mainly the holes in the ground.
If one disregarded the shouts, fire arrows, and tricks to feign death that misled the defenders of the Tian Family Fortress, the sight of these holes made it hard not to think that their victory was merely a stroke of luck.
But Qiao Yan had no intention of clearing up his confusion.
From her retreat to inform Liang Zhongning of her exit plans, to wandering the streets of Puyang with Dian Wei, and finally meeting Bu Ji with her implicit provocation, everything had been geared toward performing at this moment.
Seemingly provoked by Bu Ji’s comment about pulling stunts, her clenched fist trembled slightly before she slowly relaxed her grip.
Though her expression showed slight anger, her tone had already smoothed out.
“Rebel Leader, you underestimate me. Even without tricks, we can still win. I just hope that when I return, you won’t feel embarrassed and refuse the victory feast!”
Seeing this little girl calm on the outside yet hiding a storm inside, Bu Ji burst out laughing: “If we really celebrate, why not? I’ll definitely bring General Zhang along to join your festivities!”
“But if we lose…” he trailed off, leaving his unspoken words hanging in the air as he turned away.
Once his figure vanished from view, Liang Zhongning sidled up to Qiao Yan and cautiously asked, “Do you really want to act on your anger again?”
Qiao Yan hesitating to leave was good for him.
But having heard that learned folk often have high spirits, he feared that if Qiao Yan let Bu Ji provoke her too much and ended up miscalculating in her rage, it could turn out badly.
But he only caught Qiao Yan’s response as she turned her gaze back, “Can you loan me five hundred men? I’ll bring back results before sunset tomorrow.”
“…Are you really going?”
Qiao Yan’s gaze sharpened, “Of course! Why wouldn’t I? He insulted me and belittled my Master Zheng’s disciples. If I can’t bring back some achievement, wouldn’t that bring shame to them?”
Realizing her emotions were rising, she softened her tone: “You don’t need to join me; just give me some men.”
She planned to continue to the north after this mission to formally apologize to Zheng Xuan, her unwitting puppet in her schemes, but that didn’t make her feel guilty about using this excuse to propel things forward now.
Liang Zhongning certainly couldn’t sense deceit in her words.
Since she said it, he had no choice but to help her.
But Qiao Yan didn’t appear forced into action at all.
Once they exited Puyang City, she made a beeline for the Gao Family Fortress, showing no hesitation along the way.
This was a battle she was certain she wouldn’t lose.
Having received intel from Tian Tao and even holding part of the map, she was well-prepared to conquer the Gao Family Fortress.
Her foes believed that Bu Ji’s attempts to replicate Liang Zhongning’s achievements against this large fortress had ended in failure, and news of their failure had spread through their ranks.
This undoubtedly gave them the impression that the Yellow Turban Army was not as formidable as they thought.
As for why the Tian Family Fortress fell, it boiled down to their incompetence.
And just when they had grown careless, they encountered Qiao Yan as their opponent.
Along with knowledge of her enemies, she had Dian Wei, a powerful aide at her disposal.
Before leaving Puyang City, she ensured that Dian Wei and the five hundred soldiers she was taking had a hearty meal and enough provisions for the journey.
This significantly lifted their spirits.
So when Bu Ji prepared to move out of camp at dusk the next day, he was greeted by the sight of Qiao Yan leading several carts laden with food towards Puyang City.
This was clearly not food that had been smuggled out from the city for appearances.
The people pulling the carts were newly defeated warriors, their wounds still fresh and their faces unfamiliar.
Qiao Yan sat regally atop the cart, with Dian Wei at the front preventing Bu Ji from making any rash moves.
Her other source of security came in the form of Liang Zhongning, who had heard the news and was already out to greet her, flanked by soldiers.
With these two sides guarding her, Bu Ji felt the smile on his face was unbearably forced.
His facial muscles twitching for a moment, he spoke, struggling to hide his dissatisfaction, “You really have skills, I wonder how much you’ve gained this time?”
Qiao Yan replied politely, “Naturally not as much as last time, just a mere four hundred thousand bushels, and those aren’t even special rice, just regular grain.”
“……”
Had Bu Ji known the term ‘Versailles’, he would’ve slapped it right onto Qiao Yan’s forehead.
He fought hard against the urge to curse, took a deep breath, and said, “Then I’ll look forward to this victory feast.”
Qiao Yan glanced around casually.
The mention of four hundred thousand bushels caught the attention of not just Bu Ji but also his soldiers in the camp who were struggling to make ends meet.
These soldiers were not merely looking at her; they were also eyeing the heavily-laden carts with greed.
This was precisely the effect she was aiming for!
Seeing their reactions, Qiao Yan inwardly thought, “Just as I predicted,” before she replied, “Rebel Leader, suggesting a victory feast seems to underestimate my generosity. What Liang Zhongning brought from the Tian Family Fortress is enough for your men to eat for two years! If I were to keep all the excess for myself, wouldn’t I be selfish?”
Liang Zhongning, arriving just in time, was momentarily stunned by such flattery, but he soon noticed that the way Bu Ji’s men were looking at him had turned friendlier.
Having received such glances, he felt he should be humble since he was indeed less clever than Qiao Yan, so he simply kept quiet, allowing her to continue.
Surprised by Qiao Yan’s words, Bu Ji stumbled, “This…”
He had expected her to come flaunting her success, but reality had left him baffled.
She then added, “However, since it was Liang Zhongning’s men who captured the fortress, and those soldiers risked their lives in the process, it’s only fair we don’t give everything away. I have a suggestion that benefits us both, if you’re willing to listen.”
“Go ahead, I’m listening.”
Bu Ji, unsure of what Qiao Yan was plotting, felt anxious.
But as he diverted his gaze, he noticed Liang Zhongning looked more conflicted than worried, which made him realize—
This might actually be beneficial for him.
What he didn’t know was that Liang Zhongning’s unease had nothing to do with potential losses.
His concern lay in the fact that if Qiao Yan was trying to negotiate peace, he wouldn’t even have the excuse of being short on manpower to confront Bu Ji.
Seeing his strategist on the verge of flying off, how could he not feel frustrated?
In this moment of anxiety, he almost missed Qiao Yan’s next words, but luckily he realized he shouldn’t zone out and focused.
Qiao Yan said, “If you’re willing, I’ll coordinate it, and your troops can cooperate. Just like before when breaking the Tian and Gao Family Fortresses. After we win, the spoils will belong to you, but you need to give Liang Zhongning ten percent. How about that?”
How about that?
With her calm tone and the grain-laden carts behind her, she spoke with an incredible persuasive power.
She was indeed in a position of strength here.
In an instant, the soldiers who had been coveting the carts turned their keen attention toward Bu Ji.
This was feasible!
Considering how Qiao Yan took out five hundred men, and returned without losing many.
If it weren’t for Bu Ji’s status in the Yellow Turban Army, they would’ve already jumped in, demanding he agree!
Bu Ji felt his back grow cold under their scrutiny.
He wrestled with thoughts of “there’s probably a trick here” and “this deal isn’t half bad,” only to hear Qiao Yan conclude, “So tonight, we shall meet in Puyang not for victory celebrations, but to form an alliance. If you’re willing, come along with General Zhang.”
As she finished speaking, she offered a gentle smile to Bu Ji’s troops before urging Dian Wei to continue driving the cart toward the city.
This act of not seeking revenge but instead offering benefits undoubtedly earned her a complete score on the goodwill scale from the onlooking Yellow Turban soldiers.
Liang Zhongning wanted to ask if she planned to leave after this transaction, or if the trade was too risky, but each time he opened his mouth, she shut him down with her phrase, “We’ll find out tonight,” leaving him with no choice but to stay silent instead.
Yet for some reason, he felt an uncanny premonition that something big was about to happen tonight.
This premonition reached a peak when Qiao Yan, holding a map, unfolded it and beckoned Bu Ji and Zhang Bo to step forward and take a look.
The map marked with the distribution of fortresses around Puyang was one Liang Zhongning had seen before; it was drawn by Qiao Yan herself a few days back, with plenty of small scribbles.
Seeing Qiao Yan handle this with such seriousness, Bu Ji and Zhang Bo instinctively leaned in closer.
In the face of overwhelming profit, people tend to overlook certain things.
Neither of them realized that in the process of doing so, they had both unconsciously stepped away from the protection of their own men.
After all, that slowly unfurling map was no ordinary map; it represented their potential for feeding themselves in the days to come.
But just as the map fully unfolded, two splashes of crimson hit the parchment.
Then—
As Dian Wei brought down his dagger, two severed heads rolled onto the map.
Bu Ji and Zhang Bo’s heads.
