Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 4: The End of Zhongping, Luoyang’s Storm, Chapter 122: The Decision to Dispatch Troops

This is a special edict.

In the situation where Liu Hong had no one to rely on, even though she, the Prefect of Bingzhou, was still too young, and even though introducing a powerful external ally might bring other troubles, Liu Hong still made this decision before his death.

But if there were any slight mishap, this edict authorizing the protection of the emperor and the elimination of rebels might not reach Qiao Yan’s hands.

So she had already prepared herself for the possibility of not having this document.

However, with this edict granted by the late emperor, she had a more legitimate reason to march!

Bao Hong bringing his troops to join her was one joy, but him bringing this edict was another!

She reached out and grasped the edict presented before her.

Of course, from Bao Hong’s perspective, there was first a tentative grip on the edict before it was firmly held in her hand.

She hesitated for only a moment before accepting what Bao Hong saw as a hot potato.

“Colonel Bao, rise. This is an imperial decree, not a battle report. You are now a firsthand witness to the chaos in the capital, a colonel of the late emperor’s direct army, not just a messenger.”

Bao Hong belatedly realized that his posture indeed resembled that of a soldier delivering a message to a general.

He immediately jumped up, chuckling awkwardly, “I apologize for the impropriety, Marquis Qiao.”

Qiao Yan clearly didn’t pay much attention to this, only gesturing for everyone to take their seats, “Please, inform me of the other situations in Luoyang.”

“I am already aware of Dong Zhuo entering the capital, using the Yuan clan to seize power and then turning against them, using military might to place Prince Xie on the throne. The emperor’s ascension and the call to arms across the provinces, though the official documents have not yet reached me, Luoyang is not too far from Bingzhou. If I were still ignorant of this, I would truly be unworthy of my position as Prefect of Bingzhou, let alone the late emperor’s trust. I only want to know some information that wouldn’t appear in external intelligence, such as—”

“What exactly were the late emperor’s final instructions? In this play of disloyalty and betrayal, what roles did these people play?”

As soon as Qiao Yan sat down, she slammed her hand on the table.

Perhaps due to her military experience as a young prefect, or perhaps because of the crimson cloak draped behind her, she looked particularly like a blazing fire, especially with the resolute determination in her eyes, which only reinforced this impression.

This made her subsequent question full of accusatory intent, “How dare Yuan Shu set fire to the palace, disregarding the majesty of the royal family!”

In this performance where one act ends and another begins, Dong Zhuo, who still waves the banner of “justice,” is not even the one who should bear the most blame.

Without Yuan Shao’s instigation and He Jin’s permission, although he had recruited many skilled men in Liangzhou, he was still under Huangfu Song’s control and had no chance to enter the capital.

And if it weren’t for Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao burning the Southern Palace of Luoyang, why would Zhang Rang and others flee to Mount Mang with Liu Xie and Liu Bian, giving Dong Zhuo the opportunity to mediate and emerge victorious.

Qiao Yan knew well that in this power transition, everyone had their own little schemes, which was perfectly normal, and some of these schemes should not be called little schemes but rather ambitions.

But at this moment, she had to ask this question!

Zheng Tai seemed to have found a kindred spirit and recounted the events at He Jin’s residence in detail, adding, “The Grand General originally thought that with the soldiers recruited by Ding Yuan, the Commandant of the Capital, and Bao Xin, the Chancellor of Jibei, in the east, they could form a pincer movement with Dong Zhuo. But before they could return with their troops, Dong Zhuo had already advanced eastward. What I saw in Hedong County before entering Bingzhou showed no sign of this balance.”

“Chen Gong’s words are very true, there are not so many deceptive actions in the world, and matters of state cannot be established through deception. The bitter fruits we see now…”

Have also been seen by the Yuan clan.

“Mr. Gongye, be careful with your words,” Qiao Yan interrupted him.

Zheng Tai realized that Qiao Yan’s words were not to stop him from expressing his dissatisfaction with the Yuan clan, but if according to this logic that deceptive actions are improper, then Liu Hong’s plan before his death to lure He Jin into the palace by killing Dong Zhong would also be included in his criticism.

He coughed lightly before saying, “I misspoke, please do not take offense, Marquis Qiao. It’s just that the sudden changes in Luoyang have left me with much resentment.”

Now, Yuan Wei and Yuan Ji of the Yuan clan in Luoyang are under strict surveillance by Dong Zhuo, and Dong Zhuo has labeled them as traitors to elevate his own status. Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao have fled, one to Nanyang and the other to Ji Province, becoming typical examples of inviting the wolf into the house only to be bitten by it.

But this is clearly not enough to atone for the crimes they committed in starting this chaotic prologue.

Qiao Yan rubbed the jade ring on her finger as she listened to Bi Lan and Bao Hong talk about the late emperor’s arrangements.

Liu Hong’s last wishes…

If Liu Yu and Lu Zhi could indeed take control of the situation, with He Jin dead and Dong Zhuo not yet in the capital, it was possible for Liu Xie to successfully ascend the throne.

Unfortunately, there are no ifs in this world.

Liu Hong’s plan could only succeed in an environment where the authority of the Han Dynasty had not yet weakened to this extent.

In the current situation, it has become a series of variables.

The proposer of this plan, Liu Hong himself, almost ended up with his body lost in the fire of the Southern Palace.

It was only because Zhang Rang remembered to take his body with them that he was spared, and after Dong Zhuo received them, Liu Hong’s body was placed in a carriage and sent to Wenling for burial.

As for the two regents—

Lu Zhi’s defeat in the military struggle with Dong Zhuo in Luoyang was, in Qiao Yan’s view, entirely normal.

Fortunately, he is unharmed and has now fled to Ji Province.

Why Ji Province and not Youzhou?

During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Liu Bei was appointed as the Military Officer of Qinghe County due to his military achievements. Perhaps because he was well-suited to the local environment, when Liu Hong gradually revoked the positions of those who had gained merit during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Liu Bei was not dismissed due to his excellent performance and is now the Deputy Prefect of Qinghe County, just below the Prefect.

Lu Zhi, still intending to salvage the situation in Luoyang, naturally wouldn’t go too far, so he went to stay with Liu Bei for the time being.

Cao Cao, who assisted Lu Zhi in battle, has also returned to his hometown, recruiting soldiers between Qiao and Pei.

As for Liu Yu, he didn’t confront Dong Zhuo and was only intercepted on the way.

Dong Zhuo naturally didn’t want Liu Yu to come to the capital, but when he had just established himself in the capital, he didn’t want to completely alienate the imperial relatives.

So he made a decision to appoint Liu Yu as Grand Marshal, ranking above the Three Excellencies, but not serving in the court. Instead, he would serve as the Prefect of Youzhou while remotely holding this position.

Of course, Dong Zhuo didn’t like being subordinate to other officials either. Liu Yu being both Grand Marshal and Prefect of Youzhou clearly placed him in a higher position.

Therefore, on the same day, he decided to elevate his own status by serving as Grand Commandant and Front General, with additional authority, granting him the symbols of power, and enfeoffing him as Marquis of Mei.

Compared to Liu Hong’s hope that no accidents would occur, Dong Zhuo’s every step since entering Luoyang, though overreaching, also had methods to stabilize the situation. Even if Qiao Yan were in his position, judging by his actions over the past ten days, she couldn’t have done better.

When Bao Hong asked when Marquis Qiao would raise troops in accordance with the late emperor’s edict, Qiao Yan pondered for a long time before asking, “The current emperor on the throne is the heir the late emperor intended. The only thing lacking is the title of regent. If we raise troops to attack now, wouldn’t it resemble what the Yuan clan did?”

This question was not just for Bao Hong, but also for Zheng Tai.

He could be considered…








The gallant hero of Xingyang, also considered a member of the scholar-official class, held views on evaluating Dong Zhuo’s actions that, in her opinion, served as a more significant benchmark than those of Qiao Yan’s subordinates.

Qiao Yan raised her hand, signaling Xu Fu to pass today’s received message to Zheng Tai.

Dong Zhuo could still be considered a wise man, or perhaps he had a trusted advisor who proposed another suggestion to him.

Since Dong Zhuo and the Yuan Clan had completely severed ties, making it almost impossible to gain further assistance from the Yuan Clan, he naturally turned to other scholar-official families.

In his efforts to win over scholars, his previous actions to rehabilitate Chen Fan and Dou Wu were one step, and now he was taking it a step further.

He appointed Zhou Bi, the son of Zhou Shen, Wu Qiong, a scholar from Runan and then serving as a palace attendant, He Yong, the former Chief Clerk of the Three Excellencies, and then recruited Xun Shuang, Han Rong, and Chen Ji to serve in the court. If Cai Yong had not been in Leping, he would have also been recruited as a partisan at this time.

This was his strategy internally.

Externally, he appointed Liu Dai as the Governor of Yanzhou, Kong Zhou as the Governor of Yuzhou, Zhang Zi as the Prefect of Nanyang, Ying Shao as the Prefect of Taishan, and Zhang Miao as the Prefect of Chenliu.

These actions were enough to win over the hearts of the scholars at this time!

Qiao Yan looked at Zheng Tai and asked, “If you were in Luoyang at this time, would you have the intention to oppose Dong Zhuo due to his illegitimate position as Grand Commandant?”

This was a somewhat difficult question to answer.

Given that Zheng Tai was still considered a guest, it was not entirely appropriate for him to answer this question.

But strangely, perhaps because the scenes he witnessed on his way to the Bingzhou Prefecture, from agriculture to people’s livelihoods, formed a stark contrast to the other side of the Taihang Mountains, he did not feel offended when he heard this question. Instead, he genuinely pondered it.

Dong Zhuo’s rise was by no means a result of enduring humiliation. This was something anyone with a bit of sense could see.

But if, as Qiao Yan’s message suggested, Grand Commandant Dong was only targeting the Yuan Clan, the main culprit behind the chaos in Luoyang, and this brute also valued the scholar-official class, especially since even Xun Shuang, one of the Eight Dragons of the Xun Clan, had received Dong Zhuo’s recruitment, then if he had not come to Bingzhou out of curiosity but had merely left the Grand General’s Mansion after resigning, he would likely have received Dong Zhuo’s summons.

Would he have accepted this invitation then?

Perhaps he would have.

“The people Dong Zhongying drives away are all military opponents, but he values and employs scholars. If Marquis Qiao were to raise troops at this time, even with the late Emperor’s edict in hand, intending to return the late Emperor’s entrusted official, Lu Gong, to the position of regent, it would still seem unjustifiable,” Zheng Tai thought and replied. “So Marquis Qiao cannot send troops at this time. It seems that Grand Commandant Dong should also be very troubled about how to arrange for you.”

Dong Zhuo was indeed particularly troubled about how to arrange for Qiao Yan.

When Zhang Rang handed the edict to clear the court to Bao Hong, he only did so to Bao Hong and Cao Cao. When Bao Hong led his troops away, the minor eunuchs who were unaware of the inside story thought he was going for reinforcements like Cao Cao, so Dong Zhuo did not know that Qiao Yan also had such a weapon in her hands.

But after he appointed Liu Dai, Kong Zhou, Zhang Zi, Ying Shao, and Zhang Miao, and even Kong Rong, whom he sent to Beihai to avoid seeing him, as Prefects and Governors, his gaze inevitably fell on Bingzhou, which was closely adjacent to the capital.

Governor of Bingzhou, Qiao Yan…

If she had not previously swept through the Xianbei outside the borders, his garrison in Hedong County would not have been so relaxed.

And now she has returned!

To remove her from her position? No, at a time when Dong Zhuo still faced many internal and external troubles, he had to show courtesy to scholars first. How could he possibly take such action against Qiao Yan.

But to promote her, she had already achieved the rank of County Marquis by her own ability, and as a Governor, she was already a regional ruler. Even the title of General had been bestowed upon her by Liu Hong, leaving no room for further promotion.

Unless Dong Zhuo was willing to give her the position of General Who Conquers the North.

But this situation with enemies and scholars was different, and it was even more different from the situation with Liu Yu, the Governor of Youzhou, who took a year and a half to quell the Yuyang rebellion.

Once she gained more power, it would only aid the enemy!

Li Ru suggested to Dong Zhuo that he should first leave her alone. As long as the Grand Commandant could firmly grasp the power in the central government, especially the shield of the scholars’ hearts, he need not worry about Governor Qiao of Bingzhou.

This seemed like an extremely reasonable suggestion, but almost simultaneously, after settling Zheng Tai, Bi Lan, and Bao Hong, Qiao Yan and Xi Zhicai, Cheng Yu, and others gathered and decided on a strategy of one word.

Wait.

Qiao Yan did not have the kind of loyalty to Liu Hong that would make her die for him. After receiving the news of Liu Hong’s death and the message to raise troops to protect the emperor, she did not feel the urge to immediately fight Dong Zhuo to the death and replace him.

The fourth month of spring was the busy farming season in Bingzhou. Qiao Yan had been outside the borders for nearly a month. Although she was sure her subordinates would handle the situation properly, some matters still needed her personal attention.

Her mindset was remarkably stable.

But what about Dong Zhuo?

From being the second-in-command General of Xiliang, he had leaped to become the most powerful person under the Son of Heaven. His violent, arbitrary, and murderous nature had already begun to show in the short span of twenty days.

With Liu Xie ascending the throne, although Liu Bian had returned to her side, for Empress Dowager He, the successive deaths of He Jin and He Miao, as well as Liu Bian losing his chance to inherit the throne, were heavy blows. She repeatedly tried to use her authority as Empress Dowager to denounce Dong Zhuo’s actions.

This kind of baseless tantrum had no benefit other than angering the now-powerful Dong Zhuo.

Dong Zhuo ordered, citing Empress Dowager He’s earlier disrespect towards Empress Dowager Yongle, Liu Hong’s birth mother, to move her to Yong’an Palace and then execute her.

Empress Dowager He, according to ritual, should have been buried with Liu Hong. However, on the day the Wenling Mausoleum was reopened, Dong Zhuo, who had long coveted the burial treasures, now nearly a month after entering Luoyang, no longer concealed his plundering of the treasures, not even sparing Liu Hong’s dignity.

The wealthy families in Luoyang had substantial assets, and Dong Zhuo allowed his soldiers to raid their homes, plundering wealth and doing as they pleased.

At this time, these wealthy families in Luoyang had become the backyard of the Xiliang soldiers. How could Dong Zhuo not regard the imperial palace as his own property?

If it hadn’t been for Fu Shou’s suggestion to Princess Yang’an on the day Liu Hong died to quietly take the underage princesses out of the palace, they would have already become victims of Dong Zhuo’s tyranny.

With the military power in Luoyang completely in his hands, Dong Zhuo’s inflated ambition led him to make a decision that no one could dissuade him from.

The Son of Heaven was young, and he, sharing the same surname as the Son of Heaven’s “maternal family,” should naturally assume the position of Chancellor, enter the court without bowing, and wear his sword and shoes in the palace!

It was precisely when this news reached Bingzhou that Zheng Tai and Bao Hong intended to advise Qiao Yan to send troops, only to see this Marquis Qiao already drawing her sword, her face filled with a murderous aura.

“The two of you need not say more. Dong Zhuo has revealed his true nature in just one month in Luoyang. The greedy and cunning nature of the Xiliang bandits is evident. He is truly not a minister for the state!”

“I have decided to send troops to Hedong, directly attack Luoyang, and clear the court!”

The words “clear the court” she spoke were resounding, truly inspiring.

She then appointed Zhang Yang and Guo Yun to jointly defend Yanmen, Linghu Shao to guard against Liangzhou, Xu Huang and Chu Yan to stay in Bingzhou, and Cheng Yu and Xi Zhicai to handle the affairs of the province.

The rest, gather the troops and follow her on the expedition!

Qiao Yan stood with her hands behind her back in front of the hall, with the map of Bingzhou and the capital region behind her. The details filled in over the past few years made it much more detailed than ordinary maps.

In front of her, there were civil officials like Jia Xu, Guo Jia, and Lu Yuan, and military generals like Zhang Liao, Lü Bu, Zhao Yun, and Dian Wei, a perfect combination of civil and military talents, exuding a formidable morale.

But sending troops to Hedong also required some strategy.

She slowly asked, “Who is willing to go to the Wei Clan in Hedong for me? When we send troops to Hedong, we should let that Xiliang brute witness the scene of scholar-official families welcoming us with open arms, to show our deterrence!”