“Can strategists not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 123: The Edict Against the Thieves
Once upon a time, the Wei Clan of Hedong maintained ties with Leping ever since Wei Ji sought military aid from Qiao Yan. As a result, they sent two clan members to teach at Leping.
If the future head of the Wei Clan had some spare time, he might occasionally spend a couple of days at Leping.
After Qiao Yan took office as the Prefect of Bingzhou, her relationships with the noble families grew even closer, which seemed to trigger a bit of panic on their part; they sent her brother Wei Zhongdao to study here as well.
However, for Qiao Yan, these connections revolving around the educational institution felt more like a temporary arrangement.
In today’s chaos of Dong Zhuo’s tyranny, with the mighty Han Dynasty reduced to ashes, the fragmentation of warlords is not far off. Mere verbal support and alliances could no longer suffice for Qiao Yan.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say this was a cold political calculation; the Wei Clan of Hedong had to stake a clear position!
Moreover, it could serve as leverage against Dong Zhuo.
Lu Yuan stood up and replied to Qiao Yan, “Mr. Wenhe’s analysis on the military men of Liangzhou is commendable; however, the task of connecting with the Hedong clans is better left to me.”
Over the years in Bingzhou, Lu Yuan had walked side by side with Qiao Yan, naturally absorbing her astute and capable aura.
Even without making a promise, Qiao Yan believed in her words from years past—those who seek an audience stand tall due to the confidence offered by the lord, and that wouldn’t change now.
Her goal was to have the Hedong Wei Clan show goodwill towards the Bingzhou troops, not to play emotional games or achieve mere friendly exchanges.
Qiao Yan’s brows softened slightly at the thought of this military order, “Go ahead, Bingzhou is your backing.”
She glanced around at the others; except for Jia Xu, who remained circumspect, everyone seemed a bit excited about the upcoming battle in Luoyang.
No need to mention Lü Bu; previously, when Qiao Yan assigned him to defend Suiyuan City and manage military provisions, he performed well, perhaps out of his glory from intimidating the Xianbei.
But defending an outpost was nothing compared to the thrill of facing the rebellious scoundrels in Luoyang.
Even Guo Jia, being a strategist, showed signs of restlessness in his youth, overshadowed by the lure of the capital city Luoyang…
To emphasize the importance of this expedition and legitimize their stance against Dong Zhuo, Qiao Yan sent a proclamation to Luoyang before departing from Bingzhou.
This proclamation was drafted at Qiao Yan’s request by Cai Yong, entitled “A Proclamation to Denounce Dong Zhuo from Qiao and Bingzhou.”
Understanding Dong Zhuo’s temperament all too well, Qiao Yan avoided any intermediaries for communication to prevent giving him a scapegoat for anger; instead, she tasked Lü Bu with the delivery.
“With your strength capable of drawing a three-stone bow, hitting the city wall from beyond the watchful guards in Luoyang shouldn’t be a problem,” she said, handing him one of her signature white-feathered arrows along with the silk containing the proclamation.
“You’ll ride my red horse, and ensure it’s known that our righteous denouncement of Dong Zhuo is legitimate; our Bingzhou troops fear not his Western Liang tiger warriors. Can you handle that?”
With such a grand task in his hands, Lü Bu’s eyes practically sparkled.
“Rest assured, my lord, I will accomplish this!”
Lü Bu immediately set out with dozens of cavalry, naturally leaving the troop arrangements to Zhang Liao and Zhao Yun.
However, he seemed oblivious to Qiao Yan’s true intentions behind this action; to him, the mere fact that only he could handle this task was enough!
As Qiao Yan watched Lü Bu depart, she asked Guo Jia another question, “Is General Du Liao still unwell?”
After Qiao Yan had announced the decision to denounce the thieves and began reallocating border defense, the prefects of various counties had no objections, except for Han Fu, who suddenly claimed to be ill, seemingly dreading being summoned to Luoyang under the command of General Du Liao.
Guo Jia replied, “Your control over Bingzhou is beyond his comprehension; he actually thinks he can keep his correspondence with Yuan Shao under your radar. The Yuan brothers fled from Luoyang and clearly aimed to recruit troops against Dong Zhuo, while Han Fu naturally cannot align with your scheme to subdue the rebels.”
“But Your Lordship has gained an unexpected advantage. The anti-Dong proclamation has spread through the counties in Bingzhou; those wishing to enlist aside, Ku Yi under Han Fu has expressed discontent over his illness too.”
With the walls weakened, it became easier to dig.
Ku Yi, like Lü Bu, was a talented and rebellious figure; at critical times, he could become a strong ally, but before that, he needed an outlet to unleash his abilities.
In this regard, Han Fu fell short compared to Qiao Yan.
Guo Jia further said, “If you can welcome Ku Yi to your ranks, it could set the stage for both talents to compete, making using him under Han Du Liao seem a waste.”
“Better keep such talk here for now,” Qiao Yan shook her head, “Let’s wait and see how Lü Bu performs.”
In truth, Lü Bu was outperforming Qiao Yan’s expectations delightfully.
This man, having matured to thirty in the Bingzhou territory, had cultivated extraordinary martial skills alongside a notably rebellious temper.
Since Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang, he had gradually become more brazen, relying on his power to govern aggressively, but he hadn’t let his guard down regarding Luoyang’s defenses.
Especially the Western Liang troops patrolling outside served effectively as surveillance.
However, today, a unit heading towards the He Nei direction to pillage encountered an ambush.
These Western Liang soldiers, used to preying on the weak, found themselves a bit disordered in formation.
If it were any other day, that might have been okay, but what was approaching them was none other than the formidable Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry.
Lü Bu may not be well-versed in battle formations, but he knew one thing: not a single one of them was getting out from under his watch alive!
This was a near-instinctive way of fighting.
The mounts they rode were quality steeds provided by Qiao Yan, armed with sharp weapons forged from Bingzhou’s iron mines, and they targeted these Western Liang robbers after a night of regrouping. If they let these guys escape, it would be a shame!
Thus, the reinforcements that the soldiers stationed at Luoyang’s northern city awaited were not their comrades returning from their pillaging spree but rather a group of dozens of cavalry charging in.
From a distance, it was clear they weren’t on the same side.
What confirmed for them that these riders were foes was that the cavalry halted outside of shooting range, and each one hastily threw the heads of two or three victims before them, creating a shocking display.
Before the soldiers on the city wall could make sense of the identities of those below, a white feathered arrow flew in, striking the grand flag with the word “Dong” at the top of the wall and embedding itself into the watchtower.
The second arrow followed closely, landing just inches away from the first, with the only distinction being a piece of silk tied to it.
The Western Liang troops atop the wall gasped in cold fear.
What an impressive archer! And such incredible range!
As the archer drew his bow and looked for targets atop the wall, they hesitated in their pursuit.
This reaction clearly did not escape the enemy’s notice, causing the young leader on the crimson steed to laugh heartily.
As he laughed, his fifty cavalry shouted, “Bingzhou’s Prefect, Qiao Yan, sends us to deliver this gift to the thief Dong Zhuo and also the proclamation against him! We’re off!”
Lü Bu moved swiftly, killing thieves like the wind, his arrows flying fast; he pulled back even faster, showing no interest in lingering.
Once the Western Liang forces descended from the city, realizing that the heads were indeed from their missing comrades, it was too late to chase after these Bingzhou cavalry who had vanished as quickly as they appeared.
They could only report the incident along with the letter that came with the arrows to Dong Zhuo.
Li Ru entered the Grand Commandant’s study, surveying the chaos left in the wake of a storm and finding the grim-faced Dong Zhuo at the desk.
This was a stark contrast to his spirited demeanor days ago when he bore his sword proudly.
“Why are you so worked up, General?” Li Ru approached Dong Zhuo and asked, “I’ve heard about the situation by the northern gates of Luoyang today; it was merely a skirmish where the Bingzhou army used fifty cavalry to break through our hundred. With careful planning, winning isn’t hard. If it had been an actual battle, would they have been able to come and go so easily?”
“Do you think that’s what’s bothering me?” Dong Zhuo replied coldly.
He’d experienced small cavalry skirmishes multiple times while in Liangzhou.
Despite Lü Bu’s provocations, he had sent someone to check out the remains of his side’s corpses, hoping to grasp how the enemy managed to secure victory.
With a sharpshooter among their ranks, such a win was more understandable.
He pointed at the silk scroll spread out on the table, “I’m furious about this thing! Just look at what she had them write!”
What a character Qiao Yan is!
And what a piece of anti-thief propaganda!
He thought the absence of any response from her within twenty days after returning to Bingzhou was due to her accepting the chaotic situation in Luoyang. Little did he know, she was cooking up a big move!
Seeing Dong Zhuo could barely hold himself together due to this anti-thief manifesto, Li Ru grabbed the proclamation from the table and noticed it was written in beautiful script.
Thinking of Dong Zhuo’s perspective, Li Ru refrained from voicing his compliments.
He pondered for a moment, guessing it was likely done by the great scholar Cai Yong.
He had noted Cai Yong on the list he prepared for Dong Zhuo but dismissed the idea of recruiting him since he held a position as the prefect of Bingzhou. Who would have guessed Qiao Yan would willingly put him to use like this?
Cai Yong’s Feibai script was indeed recognizable.
Yet, as Li Ru examined this anti-thief manifesto further, he felt it differed in style from what Cai Yong had written in his memorials and something akin to Qiao Yan’s practicality.
It began with—
“In the early years of the Former Han, power was monopolized, decisions made arbitrarily, thus the people rose against tyranny, executing the ruthless and restoring the rightful way. By the end of the Former Han, Wang Mang usurped power, insulting the heavens, poisoning Emperor Ping, distorting the truth, and the sins are countless. Hence, Guangwu raised troops, the light of justice prevailed, and peace returned to the land.”
“Look through the records, wrongful rebellion and ruthlessness seldom endure. Grand Commandant Dong Zhuo claims loyalty, yet let’s examine the truth.”
Li Ru shot a glance at Dong Zhuo.
Qiao Yan just compared Dong Zhuo directly to Lu Chan, Lu Lu, and Wang Mang—she really left him no face at all.
He correctly identified Qiao Yan’s pragmatic approach with those two lines.
After Lü Chan and Lu Lu’s tyranny, General Zhou Bo and Chancellor Chen Ping had restored order; for Wang Mang’s usurpation, Guangwu came to revitalization, ultimately, these treacherous villains met their ends. Thus, it’s clear Dong Zhuo, who brands himself loyal, truly follows this trend.
This was the tone of morale!
As he continued reading, he understood why Dong Zhuo was so enraged.
Because Qiao Yan laid out her reasons for branding him a disloyal subject, followed by a barrage of personal attacks.
Comparing this to her earlier work on the “Discourse on Feudalism,” her insults had shown great improvement.
Li Ru had recently advised Dong Zhuo to tone it down, but his words had fallen on deaf ears. Now, he lost his train of thought, realizing that as the first to be publicly scorned by Qiao Yan, his general was in a rather unique position.
But as the target of her ire, he probably didn’t feel too great about it.
“As the one leading the state as Chancellor, Dong Zhuo, your heart is that of a serpent, your nature a wolf; having gained the former emperor’s trust, you were appointed to quell Liangzhou. Yet the chaos from Ma Teng and Han Sui remains unabated, you consort with the powerful, acting beyond your bounds, your tyranny excessive, plundering from state coffers, exploiting goods, controlling state affairs.”
“Your actions run rampant; today you might raid Wenling for personal gain, and tomorrow you’ll desecrate tombs of the ancients. The calamity for the Han Dynasty looms large, and your intentions towards treasures and state pillars are all too apparent, the sighs of the capital echo for miles; how tragic!”
“……” Li Ru silently glanced at Dong Zhuo again.
In many ways, Qiao’s style was quite different from regular insults—she wasn’t exaggerating the facts.
As she pointed out in the manifesto, Dong Zhuo leading the troops yet failing to quell the Liangzhou chaos, mingling with the influential, crossing boundaries, stealing from Wenling, pushing against the empress, and extorting goods from the people were all indeed actions taken by General Dong lately.
It was precisely for these reasons she concluded with an impassioned declaration:
“Dong Zhuo’s crimes are so grave he can’t be entrusted with governmental responsibilities! How can he not rally strong soldiers, ready bows, and rectify the army to restore the nation, achieving remarkable feats!”
“This manifesto should be made public, so the world knows the Holy Court faces such dire troubles. It is clear that only Qiao Bingzhou can save the nation from crisis! When the states rally together, valiant men from all sides march into Luoyang to raise their banners—”
“And Dong Zhuo? Just another mere man from Xiliang!”
“Have you finished?” Dong Zhuo was still seething, casting a razor-sharp glance at Li Ru.
He had set that manifesto down for a while, and that last line—“And Dong Zhuo? Just another mere man from Xiliang!” playfully flitted in front of his mind. The fact that Qiao Yan was only sixteen this year made him want to send his troops straight to Bingzhou for a showdown.
But Dong Zhuo probably just hadn’t had enough of getting angry today.
Three days later, he got the news that Qiao Yan had sent a proclamation to Bingzhou and Hedong, leading thirty thousand troops from Zhi Pass, marching along the Fen River, entering Hedong from Taiyuan County.
Clearly, she was going to use these strong soldiers and mighty bows to achieve that remarkable feat mentioned in the manifesto!
“Bingzhou still has border issues; how could Qiao Yan possibly gather thirty thousand soldiers?” Dong Zhuo gritted his teeth and shouted.
But the thought of Qiao Yan having devoured the Black Mountain Bandits and the White Wave Bandits, if counting auxiliary soldiers, she was indeed close to that number.
Comparing that to his meager three thousand when he first arrived in Luoyang, he felt ancient.
“The general need not worry about Qiao Bingzhou’s soldiers,” Li Ru said seriously, “When Qiao Bingzhou’s vanguard emerged, the Wei clan of Anyi, the Pei clan of Wenxi, and the Jia clan of Xiangling all greeted the Bingzhou army with rations. She managed to garner the support of the Hedong noble families, proving to be quite impressive.”
This was the very aspect that troubled Dong Zhuo.
While the Hedong families had never given him a friendly reception during his time stationed there, they showed such a stark contrast upon Qiao Yan’s expedition. He further recalled how in Luoyang, he had to depend on a bunch of mediocrities who merely provided suggestions to hand out substantial official positions, riling up his frustration.
Before Li Ru could propose any strategies for confrontation, he slammed the table, standing up.
“With a serpent’s heart, a wolf’s nature,” “Just a mere man from Xiliang”—those statements flashed continuously in front of him. Now, with the grand reception in Hedong, if he remained inactive, it would be an insult to the guts he claimed as Chancellor!
“Who dares to take advantage of Qiao Yan’s unsteady camp and raid her main forces, driving this army back?”
As soon as he finished speaking, someone answered, “The junior officer is willing to go!”
Dong Zhuo turned to see it was none other than Niu Fu.
Niu Fu… could be considered a capable general, yet part of that was probably because of family ties that allowed him to secure that position.
Seeing that it was Niu Fu volunteering, Dong Zhuo hesitated a bit, recalling Qiao Yan’s battle achievements.
But in the next moment, he remembered Qiao Yan’s scathing critique for him claiming to be the former general while failing to quell the chaos of Ma Teng and Han Sui.
This way, with Niu Fu as his son-in-law heading into battle, he could represent that Dong Zhuo was indeed not weak in warfare.
“General—”
Dong Zhuo interrupted Li Ru, saying, “There’s no need to say more; my mind is set. Let my esteemed son-in-law go to battle, with Aida as deputy, seizing their advance before the Bingzhou army has properly set up in Hedong!”
“No,” Li Ru shook his head. “I am not saying that Niu General should refrain from attacking Qiao Bingzhou’s troops; I was merely suggesting since her writing was so fiery, showcasing youthful vigor, why don’t we first help bolster that confidence and pull a move of ‘first courtesy then aggression’?”
Dong Zhuo inquired, “What do you mean by that, Li Ru?”
Li Ru replied, “I’ve heard the general has a subordinate named Li Su from Bingzhou. Please send him as an envoy, bearing a heavy gift to present to Qiao Bingzhou.”
“This is the strategy of pretending weakness.”
Upon hearing that Li Su was coming to visit, Qiao Yan was indeed a bit surprised.
After inviting him into the tent and seeing him perform a deep bow, he said, “Since Dong, the Chancellor, arrived in Luoyang, he has circulated among the traitorous Yuan clan, and later taken charge of the military, promoting the capable. If there are misunderstandings with Qiao Hou, it truly was not his intention. Hearing Qiao Hou advance to pacify those fierce Xianbei generals and valiant soldiers in Hedong, the Chancellor feels anxious and wishes to discuss governance with you.”
“I’ve heard Qiao Hou has a fondness for red steeds; the Chancellor previously conquered Liangzhou and chanced upon a steed, named Red Hare, wanting to present this to you as a gift for better relations. I wonder what Qiao Hou thinks?”
Qiao Yan raised an eyebrow.
Red Hare?
What’s this? Is she following Lü Bu’s script now?
