“Can a strategist not ascend to the throne?”
Well, her situation is completely different from Lü Bu’s. Dong Zhuo clearly wouldn’t think that she could just drop to her knees and hand over military power with a dramatic flourish.
So, his actions must hold some subtle significance.
Qiao Yan pondered that if she really was just a sixteen-year-old kid, even if a bit precocious and battle-savvy due to the previous emperor’s lack of capable officers, she was probably just propped up in this position.
Now, to protect the late emperor’s orphan, she was quite displeased with Dong Zhuo, who called himself the Prime Minister while acting all high and mighty in Luoyang. As a result, she marched south, gaining the support of noble families in He Dong County, who even sent her off with provisions. Now, with Dong Zhuo trembling in fear at her power, he had sent emissaries to offer peace and gifted her a prized steed—
What kind of reaction should she have?
Others didn’t know that much of her earlier behavior and words were just childish acts to put Liu Hong at ease.
They also had no clue that her military plans revolved far beyond a mere righteous indignation against Dong Zhuo’s actions.
And they certainly wouldn’t grasp that she was looking back at this history with hindsight, possessing far more insight than a typical teenager.
When she heard the name “Red Hare,” referring to what should be Lü Bu’s mount but was now a gift to her, she felt a brief flash of absurdity. But that quickly faded as she returned her focus to the strategies of the impending standoff.
She glanced at Li Su from Wuyuan, noting the flattering expression on his face. He didn’t seem overly proud, merely asking, “Is there anything significant that Dong the Rebel could possibly say to me? Let’s settle it outside Luoyang!”
“You’ve got it wrong there, Qiao Hou. Our Prime Minister truly has not engaged in the kind of treacherous behavior with the Han dynasty as your proclamation suggests,” Li Su replied with a hint of pained humor.
He continued, “The Prime Minister is a man from Xiliang, and there’s always been friction with the nobles in the capital. Having to use force to resolve some conflicts was pretty much unavoidable.”
Qiao Yan snorted, “So he didn’t force to kill Empress He? That’s true, right?”
Li Su shook his head, “You, Qiao Hou, weren’t in the capital. How can you know the full story? The struggle for the throne involved real bloodlines, and even full-blooded brothers can clash. The late emperor’s edict named Dong Hou as the next emperor while Empress He favored Shi Hou. If Empress He had used her power to change the emperor, or contested the Son of Heaven’s position, the stability of Luoyang would have crumbled. Dong, our Prime Minister, merely took on the shame out of necessity.”
Qiao Yan had to admit, Li Su had some silver-tongued talent, managing to paint a picture of a humble Dong Zhuo suffering through all of this with dignity.
But his argument completely skirted the fact that Dong Zhuo’s actions not only endangered the Han prestige, already shaky after the Southern Palace inferno, but kicked it while it was down.
If they could so carelessly execute the Empress, then the current reverence for the Son of Heaven was nothing but a joke.
Qiao Yan thought his biased rhetoric was ludicrous, yet she refrained from rebutting. After a moment of silence, she asked, “And what about the rumors of looting and pillaging? I’ve had reports come from Bingzhou, and my subordinate who rode in with the proclamations firsthand saw it—what does Dong Zhuo have to say about that?”
Li Su bowed apologetically before replying, “What you don’t know is that those soldiers are mostly unruly. Like you, Qiao Hou, who can best the Xianbei and steal cattle and sheep, the number of soldiers who can calm their violent tempers is quite small.”
“Dong Zhuo relies on these Xiliang soldiers to control the situation in the capital. However, it’s tough to offer them pay to ensure their loyalty, so he has to allow their plundering for now to settle their hearts. Just three thousand Xiliang soldiers can garrison Luoyang with money. They’ll stabilize for the time being.”
Qiao Yan’s fingers drummed the table thoughtfully.
This was some top-tier nonsense! Therefore, Li Su truly lived up to his position under Dong Zhuo.
He seemed to realize his argument was weak and quickly shifted topics, “But Qiao Hou, don’t just focus on Dong. Luoyang has walls yet no proper defenses. If your army were to press against the city, clashing with our Northern Army Five Divisions and the troops brought into Luoyang, it wouldn’t play out like the cavalry’s previous sudden strike to the northern city wall.”
“When the two armies clash in the urban area of Luoyang, it wouldn’t just mean losing goods for the citizens—they could even lose their lives! Do you truly want to be among those who get condemned in words against the Prime Minister?”
If moral coercion were possible, Qiao Yan felt like she could shoot that back at him.
Li Su showed a clear understanding of how to speak to certain audiences.
If she really was just the governor of Bingzhou with a knack for governance, who had only encountered Xianbei on the battlefield, hearing such words might give her pause.
This hesitation danced briefly across her face like he wanted to see, though it faded quickly enough not to be missed by him.
He thought to himself that Professor Wen’s insight was spot on.
This show of weakness strategy might not fully convince her of their innocence, but it had definitely planted seeds of doubt in her mind.
And that was already enough!
He pressed on, “Could I invite you, Qiao Hou, to see the Prime Minister’s sincerity?”
What sincerity, you might ask? That prized steed Red Hare, of course!
Qiao Yan’s own horse, a Zhutang steed, was raised since it was a foal, and while it was now nearly adult size, it was still not fully mature.
But this Red Hare was clearly almost fully grown.
What was Red Hare? Aside from that striking red coat, the most eye-catching trait was its “Rabbit Head” designation among renowned horses.
The profile of its head protruded like a rabbit’s, a signature feature of heavy horses. And indeed, Qiao Yan’s Zhutang horse shared a similar trait, just not as pronounced as Red Hare’s!
And even leashed by Li Su’s associates, this fiery Red Hare displayed a temperament that screamed wildness.
This was hardly beneficial for a novice rider, but for elite generals, especially those skilled at mounted archery, it was the perfect gift.
Seeing Qiao Yan’s glances toward the Red Hare, Li Su felt a flicker of joy and added, “A capital steed for a renowned general has always been the way of the past. What kind of person is Qiao Hou to not deserve such a remarkable horse? Ever since acquiring Red Hare, I’ve been searching for the right owner, and now fate has brought you together!”
“Stop with the sweet talk!”
Though Qiao Yan said that, Li Su noticed she took two steps closer to the Red Hare, casting it a scrutinizing look. He felt more and more certain that this tactic of feigned weakness was indeed effective!
He continued, “The Prime Minister knows it won’t be easy to convince you with mere words, Qiao Hou. Considering you are the governor of Bingzhou and have gained spoils from the northern grasslands over the past two years, perhaps you might not be interested in this prized steed. Hence, the Prime Minister suggests finding a spot close to Luoyang within He Dong County. Please, bring along a thousand men while the Prime Minister brings eight hundred tiger warriors, so we might discuss ideas to support the new emperor and spare the residents of Luoyang’s northern outskirts from the horrors of war. What do you think?”
Qiao Yan’s gaze shifted from the Red Hare to Li Su, his cleverness causing her heart to skip a beat. Luckily, she quickly asked, “Where shall we meet to discuss?”
Li Su promptly replied, “In five days, twenty miles north of Luoyang, at Sunset Pavilion.”
After a moment of consideration, Qiao Yan finally agreed, “Alright, we’ll do it your way.”
The agreement sealed, the Red Hare remained as a gift at the Bingzhou military camp, and Li Su joyfully led his few companions southward to return.
Watching them disappear from sight, Qiao Yan’s earlier indecision transformed into resolve. She immediately ordered—
To withdraw outer defenses in the camp and set up an ambush inside, ensuring strict patrols swapped every few hours over the coming days.
“Li Ru loves to employ tricks. Back when Dong Zhuo faced troubles from Han Sui and others, he ventured deep into Xiliang and nearly fell prey to the Qiang people. Even when supplies were running low, the besieging soldiers continued their fierce assaults…
“Li Ru’s got it all figured out, doesn’t he?”
He proposed to build a dam in the river to cut off the upstream flow while ordering Dong Zhuo’s troops to fish for meals, leading the Western Qiang leaders to believe that the Han army was completely out of food—just sitting ducks, not killing anyone. Well, that gave Dong Zhuo the perfect chance to make his escape.”
Jia Xu spoke calmly, making his assessment, “Right now, the Bingzhou folks want a meeting with Dong Zhuo at Sunset Pavilion in five days. That’s a classic scheming trick from Li Ru. Your judgment is quite sharp, my lord.”
With Jia Xu backing him up, Qiao Yan felt a bit bolder and chuckled, “Look at this, that old trickster Dong is underestimating my youth; he won’t pull off any stunts like this again!”
Jia Xu nodded, “All our hero needs to do is adapt on the battlefield. We’ll have strategies for future concerns. It’s just a good opportunity to show everyone that you, my lord, should be discussing matters as equals, not using childish tricks against a young one.”
“You’re right, sir.” Qiao Yan’s gaze drifted to her trusty steed, and a mischievous thought flickered in her mind, prompting her to give orders.
Guo Jia, overhearing Qiao Yan’s plan, couldn’t help but chuckle.
When he noticed her looking his way, he quickly corrected his demeanor and replied, “If we follow Qiao Yan’s plan, we can’t let Feng Xian take action. This ambush is for Zhao Yun and Wen Yuan to handle.”
No one was fooled by Dong Zhuo’s little tricks here. Back at the camp, Li Su reported on Qiao Yan’s movements, making Dong Zhuo overjoyed. He immediately ordered Niu Fu and Guo Si to set out.
Li Ru’s instructions were clear: they must reach Qiao Yan’s camp by nightfall on the third day—no rushing.
Then, if they saw Qiao Yan choosing people for the Sunset Pavilion meeting, they shouldn’t stop and should take advantage of the night to advance. If they couldn’t observe anything, they should initiate an attack on the night of the fourth day, when the enemy was most relaxed.
Niu Fu and Guo Si received their orders and set off.
Although they had been running rampant in Luoyang, since their strategist had shown vigilance against Qiao Yan, they didn’t dare to take her lightly.
Luckily for them, Qiao’s Bingzhou troops seemed young enough to mistakenly think that the meeting at Sunset Pavilion was a straightforward invitation!
The scouts from Niu Fu’s party reported that, though the enemy’s camp wasn’t exactly lax, it definitely couldn’t endure the charge of the Xiliang cavalry.
In particular, near the southern position, they had organized a unit that seemed ready for an outing the next day.
With moves like these, both the east and west sides were comparatively weak.
Great news!
Niu Fu immediately ordered a night raid at midnight, determined to give the Bingzhou army a solid thrashing. If they could catch Qiao Yan in the chaos, he’d secure a major achievement for the state, and no one would dare say he got his position through connections!
With such lofty dreams, he charged in from the west under the cover of darkness, stirring up a storm of shouts from the cavalry in the camp.
As a Xiliang warrior, he took the lead, thrusting his long spear towards the dazed soldiers who had collapsed in confusion.
In the meantime, the cavalry were surging into the depths of the camp.
But suddenly, just as Niu Fu felt something off from the spear’s impact, the reality hit him: there were surprisingly few patrolling soldiers in this camp!
This wasn’t something you could chalk up to lax defense!
A sense of dread washed over him. Just then, he heard Guo Si shout “Retreat!” ahead of him. But the fastest reflex belonged to Zhao Yun, who had already set up the encirclement.
Amidst Niu Fu and Guo Si’s reckless invasion, the Bingzhou troops attacked from the north and south, forming a tight blockade. Leading the charge was the young commander in white armor, directing his elite cavalry coming from the north.
Every tripwire and deer-horn barricade in the camp had been painstakingly set by Zhao Yun himself. Even in the dark of night, there was no way they’d get confused.
Since arriving in Bingzhou five years ago, Zhao Yun had taken charge of tasks as trivial as county captain duties and had been responsible for law and order throughout the state, fighting against various enemies.
With a rare talent for military strategy, how could he possibly fail with the advantage firmly on his side?
From Niu Fu’s perspective, they had stumbled into a trap. The young general they faced felt even more intimidating than the sharpshooter who shot an arrow outside the northern city.
Charging like a furious dragon, Zhao Yun led his cavalry forward, seeming unstoppable. They hadn’t even recovered from their panic before the clash between their rear guards erupted with a thunderous sound, and now they were facing such a terrifying opponent.
Realizing the chaos, Niu Fu swiftly turned his horse, trying to consolidate his cavalry by his side while planning an escape from the enemy camp.
But turning back in such confusion was far from easy.
The leads in the charge stumbled into nearby trenches, getting skewered by the spear soldiers lurking there.
The cavalry was tripped by suddenly appearing tripwires, falling to the ground, as shield-and-sword troops charged from the north and south, sandwiching them between solid defenses.
Panic set in for Niu Fu, but he saw Zhao Yun’s silver spear like a dragon emerging from the sea, approaching rapidly.
He quickly lifted his spear to counter.
However, Zhao Yun had trained against colleagues like Zhang Liao and Lü Bu, while Niu Fu relied on his unique standing in Dong Zhuo’s army—and the result was nearly fatal for him in just a few exchanges.
Thankfully, Zhao Yun was still a junior officer, lacking in sustained power. With the help of his bodyguards, Niu Fu managed to hold Zhao Yun off. Guo Si galloped in, pulling Niu Fu onto his mount while deflecting arrows and leading him towards the few weak spots in the encirclement.
But although they managed to burst out, over a thousand cavalry originally following them had been reduced to just over a hundred.
They were left with barely ten percent of their original strength!
Qiao Yan’s troops hadn’t fully reached Hedong; in theory, they already had more than enough manpower for a night raid on the camp. Who would’ve guessed that they would end up being the ones caught in a reversal of fortunes?
What shocked Niu Fu further was that he hadn’t even gotten far before hearing the enemy’s unified battle cry ringing in his ears.
They were shouting—
“Dong the Traitor tricks us into the Sunset Pavilion, losing both the Red Hare and his troops!”
Then came a wave of laughter that filled him with shame.
In that laughter, how could he not realize that his escape was likely intentional? They wanted him to take this news back to Dong Zhuo. That young general might very well have the strength to wipe them all out!
Now they had lost both the Red Hare and troops!
This was indeed a true reflection of their situation, yet hearing it made him feel like he could vomit blood. If he reported this to the state, who knew how they’d react?
All he could do was continue fleeing south with Guo Si, hoping the enemy wouldn’t change their minds and leave him behind.
Qiao Yan watched the enemy retreating in disarray, a smile slowly forming on her face.
Seeing the commotion caused by their assault, she quickly dressed and gathered her generals around her.
At that moment, she beheld the sight of Niu Fu’s defeat and pointed her Three-Section Spear towards the chaos, stating, “That old butcher Dong has suffered this defeat, and he won’t dare underestimate us again. The troops he sends next will undoubtedly be stronger than today’s! But my resolve to take Luoyang remains unchanged, and I hope you all will help me crush this enemy!”
She continued with determined resolve, “The first person to enter Luoyang and take Dong Zhuo’s head gets to keep that Red Hare!”
Lü Bu had already set his eyes on the legendary Red Hare when it was delivered to Qiao Yan. Now, hearing that she planned to offer it as a reward for taking Dong Zhuo’s head, he was practically itching to jump in.
Still, he remembered who was in charge and asked, “My lord, aren’t you going to keep the Red Hare for yourself?”
In Lü Bu’s gaze, Qiao Yan, rising from her quick dressing, showed no signs of fatigue and radiated sharpness.
She laughed aloud and replied, “Even without the Red Hare, can’t I still enter Luoyang?”
