Chapter 124

Chapter 124

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 4: The End of Zhongping, Luoyang’s Storm, Chapter 124: Losing Red Hare

However, her situation with Lü Bu is vastly different, and Dong Zhuo obviously wouldn’t think that she could perform a sudden submission and hand over military power.

Thus, the significance of his action becomes somewhat subtle.

Qiao Yan pondered: if she were truly a youth not yet sixteen, despite some precocious combat skills, she was elevated to this position because the late emperor had no one else to use.

Now, to protect the orphan left by the late emperor, she is dissatisfied with Dong Zhuo’s actions in Luoyang after declaring himself the Prime Minister, hence raising troops to march south, even gaining the support and admiration of noble families in River East County, with people offering food and drink to see her off. Now, the powerful Prime Minister Dong fears her, sending envoys to negotiate peace, even presenting a famous steed as a gift—

How should she react?

Others don’t know that her childish behavior and words in her early years were mostly feigned to make Liu Hong lower his guard.

Others don’t know that her military campaign is far more than just righteous indignation against Dong Zhuo’s actions.

Others wouldn’t know that she views this history from a future perspective, possessing far more than the mentality and insight of a teenager.

Hearing the name Red Hare, which should be Lü Bu’s mount but is now a gift to her, her slightly amused feeling only lasted a moment before turning back to the strategic planning between the two armies.

She looked at Li Su from Wuyuan County, seeing the flattering expression on his face, and without showing excessive pride, she asked, “Dong Zhuo acts against the natural order, controls the court, what is there to discuss? Let’s settle this outside Luoyang!”

“Marquis Qiao, you are mistaken. The Prime Minister truly has not committed the acts of coveting the throne or insulting the Han dynasty as stated in the proclamation, and thus does not deserve your label of ‘Dong the Traitor.'”

Li Su, with a bitter smile, continued, “The Prime Minister, being from Xiliang, naturally has conflicts with the nobles in the capital, and some friction had to be resolved by force, which is only natural.”

Qiao Yan coldly asked, “But he did force Empress Dowager He to death, didn’t he?”

Li Su shook his head, “Marquis Qiao, not being in the capital, how could you know the true situation? The struggle for the throne can even cause strife between brothers. The late emperor’s will appointed Dong as the next emperor, but Empress Dowager He favored Shi. If Empress Dowager He used her authority to depose or contend with the emperor, the court in Luoyang would surely be unstable. Prime Minister Dong had no choice but to bear the infamy.”

Qiao Yan had to admit, Li Su was quite eloquent, portraying Prime Minister Dong as a figure who endured humiliation for a greater cause.

But his explanation completely avoided the fact that Dong Zhuo’s actions further trampled on the already precarious dignity of the Han dynasty after the Southern Palace fire.

If even the Empress Dowager could be so casually forced to death, then the emperor’s inviolable image is but a joke.

Qiao Yan found his biased explanation somewhat absurd but did not refute it. After a moment of silence, she asked, “And what about the looting and plundering, which have reached Bingzhou and were witnessed by my subordinates who delivered the proclamation? How does the old traitor Dong Zhuo explain that?”

Li Su bowed apologetically, “Marquis Qiao, you may not know, but the soldiers in the borderlands are mostly unruly. Few, like you, can defeat the Xianbei, seize their livestock, and calm the soldiers’ violent hearts.”

“Prime Minister Dong relies on these Xiliang soldiers to control the capital’s situation. Now, it’s not easy to provide them with the wealth they demand, so he has to allow their plundering to temporarily appease them. The Xiliang army is only three thousand strong; with wealth, they can live peacefully in Luoyang, and soon they will settle down.”

Qiao Yan’s finger tapping on the table paused.

What a load of nonsense! Li Su truly is from Dong Zhuo’s camp.

Perhaps realizing his argument was weak, he quickly shifted, “Marquis Qiao, don’t just focus on Prime Minister Dong. Luoyang has city walls but no outer walls. If your army presses on, engaging with the Northern Army Five Divisions and the Xiliang soldiers Prime Minister Dong has brought to Luoyang, it won’t be like the cavalry’s sudden arrival a few days ago, reaching the northern city walls directly.”

“By then, the two armies fighting within Luoyang’s outskirts would not only cost the people their wealth but also their lives! Would you, Marquis Qiao, want to become the villain in the accusations against Prime Minister Dong?”

If the concept of moral blackmail existed then, Qiao Yan would have thrown it back at him.

Li Su was indeed skilled in rhetoric tailored to specific audiences.

If she were truly a young governor who, apart from defeating the Xianbei, governed Bingzhou with virtue and had little experience in conflicts within the Central Plains, she might indeed hesitate upon hearing this.

This hesitation, as Li Su hoped, briefly appeared on her face, fleeting but not missed by him.

He thought to himself, Advisor Wen You was indeed correct.

The strategy of showing weakness might not make Marquis Qiao fully believe in their innocence or make her overconfident, but it was enough to sow some hesitation in her heart.

That was sufficient!

He pressed on, “Could Marquis Qiao first accompany me to see the Prime Minister’s sincerity?”

What sincerity? Naturally, the gift of the Red Hare steed!

Qiao Yan’s mount, Zhu Tan, was raised from a foal and, though similar in size to an adult horse, was far from mature.

But this Red Hare was clearly nearing adulthood.

What is Red Hare? Apart from its red color, the most striking feature is the “rabbit head” in the evaluation of famous horses.

The horse’s head, from the nose up, protrudes outward, resembling a rabbit’s head, a hallmark of heavy horses. In fact, Qiao Yan’s Zhu Tan has a similar feature, but it’s more pronounced in Red Hare.

This fiery steed, even with Li Su’s subordinate holding the reins, displayed a fierce and irritable temperament.

This is no good for beginners, but for top generals, especially those skilled in mounted archery, it’s the perfect gift.

Seeing Qiao Yan’s slight interest in Red Hare, Li Su inwardly rejoiced and continued, “A fine steed matches a famous general, as it has always been. Who else but Marquis Qiao deserves the world’s finest horse? Since acquiring Red Hare, the Prime Minister has been seeking a suitable master, and now it coincides with meeting you.”

“Enough with your sweet talk.”

Though Qiao Yan said this, Li Su saw her take a couple of steps towards Red Hare, seemingly examining the rare steed, further confirming that Advisor Wen You’s strategy of showing weakness might indeed be working!

He added, “The Prime Minister knows that convincing Marquis Qiao in a few words of his lack of ill intentions towards the state is not easy.”

“As the governor of Bingzhou, with gains from the northern grasslands over the past two years, you might not value the Red Hare much. Thus, the Prime Minister suggests finding a place near Luoyang in River East County, where you can bring a thousand followers, and the Prime Minister will bring a similar number of elite soldiers. We can discuss supporting the new emperor, sparing the northern suburbs of Luoyang from the ravages of war. What do you think, Marquis Qiao?”

Qiao Yan’s gaze shifted from Red Hare to Li Su, her sharp eyes making his heart skip a beat. But then he heard her ask, “Where shall we meet?”

Li Su quickly replied, “Five days from now, twenty miles north of Luoyang, at Sunset Pavilion.”

After a moment’s thought, Qiao Yan responded, “Very well, as you say.”

With the agreement reached, Red Hare remained as a gift in the Bingzhou military camp, and Li Su happily led his companions back south.

Qiao Yan watched them leave, her previous hesitation turning into resolve. She immediately issued orders—

The camp’s outer defenses were to be withdrawn, with internal ambush preparations. In the coming days, strict defense was to be maintained through patrol shifts.

“Li Ru is fond of deceitful tactics. Years ago, when Dong Zhuo was trapped by Han Sui and others, deep in Xiliang, nearly surrounded by the Qiang, with supplies exhausted, the besieging forces still attacked fiercely.”








Li Ru devised a plan to build a dam in the river to block the upstream flow, and ordered Dong Zhuo’s troops to catch fish and shrimp in the river for food. This made the Xiqiang generals believe that the Han army had completely run out of provisions, only surrounding but not attacking, which gave Dong Zhuo a chance to escape.

Jia Xu calmly stated his judgment, “Now the Bingzhou people are acting as mediators, wanting you to meet Dong Zhuo at Sunset Pavilion in five days. This is indeed a deceptive strategy Li Ru could come up with. Your judgment is quite accurate.”

With Jia Xu’s support, Qiao Yan gained more confidence and smiled, “That traitor Dong underestimated my youth, hence this plan. I fear such opportunities won’t come again in the future.”

Jia Xu nodded, “But Lord Qiao only needs to adapt to the situation in battle. Future matters will have their own solutions. This is also a good opportunity to let the world know that Lord Qiao should be discussed on the same stage as them, and not be treated with deceitful methods meant for children.”

“Sir, you are right,” Qiao Yan’s gaze turned to Red Hare, and she suddenly came up with a mischievous idea, which she immediately ordered to be carried out.

Guo Jia, who overheard Qiao Yan’s idea, couldn’t help but laugh.

Seeing Qiao Yan looking at him, he quickly straightened his face and replied, “If we follow Lord Qiao’s plan, I’m afraid we can’t let Fengxian take action. This ambush should be handled by Zilong and Wenyuan.”

On one side, they were not fooled by Dong Zhuo’s gifts and negotiation tricks, and were well-prepared in their camp defenses. On the other side, Li Su reported Qiao Yan’s performance back to Dong Zhuo, who was overjoyed and immediately ordered Niu Fu and Guo Si to join the battle.

Li Ru also instructed them that they must arrive near Qiao Yan’s camp before nightfall on the third day, and must not march too quickly.

Then, if they saw Qiao Yan selecting personnel for the Sunset Pavilion meeting, they should immediately advance at night without stopping. If it was difficult to observe the enemy’s movements, they should launch an attack on the fourth night when the enemy’s defenses were most lax.

Niu Fu and Guo Si accepted the orders and left.

Although they had been acting recklessly in Luoyang these past few days, since the military advisor had shown caution towards Lord Qiao, they dared not take her lightly.

Fortunately, that young Qiao from Bingzhou probably really thought the Sunset Pavilion meeting was an open invitation!

Niu Fu’s scouts reported that although the enemy’s camp defenses were not lax, they definitely couldn’t withstand the impact of Xiliang cavalry.

Moreover, a separate unit had been organized near the southern position, seemingly for tomorrow’s outing.

Under such arrangements, both the eastern and western sides became relatively weak.

Good news!

Niu Fu immediately ordered a sneak attack at midnight tonight, determined to give the Bingzhou army a head-on blow. If they could capture Lord Qiao in the chaos, he would have made a great contribution to the Prime Minister, and no one could say he rose through nepotism!

With this beautiful dream, he led a direct assault from the west in the dead of night, the cavalry’s battle cries filling the camp.

As a Xiliang general, he charged ahead, his long spear stabbing at the soldiers who had fallen asleep on the side.

His cavalry soldiers, during his pause, had already charged deep into the camp.

But at this moment, Niu Fu felt something was wrong with the sensation of his spear’s thrust, and also noticed that the patrolling soldiers in the camp were too few!

This couldn’t be explained by the enemy’s laxity!

He sensed something was wrong, and heard Guo Si shout “Retreat” faster than he could react. But faster than both of them was Zhao Yun, who had set up the western encirclement.

From the direction Niu Fu and Guo Si had charged, Bingzhou troops had already come from the north and south, forming a blockade. The young general in white robes and silver spear led his elite cavalry charging from the north.

Every tripwire and deer antler barrier in the camp had been personally set up by Zhao Yun and his cavalry. Even in the dark night, they would not make any mistaken judgments.

From his arrival in Bingzhou five years ago to now, Zhao Yun had taken on tasks ranging from county captain duties to state security, from battling Heishan and Baibo bandits to guarding Shuofang County, and even being taken by Qiao Yan beyond the borders to fight against the Xiongnu and Xianbei.

With his rare talent in military strategy, how could he fail in such an advantageous situation?

From Niu Fu’s perspective, they had not only fallen into the Bingzhou army’s trap, but the young general sent by the enemy was even more intimidating than the archer who had shot an arrow outside the north gate.

The young general with the long spear led his cavalry charging from the north, as if entering an uninhabited land. Before they could recover from the shock of falling into the trap, the sounds of battle between the rear army and the Bingzhou army shook the heavens, and now the main force encountered such a terrifying opponent.

Niu Fu quickly turned his horse, gathering the cavalry around him while trying to quickly exit the enemy’s camp.

But turning back in such chaos was not easy.

The front cavalry, charging too fast, had already fallen into the trenches ahead, being pierced through by the spearmen埋伏 there.

The cavalry gathering towards Niu Fu were tripped by suddenly appearing tripwires, falling to the ground, only to be surrounded by shield and sword soldiers from the north and south, trapping them between barriers.

Niu Fu’s heart was in chaos, but he saw Zhao Yun’s silver spear like a dragon emerging from the sea, already in front of him.

He hurriedly raised his spear to fight.

But Zhao Yun usually sparred with colleagues like Zhang Liao and Lü Bu, while Niu Fu relied on his unique position in Dong Zhuo’s army, never thinking of refining his skills, and was nearly killed by Zhao Yun in a few rounds.

Fortunately, Zhao Yun was a young general, lacking in sustained strength, and with the combined efforts of Niu Fu’s personal guards, they managed to hold Zhao Yun back. Guo Si quickly rode over, pulling Niu Fu onto his horse, while deflecting the arrows flying towards them, and broke through one of the few weak points in the encirclement.

Although they escaped through this breach, the original thousand cavalry that followed them now numbered only a hundred.

Only one-tenth of the troops remained!

Qiao Yan’s Bingzhou army had not fully arrived in Hedong, so theoretically, a thousand cavalry should have been more than enough for a night raid. But who would have thought the roles would be reversed, and the raiders became the prey.

What Niu Fu couldn’t have imagined was that before he had gone far, he heard the enemy’s整齐划一的口号, clearly reaching his ears.

They were shouting—

“Dong Zhuo’s deceitful Sunset Pavilion meeting, lost Red Hare and troops!”

Followed by a burst of laughter that made him feel utterly humiliated.

In this laughter, how could he not guess that his escape was likely intentional, meant for him to bring this news back to Prime Minister Dong. That young general probably had the ability to annihilate them completely.

Lost Red Hare and troops!

This was indeed a true reflection of their current situation, but hearing it now made him feel like vomiting blood. Reporting this to the Prime Minister, he didn’t know what reaction he would get.

But all he could do now was continue fleeing south with Guo Si, in case the enemy changed their mind and decided to keep him there.

Qiao Yan coldly watched the狼狈逃命 scene, a smile slowly appearing on her face.

Amidst the commotion of the enemy’s attack, she quickly dressed and gathered her generals.

Now, watching Niu Fu’s retreat, she pointed south with her two-section Three-Section Spear and said, “That old traitor Dong suffered this defeat, and will surely not underestimate us again. The troops he sends will be stronger than today’s, but my determination to advance into Luoyang remains unchanged. I hope you all will join me in defeating this enemy!”

She spoke again with the same resolute tone, “The first to enter Luoyang and take the old traitor Dong’s head will receive the famous steed Red Hare!”

Lü Bu had already taken a liking to the rare steed Red Hare when it was presented to Qiao Yan. Now hearing that Qiao Yan would award it to whoever killed Dong Zhuo, he immediately got ready for action.

But he still remembered the master-subordinate relationship and asked, “Lord, won’t you keep the Red Hare steed for yourself?”

In Lü Bu’s eyes, the Lord who had risen in haste showed no signs of fatigue, her sharpness like a blade.

She laughed heartily and replied, “Even without Red Hare as my mount, can’t I still enter Luoyang?”