Chapter 127

Chapter 127

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 4: The End of Zhongping, The Turmoil of Luoyang, Chapter 127: The Decision to Move the Capital

Belonging to the book:


Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 127: The Decision to Move the Capital…

Xu Rong never expected that Qiao Yan, with her status as the Governor of Bingzhou and the importance of this confrontation, would actually choose to come alone.

And the boatman accompanying her seemed to be just a young lad, not the strong man seen in Luoyang years ago.

He had prepared for the possibility that Qiao Yan might not come as promised, or that she might use this method to capture the general guarding the ford. Thus, he had also prepared to turn the boat around and leave at any moment.

But seeing Qiao Yan abandon the boat and come ashore alone, Xu Rong realized that the messenger’s words were true—

Marquis Qiao was indeed a person who kept her promises. Using the so-called invitation as a pretense to launch an attack was something she, Qiao Yeshu, disdained.

He couldn’t help but be moved. Seeing Marquis Qiao strolling among the trees on the river island, she found a flat, wide rock to sit on. As he approached, she tossed a wine jug towards him.

Xu Rong caught the jug but remained motionless for a while.

“What? I dared to come here alone with a sword and two jugs of wine, not fearing that General Xu’s sword might take my head to claim merit from the traitor Dong. Yet, General, you fear that I might have poisoned the wine or drugged it to finish you off?”

Qiao Yan shook her wine jug and laughed, “General Xu, please sit. Today, we won’t discuss military matters, and I won’t mention that traitor Dong. Let’s talk about heroes over wine, just wine.”

What surprised Xu Rong even more than Qiao Yan’s solitary arrival was that she seemed genuinely interested in discussing only wine.

The jug she threw to him contained strong sorghum wine, but to avoid suspicion of incapacitating the enemy, Qiao Yan had diluted it with water.

Still, compared to the “strong wine” on the market, this was quite potent.

Xu Rong rarely drank while managing the army, but today, under Qiao Yan’s persuasion and commentary on the wine, he drank half the jug.

Yet, as he watched her return to the boat and leave the river island for the northern camp, he felt an indescribable sense of unreality.

Did she really just appreciate his skills and treat him to good wine?

This was also Niu Fu’s doubt. “Did she really say nothing to you?”

Before Xu Rong returned, he had his subordinate Hu Che’er temporarily take over the patrol duties while he went to Xiaopingjin.

Xu Rong shook his head and replied, “She only asked if sorghum, introduced from foreign lands, had been used to brew wine in Liangzhou.”

Hearing this, Niu Fu slammed his cup down in anger, “Are you treating me like a child? When Qiao Yan sent an envoy to invite you, she mentioned she was supervising shipbuilding and contacting the Central Plains for an uprising. How could she come in person and only discuss wine with you?”

This was not the way enemy commanders and our generals should communicate!

Thus, Niu Fu refused to believe that Qiao Yan had said nothing to Xu Rong!

At least not just discussing the spread of sorghum.

This made him suspect that she had actually said something to Xu Rong about joining her, something that couldn’t be disclosed to him, the son-in-law of the Prime Minister.

With this suspicion, he found Xu Rong’s behavior somewhat off.

Even though Xu Rong later solemnly insisted that nothing else was said, Niu Fu’s scrutiny didn’t dispel his doubts. He grabbed the remaining half jug of wine and left Xiaopingjin.

If words don’t align, even half a sentence is too much. It seemed Xu Rong wouldn’t reveal the truth.

Yet, both he and Xu Rong were Middle Generals under Dong Zhuo, with no direct authority to hold each other accountable.

But there were things he could do.

For example, keep a close eye on Xu Rong’s actions!

Niu Fu felt he might have chosen the wrong person to guard this place together and thus had the responsibility to closely monitor him. Little did he know that his return to the Mengjin camp with a group of followers was noticed by someone on the other side of the river.

Guo Jia, walking along the riverbank with Qiao Yan, said, “My lord, saying nothing now instead of listing Dong Zhuo’s atrocities to persuade Xu Rong to defect is indeed a brilliant move.”

People always have certain preconceptions, especially since Qiao Yan had previously written a proclamation against Dong Zhuo.

Who would believe she was just discussing wine?

Thus, doubts should arise about whether Xu Rong was telling the truth.

Qiao Yan replied, “Xu Rong is indeed a talent, but unfortunately, he’s misplaced his trust. Now is the time for him to see what kind of people he’s cooperating with.”

If it weren’t for the fact that, although she had the means to cross the river, she wasn’t ready to act officially until the various prefects and governors gathered at Suanzao, she would have liked to take advantage of luring Xu Rong here to launch a covert attack.

But this way was fine too.

Even if Xu Rong guessed Qiao Yan’s intentions from Niu Fu’s behavior, he couldn’t influence some people’s way of thinking.

The rift was already created. Since he wasn’t from Liangzhou and couldn’t enter the core group, he had to deal with the ensuing constraints from all sides.

If Dong Zhuo discerned this and gave Xu Rong enough trust, then Qiao Yan’s risky plan would be useless.

But if Dong Zhuo, in this time of internal and external troubles, chose to believe Niu Fu first, then it was her opportunity.

Her river-crossing operation must be a sure hit! After all, on the other side of the river, south of Mang Mountain in Luoyang, friends awaited her, and there was also the task of exchanging the Imperial Seal.

Guo Jia was also someone who dared to say anything. He suddenly asked, “By the way, I’d like to ask you, my lord, if that old traitor Dong Zhuo across the river also invited me for a drink, without mentioning any recruitment, just fine wine and food, what would you think when I returned?”

This question was quite practical.

Now it was Qiao Yan’s ingenious moves, but what if one day someone used such tricks on their own people?

Qiao Yan wasn’t surprised by Guo Jia’s preventive question and replied, “If Dong Zhuo invites you for a drink and discusses the true meaning of wine, with your experience in Bingzhou, if you can’t argue with him point by point, I won’t forgive you when you return.”

She stopped and looked at Guo Jia, “Fengxiao, having seen the clouds crossing Taihang and the spirit spanning five peaks, why would you throw yourself into Beimang, trapped in the hills? Isn’t that the truth?”

Guo Jia was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily, “My lord, my lord, you’re not talking about discussing wine with Dong Zhuo.”

She was clearly talking about vision.

And Guo Jia just ate up this kind of answer!

For fierce generals like Lü Bu, a lord needs to have a bold and fierce nature to suppress them.

For civil officials like him, a lord also needs a broad mind capable of swallowing the heavens and the earth.

If Qiao Yan, as the Governor of Bingzhou, had such confidence, with everyone under her command fully utilizing their talents, Bingzhou would be as towering as the mountains. Why worry about others’ schemes of sowing discord?

This was her promise.

Unfortunately, Dong Zhuo couldn’t do this.

He picked up an emperor and a supporting edict north of Luoyang and happened to encounter an opportunity to mediate and seize power, but essentially, he was still a nouveau riche.

Thus, he successively killed He Miao, Empress Dowager He, and even their mother, almost scaring the already somewhat weak Liu Bian into serious illness.

In this way, he ensured that the troops under He Jin and He Miao could never cause trouble and that the Liu Xie he supported could never be replaced.

In Luoyang, he strived to make his words equivalent to imperial decrees, dealing with anyone who might have slighted him with bloody suppression.

But the new proclamation against Dong Zhuo, along with the momentum of the eastern provinces uniting to denounce him, made Dong Zhuo feel an extreme sense of crisis, even though he hadn’t yet received news of their formal advance towards Chenggao.

It was at this time that he received Niu Fu’s military report.

Niu Fu mentioned in the report that he suspected Xu Rong of colluding with the Governor of Bingzhou.

Xu Rong also intended to set up a sentry post on the river island in front of Xiaopingjin.

But Qiao Yan’s camp was stationed across from Mengjin. If there were any unusual movements, he would naturally notice. Why disperse troops to the river island!

This was likely Xu Rong preparing to assist Qiao Yan in some way.

Reading this, Dong Zhuo couldn’t help but feel a twitch in his temple.

He had just put down Cao Cao’s proclamation against the traitor, filled with phrases like “possessing all five poisons, his guests like dogs and pigs passing by, soaring with ferocity, his high position like a skeleton in a grave, defiling the country and oppressing the people, killing at the slightest provocation, truly a minister without virtue,” almost giving him a headache. Now, without fully understanding the situation in the east, was the northern defense line about to have problems?

With the natural barrier of the Yellow River and a steady general like Xu Rong guarding it, he thought there wouldn’t be any issues before the ice period.

And considering how long Qiao Yan had been in charge of Bingzhou, if he could hold the defense a bit longer, even forcing her to retreat due to insufficient supplies wasn’t impossible.

But Niu Fu was adamant. Although the wine Qiao Yan invited Xu Rong to drink tasted good, how could the enemy leader only discuss wine tasting with our general?

Xu Rong didn’t dare to say those words; there must be something fishy.

This matter requires the Prime Minister’s careful consideration; it’s definitely not me targeting Xu Rong.

Dong Zhuo couldn’t even tolerate Zhou Hui, who had come to Luoyang just to visit, and was already planning to deal with Huangfu Song far in Xiliang to settle old scores. He was by no means a magnanimous person.

With a dark expression, he read Niu Fu’s accusations against Xu Rong again. Although he had a question mark in his mind about how Niu Fu knew the wine Qiao Yan offered Xu Rong tasted good, he had to admit that, in the face of facts, he was more willing to believe in Niu Fu’s loyalty to him and his judgment at this time.

Xu Rong…

With the defense lines of Luoyang’s eight passes already initially constructed, and Xu Rong not having officially done anything traitorous, removing him from his position or swapping him with other pass defenders would clearly be detrimental to the current situation.

But doing nothing to Xu Rong, given Dong Zhuo’s pettiness, would inevitably leave him feeling aggrieved.

After much contemplation, he made a decision: let Niu Fu take full control of the defenses at Mengjin and Xiaopingjin, while Xu Rong remained stationed at Xiaopingjin, with Niu Fu overseeing his military authority.

On the surface, at least from the north bank of the river where Qiao Yan was, the situation across the river hadn’t changed. The two camps remained as they were. But Xu Rong being forced to abandon his plan to establish a sentry post on the river island was good news for her.

As for whether she should worry that Xu Rong would…








Suspecting her scheme to use the river island as a stepping stone, she had the camp specially guarded against it—but perhaps not! Between Mengjin and Xiaopingjin, her chosen landing point never changed. No matter how tightly guarded, there will always be loopholes! By May, the early summer heat was already upon them. Even along the Yellow River, the heat was unbearable, especially in the crowded military camp, which felt stifling and oppressive. Qiao Yan’s camp, equipped with both generals and strategists, was not limited to the ferry crossings. She had arranged the camp with proper spacing and even had Ma Jun and Bi Lan brought from Bingzhou to build a manually operated water-sprinkling cart. To prevent summer diseases, she had medical experts from Leping Academy, trained by Wu Pu, strictly monitor sanitation and food in the camp. In contrast, Niu Fu on the other side of the river was having a much harder time. Xu Rong’s troops were mostly from the Northern Army Five Divisions, while Niu Fu’s men were mostly from Liangzhou. These men couldn’t stay idle. Before Qiao Yan’s forces pressured Luoyang, they could extort wealth from the city’s wealthy families under Dong Zhuo’s orders. But now, they were stuck by the Yellow River, watching the Bingzhou troops drag newly built boats to the shore. The wealthy Luoyang was just behind them, yet they were stuck doing this tedious task. They asked Niu Fu how long they had to stay, but he couldn’t give a clear answer, only saying it depended on when the Marquis of Leping would retreat or advance. But scouts reported that the Bingzhou army had a steady supply of food and the soldiers were full of energy, showing no signs of retreating soon. The increasingly hot weather only added to their frustration. Niu Fu wished Qiao Yan would just load her boats with soldiers and cross the river, but there was no sign of her preparing to attack. Qiao Yan, sitting in her commander’s tent, looked at Cao Ang, sent by Cao Cao as a messenger. Seeing him in light armor, tanned from the sun, she joked, “Brother Mengde seems to be pushing you hard in combat training lately?” Cao Ang, recalling his father’s teasing about coming to fetch a gift, and hearing Qiao Yan call his father “Brother Mengde,” felt these two could really get along. He replied seriously, “Father nearly died at the hands of Dong Zhuo’s generals, so he’s been strict with me to ensure I survive the battles.” This wasn’t a bad thing. Even without foresight, Cao Cao knew the situation wouldn’t be resolved in a year or two, so it was good for Cao Ang to learn some survival skills. Having recently lived and eaten with ordinary soldiers, Cao Ang naturally paid attention to the camp’s conditions. He asked Qiao Yan, “I noticed the Bingzhou troops are strong and morale is high. But you’ve been stationed here for nearly ten days. How do you maintain such high morale?” Qiao Yan finished his sentence, “How do we maintain it?” Cao Ang, being less direct than his father, hesitated before nodding. Qiao Yan replied, “Because I told them we will cross the river and attack within a month at the latest!” Cao Ang was startled. Before he could ask, she continued, “I know Yuan Shao, Lu Zhi, and Liu Bei could have come through Mengjin, but since I’m here, they joined forces with Cao Cao and others at Suanzao. Troops from Xuzhou, Yanzhou, and Yu Province have gathered there. Yuan Shu and Sun Jian are attacking Taigu Pass and are stationed near Luyang. Luoyang is now surrounded.” Cao Ang agreed. Qiao Yan added, “Five years ago, I met Sun Jian in Changshe. He’s still as fierce as ever. If he attacks Taigu Pass, it will be a quick victory.” That’s the first route. “At Suanzao, Dong Zhuo will think we need time to discuss, allocate supplies, and balance forces. If we attack quickly, we can catch him off guard.” That’s the second route. “I’m stationed here, seemingly waiting, but the enemy doesn’t know I can cross the river and attack Luoyang at any time.” That’s the third route. “If we give Dong Zhuo time to react, he could use the Emperor and court officials as hostages. The Yuan clan, for example, has members in Luoyang. If we don’t win quickly, they could be used against us.” Cao Ang agreed. The Yuan clan, unlike the Yang clan, had many members in the capital. This was why, despite Yuan Shao having more troops, Lu Zhi was chosen as the alliance leader. Cao Ang, still naive, thought this wasn’t a big problem. Qiao Yan pointed to the map behind her, “Look!” The eight passes around Luoyang were marked in red. She explained, “If we can break through Taigu, Xuanmen, and Mengjin simultaneously, we can split our forces. One will head to Hangu Pass to block Dong Zhuo’s retreat, the other will guard Mangshan to prevent him from escaping east. The Suanzao alliance will march west, and the Luyang alliance will attack north. Dong Zhuo will have no way out and will be forced to surrender.” Cao Ang agreed, “This plan must be executed quickly.” Qiao Yan said, “Please inform Cao Cao of this plan. If you hadn’t come, I would have sent someone to Suanzao.” Cao Ang bowed and left. A few days later, Dong Zhuo in Luoyang received news of the alliance’s attack. The officials from the eastern provinces, including those he had appointed like Liu Dai, Kong Zhou, Ying Shao, and Zhang Miao, had joined the alliance, infuriating him. The alliance, led by Lu Zhi, had declared him General of the Chariots and Cavalry, a direct challenge to his authority. Dong Zhuo, though furious, had to focus on the immediate threat. He considered using hostages to pressure the alliance into retreating. He thought of moving the hostages to a safer place, like Chang’an, which was closer to Liangzhou. On May 15th, during the court meeting, Dong Zhuo, standing at the front, announced his intention to move the court to Chang’an, ignoring the young Emperor Liu Xie’s reaction.