Chapter 135
Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?
Volume Four, At the End of Zhongping, Winds and Clouds Over Luoyang
走凉州策……
Across from Lantai was where Liu Hong once resided, the Jiade Hall, almost diagonally.
This was indeed an interesting hiding spot for the Imperial Seal from Qiao Yan’s perspective.
On the day of the palace coup, even the Grand General He Jin believed that Zhang Rang would stash the seal in a relatively remote palace to ensure he kept control over this significant symbol of authority for his own survival.
However, it was precisely this kind of thinking that led Zhang Rang to choose to hide the seal in a spot that seemed the easiest to find.
Dong Zhuo had been in the capital for two months now, yet he hadn’t found the seal in the Southern Palace, which undoubtedly showed the brilliance of this hiding tactic.
Qiao Yan’s mind was racing; she decided to snag the seal first before hunting down anyone else.
If the army from the Sour Jujube Alliance was indeed going to arrive in Luoyang soon, then seeking out Yuan Ji and Liu Bian might be Qiao Yan’s only chance to stroll into the Southern Palace without raising any eyebrows.
The palace opposite Lantai was called A Ge, nestled between Lantai and the Changqiu Palace. The front courtyard to the south was predominantly occupied by emerald bamboo, which, in this early summer weather, provided a refreshing aura beneath its leafy shade.
Or perhaps it was more appropriate to say it felt a bit desolate and cold.
As she stepped inside, it was unclear whether she truly hadn’t chosen the wrong palace or if her growing certainty of “I must get that Imperial Seal” was causing her luck to plummet by another five points.
“Why is it that every time I make a decision, nothing like this happens, yet with the seal it does?” Qiao Yan couldn’t help but ask the system, while her eyes roamed around the dusty room.
【Perhaps because this is perceived as the lifeblood of the dynasty, and rational strategists would advise their lord not to touch it at this time, which has been implicitly set as a standard for triggering a reevaluation of luck.】
Just as her intelligence score had previously triggered a secondary assessment.
At this point, the system couldn’t help but dab at its imaginary tears.
Rational strategists? Well, she’d already laid it out that she’s not even a strategist!
But whining about it now wouldn’t change anything; she recalled when she questioned Dong Zhuo outside the North Palace, he tempted her with benefits. When her subordinate considered joining him, the system interface popped up a new achievement: 【Prevent Lü Bu from siding with Dong Zhuo】. After staring at the panel for a while, the system thought maybe just giving up would be easier.
It seemed just as she said, it wasn’t impossible.
Qiao Yan sighed, “That’s right, this is a national treasure after all.”
The decor inside A Ge was rather sparse.
This place once served as a refuge from the heat near Yutang Hall. In this lightweight wooden structure with open window panels on all sides, only a bookshelf remained after the library had been relocated, obviously not a suitable place for hiding things.
She quickly paced around the modest hall but didn’t feel anything beneath her feet that was different enough to be a hidden pit.
If we were to think in conventional terms of hiding spots…
Qiao Yan instinctively looked up at the beams above.
The interior of A Ge employed the beam-lifting structure perfected since the Spring and Autumn period.
In accordance with palace design, the three layers of beams rose successively higher, with columns connecting them, disrupting the shadows cast by the lofty ceiling.
After another boost in her physique, her vision was highly perceptive. She quickly recognized an oddity among the five beams and three beams—there was a suspiciously extra position.
This didn’t appear to be where a vertical column should be!
After scrutinizing it for a moment, she thought she must not have been wrong and moved a nearby stand to this suspicious spot.
Climbing up, she confirmed it was indeed not a matter of mistaken judgment; there was a square wooden box wedged between the two layers of beams.
After moving the bookshelf back, she opened the wooden box and found a more exquisite small box made of sandalwood inside, containing—
The Imperial Seal!
She carefully withdrew it.
This Imperial Seal crafted from Hetian jade, if lost during the turmoil of the Three Kingdoms, might never have been seen again.
Descriptions varied widely regarding its materials, as many rulers sought to showcase their legitimacy, leading to three seals existing at the same time in history!
Fortunately, there was no doubt this was the very seal, held by Ziying during the fall of Qin and presented to Liu Bang, which had been passed down through generations of Han emperors right up to the present.
This square seal bore the eight characters: “Bestowed by Heaven, Everlasting and Prosperous.”
She originally thought about grabbing a few stockpiled edicts to stamp before any trade, but then realized it would too easily expose the fact that she had the seal, so she decided to scrap that plan.
In any case, what she intended to do didn’t depend on having other edicts to assist her.
She then asked the system, “Can I throw in a few extra bookshelves as freebies?”
【……？】
“If anyone comes here later, all they’ll see is a glaring emptiness where the bookshelves used to be, and no one will suspect there was anything hidden here. Besides, across the way is the farming system; I can use bookshelves to store seeds as merchandise—let’s call it a gift,” Qiao Yan stated confidently.
Even if someone eventually noticed the wooden box wedged between those two-layered beams, they certainly wouldn’t think it was taken by someone who strolled in with just a side sword in hand! After all, there’s no such thing as lightness in this world.
Moreover, trading a seal with two layers of shells and an additional set of Han Dynasty bookshelves? There’s no one more caring than her on this planet!
Also…
No one understood better than she how to clear her own name.
Apart from not stepping foot into the Southern Palace a second time, she also needed a witness to prove that when she left this time, there was no way she could hide the seal on her person.
As luck would have it, there were two such witnesses here.
As Qiao Yan exited A Ge, the Imperial Seal had already been exchanged as a bargaining chip. She had previously lost fifteen points of luck, but thanks to the seal’s transfer, it returned to its original state, while she continued to follow the faint traces, tracking down Hanzhang Hall.
She hadn’t gone wrong.
As she pushed the hall door open, she vaguely heard a sound within.
It didn’t sound like a mouse startled into motion.
As she stepped inside, she headed straight for the only wardrobe in the hall that looked capable of hiding someone.
And the closer she got, the more she could smell a subtle odor of blood in the air.
Raising her side sword, she pried open the wardrobe door to come face to face with a pair of terrified eyes.
Before the other person could let out a scream of sheer fright, Qiao Yan bowed to him, “King of Hongnong, Dong the traitor has been driven out of the capital, you are safe now.”
Hiding in that wardrobe in Hanzhang Hall was none other than King Liu Bian of Hongnong, along with—
A Yuan Ji who had already succumbed to unconsciousness due to an arrow wound.
If Yuan Ji were still conscious, realizing that the commotion outside had died down, he would have definitely tried to investigate the sounds, but unfortunately, he had been shot with an arrow while carrying Liu Bian away on a donkey cart.
After the North Palace was breached, he had strained himself to quickly transfer Liu Bian before they fell into enemy hands again, and unfortunately, he had succumbed to unconsciousness without passing on the instructions.
In ancient times, arrow wounds were incredibly dangerous due to infection, and now he was succumbing to fever.
It was unfortunate that it was Liu Bian and not Liu Xie here.
In extreme fright, even though he was starving, he remained curled up in that wardrobe.
This situation caused Lü Bu, Xu Rong, and others to search for Liu Bian and Yuan Ji but find nothing.
This King of Hongnong truly lacked the qualities of a Son of Heaven!
But for Qiao Yan, this was clearly a good thing!
Yuan Ji, whom she carried out of the Southern Palace, was immediately sent to the imperial physician for treatment, while the King of Hongnong followed her in step, rapidly getting surrounded by those ministers, fielding their questions while finally getting his first meal after starving for more than a day.
Later that evening, Qiao Yan received news.
The arrow Yuan Ji had sustained wasn’t immediately fatal.
However, the ensuing infection and high fever without timely rescue posed a serious danger for him.
According to doctors, even if he miraculously woke from his unconscious state and recovered, he would likely be severely weakened both physically and mentally—and in these times of rampant illness and natural disasters, even a minor sickness could cost him his life.
“I just realized, my two remaining sons, though a bit mediocre, at least don’t have the burden of being noble children like Yuan Shiji,” Ma Lun remarked after discussing Yuan Ji’s condition.
Yuan Yi and Yuan Ren hadn’t followed their father to rescue the King of Hongnong but instead hid with Empress He until rescued by Qiao Yan’s people.
At least Ma Lun’s efforts to save them weren’t wasted.
“What are your plans now?” Qiao Yan asked.
The four brothers Yuan Ping, Yuan Cheng, Yuan Feng, and Yuan Wei were the remaining noble lineages, alongside Yuan Ji, Yuan Yi, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Ma Lun’s two sons. Yuan Shao was adopted by Yuan Cheng and could be considered noble too.
If Yuan Ji died, the political capital of the Yuan Clan would essentially remain to be divided among the five—including Yuan Yi, who, though Yuan Shao’s cousin, largely took his orders.
So as Yuan Yi and Yuan Ren’s mother, Ma Lun had a certain degree of influence, but how much exactly was hard to say.
Hearing Qiao Yan’s question, Ma Lun fell silent for a moment.
Yuan Wei’s death at Guo Si’s hands truly surprised her.
Yet she probably just felt a moment of disorientation due to spending many years at Lingtai and didn’t find it particularly difficult to accept.
She finally spoke, “Previously, Mister Yuan Zhuo has gone to Bingzhou under the escort of Deheng. Right now, we don’t know when Luoyang will return to peace. If you don’t mind, I can bring those assistants along and find a place to settle in your Leping Academy. What do you think?”
With the Son of Heaven’s power waning, the role of the Grand Historian was no longer very significant.
But she didn’t want to return to her former role as the head of the household either.
The natural laws of the Qianxiang calendar and the celestial phenomena were obviously far more motivating than managing household affairs.
This way, she could also take her two unambitious sons along, lest they avoid their father’s foolish strategies only to end up as tools for Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.
Since Sun Jian had already arrived in Luoyang, albeit a bit slower than Yuan Shu, he followed suit.
Ma Lun had exchanged a few words with Yuan Shu as the widow of Yuan Wei, relying on her sharp political insight cultivated amidst the turmoil in Luoyang, she sensed that Yuan Shu held some small schemes after hearing news of the upheaval in the capital.
Considering Yuan Ji and Yuan Wei could be regarded as loyal subjects protected from the late emperor’s lineage, his thoughts might indeed prove beneficial to the Yuan clan.
Yet this cunning game of strategy was better kept away from those not versed in it.
She was talking about her two sons.
She herself could not be bothered to meddle in politics; it was better to find a suitable figure to lean on.
Qiao Yan directly standing before her was her first choice.
For Ma Lun, it was now not just about finding external support; Qiao Yan’s surprise made her heart race. Even though Liu Hong and Ma Jun had already made their way to her side, it did not change her pressing need for a respected woman official.
She also needed to rely on Ma Lun’s management experience to establish a system for selecting and training women officials within Bingzhou.
With Ma Lun now past her prime, supporting the lord of Bingzhou would send a significant signal—
It’s never too late to start building your own career at any age!
However, despite harboring such urgent thoughts, Qiao Yan didn’t immediately agree but rather seriously asked, “If I had agreed without a doubt before, now I need to ask you again—if I were to turn against the Yuan clan, could you still make this choice?”
Without a hint of hesitation, Ma Lun replied in her usual calm and composed tone, “I’m a Ma, not a Yuan.”
So Qiao Yan’s choice wasn’t a decisive factor for her.
And on the day after Ma Lun gave that reply, the Sour Jujube Alliance’s army finally arrived.
Luoyang is no longer the Luoyang controlled by Dong Zhuo; it’s now guarded by the Bingzhou army and the Luyang coalition, plus the Northern Army Five Divisions who have returned to their own ranks.
Yuan Shao felt no guilt about his tardiness—after all, he carried the ‘noble name’ of punishing Dong Zhuo, which could still make him a loyal minister of the Han.
But what he never expected was that the moment he set foot in the city, a long arrow swiftly flew by, brushing against his hair and piercing through the gap in his soldiers at the back, landing far away on the ground.
This incredible display of control, meant to intimidate without killing, made Yuan Shao’s scalp tingle in shock.
This was Luoyang! Just after pacifying the chaos!
Who on earth had the guts to shoot arrows at a noble scion?
But the next moment, he heard it: from the recently crossed East City Wall of Luoyang came the sound of bowstrings being drawn back. Even without turning around, he could tell countless arrows were aimed right at him.
This was no lone threat!
And in front of him, riding in on a horse was Qiao Yan, one hand holding a long bow, the other toying with an unshot arrow, her expression dark and filled with unspoken murderous intent.
Yuan Shao immediately shouted, “Qiao Yan, what do you mean by this?!”
“What do I mean?” Qiao Yan coldly sneered, her voice a sharp demand, “I want to ask you the same! We agreed to attack on the thirteenth of June. No, scratch that! Due to the dangers at Chengao Pass and over a hundred miles distance to Luoyang, I told you to start two days early to ensure we arrive on time. Now tell me, what day is it?”
Yuan Shao choked.
Today was the eighteenth of June.
He was three days late!
This wasn’t just some minor delay on the way; Yuan Shao couldn’t just blame it on slow marching, as they could’ve ridden horses to hasten the trek. After all, taking Luoyang wasn’t even his primary task.
Before Yuan Shao could offer any explanation for his lateness, she continued, “You say your troops are low on supplies? Well, I don’t mind if you return them by next September, because I sent troops with grain from Shangdang County.”
“At Mengjin and Xiaopingjin across the Yellow River, I didn’t ask for your aid; we handled the crossing ourselves. So tell me, why was it that both I and Prefect Sun could reach Luoyang on time while you could not?”
Yuan Shao: “I…”
“Let me say this.”
“Lu Zhi, you don’t need to speak for Yuan Benchu!” Qiao Yan interrupted Lu Zhi, her gaze still fixed on Yuan Shao, “Lu Zhi never asked me for grain; the one who was supposed to be prompt is this son of Yuan!”
Even Yuan Shao’s thick skin couldn’t hide the flush of embarrassment.
How could he explain the process of capturing Xuanmen Pass?
Dong Zhuo fled in a panic and didn’t send word toward Xuanmen Pass when he left Luoyang on June fifteenth. Yuan Shao’s coalition had indeed managed to take the pass by force.
But the failure preceding their success was due to Yuan Shao and his grain-stealing partners who had seized command using the ridiculous rationale of “the majority wins” and downplaying Hu Zhen’s reputation in Dong Zhuo’s ranks.
Some claims held truth.
Hu Zhen wasn’t exactly a renowned general.
He’d even mentioned wanting to behead a certain low-ranking official to gain prestige while holding the pass. But facing the largest and most powerful coalition, he’d dialed back his impatience, delegating most of the command to his subordinate, Hua Xiong.
So while Yuan Shao and company had attacked at night, they ended up getting charged at from behind by Hua Xiong’s troops.
Hua Xiong was quite the fierce warrior; Hu Zhen’s impulsiveness worked against them, and the two of them teamed up that night to ambush their attackers, killing the leader who had been roused and then, just like that, slipped away.
And that leader was none other than Dong Commandery Prefect Qiao Zhao!
Even if Qiao Yan and Qiao Zhao didn’t have the best relationship, family ties gave her ample reason to question Yuan Shao.
Even if her actions were a bit extreme, she had a valid point.
Lucky for Yuan Shao, after taking a devastating hit from the Xiliang army, his tactical mind and calm demeanor that would later make him famous in Hebei awakened, and he quickly agreed with Lu Zhi to retreat, pretending to lose.
Then, as Hu Zhen and Hua Xiong underestimated their foes, Cao Cao and Liu Bei led their respective troops in an ambush.
Thus, Hu Zhen met his end at the hands of Cao Ren and while Hua Xiong dodged the strike meant for him from Sun Jian, he fell to Guan Yu instead.
Anyone watching would say it counts as some alternate fate.
But precisely because of these back-to-back losses and that feigned retreat, Yuan Shao and the others had wasted significant time at Xuanmen Pass.
If you asked Yuan Shao, he’d say this is exactly what can happen in warfare. But when faced with being interrogated by the younger generation, he opened his mouth, only to find himself at a loss for words.
“Yuan Benchu! I initially thought you were a rising star of the Yuan clan, a young talent making a name for yourself and severing ties with Dong Zhuo, truly a figure of loyalty and righteousness. But I never expected—”
Qiao Yan hadn’t even drawn her bow, just pointed her arrow at him and said slowly, “You’re someone who twists authority for personal gain, blustering yet weak, ambitious yet lacking wisdom, prone to plotting without resolution, golden on the outside but filled with rotten rags within!”
That last sentence was a particularly biting summary of Yuan Shao.
Even without Liu Ji’s “The Sayings of the Orange Seller,” this noble pedigree from the Runan Yuan clan—twice removed from reign—was precisely the gilded visage, and let’s face it, Yuan Shao was quite the looker, but the rotten part, well, no need to say more.
His battle record was enough of an indication.
Yuan Shao was nearly set on fire from embarrassment right there.
Even though Lu Zhi and others managed to talk Qiao Yan down, considering Dong Zhuo was still alive and causing havoc wasn’t the best time for infighting, Yuan Shao felt as if all eyes upon him in Luoyang were filled with strange, disapproving glances.
Yuan Shu naturally found this quite amusing.
This guy would later say, “Do they follow me, or do they follow my family’s servants,” while maintaining a thin veneer of respect with Yuan Shao, but privately had no love lost for him.
Now at a crucial moment for the Yuan clan to make a big decision, Yuan Shao’s fallen reputation spelled good news for Yuan Shu.
He may have missed the opportunity at Luoyang, but his ally Sun Jian had successfully intercepted Dong Zhuo’s forces halfway, providing him with a solid ground for boasting.
Yuan Wei, being the youngest of the previous generation, had already passed away. Yuan Ji, though awake, was bedridden and couldn’t get up, leaving Yuan Shao more eager to escape Qiao Yan’s glare, lest she unleash her verbal onslaught again. Yuan Shu—
had become the representative voice of the Yuan clan at the court assembly.
He spoke solemnly, “You’re all aware of the current situation: Dong Zhuo has fled with His Majesty to Chang’an, a plain truth we can’t ignore. Focusing on the timing of the acid pear coalition’s arrival is pointless; we should consider how we should act now.”
As Yuan Shu called for Liu Bian to come before them, even with a slight pause in his speech, it was clear to all present what he was driving at.
“Dong Zhuo is holding the Emperor hostage, and once he reaches Chang’an, he’ll have the support of the Liangzhou army, making it even harder to ensure General Huangfu will attend the court, or join forces with Ma Teng and Han Sui.”
“The Son of Heaven resides in Chang’an, and if he calls for talents, who knows how many will rush to seek future opportunities, potentially leading to many heading towards Chang’an. Allowing this to happen would be—privately, condoning Dong Zhuo’s ambitions, and publicly, causing great difficulties for the common folk.”
“Should Chang’an restore its palaces, build defenses, and rally its military, all policies will stem from Dong Zhuo’s mouth. Since he seized power in Luoyang, he has been nothing but oppressive, and there’s absolutely no chance he’ll change his ways in Chang’an.”
“Thus, in my humble opinion—”
Yuan Shu gestured toward the King of Hongnong, Liu Bian, saying, “The King of Hongnong shares the Emperor’s bloodline; plus, he’s the legitimate son born of Empress He, making him the rightful heir to the throne.”
“Now that all court officials are present and with Dong Zhuo absent, if we support the King of Hongnong as the new ruler, it can free us from Dong Zhuo’s control, and upon his ascension, we can justifiably go after Dong Zhuo—it’s the best option!”
Yuan Shu then turned to Liu Bian, formally bowing, and said, “However, since Dong Zhuo still has troops in Chang’an, if we are to proceed with establishing a new monarch, Your Majesty needs to temporarily leave Luoyang and seek a safe location to set up a new capital, which may require some sacrifice.”
Some sacrifice?
No, no, no; that’s not sacrifice at all!
After hearing this, Liu Bian’s eyes instantly lit up.
Sure, he was scared; the massacres Dong Zhuo had conducted against his maternal family left him trembling. But if you asked him if he wanted to be Emperor, well, that was a definite yes.
Yet, thinking back on the psychological scars Luoyang had inflicted, especially that day spent starved in the dark of a wardrobe, Liu Bian couldn’t help but feel like retreating.
But now, Yuan Shu had just resolved his last worry!
If the new capital wasn’t in Luoyang, he could declare himself Emperor elsewhere—what a perfect win-win situation!
Yuan Gonglu was truly his soulmate!
Zhao Yun had mentioned in her report to Qiao Yan that among those who argued in front of the North Palace, some shared Yuan Shu’s perspective.
No one knew whether they chatted with him beforehand, but as Yuan Shu finished speaking, they began to respond vigorously.
Qiao Yan glanced around and recognized quite a few familiar faces.
Like Yang Xiu’s father, Yang Biao, Fu Shou’s father, Fu Wan, and Wang Yun, the Prince Master.
Wang Yun had previously been accused of abandoning his post by Zhang Rang and summoned back to Luoyang by He Jin with the title of Middle General, even though he was still on his way back when news of He Jin’s death during the Luoyang riots reached him. Still, he could be considered a former aide to He Jin, and supporting Liu Bian born of Empress He was clearly the right stance.
But not everyone was on board.
Lu Zhi stepped forward, asking, “May I ask everyone, if we now choose to install a new monarch, how will His Majesty manage while in Chang’an? Are you all suggesting assassinating him? Dong Zhuo’s faction has lost five Middle Generals; Niu Fu perished at Mengjin, Dong Yue died at Taigu Pass, Xu Rong defected, and Hu Zhen was defeated and met his end at Xuanmen Pass, leaving only Duan Wei. Once the once-feared Liangzhou Tiger’s forces broke apart with numerous casualties, Luoyang could be captured before—so why not advance into Chang’an now?”
“If you want to encourage doing anything more, ensure the safety of the Emperor before making another move; this could even allow His Majesty to return to Luoyang and restore the splendor of the Han!”
Seeing someone might rebut his suggestion, Lu Zhi was quick on the draw, speaking earnestly, “If anyone feels that preserving the Emperor’s safety in Chang’an is too dangerous, I, Lu Zhi, am willing to take on that responsibility! After all, I’m an old man; what’s it to me if I die for the Emperor?”
“Well said!” Qiao Yan immediately chimed in.
Liu Bian instinctively looked in her direction, meeting her sharp gaze.
Though Qiao Yan could technically be seen as his savior, for some reason, Liu Bian felt a twinge of fear towards her.
“If Lu Zhi has such courage to be an insider, then what’s stopping me from leading the charge against Chang’an?”
“Yuan Gonglu!” Qiao Yan suddenly turned to Yuan Shu, shouting.
She hadn’t even begun speaking, but Yuan Shu felt a wave of concern that she might use the same harsh words she had hurled at Yuan Shao against him.
But alas, Qiao Yan had no intention of recycling her verbal barrage.
“You bring up the issue of deposing the Emperor to install the King of Hongnong. If the King doesn’t meet your expectations tomorrow, will you abandon him for Liu Youzhou or other relatives? And your talk of picking a new capital, how does that differ from what Dong Zhuo is doing in Chang’an? Dong Zhuo is merely eight hundred miles away; yet you dare not pursue him. The sturdy Han has plenty of ambitious and righteous folks, and it’s shameful what’s being tossed away in your hands!”
Her three statements pinned Yuan Shu with the labels of fickleness and cowardice comparable to Dong Zhuo—a thin skinned, cowardly excuse for a leader.
Yuan Shu barely managed to suppress his rising rage, finally recalling his purpose, he interrogated, “Eight hundred miles? Well, Qiao Yan, you tell me, how do you plan to transport grain and troops effectively from Luoyang to Chang’an without falling apart like a brittle bow under pressure from Dong Zhuo?”
All the eyes at the meeting darted between Yuan Shu and Qiao Yan, especially when they saw her dramatically pull out the imperial edict from inside her sleeve—it was like an arrow shot from a bow. “How to attack? The preceding Emperor entrusted me with dealing with the traitor, and I will absolutely not let him down.”
“If I can’t go from Luoyang through Hangu Pass to reach Chang’an—”
“I’ll just march straight from Bingzhou to Liangzhou, first defeating Han Sui and Ma Teng’s rebellion, cutting off Dong Zhuo’s recruiting routes in Liangzhou, and then head south from Liangzhou to attack Chang’an!”
