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“Can strategists not ascend the throne?”
From Bingzhou to Liangzhou, then take the route through Youfufeng and Zuofengyi, following the tributaries of the Jing River down, right to Chang’an!
This truly seems like a viable plan.
As Yuan Shu said, after Dong Zhuo’s devastation, Luoyang can hardly provide the strategic supplies for an advance on Chang’an. If they rashly tried to requisition military grain from the three administrative regions near Luoyang, they likely wouldn’t get much.
And this line of 800 li isn’t something they can just cover with cavalry, because Dong Zhuo isn’t Budugen, and Chang’an isn’t the Xianbei royal court.
This is a real “strong crossbow at its end, power cannot pierce even a cloth.”
But if, as Qiao Yan suggested, they first take Liangzhou, they could establish a transport route for food.
Under Qiao Yan’s administration, if Bingzhou could support the Suanzhao allied forces with military grain, it’s hard not to suspect she can mobilize even more. If they could go directly from Bingzhou to Liangzhou, clearing out the Qiang and the traitors Ma Teng and Han Sui, they could create a stable route for transporting grain from Bingzhou to Liangzhou.
This would restrict Dong Zhuo from recruiting more men in Liangzhou, and shorten the route to Chang’an.
Besides, those present didn’t realize, but Qiao Yan understood very clearly.
She had promised Fu Gan to avenge Fu Xie in Liangzhou, so she could borrow a bit of Fu Xie’s reputation there.
This included the northern regions where Fu Xie had operated and the Hanyang District where he served as prefect, which would undoubtedly reduce the resistance she faced as an outsider.
Even with just these reasons, Lu Zhi felt pleasantly surprised.
“Indeed! We can go through Liangzhou!” He showed a flicker of excitement.
Huangfu Song’s army is stationed in Liangzhou right now.
Huangfu Yizhen is overly loyal! If he receives a conscription order from Dong Zhuo in Liu Xie’s name first, he might choose to hand over his command to Dong Zhuo and head to Chang’an, just because Liu Xie is the ruler and he is the subject.
But if Qiao Yan gets there first, reaching a strategic consensus with Huangfu Song to attack Chang’an and rescue the Son of Heaven, with Ye Shu’s eloquence, Lu Zhi thinks there’s a good chance.
Back in the day, during the suppression of the Xiliang rebels, there was tension between Dong Zhuo and Huangfu Song, each often fighting their own battles, but they still managed to create a certain suppression situation.
Now, if the partnership was between Qiao Yan and Huangfu Song, Lu Zhi couldn’t help but feel a spark of confidence—
Could they replicate the success of quelling the Yellow Turban Rebellion?
With this thought in mind, Lu Zhi became increasingly determined to lead those willing to support him to Chang’an, forming a temporary court to protect the Emperor’s life.
What surprised him even more was that he heard two voices he considered particularly important.
“If that’s the case, I’ll go too.” Xun Shuang said firmly, “As one of the three dukes promoted by Dong Zhuo, if I choose to support a new court, it’s likely that Dong Zhuo, in his anger, will abandon the Emperor and directly seize the land west of Chang’an, which would be a disaster for the Han’s borders.”
“I’m already half a foot in the grave. Two years ago, a doctor said that even with good care, I’d only live for a year. What’s the harm in being an insider? As Xun Shuang, who unfortunately fell into the hands of bandits, am I to be buried with this kind of reputation?”
This latter part made sense, but everyone present knew that given Xun Ciming’s reputation, following Dong Zhuo’s orders was a necessity, and no one held it against him.
Rather, his willingness to make such a gamble with life and death truly earned him admiration.
The second to speak out was Wang Yun, who had been on Yuan Shu’s side just moments earlier but had now switched allegiances, making Lu Zhi even more delighted.
“In the past, I was caught up in the Prohibition of Factionalists and was forced to resign due to slanders from Zhang Rang, spending who knows how long in hardship. Now, having passed the age of knowing my fate, I may not be able to achieve anything great, but I still have the courage not to sully Bingzhou’s name.”
“Qiao Yan may not be from Bingzhou, but with the titles of Marquis of Leping and Bingzhou Governor, she has made our region famous. I, Wang Yun, cannot be the one shackled by loyalty to old officials and masters. If there’s an insider needed, I’ll go as well!”
His words opened Lu Zhi’s eyes to the potential support from more people in his favor.
Even if Yuan’s disciples are spread across the land and even if He Jin had benefited many when he was Grand General, Liu Xie as the designated heir by Liu Hong is the true legitimacy of the Han!
This is what truly influences people’s hearts.
Or perhaps, if Liu Bian, another offspring of the late emperor, could display a demeanor befitting an emperor, it might give some people pause.
Unfortunately, he didn’t.
When he learned that he wouldn’t have to stay in Luoyang, the look of relief on his face did not escape the crowd’s eyes.
Yuan Shu felt something was off.
After Qiao Yan’s critical statement, the faction pushing for a new ruler, which previously held the advantage, suddenly found itself at a disadvantage.
It was only because Dong Zhuo acted with brutality, making people fear for their lives under him, that it slightly curbed the thoughts of some who were ready to switch sides.
He then heard He Yong, Huang Wan, and Shi Sunrui backing Lu Zhi’s actions, further stirring the winds of decision.
Even with allies like Yang Biao who had made contact beforehand, it couldn’t change the fact that the debates in this court session were trending towards a conclusion.
Those supporting him in establishing Liu Bian as the new monarch were barely half.
The legitimacy of Liu Bian’s succession could have been somewhat salvaged if the lost Imperial Seal provided support.
But after Yuan Shu arrived in Luoyang, he thoroughly searched the Southern Palace and even the Northern Palace. This time, he didn’t miss even the closest places to Jiade Hall, including wells outside the palace and under bronze statues, yet still couldn’t find any trace of the seal.
He had to speculate that this item was likely hidden away by Zhang Rang in a more secretive spot, buried with him after his death, or snatched away by someone during the fire at the Southern Palace.
However, regardless of the possibility, Yuan Shu never anticipated that this Imperial Seal had actually been found by Qiao Yan just one day before his arrival in Luoyang, and sent to a place where it would be impossible for anyone to find it.
As for Bi Lan, who had come to seek refuge with her—
He clearly knew that exposing his identity as a eunuch was not beneficial to him. After Zhang Rang and Jian Shuo were executed, the best choice for him was to hide himself.
So, even though he assisted in the river crossing battle, in most instances, he merely acted as a mute helper to Ma Jun, disguising himself with a fake beard for cover.
In short, Yuan Shu thought long and hard, without suspecting Qiao Yan at all.
He could only accept one fact.
If he wanted to assist Liu Bian in ascending to the throne and re-establish a court, he had to form a power balance with the existing court in Chang’an.
Perhaps not even just a balance.
Yuan Shao’s troops were in the north, while Yuan Shu occupied the south. The location of the new capital became a tricky matter.
According to the population distribution between the north and south, the north had the advantage.
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“But he seems more inclined to lean a bit south.”
Even before the external enemies were completely dealt with, these two brothers were already at each other’s throats.
Luckily, his strategist, Yan Xiang, advised him that having the Son of Heaven nearby might lead to more trouble, so it was better to hand him over to Yuan Shao.
Yuan Shao, in his desperation to strengthen his status by supporting the emperor, would surely have to return some favors to Yuan Shu after their negative fallout from coming late to Luoyang and being called out by Qiao Yan in public. It was something Yuan Shao had no choice but to do.
And as the first person to propose establishing a new ruler, if Yuan Shu could just keep it together and not backtrack, he would surely be a solid benefactor to Liu Bian, and wouldn’t skimp on official titles for him either.
Meanwhile, with Yuan Shu holding official titles and prestige, he could freely develop his territory in the south, while Yuan Shao, being close to the emperor up north, wouldn’t find it nearly as easy.
Moved by the allure of such freedom, Yuan Shu immediately agreed with this idea.
The next day, during the decision-making meeting, he supported the notion of moving the capital to Ye City.
As for how Lu Zhi, Huang Wan, Wang Yun, and the others would head to Chang’an, or how Qiao Yan planned to advance from Bingzhou to Liangzhou, that was their business.
The journey to Chang’an was certainly fraught with dangers, and Qiao Yan’s situation was no cakewalk either.
After repeated unrest from the Western Qiang, internal power struggles within the Eastern Han made Liangzhou no longer the essential route for the Silk Road, turning into a barren land in Yuan Shu’s eyes.
To pass through Liangzhou, he would first have to battle against the rebellious forces of Xiliang, and if it were anything like what Huangfu Song faced in earlier years, there wouldn’t be a clear winner within the year.
With that year’s time, Yuan Shu would have already solidified his position with the support of the emperor.
What support was he after?
Yuan Shu initially thought of vying for the position of Governor of Jing Province.
But then he reconsidered; the current Governor, Liu Biao, had shown strong ties to the noble families of Jingzhou and was capable of commanding the province when he moved his troops, prompting Yuan Shu to change tactics and focus on the prosperous region where Yu Province met Yang Province.
He figured he could build up his own military strength there, and then deal with Liu Biao later!
Being a Grand General close to the emperor and working with loyal ministers like Qiao Yan and Lu Zhi was nothing compared to being a major provincial governor!
The more Yuan Shu thought, the smarter he felt. However, just as he left the meeting room, he overheard Qiao Yan warning Yuan Shao not to forget their agreement to return the military provisions by September next year, and his smile froze on the spot.
Then he heard Qiao Yan mention that Yuan Shao would need to support some “emperor,” and might even end up short on supplies, so why not let Yuan Shu handle it? After all, they were family; it didn’t matter who returned it.
Sure, with the wealth of the Yuan family, they could certainly buy these supplies in Luoyang, but if they really did that, they’d lose all their face in front of Qiao Yan!
Yuan Shu sneered and stormed off but didn’t realize that after he left, Qiao Yan also didn’t press Yuan Shao on the issue but had already begun discussing matters with Sun Jian.
“How is your thinking going, Sun Changsha?” Qiao Yan said as they walked together outside.
Both were among the first to arrive in Luoyang and were seasoned warriors, so they naturally had some common ground to speak on, making this conversation feel much more harmonious than the earlier one.
And since Sun Jian hadn’t gone through the disastrous defeat caused by Xu Rong during the attack on Dong Zhuo, he didn’t depend on Yuan Shu as much.
It was fine for him to join forces with Yuan Shu at Luyang to attack Luoyang, but he had no need to follow him for his next move.
Sun Ce watched the two talking ahead and clenched his fist quietly, pondering that it wouldn’t be long before he, too, would lead his own troops boldly like Qiao Yan instead of trailing behind like some junior, always waiting for a chance to chime in.
He heard his father reply: “Since Qiao Hou plans to launch an attack on Chang’an from Liangzhou in a steady manner, I, Sun Jian, am no coward. Even if I have to march through Nanyang to Wuguan as a surprise attack on Chang’an, why not?”
“Qiao Hou must know that Zhu Jun fled to Jingzhou to escape Dong Zhuo’s wrath. Now that you’re joining forces with General Huangfu in Liangzhou while Lu Zhi is willing to go to Chang’an as a hostage, it’s just like the old days!”
Sun Jian laughed heartily at that point, filled with ambition.
He, being from Zhu Jun’s old regiment, thought joining forces with them to support Qiao Yan made complete sense.
Qiao Yan had no objections to this but added, “It’s a great idea, Sun Changsha, but there’s a problem: Liu Biao, the Governor of Jingzhou and a member of the Han royal family, is quite far away in Jingzhou. It’s uncertain which side he stands on… if he refuses to provide help against Dong the Bandit, we might run into trouble. Luckily, my advance from Bingzhou to Liangzhou will take time, so you can always discuss with Liu Biao.”
Discuss?
Sun Jian had no idea what that meant!
Ever since he joined the Dong Zhuo alliance, he had acted decisively, killing even Zhang Zi, who got in his way, so if Liu Biao tried to impose any restrictions on him, he wouldn’t mind taking him down too.
After all, he was just a scholar!
Of course, Liu Biao was a member of the Han royal family, so he couldn’t just say such things openly in Luoyang, let alone in front of Qiao Yan, who had kindly offered a suggestion for an alliance. Instead, he simply said, “There’s no need to worry, Qiao Hou. I have it all under control. I’m just best suited for being a rapid strike force. Before advancing, I’ll need the signal from you and General Huangfu, and when everything is ready, let me know.”
Qiao Yan nodded in reply, “Of course.”
She watched as Sun Jian and Sun Ce left and reconsidered her recent efforts in advocating Liu Xie as the rightful emperor, feeling relieved that everything seemed to be in order and her loyalty to Han stood firm.
With that settled, she could finally extend her influence toward Liangzhou!
She could leverage her newfound fame from the campaign to prepare for returning to Bingzhou.
Just as she thought of this, she spotted a familiar face not far away.
After four long years, Yang Xiu had changed quite a bit, perhaps the only thing unchanged was his typical smugness.
He seemed less composed yet still carried a youthful vigor. From his gaze, it was clear he was here to fulfill that old promise.
But before Yang Xiu could reach her, she heard another voice from a different direction say, “Qiao Hou, hold on a moment.”
She turned to see Xun Shuang and Xun You approaching, along with Fu Shou and a stately young woman.
Though she hadn’t met the latter before, she could guess her identity.
As the four came to a stop, Xun Shuang said, “If the princess has urgent matters to discuss with Qiao Hou, please go ahead.”
This was none other than Princess Yang’an, the eldest daughter of Emperor Huan of Han, and the wife of Minister Fu Wan!
Seeing Xun Shuang make way, she didn’t hesitate, looking directly at Qiao Yan: “Fu Wan has taken a defensive stance, but establishing a new ruler truly disregards the dignity of our Han dynasty. I wish to separate from Fu Wan and take my daughter Fu Shou to seek refuge with Qiao Hou. Will you accept us?”
Qiao Yan stared for a moment, then immediately brightened up.
This princess was truly a wonderful surprise!
Her arrival was undoubtedly an unexpected delight for Qiao Yan!
