“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
In the blink of an eye, five years had rushed by, and it was evident that Huangfu Song’s stance was crystal clear.
But it wasn’t just Qiao Yan fighting alongside him; there were also Lu Zhi, Zhu Jun, and others, reminding one of those chaotic days seven years prior.
Thanks to the presence of these individuals, this loyal minister, accustomed to obeying imperial orders and only bending the rules on the battlefield, chose to wait a bit longer, navigating a path to rescue the emperor.
Qiao Yan gazed at the few characters before her, catching a faint glimpse of the resolution Huangfu Song must have felt when he penned those words.
These are among the remaining loyal officials of the Han…
A sigh escaped her as she reflected on that.
However, the thought that Huangfu Song might never face her in battle crossed her mind. Even if that day came, he would likely see that only here could the people amidst this chaotic world find stability. So, she pushed that bit of melancholy back down.
She collected her thoughts and turned her attention back to Fu Gan, saying, “You take a few days to recover. There’s something crucial regarding the campaign against Liangzhou that I need you to handle. If you come to me looking like this again, I’ll give the task to someone else.”
Fu Gan’s eyes lit up.
Qiao Yan didn’t ask him about his delivery of a message to Huangfu Song. His former boss, Fu Xie, appeared to have no interest in his thoughts. She also didn’t press him on his encounter with Ma Teng and Han Sui, who were rapidly uniting amidst the crisis. She merely pointed out that there was a significant responsibility awaiting him in this battle, which eased Fu Gan’s heart.
He promptly clasped his fist and bowed, “I’ll go prepare right away. In two days, I’ll definitely come to see you, my lord.”
When Qiao Yan mentioned a new task, she wasn’t just saying it to sound busy.
Two days later, she met with the Southern Xiongnu Chanyu Qiang Qu’s second son, Hu Chuqian.
If history had unfolded as expected, Qiang Qu’s eldest son, Yufuluo, would d*e in battle two years later, and Hu Chuqian would inherit his father’s title, eventually granting his brother Liu Bao the title of Left Guli Wang.
Liu Bao’s son, Liu Yuan, would go on to establish the Zhao regime of Han, and later, in a move to gain more support from the Central Plains, honorally add his late brother to the title of Prince.
In contrast to the dynamic duo of Liu Bao and Liu Yuan, Hu Chuqian seemed a bit forgettable, with his main claim to fame being his repeated surrenders and betrayals during the Eastern Han period, eventually giving in to Cao Cao after a thrashing.
However, he hadn’t assumed the title of Chanyu yet, and likely due to Qiao Yan’s intimidation of the South Xiongnu and raiding of the Xianbei tribes, he appeared notably subdued when summoned.
As Qiao Yan perused the reports in her hands, she casually inquired, “Did Gongda and Fengxiao relay the tasks you’re meant to undertake?”
Settling part of the Southern Xiongnu population along the Luoshui and Ziwu Ridge wouldn’t raise Dong Zhuo’s suspicions.
The city these Southern Xiongnu settled in was named Meiji City, as after bowing to the Han, they had also started farming.
Amidst their nomadic life, they were cultivating the land.
Hu Chuqian replied, “They’ve informed me fully.”
For Hu Chuqian, the chance to operate independently from Meiji City on the boundaries between Bingzhou and Liangzhou was an unexpected opportunity.
But he suddenly realized, this was definitely a golden chance for him to carve out a path for development once his elder brother inherited the Chanyu position.
At this moment, he didn’t entertain any rebellious thoughts about the Qiang people rising against Bingzhou. He didn’t want to end up like Left Guli Wang, who received some mug from Qiao Yan’s generosity.
He simply thought—being able to sustain himself was always better!
“The land south of Qingyang, watered by the rivers from the Ziwuling, is a prime patch I hope you make good use of,” Qiao Yan continued. “I’ve had the veteran farmers of Bingzhou scout it out. When you gather your people, start cultivating in the designated areas they laid out. This winter, plant the first batch of winter wheat. I’ll ensure all necessary tools are supplied to you during this period.”
Hu Chuqian was about to respond that he might not have the skills to comprehend that, but then he noticed Qiao Yan pointing at Fu Gan beside her, saying, “I’m assigning him as your military advisor. If you have any questions, consult him. Also, he’s from the northern regions; should any friction arise with the Northern Qiang, follow Yan Cai’s orders.”
In terms of a formal military advisor, Fu Gan’s level might not qualify, but since Hu Chuqian was merely a front in her plan to open military settlements, having Fu Gan in charge to supervise would suffice.
After Hu Chuqian departed, Qiao Yan instructed him to consult with Xun You from Shangjun on multiple matters while ensuring his safety, then signaled for him to leave.
It seems she’s now begun utilizing the Southern Xiongnu. The day might not be far when the Xianbei would come to Yanmen to mine coal.
But let’s not rush that.
After the Southern Xiongnu’s settlement plan was finalized, it was already August.
Everything concerning Bingzhou had to be postponed, and the next major focus was the autumn harvest.
Even Lü Bu, Zhang Liao, and others had been called back to the provincial capital to clarify details regarding agricultural and military matters on various fronts.
However, to her surprise, before she could send these people off, another unexpected visitor arrived in Bingzhou.
“Dong Zhuo sent someone,” Xi Zhicai came in from outside, chuckling slightly at the irony.
Xun You’s plan for Qiao Yan was to encourage the Southern Xiongnu to settle at the Ziwuling, bridging Bingzhou and Liangzhou, and in the meantime, attempt to extract advantages from Dong Zhuo, at least enough to suppress the former generals, Ma Teng and Han Sui.
The governor of Bingzhou couldn’t launch a legitimate attack on Liangzhou, nor could Qiao Yan initiate an offensive as the County Marquis of Leping—this simply wasn’t an option.
According to deliberations among Xun You, Xi Zhicai, and others, Qiao Yan had to present an appeal to Liu Xie to express her loyalty before she could plan this matter.
Yet, even before she took action and had Hu Chuqian and his men reach Ziwuling, Dong Zhuo had already made his move.
Qiao Yan set down her pen and asked, “Seems like our visitor is an old friend?”
Otherwise, why would Xi Zhicai react this way?
He stifled a laugh and replied, “Indeed, an old friend. The one who brought you the Red Hare.”
To Qiao Yan, Li Su was indeed quite resilient.
Last time he came with the Red Hare invitation, he ended up having Niu Fu and Guo Si barge straight into her camp, and yet this messenger had managed to earn Dong Zhuo’s trust once more to represent him in Bingzhou—quite the accomplishment.
Though the idea of sending the Red Hare wasn’t his, the execution fell to him. If he encountered a more suspicious character, they might have doubted whether he let slip any revealing signals during the delivery.
It’s hard to say whether Dong Zhuo, post-Luoyang escape, was short on personnel, or if he finally returned to the practice of the Liangzhou warlords of overlooking past grievances with subordinates.
In any case, standing before Qiao Yan now was none other than Li Su.
His gaze towards Qiao Yan was undeniably complicated.
When he delivered the horse, even though Dong Zhuo’s people viewed Qiao Yan as a fierce rival due to the Eastern Han aristocracy’s reception of her, they hardly imagined that after thirty years of his battles, Dong Zhuo would succumb to this very governor of Bingzhou.
“What’s this about…”
When Dong Zhuo handed this task over to him, it really seemed like he was trying to rope her in.
After all, with the chaotic battles from three directions at Baimen, Niu Fu of Mengjin and Xu Rong of Xiaopingjin both met their ends—one killed, one surrendered. Hu Zhen at Xuanmen Pass and the fierce warrior Hua Xiong also fell, while Dong Yue, the commander at Taigu Pass, bit the dust at the hands of Sun Jian. Guo Si, summoned back to Luoyang, couldn’t fend off the cavalry led by Sun Jian that sliced through his ranks and met his unfortunate fate.
At that time, Dong Min, Dong Zhuo’s brother, was stationed at the southern gate of Luoyang and didn’t survive. Zhang Ji’s cousin, Zhang Xiu, ended up in Qiao Yan’s hands.
This left Dong Zhuo with just four generals:
Duan Wei, Zhang Ji, Fan Chou, and Li Jue.
After Dong Zhuo retreated, Zhang Ji helped him escape, while Li Jue withdrew from Yique Pass and Fan Chou pulled out from Huan Yuan Pass. They barely managed to cobble together a force that could still intimidate the plains of Guanzhong, but until Dong Zhuo could recruit an adequate number of troops, his situation remained perilous.
Even with Lu Zhi, Huang Wan, and Wang Yun trekking all the way from Luoyang to Chang’an to uphold the rightful mandate of the late emperor, Dong Zhuo felt a bit more at ease.
Even though Ma Teng and Han Sui had accepted his edicts, assuring him he still had some external support, it didn’t change the fact that Dong Zhuo was making enemies left and right.
He could only try to improve the situation as best he could.
As Qiao Yan said to Xun You, Duan Wei was ordered by Dong Zhuo to consolidate lands in Huayin and guard the entrance of Luochuan River, while Zhang Ji gathered troops in Gaoling. Fan Chou and Li Jue stood watch over Chang’an and Mai County respectively, bracing for the potential treachery of the Xiliang rebels who might accept his promised rewards and ally deals while secretly plotting against him.
After all, if Dong Zhuo could kidnap the emperor and make demands, why couldn’t they?
Let’s not forget that Han Sui’s name change to “Sui” came after he was hunted by the Liang Province authorities, who sought his head for a bounty.
His original name was said to be Han Yue.
If they could win favor with the emperor to clear their names, Han Sui and Ma Teng were definitely bold enough to pull it off.
At this juncture, Dong Zhuo had not decided to build a cozy retreat in Maiwu for himself amid all the turmoil, but instead ordered Li Jue to set up defenses in Mai County just in case.
After fortifying the defenses, Dong Zhuo naturally received news from the court.
With the Yuan clan, who had seen four generations holding positions of authority, reduced to ruins and their eldest son Yuan Ji forced to step down due to poor health, Yuan Shao had seized the role of Qingzhou Governor for propping up the emperor, but he was nowhere near Qingzhou, instead residing in Ye City, right next to the emperor. Yuan Shu, on the other hand, took the position of General of the Chariots and Cavalry in Yang Province.
If you ask me, both Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu had their eyes on that prestigious General title, especially if they could get a member of the Yuan clan married off to Liu Bian as empress, then they could claim it with a stamp of legitimacy. With big wigs like Yang Biao and Fu Wan relocating to Ye City, they really couldn’t afford to act rashly unless they wanted to lose their support.
But for Dong Zhuo, this was a blatant provocation!
Having brought the once-dominant Yuan clan in Runan low, nearly wiping them out, was Dong Zhuo’s greatest act of pride since he seized control of the Luoyang court.
But these folks rescuing Liu Bian and splitting half the power of the realm right under his nose was like getting slapped in the face!
Then, a series of messages came galloping into Dong Zhuo’s ears.
For instance, Sun Jian, who had killed his brother Dong Min, was not only the Governor of Changsha but also was now titled “General Who Breaks the Bandits” by the court, sent to pacify the rebels in Jingzhou. If we go by the “he has an army” standard, he’s technically squaring off against Liu Jingsheng, the Inspector of Jingzhou.
Then there’s the officer Cao Cao, who took down Hu Zhen from his ranks, being appointed as the Inspector of Dong Commandery by the eastern court, while also becoming the An Han General. He brought a host of households to Dong Commandery, boosting his fame.
Ugh, don’t get me started; just thinking about it makes Dong Zhuo fume.
And then there’s Yang Biao, who lost his place as a Grand Minister because of Dong Zhuo’s leniency, now being promoted to Grand Commandant again!
After weighing his options, he made a decision.
In the name of Emperor Liu Xie, he issued three edicts.
The first named Liu Biao as Governor of Jingzhou, giving him authority over military and administrative matters in the province.
If Liu Biao accepted this assignment, it would mean he was officially on Dong Zhuo’s side and would handle Sun Jian’s issue.
Dong Zhuo thought, if he had someone like Sun Jian causing trouble in his territory, he’d be doing everything to get rid of him. By giving Liu Biao the task of eliminating the “bandit,” he figured there’s no way Liu Biao would be that clueless.
The second edict named Liu Yan of Yizhou as a hostage left in Luoyang. After Dong Zhuo had evacuated to Chang’an with Liu Xie, he sent Liu Yan back to Yizhou, also promoting him to Grand Marshal.
According to Dong Zhuo, back when he was in Luoyang, he had appointed Liu Yu of Youzhou as Grand Marshal. Who would’ve guessed that when the new emperor was established, he would defy the usurper of Ye City instead of sticking with his late emperor’s wishes, simply because the usurper was closer?
Thus, Dong Zhuo gave this Grand Marshal position to Liu Yan, hoping he would serve as a model for the Han royal clan.
Yizhou, a paradise cut off from the world, with no chance to respect Dong Zhuo, as even the one potential hostage to keep Liu Yan in check was sent back. They were just in a mutual standoff, acknowledging Liu Xie as the emperor.
As for these two edicts, Dong Zhuo delivered them without much hesitation, but it took him a while with the third one.
However, with Huangfu Song refusing to return to court and the court being flooded with talent, Qiao Yan seemed like she’d still need a few years to stabilize Bingzhou—
He needed to win her over since she was both a “bandit” and yet considered Liu Xie as the emperor. Would she accept his official appointment or not?
Li Su, holding back his anxiousness under the scrutinizing gaze of countless eyes, began to read out the imperial decree.
In a scenario where both courts called each other “False Han,” Qiao Yan maintained her position with poise to hear what he had to announce rather than accepting orders formally, and Li Su felt utterly stuck.
He wouldn’t forget he was still on the land of Bingzhou. The fierce warriors that had once forced the Minister into exile typically fought against the Xiongnu and Xianbei. Resolving this shouldn’t be too hard.
Little did he know, Lü Bu wasn’t there to help Qiao Yan stand tall; he was silently wondering if the messenger could pull out a steed comparable to the Red Hare.
If Li Su knew what Lü Bu was pondering, he’d choke on his own tongue.
But, just reading out this decree was already infuriating him.
Why would the minister grant such a title to her? Isn’t that just fueling her arrogance?!
“In accordance with heaven’s will, this decree is received.”
“On the thirteenth day of the eighth month of the Guangxi era… the decree names Qiao Yan as the Prefect of Bingzhou.”
“Considering your youth, potential, and expectations, you shall be awarded ranks and offices according to your merit and virtue, leading with your wisdom and strength, in order to expand the emperor’s prestige and raise the soldiers’ morale. Therefore, you are specially appointed as the General of the Chariots and Cavalry…”
Li Su hadn’t even finished reading when a voice boomed from outside: “Lord, a messenger from Ye City has arrived!”
