Chapter 142

Chapter 142

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 5: The Han Divided, Battles in the West Chapter 142: Envoys from Both Sides

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Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 142: Envoys from Both Sides

The phrase “five years in a rush, fighting together,” was enough to clarify Huangfu Song’s stance.

And those who fought alongside him were not just Qiao Yan, but also Lu Zhi, Zhu Jun, and others, inevitably reminding one of the scene from the seventh year of Guanghe.

It was precisely because of these people’s presence that this loyal minister, accustomed to following imperial orders and only adapting on the battlefield, chose to wait a little longer and take a path to rescue the emperor.

Looking at the words before her, Qiao Yan felt she could vaguely glimpse the decisive consideration Huangfu Song had when he wrote them.

These are the few remaining loyal ministers of the Han…

She couldn’t help but sigh for him in her heart.

But thinking that Huangfu Song might never have a day to cross swords with her, and even if that day comes, he would surely see that only under her rule could the people in these chaotic times find the most stable life, she suppressed this sigh.

She composed herself and turned to Fu Gan, saying, “Rest for a few days first. There’s an important task for you in the plan to attack Liangzhou. If you come to see me like this now, I’ll have to assign it to someone else.”

Fu Gan’s eyes lit up.

Qiao Yan didn’t ask about his thoughts when he delivered the letter to Huangfu Song, nor did she ask about his impressions of Ma Teng and Han Sui quickly uniting in crisis. She only mentioned that there was an important role for him in this battle, which made Fu Gan feel reassured.

He quickly bowed again, “I will go and rest now. In two days, I will be ready to see you, my lord.”

Qiao Yan’s promise of a new task wasn’t just empty talk.

Two days later, she and Fu Gan together received Huchuquan, the second son of the Southern Xiongnu chieftain Qiang Qu.

According to historical developments, Qiang Qu’s eldest son Yufuluo would die in battle in the second year of Xingping, six years later, and Huchuquan would inherit the Southern Xiongnu chieftain position, enfeoffing Yufuluo’s son Liu Bao as the Left Virtuous King.

Liu Bao’s son Liu Yuan would establish the Han Zhao regime, later honoring the Shu Han’s last ruler Liu Shan as “brother’s death, brother’s succession” to gain more support from the Central Plains and attract more followers.

Compared to Liu Bao and Liu Yuan, a father and son duo with strong initiative and true warlord qualities, Huchuquan, as an uncle and ancestor, was somewhat lacking in presence. The only notable thing about him was his repeated surrenders and betrayals of the Eastern Han, finally submitting to Cao Cao after being thoroughly beaten.

However, he hadn’t yet taken over the chieftain position, and perhaps because of Qiao Yan’s intimidation of the Southern Xiongnu and raids on the Xianbei tribes, he was thoroughly intimidated by the image she had established among the Southern Xiongnu. When called here, he dared not even breathe heavily.

While flipping through the reports in her hand, Qiao Yan casually asked him, “Gongda and Fengxiao should have already informed you of what you need to do?”

Settling part of the Southern Xiongnu populace in the Luo Shui, Ni Shui, and Ziwuling areas wouldn’t raise Dong Zhuo’s suspicions.

The reason the Southern Xiongnu settlement was named Meiji City was that after surrendering to the Han, they also began engaging in some farming.

Besides herding, they also farmed.

Huchuquan replied, “Everything has been made clear.”

Being able to break away from Meiji City and farm on the border between Bingzhou and Liangzhou for this Bingzhou governor was something Huchuquan had never imagined.

But he suddenly realized that this was a great opportunity to carve out a path for himself after his brother inevitably inherited their father’s chieftain position.

At this moment, he didn’t dare to think of allying with the Qiang people to rebel against Bingzhou, lest he follow in the footsteps of the Left Guli Wang and be rewarded by Marquis Qiao with some unlosable cup.

He just thought—being able to survive independently is always better!

“The land south of Qingyang, irrigated by the streams from Ziwuling, is what I hope you make the best use of,” Qiao Yan continued. “I’ve already sent experienced farmers from Bingzhou to survey the area. After you lead your people there, start reclaiming the land according to their plans and plant the first batch of winter wheat this winter. All necessary tools will be supplied to you during this period.”

Huchuquan was about to say that he might not have the expertise to understand, but Qiao Yan pointed to Fu Gan beside her and said, “I assign him as your strategist. If there’s anything you don’t understand, consult him. Additionally, he’s from Beidi Commandery. If you have any conflicts with the Qiang people there, follow his instructions.”

As for a proper strategist, Fu Gan’s level was obviously not up to par, but since Huchuquan was just a vanguard for military farming, having Fu Gan oversee things was sufficient.

After Huchuquan left, Qiao Yan instructed him to seek Xun You’s opinion multiple times in Shang Commandery and to protect his own safety, then signaled him to leave and proceed.

Calculating, since the Southern Xiongnu were already being utilized, it probably wouldn’t be long before the Xianbei people could be brought to Yanmen to mine coal.

But no rush for now.

After finalizing the plan to settle the Southern Xiongnu in Ziwuling, it was already August.

All related matters in Bingzhou had to be postponed, with the main focus now on the autumn harvest.

Even Lü Bu and Zhang Liao were recalled to the provincial capital to clarify the details of supervising agriculture and military farming in Baidaochuan and Yanmen.

But unexpectedly, before these people could be sent away, another unexpected visitor arrived in Bingzhou.

“Dong Zhuo has sent someone,” Xi Zhicai said as he entered, finding it somewhat amusing.

The plan Xun You had devised for Qiao Yan was to have the Southern Xiongnu settle and farm at the foot of Ziwuling, spanning between Bingzhou and Liangzhou, while trying to extract some benefits from Dong Zhuo in Chang’an, at least a title that could suppress Ma Teng and Han Sui’s former and left general positions.

The Bingzhou governor obviously couldn’t legitimately attack Liangzhou, and Qiao Yan couldn’t set this precedent, nor could the Marquis of Leping do such a thing.

According to the results of Xun You and Xi Zhicai’s discussions, Qiao Yan needed to submit another memorial to Liu Xie expressing her loyalty before she could start planning this.

But before she could act, just as Huchuquan led his people to Ziwuling, Dong Zhuo had already made a move.

Qiao Yan put down her brush and asked, “It seems the visitor is an old friend?”

Otherwise, why would Xi Zhicai have such a reaction.

He suppressed a laugh and replied, “Yes, an old friend, the one who sent you the Red Hare horse.”

In Qiao Yan’s view, Li Su was indeed quite resilient.

Last time, sending the Red Hare horse to invite a meeting, only to have Niu Fu and Guo Si charge into her prepared camp, yet this envoy could still be entrusted by Dong Zhuo with the important task of being the envoy to Bingzhou, was truly remarkable.

Although the idea of sending the Red Hare horse wasn’t his, he was the one who actually carried it out. If he had encountered someone more suspicious, they might have suspected that he had shown some signs of vulnerability during the delivery.

For a moment, it was hard to tell whether Dong Zhuo, after fleeing Luoyang, had no one else to use, or if he had finally returned to the ways of a Liangzhou warlord, able to disregard past grievances with his subordinates.

In the end, standing before Qiao Yan was this Li Su.

His gaze at Qiao Yan was unavoidably complex.

When he delivered the horse, although Dong Zhuo’s subordinates, due to the Hedong noble families’ welcoming of Qiao Yan, saw her as a formidable enemy, they never thought that Dong Zhuo, with thirty years of military experience, would fall at the hands of this Bingzhou governor.

If the last time he came to see her was to carry out a deceitful plan, then…








This time… When Prime Minister Dong entrusted him with this task, it seemed like he was genuinely trying to win her over. After all, following the three-way battle at the eight passes, Niu Fu and Xu Rong at Mengjin Pass and Xiaopingjin Pass were dead and surrendered respectively. Hu Zhen at Xuanmen Pass, along with the fierce general Hua Xiong, had also perished. Dong Yue, the defender of Taigu Pass, was killed by Sun Jian. Guo Si, who had been recalled to Luoyang, also met his end when Sun Jian’s cavalry broke through the city’s defenses and confronted him. Dong Min, Dong Zhuo’s younger brother, was stationed at the southern part of Luoyang but failed to survive. Zhang Ji’s nephew, Zhang Xiu, fell into Qiao Yan’s hands. This left Dong Zhuo with only four major generals: Duan Wei, Zhang Ji, Fan Chou, and Li Jue. After Dong Zhuo’s retreat, Zhang Ji escorted him in his escape, Li Jue withdrew from Yique Pass, and Fan Chou retreated from Huanyuan Pass, barely managing to assemble a force that could still intimidate the Guanzhong Plain. However, until Dong Zhuo could recruit enough troops, his situation remained precarious. Even though Lu Zhi, Huang Wan, and Wang Yun traveled thousands of miles from Luoyang to Chang’an to uphold the legitimacy of the late emperor’s decree, it only slightly reassured Dong Zhuo. Similarly, Ma Teng and Han Sui accepting his edicts gave him some confidence in external support. Yet, none of this changed the fact that Dong Zhuo was surrounded by enemies. He could only try to improve the situation as best he could. As Qiao Yan and Xun You had discussed, Duan Wei followed Dong Zhuo’s orders to farm at Huayin while guarding the Luochuan River estuary. Zhang Ji stationed troops at Gaoling, while Fan Chou and Li Jue defended Chang’an and Mei County respectively, preparing for potential rebellions from the Xiliang forces. Dong Zhuo had not yet decided to build a comfortable retreat at Meiwo during this crisis but instead ordered Li Jue to fortify Mei County for battle. After securing these defenses, Dong Zhuo naturally received news from the other court. The Yuan clan, once a powerful family with four generations of high officials, had lost its leaders, and the eldest son, Yuan Ji, had to step down due to poor health. Yuan Shao, however, was appointed as the Governor of Qingzhou for supporting the emperor, though he resided in Ye City to protect the emperor. Yuan Shu was named General of the Chariots and Cavalry to quell rebellions in Yang Province. Both Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu coveted the position of Grand General, but they needed to wait until a Yuan woman married Liu Bian as empress to legitimize their claims. With ministers like Yang Biao and Fu Wan relocating to Ye City, they couldn’t rashly claim high titles without risking their support. To Dong Zhuo, this was a direct provocation! Having suppressed the once-mighty Yuan clan of Runan and nearly wiped them out was one of Dong Zhuo’s proudest achievements since taking control of Luoyang. Yet, these people had rescued Liu Bian, splitting the empire’s power in half, and used this merit to rise rapidly, as if slapping Dong Zhuo in the face. News continued to pour in. Sun Jian, who had killed Dong Zhuo’s brother Dong Min, was appointed as General Who Breaks the Caitiffs and tasked with pacifying Jing Province’s bandits, effectively challenging Liu Biao, the Governor of Jing Province. Cao Cao, who had killed Hu Zhen, was named Prefect of Dong Commandery and General Who Pacifies the Han, bringing thousands of households from Luoyang to Dong Commandery, boosting his reputation. Even Yang Biao, whom Dong Zhuo had stripped of his high position, was reinstated as Grand Commandant! After much deliberation, Dong Zhuo decided to issue three edicts in the name of Emperor Liu Xie of Han. The first appointed Liu Biao as Governor of Jing Province, granting him control over both military and administrative affairs in Jing Province. If Liu Biao accepted, it would mean he sided with Dong Zhuo and would deal with Sun Jian. Dong Zhuo believed Liu Biao wouldn’t be so foolish as to reject this opportunity. The second edict held Liu Yan, Governor of Yi Province, as a hostage in Luoyang, but returned his eldest son to Yi Province and appointed him as Grand Marshal. Dong Zhuo hoped Liu Yan would set an example as a member of the Han imperial family. The third edict, however, took Dong Zhuo a long time to decide. With Huangfu Song refusing to return to court and the other court boasting a wealth of talent, Qiao Yan still needed a few years to stabilize Bingzhou. As the Governor of Bingzhou, who sought to suppress bandits and rescue the emperor, she had to be won over. While treating her as a bandit, she still recognized Liu Xie as emperor. Would she accept the appointment in Liu Xie’s name? Li Su, nervous under the watchful eyes of the court, unrolled the edict. In this situation where both courts called each other illegitimate, Qiao Yan remained seated, listening to the proclamation rather than formally receiving the edict. Li Su could do nothing about it. He also couldn’t forget that he was on Bingzhou’s soil, surrounded by fierce generals who had driven the Prime Minister to flee and who regularly battled the Xiongnu and Xianbei. If they decided to eliminate him, it would be all too easy. Unbeknownst to him, Lü Bu was eyeing him, not to support Qiao Yan’s authority, but to see if the envoy might have another horse as good as Red Hare. If Li Su knew what Lü Bu was thinking, he’d be mortified. But reading this edict was already humiliating enough. Why would the Prime Minister grant such a title? It only emboldened her arrogance! “In accordance with heaven’s will and the times, we hereby decree… On the 13th day of the eighth month of the Guangxi era… To Qiao Yan, Governor of Bingzhou… Recognizing your early excellence and esteemed reputation, your merits and virtues, your service in Jin and brilliance at the frontier, your contributions to the imperial cause and victories at Yanran, we hereby appoint you as General of Agile Cavalry…” Before Li Su could finish, a voice from outside shouted, “My lord, an envoy from Ye City has arrived!”