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“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 143: Sitting on the Mount, Watching the Battle…
Li Su’s voice trailed off before the words “respectful indeed” could escape his lips.
The visitors from Ye City were undoubtedly the envoys of that pretender to the Han throne!
For a moment, Li Su almost thought that Qiao Yan had staged this performance to undermine him as a messenger of Dong Zhuo.
But realizing her disinterest even while he read out the title of “General of the Chariots and Cavalry,” she showed a hint of surprise only when the envoy from Ye City was mentioned.
However, it wasn’t the presence of someone from Ye City that shocked Qiao Yan.
The very existence of Dong Zhuo, the hero in adversity and a coward in fortune, had stability in Chang’an after quickly rallying support to cement Liu Xie’s legitimate position.
It was a bold move to support Liu Bian into power while lacking the Empress Dowager, the imperial seal, and any decree from the late emperor—essentially a triple void.
What of Qiao Yan’s public tirade against Yuan Benchu’s facade of gold and jade? Yet when the Bingzhou governor needed military supplies, she didn’t hesitate to procure them.
While Yuan Shao was still processing that ridiculous calculation of grain, he hadn’t shared that extra leverage with his subordinates yet. It was clear that this was the case.
And when she vehemently criticized Yuan Gonglu for propping up a new lord, what of it?
If Yuan Shu and Dong Zhuo were to be caged together, Qiao Yan at least seemed to aim her troops against the latter.
Let’s talk about that.
After all, this Bingzhou governor was actively gearing up for a campaign against Xiliang, intending to borrow a route from Liangzhou to strike at Chang’an rather than marching straight from Bingzhou to Ye City, challenging Liu Bian’s legitimacy.
If her clashes with Dong Zhuo intensified any further, who’s to say Liu Xie wouldn’t become collateral damage?
With only one of the two sons of the previous emperor left, whether Liu Bian was legitimate became less relevant.
This was the conclusion the officials in Ye City reached after a few prior debates in the court.
Of course, they wouldn’t openly say in front of the Son of Heaven that only when his brother dies could he be considered legitimate, but they diplomatically expressed their hopes for Qiao’s campaign against the thieves.
After some discussion, they decided to grant her a general title as a show of appreciation for her martial virtues.
Or perhaps an attempt at winning her over.
It was easy to guess what position would be offered.
Yuan Shu, having followed the southern route to assault Luoyang, made a second entry into the city, earning the merit of rescuing the emperor, thus being conferred the title of General of the Chariots and Cavalry. Qiao Yan, having taken the lead in breaching the city with her troops, had indeed battled against the elite forces of Dong Zhuo, so her rank should occupy one above Yuan Shu.
This is what Yang Biao said.
He spoke with a serious expression, and no one could tell whether he was truly trying to secure benefits for his son, who now served under the Bingzhou governor.
According to his account, as per the military rank system established since the early Han, only the positions of General of the Chariots and Cavalry and Grand General held a higher rank than that of the General of the Chariots and Cavalry.
But the position of Grand General was not up for Qiao Yan; otherwise, she would have the power to mobilize troops from across the realm. Who knows if she’d launch a surprise attack on Ye City?
So the only choice left was—
The General of the Chariots and Cavalry.
Xu You had arrived in Bingzhou with this decree to confer her title.
Yet he didn’t come alone.
After introducing this “visitor from Ye City,” Qiao Yan heard their self-introductions.
With Xu You, she needed no words; she knew him well.
After Dong Zhuo seized control of the court, Xu You, serving as a strategical aide to Grand General He Jin, decisively fled Luoyang and, after Liu Bian was set to establish his capital in Ye City under the Yuan family’s arrangements, went to join Yuan Shao, narrowly missing Qiao Yan.
But more than five years ago at Dingzhong Temple’s discussion, Xu You had also been present.
At that time, like Chen Lin, he felt Qiao Yan’s insults were slightly lacking, yet he highly praised her political awareness at such a young age. But today, in retrospect, her knack for derogatory comments had barely improved, while her ability to strike down opponents based on her battlefield achievements only grew stronger.
What made Xu You feel a peculiar sense of timeline twist was that back then, he, Xu Shao, Chen Lin, and Wang Qian could still regard Qiao Yan with a mentor’s tone; now, they could only barely utter that they were once wise to recognize her talents. In this visit, they found themselves subject to her scrutiny from her elevated seat.
Just then, another companion stepped forward to greet Qiao Yan, interrupting his thoughts. “Wei County’s Shen Pei greets you, Lady Qiao.”
Shen Pei…
Qiao Yan mulled over his background before replying, “With Xu Ziyuan and Shen Zhengnan arriving, this certainly elevates the prestige of this place.”
Her words seemed to be praising, but if Shen Pei and Xu You were to analyze her tone, there might not be much sincerity in the compliment.
But at this point, neither side could accuse the other of slighting the worthy, for two months prior, Qiao Yan had already made her stance crystal clear.
The late emperor had entrusted her with supporting the Han house and clearing away the usurpers. With the late emperor’s decree in her hand, she could indeed criticize Liu Bian’s ascension as illegitimate.
Consequently, those officials belonging to the Eastern Han dynasty were merely seen as false ministers by her.
Yet, since they hadn’t been directly chased out, they could still engage in conversation.
Xu You’s gaze inevitably swept over the notably distinctive imperial edict in Li Su’s hand, realizing he might have picked an extraordinarily peculiar moment to arrive in Bingzhou.
This person must be a messenger of Dong Zhuo!
This thought amplified his sense of urgency.
He chose to ignore the subtle sarcasm laced in Qiao Yan’s words and replied, “Lady Qiao, your military achievements are outstanding, and your fame reverberates across the land. If the Bingzhou governor were to harbor the aspirations of the flying phoenix, it would indeed be an embellishment. Only the dwelling of the Son of Heaven could rightfully be termed the Hall of Enlightenment.”
Qiao Yan raised an eyebrow at his words, “That doesn’t sound like something you, Xu Ziyuan, would say. You’ve always had a sharp tongue and been known for your candid remarks. Why choose to say such awkward compliments that even you find repulsive? Isn’t that just self-inflicted resentment, unnecessarily making yourself uncomfortable?”
“Lady Qiao, you misunderstand,” Xu You replied. “Times change, and people bend with circumstances. If one can face their heart, it may not necessarily become falsehood or deceitful speech.”
“Then, what wisdom do you have for me, Mr. Ziyuan?”
Xu You cupped his hands, “May I ask, Lady Qiao, at this moment, with frequent natural disasters and human misfortunes, there is one lord in the west, surrounded by wolves and tigers; meanwhile, in the east, there is another lord, capable of gathering wise ministers and opening wide channels for opinions. Where should the people go?”
Qiao Yan smiled, “Wherever the taxes are lighter, wherever life can be sustained, that’s where the people will go. Mr. Ziyuan, what’s the price of grain in Ye City now?”
Xu You froze for a moment.
He aimed to use the gathering of wise ministers around Liu Bian to justify loyal governance, while Dong Zhuo was painted as the mere wolf. Even with figures like Lu Zhi and Huang Wan protecting the emperor, Liu Xie’s territory was merely a cage intended to persuade Qiao Yan. The common people had no spare time to rescue Liu Xie.
Before that, the court formed around Liu Bian must have already stabilized and gained the citizens’ acknowledgment; once this happened, what use would it be to rescue Liu Xie later?
Shouldn’t it take a struggle of the two kings before the realm could be pacified once more?
For the common folk, this was hardly a favorable affair. Given these circumstances, it might be better to establish Liu Bian as the new lord sooner rather than later.
However, Qiao Yan’s reply was a question back, asking about the grain prices in Ye City.
She wasn’t wrong when she described Dong Zhuo as a hero amid adversity.
After fleeing to Chang’an, he shifted from his previous tyrannical ways in Luoyang; while managing the garrison of the Liangzhou soldiers, he imposed minimal taxes on Chang’an’s populace.
This was possibly due to a significant reduction in his Liangzhou military forces, making them easier to control than before. Or perhaps Lu Zhi and Huang Wan had warned him, and without Li Ru, his strategist, Dong Zhuo was forced to heed the advice of these loyal ministers.
But the results were plain to see.
Chang’an was originally the capital of the Western Han, possessing natural advantages in population capacity and agricultural conditions, so with Dong Zhuo suppressing his wolfish nature and imposing no heavy taxation, grain prices remained reasonably stable.
But Ye City was a different story.
This place had suddenly ascended from a large county in Ji Province to become the national capital, sharply increasing the number of officials and nobles, plunging the city into an overloaded state, necessitating rapid urban expansion and external resource distribution.
These wealthy officials, having recently survived the turmoil of Luoyang, were more impulsive in hoarding provisions than ever, inevitably clearing out the grain supplies within Ye City.
To pad the national treasury and supply Yuan Shao’s army, they dispatched a batch from the surrounding areas.
The connection between Bingzhou and Ye City could be established via Fukou Pass in the Taihang Mountains, making it easier for Qiao Yan to pick up on the situation in Ye City than Dong Zhuo’s actions in Chang’an.
She was acutely aware that under this multifaceted pressure, even as the harvest season approached, grain prices in Ye City remained exorbitantly high.
If it weren’t for the current glut of grain, Qiao Yan would have thought about profiting off the supplies from Bingzhou.
Seeing Xu You fall silent, Qiao Yan coldly remarked, “I don’t need you, Mr. Ziyuan, to instruct me in any profound principles. Don’t try to persuade me with talk about the dual lords harming the people’s livelihood. If you have any commands, just read them aloud. Whether I heed them or not, I’ll figure that out myself.”
Xu You found himself on the verge of witnessing the most absurd scene since establishing his reputation in the scholarly community.
The one delivering the decree turned out to be at a disadvantage, while the recipient sat composedly, almost like an audience watching a play.
But had he ever seen how Bao Hong delivered the late emperor’s decree to Qiao Yan, he might not have thought this way.
Yet now, the circumstances were stronger than the individual, and he had no choice but to read the official decree aloud.
To Qiao Yan’s eyes, this decree felt like a clearer reflection of the scholarly characteristics from those in Ye City, laden with flowery praises like “noble lineage bestowing blessings, brilliant clan giving rise to excellence, gathering as a defensive line, splitting fabric into banners,” stretching over three or four lines, primarily an aim to find common ground with her, hoping to make her see which camp she should align with.
Then came the critical line, “We hereby appoint you as General of the Chariots and Cavalry.”
Once this was uttered, Li Su nearly jumped out of his skin.
From the moment he recognized Xu You and Shen Pei as the visitors from Ye City, he felt that he, as Dong Zhuo’s representative in declaring the edict, was absolutely not in the same league as those two.
Shen Pei was fierce, while Xu You was eloquent. If matched against those two, Li Su had no chance of winning.
Only by claiming a little association as a fellow Bingzhou individual could he get even slightly closer to Qiao Yan.
Seeing Qiao Yan mock and refute Xu You, Li Su felt a secret joy yet also feared that Xu You’s tone might just convince Ye City’s envoy that they could rely on righteousness to win Qiao Yan over to their side.
If they truly did this, they could agitate Qiao Yan further, conveniently crafting a space for negotiations.
But little did he expect these aristocratic youths to be flexible enough; even while holding onto moral high ground for a good while, they presented the titles due without sparing a single claim.
This was… quite embarrassing.
With both envoys arriving nearly simultaneously, the former being tied to Dong Zhuo and the latter linked to political allegiance, neither could garner absolute recognition from Qiao Yan. Now presenting identical titles, no less!
One could only wonder whether, following the Luoyang battle, both factions needed to face Bingzhou’s strength, or if she simply nudged her fortune upward, bringing with her a dramatic twist to the already compelling situation.
Qiao Yan wore a knowingly cryptic smile, “I think you two should first compare edicts to find out who stands superior, and then come back to discuss matters with me.”
With that, she said no more, sweeping her sleeves as she took her leave.
After all, she had ample grounds to ignore both sides, so why not let them stay put?
As Qiao Yan departed, Xu You hurriedly borrowed the decree from Li Su, and upon seeing “General of the Chariots and Cavalry” at the bottom, he realized why she had reacted that way.
This was bad! They had still underestimated Dong Zhuo!
“`
It was a moment of reflection and remedy!
He exchanged a glance with Shen Pei, who immediately understood and dashed off towards Qiao Yan.
Fortunately, they had a backup plan; Shen Pei wasn’t coming to Bingzhou in the name of delivering an imperial edict but rather to extend gratitude on behalf of the eldest son of the Yuan clan.
“I heard that Shen Zhengnan has been notably generous in Hebei, ever since Yuan Benchu served the Son of Heaven in Ye. Why has he come to deliver gifts instead?” Qiao Yan casually replied, feeling a tinge of frustration.
Yuan Shao really knows how to pick his people for this mission.
Shen Pei, being from a powerful family in Hebei and loyal to his lord, is often criticized as “specialized yet lacking in strategy,” but just his skills in defending the city reveal a considerable military prowess. Regardless of his abilities, he wouldn’t be swayed by Qiao Yan in Bingzhou.
As for Xu You, there’s no need to mention him—he’s more connected to He Jin’s Grand General’s Mansion than anything else, maintaining a friendship with Yuan Shao. Despite his intelligence, he’s also somewhat greedy and untamed, clearly not someone Qiao Yan could recruit.
Shen Pei responded, “The Yuan clan is united, and it’s perfectly reasonable for Yuan Qingzhou to return a favor to the eldest son.”
This subtly implied that Qiao Yan had a favor owed to Yuan Ji and an enmity with Yuan Shao, but given the unity of the Yuan clan, the favor overshadowed the grudge, so Qiao Yan need not harbor bias against the court in Ye just because of a minor disagreement with Yuan Shao.
Seeing that Qiao Yan accepted the gifts, Shen Pei couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
However, the next day, as he and Xu You had arranged their talking points, they were hit with a thunderbolt of news—Qiao Yan was not in the state capital.
Cheng Yu, looking serious as the Bingzhou Deputy Commander, had quite an intimidating presence.
Facing the sharp gazes of Shen Pei, Xu You, and Li Su, Cheng Yu calmly replied, “Bingzhou is currently experiencing a bumper harvest; what’s wrong with the lord personally supervising the inspections? After all, we just brought back fifty thousand stones of military rations from the Luoyang campaign.”
Xu You could swear that based on what he and Shen Pei had seen—the path from Fukou to Bingzhou, through Shangdang to Taiyuan—there was no way such a harvest could be true. This was pretty much a rejection of their subtle hints!
But before Li Su could bask in his little victory for too long, Cheng Yu continued, “Furthermore, preparing grain for the siege against Liangzhou and the bandit Dong is naturally something we need to be cautious about.”
Li Su’s grin instantly froze.
If this had come from Guo Jia or Xi Zhicai, it wouldn’t have mattered much, but Cheng Yu had been holding the fort in Qiao Yan’s absence, and his words carried considerable weight.
What he said about the impending campaign felt like there was no room for discussion…
Unless more money was involved.
Even though Li Su knew from Duan Wei before heading to Bingzhou that it wouldn’t be easy for the military to target Chang’an, he couldn’t shake off the urgency he felt.
However, considering Qiao Yan’s reasons for sending Cheng Yu was not just an excuse.
After this bumper harvest, she indeed needed to rethink the use of military provisions.
It was not just about food stocks; there were also logistics regarding supplies during army maneuvers.
Zhang Niujiao felt he had become a jack-of-all-trades, from housebuilding to farming, up to military provisions. Comparing that to Liang Zhongning, who was tasked by Qiao Yan to train the militia, he felt a bit envious.
But when Qiao Yan inquired about his portion of the outcomes, he quickly replied, “Lord, you previously mentioned wanting to make military bread; that’s the easiest thing!”
Indeed, making bread was simple.
By the end of the Eastern Han, the stone milling technology was advanced enough; Qiao Yan even used it to make homemade cement. Milling wheat for military bread was no big deal.
However, earlier military rations were usually distributed not as this type of thick bread but rather as a mixture of millet and beans called “Qiu Mi,” requiring further study to ensure thickness and weight fit the needs of army movements.
Seeing Qiao Yan pick up the bow and arrow for testing, aimed at a bread loaf hanging on the wall, Zhang Niujiao’s eyelid twitched. He hurriedly intercepted her: “N-No need for your concern, I got this!”
What a joke!
With her strength and accuracy, letting her do that test would be disastrous!
Qiao Yan didn’t refuse his eagerness. As he slightly slacked his posture to imitate a battlefield shot, she held her tongue about urging him to draw harder.
After all, in the battlefield of this era, she certainly wouldn’t face opponents all of the same skill level. As long as it could provide some protection, especially for soldiers in leather armor, that would suffice.
The arrow hit the loaf but didn’t pierce through. Qiao Yan stepped forward, patted the still sturdy loaf, and after asking Zhang Niujiao about weight and spoilage time, she moved on to the next station.
The second type of military rations was undoubtedly meat jerky.
With Bingzhou’s supply of cattle and sheep, they could prepare enough meat for military readiness.
The craft of drying meat had long ceased to be a concern for her.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that Zhang Niujiao had put on a bit of weight over the past six months—could be all that self-sufficiency leading to gourmet meals.
As Qiao Yan glanced at his face, Zhang Niujiao pressed his hand against his cheeks, nervously leading her: “Next place, let’s see the next place.”
The next production site made cheese.
Using her knowledge of cheese-making, Qiao Yan had Zhang Niujiao supervise the drying of cow and sheep milk between July and August until it dried into skin, then stir-fry, and continue sun-drying before kneading it into balls, effectively creating an ancient version of long-lasting military rations.
She considered that the process of making cheese also yielded byproducts.
Since cheese had an exceptionally long shelf life, she decided to expedite production and store it using traditional methods for future use.
This cheese, as a dairy product, was no less vital for the soldiers of this era than meat, epitomizing the saying, “The army values sheep cheese; it upholds the old culinary traditions.”
Apart from human consumption, the cheese also held significant meaning as military provisions—
It could alleviate horses’ thirst during raids in Liangzhou, which was undoubtedly crucial.
After Qiao Yan confirmed the cheese stock, she moved to the next workshop.
This one was somewhat special; the provisions made for soldiers to carry were not meant to satisfy hunger but rather roasted sesame packed into paper bags.
Chewing sesame during long marches, much like feeding horses cheese, was an excellent way to stave off hunger and thirst without taking up much space.
Bread, jerky, cheese, sesame bags, and pickles produced in the next workshop comprised the basic rations for every soldier.
Zhang Niujiao had sneakily built up some muscle, claiming he was preparing for future battles, and he didn’t skimp on the food packs.
Thus, even though it wasn’t yet time for marching, the soon-to-be-produced bread had not yet gone into production, but if manpower and materials were sufficient, this line could swiftly be set into motion to finalize military provisions.
Having a capable force wouldn’t help if they couldn’t win the war against Liangzhou.
Based on the protracted conflicts faced by Duan Jiang, Huangfu Gui, and Zhang Huan against the Qiang in Liangzhou, she absolutely needed to achieve at least one decisive and intimidating victory if they were to avoid future troubles.
This meant that no minor mistakes could be tolerated!
After surveying the food processing workshops and visiting the border military camps and horse-training grounds, she finally strolled back to the state capital, satisfied that everything was thriving.
As expected, Li Su, Xu You, and Shen Pei had already left Bingzhou.
In her reluctance to accept any offers from either side, they were clearly the anxious ones.
So it seemed that their departure didn’t mean they would give up.
“Given both sides are offering the title of General of the Cavalry, you are technically in a position where there’s nothing left to bestow. Why push them to increase their offers?” Cai Zhaoji, recently moved from Leping to Jinyang due to Qiao Yan’s campaigns, asked curiously.
At that moment, Qiao Yan was reviewing the harvest reports from various states and the initial results of reclaiming wastelands by the people merged into Bingzhou, feeling quite a sense of accomplishment.
Upon hearing Zhaoji’s question, she replied, “By accepting any edict, it may seem prestigious temporarily, but it effectively serves to make a statement. Not accepting doesn’t mean I’m not involved.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Qiao Yan explained, “As you mentioned, nothing left to give; they can’t grant me the Grand General’s position; that would only be to their detriment. Nothing left to reward, because apart from some rare treasures, what they possess can’t compare to the resources I have in Bingzhou. And at this time of year, treasures are less valuable than a meal.”
“However, when it comes to leveraging power between both sides, neither can easily retract their orders, lest it pushes me towards the other end.”
Since it can’t be retracted, then it just means…
Cai Zhaoji clapped her hands and laughed, “Exactly! They can’t backtrack, even knowing you’re indifferent and won’t likely accept; they can’t take it back! The most suitable approach would be—to openly refer to you as general!”
Indeed, just as Qiao Yan had anticipated, at the end of August, Liu Xie in Chang’an issued a decree, announcing that Qiao Yan, the shepherd of Bingzhou, was appointed as the General of the Cavalry, in charge of military campaigns.
Almost two days prior to that, Liu Bian in Ye also honored Qiao Yan as the General of the Cavalry.
Whose Cavalry General she was hardly mattered!
In such a scenario, as long as neither party gained an upper hand, that was good enough!
Qiao Yan didn’t exercise the authority of her new title to appoint the still unofficial members beneath her but having the title of General of the Cavalry meant she now had absolute authority over Ma Teng and Han Sui.
Did Dong Zhuo realize this was a misstep? Of course not!
He could only gamble that Qiao Yan wouldn’t move too hastily in her plans for a campaign against Liangzhou.
“Holding positions as the General of the Cavalry from both courts in one person’s hands truly is one of a kind,” Cao Cao in Yanzhou remarked, shaking his head in exasperation upon getting wind of the news.
He thought that what he had done in Dong Commandery was meticulous for the people and army—it even earned him the favor of Chen Gong, who was in the same region.
He seemed to have achieved a comparable standing to the central authority after dealing with Dong Zhuo, though he felt a step behind compared to her.
This sentiment was likely held by more than just Cao Cao.
However, at this moment, the very subject of their discussions displayed no signs of feeling maligned or gossiped about; instead, she leisurely opened her system interface after reviewing all the accounts.
In fact, her “Cunning Strategy” function had finished its one-month cooldown long ago, but Qiao Yan felt that having brought those two envoys together earlier had drained some luck, so she had waited another half month before reopening it.
Hoping not to receive any ridiculous rumors this time…
As she thought, she closed her eyes and clicked.
When she opened her eyes, she saw—
[You have received intel on the leader—Yuan Shu]
[In a rumor, the notorious bandit Yuan Changshui early on had a penchant for evaluating scholars; his take on Xu You was: “Xu Ziyuan is a treacherous man, morally impure”; about He Yong: “He Boqi is treacherous, I must kill him.”]
“…”
Qiao Yan couldn’t help but chuckle.
No wonder coming from a family of four generations of san gong, Yuan Shu had such a reputation among the scholars.
He himself was a notorious rogue; how could he label Xu You as “treacherous” and He Yong as “treacherous”?
What a society, indeed!
Though she couldn’t quite grasp what made this strategy so brilliant, using it as a monthly source of entertainment was genuinely amusing.
