Chapter 143

Chapter 143

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 5: The Han Divided, Battles Settle the West Chapter 143: Watching the Battle from the Mountain

Li Su’s voice stopped at the unspoken words “敬之哉” (Respect it!).

The visitor from Ye City could be none other than the envoy of the false Han Emperor!

For a moment, Li Su almost thought that Qiao Yan had orchestrated this act to suppress him, the envoy from Dong Zhuo.

But he noticed that even her disinterested expression while listening to his proclamation of the title “General of the Flying Cavalry” showed a hint of surprise upon hearing of the envoy from Ye City.

However, Qiao Yan was not surprised that someone from Ye City would come.

Dong Zhuo, the hero in adversity and coward in prosperity, had quickly made moves to consolidate his position after stabilizing in Chang’an, securing the legitimacy of Liu Xie’s rule.

The ministers who supported Liu Bian, in the absence of an empress dowager, the imperial seal, or a will from the late emperor, had to make similar moves.

What did it matter that Qiao Yan once publicly criticized Yuan Shao as “gold and jade on the outside, but rotten within”?

When it came to needing military provisions from the Governor of Bingzhou, she did not hesitate to provide them.

Before Yuan Shao could react to the absurd calculation of the grain count and before he could inform his subordinates of this additional bargaining chip, this was indeed how it appeared.

What did it matter that she once harshly criticized Yuan Shu for supporting a new emperor, no different from Dong Zhuo?

If Yuan Shu and Dong Zhuo were to be compared, at least Qiao Yan had raised troops against the latter.

Let’s talk about this.

After all, the Governor of Bingzhou is now actively preparing to campaign against Xiliang, borrowing a path through Liangzhou to attack Chang’an, rather than directly marching from Bingzhou to Ye City to challenge the legitimacy of Liu Bian’s ascension.

If the conflict between her and Dong Zhuo were to intensify, it might endanger Liu Xie.

With only one of the late emperor’s two sons remaining, the legitimacy of Liu Bian becomes less important.

This was the conclusion reached after the recent court debates in Ye City.

Of course, they wouldn’t dare to say in front of the emperor that only when your brother dies will you be legitimate. Instead, they subtly expressed their hopes for Qiao Yan to eliminate the bandits, and after some discussion, decided to confer a general title to reward her military prowess.

Or perhaps to win her over.

As for what title to give, it wasn’t hard to decide.

Yuan Shu, for his southern campaign against Luoyang and his role in rescuing and supporting the emperor, could be named General of the Chariots and Cavalry. Qiao Yan, who led the troops to breach the city first, nearly exhausting Dong Zhuo’s most elite forces, deserved a higher rank than Yuan Shu.

This was Yang Biao’s suggestion.

When he said this, his expression was so serious that no one could tell if he was trying to benefit his son, who now served under the Governor of Bingzhou.

According to his reasoning, in the military hierarchy established since the early Western Han, above the General of the Chariots and Cavalry were only the General of the Flying Cavalry and the Grand General.

But the position of Grand General could not be given to Qiao Yan, as it would grant her the authority to mobilize troops across the realm. Who knows if she might launch a surprise attack on Ye City?

Thus, the only choice was—

General of the Flying Cavalry.

Xu You had come to Bingzhou carrying this edict conferring the title of General of the Flying Cavalry.

But he wasn’t alone.

When Qiao Yan invited the “visitor from Ye City” into the hall, she heard the two introduce themselves.

Xu You needed no introduction; Qiao Yan had met him before.

After Dong Zhuo seized control of the court, Xu You, a former advisor in He Jin’s Grand General’s Mansion, fled Luoyang and later joined Yuan Shao after Liu Bian was established in Ye City by the Yuan clan, just missing Qiao Yan.

But over five years ago, during the strategic discussions at Dingzhong Temple, Xu You had also been present.

Back then, like Chen Lin, he thought Qiao Yan’s ability to insult others was somewhat lacking, but he highly praised her political acumen at such a young age. Today, however, her skill in belittling others with words hadn’t improved much, but her ability to dominate with her achievements had grown day by day.

What struck Xu You with a sense of temporal dislocation was that back then, he, along with Xu Shao, Chen Lin, and Wang Qian, could still offer her evaluations as elders. Now, they could only barely say they had recognized her talent early on, and had to endure her scrutinizing gaze from the head of the table during this visit.

It was only when his companion bowed and spoke that his thoughts were interrupted. “Shen Pei of Wei County greets Marquis Qiao.”

Shen Pei…

Qiao Yan pondered his background for a moment before replying, “The arrival of Xu Ziyuan and Shen Zhengnan truly brings honor to this humble place.”

Though her words were complimentary, if Shen Pei and Xu You were to discern her tone, there might not be much genuine flattery.

But at this moment, neither could accuse the other of disrespecting scholars, as Qiao Yan had made her stance clear two months ago.

The late emperor had entrusted her with the task of supporting the Han dynasty and purging the court of traitors. With the late emperor’s will in hand, she could indeed criticize Liu Bian’s illegitimate ascension.

Thus, these officials of the Eastern Han court were, in her eyes, false ministers.

But since they hadn’t been outright expelled, there was still room for discussion.

Xu You’s gaze swept over the distinctive edict in Li Su’s hand, realizing he might have arrived in Bingzhou at an exceptionally peculiar time.

This man must be Dong Zhuo’s envoy!

This only added to his sense of urgency as an envoy.

Ignoring the subtle sarcasm in Qiao Yan’s words, he replied, “Marquis Qiao, your military achievements are renowned throughout the land. If the Bingzhou Governor’s residence, bearing the hopes of the flying phoenix, is to be called humble, then only the Son of Heaven’s residence could be called the Hall of Enlightenment.”

Qiao Yan raised an eyebrow at this. “This doesn’t sound like something you, Xu Ziyuan, would say. You’re known for your sharp critiques and biting words. Why say something so unnatural, only to cause yourself discomfort?”

“Marquis Qiao, you misunderstand,” Xu You replied. “Times change, and people adapt. If one can face their heart honestly, it need not be false or insincere.”

“Then, Master Ziyuan, what advice do you have for me?”

Xu You clasped his hands. “May I ask, Marquis Qiao, in these times of frequent disasters and calamities, with a ruler in the west surrounded by wolves and tigers, and a ruler in the east who gathers wise ministers and opens the path of speech, where should the people turn?”

Qiao Yan smiled. “Where the taxes are lower, where they can survive, that’s where the people will go. Master Ziyuan, what is the current grain price in Ye City?”

Xu You was momentarily stumped.

He had intended to use the argument that Liu Bian, surrounded by wise ministers, was more fitting as a ruler, while Dong Zhuo was nothing but a wolf. Even with Lu Zhi and others protecting Liu Xie, they were merely keeping him within their own territory, to persuade Qiao Yan—

The people didn’t have the luxury of time for her to rescue Liu Xie.

By then, the Han court centered around Liu Bian would have stabilized and gained the people’s recognition. What use would it be to rescue Liu Xie then?

Wouldn’t it lead to a struggle between two kings, only to bring peace to the realm again?

For the people, this would be no good. Thus, it was better to honor Liu Bian as the new ruler early on.

Yet Qiao Yan’s response was a counter-question about the grain price in Ye City.

She wasn’t wrong in calling Dong Zhuo a hero in adversity.

After fleeing to Chang’an, he abandoned his previous tyrannical ways in Luoyang. While Duan Wei cultivated land in Huayin, Dong Zhuo did not impose excessive taxes on the people of Chang’an.

Perhaps this was because his Liangzhou troops had been significantly reduced, making them easier to control, or perhaps it was due to the admonitions of Lu Zhi and Huang Wan. After losing his strategist Li Ru, Dong Zhuo had to trust the advice of these loyal Han ministers.

But the results were clear.

Chang’an, being the capital of the Western Han, had inherent advantages in population capacity and the fertile Guanzhong Plain. With Dong Zhuo restraining his wolfish nature and avoiding excessive taxation, grain prices in Chang’an remained stable.

But Ye City was different.

This place, suddenly elevated from a large county in Ji Province to the capital, saw a sudden influx of high-ranking officials and nobles, pushing the city beyond its limits. Expansion and outward疏导 were urgently needed.

Yet these nobles, having just experienced the turmoil in Luoyang, were more eager than ever to hoard goods, inevitably clearing out the grain in Ye City.

To fill the state coffers and supply Yuan Shao’s army, they levied additional grain from the surrounding areas.

Bingzhou and Ye City were connected through the Fukou Pass of the Taihang Mountains, making it easier for Qiao Yan to learn of Ye City’s movements than to spy on Dong Zhuo’s actions in Chang’an.

She was well aware that under such multifaceted pressures, even as the harvest season approached, grain prices in Ye City remained high.

If grain weren’t so scarce, Qiao Yan might have considered selling Bingzhou’s grain for a hefty profit.

Seeing Xu You’s silence, Qiao Yan coldly said, “I don’t need Master Xu Ziyuan to teach me grand principles, nor do I need to be persuaded with arguments about how having two rulers harms the people. If you have an edict, just proclaim it. Whether I listen or not, I will make my own calculations.”

Xu You felt that since he had made a name for himself in scholarly circles, he had never encountered such an absurd scene.

The one holding the imperial edict had become the one in the wrong, while the one listening sat calmly, like an audience member watching a play.

Had he seen how Bao Hong handed the late emperor’s will to Qiao Yan, he might not have been so surprised.

But with the situation as it was, he could only read out the conferment edict.

To Qiao Yan, this edict did justice to the learned scholars of Ye City, filled with flowery praises like “a noble family bequeaths blessings, a splendid clan gives birth to talent, gathering soil to form formations, tearing silk to make banners,” spanning three or four lines, all in an attempt to find common ground with her and show her which side she should stand on.

Then came the crucial line: “We hereby confer upon you the title of General of the Flying Cavalry.”

At this, Li Su nearly jumped in shock.

When he saw that the visitors from Ye City were Xu You and Shen Pei, he felt that as Dong Zhuo’s envoy, he was completely out of their league.

Shen Pei was resolute, Xu You was eloquent—if he were to debate them, he stood no chance.

The only thing that could slightly endear him to Qiao Yan was that he was from Bingzhou.

Hearing Qiao Yan first mock and refute Xu You, Li Su felt a secret joy, thinking that with Xu You’s tone, the people of Ye City might still believe they could win Qiao Yan over with righteous rhetoric.

If they did so, it might further provoke Qiao Yan, giving them a chance to negotiate.

But to his surprise, these noble descendants were flexible. Though they used moral arguments, they didn’t skimp on the titles.

This was… awkward.

The envoys arriving almost simultaneously, one representing Dong Zhuo and the other a contested regime, neither could gain Qiao Yan’s absolute approval, and now they offered the same title.

One might say that after the Battle of Luoyang, both sides had to acknowledge Bingzhou’s strength, or perhaps it was fortunate that she had further boosted her own fortune, adding a dramatic flair to this display of power.

Qiao Yan smiled meaningfully. “I think you two should first exchange edicts, compare them, and then come talk to me.”

With that, she rose and left without another word.

After all, she had every right to ignore both sides, so let them stay.

Seeing Qiao Yan leave, Xu You quickly borrowed the edict from Li Su. Upon seeing the words “General of the Flying Cavalry” at the end, he immediately understood her reaction.

Damn! They had underestimated Dong Zhuo’s influence here.








At the moment of reflection and remedial action!

He exchanged a glance with Shen Pei, who immediately understood and chased after Qiao Yan.

Fortunately, they had a backup plan. This trip to Bingzhou wasn’t under the pretense of announcing an imperial decree, but rather to thank Qiao Yan on behalf of the eldest son of the Yuan family.

“I’ve heard that Shen Zhengnan is known for his unyielding integrity in Hebei. Since Yuan Benchu served the Son of Heaven in Ye, Zhengnan has been entrusted with significant responsibilities. Why is he here to deliver gifts on behalf of the eldest son?” Qiao Yan replied casually, feeling somewhat annoyed.

Yuan Shao really knew how to pick his people.

Shen Pei, hailing from a powerful family in Hebei and loyal to his master, was often criticized as “single-minded but lacking in strategy.” However, his military skills were evident from his ability to defend cities. Regardless of his abilities, he wasn’t someone Qiao Yan in Bingzhou could easily sway.

As for Xu You, he was more aligned with Yuan Shao than with He Jin’s Grand General’s Mansion. Despite his intelligence, he was greedy and lacked governance, making him an unlikely target for Qiao Yan’s recruitment.

Shen Pei replied, “The Yuan family is united. It’s only fitting for Yuan Qingzhou to repay the favor on behalf of the eldest son.”

This also subtly conveyed that Qiao Yan had done a favor for Yuan Ji and had a grudge against Yuan Shao, but given the unity of the Yuan family, the favor outweighed the grudge. Thus, Qiao Yan shouldn’t hold a bias against the court in Ye due to minor conflicts with Yuan Shao.

Seeing Qiao Yan accept the gifts, Shen Pei breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the next day, when he and Xu You arrived at the prefectural office with a prepared speech, they were met with shocking news: Qiao Yan wasn’t there.

Cheng Yu, the Bingzhou official, had a stern expression that carried a certain threat.

Facing the gazes of Shen Pei, Xu You, and Li Su, Cheng Yu calmly replied, “Our Bingzhou is in the midst of a bountiful harvest. Is it not appropriate for the lord to personally inspect the regions? After all, the recent campaign in Luoyang yielded an additional 50,000 dan of military provisions.”

“…” Xu You could swear that based on what he and Shen Pei had seen on their journey from Fukou Pass through Shangdang to Taiyuan, the bountiful harvest in Bingzhou meant that Qiao Yan couldn’t possibly be short of those 50,000 dan.

This was more like a rejection of their implied message!

Before Li Su could revel in this, Cheng Yu continued, “Moreover, the autumn harvest is crucial for preparing provisions to campaign against Liangzhou and Dong Zhuo. Naturally, we must be cautious.”

Li Su’s smile froze on his face.

If Guo Jia or Xi Zhicai had said these words, they wouldn’t have had the same impact as Cheng Yu.

Having long held a central position for Qiao Yan, his words carried an imposing aura.

Moreover, his talk of military campaigns left no room for negotiation…

Unless they offered more money.

Even though Li Su had heard from Duan Wei before leaving Chang’an for Bingzhou that Bingzhou’s army wouldn’t find it easy to attack Chang’an, he couldn’t help but feel anxious now.

However, Qiao Yan’s excuse wasn’t entirely baseless.

After this harvest, she indeed needed to reconsider the use of military provisions.

It wasn’t just about food storage but also the preservation and transportation of provisions during military campaigns.

Zhang Niujiao felt like he had become a jack-of-all-trades in Bingzhou, from building houses to producing farming tools, and now managing military provisions. He couldn’t help but envy Liang Zhongning, who was assigned to train militia soldiers by Qiao Yan.

But when Qiao Yan asked about his progress, he quickly replied, “My lord, you mentioned wanting to make ‘guokui’ as military provisions. That’s the simplest.”

Guokui was indeed simple.

By the late Eastern Han Dynasty, stone mill processing technology was advanced enough for Qiao Yan to produce primitive cement. Grinding wheat to make guokui as dry rations wasn’t difficult.

However, earlier military provisions weren’t distributed in the form of such thick cakes but rather as a mixture of millet and beans called “qiubei.” Thus, they needed to research further to ensure the thickness and weight of guokui met the needs of marching soldiers.

Seeing Qiao Yan casually pick up a bow and arrow for testing, aiming at a guokui hanging on the wall, Zhang Niujiao’s eyelids twitched, and he quickly intervened, “No need to trouble yourself, my lord. Let me handle this.”

What a joke!

With Qiao Yan’s strength to draw a three-stone bow and her precision in archery, if she were to test it, it would be disastrous!

Qiao Yan didn’t refuse his intervention. Seeing him loosely draw the bow and arrow, simulating battlefield conditions, she didn’t instruct him to use more force.

In fact, on the battlefield, one wouldn’t always encounter arrows of her caliber. As long as it provided some protection, especially for soldiers wearing only leather armor, it was sufficient.

The arrow stuck into the guokui but didn’t pierce through. Qiao Yan walked over, patted the still-thick guokui, asked Zhang Niujiao about its weight and spoilage time, and then moved on to the next area.

The second type of military provision was undoubtedly jerky.

With the number of cattle and sheep in Bingzhou, they could prepare enough meat for wartime.

The technique of drying jerky no longer required her attention.

She couldn’t help but notice that Zhang Niujiao had gained some weight over the past six months, likely due to the improved diet in this self-sufficient environment.

Seeing Qiao Yan glance at his face, Zhang Niujiao tried to press down the fat on his cheeks and led her to the next area.

The next product was dried cheese.

Drawing from her memory of cheese-making techniques, Qiao Yan had Zhang Niujiao and his team dry cow and sheep milk into skins in July and August, stir-fry them, and then sun-dry them again before kneading them into balls, creating an ancient version of military provisions that could be stored for a long time.

The “sushan” (a type of cheese) was a byproduct of this process.

Given the long storage time of dried cheese, she had them produce it early and store it using primitive methods for future use.

As dairy products, these dried cheeses were no less valuable than meat for soldiers of that era, aligning with the saying, “Military kitchens value sheep cheese, a tradition passed down to soldiers.”

Beyond human consumption, dried cheese had another significant purpose—

It could alleviate the thirst of warhorses, which was crucial for cavalry operations in Liangzhou.

Having assessed the dried cheese stock, Qiao Yan moved on to the next workshop.

This place was slightly special, producing dry rations for soldiers not for sustenance but rather stir-fried sesame seeds packed in paper bags.

Carrying sesame seeds during long marches, like feeding dried cheese to horses, could greatly alleviate thirst. More importantly, it didn’t take up much space.

Guokui, jerky, dried cheese, sesame bags, and pickled vegetables from the next workshop constituted the basic provisions for each soldier.

Zhang Niujiao, who had secretly bulked up under the guise of preparing for future battles, didn’t skimp on the food packages.

Since it wasn’t yet time for marching, the guokui with the shortest shelf life hadn’t gone into production. But with sufficient manpower and materials, this production line could quickly be activated to complete the final assembly of military provisions.

Having troops alone wouldn’t win the campaign against Liangzhou.

Based on the prolonged campaigns against the Qiang people in Liangzhou by Duan Jiong, Huangfu Gui, and Zhang Huan, she needed to deliver at least one sufficiently intimidating battle to secure peace for a while.

Thus, no minor mistakes could be allowed!

After inspecting the food processing workshops, visiting border military camps and warhorse training grounds, and ensuring everything was thriving in the second-year harvest of Baitao Chuan’s military farms, she leisurely returned to the prefectural office.

Unsurprisingly, Li Su, Xu You, and Shen Pei had already left Bingzhou.

With her in no hurry to accept any rewards, they were the ones more anxious.

Thus, their departure didn’t signify giving up.

“If both sides are offering the position of General of Agile Cavalry, my lord, you’re already at a point where there’s nothing left to confer or reward. Why push them to offer more?” Cai Zhaoji, recently transferred from Leping to Jinyang for propaganda work, asked Qiao Yan.

Qiao Yan, reviewing the harvest reports from various regions and the initial reclamation of wasteland by people who had moved to Bingzhou, felt a sense of satisfaction from the numbers.

Hearing Zhaoji’s question, she replied, “Accepting any side’s decree might seem prestigious momentarily, but it would declare my stance. Not accepting doesn’t mean I’m not.”

“How so?”

Qiao Yan explained, “As you said, there’s nothing left to confer because neither side can offer me the position of Grand General, which would harm them more than benefit me. There’s nothing left to reward because, aside from rare treasures, they don’t possess anything more prosperous than Bingzhou’s industries. And in these times, rare treasures are less valuable than a meal.”

“But in the face of both sides’ balancing acts, neither can easily retract their edicts, lest I lean towards the other side.”

If they can’t retract, then the only option is…

Cai Zhaoji clapped her hands and laughed, “Exactly! They can’t retract, even if they know you disdain it and won’t accept it. The most suitable solution is—directly addressing you by that title.”

As Qiao Yan had predicted, by the end of August, Liu Xie of Chang’an issued an edict proclaiming Qiao Yan, Prefect of Bingzhou, as General of Agile Cavalry, commanding military campaigns.

Almost two days earlier, Liu Bian of Ye had also remotely honored Qiao Yan as General of Agile Cavalry.

Whose General of Agile Cavalry she was didn’t matter!

In such a situation, neither side gained an advantage!

Qiao Yan didn’t use the authority of the General of Agile Cavalry to appoint her subordinates, who lacked official positions. But with the title bestowed, she had absolute authority over Ma Teng and Han Sui.

Did Dong Zhuo not realize this was inappropriate? Of course, he did!

He could only bet that Qiao Yan wouldn’t launch the campaign against Liangzhou so quickly.

“To hold the title of General of Agile Cavalry from two courts simultaneously is truly unique in the world,” Cao Cao in Yanzhou couldn’t help but remark upon hearing the news.

He had thought his actions in Dong Commandery were thorough in benefiting both the people and the military, even earning the allegiance of Chen Gong in Dong Commandery.

It seemed like, despite not being in the central court, his achievements were no less significant.

But compared to Ye Shu, it felt like he was a step behind.

Cao Cao wasn’t the only one feeling this way.

However, the subject of these discussions didn’t feel any premonition of being talked about. After reviewing all the ledgers, she leisurely opened her system interface.

In fact, her “Ingenious Stratagem” feature had cooled down a month ago, but Qiao Yan felt that the recent encounter with the two envoys had drained her luck, so she delayed reopening it for another half month.

Hopefully, there wouldn’t be any outrageous rumors this time…

She thought as she closed her eyes and clicked.

When she opened her eyes, she saw—

[You have obtained leader intelligence – Yuan Shu]

[Rumor has it that Yuan Changshui, the fierce ghost of the road, loved to critique famous scholars in his early years. His evaluation of Xu You was: Xu Ziyuan is a wicked and lecherous man with impure conduct. His evaluation of He Yong was: He Boqiu is a man of wicked virtue; I should kill him.]

“…”

Qiao Yan couldn’t help but laugh.

No wonder Yuan Shu, from a family of four generations of high officials, had such a reputation among scholars.

He himself was a lawless fierce ghost of the road, yet he critiqued Xu You as “wicked and lecherous” and He Yong as “wicked virtue.”

Society, truly society.

Although she couldn’t see the ingenuity in this “Ingenious Stratagem,” it was certainly entertaining to open it monthly for a laugh.