“Can strategists not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 153: The Agreement with Han
This is a clear setup—it’s like a stage play laid out before everyone.
The next day, when Huangfu Song received the letter from Qiao Yan, he noticed the title at the top read “Agreement with Han.”
Han Sui had changed his name due to a bounty placed on him for rebelling against the Han. Talk about holding a grudge!
This was obviously mocking Han Sui for renaming himself—just a feeble attempt to cover up his dirty deeds.
The first few lines of the letter made this meaning crystal clear.
If Han Sui were truly a coward, forced to join the thieves under pressure from the Qiang people without a way back, then why did he attack the three provinces, cozy up to the Qiang, seize Jincheng, and slaughter Han Yang? Now he even dreams of glory by teaming up with Dong Zhuo, aiming for that Grand Commandant position.
So, maybe he should just revert back to his original name, Han Yue. At least that would honor his parents’ naming intentions.
This “Yue” character—should it restrain him or remind him to keep promises? Either way, he hasn’t stuck to any of them, so maybe it’s time to remind himself with that name.
Huangfu Song instinctively glanced in Gai Xun’s direction.
When Gai Xun was ripping into Han Sui, he hadn’t even made the name change yet. If he had, he might have had a few more arguments up his sleeve.
After all that sarcastic banter, it was time for a proper challenge.
Qiao Yan laid out three reasons to take down Han Sui.
The first reason: Han Sui is a “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” hard to please, and ultimately, just waiting for his moment to strike again, like a festering sore lying in wait.
This phrase was quite clever, originally used by Duan Qiang to convince Emperor Xian to wipe out the Qiang people.
So, it’s basically a description of the Qiang themselves!
Now, Qiao Yan is bluntly applying this to Han Sui.
The implication? Han Sui isn’t just a coerced wannabe, he’s got more in common with the Qiang than he’d like to admit!
The Qiang have been a drain on Han resources, costing the empire a staggering amount during multiple rebellions. The Han’s finances can’t handle that kind of turmoil for much longer.
Luckily, Bingzhou still has some cash left, so the governor can spare both troops and funds to crush the rebel forces led by Han Sui and his gang. No problem!
The second reason: Dong Zhuo has taken the emperor hostage in Chang’an. The previous year’s proclamation against Dong Zhuo exposed all his crimes to the public, so no need for repetition. By assuming the position of left general under Dong Zhuo, Han Sui is obviously in league with a treacherous scumbag and deserves the same fate.
Qiao Yan never calls herself by her title as the cavalry general, always referring to her titles as Bingzhou Governor and Marquis of Leping. After all, she had a hand in breaking into Luoyang, aiming to save the emperor—her stance holds weight!
And the third reason—
As long as Han Sui exists, it sends a message to the officials in the state. When the Qiang attack, they don’t have to die defending the Han people; they could just throw in with the rebels and enjoy a life of luxury instead.
What a ridiculous notion!
If that were the case, why did the late emperor hightail it and make a “loyalty title” for Fu Nanrong after he fell defending the country?
That’s why Han Sui needs to be taken out.
As soon as Qiao Yan took Gaoping, she was set on launching a crusade against Han Sui.
The disaster of the Qiang is localized, but Han Sui’s scheme is a national crisis.
If Han Sui weren’t orchestrating ties among various Qiang factions, they’d just be fighting separately like a bunch of reckless buffoons. But with Han Sui at the helm, their ambitions grow, and that can’t go unchecked, unlike Duan’s strategy of “cutting off the root.”
“Bingzhou Governor Qiao Yan, having first arrived in Liangzhou, should have been calming the locals and restoring order in the Northern Land, but the snake in our path keeps showing its ugly head. How can I bear to let it slide? Han Sui’s head must roll as a warning!”
She added afterward, did she not know that Han Sui is a local warlord?
Of course, she did.
But back in the day, Duan Qiang had rallied the troops for battle against the Qiang at Fengyi Mountain, motivating them with words of honor and sacrifice. Despite being far from home, he still urged his troops to fight for the Han’s glory.
If Duan could do it, then so can Qiao Yan, who had already taken out 8,000 of the Qiang at Gaoping.
When Han Sui arrives, he’ll face the elite forces of Bingzhou, with fine horses and strong lances, ready to welcome him with open arms.
All references to Han Sui should now be replaced with Han Yue.
Han Sui nearly slammed the table upon reading the letter.
But with the messenger still present, if he lost his cool over Qiao Yan’s fiery words, wouldn’t that play right into her hands?
Trying to calm himself, he scrutinized the “Agreement with Han Yue” again, more convinced than ever that Qiao Yan’s ability to command Bingzhou at such a young age was tied to her blatant disregard for minor details.
What does it mean for her to leave Bingzhou, go out to battle, in unfamiliar territory solely to serve the Han? Sounds like she’s the one taking a risk here!
Just two days ago, Han Sui had received news from the remnants of the Zhong Qiang that Huo Shizhai had fallen, with no survivors left in Gaoping—those attacking the city had been this very Bingzhou governor.
Getting that news hit Han Sui hard; he’d lost a key stronghold connecting Chang’an and the Northern lands, which left him shaken.
She had moved her forces too fast and been too efficient!
Gaoping, such a fortified city, demolished, and her swift capture meant this feat was alarmingly eye-catching.
Plus, considering Qiao Yan’s previous military ventures beyond the borders, she might just have inherited Duan Qiang’s knack for rapid maneuvers—like marching over two hundred miles in a day!
However, he certainly wouldn’t serve his head on a platter just because of her aggressive tactics; instead, he planned to call Ma Teng for advice on how to deal with this mess.
But lo and behold, just as he’d sent a message to Ma Teng, Qiao Yan’s challenge landed right on his desk.
And the chosen battleground, while on the surface seeming to benefit him, was actually a trap.
Fengyi Mountain is barely a hundred miles from Gaoping; given that Qiao Yan is already camped there, heading out to engage her would be a piece of cake. But coming from Jincheng, a six-hundred-mile trek is nothing short of a logistical nightmare!
If Qiao Yan played a few more tricks, laying ambushes midway, she could easily obliterate his fatigued forces.
He would be insane to agree to Fengyi Mountain as the dueling ground.
He turned to the young messenger and coldly asked, “Back in the day when Emperor Guangwu sent General Kou Ziyi to attack Gaoping, the commander in Gaoping was Gao Jun. He requested the strategist Huangfu Wen to challenge General Kou in a duel, but he was full of threats and rude gestures…”
“So, you just got your generals chopped down, and instead of getting revenge, you’re handing over Gaoping City to the General Kou? Aren’t you worried you might end up like that messenger who got killed in the battlefield?”
The other party replied with calm confidence, “General Han, you’re a scholar and know the history, yet you must’ve missed the lesson on how it feels to be shameless. Comparing yourself to someone like Wei Hou? Come on, that’s just asking for trouble.”
“You…”
“I called you General Han because my lord wants to have a respectable battle with you. It’s just a way to give you some status. Do you really think you’re worthy of the title ‘General’? If you had the guts to kill me, I’d respect you a bit, but I suspect you don’t even have that courage!”
Han Sui definitely wouldn’t kill that messenger.
Standing in front of him was a young man with a striking presence and a serious face. If it weren’t for his youthful appearance, he could’ve been mistaken for Fu Xie of old, who had once defended Hanyang.
Who else could this be but Fu Gan, Fu Xie’s son!
When Qiao Yan asked who would be brave enough to deliver the letter for a duel, Fu Gan stepped up without hesitation.
His reasoning went like this: “When my father died defending the city, the Qiang people who benefited from his high ethics and loyalty realized that Han Sui and the others were acting improperly. If he gets mad and kills me just for delivering a duel letter, that doesn’t fit the Qiang’s style. The Qiang people are strong when divided, and weak when united. If Han Sui kills me, it just shows he’s loud but lacking inside, how will he command respect?”
“If he really had no worries and I died at his hands, so be it! I didn’t force my lord to avenge my father when I joined him. Today, as my lord campaigns against Liangzhou, striking Gaoping first like thunder, the army’s might will soon march through Kui Garden, swords aimed at Huangzhong. He will definitely uproot Han Sui from Liangzhou, and even if I die, I have no regrets.”
Fu Gan’s bold declaration made Gai Xun, who initially intended to step up, sit back down.
His fiery and straightforward words confirmed that he was indeed the right choice for the job of delivering the letter.
Why would Qiao Yan refuse his self-nomination?
Han Sui thought just as Fu Gan described.
With Fu Xie dead, if Fu Gan were to die at his hands, it would surely cause him trouble.
He was trying to mimic the Qiang people’s tactics to seize power while still clinging to some old habits of worrying about reputation.
In such a conflicting mindset, even when Fu Gan presented Qiao Yan’s duel letter and called him a rat trying to honor himself, he could only swallow his anger and express his stance on the duel.
He said, “If Bingzhou wants a duel, why not hold it at Dingxi? Seems much better to me!”
Fu Gan sneered, “When did a general go on a raid after telling the bandits first? Not so long ago, Grand Commandant Duan chased the Qiang soldiers in Sheyanze with light troops, covering two hundred li day and night. By morning, he attacked. My lord is taking the same route towards Gaoping. If it weren’t me delivering the message, but my lord’s army marching through, we wouldn’t even need a duel at Fengyi Mountain!”
“General Han is nitpicking and refusing to fight; he shouldn’t call himself a leader of the Qiang army later. What kind of leader hesitates like this and haggles over terms!”
Before Han Sui could suggest changing the location again, Fu Gan already left, not forgetting to throw in, “From today, within seven days, my Bingzhou army awaits you at Fengyi Mountain. If you’re too scared to show up, we’ll just take you down one by one.”
He only said this after stepping out of Han Sui’s reception area, enough for part of Han Sui’s Qiang bandits to catch on.
Han Sui sat inside, his expression changing rapidly.
Qiao Yan’s move was to borrow the victory at Gaoping and launch an attack on his reputation through this duel.
He had managed to unify the rebel forces and hold the position of commander, yet he wasn’t blind to this tactic.
But he couldn’t act right now.
“The Bingzhou governor’s movements are unpredictable, and even after breaching Gaoping City, they still have the energy to assault Huo Shizhai. From what their remaining troops are saying, those attacking are very skilled in mountain warfare. I’m afraid those could be her Black Mountain Bandits or White Wave Bandits.” After Ma Teng arrived, Han Sui remarked.
The composition of Qiao Yan’s troops wasn’t a secret to the outside world; perhaps only a few of her commanders’ actual capability was still uncertain.
So, Han Sui’s judgment that the attackers were bandits wasn’t baseless.
Han Sui continued, “If she brought not just cavalry and foot soldiers for besieging the city but also the crafty Black Mountain and White Wave bandits who excel in mountain warfare, it would be far too easy for her to set an ambush in my path.”
“Responding to her provocations and going to battle might entrap us in her scheme. Better to wait and see, let her march deep into Liangzhou, while Brother Shoucheng leads an army to cut off her supplies, and I will then attack from both sides, like Sun Jian and Zhou Shen did back in the day. No matter how brave she is, faced with the terrain of Yu Zhong and Kui Garden, she would still flee miserably!”
While Ma Teng felt a bit of schadenfreude at Qiao Yan’s provocation of Han Sui, they both had intertwined interests now, and it wouldn’t do to show those thoughts on their faces.
He stroked his beard and replied, “Wen Yue, your words are indeed wise. If our army rashly charges in, we could face disaster. It’s better to observe the situation and aim for a decisive victory.”
He added, “But by doing this, you might bear some criticism.”
Even though Qiao Yan’s letter for a duel didn’t explicitly say so, it did carry a hint of moral coercion.
If Han Sui didn’t respond to the challenge, she could quite openly switch her battle to Liangzhou’s various regions. If her next target was among the rebels allied with them, it would lead to a blame game. Would those rebels first accuse the attacking Qiao Yan or fault Han Sui for doing nothing? With Ma Teng’s knowledge of the Qiang people’s tendencies to bully the weak and fear the strong, it’s easy to come to a conclusion.
This would all fall on Han Sui!
Han Sui chuckled bitterly, “If we could gather ten thousand troops right now, why would I fear Qiao Yan? I’d just lead everyone in a direct assault! But…”
If they really did that, they might chase Qiao Yan out but would only turn around and let Dong Zhuo profit from it. He wouldn’t miss the chance to reap the benefits.
That guy is also from Liangzhou! With the Emperor under his thumb, it would be easier than anyone else to dismantle Liangzhou’s forces and recruit their officers now that his biggest worries were out of the way.
So, Dong Zhuo would be the happiest to see such a scene occur.
That being said, Han Sui could only wait for Qiao Yan to march into their territory for a battle, but he hadn’t anticipated that the most fitting way for him to respond would come back to bite him.
If he could turn back time, Han Sui would definitely slap himself—why did he even say that Qiao Yan wouldn’t attack Liangzhou?
With the battle yet to commence, he was already at a disadvantage.
Meanwhile, Qiao Yan in Gaoping was indeed following her letter to the letter, making no further aggressive moves after the slaughter at Gaoping, as if she was genuinely waiting for Han Sui to come challenge her.
But it’s not like she had been doing nothing.
On one hand, she had ordered the land around Huo Shizhai to be cultivated, recruiting local Han people for farming.
On the other hand, she sent out a command to Bingzhou—
Ordered Southern Xiongnu Left Guli Wang and Yufuluo to lead their troops to Gaoping to join her for drinks and await the enemy!
