“Can strategists really not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 164 had Dong Zhuo feeling all sorts of excitement inside.
Honestly, he was in desperate need of a strategist!
If only Li Ru were still around, he could have argued back whenever those ministers, who came to Chang’an just to support Liu Xie, had issues with his actions.
And even if he managed to recruit a few scholars to his cause, how many of them would truly be on his side? He shouldn’t be struggling as he currently was in this fertile land of Guanzhong.
With the Eastern Han court dissing him left and right, he didn’t have anyone to defend him either.
At that moment, he started envying He Jin.
Why is it that both of them are brutes, yet He Jin gets to be surrounded by a bunch of literary officials, while he’s stuck in this pitiful state?
After He Jin’s death, Chen Lin, who was a clerk, immediately sided with Yuan Shao and even penned a scathing criticism against Dong Zhuo for usurping Liu Xie’s authority—talk about getting under his skin!
Now Qiao Yan seized control of his support in Liangzhou with lightning speed, winning over the Qiang people, leaving Dong Zhuo questioning if she really had Liangzhou blood in her veins!
This just intensified his need for a visionary strategist to devise plans on how he should deal with the multiple threats looming over Chang’an.
If Qiao Yan manages to stabilize Liangzhou, there will at least be three routes open for attacking Chang’an.
Yet, he had hardly taken advantage of the benefits that came with being the Emperor of Han, while doom loomed closer.
Should he fight or continue to shift positions? Or where could he recruit more reinforcements? He needed someone for advice!
On top of that, he was short on generals.
His own blood relative, Dong Min, would have staunchly supported him, but where was he now?
Niu Fu, his son-in-law, could be a bit slow sometimes, but he at least had some martial skill!
Xu Rong, capable of both commanding troops and fighting, might have had some friction with others, but his presence would have helped secure a frontline.
Now, he had none of that.
So—
Whether it was Yan Xing or Jia Xu, if he could keep them as part of his faction, he was willing to give it a shot.
Yan Xing was still young with plenty of room to grow.
What pleased Dong Zhuo most was that he not only displayed loyalty to his lord in this long-distance message, but he also had a natural opposition to Qiao Yan.
For this reason, he didn’t directly tell Yan Xing that he didn’t intend to deploy troops to Liangzhou, fearing it might give the Eastern court and Bingzhou armies a chance to strike while he was vulnerable in Guanzhong. Instead, he said, “General Han’s left general position was personally bestowed by the Emperor. Qiao Yan’s unilateral act of attacking him and even forcing his murder is outright rebellious.”
Dong Zhuo stepped a few paces towards Yan Xing.
As he closed the distance, he couldn’t help but see Yan Xing as a fine specimen of the high-quality white poplar sprouting from Liangzhou—truly satisfying!
Perhaps it was because his own son had passed away, seeing a young man fiercely confronting Qiao Yan instead of him made him like him all the more.
He patted Yan Xing’s shoulder and said, “We will certainly avenge General Han. But it’s all about careful planning—should it be a trap for the enemy or a direct counterattack on Liangzhou? I plan to discuss with my followers to redeploy the defense troops in Guanzhong and then decide.”
That was a very diplomatic response.
Dong Zhuo felt that this was a pretty safe statement.
Sure enough, he saw a flicker of surprise in Yan Xing’s eyes as he replied, “It’s reassuring that you have this mindset, Chancellor. It does justice to General Han’s trust in you, and being cautious about military action is indeed wise.”
Dong Zhuo seized the opportunity to ask, “If we really go into battle, would you be willing to serve under me as a subordinate general, to help avenge your lord?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Yan Xing replied, “No need for a subordinate title! If you truly wish to avenge General Han, I’m willing to be your vanguard!”
Dong Zhuo was satisfied.
Ever since Qiao Yan had sent him scurrying back to the gates of Luoyang, he had felt out of luck, but finally, something was going his way!
To show appreciation for the young general, he heard that Yan Xing’s horse had suffered an injury while traveling from Liangzhou to Chang’an, which might affect its performance in battle. So, he immediately ordered a fine horse from his stable to be given to Yan Xing.
When he summoned the remaining troops from Liangzhou, they had brought along a few good steeds from Xiliang.
While it certainly wouldn’t compare to the legendary Red Hare in the short term, it was still far better than the injured horse Yan Xing had!
After seeing Yan Xing off, he turned to Duan Wei and asked about Jia Xu’s situation.
In Dong Zhuo’s eyes, generals were generally easier to win over than scholars, much like how Yan Xing had shown him a smile when he learned there would be good horses for battle.
But scholars…well, let’s just say Dong Zhuo didn’t quite understand the thoughts of Wang Yun and Huang Wan.
Thus, he could only consult Duan Wei, who leaned more towards the scholars.
“Just relying on his Liangzhou background to persuade him to serve under you might be tricky,” Duan Wei analyzed. “On our way to Chang’an, I tried to bond over some old Wuwei Commandery stories, and after reporting to you yesterday, we had another chat. He mentioned if you were to let him return, it’s likely he wouldn’t be satisfied, so he might as well be killed off, ending it that way.”
Dong Zhuo felt a bit choked up, asking, “Must it be so decisive? Qiao Yan merely gave him a ceremonial advisor title. There can be over twenty ceremonial advisors in a state—how can he be compared to such a talented official?”
No way could someone with such a title maintain loyalty to Qiao Yan that could rival Yan Xing’s loyalty to Han Sui!
If that were the case, Dong Zhuo would become despondent.
Duan Wei shook his head: “It’s not just about loyalty or lack thereof. Jia Xu has family in Bingzhou; his eldest son is serving under the Bingzhou governor. He can’t just switch allegiance because of localized interests, as that would mean putting his family in danger. Since he’s unlucky enough to be captured and brought to Chang’an, he might prefer death over serving, which is good for everyone and saves you trouble.”
What Duan Wei didn’t say was that Jia Xu had also added that, “Considering how poor your eloquence is, instead of mulling over this, why not focus on actual issues and not go around minting fake coins.”
If that got to Dong Zhuo, there would be a real chance he’d chop Jia Xu off!
After all, Dong Zhuo had no qualms about executing scholars.
It was better to tone it down a notch.
Duan Wei’s judgment seemed correct. Hearing his words, Dong Zhuo sighed and replied, “It’s unfortunate he can’t serve me due to family reasons—it’s a lamentable situation. This isn’t Jia Xu’s fault.”
Perhaps his repeated failures in recruiting scholars had ignited a bit of rebellion in him, as he exhibited an unusual level of patience towards this seemingly promising strategist.
Letting such an opportunity slip by would indeed be regrettable.
Jia Xu’s unwillingness to serve only deepened Dong Zhuo’s suspicions about any outside influence on the appearance of both Jia Xu and Yan Xing.
He asked Duan Wei, “Do you think there’s really no way for him to strategize for me? If he agrees to serve, I could at least offer him a position as the Inspector of State Affairs. If I remember correctly, you mentioned that Jia Xu’s ancestor was Jia Yi. He must want to fulfill his ancestor’s unachieved wishes, right?”
Jia Yi had been marginalized, indeed brilliant in his political critiques, yet only held the position of the Grand Tutor of the Prince of Changsha.
However, Jia Xu’s situation was different!
If he was keen on helping Dong Zhuo plan, in this scenario where Liu Xie held the power, he could easily become the foremost strategist, instantly ranking atop the hierarchy.
Duan Wei understood Dong Zhuo’s urgency and replied, “I’ll give it another shot at persuading him.”
To Duan Wei, not only was Jia Xu underappreciated by Qiao Yan, but even Jia Xu’s son, Jia Mu, occupied a position in Bingzhou that felt trivial.
Having both father and son as ceremonial advisors—was that to belittle the father or mock the son?
Now that was truly the reality for Liangzhou people under non-Liangzhou officials!
Maybe convincing Jia Xu was doable! The tough part was safeguarding his family.
Of course, some ideas were best left untried.
He heard Dong Zhuo say, “Isn’t Jia Xu worried about his loved ones? My daughter is a widow and could marry him. That way, they could have children together—wouldn’t that be a decent solution?”
Duan Wei was left wide-eyed.
“Chancellor! If you really did that, it wouldn’t be showing kindness; it would be creating an enemy!”
He quickly replied, “Let me try again first! Unless absolutely necessary, please avoid using such methods!”
Hearing this, Dong Zhuo finally relented.
Three or four days later, news came from Liangzhou again.
This time, the news didn’t struggle through mountainous terrain but successfully reached Chang’an—thanks to another person seeking refuge with Dong Zhuo.
But when Dong Zhuo finally laid eyes on him, the guy was hanging on by a thread, hardly clinging to life.
“Yang family from Hanyang?” Dong Zhuo frowned while listening to the stranger introduce himself.
According to him, Qiao Yan had successfully eradicated Han Sui’s influence from the Jincheng area after pacifying Huangzhong with the children of the Qu clan, intending to wipe out Liangzhou’s leftover threats completely.
First on the list of casualties were those who had exchanged letters with Han Sui.
With Ma Teng and Ma Chao joining her, and Qu Yi and Qu Yan serving her, Gai Xun reclaiming Hanyang, and Gaoping City guarding the center, she was set to execute a multi-pronged attack without breaking a sweat!
This was undoubtedly a show of force!
“She plans to target Chang’an right after taking care of Han Sui, leaving no potential threats behind.”
As for the situation of other powerful clans, it’s still a mystery, but the Yang family in Long County has already faced a purge.
Yang Qiu narrowly escaped under the protection of his servants, but given the current medical conditions, his chances of survival are nearly zero.
If he were to hope for anything, it would be for the Son of Heaven to be in Chang’an, where perhaps there might be famous doctors to save him.
Unfortunately, the Imperial Medical Office from the days of Luoyang has already moved to Ye City along with Liu Bian, leaving Dong Zhuo unable to do anything about his situation.
At most, he might get a nice feng shui spot for burial in Chang’an.
Duan Wei had initially intended to return to Mai County for defense, but was caught by Dong Zhuo, who, acting like a half-hearted strategist, began inquiring, “Do you think Qiao Yan isn’t afraid of killing too many nobles and causing a backlash?”
Duan Wei replied with a bitter smile, “The Prime Minister is from Liangzhou herself, how could she not understand this? She’s looking for stability at her rear while attacking Chang’an, so as long as she recruits some and suppresses others, she’ll ensure no one from Liangzhou dares to interfere with her for a year.”
If during this time she can provide enough benefits to those aligned with her, the deterrent effect might even last longer.
Moreover, even one “Yang” represents the Yang family of Hanyang and the Yang family of Jiuquan in Liangzhou, and because of Han Sui, killing the former may actually gain her supporters from the latter.
This is the law of the jungle in Liangzhou.
But regardless of whether this move is shortsighted or not, Qiao Yan is the Prefect of Bingzhou, not Liangzhou, so why care about these matters?
However, what Dong Zhuo never anticipated was that he thought Qiao Yan’s ruthless actions were a catastrophe for him, only to suddenly receive a request from Jia Xu to meet him.
This strategist from Liangzhou bowed to him and said, “I wonder if the Prime Minister is willing to hear my advice?”
Dong Zhuo, surprised, rose to ask, “Why has the gentleman changed his mind?”
Jia Xu’s gaze was heavy: “The names of our ancestors have been passed down for three generations, yet are no longer sung. Thankfully, there’s the ninth generation descendant of Jia Changsha serving as Prefect of Wuwei, thus the Jia family of Wuwei exists, but by the time it reaches me, several generations have passed, and the name is no longer prominent. I, Xu, am an ambitious man, and while I wish to serve my country, I also seek to revive my family. I initially thought Qiao of Bingzhou was someone who would obey the edict, and so I made plans, but what I see now seems not to be the case!”
There was a hint of barely concealed fury beneath his calm tone, especially in the accused “what good will it do?” implying that it was his suggestion for Qiao Yan to use Han Sui’s letter as a pretext to eliminate some troublesome nobles.
What he said now would only please Dong Zhuo. Jia Xu’s refusal to serve him because his son was still in Bingzhou was true.
His defection due to Qiao Yan’s brutal approach towards the Liangzhou nobles was equally genuine!
Qiao Yan had inadvertently helped him, pushing this strategist he wanted to take in closer to his side!
Dong Zhuo quickly responded, “If the gentleman has something to teach me, I will certainly listen attentively.”
After taking a seat under Dong Zhuo’s direction and calming his emotions, Jia Xu said, “The Prime Minister’s greatest concern now is undoubtedly that Qiao Yan is about to advance on Chang’an. She has rejected the position of General of the Cavalry, and reconciliation is undoubtedly impossible. The Prime Minister likely does not wish to die alongside the Son of Heaven—this move not only renders the enemy’s military efforts futile but allows that Eastern figure to wake up smiling from dreams.”
Dong Zhuo nodded.
If one can live, why would one wish to die?
He was even more reluctant to give up the Emperor as a pawn.
Even if his situation in Chang’an was somewhat awkward and difficult, it was a far cry from when he was previously restrained during the campaign against Xiliang.
“Please elaborate, sir.”
Jia Xu continued, “I have three strategies: upper, middle, and lower.”
Seeing Dong Zhuo’s eager expression, Jia Xu went on, “For the lower strategy, under the pretext of joining forces with Liu Yan of Yizhou to protect the Son of Heaven, seize Hanzhong. This would simultaneously choke off Longyou and Sanfu while launching a direct assault on the critical juncture of Yizhou. Yuan Shu and the Prefect of Lujiang are locked in a fierce battle, and Lu Kang serves the Son of Heaven from the west, which can aid the Prime Minister. Yuan Shu’s long siege of Lujiang has left his forces exhausted. If the Prime Minister and Liu Biao can unite against Yuan Shu to seize Yizhou and establish their base in Maling, it might very well be a pathway to survival.”
“Qiao Yan’s foundation lies in Bingzhou, her inherent strength cannot fully take over Guanzhong, leaving the Prime Minister a chance to return.”
After processing this information, Dong Zhuo hesitated and asked, “If it’s as you say, this hardly seems like a lower strategy?”
This actually sounds like a decent plan!
Jia Xu replied confidently, “No, this is indeed a lower strategy! The military in Yizhou is difficult to mobilize, let alone the Son of Heaven’s commands! If the Son of Heaven’s edict cannot reach all corners, and the royal family’s favor is limited to just one province, the Prime Minister’s moves under the Son of Heaven’s name would be nothing but a joke.”
Dong Zhuo was stunned for a moment, “You are right, this deed shouldn’t be taken lightly.”
Jia Xu continued, “The middle strategy is to ally with Liu Biao of Jing Province, repel Sun Jian and Zhu Jun, and take a route through Jing Province directly to Yang Province. Yuan Shu is currently entangled in combat with the Prefect of Lujiang, while Lu Kang honors the Son of Heaven from the west, which could aid the Prime Minister. Yuan Shu has been unable to capture Lujiang for a long time, and his forces are drained. If the Prime Minister combines forces with Liu Biao to break Yuan Shu and seize Yang Province, establishing a base in Maling might not be an unfeasible path to survival.”
“In the old days, when the First Emperor of Qin toured eastward to Maling, someone claimed that Jinling possessed the aura of a kingly capital, which led him to cut off the connecting ridges and excavate the northern mountain, renaming Jinling to Maling, showing that this area is indeed the birthplace of a rising empire.”
Dong Zhuo’s eyes lit up.
This suggestion sounds quite tempting…
But just as he was about to ask why this was only a middle strategy, Jia Xu said, “However, Liu Biao of Jing Province, who was previously able to single-handedly ride into Jing, is no ordinary character. Having such a figure at his side is not much different from having Qiao Yan beside him! Furthermore, the Yangtze River riverbanks safeguard Maling yet sever the northern route, and the population of Yang and Jiao provinces is insufficient. Thus, the inevitable south-north struggle will eventually lead to a deadlock, making this a middle strategy.”
Unable to contain himself, Dong Zhuo leaned forward, “Dare I ask the gentleman, what is the upper strategy?”
Jia Xu’s discussion of the lower and middle strategies had greatly captured Dong Zhuo’s attention.
He was truly eager to hear what Jia Xu’s upper strategy would be.
Yet he simply uttered four words: “Hold your troops.”
If there hadn’t been those lower and middle strategies, and he had only heard these four words directly, Dong Zhuo might have suspected Jia Xu was a spy sent by Qiao Yan and would angrily kick him out.
Hold troops? Is it that easy to just hold troops?
Jia Xu kept a calm expression, seemingly oblivious to the questioning glint in Dong Zhuo’s eyes, explaining, “What does the Prime Minister think will happen if he informs Yuan Shao in Ye City about Qiao Yan’s sudden military attack and quick victories over Ma Teng and Han Sui within half a month? And if he further tells him that on the second day after Han Sui’s city was besieged, Han Sui’s head was delivered by his subordinates to Qiao Yan, what would be Yuan Shao’s reaction?”
Dong Zhuo’s face darkened in thought as Jia Xu’s voice echoed in the hall, “Yuan Shao might initially believe that Qiao Yan, leading the Bingzhou army, would be unfamiliar with Liangzhou, making her advance slow. Even if they initially had Gaoping as a foothold, taking down Ma Teng and Han Sui would not be an overnight success, during which time he would have built up his power by the Son of Heaven’s edict.”
Han Sui thought this way too, which is why he didn’t guard against Qiao Yan taking down Ma Teng first before heading for Jincheng.
But the facts have proven that this Bingzhou Prefect is no one to underestimate.
Even now, she hasn’t yet reached twenty!
“Now that Liangzhou has been pacified, Yuan Shao wouldn’t want to see such an outstanding person of both civil and military prowess succeed in saving the Emperor. With Han Sui’s death as an example, it’s hard to ensure the next head sent in will not belong to you, Prime Minister. At that moment, Qiao Yan would effortlessly move to Chang’an, advancing east under the Son of Heaven’s command, and Yuan Shao would be in peril!”
Dong Zhuo couldn’t help but think that he might be in a more dangerous position than Han Sui.
Han Sui was first beset, trapped within Jincheng; his men, unwilling to die with him, led to his downfall.
He aware that, living in Chang’an, there are plenty who oppose him.
Fortunately, as Jia Xu mentioned, he and Yuan Shao are in a lose-lose scenario.
If Yuan Shao doesn’t want Qiao Yan to further threaten him, he would indeed have to consider Dong Zhuo’s fate!
Jia Xu added, “Yuan Shao, from a line of prominent officials with the court backing in Ye City, could easily create trouble for Qiao Yan, far easier than you, Prime Minister.”
This wasn’t to downplayDong Zhuo but a plain fact!
Dong Zhuo decisively slammed his hand down, “We will heed the gentleman’s advice, holding onto Sanfu, informing Yuan Shao of Liangzhou’s military situation and let him act as our blade!”
Of course, this message shouldn’t come through Dong Zhuo directly writing some sort of pleading letter; it should be from someone in Chang’an’s court who leans towards Ye City, creating a more secure situation.
But as Dong Zhuo arranged his personnel, a thought inevitably crossed his mind—
If he remembered correctly, this Yuan Shao had faced losses to Qiao Yan more than once already; what if he developed a psychological shadow and hesitated to act?
Or if, despite his grand lineage and now having the Son of Heaven at his disposal, his actions could still be easily countered by Qiao Yan, what should he do then?
But once he thought that he still had the lower and middle strategies as a fallback, he didn’t change his mind.
What Dong Zhuo didn’t know was that Qiao Yan was also quite concerned about the first issue.
Thus, after much thought, she decided to deal a final blow.
Yuan Shao received the news from Liangzhou, just as he was hearing his subordinate strategist Shen Pei suggest not to rush into creating trouble for Qiao Yan, lest they provide others a talking point and allow Dong Zhuo to gain the advantage, when suddenly a messenger arrived, reporting that Qiao Yan had sent him a letter.
Upon unfolding the letter, he found only one sentence written—
[A year has passed, where are the supplies? I’m ready to move to Chang’an to save the Emperor, hurry up.]
