Chapter 165

Chapter 165

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 5: The Two Divisions of Han, Battles in Hexi, Chapter 165: Ju Shou’s Strategy

Book: Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 165: Ju Shou’s Strategy

Return the grain?

After careful consideration, Yuan Shao realized it was indeed time to return the 50,000 shi of military grain.

Due to various matters such as relocating the capital and suppressing bandits, Yuan Shao had almost forgotten that the coalition at Suanzao against Dong Zhuo was actually last year’s event, and the borrowed grain from Bingzhou had indeed arrived in June of last year.

It has been a full year since then.

No, even a few days more.

According to the calculation method proposed by Qiao Yan at the time, Yuan Shao would have to return an additional few dozen to a hundred grains of wheat. And following the debt repayment terms at the time, Yuan Shao should personally count these hundred grains of wheat to show Qiao Yan.

If it were someone else making this request, Yuan Shao might have thought it was just a sarcastic joke. Everyone had already risen to such high positions of power, so such ridiculous additional conditions should no longer be honored.

But unfortunately, the other party was Qiao Yan.

Given her way of doing things, she might actually do this!

Yuan Shao held the letter, his face dark.

And look at what she said in the letter—intending to rescue the emperor in Chang’an, return it quickly.

She really doesn’t hold back… not willing to write an extra word!

What an arrogant tone!

Even though Yuan Shao had gained control of Qingzhou and Jizhou over the past year and had the merit of supporting the eastern emperor, the letter he received from Qiao Yan still had this commanding tone.

It was hard for Yuan Shao not to instantly recall the scene last year when Qiao Yan publicly scolded him on the street, calling him “gold on the outside, rotten on the inside,” with the same lack of courtesy.

Very well!

If she subsequently succeeds in attacking Chang’an and really rescues the young emperor Liu Xie, and then turns her sharp edge from Ma Teng and Han Sui to him, wouldn’t that mean an immediate war?

Yuan Shao prided himself on being capable, but with the high grain prices in Ye City and the resurgence of bandits, if Qiao Yan were to directly attack him, holding the legitimate title of Liu Xie, he really wouldn’t be her match.

Sitting below, Shen Pei saw Yuan Shao’s expression change repeatedly after receiving the letter and was about to ask what Qiao Yan had written when he suddenly heard Yuan Shao say, “Zhengnan, we cannot repeat Han Sui’s mistake.”

What does it mean not to repeat Han Sui’s mistake?

Han Sui was too trusting of Qiao Yan, never expecting her to breach Jincheng in such a manner.

With the same 30,000 troops, Zhou Shen and Sun Jian were ambushed by the Xiliang army at Kuiyuan Gorge, losing their armor and fleeing, while Han Sui was outmaneuvered by Qiao Yan, who flanked him from the rear.

No one should forget that this young Marquis of Bingzhou originally rose to prominence from the battlefield of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

So who can be sure that her confrontation with Dong Zhuo would result in mutual harm, rather than—

Rather than a repeat of Han Sui’s situation?

There are many who can be generals in the world, but few who can be commanders, and Qiao Yan is among the best.

If they want to continue developing in Jizhou and Qingzhou, accumulating at least two more years of grain and having the capital to recruit soldiers, they cannot allow Qiao Yan to launch another attack on the three capitals.

Yuan Shao has now learned his lesson: never underestimate his opponents, especially someone like Qiao Yan who never plays by the rules.

After being thoroughly stirred by Qiao Yan’s debt-collecting letter, his emotions, which had just calmed down from the news of the Liangzhou battle, flared up again.

Suppress! She must be suppressed!

But how to tie her hands… as Shen Pei said, it indeed requires careful decision-making.

Even with the reason of supporting Liu Bian as the legitimate emperor, if he pulls too obviously, it could easily leave a bad impression.

Yuan Shao looked around at the strategists in the hall, feeling proud of the situation he had developed in Jizhou and Qingzhou and the talents he had gathered, but he couldn’t help but feign a worried expression and asked, “If the general strategy to hinder her attack is set, what methods do you all have to teach me?”

Returning the grain is out of the question.

Although 50,000 shi of grain isn’t much, if it were directly invested into the battle to rescue the emperor in Chang’an, becoming Qiao Yan’s aid in welcoming back Liu Xie, the Son of Heaven, Yuan Shao felt he would lose his appetite for a while.

How could he aid the enemy like this?

Moreover, the grain prices in Jizhou had indeed dropped slightly as harvest approached, but they were still much higher than last year, effectively doubling the debt he originally owed.

This made him feel even more heartbroken.

So no, he won’t return it!

And since he doesn’t plan to return it, he should also add trouble for the creditor, keeping her too busy to focus elsewhere.

The people in the hall were not just Xu You and Shen Pei, who had previously gone to Jinyang to announce the appointment of the General of Agile Cavalry to Qiao Yan.

Since Yuan Shao welcomed the emperor to Ye City and held the authority of the Governor of Qingzhou, many who did not favor Dong Zhuo and Liu Xie’s side, seeing the newly established court, had joined Yuan Shao.

Especially the scholars from Ruyang and Yingchuan, who aspired to serve and achieve their ambitions, and the local Hebei scholars who formed a community of interest with Yuan Shao.

Although the negative impact of Yuan Shao’s late arrival at the Suanzao coalition still somewhat affected him, after a year, he dared to say that his team of talents was among the best in the world.

After he asked the question, the fact that everyone below was thinking rather than opposing his decision further calmed Yuan Shao’s anger, which had been stirred by Qiao Yan’s debt collection.

This was his foundation.

Even if Qiao Yan rides on the momentum of a great victory, how could she compare to his accumulated strength?

One person stood up and bowed to Yuan Shao, saying, “Looking at the world, those who can suppress the Marquis of Bingzhou are few. She no longer has any relatives to look after, making it difficult to find someone to restrain her in Liangzhou. Bingzhou places equal importance on water conservancy and agriculture, and since the locust plague in the three capitals, it has seen results. Hearing from Shen Zhengnan and Xu Ziyuan’s trip to Bingzhou, along the way they saw many people celebrating the harvest, so using the burden of a province as an excuse is also unlikely.”

Yuan Shao looked at him and saw it was Ju Shou, which made him inwardly pleased.

Ju Shou, from Hebei, was recruited by Yuan Shao after he welcomed the emperor to Ye City, known for his “great ambition and skill in strategy.”

Having been thoroughly stepped on by Qiao Yan, Yuan Shao dared not be too arrogant, so his respectful attitude towards Hebei scholars was still quite sufficient.

Shen Pei, whom he had sent to Bingzhou, was one representative, and Ju Shou was another.

In fact, Ju Shou’s surprises far exceeded others!

He was not just a simple civil official but also a military commander.

Since Yuan Shao began sweeping Qingzhou last year, Ju Shou was first appointed as the Commandant of Cavalry, responsible for assisting in battles. After repeatedly achieving military merits, he demonstrated extraordinary command style in the rebellions of Mu Gu and Yu Du in Jizhou this year.








Yuan Shao immediately decided to appoint Ju Shou as the supervising officer and even petitioned the Emperor to grant him the title of “Fenwei General.” Of course, the latter’s miscellaneous general title wasn’t significant, just a reward for his outstanding performance. However, Yuan Shao didn’t give this position solely because Ju Shou helped him suppress the rebellion. It was also because when Ju Shou first joined Yuan Shao’s ranks, he said a few words to him. In these words, he mentioned that Yuan Shao rose to prominence at a young age, his reputation spread across the land, and he was loyal and righteous, raising an army to fight against Dong Zhuo. Now, “gathering the masses of Ji Province, his might shakes the north of the river, and his name is renowned throughout the world.” “Spanning the north of the great river, uniting several provinces, gathering heroic talents, and commanding a million troops, he has already welcomed the imperial carriage to Ye City and will surely restore the ancestral temple in Wei County, issuing orders to the world and punishing those who remain defiant.” “In a few years, his achievements will not be difficult.” This was a long-term strategic discussion! And it was exactly what Yuan Shao himself desired! Even when Qiao Yan’s influence was at its peak, and Yuan Shao even had to offer her the position of “Piaoqi General” to win her over, Ju Shou still had such confidence in him, saying “his achievements will not be difficult,” which was like giving him a reassurance pill. Ju Shou was by no means an empty talker but truly demonstrated the ability to quell rebellions and achieve merits for him. Compared to Shen Pei, who had integrity but was more skilled in defense, Xu You, who was resourceful but more adept at rhetoric, Tian Feng, who was upright but often insubordinate, and Feng Ji, who had insight but was somewhat short-sighted, Ju Shou was undoubtedly the most satisfactory right-hand man in Yuan Shao’s eyes and the greatest gain he had after establishing himself in Hebei. Now, seeing him step forward first, even if he first mentioned Qiao Yan’s current advantages, it did not affect Yuan Shao’s special anticipation for what he would say next. Ju Shou continued, “I have two methods to temporarily slow down her offensive. Given the current situation, Chang’an must be attacked, and slowing down the offensive is sufficient.” Yuan Shao hurriedly said, “Please, sir, speak.” He would be delighted with just one method, let alone two. Ju Shou replied, “First, from the perspective of the rites and laws that Qiao Yanshu respects, there are only two people above her, namely Lu Gong and Liu Youzhou. Among them, Lu Gong is willing to be an insider guarding the western Son of Heaven and cannot stop her actions, but Liu Youzhou can.” “Observing Qiao Yanshu’s governance, it is completely different from Liu Youzhou’s. The former enriches her troops and fiercely attacks the border barbarians, while the latter lives frugally, opens up the Hu market, and wins over the Wuhuan Qiaowang, aiming to hang the heads of Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun.” “If the people of Bingzhou live in peace, no one can criticize Qiao Yanshu, but many of the Liangzhou nobles have been slaughtered, and the continuous victories over Han Sui and Bian Zhang can be said to be military campaigns. The slaughter of Gaoping and Ayang, covering the ground with Qiang bones, has not been heard of bringing peace to Liangzhou, and bloodshed is frequent. This matter might as well be left to Liu Youzhou to handle.” Yuan Shao hesitated and asked, “But although Liu Bo’an has not acknowledged the Ye City Son of Heaven as legitimate, he has not expressed submission to the western Son of Heaven either. What if he is unwilling to go?” In Yuan Shao’s view, Liu Yu’s appeasement policy towards the Wuhuan undoubtedly reflects his true character. He doesn’t have much ambition. Such a person is comfortable to have by one’s side, but it is also a bit difficult to expect him to extend his hand into someone else’s territory. “This is not difficult,” Xu You, who was beside them, said before Ju Shou could reply, “In May, there were many people in Youzhou who spoke of wanting Liu Youzhou to be the ruler of the world. My lord, why not help him light a fire and give him a push.” Liu Yu himself publicly rejected such rumors among the people. He even replied, “Now the world is in chaos, and the sovereign is in distress. I have received great favor but have not been able to clear the national shame. You all hold various provinces and should work together, devoting yourselves to the royal family, but instead, you create rebellious plots to slander each other!” In other words, he has been working hard in Youzhou to govern, not to become a ruler himself, but to accumulate the strength of the provinces, hoping to eventually return the capital to Luoyang. Which Son of Heaven to support is another matter, but it is certainly not himself. But according to Xu You’s method, if such rumors become rampant, and someone happens to hope that he can persuade Qiao Yanshu’s actions, not to use the name of reclaiming the Son of Heaven to overstep, would Liu Yu choose to go out of consideration for his reputation? The possibility of him going is very high! Xu You added, “My lord does not need to have the Son of Heaven appoint Liu Bo’an as the Governor of Liangzhou, just have Liu Bo’an’s son Liu He temporarily act as the Governor of Youzhou.” If the position of Governor of Liangzhou were really given, it would inevitably make Liu Yu feel that this move is inappropriate. Mediating in the middle would allow him to go as a restrainer. Yuan Shao praised, “Let’s follow what you two have said.” Liu He once accompanied Liu Xie as a study companion. Last year, when Luoyang was breached, Dong Zhuo fled with Liu Xie and did not take him along. He also came to Ji Province with the establishment of the Ye City court and had a good relationship with the Yuan family. Having Liu He temporarily act as the Governor of Youzhou, in a sense, also gives Yuan Shao the capital to intervene in Youzhou affairs. He turned to Ju Shou and said, “Please, sir, speak of the second measure.” Ju Shou replied, “Please, my lord, invite Zheng Kangcheng to Ye City to reopen the Imperial Academy, and at the same time—” “Ask the disciples from Lu Gong’s hometown in Zhuojun and the disciples collected by Xun Gong when he was avoiding disaster by the Han River to go to Liangzhou to plead for their teacher’s life. Many great Confucian scholars were lost during the Prohibition of Factionalists, and if Qiao Bingzhou rashly advances to Chang’an, the lives of Lu Gong and Xun Gong will certainly be in danger, which would be a great regret.” “The disciples are not to persuade her not to fight, but to persuade her to wait until the outcome in Jing Province is decided, and then send another army to attack Chang’an, waiting until everything is stable before fighting.” Lu Zhi and Xun Shuang would certainly hope that Qiao Yanshu would directly send troops, but Dong Zhuo would never let their thoughts be transmitted. This makes this method of public opinion condemnation feasible. Moreover, as Ju Shou said, these disciples invited to go to Liangzhou are not to stop Qiao Yanshu from fighting Dong Zhuo and rescuing the Son of Heaven, but to hope that she waits a little longer, ensuring a quick victory over Dong Zhuo without sacrificing scholars before fighting. But how long it will take for Liu Biao of Jing Province, Sun Jian, Zhu Jun, and others to decide the outcome is not something that can be easily determined, and Yuan Shao can even intervene and take some actions. But on the surface, he only invited the great Confucian scholar Zheng Xuan from Qingzhou to the capital to reopen the Imperial Academy, which had been abandoned for over a year, as the person in charge. This was even an act to continue winning over the hearts of scholars. With these two measures in place, if Qiao Yanshu wants to take advantage of the great victory after defeating Han Sui to attack the Three Auxiliaries, it will be impossible for at least a year or so. If she really does this, her original identity as a loyal minister of the Han will not hold. As Ju Shou speculated, even if Qiao Yanshu is not as she appears to be, a lone minister of the late Emperor, but uses the name of a Han minister to act as a separatist, she would never do such a thing to destroy her own foundation at this time. As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Shao clapped his hands and stood up, bowing to Ju Shou in thanks. Ju Shou’s two suggestions not only stalled Qiao Yanshu’s actions but, more importantly, behind these two actions, they continued to add bricks and tiles to his plan to dominate Hebei. This is the quality that the top strategist should demonstrate! With such a strategist, how could Yuan Shao worry about not achieving great things!