“Can a strategist not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 172: The Battle of Jing Province
It was during the year when the Governor of Bingzhou was established that Liu Biao boldly rode into Jing Province. He allied himself with the local noble families, clearing out the troublesome bandits in the southern part of the province. With his frugal budget and his lineage from the Han dynasty, he managed to snag the position of Jing Province’s Governor right from the stingy hands of Emperor Ling of Han.
Now, nearly three years have passed.
In three years, someone with a bit of skill could build quite an impressive influence, and Liu Biao was just that person.
Originally, he was supposed to go through an evaluation period to see if he could rise from Governor to the rank of the Grand General of Jing Province. But with the death of Emperor Ling and Dong Zhuo’s power grab, Liu Biao got the promotion for free.
Whether it’s legitimate or not doesn’t matter; at least his allies, Cai Mao and Kuai Yue, now have the capital to stand against other noble families in Jing Province.
However, if we delve deeper, Liu Biao’s authority isn’t exactly stable.
The noble families of Jing Province had their own ranks and divisions.
After all, if not for their ambition to be at the top of Jing Province’s nobility, the Cai family wouldn’t have married off their daughter to Liu Biao as a second wife.
Given that Liu Biao was more dependent on the nobility than Qiao Yan, it was hard not to see how this competition was escalating.
At present, Liu Biao first turned down Sun Jian’s request for passage, and after Cai Mao used Zhang Ji as an example to persuade him, he restricted Sun Jian’s recruitment of soldiers in Jing Province, setting up a standoff between the two parties.
Thus, the noble families had to put their internal conflicts on hold and eliminate the foreign threat to protect Liu Biao, the “son-in-law of Jing Province.”
This sort of instability created a relatively balanced situation.
In their eyes, even though Sun Jian had once been the Prefect of Changsha and had quelled the Lingling Rebellion, they couldn’t help but dislike the guy for his rough and reckless behavior.
In contrast, Liu Biao, with his “gentle demeanor and great stature,” being one of the top eight scholars and capable of establishing doctrines, was recognized as the rightful leader of Jing Province.
Like the warlords in the North, they had the habit of training private armies, even special forces like naval troops. With their support, Liu Biao essentially commanded a decent-sized army.
Along with financial support from the influential families in Xiangyang and the title of Grand General, Liu Biao could further establish a private militia.
These advantages, although Liu Biao wasn’t a match for Sun Jian in personal combat, allowed him to form a confrontation between the North and South.
And just at the time of this standoff, he suddenly received a message from Dong Zhuo, sent all the way from Chang’an.
Liu Biao had never been fond of Dong Zhuo, that riffraff from Liangzhou.
Recognizing the status of the Chang’an court had merely been a strategic move for his benefit.
Of course, after the imperial family’s face was burned away in the flames of Luoyang, Dong Zhuo surely had some grasp of that reality.
Thus, Liu Biao had long planned that after Dong Zhuo granted him a high-ranking title from afar, he wouldn’t meddle in Jing Province’s affairs.
It was precisely because of this mindset that when he opened the letter sent by Dong Zhuo’s messenger, he was taken aback by its contents.
He immediately handed the letter to Cai Mao at his side, asking, “De Gui, what do you think I should do about this situation?”
Cai Mao took the letter and, after reading a couple of lines, instinctively frowned. “Dong Zhuo wants to send reinforcements to help us deal with Sun Jian? Does he really have spare troops?”
This wasn’t because Cai Mao looked down on Dong Zhuo.
The population in the Sili region was indeed greater than in other provinces.
However, when Dong Zhuo was forced to flee from Luoyang, the millions of citizens surrounding Luoyang were distributed across various provinces. Even Bingzhou, separated by the Taihang Mountains, could swallow a large share, significantly reducing its population.
And those twenty thousand people in Chang’an weren’t all fit for military service.
Even if Dong Zhuo could maintain a façade of guarding the pass against the threats from the north, he forced Qiao Yan to first quell the chaos from Ma Teng and Han Sui, ensuring that there would be no surprise attacks before going to Chang’an.
Now he found himself stuck in Liangzhou, unable to take action.
But neither Cai Mao nor Liu Biao thought Dong Zhuo could muster even a third of his peak military strength.
If only a single loyal force emerged from Jing Province, Dong Zhuo would inevitably find himself in a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situation.
What he should be doing now was consolidating his forces, not sending a faction to aid Liu Biao!
However, as Cai Mao continued to read on, he had to concede that what Dong Zhuo said in the letter was not wrong.
He too thought that Dong Zhuo didn’t have the confidence to split his troops. The same goes for Qiao Yan, who was holed up in Gaoping, unexpectedly launching an assault on Longxi and Jincheng.
Surely no one expected Dong Zhuo to suddenly send reinforcements toward Jing Province!
This would definitely be an unexpected reinforcement!
The reason for the reinforcement also struck a chord with Liu Biao’s ambitions.
In the letter, Dong Zhuo claimed that he and Liu Biao were not superior and subordinate, and he was aware that supporting the Son of Heaven wouldn’t lead Liu Biao to make any impractical sacrifices.
But this mutual non-interference didn’t mean they couldn’t both achieve a win-win situation!
Dong Zhuo’s troops, stationed in the Guanzhong Plain, wouldn’t make Jing Province his primary target for expansion.
Similarly, Liu Biao had no reason to attack Guanzhong unless he felt like experiencing the reality of holding onto a hot potato like Liu Xie.
So if it was a mutual avoidance kind of situation, why couldn’t Dong Zhuo lend a hand to Liu Biao and help fend off Sun Jian’s attempt to take Jing Province first before advancing to Guanzhong?
This would be beneficial for Dong Zhuo too.
It meant he would eliminate one enemy from the equation.
The letter went on to mention that Dong Zhuo’s choice for Liu Biao’s support had also been well thought out.
In the end, the chosen reinforcement was Zhang Ji.
According to the letter, Zhang Ji’s nephew had been captured in the battle of Luoyang and taken to Bingzhou. He had even sent a letter to Zhang Ji, claiming that he couldn’t save his nephew and his wife and suggested that it was pointless to think about family ties anymore.
This made Zhang Ji want a victory more than anyone else to prove his abilities and regain his standing among the Liangzhou generals.
Thus, he would undoubtedly be the one with the highest morale in the current forces under Dong Zhuo!
At first glance, Cai Mao thought there was indeed some sort of rationale behind this.
But he couldn’t help but raise a question: “If Dong Zhuo has the ability to write such a letter, how can he end up like a dog that’s lost its home, chased from Luoyang to Chang’an?”
The phrasing in this letter was quite clever.
Whether it was to quell Liu Biao’s suspicions about troops entering Jing Province or explaining the choice of reinforcement, everything was presented methodically.
Especially at the end of the letter, it mentioned how to utilize the forces led by Zhang Ji to ambush Sun Jian if they were to work together.
The strategy provided in the letter indeed allowed for Zhang Ji’s Western Liang cavalry to be put to good use, and given Sun Jian’s temperament, it was likely the least costly way for Liu Biao to defeat Sun Jian.
“Either Dong Zhuo has a highly skilled strategist advising him, or…” Liu Biao paused and said, “Or, Qiao Yan’s abilities are so great that it has made Dong Zhuo look miserable.”
Reflecting on Dong Zhuo’s actions after entering Luoyang, manipulating the Yuan clan at will, successfully driving out Cao Cao and Lu Zhi from the capital, then stabbing the Yuan clan in the back while swallowing He Jin’s military forces, it was clear he wasn’t a fool; therefore, Liu Biao leaned towards the latter.
But Liu Biao had no idea that Dong Zhuo’s earlier behavior of usurping power and the wisdom displayed in the letter came from two different strategists.
He continued, “De Gui, let’s not concern ourselves with Dong Zhuo’s past performances for now. Just tell me, do you think his plan is feasible?”
If Liu Biao were to say so, he would have felt some excitement at Dong Zhuo’s willingness to send a morale-boosting force.
Sun Jian’s troops were currently stationed in Changsha, where he had been appointed Prefect, ensuring there were enough provisions and a recruiting base.
This situation had its pros and cons for Liu Biao.
The good thing was, with the support of the noble families from Jing Province, Liu Biao had the Yangtze River and Yunmeng Marsh as natural defensive barriers.
Additionally, Huang Zu from the Huang clan in Jiangxia pledged allegiance to him; he had requested to be made Prefect of Jiangxia, gathering clan forces to serve as a lookout against Sun Jian.
But that didn’t mean Liu Biao was confident in defeating Sun Jian.
Given the boats stockpiled in Changsha and Sun Jian’s fierce fighting spirit, crossing the river to attack directly would be no trouble at all!
The current standoff felt more like the calm before a storm.
Thinking along this line, it might be better to use that unexpected external force to deliver a blow to Sun Jian.
The only concern was whether Dong Zhuo might seize the opportunity to occupy Nanyang after repelling Sun Jian.
Surely, as Dong Zhuo said, he couldn’t lay claim to all of Jing Province.
That would mean his Liangzhou troops would be completely out in the cold.
But if he just took Nanyang, it would cut off Jing Province’s access to the Guanzhong Plain, simultaneously getting supplies for his Guanzhong troops, which would still make things tough for Liu Biao.
Thinking this way, Cai Mao, being a local of Jing Province, wouldn’t overlook such a point.
He pondered for a moment and replied, “The Governor seems concerned about Nanyang. But if Sun Jian rushes towards Xiangyang, it wouldn’t just be Nanyang at stake; the entire Jing Province could fall into his hands. This guy claims to be taking down Dong, but he’s really eyeing Jing Province like an evil bandit. He wouldn’t allow you to remain here, while Dong Zhuo, with no back-up from Liangzhou, won’t dig his own grave.”
“Combining forces from Xiangyang and Jiangxia should be enough to halt the troops from Nanyang. Even with a tiger leading the way while a wolf hides behind, it’s still a wolf that hasn’t been tested.”
Cai Mao paused and added, “But it’s not enough for me alone to make this judgment. Since it involves the important affairs of Jing and Xiang, we should consult the Kuai brothers.”
The Kuai brothers had devised strategies for Liu Biao after he entered Jing Province, tricking the bandit leaders into surrendering and using a feast to execute over fifty of them, allowing Liu Biao to absorb their forces—praised as “the schemes of Yong Ji and Jiu Fan” by Liu Biao.
While Cai Mao hoped Liu Biao would rely more on the Cai family, he also understood the need to step back at times.
Seeing Liu Biao lost in thought, Cai Mao knew he definitely wanted to hear others’ opinions.
After Cai Mao stepped back, Liu Biao promptly summoned the Kuai brothers for a discussion.
Perhaps because of the stability suggested by Dong Zhuo’s letter, while on the other hand, Sun Jian was showcasing a threatening posture post-harvest; both the relatively conservative Kuai Liang and the more aggressive Kuai Yue believed they could draw Dong Zhuo in as an external ally.
As for how to respond if Dong Zhuo tried to occupy Nanyang, both presented Liu Biao with an alternative plan.
Liu Biao quickly approved and had a letter sent back to Dong Zhuo.
Jing Province is generally smooth, and Nanyang, being a network of waterways, is easy to traverse.
“Dong Zhuo already mentioned in the letter that Zhang Ji, who is in charge of the reinforcements, has arrived at Wuguan, the border between Sili and Jingzhou, and will only enter the territory with Liu Biao’s approval.”
So when Liu Biao’s messenger galloped to Wuguan and reached Zhang Ji’s cavalry at the gates of Xiangyang City, it had only been a mere seven days since Liu Biao and his faction decided whether to cooperate.
Liu Biao looked at the weary general from Liangzhou in front of him.
Zhang Ji was quite a cultured general compared to Dong Zhuo, whom Liu Biao had met a few times. Their first impression during this encounter was surprisingly favorable.
Even better, Zhang Ji seemed genuinely eager for battle, just as Dong Zhuo had described in his letter.
Without hesitation, Liu Biao gave orders for his Middle General Huang Zhong and the troops under him to converge with Zhang Ji’s forces and camp by the Han River at Lankou.
He also directed Jiangxia’s Huang Zu to take a detour to Jingling, in response to Sun Jian’s potential northern advance.
And through all this personnel shuffling, Sun Jian, who was stationed across the Yangtze River, remained completely clueless.
At this moment, the autumn wind blowing across the Yangtze brought with it a hint of chill.
He wrapped his coat around himself and stepped out of the military camp, looking out at the scene.
Since he was camped by Dongting Lake, what greeted his eyes was the vast expanse of misty lake scenery, shrouded in a layer of cold moonlight.
The camp had settled into silence for the night, with only the torches around the tent crackling, enhancing the chill of the night.
He raised his hand to stop a patrolling soldier who called out “General” and intended to follow him, taking only a few of his personal guards as they rode along the lake’s edge.
Once he reached the banks of the great river, he halted his horse and gazed towards the clouds and dreams on the opposite shore.
Thinking of the military grains ready for autumn harvest and the inevitable clash with Liu Biao, that Han thief allied with Dong Zhuo, Sun Jian’s battle spirit surged.
Qiao Yan’s earlier Liangzhou campaign and its gains didn’t make Sun Jian feel inferior to a younger person. Instead, it further solidified his resolve —
He was determined to take down Liu Biao as quickly as possible!
Remembering how he had originally crushed the Jing Province bandit rebellion in the fourth year of Zhongping but ended up letting Liu Biao, a mere Confucian scholar, snatch the governor position of Jing Province, fueled Sun Jian’s desire for vengeance against this thief.
This thought was further amplified by Zhu Jun’s display of a heroic yet aging figure while recruiting soldiers in Changsha.
Recalling Zhu Jun’s dashing appearance during the battle at Changshe, when he fought on foot after abandoning his horse, made Sun Jian sigh subtly.
Engulfed in his thoughts, he suddenly heard the whooshing sound of long spears slicing through the air.
This stentorian sound snapped him back to attention, making him turn towards the source.
In the moonlit riverside, he spotted a young man practicing vigorously with a spear, the source of that resonant sound.
Not yet able to see the man’s face, just from the power and grace exhibited in his spear movements, Sun Jian could tell — it was none other than his eldest son, Sun Ce!
He immediately strode towards Sun Ce, calling out cheerfully, “Bofu, why are you still awake at this hour?”
The agile youth, upon hearing his father’s voice, halted his spear practice and spun it to rest on the ground, looking back at Sun Jian, and replied loudly, “Father, aren’t you the one who can’t sleep at night? Why are you asking me?”
Sun Jian stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder, “I’ve been swamped with military duties. It’s been a long day; not that I can’t sleep.”
Sun Ce rolled his eyes at his father’s stubbornness and casually replied, “Then why don’t you let me bear more responsibilities?”
Sun Jian chuckled, “Quit the banter and answer my first question.”
He initially thought Sun Ce would mention the embarrassment he felt from Qiao Yan’s special dual halberd technique during the earlier battle in Luoyang, leading him to practice here. But he didn’t expect Sun Ce to say, “Father, I’m wondering why we must confront Liu Biao directly.”
Sun Jian raised an eyebrow, “Are you afraid?”
Sun Ce had fully inherited Sun Jian’s combative nature, showing no signs of fear towards Liu Biao.
The fierce determination in his eyes was palpable even in the moonlight.
He tightened his grip on the spear, exuding the aura of a fierce tiger in the mountainous forests.
Sun Jian felt a mix of pride for his son’s judgment and valor and asserted with a dismissive tone, “Stop spouting nonsense!”
“I know what you mean,” Sun Ce raised a hand in apology, “Your title as Commander is conferred by the court in Ye City, while Yuan Shu’s position as General of the Chariots and Cavalry also comes from there. If you clash with Yuan Shu while rescuing Lujiang, it would be seen as disloyal to the court. At least, you still need this title and the authority of the Prefect of Changsha, so you can’t make any rash moves.”
He sighed, “I just feel it’s such a pity.”
If Liu Biao leaned toward Liu Xie’s side and that displeased the court in Ye City, making Liu Bian grant Sun Jian the title of Governor of Jingzhou, it would be perfect to face Liu Biao in a competition.
Unfortunately, Liu Biao understood the Confucian principle of moderation, and while waging war against Sun Jian, hadn’t forgotten to offer generous tribute to both sides, paying double the annual taxes, leaving people with no solid ground for complaint.
So what could he do? He had no choice but to advance under the moniker of Commander!
Thankfully, Liu Biao’s forces were pitifully few, and even without any cunning strategies—
He could definitely defeat them!
Once he took down Liu Biao, heading over to Lujiang would be no trouble.
Lujiang’s Prefect, Lu Kang, was great at defending cities, and with the clever Gong Jin at Shuxian, it was sure to hold out for at least half a year.
He looked toward the river, his eyes revealing an eager offensive spirit, and asked, “When does the father plan to move the troops?”
This question had remained unanswered when Sun Ce had asked Sun Jian earlier.
This was to prevent news from getting out and reaching Liu Biao, giving him a chance to prepare.
But Sun Jian calculated that his forces were strong and sufficient in provisions, and even if Liu Biao had the backing of those influential families in Jing Province, hoarding soldiers at every pass wouldn’t stop him from advancing northward.
So what if Liu Biao knew his intentions?
He could only watch helplessly as he marched to Xiangyang!
He replied decisively, “In three days.”
Though the night was cool as water, above the sound of the river flowed the faint sound of kindling battle fires.
The struggle for Jingzhou had already begun!
In comparison, the tumultuous Liangzhou was looking rather peaceful right now.
Especially —
At this moment, under the vigilant watch of Qiao Yan at Wuwei Commandery.
September in Wuwei was enveloped in a busy atmosphere.
When Liu Yu arrived in Gugang, he was greeted by a large expanse of newly cultivated farmland, where rapeseed seeds had already been sown, but busy groups of people still swarmed around the fields.
Some had come from nearby Zhangye County, curious to observe; others were the Qiang soldiers gathered by Qiao Yan, and some were Qiang people recruited from Wuwei Commandery.
However, their origins seemed less important at this moment.
In Liu Yu’s eyes, some were digging deep pits to plant mulberry trees while others worked on the water conservation project in Wuwei Commandery, clearly representing a harmonious scene with a shared goal.
Liu Yu felt a bit guilty about limiting Qiao Yan’s military engagements.
After all, he wasn’t blind.
After completing the census of the newly submitted Qiang people around Gaoping and overseeing the autumn grain collection at Huo Shizhai, it wasn’t hard to see that Qiao Yan wasn’t the barbarous, merciless Qiang-destroyer the rumors in Ji Province and You Province painted her to be.
After pondering, he decided to visit Qiao Yan in Wuwei Commandery again.
If the situation remained controllable, he planned to wait for the rumors from You Province about supporting him in becoming the Emperor to die down before swiftly returning, making sure not to linger there.
And absolutely not restricting Qiao Yan’s recruitment efforts in Liangzhou after she finished up, allowing her to lead a campaign towards Chang’an and rescue Liu Xie.
Seeing this scene solidified his judgment.
When led to Qiao Yan, he saw this young governor holding an agricultural book, intently listening to an elderly farmer from Wuwei explaining how to identify the quality of mulberry saplings.
When he discussed how the saplings should be trimmed low this year and allowed to grow quickly next year, relating perfectly to her notes, a satisfied smile unconsciously appeared on her face.
The mulberry seeds being promoted in Guanzhong seemed to have seen some practice in Liangzhou as well. Qiao Yan immediately glanced at Zhao Yun, signaling him to pay attention to this matter down the road.
As she turned her head, she spotted Liu Yu arriving nearby.
Before Liu Yu could express his thoughts, Qiao Yan’s eyes lit up brightly, and she quickly approached him.
This overly enthusiastic gaze made Liu Yu instinctively swallow back what he wanted to say.
“I was just about to go to Gaoping to find you; didn’t expect you to come here personally.” Before Liu Yu could react, Qiao Yan had pulled him forward a couple of steps, “Did you see those people over there?”
Liu Yu unconsciously followed the direction Qiao Yan pointed, noticing a group of Lu Shui Qiang people.
Since few among the Qiang understood the Han language, they could only rely on one “translator” among them to grasp what the Han official was conveying during such lessons.
Of course, for the sake of precise information transfer, this gathering couldn’t be too large.
Having encountered this situation, Qiao Yan was in desperate need of manpower, and Liu Yu happened to run into her demand.
This was truly… fantastic!
She continued, “What you previously mentioned, Liu Youzhou, is very accurate. These Qiang people relying solely on brute force without proper guidance could easily lead to future troubles. To truly settle them, we can’t just change their living habits and involve them in agricultural production; we must also educate them in Han culture…”
“Ah, wait, that seems a bit difficult,” Qiao Yan chuckled at that point, “Teaching them a few simple phrases in Han language to ensure that orders flow smoothly would still be essential.”
Liu Yu nodded, affirming that Qiao Yan’s words were indeed sound.
However, he didn’t quite grasp how this connected to him.
But then he heard Qiao Yan say, “Weren’t there so many disciples who accompanied Liu Youzhou to Liangzhou earlier under the guidance of Lu Gong and Xun Gong?”
“I was also taught by Lu Gong; we’re of the same generation. Having them take charge is somewhat inappropriate. Therefore, I have to audaciously entrust this matter to you, Liu Youzhou.”
She bowed slightly to Liu Yu, her demeanor reflecting the respect of a junior, saying, “I can’t help but ask, could you trouble Liu Youzhou to have those students learn the corresponding language for the Qiang people and then teach them the Han language?”
Liu Yu hadn’t even begun to refuse when he heard Qiao Yan adding another flourish, “You see, this is the way to ensure long-term peace in Liangzhou…”
