Chapter 175

“Can strategists really not ascend the throne?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Qiao Yan noticed a flicker of interest on Guo Jia’s face.

Quickly, she added, “Next time something like this happens, please let me know beforehand.”

The strategists working under her were all exceptionally talented. If left unchecked, they could easily get carried away.

While she trusted they wouldn’t cause her trouble, having too many “frontlines” could make things difficult to wrap up.

For instance, Guo Jia’s upcoming trip to Qingzhou should focus on bringing Zheng Xuan back to Bingzhou, without targeting Yuan Shao directly.

After all, she would eventually confront that debt head-on.

Guo Jia caught her concerns immediately and waved, chuckling, “No need to worry, my lord. Not everyone gets the chance like Wen He to run wild. Without your directives, we wouldn’t dare overstep our bounds.”

That was all Qiao Yan needed to hear.

Being merciful to enemies isn’t just cruel to oneself, but irresponsible to loyal subordinates.

An ambitious person, if held back by friendship or alliances, will inevitably run into trouble.

Such a mistake should not be made by a competent lord.

Luckily, the lord she had chosen showed insight and strategy far beyond his contemporaries, and he had no weaknesses in character.

Looking at him, perhaps her love for sweets was one of her few vulnerabilities?

Guo Jia thought this while feeling secure, finding it a bit amusing.

“But seriously, how do you view Sun Ce?”

Sun Ce was just a year younger than Qiao Yan, barely making him a peer.

However, to be honest, before Sun Ce suddenly turned against Yuan Shu and lifted the siege at Lujiang, no one considered him a rival to Qiao Yan.

Even Sun Jian, despite his achievements in battling Dong Zhuo, was often seen more as Yuan Shu’s henchman.

As Sun Jian’s son who was not yet of age, there was no hope for him to grab much attention.

Indeed, generals like Huang Gai under Sun Jian were likely to garner more respect.

But now, with territories of two counties in his grip and the Lujiang Prefect Lu Kang owing him his life, and the Danyang Prefect Zhou Shang being his newly acquired advisor’s uncle, Sun Ce won’t face obstacles from either of them, especially with Yuan Shu as a rival to the north.

This unity quickly elevated his status to a point where he deserved consideration.

Now it was time to assess Sun Ce, not the late Sun Jian.

“Sun Ce is as brave as his father, and his decisions in critical moments show remarkable insight,” Qiao Yan commented.

Breaking free from Jing Province’s predicament and moving into Yang Province clearly demonstrated that Sun Ce had the capacity to establish a stronghold in Jiangdong. While he had the assistance of seasoned generals left by his father, much of it still relied on his own abilities.

Sun Ce’s charisma matched that of his father, but perhaps the biggest issue was—

He shared a worrying trait with his father.

Believing too much in his own martial prowess could lead to overreach.

Even without Jia Xu’s schemes and Liu Biao’s precise execution, Sun Jian would eventually stumble due to his stubbornness.

Historically, Sun Ce had also fallen victim to recklessness.

In an environment where martial force ruled, a person like him might seize opportunities yet struggle to maintain that position.

Especially with competitors of equal strength around.

Qiao Yan continued, “I won’t comment on his character since I haven’t interacted with him long enough. If I were to judge solely based on rumors, it would be biased. Taking into account his current dominion in territories, he shouldn’t be a threat to us.”

“In the chaotic south of Jing Province, even with Liu Biao first enticing and then tricking others to seize power, it won’t eradicate the criminal underbelly. Jiangdong is the same. With fewer people and untapped lands in the southern part of the Han Dynasty, strongmen will cling together more than those in Liangzhou or Bingzhou.”

Guo Jia sipped his hot tea and replied, “You’re absolutely right, my lord. This is clearly a case of a tail too big to wag the dog. The Yangzhou Governor Chen Wen had earlier fallen to Yuan Shu, and south of the Lujiang and Danyang counties, the Kuaiji Prefect has already fled. Under these circumstances, it won’t be hard for Sun Ce to take Kuaiji. He has now claimed three counties, half of Yang Province. But, the bigger the territory, the more troubles he’ll face.”

Yang Province, shaped by the past, namely the establishment of Eastern Wu and the migrations at the end of Jin Dynasty, might be seen as economically developed; yet right now, it’s surrounded by a dense water network resembling a wild, untamed land.

Additionally, rogue bandits once declared themselves emperors during the Xiping era, and a governor sent to root them out would find it hard due to lack of troops.

Thus, even if Sun Ce capitalizes on the Lujiang and Danyang regions to take Kuaiji and outstrip Qiao Yan in land acquisitions, he is still not a significant concern.

Things are not as glorious for him as others might think!

Guo Jia continued, “Furthermore, if he wishes to avenge his father, attacking Liu Biao will not yield results—this time, Liu Biao will definitely be on guard. If he heads north across the Yangtze, he falls back into the grasp of Yuan Shu, who has Ru Nan’s support as a formidable blocker.”

Qiao Yan chuckled, “At this point, he might as well embody the road’s fierce rogue.”

So, while Sun Ce appears fierce in his offensive, showcasing qualities of a would-be emperor of Jiangdong, he’s merely striking—there’s no governing. Plus, he hasn’t been tempered through years under Yuan Shao, making him prone to mistakes.

She pondered briefly and asked, “How would it look if I sent a gift to Sun Ce?”

With Sun Jian’s demise, it was appropriate to offer condolences.

Moreover, Sun Ce was positioned to dismantle rogue bands and mountain tribes through violent means, thus supporting his growth wasn’t aiding the enemy but turning him into a weapon for her in the south.

Whether Sun Ce realized he was her weapon did not matter; what mattered was Qiao Yan’s awareness.

Guo Jia responded, “Isn’t there the perfect person for this gifting task?”

However, before Qiao Yan could give the go-ahead, this “gift-bringer” had already sent a message, voluntarily requesting to head south.

Qiao Yan opened the letter from Bingzhou, where Lu Yuan wrote that previously, when Yuan Shu surrounded Lujiang, she couldn’t act impulsively as Qiao Yan’s subordinate and thus couldn’t risk leaving her post to aid her father.

In reality, even if she traveled alone, it wouldn’t help; without the possibility of cross-border warfare, her presence would only lead to another casualty from the Lu family rather than achieving anything, healthier to stick to what she and Qiao Yan had discussed—

If Lu Kang indeed fell victim to Yuan Shu, Lu Yuan would remember this when Qiao Yan confronted Yuan Shu in the future.

But now, she had to make that trip.

As Qiao Yan’s trusted subordinate left behind in Bingzhou, Lu Yuan had to ascertain if Jia Xu truly surrendered or faked it. She was keen to uncover how many of his strategies were authentic and how many were just for show.

After all, behind Sun Jian’s death in the Jiang-Yang turmoil lay Qiao Yan’s shadow.

Thus, to prevent Sun Ce from connecting this matter back to Qiao Yan, it was best to strengthen Qiao Yan’s image as a loyal Han official and ally of Sun Jian.

The less worldly Sun Ce, the more grateful he was for her support at present, making it less likely to draw connections.

Coincidentally, besides extending assistance to Sun Ce, she had someone among her subordinates entitled to head to Yang Province on legitimate grounds.

That was Lu Kang’s daughter, Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan’s judgment had always been sound. Given Qiao Yan’s decision-making power—

She was really digging into her potential for politics now.

When news of Sun Jian’s death reached Bingzhou, Lu Yuan immediately applied to head south, hoping to make the aid a bit more logical.

According to Lu Yuan, Qiao Yan sent Sun Ce a life-saving chain mail, along with condolences for Sun Jian’s death—sufficient to fulfill the obligations of friendship.

But Qiao Yan thought that if she could still control things—

Why not throw in a little extra?

With the brilliant general Du Yu from the Western Jin using the groundwork laid by Yang Hu to wipe out Wu, Qiao Yan was constantly reminding herself not to make the same mistakes as Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu or Cao Cao at the Battle of Chibi. She naturally had the confidence to deal with Sun Ce.

Moreover, compared to Sun Quan, while Sun Ce was quite powerful in terms of charisma, he had his own noticeable weaknesses.

Just give him some trouble when the time is right.

As Qiao Yan penned the dispatch order, she directly instructed Lu Yuan to bring a curved plow and the blueprints south.

How Sun Ce would expand production would depend on his own abilities.

Once his food production increased, how he would go about conquering the lands in Jiangdong would also rely on his skills.

The curved plow was actually more suited for the southern rice fields due to its smaller size and flexibility, rather than the larger farmland in the north.

For Sun Ce, this was akin to a lifesaving tool.

Before the curved plow could be widely used in the north with increased yield, this was a tangible and significant gift!

But Qiao Yan wasn’t worried that giving the curved plow would have any negative effects.

The agricultural strength inside Bingzhou had already completed a full set of scientific planting systems, beyond just relying on tool improvements.

This year’s autumn harvest would be her third since taking the position of Prefect of Bingzhou, and with further optimized seeds, the per acre yield had increased again.

It was nearing the maximum potential yield of eight to ten stones per acre seen by the end of the Wei and Jin dynasties.

Under the upcoming drought conditions, it would be hard to see any leap in this number again, but it was enough for Bingzhou to continue gaining advantages like a snowball.

And let her see how far her competitors could go!

This was the confidence of a strong contender!

When Lu Yuan arrived in Lujiang under Dian Wei’s protection, she was personally received by Sun Ce after he returned from Danyang.

Since she took on the role of record-keeping officer in Bingzhou, it was clear to those observing the situation that she had gained significant trust and reliance from Qiao Yan.

But Sun Ce had not expected her to arrive as an envoy at this time.

Even less did he expect that after delivering Qiao Yan’s message of “hope General Sun takes care,” Lu Yuan would present a farming tool as a condolence gift.

However, after Lu Yuan demonstrated the tool’s use, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu exchanged glances and immediately recognized its importance.

Lu Yuan continued, “My lord intends to say that the thief Dong and Liu Biao have conspired to harm General Po Lu. This matter is nothing short of treason. She will petition the Son of Heaven in the name of the Prefect of Bingzhou, recommending General Sun as the Prefect of Kuaiji and as the General to subdue traitors, while also recommending Zhu Gongwei as the Prefect of Changsha. But seeking revenge comes second; living well comes first. We must allow Lujiang and Danyang to recover from the chaos before discussing military action.”

“Today, while the south remains relatively manageable, restoring agriculture and stabilizing the populace, with your talent in command, General Sun, you will surely be able to gather troops and avenge your grievances.”

Lu Yuan seemed to sigh before adding, “It’s unfortunate that the road from Bingzhou to Yang Province passes through Yuan Gonglu’s territory. My lord wanted me to bring more items, but I could only bring this one to avoid drawing too much attention from the enemy. I hope General Sun does not take offense.”

Take offense? How could that even be a thought?

The Sun family had long resided in Wu Commandery, and Sun Ce initially believed that capturing Danyang and Lujiang would allow him to join forces with Wu Commandery. Who knew after Sun Jian’s death, the influential families there would back Yan Baihu instead, thinking Sun Ce incapable of handling affairs and lacking the imperial decree to support him.

Even among Sun Jian’s old soldiers, there were those who didn’t want to stay in Yang Province and would rather retreat to Changsha.

If it weren’t for Sun Ce’s own skills and determination, his forces would have collapsed alongside Sun Jian’s death.

Those like Qiao Yan, who came to offer gifts during the campaign against Dong Zhuo, were practically the first in line.

Even sending just a jar of wine for remembrance would have touched Sun Ce, let alone presenting something practically useful.

And there was also another crucial matter in Lu Yuan’s words.

It was not uncommon during the wars of the Three Kingdoms for a regional governor to recommend others for generalship, governorships, or special positions.

Under the restraint of imperial power, those who held legitimate status often couldn’t speak up, but would hope that capable individuals in the other camp, through such recommendations, would take on crucial roles—it seemed to have become a standard practice.

However, at this time, no one had attempted this yet.

Qiao Yan suggested proposing that Sun Ce be the General to subdue rebels and the Prefect of Kuaiji, which seemed to set a precedent.

But upon closer thought, it was indeed feasible.

If Sun Ce truly received that title, it would provide him a legitimate reason to recruit soldiers and wage war.

Yuan Shu wouldn’t want him to hold such credentials, and the court in Ye City wouldn’t issue such orders.

If the appointment came directly from Dong Zhuo, Sun Ce would likely be left in a very uncomfortable position.

Yet if it were a proposal by Qiao Yan, even without the silver seal and blue ribbon in hand, Sun Ce would still dare to accept the title!

He replied earnestly, “Please convey my gratitude to Lady Qiao for her kindness. If the people in Yang Province can survive, they should remember Lady Qiao’s benevolence.”

Lu Yuan paused before continuing, “Additionally, there’s something else I’d like to discuss with General Sun—”

“Given that Lujiang is caught between you, Liu Biao, and Yuan Shu, it truly is a volatile area. Even though my father is reluctant to leave his post, I must take some of the Lu family disciples away to Bingzhou. This is not meant to undervalue your authority, but rather it’s…”

Seeing that she seemed to hesitate to express something, Sun Ce smiled casually, “What is there to worry about? It’s human nature to avoid disaster, and there are indeed people in Bingzhou who would be loyal to them. It wouldn’t be a problem to take the entire Lu family with you.”

“Your assurance is enough.” Lu Yuan responded with a grateful expression.

Taking the entire Lu family wasn’t feasible.

At most, it would be just bringing a few of the younger generation from Lujiang for education in Leping, to prevent them from encountering unforeseen events during the imminent chaos.

For example, eight-year-old Lu Xun.

Having dispatched Lu Yuan’s southbound mission, with Dian Wei accompanying her for protection, and considering that this trip would take some time, Qiao Yan was confident in Lu Yuan’s abilities and didn’t dwell too much on it.

She supervised the construction efforts in Wuwei Commandery during the autumn and winter seasons, while also scheming some benefits from the system.

When the system was stirred awake by her sudden “Let’s trade for a different system,” it really wished to point out that remembering her was quite a feat.

However, it had already said that in Mengshan, so repeating it wasn’t necessary.

The system had been significantly influenced by Qiao Yan’s thought process and began reasoning that this overlooked situation could really be due to Ma Teng and Han Sui, even Liangzhou’s low significance in the history of the Three Kingdoms, meaning no major accomplishments had been achieved to highlight Qiao Yan’s changes in numerical values.

Yes, that’s right.

It was about finding someone else’s problem!

It asked: “What system do you want to find this time?”

Qiao Yan surprised it by treating the imperial seal as a bargaining chip and actually made it work. The system felt a fleeting surge of ambition, sensing it could even discuss the cultivation system, even though the trading restrictions likely meant it wouldn’t succeed.

While sulking, it heard Qiao Yan ask, “Do you have any systems related to beast taming?”

[…?]

“I wasn’t thinking of controlling venomous snakes or beasts like the southern barbarians do, nor did I intend to create a stable messenger pigeon system through training. I just thought, if we’re talking about controlling beasts, they should ideally be strong, right? Now that I have a method for planting in the fields—”

“Shouldn’t we also ensure that the cattle, sheep, horses, and pigs are raised to be stronger?”