Chapter 177

Chapter 177

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 6: Tigers Roar in Two Provinces, the Silk Road Reopens Chapter 177: Snow in Cangyuan

Belonging to the book:


Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 177: Snow in Cangyuan…

Jia Xu did not know that the idea of marrying his daughter to him was not something Dong Zhuo came up with today because he wanted Dong Bai to become Liu Xie’s empress.

As early as when he arrived in Chang’an, Dong Zhuo had already expressed this intention to Duan Wei, but Duan Wei stopped him by saying, “Unless absolutely necessary, there’s no need to use such methods.”

At that time, Duan Wei forgot to clearly tell Dong Zhuo the reason, “If this method is not used properly, it might turn favor into enmity,” which made Dong Zhuo reconsider this idea.

It’s no wonder Dong Zhuo thought this way.

As for that young officer Yan Xing, how much he could actually contribute, Dong Zhuo had yet to see any real performance.

He only knew that Yan Xing’s martial arts were indeed not low, and among Dong Zhuo’s generals, no one could beat him for now.

But deploying troops and formations can only be seen in actual combat, and commanding troops isn’t just about martial prowess. Who knows if he’s only good as a bodyguard.

But Jia Xu had real achievements.

Not to mention his three strategies for Dong Zhuo, which successfully forced Qiao Yan to halt her attack on Chang’an and focus on managing Liangzhou first.

Just his plan to trap and kill Sun Jian was enough to make Dong Zhuo temporarily forget that he had a strategist, Li Ru, currently held captive by Qiao Yan.

All he could think of was one idea—he must firmly tie Jia Xu to his war chariot!

What’s wrong with marrying off a daughter?

According to Han Dynasty thinking, a woman whose husband died was actually because the husband couldn’t bear the fortune, so Niu Fu’s early death was Niu Fu’s problem, not his daughter’s.

His intention to marry his daughter to Jia Xu was completely reasonable.

Wouldn’t they become family this way?

And by tying Liu Xie through Dong Bai, it would truly be a family reunion in Chang’an.

But such unpredictable actions… If Jia Xu really surrendered for the prosperity of his family and still had feelings for his wife and children in Bingzhou, Dong Zhuo’s move would make him turn hostile.

Fortunately, Jia Xu was a mole.

He just darkened his gaze and his voice turned cold: “I appreciate the Prime Minister’s kindness, but I serve under you hoping that one day you can recover Liangzhou and Bingzhou, reunite me with my wife and children, and restore the glory of the Jia family of Guzang.”

“Does the Prime Minister want me to remarry just to keep me trapped in Chang’an? If so, Jia Xu might as well die quickly, otherwise, do not mention marrying off your daughter again!”

A usually mild-mannered person suddenly showing anger in a seemingly calm tone is quite terrifying.

Dong Zhuo even saw Jia Xu’s fist clench momentarily, the veins on the back of his hand almost visible.

He quickly said, “Consider the latter part of my words unsaid…”

Better not mention it, better not mention it.

He looked at Jia Xu’s suppressed angry face and whispered, “What about the other matter?”

Would marrying Dong Bai to Liu Xie make it more legitimate for him to assist in governance, preventing Qiao Yan from using such memorials for appointments?

“Also inappropriate.” Jia Xu shook his head. “An improper name cannot be rectified by producing an empress; it only seems like trying to cover up. The Prime Minister has finally achieved a temporarily stable development situation, no need to add another reason for criticism.”

“Solving Qiao Yan’s rogue memorial method is actually easy.”

Jia Xu felt slightly uncomfortable referring to his master by name.

But if a mole couldn’t handle such situations without being thin-skinned, wouldn’t they have been exposed long ago? He continued, “The Prime Minister only needs to do two things: first, order Liu Biao, the Governor of Jing Province, to appoint Huang Zu as the Prefect of Yuzhang Commandery; second, order Liu Yan, the Governor of Yi Province, to appoint Zhang Lu of Hanzhong as the Prefect of Wudu Commandery.”

Huang Zu was someone Liu Biao kept as the Prefect of Jiangxia to consolidate power in Jiangxia, despite him being from Jiangxia.

Strictly speaking, this did not follow the Han Dynasty’s usual practice of appointing officials.

So Liu Biao could say that the original appointment was a temporary measure, and now that Huang Zu has earned merits in battle, it’s better to give him a broader development space by making him the Prefect of Yuzhang Commandery in Yang Province.

As for Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, he was the “Master” of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect in Yi Province, and because his mother was beautiful, he gained Liu Yan’s favor and trust.

Liu Yan originally intended to have him replace Su Gu as the Prefect of Hanzhong.

But becoming the Prefect of Wudu Commandery wouldn’t be a loss for Liu Yan. It might even make more sense.

Jia Xu continued, “Once these two memorials are issued, the Prime Minister and the Emperor need not respond at all; silence is sufficient.”

Dong Zhuo asked in confusion, “Why is that?”

Jia Xu explained, “It’s just going with the flow.”

“Think about it, if Qiao Yan’s actions are compliant, then wouldn’t Liu Yan and Liu Biao’s memorials also be compliant?”

“If Sun Ce can be the General Who Subdues Rebels and the Prefect of Kuaiji, then Zhang Lu and Huang Zu can also be the Prefects of Wudu and Yuzhang. Moreover, these two are members of the Han imperial family, making their stance more neutral.”

Dong Zhuo nodded.

Jia Xu continued, “If Huang Zu becomes the Prefect of Yuzhang, the conflict between Liu Biao and Sun Ce will extend into Yang Province, ensuring peace within Jing Province, from which Liu Biao can benefit. If Zhang Lu becomes the Prefect of Wudu, Yi Province can guard its gateway, and Liu Yan can also benefit.”

Hearing that these two could gain advantages, Dong Zhuo was somewhat dissatisfied, but then Jia Xu said, “But these two gaining advantages is nothing compared to what the Prime Minister gains. Huang Zu is Liu Biao’s right-hand man; if he enters Yang Province to fight Sun Ce, it will inevitably deplete his strength, giving the Prime Minister an opportunity to plot against Jing Province. If Zhang Lu enters Wudu, given Qiao Yan’s temperament, she will eventually clash with him, dragging Liu Yan into the conflict, acting as the Prime Minister’s blade—”

“Do you still think they are the ones benefiting?”

Hearing this, Dong Zhuo was stunned, then laughed heartily, “Indeed, I am the one benefiting. Sir, as you said, doing this has another advantage: for every one person Qiao Yan memorializes, two are memorialized in the same way, so she loses in numbers!”

A brilliant plan, truly brilliant!

This is called using their own spear against their shield.

But when Jia Xu left and returned to his residence, he cursed Dong Zhuo as a “fool.”

His suggestion seemed to satisfy Liu Yan, Liu Biao, and Dong Zhuo, but in reality?

Wudu Commandery was not within Qiao Yan’s land reclamation area.

In this region, the local three powerful families, the former Prefect of Wudu Gai Xun, and Xu Shu, sent by Qiao Yan to Wudu, balanced each other. Adding a preaching Zhang Lu would only add to the chaos.

Xu Shu, deeply influenced by Cheng Yu, thrived in such a boiling pot environment.

And as for Jing Province sending Huang Zu to Yuzhang, who truly benefits—Dong Zhuo or someone else—remains to be seen.

If we delve deeper, these three memorials, never approved by Liu Xie but still executed, undoubtedly trampled the Han Dynasty’s dignity further into the ground.

The initiator of the rule-breaking held the righteous cause of crusading against Dong Zhuo, so the followers were the real culprits.

More ironically, they were Liu Xie’s nominal relatives.

The so-called “using their own spear against their shield” was merely using Han imperial relatives to weaken the Han imperial family’s authority.

Moreover, Qiao Yan wouldn’t care, from now until Dong Zhuo’s downfall…





She was constrained by this rule, wondering if she could no longer issue a second appointment memorial.

Firstly, she never intended to excessively deplete her own reputation at this time.

Secondly, the more unique this petition to appoint Sun Ce as an official was, the more it highlighted the deep affection the Governor of Bingzhou had for Sun Jian and his son.

Thus, the biggest beneficiary was still Qiao Yan.

Jia Xu undoubtedly made another contribution.

But why is undercover work so difficult…

He was just a step away from calling Dong Zhuo his father-in-law.

Amidst the undercurrents of official appointments, the coldest time of the year arrived.

The falling snow spread the pristine white color from the perpetually snow-covered mountains of Yunzhong down to the foothills.

Until even the flat areas within sight were covered in snow.

For the Qiang people living on the plateau west of Liangzhou, this was the most unbearable time.

As an ordinary member of the Canlang Qiang, Mi Tang would have followed her tribe to the Huangzhong region according to past customs.

Because during the harsh winter, the fierce winds and snowstorms on the plateau made it unsuitable for long-term human survival.

The continuous cooling over the past decade has only worsened these harsh conditions.

Even though Mi Tang, like others in her tribe, had prepared a woolen coat for winter upon reaching self-reliant age, surviving the winter in such an environment was still very difficult.

Huangzhong was different.

During the Warring States period, Wu Yi Ai Jian, once captured by the Qin, escaped and taught the Qiang people to emulate Han farming practices in the Hehuang region, starting from Huangzhong.

For any Qiang person in Liangzhou, if asked about their roots, they would undoubtedly point to Huangzhong.

The climate in Huangzhong was also much more suitable for survival than the plateau above.

But this year, the one controlling Longxi, Jincheng, and especially Huangzhong was no longer Han Sui, the rebel leader allied with the Qiang, who allowed them to settle there, but a Han general known as the Governor of Bingzhou.

Mi Tang had never seen him, but from the scattered fleeing Qiang people, she heard many rumors about him.

This Governor of Bingzhou slaughtered Gaoping, repeatedly attacked Ayang, breached Jincheng, and stationed troops in Wuwei—each deed sounded terrifying.

These rumors were enough for her to mentally sketch an image of someone more imposing and authoritative than most Qiang leaders.

As she drove her sheep towards Huangzhong, Mi Tang’s heart was pounding, unsure if this migration for the winter was the right choice.

Her traveling companion joked that her name, Mi Tang, being the same as a former Qiang leader, should give her more courage.

But it wasn’t that simple.

Except for the Shaodang Qiang, who adopted the Han surname Yao with Yao Chang as a special case, the Qiang people had no surnames, only clan names.

When naming, they took a character from either the father’s or mother’s name and added another character. This naming convention was also known as the “father-son naming system.”

Mi Tang’s “Mi” came from her mother, and “Tang” was an additional character, coincidentally matching a leader’s name, which wasn’t uncommon.

But the plateau’s winter was deadly, and heading to Huangzhong might be their only chance for survival. Mi Tang and her tribe had no choice but to face their fears and head towards Laji Mountain.

Laji Mountain stood between Huangzhong and the plateau where the Canlang Qiang roamed.

In the Qiang language, this mountain was called “Where Eagles Cannot Fly,” with only the plateau’s originating streams carving a few breaks through it.

One of these breaks connecting to Huangzhong was also known as the Sun-Moon Pass.

The exhaustion from the journey and the biting cold made them almost want to shout with joy upon seeing the changing mountainscape ahead.

However, before they officially reached the Sun-Moon Pass, they heard the sound of a convoy approaching from the west.

Looking towards the sound, they saw a convoy of about thirty to forty large carts.

This was not a scale that an ordinary group could possess.

As the convoy drew closer, the cavalry mixed within the ranks became clearly visible.

Mi Tang could clearly see that the armor worn by these men was not the standard of Qiang cavalry or the hired soldiers of Liangzhou’s powerful families, but that of a regular army!

They had planned to sneak into Huangzhong under the cover of snow to scout the situation, but they encountered the army before even entering Liangzhou.

With Qiao Yan almost entirely controlling Liangzhou, it was clear whose army this belonged to.

But before they could turn to flee, the other side had already spotted them, and a group of riders quickly surrounded them.

Mi Tang instinctively gripped the short knife at her side, warily watching the approaching figures.

Given the disparity in strength, they stood no chance against such a formidable force.

But she calculated that if they were to be attacked, she would at least take someone down with her.

Just as she had this thought, a gap opened in the cavalry encirclement, and a woman in a fur-lined outfit rode out, stopping in front of them, clearly the leader of the group.

She surveyed the situation before her and asked, “Canlang?”

The snowstorm between the two groups did not hinder Mi Tang and her companions from clearly seeing that the speaker had Qiang features.

Mi Tang instinctively relaxed.

This wasn’t a Han person who spoke Qiang, but a Qiang woman.

The inquiry about their clan name also seemed devoid of hostility.

Upon accepting the invitation to join the convoy towards the Sun-Moon Pass, they learned that the woman who had addressed them was Yao Chang of the Shaodang Qiang, who had been the first to pledge allegiance to Qiao Yan.

As the Protector of the Qiang, she had recently been stationed in Huangzhong.

In the past couple of weeks, many Qiang people had come to the region due to the severe cold.

Some, not very aggressive, settled in the Qiang camps in Huangzhong after hearing about them.

But others, upon discovering the military presence at the pass, chose to lurk nearby, waiting for an opportunity.

To prevent the brine from the West Palace Salt Pool from being plundered, Yao Chang and Qu Yan had taken this trip together, coincidentally meeting this group heading to Huangzhong.

“Our luck seems pretty good?” Mi Tang asked, looking at her companion.

“…Yeah, but how do you know they’re not luring us into Huangzhong to kill us?”

The companion hesitated before posing a very real question.

Hearing this, Mi Tang instinctively glanced towards Yao Chang.

The Qiang woman general, imposing amidst the snowstorm, was directing the convoy. They then noticed that the large carts carrying the brine were actually composed of smaller carts.

These vehicles were quickly disassembled and converted into wheelbarrows to maintain their previous speed through the narrow mountain pass before the snowstorm intensified.

Yao Chang pointed east with her whip, issuing the order for the vanguard to proceed, and the convoy moved forward again.

Mi Tang wiped the snow from her eyelashes, following the convoy while replying, “Probably… Qiang people don’t deceive Qiang people?”