Chapter 182

“Can strategists really not ascend to the throne?”

Chapter 182: Returning to Liangzhou…

Leping’s rich collection of books and comprehensive education made it hard to resist even for someone aware of the enticing trap behind it.

In fact, Qiao Yan’s true intention was cultural infiltration through the Leping Monthly Report, but it failed to hit the mark before its circulation even expanded further.

Cai Zhaoji was still getting the hang of compiling the report’s content.

However, there’s no doubt that these hand-copied newsletters showcased the vibrant spirit of Leping to anyone who could get their hands on them.

Anyone with a bit of foresight would realize that students nurtured in such an environment would naturally be far more adaptable to the chaotic society than others.

And let’s not forget about Xun Yu, who He Yong branded as the “Talent to Assist a King.”

Though he still needed to survey the various regions of the Central Plains, he was already clear about the current situation in Xuzhou.

Tao Qian wasn’t a fool, but he also wasn’t someone who could thrive in a high-pressure squeeze for long.

Xuzhou was bound to get dragged into a battlefield of mutual annihilation due to the weak emperor and the rising powers, turning it into a land of disputes.

And any hidden dangers under Tao Qian’s command would only bring him more suffering.

So the only place suitable for Zhuge Liang to learn and grow was Bingzhou.

Time to head to Bingzhou!

He was confident about how to persuade Zhuge Liang’s uncle.

Zhuge Xuan, who took it upon himself to care for the orphaned family after his brother’s death, was truly a paragon of filial duty. He wasn’t overly opinionated and could easily be swayed in his judgment of situations.

Trusting Xun Yu’s recommendations and considering the future of his brother’s offspring, Zhuge Xuan would undoubtedly accept the suggestion and bring a few people to Leping.

Zhuge Liang believed Xun Yu could pull this off, so he merely asked, “But where does Mr. intend to go?”

At this point, Zhuge Liang couldn’t quite grasp why Xun Yu planned not to go to Leping as he had friends in Bingzhou who regularly corresponded with him. With Xun Yu’s talent and aspirations, he shouldn’t still be lounging around.

But Xun Yu didn’t answer that, just shook his head and shifted the conversation back to today’s lesson.

Knowing he wouldn’t stay in Xuzhou for long and being driven by a wish to prevent the young genius from fading away, he was guiding Zhuge Liang here, not really fitting into a teacher-student dynamic.

But perhaps for Zhuge Liang, this relationship felt more meaningful than a mere teacher-student bond.

Meanwhile, in Bingzhou, Qiao Yan kept an eye on the aftermath of the New Year gifts she had sent while rallying the talented folks brought by Zheng Xuan.

The two gifts for Liu Xie and Liu Bian appeared to be a sly mockery, but had real significance behind them; she had to ensure they served their purpose.

And the gifts she sent to Cao Cao, Sun Ce, and Tao Qian were meant to secure her grip on the situation in the Central Plains during her upcoming campaign against Dong Zhuo.

Looking ahead, it turned out Liu Bei of the Shu-Han in the future three kingdoms would be in a better spot than in history when he scurried around homeless; sitting as the

Prime Minister in Jinan was basically like being a regional dictator, swiveling power over both finances and military matters.

But Jinan belonged to Yanzhou. Once Cao Cao realized the various governors were expanding their clout and aimed to secure Yanzhou before plotting further, conflict with Liu Bei was inevitable.

Let’s not even get started on the military masterminds and generals under Cao Cao; the Cao and Xiahou families had way more resources than Liu Bei.

Zao Zhi, the agricultural manager who helped Cao Cao attract refugees, laid down the groundwork a year ahead.

In this scenario, if these two weren’t able to coexist, Liu Bei would have to temporarily seek refuge with Yuan Shao to the north or Tao Qian to the east, still stuck in a passive environment that posed no significant threat to Qiao Yan.

If needed, Qiao Yan could extend an olive branch to Liu Bei, uniting under the pretext of rescuing Liu Xie and Lu Zhi in Chang’an.

But it was surely not the right time for such antics and would be overkill.

For now, she found herself more suited to focusing on Cui Yan and Guo Yuan, whom Zheng Xuan had recommended.

Cui Yan had a little story in “Shishuo Xinyu.”

It goes that after unifying the North, Cao Cao felt self-conscious about his “short and unremarkable” appearance when the Xiongnu envoy visited, so he had Cui Yan pretend to be him in front of the envoy while he stood behind, holding a knife. The Xiongnu envoy left saying that if the Cao Cao impersonated by Cui Yan looked grand, then the guy in the back with the knife must be the real hero.

This is where the term “holding the knife for someone” comes from.

Of course, this story is just a fanciful tale.

Not to mention whether Cao Cao’s mentality would let him think his looks affected his reputation, but even from a historical timeline, it wouldn’t line up.

This tale references an event in the 21st year of Jian’an when Cao Cao met the Southern Xiongnu leader Luan Ti Hu Chuan, the same leader who got dumped in Ziwu Ridge to farm, but that very year, Cao Cao imprisoned Cui Yan for subtly hinting at himself in a letter to Yang Xun, soon resulting in his forced suicide. There’s no way Cao Cao would pick someone to replace him afterward.

Still, a fabricated tale from “Shishuo Xinyu” won’t be missed; hard to say if it’s a nod to Cao Cao’s execution of Cui Yan.

One truth prevails—Cui Yan was as much about looks as he was about character.

It must be said, during the late Eastern Han, anyone named “Yan” seemed pretty capable.

Qiao Yan boldly included herself in the praise and appointed Cui Yan to the position of Duyou.

According to her and Cui Yan, “Ji Gui possesses a pine-like integrity, his words are resolute, prompting others to enhance their reputations through actions. With over a hundred thousand people under my care, I constantly fear that my behavior might harm a region, thus I request Ji Gui’s assistance under Zheng Gong’s teachings.”

The Duyou role overseeing corrections and investigations had never been established in Bingzhou before.

In light of Bingzhou’s straightforward population makeup, the main conflicts were primarily concerning wars with outsiders. Having various local officials managing oversight was deemed sufficient; however, her personnel now included not only locals from Bingzhou but also people from Liangzhou, Yingchuan, Shili, and Jizhou, along with an increasingly diverse civilian mix.

Even with the dismantling of the floating bridge at Mengjin Crossing, it hardly stopped populations from viewing Bingzhou as their refuge.

Thus, the need for a Duyou position was apparent.

Cui Yan had a fierce temperament, loved giving direct counsel, and truly possessed the insight and confidence to advise. As Cui Yan’s reputation soared in the scholarly circles, Qiao’s standing in Bingzhou only grew positively.

This was truly a win-win situation.

Cui Yan took on his role immediately.

Meanwhile, his classmate Guo Yuan, after hearing Qiao Yan discuss planting developments in Bingzhou and Liangzhou, chose to follow Qiao Yan to Liangzhou.

“This choice fits Qiao Yan’s needs better.”

Bingzhou has a whole farming team built around Qin Yu, which has fully adapted to the operations in Bingzhou after a few years of coordination. Now, the only challenges are limited population growth and the subsequent need for more farmland.

In Qiao Yan’s view, the top priority for Bingzhou moving forward is increasing production, not staffing or expansion.

This isn’t exactly what Guo Yuan is best at.

In contrast, Liangzhou at this moment needs to coordinate the farmland between the Qiang and Han people, managing various military and civilian settlements—all that needs some really complicated calculations, and whoever leads this needs to think it through.

Having Cheng Yu and Zhao Yun overseeing farming in Jincheng Commandery and Wuwei Commandery isn’t enough.

They also have another problem to deal with, which is the conflicts between the Qiang and Han during their time in these two locations, not to mention the issues among the different factions of the Qiang themselves.

So, for everything related to numerical records, it would be best to set up a separate institution.

For this reason, Qiao Yan decided to appoint Guo Yuan as the Agricultural Constable, mirroring the positions of Cao Cao and Zao Zhi.

After finishing up this matter, Qiao Yan’s purpose for returning to Bingzhou was practically accomplished.

The people of Bingzhou saw their prefect return safely from Liangzhou and noted her inquiries about the development progress in Bingzhou, even inviting scholars like Zheng Xuan to Leping Academy, ensuring that the cultural industry in Bingzhou would flourish further. Plus, she left a new supervisor for the local affairs.

All of this was enough to stabilize the hearts of the people, allowing her next return to Liangzhou to be worry-free.

Lu Xun, Lu Ji, Lu Lingju, Guo Huai, and the others still needed to continue their studies at Leping Academy, while the youngsters from Xiliang were also placed in suitable observer positions. For the sake of securing some hostages, she only took Guo Yuan and her close aides with her, heading back to Liangzhou in mid-February.

February in Liangzhou was still icy and cold; there were hardly any signs of spring along the way, and even the Jing River was frozen over.

However, when she arrived at Jincheng Commandery, the Qiang people taking refuge from the cold were so lively while working that the place didn’t seem quite as frigid.

After touring the fields where winter rapeseed was planted, Qiao Yan, along with Cheng Yu, entered the last location and asked, “How many people passed the seven-day test to enter the foreign language department?”

Of the five administrative places, this one was the most crucial for Qiao Yan.

This wasn’t merely about how many Qiang people she could teach; it affected the upcoming promotion of the Han language as well.

Having only Xun Shuang and Lu Zhi’s students wouldn’t cover the demands of all of Liangzhou.

These Qiang people who learned the Han language would understand better how to master a new language and effectively optimize the learning process.

Cheng Yu replied, “Over seven thousand people registered, but only eight hundred were retained. By March, only about four hundred will be capable of essential conversations. To achieve smooth communication, we’ll need at least another half a year.”

After calculating in her mind, Qiao Yan responded, “That’s sufficient. If things progress smoothly here, we can start classes for the Southern Xiongnu and Xianbei in Bingzhou as well.”

And in Liangzhou, as long as they could be placed in corresponding positions before this year’s autumn harvest, especially into the army made up of Qiang people, establishing smooth communication and military orders would already be enough to replace the previous situation of the Qiang acting independently in battle!

She glanced once more toward the foreign language department’s classroom before turning her gaze away.

Although this wouldn’t be a decade-long nurturing plan like Leping Academy, she certainly couldn’t expect daily miracles here.

She turned to Guo Yuan and said, “Let’s go. I want to inspect Liangzhou with Zini. Before spring plowing, I hope you can quickly adapt to the local situation and become my right-hand support.”

Guo Yuan immediately obliged and followed Qiao Yan’s lead.

However, a girl sitting by the window cast a careful glance at them.

Long before Qiao Yan returned to Bingzhou, Mi Tang had already passed the assessments and was studying in the foreign language department.

Being here, she quickly realized that what was being promoted outside was only a small benefit compared to the equal living conditions of Confucian disciples.

The Han language courses they were receiving started from the curriculum of the thirteen provinces of the Eastern Han.

Though Mi Tang shared a name with a leader among the Qiang people, all she had faced over the years were matters like how to farm cattle and sheep, how to survive in harsh environments, and how to battle common wild beasts on the plains. This was her first glimpse into a truly vast world.

It turned out Liangzhou was but a small part; the places they previously lived were even more on the edge.

She solemnly wrote her name on the paper in front of her while listening to the teacher recount the origins of the Qiang. She pondered whether she should also adopt a Han surname like Yao Chang.

For instance, Jiang.

This thought naturally sprouted after two months of Han language classes, but perhaps she wasn’t the only one with such an idea.

Those fortunate enough to receive an educational opportunity among the Qiang people began to develop a vague concept of inheritance, which naturally extended to adopting Han surnames.

At that moment, she heard some chatter outside.

Although she couldn’t catch all the details of the conversation, she understood a few phrases.

They were discussing when these eight hundred people could be put to use.

Mi Tang immediately looked out the window but only caught a glimpse of Qiao Yan’s retreating figure.

Knowing the differences in attire among the Han people, she couldn’t help but guess that this was probably that rumored prefect of Bingzhou.

She didn’t look as powerful as the tales claimed, but just seeing her back and knowing that they had managed to survive the winter thanks to her gave her a strong sense of security.

Remembering the expectations Qiao Yan had for them, those learning the Han language, Mi Tang hurriedly refocused her attention on the textbook in front of her.

She needed to work harder! At least she had to be able to self-recommend herself like Yao Chang standing right in front of her!

The successful rollout of the Qiang language learning program wasn’t the only good news Qiao Yan received in February.

At the end of February, Xu Rong and Ma Teng returned to Liangzhou after traversing the Silk Road.

They only needed to reach the Kushan Empire, not all the way to Rome, which saved a significant amount of time on the road.

Traveling for four to five months was indeed sufficient.

Xu Rong, covered in dust, stepped into the government office of Wuwei Commandery and said, “Xu Rong is honored to have fulfilled the task, bringing back cotton seeds for the lord.”

This was the very first item Qiao Yan had drawn on the map before he set out!

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