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“Can’t strategists ascend the throne?”
Chapter 183 – The Arrival of Old Age…
As the cargo chest was lifted into the room by Xu Rong, it wasn’t just filled with cotton seeds for planting; there were also several boxes of already processed cotton fluff.
When Qiao Yan reached in to grab it, the familiar sensation brought a smile to her face.
Among the precious fabrics of the Han Dynasty, there was a type called “Bai Die” that was shipped from regions like Jiaozhou and Yizhou to Chang’an. It was a white fabric made via cotton weaving techniques.
But that cotton was from the kapok tree, not the more widely used cotton in later textiles and clothing, and its yield was limited.
What was before her now was the real deal—actual cotton.
Xu Rong explained, “After we arrived in the Kushan Empire, we searched extensively and finally found several merchants who had previously traded with the Han. Due to the ongoing conflicts in the northern part of the Kushan Empire, these merchants suffered significant losses, with some even going bankrupt. When they heard we were willing to hire them, they readily signed contracts with us.”
Qiao Yan thought to herself that this couldn’t really be deemed a delay.
If it weren’t for Xu Rong and Ma Teng leading the way with their troops, they might have faced bandits along the route, or had issues with extreme weather conditions.
Moreover, traversing the Gobi Desert on the Silk Road wouldn’t be easy without horseshoes to protect the horse hooves.
What pleased Qiao Yan the most was Xu Rong’s cautious nature; he had mentioned using animal hides to wrap the horses’ and camels’ hooves in a similar manner to the Westerners, cleverly hiding the horseshoes until they entered Kushan territory to avoid unnecessary trouble.
This caution also reflected in their procurement matters.
When Qiao Yan asked why this cotton hadn’t spread widely into Kushan, Xu Rong answered without hesitation, “I specifically inquired about this when we were purchasing the seeds and cotton.”
Upon seeing the cotton in his hands, having transitioned from the illustrated guide drawn by Qiao Yan to tangible form, he immediately realized that this was far superior to the current method of using mulberry bark for protection against the cold in Bingzhou, and it also had greater potential for widespread adoption than animal furs.
Keep in mind that in these times, eating meat was quite a luxury; therefore, few people could afford fur clothing.
Some individuals were even allergic to animal fur, further limiting the audience.
However, cotton as a warm material was different—if there were ways to cultivate it in bulk, there would certainly be ways to make it popular.
“On one hand, cotton cultivation consumes labor and depletes soil nutrients, and continuous planting can lead to various ailments for the crops.”
“That’s not an issue for us,” Qiao Yan replied. “When the Heishan troops first surrendered to me, they grew yams in the mountains of Leping. That was a patience-draining task. With options for winter survival, every obstacle can be overcome.”
“Depleting soil nutrients isn’t a problem either; we can rotate it with beans or wheat.”
At worst, they could have a three-year planting cycle.
Currently, common folks could survive winter even with mulberry bark clothing, so providing cotton clothing, without needing it to be thick, would offer a fundamental improvement under the right conditions.
The usage expenses could easily be covered by farmland in Bingzhou.
The choice of Bingzhou over Liangzhou was partly due to the current Little Ice Age making Liangzhou’s temperatures less suitable for cotton growth, and also because Qiao Yan didn’t want the secret of cotton to be discovered too hastily; it was better kept in safe hands.
Xu Rong said, “Unfortunately, India lacks such conditions. According to the locals, over three hundred years ago, the Great Yuezhi invaded from the northwest and occupied the lands north of India, establishing the Kushan Empire in the north. To resist foreign enemies and pay tribute to Kushan, they had to grow more rice to fill their granaries, allocating more manpower for military service. That’s one reason.”
Xu Rong opened one of the boxes, which contained unseparated cotton. “According to the people of India, they developed tools for separating the two over six hundred years ago, but efficiency remains low. It takes one person dozens of days to finish harvesting cotton from an acre. With strong enemies to the north, they simply don’t have the time to deal with such tasks.”
After all, their region isn’t that cold year-round. Instead of fussing over cotton cultivation and separating the cotton from the seeds, it’s more efficient to grow more grains.
In their understanding, grains are hard currency.
“This is indeed a problem,” Qiao Yan picked one cotton flower, pulling its four petals apart. One petal had two or three seeds, although not nearly as many as modern hybrid cotton. Without this removal, the fluff couldn’t be directly used. “Send this to Deheng and ask him to find a way to create a cotton seed separator before the autumn harvest.”
Suddenly, Xu Rong felt a bit sorry for Ma Jun.
If he remembered correctly, the siege hammer used to attack Gaoping and the heavy crossbow that shot Pang De were both made by Ma Jun.
Although he recognized Ma Jun as a genius in mechanics, shouldn’t he focus first on military improvements before messing around with civilian tools? That seemed too much like “the capable do more work.”
Xu Rong’s expression was too evident to hide.
Qiao Yan cleared her throat, refraining from mentioning this might be influenced by Ma Jun’s historical creation of the Water Wheel of Hundred Skills, giving her a bit of a stereotype.
She added, “But it doesn’t have to be his sole responsibility. The siege hammer and heavy crossbow have proven effective in actual combat, so they don’t need immediate repairs here. Why not return to Bingzhou with the cotton?”
“Let Ma Jun lead the invention of the cotton seed separator. Any extra hands can be selected from the Science Museum and Leping Academy.”
After thinking for a moment, she wrote down a note, including those women who had contributed to the production of mulberry bark clothing and paper in the past, to also take part in the cotton seed separation project.
Historically, the key figure in promoting cotton in China, Huang Daopo, created tools for seed separation, replaced small bows with large ones to fluff the cotton, and invented the three-spindle spinning wheel for fast yarn production—transforming from a poorly treated child bride to a milestone figure in history.
As cotton planting was being advanced in the Northwest, its use in textiles would follow suit, prompting the need for these inventions sooner rather than later.
Who knows, maybe these inventions will spring from other women’s hands?
In Ma Jun’s previous life, he was exceptionally talented in weapon modifications, but when it came to food, clothing, and daily necessities, perhaps a closer connection with these matters would yield better results for Qiao Yan.
So more accurately, he would be providing technical support.
Seeing that Qiao Yan had taken more sheets of paper to write down a few words regarding cotton and Princess Yang’an but merely set them aside without comment, he continued, “Additionally, there are a few items I brought back for you to examine.”
The first item was still related to cotton: it was the cultivation techniques Xu Rong learned after purchasing a large number of cotton seeds.
On the way back from Kushan to Liangzhou, he had them rewritten in Han script.
Qiao Yan’s interest wasn’t too high; she already had a Northern farming handbook thanks to the seeds that could grow in the Northwest, which had its own records.
Nonetheless, this cultivation technique was undoubtedly aligned with the seeds brought back, providing a reasonable explanation for cotton’s technological guidance in its inaugural year of planting in Bingzhou.
This thorough consideration made Qiao Yan increasingly confident that Xu Rong could be entrusted with important responsibilities.
Next was a selection of other local specialties from the Western Regions.
Xu Rong understood that the funds Qiao Yan provided for purchasing goods had to be put to good use, so he carefully selected what he brought back.
With limited funds, he returned with just two items: one was pepper, and the other, a veggie known more popularly today as spinach.
The former had been brought into Central China during Zhang Qian’s journey to the Western Regions, but the quantity had been minimal, and it never gained widespread cultivation.
Xu Rong pointed at the spinach and explained, “According to your instructions, we took some Liangzhou soil to the Western Regions; this green vegetable can be planted in it. The Kushan people say it grows in just ten days and can be cultivated alongside tall plants.”
Qiao Yan wasn’t too clear on soil acidity, which wasn’t her area of expertise. However, since Xu Rong said so, the spinach must have been suitable for the Northwestern region.
Xu Rong continued, “Kushan folks say that consuming it can improve complexion and promote health, so I bought quite a bit.”
For the Han people, relatively lacking in medical knowledge, such food with apparent benefits was like a magic remedy.
And indeed, he made a perfectly correct choice.
By the end of the first century, many crops familiar to later generations grew wild and remained untamed, such as carrots, which wouldn’t be domesticated until eight hundred years later and would take another three hundred years to appear in China.
Such foods wouldn’t be introduced into the Central Plains for Qiao Yan’s use.
Meanwhile, some products possibly flowing into the Silk Road due to the expansion of the Kushan Empire came from further southern lands and were less suitable for northern planting, especially finer varieties of rice.
Having spinach was great—iron, folic acid, and blood boosters!
Thinking about adding a nutritional element for her strategists and generals, Qiao Yan expressed her satisfaction, saying, “This is excellent.”
Upon hearing this praise from Qiao Yan, Xu Rong’s serious expression softened, showing signs of relief.
Enduring the return trip over nearly six months, far from Han territory and into unfamiliar lands was not the hardest part.
The real challenge lay in ensuring that decisions about the goods purchased wouldn’t result in wasting only money but also irreplaceable time.
Ma Teng fell ill as soon as he returned to Liangzhou after slumping into relaxation.
Luckily, in the end, the feedback they received justified all the effort they put in.
“The other item is probably not suitable for planting here.” Xu Rong pointed at the pepper. “It has a spicy flavor and can dispel dampness and cold, so I thought I’d bring some back and see if it’s useful.”
Given that their environment was so cold, this choice by Xu Rong seemed fine to Qiao Yan.
After its widespread introduction into Central China, pepper was noted in the Tang Dynasty’s compendium of medicine as a remedy for dispelling internal wind and cold.
Considering this potential use, Qiao Yan decided to hand it over to Wu Pu, hoping he could use it to lure Hua Tuo to Bingzhou.
Inviting Hua Tuo to Bingzhou had been her idea since last New Year, but the ongoing military campaign in Liangzhou made her postpone it.
With both Zhang Zhongjing being from a prominent Southern family and already on a political path, he could hardly journey north; Hua Tuo was undoubtedly the only option.
With this in mind, Qiao Yan dismissed the idea of enjoying pepper-roasted lamb for her own cravings and instead closed the box, preparing to send it along with the cotton seed back to Bingzhou.
At this time, pepper wasn’t merely a spice but was used as a fragrance due to its spiciness.
As spices have always carried a hefty price tag, pepper was no different.
So it was better to maximize its usefulness than to treat it as commonplace, especially since its price wouldn’t be lower than a whole box of spinach seeds.
Then came the third item Xu Rong brought back: several prized horses from Dayuan.
Xu Rong explained, “These horses aren’t as good as Red Hare, but they’re of significantly higher quality compared to those used by your commanders, and they’re cheaper than purchasing directly within Han territory. However, we need enough Dayuan people in the group.”
Qiao Yan circled around one horse, conceding that Dayuan horses truly deserved the reputation they held.
She asked, “Is there a possibility of making a bulk purchase for these horses?”
Qiao Yan thought for a moment before asking, “What if I give you some of the Qiang cavalry under our control to disguise and raid instead?”
Xu Rong stared at Qiao Yan in shock, but upon noticing her serious expression, he realized she wasn’t joking and genuinely entertained the idea.
Qiao Yan continued at a leisurely pace, “The time when the Western Regions were under the jurisdiction of the Protectorate is long gone. Dayuan was even once under Kushan rule, but now with the Kushan power base shifting south, Dayuan and Hela are attempting to break free from Kushan control. Why can’t we make use of the confusion?”
“At this moment, when a fine batch of Dayuan horses is being plundered, who’s most likely to do it?”
That didn’t seem too difficult to answer.
Most likely, it was the Kushan Empire.
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“There’s a clear distinction among the Han merchants who often trade in the Western Regions.”
In this case, if it really is as Qiao Yan suggested, transforming one’s appearance might just deepen this misunderstanding.
Xu Rong was about to speak when Qiao Yan earnestly continued, “Wenxian, don’t forget, you’re one of my generals, not a messenger heading to the Western Regions.”
As soon as she said this, Xu Rong was momentarily taken aback, but when it clicked, it all became clear to him.
This whole journey had been about him meticulously strategizing troop placements and setting up camp defenses for the caravan, and he had applied that attention to detail to procurement, yet he hadn’t realized he could think a bit outside the box!
Qiao Yan nudged him again, “It wouldn’t hurt to stage a little play when necessary. Don’t you want to form a cavalry unit entirely composed of those superior horses from Dayuan?”
“……” Xu Rong couldn’t utter a falsehood in front of Qiao Yan.
He even thought that if Zhao Yun, the straightforward type, were asked the same question, he would probably give a similar answer.
Imagine!
What general wouldn’t want such a strong cavalry to expand their territory?
Xu Rong was ambitious for glorious achievements.
So, considering the “poverty” of both Liangzhou and Bingzhou, it actually seemed feasible to raid Dayuan’s troops and nab a bunch of war horses!
Qiao Yan could see the answer reflected in his silence.
She teased, “What’s the matter? Didn’t Ma Shoucheng warn you about this?”
Xu Rong couldn’t help but think Qiao Yan was hinting at Ma Teng, given that he surely bashed a few horses in Liangzhou.
But thinking back to how she had fully trusted Ma Teng prior to their departure, he figured it was just harmless banter.
Since Xu Rong was to test raiding the fine horses of Dayuan, of course, he would need to go on another trip along the Silk Road.
This journey wouldn’t just involve Xu Rong and Ma Teng, the “marginalized” generals Qiao Yan had in mind, but also a group of Qiang people. If they wanted to fish, it’d be much easier than the last time.
And for Qiao Yan, this “fishing” operation was necessary.
After already acquiring cotton, the most crucial resource, and connecting with several Kshatrapa merchants along the Silk Road, she no longer had any demands from the Northwestern nobles.
Now that she had a bunch of hostages, finding an excuse to deal with some of the more restless ones posed no problem at all.
Considering the round trip time needed for the Silk Road combined with the time for horse raiding, she’d likely return just in time for the autumn harvest.
By then, she had secured the first wave of harvests from the land cultivation in Liangzhou, undoubtedly boosting her popularity among the people there.
This would be her best opportunity to take action.
Xu Rong understood the cue, preparing for another trip west in a month.
Perhaps due to the success of the first journey and Qiao Yan’s high praise, or perhaps the prospect of an imminent battle meant he could assemble a fearsome cavalry upon his return, Xu Rong rarely exhibited nervous energy and immediately dragged Ma Teng off to select Qiang soldiers.
These two, one having served Dong Zhuo and the other having been a rebel with the Qiang, could speak a few words of Qiang and had commanded them in battle, so there wasn’t really any need to rush.
But Xu Rong thought that since this wasn’t a campaign on home turf, they absolutely needed to win and should form good synergy beforehand.
Ma Teng, still ailing: …
“I think it’s necessary for Meng Qi to accompany you on this trip,” Ma Teng sighed.
But he knew full well that wasn’t going to happen.
Even if this task were done beautifully and Qiao Yan didn’t harbor any doubts about his surrender, when it was time for him to leave Liangzhou, he had to go, which was undoubtedly better than staying in Bingzhou for retirement.
Comparatively, his situation was rather dignified compared to those Northwestern nobles.
Of course, the few prominent households in Wuwei still had no idea that Qiao Yan was secretly planning to peel layers off them.
Now that the cultivated land avoided their holdings, it wasn’t that she intended to stay out of their way, but rather planned to take over at the right moment.
The clueless Yan clan of Wuwei delivered the high-quality Western honey from this Silk Road trade to Qiao Yan, earning her “sincere” praise.
After giving the Yan clan an extra training spot, both sides got what they needed and were quite pleased.
Once Yan Jun was sent off, Qiao Yan had Lü Bu escort the items slated for Bingzhou back, also sending a note of peace to his wife and daughter.
The remaining cotton fluff was processed into a cotton coat and a quilt.
Qiao Yan kept the quilt for herself, and after having a peaceful sleep wrapped in it, she finally felt a hint of normalcy returning to her life.
The cotton coat, however, was sent to Cheng Yu in Jincheng.
Though the saying went that “it’s not about having little, but about fairness,” when you could only have one coat, aside from the Bingzhou Prefect’s Deputy, no one else was entitled to such a privilege.
The few fine Dayuan horses were gifted to Dian Wei, Zhao Yun, Zhang Yang, Zhang Liao, and Chu Yan.
Cheng Yu looked at Qiao Yan standing behind with her hands clasped, peering out the window, and interjected, “My lord, this act seems to show nostalgia rather than merit-based rewards. I fear there might be some issues.”
In any force, strictly adhering to seniority is rarely a good thing.
Especially among the five having received horses, with Dian Wei and Chu Yan being unskilled in cavalry warfare, yet Qiao Yan still bestowed those fine Dayuan horses upon them.
Qiao Yan did not keep the only cotton garment for herself but gave it to him, which genuinely touched Cheng Yu’s heart; yet, due to his loyalty to her, he couldn’t help but voice this counsel.
Qiao Yan gazed at the distant sprigs of new green, chuckling, “Sir Zhongde, you’re mistaken. This isn’t nostalgia, it’s a promise to all of you that these things will eventually belong to everyone.”
There will be cotton clothes and fine horses.
This was her commitment to her subordinates.
So she started with those who had followed her from the very beginning.
In this spring of the third year of Guangxi, Liangzhou and Bingzhou truly felt the atmosphere of rejuvenation, as if spring had returned and hope was approaching, while Dong Zhuo in the south was clearly having a tougher time.
When Li Jue returned from Gao Ling to report to Dong Zhuo in Chang’an, he saw Jia Xu sighing as he descended the palace stairs.
Ever since aligning with Dong Zhuo, Jia Xu had gained his deep trust, always looking enigmatic, making Li Jue often feel intimidated by him. This was the first time he saw him appearing so downcast.
But Li Jue and Jia Xu were never close, and in that moment couldn’t think of a conversation starter, so he just watched the other hurriedly walk away, disappearing from his sight in no time.
Li Jue could only pull back his gaze and continue forward.
Despite fleeing from Luoyang to Chang’an, Dong Zhuo had not changed in one aspect; he was still arrogant when it came to his status, like now as he maintained his domineering manner over the Han court.
Unfortunately, with Qiao Yan threatening from the north, Dong Zhuo couldn’t afford to spend too much energy on palace repairs and instead had to stay at the Han ancestral shrine in Chang’an with Liu Xie, later hastily refurbishing Weiyang Palace. Once done, he brazenly occupied the main hall.
Under Dong Zhuo’s pressure, the astute Liu Xie knew he could not show any unusual expression and had never revealed anything amiss on the newly transformed court.
So at this moment, Li Jue arrived to meet Dong Zhuo, right at Weiyang Palace.
Unfortunately, a great fire at the end of the Han era had razed Weiyang Palace to the ground. This newly renovated palace was merely erected according to the original platform, constructed to the highest artistic standards by existing craftsmen in Chang’an, which greatly diminished its former splendor.
In the building of this palace, Dong Zhuo had adjusted it according to his personal taste, so while it still looked new, it also showed a certain nouveau riche vibe.
Of course, Li Jue himself was a bit of a nouveau riche himself, so he wouldn’t dare critique Dong Zhuo on this matter.
What concerned him was that Dong Zhuo’s current mood seemed quite unpleasant.
As he respectfully greeted Dong Zhuo, the look in Dong Zhuo’s eyes was shadowed by a heavy gloom.
This was likely due to Qiao Yan from the north.
Li Jue couldn’t help but suspect that the fates of Dong Zhuo and Qiao Yan were at odds, considering Dong Zhuo’s frustrations had been entirely over her lately.
She’d wiped out Han Sui, pacifying Liangzhou, which sent Dong Zhuo into spirals of anxiety.
She nominated Sun Ce as the Prefect of Kuaiji, nearly causing Dong Zhuo to throw his table.
A few months ago, the New Year’s gift she sent Liu Xie had, as Cao Cao had guessed, fallen into Dong Zhuo’s hands.
Being a native of Liangzhou, he understood full well the effects of purple shell mother-of-pearl.
This had almost drove him crazy with anger.
This dismissive—a hint of mockery—New Year’s gift had caused Dong Zhuo to change all his archery targets to Qiao Yan’s name for quite some time.
Now seeing Dong Zhuo in this state again, Li Jue instinctively asked, “Is there a plan to advance to the north this spring?”
If that were the case, with Dong Zhuo anxious, Li Jue was bound to be in hot water as well.
Even though last year Duan Wei had effective field management around Chang’an, prompting Dong Zhuo to recruit some new troops in winter to consolidate defenses at various passes, if Dong Zhuo expanded the army, would Qiao Yan just sit idle?
Now that she held Liangzhou lands, recruiting a group of fierce Qiang soldiers would be a piece of cake. Even if Chang’an took the advantage of defending the Guanzhong, Li Jue figured his only option would then be a hasty retreat.
Fortunately, he heard Dong Zhuo reply, “Not quite.”
Dong Zhuo had sent a few spies to Liangzhou, but no news had confirmed that Qiao Yan was planning to move troops.
If she intended to solidify her rear before advancing, it was probably going to be after this year’s autumn harvest.
At least it wouldn’t be now.
This left Li Jue a bit puzzled.
If Qiao Yan weren’t planning to advance, why would Dong Zhuo act like this?
He watched Dong Zhuo ponder for a long while before finally speaking, “Mr. Wenhe suggested I launch an attack during the spring farming season to disrupt Qiao Yan’s pace.”
Upon hearing this, Li Jue’s face lit up with excitement.
If the passive defensive situation could change, it’d be a tremendous blessing!
He was absolutely fed up with this humiliating state!
Dong Zhuo continued, “He said I should march north on the direct road, swiftly charge into Bingzhou, striking at Qiao Yan’s stronghold. Should we launch a surprise attack on Bingzhou, she’d have no choice but to return for aid, but by the time she reaches Bingzhou, we can dart south down the Luo River, returning to Huayin. We’ll hold the passes, and never grant her the chance to pursue.”
In Dong Zhuo’s eyes, Jia Xu was certainly a competent strategist.
His previous strategies had provided follow-up actions for each route he suggested.
The follow-up to the Yizhou strategy was to have the Yizhou Governor Liu Yan propose Zhang Lu as the Prefect of Wudu, causing the area to be vacated ahead of time and reducing Liu Yan’s vigilance through several grain exchanges.
The follow-up to the Jingzhou strategy was assisting Liu Biao in eliminating Sun Jian and allowing Zhang Ji to return directly into the Wu Pass without stopping in Nanyang, leading Liu Biao to believe he had to ally with him.
Moreover, the top strategy didn’t stop with just leveraging Yuan Shao to restrain Qiao Yan.
Total surprise attacks, potshots at Qiao Yan’s two regions where her defenses were stretched thin, forcing her into a state of neglecting one for the other.
The first step was to send troops to Bingzhou!
This not only sought the fleeting chance for victory but could also potentially provoke a backlash from within Liangzhou, triggering a series of reactions.
But…
Even though Li Jue immediately praised, “This is a great plan!” Dong Zhuo didn’t respond.
Li Jue felt a thud in his heart.
In this silence, he instinctively followed Dong Zhuo’s movements with his gaze.
Dong Zhuo’s figure was cloaked in the palace’s candlelight.
This should’ve emanated a radiant grandiose aura.
Yet it left one feeling as if he remained ensnared in shadow, even the slow reach towards the wine cup seemed unnaturally sluggish.
Li Jue couldn’t help but notice that compared to when he first entered Luoyang, Dong Zhuo looked somewhat gaunter now.
But this loss of stature didn’t spark an impression of quick-witted sharpness; rather, it made it clear he seemed trapped in a web of self-doubt.
Unbeknownst to him, it’d been a year and a half since his defeat in Luoyang.
He hadn’t fought a single battle, merely isolating himself within the palace in Chang’an.
While he had a horse to ride, he’d never run more than a hundred miles before turning back.
As time dragged on, he appeared to lose that fervor for confronting heroes across the land, feeling nothing but dread facing Qiao Yan, fearing he might not win.
These emotions, previously hidden, were completely set ablaze by Jia Xu’s earlier suggestion to advance troops.
Li Jue fell silent.
He recognized a very troubling reality.
The old Dong Zhuo, who led them into Luoyang—
He was getting old.
