Chapter 186

Chapter 186

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 6: Two Provinces Stand Firm, the Silk Road Reopens, Chapter 186: The Situation in All Directions

From the book:


Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 186: The Situation in All Directions…

With Qiao Yan’s speed in gathering information, she could make judgments slightly earlier, but Yuan Shao was caught off guard by these two pieces of news.

No, it should be said four pieces of news.

Two battle reports, plus two petitions requesting the appointment of provincial governors.

Yuan Shao almost laughed in anger.

These two petitions at least remembered that Liu Bian, who is in Ji Province, relies on the protection of Yuan Shao, the Governor of Qing and Ji Provinces, to sit on the throne. Therefore, in addition to directly submitting memorials to the Son of Heaven, they also sent a letter to Yuan Shao for discussion.

Cao Cao even sent his strategist Chen Gong to try to persuade him to agree to this decision.

But this didn’t seem to comfort Yuan Shao much.

Especially, what is Yuan Shu up to?

“I advised him before when he led the General of the Chariots and Cavalry to attack Yang Province. The Prefect of Lujiang hadn’t publicly declared his stance, and he just launched an attack, acting like a complete bandit. What good does that do except giving people something to talk about?”

Yuan Shao couldn’t help but mock Yuan Shu’s current situation, adding, “If he could win, that would be one thing, but he was beaten by a seventeen-year-old kid and fled in panic. How long has Jiujiang County been under his control? Yet he surrendered as soon as he heard Lu Kang and Zhou Yu were advancing.”

This is a huge joke!

Yuan Shao did once cause the grain prices around Ye City to spiral out of control, but after successively employing the Hebei gentry and relying on the strategies of Ju Shou, Tian Feng, Shen Pei, and Xu You to first pacify the bandits and then stabilize the people’s livelihood, the situation in Qing and Ji Provinces had completely stabilized by the beginning of this year.

The only failure was during the suppression of the bandit Guan Hai, who managed to kidnap Zheng Xuan.

But thinking that this was likely orchestrated by Qiao Yan, he didn’t even bother to curse.

In any case, compared on a large scale, Yuan Shao’s situation is much smoother than Yuan Shu’s.

Not to mention, he still holds the Son of Heaven.

With this kind of public opinion status, at least he wouldn’t end up fleeing in disgrace like Yuan Shu.

But Yuan Shao felt there was one thing he couldn’t match Yuan Shu in—

He wasn’t as thick-skinned as Yuan Shu!

In the situation of retreating from Jiujiang in Yang Province to Runan, Yuan Shu still had the audacity to request the position of Governor of Yu Province from Ye City. Yuan Shu is indeed a talent!

“He thinks quite highly of himself. If he gets this position, he can claim he withdrew from Yang Province to take up the role of Governor of Yu Province, saving face instead of being chased away by a few youngsters.”

This is something that bandit Yuan Changshui would do.

Yuan Shao looked at the petition before him and couldn’t help but think of the Discourse on Feudalism that Qiao Yan wrote years ago.

There was a line that said, “Division leads to no respect for the ruler.”

Yuan Shao, supporting the Son of Heaven in the north and holding two provinces, might or might not have ulterior motives. Qiao Yan, controlling Bingzhou and Liangzhou, at least still flies the banner of rescuing the Son of Heaven, but whether she has other intentions is unclear.

But Yuan Shu’s actions completely disregard the Son of Heaven in Ye City as someone to be revered.

In Yuan Shu’s view, Liu Bian could ascend to the throne only because he initiated the call at a critical moment, and it had nothing to do with Liu Bian’s own abilities, the efforts of the court officials gathered in Ye City, or Yuan Shao’s actions in quelling rebellions and bandits.

Only he deserves the credit.

So whether he wants to be General of the Chariots and Cavalry or Governor of Yu Province, it’s just a matter of saying the word.

“This position cannot be given to him!” Xu You immediately replied after Yuan Shao summoned him and explained the situation in the letter.

Some things, like Ju Shou and Shen Pei, who recently joined Yuan Shao, couldn’t say, especially regarding internal conflicts within the Yuan Clan of Runan.

But Xu You could.

With his long-standing friendship with Yuan Shao, he knew more inside information.

However, when explaining the reasons, he wouldn’t talk about the rise and fall of the Yuan brothers but instead said, “If the position of Governor of Yu Province is given out arbitrarily, regardless of the north, the south will surely think that the prestige of the Son of Heaven in Ye City is nothing special, allowing a mere defeated general like Yuan Gonglu to take whatever he wants.”

Xu You said seriously, “My lord, you are upholding the Son of Heaven to punish the disloyal. If the Son of Heaven’s dignity is damaged, how can we talk about conquest?”

He was absolutely right.

In simpler terms, it’s the same reason Xun You explained to Qiao Yan.

Yuan Shao shouldn’t play along with Yuan Shu at this time, as it would affect the value of the “righteous cause” he holds.

Even if he asked Ju Shou or Shen Pei, the answer would be the same.

Yuan Shao also didn’t need to worry that this rejection would provoke Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu couldn’t defeat Sun Ce, nor could he defeat Tao Qian, and in the north, he couldn’t defeat Cao Cao, who rose in Yanzhou.

What trouble could he stir up after just retreating in defeat?

At most, he would just stay in Runan and curse.

Xu You continued, “My lord, it’s easy to reject Yuan Gonglu’s request for appointment. Just say that Runan is the foundation of the Yuan Clan, and according to the principle of the Three Mutual Laws, he cannot serve as Governor of Yu Province.”

He thought for a moment and added, “This could also limit someone’s advance.”

Yuan Shao said, “You mean Sun Ce?”

Sun Ce cannot hold Wu Commandery, or rather, Sun Ce cannot become Governor of Yang Province, according to the laws of the Han Dynasty.

Although such rules are no longer followed in remote areas, using it as an official reason is still acceptable.

In fact, Yuan Shao also needed to pay attention to Sun Ce, the young tiger.

Sun Jian’s death not only didn’t cause the Sun family’s foundation to collapse but instead gave them a more desperate determination.

And Sun Ce, without the constraints of Sun Jian’s alliances, precisely gave him the confidence to expand his territory.

Today, he can recklessly confront Yuan Shu; tomorrow, he can confront Tao Qian, and then Yuan Shao.

After using Liu Yu to limit Qiao Yan’s advance, Yuan Shao realized one thing: compared to Qiao Yan, who relatively plays within the rules, warlords like Dong Zhuo and Sun Ce are the most troublesome!

Of course, this isn’t to compare Sun Ce and Dong Zhuo.

Moreover, there isn’t enough historical evidence to prove that attacking from the south to the north is very difficult.

What Yuan Shao and others saw was that during the allied forces’ campaign against Dong Zhuo, Sun Jian attacked from the south and entered Luoyang City at a speed second only to Qiao Yan.

So… what about Sun Ce?

It’s better to be wary of Sun Ce.

With this young man already being courted by Qiao Yan, Yuan Shao’s ability to show him favor is limited.

Giving him a high-ranking position might backfire.

The south is also a place beyond the reach of most people.

Therefore, rather than finding an unreliable southern ally, it’s better to keep him in his current position as Prefect of Kuaiji, entangled with the southern bandits and noble families.








Footsteps. Perhaps it could cause internal chaos first.

Yuan Shao waved his hand, indicating that he knew how to deal with Yuan Shu and Sun Ce, and then asked, “What about Cao Aman’s position as the Governor of Yanzhou?”

Chen Gong, as Cao Cao’s envoy, was undoubtedly a particularly clever move by Cao Cao.

Chen Gongtai, this person, was from Dongwuyang in Dong Commandery of Yanzhou.

He came from a noble family and had associated with renowned figures since his youth.

So the significance of his arrival was not to hastily apologize for Cao Cao’s advance into Jiyin and Dongping, nor to communicate with Yuan Shao beforehand.

Rather, it was to say that although Cao Cao appeared to only occupy Dong Commandery, now with two additional commanderies, he had already gained the recognition of the noble families in Yanzhou through his own abilities.

With this layer of support, Cao Cao’s expansion in Yanzhou, even without the assistance of his capable generals, was destined not to be too difficult.

This was a game of rules.

Under such circumstances, Yuan Shao might as well go with the flow, as Zhang Miao, the Prefect of Chenliu, suggested in his memorial, appointing Cao Cao as the Governor of Yanzhou due to his ability to protect the region and its people.

Being coerced with a soft knife at his neck, Yuan Shao felt an indescribable discomfort.

Yet, both his reason and Xu You, standing before him, told him that this position must be given to Cao Cao.

Since it did not involve internal issues of the Yuan Clan, Yuan Shao also threw this question to his other strategists.

Historically, during the Battle of Guandu, his strategists had various long-term and short-term views on how to deal with Cao Cao, but now, considering the current situation in various regions, they all felt that Cao Cao could temporarily be used as an external ally and granted the position of Governor of Yanzhou.

Yanzhou was north of Yu Province, meaning that allying with Cao Cao could make him a barrier against enemies from the south.

Moreover, Zhang Miao and Liu Bei within Yanzhou were not easy to deal with.

Although Cao Cao now had the former’s recommendation and a good relationship with the latter, there were still many hidden dangers.

What made Yuan Shao make this decision was another piece of news that followed into Ye City.

Previously, Liu Yu had gone to Liangzhou to oversee Qiao Yan’s handling of the situation there, with his son Liu He temporarily acting as the Governor of Youzhou.

Logically, with the assistance of many officials left by Liu Yu, there should not have been any major changes.

Liu He’s methods were far inferior to Liu Yu’s, giving Yuan Shao the opportunity to quietly infiltrate his influence.

But they had forgotten one person—Gongsun Zan.

During the suppression of the Yuyang rebellion, due to the prolonged fighting, the number of troops under Gongsun Zan had increased.

In the past two years, while Yuan Shao was suppressing the Yellow Turban rebels in Qingzhou, besides letting some of them flow south into Xuzhou, he also had a considerable number of them, along with refugees, head north to Bohai. These people were either killed by Gongsun Zan or became his troops.

With the expansion of his power, Gongsun Zan’s ambitions also grew.

He was not content with just the title of General Fenwu, nor with just being the Prefect of Liaodong, which Liu Bian had conferred upon him after establishing the capital in Ye City.

He had long been dissatisfied with Liu Yu’s appeasement policy and was waiting for an opportunity to act.

With this mindset, although Gongsun Zan was not yet like Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun, who rebelled under the title of Son of Heaven, after Liu Yu went to Liangzhou, he conceived the idea of seizing Youzhou.

The conquests in Jing and Yang Provinces gave Gongsun Zan a reference.

After the spring plowing, it was the time for Sun Ce, Yuan Shu, and Cao Cao to mobilize their troops, which made Gongsun Zan resolutely choose to launch the Youzhou campaign, directly targeting the capital of Youzhou, Ji County!

Gongsun Zan’s sudden attack was a heavy blow to Liu He, who was already struggling with civil affairs.

If not for Tian Chou’s assistance and the foundation and reputation Liu Yu had left in Youzhou, Liu He might not have been able to retreat smoothly to Shanggu County, avoiding Gongsun Zan’s capture.

In this sudden change, although Gongsun Zan seemed to have only taken six of the eleven commanderies in Youzhou along his route, there was only Zhuo County between him and Ji Province!

Yuan Shao was both shocked and furious.

At this point, he no longer cared whether giving Cao Cao the position of Governor of Yanzhou was appropriate or not.

Allying with Cao Cao, letting him guard the south while he dealt with the north was the right path.

For Cao Cao, this was a godsend.

In the news that reached Liangzhou in the third year of Guangxi, Liu Bian, the Son of Heaven in Ye City, promoted Cao Cao from Prefect of Dong Commandery to Governor of Yanzhou and Tao Qian from Governor of Xuzhou to Governor of Xuzhou, citing their merits in quelling chaos and governance.

As for Yuan Shu?

The position of Governor of Yu Province, which Yuan Shu most desired, was not given to him, only the position of Prefect of Jiujiang.

The implication was that Jiujiang was indeed Yuan Shu’s, so Sun Ce’s attack on him was indeed wrong, but whether he could reclaim this territory depended on Yuan Shu’s own ability.

He wouldn’t even be able to deal with a child, would he? That would be too pathetic.

Yuan Shu was thoroughly angered by this news.

Although this news also appointed Yuan Shu’s son-in-law Huang Yi as the Prefect of Runan and Yuan Si as the Chancellor of Chen, giving him formal control over half of Yu Province, compared to the legitimate positions of Governor held by Cao Cao and Tao Qian, his treatment was really not impressive.

He slammed the table and stood up, “How dare my family slave insult me like this!”

His guards, hearing this, quickly pretended to be deaf.

Yuan Shu dared to call Yuan Shao a family slave, but they dared not respond to it.

Fortunately, Yuan Shu did not expect any response from them.

Thinking that Yuan Shao had refused his request for a title while promoting Cao Cao and Tao Qian to Governors, as if to draw a clear line and guard against him, Yuan Shu felt that he could not swallow this anger.

He now regretted one thing.

Why had he handed over the Son of Heaven to Yuan Shao due to some trouble of distant fragrance and close stench, putting himself in such a passive position.

For this, he severely reprimanded his reliable Registrar Yan Xiang, blaming him for suggesting this at the time, and then, without asking for others’ opinions, wrote a letter and sent it out.

This letter was not to denounce Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shu himself knew that with his limited literary skills, if he really did that, he would probably be scolded back by Yuan Shao’s subordinates.

Why do something so self-humiliating.

This letter was also not to ally with Liu Biao of Jing Province or to temporarily cease hostilities with Sun Ce.

Yuan Shu simply could not bring himself to do that.

This was a letter written to Qiao Yan.

Qiao Yan did not expect such a sudden letter.

However, when she opened the envelope, she still said to Xun You in a teasing tone, “Does Yuan Gonglu think that the enemy of my enemy is my friend?”

But when she unfolded the silk and saw the first sentence, even though Qiao Yan knew how unreliable Yuan Shu was, she never expected him to write such a thing—

[Shao is not a son of the Yuan Clan.]