Chapter 187

Chapter 187

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 6: The Two Provinces Stand Firm, the Silk Road Reopens Chapter 187: Unexpected Accusation

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Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 187: Unexpected Accusation

Yuan Shu really dares to say anything!

Qiao Yan stared at the first sentence of this letter for a long time, both shocked and amazed.

Thinking that the messenger was Shu Shao under Yuan Shu’s command, and the handwriting on the letter was indeed Yuan Shu’s, she could confirm that no one else would impersonate Yuan Shu to stir up such a move.

So this is probably the act of madness by some people after failing to attack Yang Province and failing to seek the position of Governor of Yu Province from the court in Ye City.

But this madness is even more outrageous than the one recorded in the system’s rumors.

Previously, he at most thought that those famous scholars who were friendly with Yuan Shao were no good, preferring to be close to Yuan Shao rather than choosing him. So he said that Xu You was a “vicious and lecherous person,” and He Yong was “vicious in virtue and should be killed.”

Now, he directly claims that Yuan Shao is not a child of the Yuan family.

Given that the patriarchal background largely determines the initial support, as the legitimate son of the Yuan family, Yuan Shu’s evaluation of Yuan Shao…

Regardless of whether others believe it or not, it will certainly bring some bad reputation to Yuan Shao.

But in a sense, Yuan Shu’s statement can be said to harm the enemy a thousand while damaging himself eight hundred.

If Yuan Shao is truly not a child of the Yuan family, then how could they promote Yuan Shao as a leader of scholars and allow him to support the Son of Heaven in Ye City? Isn’t that a rather confusing operation?

Probably, Yuan Shu, relying on no one to correct or criticize the letters he writes, wrote this in a fit of anger.

Qiao Yan continued reading and suddenly understood why Yuan Shu wrote this.

Yuan Shu’s temperament is extreme.

Historically, he could directly choose to proclaim himself emperor while holding the Imperial Seal and having some troops, clearly showing a “what I want, I must get” attitude.

Now is the same.

Yuan Shao thinks that although he has restricted Yuan Shu, he can still let Yuan Shu hold the position of Prefect of Jiujiang and have half the real power in Yu Province, which is just a balance.

But Yuan Shu thinks that Yuan Shao has now grown wings and is ready to completely break with him!

Since Yuan Shu no longer cares about brotherly feelings, he doesn’t need to save face for Yuan Shao.

Nor does he need to save face for the little emperor in Ye City!

So the general meaning of what he said in the letter is—

Yuan Shao is not a child of the Yuan family, originally a servant of the Yuan family, who was lucky to deceive and was adopted by his uncle, gaining a legitimate name, but in reality, what kind of thing is he? Yuan Shu doesn’t even bother to say.

Originally, considering that Yuan Shao at least has the surname Yuan, thinking that everyone is united by interests, it’s okay to let him be in the court.

Yuan Shu himself, for the sake of clearing the Han Dynasty, leads troops outside as the General of the Chariots and Cavalry.

Who knew that Yuan Shao would deceive the late emperor’s descendants, monopolize power in Ji and Qing Provinces, making the court in Ye City nominally Han but actually a fake thief.

No wonder Yuan Shao would make Liu Yu go to Liang Province, restricting Qiao Yan from rescuing the real Son of Heaven.

“…” Qiao Yan, who is usually thick-skinned, was rendered speechless by this paragraph.

What a high-sounding statement!

If she were really angry about being blocked from advancing and were indeed a young and arrogant person, Yuan Shu’s words would have the ability to stir emotions and make people share his hatred.

Fortunately, Qiao Yan is using the opportunity to develop the people’s livelihood while reorganizing the army in Liang Province, observing the situation on the chessboard of the world, and Yuan Shao’s containment is actually helping her, so she won’t be provoked by Yuan Shu’s words.

At most, she can praise Yuan Shu for not being completely brain-dead.

He at least knows how to identify who is most likely to be his ally and most likely to help him embarrass Yuan Shao.

After this statement that roughly means “as long as we all hate Yuan Shao, we are on the same side,” Yuan Shu added a few more embarrassing stories about Yuan Shao’s early years to make Qiao Yan more certain of his sincerity.

For example, Yuan Shao went with someone to snatch a bride, and in the end, Yuan Shu had to clean up the mess.

Whether this story is made up by Yuan Shu or not, Qiao Yan doesn’t know, but she mischievously thinks that this might be recorded as a true story in collections like “Shishuo Xinyu”… echoing history.

After writing all this, Yuan Shu finally got back to the point.

He said that he could send troops from Yu Province, and Qiao Yan could attack Sanfu from Liang Province.

With their two-pronged encirclement, Dong Zhuo would have no chance to escape.

Then they would rescue Liu Xie from the fire pit of Chang’an City and welcome the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang.

In this way, the “non-Yuan family child” Yuan Shao and the fake emperor Liu Bian he supported would lose their legitimacy.

Then Qiao Yan, the General of Agile Cavalry, and he, the General of the Chariots and Cavalry, could continue to join forces, sweep away the chaos in the world, restore the Han Dynasty, and leave a record in history for future generations to admire.

What a—

Great pie in the sky!

Xun You saw Qiao Yan’s increasingly strange expression while reading the letter and became curious. Qiao Yan handed the letter to him, smiling, “Yuan Gonglu thinks so beautifully… Gongda, we have underestimated him.”

To Xun You, the word “underestimated” doesn’t seem like a compliment to Yuan Shu but more like a mockery.

After reading the letter, even though he usually doesn’t show his emotions, his expression became subtle.

This letter… in the context of most scholars caring about reputation, is like a mudslide.

And the Yuan family of Runan, with four generations of three dukes, raising a character like Yuan Gonglu, is indeed a skill.

Qiao Yan asked, “Gongda, do you think we should ally with Yuan Gonglu?”

Yuan Shu’s meaning in the letter is clear.

Qiao Yan’s prolonged stay in Liang Province is partly because the situation in Liang Province indeed requires effort to stabilize, and partly because Sun Jian, who could be her other ally, was killed by the combined forces of Liu Biao and Dong Zhuo.

Yuan Shu occasionally has some cleverness.

He figured that since Sun Jian’s death has little to do with him, the best way to ally with Qiao Yan is to tell her—

I can replace Sun Jian and join forces with you.

When we rescue Liu Xie together, it will count as me returning from the wrong path.

This calculation is so loud it could be heard from Yu Province to Liang Province.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate,” Xun You answered decisively.

He didn’t say this because Yuan Shu’s actions have disgraced the scholar class.

He continued, “Since Your Excellency has chosen the righteous path, supporting Sun Ce, the eldest son of Sun Jian, after Sun Jian’s death in Jing Province, if you ally with Yuan Gonglu again, you will not please either side. This is the first point.”

“Yuan Gonglu first proposed supporting Prince Bian as the Son of Heaven, and now he changes again. If he indeed had talent, it might be acceptable to temporarily use him as an aid, but the capable under his command are not used. If we face Dong Zhuo, it will be a weakness.”

If Yuan Shu heard this, he would probably be furious again.

According to Xun You, Yuan Shu’s military skills can’t compare to Sun Jian’s. Using him as an ally might give Dong Zhuo a chance to attack, boosting Dong Zhuo’s confidence.

Moreover, most people know who to choose between Sun Ce and Yuan Shu.

Qiao Yan thinks the same.

No, she not only thinks the same but also plans to go further.

Offending Yuan Shu is definitely not a bad thing for her, and it will only benefit her subsequent arrangements.

When Jia Xu left Liang Province to go undercover in Chang’an, they didn’t expect Yuan Shu to turn against Yuan Shao so quickly and change his mind about the Son of Heaven in Ye City.

But now it’s not too late to know this news.

Jia Xu is a strategist good at adapting to changes, and he will adjust his plans based on the corresponding news.

As for Qiao Yan in Liang Province, she just needs to make a big fuss.

She made two moves in response.

The first was to detain Shu Shao, the messenger, in her hands.

It is said that envoys should not be killed during war, and Qiao Yan naturally strictly follows this rule.

But as Xun You said, talented people under Yuan Shu are mostly not used, so it’s better to put them into the construction of Liang Province, which is indeed short of people.

Xun You didn’t expect his words to be interpreted this way by Qiao Yan, but seeing her serious bandit-like behavior, he felt that persuasion might not have much effect.

Shu Shao, Shu Zhongying, is from the same hometown as Dian Wei, also from Chenliu, Yan Province.

In his early years, his brother Shu Boying’s relatives were killed, and the Han law did not punish the murderer, so Shu Zhongying avenged them. After the incident was exposed, Shu Boying and Shu Zhongying both sought death, but both were pardoned.

In the late Han period, this was a story praised throughout the land.

But his abilities are not just in such knight-errant deeds. Yuan Shao later appointed him as the State Chancellor of Pei.

Qiao Yan doesn’t remember such details, but judging from the messenger’s demeanor, she concluded that he received a good education. With the idea of annoying Yuan Shu as much as possible, she sent him directly to Jincheng County to assist Cheng Yu.

They are both from Yan Province, so they should have some common topics.

Shu Shao wanted to protest Qiao Yan’s actions, but with the army nearby and Qiao Yan clearly not afraid of him using his reputation to bind her, he could only work here for now and find a chance to escape later.

The second thing Qiao Yan did was to send Yuan Shu’s letter to Ye City and give it to Yuan Ji.

Two years ago, during the Luoyang incident, Yuan Ji took Liu Bian and fled from the North Palace of Luoyang, escaping Dong Zhuo’s control, but before entering the South Palace, he was accidentally hit by an arrow. Because Liu Bian was too timid to quickly find a doctor, he was left with a chronic illness.

Under the influence of this physical weakness, Yuan Ji could hardly engage in any brain-intensive tasks, only holding the title of Grandee Remonstrant in the Ye City court, with a nominal position but no real power.

From a ritual perspective, Yuan Ji, as the eldest son of the Yuan family, is above Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, but in terms of real power, with Yuan Shao firmly holding two provinces, Yuan Ji can no longer cause any trouble for Yuan Shao.

But Qiao Yan’s goal is just to let Yuan Shao know about this, and through Yuan Shao’s reaction, further provoke Yuan Shu.

But if she directly forwarded the letter to Yuan Shao, it would be too cheap for Yuan Benchu.

Given her conflict with Yuan Shao, she wouldn’t be so kind as to do such a thing.

So she gave the letter to Yuan Ji!

The subtext of this move is—

[I heard a rumor from your Yuan family’s Yuan Shu that Yuan Shao is not a child of your Yuan family.

But I don’t plan to spread such hearsay, just gossip with you, Yuan Da Gongzi, to get an answer, and remind you to deal with the internal division of your family.]

This move is quite vicious.

Thinking that family ugliness should not be publicized, Yuan Ji immediately detained the letter and sent Qiao Yan a sum of hush money.

Although it’s called hush money, it’s actually a considerable expense.

After all, in the exchange of power, you can’t just use something like a thousand taels of gold to dismiss her.

Then he called Yuan Shao to scold him.

But to be honest, the biggest problem is not with Yuan Shao but with Yuan Shu’s nonsense.

After leaving Yuan Ji’s residence, Yuan Shao’s face darkened, pondering how to deal with Yuan Shu.

Now he knows how disgusting it feels when Yuan Shu uses his rogue-like temper on him.

The position of Governor of Yu Province is impossible to give, don’t even think about it!

But the trouble is, whether he maintains the status quo or further restricts Yuan Shu, it will inevitably lead to further dissatisfaction from Yuan Shu.

Very tricky.

But before he and his strategists could figure out a solution, another surprise came.

After receiving Qiao Yan’s forwarded letter, Yuan Ji knew not to further provoke Yuan Shu at this time, so he didn’t choose to write to him to persuade him.

But Qiao Yan’s disregard for Yuan Shu’s letter and detaining the messenger is undoubtedly another slap in Yuan Shu’s face.

Being defeated, restricted in position, and rejected for an alliance, all these setbacks for Yuan Shu, who has always been self-important, have made him feel an inexplicable anger in his heart.








The fire has been burning brighter and brighter.

In Yuan Shu’s view, he was never limited to just one ally to choose from.

So, amidst curses about how Qiao Yan and Yuan Shao were no good, Yuan Shu decided to contact Gongsun Zan.

However, Gongsun Zan’s advance into Ji County and his troops pressing towards Zhuo County made Yuan Shao particularly concerned about the defense at the border between Youzhou and Jizhou.

This letter, even worse than the last one, was intercepted by Yuan Shao’s general Gao Lan before it could be delivered, and was brought to Yuan Shao.

Seeing the five big characters “Shao is not a son of the Yuan family” on the letter, Yuan Shao flew into a rage.

He had initially suspected that the letter sent to Yuan Ji might have been forged by Qiao Yan.

He still held a sliver of hope, thinking that no matter how reckless Yuan Shu was, he wouldn’t completely disregard the family’s honor.

But this letter, along with the messenger, was caught, leaving no room for Yuan Shao to doubt its authenticity.

He slammed the table hard, “We can’t let him continue like this!”

If Yuan Shu isn’t dealt with, who knows what kind of hellish situation he might stir up!

If it weren’t for Gongsun Zan in the north needing attention, Yuan Shao would have led his troops straight to Yuzhou himself.

Xu You suggested from the side, “Cao Cao has just received the title of Governor of Yanzhou, he should share your worries, my lord.”

Yuan Shao paused, frowned, and replied, “He could use the excuse that he hasn’t fully controlled Yanzhou to avoid hastily sending troops.”

Xu You shook his head, “No! That’s exactly the reason we need. It’s fine if he can’t send troops, but he can at least provide some supplies, right? My lord, have you forgotten the Battle of Hulao Pass against Dong Zhuo? Hu Zhen and Hua Xiong weren’t just killed by Cao Cao’s subordinates.”

The Battle of Hulao Pass against Dong Zhuo wasn’t exactly a glorious chapter in Yuan Shao’s history.

Especially after breaking through to Luoyang, he was once scolded by Qiao Yan.

But recalling the scene, Yuan Shao vaguely guessed Xu You’s meaning, “You mean—Liu Bei?”

Hu Zhen was killed by Cao Cao’s general Cao Ren, but Hua Xiong was killed by Liu Bei’s general Guan Yu.

Such a fierce general, even Yuan Shao couldn’t help but admire him and would never forget him.

This was also why, when giving Cao Cao the position of Governor of Yanzhou, he thought of Liu Bei and Zhang Miao, considering them unstable factors within Yanzhou.

But he never expected that just a month later, he would be trying to support Liu Bei to deal with Yuan Shu.

Wait, no!

According to Xu You’s suggestion, it was to have Cao Cao consolidate his territory in Yanzhou while supporting Liu Bei to oppose Yuan Shu.

And the charges against Yuan Shu were already laid out.

Disrespecting the current Son of Heaven and colluding with the rebel Gongsun Zan in Youzhou, either charge was enough to make Yuan Shu a target of condemnation.

Xu You added, “What my lord needs to offer might just be a title like General Who Pacifies Bandits, but you can immediately gain a force to attack Yuan Shu. If they win, it removes a major threat for you. If they don’t, it still ties down Yuan Shu and weakens Cao Cao’s resources. Why not?”

“I observe that Liu Bei is quite ambitious, unlikely to remain subordinate to Cao Cao. This balance of power is the right path.”

Yuan Shao was moved but still asked, “What if Liu Bei conquers Yuan Shu and occupies Yuzhou, with Cao Cao controlling another province?”

Xu You smiled and asked in return, “Has my lord forgotten Liu Bei’s background?”

Background?

Ah!

Liu Bei claims to be a descendant of the Han imperial family. So if Liu Bei truly breaks free from control, we can just order him back to Ye City in the name of the Son of Heaven.

Qiao Yan can ignore the Son of Heaven in Ye City because she holds the late emperor’s edict to clear the court of traitors.

But Liu Bei even got his position as Chancellor of Jinan from the Son of Heaven in Ye City. With the title of General Who Pacifies Bandits and a mandate to suppress rebels, he would be even more bound by the rules.

So even if he defeats Yuan Shu and enters Yuzhou, Yuan Shao’s leverage would be enough to control him.

Liu Bei is not a concern at all!

Realizing this, Yuan Shao immediately made a decision.

This shows the difference between Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu attacks Yuan Shao’s background, which might leave some black marks for gossip, but fundamentally, it doesn’t deal a critical blow to Yuan Shao.

But Yuan Shao’s move is a series of heavy actions.

First, Chen Lin, who wrote the scathing denunciation of Dong Zhuo for Yuan Shao last year, turned his pen against Yuan Shu.

Compared to Yuan Shu’s slanderous mudslinging, Chen Lin’s storm of denunciation was so severe… if Cao Cao were on the receiving end, his migraines would have been cured.

Yuan Shu could only rage impotently and curse Yuan Shao as a family slave.

Then, as Xu You suggested, Yuan Shao appointed Liu Bei, Chancellor of Jinan, as General Who Pacifies Bandits, responsible for suppressing the rebel Yuan Shu, with Cao Cao, Governor of Yanzhou, providing military supplies.

This arrangement…

Even if Yuan Shu, after these lessons, had to tone down his arrogance and properly utilize his generals like Ji Ling and Qiao Rui, seeking advice from Yan Xiang, Yuan Huan, and Zhang Cheng; even if Yuan Shu, relying on his base in Runan, would certainly not let Liu Bei succeed so quickly—

At least one thing is certain.

Yuan Shu won’t have the spare time to bother Yuan Shao for a while.

Meanwhile, in Liangzhou, Qiao Yan was seeing off Liu Yu, who was urgently departing.

Gongsun Zan’s sudden military action not only made Yuan Shao, who held Qingzhou and Jizhou, very uneasy, but also made Liu Yu, who received the news, extremely anxious.

Previously, Qiao Yan advised him not to act rashly without knowing the situation, to avoid falling into Gongsun Zan’s trap and being captured, and Liu Yu could barely sit still.

But when detailed battle reports came through Dai County to neighboring Bingzhou’s Yanmen Commandery, and then to Liangzhou, Liu Yu felt he had to return.

“Yue Shu, don’t try to stop me! Now Gongsun Zan seems to hold six commanderies, but Lelang and Xuantu are isolated and he can take them anytime. Zhuo County hasn’t fallen yet, only to maintain a buffer zone with Yuan Benchu. The only parts of Youzhou still belonging to the Han are Shanggu and Dai County. With my son’s abilities, there’s no way he can hold them.”

At this point, a look of regret flashed across Liu Yu’s face.

He didn’t regret coming to Liangzhou to dissuade Qiao Yan from advancing.

He had seen the rare harmony between the Qiang and Han people here, and he could take some credit for that, which was enough for him.

He regretted not returning to Youzhou sooner due to his wariness of Gongsun Zan.

If he had returned earlier, would Gongsun Zan have had the chance to cause trouble?

“I’m not trying to persuade you to avoid danger, I’m just thinking if we should send someone to assist you,” Qiao Yan said. “You should know that Dai County’s Prefect Wang Jidao is the younger brother of my Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu, Wang Shuyou. The Protector of the Wuhuan in Youzhou is the father of my Shang Commandery’s Officer Linghu Kongshu. Since Youzhou and Bingzhou are both frontier regions, they should support each other.”

So, Liu Yu could leave, but she had to lend a hand.

Liu Yu knew this wasn’t the time for formalities with Qiao Yan.

Even though Yuan Shao was now mobilizing against Gongsun Zan due to his sudden expansion, the special geography of Youzhou surrounding the Bohai Sea meant Yuan Shao wouldn’t pursue deeply, only ensuring the security of Jizhou’s borders.

To reclaim Youzhou from Gongsun Zan, Liu Yu had to rely on himself.

But having worked with Gongsun Zan for years, Liu Yu knew his military prowess.

With only two commanderies left and Liu He’s troops being chased by Gongsun Zan, there was no way to defeat him.

He really needed Bingzhou’s military aid.

But he couldn’t help but ask softly, “Yue Shu, sending troops to assist, won’t it harm Bingzhou’s livelihood?”

Qiao Yan smiled helplessly, “There will be pressure, but compared to Youzhou falling into the hands of rebels, it’s worth the effort.”

“One of my generals is from Xuantu Commandery, but unfortunately, as a former subordinate of Dong Zhuo, I sent him to reopen the Silk Road. Fortunately, the generals from Bingzhou and Liangzhou can endure the cold and won’t be a burden.”

“From Yanmen’s garrison, I’ll lend you Zhang Liao, leaving Zhishu to hold the fort. From Liangzhou, Qu Jichang will escort you back to Youzhou. How does that sound?”

Qiao Yan was curious to see how Zhao Yun would fare against Gongsun Zan, and how Qu Yi, who defeated the White Horse Yi Cong with eight hundred armored soldiers, would perform against Gongsun Zan. But after consideration, she chose Zhang Liao and Qu Yan.

Zhao Yun’s duties in Wuwei Commandery couldn’t be transferred yet, so among Qiao Yan’s subordinates, Zhang Liao, with relatively high loyalty and a flexible mind, was the natural choice.

To manage the situation in Youzhou, Zhang Liao was indispensable.

As for Qu Yan…

He should have realized from Qiao Yan’s attitude that she wouldn’t favor him over Qu Yi when they were on the same front, so he had to seek another path.

Going to Youzhou was a good choice.

He would surely fight hard for a voice.

His ambition was evident from his act of killing Han Sui and offering his head to open the city gates.

This force, directly entering Dai County from Yanmen Commandery, had a short supply line, and the Wang family of Taiyuan, to protect their Dai County Prefect, would surely provide supplies, minimizing the impact on Qiao Yan.

Moreover, she could see from Liu Yu’s expression that once he returned to Youzhou, all support needed for the troops she sent would be provided by him, without overly involving Bingzhou.

This was almost a cost-free external mission.

But what Qiao Yan didn’t expect was that before Liu Yu left Liangzhou, someone else approached her, requesting to join the campaign.

“I remember you also assisted in suppressing the rebellion of Zhang Ju in Yuyang,” Qiao Yan said, looking at Yufuluo.

Yufuluo, after being captured by Yao Chang last time, had lost face and hadn’t found a chance to redeem himself.

What made Yufuluo feel he had to step forward and request to join the campaign was seeing the increasing number of assimilated Qiang people under Qiao Yan, who might, due to insufficient farmland in Liangzhou, turn to the Southern Xiongnu’s territory in Bingzhou.

If that happened, the Southern Xiongnu would have no competitive edge and would be replaced, which would be disastrous.

If he didn’t take this opportunity to join the campaign and prove his worth, when would he?

Yufuluo quickly replied, “Yes, I’m quite familiar with Youzhou’s environment, so I can be of some use.”

Hearing Qiao Yan approve his request without hesitation, only instructing him to join Zhang Liao’s forces and follow his command, Yufuluo breathed a sigh of relief.

But as he left Qiao Yan’s study, he couldn’t help but think that the last time they went to Youzhou, the entire Southern Xiongnu tribe was full of complaints.

Even Huyan Tuoli, the Left Guli Wang, harbored rebellious thoughts against the Han.

Why was he now jumping into this pit himself?

As he left Liangzhou, he pondered this question but couldn’t reach a conclusion, only seeing Qiao Yan’s figure on Gaoping City’s walls seeing them off, gradually fading as the troops moved away.

Until she descended the city walls and disappeared from view.

It was already May in Liangzhou.

In May, Liangzhou’s winds carried the faint scent of irises.

Walking from Gaoping City to the nearby Huo Shizhai, Qiao Yan saw a sea of purple flowers spreading between the Danxia landforms.

Such vibrant life under the clear sky couldn’t help but lift one’s spirits.

Perhaps her mood to enjoy the flowers and scenery was also because the news from the Central Plains, though unexpected, was mostly within predicted trajectories.

The surprise was—

Liu Bei actually had the luck to seize this opportunity to expand his army and gain the title of General Who Pacifies Bandits.

From Qiao Yan’s understanding of Liu Bei, he wouldn’t miss this chance to build up his forces.

Whether he could hold onto it was another matter.

What hadn’t derailed was—

These people seemed to have forgotten, or indeed didn’t know, one thing.

The upcoming Battle of Chang’an this year wasn’t in Dong Zhuo’s hands, but in hers.

So she was bound to create some surprises to stir the pot.

And… it was bound to affect areas beyond Sili!