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Chapter 188
May and June…
So here’s the situation—
Yuan Shao is marching north to take on Gongsun Zan, while Liu Yu is heading east, plotting to reclaim Youzhou with the help of Shanggu and Dai counties.
Cao Cao and Tao Qian have snagged their positions as governors and are busy solidifying their territories.
Liu Bei just snagged the title of General for Pacifying Bandits to go after Yuan Shu.
Sun Ce’s charging into Wu County from the territories of Yang Province.
Liu Biao wiped the floor with Sun Jian and is now planning to expand south to reclaim Changsha, still under Zhu Jun’s control.
In Yizhou, Liu Yan and in Jiaozhou, Zhang Jin are in their little bubbles, especially Zhang Jin, who’s gone full cultist mode, totally ignoring the wise and flinging old laws aside.
Of course, Zhang Jin and Zhang Jiao are not the same. That guy wears a red scarf, so maybe his crew should be called the Red Scarf Army.
Anyway, all these impending battles are brewing in the eastern regions of the Central Plains.
But if Dong Zhuo in the west, holding down the Guanzhong plain, crosses paths with Qiao Yan, it’ll be like a boulder dropping into the waters of Chang’an, and we can’t ignore the ripples that will cause.
The first places to feel that ripple will be Yizhou, Jingzhou, Yuzhou, and Yanzhou.
However, in May, after returning from the military camp at Huo Shizhai, Qiao Yan is still working on her farming plan in Liangzhou and integrating the Qiang people into the regular army.
With the Qiang’s language skills improving, she ordered another recruitment drive in mid-May.
Also on the agenda is her previous deal with Cheng Yu to bring Qiang children over for schooling.
Budugen from the grasslands popped up asking if the Xianbei can send people over too.
Unbeknownst to him, Qiao Yan actually has links with Qian Man, who fled east, and Ke Biner from the Xianbei faction who hasn’t returned.
His request comes from when he took a trip to Liangzhou earlier this spring, traveling the route from Wuwei Commandery down Shunlu River.
What surprised him was how remarkable Qiao Yan’s progress had been in Liangzhou.
When Zhao Yun rode up on his mighty steed leading his cavalry right in front of Budugen, it finally hit him that the sounds their horses were making weren’t just from their hooves; there was something more going on.
This was likely the “surprise” prepared for them by Bingzhou.
But realizing this didn’t do him much good.
As Bingzhou still remained under Qiao Yan’s control and didn’t turn into a base for the Xianbei to raid and herd south, it meant that the iron mines and ironworks in Bingzhou were under her strict supervision.
The Xianbei coming to Bingzhou for winter mining were only doing grunt work, far from any core technology related to horseshoes.
So Budugen naturally lacked the resources to shoe his horses.
The more he saw Qiao Yan’s influence expanding and her unrelenting strength, the less daring he felt to show any disrespect.
“Yufuluo from the Southern Xiongnu went with Liu Youzhou to confront Gongsun Zan; now Budugen is asking if he can send some tribesmen over here to learn Han language. What do you think, Zhongde?”
Qiao Yan strolled through the lush fields of Jincheng County.
The highland environment of Liangzhou had the sky above painted a clear blue, transforming this river valley from the chaos she saw last year into a scene of peaceful charm.
But standing still here, one could tell this tranquility was anything but pure.
The land still held wild energies accumulated over years of disuse, allowing the vegetation to grow with a vigor that changed daily.
The winds from the west, passing through the mountains, mingled with the melting glacier scents, clashing with the distant sounds of military camp training, distinctly different from Bingzhou.
Cheng Yu replied, “You already have the answer in your heart, my lord. The competition among the Qiang, Xiongnu, and Xianbei can only be beneficial while we maintain our upper hand.”
Her civil and military officials needed to show their worth to ensure they had sufficient status under her command; these nomads clearly needed to compete for roles too.
But using such power called for caution.
Any sign of slacking or weakness could lead her to be backstabbed by these unrefined nomads.
She responded, “If one has no worries, isn’t that being a bit too carefree?”
She needed those challenges to keep herself grounded, recognizing that while her development was steady and she had amassed more capital than her rivals early on, it was far from a time to slack off.
“Let Budugen send people over; just make sure, Zhongde, to keep an eye on them.”
If the Xianbei and Qiang started brawling before they’ve mastered the Han language, breaking up the fight might get a tad complicated. Who knows what kind of miscommunication would arise.
She certainly didn’t want to set up a mediation office!
How ridiculous!
Meanwhile, Liu Xie in Chang’an had no clue this was the current state of affairs in Liangzhou.
As he looked out the window towards the northern sky, he was merely hoping that the Marquis of Leping, carrying the last wishes of the late Emperor, would storm into Chang’an soon to save him.
Dong Zhuo’s fading glory was starkly visible to long-time followers like Li Jue and observant strategists like Jia Xu, but for Liu Xie, who didn’t have much experience with people, it wasn’t so obvious.
In his mind, Dong Zhuo was still that guy who, once he seized control of the capital, wiped out He Jin’s remaining forces in one swift blow, wielding life and death in the court like a true prime minister.
A mountain looming over his head.
The only one who could give Dong Zhuo a headache was Qiao Yan.
So when would the governor of Bingzhou get here?
Liu Xie, young and wise, knew sulking over the situation was pointless.
He felt quite lucky, in fact.
If it weren’t for his father’s love, leaving him in the care of Empress Dong, he might not have made it this far, potentially meeting the same fate as his mother—poisoned by Empress He.
And had he not been chosen as the Emperor, he could have easily ended up a casualty under Grand General He Jin’s authority.
At least for now, he had the title of Emperor as a shield, bolstered by loyal old ministers rushing from Luoyang to Chang’an, bringing him a solid sense of security.
Not all the lords of the realm were against Liu Bian; the Marquis of Leping was out there commanding troops, aiming to respond to treasonous actions.
In this comparative sense of happiness, he didn’t think much of the furniture and items Qiao Yan sent him or the yearly medicinal gifts snatched by Dong Zhuo.
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And it was precisely because of his care.
He would occasionally think that he was much younger than Dong Zhuo and that he would eventually outlast this old villain.
Although at this time, Liu Xie had no idea that the prestige of the Han family had already taken a nosedive with the presence of two Emperors across the realm.
Many of the warlords at the end of the Han didn’t really dream of restoring the Han dynasty; instead, they were harboring thoughts of replacing it.
This included the Marquis of Leping, whom he had high hopes for.
He simply gazed out the window, catching sight of birds flying past, with a hint of envy in his eyes.
Unfortunately, he was still trapped in a cage…
Slowly pulling his gaze back, he noticed in the distance, Li Jue, one of Dong Zhuo’s generals, striding towards Weiyang Palace.
Seeing this, Liu Xie quickly closed the window and returned to his desk.
These rough Western Liang men often treated him, the little Emperor, as some sort of novelty, especially after visiting Dong Zhuo in the main hall, they would occasionally drop by the side hall for a look.
It was as if they wanted to see how such a pitiful Emperor could even manage to be so wretched.
They had completely lost any semblance of respect for imperial authority!
Liu Xie’s mindset was decent, but that didn’t mean he wanted to face such a situation where he was treated like a monkey.
After closing the window, he heard someone crashing into the hall a quarter of an hour later.
Li Jue barged in with a sword in hand, marching straight inside without losing any of his brazen demeanor compared to Dong Zhuo’s entrance.
Liu Xie thought it was just a display of a man rising to power with a rough attitude, and even if he looked a few more times, it wouldn’t cost him a piece of flesh! So, he let him look!
However, what he didn’t expect was that when Li Jue reached his side, instead of spouting some offhand comments to greet the Emperor as he had before, he quietly asked, “Would Your Majesty like to get out of such a situation?”
Liu Xie looked at Li Jue with suspicion.
This didn’t sound like something Li Jue would say.
Li Jue pointed towards the main hall of Weiyang Palace and said, “You don’t want to keep obeying Dong Xiangguo’s arrangements forever, do you? You might not know, but Xiangguo is already considering marrying his granddaughter to you as Empress, to become a legitimate relative. In a few years, if you have an heir, you can smoothly pass away and pass the throne on!”
Liu Xie’s complexion didn’t change at this sudden remark.
Of course, he could sense the possibility of that.
But he had heard about the battles in Liangzhou and believed that with Qiao Yan’s advance speed, as long as she stabilized the rear of Liangzhou, she could definitely enter Chang’an before Dong Zhuo executed such a plan and rescue him.
Under the influence of this thought, he wouldn’t have to fear what Li Jue said.
Moreover—why was Li Jue telling him this?
Rather than believing that Li Jue had suddenly developed sympathy for him, the powerless little Emperor, Liu Xie instead felt it more likely that he was ordered by Dong Zhuo to exploit his desire for freedom to make him take some wrong action.
Like dragging officials down with him, giving Dong Zhuo another excuse to kill.
During his time in Luoyang, Dong Zhuo had already killed Wu Qiong and Zhou Bi among others; who knew if he would want to make a move against Lord Lu and Master Xun.
These old officials had never tried to connect with external forces since arriving in Chang’an, maintaining a tenuous peace with Dong Zhuo. If Liu Xie’s mishaps brought the slaughter of Dong Zhuo upon them, he could never forgive himself.
Thinking this, he looked at Li Jue with a more cautious gaze.
He replied, “I understand. Thank you for the information. If there’s nothing else, you may leave.”
Liu Xie’s reaction made Li Jue pause for a moment.
He had to admit that what Jia Xu had told him was right.
Liu Xie wouldn’t just hand over what he wanted because of some sweet-talking.
This Emperor of the Han dynasty thrust into the political scene had maturity and rationality far beyond his years.
This rationality had shown itself earlier when he and Liu Bian were taken by the palace attendants, Zhang Rang, for interception by Dong Zhuo and company, and it was even more evident now.
Li Jue cautiously glanced around, ensuring that his previous habit hadn’t drawn the attention of those guarding outside the hall, then continued, “Well, in a few days, Your Majesty will know.”
If he started telling Liu Xie now that he could remove Dong Zhuo, as long as Liu Xie would grant him military authority and let him take Dong Zhuo’s place, Liu Xie probably wouldn’t believe it.
He would only think Li Jue was trying to fish him out.
So, it was better to first liaise with other officials in the capital, like Wang Yun and Huang Wan, who had no connections with Qiao Yan and possibly had conflicting interests, and let them pass on the messages.
According to Jia Xu, if he wanted to gain the opportunity for independent military action, the first step was to get an imperial edict, thus rightfully limiting Dong Zhuo’s actions and replacing him to implement military control over Liangzhou and Bingzhou.
However, at least per Jia Xu’s words, this had to wait until they defeated Qiao Yan, before discussing the matter with Xiangguo clearly.
But to Li Jue, if they really got to that point, who cares about Dong Zhuo!
With the other’s motivation being lacking, Li Jue’s admiration for Dong Zhuo had dramatically decreased, leaving behind primarily thoughts of replacement.
He even felt he was far more suitable for Liu Xie than Dong Zhuo.
After all, he had no intentions or abilities to control political affairs; he only wanted military power and wealth.
In the end, he could even return the main hall of Weiyang Palace to Liu Xie.
Wasn’t that way better than when Dong Zhuo was in charge?
After leaving Liu Xie, Li Jue went to find Wang Yun who had been appointed as Minister over the Masses by Dong Zhuo.
Wang Yun surveyed Li Jue, easily discerning the degree of sincerity behind his words.
When Li Jue mentioned the conflict between the Wang clan of Jinyang and the Wang clan of Qixian, urging him not to put hope in Qiao Yan, he pondered—
While an advance from Liangzhou was temporarily inaccessible, perhaps attempting to fracture Dong Zhuo’s camp from within wasn’t a bad idea.
This was indeed a piece of heavenly news!
Meanwhile, Qiao Yan in Liangzhou received some good news in early June.
Yang Xiu had rushed from Bingzhou to report various matters to her, mentioning the one thing Qiao Yan was most concerned about.
“The equipment to separate cotton from cotton seeds has been roughly determined. Your Grace has students from Leping Academy assisting in this work, and they’ve truly made an impact. This year, Huang Yueying and Zhuge Liang, who just joined the academy, proposed a drawbar cotton rolling machine model, which Deheng finds quite feasible and has already begun testing it on a larger scale.”
Qiao Yan quickly raised her hand to stop Yang Xiu’s flow of words, “Wait! What did you just say?”
Yang Xiu replied, “I said Deheng has already begun testing.”
“No, I meant the previous statement.”
Yang Xiu, confused, responded, “I said Huang Yueying and Zhuge Liang came up with the cotton rolling machine model?”
