Chapter 191

Chapter 191

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 6: Two Provinces Held Firm, the Silk Road Reopens Chapter 191: The Battle of Yu and Yang

From the method of producing copper coins from coin molds, one might think of mass-producing books, which is essentially the idea of block printing.

However, the “mold” for casting coins is in intaglio, while the coins themselves are in relief. Block printing, on the other hand, uses relief blocks to print books.

Whether Qiao Yan had such an idea while ensuring the quality of the coin molds is something only she herself knows.

After all, the clearer the “Five Zhu” inscription on the coin, the more precise the strokes will be when the “Five Zhu” is replaced with other characters.

But what Qiao Yan didn’t expect was that by simply allowing Cai Zhaoji to visit the site where Five Zhu coins were made and write about what she saw, to convey Qiao Yan’s ideas in the Leping Monthly Report, thereby stabilizing the economy and promoting currency circulation, Zhaoji’s little brain started working, directly linking it to block printing.

This might be the so-called “happy trouble” that comes with having more territory and manpower.

First, Zhuge Liang and Huang Yueying suddenly jumped into her pond and came up with a machine to separate cotton seeds, and now Cai Zhaoji suddenly thought of the possibility of block printing.

But…

“Did I say something wrong?”

Zhaoji stopped talking when she saw Qiao Yan’s gesture, and seeing that Qiao Yan didn’t seem angry but was just stopping her from continuing, she asked softly.

Qiao Yan replied, “You didn’t say anything wrong, but it’s not the right time.”

It’s too early.

Way too early!

Zhaoji’s mind and associative abilities are not bad, and her political acumen has improved significantly compared to her father’s due to working with Qiao Yan. But some issues are clearly not something a child of her age can fully grasp, such as—

Why can we rely on hand-copied books from the academy to increase the number of books, but not allow books to be mass-produced through printing?

Qiao Yan took out a Five Zhu coin from her pouch.

On this coin produced by the Bingzhou coin officials, both the patterns and the inscriptions are perfectly standard.

She casually dipped a brush in ink and smeared it on the coin, then pressed it onto a piece of paper in front of her.

Ordinary ink is different from the ink used for block printing, but it was enough to illustrate the point at this moment.

As the coin was lifted, the outline and text of the coin were left on the paper.

She looked at the printed text, her gaze somewhat deep, “I know what you’re thinking. This is just the two characters ‘Five Zhu.’ If this weren’t a Five Zhu coin but a block engraved with the Analects, we could have countless copies of the Analects in an instant, and within a few days, everyone from the elderly to the children in Bingzhou could have a copy.”

The possibility described in these words is truly captivating.

But Qiao Yan had already said at the beginning, it’s not the right time.

“Zhaoji, do you think that with Leping’s current grain yield per mu, it would be difficult to ensure that the people have spare money and to expand the enrollment of the academy?”

Cai Zhaoji shook her head.

Two years ago, as the coachman who drove Ma Lun and Ren Hong said, even if they saved every penny, it was still a bit of a struggle to send their children to Leping Academy.

But in these two years, Bingzhou’s economic level has become much more stable compared to the surrounding areas, and the grain yield per mu has increased year by year with the optimization of farming methods.

When the provincial government launched the campaign in Liangzhou, they were not only unaffected by the war but also saved some spare money because the provincial government bought grain from the people.

If the academy expanded its scale and lowered the admission threshold a bit, some children from poor families might also get the chance to study.

But in reality, although some people in the academy are from such backgrounds, they do not make up a high proportion of the entire academy.

From Cai Zhaoji’s perspective, the troubles Qiao Yan faced in governing Liangzhou were not as many as outsiders imagined, and she could have managed this matter.

But she chose not to.

This really can’t be explained by a lack of energy.

She then heard Qiao Yan ask, “Why do you think I let the children of Bingzhou’s noble families enter Leping Academy first, attracting them with your father’s reputation, making them feel they have gained benefits. And why, after bringing Zheng Xuan to Bingzhou, did I allocate many of the external recruitment spots for auditors to the noble families of Liangzhou?”

Is this really just about holding a group of noble hostages?

Obviously not!

This is also about forming alliances and making concessions.

Without waiting for Zhaoji to answer, Qiao Yan continued, “Noble families take pride in how many volumes of books they possess, and the knowledge they hold is a chasm compared to the common people in this era.”

“This is their guarantee for continuously cultivating high-quality talents and maintaining their family status by relying on these talents. They need these descendants, who have an academic advantage over the common people, to hold official positions and become the towering trees that protect the family in return. Tell me, what would happen if I made books easily accessible?”

Zhaoji followed Qiao Yan’s words and realized that she had been in Leping Academy, a place that teaches knowledge, for too long, and had subconsciously forgotten this class difference.

If she really did this, it would be equivalent to uprooting the foundation of the noble families’ growth.

What a dangerous move this would be!

Among those who originally had no conditions to learn to read and write, were there really no talents who could become talents through literacy?

Not necessarily.

Xu Shu under the lord’s command is a typical example.

So expanding the scale of education to obtain potential talents is not without feasibility.

But doing such a thing at this time would actually be standing against all the noble families.

In the current situation where controlling two provinces still requires the support of noble families, this is a path to internal chaos and disaster!

With the authority of the Bingzhou governor and Bingzhou’s mineral resources, combined with the production scale of Leping Marquis paper, producing enough books would not be difficult.

But the evolution from books to talents takes time.

Before that, the angry noble families could cause irreversible damage to her with their power.

Even if she had a fierce army, it wouldn’t change the outcome.

The deep-rooted connections of the noble families are not limited to one province or county, so the backlash would not just come from within these two provinces.

And let’s not forget, many of Qiao Yan’s trusted subordinates are from noble families.

This decision, which affects everything, no matter how wonderful and unimaginable a future it is for scholars, is a deadly poison at this time.

When Cai Zhaoji walked out of Qiao Yan’s study, she was slightly dazed.

This daze was not because her suggestion was rejected, but because when she understood this point, she heard Qiao Yan say, “We must eat one bite at a time and walk the road slowly. We need to make sure we don’t step into the void before making a decision.”

“But I can give you a precise response. One day, I will ensure that everyone within Bingzhou, or within my jurisdiction, has the opportunity to access education.”

Just like she said she would ensure every subordinate wore cotton clothes, in her serious and clear gaze, no one would doubt the truth of her words.

This solemn promise made Cai Zhaoji believe:

Even if the class conflict between noble families, commoners, and the poor cannot be resolved in the short term, she will definitely achieve this.

Qiao Yan also said that what she is doing now is no longer following a path that ordinary people would choose, so she doesn’t mind being a bit more unconventional.

What does it mean to be unconventional?

Cai Zhaoji couldn’t help but think of her sister.

After coming to Leping and teaching at the academy, her whole person seemed to have turned from gray to vibrant. Is that unconventional?

In the process of teaching students, she gave more of her emotions to these children than to her husband and children.

And there are many people like her sister in the world, forced to give up things that originally belonged to them in the face of the chaos, disasters, and poverty of the world.

The sisters could rely on the knowledge passed down by their father and the appreciation of the lord to walk a completely different path, but what about others?

If she wanted more people to have the opportunity to change their fate, she should support the lord to continue on this path.

For now, we can’t mass-produce paper books, so let’s use the pen as a sword and let the Leping Monthly Report further act as the lord’s mouthpiece, gradually expanding its influence.

Until the steps ahead have been firmly stepped on!

Qiao Yan looked out the window and saw this young girl, still in her early teens, straighten her back, looking as if she was ready to go to battle, clearly having figured out her goal, and couldn’t help but smile at the corner of her mouth.

She then asked the system, “By the way, if a cross-era product like block printing really appeared in my hands and was promoted, and its negative impacts were mitigated, wouldn’t that be beneficial for any lord? Shouldn’t that count as strategist points?”

“And if the emergency prescriptions could be promoted, and the people saved could support the development of our own forces, wouldn’t I, as the one who proposed this suggestion, be considered as fulfilling the duties of a strategist?”

The system, suddenly asked this, couldn’t help but吐槽: […In terms of milking system rewards, you really haven’t forgotten your original intention.]

But saying is one thing, since its host has already decided not to be a proper strategist, the system could only follow her line of thought.

[It’s possible, provided you can achieve these two points.]

Introducing cotton from the Silk Road to keep the people warm in winter does not meet the criteria for strategist judgment.

But planning the completion of the emergency prescriptions and reconciling the emergence of printing technology with the backlash from noble families does meet the criteria for strategist actions.

After receiving this affirmative response from the system, although Qiao Yan wasn’t necessarily counting on this harvest, her expression did lighten a bit.

However, Zhaoji’s performance reminded her of one thing.

In addition to paying more attention to the list of Leping Academy, she also needs to keep an eye on the whimsical ideas of her subordinates.

If it’s someone like Ma Jun, who focuses on the development of people’s livelihoods and the improvement of weapons, that’s fine. But if someone’s ideas coincide with Zhaoji’s, or if someone even comes up with gunpowder, they need to go through her first.

After all, besides Zhang Yang, Lü Bu, and Zhang Niujiao, who are a bit clueless, there are many smart people under her command…

It’s really a headache.

But if the other feudal lords knew what she was worrying about, they would probably have the urge to send her greetings.

Qiao Yan’s series of inspections and appointments in June were all orderly.

To reasonably allocate manpower between Liangzhou and Bingzhou and to prepare for the upcoming campaign against Dong Zhuo in Chang’an, she made a series of adjustments, such as transferring Chu Yan from Liangzhou to Shangjun and placing Lü Bu in Hanyang County of Liangzhou.

After verifying all the tax data of Bingzhou, she began to discuss the next tax amounts with her subordinates to meet the needs of the war.

Even with simultaneous military operations in Liangzhou and Youzhou, with the increase in tax revenue due to the high grain yield per mu in Bingzhou and the additional supplement from the military farms in Baidaochuan, Bingzhou’s granaries remained full.

In two or three months, the military farms in Liangzhou and the territory of Bingzhou will welcome another harvest.

But some people’s lives are not so comfortable, such as Sun Ce.

He frowned at the account book in front of him.

The military progress of driving Yuan Shu out of Jiujiang County could not offset the trouble he was facing now—

Lack of food.

When Sun Jian was still alive, Sun Ce never had to consider such a problem, but now this huge problem had to be faced.

His sources of food were several.

One was Changsha County, where Sun Jian had previously served as the prefect.

This place is still under the control of their own people. To transport grain from Changsha County to Lujiang County, they could take the Yangtze River waterway downstream, and Liu Biao does not yet have the ability to intercept across the river.

But to know…








They set out after the autumn harvest last year, and the stored grain in Changsha Commandery was almost entirely used as military provisions for this campaign, also supporting Sun Ce’s subsequent move to Yang Province.

Now, the remaining grain must cover the expenses of Zhu Jun’s troops to counter Liu Biao’s push to dominate Jing Province after defeating Sun Jian.

If more grain is taken from Changsha Commandery, it would be like handing the area over to Liu Biao.

For Sun Ce, this place is somewhat of a dilemma.

But thinking that the position of Changsha Prefect was his father’s, he stubbornly refuses to give it up.

Thus, he considers the grain reserves in Lujiang, Danyang, and Jiujiang.

However, he learns that these three commanderies have limited grain reserves.

It makes sense; Lujiang was under siege by Yuan Shu last year, disrupting normal farming.

Jiujiang, due to Yuan Shu’s mismanagement, consumes more than it produces.

As for Danyang…

Danyang is plagued by the Shanyue bandits, led by the notorious Zu Lang.

Despite Zhou Yu’s uncle Zhou Shang being the Prefect of Danyang, he struggles to deal with Zu Lang.

Zu Lang, based in Jing County, Danyang, calls himself the “Grand Marshal of Jing County.”

Even if Sun Ce takes Danyang, the local powerful families remain independent, merely observing Sun Ce’s actions.

They show no real loyalty to him.

Under these circumstances, Sun Ce’s grain shortage is inevitable.

After all, Qiao Yan only provided farming tools, not grain.

“If we can just hold out until the autumn harvest…” Sun Ce sighs in frustration.

Among Yang Province’s commanderies, Wu Commandery is small but tough.

With over ten thousand men under Yan Baihu, who knows the terrain well, they constantly harass Sun Ce’s forces.

If Sun Ce’s grain supply runs out, he’ll have no choice but to retreat.

But he can’t accept that.

If he takes Wu Commandery, he can consolidate the four northern commanderies of Yang Province, stabilize internally, and by next year, he’ll be ready to take Kuaiji and Yuzhang.

By then, even without the title of Governor of Yang Province, he’ll effectively be one.

But now, he’s stuck at the first hurdle.

Since taking command, he’s strictly disciplined his troops, forbidding them from harming civilians, but this hasn’t helped him much, instead leading to his toughest battle yet in Wu Commandery.

The trouble isn’t just from Yan Baihu.

After defeating Xu Gong and Yan Baihu at Wucheng, Sun Ce is on his way to Wu County, the capital of Wu Commandery.

But recent reports say Zou Ta, Qian Tong, and Wang Sheng have rallied in Wucheng, cutting off Sun Ce’s supply lines, forcing him to retreat to Youquan.

Sun Ce is furious.

Wang Sheng, a former Prefect of Hepu, is causing significant trouble with his local influence.

But that’s not what angers Sun Ce.

“I’m angry because he once served with my father. I’m taking Yang Province to counter Liu Biao. Why is he blocking me?”

Zhang Zhao, seeing Sun Ce’s youthful frustration, replies, “To him, you’re breaking the rules. If you took Kuaiji first, he wouldn’t resist. But without the title of Governor of Yang Province, you have no right to enter Wu Commandery.”

Sun Ce snorts.

If he took Kuaiji first, the Wu Commandery forces would still suspect his intentions.

If they attacked from behind, it would be even worse.

But their resistance might not be entirely bad.

“Master Zibu, if we turn back and quickly attack Wucheng, using the grain from the Zou, Qian, and Wang families’ storehouses, can we last until the autumn harvest?”

Sun Ce’s decision to attack rather than retreat to Danyang is understandable.

Wu Commandery is his hometown, and his mother, Madam Wu, is from Wu County. The fierce resistance he faces there only fuels his anger after his father’s death.

He can’t retreat!

If he does, he’ll lose momentum, and it’ll be hard to fight back.

Half a month ago, he considered winning over local scholars to improve his reputation.

Coincidentally, he found a suitable candidate.

Gao Dai, a renowned scholar from Wu Commandery, had a falling out with Xu Gong and retreated to the border of Wu and Kuaiji Commandery, near Youquan.

Gao Dai, with his high reputation and grudge against Xu Gong, seemed perfect for Sun Ce’s plan.

To show goodwill, Sun Ce even forced himself to read a few pages of the “Zuo Zhuan,” which Gao Dai supposedly loved.

But when Gao Dai arrived, he claimed he didn’t understand the “Zuo Zhuan.”

Thinking Gao Dai was mocking his lack of literary skill, Sun Ce threw him into Youquan’s prison.

This led to Gao Dai’s friends and family protesting outside the government office.

As Sun Ce discussed military plans with Zhang Zhao, the pleas for Gao Dai’s release echoed in his ears.

Before Zhang Zhao could advise caution, Sun Ce, clutching his throbbing temple, declared, “Enough! Regardless of whether we get enough grain, I’ve decided to attack Wang Sheng first!”

To Zhang Zhao’s surprise, Sun Ce executed Gao Dai before leading his troops to attack Wang Sheng.

Even Zhou Yu, guarding Jiujiang Commandery, was shocked by Sun Ce’s rash decision.

Their situation wasn’t too bad.

The southern Yang Province noble families, especially the four great families of Gu, Lu, Zhu, and Zhang, disliked having a young warlord trying to control Yang Province.

Sun Ce’s rescue of Lu Kang at Shuxian had started things well with these families.

They were watching Sun Ce’s actions, somewhat satisfied with his discipline and victories over Yuan Shu.

Zhou Yu planned to approach them after the autumn harvest to gain their support.

But just as he was considering this, Sun Ce executed Gao Dai and, with his excellent command, defeated the forces in Wucheng, then turned his blade on the Wang family.

If Liu Bei knew about Sun Ce’s situation, he might think his own problems were minor.

After the campaign against Dong Zhuo, Liu Bei was transferred from Qinghe Commandery to Jinan State.

It wasn’t a bad position.

The neighboring Taishan Prefect, Ying Shao, was an acquaintance from the campaign against Dong Zhuo, and Cao Cao in Dong Commandery was an old friend.

Within Jinan State, the previous King of Jinan, Liu Kang, had been cautious since his appointment by Emperor Ling.

His son, Liu Sai, continued this cautious approach.

Seven years ago, Cao Cao had served as Chancellor of Jinan State, implementing significant reforms.

Though Cao Cao resigned after a year, his clashes with the local powerful families left a lasting impact, easing Liu Bei’s transition.

For Liu Bei, this was a great place to learn governance.

But in the third year of Zhaoning (Guangxi), Cao Cao took control of Yanzhou, becoming Liu Bei’s superior.

Soon after, Liu Bei was appointed General Who Pacifies Rebels to campaign against Yuan Shu.

Liu Bei was confused but decided to act.

Attacking Yuan Shu was necessary, given his rebellious actions.

Moreover, the campaign wouldn’t drain Jinan State’s grain reserves, as Cao Cao would supply them.

This also gave Liu Bei a chance to understand his relationship with his superior.

Though feeling somewhat manipulated, the title of General and his position as Chancellor of Jinan State were not bad for someone just over thirty.

Except…

Cao Cao’s grain supply was a bit short.

But considering Yanzhou’s situation after the chaos in Luoyang, it was understandable.

Cao Cao even offered additional grain from his family’s fortress in Qiao Commandery.

This seemed fair.

Thus, Liu Bei focused on winning the campaign to boost his reputation.

Even Zhang Fei was eager, sharpening his spear and ready for battle.

After recruiting troops in Jinan State, they marched through Yanzhou into Yu Province’s Pei State.

Resting in Pei County for half a day, they continued south, encountering Yuan Shu’s forces at the Bian River.

This was their first clash with Yuan Shu.

Liu Bei, experienced since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, had Zhang Fei lead the vanguard to prevent an ambush.

Zhang Fei, determined to make a strong start, charged at the enemy general.

Despite the long march, Zhang Fei’s troops, having followed Liu Bei for two years, were elite.

Zhang Fei, wielding his spear fiercely, killed the enemy general, scattering the rest.

When Liu Bei crossed the river and asked about the enemy general’s identity, Zhang Fei looked guilty.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem with his identity?”

Under Liu Bei’s gaze, Zhang Fei stammered, “His name is Qiao Rui… a close relative of Qiao Ye, the Governor of Bingzhou.”