“Can’t strategists ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 195: Li Jue’s Power Grab
But the more Yan Jun feared something, the more it seemed to come his way.
While Qiao Yan went to check on what Xu Rong had brought back, he seized the chance to come up with an excuse to leave and had someone lead a traveler from the Western Regions to him.
Upon questioning, he received the response: “Wasn’t it your arrangement? You said we should make contact with that Ma Teng.”
“After all, you mentioned that before Qiao Hou arrived, Ma Shoucheng is essentially the true lord of Longxi Commandery, and once he arrives, he’ll be off to the Western Regions to eat dust, and he won’t be able to rest for even a month before heading out again. It’s too much to bear.”
“……” This was indeed something Yan Jun had said himself.
Since he was trying to woo people, he had to make things sound serious.
So in the reasoning he gave his subordinates about wooing, he said, according to Han law, how could one person be the governor of two regions at the same time?
Don’t be fooled by Qiao Yan’s current show of might in Liangzhou; if she successfully eradicates Dong Zhuo and rescues the Son of Heaven from that villain’s grasp, how could she still hold both positions?
At that point, Huangfu Song wouldn’t approve either.
While Ma Teng was once a rebel, that was ages ago; he’s now reformed, and the emperor, given the power he wields, would support him in regaining Longxi after Qiao Yan leaves.
Anything is better than the current situation where he doesn’t even have a home to return to.
It’s rather thanks to Qiao Yan.
If she hadn’t suppressed and tamed the Qiang people in Liangzhou, they would still be dealing with plenty of trouble.
Now they just needed to take over her results after joining forces.
But here’s the problem—
The premise for all this was that Ma Teng was indeed pushed out by Qiao Yan.
Just thinking about how Ma Teng would act upon returning made Yan Jun’s vision go dark.
Once he regained some composure, he turned to his subordinates, “Tell me about what you’ve seen out there.”
How had their trip to the Western Regions for a business deal turned into a massive war horse trade?
His subordinate replied, “There was already news during our last trip to the Guishuang; both Dayuan and Hualazimo feel the royal control is waning and seek independence. We got reports of Dayuan and Guishuang factions clashing as we arrived in the domain of Kizil.”
“We intended to halt our advance, after all, we shouldn’t use any tricks to please that Bingzhou Governor, we can’t risk our lives abroad, but then—”
“Then we learned that there was still a group trailing us—made entirely of Qiang people.”
Yan Jun: “……”
He felt he had to reprimand the noble families of the other commanderies in Hexi.
How could such a group pass through Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang without noticing anything odd? Couldn’t they at least send a warning? What are they up to!
But on further thought, he realized it wasn’t entirely their fault.
When Qiao Yan established her military camps along the banks of the Lu River and at the foot of the Qilian Mountains, everyone thought her grain storage bases only affected Wuwei Commandery’s borders.
According to her needs for attacking Chang’an, she didn’t need to expand her territory beyond what she could manage.
And when she presented a goodwill gesture by buttering up Zheng Xuan during the New Year, her threatening persona evidently dropped another level.
She was seen as a good person, someone to cooperate with for mutual benefit. Who would suspect that she had her sights set beyond Liangzhou?
“By the time we figured it out, we had already reached Yan Cheng.”
Yan Cheng sits in the middle of Kizil; it’s not too far from where the Western Regions defender once was in its Gan City.
In other words, this area would one day be dubbed the most critical oasis in the Tarim Basin.
“Ma and Xu set up their military supplies here, then turned southwest through the Congling to Guishuang; after securing food, they launched a direct raid on Dayuan, robbing a site that supplies horses to the royal army.”
Yan Jun couldn’t help but be shocked.
Back in the day, the Han dispatched General Li Guangli to campaign in Dayuan, raiding along the way to gather supplies. On the second assault, they forced the nobles inside the capital city to offer the head of the Dayuan king by cutting off its water supply, thus securing a fine batch of horses.
But Qiao Yan certainly took a different approach.
She opted for the most chaotic time and the most cunning method.
She didn’t even need that many horses.
So when her people raided and scored some horses, they dispersed and switched mounts, and nobody even suspected that this band came from the Han.
Xu Rong and Ma Teng even disguised the horses as a trade caravan, then bought a batch of premium grape seeds in Shule before heading back east.
These horses might not rank as the best Dayuan horses—certainly not up to those later famously named by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang as Yuhua Cong and Zhaoye Bai—but they were at least terms better than the horses from Liangzhou.
So to mask their special caravan, they arranged things so that Liangzhou’s horses walked on the outside and Dayuan’s horses on the inside, draping extra gear on them, making it appear no different from an ordinary commercial convoy.
Of course, that didn’t mean Xu Rong and Ma Teng were under any less pressure.
Just camouflaging properly wouldn’t suffice.
Theoretically, Dayuan horses could travel a thousand miles a day, but on a long journey they couldn’t go without enough rations.
When Li Guangli brought 3,000 Dayuan horses to Yumen Pass, they ended up with just over a thousand.
The losses were staggering.
So…
“The goods we brought to Guishuang have been exchanged for Western rock honey; part of it was used to tame the horses, and another part was swapped for cash in the country of Qu Sha along the southern Silk Road, and later used to buy quality grain.”
According to Xu Rong, this was ultimately to be given to Qiao Hou; how it was used wasn’t something they decided.
Thanks to a mixed strategy of deception and careful nurturing, they managed to bring back over five hundred Dayuan champions with less than ten percent loss to Wuwei Commandery.
Yan Jun couldn’t help but ask his subordinate, “In this situation, you still dare to cozy up to Ma Teng?”
Is he crazy!
Just look at this entire operation! If Ma Teng had even the slightest treachery in mind regarding Qiao Yan, he would never let that fine batch of horses land smoothly in her hands.
This isn’t just about forming a fierce cavalry unit.
More importantly, half of these horses would surely be used for breeding, to ensure superior hybrid stock.
The horses of Liangzhou and Bingzhou weren’t bad to begin with, and with this round of hybrid mingling, the results could only be imagined.
The subordinate felt quite wronged and stammered, “I wasn’t even trying to cozy up to him on the way back, it was before those five hundred Qiang appeared, I had already told Ma Teng what you said!”
“I figured he had to be in a bad mood, spending the New Year out here in the Western Regions, only to get tossed back out after just a bit of rest, he must have really wanted to toss Qiao Hou out himself…”
“Who knew it would turn out like this?”
To be honest, he felt rather lost on the journey and could only follow along with the group, now that he was talking, it was a lot lighter.
But while he was feeling relieved, Yan Jun felt a bit dazed, perhaps due to the heat today.
It’s over.
For someone like Ma Teng, who had once opposed Qiao Yan, if he was determined to cleanse his image, it wouldn’t be enough to just endure some hardships while bringing fine horses from the Western Regions into the Central Plains.
Just think about how Han Sui met his demise.
Ma Teng led people toward Kuiran Gorge, while Ma Chao guided Qiao Yan directly to Jincheng.
He had already sacrificed Han Sui, why would he care to name a few more to prove that though he was a rebel, he was still loyal?
The more Yan Jun thought, the more terrified he became, making a hasty retreat back to Guzang City.
The moment those five hundred Dayuan horses arrived, Qiao Yan’s attention would surely focus on the horses. Seizing that opportunity, he needed to find some elder in his clan to come up with a way to atone.
This atonement must not be something Ma Teng could mention first; he had to think of some excuse to bluff his way through.
Just as he exchanged a few words with his grandfather, a panicked servant burst in with the report—
Guzang City is under siege.
The city of Guzang, seven li to the south and north, and three li to the east and west, has been surrounded.
Due to the existence of the military camps in Wuwei, Guzang City also houses Qiao Yan’s office, so naturally, there were still guards left.
These guards had controlled the city gates before the surrounding forces could form a complete blockade.
But their control didn’t mean letting people in; instead, it confined those inside the city from defending themselves with the walls.
In this situation, the outside siege only served to pressure everyone inside.
It was like a butcher’s knife hanging over the city gate.
When Yan Jun was dragged up to the city walls by his ancestor, he broke into a cold sweat at the sight of the crowd below.
Surrounding the city didn’t require filling the entire perimeter; spacing horses at intervals sufficient for cavalry charges was enough to prevent escape.
Meanwhile, with the enemy’s military gathered to over ten thousand, they could strike the city at any moment with both the gates and walls under their control.
This was an utterly unbalanced scenario of offense and defense.
Yan Jun’s heart raced.
But as he looked toward the battlefield below, he instantly caught sight of the commander leading that force.
Earlier, she had inquired with concern whether he was too hot; yet in just a brief half-hour, she was already clad in armor, weapons in hand, her gaze toward the city wall was ice cold.
As she nonchalantly wiped the tip of her spear with a silk cloth, a chilling aura emanated around her.
And by her side, Zhao Yun, who had earlier managed the military supplies of Wuwei Commandery, was already donned for battle.
Yan Jun had once believed Zhao Yun could win over those Qiang people and had a certain carefulness in handling affairs that one wouldn’t expect of a warrior; he was the patient sort.
But upon seeing him now, one thing became clear.
He was obviously a trusted subordinate nurtured by Qiao Yan, and amidst this coercive tension, he exhibited the same offensive spirit.
If Qiao Yan were to give the order, he could immediately lead his troops into the city, taking the enemy leader’s life.
And behind him were not just the troops established at the beginning of this military camp but also Qiang men who had hurriedly arrived from the foot of the Qilian Mountains after hearing about Qiao Yan’s intention to besiege Guzang City.
This is what enabled them to gather such a significant force for the siege in a short time.
In the eyes of these Qiang people, the wealthy families of Guzang City had little kindness towards them; rather, it was Qiao Yan who had provided them with a place to weather the winter and jobs to earn money. They were now about to reap the harvest from the reclaimed fields.
So, what’s the harm in attacking Guzang City before the harvest?
Who knows, they might even get to move from outside the city to inside!
Before Yan Jun could say a word, the head of the Duan family from Wuwei, who had also rushed over upon hearing the news, shouted from below, “What does Qiao Bingzhou intend? We have not intended disrespect, and there are indeed members of my Duan family serving Dong Zhuo, but they are not of the same branch, why must you be so aggressive?”
The head of the Duan family instinctively reacted that the siege must be aimed at him, given that Duan Wei was the one he referred to serving Dong Zhuo.
Qiao Yan responded to his query with a scoff, “Since I could peacefully coexist with you before without intending to punish, why would I come to trouble you because of Duan Zhongming? I’m here for him.”
She raised her spear, pointing it in Yan Jun’s direction.
“Please explain what you meant by wooing Ma Shoucheng, with the intention of regaining control over Liangzhou?”
Yan Jun felt all eyes on him atop the city wall, even the common folk who hadn’t climbed the walls were looking his way.
The sun had yet to dip into the west, still blazing fiercely, and with so many glares on him, it felt like he might catch fire.
Yan Jun didn’t know if he should feel lucky or helpless because Qiao Yan’s next words were: “Given his age and rank, he can’t determine the direction of the Yan clan in Wuwei, correct? I request an explanation from the decision-maker.”
What explanation?
To use such military force to surround a city and ask for an explanation could never be something given lightly.
Yan Jun glanced at his grandfather, seeing a resolute expression on his face.
In fact, the decision to destabilize Qiao Yan’s footing and draw Ma Teng over wasn’t solely made by the Yan family.
This was a consensus among the Four Commanderies of Hexi.
For them, this was merely a typical way to create an escape route; it didn’t count as betrayal, they just didn’t expect to run into someone as serious as Qiao Yan.
Now, circumstances were stronger than individuals, and they could only grit their teeth and accept it.
But if Qiao Yan wanted them to pay with blood, they would have to drag the entire Four Commanderies of Hexi down with them.
Amidst the silence and the almost dizzying heat, the leader outside the city firmly pronounced, “I request the Yan clan hand over the power to control Wuwei; otherwise—”
“I see you all believe that I merely moving against Gaoping City and Jincheng isn’t enough to teach you a lesson!”
As Qiao Yan’s retreating figure vanished from view, Yan Jun felt his legs give way, and he sat down on the ground.
Her last words echoed in his mind.
“I have only one bottom line in Liangzhou—no one is allowed to stab me in the back. If it remains as unfulfilled threats, so be it. But if one succeeds, whether it’s inciting the Qiang people or colluding with the rebel forces, or contacting Dong Zhuo…”
“I shall execute your entire clan in public!”
As Yan Jun thought this, he suddenly felt his back tense up.
“Get up! Sitting there like what!”
A kick to the back jolted him, and he heard his grandfather’s voice from behind.
Turning around, he saw that his grandfather looked significantly older than before, the weariness evident around his eyes.
It was no surprise, really. The Yan family was suffering quite a loss this time.
What exactly is the capital that controls Wuwei?
It’s all about people and money, really.
The farmland under the Yan family’s control, faced with such imminent threats, had nowhere to go but into Qiao Yan’s hands.
These fields had no clear boundaries with the military encampments by the Lushui River, and now they were essentially merged, blending in seamlessly.
Even the farmers responsible for managing and cultivating the lands were handed over to Qiao Yan.
Boxes of treasures were hauled out of the Yan family premises in Gugang City, creating a dazzling display of wealth outside the city that broke the hearts of the original owners.
Those treasures were quickly counted and shipped away by Qiao Yan.
Even the fine wines and drinking vessels stored in the cellar didn’t escape unscathed.
Whenever Yan Jun thought about how he had once entertained Qiao Yan with that exquisite wine, he wished he could slap himself silly.
If he hadn’t done that, she wouldn’t have dug through everything looking for more wine, turning the cellar upside down.
Thankfully…
“At least no one was harmed,” Yan Jun heard his grandfather say. “This time, we served as a shield for the others; if they don’t want to go down with us, they better compensate for our losses.”
“Also, Qiao, being a youth, has a softer approach.”
If it had been another person in Qiao Yan’s position, they would have used this situation to make sure no one dared to provoke her again.
At least some bloodshed would have established that threat.
This half-hearted situation now only made others think she still valued cooperation with the powerful families of Liangzhou, leaving her threat of “I will execute anyone who dares act against me” sounding a bit too lenient.
This wasn’t just Yan Jun’s grandfather’s opinion; it was shared among the influential Han Yang families she had eyes on.
“Ah, young people…”
However, sitting across from Cheng Yu, Qiao Yan declared, “I will teach them a lesson. I come to clear the court as per the late emperor’s edict, so of course I must learn from the late emperor.”
Dian Wei mumbled from the side, “What’s there to learn?”
Qiao Yan replied, “Even a cornered rabbit will bite!”
Cheng Yu, usually so composed, almost lost his expression at her words.
When Emperor Ling of Han was cornered, he hired Qiao Yan as Bingzhou’s governor, planning to execute He Jin before his death, all due to the pressures from the powerful families and the Grand Generals.
And Qiao Yan?
She seemed to have let it go with the Yan family’s failed attempt to sway Ma Teng, maintaining a decent relationship with the families in Liangzhou and letting them off lightly, just trading wealth to avoid disaster.
But when those same families colluded with Dong Zhuo for battle, she would have no choice but to crush them.
In light of this reasoning, who would dare claim that the Han Yang families were unjustly accused?
How helpless she was…
Now she found herself short on manpower, just as the autumn harvest approached, having to pull some of the defending troops from Han Yang to Wuwei and Jincheng.
She even requested assistance from the local gentry to keep an eye on the three auxiliary directions, signaling that her actions against the Yan family were just a special circumstance, without suspecting the intentions of the other families.
But in the lead-up to the autumn harvest, dozens of heavy crossbows were sent from Bingzhou to reinforce Xu Huang’s elite cavalry, as well as the other troops raised from Bingzhou.
Since winter, portions of the Qiang had been moved from Daxia and Xiaohuang to join the battle efforts in Yuzhong.
A unit was dispatched from the military camp at Wuwei to station at the fortified city of Ao Wei.
Perhaps the only one who hadn’t made any troop arrangements was General Huangfu Song in Gaoping.
According to Qiao Yan, after the autumn harvest the people of Liangzhou would have grain, so they wouldn’t cause chaos taking advantage of the Han’s military movement. Therefore, she requested General Huangfu Song to ensure the autumn harvest in Huo Shizhai went smoothly and to properly receive the military supplies redirected from Bingzhou.
After sorting all that out, Qiao Yan started organizing the haul from this Silk Road journey.
To ensure the Da Yuan horses obtained through this transaction were successfully transported, this trip back mainly carried grape seeds, practically nothing else.
But just those over five hundred horses were already an astounding profit.
When Qiao Yan gathered her generals, Lü Bu hardly glanced at those items taken from the Yan family but instead stared intently at those Da Yuan horses.
He heard that just days ago, he had gone to Xu Rong, acting all buddy-buddy, trying to pry into how to get his hands on such fine mounts, evidently hoping for another score.
This wasn’t that Lü Bu had anything against the Red Hare.
The Red Hare, a mix of the Xiliang and Da Yuan breeds, had its own glory since it caught Dong Zhuo’s eye, definitely not a common horse, nowhere near compared to the Da Yuan horses stolen from the grassland.
But a single man’s steed might seem grand, yet a whole unit of renowned horses marching in formation is something else altogether.
Unfortunately, Lü Bu knew the reality; even though his combat strength augmented by the Red Hare ranked first among Qiao Yan’s generals, he couldn’t consider himself the best in terms of actual battlefield command among the troops.
With Qiao Yan’s usual habit of ensuring every general has a say, the likelihood was high that these fine steeds would be evenly distributed among all units.
So he would have to put in some effort!
However, Lü Bu was taken by surprise at Qiao Yan’s arrangement: “Send two hundred Da Yuan horses along with quality Liangzhou steeds to Bingzhou for specialized care and breeding. The remaining three hundred Da Yuan horses—”
“Lü Fengxian!”
Lü Bu quickly stood up.
“Select three hundred elite soldiers from your ranks; within half a month, integrate them with the Da Yuan horses. When we attack Chang’an, I want to see a cavalry that instills fear in our enemies. Can you do that?”
Lü Bu almost thought he misheard.
But the envious glances from those around him confirmed he hadn’t actually heard wrong!
This was Qiao Yan’s command!
Someone like him would never think to ask why he was chosen; he just felt that the Lord truly had a sharp eye for talent.
So if he didn’t step up his game to match these great Da Yuan horses, he’d be letting down the Lord’s expectations!
He clasped his hands in response, “Absolutely!”
With that firm reply, he was practically ready to lay those three hundred men right before Qiao Yan.
She didn’t stop Lü Bu from sharing his excitement with the others; she just waved him off to pick the men.
However, as she watched Lü Bu depart, a subtle smile appeared on her face.
She certainly couldn’t tell Lü Bu that his command of the unit was meant to show the Liangzhou people how fierce the Bingzhou cavalry can be during their neglect.
Additionally—those Da Yuan horses were incredibly fast. If a guy like Zhao Yun, who could read situations clearly, were to use them, wouldn’t that catch some folks off guard?
That wouldn’t do, right?
Unknowingly, perhaps sensing something was off, Dong Zhuo in Chang’an suddenly woke from his nap.
His complacent attitude, as the autumn harvest neared, made it increasingly hard to fool himself.
With his lazy body, age had begun showing its wear-and-tear on him.
Recently, he often dreamt of his deceased son, but could never recall what his son had said. Sometimes he dreamt of running from some unseen force, unable to see their face.
In any case, these weren’t good signs.
Dong Zhuo slowly got up, rubbing his troubled chest, contemplating that he might just be overthinking it.
Months earlier, the feud between Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao had provided quite the show, and Gongsun Zan seizing Liu Yu’s authority in Youzhou confirmed that this was an era where the rules of the game had shifted dramatically.
So he would end up being the last one laughing!
As Dong Zhuo had that thought, he perked up again.
But at that moment, he suddenly realized something was amiss outside.
Any troop movements required his say-so, yet the sounds of soldiers marching swiftly, encircling the Weiyang Palace, were definitely not from his orders!
Having spent years on the battlefield, Dong Zhuo was extremely sensitive to these sounds. He immediately stood from his seat, drawing a weapon close at hand.
In that instant, the familiar alarm of his trusted aide rang out, mixed with the whir of flying arrows, marking the chaos that ensued.
“What—who is it!”
The outermost guards never got to finish their words before one of them was pierced through the throat by a sharp weapon.
Then soldiers wielding halberds stormed through the palace walls.
In the last moments of the guards’ vision, they saw that the imposing team had half of them being their former “allies” and half new recruits from Chang’an.
But at that moment, they hurried along, their armored bodies scraping against each other, seemingly heading towards the same target.
Dong Zhuo!
Just then, the main gate of the hall where Dong Zhuo was positioned slammed open.
A fully armed squad marched in, led by none other than Li Jue!
Well, if they weren’t his own, how could they charge directly into the imperial city like this?
Following Li Jue, not only were his personal men present, but also Jia Xu, Yan Xing who had switched sides from Liangzhou, and his nephew Dong Huang, all tied up.
Dong Huang commanded the guards in Chang’an; if even he could be captured, that definitely spelled trouble.
This meant Dong Zhuo had lost a genuine core unit.
At that moment, Li Jue strode forth, holding a command edict in his hand with gravity.
Without unfolding it, Dong Zhuo could not see what it wrote but noticed the glaring red stains.
But it was surely an edict highly unfavorable to Dong Zhuo.
Li Jue’s demeanor was vividly portraying the smug appearance of a lowly person rising to power.
Dong Zhuo’s brow furrowed, “What do you mean by this?”
Now, that was truly defiance against him!
The men behind him were relentlessly audacious!
After all, Dong Zhuo’s command over the Xiliang army was built on more than just threats; it was established on loyalty too.
And yet now—
Dong Zhuo could clearly see that these men still treated him as they always had, yet they now stood behind Li Jue.
What Dong Zhuo couldn’t get was why the guards would surrender so quickly without even passing him any news.
It was broad daylight, not the cover of night!
Li Jue clearly sensed Dong Zhuo’s confusion.
He had no obligation to clarify all the issues for Dong Zhuo, simply replying, “There’s no need to worry, I owe you for recognizing my talent. I wouldn’t do anything against you. I’m just here to take care of something beneficial for you, me, and everyone.”
In fact, he couldn’t kill Dong Zhuo.
If he did, with the temperament of the Xiliang army and their respect for Dong Zhuo, he would be putting his own life on the line.
These men would never easily follow him.
Li Jue said loudly, “By the edict of the Son of Heaven, I hereby place you under house arrest, and all matters regarding the Xiliang army and Chang’an’s guards are now under my command.”
He glanced up and down at Dong Zhuo.
Perhaps due to just waking from a nightmare, Dong Zhuo appeared rather disheveled.
Li Jue grew more convinced he had made the right choice.
He raised the imperial edict in his hand, speaking with a voice that combined apparent calm with underlying sarcasm, “You’ve grown old, your ambitions are diminished, your decisions are bound to be flawed! How can you lead us to achieve great feats and compete for wealth and glory?”
“I need to correct your missteps.”
This edict, conveyed from Liu Xie to Wang Yun, then to him, while lacking the Imperial Seal to certify its authenticity, became undeniable due to the blood and tears contained within its words.
Previously, Dong Zhuo had thought the advantage of conscripting soldiers in Chang’an using the Son of Heaven’s name was a strategic gain; now, faced with this bloody call, it instead became a severe weakness for him.
This was what Li Jue had to say to the new recruits from Chang’an.
Yet at that moment, Duan Wei, who hadn’t been stirred up by Li Jue, was still stationed west of Chang’an in Maiwu, completely unaware of the upheaval in the imperial city.
Dong Zhuo couldn’t have predicted that those most unlikely to betray him, the people of Liangzhou, would be the ones to turn against him.
He narrowed his eyes as he regarded Li Jue’s facade.
This guy, who had always been obsequious to him, after the deaths of Niu Fu, Dong Min, and Hu Zhan, finally moved into his first-tier group, not even close to being a Middle General before, now stood with a seemingly assured attitude.
As Dong Zhuo perceived this situation developing, had it not been for Jia Xu coughing lightly behind him, he might have suspected Li Jue’s demeanor carried more than just triumph, likely murderous intent as well.
He intended not merely to seize power but was undoubtedly aiming for Dong Zhuo’s position!
Dong Zhuo chuckled coldly, “So you think you can outsmart Qiao Yan?”
“That needn’t concern you!” Li Jue replied, “With Wenhe’s support, I am sure to win!”
He stepped closer, asserting confidently, “I will use this victory to prove to you that it was your fear that led to your downfall, that you failed to utilize a Liangzhou prodigy!”
