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“Can a strategist not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 197: Sanguan and Chencang
As the servant took the beef bones and left, Dong Zhuo began to ponder his next moves.
He was running low on reliable personnel.
Li Jue had kept him under wraps with the excuse of “proving Dong Zhuo’s poor decision-making,” and he couldn’t be sure that someone wouldn’t spill the beans to Li Jue after hearing the news.
Ultimately, that was because most soldiers in Liangzhou lacked judgment.
Such subordinates were easy to use but could also be a pain in the neck sometimes.
Thus, some of his plans were off the table.
He needed a loyal and somewhat clever officer to pull the strings.
Dong Zhuo wasn’t even aware that if there were anyone to judge, he himself might also fall into that category when taken in by Jia Xu’s tricks. In this situation, he figured he only had one choice left.
Duan Wei.
As for how to contact him…
After dawdling in Chang’an for a while, he had prepared a backup plan, one he dared not hand off to anyone else.
Now was the time to put it to use.
Li Jue had become arrogant enough to serve him beef bones, showcasing what a secure position he felt he was in, so he wouldn’t be on guard against Dong Zhuo’s little maneuver.
Suddenly, he walked toward the door and was casually stopped. He calmly told Li Jue’s aide at the entrance, “Bring me paper and pen. Li Zhiren wouldn’t dare harm me, but he wouldn’t be harsh on my old mother and granddaughter either! Have them delivered a letter reporting their safety.”
While Dong Zhuo was being held, apart from Dong Huang, who was captured along with the Imperial Guard by Li Jue, his mother, who had been granted the title of Chiyang Jun, and his granddaughter Dong Bai, who held the title of Weiyang Jun, were also trapped in confinement by Li Jue.
Perhaps the shocking change was too much for Li Jue, as he got the news in just a couple of days—
Dong Bai had fallen ill and wished to have her great-grandmother by her side.
Under circumstances that weren’t suitable for rumors of him mistreating Dong Zhuo’s family, Li Jue had no choice but to grant this request.
Besides, keeping them in one place made it easier to manage.
And he had also detained the two maidservants serving them, which gave a satisfactory explanation to Dong Zhuo’s subordinates.
After making these arrangements, he hardly paid attention to the elderly woman and the young girl, just as he didn’t give much notice to his daughter either.
To him, this attitude wasn’t surprising.
After all, the two of them enjoyed a princess-level treatment due to Dong Zhuo’s influence, unlike Qiao Yan’s absurd situation.
Since they didn’t make much fuss, he couldn’t be bothered with it.
Now hearing from his subordinates that Dong Zhuo wanted to send a short message, he didn’t obstruct it.
Compared to those two burdens, he was far more interested in a suggestion he received after asking Jia Xu.
Jia Xu advised him to send his cousin Li Ying and Fan Chou to battle at Shanggui, while also requesting more troops from Duan Wei as they passed Maiwu.
However, if Li Jue had his way, this mission was meant to secure the credit for himself; it would be better to rely solely on his own men.
But Jia Xu made a good point.
The campaign against Liangzhou wasn’t just about holding ground; it was also about quickly gaining traction—the sole route wouldn’t be enough.
If the entire force was made up of Li Jue’s men, it would definitely raise Duan Wei’s suspicions.
Considering they needed Duan Wei for backup, and the plan was to have him follow up as soon as they gained a foothold, they had to proceed with caution.
Li Jue mulled it over and, feeling a bit dissatisfied, added one more person: his nephew Hu Feng.
With a two-on-one dynamic, it highlighted that the main credit should fall into his hands.
By the next day, he issued his marching orders—
Li Ying was designated as the commander, with Fan Chou and Hu Feng as his deputies, leading an army of twenty thousand for a surprise attack on Shanggui.
Five thousand of those men were to be recruited from Duan Wei’s command in Mai County.
The last troop movement from Chang’an had sent Zhang Ji to Jingzhou to assist Liu Biao in countering Sun Jian.
But back then, it was merely cavalry support and small-scale military adjustments.
Now this was a proper march.
In this situation, whether it was the Xiliang army with their combat experience from past campaigns alongside Dong Zhuo or the freshly recruited soldiers in Chang’an, everyone appeared to be in a bit of a frenzy.
However, as the grand army set off, marching westward, they still emanated an impressive aura.
As a token of good fortune saved from Dong Zhuo’s grasp, Liu Xie had no choice but to climb the city walls of Chang’an to bid farewell to the troops.
He watched the departing unit with a flash of worry on his face.
Liu Xie hadn’t witnessed many battles; he had only experienced the chaos of fleeing when Luoyang was breached.
For a prince raised in the depths of the palace, this was the largest army he had ever seen.
Yet this army wasn’t meant for his protection but rather an offensive aimed at rescuing the Bingzhou forces.
It seemed that although his treatment had improved a bit compared to being under Dong Zhuo’s watch, he was still merely playing the role of a puppet.
It could even be argued a negative one.
He knew he couldn’t show his emotions outwardly; he only expressed his feelings of frustration after meeting Wang Yun.
“Your Majesty, please do not worry,” Wang Yun consoled.
He gazed at the mature and wise emperor before him, feeling an overwhelming sense of emotion.
Liu Xie was not just wise; he also had a compassionate heart towards his subjects.
During his stay in Chang’an, despite being constrained by Dong Zhuo, he frequently inquired about the welfare of the citizens.
If only this emperor could return to Luoyang and regain control, the glory of the Han dynasty might yet shine once more. Unfortunately, he just happened to live in such chaotic times.
Fortunately… Fortunately, the Xiliang army wasn’t a solid block, leaving them some room to maneuver.
“Dong Zhuo and Li Jue, these two wolves and tigers, aren’t in sync anymore. If we can incite them to fight amongst themselves, we might profit from it.”
Liu Xie quickly interjected, “But what of the troops sent to Liangzhou?”
Wang Yun countered, “Your Majesty, how do you rate the commander of this army compared to Dong Zhuo?”
“Most certainly inferior,” Liu Xie replied.
If Li Ying, Fan Chou, and Hu Feng could compare to Dong Zhuo, they wouldn’t have been sidelined early on.
Wang Yun strove to sound more convincing: “Then there’s no need to worry about the situation in Bingzhou. She’s always adept at strategizing; it’s unlikely she will overlook defenses in Liangzhou.”
Liu Xie nodded uncertainly.
Without having fought in the war like Wang Yun, he felt trusting Wang Yun’s judgment would be wise.
If only Qiao Bing could manage the battle calmly, that would be ideal.
But in truth, Wang Yun couldn’t give a confident answer either; whether the defensive situation at Shanggui was intentional on Qiao Yan’s part or simply a flaw that the Xiliang army had noticed remained unclear.
After all, Liangzhou was a region where even Duan Jiang, Zhang Wen, and Huangfu Song couldn’t impose rules.
Yet he had to put it like this to instill some hope in Liu Xie’s heart.
Wang Yun also couldn’t say that considering the dynamics of Chang’an, a defeat in the Shanggui battle could still be advantageous for them.
At that time, Li Jue’s power would surely be weakened, giving Dong Zhuo a chance to regain ground.
And a win would keep a significant part of Li Jue’s contingent stranded in Liangzhou, also providing Dong Zhuo with a chance to counter.
So regardless of win or lose, they had to be diligent in seeking opportunities for revival.
After persuading the emperor to send a blood-written edict to assure Li Jue, Wang Yun continued to strive for a say in this matter.
When necessary, he would lend Dong Zhuo a helping hand.
As for the situation in Liangzhou, he could only helplessly watch.
There was virtually nothing he could do at this point!
Wang Yun sighed heavily as he exited Weiyang Palace. All around him were the remnants of beleaguered palatial structures.
Today was truly one bad news after another.
Old man Xun Shuang had fallen ill yet again, and who could say if his condition would worsen?
Lu Zhi had also quarreled with Li Jue over the ancestral temple sacrifices and was thrown into prison.
His burdens had grown even heavier.
Still, he couldn’t help but think of Wang Mang’s usurpation over a hundred years ago, which led to chaos; wasn’t it somewhat similar to the situation now?
Fortunately, the fire and virtue of the Han dynasty hadn’t diminished, with ambitious figures like Emperor Guangwu rising to take on the responsibility of reviving the Han. It seemed like destiny always favored the Han—it was inevitable.
The emperor Liu Xie also bore the qualities of a wise ruler, with virtuous and ambitious people still striving.
So he couldn’t give up!
With the winds of change brewing behind him, Wang Yun needed to tread carefully with each step!
What no one noticed, apart from Liu Xie today, was another figure watching the troops marching toward Liangzhou from the crowd.
She cautiously concealed herself beneath a straw hat, ensuring she wouldn’t be recognized by anyone who had seen her before.
When Dong Zhuo appointed her as Weiyang Jun, she had been paraded in a green canopy carriage, ceremoniously sent off from Chang’an to Mai County for a grand ceremonial appointment. It was likely that some of those who heard of this still remembered her appearance.
After watching the military march away, she lowered her hat a little further and began walking away from Chang’an.
She was none other than Dong Zhuo’s granddaughter, Dong Bai.
She should not have been out here but instead imprisoned within the palace of Chang’an as a hostage.
However, two years ago, when repairing the Weiyang Palace and essential buildings in the palace, Dong Zhuo had summoned craftsmen to dig an escape route from her residence toward the outside of the city, ensuring he had a backdoor for himself.
This escape route wasn’t revealed to any of his subordinates.
Meaning, it served as both Dong Zhuo’s safety net in dire times and his protective measure for his family.
When Li Jue turned against Dong Zhuo, Dong Bai didn’t immediately utilize the escape route but first managed to arrange for her great-grandmother to come over under the guise of being ill while waiting for her grandfather’s reaction.
When Dong Zhuo’s letter arrived, and she saw the words “Know that you are afraid of the cold and fear fire, your body isn’t well, don’t skip meals, take care,” she knew it was her grandfather’s directive.
Find Duan Wei!
In circumstances where trust couldn’t be placed in others, she must take it upon herself to notify Duan Wei of the happenings in Chang’an.
And with Li Jue splitting forces to attack Liangzhou, it offered the best opportunity for Duan Wei to come to the rescue.
The distance from Chang’an to Maiwu is over two hundred miles on official roads.
That wasn’t too far.
Unfortunately, in such harsh times, if she rashly approached local farmers to buy a donkey or rent a carriage, it could lead to trouble. She could only rely on her own two feet.
But thinking of needing to hide her great-grandmother’s absence, the situation became even more precarious. If they discovered the tunnel under her bed, her grandfather could also be in danger. Dong Bai didn’t dare waste time and headed straight toward Mai County.
In the bundle on her back was food to support her journey, procured at the outskirts of Chang’an.
These provisions could barely keep her stomach full.
Still, compared to Qiao Yan’s long trek through Yanzhou, Dong Bai was faring a lot better.
She had grown up in Liangzhou; such long walks were no stranger to her, not even before her appointment as Weiyang Jun.
On the Guanzhong plain from Chang’an to Maiwu, most of the displaced people had been driven away by Dong Zhuo’s private property management, meaning she only had to avoid the official paths and stick to the nearby hills to dodge too much danger.
Even better, there were troops marching ahead of her, which included infantry, meaning their pace wouldn’t be too brisk.
So she only needed to keep up with this troop’s pace to ensure no robbers would dare show their faces.
And tucked away in her clothing was a dagger she had previously hidden in the tunnel, acting as a weapon for self-defense.
This was more than enough to support her quest for Duan Wei!
As Li Ying, Fan Chou, and the rest led their troops toward Mai County, they were entirely unaware that a young girl was tailing them not far behind, all set to find Duan Wei and inform him about the events in Chang’an.
They also had no idea that ahead of them, another force was already keeping tabs on their movements.
That was the troop led by Xu Shu in Wudu County.
Last year, following Jia Xu’s advice, Dong Zhuo had put forward Zhang Lu from Hanzhong as the Taishi of Wudu County to counter Qiao Yan’s introduction of Sun Ce.
This was beneficial for Dong Zhuo, not merely for forging an alliance with the regional governor, but also because Wudu County connected Hanzhong and Longxi, making it an essential area.
The more chaotic the situation there, the better it would be for Dong Zhuo.
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Qiao Yan clearly doesn’t care much about Wudu Commandery; this place has completely turned into a battlefield between the two previous prefects.
If we want to get into the details, this area is also a struggle between Gai Xun’s benevolent governance and Zhang Lu’s religious influence.
In March this year, Duan Wei, stationed in Mai County, divided his troops at Chen Cang under Dong Zhuo’s orders, marching toward Wudu Commandery and helping Zhang Lu capture Sanguan, expanding power in the southeastern part of Wudu.
This situation is certainly more favorable for Dong Zhuo.
With Sanguan in Zhang Lu’s hands, he essentially wields a force that doesn’t belong to him, minimizing Qiao Yan’s advance toward Guanzhong.
Besides, if Sanguan falls, Zhang Lu should be able to relay the news back to Chen Cang, which will eventually reach Dong Zhuo’s ears.
From the news sent to Dong Zhuo this year, Qiao Yan hasn’t shown any intention of moving on Wudu Commandery.
She merely dispatched people earlier to help Gai Xun subdue the rebels in Wudu before withdrawing her troops.
It’s not a hard decision to understand.
After all, her direct military power can’t cover the entire Liangzhou; rather than wasting it in Wudu, it’s better to concentrate it in Jincheng Commandery and Wuwei Commandery.
She might as well have come to an arrangement with the local aristocracy in Wudu Commandery.
When they offered up some farmland as a gift, she decided to pull her troops back to avoid stirring up any conflict.
Of course, that’s the impression she gave to the outside world.
Only Qiao Yan’s insiders know the real story.
Don’t be fooled by Xu Shu’s seemingly low profile; he might seem young and lack background, just an overlooked subordinate of Qiao Yan.
But his stay in Wudu Commandery came directly from an order issued by Qiao Yan herself.
He was placed there out of long-term strategic consideration.
The people farming in the area are all from the Du Liaojun military camp.
In terms of combat capability, while they can’t compete with a proper Bingzhou army, they’ve definitely been forged in real-life battles on the frontier.
Should such a group truly gather for combat, their strength would far surpass Zhang Lu’s followers from the Five Pecks of Rice sect.
However, Zhang Lu is completely immersed in his rivalry with Gai Xun, paying no attention to Xu Shu and his troops.
The way the Five Pecks of Rice sect rules is different from Zhang Jiao’s methods during the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
In the early days when Zhang Lu’s grandfather, Zhang Daoling, founded the Taishi Path, he saved people with pills, leading the sick to repent to heaven and nurturing their religious faith.
But by the time it reached Zhang Lu’s hands, it had turned into a more unified approach to combine governance with religion.
Zhang Lu calls himself the “Master,” his subordinates as “Ghost Soldiers,” and the leaders are known as the “Ritual Wine,” which are basically just officials managing local administration.
After joining the sect with Five Pecks of Rice, in Zhang Lu’s leadership, the sinners redeem themselves by building roads, and there are rules in place forbidding slaughter during spring and summer, providing charity with food and wine to form a more perfected order.
“This sect is rather interesting,” commented Yang Feng, who was sent by Qiao Yan to assist Xu Shu, having little impression of Gai Xun as he hails from the Four Commanderies of Hexi and stands unbiased towards the situation in Wudu Commandery.
“The people in Liangzhou see plenty of natural powers, respecting the growth of all things, aiding the poor with charity, and repairing roads; this works in Hanzhong, so why not here in Liangzhou?”
As long as Zhang Lu still holds the position of Wudu Commandery prefect appointed by the court, anyone else in a position against him would have been ousted by this viral expansion of the sect’s followers.
It’s only because Gai Xun is indeed a competent prefect that there’s been a stalemate until now.
“But don’t you think this sect is a bit strange?” Xu Shu couldn’t help but critique: “On one hand, they urge people to abandon desires and not covet wealth and honor, while on the other, they’re actively vying for power in Wudu against Gai Xun.”
“They revere Laozi as the founder while adhering to a hereditary succession system for their teachings.”
“But I haven’t heard that Liu Hou had any blood relation to Laozi, right?”
Liu Hou refers to Zhang Liang, while Zhang Lu is a tenth-generation descendant of Zhang Liang.
So Xu Shu’s logic is quite clear.
When you lot preach that this Master should inherit the teachings by bloodline, how come it’s not passed down to Laozi’s descendants?
Ultimately, it’s still all in the hands of those with the surname Zhang.
Do they have an imperial throne to inherit?
Establishing such a rule is utterly ridiculous.
Xu Shu has his criticisms toward Zhang Lu’s actions.
Having witnessed the chaos during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he understands well that relying solely on the continuity of religion won’t end this chaotic era.
Some self-deceiving methods are bound to gather followers of all sorts, among which there are certainly those who use religion as a guise for wrongdoing; that so-called penance could very well turn into another form of persecution of the common folks.
If it were someone else in his position, they might indeed be duped by the divine antics of Zhang Lu’s faction.
But with preconceived notions about their teaching methods, Xu Shu just sees more of these odd characters who fix roads for their mistakes, strictly following Qiao Yan’s orders to take advantage of the mixed powers in this region while also farming.
However, at the end of July in the third year of Guangxi, Xu Shu received a special command.
【Capture Sanguan】
The three words were all that Qiao Yan wrote in her letter.
But for someone as sharp as Xu Shu, who has been studying the situation in Wudu Commandery for nearly a year, these three words carry a lot of significance.
He patted Yang Feng on the shoulder, “Let’s go, time to get to work.”
If they didn’t stretch their legs, they would truly turn into farmers.
Yang Feng asked Xu Shu after receiving Qiao Yan’s decree, “What next? Drive Zhang Lu out of Wudu?”
“Why would we want to chase him away?” Xu Shu shook his head, “It’s just about capturing Sanguan; it’s not like we’re taking his life. Even without Sanguan and the old road, he still has a four or five county radius to spread his teachings from, so this doesn’t really harm his foundation. As long as Zhang Lu controls the gateway from Wudu into Hanzhong, he won’t withdraw from Wudu, and Liu Yan won’t allow him to either.”
“This way, he’d still receive supplies and manpower from Yizhou Hanzhong while preaching and upgrading roads near the entrance; that works for him.”
……
Yang Feng couldn’t shake the feeling that Xu Shu had ulterior motives.
Zhang Lu’s situation is so dire that he has to invest more in developing followers, and the method for his followers’ penance is repairing roads.
Which means they’re using Yizhou’s resources to pave Liangzhou’s roads, right near that crucial pass.
Though Xu Shu didn’t specify why Qiao Yan needed such road building, it sounded like Zhang Lu was involved in a losing proposition.
But Qiao Yan’s target wasn’t solely Zhang Lu; it was really the garrison at Chen Cang opposite Sanguan, or more broadly, the forces stationed east of Chen Cang in Chang’an.
Logically, she shouldn’t launch an offensive into Yizhou.
So Zhang Lu would need to continue his preaching and defense as usual.
Yang Feng slapped his forehead, deciding to momentarily ignore this puzzling predicament.
After all, all he really needed to do was one thing—
Assist Xu Shu in taking Sanguan.
As a pretty gift offered to Qiao Yan, he might have to think about balancing his freedom with familial ties, and even worry if his actions could upset Qiao Yan’s boundaries.
But as a general, he just had to labor.
Yang Feng promptly gathered his men to follow Xu Shu.
One fortunate piece of news was that since Qiao Yan’s route into Liangzhou was through Hanyang or Anding into the Sanfu region, Sanguan was likely to be easily overlooked.
And considering where Zhang Lu was most active in preaching, Sanguan’s importance was only enough to echo Dong Zhuo’s stationed army; in reality, it was the furthest distance from the core of his preaching.
This sudden military coup, capturing the old road first before Sanguan, managed to catch the garrison completely off guard, even delaying the news of their change in leadership from reaching Zhang Lu.
Instead, they were the first to hear about Dong Zhuo’s army entering Chen Cang.
Li Ying, Fan Chou, and others, believing that the troops stationed at Sanguan were still their allies based on information from Duan Wei, pressed on toward Chen Cang after receiving military supplies.
Since Chen Cang hadn’t been established as a long-term garrison, all the grain in the Guanzhong plain had been concentrated toward Chang’an, Li Ying’s message to the Sanguan garrison contained only one request—
Borrow grain.
As for the reasoning, it was ample: the Five Pecks of Rice and the old road fell into Zhang Lu’s hands with some help from Dong Zhuo.
Dong Zhuo had indeed become a captive of Li Jue for now, but Zhang Lu was unaware of this fact.
Currently, as Li Ying represented Li Jue on the battlefield, to outsiders, it seemed like he was acting under Dong Zhuo’s command.
In this case, shouldn’t Zhang Lu offer something back?
Yang Feng turned to Xu Shu and asked, “Shouldn’t we deliver some grain to lower their defenses?”
Xu Shu replied, “Of course we should, and we should also take this chance to scout their troop layout attacking Liangzhou.”
“Alright, I…”
Yang Feng just started to speak when Xu Shu interrupted, “No, I’ll go! You are way too noticeable; your Liangzhou traits are too obvious, which could alert them.”
If they spun Yang Feng as a follower developed by Zhang Lu after arriving in Liangzhou, that might work, but the other purpose of sending grain was to observe their forces, and in that respect, Xu Shu was far more adept.
Yang Feng recognized this, “I was worried; you are the one appointed by Jun Hou to lead in Wudu Commandery, and if something went wrong, I wouldn’t be able to explain it to him. But since you insist on going, I’ll guard Sanguan for you.”
Xu Shu turned to the “Big Ritual Wine” tied up in the hall and said, “Don’t let Zhang Lu find out about any abnormalities here so soon.”
Before heading to Chen Cang, he hurriedly sent a message to Qiao Yan about the news of “Dong Zhuo’s general Li Ying and Fan Chou have reached Chen Cang,” then changed into the robes of the Five Pecks of Rice sect’s ritual wine and rushed off with the supplies toward Chen Cang.
However, despite talking about not denying their request for grain to avoid raising their suspicions, it wasn’t necessary to send a large amount to Li Ying and Fan Chou, making those enemies too comfortable.
So, Xu Shu only took just enough to get by.
When Li Ying looked back at the supply cart, his expression showed dissatisfaction, and Xu Shu responded nonchalantly, “I teach that we should provide rice and meat for travelers at the charity house, but those who take too much might offend the gods, leading to illness; this is the essence of our teachings, and it cannot be violated.”
“The messenger comes from Chang’an, and as the ally of Master Jun, we should be welcoming, but alas…”
Alas, he was merely following the rules.
Xu Shu maintained a calm demeanor while saying this, not giving Li Ying any hint of abnormality.
If Li Ying had known that seven years ago, Xu Shu had also pulled the wool over the guards at Xiaquyang with Taiping Dao’s teachings at Qiao Yan’s behest, he probably wouldn’t have so easily believed this earnest nonsense.
Yet, not only did he fail to notice that the person before him wasn’t even from the Five Pecks sect, but he also politely sent Xu Shu off to Chen Cang, utterly oblivious to how many men were resting inside the city that Xu Shu had figured out perfectly.
Once they had all left, he finally asked Fan Chou, “Wait a minute… if I remember correctly, isn’t the term ‘charity house’ supposed to describe places that provide free supplies for the impoverished?”
Fan Chou nodded.
Li Ying yelled angrily, “That Daoist just cursed me for coming to ask for charity?”
He nearly wanted to summon a horse so he could chase after Sanguan, determined to teach Xu Shu a lesson, but was held back by Hu Feng and Fan Chou.
“Alright, alright, don’t complicate things; after all, they are still our allies,” Fan Chou reminded. “Our main objective is to attack Shanggui; the mountainous roads ahead are likely to take considerable effort, and we should rest another half-day before setting out. Offending Zhang Lu and having him inform Qiao Yan won’t do us any good.”
Thankfully, Zhang Lu’s prefect position was bestowed by Dong Zhuo, so they were essentially in the same boat.
There’s no way he would divulge this information to Qiao Yan.
A few taunts at him weren’t significant.
“Once we take Liangzhou, we can deal with them later.”
That comment from Fan Chou finally soothed Li Ying’s rage.
What he said about the tough road ahead was no exaggeration.
Li Ying had traveled the distance from Hanyang to Sanfu.
From their position in Chen Cang to Shanggui, there were still more than two hundred miles.
If it weren’t for scouts probing the road ahead to ensure Hanyang was still on guard, following the orders from Jia Xu before they left Chang’an, they would be considering delaying their advance.
Fortunately, this Bingzhou governor, who had never lost a battle, seemed to be led astray by the prime minister’s timid approach, taking his time for twenty thousand troops to arrive at Chen Cang without realizing it.
And that was exactly their chance for a rapid resolution!
