Chapter 197

Chapter 197: Sanguan and Chencang

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 6: The Two Provinces Stand Firm, the Silk Road Reopens Chapter 197: Sanguan and Chencang

When the servant picking up the ox bones left the place, Dong Zhuo began to ponder the possibility of action.

He didn’t have many people he could use at the moment.

Li Jue had detained him under the pretext of “proving Dong Zhuo’s misjudgment,” so it was hard to guarantee that someone connected to him wouldn’t inform Li Jue after receiving the news.

This was ultimately because most of the soldiers in Liangzhou lacked judgment.

Such subordinates were easy to use but occasionally troublesome.

Therefore, some of his deployments couldn’t be used.

He needed to choose a loyal and intelligent subordinate to mobilize.

Dong Zhuo was completely unaware that, if one were to count, he himself might fall into this category when it came to being fooled by Jia Xu. He only pondered that in this situation, his only option was one person.

Duan Wei.

As for how to contact him…

Having been in a daze in Chang’an for a long time, he had prepared a backup plan, and this escape route he dared not entrust to outsiders.

Now was the time to activate it.

Li Jue had already become so arrogant as to dare feed him such ox bones, showing how confident he was, and thus would not guard against this move.

Suddenly, he walked towards the door and, unsurprisingly, was stopped. He calmly said to Li Jue’s confidant at the door, “Bring me paper and pen. Since Li Zhiran doesn’t dare kill me, he surely won’t mistreat my old mother and granddaughter! Deliver a letter of reassurance to them.”

While Dong Zhuo was detained, apart from Dong Huang, who was captured by Li Jue while holding the imperial army, his mother, who was enfeoffed as Lady Chiyang, and his granddaughter Dong Bai, enfeoffed as Lady Weiyang, were also confined by Li Jue.

Perhaps because this sudden turn of events was too shocking, Li Jue received news within two days—

Dong Bai had fallen ill and wanted her great-grandmother by her side.

Since it was not yet suitable to spread news of him mistreating Dong Zhuo’s family, Li Jue had no choice but to agree to this request.

Moreover, confining them together made management easier.

The maids serving them were also confined together, which served as an explanation to Dong Zhuo’s subordinates.

After making these arrangements, he paid little attention to the old and young, much like his indifference towards his own daughter.

To him, such an attitude was not strange.

After all, they enjoyed princess-like treatment due to Dong Zhuo, unlike the bizarre situation with Qiao Yan.

As long as they didn’t cause much trouble, he couldn’t be bothered to deal with them.

Now, hearing from his subordinate that Dong Zhuo wanted to send them a message, he didn’t obstruct it.

Compared to Dong Zhuo’s two burdens, he was more concerned about the advice he received after consulting Jia Xu.

Jia Xu suggested he send his cousin Li Ying and Fan Chou to attack Shanggui, and while passing Maiwu, recruit more troops from Duan Wei.

But Li Jue thought, since this was about claiming the first merit, it should be done by his own people.

However, Jia Xu was right.

The battle for Liangzhou wasn’t just about gaining a foothold but also about quickly opening up the situation, which couldn’t be achieved with just one route.

And if it were entirely composed of Li Jue’s men, it would inevitably arouse Duan Wei’s suspicion.

Since Duan Wei was needed as backup, once successful, he should immediately coordinate and follow up, so caution was essential.

However, after some thought, Li Jue still felt somewhat unwilling and added another person, his nephew Hu Feng.

With two against one, it would show that the primary merit was in his hands.

The next day, he issued the order to advance—

With Li Ying as the commander, Fan Chou and Hu Feng as deputy generals, leading 20,000 troops to launch a surprise attack on Shanggui.

Among them, 5,000 troops were to be mobilized from Duan Wei’s forces in Mei County.

The last troop movement in Chang’an was when Zhang Ji was sent to Jing Province to assist Liu Biao in confronting Sun Jian.

But that was only a small-scale military deployment with cavalry assistance.

This time, it was a proper military advance.

In this situation, whether it was the Xiliang army with experience fighting under Dong Zhuo or the newly recruited soldiers in Chang’an, everyone was in a state of chaos.

But as the army set off in a grand westward march, it still presented a majestic and awe-inspiring sight.

As the mascot rescued by Li Jue from Dong Zhuo, Liu Xie had no choice but to climb the walls of Chang’an to see off the soldiers.

Watching the troops march away, a look of worry flashed across his face.

Liu Xie had not witnessed many battles, only experiencing the escape when Luoyang was breached.

For an emperor raised in the deep palace, this was the largest army he had ever seen.

However, this army did not exist to protect him but to attack the Bingzhou army intending to rescue him.

Thus, although his treatment had improved compared to being under Dong Zhuo’s control, he was still serving as a puppet tool.

Perhaps even a negative one.

He knew he couldn’t show this emotion outwardly and only confided his frustration to Wang Yun after meeting him.

“Your Majesty, do not worry,” Wang Yun comforted.

Looking at the precocious and intelligent emperor before him, he couldn’t help but feel emotional.

Liu Xie was not only intelligent but also deeply caring towards his ministers.

During his time in Chang’an, even though Dong Zhuo restricted his movements and power, he frequently inquired about the livelihood of Chang’an’s people.

If this emperor could return to Luoyang and regain control, it might not be impossible to restore the glory of the Han dynasty. Unfortunately, he was born in the wrong era, facing such circumstances.

Fortunately… fortunately, the Xiliang army was not monolithic, giving them a chance to exploit.

“Dong Zhuo and Li Jue, these wolves and tigers, are no longer of one mind. If we can make them fight each other, we can profit from it.”

Liu Xie quickly interjected, “But what about the troops sent to Liangzhou?”

Wang Yun countered, “Your Majesty, how do you think the commander of this army compares to Dong Zhuo?”

“Certainly not as good,” Liu Xie replied.

If Li Ying, Fan Chou, and Hu Feng could compare to Dong Zhuo, they wouldn’t have been insignificant under his command before.

Wang Yun tried to make his tone more convincing, “Then there’s no need to worry about the Governor of Bingzhou. She has always been adept at strategy; how could she leave any gaps in guarding the gates of Liangzhou?”

Liu Xie nodded, half-believing.

Thinking that he, after all, had not participated in wars like Wang Yun, it was better to trust his judgment.

If Governor Qiao could handle this battle calmly, it would be for the best.

But in reality, Wang Yun couldn’t make a definitive judgment. Whether the changes in Shanggui’s defense were intentional by Qiao Yan or just a flaw noticed by the Xiliang army was unclear.

After all, Liangzhou was a place where even Duan Jiong, Zhang Wen, and Huangfu Song couldn’t establish rules.

But he had to say this to Liu Xie to give the emperor some hope.

What Wang Yun couldn’t say was that, considering the situation in Chang’an, even if the battle at Shanggui was lost, it would be a good opportunity for them.

At that time, Li Jue’s power would be weakened, giving Dong Zhuo a chance to compete.

And if they won, a significant portion of Li Jue’s forces would be stuck in Liangzhou, also giving Dong Zhuo a chance to counterattack.

So, regardless of victory or defeat, they had to seize every opportunity to seek revival.

After persuading the emperor to write a blood letter to gain Li Jue’s trust, Wang Yun continued to strive for a voice in this place.

To help Dong Zhuo when necessary.

As for the situation in Liangzhou, he was powerless.

What he could do now was too little!

Wang Yun sighed as he stepped out of Weiyang Palace, looking around at the dilapidated palace ruins.

Today was indeed a day of bad news one after another.

The elderly Xun Shuang had fallen ill again, and it was unclear if his condition would worsen.

Lu Zhi had also clashed with Li Jue over ancestral temple sacrifices and was imprisoned.

His burden had grown heavier.

Yet he couldn’t help but think that over a hundred years ago, when Wang Mang usurped the throne and chaos ensued, wasn’t it the same situation?

Fortunately, the Han dynasty’s fire virtue did not wane, and with the great ambition of Emperor Guangwu, the responsibility of reviving the Han seemed like an irreversible destiny.

Emperor Liu Xie had the bearing of a wise ruler, and benevolent and ambitious people were still striving.

So he couldn’t give up!

Now, with the winds of change ahead, Wang Yun must not take a wrong step!

Unnoticed by anyone, besides Liu Xie, there was another person watching the troops march towards Liangzhou.

She carefully hid in the crowd, her face concealed under a hat to avoid being recognized by those who had seen her before.

When Dong Zhuo enfeoffed her as Lady Weiyang, he had her ride in a green-canopied carriage with a ceremonial procession from Chang’an to Mei County for the enfeoffment. It was hard to guarantee that among the onlookers, there weren’t those who remembered her appearance.

After watching the army march away, she lowered her hat further and walked away from Chang’an.

She was none other than Dong Zhuo’s granddaughter, Dong Bai.

She shouldn’t have been here but should have been confined in the palace of Chang’an as a hostage.

But two years ago, when repairing Weiyang Palace and necessary buildings in the palace city, Dong Zhuo, to leave himself a way out, gathered craftsmen and dug an escape route leading outside the city from Dong Bai’s residence.

This escape route was not disclosed to any of his subordinates.

Meaning, it was both an escape route Dong Zhuo left for himself in emergencies and a protection for his family.

When Li Jue moved against Dong Zhuo, Dong Bai did not immediately use this escape route but first brought her great-grandmother over under the pretense of illness, then waited for her grandfather’s response.

When Dong Zhuo’s letter of concern arrived, she saw the words “knowing you fear cold and fire, your health is not strong, do not cut off food and drink, take care,” and knew this was her grandfather’s instruction.

Find Duan Wei!

When trust couldn’t be placed in others, only she could notify Duan Wei and inform him of the situation in Chang’an.

And Li Jue’s divided attack on Liangzhou was the best time for Duan Wei to come to the rescue.

From Chang’an to Maiwu, the official road was over two hundred miles.

This distance wasn’t too far.

Unfortunately, in these difficult times, if she rashly bought donkeys or horses from farmers or rented a carriage, it might cause trouble, so she had to walk.

But thinking that her great-grandmother had to hide the fact that she was no longer there, making her situation more dangerous, and if the underground passage was discovered, her grandfather’s life would be at risk, Dong Bai didn’t dare delay and headed straight for Mei County.

In the包袱 on her back, she carried dry rations for the journey, bought in the outskirts of Chang’an.

These rations were only enough to fill her stomach.

But compared to Qiao Yan’s journey in Yanzhou, Dong Bai’s conditions were much better.

After all, she had grown up in Liangzhou, and such long walks weren’t unfamiliar to her before she was enfeoffed as Lady Weiyang.

The Guanzhong Plain from Chang’an to Maiwu, being Dong Zhuo’s “private property,” often drove away refugees, so she only needed to stay away from the official road and walk near the mountains to avoid much danger.

Moreover, ahead of her, there was an army marching, and since it included infantry, the marching speed wouldn’t be too fast.

So she only needed to keep up with the army’s pace to ensure no bandits would dare operate nearby.

And in her arms, she carried a dagger previously hidden in the underground passage as a weapon for self-defense.

This was enough to help her find Duan Wei!

Leading the troops towards Mei County, Li Ying, Fan Chou, and others didn’t know that not far behind their marching army, a young girl was following, waiting to find Duan Wei and inform him of the situation in Chang’an after they passed Mei County.

They also didn’t know that ahead of them, another force was monitoring their arrival.

It was the troops led by Xu Shu in Wudu Commandery.

Last year, following Jia Xu’s advice, Dong Zhuo, to counter Qiao Yan’s recommendation of Sun Ce, had Zhang Lu of Hanzhong appointed as the Prefect of Wudu Commandery.

For Dong Zhuo, the benefits were not just about giving the Governor of Yizhou some alliance advantages.

Wudu Commandery connected Hanzhong below, Longxi above, and Guanzhong to the east, making it a crucial location.

The more chaotic the situation here, the more advantageous it was for Dong Zhuo.

By this year, because…








Qiao Yan clearly neglected the Wudu Commandery, and this area has completely become a battleground between the two successive prefects of Wudu Commandery.

To elaborate further, this place is also a battleground between Gai Xun’s virtuous governance and Zhang Lu’s religious teachings.

In March of this year, Duan Wei, stationed in Mei County, under Dong Zhuo’s orders, divided his troops and sent them to Chencang. From Chencang, they marched towards Wudu Commandery, assisting Zhang Lu in capturing Sanguan and expanding their influence to the southeast of Wudu Commandery.

This move was even more advantageous for Dong Zhuo.

With Sanguan in Zhang Lu’s hands, it was like using a force not under his direct command, reducing one of Qiao Yan’s potential routes to advance into Guanzhong.

Moreover, if Sanguan were to fall, Zhang Lu would surely be able to relay the message to Chencang, and from there, it would reach Dong Zhuo’s ears.

From the messages sent to Dong Zhuo this year, there was no news of Qiao Yan making any moves towards Wudu Commandery.

She had only previously sent people to assist Gai Xun in quelling the rebels in Wudu Commandery and then withdrew her forces.

This was a decision that was not hard to understand.

After all, her direct military forces could not cover the entire Liangzhou region. Rather than wasting resources in Wudu Commandery, it was better to concentrate them in Jincheng Commandery and Wuwei Commandery.

She could also be said to have reached an agreement with the local powerful families in Wudu Commandery.

When they offered a portion of their farmland as a gift, she no longer stationed troops there to avoid causing conflicts.

Of course, this was the impression given to the outside.

Only Qiao Yan’s inner circle knew the truth.

Although Xu Shu was only staying in Wudu Commandery due to small-scale farming, he appeared young and without background, just an inconspicuous subordinate of Qiao Yan.

However, the order for him to remain in Wudu Commandery was personally given by Qiao Yan.

He was placed there for long-term strategic considerations.

The manpower he used for farming came from the Duliang General’s camp.

In terms of combat ability, although they couldn’t compare to the proper Bingzhou army, they were still battle-hardened from real combat on the frontier.

If such a group were to gather for battle, their strength would far surpass Zhang Lu’s Five Pecks of Rice followers.

However, Zhang Lu was fully immersed in his struggle with Gai Xun and did not pay attention to Xu Shu and his subordinates.

The ruling methods of the Five Pecks of Rice sect were different from the way Zhang Jiao spread his teachings during the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

In the early years, when Zhang Lu’s grandfather Zhang Daoling founded the Taishi Path, he used elixirs to heal people, making them confess to heaven and cultivating their religious beliefs.

But by the time it reached Zhang Lu, it had become more of a theocratic system.

Zhang Lu called himself “Shi Jun” (Teacher Lord), his generals were called “Gui Zu” (Ghost Soldiers), and the leaders were called “Ji Jiu” (Sacrificial Wine)—essentially local administrative officials.

After joining the sect by donating five pecks of rice, followers under Zhang Lu’s leadership believed in the sect. Sinners redeemed themselves by building roads, and there were rules like prohibiting slaughter in spring and summer, setting up charity houses to distribute wine and meat, gradually forming a more complete order.

“This sect is quite interesting,” said Yang Feng, who was sent by Qiao Yan to assist Xu Shu. Being from the Four Commanderies of Hexi, he had little impression of Gai Xun and now stood on neutral ground to judge the situation in Wudu Commandery.

“The people of Liangzhou have seen the power of nature many times, respecting the growth of all things. Establishing charity houses to aid the people and building roads can work in Hanzhong and Liangzhou.”

With Zhang Lu still holding the position of Wudu Commandery Prefect, appointed by the court, anyone else in a position opposing him would have been driven out by this viral spread of followers.

Only Gai Xun, being a competent prefect, could hold out until now.

“But don’t you think this sect is a bit strange?” Xu Shu couldn’t help but吐槽. “On one hand, they preach no desires, no greed for wealth and honor, no striving for superiority, yet on the other hand, they are in a standoff with Gai Xun in Wudu Commandery.”

“On one hand, they revere Laozi as the founder of Taoism, yet on the other hand, they follow a hereditary system of leadership.”

“But I haven’t heard that Marquis Liu and Laozi were related by blood, have I?”

Marquis Liu refers to Zhang Liang, and Zhang Lu is Zhang Liang’s tenth-generation descendant.

So Xu Shu’s logic is clear.

When your sect preaches that the leadership succession is hereditary, why doesn’t it pass to Laozi’s descendants?

In the end, it still ends up in the hands of you Zhang family.

Do you have a throne to inherit?

Creating such rules is simply absurd and laughable.

Xu Shu was critical of Zhang Lu’s actions.

Having witnessed the Yellow Turban Rebellion firsthand, he clearly saw that relying solely on religious succession could never end this chaotic era.

Some self-deceptive methods would inevitably lead to a mixed bag of followers, including those who would use religion to cause harm. The so-called redemption could easily become another form of persecution.

If someone else were here, they might have been fooled by Zhang Lu’s divine act.

But with a preconceived notion of his preaching methods, Xu Shu simply saw the surroundings as filled with special people who built roads when they sinned. He strictly followed Qiao Yan’s orders, working in this multi-factional area, stirring the waters and farming on the side.

However, at the end of July in the third year of Guangxi, Xu Shu received a special order.

[Capture Sanguan]

Qiao Yan’s letter was brief, with only these three words.

But for someone as intelligent as Xu Shu, who had studied the situation in Wudu Commandery for nearly a year, these three words carried significant meaning.

He patted Yang Feng’s shoulder, “Let’s go, we’ve got work to do.”

If they didn’t move soon, they’d really become farmers.

After receiving Qiao Yan’s handwritten order, Yang Feng asked, “Then what? Drive Zhang Lu out of Wudu Commandery?”

“Why drive him out?” Xu Shu shook his head. “Capturing Sanguan is one thing, but it won’t kill him. Even without Sanguan and Gudao, he still has four or five county cities for preaching. It’s not a fatal blow. As long as Zhang Lu controls the gateway from Wudu Commandery to Hanzhong, he won’t retreat from Wudu, and Liu Yan won’t allow him to retreat.”

“In this way, Yizhou and Hanzhong will still send him supplies and manpower. While guarding the gates of Yizhou, he can preach and build more roads. It’s not a bad thing.”

“…” Yang Feng felt there was more to Xu Shu’s words.

If Zhang Lu’s situation worsened, he would have to spend more on developing followers, and their method of redemption was building roads.

In other words, this was using Yizhou’s money to build roads in Liangzhou, near the passes.

Although it was unclear why Qiao Yan needed such road construction, it sounded like Zhang Lu was doing some unprofitable business.

But Qiao Yan’s current target was not Zhang Lu, but the Chencang garrison opposite Sanguan, or rather, the Chang’an garrison east of Chencang.

Logically, she had no possibility of advancing into Yizhou.

So Zhang Lu would continue to preach and defend as usual.

Yang Feng patted his head, deciding to temporarily ignore this confusing issue.

After all, all he needed to do was one thing—

Assist Xu Shu in capturing Sanguan.

If he were a beautiful gift presented to Qiao Yan, he might have to think about balancing freedom and family, even worrying if some of his actions would cross Qiao Yan’s boundaries.

But as a general, he only needed to put in the effort.

Yang Feng immediately gathered his subordinates and followed Xu Shu into action.

A fortunate piece of news was that with Qiao Yan’s route into Liangzhou being from Hanyang or Anding into the Sanfu region, Sanguan was easily overlooked.

According to the most active areas of Zhang Lu’s preaching, the importance of Sanguan was only to echo Dong Zhuo’s garrison, being the farthest from the preaching center.

This surprise attack, first capturing Gudao and then Sanguan, didn’t even allow the news to reach Zhang Lu’s ears quickly after the garrison changed hands.

Instead, the news of Dong Zhuo’s army entering Chencang came first.

Li Ying, Fan Chou, and others, based on the information from Duan Wei, fully believed that their allies were still stationed at Sanguan. After receiving reinforcements from Duan Wei, they continued to advance towards Chencang, even contacting the Sanguan garrison.

Since Chencang had not been a long-term garrison, and the grain reserves of the Guanzhong plain were concentrated towards Chang’an, Li Ying’s letter to Sanguan had only one message—

Borrow grain.

The reason for borrowing grain was ample. Sanguan and Gudao fell into Zhang Lu’s hands with Dong Zhuo’s help.

Dong Zhuo was temporarily Li Jue’s prisoner, but Zhang Lu didn’t know this.

Now Li Ying, representing Li Jue, was sending troops, but to outsiders, it seemed like he was representing Dong Zhuo.

In that case, shouldn’t Zhang Lu offer some reciprocation?

Yang Feng asked Xu Shu, “Should we send grain to lower their guard?”

Xu Shu replied, “Of course we should, and we should also take the opportunity to observe their military layout.”

“Alright, I…”

Yang Feng had just started speaking when Xu Shu interrupted, “No, I’ll go! Your Liangzhou traits are too obvious; they might see through us.”

If Yang Feng were to be passed off as a follower Zhang Lu developed after arriving in Liangzhou, it might work. But the other purpose of sending grain was to observe the enemy’s military situation, and Xu Shu was far more skilled at this than Yang Feng.

Yang Feng himself understood this, “I was worried that since you’re the person Lord Qiao assigned to Wudu Commandery, if something happened, I wouldn’t be able to explain it to her. But since you insist on going, I’ll hold Sanguan for you.”

Xu Shu, looking at the tightly bound “Ji Jiu” in the hall, replied, “Don’t let Zhang Lu discover the anomaly here too quickly.”

Before heading to Chencang, he first sent a message to Qiao Yan via fast horse: [Dong Zhuo’s generals Li Ying and Fan Chou have arrived in Chencang.] Then, he changed into the Ji Jiu uniform of the Five Pecks of Rice sect in Gudao City and took the city’s grain reserves to Chencang.

However, while it was said that they couldn’t refuse the request for grain to avoid alerting the enemy, there was no need to send a large amount of grain to Li Ying and Fan Chou, making things too easy for them.

So Xu Shu only brought enough to handle the situation.

When Li Ying looked at the grain carts behind him with dissatisfaction, Xu Shu calmly replied, “Our sect provides rice and meat in charity houses for travelers to take, but taking too much can incur the wrath of spirits, leading to illness. This is the essence of our doctrine and cannot be violated.”

“Since you’ve come all the way from Chang’an and are allies of Shi Jun, we should welcome you with open arms, but alas…”

Alas, he was just following the rules.

Xu Shu’s expression was so calm and composed that Li Ying didn’t notice anything amiss.

If he had known that seven years ago, Xu Shu had also been assigned by Qiao Yan to忽悠 the defenders of Xiaquyang with Taiping Dao scriptures, he might not have been so easily fooled by such serious nonsense.

However, not only did he not realize that the person before him was not a Five Pecks of Rice follower, but he also politely escorted Xu Shu out of Chencang, completely unaware that the number of troops resting in the city had been roughly estimated by Xu Shu.

By the time Xu Shu was long gone, Li Ying belatedly asked Fan Chou, “Wait a minute… If I remember correctly, the term ‘charity house’ refers to places that provide free supplies to refugees and the poor, right?”

Fan Chou nodded.

Li Ying angrily shouted, “That Taoist called me a beggar for charity?”

He almost wanted to have a horse brought to chase after Xu Shu and give him a piece of his mind, but Hu Feng and Fan Chou stopped him.

“Alright, alright, let’s not cause any more trouble. After all, they’re still allies,” Fan Chou reminded him. “Our main goal is to attack Shanggui. The mountain paths ahead are difficult and will take a lot of effort. Let’s rest for half a day and then set off. Offending Zhang Lu and having him report to Qiao Yan early won’t do us any good.”

Fortunately, Zhang Lu’s position as prefect was given by Dong Zhuo, so they were on the same boat.

He wouldn’t report the news to Qiao Yan.

Being mocked a bit wasn’t a big deal.

“We’ll settle the score with them after we take Liangzhou.”

Fan Chou’s words finally calmed Li Ying’s anger.

The difficult mountain paths ahead were indeed not an exaggeration.

Li Ying had traveled the route from Hanyang to Sanfu.

From their current position in Chencang to Shanggui, it was at least over two hundred miles.

If not for the scouts confirming that Hanyang was still in a state of lax defense, according to Jia Xu’s instructions before they left Chang’an, they should have considered delaying the advance.

Fortunately, this Bingzhou Governor, who had never lost a battle, seemed to have been misled by the Prime Minister’s cautious attitude and hadn’t even noticed the arrival of twenty thousand troops in Chencang.

This was their chance for a quick victory!