Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 1: The Yellow Turban Rebellion, The Clear Voice of a Young Phoenix, Chapter 20: Marching to Xiaquyang

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Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 20: Marching to Xiaquyang

For a superior to lead a horse and hold the stirrups, such a thing was not uncommon during the Three Kingdoms period, or in ancient times, but what caught Qiao Yan’s attention was his name.

Xu Fu of Yingchuan.

This somewhat rustic name, even sharing the same name as the person sent by the First Emperor to seek immortality and elixirs overseas.

But if you consider his age, his identity as a wandering knight, and the location of his appearance, it’s not hard to associate him with someone.

A name more familiar than Xu Fu’s original name.

Xu Shu, Xu Yuanzhi.

In Qiao Yan’s subsequent indirect inquiries about his background, she confirmed that he was most likely the person she had guessed.

However, he was still a minor now, naturally without the courtesy name Yuanzhi, and had not yet almost fallen into a deadly situation due to avenging someone, only to be rescued and then resolutely abandon martial arts for literature, devoting himself to study.

At this time, Xu Fu was still a young man in Yingchuan County who roamed with a sword, just in time for the Yellow Turban Rebellion. After settling his mother at home, he immediately rushed to Changshe, hoping to intercept the Yellow Turbans there to prevent greater chaos in Yingchuan.

At this time, he was undoubtedly far from being qualified to be called a strategist, and had not even read many books.

In Qiao Yan’s view, it should be said that he still believed he could solve problems with force.

Qiao Yan did not know whether he had experienced the Battle of Changshe in the original history, or whether he had joined the northern expedition to Ji Province after participating in the defense of Changshe, but in any case, he was indeed here now.

According to Xu Fu, in the battle against the Yellow Turbans the day before, it was the first time he knew that someone could cause internal strife between the two sides of the Yellow Turbans with eloquence and misdirection, thus creating a breakthrough in the long-stalemated battlefield.

And because it was vaguely rumored in the army that her actions were actually to avenge her parents, it added a layer of legend to the matter.

He was still young, and his chivalrous and martial temperament made his emotions more exposed. Qiao Yan’s actions made him admire her… perhaps in modern terms, it should be called idolizing her, so it was not unreasonable for him to come and declare that he would lead her horse.

When he said this, he was punched by his superior who came over.

For soldiers, those who can make them win battles are capable people. If the siege of Changshe continued, even if Huangfu Song might find a way to break it, it could not change the predicament of having fewer troops, and more people might be sacrificed.

This had nothing to do with Qiao Yan’s age or gender.

Moreover, some of the soldiers under Huangfu Song’s command were brought from the border. The older ones among these soldiers still had some impression of her grandfather, Qiao Xuan.

The Duliang Army stationed in Wuyuan had long confronted the barbarians outside the pass. These elite soldiers, who had been trapped in the city and were holding back their frustration, were relieved by the victory the night before, and they couldn’t look at Qiao Yan more favorably.

In addition, during Qiao Xuan’s three-year tenure as the Duliang General, the border was stable, and the soldiers’ treatment was never deducted. In the following ten years, the successors did not dare to appear too bad compared to such a predecessor, thus amplifying his influence and also adding some goodwill to Qiao Yan.

“This kid is smart, he can think of such a face-saving idea.” One of the old soldiers muttered, “But no one thought before that the young lady would also ride a horse.”

“What’s so strange about that, she’s Qiao Gong’s granddaughter.” Another replied.

Xu Fu, after being hit on the head by his superior, smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

In the end, the job of leading the horse for the great hero fell to him, and he didn’t lose out.

Moreover, Qiao Yan seemed quite interested in Yingchuan, asking him many things about Yingchuan, and even asking about what they, the wandering knights, usually did, clearly valuing him highly.

Xu Fu was completely unaware that he had almost revealed his family background in these questions and answers, and Qiao Yan further confirmed that his identity was indeed the future Xu Yuanzhi.

“You seem quite interested in that kid?” Cao Cao asked during a break.

Qiao Yan calmly replied, “It’s the first time I’ve encountered such a fan willing to lead a horse, it’s just interesting.”

Cao Cao glanced at Xu Fu again, still not seeing anything special about him with his sharp eyes.

There were hundreds, if not thousands, of such wandering knight youths in Yingchuan, and he was hardly outstanding.

Certainly not as capable as he was when he was a wandering knight!

Qiao Yan didn’t want him to find out, so she vaguely brushed it off.

But even if she hadn’t changed the subject, Cao Cao didn’t have the extra energy to focus on Xu Fu.

On Huangfu Song’s rapid march north, without Zhu Jun to discuss military strategy with, the heavy responsibility naturally fell to Cao Cao.

On the way from Changshe to Ji Province, Huangfu Song frequently summoned him to determine a marching route based on the layout.

Historically, the iconic battlefield of the Yellow Turban’s destruction was placed in Guangzong, but strictly speaking, Zhang Jiao’s main force actually gathered in Ye City, Ji Province.

But because Tang Zhou’s betrayal led to Ma Yuanyi’s death and an early start, this northern main force started in Julu County, the hometown of the three brothers Zhang Jiao, Zhang Liang, and Zhang Bao.

Then, it spread from Julu to the surrounding Guangping, Qinghe, and Anping areas.

When Lu Zhi led the Northern Army Five Divisions to confront them, the opposing forces appeared in Quzhou, Guangping County.

But according to scout reports, Zhang Jiao and Zhang Liang’s main force was still stationed in the Pingxiang-Guangzong line, basically at the southernmost part of Julu County, at the junction of Julu and Anping.

And Zhang Bao stationed part of his troops in Xiaquyang, maintaining a state where they could retreat and defend at any time—

This was the northernmost part of Julu.

The two sides, north and south, echoed each other.

Huangfu Song and Cao Cao discussed the location to join forces with Lu Zhi’s troops.

Huangfu Song originally preferred to join forces with Lu Zhi in Ping’en, then directly attack Quzhou and Guangzong at close range, but he also thought that an early meeting, using the method of reducing stoves to avoid detection by Zhang Jiao’s subordinates, and giving the enemy a surprise when appearing, seemed good.

This dilemma made him choose to listen to Cao Cao’s suggestion.

Cao Cao stroked his chin, looked at the map for a long time, and said, “What my niece did made me think of something else. I wonder if the general would like to hear my third option.”

Huangfu Song became interested: “Tell me?”

“I guess my uncle would say, why not directly take Xiaquyang.”

After the marching plan was set and the direction confirmed, Cao Cao, with Huangfu Song’s permission, mentioned this to Qiao Yan, and indeed got the same answer from her.

“This is not hard to think of.” Qiao Yan continued, “With our numbers, even if we join Lu Gong’s troops, we are only about equal to the Yellow Turbans, but the Yellow Turbans started in Julu, with stronger local morale, and are waiting for us, with a great advantage.”

“Plus, Zhang Jiao rules the people with religion, making their combat power unpredictable. So rather than facing such a situation, which might make a surprise attack fail, it’s better to directly take Xiaquyang and capture Zhang Bao, then use the Yellow Turbans’ disguise from Xiaquyang to infiltrate Guangzong City, which would truly be a surprise.”

“Exactly, that’s what I told General Huangfu.” Cao Cao clapped his hands and laughed, increasingly feeling that Qiao Yan’s talent in this area was astonishing.

Of course, he also felt that he had the ability to draw inferences from one instance.

“Of course, this method still has to be based on the premise that the frontline opponent is Lu Gong.” Cao Cao thought again, and felt that this might also be their luck.

Lu Zhi, whether in frontal battles or siege battles, was all about “stability.”

From an outsider’s perspective, the small victories between Lu Zhi and Zhang Jiao were not very impressive.

But from the perspective of those with military insight, he lived up to his skills honed in suppressing rebellions in Yang Province.

If there was no Lu Zhi on the frontline to hold back the main force of the Yellow Turbans, it would be completely impossible for them to try to bypass and attack the rear.

If we were to rate the most capable Confucian scholar in warfare at the time, it would undoubtedly be this Northern Middle General.

An interesting thing is that later, the White Horse General Gongsun Zan and Emperor Zhaolie Liu Bei were both disciples of Lu Zhi.

As for how much each learned, that’s up to individual interpretation.

But since they were to take Xiaquyang first, Qiao Yan probably wouldn’t see Lu Zhi so soon.

Of course, to be precise, in Huangfu Song and Cao Cao’s previous plan, Qiao Yan would at least have to wait until they returned to see Lu Zhi, and the meeting would not be in Yanzhou, but in Luoyang.

After all, Huangfu Song had already informed Qiao Yan a few days ago that Qiao Xuan had become seriously ill in March.

According to common sense, as his granddaughter, she should set off for Luoyang in a few days.

Not in a few days, because Huangfu Song was not sure how many spies the Yellow Turbans had in Luoyang besides Ma Yuanyi, who had already been torn apart by chariots. If Qiao Yan returned too early and leaked the war situation in Yanzhou, it would not be good.

So Huangfu Song had said that the war situation in Yanzhou and Yu Province would be sent out after he entered Ji Province.

By then, even if there were messages going back and forth, and secret reports sent to Zhang Jiao, it would not affect the war situation at that time.

Qiao Yan had better set off at that time.

Of course, she herself did not make a clear statement on this plan, but had already calculated another idea in her heart.

And this change in the marching plan was not only not bad for her, but should be said to be a good thing.

If they were to follow the original plan of meeting in Quzhou, the most suitable northern route would be the way Qiao Yan and the others came, first passing through Chenliu to return to Puyang, then going to Guangzong via Yangping.

But if they were to follow the detour route, the most suitable way would be to pass through Dong’e, enter Ji Province, and go through Qinghe.

This way, the marching route would pass through Liang State and Dingtao, without detours.

When passing through Liang State, Qiao Yan followed her original memory to find the Qiao family’s ancestral land.

The Qiao family was not a wealthy family, so there was no fortress for protection, but the Qiao family had the reputation of a scholar family but almost no wealth, which well avoided the risk of being robbed, and also allowed Qiao Yan to find the clothes her parents had used in the ancestral house.

Huangfu Song thought he would see a scene of her hugging her elders and crying, but instead saw Qiao Yan just exchange a few words with the clan elders and quickly leave the place, citing the urgency of the march.

“Not staying for half a day?” Huangfu Song asked.

Qiao Yan silently shook her head.

She had been calculating how to build a basic reputation for herself in the Yellow Turban Rebellion these days, so she inevitably neglected some memories of “Qiao Yan’s” past words and deeds in the Qiao family’s ancestral house.

In addition, her physique was slightly different from the original body’s weak state. If it were two or three years later, she could explain it by saying her body had improved, but not now.

The more you say, the more mistakes you make, so it’s better to reduce contact.

And her reticent state easily gave people a reason, nothing more than being emotionally moved by the scene.

This was reasonable.

Except for Dian Wei, who was a bit unhappy.

If her emotional sorrow was hard to vent, she could beat Bo Cai a few more times before reaching Dingtao, rather than making him and Xu Fu study together!

He now felt that Qiao Yan’s previous idea of letting his future son study was very good.

But he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

In the military camp, everyone knew that he and Xu Fu were the first to receive such good treatment. In an era where knowledge was almost monopolized by noble families, getting a chance to study was something many people envied.

Fortunately, after passing Cao County, he was relieved. Qiao Yan let him and Xu Fu review on their own, while she stayed alone in the tent, doing who knows what.

Others thought she was increasingly sad as she approached Dingtao, where Qiao Yu had died, but only the strategist system knew that she was not the original Qiao Yan, so there was no such sadness.

When it saw Qiao Yan’s actions, it felt the entire system was in a trance, falling into a long silence.

Because she was—

Rehearsing.

The system could confirm that even if it asked, it would probably only get a reply that her scene of wearing mourning clothes to see Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun had not yet reached the peak of her plan.

Killing Bo Cai in Dingtao to avenge her father was the highlight.

Dingtao, located south of the Jishui River.

In the past, “Qiao Yan” followed her parents through this place and encountered Bo Cai’s southern expedition to Yingchuan, but now the place where the confrontation had taken place no longer had any traces.

This was not hard to explain, but it felt somewhat sad.

At that time, after the battle was decided, the carriages were taken away for firewood, and the dead horses and people could not be preserved in the face of absolute famine.

Even the blood that had soaked into the soil had been washed deeper into the ground by the rain in Yanzhou a few days ago.

The only thing that could let Qiao Yan recognize the place was the arrow marks on the ground that needed careful attention to see.

Of course, the arrows were also gone, taken away as weapons long ago.

Her cold expression, her pale face from wearing thin clothes, once again contrasted with the white mourning clothes, making her look particularly frail.

But her back was straight, and as she walked forward holding the clothes taken from the Qiao family’s ancestral house, she clearly had a dignified demeanor.

Only when she burned these clothes in a brazier and performed the soul-summoning ritual did the firelight reflect a bit of rosy color on her face.

The Han Dynasty had various soul-summoning methods, such as Emperor Wu of Han trying to summon Lady Li’s soul and ending up creating shadow puppetry, or rumors that non-clothing also had such effects.

But these situations were somewhat different from Qiao Yan’s, where her parents’ remains were not present, so now it was naturally whatever she said.

If it didn’t work, it could be considered some obscure custom, but in any case, it was for the effect.

So she lit the fire to burn the clothes.

When the clothes in the brazier completely turned to ashes, and the wind by the river blew up some embers, covering the candles in front, from Huangfu Song’s angle, he could vaguely see a tear in the corner of Qiao Yan’s eye, which she suppressed when she looked up.

And what the wind blew up was not only the old clothes in the brazier, but also Qiao Yan’s plain mourning clothes, so when she casually raised her hand, the wide mourning robe formed a fluttering state.

But this raising of the hand was actually a signal.

Dian Wei saw the signal and dragged Bo Cai over.

Bo Cai initially thought they brought him along because of his status as a big-shot rebel leader, planning to keep him locked up until he spilled some secrets about the Great Virtuous Teacher, Zhang Jiao.

Who would’ve thought Liang Zhongning, the leader, was also brought along? The two were locked up side by side, seemingly treated the same.

But to his shock, Huangfu Song had no intention of playing mind games with him.

Those who should be released were left in Changshe, those who needed warning remained locked up, and those who deserved death, like Bo Cai, weren’t even given a chance to speak.

Bound and brought before Qiao Yan, Bo Cai finally felt a wave of panic.

This isn’t right! This is so wrong!

He vaguely remembered this place.

After all, killing Han officials and killing Han civilians were two different things to him.

He even bragged while drunk that the high-ranking official, surrounded by guards, was taken down by their sheer numbers.

Too bad a few escaped, making his victory seem incomplete.

Now, seeing Qiao Yan in mourning clothes, cold and detached, even without mind-reading skills, he could guess what was coming.

Earlier, locked up with Liang Zhongning, he cursed him for bringing a strategist who led to their downfall. If only Liang Zhongning hadn’t relied on her so much, she wouldn’t have had the chance to outmaneuver them.

But in a flash of memory, Bo Cai connected the girl before him to the one who had escaped his grasp. He realized—

He shouldn’t have cursed Liang Zhongning! He should’ve cursed himself!

Why hadn’t he tried harder to stop her from escaping? Now, he was about to die by her hand.

What an unexpected twist of fate!

Seeing Qiao Yan’s deathly gaze, Bo Cai desperately searched for a way to save himself.

Saying “I didn’t kill your father” would be useless.

In these times, the leader was held responsible for the actions of their subordinates. Saying that might only anger her further.

He gritted his teeth and shouted, “I know the military strength in Julu Commandery! You can’t kill me!”

But his words had less impact on Qiao Yan than the flowing Jishui River.

She showed no reaction, and even Huangfu Song didn’t think his information was worth sparing his life.

Instead of the execution halting, Qiao Yan walked up to Huangfu Song and said, “General, may I borrow your sword?”

Huangfu Song handed her his side sword.

Lending the weapon wasn’t a rash move—it was to ensure Bo Cai’s death was credited to Huangfu Song’s sword, solidifying his merit in crushing the Yingchuan Yellow Turbans.

Qiao Yan’s attention to detail impressed him, and he felt a pang of pity for her.

The sword, passed down from Huangfu Jie to Huangfu Song, now rested in the hands of a ten-year-old girl.

The blade, once stained with the blood of barbarians, gleamed coldly. But Bo Cai, dragged to the riverside, felt Qiao Yan’s gaze was even colder.

Helpless and facing the deadly sword, he had no chance of survival.

Having already witnessed Bu Ji and Zhang Bo die before her, Qiao Yan showed no fear in wielding the sword herself.

She had practiced alone in her tent, confident in her strength to deliver the blow.

She raised the sword and swung.

Bo Cai’s body, forced to kneel by the Jishui River, collapsed. Blood flowed from his severed neck into the river.

He could speak no more.

Though the blood would soon be diluted by the river, Qiao Yan knew it was enough.

The sight of the blood flowing into the Jishui would be seen by the soldiers behind her, and perhaps spread when they returned victorious.

It wouldn’t be as if the river had washed everything away.

Interestingly, in modern times, the Jishui River has disappeared from maps, replaced by the Yellow River. But in the Han Dynasty, it was one of the “Four Great Rivers.”

The Jishui flowed east from Dingtao, past Heze Lake, and northeast to Daye Lake and Juye City—where Qiao Yan had first awakened in this world.

If Qiao Yan’s mother had a spirit, she might see the blood of the man who killed her husband and indirectly caused their deaths carried by the river to that very place.

With that thought, Qiao Yan felt no guilt for using this body and identity to carry out her plans.

But she still paused for a moment by the river before turning to Huangfu Song and returning the sword.

“Qiao Yan is bold, but I have one more request, General.”

Her white robes were splattered with blood, but it only added to her noble aura, hiding a fierce determination beneath her soft exterior.

Huangfu Song found it strange that he saw her this way.

Shaking off the thought, he replied, “Go on.”

“Please allow me to accompany the army to Ji Province,” Qiao Yan said firmly.

Huangfu Song hesitated.

Adding her to the army was against protocol, especially for a rapid assault.

He guessed her intent was similar to her suggestion to spare Liang Zhongning—she wanted to witness the end of the Yellow Turbans.

But he was inclined to bring her along.

After all, without her actions, the Yellow Turbans in two provinces wouldn’t have been dealt with so quickly. If any remnants remained, they might target her. Keeping her with the army seemed safer.

Even if she reached Luoyang early, she’d just be waiting with Qiao Xuan for news. Better to wait until the outcome was clear.

And… who could refuse a child’s request?

At least Huangfu Song couldn’t.

He had also heard from Cao Cao how Qiao Yan had deduced the strategy to take Xiaquyang, showing her sharp mind.

A quick-thinking strategist was hard to come by, and Qiao Yan was clearly one. She might even be of help.

Plus, with Dian Wei and Xu Fu protecting her, she’d likely be safe.

Her riding skills weren’t great, but she could keep up, not a burden.

With all these reasons, Huangfu Song finally agreed.

After all, he’d already let her execute Bo Cai. Bringing her along to Ji Province wasn’t too outrageous.

Having justified it to himself, Huangfu Song led the group across the Jishui River and continued north.

Before entering Ji Province, they rested a day outside Dong’e City.

Though outside Dong’e, they were far enough from the city to avoid alerting the citizens of the army’s presence.

The area was shielded by trees to prevent prying eyes.

Sitting by the fire, Qiao Yan asked Cheng Li, “Do you feel like you can’t return home in glory, Zhongde?”

Cheng Li was a bit speechless at her teasing.

He replied, “It’s safer not to enter Dong’e. The city is a mixed bag, and besides County Magistrate Wang Du, others might have joined the rebels. For safety, it’s best to stay outside.”

“Just a joke,” Qiao Yan said with a smile.

Cheng Li noticed it was her first smile since executing Bo Cai in Dingtao and decided not to ruin the moment.

She continued, “I was just thinking, after you got my letter, you had Xue Shi lead troops to Puyang, making it seem like Dong’e had surrendered to the Yellow Turbans. But Liang Zhongning never personally confirmed it. You then headed to Puyang, and I doubt you explained this to the people of Dong’e.”

“True,” Cheng Li admitted. Their actions, like the current march, were best kept secret.

“Then it’s not like you could return to Dong’e to study. General Huangfu wouldn’t let you send messages so close to Ji Province. My suggestion to bring you to Ji Province was actually quite fitting. You should thank me,” Qiao Yan said confidently.

Cheng Li was both amused and exasperated.

He realized Qiao Yan was decisive in battle but still had the mischievousness of a child.

But this seemed to lessen the fear he felt after witnessing the execution by the Jishui River.

He wasn’t sure if that was a good sign, but Qiao Yan had already moved on, asking about Xu Fu and Dian Wei’s studies.

Xu Fu, who had vowed to serve Qiao Yan, had memorized the books she recommended, showing a good memory.

As for Dian Wei… let’s not talk about that!

The scene was chaotic.

Hearing the commotion outside the tent, Huangfu Song and Cao Cao, though busy with official documents, shared a knowing smile.

“We should clarify in the report that the late Magistrate of Rencheng’s death shouldn’t be mentioned to Lord Qiao,” Cao Cao suggested, looking over the draft.

Emperor Liu Hong was unpredictable.

He was greedy, even selling official titles, but he also established the Hongdu Gate School, appointing its graduates as regional officials.

He favored eunuchs but also had legitimate actions, like having Cai Yong carve the Xiping Stone Classics.

With such a capricious emperor, it was best to be clear in the report.

If Liu Hong, in his thoughtlessness, went to Qiao Xuan’s sickbed and said, “Your son and daughter-in-law were killed by the Yellow Turbans, but your granddaughter avenged them,” it would be disastrous.

Qiao Xuan was already 74 and seriously ill. Hearing such news might either shock him into recovery or kill him outright.

Cao Cao thought it best not to rely on Liu Hong’s judgment and to make everything clear.

Huangfu Song nodded and added a line to the draft.

After reviewing it several times, he handed it to Cao Cao to copy.

The next day, as they crossed the border into Ji Province, Huangfu Song gave the report to a trusted guard to deliver to Luoyang.

The extra distance wasn’t an issue.

Having seen the situation in Yanzhou, he could better describe it in the report. It wouldn’t do to overstate things while still in Yingchuan.

But as they marched further north, near Liaocheng, Huangfu Song suddenly reined in his horse and asked Cao Cao, “Mengde, did we write in the report that Lord Qiao’s granddaughter, Qiao Yan, aged ten, disrupted the Yellow Turbans in two provinces, and that the lifting of the Changshe siege was largely due to her actions?”

“Yes, that’s what we wrote,” Cao Cao replied.

At first, he didn’t understand why Huangfu Song brought it up, but then it hit him—

The wording said “grandchild,” but grandson and granddaughter were entirely different!

If Liu Hong misunderstood, and with their added plea for him to consider Qiao Xuan’s poor health and not mention it…

“The Yellow Turban rebellion isn’t over yet. The Emperor won’t give rewards so quickly. It should be fine, right?”

Huangfu Song and Cao Cao exchanged glances, trying to find reassurance in each other’s eyes.

Well… Liu Hong is so stingy, he wouldn’t give out rewards prematurely!

Comforted, they turned their attention forward.

By now, it was too late to recall the report. The messenger’s horse was faster than most in the army, and with a half-day head start, catching up was impossible.

Sending a supplementary report to clarify would seem odd and might harm Qiao Yan.

Better to wait until after defeating the Yellow Turbans in Ji Province to clarify in the final report.

Entering Ji Province meant they were in the decisive battleground against the Yellow Turbans.

Though their swift actions in Yanzhou and Yuzhou had caught Zhang Jiao off guard, he had spent years building this formidable rebel force. Underestimating him could lead to disaster.

As the commander, Huangfu Song couldn’t afford distractions.

His only goal now was—

March on Xiaquyang!