“Can a strategist really not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 212: Cotton Harvest
On this trip back to Bingzhou, there was no need to detour through Liangzhou; it was just enough to reach the borders.
Chu Yan could reach the vicinity of Guanzhong from Shangjun via the Qinzhidao, and naturally, Qiao Yan could return to Bingzhou using the same route.
Both Guo Jia and Xun You, who accompanied the troops, were temporarily left in Chang’an, while the one returning to Bingzhou with her was Jia Xu.
Taking Jia Xu back to Bingzhou had its own explanation.
As he was a subordinate official of Liu Xie, he couldn’t take any action before Liu Xie was found due to a lack of appropriate position.
However, leaving him in Chang’an could inevitably cause issues.
Liu Yu had always been lenient; it was hard to guarantee that he wouldn’t reactivate Jia Xu for a little good he might do while in Chang’an.
It would be better to send him off to keep company with Li Ru, the strategist captured two years ago by Dong Zhuo.
In Bingzhou, Qiao Yan’s people would personally keep an eye on him, and officially, it also allowed him to reunite with his wife; clearly, it was a win-win situation.
But Jia Xu was not treated like a captive. On the carriage returning to Bingzhou, he was summoned to the carriage where Qiao Yan was, under the pretext of inquiries.
What others thought was interrogation was merely idle chit-chat between the two.
As Qiao Yan placed her pieces on the chessboard, she asked, “Have you thought about what position you want when returning to Bingzhou?”
As soon as she mentioned positions, Jia Xu’s previously calm expression cracked slightly.
This expression basically meant—why the hurry to start working?
According to Jia Xu’s calculations, his trip to Chang’an had already been exhausting enough, navigating between Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, and the court’s old ministers. Now, all credit was with Qiao Yan, and he had a perfect excuse to rest for a year and a half.
But it seemed Qiao Yan had no intention of letting him rest.
Thinking about Cheng Yu already starting military garrisons and planning when to attack the other half of the Imperial Capital, reflecting on Xun You directly stepping into Xun Shuang’s position, and considering Xi Zhicai taking over Cheng Yu’s work in Bingzhou where the affairs were numerous—it became evident that Guo Jia was preoccupied with planning for the Qiang people in Liangzhou and the Xiongnu and Xianbei people in Bingzhou, while also keeping an eye on the situation in Jingzhou from Chang’an…
Suddenly, Jia Xu felt his own situation wasn’t too bad.
At least, under the current circumstances, Qiao Yan couldn’t directly position him as the military advisor for Youzhou.
People, after all, can feel happy when they have something to compare with.
He adjusted the chess piece in his hand, asking, “So what work are you planning to assign me?”
Qiao Yan replied, “You can choose to accompany Li Ru, hide in Leping Mountain, or be exiled to Shangjun. Which one do you prefer?”
These three options sounded like punishment for a traitor.
But what was the reality?
Accompanying Li Ru meant he would have to think of ways to convince Li Ru to work for Qiao Yan.
Hiding in Leping Mountain would mean he’d oversee all affairs in the fortress there.
It was tough not to suspect that Qiao Yan wanted him to teach those kids at Leping Academy, especially the Qiao sisters who were being groomed for intelligence tasks and might need his ability to spin a tale.
As for the exile to Shangjun… maybe two years ago that would have made sense, but now, with the Xianbei no longer ravaging Bingzhou, Shangjun was far from the barren lands controlled by Taiyuan; it was now a cotton planting base and a route connecting Liangzhou and Bingzhou.
With Qiao Yan taking half of the Imperial Capital, Qin Yu’s work would definitely shift towards coordinating agricultural matters in the three provinces, and replacing Jia Xu here not only satisfied his temporary “retirement” needs but also assigned him an important post.
In the short term, the expansion of cotton planting and maintaining confidentiality were top priorities for Bingzhou.
How to further strengthen transportation between Liangzhou and Bingzhou, due to the existence of the Mifu Ridge, was also a matter requiring planning.
Jia Xu was a smart subordinate and could naturally detect the underlying intentions behind Qiao Yan’s arrangements.
After contemplating the comparison between working with clever people, mentoring future pillars, and overseeing projects, he decisively chose the third option.
But what he, a cunning strategist, didn’t expect was that the very next day after arriving in Shangjun, he found himself with a new neighbor: none other than Li Ru.
“…” Jia Xu and Li Ru exchanged a silent look for a moment before Li Ru finally spoke up.
Li Ru: “Qiao Bingzhou said I should change my farming environment.”
And just like that, he came to this place.
One could almost thank Qiao Yan; she hadn’t insisted on renaming him from Li Ru to Li Meng as she had originally suggested before heading to Liangzhou, thereby completely severing ties with Dong Zhuo.
But it didn’t seem like good news for Jia Xu.
It couldn’t be said that Qiao Yan had arranged for Li Ru to come exchange farming experiences with him.
Jia Xu soon noticed another tragic reality.
At Leping Academy, the kids Qiao Yan had earmarked to become her trusted aides needed to come to the cotton fields in Shangjun periodically for labor, which also meant he very well might have to take on that second task from the three options presented to him.
Though Qiao Yan said he could choose, he ended up inadvertently selecting a combo deal.
When he saw Qiao Yan again, Jia Xu couldn’t help but smile bitterly: “My lord, you really are…”
So skilled at assigning work.
Qiao Yan replied openly: “I genuinely need people, so I can only hope you’re up for it. Besides, working with familiar faces doesn’t require constant vigilance, making it a bit of a break for you.”
Whether Jia Xu could really take a break was debatable, but he sure had something to say about “needing people.”
“There are some people you could definitely utilize, so it’s not quite as dire as you say.”
As they walked towards the cotton fields in Shangjun, he continued, “For example, Zhuge Xuan, a former official of Liu Biao, I heard he resigned to take care of his late brother’s children and came to Leping for the education of Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Jin, and others. It seems he has a desire to return to Jingzhou, but that Liu Jingsheng has already sent his eldest son toward Chang’an. If you want to retain him, I imagine it shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“Even in Bingzhou, there are still overlooked talents, much less in the Sanfu area. Several from the Ma family in Fufeng have already been utilized by you, not to mention Zhang Ranming from Liangzhou. Early on, to get promoted, he changed his household registration from Dunhuang to Guanzhong, but after being demoted due to the General Dou incident, he returned home to teach and write. His sons, Zhang Zhi, Zhang Chang, and Zhang Meng, are talents in their own right, be it calligraphy, literary analysis, or military tactics.”
“If you want to act with caution and uphold righteousness, then appoint Liu Yu as the new Son of Heaven, but you absolutely must not delegate the selection of talents in Chang’an to others.”
If so, Liu Yu, the new Son of Heaven, would likely mistake the play for reality.
Qiao Yan nodded: “I’m aware of this matter.”
The ones she planned to utilize next certainly wouldn’t be limited to Zhuge Xuan and the three sons of Zhang Huan; with Liu Yu as bait, she could attract plenty of capable people from Yingchuan, Nanyang, Hanzhong, and those nearby.
But once they got to the Imperial Capital, whether they followed Liu Yu’s commands or became her subordinates wasn’t something she would leave to chance.
She had the confidence to have them distinguish themselves between her and Liu Yu!
But all this would have to wait until she returned to Guanzhong, and until Liu Yu was persuaded by Huang Wan to enter Guanzhong.
Before anything else, let’s take a look at the growing cotton.
The last time Qiao Yan left Bingzhou, the cotton plants were still in their seedling stage.
But now, as we approach September’s harvest season, everywhere you look, it’s a scene filled with fluffy white cotton.
This is also a sight that most Han people have rarely seen nowadays.
The cotton, originally from foreign lands, has finally borne fruit on the soil of the Han Dynasty after careful cultivation, creating a stunning spectacle.
Jia Xu couldn’t help but stop by the field, his face showing a hint of shock.
When Yan Xing took him to Chang’an, it was in the summer and autumn of last year, but Xu Rong and Ma Teng returned from the Silk Road only earlier this year.
The clearest thing he visually grasped from the trade along the Silk Road was the cavalry unit led by Lü Bu; the contrast between the fine Dawan horses and the warhorses of the Central Plains was indeed stark.
But upon seeing this cotton field near harvest time, he realized even more vividly why Qiao Yan placed such great importance on cotton over fine horses.
People need to survive first before thinking about anything else.
Warhorses can be developed over time, but life? There’s only one.
With the existence of cotton, the prospect of reducing casualties during the winter became a possibility.
Even if this is only the first year of cotton cultivation, it’s already easy to see this potential.
Among the cotton plants at different maturation stages, some cotton was already harvested by hand and sent to the workshop nearby.
When Qiao Yan and Jia Xu arrived, the cotton had already been processed to separate the seeds by the machines set up here.
Now, it was being sent for the next step in the fluffing process.
The few boxes of cotton that Xu Rong brought back had not only assisted in setting up these processing machines but also familiarized the workers with these procedures for cotton clothing and quilts, keeping everything running smoothly.
It wasn’t until a cotton coat was presented to Qiao Yan that the two were pulled out of their immersive observation.
Jia Xu took the cotton coat from Qiao Yan’s hands, feeling its thickness before asking, “If we factor in the cost of growing the cotton, how should we price this coat?”
Even though Jia Xu arrived in Bingzhou only after Qiao Yan took over as governor, it didn’t mean he was clueless about her background.
Someone like him, who understood the ambitions of Qiao Yan, had likely gathered most of the essential information.
Besides, some details weren’t really secrets.
Back when Qiao Yan was in Leping, she made her first pot of gold thanks to her mulberry bark clothing.
Since mulberry bark clothing, being made from tree bark, mainly serves as a windbreak and warm garment, a low selling price made total sense. But cotton clothing, that seemed a different story altogether.
In Bingzhou, hemp clothing costs a hundred coins, while mulberry bark clothing is priced at twenty coins. This pricing has remained unchanged since Qiao Yan started selling them.
Even though others were also entering this business, no one dared raise their prices due to Qiao Yan’s presence; at most, they added some decorative designs for extra charges.
So, what should be the price for cotton clothing?
Qiao Yan replied, “Talking about pricing based on costs doesn’t mean much since the first batch of cotton clothing is too few, and most will supply the soldiers stationed at Liangzhou and Bingzhou, especially in places like Yanmen, Dingxiang, Yunzhong, and the Four Commanderies of Hexi, where the deadly winter cold needs to be addressed first with cotton clothing.”
“Also, I have an idea: for soldiers who achieve beheading feats, we could sell cotton coats to their families at a price of a hundred coins each, up to three pieces. What do you think?”
Jia Xu considered this and replied, “If that’s the case, there won’t be many left from this batch.”
From Qiao Yan’s demeanor, it seemed that a hundred coins wouldn’t mean a loss for her. They had plenty of cotton seeds from this harvest, and by next year, with better familiarity in the planting process, they could expand production.
Prioritizing their supply to the soldiers and their families this year was undoubtedly a move to gain their favor.
But…
“You might want to watch out for one thing, my lord. Some may exploit the soldiers’ purchase quota to hoard a batch of cotton clothing for resale.”
Qiao Yan shook her head: “I don’t necessarily need to guard against this; rather, I can encourage it. Those in urgent need of winter clothes won’t sell off their survival hopes for a hundred coins. Those who do sell them will make a good year out of it. As for those buying cotton clothing at high prices, they’ll have to clarify the source when reselling, essentially promoting us.”
Promoting service in Bingzhou’s army as a position with benefits to reap.
As her territory expanded and food increased, it stands to reason that the number of soldiers she could support would also rise, which is just the right time for subtle promotion.
Qiao Yan added, “Perhaps some merchants will take the cotton clothing to places outside Bingzhou, like neighboring Ji Province.”
Those getting their hands on the merchandise must have some spare coins, but simply relying on that outflow won’t satisfy their hunger. However, by next year, when the cotton clothing stock could cover more of Bingzhou’s population, she plans to implement a real-names registration purchasing system.
By then, besides soldiers, she would need people.
Pillaging from her neighbors would do!
She advised Jia Xu, “I know you’ve been wanting a break, but cotton greatly affects the livelihood here in Bingzhou, so please pay extra attention to the upcoming operations.”
This was not only a simple matter of planting, production, and sales; it also involved psychological games, and that’s exactly why Qiao Yan felt secure handing it over to Jia Xu, who was currently idle.
As for using cotton to spin into thread and then cotton cloth, Qiao Yan assigned that task to Princess Yang’an.
She had been in Bingzhou for two years now, and it was high time for her to show her worth.
While Qiao Yan was busy with all the cotton-related matters, Bingzhou received a special guest.
This person was Tian Feng.
After the fall harvest and planting in Ji Province, Yuan Shao, unable to reach a cooperation with Qiao Yan, had sent Tian Feng to Bingzhou for reconnaissance and learning as per prior plans.
So now, he had arrived in Shangdang County from Wei County.
Shangdang’s unique geographic position made border inspections particularly stringent, but Tian Feng seemed like an unremarkable middle-aged man, aided by the false identity and travel permits Yuan Shao prepared, under which he was registered as Yuan Feng, making it less likely anyone would connect him to Tian Feng, and certainly a bit more discreet than Xi Zhicai’s previous alias.
Upon entering Bingzhou, he noticed what Shen Pei mentioned in discussions—that Bingzhou’s farmland differs from others, and it wasn’t just idle talk.
Two years had passed since Shen Pei’s last trip to Bingzhou, the differences between these two neighboring regions were even more pronounced.
Even more alarming, Wei County to the east of Taihang is under the Emperor’s direct rule, while where he currently stood, to the west of Taihang, was merely a small village.
This caught Tian Feng off guard, though he kept a calm demeanor.
As he surveyed the surroundings, he saw the farmers moving between the plots, all wearing a calm smile that created a sensation of temporal dislocation.
At that moment, two children dashed past him.
As they ran, one exclamation reached his ears: “Run faster! If we’re late, we won’t get to the front row to hear Teacher Chang talk about the monthly report!”
Tian Feng keenly caught one particular word, instinctively halting in his tracks.
Monthly report?
What in the world is that?
