Chapter 213
Can strategists really not ascend the throne? Volume Seven, Eight Hundred Qin Chuan, Chapter 213 Achievement Settlement
Tian Feng, full of curiosity about new things, gestured to a few subordinates who came along and followed the footsteps of the two kids.
As he walked uphill from the field towards the village terrace, it wasn’t long before he noticed a scholar sitting under a tree, surrounded by a bunch of kids.
Some more adults, who paused while working with their hoes on the road, also lingered around the outer circle.
Since Tian Feng looked more like a traveling merchant, he didn’t stand out much.
Looking over the heads of the children, he saw the scholar spread out a large page of the Leping Marquis paper on his lap.
It seemed that this was what they referred to as the “Monthly Report.”
Although there had been plenty of sales of Leping Marquis paper over the past two years, this one was of a rare caliber.
However, when Tian Feng glanced around, he found these children seemed entirely accustomed to it.
One particularly lively child even called out to the scholar, “Chang Congshi, tell us some of the interesting tidbits from the September issue!”
The adult next to him, presumably his father, patted his shoulder and said, “Forget those tidbits, let’s hear about the agricultural section.”
The child immediately muttered, “You’ve practically planted everything this year; worrying about the agricultural section is pointless.”
This comment instantly drew a chorus of responses from the surrounding friends.
What caught Tian Feng’s attention wasn’t the so-called tidbits or agriculture, but the child’s address of the scholar.
Being called Congshi likely meant he was an official subordinate to Qiao Yan, the Governor.
Unfortunately, most of Qiao Yan’s appointees weren’t particularly famous before their positions, and this scholar didn’t have any notable surname, so Tian Feng couldn’t guess his identity right away.
Of course, he also didn’t know that this was Chang Lin, the officer from Shangdang County.
Chang Lin himself hadn’t noticed the important figure from Jizhou who had just joined the crowd.
Making sure Shangdang County affairs were in check, he had been in this role for two years now.
His appointment was a sign of Qiao Yan valuing the influx of people to Bingzhou.
But Chang Lin wasn’t bad at handling mundane tasks and could take the time to read the received Leping Monthly Report to the village kids in Shangdang County.
The copy he had was the September issue.
It wasn’t surprising that the kids enjoyed the interesting stories in the report.
With most people being uneducated, stories were naturally more understandable than convoluted articles. However, this monthly report’s tidbits were somewhat unique. After some consideration, Chang Lin said, “Let’s go through it in order.”
Going in order was a great deal for these kids who were eager to hear something new; just getting to know what they wanted was satisfying enough for them.
They had no objections.
Moreover, with Cai Zhaoji’s planning, the Leping Monthly Report had been increasingly focused on common appeal.
Although no kid working the fields could read the report, the paper also served to convey information, laying the groundwork for cultural integration and public opinion—content that would help even illiterate farmers understand newspapers through others’ retelling, making them aware of a broader world.
This was Cai Zhaoji’s goal.
In this trend, besides guys like Chang Lin, who were bored and serving as reading aides, there were also those who initially sought fame through the Recommendation for Filial Piety and Integrity but switched to gaining accolades by reading the news to neighbors.
Qiao Yan hadn’t been in Bingzhou for a long time and hadn’t heard about this trend, but the strategists like Xi Zhicai and Lu Yuan who were left to hold down the fort had. They just figured that even though reading the news hadn’t produced any noteworthy talents yet, they wouldn’t bother her with it.
Regardless of whether there would be further changes, Chang Lin had now started on the literary section.
It featured a five-character poem written by Cai Yong, called the “Kingfisher Poem.”
This was a poem easy enough for kids to understand.
“Kingfishers come, flapping their wings in style. Glancing back at the emerald colors, they sway in the breeze.” These vivid descriptions made it easy to imagine a bird shaking itself on a branch.
And for comparatively innocent kids, it was also a poem that ended beautifully.
The subsequent lines told of the kingfisher escaping from a hunter’s bow and arrow, arriving in a gentleman’s garden, where it found refuge and safety, living happily ever after.
With Chang Lin guiding them word for word, the kids chanted along.
“Fortunate to escape the hunter’s net, finding refuge in the gentleman’s garden.”
“Trained heart entrusted to the gentleman, both male and female living to a hundred.”
Not wanting to come off as overly out of place or attract attention, Tian Feng joined in the recitation.
But as he read, he vaguely recalled that this wasn’t a poem Cai Yong had recently written; it was actually penned during the reign of Emperor Ling of Han.
In the poem, the kingfisher is saved from the hunter by a gentleman, finding a safe end, but for Cai Yong back then, the poem was more about expressing his own hopes for protection from persecution.
Sadly, things didn’t turn out well for him, and he had to flee to Mount Tai to find refuge with the Yang family.
But as these last four lines were turned into a nearly nursery rhyme chant by the kids, Tian Feng had no doubt that the original meaning would probably be overlooked, leaving only the surface-level happy ending story.
Then, thinking about how Leping Academy in Bingzhou had welcomed Zheng Xuan, a friend of Cai Yong, along with numerous scholars to assist with cultural creation and historical writing, it certainly felt like the kingfisher had indeed found a suitable garden to nest in.
The scenes of people’s livelihoods that Tian Feng saw along the way also mirrored the essence of the Kingfisher poem.
He sensed that the promotion of this poem, like the earlier praises for Huangfu Song in Jizhou, was a way to celebrate the peace and prosperity in Bingzhou.
But this poem carried deeper meaning compared to the earlier folk verses about Huangfu Song.
The kingfisher is often used as a metaphor for scholars, so conveying it in this context serves as a promotional song for Leping Academy!
What a clever move!
While Tian Feng was still pondering the double-edged implications of this, he overheard Chang Lin shifting gears to the medical section.
Interestingly, this part was also about birds.
But not the kingfisher—this time, it was about the bird play in the Five Animals Play created by the divine physician Hua Tuo.
For these kids who had just learned the Kingfisher poem, mimicking birds seemed like a natural next step.
They immediately followed Chang Lin’s example, raising both hands, lifting one leg, stretching their arms, and puffing their chests.
Chang Lin explained, “From the previous May issue to the current September one, we’ve reached the last set of movements for the Five Animals Play. For those who’re not in good health or can’t practice martial arts with weapons, they can follow this routine that all officials in the state must do until they break a sweat.”
Chang Lin showed no airs of being an official; he demonstrated and explained at the same time.
He had been in Bingzhou for two years now, and since that time, he had visibly become agile, sparking curiosity among the people.
Tian Feng watched this interaction between officials and locals with a sense of admiration and a twinge of bitterness in his heart.
Yet before he could fully process this feeling, he noticed that Chang Lin had already turned to the third part: agriculture.
Most agricultural knowledge in Bingzhou had already been passed on by those like Qin Yu through planting education systems. Therefore, the agricultural section in this monthly report did not focus on planting techniques or pig-raising methods but on two pieces of news.
The first was about a new crop called spinach.
Using spinach instead of the Persian vegetable name was deliberately to obscure its origins from outsiders.
The Leping Monthly Report mentioned that spinach had been successfully grown in Liangzhou, and with the expansion of planting areas and increased varieties, it could now be supplied to Bingzhou. Those interested in planting could go to the state office to receive some seeds—it was good news for the dining tables of Bingzhou.
The second news was regarding the initiation of military agricultural settlements in Guanzhong, recruiting experienced farmers in Bingzhou.
Since there was no warfare in Guanzhong for the time being, these farmers would be compensated only half the usual soldier’s pay. However, any harvest exceeding one-third of the original output would belong to them.
“That’s a good deal!” exclaimed one farmer, “I heard the yield in Guanzhong is three stones per mu. Our best yield is about nine stones per mu, which means… we could get two stones for ourselves!”
According to what the state office had stated in the report, this part of the harvest was not included in the taxable income.
Tian Feng listened in awe as the farmer continued chatting with his companions, “With our current plowing efficiency using the curved plow and harrow, we actually have an extra worker per household. Why not earn a few more stones each year?”
“You’re underestimating it; I’ve heard the land in Guanzhong is not only fertile but also flat!”
“It’s way easier to get things done here than in our Bingzhou.”
The other guy replied, “Since the formal recruitment is still ten days away, I should discuss it with my wife first to see if we should send our oldest son.”
This simple sentence revealed to Tian Feng an undeniable trust in Qiao Yan.
Guanzhong is indeed fertile land, but it has long been transformed into a terrifying place due to years of invasions from Liangzhou and the subsequent rule of Dong Zhuo.
Yet, it seemed like the Bingzhou folks discussing this area had no doubt about whether the troubles of the past would return.
But thinking about it, the only ones who actually reacted negatively to Qiao Yan’s name over the years were the Xianbei on the grasslands, while there hadn’t been any news of Bingzhou becoming a target for winter raids—it wasn’t that surprising.
This was all thanks to their proven track record.
But that wasn’t the most puzzling thing for Tian Feng!
The real head-scratcher was that “nine stones per mu” thing!
What does “nine stones per mu” even mean?
If Ji Province could achieve such yields, he’d be advocating for Yuan Shao to directly take Youzhou and then advance into Bingzhou tomorrow!
Too bad such yields were cropping up for their rivals.
Hearing them obliviously bragging about their amazing crop yield, Tian Feng couldn’t help but suspect that even the seemingly barren lands they talked about probably churned out more profits than Bingzhou’s cornucopia.
It was this productivity that made their way of life possible.
Tian Feng thought he made the right choice coming here to steal some knowledge, but he couldn’t help but try to gauge the grain stock in the Bingzhou government storehouse, feeling a wave of panic.
This Qiao from Bingzhou…
“You all can make your choices, but let’s get back to this Leping Monthly Report,” Chang Lin’s voice broke Tian Feng’s train of thought.
He quickly adjusted his expression to hide his shock, worried he might give away his identity.
But Chang Lin had already turned around to chat with the villagers behind him, completely oblivious to Tian Feng’s odd demeanor.
The kids, on the other hand, clustered around him since he hadn’t directly shared the knowledge from the monthly report, but instead had them fetch iron needles, magnets, dried leaves, and a bowl of water.
This gathering made it hard for Chang Lin to notice Tian Feng standing off to the side.
Under the eager gazes of the children, Chang Lin rubbed the needle against the magnet before placing it on the dried leaves, then dropped the leaves into the water. And lo and behold, that needle with the leaves turned and pointed north!
No matter how someone nudged the leaves, they’d always return to that direction.
“Chang Officer,” a child fiddling with the leaves turned to him, curious, “What’s the principle behind this?”
Chang Lin shrugged, “Different folks for different strokes. You really shouldn’t be asking me this. It’s something from Leping’s Academy of Sciences. If you ever get the chance to visit, you’ll find out how it works and where it’s used. They sometimes have competent helpers teaching there, too, even if you don’t study at Leping Academy.”
He returned the water bowl to the villager behind him and flipped to the next page of the Leping Monthly Report.
Thinking about how the fifth page was about geography and the sixth would be the fun anecdotes they looked forward to, despite his many questions about that needle, the kids stood there obediently, eagerly listening to Chang Lin’s stories.
In fact, they were captivated by the geography segment on the fifth page before even reaching the sixth.
This issue introduced the Qin Zhi Road between Liangzhou and Bingzhou.
Nowadays, traveling and studying like that wasn’t something most people could experience.
Even these kids born in Shangdang County of Bingzhou, when they become adults, probably few would manage to leave this county, let alone venture toward Liangzhou.
Hearing about a path built over several yards wide on the mountain, still clear of weeds after three to four hundred years of weathering, the kids’ eyes sparkled.
The existence of Marquis Leping and the design of the monthly report allowed them to even see a sketch of this road!
Though the drawing wasn’t the greatest, it was still better than leaving it to their imagination.
Chang Lin explained, “Once the provincial government gathers enough folks to head to Guanzhong, they’ll travel south along this path.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the man who had said earlier that he wanted to send his eldest son to Guanzhong was suddenly showered with envious looks from a bunch of kids.
But it wasn’t him going; he felt short-changed regardless of how he thought about it.
Of course, the one feeling more desolate wasn’t him but Tian Feng.
This capable strategist under Yuan Shao truly had an eye for long-term results—how could he not see that if the children in the Bingzhou region received this proud, geography-centric education, they’d turn out to be something else when they grew up?
Ji Province’s satisfaction was still stuck at celebrating this year’s harvest.
A yield less than half of Bingzhou’s!
Even more shocking for Tian Feng was hearing Chang Lin flip to the last page of the monthly report, saying, “Alright, now let’s talk about your favorite anecdotes. But today’s anecdotes are a bit special—not about the wonders of Bingzhou, but of neighboring Ji Province. Although calling it anecdotes isn’t entirely correct; it might be an issue of techniques.”
“To discuss this matter, we have to start from two years ago during the campaign against Dong Zhuo. Back then, during the meeting at Suanzao, all the factions were short on supplies, so…”
Tian Feng: “…”
Uh-oh.
Even only having heard the beginning, it didn’t stop Tian Feng from realizing that Chang Lin was definitely going to spill the beans on the whole borrowing grain incident between Yuan Shao and Qiao Yan!
No matter how many copies the Leping Monthly Report had or whether it was only the officers of Bingzhou who had a copy, with something as amusing as this circulating, it wouldn’t take long before all of Bingzhou knew how Yuan Shao couldn’t figure out his accounts!
The report likely recorded this to prevent the folks in Bingzhou from being duped by such interests, but it also truly crushed Yuan Shao’s reputation.
But what ground did Tian Feng have to blame this?
He was now called “Yuan Feng” and not Tian Feng.
Qiao Yan and Yuan Shao were in absolutely opposing positions.
Tian Feng was sure that if it were Qiao Yan making this blunder today, Yuan Shao would surely take this chance to strike at his opponent!
This was a fight that wouldn’t give way to any factors like age or gender!
Qiao Yan wasn’t backing down an inch in her targeting of Yuan Shao; she had no intention to concede in seeking her own gains either.
Specifically, this referred to reaping the rewards of the system.
Last time she approached the Strategist System was to inquire whether she could gain strategist points through successfully promoting woodblock printing in the future.
And in the blink of an eye, three months had passed.
On her journey from Liangzhou to surprise attack Chang’an, she relied mainly on the gradually accumulated efforts from Liangzhou and Bingzhou and seizing those fleeting battle opportunities, hardly depending on the system at all.
It got to the point where the system felt like it was just a cheerleader for Qiao Yan when she won battles and captured cities.
But being a cheerleader wasn’t a one-day affair, and as a system, it should have some self-awareness and accept reality.
Regardless, hearing Qiao Yan ask about her current strategist points and achievement settlement made the system pause for a long moment before it slowly opened the panel.
【Name: Qiao Yan】
【Faction: ?】
【Occupation: Strategist (?)】
【Age: 17 (years old)】
【Physique: 95 (100), Strength: 80 (100), Intelligence: 82 (100), Luck: 86 (?)】
【Remaining distributable points: 54】
【Skills: History lv7, Eloquence lv9, Incitement lv10, Artifact Identification lv4, Archery lv12, Horsemanship lv11, Painting lv3, Calligraphy lv7, Field Archaeology lv5, Ancient Numismatics lv3…】
【Remaining skill points to distribute: 18】
【Strategist Points: 530 (for every 10 strategist points, automatically gain 3 distributable attribute points and 1 skill point)】
530 strategist points!
Since the movement against Dong Zhuo in Luoyang and her return to Bingzhou, the extra achievements Qiao Yan had achieved included 【Dissuading Qu Yi from siding with Yuan Shao】【Dong Zhuo Rebellion·Assisted Lü Bu, Wang Yun, etc. to kill Dong Zhuo】【Dong Zhuo Rebellion·Resolved the Li Jue and Guo Si chaos in Chang’an】【Persuaded Zhang Xiu to join Bingzhou and dismantled the Wancheng Incident】.
All of these were derived from historical events.
In addition, there were some regular events for calculating strategist points, such as stabilizing Liangzhou and maintaining Han unity for the sake of the Han Dynasty, which would also tally points.
But when the system blankly looked at this string of strategist point events, it couldn’t help but question the logic embedded in its program.
Those few achievements were one thing.
Whether assisting Lü Bu and Wang Yun in killing Dong Zhuo was “assisting” or “leading” didn’t matter much; what mattered was the outcome achieved.
Resolving the chaos in Chang’an caused by Li Jue and Guo Si could be termed as resolved once those two were dead.
Zhang Xiu had fully surrendered due to Zhang Ji’s capture, and thus, there was no Wancheng Incident to speak of anymore, providing a reasonable explanation for that achievement.
But why did Qiao Yan’s involvement in sending Liu Xie off to chop wood get labeled as—
【Helping the lord achieve the goal of escape and relief】?
