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“Can strategists not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 219: The Schemes of Gongsun Chou
Tian Feng was silent.
He had entered with the intention of being as low-key as possible and avoiding trouble, so how did it end up like this?
Ignoring the unexpected factor of Zhang Niujiao, although he was newly registered in Bingzhou, no one could tell he had anything special about him.
But now…
He didn’t know whether to express skepticism about Qiao Yan’s judgement for having this idiot as his roommate or to lament his own bad luck.
However, neither option seemed proper.
According to what he said when he registered, he had chosen to come to Bingzhou because he could no longer make a living in Jizhou.
He was working here to earn capital for a livelihood, so he could eventually bring his family over to Bingzhou.
In that case, given Zhang Niujiao’s favor, he should have been ecstatic, right?
The question was, how should he express that joy?
If someone else were in Zhang Niujiao’s position, they might have picked up on the odd expression on Tian Feng’s face.
After all, at that moment, having zero grassroots experience left Tian Feng’s usually sharp mind in a fog.
But if someone else had taken Zhang Niujiao’s place, they probably wouldn’t have come up with this method of undercover talent selection and ended up catching Tian Feng.
That’s one way to win some and lose some.
After Tian Feng mentioned his alias “Yuan Feng” to Zhang Niujiao, without suspecting a thing, Zhang Niujiao promptly assigned him to a task for warehouse registration.
“If you’re going to be Bingzhou’s accountant, you need to learn abacus,” Zhang Niujiao said, stuffing an abacus into Tian Feng’s hands.
Tian Feng had heard of this thing.
But before it could be widely adopted, the Grand Historian’s Observatory, which was meant to use it, had been packed up and taken by Qiao Yan to Bingzhou.
That’s something Bingzhou had while Jizhou didn’t.
Thinking he could consider it a gain, Tian Feng felt a little better inside.
This sudden promotion wasn’t entirely a bad thing.
However, he soon heard Zhang Niujiao say, “Too bad I don’t know how to use this, you might have to swing by the Academy.”
Tian Feng’s momentary silence was interpreted by Zhang Niujiao as nervousness, and he quickly added, “Don’t worry, when you get there, just mention my name, Zhang Niujiao, and say—”
“You’re my chosen future confidant, here to attend the abacus training course.”
Leading Tian Feng through the corridor between the storage rooms, he carried himself with the swagger of a territorial lord, “Though the flow of goods here isn’t heavy, we occasionally need assistance with military grain production next door, so accuracy in numbers is crucial. Learning abacus will definitely come in handy.”
When they reached the end, he pushed open a door and pointed to a row of simple houses, saying, “Here it is! This will be your place to stay. As my future right-hand man, you won’t have to cram in with the others.”
Tian Feng had to admit, this environment was way better than the place he had mentally prepared himself to endure.
But he came here to scout intel!
How on earth was he supposed to leave now that he’d gotten himself into a key position?
Moreover, the Academy was next to Leping Academy, and with Zheng Xuan arriving in Bingzhou, the scholarly crowd from Hebei was also flocking in. Who knows if someone might recognize him? That could spell trouble.
Looking at it like this, he had only one plan—
Shave off his beard tomorrow!
For the sake of spoon-feeding Yuan Shao information about Bingzhou’s inner workings, Tian Feng was ready to make quite the sacrifice.
As he gritted his teeth and made his decision, Zhang Niujiao had already handed him over to the caretaker in charge of accommodations and hummed a little tune as he left.
Tian Feng cast one last glance at Zhang Niujiao’s retreating figure and cautiously asked the caretaker about Zhang’s background.
“You didn’t know?” the caretaker replied, “Zhang was originally one of the Black Mountain Bandits. Of course, after spending over seven years with the lord, there’s no more talk of Black Mountain or White Wave Bandits; just know that he’s been with the lord long enough.”
Tian Feng muttered, “No wonder…”
What he meant was not “No wonder Zhang Niujiao dared to recommend me to Qiao Yan,” but rather…
No wonder Zhang Niujiao had that “if you stick with him, you can eat well and live fine” bandit mentality!
With a boss like that, Tian Feng was starting to get a headache.
“By the way,” the caretaker suddenly chimed in, “the room in the middle of the accommodation area is the study. The types of agricultural tools produced here and their corresponding warehouse inspection standards are all in there. If you can recognize a few words, you’ll get the hang of it. If you have free time, work on that.”
“Also, there are literacy courses for civilian staff held regularly. I’ll notify you about the schedule later. If you have any questions, come find me in the last room.”
The caretaker didn’t notice the bright light in Tian Feng’s eyes at the mention of illustrated books; he just continued chattering, “Let’s go, I’ll take you to get your clothes and the literacy books.”
“Speaking of which, your name is quite peculiar. Yuan Feng’s meaning doesn’t quite match the richness of Yuan Feng; you can’t really expect to be elevated to lordship like that. Better to just settle for a bountiful harvest.”
Tian Feng was nearly startled by the unexpected “Feng” comment from the caretaker.
However, the other party clearly didn’t detect any possibility of him being exposed, as they idly chatted about how Qiao Yan liked to rename people, so whether it was Feng or Feng didn’t really matter.
While it was true, afraid of being exposed, Tian Feng couldn’t lower his guard for a moment.
Finally, when he secured a private space, he let out a long breath.
But now he had to face an exceptionally grueling issue.
Getting close to Bingzhou’s core secrets quickly was indeed a good thing.
But with all the attention he was bound to attract, how was he supposed to pass information discreetly?
That was really a headache.
One false move, and he could end up stuck here, never able to return to Jizhou.
Perhaps it could be said that Tian Feng’s luck was still quite decent.
With Qiao Yan busy dealing with inter-regional affairs and plotting Liu Yu’s ascension, Zhang Niujiao merely applied to add a spot for learning calculations, and it didn’t require Qiao Yan’s personal approval. He just had to follow the state office procedures for an entry permit.
It could also be because there were so many miraculous talents appearing in Bingzhou lately, that when Zhang Niujiao claimed to have found a capable assistant, it completely drew no one’s attention.
It wasn’t that Zhang Niujiao’s assessments at the Academy were always below average, leading to disregard for his recognized talents, but more so that he was notoriously fortunate.
If it weren’t for luck, how could he have gone from being a Black Mountain Bandit to becoming one of Qiao Yan’s first inner circle members? And over the years, he secured such a stable position.
Finding the odd talent was no big deal.
Word even reached that Zhang Niujiao celebrated this by drinking with Guan Hai and Liang Zhongning, while Qiao Yan only took it as amusing gossip.
At the end of October, Yang Xiu and Princess Yang’an returned to Bingzhou from Ye City.
Concerned more with the further handling of cotton than the happy recruitment by Zhang Niujiao.
Listening to Yang Xiu’s report on how he defeated Yuan Shao’s subordinates with his eloquence, Qiao Yan suddenly felt that she had been overly worried when Yang Xiu set out, thinking he couldn’t argue against Chen Lin and the others—such concern had been quite unnecessary.
After all, Yang Xiu had also seen the world in Bingzhou, perhaps even gained her true teachings.
But when she heard him mention cousins and uncle, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “I can’t afford to take in the son of Yuan Benchu!”
Of course, Yuan Shao wouldn’t send Yuan Tan or Yuan Shang over here.
She asked again, “But speaking of, aren’t you worried talking so arrogantly to your uncle could affect your parents’ relationship?”
Yang Xiu replied, “The Runan Yuan clan doesn’t all stand on the same side. Besides, my maternal grandfather and Yuan Benchu’s father are only cousins once removed, so we’re not that close. This is the first time I’ve called him an uncle.”
Saying this, he almost lost his composure.
Who knew that title sounded so bizarre.
Luckily, while he was feeling quite weird about it, he also dealt Yang Shao a hefty blow.
But perhaps, in Ye City, it was Fu Wan who found it the most difficult.
When Princess Yang’an initially parted with Fu Wan, she hadn’t fully revealed the truth to prevent him from keeping her from taking Fu Ya. She made it sound like the divorce was just a temporary decision to avoid putting all their eggs in one basket.
Fu Wan thought that with the princess moving to Bingzhou, leaving familiar Luoyang, she would probably lose her prince-like demeanor.
This Bingzhou, known for its desolation and chaos, would no doubt make her look much more haggard.
But this time, he saw Liu Hua grandly riding through the streets of Ye City, looking more imposing and youthful than ever.
The cotton clothes she wore started a trend among the elite, bringing her compliments and inquiries.
Fu Wan also received a shocking piece of news.
Princess Yang’an told him directly that the former divorce was just for show, it was all just a pretense.
Now, she was living quite well in Bingzhou and didn’t regret her choice at all.
If Fu Wan was only doing this decently in Ye City, he might as well hand over Fu De for her to raise.
Fu Wan was ready to blow up.
And yet, having come this far, there was no way he could flip sides and jump ship from Ye City to Bingzhou.
So he had to grimly listen to Liu Hua’s chiding about his choice of Ye City, neglecting the Han’s dignity, and endured until Princess Yang’an returned to Bingzhou.
Compared to Yuan Shao’s situation of merely seeing the cotton but not being able to taste it, Fu Wan faced a much more direct blow.
After returning to Bingzhou, Liu Hua completely ignored Fu Wan’s situation and started discussing the cotton sales with Mi Zhu, who was still there.
According to Qiao Yan’s suggestion, Princess Yang’an would provide design patterns, and Mi Zhu would handle the pricing.
Yet that wasn’t enough.
She didn’t just plan to use the “same style as Princess Yang’an” gimmick to extract cash from noblewomen; she also needed some nobles and elites to raise the profile of this item.
This guy Yuan Shao would likely be having some mental baggage over the cotton in the short term, not quite suitable, but there were a few people who could.
Yuan Shu of Yu Province, Tao Qian of Xuzhou, and Sun Ce in Yang Province.
That was the brand effect flowing from the top down.
And it just happened to give Mi Zhu the chance to visit the places sequentially on his way back to Xuzhou.
So the clothing shop opened by Princess Yang’an had to design suitable outfits specifically for those three.
But speaking of Sun Ce…
Yang Xiu reported, “While in Ye City, besides keeping an eye on their deployments, I also heard a rumor that the court seems interested in getting Sun Ce on board. However, when Yuan Shu and Sun Ce were at odds before, Yuan Shao hadn’t turned against Yuan Shu yet. When Sun Ce first struck against Yuan Shu, he was undoubtedly the enemy of the Ye City court. Now, there’s an opportunity to pull him in.”
Qiao Yan nodded, indicating she understood.
In the current situation, she wasn’t too worried about that.
Long before this, in early October, a congratulatory letter from Sun Ce had already arrived in Bingzhou.
Under the pretense of rewarding Lu Yuan, she sent over a dozen cotton garments towards Yang Province, along with a reply letter to Sun Ce.
The letter, in an indirect tone, mentioned that the titles Sun Ce desired could be acquired by the end of the year.
Given this situation, if Yuan Shao couldn’t provide much support to Sun Ce, there was no reason for him to foolishly side with the Ye City court.
If he truly did that, Sun Ce would bear the infamous label of unfilial.
After all, Sun Jian had died due to Dong Zhuo and Liu Biao’s partnership, and Qiao Yan had slain Dong Zhuo, essentially avenging half of Sun Ce’s grudge.
If Sun Ce returned kindness with enmity, it wouldn’t make sense in Han logic.
Qiao Yan stated, “Yuan Shao doesn’t have the chance to ally with Sun Ce. In contrast, Liu Biao, who was promoted from Jing Province’s inspector to governor through Dong Zhuo’s orders, might get dismissed due to the Emperor’s changing favor. Yuan Shao….”
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“We could try to pull a couple of strings and make him a thorn in the side of the Guanzhong region.”
She tapped her fingers on the table, “But you’ve reminded me—we’re currently maintaining our ties with Yang Province only because Yuan Shao can’t offer a better deal. What happens once he gets the title of Governor of Yang Province?”
Her gaze sharpened as she looked up, “We can’t always have Sun Ce at our beck and call. Once he fully establishes himself in Yang Province, with the Yangtze River as a barrier, he won’t need us to get any titles anymore.”
That kind of cooperative relationship is incredibly unstable!
She meant to use Sun Ce as a weapon against the noble families of Jiangdong, but she had no intention of letting him grow too powerful.
The gap between getting the titles of Taishou of Kuaiji and Governor of Yang is simply too short, which means he might lose some respect for Qiao Yan.
“…So, while we give him the title of Governor of Yang, we should also throw in a little hassle for him.”
Who could take on that responsibility?
If you were looking to stir things up in Jiangdong, the only ones who could fan the flames within Sun Ce’s ranks would be the noble families from Jiangdong and representatives like Zu Lang from the Shanyue tribe.
But those weren’t the kinds of people she could control from afar.
With the vast distance between them, it was all too easy to lose control.
And Qiao Yan had no intention of letting this behind-the-scenes maneuvering tarnish her image and mess up her plans.
So, neither option was viable.
For now, there was no need to rush this matter, so Qiao Yan decided to put it on the back burner and wait until she consulted all her strategists before making a decision.
As she thought about her plans for Sun Ce, her gaze fell instinctively on the map of the Thirteen Provinces of the Han Dynasty hanging in her study.
And that glance made her suddenly realize something.
How do the rulers of the easternmost province or half-province share a certain common characteristic?
At the farthest south is Sun Ce, with his charming looks and witty repartee—no need to elaborate.
Further up, Tao Qian of Xuzhou, before he rose to power, once encountered his fellow townsman Gan Gong, who had served as the Taishou of Cangwu. Impressed by his appearance, he married his daughter to him.
Next up in Qingzhou, the nominal Governor is none other than Yuan Shao, who’s currently in Ye City. He’s the one Qiao Yan once criticized as “gold and jade on the outside, rotten inside,” so you can guess the situation there. When he was younger, his looks won him the affection of the elders.
At the far north is Gongsun Zan, who gained fame as a handsome man with a booming voice, catching the attention of the Taishou of Zhuo County, eventually becoming his son-in-law.
She couldn’t help but mutter, “This truly is a world that values looks.”
But as soon as she finished speaking, she noticed Yang Xiu, who hadn’t left yet, giving her a puzzled look, as if struggling to understand why she expressed such a sentiment.
Qiao Yan waved her hand, signaling him to ignore her trivial musing and just go rest.
But who was Yang Xiu?
Rumor had it that when Cao Cao wrote “a piece of pastry,” he interpreted it as “one person, one pastry,” and if a military order got passed around, he’d turn it into a retreat. He was a典型 who reveled in speculating his superior’s intentions.
His reading comprehension skills probably exceeded his ability to extrapolate far beyond that.
Adding to the mix, since Qiao Yan always had her own deeper meanings behind actions, Yang Xiu couldn’t shake the feeling that her remark carried some hidden significance.
What did that mean, really?
“When you said this, you were looking at the right portion of the Thirteen Provinces map,” Yang Xiu pointed out, “What’s special about that part?”
Ma Chao, who had formed a bit of a bond with Yang Xiu during their trip to Ye City, stared at him in confusion, “What could be special about it? Their power doesn’t compare to yours.”
“But they all have a reputation for being good-looking, while our Lord,” Yang Xiu shot a disappointed look at Ma Chao, “is even mistaken for that Lü Bu fellow.”
Ma Chao scratched his head.
Being associated with such an embarrassing blunder as a dark history was not something he relished.
“Are you saying we need to clarify Lord’s image?”
Yang Xiu clapped back, “Exactly that.”
But before they could put any clarifying measures into action, Cai Zhaoji had already reported them to Qiao Yan.
Zhaoji was in charge of the Leping Monthly Report’s public relations, able to gather intel at the first hint of trouble.
Yang Xiu had coincidentally hired someone who ended up being her assistant.
Cai Zhaoji thought this entire affair was too silly to involve Qiao Yan, promptly informing the affected parties.
Qiao Yan looked at Yang Xiu and Ma Chao, who had been summoned, in disbelief.
Hearing Yang Xiu explain the situation, she couldn’t help but think these two must be too complacent to engage in such nonsense.
So she promptly handed them over to Lü Bu as messengers.
Lü Bu wasn’t in Chang’an at that time.
Since Zhao Yun was already in Guanzhong, shortly after Qiao Yan returned to Bingzhou, she assigned Lü Bu to oversee road construction between the Shuo Fang County of Bingzhou and the Wuwei Commandery of Liangzhou, establishing a link between the two north regions.
Meanwhile, she instructed him to have the salt from Jilan Tai Salt Pond transported down the Yellow River, stored in Suiyuan City for later use in drying meat from livestock, thus continuing to secure provisions for the army.
In short, Yang Xiu and Ma Chao were temporarily delegated to the far north.
When Xi Zhicai got wind of this news, he laughed for quite a while before settling down and sharing some good news with Qiao Yan.
“Lord is attracting residents looking to leave River North County by offering appealing relocation conditions through the River East County noble families. It’s definitely a smart move.”
From his tone, Qiao Yan could hear a subtext.
Her eyes flickered slightly, “Caught a big fish?”
Xi Zhicai replied, “Not just one big fish. But it’s not solely due to the River East families; it’s more about the ripple effect from Lord’s entire operation in Guanzhong.”
Seeing Qiao Yan indicate for him to continue, Xi Zhicai elaborated, “Two years ago, when Dong Zhuo retreated from Luoyang to Chang’an, he appointed Sima Fang as the Governor of Henan.”
“This Sima Gongjianz was from a prestigious family in River North, often playing both sides with Dong Zhuo. Now that Lord has conquered Guanzhong, he intended to pay a visit, but when he proposed Liu Xiu as the Son of Heaven, he temporarily halted.”
“However, the Taishou of River North, Wang Kuang, admonished Lord first, forcing Sima Fang to declare his position to avoid misunderstandings. Seeing the River East noble families collaborating with Lord’s directives, he sent his eldest son Sima Lang to move his family from River North to River East.”
Qiao Yan asked, “They didn’t go to Bingzhou?”
Xi Zhicai shook his head, “Probably waiting for Liu Xiu to take charge at the Han court so they can meet Lord afterward. However, his second son has already been sent to study at Leping Academy, and Teacher Bojie wrote that the boy is clever, so he was admitted into the academy.”
At this point, he keenly noticed a fleeting subtle expression on Qiao Yan’s face, “Lord?”
“Nothing, I just thought I might’ve heard that boy’s name before. If I recall correctly, Sima Gongjianz’s first son is named Boda, the second is named Zhongda, and the third is named Shuda, following the naming pattern of Dong Zhuo’s family, with the Sima family adopting a ‘Da’ structure while Dong’s goes with ‘Ying.'”
And Sima Zhongda is Sima Yi!
Her earlier guess about Sima Yi possibly attending Leping Academy turned out to be true.
It’s uncertain how the rivalry between Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi would unfold at the academy.
But, you know… let the kids handle their own business!
After all, Qiao Yan, who was only five years older than Sima Yi, thought, it was the adults who caused her more trouble.
Such as—
Gongsun Zan.
News of Qiao Yan’s attempts to woo Liu Yu into accepting the position of Son of Heaven reached Youzhou, shocking not just Liu Yu but also Gongsun Zan, who slammed the table in shock.
At that time, after suffering a defeat while personally supervising the battle, he had retreated to Pinggu in Yuyang County. From there, using the Great Wall stretching through that area, he engaged in combat with Zhang Liao’s pursuing forces to prevent further eastward retreat.
The walls in this area nearly merged with the southern Wuzhong Mountains, effectively forming a solid barrier, allowing Gongsun Zan to secure his position.
So, just like Liu Bei and Yuan Shu faced off across the Guoshu River from their positions in Yu Province, Gongsun Zan quickly rallied his troops and counterattacked moving to the area around Baoshu River.
This meant that he and Liu Yu were facing off against each other, each controlling half of Yuyang County.
He had always disdained Liu Yu’s gentle approach, firmly believing that a strongman should push Liu Yu out of Youzhou.
But now, the tables had turned; the question wasn’t if he could push Liu Yu out, but it was clear that he was about to become the Son of Heaven!
What kind of logic is this?
Just because he’s a member of the Han royal family?
Gongsun Zan felt aggrieved.
Only a river separating him from Liu Yu’s forces in Yuyang County; it was a precarious location for Liu Yu.
As November approached and the weather grew colder, the scenery outside the walls was bleak and desolate.
Looking northward, he could see the shadowy outlines of the Yanshan mountain range, with the fading twilight drawing the landscape into a distant silhouette.
Gongsun Zan gazed at the scene, his lips pursed tightly.
If it were merely Liu Yu’s intention to become the Son of Heaven, fine.
In today’s scenario, where the Han royal family could have a Son of Heaven in Ye City and another in Chang’an, and with the bloodline of Emperor Ling on the throne, it was only predictable for a member of the royal family to rise.
To put it bluntly, just a few years ago in Yuyang County, there was a guy named Zhang Ju who raised a rebellion, claiming to be the Son of Heaven!
Just possessing the title of “Son of Heaven” doesn’t imply that Liu Yu is really favored by the heavens!
In that case, let him claim his title and temporarily step back from the fight for Youzhou, allowing Gongsun Zan to be the lord of this territory.
But Liu Yu pretends otherwise, claiming he must first pacify the Youzhou chaos to show he has no desire for the throne.
That had utterly enraged him!
If Liu Yu didn’t accept the position, the Governor of Bingzhou, unwinding from Chang’an’s turmoil, would have to funnel endless resources from Bingzhou into the conflicts in Youzhou to achieve this goal—definitely not good news for Gongsun Zan.
In Central Plains, he had fewer ears on the ground and couldn’t gather intelligence on the formidable firepower of Qiao Yan’s army.
But he had fought enough battles to guess just how powerful her army truly was.
Just the formidable generals Zhang Liao and Qu Yan sent previously by Qiao Yan were already big deals.
What if you throw in the likes of Lü Bu, who cut through Dong Zhuo? Plus, the heavily armored infantry that breached the Rue Gardens? Or the cavalry from Liangzhou that she had just regained?
Gongsun Zan couldn’t afford to gamble on that possibility.
He was also well aware that unless he was truly pushed back to Liaoxi County or even further east, Yuan Shao wouldn’t send aid due to his stance supporting Liu Bian.
He was, after all, merely a thorn in Yuan Shao’s side.
But if he was forced into that desperate situation, and forget the battlefield’s indiscriminate knives and swords, who knew if there would even be a chance left for him?
Not to mention the Wuhuan and Xianbei people to the north, who were known for their easy bullying of the weak, could seize the opportunity to swallow him whole.
In such a scenario, how could he hope for Yuan Shao’s rescue? He must save himself or face a dead end!
Gongsun Zan couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh.
He should’ve realized this principle long ago.
Thanks to being a descendant of the Eastern Sea’s Prince, Liu Yu could rise to the post of Governor of Youzhou, serving as a guardian of the former Emperor, becoming the Grand Marshal, and, once Liu Xie vanished from the scene, even toyed with becoming the Son of Heaven with his “three requests and three refusals” gimmicks.
On the other hand, though Gongsun Zan hailed from nobility, his mother’s lowly status forced him to start from the bottom as a minor official. Except for the push from his father-in-law, every promotion he earned was through hard-fought battles against the northern tribes.
This stark contrast made one wonder, compared to the vast winds blowing from the north, which felt colder, the notion of nobility or humility?
But he would never resign his fate to notions of high birth and low birth!
Gongsun Zan tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword and stepped forward.
The Baoshu River, which lay between him and Liu Yu, originates from the banks of the Yanshan mountains, flowing southward until it disappears from view, eventually joining the Bohai Sea.
As the sunset cast a warm hue across the river, the flow beneath betrayed a cold glint that reflected the fierce light in Gongsun Zan’s eyes.
At that very moment, he made up his mind.
He wanted Liu Yu to understand—
There’s never going to be such a thing as having both ways in this world!
