Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 1: The Yellow Turban Rebellion, The Clear Voice of a Young Phoenix, Chapter 22: The Marquis of Leping

Belonging to the book:


Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 22

Previously, when they successfully entered the city and sent signals outside, they also set the time for the attack.

Looking down from Gucheng Mountain, they couldn’t see everything in Xiaquyang City clearly, but they could vaguely see several places in the city.

At that time, Qiao Yan noted those places and had Xu Fu bring some cloth curtains, using the hanging and number of curtains as a signal to Huangfu Song.

Now everything went smoothly, and Huangfu Song arrived as promised, which made Xu Fu’s heart surge with excitement.

A great event is about to be accomplished!

But perhaps because he inherently had the demeanor of a person who does great things, he grabbed the sword of the minor rebel leader and slashed at another guard on the city wall. When he successfully rushed to the city gate winch, his hands surprisingly did not tremble when he grasped it.

Previously, when defending Changshe, he had learned how to lower the city gate drawbridge using the winch. Now, Xiaquyang was just a bit more fortified, and the drawbridge was longer, but there was no real difference.

Once the drawbridge was lowered, Huangfu Song’s vanguard cavalry crossed the moat and entered the city.

The pre-arranged battle plan had these cavalry immediately split into three groups, heading towards the other three city walls.

The anomaly at the east wall of Xiaquyang, accompanied by the shouts of “Enemy attack!” from a few who had the chance, was relayed to the other walls.

But the hurried and brief message made the guards at the three walls unaware that the enemy attack was not from outside the city gates but from within the city.

If it were just a strong attack from outside the city gates, given the fortified state of Xiaquyang, they wouldn’t need to worry too much or consider lowering the city gates to escape.

But since they didn’t escape now, they wouldn’t have the chance later!

The elite Han troops quickly ascended the city walls from within, swiftly occupying the other three gates, completely blocking the Yellow Turban Army’s escape routes.

Then, except for those left to guard the gates using Xiaquyang’s original equipment to hold the high ground, the rest joined the arriving Han infantry, quickly rushing towards key locations in the city.

Straight for Zhang Bao.

Zhang Bao was still in a dream.

He dreamed that for some reason, a dark cloud of Han troops had gathered outside Xiaquyang, but the two sides were divided, one attacking from the east and the other from the west. He decisively sent troops and repelled both sides.

After winning the battle, he happily went to his brother to claim credit, but saw his brother’s corpse in Guangzong City, said to have died from a sudden illness.

Died?

Zhang Bao woke up with a start.

But when he woke up, he saw the panicked faces of his subordinates.

This made him realize he might not have been awakened by a nightmare but by his subordinates shaking him.

“What’s the panic about?” Zhang Bao asked displeased.

“The Han army… the Han army is attacking!”

This seemed like the scenario from his dream!

If the Han army was attacking, so be it. He was holding the fortified city of Xiaquyang; what could the Han army do to him?

Perhaps, like in his dream, they would first divide and then give him a chance to achieve merit.

But Zhang Bao’s fleeting thoughts were quickly shattered by his subordinate, who, after catching his breath, blurted out, “They’ve already entered the city!”

Zhang Bao almost thought he misheard.

But his subordinate’s panic was genuine. He listened carefully and heard a commotion, clearly not a normal nighttime occurrence but the arrival of troops near his residence.

He couldn’t understand why, with Xiaquyang’s solid defenses and his night patrols having no gaps, the city gates had been breached before anyone alerted him to defend the city!

But now was not the time to dwell on this.

He hastily grabbed his long sword and stepped out, intending to gather his subordinates and counterattack.

But when he stepped out of the Xiaquyang government office, he didn’t see a battle between the invading army and the Yellow Turbans in the city but a column of troops moving as if unopposed.

This group of armored soldiers surrounded his temporary residence tightly, and in their midst was a general with an imposing presence.

Although Zhang Bao had never seen Huangfu Song before, it didn’t stop him from realizing at first glance that this must be an important figure sent by the Han court to quell the rebellion.

Huangfu Song calmly looked at Zhang Bao, who was only half-dressed in armor, and said, “General of the Earth must be curious why no one is coming to save you. I won’t say much; why don’t you listen to the sounds in the city?”

Zhang Bao listened carefully, and this time the sounds that weren’t clear inside the house were now fully audible.

It wasn’t just the sound of troops moving; there were also shouts of “The Han army has entered the city; the General of the Earth is dead.”

Zhang Bao’s face turned pale.

Without such sounds, given the hierarchy in the Way of Great Peace, someone would surely come to rescue him, causing some trouble for the suddenly attacking Han army and possibly giving him a chance to escape.

But now there was this false signal.

If his subordinates had strong judgment, they wouldn’t have been so easily swayed by him and his brothers.

Previously, this was an advantage.

But now it had become a disadvantage.

With the city’s commander dead, those people would rather believe that Xiaquyang, like any other city being occupied, had no chance of resistance in the streets.

Their only hope of survival was to flee towards one of the city gates.

But if the Han army had indeed breached the city and occupied the walls, Zhang Bao could easily guess that those trying to escape wouldn’t find a way out but would instead run into a trap, meeting certain death.

“Who are you?” Zhang Bao asked, though he knew his defeat was inevitable.

“Left General of the Han Army, Huangfu Song.”

Hearing this name, Zhang Bao realized that this wasn’t just an unexpected event in Xiaquyang; there must have been another shocking event in Changshe beyond his knowledge.

But asking what happened there was meaningless now, just as Zhang Bao knew that anyone with a brain would link the new arrivals in the city with the sudden upheaval.

There was no need to ask.

No matter how much he cursed that foolish rebel leader in his heart, it was useless. Since these people had arrived here, that guy was probably already dead.

How could he blame a dead man!

“May I ask what General Huangfu intends?”

Huangfu Song’s reply, heard by Zhang Bao, carried the confidence of victory: “I need your head.”

Zhang Bao might feel frustrated, thinking that if he had just stationed the Yellow Turban Army in camps, he wouldn’t have been defeated so miserably today.

The Yellow Turbans scattered throughout the city hadn’t received his gathering orders before being told that the Han army had entered the city and that General of the Earth Zhang Bao was dead. Then, when they tried to escape through the city gates, they were met with relentless arrows from above.

The Yellow Turban Army, supposed to be guarding the city walls, became targets for arrows below, while the Han army, supposed to suffer heavy losses in the attack, became the ones with the advantage, looking down from above.

Xu Fu didn’t have time to lament that these fleeing Yellow Turbans might not be entirely evil. After Huangfu Song arrived and the troops split to attack, he immediately led Dian Wei to Qiao Yan’s hiding place.

Before the first wave of people trying to escape the city had a result, those already in the city would first choose not to hide in houses or alleys.

Qiao Yan said so.

Although she said it with conviction, Xu Fu still felt a bit uneasy.

Fortunately, when he reached the water vat, he saw Qiao Yan safe and sound there.

After jumping out of the vat, the stains of sewage on her shoes, socks, and legs didn’t affect her calm demeanor, contrasting sharply with the chaos in the city.

When she saw Huangfu Song, she calmly clasped her hands and said, “Congratulations, General.”

Huangfu Song was pleasantly surprised that she was unharmed in the city’s upheaval and laughed, “I thought you would say ‘mission accomplished,’ why just ‘congratulations, General’?”

“Killing the Yellow Turbans in the city, seizing the gates without letting anyone escape Xiaquyang, is the merit of the soldiers, not mine. The general’s decisive planning and timely reinforcement deserve this victory.”

Hearing this, Huangfu Song felt even more that his earlier words to Cao Cao, “In times of hardship, heroes are made,” were indeed correct.

“You don’t need to be so modest. The strategy of inviting wandering knights into the city was yours, and taking risks was yours. This battle will surely earn you another merit when I report it.”

“You’ve worked hard today; rest early.”

Seeing Qiao Yan seemed to have something to say, Huangfu Song preempted her, “I know you want to ask how to deal with the Yellow Turbans in the city, but these people, following Zhang Jiao, Zhang Bao, and Zhang Liang, are far more stubborn in rebelling against the Han than you imagine, very different from the situation in Yanzhou and Yu Province.”

“No… General, you overthink. I’m not pleading for mercy for the Yellow Turbans here.” Qiao Yan waved her hand.

What she could do now and what she couldn’t, she had her own measure.

Besides, those stationed in Xiaquyang were Zhang Bao’s direct subordinates.

If such a group wasn’t eradicated, it would truly make it difficult for Qiao Yan to save lives later and could reignite the remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Huangfu Song must know that the severe population shortage in Ji Province would have adverse effects; otherwise, he wouldn’t have requested a tax reduction for a year when he became the governor of Ji Province in the future.

So some words, hitting the mark at the right time, were enough.

Huangfu Song was surprised by Qiao Yan’s words, then heard her say, “What I want to say is another matter. Just now, Xu Fu mentioned that the minor rebel leader here took the county magistrate’s wife for himself. If we see this lady, I want to request that the rebel leader not harm her life.”

But what surprised Qiao Yan was the actions of the woman who called herself Lu Yuan.

Amid the chaos caused by Huangfu Song’s troops entering the city, she took advantage of the fact that the cellar under their residence was hard to detect, gathering all the soldiers left by the minor rebel leader there, under the pretense—

Of letting them evade the city search and attempt a counterattack.

She had originally acted submissive to assassinate the minor rebel leader, showing no flaws for two months, so her words naturally wouldn’t arouse suspicion.

But after luring people into the cellar, she locked the entrance without hesitation and then found the Han army patrolling the city.

Her actions saved Huangfu Song a lot of trouble.

Hearing that Qiao Yan wanted to find her based on a few words, Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow and followed the soldier to Qiao Yan and Huangfu Song.

She was indeed a very beautiful woman, but what caught Qiao Yan’s eye wasn’t her appearance but her resilient and outstanding temperament.

After hearing her recount her actions, Qiao Yan clapped in praise and couldn’t help but ask, “After this is over, where will Madam Lu go?”

After the suppression in Xiaquyang, the city would likely be empty for a while, clearly not suitable for her to stay.

She didn’t seem like an ordinary person; she would either return to her hometown or find a town near Xiaquyang to settle.

Qiao Yan admired her successful revenge and naturally didn’t hesitate to ask.

Her answer surprised Qiao Yan a bit.

“Earlier, I heard the leading officer mention that breaking this city relied heavily on the young lady’s abilities.” Lu Yuan asked, “So, may I stay by the young lady’s side, like that young man, to lead horses and hold stirrups?”

Xu Fu: “…?”

Why is someone else competing for my job?

Leading horses and holding stirrups didn’t seem like something a scholarly-looking woman should do, but to Xu Fu’s disappointment, Qiao Yan decided to keep her after some consideration.

However, she didn’t say Lu Yuan would stay by her side but suggested that since she proposed this, she likely had nowhere to go recently, so she could decide after the Yellow Turbans in Ji Province were quelled.

Before that, staying by Qiao Yan’s side would be much safer.

After all, she was a family member of a Ji Province official, reduced to this state by the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and deserved some protection.

Aside from Lu Yuan’s situation, before midnight, the Yellow Turbans in Xiaquyang were completely suppressed, or rather, almost entirely eradicated.

Qiao Yan listened through the open window, and the sounds of search and slaughter outside gradually disappeared, leaving only the occasional footsteps of soldiers in the streets.

But if you listened more carefully, you could hear Lu Yuan in the next room softly sobbing, though the sound was quickly suppressed.

Qiao Yan believed she wasn’t mistaken about her character, and the late Han period wasn’t an era that valued chastity, so her crying wasn’t for her forced submission to the rebels but more like a farewell to her past when she chose to follow Qiao Yan.

At most, it was a ritual.

Qiao Yan couldn’t help but ponder the surname Lu.

It sounded familiar, but the most famous Lu in the Three Kingdoms period was the Lu family of Wu Commandery, far south of Ji Province, so it shouldn’t be related.

Since it wasn’t important, she didn’t delve deeper.

What was more important to her was the next military plan.

The battle of Xiaquyang contributed another 10 strategist points, which was expected.

Qiao Yan felt a bit guilty about getting all her strategist points from the Yellow Turbans but quickly suppressed it.

Better to think about whether she could gain more benefits in the Guangzong battle.

Huangfu Song had no intention of halting the march. The day after capturing Xiaquyang, he had the soldiers change into Yellow Turban clothes, took the tightly bound Zhang Bao, and headed south towards Guangzong, south of Julu.

But no matter how swift his actions were, pretending to be Zhang Bao’s troops from Xiaquyang heading to Guangzong, it had been ten days since they left Dong’e.

The messenger carrying Huangfu Song’s report had taken Bo Cai’s head from Dingtao City and had already galloped through Hulao Pass, changing horses along the post road to Luoyang.

With the eight passes tightly locked, the capital was in a state of alarm due to the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Now, with Huangfu Song’s report arriving, it was immediately sent to…








On the desk of the Son of Heaven, Liu Hong.

At the age of 27, Emperor Liu Hong of the Han Dynasty, among the short-lived emperors since Emperor Zhang of Han, had already reached the average lifespan.

You should know that Emperor Shang of Han only lived for eight months, Emperor Chong of Han only lived to three years old, Emperor Zhi of Han died at nine, and his predecessor, Emperor Huan of Han, lived a “long” life to 36.

When the report was handed to him by the little eunuch from the scouts, the Han palace was just entering the night, and the surrounding lights illuminated his somewhat sickly face.

Startled by the footsteps of the little eunuch, he lifted his eyelids, his face weary from indulgence in wine and women, “What is it?”

“Your Majesty, a secret report from the Left Middle General!”

Liu Hong woke up.

Under normal circumstances, military intelligence would not need to be described as a secret report.

In his mind, the Left Middle General Huangfu Song, whom he had high hopes for, was still in Changshe dealing with the Yellow Turban rebels.

The previous news of Zhu Jun’s defeat had changed his perception of the Yellow Turbans, both angry and shocked. It was because of this defeat that he ordered Huangfu Song to quickly join forces with Zhu Jun, and also appointed Cao Cao as the Cavalry Commandant to lead troops. Now, suddenly hearing that the message from Huangfu Song was a secret report rather than a victorious one, he immediately stood up from his couch.

Fearing that the military situation might be a disastrous defeat, he quickly walked to the little eunuch and snatched the military report from his hands.

Zhang Rang, who was waiting in the hall, immediately knelt down upon seeing the Emperor’s reaction.

In the past, he wouldn’t have been so nervous.

Liu Hong had even once said, “Eunuch Zhang is my father,” a statement that could make his father jump out of his grave, but times have changed.

This month, due to the unprecedented scale of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Zhang Jun, a court official, submitted a memorial requesting the execution of the Ten Attendants, claiming that it was their corruption and exploitation of the people that caused the public’s anger. If they were beheaded and shown to the public, the Yellow Turban Rebellion would subside without a fight.

Liu Hong naturally did not adopt this idea and instead threw Zhang Jun’s memorial in Zhang Rang’s face.

Zhang Rang knew that Liu Hong still needed them to counter the scholar-officials and the imperial relatives, and it was indeed impossible to execute them for the sake of public anger, but they also had to perform to Liu Hong’s satisfaction.

At that time, he and Zhao Zhong, along with the other attendants, took off their hats and boots and knelt before Liu Hong to apologize, offering a large sum of their family’s wealth to fund the military, thus temporarily resolving the issue and remaining in their positions.

That matter was temporarily set aside, but if Huangfu Song’s military report still contained news of defeat—

Regardless of how severely Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun would be punished, Zhang Rang would certainly lose his head.

He was considering whether reporting to Liu Hong that the other attendants, Feng Xu and Xu Feng, were still colluding with the Yellow Turbans could win him a way out, when he suddenly felt a shadow fall before him.

Liu Hong stood before him.

He tapped the folded secret report in his hand, looking at Zhang Rang with an inscrutable expression, “Eunuch Zhang, why don’t you guess what the report says?”

Cold sweat was about to seep from Zhang Rang’s back.

He asked in a trembling voice, “Could it be that General Huangfu was also defeated by the rebels?”

Liu Hong remained silent for a long time, but just as Zhang Rang’s fear reached its peak, he suddenly laughed out loud, “Why so little confidence in General Huangfu?”

“Heaven blesses our great Han! Huangfu Yizhen truly lives up to his reputation as a talented general, having already conquered two provinces of Yellow Turbans.”

After speaking, he kicked Zhang Rang’s shoulder, signaling him not to collapse on the ground like that.

When Zhang Rang stood up, he saw that Liu Hong had already reopened the memorial, as if savoring every word, his joy becoming more and more apparent.

“What a Huangfu Yizhen! And what a grandson of Qiao Gongzu! The Yellow Turbans in Yan and Yu provinces have been annihilated, the gateway to our Si province is secure, Zhu Gongwei has launched a surprise attack on Jing province, and Yizhen is leading troops north to Ji province. This is the first good news I’ve heard in months!”

This series of news directly stunned Zhang Rang.

Although he hadn’t figured out why the relief of Changshe had turned into the pacification of Yan and Yu provinces, nor did he understand what it had to do with Qiao Gongzu’s grandson, he could at least draw one conclusion—

His life was temporarily safe.

Zhang Rang carefully exhaled, and when Liu Hong turned his gaze to him again, his heart skipped a beat, and he stood obediently once more.

“General Huangfu is too cautious. He only sent this news after entering Ji province, making me know this good news more than half a month late. Could it be that someone in the palace would leak this news to the Yellow Turbans?”

Whether Liu Hong’s words were unintentional or deliberate, Zhang Rang couldn’t tell for the moment.

He heard Liu Hong continue to ask, “Eunuch Zhang, what do you think I should reward this Left Middle General with?”

Zhang Rang wanted to kneel again.

This wasn’t an easy question to answer.

Huangfu Song was indeed not part of the scholar-official class, nor was he a party member who had feuds with them due to the Prohibition of Factionalists, but he had always had conflicts with the eunuchs, and it was he who submitted the memorial requesting the lifting of the party ban.

Now, no matter how much merit the other party had, even if Zhang Rang only heard a few words from Liu Hong, he couldn’t help but feel shocked.

But at this time when the palace attendants had just been stripped of a wave of wealth to save their lives, he obviously didn’t have the opportunity to smear the other party.

But to say that Huangfu Yizhen must be heavily rewarded, he couldn’t say it.

“This servant thinks… this matter is entirely up to Your Majesty’s wishes.”

Liu Hong waved his hand, “Forget it, if the Left Middle General can capture Zhang Jiao and behead him, then both merits will be rewarded together. But there is another person…”

“Have you ever heard of Qiao Yan, the grandson of Qiao Gongzu?”

Liu Hong’s question once again stumped Zhang Rang.

Not to mention Qiao Yan, even Qiao Gongzu, Qiao Xuan, had already been out of sight for a long time.

Five years ago, Qiao Xuan was dismissed from his position as Grand Commandant due to illness and was appointed as a Grand Master.

Although the title was still Grand Master, it was actually a sinecure in the court, purely to give the old Grand Commandant a reason to receive a salary while recuperating.

Zhang Rang searched his head but couldn’t find any impression of the name Qiao Yan, so he could only reply, “This servant remembers that Qiao Gong’s son is the Prefect of Rencheng, and Qiao Gong’s grandson should be in Yanzhou. As for the rest, this servant really doesn’t know.”

“This child is indeed a remarkable person, take a look.” The secret report that Zhang Rang had almost thought was a death warrant was thrown in front of him.

Zhang Rang hurriedly opened it and read it, but the more he read, the more he felt like he was in a dream.

Otherwise, why would he see such outrageous words as a ten-year-old child pacifying two provinces of Yellow Turbans? But he had some impression of this handwriting, it was Cao Cao’s.

Cao Cao wrote it, Huangfu Song authorized it, and it also mentioned Bo Cai’s head as evidence, so it shouldn’t be something that didn’t match the facts.

When he finally recovered from the shock of the secret report, he found Liu Hong looking at him sharply, as if he had to get an answer from him.

Zhang Rang stammered, “Since it’s a child prodigy, naturally he should be promoted to an official position as soon as possible to help Your Majesty share the burden.”

“Fool!” Before he could finish speaking, he received this evaluation from Liu Hong, but he clearly saw that when giving this answer, Liu Hong was quite satisfied with his performance.

“Didn’t you see in the memorial that Qiao Yan’s parents both died in the Yellow Turban rebellion? According to the old rules of the Han ancestors, when parents die, officials in office must observe mourning for three years. How can you say that this child should enter the court as an official?”

Liu Hong said this, but in his heart, he didn’t mean not to cultivate this young talent early.

It’s true that Qiao Yan comes from a noble family, but she has no parents, and Qiao Xuan is seriously ill. It’s the perfect opportunity for him to cultivate her with grace and make her his right-hand man.

The more at this time, the more he needs such talents to come to his hands.

If it weren’t for Huangfu Song mentioning in the letter that Qiao Yan was going to Ji province with him to witness the end of the Yellow Turbans, he might have really wanted to summon this child to the capital to meet her.

Zhang Rang’s thoughtless performance at this moment restored some of his confidence as a smart person. Liu Hong paced back and forth in Yutang Hall for a moment, then said, “But if you can’t be an official, you might not be able to be a marquis.”

His tone was firm, making Zhang Rang realize that this was indeed a conclusion he had reached after careful consideration.

With Liu Hong’s usual style as the Emperor, he would not allow anyone to oppose this idea.

Zhang Rang quickly put on a flattering face, “Your Majesty is absolutely right. Moreover, this child pacified the Yellow Turbans for the sake of his parents and the country, showing loyalty and filial piety. In the future, he will surely serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty and filial piety. He deserves a marquis title to show Your Majesty’s grace.”

“But I wonder—where does Your Majesty want to confer him?”

Liu Hong’s gaze fell on the candlelight in the hall, flickering for a moment, “No hurry, I want to see Qiao Gongzu tomorrow.”

Zhang Rang almost blurted out that the letter clearly mentioned asking Your Majesty not to inform Qiao Gong of his son’s death, but looking at Liu Hong’s expression, it didn’t seem like he had forgotten.

As someone who is currently best positioned as a well-meaning but bumbling “fool,” Zhang Rang thought it best to pretend he didn’t see it.

When Liu Hong said he wanted to see Qiao Gongzu, it should have been to summon him, but since the climate change after the beginning of spring, this old minister had already been too ill to get up.

He thought that he couldn’t let the man die on the way, so he finally led the guards out of the palace in a light carriage.

Liu Hong was a stingy emperor, specifically referring to his use of eunuchs to amass wealth and kill the troublemakers, squeezing money from the scholar-officials as much as possible, so don’t expect him to bring any gifts or rewards when visiting a seriously ill old minister.

However, when he saw the simplicity of Qiao Xuan’s residence, with few decorations, he couldn’t help but straighten his face, showing more respect for this old minister.

He had not informed anyone in advance of his visit, and Qiao Xuan’s residence in the capital was as it should be, showing that the man was indeed a gentleman who did not covet wealth.

Thinking again—during the reign of Emperor Huan, the Xianbei, Southern Xiongnu, and Goguryeo invaded together, plundering the borders. If it weren’t for the Three Excellencies and the Grand General recommending Qiao Xuan as the General Who Calms the Liao at that time, and Qiao Gongzu’s subsequent military actions, the borders might not be as peaceful as they are today when the throne passed to him.

This is a loyal minister of the Han, a pillar of the state…

No wonder he has such a grandson.

But unfortunately, at the end of life, life and death are not up to oneself. The once brave and martial General Qiao, now Grand Commandant, has become a confused old man.

When Liu Hong stopped by his sickbed, the emaciated old man struggled to gather his spirits for a moment, turned over, and was about to get off the bed to pay his respects. Liu Hong quickly had someone stop him.

This commotion made Qiao Xuan cough violently for a long time. After calming his cough, he said, “What virtue does this old minister have to trouble Your Majesty to visit my humble abode.”

“Hearing that Qiao Gong is seriously ill, I couldn’t bear not to come and see you.”

This was Liu Hong’s answer.

He really didn’t say anything inappropriate, so his appearance of visiting a sick old minister seemed a bit like a wise monarch.

Qiao Xuan didn’t know that Liu Hong had come with a purpose, only thinking that his resignation years ago due to this Emperor’s selling of official positions might not have been a wise move.

But the words of advice he had long wanted to use turned into another violent cough.

This intuition of impending death was not the first time it had appeared.

In the past, he was strong-willed and straightforward in his advice, but now that his life was nearing its end, if he passed away, whether his mediocre son would be held accountable by this Emperor was truly unknown.

Thinking of this, Qiao Xuan swallowed the words that had reached his throat.

It was also at this moment of hesitation that he suddenly heard Liu Hong say, “Life and death are fate, the world is unpredictable. When the Grand Commandant resigned due to illness, whether it was real illness, it’s not convenient to ask now. I only think of Qiao Gong’s official career, worthy of the words ‘peace above and below, harmony in all directions.’ If you pass away, I will surely feel regret. I wonder if Qiao Gong has any last words to entrust to me?”

Liu Hong said this with his eyes lowered.

Perhaps only Qiao Xuan, who was facing his gaze at this moment, could see the emotion in his eyes when he said this.

And Qiao Xuan, looking up, only saw a backlight, making Liu Hong’s face somewhat blurred.

But whether it was his illusion or not, on this still young Emperor, he saw a hint of the aura of death.

However, this did not prevent him from replying in a hoarse voice, “I know that Your Majesty already has the ability to govern the court alone, and naturally has his own judgment on domestic affairs. It’s not something that someone like me, who has been out of office for several years, should meddle in. But there is one thing I would like to ask Your Majesty to grant, I wonder if it’s possible.”

“Qiao Gong, please speak freely.”

After calming his breath, Qiao Xuan said, “After my death, I should be carried in a coffin back to Suiyang in Liang Kingdom, but returning to my hometown is not as good as seeing the peace of the great Han.”

His voice seemed to exhaust all his strength, but this not too loud voice was like a thunderclap in this humble room at this moment, “I served as the General Who Calms the Liao for three years, and the Xiongnu and Xianbei did not dare to invade our Han territory. If I die, please bury me at the border, and I will surely pray for the great Han with my soul. I beg Your Majesty to grant this.”

This was indeed a shocking answer.

So after returning to the palace from Qiao Xuan’s residence, Zhang Rang saw Liu Hong sitting alone for a long time.

But when he was summoned again and entered Yutang Hall, he saw that the moved expression on Liu Hong’s face had disappeared, leaving only the usual appearance.

Zhang Rang noticed that a map was placed in front of Liu Hong, and in his hand, he was tossing a seal up and down.

“I know that Qiao Gong’s last words were not just this sentence.” Hearing Zhang Rang’s footsteps, knowing there was an additional listener, Liu Hong smiled self-deprecatingly and said.

The term “last words” was not wrong.

After saying that plea, Qiao Xuan seemed to have burned away his remaining energy along with those words. With the ability of the Imperial Medical Bureau, they could only extend his life for a month, perhaps at most until his grandson assisted Huangfu Song in eliminating the bandits and returned to the capital.

“But it doesn’t matter. Qiao Gong had the magnanimity to recommend enemies during his tenure, and before his death, he wanted to use his reputation to seek a blessing for his descendants. It’s not something to be criticized.”

Zhang Rang knew that he didn’t need to say anything now, because Liu Hong had already weighed and decided in his heart.

“Besides, Qiao Gong didn’t choose to give a deathbed admonition, forcing me to comply, and also spared me from an unflattering record in the history books. Why not give him a reward.”

“Bury at the border, bury at the border…”

Liu Hong’s gaze swept over the large map of Yong, Liang, You, and Bing provinces, finally settling on one place.

The next moment, he threw the seal in his hand.

The square seal barely rolled twice on the ground before it stopped.

“Eunuch Zhang, take a look for me, what is this place?”

Hearing this, Zhang Rang hurriedly stepped forward and saw the seal pressed on Bing province. He lifted the seal and replied:

“Your Majesty, this is Leping.”

“Then, how about Marquis of Leping?” Liu Hong asked in a calm tone.

Zhang Rang almost couldn’t control himself and almost gasped.

The title of Marquis of Leping was naturally not for Qiao Xuan.

This was clearly the reward for that ten-year-old child!

A marquis!