“Can a strategist not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 220: The Tri-Party Alliance
Gongsun Zan, being quite aware that there’s no such thing as an easy win, didn’t even entertain the thought of quickly settling things in Liaodong with a single battle.
He saw two possible outcomes.
First, he could kill Liu Yu, and then he wouldn’t mind facing Qiao Yan right after.
He wouldn’t make the same mistakes as Ma Teng and Han Sui.
Being young himself, he certainly wouldn’t underestimate Qiao Yan.
He’d make good use of the friction between Qiao Yan and Yuan Shao, leveraging his familiarity with the terrain of Youzhou to hinder Qiao Yan’s movements.
Once Liu Yu was out of the picture, Qiao Yan would definitely struggle to win the hearts of the people in Youzhou.
Gongsun Zan would also jump at the chance to start spreading negative views about Liu Yu, using the influence of his own force to steer the public opinion in Youzhou.
If Qiao Yan foolishly marched her army deep into Liaodong, given the territory she controlled, Gongsun Zan would have plenty of ways to get others to support him and stab Qiao Yan in the back.
This was the most advantageous scenario for Gongsun Zan.
The second option, albeit less favorable, was to force Liu Yu into a quick showdown.
This time, it wouldn’t be Qiao Yan’s men helping him when Liu Yu hesitated, but Liu Yu himself launching an attack on Gongsun Zan!
He was downright fed up with Liu Yu’s wishy-washy attitude; it was far better to declare war before Qiao Yan could throw more resources into the Youzhou battlefield.
This way, he might also get the chance to undermine Liu Yu’s reputation in Youzhou or take advantage of any mistakes made in chaotic command, thus achieving his counterattack goals.
Even in such a situation, there was still a path for him to take.
There was even a chance to end the ceasefire for good.
Once Gongsun Zan made up his mind, he sent out two letters.
There was no way he could achieve either of those goals by himself.
The support for Liu Yu from Bingzhou meant that once winter approached and the river froze, Zhang Liao would likely take him by surprise.
In that case, he would definitely be at a disadvantage.
It was quite possible that before he even reached his targets, he’d be the one in trouble.
He needed to find a few allies.
So he sent one letter to Ke Biner, the leader of the Xianbei, and the other to Tadu, the cousin of the Wuhuan Chanyu Qiu Liju.
As a leader of the Xianbei, Ke Biner’s tribe resided north of Youzhou.
More specifically, in the Raole River basin north of the Yanshan Mountains.
Three and a half years ago, Qiao Yan had launched an attack against the Xianbei royal court, and Lü Bu had brutally injured the reigning Xianbei Chanyu, Quidou, leading to his death from the wounds.
The former Chanyu’s son, Qianman, had to escape eastward, eventually seeking refuge under Ke Biner.
Guo Jia, following Qiao Yan’s orders, had previously intimidated and divided the Xianbei forces beyond the borders, helping establish a connection with Ke Biner and even providing support to strengthen his power to counter Budugen.
Just like the Han could create two emperors in the east and west, the Xianbei could have two kings tearing each other apart.
However, with the Southern Xiongnu’s continued subjugation and Qiao Yan’s campaign to quell the Qiang in Liangzhou, a balance of competition had formed among the Xianbei, Xiongnu, and Qiang within the lands of Liangzhou and Bingzhou.
This left the more compliant Budugen fully replacing Ke Biner’s influence over Bingzhou.
Geographically, Budugen was closer to Bingzhou, making him a more suitable proxy for Qiao Yan to oversee the steppes.
Ke Biner was a smart guy; he’d already picked up on the signs that Bingzhou was shifting away from him.
Unfortunately, given his current strength, he couldn’t protest against this abandonment.
Besides, within his tribe, as Qianman grew up—his grandfather being a past Xianbei hero who intimidated You and Bing—there were certainly many who supported him in seizing the Chanyu position from Budugen.
If Ke Biner wanted to keep the tribe united, he must swiftly raise a banner against Budugen, perhaps even take some action.
But if he did that, they might face an attack from Bingzhou.
It was a risk, but one that seemed necessary.
This was the situation Ke Biner found himself in when Gongsun Zan’s letter reached the Xianbei branch.
This situation was also detailed by Gongsun Zan in the letter.
He wrote that while Liu Yu was taking a soft approach toward the Hu people north of Youzhou, even expanding trade in Yuyang and Shanggu, building friendly ties between the Han and Hu, Liu Yu was now being supported by Qiao to become emperor.
If Liu Yu triumphed over Gongsun Zan, the person remaining in Youzhou wouldn’t be Liu Yu—it’d be Qiao Yan.
Was that good news for Ke Biner? Unlikely.
Look at the situation with the Qiang in Liangzhou.
Don’t let the fact that she incorporates Qiang into her army, teaching them Han language, farming, and other industries fool you; this was all built on a foundation of sufficient slaughter in Gaoping City and Ayang.
Regarding the various Qiang tribes split from Huangzhong, she might kill some and spare others, but what about your Xianbei people?
Gongsun Zan was unaware of the minimal cooperation that existed between Bingzhou and Ke Biner’s tribe, but the question he posed wasn’t off the mark.
He asked Ke Biner why he thought that after showcasing such rising strength, he could serve alongside Budugen under Qiao Yan?
Perhaps Ke Biner should reflect on the fate of Zhong Qiang’s annihilated forces rather than the burning Tangg Qiang.
As Ke Biner read this part, his expression shifted.
Being directly reminded of the threat to his life wasn’t exactly easing his worries.
It was precisely because of his personal stakes that in this moment, he couldn’t think about whether Gongsun Zan’s situation was potentially more perilous than his own, nor could he ponder if Gongsun Zan was indeed taking more punitive actions against the Hu people than Liu Yu.
Enemies with the same goal could band together.
Besides, this was about eliminating a life-threatening crisis.
Ke Biner continued to read.
In the letter, Gongsun Zan further stated that he planned to join forces with Ke Biner to launch a joint attack against Liu Yu, driving him out of Youzhou, and he would also try to rally the Wuhuan Tadu to join them in the assault.
Of course, whether Tadu would agree to come along wouldn’t affect the end result.
In any case, if they followed his battle strategy, they would surely solve the predicament of being pressed by Liu Yu and Qiao Yan’s combined forces.
If all went well, he would send troops to assist Ke Biner in taking on Budugen, helping him reclaim the position of Xianbei Chanyu.
As for whether Qiao Yan would mobilize against the Xianbei because of this?
She might have had that option if she only had Bingzhou, but with responsibilities in Guanzhong and Liangzhou, she couldn’t just lead an expedition to the northern deserts like she had in earlier times.
Wasn’t this an opportunity for Ke Biner?
He could then restore the royal court in the Yanran area without worrying about Gongsun Zan potentially breaking promises.
“Restore the royal court…” Ke Biner thought as he read on.
The expression on his face was unreadable.
Gongsun Zan certainly exaggerated a bit when painting a beautiful picture for him.
Ke Biner had ambition and skill, but he was still a pragmatic Xianbei leader who wasn’t thinking about rebuilding the royal court; that seemed too distant.
Nonetheless, Gongsun Zan nailed his mindset in this letter.
On one hand, there was the threat to his life; on the other, Gongsun Zan envisioned a future of peaceful coexistence after victory.
These two options tipped the scales in favor of Gongsun Zan in Ke Biner’s mind!
This cooperation was definitely up for discussion!
Ke Biner immediately had someone send a reply to Gongsun Zan, promising to initiate an attack as Gongsun Zan suggested.
After dispatching the letter, he started reallocating manpower within the tribe.
Meanwhile, Tadu received a letter from Gongsun Zan as well.
Compared to the Xianbei residing outside the Great Wall, most of the Wuhuan lived within Youzhou, primarily spread across the regions of Youbeiping, Yuyang, and Shanggu.
Only the residence of the Wuhuan Chanyu was further east, in the Liaoxi region.
Tadu wasn’t surprised that this letter from Gongsun Zan was handed to him.
Not long after the Zhang Ju rebellion in Yuyang was quelled, Chanyu Qiulijiu’s health had declined significantly.
Liu Yu managed to recruit the Wuhuan by leveraging his position as the Youzhou Governor and the favorable trade conditions, likely due to Qiulijiu’s worsening illness and fading ambition.
And like the situation among the Xianbei, because Qiulijiu’s son, Louban, was still young, Tadu, as Qiulijiu’s capable nephew, started to take charge of affairs.
It looked like, once Qiulijiu passed, he could become the next Wuhuan leader.
But unlike Ke Biner, Tadu wasn’t facing a mortal crisis.
Seeing Gongsun Zan’s blunt invitation for an alliance in the letter, he even showed a bit of disdain.
He didn’t see any need to get involved.
If Liu Yu won, given Liu Yu’s attitude towards the Wuhuan, he could definitely maintain the friendship his uncle Qiulijiu had with Liu Yu and keep the peace.
If Liu Yu really went to Chang’an to become the Son of Heaven, he could cut off the key route between eastern and western Youzhou, letting the lands east of Youzhou become the Wuhuan’s playground.
And if Gongsun Zan won, it would probably just be a Pyrrhic victory.
The Wuhuan could either say they didn’t stab Gongsun Zan in the back, which would express their support, or they could simply profit as bystanders.
This way, they’d retain their strength to the maximum.
But as Tadu read on, his expression turned serious.
Gongsun Zan stated, “I have fought against you Wuhuan for a long time and well understand what you seek.”
The Wuhuan were great warriors, yet their territory was less than a third of that of the Xianbei and Xiongnu. Was it really just a matter of geography?
Gongsun Zan didn’t think so.
The real reason was that the Wuhuan lacked the prestigious title of ruling the Northern Desolation like the Xianbei or Xiongnu.
What does this mean?
Take the Xianbei as an example: their previous Chanyu, Tan Shihuai, repeatedly succeeded in invading the Han. During Emperor Huan’s reign in the ninth year of the Yanxi era, he was even approached by Han envoys with a royal seal, intending to confer upon him a kingship and establish a marital alliance.
This seal was ultimately never granted.
At that time, Tan Shihuai held immense power and boldly rejected the Han’s attempts at luring him in.
Yet because of that seal, even after Tan Shihuai’s death, the Xianbei quickly deteriorated, but when one mentions the Xianbei and Wuhuan, the former remained indisputably the northern overlord.
In that case, the Wuhuan also needed to make a name for themselves and receive such a decree.
So, let’s take on Liu Yu and the Bingzhou coalition!
Another troop from Bingzhou had successfully attacked Chang’an two months ago, defeating Dong Zhuo and reclaiming the Guanzhong region, representing the pinnacle of Han military strength.
If the Wuhuan could achieve results in this battle, they could indeed seek a royal title from the court in Ye City.
True, Qiulijiu was getting older, and Tadu could temporarily become Chanyu due to Louban’s youth, but his position wasn’t too rosy either.
You see, within the Wuhuan, there was a rule of three kings assisting governance; they could wait until Louban came of age, then directly topple Tadu to let Louban become Chanyu.
But if Tadu established a reputation like Tan Shihuai, he could bring greater benefits to the Wuhuan; would they really remove him?
Let’s not kid ourselves—just getting along with Liu Yu doesn’t guarantee benefits; the Han keep insisting Qiulijiu surrendered to Liu Yu!
Tadu stared intensely at the writings on the sheep hide before him.
Even though he and Ke Biner both understood that Gongsun Zan pulling them into cooperation was more about self-preservation at this moment, it was hard not to be swayed by Gongsun Zan’s words.
Having grown up in Liaoxi and hardly ever stepping outside Youzhou, Gongsun Zan knew just as much about the Wuhuan and Xianbei as they did, and he could hit the nail on the head.
With these persuasive words about the challenge, Tadu truly couldn’t remain a bystander any longer!
If he didn’t want to be overthrown from his position as Chanyu someday, he had to follow Gongsun Zan’s plan!
This rascal Gongsun Zan even ended the letter with a congratulatory note in advance, wishing him to step down as one of the three kings.
What Chanyu? Not happening!
Tadu slammed the table, immediately instructing someone to send Gongsun Zan a reply.
They would cooperate!
The letters from Ke Biner and Tadu wiped away the previous gloom hanging over Gongsun Zan.
With these two allies, he could compensate for the support Liu Yu received from Zhang Liao and Qu Yan under Qiao Yan’s command.
Not to mention they had the advantage of fighting on home turf.
However, at the beginning of November, news reached Liu Yu in Yuyang that Gongsun Zan’s rear troops were retreating from Pinggu towards Wuzhong.
Liu Yu looked east.
In his line of sight, the Baoqiu River shimmered with a layer of frost as winter drew near.
Perhaps it was due to the narrowing upstream channel starting to show signs of freezing along the banks, causing the river’s current to slow down significantly.
From the city wall, it was impossible to see Gongsun Zan’s movements, but if he truly was retreating, that would make sense.
Liu Yu said to Zhang Liao, “The Binhai Road beyond Wuzhong often has standing water; carts and ships have a hard time traversing it. Since Emperor Guangwu established the dynasty, the roads there have barely seen maintenance, and it’s been over 200 years. That’s why I could only set up trade markets in places like Yuyang.”
“Gongsun Zan suffered a defeat before; if we can cross the river with our army this winter, his advantageous position will be gone. It makes sense for him to retreat to the east of Wuzhong. In that case, we won’t be able to do much about him in the short term and will have to see if we can get the Wuhuan to hand him over.”
As Liu Yu said this, Zhang Liao was also looking in Gongsun Zan’s direction.
For some reason, he had a strange intuition that Gongsun Zan’s retreat wasn’t a retreat at all but an advance signal.
Just three days later, north of Yanshan, a column of cavalry burst into Yuyang through the narrow valley formed by the flowing Baoqiu River.
At the same time, the Wuhuan led by Tadu approached from Youbeiping, uniting forces with Gongsun Zan to march straight towards Yuyang!
