Chapter 225

Chapter 225

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 7: Eight Hundred Qin Rivers, Occupying Guanzhong Chapter 225: The Debate Between Monarch and Minister

…

Xun Yu couldn’t provide an answer to these two questions for the time being.

He could only confirm one thing: compared to Yuan Shao in Ye City and Liu Bian, the combination of Qiao Yan and Liu Yu in Chang’an seemed more likely to achieve the goal of co-governing the world between the royal family and the scholar-officials, or rather, a Han dynasty where the status of the scholar-officials remained undiminished.

In fact, if one had to say, Qiao Yan should have been Xun Yu’s first choice.

His friends Xi Zhicai and Guo Jia had long since pledged their allegiance to her.

Xun Shuang, after arriving in Chang’an, sent Xun You to serve as her military advisor.

Looking at the performance of various heroes since the death of Emperor Ling of Han, or even earlier, few could match Qiao Yan.

But strangely, although he had never personally interacted with Qiao Yan, he intuitively felt that her various actions did not reflect the attitude of a staunch Han loyalist.

As early as the Yellow Turban Rebellion, she had already shown herself to be too rational and clear-headed. When Xun Yu tried to put himself in Qiao Yan’s shoes, he found that he couldn’t place her in that outwardly loyal position.

That is—to give unreservedly because of Emperor Ling of Han’s appreciation and promotion.

Like the courtesy name she gave herself, she was like a blazing fire willing to burn itself out.

This didn’t seem right.

Some attitudes, perhaps not noticeable to those who worked with or against Qiao Yan, were much clearer to Xun Yu as an outsider.

Perhaps, if her gender were different, those competing in the world would more easily see her contradictions.

Of course, Xun Yu had no need to expose her.

After all, she had never done anything out of line from start to finish, and had even developed Bingzhou, a border region, to a level where its civil administration, achievements, and military were second to none.

But precisely because of this ambition that made him uncertain of its direction, Xun Yu also dared not choose to side with her.

This was what he hadn’t told Zhuge Liang.

But now, there was a change he hadn’t anticipated.

With the end of the turmoil in Chang’an, it wasn’t Qiao Yan assisting the young emperor Liu Xie, using the reputation she had built to logically strip Liu Xie of his power, and externally launching a campaign against rebels in the name of the Son of Heaven.

That is, so-called “serving the Son of Heaven to command the disloyal.”

Instead, it was Qiao Yan, along with loyal Han ministers like Lu Zhi, Huangfu Song, Huang Wan, and Wang Yun, who supported Liu Yu as the emperor after Liu Xie’s disappearance.

Daring to choose the mature-minded Liu Yu as the emperor seemed inconsistent with Xun Yu’s judgment that she had disloyal intentions.

Could it be…

She just wanted to be a powerful minister, but only under the Han emperor she had chosen?

Thinking about it, Xun Yu found this possibility plausible.

If the civil administration of the provinces were ranked, Qiao Yan’s Bingzhou was undoubtedly the best, but Liu Yu’s Youzhou, which had once lowered grain prices to thirty coins per dan, could at least secure the third position.

From the perspective of the world, Liu Yu’s ascension would surely change the corrupt and extravagant atmosphere of Emperor Ling of Han’s era.

If this was Qiao Yan’s pursuit, her previous actions could also be explained.

Unfortunately, such in-depth exploration of her governance philosophy would never appear in the letters Guo Jia and Xi Zhicai sent to Xun Yu.

He could only compare and evaluate the performances of various warlords during his travels, until he received the news of Liu Yu’s ascension, and made this uncertain assumption.

At this point, he really shouldn’t avoid her out of fear of not returning like Guo Jia.

As someone once judged by He Yong as having the “Talent to Assist a King,” he could very well step into Chang’an under the pretext of advising Liu Yu.

Driven by this thought, he finally arrived before the Wu Pass.

Xun Yu adjusted his cloak and walked towards the pass.

His attendant followed behind, leading his horse.

Perhaps because Chang’an was about to welcome a new emperor, representing business opportunities, or perhaps because Liu Biao was truly in awe of Qiao Yan’s efficiency in attacking Dong Zhuo, he had relaxed restrictions on this checkpoint. At this strategic pass between Sili and Jing Province, there were many merchant caravans coming and going.

Xun Yu, amidst the crowd, stood out due to his exceptional demeanor, but wasn’t too conspicuous.

But just after verifying his identity and entering the pass, Xun Yu saw a young boy running towards him.

He stopped and waited for the boy to reach him, hearing the boy ask, “My master sent me to ask, are you Xun Wenruo from Yingchuan?”

Xun Yu followed the boy’s pointing finger and saw a merchant caravan, not too small in scale.

The carriage the boy specifically pointed to was slightly more refined than those of ordinary caravans, but at most, it would be considered the property of a wealthy merchant.

But the fact that this person could recognize his identity suggested he was no ordinary person.

Xun Yu replied, “What if I am?”

The boy said, “If you are, my master invites you to the carriage for a chat. The journey from here to Chang’an is over three hundred li. Although you have a horse, it’s not as comfortable as a carriage.”

Although Xun Yu didn’t know the identity of the person, he agreed.

But to his surprise, upon boarding the carriage, he saw a young man of only seventeen or eighteen.

Also someone whose identity he could easily guess.

Outside the carriage, it was still a snowy winter, but inside, the carriage was lined with fur, and Xun Yu had been handed a hand warmer by the boy before boarding, so he didn’t feel any chill.

The young man sitting in the carriage had gentle features, with a hint of sharpness in his demeanor, clearly not an ordinary scholar.

His Yangzhou accent when greeting made him seem even more approachable.

Xun Yu smiled gently, “Zhou Gongjin of Lujiang, why are you traveling through Jing Province to Chang’an instead of guarding Yangzhou for Sun Bofu?”

Zhou Yu, whose identity had been revealed, was very candid, “As long as this trip is more meaningful than guarding Jiujiang, of course, I can come.”

There was a blood feud between Jing Province and Sun Ce. Although both Liu Biao and Sun Ce should now be considered supporters of Qiao Yan and Liu Yu, the enmity between the two sides couldn’t be easily resolved.

As Sun Ce’s right-hand man, Zhou Yu shouldn’t have taken this route.

But considering the conflict between Yuan Shu and Sun Ce, this route was much safer than taking the Yu Province route.

Moreover, given the current situation, Zhou Yu indeed had the opportunity to make this trip.

Who would have thought that Yuan Shu, currently in Runan, deeply aware of Zhou Yu’s capabilities, wouldn’t dare to retake Jiujiang, and also had to face the threat posed by Liu Bei within his territory.

How could he have imagined Zhou Yu would suddenly leave Jiujiang and come to Chang’an.

During the caravan’s brief stop at Wu Pass, Zhou Yu had his attendants boil fresh water, which he now used to serve tea to Xun Yu.

Most tea cakes at the time were produced in the south, with Yangzhou tea being made by roasting picked tea leaves until red, then crushing them and adding oil, and finally adding scallions and ginger when brewing.

But after Lu Yuan, following Qiao Yan’s orders, visited Yangzhou and mentioned that tea in Bingzhou was rarely mixed with other ingredients, mostly enjoyed in its pure form, Zhou Yu had also adopted this practice.

Now, the clear tea was placed before Xun Yu.

The carriage continued northward, and due to its high quality, the journey was smooth, with only a slight ripple in the not fully filled cup, which was quite interesting.

Zhou Yu continued, “When you arrived in Yangzhou from Xuzhou, I heard about it, but since you didn’t seem to intend to visit anyone, I didn’t disturb you. Now, we coincidentally meet here.”

Months ago, when he heard Xun Yu was in Yangzhou, he had considered asking Sun Ce to try inviting him.

But thinking of the Gao Dai incident, Zhou Yu first dismissed the idea.

By now, neither he nor Sun Ce were fools; they could see someone was behind the scenes in the Gao Dai matter.

Although Sun Ce initially entered Yangzhou to relieve the siege of Lujiang, there were still many who didn’t want him to establish himself there.

These people naturally wouldn’t be happy to see capable individuals joining Sun Ce’s ranks.

Unless Xun Yu explicitly expressed a desire to meet Sun Ce, it was better to act as if he hadn’t appeared.

As it turned out, Zhou Yu’s strategy wasn’t wrong. Seeing Xun Yu pass through without visiting, it was clear he didn’t think highly of Sun Ce.

Instead, this chance encounter on the way to Chang’an allowed them to chat over tea.

Xun Yu looked at the young man before him.

In terms of demeanor, he was a model of a scholar-official, and in terms of his actions in Yangzhou, he was both brave and resourceful.

Xun Yu, being a talent appreciator, didn’t need to put on airs with this hospitable carriage owner.

He said, “If it’s just about tasting famous Wu tea, there’s no harm in being disturbed. It’s just about making another friend.”

As Xun Yu spoke, he couldn’t help but ponder Zhou Yu’s purpose in coming to Chang’an.

If it was just to secure the position of Governor of Yangzhou for Sun Ce, according to what Xun Yu had heard, Sun Ce had already shown recognition and support for Liu Yu’s ascension, and no one in Yangzhou was more capable than Sun Ce for the position. Considering Qiao Yan’s potential influence, Zhou Yu didn’t need to make the trip personally.

This was almost a done deal.

But as Zhou Yu said, he felt this trip was more important than guarding Jiujiang, hence his choice.

It seemed he wasn’t here to observe the relationship between Liu Yu and Qiao Yan to prepare for future contingencies, but to seek experience in managing Yangzhou from the ongoing construction in Guanzhong.

Xun Yu didn’t reveal his speculation in his expression, but as they conversed, Zhou Yu naturally mentioned his purpose for coming, which was to make a deal with Qiao Yan.

As for what exactly the deal was, adhering to the principle of not discussing deep matters with new acquaintances, Zhou Yu didn’t elaborate.

They then turned their conversation to books and music.

Zhou Yu was twelve years younger than Xun Yu, but since he was already serving under Sun Ce, they could be considered peers.

For Xun Yu, having such a conversationalist on the way to Chang’an was a pleasant journey.

But he hadn’t forgotten his purpose for coming.

During a stop on the journey, he began to observe the people coming here.

Once in Guanzhong, some who had previously blended into caravans like Zhou Yu now became more open.

Due to the conflict between Yuan Shu and Liu Bei in Yu Province, many from Runan and Yingchuan who didn’t favor either side had moved south into Nanyang, and now, with the news of Liu Yu’s ascension in Chang’an, they were entering Guanzhong.

Xun Yu, being from Yingchuan himself, saw many familiar faces in the crowd.

But whether these people were here to observe or directly seek advancement was unknown, so they merely nodded to each other in passing.

He watched…








The scene before them spoke: “I heard that during Duke Liu’s tenure as the Governor of Youzhou, even the merchants dared not haggle. If this is true, by next year, when spring arrives, the number of people flowing into Guanzhong from Nanyang and Hanzhong will likely be even greater.”

This influx of people would inevitably lead to a further strengthening of Guanzhong’s power.

Although it is still far from restoring the population to the level of the former Han Dynasty when Chang’an was the capital, the increase in population and the trade attracted by Liu Yu’s reputation and credibility could quickly dilute the impact of Dong Zhuo’s small coins on Guanzhong.

It’s hard to say if this was one of the reasons Qiao Yan chose Liu Yu.

Xun Yu couldn’t help but sigh: “That Prefect Qiao of Bingzhou made a wise choice.”

At least for now, Liu Yu’s credibility is the most enduring.

But perhaps, if she truly has ambitions, this might not be the wisest choice for her personally.

However, which evaluation will ultimately prevail, like the uncertain future of the Han Dynasty’s east-west confrontation, is also unpredictable.

It might be better to first see the current state of Chang’an’s construction with our own eyes.

Upon arriving in Chang’an, they received news that due to the redivision of the city’s areas and the upcoming coronation ceremony, all carriages and horses were strictly prohibited from entering the city and had to be parked at the official inn outside the Xuanping Gate.

Seeing that Xun Yu intended to walk directly into the southern suburbs, Zhou Yu ordered his subordinates to take the carriages and horses to the inn and followed Xun Yu on foot.

In their view, among the several rammed earth platform ruins in the southern suburbs, the one at the easternmost end was being urgently repaired.

Although there was still light snow falling, dozens of oilcloths produced by the Liangzhou textile office were connected to form a special canopy, ensuring that the construction work could continue without being affected by the snow, even if it intensified.

From the shape of the high platform, Xun Yu deduced that it was the former site of the Chang’an Mingtang Biyong.

The surrounding circular moat and the surrounding curved auxiliary rooms also indicated its identity.

Like in Luoyang, this place carried the responsibility of the emperor’s sacrifices to heaven and earth, the Fengshan ceremony, and receiving audiences, representing the dignity of the Han imperial family.

This place was destroyed during the Red Eyebrows’ rebellion in Chang’an. After Dong Zhuo fled to Chang’an with Liu Xie, he preferred to spend more effort on repairing the Weiyang Palace rather than rebuilding the Mingtang Biyong.

Only now has it been restored to its original form.

As Xun Yu walked closer, he saw that not only did the Mingtang need rebuilding, but the circular moat of the Biyong also needed dredging after years of disuse, connecting it to the southern river channel.

This river channel ran towards the residential areas in the eastern suburbs of Chang’an, cutting through them.

The construction team here seemed to be taking advantage of the winter when the river was frozen and dry to dredge and adjust the river’s course, so it would be ready for use by spring.

Xun Yu noticed that the person directing the repair of the circular moat was an elderly eunuch, who didn’t seem to be one of the eunuchs assigned to Liu Xie after Dong Zhuo arrived in Chang’an, but rather an old hand from Luoyang.

And the workers he led were actually a group of Qiang people.

Due to the surrounding barriers, Xun Yu couldn’t get closer to see, but because the moat was on the outermost edge, he could see this unusual combination. Thinking that this combination could only be Qiao Yan’s doing, Xun Yu slightly revised his evaluation of her.

She was indeed adhering to the rituals of the Han imperial family.

He withdrew his gaze and turned to the west.

To the west of the Mingtang Biyong were the ruins of twelve ceremonial buildings. Unfortunately, with the current manpower and resources, it was too late to repair them. To avoid their dilapidated state detracting from the grandeur of the Mingtang Biyong, they had completely dismantled the wooden stakes on these platforms.

Only on the westernmost square platform, the Lingtai had been rebuilt there.

These two high platforms faced each other, representing the southern gate and face of Chang’an. Although not yet completed, they already allowed one to imagine the orthodox scene a month later.

Thinking of this, Xun Yu’s expression softened slightly.

He gestured to Zhou Yu, and they walked through the new path between the Mingtang and the Lingtai towards Chang’an.

Since Xun Yu had sent his attendants to find Xun You in the city upon arrival and had spent some time observing the construction in the southern suburbs, Xun You was already waiting with an umbrella outside the southern gate of Chang’an, the An Gate.

Perhaps because Xun You personally came to greet them, Xun Yu felt that the city guards cast many curious glances at him and Zhou Yu, but when Xun You looked at them, they immediately returned to their stoic expressions.

“No need to look, the person I’m picking up doesn’t have an extra pair of eyes,” Xun You said to them.

After entering the city gate, he muttered with a laugh, “These Liangzhou soldiers, all a bunch of monkeys! I said we should have changed the guard.”

Though he called them monkeys, his tone suggested a close relationship with these soldiers.

Xun Yu glanced at him, feeling it wasn’t just his imagination.

His usually quiet and sometimes seemingly foolish nephew seemed to have become more lively after two years of campaigning with Qiao Yan.

But once inside Chang’an, he temporarily stopped paying attention to Xun You and instead observed the surroundings.

The An Gate inner street running north-south was eleven li long and about sixteen zhang wide, with the central six zhang reserved for the emperor’s chariot path, and the sides for pedestrians and officials.

The distinction between the road edges had been redefined, making it clear that this was also part of the restoration of rituals for the emperor’s coronation.

Xun Yu asked, “I see that the palace buildings are still only on the side of the Weiyang Palace?”

Xun You replied, “Yes, Duke Liu advocates simplicity, so as previously agreed with the lord, the Weiyang Palace and the Gui Palace are retained as palace buildings, the former for the emperor’s residence and the latter for court meetings.”

Both palaces were located on the west side of the street they were on.

Xun You pointed to the east and added, “The Changle Palace is in ruins, but it’s not suitable to convert it into residential areas and include it in the 160 li neighborhoods. So, the nine government offices have been relocated here, and Duke Liu’s direct old troops from Youzhou have been reorganized into the Jinwu Guard, also stationed here.”

This distance was more convenient for mobilization than the previous situation in Luoyang, effectively preventing palace coups.

After walking north for a while, Xun You continued, “To the north are the three temples, nine markets, and the neighborhoods.”

Since Chang’an was higher in the south and lower in the north, exiting the northern city gate led to the Wei River. Thus, when coming from the southern Wuguan, one first saw the palace buildings and then the residential areas.

The Weiyang Palace was located at the highest point in the south, overlooking the imperial city and the flowing waters of the Guanzhong plain to the north.

Even without seeing what Chang’an looked like a month ago, Xun Yu intuitively felt that the city was much more orderly after the recent renovations and planning.

He asked, “Has Prefect Qiao returned to Chang’an?”

“I knew you’d ask that,” Xun You said, understanding that Xun Yu wasn’t just asking if Qiao Yan had returned to meet her, but rather about the power dynamics in Chang’an after the recent upheaval.

A powerful minister—especially one with military power—and the future emperor’s relative strength would likely be the first criterion for newcomers to judge their next steps.

Seeing that Zhou Yu had tactfully bid them farewell and headed to the guesthouse, Xun You replied, “You’ve come at the right time. The lord arrived in Guanzhong yesterday, temporarily stationed at Gaoling, and came to Chang’an with a part of the cavalry. The cavalry is stationed north of the Wei River, while she entered Chang’an with her entourage.”

“But she didn’t stay in the city for long before leaving again, taking someone with her before she left. It was Tian Zitai, who assisted Duke Liu in Youzhou with farming and law-making.”

When Liu Yu came to Liangzhou to oversee the war, Qiao Yan had expressed regret that Liu Yu came alone without bringing his capable assistant Tian Chou.

Now that Liu Yu was in charge of Guanzhong, with Zhang Liao guarding Shanggu Commandery, Tian Chou naturally followed to Chang’an, much to Qiao Yan’s satisfaction.

According to Qiao Yan’s explanation to Liu Yu, when she previously delineated the civilian and military farming areas in Guanzhong, Liu Yu hadn’t yet decided to come, and Tian Chou hadn’t arrived, so she temporarily handed over the coordination authority to Guo Yuan and Cheng Yu.

But now that Liu Yu had arrived, she asked Tian Chou to take over part of the responsibilities, which was in line with the proper relationship between ruler and subject.

To say that Qiao Yan was willing to hand over the military farming in Guanzhong would be underestimating her appetite.

It was just that before plotting for the position of Grand Marshal, she couldn’t afford to make any mistakes.

Having farmed in Luoyang before, what was the harm in conceding a step in the management of military farming in Chang’an?

She might not necessarily be at a disadvantage.

The military farming in the Guanzhong plain should actually be divided into three parts with Meiwo and Chang’an as nodes. With her still having people in Liangzhou and Bingzhou, Guanzhong was still short of managerial talent.

If her own resources weren’t enough, she would use others’.

Having Tian Chou, a loyalist of Liu Yu, involved in military farming affairs could also earn her a good reputation.

But in reality, Tian Chou’s authority in this matter was quite limited.

While Youzhou’s grain prices were stable, its grain yield per mu was far lower than Bingzhou’s.

It wouldn’t take long for Tian Chou to realize that, in addition to his main duties, he would need to consult Cheng Yu and Guo Yuan on many things to avoid wasting land resources.

In this situation, given Tian Chou’s practical nature, he would naturally let Cheng Yu take the lead.

This was the most favorable personnel arrangement for Qiao Yan.

But to those unaware of the details, this seemed like a move to show respect for the emperor’s dignity.

Xun Yu vaguely sensed that in this磨合, Qiao Yan still held the dominant position, but even he had to admit that this was the most appropriate way to handle it.

From what he had seen since arriving in Chang’an, everything seemed to signal one thing—

The Han Dynasty that Qiao Yan wanted to support was one with a virtuous man like Liu Yu at its center.

And her own noble background and ambition for a high position as a powerful minister were also in line with the consensus of the scholar-officials.

As Xun Yu pondered this, Xun You asked, “Wenruo, since you’ve come to Chang’an, I might as well ask directly, what are you thinking now?”

“I…” Xun Yu started, but suddenly stopped when a group of people in Lingtai official robes passed by.

Xun You initially thought Xun Yu had stopped speaking because someone was passing by.

But when he looked at Xun Yu, he saw an indescribably strange expression on his face.

Xun You asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xun Yu frowned: “I think I saw someone I know.”

Though it was just a fleeting glance, he felt he wasn’t mistaken.

What confirmed it further was that when the other person saw him, they deliberately turned their head away, avoiding his gaze.

This person absolutely shouldn’t be here, especially not in such a group!

Even if he were here like Zhou Yu to discuss business, it would make sense, but why was he in the Lingtai procession?

It was none other than Tian Feng, a strategist under Yuan Shao!