Chapter 227
“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
Since Tian Feng arrived in Guanzhong, Yuan Shao is bound to be left in the dark for a while longer about his whereabouts. For someone as talented as him, Qiao Yan thinks he would be a waste to let go.
What does what he’s doing under the alias Yuan Feng have to do with Tian Feng from Jizhou?
Since he’s already digging up treasures in Bingzhou due to his calculation skills, now he can also showcase his specialties while participating in the construction of Hongwen Hall and get promoted.
“He even thought of a reason for us,” Qiao Yan remarked while looking at the documents related to Tian Feng. “He says he wants to bring his wife and children to Bingzhou, so he must strive for a higher salary. Conveniently, we’re not stingy with resources or salaries compared to Jizhou.”
Xun Yu’s conclusion upon entering Guanzhong wasn’t wrong.
Qiao Yan was indeed using Liu Yu’s reputation to stabilize grain prices and diminish Dong Zhuo’s monetary influence.
Previously, she had hired people from Liangzhou with five copper coins and sent collateral from Liangzhou to Bingzhou for sale, establishing trust in five copper coins between the two provinces.
Now that she again connected the two provinces through Guanzhong and used Liu Yu as her banner, the credibility of five copper coins naturally improved.
She wasn’t in a rush to expand her territory quickly; she wanted to stabilize this currency system further.
With her current territory, there’s some level of blocking in connecting with any influence, but not completely severed either.
Increased trade will bolster public trust in currency.
Interestingly, since the main copper mines aren’t in Guanzhong, Qiao Yan hadn’t moved the Bingzhou mint officials into Guanzhong. Instead, she kept it independent and under her control.
In truly necessary circumstances, no one could justly criticize her for this.
So effectively, she had the money printer in her hands.
This meant that although Liu Yu appeared to be the future Emperor of the Han, the authority to control prices still rested with her.
Saying “we’re not stingy compared to Jizhou” really is an understatement.
Guo Jia smirked from the side, “Well, at this rate, Zhang Niujiao’s dream of cultivating a trusted aide will probably not happen anytime soon.”
Who could blame Tian Feng when Qiao Yan had her eyes on him? There was little chance he’d be left for Zhang Niujiao.
“Can’t say it like that,” Qiao Yan feigned innocence. “If he catches one Tian Feng today, tomorrow he might just catch a Ju Shou. I’m just encouraging him to explore for gems among his subordinates; who knows, he might dig up something big.”
She pondered briefly whether to turn a blind eye to Zhang Niujiao’s “lack of learning”, but thought it better to let things take their course, so she decided not to intervene too much.
“Alright, enough of that. Let’s talk about Hongwen Hall.”
Before mentioning the establishment of Hongwen Hall to her subordinates, Qiao Yan hadn’t really brought it up.
But after returning to Guanzhong, she informed her confidants of her ambition to vie for the Grand Marshal position and shared her strategy of “Retreating to Advance”.
This strategy had already manifested when she restructured Chang’an, creating the ceremonial route from Weiyang Palace to the Hall of Enlightenment, and facilitating Tian Chou’s involvement in the land reclamation in Guanzhong. Thus, when she brought up Hongwen Hall, Guo Jia and Cheng Yu weren’t too surprised.
Guo Jia quickly grasped that while Hongwen Hall was ostensibly for gathering talents under the emperor, this selection wouldn’t necessarily hinder Qiao Yan.
The immediate benefits were at least quite evident.
Hongwen Hall had an intention of attracting talented individuals, enhancing not only Liu Yu’s reputation but also Qiao Yan’s.
Whether these selected talents would fall under Liu Yu’s direct command, or cultivate deeper connections with Qiao Yan as territorial expansions unfolded, was hard to say.
Moreover, the existence of Hongwen Hall seemed to call for drawing in accomplished scholars already trained, complementing Leping Academy’s nurturing model rather than clashing with it.
For individuals without the guts to come to Guanzhong to showcase their skills, Leping, with Cai Yong, Zheng Xuan, Guan Ning, and the soon-to-be “retired” Xun Shuang, still held an irreplaceable allure for scholars.
Once the students from Leping Academy graduated, they would undoubtedly impact the faction of scholars coming from Hongwen Hall.
Furthermore, as Qiao Yan’s wings gradually filled, meaning when she secured three states or even more significant territories without needing to lean on the Han name, Hongwen Hall might directly become her talent acquisition channel—perhaps even without needing any intermediaries.
After piecing this together, Guo Jia mused that the only trouble was who to select as the head of Hongwen Hall.
Xun Yu shouldn’t be the only choice.
However, just as Qiao Yan explained to Xun Yu, the person managing Hongwen Hall would need a knack for identifying practical talents and must not be one to form cliques, raising the bar considerably.
He inquired, “As you said, this person must possess those two qualities, but some who meet this criteria are often inappropriate for the position. If the hall master’s qualifications and status are too high, even if he doesn’t want to forge such alliances, those he selects would still congregate due to that title.”
Finding someone with a clean reputation like Xun Yu, who also isn’t overly experienced, but skilled is quite rare.
Qiao Yan replied, “I have a few candidates, just hesitant about assigning them all at once or rotating them.”
Cheng Yu interjected, “If I’m not mistaken, one of those candidates must be Wang Zushi?”
“Correct,” Qiao Yan clapped her hands in agreement, “Wang Zushi hails from Bingzhou, but most talents from Bingzhou won’t need the Hongwen Hall route.”
This reciprocal system doesn’t involve low-level officials, meaning talents from Bingzhou are either snatched by local prefects or still studying at Leping Academy, or—
These people are likely much more aware of Bingzhou’s real strength compared to talents from other provinces. They probably prefer to recommend themselves directly to Qiao Yan rather than go through Hongwen Hall.
This implies that Wang Yun likely won’t find many he can relate to in his selection.
Additionally, let’s not forget, Wang Yun bears the blame of losing the emperor.
To outsiders, it looks like it’s Wang Yun’s cooperation that allowed Li Jue to create a fake emperor and muster a team, ultimately leading to the emperor being abducted because of him.
This sin hasn’t been publicly called out, but Wang Yun needs to take responsibility for it.
This means the candidates he recommends might shy away from deepening their ties with him.
Through these points, it seems Wang Yun is quite a suitable candidate.
Cheng Yu then asked, “May I ask who else the lord has in mind?”
Qiao Yan replied, “Chen Yuanfang and Cui Zhouping.”
Chen Ji, Chen Yuanfang is already present.
Previously, during Dong Zhuo’s rampage in Luoyang, both Chen Ji and Xun Shuang were among the unfortunate who got drafted, since he had a close friendship with Xun Shuang and came to Chang’an together.
Chen Ji may lack extensive official experience but grew up with his father Chen Shi, keenly observing the dynamics of court politics.
And when it comes to his character, there’s little to critique.
Interestingly, despite being of high moral standing himself, he had little patience for hollow gestures devoid of sincerity.
Specifically, he despises the formalism apparent in the system of recommending those known for filial piety.
Considering his age, Qiao Yan thought it might be burdensome for him to tackle official matters, making him a moral benchmark in Hongwen Hall instead.
Also, placing Chen Ji in a suitable role likely ensures she could net someone else—his son Chen Qun.
Historically, he became a key founder of the laws of Cao Wei, and the Nine Ranks system was proposed by him.
The latter doesn’t matter much, but the former would indeed be useful for Qiao Yan.
It’s about time he’s ready to serve.
As for Cui Zhouping, he could also fit right in.
Back in August of last year, when Qiao Yan was still in Liangzhou dealing with those local tyrants, Xi Zhicai and Guo Jia were already discussing bringing Cui Jun to Bingzhou for work.
Cui Lie isn’t too young now, and rather than loafing around in Anping, he should assist his father with the official duties.
So, in October of last year, at Xi Zhicai’s suggestion, he sent a letter to him regarding this matter.
Despite the little “discrepancy” that arose between Cui Jun and his father over buying an official position, he maintains a good relationship with his dad and rushed over immediately.
Throughout the past year, most of Xihe Commandery’s administrative work has gone through him, proving his abilities.
Qiao Yan remarked, “Appointing Cui Zhouping as one of the heads of Hongwen Hall also reflects our connection to the scholars from Hebei.”
Cui Zhouping is from Jizhou, and his father Cui Lie is a distinguished figure in Hebei, making moves against Yuan Shao.
Whether Tian Feng would encounter another person who could potentially discover his true identity remains another question.
“On the flip side, my initiative to establish Hongwen Hall would be undermined if I don’t insert someone from my camp. Others might suspect I have ulterior motives.”
She looked up with a hint of cunning, while Guo Jia and Cheng Yu silently appreciated her choice.
This little display of self-interest was quite well-timed.
So, according to her plan, the four heads of Hongwen Hall would be Xun Yu, Wang Yun, Chen Ji, and Cui Jun.
This selection would cover all age groups and also regions including Hebei, Bingzhou, and Yuzhou.
The only minor issue was that both Xun Yu and Chen Ji come from Yingchuan.
Yet, one is a “Talent to Assist a King” and the other one of the “Three Gentlemen,” making it hard for anyone to suggest better candidates than them.
Guo Jia pondered the rotation option Qiao Yan previously mentioned and asked, “Do you happen to know of an old saying, years ago Chen Taiqiu visited Xun Langling? Because he valued simplicity and had no servants, he let Chen Yuanfang pull the cart while Chen Jifang walked behind, and the young Chen Qun was carried in the cart. This scene was praised as ‘the true people journeying east’. Now, while they’re not Chen’s descendants for three generations, they are still four wise men united; why not let these four go together to Hongwen?”
What Guo Jia referred to was when Chen Ji’s father visited Xun’s family, where due to his frugality, he had his eldest son Chen Ji pull the cart while the younger son walked behind, with young Chen Qun riding inside.
Since Chen Shi and his two sons had a good reputation, collectively they were referred to as the “Three Gentlemen”, hence the name “the true people eastward.”
This meant that good men traveling together could easily gain good repute nowadays.
Thus, the four heads of Hongwen Hall could likewise benefit from this.
Letting them travel together wouldn’t hurt; those with business to attend to could always depart early.
Overall, it was about leveraging their good reputation to spread the news of their leadership as quickly as possible.
But right as he finished speaking, Qiao Yan teased, “Who’s the one still small enough to be carried in the cart?”
Guo Jia found himself in a pickle.
He was just making a comparison! He didn’t really want to recreate that famous Chen family scene!
But he couldn’t help but wonder… if they really did want to stick to that scene, wouldn’t Xun Yu be the youngest among them?
Guo Jia felt no guilt about his friend being in what seemed to be a rather odd arrangement.
He was already planning to invite Wenruo for some drinks tomorrow, to give him a proper welcome.
If Qiao Yan really intended to set things up this way, then he might as well apologize in advance.
Fortunately, he heard Qiao Yan say, “Just kidding! With this, the decision on selecting civil officials in Chang’an city is settled. But—”
At this point, her face turned serious, “We can compromise on the matter of civil officials, but we absolutely cannot on military officers.”
“No matter what issues arise, the real power of the military can only be in our hands!”
Even if they had to use Liu Yu as an outward facade, this bottom line would never change.
This was why she needed to secure the position of Grand Marshal or Grand General for herself.
“Actually, you don’t need to worry too much about this, Your Excellency,” Cheng Yu said.
His tone was calm, and perhaps it could be seen as a proud witness to her growth.
“From the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the present, Your Excellency has never lost a battle. The military power of Liang and Bing provinces will never be entrusted to others. Moreover, with Zilong stationed in Guanzhong, even if someone comes to join, they’ll surely choose to come under Your Excellency rather than seek a position within the Jinyiwei.”
Cheng Yu didn’t elaborate further, but those present understood his deeper meaning.
Contrasting with Qiao Yan was Liu Yu.
Although Liu Yu excelled in managing state affairs, the principle of being too soft-hearted to command troops was fully exemplified by him.
Even if he were given a sufficient number of troops, without proper training and discernment, the only outcome would be defeat.
Most who came to Chang’an did so because of Liu Yu’s wise reputation, but probably none came for his military skills.
Liu Yu’s character made him deeply embarrassed about his defeat a month prior and he wouldn’t easily get involved in military matters.
In a sense, this was a good thing for Qiao Yan.
All she needed to do was be wary of those gathering around Liu Yu, hoping to advance their careers, thinking that with the Son of Heaven’s support they could seize military power.
But before such people could rise, Cheng Yu would definitely spot the potential risks ahead of Qiao Yan.
His usually serious expression flickered with a smile: “I thought I should congratulate Your Excellency. On your visit to Youzhou, didn’t you bring back a military general?”
What Cheng Yu meant was Tai Shici from Donglai.
He had observed the state of Qiao Yan’s subordinate generals and personally witnessed Qiao Yan declaring war on Gongsun Zan with an arrow of no stone, leading him to decide to pledge loyalty to her.
Upon hearing her inquire about his family, he immediately sent people to bring his mother to Bingzhou, further deepening Tai Shici’s respect for Qiao Yan.
After receiving instructions from Qiao Yan, he quickly took charge of training a battalion of soldiers for divine archery.
The thoughts of military generals were much simpler than those of civil officials.
Whoever could lead them to victory would earn their support.
And Qiao Yan not only had the decisive command but also the personal prowess to win over those military generals.
As long as she secured a legitimate title to oversee military affairs, she wouldn’t have to worry about losing control over the military.
When the time for another campaign arose, this military authority would only grow more securely within her grasp with each victory.
As for whether she could win the next battle?
Isn’t that exactly what her strategists and generals needed to ponder over?
Before the start of this campaign, their strength would undoubtedly advance further.
Aside from leveraging the existing resources from Guanzhong and Liang and Bing, they also had gains from trades with the other provinces.
There was no need to elaborate on Liu Biao in Jing Province.
The proximity of Liu Xie’s disappearance to Wuguan made it necessary for Liu Biao to shed any suspicion, forcing him to make concessions.
While sending his eldest son Liu Qi to Chang’an to assist with the ancestral rites, he also loosened his grip on Nanyang in Jing Province, turning Wuguan into a free passage.
The convenience this created for merchant travels truly became a significant outlet for maintaining trade around Guanzhong lately.
Liu Yan in Yizhou wasn’t as enthusiastic but didn’t obstruct trade between Yizhou and Chang’an either.
This allowed Qiao Yan’s procurement team for Shu silk to bring back their first haul to Guanzhong.
To keep any connection with this team unnoticed, Qiao Yan instructed them to follow their planned itinerary.
Another deal came from Yang Province.
In a coincidental meeting at Wuguan, Zhou Yu had an audience with her.
However, this wasn’t a transaction that could yield goods immediately.
The batch of goods from Jiangdong sent through merchant channels along with some unique artifacts didn’t constitute a trade deal but rather a gift to congratulate Qiao Yan on her venture into Guanzhong.
The real trading matter was the farming techniques.
Zhou Yu understood the proverb “Oranges grown south of the Huai River are sweet; those grown north are bitter.”
While Cao Cao in Yanzhou could utilize the farming techniques summarized by Qiao Yan, the circumstances in Jiangdong were different.
But under the discontent of the noble families in Jiangdong towards Sun Ce and amidst the chaos from bandits, if they could at least ensure the newly recruited soldiers were well-fed, it would considerably lighten Sun Ce’s burdens.
The flexibility of the curved plow made it especially suitable for the southern farmlands, and Sun Ce and his generals had already tasted its benefits.
No matter how Zhou Yu reasoned, he believed Qiao Yan must have other similar tools at her disposal.
Of course, he also knew Qiao Yan could use the support of a deceased friend’s son as a pretext for sending out the curved plow; however, Sun Ce couldn’t rely on that favor to get buddy-buddy.
As he was about to become the governor of Yang Province, whether or not he had come of age or had a father named Sun Jian, he was completely his own individual now, and some favors no longer applied at his level of interactions.
So, Zhou Yu came with sincerity.
He said if Qiao Yan’s expertise could successfully increase grain production, the various prefectures in Jiangdong would send one-third of the surplus to Guanzhong.
This tribute sent to Guanzhong in the name of the Son of Heaven was something Liu Biao wouldn’t dare to seize.
As for any additional conditions, Qiao Yan could put forth her own demands.
“So what request did Your Excellency finally make?” Guo Jia inquired when discussing this matter with her.
He sensed that whatever additional conditions Qiao Yan proposed were certainly not simple.
Qiao Yan replied, “I told him I needed to select 200 skilled craftsmen from the coastal towns of Jiangdong for shipbuilding, as my trading condition.”
Guo Jia remarked, “This condition shouldn’t be difficult for Yang Province, but surely Liang Province and Guanzhong have no need for maritime operations. Didn’t he find that peculiar?”
Qiao Yan said, “Of course, he found it strange, but I hinted that this was for dealing with Yuan Shao.”
Guo Jia grasped the implication of her words and realized how she had deceived Zhou Yu.
It truly might require boats to take on Yuan Shao.
According to the majority’s speculation about Qiao Yan, once the situation in Guanzhong stabilized, she would inevitably choose to reclaim Youzhou before marching south to confront Yuan Shao.
Gongsun Zan was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and Yuan Shao was no pushover. This series of battles would certainly not end as swiftly as the battles in Liang Province and Guanzhong.
Thus, how to break through Yuan Shao’s defenses in the borders of Ji Province and Qing Province seemed to be the problem Qiao Yan needed to address the most.
From her ambiguous remarks, Zhou Yu would certainly think that after occupying Youzhou, Qiao Yan could quickly build a shipbuilding fleet from Liao Western Commandery or the Liaodong Peninsula, and could construct ships within three months to cross the Bohai Sea into Qing Province, forming a pincer attack to conserve resources on this front.
But did she truly intend to allocate these personnel for that purpose?
And… would she necessarily proceed to take Youzhou first?
Not to mention Zhou Yu, who had been tricked into agreeing to this condition, even Guo Jia could hardly guess Qiao Yan’s true thoughts.
All he knew was that the number one priority now was still to ensure Liu Yu ascended the throne and secure the promotion that rightfully belonged to his Excellency.
November and December seemed to fly by especially quickly.
Before the end of December, the Hall of Enlightenment, Biyong, and Lingtai in the southern suburbs of Chang’an were completely finished. From this day on, those approaching from the direction of Wuguan saw a dignified façade welcoming them at the southern gates of Chang’an.
Simultaneously completed was the Hongwen Hall, located north of the Gui Palace in Chang’an city.
As Xun You described to Xun Yu, the Gui Palace was the current place where the Son of Heaven convened, so from where Hongwen Hall stood one could look south and see the flying eaves and buildings within the palace walls, creating an illusion of entering Hongwen Hall by day and becoming the Son of Heaven’s aide by evening.
On the day the Hongwen Hall was completed, Qiao Yan had even inspected it.
What others didn’t expect was that the characters of “Hongwen Hall” on the front plaque were not penned by Liu Yu or Qiao Yan, but were written by the great calligrapher Zhang Zhi.
After Qiao Yan invited Wei Ji to extend the invitation, although Zhang Zhi didn’t choose to serve, he went to teach at Leping Academy.
Being counted as both a Guanzhong and Liang Province person, this completed plaque undoubtedly suppressed some critical voices—
Some believed that the absence of Guanzhong or Liang Province people among the hall’s leaders was discriminatory.
“The balancing of power during territorial expansion is truly troublesome,” Qiao Yan said while making her final adjustments to the official robes, addressing Lu Yuan.
Previously, Lu Yuan had confirmed whether the carrier pigeons should be raised in Gaoping or Jincheng County, taking a trip toward Liang Province, and ultimately decided on Jincheng.
After inspecting the conditions in Liang Province for Qiao Yan, she returned.
But she wasn’t returning to Bingzhou; instead, she returned to Guanzhong.
According to Qiao Yan’s intention, Lu Yuan, as her trusted advisor, should accompany her to Liu Yu’s coronation ceremony.
Thus, she was here at this moment.
Upon hearing Qiao Yan’s soft complaint, Lu Yuan replied, “If Your Excellency says this, then I must ask, why are there no Yang Province leaders at Hongwen Hall?”
Seeing Qiao Yan give her an amused glance at her words, Lu Yuan then said seriously, “The distinctions of proximity, as well as the differences in interests, Your Excellency has understood them clearly, and your handling has been quite proper. We are all willing to serve Your Excellency with our lives, even if you sometimes make mistakes.”
This sentiment was indeed quite correct.
A leader could err, just like when Guo Jia corrected her past mistakes while setting up the merit system.
These are inevitably seen in decision-making.
However, when she found herself in the city of Chang’an, calculating for the achievements of the next decade or even hundred years, she had no warrant to make mistakes.
Yet, hearing from her subordinate that allowed her fallibility still brought a clearly discernible smile to Qiao Yan’s face.
Indeed, these interpersonal connections tightly linked her with this era and supported her to continue moving forward.
Until she secured victory in this life-or-death war!
Just then, from the direction of Weiyang Palace in Chang’an, the sound of a drum signifying the hour echoed.
This drumbeat indicating the third hour also served to remind the officials in the city to prepare for the upcoming coronation ceremony of the Son of Heaven.
Qiao Yan looked outside; the sky was still dark, yet activity gradually stirred within the city, bringing the entire Chang’an to life.
“Your Excellency, it’s time for us to depart.”
Just as she was about to step out, Qiao Yan took one last look at the mirror by the door.
The reflection revealed a face that was younger than anyone else among the officials.
Even though the road ahead was long, she still had plenty of time to take every step.
This was the first day of January, 192 A.D.
By today’s calculation, she had turned nineteen.
