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“Can strategists really not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 229: Punishments…
Although Liu Yu didn’t discuss the position of Grand General with Qiao Yan in advance, the matter was already somewhat of an unspoken agreement in Chang’an.
The areas the Chang’an court could actually control or directly issue commands to were limited to Liangzhou, Bingzhou, and Guanzhong.
And all three of these places were secured by Qiao Yan.
If one were to resist Yuan Shao from Jizhou or Gongsun Zan from Youzhou, or balance with other power factions, there’s no doubt that Qiao Yan’s role would be crucial.
The Grand General wields authority over the military.
So with Liu Yu in command centrally, the only way to have Qiao Yan hold this power was to legitimize her ability to mobilize forces from all directions.
Liu Yu knew very well that he was not cut out for leading armies, and even giving this position to her, which was somewhat excessive for her age, he didn’t think it was inappropriate.
Moreover, considering it was thanks to Qiao Yan that he could sit on this throne, granting the Grand General’s title was merely following the natural course of events.
But now—
Before this decree of appointment was pronounced, she surprisingly handed over the Grand General authority to Liu Yan, the Governor of Yizhou.
Not only Liu Yu’s closest confidants who were announcing this, but even Liu Yu himself, seated at the top, and the others who just assumed the Three Duke positions couldn’t help but feel a bit stunned.
This didn’t seem like a favorable move for Qiao Yan.
If this were ordinary times without such a division in the realm, and she hadn’t even needed to step aside herself, others would definitely have raised objections to this appointment.
However, given the current situation, most of those present owed her a great debt from her rescue in Chang’an, so they could hardly refute it.
But strangely, Liu Yu had a hunch that Qiao Yan’s actions didn’t come from being young and high-ranking, showing deference.
With her past decision during the locust plague to detain the governor of Bingzhou, she knew how to discern urgency; she wouldn’t make an unnecessary act of humility now.
He heard Qiao Yan saying at this moment: “When Dong Zhuo was stationed in Chang’an, I procured rice and grains from Yizhou to alleviate Chang’an’s shortage, which already shows that Yizhou is a land of abundance. The current real threat remains Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan; Yizhou should unite as allies, not as enemies.”
“During Dong Zhuo’s reign, Liu Yan served as Grand Marshal. Now that Dong Zhuo is gone, this position is too low to prevent exploitation by Yuan Shao.”
“However, the position of Grand Marshal surpasses the Three Dukes, overseeing military and political powers. That Liu Yan once proposed resuming the Governor system shows a stronghold mentality; the governor of Hanzhong was replaced by Zhang Xiu, under Liu Yan’s command. Zhang Lu has taken the prefectship of Wudu, so we can’t allow the title of Grand Marshal to be overly ostentatious. I request Your Majesty to grant him the title of Grand General.”
Liu Yu caught onto something in Qiao Yan’s words.
Granting Liu Yan in Yizhou the title of Grand General doesn’t mean he would actually wield that power.
The environment in Yizhou also makes it impossible for Liu Yan to expand his influence significantly through this military command.
The essence of giving the title of Grand General was merely to ensure that Liu Yan wouldn’t turn against the court in Ye City.
Whether he was Grand General or Grand Marshal didn’t make much difference in winning Liu Yan over, because the Ye City court would never offer a rank superior to this!
However, having the title of Grand General provides a reason to fill the granary in Chang’an.
Qiao Yan clearly showed she didn’t have a high opinion of Liu Yan.
Word had it that just two days ago, Zhang Lu had issued some questions regarding Xu Shu and Yang Feng’s rash attempts to seize the old paths and Sanguan.
He knew that these two had acted responding to Qiao Yan’s campaign from Liangzhou into Guanzhong, but being backed by Hanzhong, which had to report to the disciples of the Taishi Path, Zhang Lu needed to account for their actions.
He had chosen a perfect time to raise his concerns.
After all, he calculated that Liu Yu would not take any action against these friendly forces before he ascended the throne.
Who could have guessed that after this coronation on the first day of the first month of Jian’an, this matter would have been brought up in court?
Qiao Yan brazenly stated: “I issued a dispatch yesterday for Xu Yuanzhi and Gai Xun to drive out the grain thieves from Wudu, and to prevent conflict with Liu Yan of Yizhou, today I may as well request a Grand General title for him.”
Lu Zhi, listening beside her, couldn’t help but want to laugh.
Qiao Yan’s actions were indeed a display of power balance and maintaining relationships with her surroundings.
But this concession bore no trace of fear or flattery towards Liu Yan.
With Gai Xun’s reputation in Liangzhou and Xu Shu’s guidance, even though Zhang Lu gathered quite a few supporters in Wudu from his preaching of the Taishi Path, he probably wouldn’t manage to establish a firm foothold in Liangzhou.
In other words, this Grand General title was given after a slap to soothe the situation.
This was to clarify that Zhang Lu was Zhang Lu and Liu Yan was Liu Yan; her military counteroffensive against Zhang Lu had nothing to do with Liu Yan himself.
On the other hand, it also implied that with the Grand General position, he ought to consider the nation in his military commands and refrain from any rash plans.
Even more interestingly, she had given the military order on New Year’s Eve, distancing Liu Yu, the Son of Heaven, from the situation.
Liu Yu, seated at the top, naturally understood this subtext. Under these circumstances, granting Liu Yan this Grand General title was indeed necessary, but doing so would inevitably diminish Qiao Yan’s position.
Liu Yu felt that it seemed unfair to Qiao Yan for her efforts on behalf of the Han court, and also to her for the gratitude she had shown before.
After temporarily postponing the military officials’ appointments and dismissing the assembly, Liu Yu summoned the Three Dukes to discuss the matter.
Lu Zhi said, “I believe this proposal from Ye Shu is fitting. Your Majesty is not a descendant of the Emperor Xian, but rather ascended as a Son of Heaven of the Han family, and Liu Yan from Yizhou is a descendant of Lord Ru; he studied under Minister Zhu Boliu, and among the members of the Han clan, he’s counted as one of the top. Directly stripping away his Grand Marshal title would indeed be improper.”
“Just now after the assembly, Ye Shu asked me, does she really need this Grand General title to stand a chance against Yuan Benchu?”
Lu Zhi bowed deeply to Liu Yu, saying, “If Your Majesty truly feels that not granting Ye Shu the Grand General title is a slight against her, perhaps you could bestow her the title of Grand Marshal with the added title of General of Chariots and Cavalry, similar to how the late Emperor Wu honored Huo Qubing.”
What does it mean to emulate Emperor Liu Che’s conferral of accolades to Huo Qubing? It means adding the three words “Grand Marshal” before the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry to show that this General is distinct from others.
Of course, this Grand Marshal is not the same as that Grand Marshal.
Liu Yu pondered for a while and made a decision.
The next day in the court meeting, the decree for military officials was announced—
To appoint Liu Yan of Yizhou as Grand General.
To appoint Qiao Yan of Bingzhou as Grand Marshal and General of Chariots and Cavalry, with temporary power to command while enjoying the title of leading the forces of Liangzhou.
To appoint Huangfu Song as General of Chariots and Cavalry.
To appoint Liu Biao, Governor of Jingzhou, as Left General.
To appoint Yuan Shu as Governor of Yu Province while adding the title of Former General.
To appoint Sun Ce as Governor of Yang Province, with the title of General Against the East.
Of course, today’s announcement was not just about military titles.
The Nine Ministers below the Three Dukes had not all been filled, but a few titles could be settled.
For instance, Chen Ji, recommended by Qiao Yan as one of the heads of Hongwen Hall, was appointed as Minister of Rites.
The Grand Minister of Agriculture position went to Cheng Yu.
The position overseeing the guards was held by Xianyu Fu, a military officer under Liu Yu.
Shi Sunrui, who came with Lu Zhi and Huang Wan to Chang’an, was appointed as a Grand Commandant.
Among the Nine Ministers, Xun Shuang, who was going to recuperate in Leping, received the official title of Grand Commandant, ranking high in the court with the honor of a gold seal and purple sash, thereby becoming a Grand Commandant of Gold and Purple.
Xun Yu, just as Qiao Yan had stated earlier, was appointed as Chamberlain.
In theory, the role of Chamberlain is to assist the Minister of State in discussing military and state affairs; however, in the absence of the Minister of State, assisting the Three Dukes with governmental affairs outside the court is the task.
No need to elaborate further on the rest.
These vacant high positions, along with Hongwen Hall’s appeal for talented individuals, undoubtedly signaled a more attractive opportunity.
However, regardless of how those scholars within Hongwen Hall displayed eagerness in seeking advancement, at this moment, a group was heading towards Hanzhong after collecting a retinue from Zhao Yun.
They were going to present Liu Yan’s decree of appointment as Grand General.
The one in charge of the decree was Qi Zhou, an officer who served under Liu Yu when he was the Governor of Youzhou.
After Liu Yu ascended as the Son of Heaven, he served under the Minister of Rites among the Nine Ministers; since the conferral of titles and stripping of ranks among feudal lords and noble ranks are managed by this office, the matter related to this decree was handed to Qi Zhou.
He glanced at the companion beside him, who had brought along a girl in a veil for this trip to Yizhou, and found it hard to evaluate the situation.
If she were like Qiao Yan from Bingzhou… no, even if she were like that new appointee, Mrs. Lu, who was assigned in Liangzhou, Qi Zhou felt there was no need to comment.
But he clearly saw that this girl brought by this person hadn’t even revealed her face and called her companion “teacher,” which sounded just like a student from the Leping Academy in Bingzhou.
And about this companion, Qi Zhou felt even more puzzled.
This person’s name didn’t seem particularly renowned under Qiao Yan’s command.
According to his self-introduction, he called himself Li Meng, courtesy name Gongming, a resident of Sili, and had pledged loyalty to Bingzhou in his early years.
When Qi Zhou asked him why he hadn’t heard of his name earlier, Li Meng stroked his beard and said, “It’s too unfortunate that there are so many talented people in Bingzhou, making it impossible for me to showcase my abilities. Thankfully, this trip to Yizhou is hardly a major task, fitting for a person like me.”
This reason… could be considered somewhat plausible.
But ever since Qi Zhou followed Liu Yu to Chang’an, he felt as a lowly officer from the remote Youzhou, suddenly elevated to an official under the Nine Ministers, he couldn’t allow any slip-ups in action.
At the very least, he couldn’t leave any handles for others to target the Emperor.
With that, he took this trip to Yizhou to appoint officials especially seriously.
Every time he thought about it, he suspected this partner might just be out for a leisurely trip.
But pondering Qiao Yan’s decision to relinquish the Grand General title, it was understandable to send someone who would just be putting in a token appearance.
At this point, Qi Zhou sighed.
It seems dealing with Liu Yan would be left to him.
Li Ru observed his demeanor from a distance and chuckled, shaking his head.
Since he was going to work under Qiao Yan, he clearly couldn’t continue using the name Li Ru, but he didn’t necessarily have to adopt the name Meng as Qiao Yan suggested.
Before going on this trip, he settled on the character Meng, which simply meant to muddle through.
Jia Xu thought that if Li Ru was waiting for a good opportunity to act, that showed a passive attitude—but for Li Ru, it might not have been the case.
For instance, when Qiao Yan sought to give Liu Yan the Grand General title, thereby seeking higher status for herself, turning “Grand Marshal” and “General of Chariots and Cavalry” into bona fide Grand Marshal, Li Ru took on the task of heading to Yizhou.
As he traveled with Qiao Ting, he asked, “Teacher, why are you having me travel in such a veiled manner instead of dressing in men’s clothes to blend in better?”
Li Ru casually replied, “Your purpose here is to observe and learn. My role is to strike when the opportunity arises; it’s fine for us to appear as mere clutter in this group, there’s no need to stand out as capable individuals.”
Qiao Ting didn’t quite understand Li Ru’s strategy, but since he said it was to observe and learn, she figured it wouldn’t be a problem.
As it were, her apprenticeship with Li Ru was somewhat unexpected.
Jia Xu initially intended to provoke Li Ru by suggesting that he shouldn’t take Qiao Yan’s farming story at face value and continue living his pastoral life.
However, Li Ru told Jia Xu that if he felt bored, there were still other ways to pass the time.
For example, Jia Xu could teach Qiao Lan, while he would teach Qiao Ting, and after a year, see how they ranked.
According to Li Ru’s calculations, teaching Qiao Yan’s sisters would be considered legitimate work, thus allowing him to enjoy another year of leisure.
But upon receiving Qiao Yan’s letters, Li Ru could no longer calmly teach.
This seemed to be the moment he had been waiting for!
But sticking to his competitive spirit and not wanting to lose in teaching, Li Ru simply took Qiao Ting out for a while.
After all, they’d eventually need to be out and about, so it was better to adapt early.
Besides—taking people out to learn through practical experience, who could say that wasn’t a method of teaching, right?
As Li Ru thought about this matter, he also pondered two messages Qiao Yan had passed on to him.
One was that Liu Yan, when he first proposed the Provincial Governor system, was not seeking the title of Governor of Yizhou, but rather the title of Governor of Jiaozhou.
However, Dongsu from Mianzhu, who was skilled in predictions, had been serving as a Chamberlain in Luoyang at the time.
He became friendly with Liu Yan and told him, “The capital is about to fall into chaos; Yizhou bears the air of a Son of Heaven.”
Once Liu Yan became the Governor of Yizhou, Dongsu followed him to Shu and became the General of Shu County.
The other message was that when the merchant caravan led by Guo Daxian returned from Yizhou, though they didn’t meet Qiao Yan, they brought her a piece of information that was then relayed to Li Ru.
Liu Yan quietly made carriage preparations at the start of last year.
With these two points, it’s clear that Liu Yan’s ambitions were hardly limited to merely being Grand Marshal or Grand General, hinting at ulterior motives.
But back then, or when he initially proposed the Provincial Governor system, this act wasn’t too strange.
During Emperor Ling’s reign under Liu Hong, the populace was troubled; later, Liu Xie was under Dong Zhuo’s pressure and Liu Bian was declaring himself Emperor in Ye City.
Liu Yan must have thought, “Since the populace of Youzhou wants Liu Yu to ascend after his good governance, and if Yizhou’s eminent fortune-teller claims a Son of Heaven’s air, then why can’t I pursue it?”
Too bad Liu Xie vanished, Qiao Yan observed the potential threat from the North while also courting Liu Yu as Son of Heaven, effectively sabotaging Liu Yan’s little plans.
Li Ru had no doubt that even if Liu Yan engaged in treasonous maneuvers last year by preparing carriages, once Liu Yu formally took the throne, he would at least make some effort to hide it and never let Qi Zhou, who was delivering the decree, catch wind of the underlying issues.
However, any move made must leave traces.
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“Love is just a poke, isn’t it?”
Qi Zhou thought if he was here just to pass time, that would be just perfect.
Besides, he had heard tales of the delicious food and beautiful sights in Yizhou, way better than conducting business in Chang’an!
He’d already experienced the thrill of getting unseated from his horse by Qiao Yan, so he certainly didn’t want to break another bone!
Speaking of which, what was happening in Chang’an lately?
Li Ru rubbed his brain that hadn’t been used in a while.
“It’s about the laws.” Qiao Ting chimed in, having caught Li Ru mumbling.
“Right, the laws! That’s something we need to think over carefully,” Li Ru pondered. He figured he should use this trip to Yizhou to do some serious brain exercises. Plus, Qiao Yan’s boldness wasn’t exactly a new thing, daring to adjust the laws so quickly.
Like, the laws that Tian Chou proposed while working with Liu Yu were just about tweaking the punishment for theft, marriage, property distribution, and trade regulations specifically for Youzhou.
But what Qiao Yan proposed was clearly on another level.
Yet, Li Ru had to admit that with Liu Yu as her shield, such a move seemed somewhat justifiable.
With the Chang’an court freshly established, and with Liangzhou and Guanzhong being rather lax about laws, it made sense to restore order quickly.
Liu Yu’s good reputation gave some leeway to initiatives that might seem dubious at first.
During the major court assembly on the seventh day of the first month, Qiao Yan presented two astonishing proposals.
First, she suggested elevating the section on criminal law from the Han Code to the forefront.
Second, to establish the five punishments based primarily on forced labor.
According to Qiao Yan, during the reign of the two Emperors Huan and Ling of the Han, amnesty was declared multiple times, along with redemption for various crimes.
Every year, countless people were able to pay their way out of execution with gold or cloth.
But in reality, such leniency didn’t change the behavior of these criminals one bit, nor did it lead to a reduction in offenses. In fact, some people even committed crimes right before the annual amnesty!
If it weren’t for the captives from the Yellow Turban Rebellion being sent to the border, there might not have been many criminals left in the generals’ camps.
It was high time for reform in this lenient legal system.
Cui Shi, who wrote the “Monthly Regulations for the Four Classes,” also mentioned in his more famous work, “Political Treatise,” that matters of war should be taken seriously, laws and punishments should be emphasized, and those who act deceitfully shouldn’t expect to escape punishment.
This quote became a key argument for Qiao Yan.
Thus, her opening line in the proposal stated, “Amnesty is a stopgap measure, not a norm.”
Amnesty is temporary, and redemption is just as temporary.
While it was acceptable for the new emperor to grant amnesty upon ascending the throne, she didn’t suggest repeating this in the following years.
While not quite advocating for severe laws, the more chaotic the year, the more essential it was to establish rules.
Moving the section on criminal law ahead and setting standards for punishments was precisely what Qiao Yan wanted to prompt before the busy farming season hit.
Liu Yu’s good name would definitely facilitate implementing these corresponding laws, as long as they didn’t go too far.
That would be easier than proposing this law herself.
But what does “too far” actually mean?
In her proposal to Liu Yu, Qiao Yan wrote that the prohibition of corporeal punishment during the reign of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing was a principle that couldn’t be undone, for the shame of such punishments was nothing but an outdated custom.
So what constitutes these new defined five punishments?
They divide offenses based on severity into five categories: beating, flogging, forced labor, exile, and death.
The reasoning for this grouping was that during the era of Emperor Zhang, Ban Gu noted in “White Tiger Classics” that the laws should follow the five elements, although the Han Code didn’t have an explicit mention of five punishments, it certainly could now.
However, the specifics of each offense could be adjusted according to the current situation, without excessive severity.
As for the minutiae, capable talent should be tasked to draft those.
And the proposal didn’t just stop with detailed classifications but even recommended who should implement this reform.
This raised Liu Yu’s suspicion, wondering if Qiao Yan had already considered this matter back when she was a governor in Bingzhou.
But it was pointless to ponder such questions now.
Liu Yu listened as she mentioned the names of those proposed for drafting these details.
Cui Shi’s nephew, Cui Jun.
Chen Ji’s son, Chen Qun.
Xun Shuang’s nephew, Xun Yue.
The first two were already in Chang’an, but the third was still in seclusion.
Still, she had inquired about him through Xun You and Xun Yu, and both praised him highly, mentioning that he had his own insights on law and current affairs. This was just the kind of person suitable for this task.
Qiao Yan continued, “If there is no amnesty and we strictly prohibit redemption from punishments, it doesn’t mean we must govern with brutal laws. If the people of the three provinces can travel without picking up dropped items and sleep with their doors unlocked, then who needs amnesty? If the people can live peacefully, eat well, and be warmly clothed, why would they risk breaking the law?”
“So while updating the legal details, the governance of the people’s lives in Guanzhong must keep pace. There are still three months until spring plowing, which is the right time to distribute good seeds, teach farming techniques, and develop livelihoods. Tackling both matters together isn’t a rush decision towards disaster.”
This agricultural initiative would still be managed by Cheng Yu, Guo Yuan, and Tian Chou.
Cheng Yu probably didn’t expect that before he could elevate Qiao Yan to the position she desired, he would already rank among the Nine Ministers!
But it wasn’t surprising, given his extensive experience in handling affairs among the three responsible for agricultural policies in Chang’an, Cheng Yu was the oldest.
Liu Yu seemed to have some concerns about this, hence in Youzhou, he only brought Xianyu Fu along while following Cheng Yu.
Meanwhile, Tian Chou was working as an assistant to manage land records under Cheng Yu.
“You took a risky approach with your advice this time, my lord,” Cheng Yu commented as he and Qiao Yan surveyed the farmland outside Chang’an.
“Zhongde, you’re getting this a bit wrong,” Qiao Yan shrugged, her lighthearted demeanor betraying her relief following the resolution of heavy responsibilities. “If I don’t first lay the groundwork for an astonishing event, how will others come to see the next matter as unrelated to me?”
She shot Cheng Yu a knowing glance.
Cheng Yu understood what she meant, referring to the situation in Yizhou.
Li Ru was a clever fellow; even though he claimed he hadn’t used his brain in a while, he still left behind a decisive answer for Qiao Yan before they set off.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken Qiao Ting along to Yizhou for a hands-on teaching experience.
With that, what did the situation in Yizhou have to do with the general who ceded his position?
Besides, she was also busy with legal and agricultural affairs.
Qiao Yan added, “Moreover, even though the prerequisite matters are risky, they will eventually look like visionary decisions from others’ perspectives.”
The regulations formed when there were just three provinces would inevitably expand as the territory grew, adapting to broader regions.
Wasn’t the system of merits established back in the day just like this?
Cheng Yu laughed, realizing he had overthought the situation.
While Qiao Yan was vying for the position of Grand Marshal, her vision had long moved beyond just the new emperor’s ascension; she was already focused on securing Liu Yu and the capable talents while casting her sights back over the expansive land.
“There’s one more thing,” Qiao Yan spoke up again, “Please recommend Zhong Rao for the position of the Grand Minister of Agriculture’s direct official in the palace.”
She could have done it herself, but the noise would be a bit too loud.
In fact, if it weren’t for Liu Yu being the emperor and not her, she would have wanted to place Qin Yu as the Grand Minister of Agriculture. Cheng Yu was more suited to silent advisory roles, but taking it step by step was just fine.
Tian Chou’s role primarily involved overseeing the emperor’s farming operations as a demonstration, managing the harvest offerings, and this role truly needed someone Liu Yu could trust. Qiao Yan didn’t mind delegating that power.
But the position of palace official was off-limits.
The palace official under the Grand Minister of Agriculture directly oversees state treasury matters.
The treasury storage also included the granaries of Guanzhong, which she had to keep a firm grip on while moving troops around.
Currency storage and the previous minting duties that merged would ensure she retained fiscal power.
This was something she had to keep firmly in her own camp.
Though Cheng Yu, as the Grand Minister of Agriculture, could control this power, with Liu Yu as emperor, more and more people of talent reported in the Hongwen Hall. No one could guarantee they wouldn’t parachute someone into this role.
It was best to arrange things ahead of time.
Cheng Yu nodded, “I understand your intentions, my lord.”
With that reassurance, Qiao Yan felt a lot more at ease.
Cheng Yu didn’t say much, but he was a reliable support.
She took a few steps forward and continued, “Additionally, I’m hesitant about Deheng’s arrangement.”
Cheng Yu asked, “Why?”
Qiao Yan replied, “I intend to place him in the Minor Palace to gather blueprints from various local officials, reorganizing official craft records from the same. Transforming the workforce originally assigned to manual labor towards developing the textile industry. By next year, as cotton production expands from two hundred mu to five hundred mu or more, we can spin more cotton into thread and weave it into cloth.”
She sighed, “On the other hand, I also hope he can continue to advance weapon improvements to expedite the upgrade of the Divine Bow.”
You know, Tai Shici’s Divine Bow unit was still using outdated weapons!
“Zhongde, why can’t people multitask?”
Or rather, why can’t we have two Ma Jun?
Cheng Yu seldom witnessed her show such a moody side.
He thought for a moment and replied, “If you ask me, I’d choose the latter.”
“As for the improvements in textiles, why not wait until the Yizhou envoy returns and bolster our own resources?”
When it came to silk weaving, nothing in today’s world could compare to Shu brocade.
Even the future silk industry in Wu couldn’t hold a candle to Bashu textiles.
Qiao Yan sought the shipbuilding technique, which could indeed be traded for with Jiangdong. Gaining advancements in textile techniques could also be exchanged with neighbors.
But the former seemed more like an equitable trade, given how someone as clever as Zhou Yu had already lowered his stance, while the latter, after Liu Yan secured Qiao Yan’s position as Grand Marshal, would inevitably place her in a much tighter spot!
Yet, at this moment, Liu Yan remained completely unaware of this.
It was widely rumored that Zhang Lu, the leader of the Taishi Path, had the support of Liu Yan due to his mother placing significant weight on Liu Yan’s favor, effectively buttering him up.
However, in truth, Liu Yan wasn’t someone who lusted after beauty.
For someone who decisively sought the position of Governor of Yizhou, and even harbored ambitions for the throne, claiming Liu Yan’s attraction to Zhang Lu’s mother based on her expertise in maintaining beauty was an absurd narrative until great achievements were made.
Liu Yan valued Lady Lu simply because she was skilled in supernatural ways.
It wasn’t surprising Liu Yan liked these prophetic claims.
Years ago, Dong Fu had informed him about the divine atmosphere surrounding Yizhou.
And after he secured the governorship of Yizhou, several years later, following the death of Emperor Ling, chaos indeed swept through the land, while Yizhou remained strikingly peaceful due to being cut off.
Even after Dong Zhuo kidnapped Liu Xie and fled to Chang’an, he maintained friendly relations with Liu Yan and offered him the title of Grand General.
Wasn’t this a testament to the divine atmosphere?
Regrettably, the great soothsayer Dong Fu had passed a few years back, leaving behind no further guidance.
Fortunately, Yizhou bestowed upon him Lady Lu.
This wife of the second generation of the Taishi Path was proficient in ghostly affairs, having predicted many events within Yizhou, thus earning Liu Yan’s trust.
Now she sat before Liu Yan.
People from Yizhou said she was gifted at preserving her beauty, which was no mere rumor; the woman had five children and was nearing fifty, yet looked to be in her early thirties.
Liu Yan observed her actions as she gazed down at a paper figure standing in a rice bowl, chanting softly, his heart raced as he thought about the questions he wanted to ask Lady Lu.
Yet when her eyes suddenly snapped open, the paper figure in the bowl was engulfed in flames.
Liu Yan almost jumped, but he kept his composure to maintain his governor facade.
When the flames extinguished, he asked nonchalantly, “I recall asking you to divine my future. Doesn’t this seem like a bad omen?”
Lady Lu looked at him and replied in a soft, ethereal voice, “My lord may be nearing great calamity.”
But if Lady Lu were to be honest with Liu Yan, she would probably tell him that there was nothing supernatural about any of this; it was just a little trick.
But her cooperation with Zhang Lu had already convinced Liu Yan that this was more than just a trivial ruse.
And that was enough.
In fact, well before Liu Yan visited her today, news had already reached Lady Lu about Xu Shu and Gai Xun being driven out of Wudu County, delivered swiftly by a fast horse.
In hopes of avenging her son, she made the decision to exaggerate the situation.
Just say that calamity is about to befall Liu Yan!
But as soon as she finished speaking, she heard someone outside report to Liu Yan, “My lord! We’ve received news from Hanzhong that the Chang’an court has just been established; the Son of Heaven has dispatched envoys intending to appoint you as Grand General! The envoys are already on their way to Chengdu.”
Liu Yan was taken aback for a moment.
But once he comprehended the implications of this news, he suddenly burst into loud laughter.
The newly established court in Chang’an intends to appoint him as Grand General?
He turned to Lady Lu and said, “Looks like you’ve made a rare miscalculation; it’s just a demotion from Grand Marshal to Grand General, after all. What great calamity is that?”
This even… could be seen as good news.
It was indeed a good omen from the Chang’an court extending goodwill towards him!
