Chapter 237

Chapter 237: Crossing the Qinling Mountains

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 7: Eight Hundred Qin Rivers, Occupying Guanzhong, Chapter 237: Crossing the Qinling Mountains

At the age of nineteen, the Grand Marshal!

In a world where most people only enter officialdom after reaching adulthood, this is almost an unimaginable feat.

Even though this was achieved under the witness of many and was facilitated by Liu Yan’s ambition to usurp the throne, when everyone stepped out of the Zichen Hall, they still felt an indescribable sense of bewilderment.

In contrast, Qiao Yan, the newly appointed Grand Marshal, was much more composed than these seasoned officials.

Since, along with the appointment as Grand Marshal, Qiao Yan also received the imperial decree for the hunting expedition, she had already discussed the military situation with Huangfu Song and Xianyu Fu.

“The garrison stationed in Chencang, due to their oversight of Wudu and Hanyang, will not take immediate action. However, to expedite troop movements, I will redeploy a large number of other Guanzhong garrisons. Subsequently, the defense of Guanzhong will be entrusted to you two.”

At this point, Qiao Yan, without any air of a power-hungry official, bowed slightly to Huangfu Song and Xianyu Fu.

The implication was that after her departure, the defense of the surrounding Guanzhong area and the internal patrols of Chang’an would be left to the two of them.

This clear delegation of authority reassured Xianyu Fu, a former subordinate of Liu Yu.

But to be honest, after the recent reorganization of Chang’an, the boundaries between the palace, government offices, imperial guards, and civilian households were clearly defined. The identities of recent immigrants had also been thoroughly checked, making security issues highly unlikely. Thus, Qiao Yan mainly discussed matters with Huangfu Song.

“Originally, I planned to complete the reconstruction of Tong Pass before the spring plowing in March. Unfortunately, due to the campaign against Hanzhong, I had to redeploy personnel skilled in mountain warfare. Therefore, General Huangfu will have to take charge of this task.”

Between Chang’an and Luoyang, the most famous pass should have been Hangu Pass.

This was the strategic fortress from which Qin emerged to unify the Central Plains.

However, after four hundred years of river erosion, the northern side of the Chou Sang Plateau near Hangu Pass was washed away, creating large areas of tidal flats, and the natural barrier of Hangu Pass ceased to exist.

If someone wanted to attack Chang’an, they could bypass the tidal flats.

Even the Chou Sang Plateau itself, after years of erosion, was no longer steep, allowing people to climb over it.

This meant that relying solely on the original Hangu Pass to block enemies from the east of Guanzhong was insufficient.

Thus, after Dong Zhuo fled west to Chang’an with Liu Xie, Duan Wei, realizing this, advised Dong Zhuo, who agreed to rebuild a new pass west of Hangu Pass.

Utilizing the natural barriers of the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River, the Qinling Mountains, and the Tong River, a new defense for Guanzhong was formed.

Named after the Tong River, it was called Tong Pass.

After Qiao Yan took control of Guanzhong, she also gained command of this pass. Xu You, who came to deliver grain to Yuan Shao to mend relations, was thrown out by Qiao Yan from here.

However, with Dong Zhuo’s primary defenses aimed at Qiao Yan from the north, this pass, which should have been built as an impregnable fortress, was somewhat shoddily constructed.

After the renovations of Weiyang Palace, Zichen Hall, Lingtai, and the roads of Chang’an, the reinforcement of Tong Pass was also scheduled.

Unfortunately, her primary duty was still to attack Zhang Lu, to ensure that her position as Grand Marshal could yield further results.

Huangfu Song nodded in agreement, then couldn’t help but tease, “Yue Shu, having been a governor since her early years, has indeed tempered her character.”

The high position of Grand Marshal would unsettle anyone, but her calm demeanor was truly remarkable.

Qiao Yan replied, “General Huangfu, your words are not entirely accurate. When placed in a high position, everyone feels a mix of joy and fear. But in the current situation, if I were to be anxious or arrogant because of the Grand Marshal position, it would only give the enemy an opportunity. It’s better to treat it as no different from the previous position of Grand Marshal before the title of General of Agile Cavalry, and simply focus on fulfilling my duties.”

Huangfu Song laughed, “Then let me see how you, as Grand Marshal, will command Liu Yan, the Grand General.”

If not for the mountainous terrain of the Qinling Mountains on the way to Hanzhong, Huangfu Song would have liked to join the expedition.

But both he and Lu Zhi were past their prime and no longer suitable for such endeavors.

Qiao Yan was well aware of the peculiarities of this campaign.

Even though they had the advantage of catching Liu Yan off guard, it didn’t change the fact that the path from Guanzhong to Hanzhong was treacherous.

Thus, for this campaign, she brought two units skilled in mountain warfare.

One was Yao Chang’s Qiang unit, and the other was Chu Yan’s Black Mountain Army.

In Qiao Yan’s original plan, these two units were to assist Cheng Yu in expanding towards Hongnong and Henan.

But after adjusting priorities, their most suitable role was to accompany Qiao Yan into the Hanzhong campaign.

Another unit accompanying Qiao Yan to Hanzhong was the army led by Zhao Yun.

This army was originally responsible for patrolling the line from Chencang to Chang’an, guarding the passes to Yizhou.

But with the hunting expedition plan in place, it meant that offense could replace defense, and Zhao Yun naturally should join the campaign.

As for the military advisor for this campaign, Qiao Yan decided against bringing Guo Jia, instead leaving him in Chang’an to assist Cheng Yu in handling the situations in Jing, Yu, and Yan provinces.

Xi Zhicai remained in Bingzhou to ensure no breaches from Ji and Liang provinces.

Li Ru, after completing his schemes against Yizhou, needed to lay low and thus returned to Shangjun to accompany Jia Xu, the “traitor.”

Yang Xiu was still serving as a messenger in Suiyuan City.

Thus, the only ones left to bring were Xun You and Xu Shu.

“I intend to have Xu Shu go to Wudu to guard the exit from Wudu to Mianyang in Hanzhong,” Qiao Yan arranged after returning to the Grand Marshal’s residence.

After Qiao Yan’s promotion, Xi Zhicai took over as the acting governor of Bingzhou, while Guo Jia transitioned from his role in Yunzhong and Xihe to become the Chief Clerk of the Grand Marshal’s residence. Sitting at Qiao Yan’s side, he watched as she marked a blocking point on the map.

But this was not to form a two-sided encirclement of Hanzhong.

As Guo Jia heard Qiao Yan’s next words, “The number of troops stationed at the passes in Wudu will be left to Xu Shu’s discretion. I only need to ensure one objective: to drive Zhang Lu towards Guanghan in the south of Wudu if necessary.”

Guo Jia sipped his tea and replied, “My lord, you are employing the strategy of driving the tiger to devour the wolf.”

Qiao Yan smiled meaningfully, “Not entirely. I have some other ideas, but they can wait. After all, the goal of this hunting expedition is not to completely eradicate Zhang Lu’s Taishi Path. Dispersing his followers in Hanzhong is sufficient.”

She didn’t elaborate further, and Guo Jia didn’t press.

With the primary objective of securing the Grand Marshal position achieved, other matters were relatively secondary.

Guo Jia simply asked, “Very well, but with such arrangements for Xu Shu, my lord, you must be planning to bring Xun You.”

Among the Xun family, the uncle held a court position as a Palace Attendant, while the nephew became a Military Advisor in Qiao Yan’s General of Agile Cavalry residence and was now promoted to Military Advisor in the Grand Marshal’s residence.

It was only fitting for him to accompany Qiao Yan on the campaign.

But this wasn’t the only reason.

“Yes, I will bring Xun You,” Qiao Yan replied. “A few days ago, I discussed the route into Hanzhong with him, and we agreed on taking the Luo Valley Road.”

Qiao Yan pointed to the path on the map between the Xie Valley and the Ziwu Valley.

This route, starting from Luo Valley and ending at Tang Valley, was not yet widely used for north-south travel.

This was because the path wasn’t just a connection between two river valleys but included a series of winding roads through the Black Water Valley, Qingshui Valley, and other mountain passes.

The starting Luo Valley and ending Tang Valley accounted for less than a fifth of the route’s length.

But there was an advantage to this path.

Although the route was winding, its total length was only 440 li, 200 li shorter than the Ziwu Valley.

Compared to the Xie Valley, the defenses from Hanzhong would be much lighter.

Qiao Yan added, “Xun You excels in unconventional strategies. This campaign against Hanzhong will begin with an unconventional move, fitting his style. However, this means the journey will be more arduous.”

Xun You, sitting below Guo Jia, shook his head, not considering it a hardship.

If one were to retreat due to terrain difficulties, there would be no need to be a military advisor. He might as well have followed Xun Shuang in scholarly pursuits.

He simply reminded, “This is not a hardship. However, my lord, you should bring more military physicians. People from Guanzhong and Yizhou say that the Luo Valley is infested with green vipers, which can strike within ten steps. As Grand Marshal, your position is too important to risk any mishaps.”

Qiao Yan replied, “Of course, I dare not neglect this. I have already summoned more military physicians from Bingzhou. They should arrive before the army sets out.”

Qiao Yan was not careless about the venomous snakes and insects in the high mountains and deep valleys.

Even though she only planned to reach Hanzhong and had no intention of venturing further south into Yizhou, she couldn’t afford to be careless while crossing the Qinling Mountains.

Despite having boosted her intelligence to the maximum with 4 points from the 9 attribute points gained from the strategist achievement “Supporting the Lord to the Throne,” and the remaining 5 points into luck, bringing it to 106, she couldn’t guarantee that this luck would prevent mosquito bites.

This probably wasn’t the correct way to use it.

Compared to high luck, Qiao Yan found her strategist system’s 3D map, activated after her first 100 strategist points, more useful.

Navigating the Qinling Mountains, this tool was undoubtedly more practical.

At least when traversing between river valleys and mountain passes, she would have an advantage over others.

Five days after her appointment as Grand Marshal, the army set out from Chang’an towards Luo Valley.

The ceremony of appointing the Grand Marshal took place in Zichen Hall, unseen by the common folk of Chang’an.

But now, as the army marched, they could see the striking figure of the young Grand Marshal riding among the elite troops departing from Chang’an to join the Guanzhong garrison at Luo Valley.

This was the youngest Grand Marshal!

Qiao Yan looked at the onlookers.

Compared to the day in January when they bid farewell to the Emperor heading to the Hall of Enlightenment for the heavenly rituals, whether it was due to the rising temperatures in Guanzhong or the increasing number of people flocking to Chang’an under Liu Yu’s orderly reign, she felt a sense of déjà vu, as if she were in a parade for a top scholar.

But this one was happening outside Chang’an.

Emperor Guangwu of Han once said, “A man should aspire to be the Commander of the Capital Guards.” Now, the Commander of the Capital Guards still served as the Emperor’s escort, but for the people of Chang’an, if they sought glory, should they join the Capital Guards or serve under her as Grand Marshal?

This moment made her realize that her eight years of effort and striving for the Grand Marshal position were not in vain. At the same time, it reminded her that if this situation continued, regardless of whether her appointment as Grand Marshal was driven by circumstances, she would quickly find herself in opposition to the Han imperial authority.

Within six months, she must find a way to ease the tensions.

But what she probably didn’t expect was that among the crowd, besides ordinary citizens, there were a few special individuals.

“The Qiao family of Liang?” Cheng Yu, upon receiving the message from Guo Jia at the Grand Marshal’s residence, showed a look of surprise.

Qiao Yan’s family had been silent for a long time.

When Qiao Yan led troops to quell the chaos in Chang’an, they made no move. In the following six months, they remained in a state where Qiao Yan didn’t ask, and they didn’t respond.

Even their adversary, Yuan Shao, had interacted with Chang’an once… no, if including Tian Feng, twice.

Even the distant Yangzhou sent Zhou Yu to negotiate with Qiao Yan.

In six months, even from Jiaozhou to Chang’an would have been sufficient, let alone from Yan to the adjacent Sili.

This made Cheng Yu suspect that the family might have been detained by Cao Cao during his pacification of Yan or accidentally eliminated by bandits.

It wasn’t that he harbored ill will, but the family was truly oblivious!

Except for the Qiao sisters who had long since joined Qiao Yan.

Due to official business, when this message reached Cheng Yu’s office, Xun Yu happened to be there and saw the expression of either helplessness or disdain on Cheng Yu’s face.

“Something happened?”


The messenger, clad in the uniform of Qiao Yan’s subordinates, made it easy for Xun Yu to discern his identity. Qiao Yan had just left Chang’an, so it was unlikely she had missed any messages before her departure. Thus, Xun Yu’s first thought was whether it concerned the war situation in Youzhou. However, the note in Cheng Yu’s hand didn’t resemble a military report but rather a hastily scribbled memo, suggesting it wasn’t urgent. Cheng Yu replied, “No worries, just some clueless jester.” As he read further, he saw Guo Jia’s note stating that the Qiao clan of Liang had come to congratulate Qiao Yan on becoming the Grand Marshal. Cheng Yu muttered, “What a bunch of shameless people!” This excuse was clearly a farce. It had only been five days since Qiao Yan’s appointment, and news couldn’t have traveled to Liang and back in such a short time. They must have decided to act after hearing of Liu Yu’s ascension, fearing inaction in Yanzhou. Regardless of Qiao Yan’s methods, they felt compelled to show goodwill, hoping to gain favor in Chang’an. Upon arriving, they witnessed Qiao Yan’s grand departure and learned of her new title, abandoning their earlier hesitation. The benefits of being the Grand Marshal far outweighed potential risks. In such chaos, they should have sought immediate gains. Thus, they boldly approached Qiao Yan’s residence, claiming to congratulate her promotion. Guo Jia, with a forced smile, welcomed them and sent a brief message to Cheng Yu, suggesting they handle the matter without troubling Qiao Yan, who was busy with military affairs in Hanzhong. If these visitors were of the caliber of Cao Cao or Sun Ce’s relatives, their arrival might have been beneficial. However, their lack of foresight and ability made them unsuitable for significant roles. Guo Jia proposed delaying them until Qiao Yan’s return, advising against entrusting them with important tasks. While such family matters were typically beyond their concern, as Qiao Yan’s trusted advisors, they knew her ambitions and the precarious path she treaded. Even securing the Grand Marshal position required subtle maneuvering, leaving no room for vulnerabilities. In the grand scheme of conquering the realm, Qiao Yan was unlikely to make grave errors, but family matters could cloud judgment. Guo Jia felt it necessary to caution her. However, Cheng Yu and Qiao Yan had already discussed this scenario in Liangzhou. Qiao Yan believed that if the Qiao clan sought to benefit from her success, they were likely opportunists rather than genuine supporters. She planned to handle them as her grandfather, Qiao Xuan, had—supporting the capable and letting the incompetent fend for themselves. Moreover, a leader solely dedicated to the Han and the realm would appear less suspicious than one promoting family interests. In the era of Emperor Ling, she was a lone minister; now, she chose to be a solitary figure, minimizing family ties to avoid suspicion of ambition. In a society where family connections were crucial, her approach was rare. Even Wang Mang, before his usurpation, relied on his clan. Thus, the Qiao clan’s incompetence inadvertently aided her. Cheng Yu, aware of Qiao Yan’s stance, felt a mix of pity and resolve upon hearing of their arrival. This meant Qiao Yan would rely solely on her loyal advisors, without family support, to achieve her goals. He glanced at Xun Yu, realizing the wisdom of Qiao Yan’s decision in the current situation, his anger giving way to calm. He instructed Guo Jia to send the visitors to a nearby post station, citing military secrecy, and planned to explain later. After finishing the note, he suggested to Xun Yu that they inspect the military farms in Chang’an. As spring planting approached, coordination was essential. With Chang’an’s population growing, relying solely on Bingzhou for agricultural tools was costly, prompting the revival of local ironworks, ostensibly for farming tools but easily convertible to weapons. Cheng Yu, with the demeanor of a seasoned farmer, discussed these matters with Xun Yu, who couldn’t help but admire Qiao Yan’s choice for Grand Minister of Agriculture. Little did Xun Yu know, Cheng Yu was thinking, “Our lord has only us now! We must strive harder in her quest to usurp the Han.” Unaware of Cheng Yu’s newfound determination, Qiao Yan had entered the Qinling Mountains. The northern slopes, majestic and snow-capped, contrasted with the southern valleys. Her well-trained troops, equipped with cotton clothing and efficient supply methods, navigated the challenging terrain with relative ease. Zhao Yun, leading the cavalry, tested the stability of the mountain paths. The arduous journey made it unlikely for Zhang Lu in Hanzhong to anticipate their approach. After seven days, they reached Baliguan, nearing the southern end of the Luogu Valley. Qiao Yan ordered a rest before the final push. As the troops set up camp, a young guide from Yizhou shared local legends, including one about a stone used by Emperor Guangwu for cooking. Xun You skeptically noted the lack of historical records supporting the emperor’s presence there. Qiao Yan, amused, remarked on the luck associated with such tales. Suddenly, a snake leaped into their boiling pot, prompting Xun You to step back. Qiao Yan quipped, “See? My luck’s always good.” The incident, seen as an auspicious sign by the troops, boosted morale. The next day, they launched a surprise attack on Chenggu County, swiftly capturing it. In the county hall, Qiao Yan encountered an unexpected figure—Lady Lu of the Taishi Path.