Chapter 238

Chapter 238: Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne? Volume 7: The Eight Hundred Qin Rivers, Occupying Guanzhong Chapter 238: Yuan Ji’s Death

As the mother of the third-generation successor of the Taishi Path and also the rumored Lady Lu, who was valued by Liu Yan for her mastery of ghostly arts, it was indeed surprising that she appeared in Hanzhong instead of Chengdu, as Qiao Yan had been informed.

Li Ru reported all the information he had gathered in Chengdu to Qiao Yan upon returning to Chang’an, which naturally included details about Lady Lu.

Liu Yan’s deep belief in mystical arts, evolving from the earlier Dong Fu to the current Lady Lu, gave Qiao Yan a feeling that was… not exactly amusing, but perhaps best described as a characteristic of the times.

As Qiao Yan observed the woman before her, Lady Lu maintained an aloof and transcendent demeanor, as if she remained unshaken even if the city walls crumbled.

However, perhaps because Taoism at this time was far from forming a complete system of belief as it would in later generations, Qiao Yan felt that if she asked others whether they believed she was a loyal servant of the Han or that Lady Lu possessed magical arts, they would undoubtedly believe the former.

That said, Qiao Yan still asked, “May I ask if you have anything to say, Lady?”

Lady Lu looked at Qiao Yan and calmly replied, “A month ago, I divined for Liu Yizhou, and the hexagram indicated a great disaster was approaching. However, Liu Yizhou received an edict appointing him as Grand General and claimed that fortune outweighed disaster, not believing my words. Now, having come north, I see that disaster has indeed come.”

Qiao Yan pondered Lady Lu’s words and found them quite interesting.

Lady Lu had likely mentioned the prophecy of impending disaster to Liu Yan just before the edict appointing him as Grand General arrived in Chengdu, following the news of Zhang Lu’s defeat at Qiao Yan’s hands.

If Qiao Yan had indeed intended to attack Yizhou at that time, it would have aligned with Lady Lu’s prophecy to Liu Yan, serving as a good way to further gain Liu Yan’s trust.

But coincidentally, at that moment, the edict from the Chang’an court arrived, and the only disaster was that the carriage Liu Yan had commissioned and Dong Fu’s former residence were both burned down.

This could easily make Liu Yan suspect that Lady Lu had orchestrated the events to make her prophecy come true.

To avoid being questioned by Liu Yan, Lady Lu had come to Hanzhong under the pretext of visiting her son.

When Qiao Yan inquired about the timing of Lady Lu’s arrival, it turned out to be after the ceremony appointing the Grand General, which made things clear.

She then asked, “If, as you say, you have now fallen into my hands, isn’t that also a disaster?”

Lady Lu inwardly grumbled that such a turn of events, where avoiding disaster turned into real disaster, was something she could never have anticipated.

The rapid succession of the Chang’an army’s advance and the edict appointing the Grand General was faster than the back-and-forth of attacking Zhang Lu first and then pacifying Yizhou.

She had already realized on her way to Hanzhong that her northern journey was unwise and might even arouse Liu Yan’s suspicions. However, considering Hanzhong’s terrain and Zhang Lu’s established missionary force, she felt that even if something happened, staying in Hanzhong would be fine.

After all, the goals they had earlier set with Liu Yan had already been largely achieved.

Zhang Lu, her son, was unpredictable, and there was no guarantee that after being driven back from Wudu and not receiving Liu Yan’s support for a counterattack, he wouldn’t simply take Hanzhong for himself.

At that point, she would easily become a sacrificial lamb, so it was better to join him early.

As an important figure in the Taishi Path and relying on the Han’s filial piety doctrine, Zhang Lu would never dare to disrespect her.

But what Lady Lu never expected was that within just ten to twenty days of arriving, she would encounter such unwelcome guests.

Under Qiao Yan’s playful gaze, Lady Lu could easily discern the underlying message in her words.

If she couldn’t even predict this sudden ambush, how could she claim to have any divine or ghostly powers?

Qiao Yan then asked, “Or are you willing to risk your life to prove your path to immortality? If we could witness such a spectacle, this trip to Yizhou would not be in vain.”

Despite her inner turmoil, Lady Lu’s years of maintaining her image allowed her to keep a calm expression as she replied, “The General follows the Son of Heaven’s command and is favored by Hanzhong’s fortune, obscuring the heavenly signs. It is only natural. I only knew disaster was coming, but not from where, so the General is truly one step ahead.”

These words…

While Qiao Yan showed no reaction, Lady Lu noticed a subtle change in the expression of a scholar accompanying Qiao Yan.

It was hardly surprising that he would have such a peculiar reaction.

Upon hearing the phrase “favored by Hanzhong’s fortune,” Xun You couldn’t help but think of the snake that had thrown itself into the hot pot, a truly bizarre scene that made him question reality.

As he thought this, Qiao Yan gestured to him, signaling for them to step outside.

“Lady Lu seems to have an ordinary relationship with Zhang Lu. Otherwise, if a mother came to visit, given the defenses in Hanzhong, the garrisons in Mianyang and Nanzheng would be more secure,” Qiao Yan said with a smile. “It’s not as if the place we’re currently at, called Chenggu, is truly solid.”

After walking a few steps, she added, “I had initially thought that Lady Lu’s presence might serve as leverage against Zhang Lu, but it seems that won’t be the case.”

Xun You replied, “But Lady Lu’s presence isn’t entirely useless. At the very least… she gives you a reason to seize Hanzhong from Yizhou.”

Some reasons may sound absurd, but since the people of Yizhou believe in such things, there’s no harm in using them.

Moreover, from Xun You’s perspective, Hanzhong, known as the “Jiangnan of the Northwest,” was nearing the spring planting season. Since Guanzhong had already become a key farming area, it would be good to include Hanzhong as well.

The several counties of the Hanzhong Plain, though much smaller than Guanzhong, were far more expansive than the Huangshui Valley in Jincheng Commandery and had a climate much more suitable for farming than Liangzhou.

Their military expedition couldn’t possibly be just to intimidate Liu Yan and then return. Taking this piece of fat from his mouth would be the best outcome.

Qiao Yan said, “In that case, I’ll leave the command to you, Military Advisor.”

Having rested from the fatigue of crossing mountains with her before entering Hanzhong and during the soldiers’ attack on Chenggu County, Xun You quickly formulated a plan for Hanzhong: “Please divide your troops into four groups. Apart from those left to guard Chenggu County—”

“One group will enter the Micang Mountains from Chenggu County, bypassing to the south of Nanzheng County, dressed in Yizhou military uniforms.”

“One group will advance east to capture Longting, cutting off the Hanzhong Plain from the rest of Hanzhong Commandery.”

“One group will guard the pass between the Micang Mountains and the Daba Mountains, ensuring that Liu Yan cannot intervene in this battle.”

After considering Xun You’s arrangements, Qiao Yan replied, “I will follow the Military Advisor’s plan.”








Unaware of what had happened here, Liu Yan had been contemplating the possibility of sending Liu Zhang to Chang’an a few days ago. However, under the persuasion of Zhao Wei and Pang Xi, who advised him to wait and see, he temporarily held back this idea.

Zhao Wei was from Yizhou, while Pang Xi was an important member of the Dongzhou scholars. It was rare for these two sides to reach a consensus on this matter, making Liu Yan wonder if his friendly gestures had been too hasty. Perhaps waiting a bit longer wouldn’t hurt.

But thinking about his carriages, which had been inexplicably burned and were made from precious wood, Liu Yan felt a deep pain in his heart.

If the outcome of this waiting period turned out unfavorable for him, he would suffer a second round of losses, which didn’t sound like good news at all.

At this moment, he felt that the isolation of Yizhou from the outside world, while being a geographical advantage for his power, also made the transmission of information extremely difficult.

In such specific times, this isolation became a disadvantage instead.

What would those envoys returning to Chang’an say about him in front of the Son of Heaven?

What kind of response would the Chang’an court make?

However, even with all his imagination, he probably wouldn’t have thought that because of the situation in Yizhou, he would inadvertently help Qiao Yan rise to the position of Grand Marshal.

She was no longer in Guanzhong but had already arrived in Hanzhong.

Of course, Liu Yan wasn’t the only one who didn’t expect this; Yuan Shao was also caught off guard.

The news, blocked by the treacherous Shu roads, hadn’t reached Liu Yan’s ears but had already spread to the east of the pass.

“Grand Marshal… How could it be the Grand Marshal!” Yuan Shao’s face turned grim upon hearing this news.

Back when Qiao Yan brought Liu Yu back from Youzhou and welcomed him to ascend the throne in Chang’an, Yuan Shao had already been furious once.

Gongsun Zan failed to kill Liu Yu decisively, allowing him to be rescued on the coastal road, and then had to request a reward from the Ye court, which was frustrating enough.

After Liu Yu ascended the throne, Liu Bian’s authority as the Son of Heaven was further weakened, forcing Yuan Shao to intensify his efforts to win over surrounding powers.

At that time, Qiao Yan, as the General of Agile Cavalry, held the authority of acting with imperial credentials and establishing her own office, which was no less prestigious than the title of Grand General.

However, this seemingly hypocritical behavior of hers actually earned her a good reputation among the court officials in Ye.

In their eyes, Qiao Yan yielding the position of Grand General to Liu Yan and her various actions in supporting Liu Yu’s ascension clearly demonstrated her loyalty as a Han minister. Therefore, as long as Yuan Shao could defeat her and make Liu Bian the sole legitimate Son of Heaven of the Han Dynasty, wouldn’t he gain a capable Han general as an ally?

Yuan Shao was almost choked by such a self-righteous argument.

But thinking about it, it made sense. These court officials who came from Luoyang to Ye might not necessarily be at odds with Qiao Yan’s stance. At that time, they simply didn’t dare to bet on her success in attacking Chang’an and didn’t want to expose themselves to Dong Zhuo’s threats.

If Qiao Yan ended up winning, they could still become Liu Yu’s ministers.

Expecting them to join in cursing her was absolutely impossible.

After Qiao Yan sent New Year’s gifts to Liu Bian, Yuan Shao felt even more that Qiao Yan was a despicable person, especially skilled at sarcasm and stabbing him in the back from afar.

What caught him completely off guard was that before March of this year, Qiao Yan had already received another promotion.

From the General of Agile Cavalry to the pinnacle of power as the Grand Marshal!

A Grand Marshal under twenty years old!

“Isn’t this supposed to be called usurpation?” Yuan Shao fumed. “Just because she supported the Son of Heaven, she ranks above the Three Excellencies? What kind of logic is that!”

Look at his own situation. After Yuan Shu broke ties with the Ye court, among the Yuan family members who supported Liu Bian’s ascension, he held the highest position. Yet even with control over Ji and Qing provinces, he still hadn’t secured the title of Grand General.

Yuan Shao was already planning, after the calendar change in the first year of Yonghan, to choose an auspicious date to marry his youngest daughter, born to his second wife Lady Liu, to Liu Bian as the empress, thereby naturally becoming the Grand General.

But Chang’an had given him a surprise.

Qiao Yan had directly become the Grand Marshal!

Ju Shou observed Yuan Shao’s reaction and knew that what he was asking wasn’t just why Qiao Yan could rise to the position of Grand Marshal at such an absurd speed.

He was also asking, as a powerful minister who supported the Son of Heaven’s ascension, why couldn’t he, Yuan Shao, do the same?

But if Ju Shou were to speak, if Yuan Shao really did this, it would bring no benefit to their current situation.

So he simply replied, “If my lord were to ask this question to the officials in Ye, they would only tell you that if the position of Grand Marshal was obtained in violation of ritual propriety, why did officials like Lu Gong and General Huangfu in Chang’an not object to it?”

These people wouldn’t unite with Yuan Shao just because Qiao Yan held a higher position than him.

The only way to make them share Yuan Shao’s stance would be if Qiao Yan’s troops were at the city gates, declaring that upon breaching Ye, she would execute all the officials who supported Liu Bian along with him.

But obviously, Qiao Yan wouldn’t make such a foolish decision.

She even sent Yang Xiu with cotton clothes last winter to comfort his elderly father in Ye, and through the visit of Princess Yang’an, she made it clear that her respect for the Han imperial family didn’t change based on status.

If Ye were to fall to her, Liu Bian would likely be treated well, and these ministers could rejoin the court on the other side.

In the first month of this year, another batch of cotton cloth from Bingzhou was sent to Ye for sale, following the trend set by Princess Yang’an last year.

And after the first issue of the Leping Monthly Report was sent to Liu Bian as a New Year’s gift by Qiao Yan, the second issue was given to Yang Biao by Yang Xiu. High officials in Ye also inquired about it, even seeking ways to purchase a copy.

To Ju Shou, both of these were dangerous signs.

Military strength and agricultural productivity lagging behind weren’t fatal, but being gradually assimilated internally would inevitably lead to further chaos.

Ju Shou could only be thankful that after a winter of recuperation, Ye’s military equipment had improved, making their defenses in the Taihang Mountains and River North County more robust than before.

The farmland in Qing and Ji provinces was also larger than in Liang and Bing provinces, and after quelling internal rebellions, they could gradually close the gap.

But all of this depended on Yuan Shao letting go of some unnecessary competitiveness and not blindly competing with Qiao Yan at this time.

Yuan Shao was frustrated, but with the situation indeed unfavorable, he temporarily shelved this idea.

He also no longer had the extra energy to think about how to become the Grand Marshal without attracting criticism.

Because in the middle and late February, something happened that might not be important to the Ye court but was significant to Yuan Shao.

Yuan Feng’s eldest son, Yuan Ji, the older brother of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, passed away from illness.