Chapter 241

Chapter 241: Rewards for the Army

Is it impossible for a strategist to ascend the throne? Volume 7: Eight Hundred Qin Chuan, Occupying Guanzhong, Chapter 241: Rewards for the Army

From Guanzhong to Hanzhong, none of the paths are easy to traverse. Whether it’s the Xiegu Valley, Luogu Valley, or Ziwu Valley, all are places of towering mountains and deep valleys.

When Dong Zhuo ruled Chang’an, many of its residents preferred to take these perilous routes just to avoid his tyranny, which only highlighted his cruelty.

It was precisely because of these treacherous paths that Liu Yan chose Yizhou as his stronghold.

Even if Guanzhong had a strong military presence, launching an attack while he had troops stationed in Hanzhong would be an extremely difficult task.

But now, what has he heard?

Liu Yan’s expression turned peculiar as he exchanged glances with his subordinates.

From each other’s faces, they gleaned one message—

Their ears weren’t deceiving them, and they weren’t hallucinating.

But what did it mean to invite him, the Grand General, to a hunting expedition in Hanzhong, with Zhang Lu as the target?

And what did it mean that, before this message even reached Chengdu, she had already effortlessly taken control of the four counties in the Hanzhong Plain?

It sounded as simple as eating and drinking.

Zhang Xiu was killed by her forces, and Zhang Lu was forced to flee. The message was clear: the Hanzhong Plain had completely fallen into her hands.

With the Hanzhong Plain under her control, Liu Yan had no doubt that she would further reinforce her troops from Chang’an to secure Hanzhong, ensuring it remained in her grasp and not snatched back by Liu Yan from Chengdu.

The term “victory banquet” was an outright threat.

After sending the envoy who delivered the imperial decree to the guesthouse, Liu Yan held the decree in his hand, his palm already damp with cold sweat.

After a long while, he finally asked his subordinates, “Do you think this victory banquet is a trap?”

While Zhang Lu might not have fully grasped the implications of Qiao Yan’s title as Grand Marshal when facing her military assault, Liu Yan was not so naive.

The fires in Chengdu and Mianzhu had exposed his schemes in Yizhou to the court in Chang’an.

As he had suspected, they wouldn’t strip him of his title as Grand General, but they had chosen a far smarter approach than outright confrontation—

Attacking Zhang Lu and Zhang Xiu in Hanzhong.

Then, using her title as Grand Marshal, she extended an invitation to him, the Grand General.

This threat was entirely predicated on Qiao Yan’s ability to swiftly defeat Zhang Lu and secure control of Hanzhong.

Had she been bogged down by Zhang Lu in Hanzhong, or delayed on the valley paths leading into Hanzhong, or if Liu Yan had learned of the conflict between the Guanzhong army and the Taishi Path in Hanzhong earlier, the sense of intimidation wouldn’t have been so overwhelming.

But now that she had succeeded, Liu Yan could only be led by the nose.

Regardless of whether Qiao Yan’s hunting victory banquet was a trap, Liu Yan had to attend.

If he refused, he would be guilty of defying the imperial decree.

Which Grand General in the history of the Han Dynasty who defied the emperor’s orders met a good end?

None!

When the Son of Heaven had the power to eliminate a Grand General, absolutely none!

Even if the one with the power to eliminate him wasn’t Emperor Liu Yu himself, but Qiao Yan, who served under him, it didn’t change Liu Yan’s conclusion.

His voice wavered as he muttered, “If she can defeat Zhang Lu and seize Hanzhong with such speed today, she can march south to Chengdu tomorrow. Can any of you stop her?”

Wu Yi, Pang Xi, and Zhao Wei, who were present, all shook their heads.

If Zhang Lu were a mediocre talent, there might be some hidden circumstances behind his defeat by Qiao Yan.

But he wasn’t.

Not only was he not mediocre, but according to the Taishi Path’s method of training soldiers, Zhang Lu’s troops were even more fanatically loyal to their commander than their own.

Yet even with such capabilities, he was still defeated by Qiao Yan with such ease.

If they were in Qiao Yan’s position, launching an attack on Hanzhong, they could never have achieved such success.

This invitation to the victory banquet was like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, jolting them awake from their sense of security.

Her victories against the Xianbei in the north, her advance into Liangzhou in the west, her march into Guanzhong in the south, and now her seizure of Hanzhong were all solid achievements.

Because others couldn’t accomplish what she had, her title as Grand Marshal was all the more fitting.

As they became the prey under her blade’s edge, they felt the chilling sting of her threat, daring not to act rashly.

Liu Yan sighed, “Using troops like a god… that’s what it means to use troops like a god!”

As he muttered this, Liu Yan stood up from his seat and began pacing the room, his expression growing more despondent.

It was a pity that such a person wasn’t his subordinate.

After she chose Liu Yu to become the Son of Heaven, even though Liu Yan had accepted the court’s appointment as Grand General, he was no enemy of hers, but neither was he a friend.

At least not the kind of friend who could discuss matters with her.

So—

If before they could have sent Liu Zhang to Chang’an as a hostage to ease tensions between them, now that Qiao Yan’s troops were at Hanzhong’s doorstep, that was no longer an option.

They had to be even more deferential in their etiquette.

After all, they had missed the chance to apologize and explain earlier.

In the unanimous opinion of Liu Yan’s subordinates, not only did he have to attend the banquet, but he also had to set off immediately.

After all, with Liu Biao, another Han imperial relative, in the east, Qiao Yan could attack the Taishi Path’s Zhang Lu but wouldn’t raise a blade against the actual Governor of Yizhou.

Liu Yan’s personal safety was still guaranteed.

If all else failed, he could bring along some bodyguards for his safety, preferably strong men who could help him escape if necessary.

Then there was the matter of gifts and bloodletting.

“As for Hanzhong, my lord, you need not think about reclaiming it,” said Pang Xi, who hailed from Henan in Sili.

Liu Yan nodded.

The four counties of the Hanzhong Plain had been directly conquered by Qiao Yan, and the likelihood of her returning them after her demonstration was almost nil.

It wouldn’t be difficult for Qiao Yan to hold Hanzhong.

Hanzhong and the rest of Yizhou were connected by the Micang and Daba Mountains, so to hold Hanzhong, she only needed to secure a few passes through these mountains.

This was essentially a defensive setup from Hanzhong toward Chang’an.

Fortunately, losing this place was still within an acceptable range of losses for Liu Yan.

After all, it was originally a place he had given to the Taishi Path to win them over.

Now that it had shifted from the Taishi Path to Qiao Yan in the north, he could console himself that the difference wasn’t significant.

Pang Xi continued, “As for grain, there’s no need to bring it, but we must offer a substantial amount as a gesture of sincerity.”

The court in Chang’an had previously engaged in grain trade with Liu Yan, indicating that before the Guanzhong farmland could become self-sufficient, grain was still crucial to ensure the capital could attract more people and maintain sufficient military provisions.

This compensation was something Liu Yan, having been Governor of Yizhou for several years, could afford.

After all, he was “wealthy” enough to have crafted so many imperial carriages for himself, so grain was no issue.

Pang Xi said, “Additionally, I think my lord may need to offer something special.”

Liu Yan asked, “What kind of special thing?”

Surely it wasn’t to send something like the iron-eating beasts of Yizhou to Chang’an as a rare treasure?

If Qiao Yan heard Liu Yan’s plan, she might actually find it feasible.

But at this moment, Pang Xi simply shook his head and said, “Of course not, but something else that my lord can offer and that would appeal to Qiao Yan, the Prefect of Bingzhou.”

“My lord, why is it that Yizhou can maintain such high agricultural yields?”

Liu Yan answered without hesitation, “Naturally, it’s because the land here is fertile, the climate is pleasant…”

He stopped mid-sentence.

This reason wasn’t wrong, but he couldn’t just hand over Yizhou itself, so Pang Xi’s meaning was clearly not about natural factors.

Liu Yan’s mind turned, and he asked, “Are you referring to the Dujiangyan irrigation system?”

“Exactly,” Pang Xi replied. “I’ve heard that Qiao Yan has been digging canals in Bingzhou and Liangzhou for the past two years to irrigate the land, saying it’s to mitigate the effects of drought years. Do you remember, during the reign of Emperor Ling, officials were appointed to maintain the Dujiangyan system?”

“Over the past decade, these officials and their subordinates have accumulated extensive experience in maintaining the weir and building flood channels. Sending half of them to Qiao Yan would be no loss to you, and it would even earn you a reputation for benevolence.”

Liu Yan’s eyes lit up.

The gift Pang Xi proposed didn’t sound like mere flattery but rather a gesture of concern from the Governor of Yizhou for the livelihoods of the northern territories under the Chang’an court’s jurisdiction, and it was something Qiao Yan would never refuse.

His appointment of Pang Xi as a court advisor was indeed the right choice!

Pang Xi added, “As for the other conditions, I think it’s best to discuss them at the victory banquet in Hanzhong.”

They had all underestimated Qiao Yan’s military prowess, so who could guarantee that other gifts would hit the mark?

It was better to offer a few tangible “rewards for the army” and let Qiao Yan propose the rest herself.

Liu Yan agreed with Pang Xi’s judgment. After bringing along the weir construction experts, he also recruited many skilled fighters from Yizhou for his own safety.

Since most of these men hadn’t been given official positions, their attire and reputations made them relatively inconspicuous.

Except for one person.

His name was Gan Ning.

This guy had earlier recruited a group of wandering knights in his hometown of Ba Commandery, adorned with bells and feathers, sailing on brocade-sailed boats, earning the nickname “Brocade Sails Bandit.”

If any officials in Ba Commandery treated him with respect, he would go through fire and water for them; if they didn’t, he would plunder their wealth.

In any other place, someone like Gan Ning would have long been punished.

But he lived in a time of sufficient chaos, where order only constrained the weak and couldn’t restrict him.

Even when he studied the teachings of the Hundred Schools of Thought and sought to advance in his career, he could still become a minor official in Shu Commandery.

Coincidentally, Chengdu was in Shu Commandery.

Liu Yan himself favored lavish clothing and grand processions, somewhat similar to Gan Ning’s tastes. Moreover, when Gan Ning applied to become a minor official, Liu Yan immediately agreed, which improved Gan Ning’s impression of him.

Upon hearing that Liu Yan intended to invite him as a bodyguard for this trip, hoping he could assist in ensuring his safety, Gan Ning readily agreed.

Given his imposing demeanor, which made him seem no ordinary guard, Liu Yan decided to appoint him as the leader of the escort for this journey.

Gan Ning was more than happy to take on this seemingly more prestigious role.








Just before setting off, he didn’t forget to discuss with Liu Yan, saying that compared to being a military general, since he had now “turned over a new leaf,” he wanted to move towards a civil official career, so he still preferred the position of Shu County Assistant.

Liu Yan carefully observed the expression of the strong man before him.

Although his demeanor almost screamed “reckless bravery,” his desire to become the Shu County Assistant to handle official duties didn’t seem like a joke.

Perhaps the stimulation from Qiao Yan was too great, as Liu Yan didn’t react unusually upon hearing Gan Ning’s aspiration and agreed to his request.

However, upon reaching the Hanzhong region, Liu Yan began to regret bringing Gan Ning as a guard.

It is well known that Gan Ning is a man who loves grandeur and luxurious attire.

It is also well known that Qiao Yan acquired a batch of Ferghana horses during the campaign against Liangzhou, most of which were placed under Lü Bu’s command, while others were distributed to her generals.

Chu Yan was even one of the earliest generals to receive a Ferghana horse.

When Liu Yan and his entourage arrived, they saw Chu Yan riding a Ferghana horse, accompanied by elite cavalry borrowed from Zhao Yun, coming to greet them.

Seeing such a grand scene, Gan Ning, perhaps to express his admiration, whistled.

Liu Yan, who had barely maintained his composure, almost lost it on the spot.

Chu Yan, noticing the commotion, immediately spotted the audacious fellow in the crowd.

Although Gan Ning wasn’t dressed as flamboyantly as he had been during his days as a bandit, but rather wore the attire of an official from Yizhou, Chu Yan felt a strange similarity in their temperaments.

This made Chu Yan look at Liu Yan with a peculiar expression.

To prevent this special follower from causing any trouble, Chu Yan reported Gan Ning’s name and background to Qiao Yan.

“Gan Ning?”

Qiao Yan repeated the name, a flicker of amusement crossing her face before she returned to her usual expression.

“No matter, he won’t cause any trouble. Let’s meet this Liu Yizhou first.”

In the seventh year of Guanghe, Qiao Yan had once harshly criticized Liu Yan with her Discourse on Feudalism, but at that time, they had never met. After Liu Yan became the Governor of Yizhou, they had even less interaction. This was actually the first time Qiao Yan had met Liu Yan.

This imperial relative, who dared to propose the revival of the Provincial Governor System, even under the threat of Qiao Yan’s army, showed no signs of fear.

However, the complex emotions in Liu Yan’s heart were hard to describe.

Since Qiao Yan’s title of Grand Marshal was higher than his own title of Grand General, during the victory banquet held in Nanzheng, Qiao Yan sat in the main seat while Liu Yan sat below.

Years ago, when Liu Yan heard Qiao Yan’s Dingzhong Temple strategy, he had joked with Dong Fu, calling her “ignorant child.”

Although Dong Fu replied, “She is no ordinary person,” Liu Yan still regarded her as a child.

But now, eight years later, that child had almost grown taller than him, and when she sat down in the main seat, she exuded the aura of a formidable leader.

Even though Qiao Yan’s expression didn’t reveal any aggressiveness, Liu Yan couldn’t help but feel a sudden tension when she casually picked up her wine cup.

Theoretically, he was safe here, but there was no guarantee she wouldn’t signal an attack by dropping her cup.

The entire Nanzheng city, once under Zhang Lu’s control, had now completely fallen under Qiao Yan’s command.

Even with Gan Ning by his side, it would be hard to stop her if she truly intended to kill.

But Qiao Yan simply said, “Grand General, your journey has been arduous. Since your arrival in Yizhou, you have promoted agriculture, repaired waterworks, and educated the people, fostering exchanges with the southern barbarians and sheltering northern refugees. These are indeed commendable deeds. However, you were misled by the Rice Bandits, allowing them to cause chaos in Hanzhong.”

“Since it is difficult to attack Hanzhong from Ba County, the Son of Heaven, appreciating your efforts, ordered me to come from the north to eliminate the bandits, leading to our meeting here today. It is an honor to meet a pillar of the Han Dynasty. Let us toast.”

Seeing Qiao Yan raise her cup, Liu Yan, though feeling her words were somewhat off, instinctively raised his own cup.

Gan Ning, standing behind him, struggled to suppress his urge to laugh.

Qiao Yan’s words initially sounded like praise for Liu Yan’s achievements in Ba-Shu, but then pointed out his only flaw: being misled by Zhang Lu.

Since attacking Hanzhong from Ba County was difficult, she came from Chang’an to do it.

But whether it was harder to attack Hanzhong from Chang’an or Ba County, Gan Ning, being from Ba County, knew all too well.

This statement subtly questioned Liu Yan’s military capabilities.

The final remark about Liu Yan being a “pillar of the Han Dynasty” sounded even more ironic.

Fortunately, Gan Ning remembered that Liu Yan was his employer and had treated him well, so he didn’t laugh out loud.

He merely noted Qiao Yan’s opening remarks, thinking that although he had been studying to become a cultured man for some time, he still had a long way to go to reach Qiao Yan’s level of effortless sarcasm.

Qiao Yan’s peripheral vision caught Gan Ning’s admiring gaze, though she couldn’t quite understand what this skilled river warrior was admiring at the moment.

Her wandering thoughts lasted only a moment before she heard Liu Yan, having composed himself, reply, “Grand Marshal, your journey has been even more arduous. This hunt has kept your subordinates busy throughout, and I truly feel sorry.”

If Liu Yan were to be honest, he wasn’t just feeling sorry; he was still recovering from the shock.

But while Qiao Yan’s words were sarcastic, her lack of murderous intent was clear.

Feeling like he had narrowly escaped death, Liu Yan quickly followed the prearranged plan to “reward the troops.”

He said, “As the Grand Marshal mentioned, it is difficult for me to control Hanzhong from Ba County over the Micang and Daqing Mountains, fearing the bandits might take advantage. Now that the Son of Heaven is stationed in Guanzhong, why not jointly hold Hanzhong?”

Hearing this, Qiao Yan’s expression remained unchanged.

Even if Liu Yan hadn’t offered to return Hanzhong to the central government, she had no intention of returning the territory after her successful campaign in Yizhou.

His words were essentially meaningless.

Liu Yan added, “Grand Marshal, your soldiers have endured much hardship crossing the Qinling Mountains. Since this campaign is to quell the rebellion in Yizhou, the military provisions should naturally be provided by me, not the court.”

This… was somewhat sincere.

But it wasn’t of much use to Qiao Yan at the moment.

Before Liu Yan arrived in Hanzhong, she had already instructed Xu Shu and Xun You to audit the government storehouses in the four counties of the Hanzhong Plain.

This region, known as the “Jiangnan of the Northwest,” truly lived up to its name.

The accumulated harvests over the years had created a considerable stockpile.

Moreover, Zhang Lu’s Taishi Path, also known as the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, required new members to contribute five pecks of rice, adding to the substantial grain reserves.

However, confident in developing the fertile lands of Guanzhong, Qiao Yan preferred to turn Hanzhong into a transit granary for future campaigns in the southern regions rather than transporting the grain to Guanzhong, which would incur significant losses.

By then, the stockpile would have grown even more impressive, making Liu Yan’s contribution of little significance, merely a token gesture.

What surprised Qiao Yan was Liu Yan’s third offer of rewards.

Someone had suggested to Liu Yan to offer skilled workers experienced in water conservancy projects.

But since he brought up civil affairs, she couldn’t help but seize the opportunity to make extravagant demands.

Earlier, Qiao Yan had discussed with Cheng Yu whether to have Ma Jun improve the Divine Bow or textile machinery. Considering Ma Jun’s limited capacity, they decided to have him work on the former.

According to Cheng Yu, the latter could be sourced from Yizhou.

Now was the perfect time!

Qiao Yan’s brow twitched as she spoke, “Speaking of civil affairs, if the Grand General is sincere, consider that clothing comes first among the necessities of life. I’ve heard that Shu has excellent brocade, and thus skilled weavers. I have recently obtained cotton seeds in Bingzhou and need skilled hands to turn cotton into cloth. Could the Grand General spare some?”

Liu Yan’s face lit up with joy.

Although Qiao Yan seemed uninterested in the water conservancy workers and instead brought up textile matters, Liu Yan sensed room for negotiation.

As long as she would back off, anything was acceptable!

Even when Qiao Yan demanded three hundred skilled weavers, Liu Yan agreed without hesitation.

Additionally, since Liu Yan had offered water conservancy experts, he might as well provide some water conservancy tools.

The stone baskets used to reinforce the Dujiangyan embankments were woven from bamboo, which thrived in the south, especially the Ci bamboo, also used for papermaking, abundant in the southwest.

Having given people, grain, and land, what was a little more bamboo?

When Qiao Yan stopped after mentioning bamboo, Liu Yan even sighed in relief.

Five rewards were not excessive.

This far exceeded Liu Yan’s expectations.

Moreover, none of the conditions were too demanding.

With these terms settled and the impending threat lifted, Liu Yan even felt that this victory banquet could end on a harmonious note.

To show he harbored no suspicion towards Qiao Yan, the Grand Marshal representing the Son of Heaven in Yizhou, Liu Yan even drank himself into a stupor.

However, this drunken state reminded him of something.

Earlier, Lady Lu of the Taishi Path had used her ghostly divination skills to predict a great disaster for him, which, given the current situation, had proven accurate.

The paper figure burning in the fire clearly pointed to the two great fires in Mianzhu and Chengdu, which had prompted Qiao Yan’s military campaign.

Although the disaster had mostly been averted, any misstep could have led him to the same fate as Zhang Lu or Zhang Xiu.

Thus, Lady Lu seemed to possess some supernatural abilities.

However, Liu Yan momentarily forgot that if Lady Lu truly had such powers, why hadn’t she and her son avoided their own misfortunes, with one becoming Qiao Yan’s prisoner and the other fleeing to remote lands.

He asked Qiao Yan, “By the way, Grand Marshal, since you have driven the Rice Bandit Zhang Lu to the Guanghan Dependent State, what are your plans for the remaining Five Pecks of Rice Sect members in Hanzhong?”

Qiao Yan replied without hesitation, “Let them stay.”

Liu Yan was taken aback.

Such a merciful response didn’t quite match his impression of Qiao Yan.

But before he could ask further, Qiao Yan continued, “I’ve heard that the Taishi Path has a doctrine: those who commit minor offenses should repair roads, and after a hundred steps, their sins are absolved. The roads from Hanzhong to Chang’an are quite difficult to traverse, so they can be put to good use.”

She twirled her wine cup, a hint of mischief in her smile. “Grand General, if minor offenses require repairing a hundred steps of road, what about the major offense of following the traitor Zhang Lu in rebellion?”