“Can a strategist not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 241: Rewards for the Troops
Getting from Guanzhong to Hanzhong is no walk in the park—whether it’s via the Xiegu Road, Luogu Road, or the Ziwu Valley, all these paths are full of high mountains and deep valleys.
When Dong Zhuo was in charge of Chang’an, many locals preferred these treacherous routes to avoid his intimidation, which really highlights Dong Zhuo’s evil nature.
It’s precisely because of these isolated paths that Liu Yan opted for Yizhou as his stronghold.
Even with a powerful army based in Guanzhong, breaking into Hanzhong while he had forces stationed there was no easy feat.
But what has he just heard?
Liu Yan shared a strange look with his subordinates.
From each other’s expressions, they grasped one key message—
They had all heard it right; nobody was going deaf or crazy.
But what does it mean that the Grand General is being invited for a hunting trip in Hanzhong, with Zhang Lu as the target?
And what about the fact that before this news even reached Chengdu, she had already taken control of all four counties in the Hanzhong plain?
It sounded as simple as eating and drinking.
With Zhang Xiu’s men wiped out and Zhang Lu forced to flee, the implication was clear; the Hanzhong plain had fallen entirely into her hands.
Once the Hanzhong plain changed hands, Liu Yan had no doubt she would take the initiative to increase her troops from Chang’an, ensuring Hanzhong remained firmly under her control and not something Liu Yan could reclaim from Chengdu.
The three words “celebration feast” were nothing less than a blatant threat.
After sending the envoy who delivered the edict to the inn, Liu Yan held the decree tightly, and he was already sweating cold.
After a long pause, he finally asked his subordinates, “Do you think this celebration feast is a trap?”
While Zhang Lu might not have reacted to the presence of a Grand Marshal when facing Qiao Yan’s military strike, Liu Yan was not slow to grasp the implications.
The fires in Chengdu and Mianzhu had laid bare his plans in Yizhou before the Chang’an court.
As he had suspected, they would not reclaim the Grand General position from him, but they had smartly employed a method far cleverer than facing him head-on—
They attacked Zhang Lu and Zhang Xiu stationed in Hanzhong.
And then invited the Grand General with the weight of a Grand Marshal behind it.
This threat depended entirely on Qiao Yan’s ability to swiftly repel Zhang Lu and achieve control of Hanzhong.
If she got bogged down by Zhang Lu, or stalled on the mountain paths leading into Hanzhong, or if Liu Yan had gotten news earlier about the clashes between the Guanzhong army and the Taishi Path, this intimidation wouldn’t feel as potent.
But now that she had succeeded, all Liu Yan could do was be led by the nose.
Regardless of whether Qiao Yan’s hunting celebration was a trap, Liu Yan had to attend.
If he refused, he’d bear the guilt of disobeying the Emperor’s command.
Which Grand General from the Han Dynasty who disrespected the Emperor ended up well?
None!
With the Son of Heaven having the power to eliminate the Grand General’s influence, there was absolutely none!
Even if the one with the strength to remove him wasn’t Liu Yu himself, but rather Qiao Yan serving under him, Liu Yan’s conclusion remained unchanged.
He mumbled absently, “If she can take down Zhang Lu today with lightning speed and control Hanzhong, she can also carry her army south towards Chengdu tomorrow. Can any of you stop her?”
Wu Yi, Pang Xi, and Zhao Wei all shook their heads.
If Zhang Lu had been incompetent, perhaps there would have been some hidden reasons behind his defeat by Qiao Yan.
But he wasn’t.
Not only that, judging by the Taishi Path’s training methods, Zhang Lu’s army was even more formidable than theirs when it came to loyalty to their commander.
And yet, despite such prowess, he had still been effortlessly defeated by Qiao Yan.
In their shoes, if they were to launch an attack towards Hanzhong, it wouldn’t be this easy.
The invitation to the hunting celebration felt like a bucket of cold water splashed over them, snapping them out of their previous security.
She struck against the Xianbei, marched into Liangzhou, and now extended her grasp into Hanzhong—all of them solid military accomplishments.
And because others found it hard to replicate her feats, it only highlighted her rightful claim as Grand Marshal.
As they became the targets of her hunting prowess, they could only shiver in fear and refrain from making a move.
All Liu Yan could do was sigh wistfully, “Military tactics are truly like divine skill… this is what it means to be a master of warfare!”
Having said that, he stood up from his seat and began to pace the room, looking more and more despondent.
Unfortunately, people like her were not his subordinates.
After she chose Liu Yu to become the Son of Heaven, Liu Yan, even after being conferred as Grand General by the court, was neither considered a foe nor a friend to her.
At least, not a friend he could negotiate with.
So—
If previously they could have sent Liu Zhang to Chang’an as a hostage to ease tensions, with Qiao Yan now at Hanzhong’s door, they could not do that anymore.
They would have to be even more humble in their courtesy.
After all, they had missed the opportunity to apologize and clarify early on.
Within the consensus of Liu Yan’s subordinates, he not only had to attend the feast, but he also had to set out immediately.
With Liu Biao still in the east being a member of the Han family, Qiao Yan could take action against the grain-thieving Zhang Lu but would not raise a weapon against the actual governor of Yizhou.
Liu Yan’s personal safety could still be secured.
If absolutely necessary, he should bring along some burly bodyguards who could help him escape in dire situations.
And then there was the issue of parting with gifts.
“As for Hanzhong, there’s no point in hoping to reclaim it,” said Pang Xi, who hailed from the office of the Chief of the Capital.
Liu Yan nodded.
The four counties in the Hanzhong plain were taken directly by Qiao Yan, and the chances of her returning them after her display of might were nearly zero.
Qiao Yan could easily hold onto Hanzhong.
Hanzhong was connected to other parts of Yizhou through the Mi Cang Mountain and Daba Mountain, so to secure Hanzhong, she just needed to guard a few mountain passes.
This was basically how they secured defenses from Hanzhong towards Chang’an.
Luckily, the loss of this place was still within an acceptable range in terms of damage for Liu Yan.
After all, it was just a place he had originally given to the Taishi Path to curry favor.
Now that it had shifted from the Taishi Path to Qiao Yan in the north, he could console himself that the differences were negligible.
Pang Xi continued, “As for the grain, it shouldn’t be brought along, but you must offer a sincere amount.”
The Chang’an court had previously engaged in grain trade with Liu Yan’s side, indicating that until Guanzhong could be self-sufficient, it was crucial for the capital to attract more settlers and have enough food supplies for military campaigns.
This compensation was something Liu Yan could definitely manage, having been the governor of Yizhou for several years.
After all, he was “wealthy” enough to build himself such luxurious carriages, so grain was an easy matter.
Pang Xi then added, “Additionally, I think you may need to send something special.”
Liu Yan inquired, “What do you mean by ‘something special’?”
Surely they weren’t considering sending some weird artifact from Yizhou to Chang’an?
If Qiao Yan caught wind of that plan, she might very well think it was a valid tactic.
However, Pang Xi just shook his head and said, “Of course not, but something you could offer that aligns with Qiao’s preferences.”
“May I ask, how can Yizhou maintain such high agricultural yields?”
Liu Yan didn’t need to think twice and replied, “Naturally, it’s because the land here is fertile and the climate is pleasant…”
He suddenly halted mid-sentence.
That part wasn’t wrong, but he couldn’t just hand over Yizhou to her, so it was clear Pang Xi wasn’t referring to natural factors.
As Liu Yan’s mind raced, he asked, “Are you talking about Dujiangyan?”
“Exactly,” Pang Xi confirmed. “I heard that Qiao had already started digging canals in Pingzhou and Liangzhou two years ago to irrigate the fields, supposedly to prevent the effects of drought years. Do you remember, in the reign of Emperor Xiaoling, for maintaining Dujiangyan’s operations, they set up a supervisory office and maintainers?”
“During the last decade here, those guys accumulated substantial experience in maintaining the dam and constructing flood channels. Parting with half of that knowledge to Qiao would be no loss for you, and could even enhance your reputation.”
Liu Yan’s eyes brightened.
The gift Pang Xi suggested actually sounded like a considerate gesture from the governor of Yizhou towards the livelihood of the people in the northern territory ruled by the Chang’an court and would definitely be well received by Qiao Yan.
He couldn’t have made a better appointment than entrusting Pang Xi with this position as advisor!
Pang Xi further stated, “Let’s wait to discuss the other conditions when you arrive in Hanzhong at the celebration feast.”
They had made an error in underestimating Qiao Yan’s military strategies; who could guarantee that their other gifts would hit home?
It was better to present a few actual “rewards for the troops” first and let Qiao Yan bring up the rest herself.
Liu Yan agreed with Pang Xi’s reasoning. After bringing along those experienced in dam construction for safety’s sake, he also enlisted several highly skilled fighters from within Yizhou.
Since most of these men had never been assigned official titles, they appeared relatively inconspicuous in clothing and reputation.
Except for one person.
That person was Gan Ning.
Years ago, this guy had gathered a bunch of wandering knights in his hometown of Ba Jun, adorning them with bells and feathers and calling themselves the “Silk Sail Pirates.”
If any officials from Ba Jun treated him well, he would go out of his way for them; if not, he’d simply rob their assets.
Under ordinary circumstances, someone like Gan Ning would have been punished long ago.
But he just happened to be living in a chaotic time, where order could only restrain the weak and not him at all.
He even attempted to develop a career in Shu Jun after studying the various philosophical schools.
What a coincidence, as Chengdu was in Shu Jun.
Liu Yan himself appreciated fine clothing and fancy ceremonies, so in a way, they shared similar tastes. Moreover, he had readily accepted Gan Ning’s request to serve as a clerk, resulting in Gan Ning holding him in even higher regard.
When he learned that Liu Yan wanted to invite him along for this mission to help ensure his safety, Gan Ning eagerly accepted.
Since his demeanor seemed far from that of a mere bodyguard, Liu Yan thought for a moment and decided to appoint him as the head of the escort team for this trip.
Gan Ning was more than delighted to take on what sounded like a more significant role.
“Just before setting off, he didn’t forget to discuss with Liu Yan that he prefers to pursue a path towards civil service rather than being a warrior, given that he’s now ‘reformed,’ and thus he really wants the position of Governor of Shujun.”
Liu Yan gave a serious look at the brave face in front of him.
His every action practically screamed “chivalrous spirit,” yet the way he wanted to be Governor of Shujun for handling official business didn’t seem like a joke at all.
However, perhaps stimulated by Qiao Yan, Liu Yan showed no unusual reaction upon hearing Gan Ning’s wish, and instead, he agreed to it.
But after they reached Hanzhong, Liu Yan started to regret bringing Gan Ning along as a bodyguard.
As everyone knows, Gan Ning is a showy guy who loves flamboyant attire.
It’s also known that Qiao Yan, while campaigning against Liangzhou, acquired some magnificent Dayuan horses. Most were distributed under Lü Bu’s command and a few bred at Baidao River, but the rest were given out to her subordinate generals.
Chu Yan was even one of the earliest warriors to receive a Dayuan horse.
As Liu Yan and his retinue arrived, they were greeted by Chu Yan proudly riding a Dayuan horse, with elite cavalry borrowed from Zhao Yun trailing behind.
When Gan Ning saw this grand sight, perhaps to express his admiration, he let out a whistle.
Liu Yan almost lost his cool under the solemn facade he was trying to maintain.
Chu Yan caught sight of this reckless chap immediately.
Even though the guy wasn’t decked out in bells and trinkets like back when he was a pirate, instead wearing a respectable outfit from the Yizhou Provincial Office, Chu Yan felt their backgrounds and temperaments might be a bit similar.
This made him glance at Liu Yan with a somewhat strange look.
To prevent this unique escort from causing any trouble, Chu Yan asked Gan Ning for his name and origins and reported it to Qiao Yan.
“Gan Ning?”
Qiao Yan echoed this name with a fleeting playful smirk quickly concealed behind an ordinary expression.
“No problem, he won’t stir up any trouble, let’s just go meet this Liu Yizhou.”
Back in the seventh year of Guanghe, Qiao Yan had unleashed a barrage of accusations against Liu Yan over the Provincial Governor System, but she had never met him then. Now that Liu Yan is in charge of Yizhou, it was surely their first encounter.
This bold member of the Han royal family proposing to restart the Provincial Governor System, even now with Qiao Yan’s forces threatening at his doorstep, wasn’t showing any sign of weakness.
However, Liu Yan’s complex feelings at this moment couldn’t simply be put into words.
As Qiao Yan held a Grand Marshal title above Liu Yan’s Grand General rank, during the victory banquet hosted in Nanzheng, Qiao Yan took the main seat while Liu Yan sat further down.
Years ago, while hearing about Qiao Yan’s ideas concerning Dingzhong Temple, Liu Yan even teased Dong Fu with a line about “kids being ignorant.”
Although Dong Fu retorted with “this is not some fish in a pond,” Liu Yan still regarded her as a child.
But now, eight years later, that once-little kid was almost taller than him, and when she shed her cloak and took the main seat, she had the bearing of a fierce conqueror.
Even without an aggressive attitude on her face, Liu Yan felt a sudden tightness in his chest as she casually lifted her wine cup.
In theory, he should be safe here, but he couldn’t shake the feeling she might throw her cup as a signal for something.
In Nanzheng, what used to belong to Zhang Lu was now entirely gone, leaving only Qiao Yan’s subordinates.
Even with Gan Ning by his side, it’s likely he wouldn’t be able to dodge her if she truly decided to kill.
Yet Liu Yan only heard Qiao Yan say, “The Grand General has worked hard. I’ve heard that since your entry into Yizhou, you’ve focused on agriculture, water management, and improving education, interacting with the southern tribes, and accommodating northern refugees. That’s truly admirable. The only downside is being deceived by those rice bandits, causing chaos in Hanzhong.”
“Since sending troops from Ba County to Hanzhong isn’t easy, the Son of Heaven appreciates your hard work. I’ve come from the north to take down the bandit leader, which brings us to meet here today. It’s a privilege to see a pillar of the Han dynasty. Let’s raise a glass to that.”
Seeing Qiao Yan lift her cup right after, despite feeling somewhat awkward about her words, Liu Yan instinctively raised his own cup.
Gan Ning, standing behind him, struggled to suppress his laughter.
At first glance, Qiao Yan seemed to be praising Liu Yan for his achievements in Bashu, only to follow it up by pointing her finger at his being fooled by Zhang Lu.
And because it’s tough to attack Hanzhong from Ba County, she apparently came from Chang’an to strike.
But which route was actually harder, attacking Hanzhong from Chang’an or Ba County? Being from Ba County, Gan Ning knew all too well.
This remark served as a questioning dig against Liu Yan’s command abilities.
And the last phrase, “a pillar of the Han dynasty,” was even more ridiculous.
Luckily, Gan Ning remembered that Liu Yan was his employer; Liu Yan had indeed treated him well, so he refrained from bursting out laughing.
Instead, he kept Qiao Yan’s opening lines in mind, considering that he had read many texts wanting to be cultured for a while now, and thought he still had quite the way to go to reach Qiao Yan’s level of casual sarcasm.
Qiao Yan caught Gan Ning’s admiring gaze out of the corner of her eye but couldn’t quite decipher what this expert swimmer and tiger warrior of Jiang Biao was impressed by.
Her fleeting thought vanished instantly as Liu Yan composed himself and responded, “It’s you, Grand Marshal, who has worked hard. This hunt has certainly kept your people busy throughout, and I genuinely feel a bit guilty.”
If Liu Yan were to be honest, he wouldn’t call it feeling guilty; it was more like he was still recovering from the shock.
Yet despite her quirky words, Qiao Yan’s apparent lack of murderous intent was clear.
Feeling like he had narrowly escaped death, Liu Yan deftly continued with the previously discussed topic of “rewarding the troops.”
He remarked, “As you just said, it’s tough to move troops from Ba County over Mican Mountain to control Hanzhong; I feared the bandits would take advantage, especially now that the Son of Heaven is securely in Guanzhong. Why don’t we both take control of Hanzhong?”
Upon hearing this, Qiao Yan gave no visible reaction.
Even if Liu Yan hadn’t mentioned that they’d return Hanzhong to the center, she would still claim it due to her gains from this expedition to Yizhou.
This remark was essentially meaningless.
Liu Yan continued, “The soldiers under the Grand Marshal have marched over Qinling and are quite worn out. Since this is to quell the rebellion in Yizhou, naturally, I should provide the military supplies. How could I let the court foot the bill?”
This was… surprisingly earnest.
Yet at the moment, it wouldn’t be of much use to Qiao Yan.
Before Liu Yan came to Hanzhong, she had already assigned Xu Shu and Xun You to check the granaries of the four counties in Hanzhong Plain.
This region being called “the Northwest Jiangnan” wasn’t without reason.
The annual harvests in Hanzhong Plain had accumulated quite a decent amount over the years.
Furthermore, Zhang Lu’s Taishi Path, also known as the Five Dou Rice Teaching, necessitated a tax of five dou of rice upon joining, which was another substantial food source.
But since Qiao Yan was confident she could develop this fertile land in Guanzhong, she preferred to develop Hanzhong into a granary for the upcoming southern campaigns rather than transport supplies back to Guanzhong, incurring significant losses along the way.
By the time that came, she expected the amount would become even more staggering, and whether or not Liu Yan provided support was nearly irrelevant, almost like a drop in the bucket.
What surprised her was Liu Yan mentioning a third type of reward for the troops.
Who suggested this to Liu Yan? He surprisingly brought up having experienced hands for maintaining water resources.
But since he mentioned the people’s livelihood, she wouldn’t hold back on this topic.
Earlier, Qiao Yan had discussed with Cheng Yu whether Ma Jun should improve the Divine Bow or textile machines, considering his limited bandwidth, deciding on the former.
According to Cheng Yu, the latter could be sourced from Yizhou.
This was indeed the right time!
Qiao Yan raised a brow and said, “Speaking of people’s livelihoods, if the Grand General has this in mind, look at those aspects of clothing, food, and shelter, which have their priorities. I’ve heard good things about silk weaving in Shu, and naturally, there are excellent weavers too. I recently acquired new cotton seeds in Bingzhou and need hands to make cotton cloth. Would the Grand General be willing to part with some?”
Liu Yan’s face lit up.
Even though Qiao Yan seemed uninterested in the water resource personnel and shifted to talking about textiles, Liu Yan could hear the bargaining opportunity in this.
Anything to satisfy her demands!
Even when Qiao Yan later mentioned asking for three hundred skilled weavers, Liu Yan agreed without hesitation.
Additionally, since Liu Yan had proposed supporting Chang’an with some water management talents, he figured he should also send over some tools for her.
The stone cages used to fortify the embankments at Dujiangyan were woven from bamboo, and the most suitable bamboo for mass cultivation mostly grows in the south, especially the tender bamboo that can also be used for papermaking and is particularly fibrous, distributed in the southwestern region.
People, grain, and land were provided, so asking for some bamboo was nothing!
After talking about bamboo, Qiao Yan didn’t bring up anything else and he instinctively let out a relieved sigh.
Five items as rewards for the troops couldn’t be considered excessive.
This far exceeded Liu Yan’s expectations.
Especially since none of the conditions seemed too difficult to meet.
Once these things were settled, with the guillotine over his head moving aside, Liu Yan even thought this victory banquet might just become an enjoyable occasion for both guests and hosts.
To show he carried no reservations towards Qiao Yan, the Grand Marshal representing the Son of Heaven, he even got himself quite drunk.
However, getting drunk reminded him of something.
Earlier, the Lady Lu from Taishi Path had foretold something dire looming ahead using her supernatural abilities, and judging by the current situation, she was spot on.
The paper man set on fire clearly referred to the two great blazes in Mianzhu and Chengdu, which also triggered Qiao Yan’s military actions.
Though now the crisis had mostly subsided, a slight mishap in handling it could see him walk the same path as Zhang Lu or Zhang Xiu.
It turns out Lady Lu has some real skills.
Liu Yan for a moment didn’t consider that if Lady Lu had such powers, why couldn’t she help both herself and her son avoid disaster, ending up as one being Qiao Yan’s prisoner and the other fleeing to some remote area instead.
He turned to Qiao Yan and asked, “So, Grand Marshal, since you’ve driven the rice bandit Zhang Lu to the territory of Guanghan, what are your thoughts on the other followers of the Five Dou Rice Teaching in Hanzhong?”
Without any hesitation, Qiao Yan responded, “Let them stay.”
Liu Yan was momentarily taken aback.
This response could be described as merciful, contrasting sharply with the impression Qiao Yan had left on him.
But before he could ask further, he heard Qiao Yan continue, “I’ve heard there’s a teaching in Taishi Path stating—those with minor faults should set about repairing roads; for every hundred steps, their punishment is alleviated. The repair of roads would definitely help since the paths from Hanzhong to Chang’an are quite tough to traverse; let them put their skills to use.”
She twirled her wine cup, a smile on her face laced with unspeakable mischief, “What do you think, Grand General? If repairing a road for minor faults makes sense, what about the grave offenses of following the rebel Zhang Lu?”
