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“Can strategists not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 243 – Returning to Chang’an…
Liu Xie’s worst days were when he was compelled by Dong Zhuo to head to Chang’an, just after settling in the Guanzhong region.
At that time, Dong Zhuo viewed him merely as a figurehead to recruit soldiers, never truly recognizing him as the Han Dynasty’s Emperor.
As Dong Zhuo faced the ruins of Chang’an, he was in no position to provide Liu Xie with decent food and clothing.
Fortunately, just a month later, Duan Wei, stationed at Huayin, quickly supplied food to the new court, alongside Lu Zhi and Huang Wan from Luoyang, restoring some dignity to the Han household.
With food in hand, Dong Zhuo was far kinder than Li Jue later turned out to be, who would send Liu Xie rotten cow bones as meals.
Yet, children are perceptive.
Living under Dong Zhuo’s control for so long kept Liu Xie’s nerves on edge, making him lose his appetite.
In contrast, even when presented with merely a bowl of thin rice porridge, he felt an unexpected sense of satisfaction.
By the second month of residing here, he learned his precise location—not just that he was in Yizhou.
He was positioned southeast in Hanzhong County, at the northern foothills of the Daba Mountains.
This place had an elegant name, Zhu Creek, which the nearby river also shared.
Situated between Xicheng and Shangyong, it didn’t belong to the Hanzhong Plain, hence there weren’t many idle folks passing by.
His adoptive father didn’t farm; he earned a living through chopping wood and hunting.
As far as Liu Xie was concerned, he was indeed a capable man.
Even last winter, when heavy snows blocked the mountains, he managed to hunt wild game from the forest to sell in Shangyong and crafted effective traps to catch more prey.
His adoptive mother often did some sewing, but as she put it, there were simply too many skilled people in Yizhou, so her contributions didn’t stand out, leading her to dabble in herbal medicine to supplement the household income.
During the first two months after his arrival, while healing from his injuries and fearing Dong Zhuo’s men might capture him, he didn’t dare leave the small mountain courtyard and learned quite a bit from his adoptive mother.
If he had tried to learn these basic life skills two years prior, it would have been impossible.
Yet when he truly began mastering these skills, he felt it was far better than being a powerless emperor.
While reminiscing, he picked up a spoon.
Thanks to Yizhou’s warm climate, rice could be cultivated, so the porridge before him was made from rice, not the northern millet.
He had even helped pound the rice that was bought.
The soft, boiled rice porridge had a hint of oily sheen, and as Liu Xie inspected it, he discovered a lone egg nestled inside, along with a bit of minced meat.
For a family that could survive by hunting, meat wasn’t too rare, but adding it to their meals was still a luxury.
Liu Xie lifted his head, “Why is today…”
“I noticed your clothes seemed shorter recently, so I thought you were growing. We can’t let you go without some nourishment,” his mother said. “Tomorrow, I’ll cook some meat with the bamboo shoots you picked so you can grow tall like that bamboo. Eat now and when your father returns, he’ll tell you some stories from outside.”
Liu Xie pursed his lips, momentarily unsure of what to say, and simply nodded enthusiastically.
This bowl of porridge, with its unrefined rice and egg, was far more delicious to Liu Xie than any delicacy he had tried in his early years.
As noon approached, his adoptive father finally returned home.
Just as his mother predicted, he had gathered plenty of supplies while looking for news.
Handing two bundles of fabric to his wife, he set down a basket filled with rice, flour, and heavy salts on the ground, then turned to find Liu Xie looking at him with hesitation.
Recalling the instructions from Qiao Yan’s associates during their meeting, as he sorted through the goods, he told Liu Xie, “No need to worry about the wars outside. The Marquis of Leping has received an imperial appointment and is now the Grand Marshal, tasked with subduing Zhang Lu alongside our Grand General of Yizhou. By the time Liu Yizhou arrives, the Marquis has already conquered the entire Hanzhong Plain.”
“Liu Yizhou is quite anxious; not only has he sent troops and supplies, but he even handed over Hanzhong to the court in Chang’an for management.”
He didn’t notice Liu Xie’s expression change in that fleeting moment, continuing, “But this doesn’t concern us common folks. I heard we’re going to be gradually incorporated into their territory, which seems peaceful; we can continue our simple lives. The Hanzhong Plain is going to have military camps set up, and those who followed Zhang Lu will be sent to pave the way, but it won’t affect us.”
Having little contact with actual farmers, Liu Xie had no idea that if his adoptive father were just a regular farmer, he wouldn’t even know about these military matters.
At best, he would know that Hanzhong had changed hands, and Liu Yan had sent supplies to the area.
His mind was solely preoccupied with what his father had just said—“The Marquis of Leping holds the Grand Marshal position.”
Which court issued this decree?
Why did they grant her the Grand Marshal title?
Since August of last year, it had been half a year, and Liu Xie had never inquired about the state of Chang’an.
Initially, perhaps he thought if he played the amnesiac role, he shouldn’t dive into anything that might expose his identity.
But later on, it was hard to say whether he was just evading the reality.
Now, hearing about Qiao Yan taking Hanzhong, he couldn’t help but ask.
He had thought that after he went missing, Liu Bian left in Ye City would become the only legitimate ruler.
This way, the Han dynasty could unite after being divided.
That would surely be good news for the common people.
However, if things were developing this way, it seemed odd that Qiao Yan was being made Grand Marshal while Liu Yan held the Grand General title, and that Qiao Yan was even leading troops to Hanzhong.
What a strange turn of events!
Liu Xie contemplated his words carefully, asking, “You said, Grand Marshal?”
“You don’t think that’s some horse-raising profession, do you?” the man chuckled heartily, “I heard that’s the highest position under the Son of Heaven. Right now, it’s held by the Marquis of Leping because she supported Liu Youzhou as Emperor after the last Emperor went missing, and she has also played a role in eliminating Dong Zhuo’s bandits, so she naturally deserves a high position and rewards.”
Upon hearing that Dong Zhuo was dead, Liu Xie instinctively sighed in relief.
But just as he relaxed, he suddenly realized something was off!
According to his adoptive father, Dong Zhuo was gone from Chang’an, and Liu Xie also disappeared at the same time. Yet, the person entrusted by his father to watch over him, Qiao Yan, had not chosen to support Liu Bian but instead supported Liu Yu’s ascension!
That would mean there were still two Emperors in the world, and chaos would continue!
Liu Xie’s expression fluctuated, uncertain whether his disappearance was a blessing or a curse for the realm.
This change in his demeanor hadn’t escaped his adoptive father’s keen eyes.
The man immediately said, “I think this is pretty good as well. That Liu Youzhou has a good reputation, even we from Yizhou have heard of him. It goes without saying what a harsh place Youzhou is, yet he managed to keep grain prices stable at thirty coins per stone.”
Liu Xie’s eyes widened at this news.
This kind of information would never have reached him back while under Dong Zhuo’s control.
He only knew that grain prices in Chang’an were shockingly high; even when he forcibly ordered Dong Zhuo to open the granaries for disaster relief, it hadn’t changed much.
But Liu Yu had managed to keep the prices stable at this rate! He could only imagine what a scene it must be under his rule.
Word would travel to Yizhou, crossing mountains and rivers, which didn’t seem surprising.
Then the man continued, “And about that Marquis of Leping, always victorious in battle, and she cares about the people’s livelihood, increasing the crop yield in Bingzhou.”
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“Maybe that’s a blessing for the people?”
He had just finished his sentence when his wife chimed in, “You’ve said it yourself—this doesn’t really have much to do with our Hanzhong territory, so why are you worrying about whether they’re good rulers?”
“Well, it’s somewhat related,” he replied. “They just announced that tax collection in Hanzhong will now follow the rules of Guanzhong. No more acreage tax, and the straw tax is getting slashed in half starting this year. Apparently, the farming methods from Bingzhou may not necessarily suit Hanzhong, so they’re running trials on military farms first. If it goes well this year, they’ll teach it here next year. With that in mind, I’m tempted to buy some land and start farming myself.”
“But luckily, I also heard about a new opportunity. There’s going to be a dock built just upstream from Yang County in the north, which will probably turn into a new town. If I take the extra effort to haul some wild game and firewood up there to sell, who knows? I might earn a bit more and be able to buy you two nicer pieces of cloth by year’s end.”
Liu Xie listened in a daze as his parents discussed.
His adoptive mother asked if they should just move closer to that new place. But sadly, they couldn’t bear to leave their lives here, so they dropped that idea.
Then he heard his adoptive father mention how Chang’an city has become a hub for nearby populations in just half a year. Not long ago, people were leaving Chang’an for Yizhou, but now it’s the other way around—people from Yizhou are heading to Chang’an.
The new court re-established in Chang’an named this year Jian’an, and it seems they really hit the nail on the head.
Liu Xie had never seen Ye City and had no clue how Liu Bian and Yuan Shao were getting along there.
But oddly enough, he had a gut feeling that getting the masses in line, as his adoptive father described, wouldn’t be an easy feat.
His adoptive father touched his face as he continued speaking.
The scar on Liu Xie’s face had remained because the local remedies just didn’t do the trick in fading it away.
The man sighed, “If only your face were still smooth, with your clever look, maybe in a couple of years we could save up and send you off to study in Guanzhong or Bingzhou to learn some good skills.”
“I heard today that the Grand Marshal has invited some top scholars to Leping Academy in Bingzhou, and they’ve set up Hongwen Hall in Guanzhong to recruit talented individuals from all over. It may sound like a luxury we can’t afford, but if the opportunity comes, we should at least give it a shot.”
But for now, that was just a fantasy.
With his face scarred, in most situations, he wouldn’t be able to pursue a normal official’s path.
But for Liu Xie, it was a mix of regretting not seeing what Guanzhong looked like now and feeling immensely lucky.
If he really went to Chang’an, even with that scar, he wouldn’t be able to guarantee that the old officials wouldn’t recognize him.
But at this moment, why would he even want to go to Chang’an? And why would he want to be found?
If Chang’an didn’t even have a Son of Heaven, and with the officials still hunting down Dong Zhuo’s whereabouts post-elimination, leaving Guanzhong in chaos, maybe he would reveal his identity to his adoptive father right away and rush back to Chang’an.
After the threat from Dong Zhuo was eliminated, with help from the regents, he would undoubtedly make a fine Emperor.
But the situation now was different.
With the benevolent Liu Yu in the center, Qiao Yan had just taken Hanzhong as Grand Marshal in a matter of days, the tax burden on the people suddenly lightened, and many righteous individuals from all directions came to offer their allegiance. Perhaps—
It might actually be a better choice to have Liu Yu on the throne than let Liu Bian inherit it.
If he showed up, wouldn’t Liu Yu, who had just been on the throne for two months, feel awkward?
At that point, there wouldn’t just be two Emperors in the realm, but three!
How utterly ridiculous that would be!
So rather than risk throwing Chang’an, which had just stabilized, back into chaos, it might be better to just keep things as they are.
Let the world forget about Liu Xie and just remember Wang An instead.
“What are you standing there dawdling for?” the man suddenly called out to Liu Xie.
Liu Xie turned to see he wasn’t standing in front of him anymore but had taken something wrapped tightly from the basket.
“Someone was selling smoked meat at the market today, and the flavor they conjured up is simply divine! I traded a wild mountain chicken I caught for it, so today you get a special treat.”
As he spoke, he noticed his wife looking at him, and hurriedly added, “Don’t accuse me of wasting money! That wild chicken practically jumped into my hands, and the smoked meat I got was a fair trade—didn’t spend a dime!”
Unwrapping the parcel he mumbled, “They definitely used way more salt and sauce than you do. Kids should definitely get to try something new.”
Seeing this scene, Liu Xie couldn’t help but laugh.
The change in ownership of Hanzhong hadn’t caused any upheaval for this couple from Yizhou; in fact, it seemed like things were heading in a better direction.
Who can say this isn’t a good outcome?
He truly couldn’t bear to lose the life he had now.
Though ordinary and plain, it gave him more security than ever.
Besides, he could experience life as a common citizen of Hanzhong and see what the world run by Liu Yu and Qiao Yan would actually be like.
And as Liu Xie dug into the spring bamboo shoots and smoked meat rice bowl, Qiao Yan had already returned to Guanzhong.
No one would think this was a mere half-return from an expedition with ten thousand troops.
As far as the eye could see, soldiers on the official road from Maiwu to Chang’an were escorting an astonishing number of grain carts, their expressions clearly filled with triumphant pride.
Even the trip through the Qinling Mountains hadn’t seemed to drain them, each one standing tall, marching towards Chang’an.
Every soldier shared the same thought in their hearts—
This was the first battle initiated in the first year of Jian’an!
They not only won this war, seized Hanzhong, but also brought back such a large haul—truly the best testament to the Grand Marshal’s worthy title!
If anyone thought Liu Yan had ideas about sitting comfortably in Hanzhong before this battle, now he wouldn’t dare even entertain that thought.
If anyone dared to say Qiao Yan was too young and shouldn’t be granted the position of Grand Marshal before this battle, they undoubtedly wouldn’t dare now.
Let’s not forget that it’s only been just over thirty days since Qiao Yan moved out to Hanzhong.
And more than half of that time was spent traversing the Qinling mountains.
It took another dozen days to send news to Chengdu for Liu Yan to come and then for him to gather grain for the reward troops upon his return.
So in reality, they only fought for about five or six days.
If anyone feels they’re fit to replace Qiao Yan, they’re welcome to try; let’s see how many hardships they’d face trying to march into Hanzhong right now!
But at this moment, those who saw this convoy likely didn’t think of it as a fierce troop; their first thought was—
So much grain!
“How much do you think these grain carts carry?” one person stopped by the roadside and asked his companion.
“At least fifty thousand stones, I’d say…” the other replied, not too sure.
These guys had seen the trades during Dong Zhuo’s rule, and compared to what they saw now, it was pretty clear there was no contest.
Everyone could clearly see if the carts carried grain or something else.
The quantity was mind-boggling.
The first guy shook his head and replied, “I think it’s way more, probably close to a hundred thousand stones.”
It didn’t matter whether this grain was going to be stored in the government storehouse in Chang’an or dumped in the market to stabilize prices; one undeniable fact remained—
With this sizable supply arriving in Chang’an, the confidence of the Chang’an citizens in the court would surely soar.
It was only March, and the farming in the Guanzhong plain had just begun; any prospects were still uncertain.
But even if disaster struck this year, with this grain in hand, they had room to maneuver.
If they came here just because of Liu Yu’s ascension and the stabilization of chaos in Chang’an, or if they had no place else to go, now they could actually relax and farm according to the court’s guidance.
However, it was clear they weren’t seeing the whole picture.
When Qiao Yan’s troops came to Mai County via Xiegu Path, she had already sent scouts speeding ahead to Chang’an for notification.
Meanwhile, Liu Yu and the officials in Chang’an had long been prepared; they anticipated Qiao Yan’s hunting mission would at least stretch until late April, but no one imagined she’d return in March with…
“A hundred thousand stones of grain?”
Upon hearing the scout’s report, even Huangfu Song, who’d ardently supported Qiao Yan’s campaign, was taken aback.
He promptly asked, “Did she actually go straight to chop Liu Yizhou down?”
