Chapter 244

Chapter 244

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 7: Eight Hundred Qin Rivers, Occupying Guanzhong Chapter 244: How to Reward

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Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 244: How to Reward

It’s no wonder Huangfu Song would have such suspicions, given that Qiao Yan never plays by the rules.

In the battle of Gaoping City that year, despite the fortified city walls, she still managed to annihilate the Qiang people inside the city.

In the autumn of the same year, she successfully bypassed Longxi, defeated Ma Teng, and advanced into the heart of Huangshui, capturing Jincheng. This led to Han Sui, who thought he was safe, being killed by his subordinates, and his head delivered to her.

These were all witnessed by Huangfu Song. So, is Liu Yan in Chengdu really safe?

From their current territory, one route to attack Yizhou is to first go through Hanzhong, then continue south through Ba Commandery. But there’s another route through Wudu Commandery.

At the beginning of the Han dynasty, Emperor Gaozu entered Guanzhong by openly repairing the plank roads while secretly crossing Chencang. Even now, it’s not impossible to openly hunt in Hanzhong while actually entering Wudu from Chencang, then heading south to Yizhou.

After all, Qiao Yan has done such things before.

Moreover, the amount of grain she brought back is truly astonishing.

Considering Yizhou’s grain production, which is least affected by disasters and war, it might be possible to accumulate such a large amount of grain.

But Huangfu Song can’t help but think that having such a large amount of grain and allowing Qiao Yan to take it away are two completely different matters.

The most likely scenario is that Qiao Yan held a knife to Liu Yan’s neck and forced him to hand it over.

His question plunged the court into silence.

Everyone looked at each other, thinking about the grain reserves in Guanzhong, and felt that this speculation made some sense.

It was the messenger’s voice that broke their wild imaginations, “The Marquis and Liu Yizhou drank and chatted happily, very peacefully. It was Liu Yizhou who proposed sending such a large amount of grain to reward the army. The Marquis also brought 200,000 dan of grain from Hanzhong, making it a total of one million dan.”

Huangfu Song: “…”

The idea of drinking and chatting happily, if it were between Liu Yu and Liu Yan, they might believe it. But when it comes to Qiao Yan and Liu Yan, it feels somewhat surreal.

The messenger continued, “Liu Yizhou also sent textile craftsmen, Shu brocade, water conservancy experts, bamboo from Shu, and even Hanzhong…”

Under the incredulous gazes of the high-ranking officials, he finished, “Even Hanzhong requested the Son of Heaven to send people to garrison there, as he himself lacks the ability to govern it.”

It’s hard to say what others thought, but at this moment, Qi Zhou, who had previously visited Yizhou, felt like he was hearing a dream.

Hearing the messenger’s words, his mind went blank.

When he met Liu Yan in Chengdu earlier, was he such a good person?

Probably not.

If Liu Yan were so indifferent to wealth and had few material desires, he probably wouldn’t have built a thousand carriages that hinted at overstepping his bounds, nor would the prefectural buildings in Chengdu be so extravagantly decorated.

If Liu Yan didn’t mind handing over Yizhou’s territory to others, he probably wouldn’t need to summon all the prefects of Yizhou to Chengdu to witness his authority when he received the title of Grand General.

Unless…

Lu Zhi asked, “How many days did the Grand Marshal take to conquer Hanzhong?”

Lu Zhi could somewhat guess Liu Yan’s thoughts.

For someone like him, to give such generous gifts and even promise to cede Hanzhong from Yizhou, there’s only one possibility.

Without Qiao Yan breaking ties with Liu Yan, her method of intimidating the tiger by striking the mountain must have had a significant effect.

The battle for Hanzhong must have ended exceptionally quickly!

The messenger replied, “If counting from the entry into Hanzhong—less than six days.”

Upon hearing this answer, everyone gasped.

Knowing Qiao Yan’s military genius and hearing the speed at which she conquered Hanzhong are two completely different things.

What does it mean to pacify Hanzhong in six days?

Even if every city along the way opened its gates to welcome the enemy, with those who disobeyed the royal army being singled out for punishment, it would still take about that much time to fight from one end of the Hanzhong plain to the other.

But obviously, Zhang Lu and Zhang Xiu in Hanzhong would never adopt such a passive stance.

Zhang Lu had already been driven back to Hanzhong from Wudu Commandery by Qiao Yan at the beginning of the year.

Knowing he couldn’t gain any advantage under Qiao Yan, he naturally wouldn’t open the city gates to welcome the enemy.

Zhang Xiu, who was also in Hanzhong, had been classified as a rebel during the Yellow Turban Rebellion and only became Liu Yan’s subordinate after being defeated by him, showing obvious aggressiveness.

But these two not only failed to cause any trouble for Qiao Yan but instead contributed to her rapid conquest of Hanzhong, intimidating Liu Yan.

The result of “less than six days” made it easy to imagine their fates.

So when the messenger later informed them that Zhang Lu had fled and Zhang Xiu had died, everyone thought, “As expected.”

However, this doesn’t solve the question: how did she do it?

Unfortunately, this messenger followed Xun You’s route, so asking him to explain what happened is quite difficult.

If forced to say, he could only mention that they entered Hanzhong through the Luogu Road, where they seemed to have divine assistance, encountering no obstacles, with even the snakes and insects in the mountains avoiding them, and one even fell directly into a hot pot.

They then directly captured Chenggu County, taking control of the central county city of the Hanzhong plain.

After splitting into four routes, Zhang Lu led 6,000 troops past Chenggu City towards Longting. A day later, Zhang Lu fled back to Chenggu, thinking it was still under his control, only to be ambushed by the city.

Zhang Xiu died on the spot, while Zhang Lu fled back to Nanzheng.

But two days later, they heard that Nanzheng and Mianyang, the two most important strategic cities in Hanzhong, had already fallen under their control.

This explanation only made things more confusing.

Every word sounded like something that couldn’t happen in reality.

It seems we’ll have to wait for Qiao Yan to provide an answer.

Fortunately, she’s almost back in Chang’an.

The delivery of one million dan of military grain to Chang’an is indeed a reassurance to the people.

“The Han dynasty is fortunate to have such a powerful army,” Liu Yu couldn’t help but sigh.

At this time, the court had temporarily adjourned, and he said this to his subordinate Xianyu Fu.

After saying this, he frowned and added, “Before the Grand Marshal returns to Chang’an, there’s one more thing we need to decide.”

Qiao Yan has no reason to falsify military achievements, so the fact that she pacified Hanzhong in six days and intimidated Liu Yan into not acting rashly is undoubtedly true.

Although before the Hanzhong campaign, she was already given the title of Grand Marshal to ensure she could suppress Liu Yan, the Grand General, in status. But now, with her triumphant return from Hanzhong and such impressive spoils, Liu Yu cannot ignore her merits.

No matter what, she must be rewarded to show that achievements are always rewarded.

In the current situation, it’s also necessary to sufficiently reward military officers to ensure their loyalty.

But the question is, how should Qiao Yan be rewarded?

She’s already at a level where there’s almost nothing left to reward!

In terms of nobility, among the five ranks of marquises, County Marquis is the highest.

In the early Han dynasty, because at that time…








The capital did not move from Chang’an to Luoyang. “Guannei,” being under the feet of the Son of Heaven, held a higher status for its marquises compared to those outside. According to this logic, Liu Yu could change Qiao Yan’s Marquis of Leping to a Guannei marquis, still selecting a county, and even increasing the number of households under her jurisdiction.

For example, Huangfu Song’s Marquis of Huaili was a typical Guannei marquis.

However, at the end of the fourth year of Zhongping, Emperor Ling of Han came up with a new way to amass wealth: selling Guannei marquis titles.

This move significantly reduced the value of Guannei marquis titles.

If Liu Yu were to change Qiao Yan’s title from Marquis of Leping to, say, Marquis of Huayin, it might not be seen as a gesture of goodwill but rather as an act of hostility.

In terms of official positions, she had already reached the pinnacle of what a subject could achieve.

The position of Grand Marshal was originally meant to signify a high-ranking official above the Three Excellencies and the Grand General, sharing military and administrative power.

According to the Han Dynasty’s rule that non-imperial surnames could not be kings, if she were to be further ennobled, she would have to become the Son of Heaven herself.

Thus, she could not be promoted further.

Liu Yu hesitantly consulted his subordinates: “If we only increase her fief, would it seem like this reward lacks sincerity?”

This concern was valid.

The increase in population in Leping over the years was entirely due to Qiao Yan’s achievements there, with no contribution from the court. In fact, the court needed her to come to its rescue.

So how could they dare to say that increasing the population of her fief as a reward for expanding the territory by an entire commandery was sufficient?

Although Xianyu Fu had mixed feelings about Qiao Yan and worried that one day people would only know the Grand Marshal and not the Son of Heaven, his mind was still clear.

Merely increasing her fief was indeed insufficient to reward her merits.

They faced another problem.

If the Han Empire were to be reunified, Qiao Yan would inevitably have to deal with Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan in the east.

If she conquered Hanzhong, should she be rewarded? Of course!

If she defeated Yuan Shao, should she be rewarded? Naturally!

Therefore, they had to set a standard for the highest reward and gradually increase it to that level. Otherwise, one day they would run out of rewards to give, leading to potential disasters.

Xianyu Fu bowed to Liu Yu and replied: “Your Majesty can first increase the fief of the Marquis of Leping, but later consult with the lords on whether the Marquis of Leping can emulate the deeds of the former Chancellor Xiao.”

What does emulating Chancellor Xiao mean?

It means that Liu Yu should treat Qiao Yan as Liu Bang treated Xiao He:

She would be addressed by her title, not her name; she would not need to hasten her steps when entering court; and she could wear her sword and shoes in the court.

This would essentially exempt the powerful minister from the formal court etiquette.

The protocol officer would only call her by her title, not her name; she would not need to walk quickly in court; and she could wear her sword and shoes in the court.

Receiving this privilege would make her more of a supreme powerful minister than the Grand Marshal.

In fact, when Dong Zhuo first arrived in Luoyang to act as regent and supported Liu Xie’s ascension, he forced Liu Xie to grant him the privilege of wearing his sword and shoes in court. Compared to the title of Grand Marshal, this special privilege was a more dangerous signal.

Several arrogant relatives of the emperors in both the Former and Later Han dynasties had also received such treatment.

But Xianyu Fu’s suggestion to “emulate Chancellor Xiao” slightly shifted the nature of this act.

Xiao He, of course, did not rebel against the Han Dynasty. After Liu Bang’s death, he even served as a minister to Emperor Hui of Han for two years and was posthumously given the title “Wenzhong.”

Given the age difference between Liu Yu and Qiao Yan, Liu Yu would inevitably die before Qiao Yan, so the analogy to Xiao He’s story was not incorrect.

Seeing Liu Yu’s expression show some interest, Xianyu Fu added: “This reward is not suitable for the Hanzhong campaign because the Grand Marshal only went on a hunting expedition before advancing. If we break the rules and promote her further, we would push Liu Yizhou to the opposite side. But after the next victory, we can use this.”

“Moreover, the Grand Marshal cannot be promoted further, but her subordinates can. Your Majesty might consider starting from there.”

Qiao Yan has many capable generals under her command. Zhang Liao, who guards Juyong Pass in Youzhou, and Zhao Yun, who assisted Qiao Yan in the Hanzhong campaign, are among the best.

If not for Zhang Liao’s timely rescue, Liu Yu might have died on the coastal road like his brother-in-law, becoming another of Gongsun Zan’s achievements, and would not be sitting on the throne of the Han Emperor now.

Yet Zhang Liao’s current position is still only a Military Officer in Bingzhou, which does not match his military achievements.

Would promoting Qiao Yan’s subordinates count as a reward for her? It should.

Liu Yu felt reassured, “Let’s do as you suggest.”

Using “addressed by title, not hastening steps, wearing sword and shoes in court” as a reward for defeating Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao in stages, perhaps with some additional special privileges.

Moreover, gradually increasing the fief of Leping without exceeding the standards of previous Han dynasties.

As for the official appointments of her subordinates, consult Qiao Yan after she returns to Chang’an to avoid any mistakes in appointments.

That should do it!

Liu Yu felt much relieved after solving this major problem.

He suddenly thought of something and asked Xianyu Fu: “Speaking of which, if I remember correctly, besides promoting a subject’s subordinates, promoting their family members is also a method. Why didn’t you suggest appointing talents from the Qiao family in Yanzhou?”

Xianyu Fu shook his head: “If Your Majesty really did that, it would probably seem more like an act of hostility than making someone a Guannei marquis.”

Liu Yu was surprised: “Why is that?”

Xianyu Fu replied: “Recently, there was a commotion in the Grand Marshal’s residence. I heard the noise and took the Imperial Guards over. It was said that members of the Qiao family from Yanzhou were stopped outside by the Grand Minister of Agriculture and the Grand Marshal’s Chief Secretary. Chief Secretary Guo said that since the Grand Marshal was away on the Hanzhong campaign and there were many military secrets in the residence, it was not appropriate for outsiders to enter.”

“In my opinion, this reason is reasonable. The Qiao family from Yanzhou only came to Chang’an at this time, and Yanzhou is under the jurisdiction of the Ye court. Who can say whether they came to recommend themselves or to spy? The Grand Marshal’s Chief Secretary arranged for them to stay at a posthouse, ensuring their food and lodging, which was the most appropriate handling. Yet they complained that they were not outsiders and that Chief Secretary Guo acted without consulting the Grand Marshal, disrespecting them.”

“Chief Secretary Guo directly had them sent to military labor for disturbing the peace of Chang’an. He said he would argue right and wrong with the Grand Marshal when she returned, even if it cost him his head. After all, he was following the rules set by the Grand Marshal before she left—”

“No one is allowed to enter military strategic areas unless it is the Son of Heaven himself.”

Xianyu Fu had no choice but to comply.

Since the matter was unresolved and considered a family affair, Xianyu Fu had not yet informed Liu Yu.

Now, seeing that Liu Yu was about to appoint members of the Qiao family, he quickly brought it up.

He said: “In my opinion, Your Majesty should not meddle in this matter. The Qiao family from Yanzhou is likely to have conflicts with the Grand Marshal, and the Grand Marshal has little interaction with them. It’s hard to say whether she might act righteously against her own family. If you really appoint them, it would turn a reward into a feud.”

“You’re right,” Liu Yu nodded, “We’d better not get involved in this.”

It’s better to choose a safer way to reward than to get involved in such family disputes.

On the second day after the messenger arrived in Chang’an, Qiao Yan led her troops and the grand convoy of grain carts into Chang’an.

To show appreciation for the Grand Marshal’s campaign that proclaimed the might of the Han court, Liu Yu personally went out of the city to welcome her.

The common people lining the streets saw the spirited Marquis of Leping dismount and approach, holding a ceremonial staff. She bowed before the Son of Heaven and declared:

“Your subject has advanced into Hanzhong and, fortunately, did not fail the mission. Today, I present one million bushels of grain to Chang’an.”