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“Can’t strategists ascend the throne?”
At that time, our Grand Marshal leading the troops away was quite the sight for the folks in Chang’an, but when she returned, it was a whole new level of glorious.
Being personally welcomed by the Son of Heaven outside Chang’an was bound to be a chapter in the history books, especially since she had all the achievements to back it up.
With the prestigious staff granted by the emperor in her hand, she had flawlessly completed her duty of surveying the south and stabilizing Hanzhong, bringing back a bountiful granary and scaring the restless lords in the process.
And look, her authority still hadn’t been snatched back.
This was because Liu Yu’s response to Qiao Yan’s “serving in Chang’an” was “The chaos isn’t settled; both I and the Grand Marshal must toil on”.
In simpler words, next time Qiao Yan marched off, she’d still be rocking that official staff, wielding imperial command.
If the Grand Marshal’s position was already the peak of officialdom, then this trust from Liu Yu was the pinnacle in terms of treatment.
Though, of course, some might say anyone perched at such heights has to tread carefully, lest they tumble down and find themselves in a heap, but at this moment there was no fresh-off-the-press legend about a youthful graduate seeing all of Chang’an’s flowers in one day; thus, Qiao Yan, the 19-year-old Grand Marshal, solidified all imaginations of youthful ambition.
Then, the granary in Chang’an was ready to take in this massive influx of grain.
While Qiao Yan was off gallivanting in Hanzhong, Cheng Yu, at her bidding, had already recommended Qin Yu be appointed as the Deputy Grand Minister of Agriculture, which meant the one registering this grain entering the store was one of Qiao Yan’s own.
However, this time was a bit different. When the carts carrying a million stones of military grain rolled into the granaries of Chang’an’s outskirts, all the officials welcoming Qiao Yan alongside Liu Yu were present.
Yizhou’s grain mostly consisted of rice, with a sprinkle of millet mixed in, making it stand out from grains produced in other regions.
And because of this difference, the astonishing amount of grain looked more like tribute, boosting the confidence in the Chang’an court.
Lu Zhi looked at the scene before him and asked Qiao Yan, “Is it really true that Yizhou has such astonishing rice production?”
As they walked toward the palace city, Qiao Yan replied, “That’s the perk of developing water conservancy projects; Yizhou’s Dujiangyan has blessed future generations, shaping the water network of the Land of Abundance, backed by the southern climate. Bingzhou has done everything possible to improve farming fertilizer, tools, methods, and select quality seeds to barely reach Yizhou’s level years later.”
Seeing Lu Zhi looking anxious, Qiao Yan smiled, “No need to worry, Lord Lu. High yield per mu is one thing; overall high yield is another thing. Whether this can develop a troop capable of conquering the world is another matter entirely.”
“The mountains of Yizhou provide protection but also restrictions. The difficulty for outsiders to enter Shu means that Yizhou’s population can’t compare to that of the Central Plains. Without enough people, there’s no way to have enough farmland.”
“Moreover, my recent trip to Yizhou involved a meeting with Liu Junlang, which has given me some insight into the kind of person he is.”
“He is talented at seizing opportunities and can navigate between the gentry of Yizhou and Dongzhou, but his calculations remain small-scale; he can defend a corner but can’t emulate Emperor Gao’s northward march.”
At this point, Lu Zhi’s mood had calmed down unexpectedly.
Then Qiao Yan continued, “Running small-scale strategies will eventually stir up trouble. Liu Junlang has enjoyed the sweet rewards of suppressing Yizhou’s gentry while promoting Dongzhou talent, but he risks provoking discontent among Yizhou’s scholars. The local southern barbarians are as hard to control as the Qiang people, and even if he manages to hold the reins himself, his successors will be the real issue.”
She teased, “But that doesn’t concern us much. We have Hanzhong in our hands, and he won’t be able to stir much trouble. As for Yizhou’s fertile lands, they will one day return to the court.”
Lu Zhi replied, “You mentioned the battle in Hanzhong; how was it that victory was achieved within six days?”
Qiao Yan pointed behind her.
Lu Zhi turned around to see Huangfu Song had also shuffled over.
But it wasn’t only Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song curious about this matter.
Huangfu Song had quietly appeared, eager to eavesdrop, likely because Qiao Yan’s rank intimidated others from coming forth to question her.
She said, “Let’s wait until I’m officially explaining it in court.”
Perhaps motivated by Liu Yu’s own curiosity piqued by the messenger’s vague words, or to show his regard for Qiao Yan, the usual court gathering held every five days got a last-minute redesign—it was now happening again in two days.
And during this court assembly, those curious ministers got the answers they sought.
Qiao Yan’s strategy used the Shaanxi Valley and Ziwugu to take the Luogu Road, skirting around Zhang Lu’s frontline guard, which wasn’t unexpected.
After all, Chang’an was already aware of her general route into the Qinling mountains.
Even though things went a tad too smoothly in the Luogu Road, her years of combat experience in Liangzhou and Bingzhou could easily explain that.
Like that time she faced the Xianbei up north when she emerged from the Baidao Pass of the Yanshan Mountains—it wasn’t a walk in the park either.
But when they heard the following continuous traps she set, their expressions became increasingly entertaining.
What the messenger summarized as a division of troops was anything but a light matter.
According to Qiao Yan, she intercepted messages from Hanzhong to Yizhou at lightning speed and took Lu Ting while issuing a deceptive signal to Zhang Lu.
This whole maneuver, if they were in Zhang Lu’s shoes, would likely trap them just the same.
Then she executed a three-pronged interception, leaving Zhang Lu’s forces scattered while sustaining nearly no damage, and relayed news of the Grand Marshal’s hunt in Hanzhong in a misleading manner to Zhang Lu, causing him to flee after receiving news of assaults from both Wudu and Ba counties.
Of course, even if he hadn’t fled, it’s doubtful he could escape from Qiao Yan, at worst, he would just prolong the siege around Nanzheng. But him taking the bait made Qiao Yan’s conquest of Hanzhong a tactical win without bloodshed, and the intimidation effect on Liu Yan became even stronger.
Qiao Yan’s follow-up actions in Hanzhong were still stunning.
The people originally belonging to Zhang Xiu and Zhang Lu’s command of the Taishi sect, except for the portion Zhang Lu dragged away during his escape, were all taken under her control through Lady Lu, the widow of the second-generation Taishi, using the sect’s doctrines to facilitate repairs on the Hanzhong supply routes.
Anyone hearing this would conclude that her prowess in making the most out of resources was likely at its peak.
And what Liu Yan offered under the guise of rewarding the troops was merely a ploy for surrender, now entirely refined under her newly added conditions.
This was literally a juicy piece of meat bitten off Yizhou, with the one bitten having to express appreciation for her mercy.
Before this explanation, the officials in the Chang’an court were pondering how she pulled it off?
After this explanation, those same officials were still pondering how she did it?
Or rather, how did she conceive such a plan?
Don’t think for a second that Qiao Yan’s confident recounting, linking the capture of Lu Ting and sending troops southward to Nanzheng, only stemmed from Xun You’s advice; a plan in different hands wouldn’t yield the same execution results.
During Li Jue’s political chaos, Huang Wan and Wang Yun had a brief taste of commanding troops, but they could slap their chests and guarantee that if they executed this plan, they might flop outright at the first assault on Lu Ting County.
Yet, with each move being textbook perfect, when Qiao Yan laid out the Hanzhong campaign before them, her expression was disturbingly calm.
She knew well that someone like Zhang Lu wasn’t enough to be deemed a true enemy; at best, due to his religious background, he served as a puppet to soften relations with the locals of Hanzhong, and even a tool to help her establish the Guangan vassal state and connect it with Wudu County.
Her real opponent remained the court of Ye City to the east.
So now was certainly not the time to bask in triumph.
To the court officials, it seemed that only such a steadfast pillar could hold the position of Grand Marshal.
This Grand Marshal not only instilled confidence in the Chang’an court but was destined to become a nightmare for her opponents.
With news of breaking through Hanzhong and bringing back a million stones of grain, the scale of the emperor’s welcome was huge, almost overwhelming. Chang’an was about to be…
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The sheer number of spectators was so overwhelming that it spread like wildfire within just two days.
Along with this, rumors about official appointments in Chang’an reached the ears of those who should be in the know.
Unquestionably, the one reacting the most to this was Yuan Shao.
Deep down, he knew he shouldn’t let news from Chang’an get his emotions all worked up, nor should he let himself be pulled around like a puppet.
The envy and comparison it sparked could easily lead him to make rash decisions.
It was better for him to stabilize things first, quickly mobilize his advantages within the ranks, and find the right rhythm for development.
But when Yuan Shao received the news, his face darkened.
The death of Yuan Ji fueled rumors spread by Yuan Shu, landing him in a stressful situation.
Of course, if it came down to it, it was evident that among the Yuan clan, the one who would get more support in choosing between him and Yuan Shu was definitely not Yuan Shu.
However, the problem they faced wasn’t about picking between Yuan Shu or Yuan Shao; it was about choosing between Liu Yu or Liu Bian.
That was the crux of the matter.
Yuan Shu’s reckless rumors gave some folks an excuse to back out gracefully.
This made Yuan Shao more acutely aware than ever that the discord between him and Yuan Shu had reached a point that needed resolution, and he didn’t need to pass the buck to others.
So, after discussing it with his strategists, he issued an order in early March under Liu Bian’s name, commanding General Liu Bei to support the deployment from Ye City with Wen Chou and strike against Yuan Shu.
In Yuan Shao’s mind, this was the most opportune moment to take action against Yuan Shu.
With his biggest enemy moving troops to Hanzhong, he expected it would at least take a few months.
During that time, the Chang’an court wouldn’t have the luxury of moving eastward, nor would they have time to join forces with Yuan Shu.
Although Cao Cao had a good rapport with Qiao Yan, there was no immediate chance of him changing his stance.
If Yuan Shao could quickly deal with Yuan Shu, in his thinking, he could then move into Luoyang after securing Yu Province, pushing the front line further ahead.
The best-case scenario would be to invade River East County to prevent the enemy from coming straight at Ye City from the River East-River Interior line.
But what Yuan Shao didn’t expect was that, needing a few days to mobilize his troops, he soon received news that Qiao Yan was already back.
Whether Wen Chou and Yuan Shu had engaged in the first battle was still unknown, but Qiao Yan was already back from Hanzhong!
This was far too quick!
If she had just come back after a failed hunt, that would be understandable, but not only did she capture Hanzhong, she also returned with a whopping one million measures of grain.
With Qiao Yan explaining herself to the officials in Chang’an, Yuan Shao certainly couldn’t match that.
At that moment, he didn’t want to have any thoughts like “How did she do that?” or “On what grounds?” as he had when he first heard about her becoming Grand Marshal.
Such a show of emotion would only make him look more pathetic.
In this situation of both internal and external troubles, Yuan Shao steadied his temper and asked the crowd below, “What do you all think about this news?”
As soon as Yuan Shao finished speaking, Guo Tu chimed in, “Hanzhong is too far away from us, and with the Qinling Mountains in between, we can’t rule out the possibility that Qiao Yan and Liu Yan made some deal to unsettle our minds with this unexpected news.”
Ju Shou glanced at Guo Tu, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, he held back.
No matter whether Guo Tu’s words were mere flattery to Yuan Shao, it didn’t matter at this moment.
The atmosphere in Ye City couldn’t remain gloomy, nor could they let themselves be demoralized before even laying eyes on Qiao Yan.
So Guo Tu’s attempt to downplay the enemy’s alarming achievements was somewhat necessary.
However, such comments should only serve to lighten the mood and not be genuinely believed; they had to maintain their vigilance and regard towards Qiao Yan.
Even if she just made a quick trip to Hanzhong within a month, no one could deny that this one trip had made her much more formidable.
This newfound power wasn’t merely reflected in that one million measures of grain.
Xu You and Ju Shou shared the same opinion on this.
Continuing from Guo Tu’s point, he said, “Instead of worrying about the secrets of the battle in Hanzhong, I think Lord Yuan should pay more attention to the positions received by Qiao Yan’s subordinates from this news.”
“Two people hold particularly special positions,” Xu You gestured for the reports to be returned to him, and after confirming he wasn’t mistaken, he said, “Yao Chang and Bi Lan, these two.”
“If I’m not mistaken, the former is the Protector of Qiang, and the latter is the Supervisor of Water, both of which were directly appointed by her when Dong Zhuo had Dong Hou under control in Chang’an.”
This wasn’t a normal appointment process.
It was akin to when she petitioned the central government to appoint Sun Ce as Prefect of Kuaiji.
This kind of petition can be interpreted that central power figures obstructed the Emperor’s words, and in a pinch, this method was adopted; but it could also be seen as an overstepping of authority.
But now, with the court previously appointing Sun Ce as Governor of Yang Province and General of Zhengdong, and now Yao Chang’s Protector of Qiang and Bi Lan’s Supervisor of Water being properly recognized, it amounted to Liu Yu smoothing over some of Qiao Yan’s previous actions thanks to his reputation.
Xu You commented, “For these lords, it either means that Qiao Yan holds too much power, forcing Liu Boan to act under her pressure, or they genuinely complement each other well. Lord Yuan, regardless of the situation in Hanzhong, this is quite a frightening matter.”
He flipped through the reports and added, “Additionally, there are indeed women getting these appointments, with the Deputy Governor of Liang Province, the Supervisor of Internal Affairs under the Grand Minister of Agriculture, and the Astronomical Observer system under Grand Historian are all women. The fact that Qiao Yan is in a high position and that Liu Boan agreed, also signifies their collaboration.”
Faced with Qiao Yan’s achievements, Yuan Shao swallowed back the word “absurd” that was about to escape his lips, simply saying, “Go on.”
“Qiao Yan doesn’t just have the talent to rally young and capable people under her banner; she also has the skills to elevate them to high positions. This is definitely bad news for Lord Yuan.”
“I…” Yuan Shao started to say that if it was about appointing based on merit regardless of age, he could do that too.
But he suddenly realized that even if he could trust appointments, there was no way he could elevate someone to a Prefect’s position like Qiao Yan could.
He was even having trouble securing the title of Grand General for himself due to Yuan Shu’s meddling, let alone plotting for these Prefect positions.
Xu You was right; the implications of these three Prefect positions were indeed quite terrifying.
Who knows if Liu Yu himself realizes this fact? But it would undoubtedly lead to a brain drain at Hongwen Hall.
And since military generals originally inclined towards being appointed by Qiao Yan would now have less reason to hesitate.
“Then there’s Qiao Yan’s stance towards various factions,” Xu You continued, “Middle General Lü Bu, Middle General Chu Yan, Middle General Fu Gan, and Middle General Qu Yi. What are your thoughts on these four positions?”
In today’s military system, as General titles weren’t often awarded, being a Middle General was typically the highest position most military officials could aspire to. Achieving the leap from Lieutenant to Middle General was as significant as a class shift, let alone one bearing titles like “Conqueror of the East” and “Keeper of the North.”
Even if Xu You didn’t mention it, Yuan Shao could see it clearly; these were essentially core members for campaigns in all directions.
The preceding terms certainly reflected Qiao Yan’s attitudes towards various factions.
Conquering the North and the West—securing stability against the Xianbei and the Qiang and powerful factions of Liang Province.
While maintaining intimidation and cooperation, this “stabilize” sounded more like a directive to ensure peace.
As for the South—securing it against Liu Yan from Yizhou, Liu Biao from Jingzhou, and even further south with the Southern Barbarians, Shanyue, or even Sun Ce from Yang Province.
These were the people she needed to warn and win over, and it directly reflected in Chu Yan’s appointment.
As for “Conquer the East,” it meant waging war against those opposing her and the Chang’an court.
Gongsun Zan, located in Youzhou, was her East.
And of course, Yuan Shao’s own Yanzhou was also her East!
Yuan Shao slammed the table, “Conquer the East… what a ‘Conquer the East’!”
Not to mention whether Qu Yi being designated as Conqueror of the East signified Qiao Yan seizing another chance to reach out to the Qu clan of Xiping.
This title of Conqueror of the East was clearly a declaration of war against him, Yuan Shao!
