Chapter 249

Chapter 249: The Theory of Wonders

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 7: Eight Hundred Qin Rivers, Occupying Guanzhong, Chapter 249: The Theory of Wonders

But before Ju Shou could begin, Yuan Shao himself had already dismissed the idea.

The reputation of the Qiao family in Yanzhou was far inferior to that of Qiao Yan herself, so she could easily make such a choice.

Yuan Shao, however, could not.

The prestige of the Yuan family in Runan, with four generations of three dukes, was something Yuan Shao could not yet abandon.

If it weren’t for the illustrious reputation of this noble family, he wouldn’t have been able to rally such a force during Dong Zhuo’s chaos in Luoyang, nor would he have gained so much support after welcoming Liu Bian to Ye City, nor would he have been able to quickly reach a consensus with the scholars of Hebei.

This was the foundation of his development, not a trivial addition.

So he had to continue fighting Yuan Shu until he firmly grasped the orthodoxy in his own hands! He could no longer allow Yuan Shu to make any public attacks like “Shao is not a son of the Yuan family.”

“My lord…”

As Ju Shou began his劝阻, Yuan Shao waved his hand: “You don’t need to say more, I was just expressing my feelings, not really intending to do this. The path she, Qiao Yanshu, can take, I, Yuan Benchu, cannot.”

Yuan Shao then sighed with emotion: “I truly envy two people, one is Cao Mengde, who has received many talented individuals from both the Xiahou and Cao families, and the other is Qiao Yanshu, who started from scratch and now can split the clan at will.”

Fortunately, these two were not entirely on his opposing side, otherwise Yuan Shao would be extremely annoyed.

Ju Shou could only comfort him: “My lord, you at least have a few intelligent sons. When they grow up, they will surely become your right-hand men. You also have a capable nephew, Gao Yuan, who is both talented and ambitious, excelling in both civil and military affairs. Moreover, not everyone in the Yuan family of Runan is intimidated by Yuan Gonglu’s temporary influence. Isn’t Yuan Boye still your ally?”

Hearing Ju Shou mention Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi, and Yuan Shang, the three brothers, as well as the indeed promising nephew Gao Gan, and Yuan Yi, who had never taken the wrong side, Yuan Shao felt a slight relief in his heart.

He replied: “Yes, let’s see how she enjoys today, what will happen tomorrow?”

From Qiao Xuan’s lineage, only she remains.

In the current unpredictable situation of war and disputes, this isolated state seems decisive but actually hides an unstable element.

It’s better to have descendants by your side and a flourishing clan, like him.

If Qiao Yan knew what Yuan Shao was thinking, she probably wouldn’t feel any envy.

After all, his three sons fighting for inheritance would eventually give him another headache.

If he could live to see that time.

After settling the matter of splitting the clan and establishing a new household in Chang’an, she set off for Bingzhou.

If anyone was most supportive of Qiao Yan splitting from Qiao Xuan to form an independent branch, it might not necessarily be Cheng Yu, who worked diligently for the future of the lord, but—

Cai Yong.

“Master Bojie, didn’t you just sprain your foot while picking wild vegetables on the mountain the other day? You don’t need to come so early.”

As it was still early, Qiao Yan didn’t rest at her residence in Leping but rode directly to Qiao Xuan’s ancestral temple to discuss with the ritual officials borrowed from the court about expanding the temple to signify the establishment of an independent household.

But before they could say much, someone reported that Cai Yong had arrived.

Qiao Yan stepped out of the temple and saw Cai Yong limping, which left her speechless.

But Cai Yong obviously didn’t see any problem with this, nor did he realize that his actions might set a wrong example for the younger generation.

Following him, Cao Pi heard Cai Yong say with great pride: “In this temple of Lord Qiao, I wrote the inscriptions on the steles, the three tripod inscriptions, and the inscription of the yellow axe. Now that we are expanding and splitting the clan, shouldn’t there be a new stele inscription as a commemoration?”

This inscription must be his work and cannot be handed over to anyone else.

Hearing this, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head.

Because of Cai Yong’s three tripod inscriptions and the inscription of the yellow axe, in the archaeology of the Han Dynasty, Qiao Xuan is already the one with the richest variety of commemorative inscriptions. Now, with the addition of a new stele inscription for the expansion and splitting of the clan, it’s likely that no one in later generations could compare to him, unless someone could think of an even more special way of commemoration.

And thus, Cai Yong’s identity as a loyal fan of Qiao Xuan would be even more firmly established.

Seeing Cai Yong’s “if you don’t let me write, I’ll sit here and throw a tantrum” attitude, Qiao Yan had no choice but to agree.

Hearing Qiao Yan’s consent, Cai Yong immediately perked up, “Having a bad leg doesn’t affect my writing inscriptions, it’s a separate matter.”

He even moved his legs a bit to show that he was indeed fine.

Although the next moment, he accidentally pulled his sprained area, and his expression twisted for a moment.

Qiao Yan: “…”

Cao Pi: “…”

The two exchanged glances, finding it hard not to suspect that among the three people present, the youngest was actually Cai Yong.

Rushing over to fight for the right to write the memorial, and spraining his leg while picking wild vegetables for the sake of appetite, it’s hard to say which action is more childish.

But in a sense, this might also be the childlike heart of a literati in the late Han Dynasty.

Qiao Yan glanced at the younger one, thinking of the rumor that he, to commemorate Wang Can who died in a plague, had his companions learn to bray like donkeys in front of Wang Can’s tomb because Wang Can loved the sound during his lifetime. In a sense, he and Cai Yong were equally matched.

However, with Hua Tuo leading his disciples to prepare early for the plague amidst war and natural disasters, it’s unlikely that as many of the Seven Scholars of Jian’an would die from the plague as in history.

She withdrew her gaze from Cao Pi, seeing that Cai Yong had recovered from his leg pain, and invited him inside.

Because of the establishment of an independent household, this place would no longer be solely for the worship of Qiao Xuan. For example, the cenotaphs of Qiao Yu and his wife would also be moved here, necessitating the expansion.

Moreover, because Qiao Yan, the initiator of the clan split, even just based on her current position as Grand Marshal, her contributions to the Han Dynasty were no less than Qiao Xuan’s, and she would likely appear here in the future, the distinction between the main and secondary positions in the temple needed to be considered, not entirely centered on Qiao Xuan.

This was something the ritual officials from Chang’an and the construction craftsmen from Leping needed to consider.

Cai Yong walked around the newly designated area, quite satisfied that he might have more than one or two articles to contribute.

He said: “When I followed you to Leping to bury Lord Qiao’s remains here, I never imagined this place would see such development. Leping becoming a county, the temple expanding, I think if Lord Qiao knew, he would be very pleased.”

“This clan split is good. Back when Lord Qiao was Grand Marshal in Luoyang, someone once asked why he didn’t promote his clansmen. If they could be helped, a little push would suffice, but if they couldn’t, wouldn’t supporting them make them a target that could implicate the entire clan?”

But Cai Yong couldn’t help but worry: “But this way, won’t the Leping Qiao clan you belong to have too few members?”

Fewer people mean peace, but too few is also a problem.

Qiao Yan replied: “It might not be as few as you think.”

Qiao Zhen, who was studying at Leping Academy, was subsequently called by Qiao Yan for a discussion.

The question was whether she wanted to remain part of the Yanzhou Qiao clan or transfer to the Leping Qiao clan.

Qiao Yan said: “You can rest assured on one thing, my drawing a line with the Yanzhou Qiao clan doesn’t mean you have to move out of here tomorrow. As long as you haven’t graduated from the academy, this place remains your place of study.”

Hearing this, Qiao Zhen’s tension eased a bit.

Qiao Yan continued: “After you graduate from here, Bingzhou will not turn you away, just as this place does not reject people from other states coming here to work. I heard you have good ideas in prescribing medicine, and Mr. Wu has already invited you, which won’t change because of your decision.”

“Under these circumstances, you can make this choice—whether to continue relying on the Yanzhou Qiao clan, with your brother as your support, or to choose the Leping Qiao clan, which currently has just a handful of members.”

Qiao Zhen was amused by the “just a handful of members” remark.

But this was indeed a question that required her careful consideration, and she couldn’t help but become more serious.

Before Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting went to Shangjun to study with Jia Xu, they had a farewell with Qiao Zhen.

Because the tasks assigned by Qiao Yan needed to be kept confidential, the two did not explicitly tell Qiao Zhen what they were going to do, and Qiao Zhen only knew that this trip was of indefinite duration.

But even though Qiao Zhen was not among the smartest in Leping Academy, it wasn’t hard for her to guess that what the two were going to do was by no means simple.

Compared to the two sisters who dared to leave the stable life of their family to join Qiao Yan, Qiao Zhen often felt like just an ordinary person. Before Qiao Yan asked her this question, she even thought she might be sent back to Yanzhou.

But if she had to leave here and return to her homeland in Yanzhou, would she really be willing?

Probably not.

In Leping Academy, no one would refer to her as Qiao Zhao’s daughter, no one would tell her she needed to learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to showcase her talents when needed, and no one would think it was against common sense for her to engage in medicine preparation.

Her somewhat slow temperament allowed her to speak and laugh loudly here, expressing her thoughts.

This would never happen in Yanzhou.

Qiao Zhen replied: “My father died in the war against Dong Zhuo, my mother passed away years ago, my brother and I were never close, and all I remember is that he learned to scheme early on, so going back to that family doesn’t mean much to me.”

“My lord, I am already very surprised and delighted that you would ask me this, I just hope you won’t find me too mediocre.”

Qiao Yan smiled: “How many ordinary people are there in this world? At least another ordinary person is not named Qiao Zhen, that’s a special point.”

Qiao Zhen indeed wasn’t like most of the subordinates Qiao Yan had encountered, who had left a significant mark in history.

Even when she sat in front of her, her smile was as gentle and warm as a ripple on water.

But when she made her decision, the vividness in her eyes was unmistakable.

For Qiao Yan, this was one of the reasons she founded Leping Academy.

With Qiao Zhen making her choice, Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting were even more straightforward.

The Yanzhou Qiao clan was not a fallback for them, it might even be a pit of fire. They had already agreed to participate in intelligence work for Qiao Yan, so naturally, they had no objection to transferring to the Leping Qiao clan.

However, because they were considered missing or even possibly dead by the Yanzhou Qiao clan, Qiao Yan didn’t want the grand announcement of the clan transfer to draw attention to the two sisters, so the decision was made to wait until the two sisters…








After my sister retired from her achievements, she performed this action.

“Now, there are four living members of the Qiao family from Leping,” Qiao Ting, who had followed Li Ru on a trip to Yizhou, seemed more outgoing after gaining some worldly experience. She counted on her fingers, “I must survive to complete the tasks for our lord, so that these four don’t become three.”

“Stop with the pessimistic talk. You’re here to manage intelligence, not to risk your lives,” Qiao Yan shook her head and laughed.

She then asked another question, “How have your studies with Mr. Jia Xu and Mr. Li Ru been going?”

Strictly speaking, it has been nearly half a year since the Qiao sisters began learning from Jia Xu and Li Ru.

This half-year can be considered an elite small-class education, and its effectiveness in nurturing talent is undeniable.

Although Jia Xu and Li Ru are not as fervent in their work as those in Chang’an, they certainly haven’t taken a casual approach to teaching their disciples.

When Li Ru went on a diplomatic mission to Yizhou, he didn’t forget to take Qiao Ting along, showing his commitment to teaching by example, which indicates he truly values this educational endeavor.

Qiao Ting asked in return, “What accent do we have now, my lord?”

Originally, Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting had accents from Yanzhou, but now, to Qiao Yan’s ears, they sound somewhat like they’re from Shu.

Seeing Qiao Yan’s realization, Qiao Ting explained, “Many people from Yanzhou have moved to Guanzhong through the direct routes, and Mr. Jia Xu selected a few to communicate with us daily, in addition to our formal lessons.”

Changing their accents reduces the risk of exposing their identities, which is indeed a necessary strategy.

Qiao Lan added, “Because we spent extra time eliminating our accent traits, according to our teachers, we need at least three more months before we can act independently outside.”

“Then I’ll give you some more time,” Qiao Yan, satisfied with their gradual improvement, said, “I heard Mr. Jia Xu has arranged a graduation test for you. After the autumn harvest, let’s see the results.”

Half a year is nothing; Qiao Yan can wait.

This isn’t just her arrangement for the sisters but also her consideration for the overall strategy of offense and defense.

Jia Xu wasn’t surprised when he heard about her plans.

“Taking a pause is good. You’ve been advancing too quickly. It’s better to observe the changes quietly for a while and stabilize the situation in the three regions and three commanderies. Guanzhong also needs a good harvest to solidify confidence in you.”

When he mentioned confidence, he suddenly realized that Qiao Yan, being well-versed in such matters, might not need his reminder.

Before she launched the campaign against Dong Zhuo as the Governor of Bingzhou, she had already increased production within Bingzhou.

The military action in Liangzhou was also based on the previous year’s harvest.

The advance from Gaoping to Longxi and Jincheng was before the military farming in Gaoping showed significant results.

Although the attack on Chang’an was before the autumn harvest, the results from Jincheng and Wuwei were already visible. The early mobilization was due to Li Jue’s actions, so Qiao Yan can’t be blamed for the timing.

Despite having a formidable army capable of conquering the world, she never forgets one fact:

Only a well-fed army has sufficient morale.

While distractedly looking at the tablecloth on Jia Xu’s tea table, Qiao Yan replied, “But this year, both our territory and population have expanded too much. The people’s expectations have shifted from viewing us as mere regional governors to hoping for a restoration of the Han dynasty. Do you think just a good harvest is enough?”

Education in Leping can’t cover everyone. With most people still struggling for basic sustenance, literacy and learning remain aspirations rather than tangible security.

Cotton cultivation needs to expand step by step. Last year, only about sixty thousand cotton garments could be produced, and this year we can expand further.

We also need to consider that some cotton is used for thread and quilts.

Thus, this isn’t enough to win the people’s hearts.

The construction of water channels and prevention of floods and droughts won’t bring fundamental changes in the coming years of favorable weather.

The textile industry only gained manpower this year from Liu Yan, and with new materials, it’s barely possible to develop further. Making a leap in development within this year is quite challenging.

Jia Xu understood Qiao Yan’s point:

She needs another gimmick to serve as a benchmark for the first year of Jian’an.

Since most people can’t grasp the full picture of the three regions, such a benchmark is indeed necessary.

Although he currently holds no official position, it didn’t stop him from instinctively starting to think upon hearing Qiao Yan’s words.

After pondering for a moment, he replied, “How about a wonder?”

Qiao Yan almost blurted out that wonders ruin countries, but considering Jia Xu wasn’t advising Dong Zhuo and likely wasn’t setting a trap for her, she listened as he continued.

“I’m not talking about things like the Great Wall, the Ziwuling Direct Route, or some palace towers,” Jia Xu explained, “I was thinking, since you previously used the cement you developed for Leping Academy, Guyang Road, the fortress in Leping Mountain, and fertilizer fermentation tanks, could we create something special in Chang’an City?”

“According to your method, the finer the particles during grinding, the stronger the cement produced. Since the sieving process is complex, we haven’t imposed strict standards before. But if we focus on one project, could we further enhance its hardness?”

This is indeed feasible.

Given that Qiao Yan hasn’t yet found a way to increase the temperature of iron smelting furnaces, modern cement production is still far off. In contrast, improving the hardness of traditional cement is more manageable.

Jia Xu’s suggestion of creating a wonder is also feasible.

People often believe in more unique things and spread them at an astonishing speed.

Like Hua Tuo’s anesthetic, which didn’t actually allow for painless surgeries but was still mythologized because other physicians couldn’t achieve it.

Jia Xu’s idea of a “wonder” follows the same logic.

Seeing Qiao Yan nod, Jia Xu continued, “But I haven’t yet thought of what this wonder should be.”

Having been appointed by Qiao Yan to assist Lü Bu in managing the military farming in Bai Dao Chuan, Suiyuan City, Jia Xu knew the hardness of traditional cement.

It’s more resistant to pressure than to impact.

Thus, it’s not suitable for statues.

Using it for buildings and walls does differ from ordinary constructions, but it’s hard to create the kind of sensational news that spreads.

This purpose needs careful consideration.

Qiao Yan, however, didn’t see this as a problem.

She clapped her hands and laughed, “Then let’s use it to build a road! We’ll announce it as a road in Chang’an City that leaves no footprints and isn’t made of bricks or stones!”

Using a road for promotion is perfect because everyone walks on roads.

When Chang’an has such a road and nowhere else does, people will surely want to come and see.

Chang’an, being the economic, political, and cultural center of Guanzhong, indeed has the necessity for such visits.

This continuous positive cycle of attracting people is exactly the role of such a “wonder.”

Given that cement roads damage horse hooves, all the road repairs she initiated before were merely to level out potholes. But using it for a single road in the city is clearly not a problem.

What needs attention is:

Since this road will serve as Chang’an’s showcase, it must not be trodden upon during construction or maintenance, leaving marks. It must not easily crack due to winter temperatures, nor be easily crushed due to insufficient thickness, nor be internally damaged due to improper drainage.

Of course, the last point is relatively easier to solve, as traditional cement has decent corrosion resistance.

Decided, we’ll build a road!

A road that doesn’t need to be too long!

Qiao Yan thanked Jia Xu, “Thank you for the reminder. Otherwise, I might have forgotten we have such a useful tool.”

Jia Xu leisurely sipped his tea and replied, “This is your own achievement, my lord.”

After all, even the cleverest housewife can’t cook without rice; having cement is essential for creating subsequent landmark achievements.

This is also a benefit of following the right leader.

Being a spy, he and Tian Feng live completely different lives.

Thinking of this satisfying contrast, a smile couldn’t help but appear on Jia Xu’s face.

But the next moment, his smile froze.

Because he saw that Qiao Yan, having found a solution, didn’t choose to continue drinking tea or leave but instead reached for the tablecloth she had been eyeing.

“Speaking of which, this doesn’t quite suit you, does it?” Qiao Yan spread out the part of the tablecloth embroidered with patterns and examined it closely before looking back at Jia Xu, “Since you’re playing the role of a recluse, shouldn’t you choose patterns of pines, bamboos, deer, or cranes? Why choose two iron-eating beasts?”

“These creatures, fond of eating copper, iron, and bamboo, really don’t match your demeanor.”

Jia Xu: “…”

The tablecloth in Qiao Yan’s hand was embroidered with a clump of green bamboo, beneath which two bear-like, black-and-white spotted creatures were depicted—one rolling on the ground, the other munching on bamboo, presenting an utterly adorable scene.

This was none other than what is known in modern times as the national treasure, the panda.

However, in the Han dynasty, it was called the iron-eating beast, recorded in Dongfang Shuo’s “Classic of Divine Wonders.”

Qiao Ting had encountered them by the roadside in Mianzhu during her trip to Yizhou with Li Ru and, finding them cute, embroidered them on the tablecloth upon returning to Shangjun.

Jia Xu, having never seen such creatures before, found them interesting and requested the tablecloth.

Although Li Ru taught Qiao Ting and Jia Xu taught Qiao Lan, some lessons were taught jointly, so Jia Xu was still considered Qiao Ting’s teacher, making the tablecloth a token of apprenticeship.

But now…

Qiao Yan said, “We’ve acquired several hundred skilled embroiderers from Yizhou, some particularly adept at Shu embroidery. I’ll have them send you a tablecloth with a bamboo forest and recluse theme in a few days.”

“They say tranquility cultivates the body. It’s better not to keep such ferocious creatures in front of you.”

Jia Xu remained silent.

He wasn’t fooled; he could tell whether Qiao Yan’s actions were because the tablecloth didn’t match his demeanor or because she fancied it herself.

My lord, my lord, after your recent performance of righteousness in Chang’an, establishing your own school, it seems your skin has thickened considerably!

As for Jia Xu’s silent accusation, Qiao Yan chose to ignore it.

She simply thought to herself, after calmly taking the panda tablecloth, that she had been somewhat remiss earlier. When demanding rewards from Liu Yan for the army, she had forgotten about this Sichuan specialty; she should have asked for a batch of pandas too!

But it was too late to make such a request to Liu Yan now. She would have to wait for another opportunity to hunt with him.

For now, she was heading back to Chang’an to build a wonder!