“Can a strategist really not ascend the throne?”
Before Ju Shou could even start, Yuan Shao had already discarded the thought himself.
The prestige of the Qiao family from Yanzhou doesn’t even come close to that of Qiao Yan herself, so she can afford such a decision.
But not Yuan Shao.
The prestigious name of the Runan Yuan clan, boasting four generations of high-ranking officials, is something Yuan Shao absolutely cannot let go of right now.
If it weren’t for the reputation of this illustrious family, he wouldn’t have been able to rally such a force during Dong Zhuo’s chaos in Luoyang, nor would he have received so much backing after supporting Liu Bian in Ye City, quickly aligning opinions with the gentry of Hebei.
This is the foundation of his development, not some optional add-on.
So he must continue the fight against Yuan Shu until he has the legitimate authority firmly in his hands! He also can’t allow Yuan Shu to voice any claims like “Shao is not a true child of the Yuan clan.”
“My lord…”
As Ju Shou began to subtly dissuade him, Yuan Shao waved his hand: “No need to say more. I’m just expressing my thoughts; I don’t really want to go down that path. Qiao Yan can do it, but I, Yuan Benchu, cannot.”
At this point, Yuan Shao, filled with emotion, said: “I truly envy two people: one is Cao Mengde, who has plenty of talented people from both the Xiahou and Cao families at his disposal, and the other is Qiao Yan, who started from scratch to reach where she is today, effortlessly deciding to branch off from her clan.”
Thank goodness these two aren’t all against him, or Yuan Shao might just choke on his own frustration.
Ju Shou could only reassure him: “My lord, you still have several wise sons. Once they grow up, they will surely become your strong right arm. You also have a capable nephew, Gao Yuan, renowned for his broad aspirations and remarkable talents. Moreover, not all the younger generation of the Runan Yuan clan are cowed by Yuan Gonglu’s fleeting power. Isn’t Yuan Boye still your ally?”
Hearing Ju Shou mention the three brothers Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi, and Yuan Shang—his ambitious nephew Gao Gan, and the not-so-miscalculated Yuan Yi—Yuan Shao felt the buried frustration in his chest ease up a bit.
“Yeah, let’s see how they’re faring today, and what will happen tomorrow?”
Only Qiao Yan remains from the branch passed down from Qiao Xuan.
In this unpredictable state of wars and conflicts, this isolated situation, while seemingly determined, actually hides an unsettling element.
It’s much better to be surrounded by offspring with families all around.
If Qiao Yan knew what Yuan Shao was pondering at this moment, she probably wouldn’t feel too envious.
After all, his three sons squabbling over the inheritance will soon give him yet another headache.
If he even lives to see that day.
After wrapping up the matter of establishing a separate branch in Chang’an, she set off for Bingzhou.
If asked who supported Qiao Yan’s independent branch the most right from Qiao Xuan, it might not actually be the diligent Cheng Yu working hard for the future of the lord, but rather—
Cai Yong.
“Mr. Bojie was just on the mountain picking wild vegetables a couple of days ago and accidentally hurt his foot; he shouldn’t have to rush over so soon.”
Since it was still early, Qiao Yan didn’t rest at Leping’s place but directly rode to Qiao Xuan’s temple to discuss with the ceremonial officials about expanding the ancestral temple to signify her standalone branch.
But before they could even get two sentences in, word came that Cai Yong had arrived.
As Qiao Yan stepped out of the temple, she caught sight of Cai Yong limping a bit, which left her momentarily speechless.
Cai Yong, however, didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong, completely oblivious to whether his actions might mislead younger generations.
Following him was Cao Pi, ears perked up as Cai Yong proudly stated, “In this Qiao Public Temple, the inscriptions are my work, the three tripod inscriptions are my work, and the Inscription of the Yellow Axe is also my work! Since we’re expanding the branch, shouldn’t there be a new inscription to commemorate it?”
This piece of writing had to be his brainchild; he couldn’t let anyone else handle it.
Hearing this, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but facepalm with a laugh.
Thanks to Cai Yong’s three tripod inscriptions and the Inscription of the Yellow Axe, Qiao Xuan was already the one with the richest variety of commemorative inscriptions during the Han period. If they were to add one more commemorating the expansion of the branch, it would be hard to top him in future history, unless someone came up with an even more unique way to commemorate.
As it stood, being a loyal fan of Qiao Xuan just solidified Cai Yong’s reputation.
Seeing Cai Yong with that “if you don’t let me write, I’ll just sulk here” look, Qiao Yan probably had little choice but to agree.
Once she did, Cai Yong perked up immediately, “A sore leg doesn’t stop me from writing inscriptions; that’s two different things!”
He even wiggled his legs a bit, trying to prove he was just fine.
But the next moment, he unintentionally pulled at his injured spot, and his expression twisted for a moment.
Qiao Yan: “…”
Cao Pi: “…”
The two exchanged glances for a moment, struggling to believe that the youngest among the three was actually Cai Yong.
Whether rushing here for the writing rights or twisting his leg in a bid for food, one couldn’t help but wonder which action was more childish.
Yet, in a certain sense, this might just be the pure heart of a literary man from the late Han dynasty.
Qiao Yan glanced down at this younger version, recalling the rumor about him imitating the sound of a donkey at Wang Can’s grave, to honor Wang Can who had passed away during the great plague. After all, he had loved that sound in life, making her think that, in some way, he and Cai Yong didn’t need to be ranked against each other.
But now with Hua Tuo leading his disciples, they were much better prepared for the plague that comes with wars and natural disasters. It probably won’t be as grave as it was in history for the Seven Scholars of Jian’an.
She pulled her gaze from Cao Pi, noticing that Cai Yong seemed to have recovered from his leg pain, and invited him to join them inside.
Due to establishing a separate branch, this place would now serve not just as a tribute site for Qiao Xuan. For instance, the couple Qiao Yu had originally only had a mausoleum; they would also be relocated here, necessitating expansion.
Moreover, because Qiao Yan, the initiator of this separation, holds the title of Grand Marshal, her contributions to the Han dynasty are comparable to that of Qiao Xuan. It’s likely she’ll also have a spot here in the future, thus the organization of the ancestral hall needs careful consideration, not solely centered around Qiao Xuan.
This is precisely the matter that needed deliberating with the ceremonial officials summoned from Chang’an and the master builders from Leping.
Cai Yong took a stroll around the newly defined area, satisfied that there would likely be more than just a couple of articles for him to contribute to this project.
He remarked, “Years ago, when I came with you to Leping to bury Qiao Gong, I never expected this place would see such development. Leping has become a county, and the ancestral hall is expanding; surely Qiao Gong would be delighted were he to know.”
“This separation is well-timed. Back when Qiao Gong was the Grand Commandant in Luoyang, some questioned why he didn’t promote members of the clan. Sure, helping those who can be supported is one thing, but is he supposed to lift those who can’t and turn them into targets of blame for the entire clan?”
But Cai Yong still voiced his concerns, “However, isn’t the Qiao family of Leping a bit too small?”
Fewer people mean tranquility, which is good, but being too few is a bad thing too.
Qiao Yan replied, “It may not be as few as you think.”
The first person she sought to chat with from the Leping Academy was Qiao Zhen.
She asked whether Qiao Zhen would prefer to remain part of the Yanzhou Qiao clan or switch to the Leping Qiao family.
Qiao Yan added, “Rest assured, my severing ties with the Yanzhou Qiao clan doesn’t mean you have to leave tomorrow. You haven’t graduated from the academy, so this place remains your study.”
Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhen felt significantly relieved.
Qiao Yan continued, “When you graduate here, you won’t be turned away in Bingzhou, just as this place will not refuse people from other regions coming here to work. I’ve heard you have quite innovative ideas regarding medicinal prescriptions, and Mr. Wu has already invited you; that won’t change based on your decision.”
“Given these circumstances, make your choice—do you wish to continue relying on the Yanzhou Qiao clan, with your brothers as your support, or do you prefer the current Leping Qiao family, which barely numbers a handful?”
Qiao Zhen couldn’t help but chuckle at the “barely a handful” bit.
But indeed, this was a decision requiring her careful consideration, and she stifled her smile a bit.
Before heading to the Upper County to study with Jia Xu, Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting had a farewell with her.
Since Qiao Yan’s assigned tasks needed to remain confidential, the two didn’t explain to Qiao Zhen what was going on, leaving her only knowing that this trip’s return date was uncertain.
Even if Qiao Zhen might not be viewed as particularly clever in Leping Academy, she wasn’t naive enough to think their mission was simple.
Compared to the bold sisters who discarded their safe, stable family life to side with Qiao Yan, Qiao Zhen often felt like just an ordinary person, and even before Qiao Yan posed the question, she believed she might be sent back to Yanzhou.
But did she really want to leave and go back to her old home in Yanzhou?
Probably not.
In Leping Academy, no one referred to her as Qiao Zhao’s daughter; no one insisted that she master the four arts just to showcase her talents when required; and no one would think her exploring drugs and concoctions was unreasonable.
Her personality was somewhat mellow, and here she dared to laugh and express her ideas openly.
That was unthinkable back in Yanzhou.
Qiao Zhen replied, “My father died in the fight against Dong Zhuo, my mother passed away years ago, and my relationship with my older brother has never been close. All I remember is that he learned early how to scheme, so going back to that house means little to me.”
“I’m genuinely surprised and delighted that you even consider asking me this; I just hope you don’t find my abilities mediocre.”
Qiao Yan chuckled, “How many ordinary people are there in this world? At least, there’s another ordinary person who isn’t named Qiao Zhen—that makes you special.”
Qiao Zhen really wasn’t like most of her subordinates who had left a significant mark in history.
Even as she sat there, her smile radiated warmth, like ripples in water that left no trace.
But when she made a decision, the vivacity in her eyes made her clarity unmistakable.
For Qiao Yan, this was part of the significance of establishing the Leping Academy.
With Qiao Zhen’s choice made, the same went for Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting.
The Yanzhou Qiao clan wasn’t a safety net for them. It could very well be a pit of fire, and they had long accepted Qiao Yan’s invitation to join the intelligence work, so there was nothing stopping them from transitioning to the Leping Qiao family.
However, since they were considered to have gone missing—or even possibly dead—in relation to Yanzhou Qiao family, Qiao Yan preferred that their relocation to the Leping Qiao family wasn’t too overt to draw attention to these two sisters, hence the decision was made to wait until the sisters…
“So, after achieving her goals, she’s gonna pull this stunt again?”
“Well, that makes four living members of the Leping Qiao family now.” Qiao Ting, who went along with Li Ru for a journey to Yizhou, seemed to have become more outgoing, perhaps from gaining some experience. She counted on her fingers and declared, “I’ve got to stick around to help Junhou fulfill his mission; I can’t let these four turn into three!”
“Stop with the gloomy talk! You’re here to manage the correspondence, not to throw your lives around recklessly,” Qiao Yan chuckled while shaking her head.
Then, she switched gears and asked, “So, how are things going with Master Wenhe and Master Wenyuan?”
Strictly speaking, it had already been nearly half a year since the Qiao sisters started learning from Jia Xu and Li Ru. In this time, they had received what could only be described as elite education in small classes—undoubtedly effective for nurturing talent.
While Jia Xu and Li Ru weren’t as enthusiastic as those working in Chang’an, at least they didn’t approach teaching with a casual attitude.
Li Ru even brought Qiao Ting along when he was sent on a mission to Yizhou, showing that he was truly committed to teaching.
Qiao Ting countered, “So, Junhou, do our accents still sound like Yanzhou?”
Originally, both Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting had accents from Yanzhou, but now, to Qiao Yan’s ears, there was a hint of Shudi in their speech.
Seeing her look puzzled, Qiao Ting explained, “Since many who came from Yizhou entered Guanzhong, some were selected by Master Wenhe to engage with us every day, and then there are the formal lessons.”
The change in their accent indeed reduced the chances of exposing their identities—a necessary strategy.
Qiao Lan added, “Since we spent more time on suppressing our accents, per our masters, we need at least three more months to operate independently outside.”
“Then I’ll give you some more time,” Qiao Yan said, satisfied with their gradual improvement. “I heard Master Wenhe assigned you an assessment for your deployment. After the autumn harvest, let’s see the results.”
Half a year was just a flick of a finger for Qiao Yan.
This wasn’t only about her arrangements for the sisters; it was also about her strategic calculations for the bigger picture.
Jia Xu wasn’t surprised by her plan.
“Taking a breather is fine; Junhou has moved too fast. It’s better to observe the changes for a while and stabilize the situation in the three provinces and three counties. Guanzhong also needs a rich harvest to build confidence in Junhou.”
As he mentioned confidence, he suddenly realized he probably didn’t need to remind her; Qiao Yan was already well-versed in that.
Before she launched her campaign against Dong Zhuo as the Governor of Bingzhou, she had already achieved increased production in Bingzhou.
The military deployment to Liangzhou also prepared the ground with last year’s harvest.
Advancing from Gaoping to Longxi and Jincheng also came after effective military garrisoning by the troops in Gaoping.
Entering Chang’an, although happening before the autumn harvest, still saw the rewards of the harvest in Jincheng and Wuwei coming to light. This early deployment was also due to Li Jue moving first, so you can’t fault Qiao Yan for timing.
Even though she had sharp soldiers to rule over the world, she never forgot one essential truth—
A well-fed troop brings better morale.
While she was distracted looking at the tablecloth on the tea table, she replied, “But this year we’ve expanded territory and population too much. The people’s expectations have shifted from seeing us as state officials to hoping for a dynasty of the Han. Don’t you think, Master, is mere harvest really enough?”
Leping’s education couldn’t reach everyone, and for most people still struggling to make ends meet, being literate was a dream, not a real sense of security.
Cotton farming needed to expand step by step, so only around sixty thousand pieces of cotton clothing were produced last year, and this year allowed for further expansion.
And some of the cotton has to be used for threads and quilts.
So that alone couldn’t support the hopes of the populace.
Digging canals and preventing floods and droughts wouldn’t lead to fundamental changes in the upcoming relatively smooth years.
The textile industry only gained manpower from Liu Yan this year, along with new raw materials, which barely led to further development; expecting some radical progress this year was ambitious.
Jia Xu picked up on Qiao Yan’s thoughts—
She still needed some other buzz to serve as a benchmark for this Jian’an year.
Since the public mostly couldn’t see the big picture in the three provinces, that benchmark was indeed necessary.
Though he currently held no position, that didn’t stop him from instinctively brainstorming after hearing Qiao Yan say all that.
He pondered for a moment and replied, “How about a spectacle?”
Qiao Yan almost blurted out “a spectacle brings ruin” out of reflex, but recalling that Jia Xu wasn’t advising Dong Zhuo, she chose to listen further.
“I’m not talking about something like the Great Wall or the Ziwuling direct road or any palatial buildings,” Jia Xu elucidated, “I’m thinking, since Junhou had you experiment with cement for Leping Academy, Guyang Road, the Leping Mountain Fortress, and fertilizer fermentation pits, could there be a special structure in Chang’an?”
“According to your ideas, the finer the particles during the grinding process, the stronger the final cement will be. Since the screening process is complicated, there weren’t too strict regulations in previous uses, but now that we’re applying it in one spot, could it raise the hardness even further?”
This was indeed feasible.
While she hadn’t figured out how to increase the temperature in the iron smelting furnace yet, modern cement production remained far out of reach for her, whereas enhancing the hardness of traditional cement offered more room for maneuvering.
Jia Xu’s suggestion for a spectacle indeed had its merits.
The populace would often believe in and spread special things at an astonishing speed.
Just like Hua Tuo’s麻沸散—while it didn’t completely eliminate sensation during surgeries, the fact it was something other medics couldn’t achieve made it seem almost magical.
Jia Xu’s “spectacle” was truly rooted in that same thinking.
Seeing Qiao Yan nod, Jia Xu continued, “But I haven’t thought about what this spectacle should be yet.”
Having once served Qiao Yan in Suiyuan City assisting Lü Bu with the management of the Baidao army garrison, he was savvy to the hardness of traditional cement.
It was indeed more resilient under pressure than from direct strikes.
So it obviously couldn’t be used to build statues or anything.
Using it to build walls might differ from regular houses, but it seemed hard to create tales that would spread far and wide.
This usage needed some more thought.
But Qiao Yan thought this was no issue at all.
She clapped her hands in delight and said, “Let’s use it to build a road! We’ll claim—this is a road in Chang’an that won’t leave footprints behind, and it’s not made of bricks or stones!”
Using a road for publicity was simply perfect since everyone had to walk on paths.
When Chang’an had such a road while others didn’t, people would certainly be curious enough to come see it.
As the imperial capital, Chang’an was the economic, political, and cultural center of Guanzhong, making it essential for people to visit.
This continuous positive cycle of attracting people was the magic of that “spectacle.”
Due to the damage cement roads infliced on hooves, all her previous road works were merely fixes for bumpy paths, but now to apply it to a single road in the city was evidently no problem.
The only concern was—
Since this road would serve as Chang’an’s face to the world, it couldn’t be trampled during construction and maintenance, its surface couldn’t crack easily from cooling winter temps, it shouldn’t be too thin to break under weight, and water drainage couldn’t lead to internal damage.
Of course, the last concern was relatively easy to handle since traditional cement showed good resistance to corrosion.
It was decided, a road it is!
A road that didn’t need to be too long!
Qiao Yan expressed her gratitude to Jia Xu, saying, “Thanks for the reminder, or I might have forgotten we have such a great tool!”
Jia Xu leisurely sipped his tea and replied, “That’s all thanks to your efforts, Junhou.”
After all, it was hard to make something out of nothing; you needed cement to churn out the subsequent results.
This also counted as a benefit of following the right leader.
Being an undercover agent, he and Tian Feng were living very different existences.
Thinking of that satisfying contrast made a grin break out on Jia Xu’s face.
But in the next moment, the smile froze on his face.
Why? Because he saw Qiao Yan, all resolved with her plan, didn’t choose to continue sipping tea or leave; instead, she reached for the tablecloth she had been eyeing for a while.
“You know, this doesn’t really suit you, does it?” Qiao Yan spread the embroidered design on the tablecloth in her hand, looking closely for a moment before glancing back at Jia Xu, “If you want to play the idle man, you should pick a design with bamboo and deer or cranes, not two creatures that eat iron!”
“This thing really eats up copper, iron, and bamboo; it really doesn’t match your vibe at all.”
Jia Xu: “……”
On that tablecloth Qiao Yan held was embroidered a bunch of green bamboo, and beneath it, two creatures resembling bears, one sprawled on the ground while the other nibbled on bamboo; they looked endearingly clumsy.
What was this if not the beloved national treasure now called a panda in modern times?
But in the Han dynasty, it was called “jiètiě” and noted in Dongfang Shuo’s “Shen Yi Jing.”
On her trip back from Yizhou with Li Ru, Qiao Ting encountered these creatures near the Mianzhu road and found them delightful enough to embroider on the tablecloth upon her return to Shangjun.
Jia Xu had never seen them before either and found them interesting enough to ask for it.
Even though Li Ru taught Qiao Ting and Jia Xu taught Qiao Lan, there were still some lessons taught by both, making Jia Xu still somewhat of a teacher to Qiao Ting, thus this item was a gift of appreciation from her.
But right now…
All Jia Xu heard was Qiao Yan saying, “This time we received hundreds of embroidery workers from Yizhou, some of whom excel in Shu embroidery. I’ll have them send you a bamboo-covered, secluded tablecloth in a few days.”
“They say to cultivate oneself in peace; it’s better not to keep such a fierce object in front of you.”
Jia Xu fell silent.
Don’t think he didn’t notice; whether Qiao Yan’s action stemmed from believing the item didn’t fit his vibe or because she genuinely liked it was a mystery.
Junhou, Junhou, you just put on quite the show of righteousness in Chang’an and established your own household; it seems you’ve thickened your skin quite a bit!
For Jia Xu’s silent accusations, Qiao Yan opted to act like she hadn’t seen them.
All she could think while casually reclaiming the panda tablecloth was that she’d made a bit of a miscalculation; when she sought Liu Yan for military rewards, she’d completely forgotten about this Sichuan specialty; she ought to have him send a batch of pandas over!
But now it was too late to ask Liu Yan for favors again; she’d wait until next time for a hunting request.
Soon, she’d return to Chang’an to create her spectacle!
