Chapter 253

Chapter 253

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 7: Eight Hundred Qin Rivers, Occupying Guanzhong, Chapter 253: Before the Alcohol Ban Meeting

Belonging to the book:


Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 253: Before the Alcohol Ban Meeting

A man from Ji Province, whose name is unknown in this Leping Monthly Report, came to Bingzhou for work in October last year.

He first worked at the centralized agricultural tool production site in Bingzhou, where his excellent calculation skills earned him the recognition of the local supervisor, granting him the opportunity to study abacus at the Leping Academy.

Coinciding with the new emperor’s ascension to the throne in Chang’an, he was given the chance to accompany the Lingtai Minister to Chang’an to assist in the renovation work of the observatory.

Later, due to his outstanding performance at Lingtai, he was transferred to the newly opened Hongwen Hall to take charge of document recording.

In recording the conversations of people coming and going in Hongwen Hall, he was highly praised by the Marquis of Leping for his detailed and comprehensive records, and was recommended to Chen Yuanfang, one of the heads of Hongwen Hall, as a disciple and assistant.

After receiving such promotion and attention, the man remained diligent and sincere. While diligently studying, he became a comparative case for the Marquis of Leping’s guidance to the Qiao family in Yanzhou, earning the evaluation of a future key minister.

It is unknown who wrote this manuscript, but at the end of this narrative, a supplementary note was added:

Today, you who see or hear this Leping Monthly Report may still be just a small craftsman coming to Bingzhou to make a living, but this is not important. From the court in Chang’an to Bingzhou, the standard of selecting talents based on ability is strictly followed, and several paths for advancement are provided. So tomorrow, you may become a pillar of the Han Dynasty.

What an inspiring example!

In just half a year, he achieved a leap from a commoner to a disciple of the Nine Ministers!

But when others hear this, they might marvel at how Bingzhou is full of talents, with hidden dragons and crouching tigers, where even in a small workplace such talents can emerge. However, Yuan Shao would not.

He directly stopped the attendant reading the report and immediately sat up from his couch.

The strategists who had just finished discussing the war situation in Yu Province with him were all called back, including Ju Shou, who was about to go to Chenliu with Gao Gan.

When these people returned to the hall, they saw Yuan Shao holding a copy of the Leping Monthly Report, pacing back and forth in the room.

After everyone had gathered, he paced a couple more times, showing an expression of encountering something particularly incomprehensible, hesitated for a moment, and then handed the Leping Monthly Report in his hand to Ju Shou, pointing to the page detailing the promotion process of the man surnamed Yuan.

He asked, “Gongyu, in your opinion, how likely is it that this promoted person is Tian Feng?”

This obviously does not seem like Qiao Yan using a non-existent anecdote to sarcastically express that those who cannot be reused in Ji Province can become outstanding talents in Bingzhou.

If it were a fabricated story, she would not have allowed the report to clearly state that the person had become a disciple of Chen Ji.

So now in Chang’an, there is indeed a man surnamed Yuan from Ji Province, with the promotion process as recorded in the monthly report.

But if this story is true, Yuan Shao feels… it’s hard not to associate it with Tian Feng.

When did Tian Feng go to Bingzhou? Last October.

What surname did Tian Feng use for his fake identity? Yuan.

What a coincidence!

Yuan Shao absolutely refuses to believe that any random villager from Bingzhou could easily rise to high positions and even become a disciple of a great scholar.

The most likely scenario is that he already had such abilities but chose to hide them before.

And this person is very likely Tian Feng!

Seeing that Ju Shou had already passed the monthly report to the next person, with a thoughtful expression on his face, Yuan Shao spoke up: “The report also says that this man surnamed Yuan from Ji Province is around forty years old, so age does not affect one’s ability to achieve great things. Forty years old, isn’t that also Tian Feng’s age?”

As Yuan Shao spoke, he felt his head buzzing.

He never dreamed that Tian Feng, whom he thought had been caught stealing knowledge in Bingzhou, did not meet the fate he had guessed. On the contrary, as written in the report, he had step by step risen to the position of a key assistant in Hongwen Hall, a disciple of the great scholar Chen Ji.

So it is likely true that he gained Qiao Yan’s favor.

How could such a ridiculous thing happen in the world?

Just yesterday, he was telling his subordinates that sending Tian Feng to Bingzhou for reconnaissance was a wrong judgment on his part.

Even without clear evidence that Tian Feng had met with misfortune, Yuan Shao would surely treat his family well.

But the result Tian Feng gave him was that he was almost becoming an official in Chang’an.

Yuan Shao’s temple veins twitched as he heard Ju Shou reply, “It does sound like Tian Feng.”

There is more than one piece of matching information, making it hard to believe it’s just a coincidence.

“But…” Ju Shou changed his tone, “My lord, don’t be so hasty.”

Ju Shou clearly saw Yuan Shao’s expression and could guess what he was thinking.

He must feel that Tian Feng, having not sent any messages back in half a year and instead becoming a motivational example in Bingzhou, must have betrayed him.

But Ju Shou doesn’t think so.

He said, “My lord, think about it. If Tian Feng really intended to defect to Bingzhou and never return, shouldn’t he make you think he’s dead? With his reputation as a famous scholar from Hebei, he could directly seek out Qiao Yanshu, reveal his name, and offer his strategies under a different identity, rather than becoming a motivational figure in Bingzhou, even letting you know in such a way.”

Yuan Shao hesitantly nodded.

This makes sense. Without the news from Ji Province and the surname Yuan, Yuan Shao wouldn’t have realized it was Tian Feng so quickly.

Ju Shou continued, “Moreover, if Tian Feng had already defected, considering his family in Ji Province, would he let you guess his identity so easily, or would he let himself appear so prominently in the Leping Monthly Report?”

Probably not.

If he really wanted to do that, he could wait until Qiao Yan captured Ye City and then make a triumphant return.

Instead of exposing himself to Yuan Shao now.

Since Ju Shou had passed the monthly report to Xu You, Xu You also spoke up at this moment: “I agree with Gongyu’s view. The news in this monthly report is not evidence of Tian Feng’s betrayal of you, but rather a signal he is sending to you.”

Yuan Shao asked curiously, “How so?”

Xu You replied, “My lord, think about it. When Tian Feng came to Bingzhou, Qiao Yanshu had already announced that Liu Yu would be the current emperor. Not long after, news came that Gongsun Zan defeated Liu Bo’an on the coastal road, and Qiao Yanshu brought Liu Bo’an back to Guanzhong. Under such circumstances, most of Bingzhou’s secrets would inevitably be transferred to Guanzhong, making exposure unavoidable.”

“In this situation, as an outsider, would Tian Feng learn more in Bingzhou or in Guanzhong?”

If Tian Feng were here, he would probably thank Xu You several times.

He was pushed to this position step by step, not because he had such considerations in mind to turn his attention to Chang’an.

He even felt he was unlucky.

But Yuan Shao, having heard the judgments of Ju Shou and Xu You, had calmed down a lot from his earlier anger of being betrayed and signaled Xu You to continue.

Xu You said, “From the perspective of Qiao Yanshu’s people, this man surnamed Yuan from Ji Province has some knowledge but not much, excelling in diligence and hard work. Coinciding with the Chang’an court’s urgent need for personnel, he was promoted. Unbeknownst to them, while they thought to praise this person to show their appreciation for talents, many of their secrets would also be exposed to Tian Feng.”

Yuan Shao frowned, “According to what you said, why hasn’t Tian Feng sent any messages back to Ji Province until now?”

It’s been half a year! Not half a month!

With Tian Feng’s intelligence, Yuan Shao doesn’t believe he couldn’t find a way to send a message before.

Xu You said, “This might be Tian Feng’s cleverness. Having reached a high position, there’s no need to risk exposing his identity by sending back information we could obtain through other means. It’s better not to make any out-of-bounds moves, making no one in Chang’an suspect he’s your man. But he can’t really be a dead man to you either, so he should give a signal.”

He raised the monthly report in his hand, “Isn’t this the signal? My lord, you are so familiar with your people that even so, you would surely recognize it and naturally seek to contact him because of this news.”

Yuan Shao was half-convinced, but seeing that the monthly report had been passed around to several others who all agreed with Ju Shou and Xu You’s judgment, he felt it made sense.

If this were Tian Feng’s act of “betraying the country and favoring the rich,” then Tian Feng would indeed be a bit foolish.

Yuan Shao didn’t think his near-conclusion about Tian Feng before asking could also be considered foolish, and instead asked the people present, “So in your opinion, should I have someone contact Tian Feng as soon as possible?”

“I have an idea, I wonder if my lord thinks it feasible.” Xin Pi suddenly spoke up.

“Zhi Zhi, speak freely.”

Xin Pi said, “Tian Feng revealing his whereabouts to you only now might be because he fears that rash contact with people from Ji Province could easily arouse suspicion. Now that he is employed at Hongwen Hall, it’s easy to find him. Currently, there are many scholars who intend to serve the Chang’an court but are still observing, providing an opportunity to contact him. My lord could send a trusted confidant disguised as a scholar from Hebei intending to seek office, using their shared hometown as a reason to interact with Tian Feng and pass messages back.”

However, what Xin Pi suggested was sending a trusted confidant, but after dismissing everyone, Yuan Shao directly called his second son, Yuan Xi, to him.

“Xian Yi, I want you to go to Chang’an to contact Tian Feng.”

Yuan Xi was almost startled by his father’s assignment.

But he always valued demeanor and composure, so he steadied himself and asked, “Father, why did you suddenly make such a decision?”

Yuan Shao is not Liu Biao nor Cao Cao, so he can’t send his second son to Chang’an to be a Taipu like Liu Biao, nor can he send his second son to Leping to study like Cao Cao.

Suddenly saying he wants him to go to Chang’an is actually a very strange decision, and even an extremely dangerous mission.

The Ye court and the Chang’an court have torn apart, with the east and west in confrontation, which is already an open situation. They won’t stop until one side is dead. Going to Chang’an means entering the enemy’s stronghold!

If it weren’t for the latter part of his father’s words mentioning Tian Feng, Yuan Xi would almost think his father was abandoning another son.

The reason for saying “another” is because last month, after Yuan Ji’s death, his father adopted his eldest son Yuan Tan to Yuan Ji to express his grief over his brother’s death.

Thus, although Yuan Tan still holds the title of Yuan Shao’s eldest son, in terms of etiquette, he no longer has the right to inherit Yuan Shao’s position.





The inheritance of Yuan Shao’s legacy.

Yuan Xi clearly saw the situation at home. His father showed no obvious favoritism among his three sons on the surface, but he clearly preferred the youngest son, Yuan Shang, who inherited more of his looks and was exceptionally handsome. Passing the eldest son to another family was partly to silence gossip and partly to pave the way for the youngest son.

However, for Yuan Xi, none of this mattered. Whether his father chose the eldest brother or the youngest brother, he would never be chosen. So now, he only cared about the task before him.

Regarding his question, Yuan Shao informed Yuan Xi of the discussions at today’s council and then said to him, “They all say that Tian Yuanhao has not betrayed me but is sending me a message in this way. However, there is also the possibility that he is doing the opposite, or that the trusted aide I sent to assist has defected to Chang’an, which is also troublesome. After much thought, I have decided to send you.”

“I often feel that the current situation is not good. Although I am the second most powerful person under the Son of Heaven in Ye City, everyone under me harbors hidden intentions. Take Ju Gongyu, for example. He has been leading troops for a long time and holds significant power. In the Qingzhou region, many only know him as the Cavalry Commandant who quelled the chaos and not me. Then there is Xu Ziyuan, who, relying on our early friendship, allows his relatives to embezzle for personal gain.”

He looked at Yuan Xi with a hopeful gaze and said, “I know you are intelligent and filial to your father, so I can fully trust only you. Xianyi, you won’t disappoint your father, will you?”

Yuan Xi rarely saw Yuan Shao’s gaze so focused on him and instinctively nodded.

Yuan Shao continued, “Fortunately, you are still young and have not mingled with the scholars of Hebei like your eldest brother. When you arrive in Chang’an, it will be difficult for you to be recognized. Once you are there, don’t rush to identify yourself to Yuanhao. Observe his actions first. If you can confirm that he has not truly defected, then you can contact him.”

Yuan Xi was also somewhat unsure how to judge whether someone had defected or not, but he thought, as his father said, his trip to Chang’an would not easily expose him. At worst, he would return empty-handed.

From this perspective, it might not be a bad idea to go. If the trip went smoothly, he could even earn merit for his father.

Since Ju Shou and Gao Gan were also traveling light, Yuan Xi left Ye City with them early the next morning, planning to part ways once they reached Yanzhou.

Regarding Yuan Shao sending his second son to Chang’an for this mission, Ju Shou instinctively felt it was not a good choice.

However, since they were already about to leave the city, turning back to advise Yuan Shao would likely cause conflicts and even risk being scolded by the lord for delaying the Yuzhou war situation, so he dismissed the idea.

Instead, during the journey south from Ye City, Ju Shou discussed many feasible strategies with Yuan Xi for dealing with the situation in Chang’an.

Seeing Yuan Xi’s serious and studious demeanor, Ju Shou couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

Fortunately, not all the news he received recently was bad.

After parting ways with Yuan Xi and arriving in Chenliu County, he unexpectedly learned that since the chaos following the death of Emperor Ling of Han in the sixth year of Zhongping, the Gao family of Chenliu, fearing that Yanzhou might one day become a battlefield, had trained their private soldiers as real troops.

With sufficient financial resources to settle the families of their private soldiers and fully equip their forces with armor and weapons, they had formed a formidable force.

The fact that Cao Cao had incorporated the forces of the powerful Li family of Juye into his own was no secret to Ye City.

When Ju Shou proposed using private soldiers to fight in Yuzhou, he had considered such a situation.

However, at that time, Ju Shou thought that even if such a force had only half the strength of a regular army, with rapid deployment and his command, it would be enough to give Yuan Shu a surprise.

But the first to receive a surprise was not Yuan Shu, but Ju Shou himself.

Because the private army of the Gao family of Chenliu, trained by the family’s younger generation, had become a terrifyingly powerful force!

It was truly thanks to the marital ties between the Gao family of Chenliu and the Yuan family of Runan that Cao Cao had not paid attention to this area, or else Ju Shou would not have had this opportunity.

This force, named the “Trapping Camp,” although only numbering over 700, slightly more than some private soldiers maintained by fortresses, in Ju Shou’s eyes as a former military commander, was enough to counter enemies four to five times their number!

He was thrilled by this discovery.

The stronger this private army was, the greater the chance he had to turn the tide with it.

Chenliu County was already adjacent to Yuzhou, leaving him little time for military drills. The main factor would be the inherent strength of this force.

The only question now was how to convince the Gao family of Chenliu to wholeheartedly assist the Ye City court and how to persuade the commander of the Trapping Camp to follow his commands and establish enough trust with him to ensure seamless cooperation in the subsequent southern campaign.

As a member of the Gao family of Chenliu, this young man named Gao Shun, though silent, was well-versed in literature.

His habit of never drinking while training the private army showed his disciplined nature.

Such a person would not be easily deceived or swayed by the wealth promised by the Ye City court.

Ju Shou decided to have an open and honest talk with him.

Perhaps this was the “shortcut” to dealing with such a person.

As for the major changes about to occur in Yuzhou, Qiao Yan in Chang’an was unaware.

However, her lack of involvement in the Yuzhou war situation did not mean she was not at all concerned that Yuan Shao’s forces might completely eliminate Yuan Shu.

Earlier, after discussing with her staff, they concluded that regardless of whether Yuan Shu could swallow his pride and ally with Sun Ce, Yangzhou, to ensure the expansion of its territory to Kuaiji Commandery without internal conflicts, would definitely intervene in this war.

So rather than saying that Yuan Huan, under Yuan Shu’s unreliable tactics, chose to act first and report later by allying with Sun Ce to save Yuzhou, it was more accurate to say that this was a decision Sun Ce and Zhou Yu had already made, leading to a perfect match between the two sides.

After Yuan Shao’s vanguard was defeated, the possibility of pacifying Yuzhou in one battle was very low.

Yuan Shu, who loved pomp and circumstance, was unlikely to be assassinated during a hunt.

It seemed there would be no safety issues.

In the internal strife between the Yuan brothers, while she imposed various checks and balances on Yuan Shao, she also granted Yuan Shu the titles of Governor of Yuzhou and General of the Vanguard, considering it a fair deal.

Therefore, compared to focusing on the Yuzhou war situation, the implementation of political decrees in Chang’an was clearly more urgent.

When Yang Xiu received Qiao Yan’s summons and arrived, he saw her still reading a letter.

News had come from Hanzhong that the paper-making team from Bingzhou had reassembled the paper-making process in Hanzhong.

Although they did not know why Qiao Yan insisted on using bamboo as the raw material for paper production, nor did they know where she learned about the pre-treatment process of using lime to kill the green in bamboo, they strictly followed her instructions without much questioning and began production.

According to Xu Shu’s estimate, if they slightly reduced the time for the killing process and produced a relatively rough product first, they could provide a batch of finished products by the end of next month.

In her reply, Qiao Yan told him that the pre-treatment process could be rougher, but the step of pounding the bamboo fibers must be done meticulously to prevent the bamboo paper from becoming brittle and cracking.

After finishing this reply, she looked towards Yang Xiu.

Qiao Yan asked with a half-smile, “I heard you hosted a special guest these past two days?”

Yang Xiu coughed lightly, “Mi Zhengping is indeed a bit unrestrained, but he is undeniably talented, which inevitably leads to some eccentric behavior…”

Mi Heng, from Pingyuan Commandery in Qingzhou, was also attracted to Chang’an after the capital’s reconstruction and the gathering of famous scholars.

However, this man, proud of his talent, liked to belittle others. After visiting the Hongwen Hall twice, he left a remark that Xun Yu could use his long face to mourn (Wenruo could borrow his face to mourn) and then left, never considering self-recommendation.

Perhaps it was a case of like attracting like, as Yang Xiu, who had not been long since being recalled from the military garrison at Baidaochuan, happened to meet Mi Heng on the road.

The two hit it off immediately, becoming close friends.

Since Mi Heng was friends with Kong Rong in Qingzhou, he left a famous saying:

“My elder son is Kong Wenju, my younger son is Yang Dezu. The rest are mediocre, not worth mentioning.”

In other words, among the people he knew, apart from Kong Rong and Yang Xiu, no one else was worth mentioning.

Yang Xiu, having experienced the harsh lessons from a genius under Qiao Yan eight years ago, dared not listen to such talk and wished Mi Heng would just shut up.

But he truly admired Mi Heng’s eloquence, so he only offered to invite Mi Heng for a drink.

This drinking session, however, led to some trouble.

The news of Qiao Yan’s plan to implement a liquor restriction and host a liquor debate had spread not only in Chang’an but also to Yuan Shao’s side, so Mi Heng naturally heard about it.

But just as Yuan Shao did not know how Qiao Yan had convinced Liu Yu and the court officials, Mi Heng also did not know. Thus, as a lover of wine, he found this decision utterly absurd.

After three rounds of drinks, the drunken scholar borrowed a drum from Yang Xiu, beat it, and sang, “The heavens shine with the star of wine, the earth lists the commandery of Jiuquan, and people praise the virtue of fine wine.”

In short, if Qiao Yan couldn’t tell that this was a veiled criticism of her liquor restriction, she might as well not be the Grand Marshal.

Since Mi Heng’s singing was quite loud, people outside Yang Xiu’s residence heard it clearly and immediately reported it to Qiao Yan.

Seeing Yang Xiu’s worried expression about Mi Heng’s potential punishment, Qiao Yan replied helplessly, “Alright, I know that those opposing the liquor ban, or rather the liquor restriction, are not just Mi Heng. If it were otherwise, I wouldn’t need to host this liquor debate.”

Yang Xiu just breathed a sigh of relief when Qiao Yan added, “But this matter could be taken lightly or seriously. I just proposed this suggestion, and your friend is already causing a drunken scene. Punishment is still necessary.”

“Let’s punish—”

She paused for a moment, until Yang Xiu’s tense expression showed he thought something terrible was coming, before saying, “Let’s punish you by having you responsible for hosting the guests coming for the liquor debate.”

When Yang Xiu left the study, he still felt somewhat dazed.

If this was a punishment, it was indeed too light.

Such social occasions of hosting guests were all too easy for him.

The only additional requirement she mentioned was that there should be no rumors of drunken antics this time.

But what kind of requirement was that!

Yang Xiu instinctively thought that perhaps the lord had deeper intentions in assigning him this task.

But remembering why he had been sent to serve as a messenger for Lü Bu, Yang Xiu quickly dismissed this thought.

No, he should not measure the lord’s decisions with his mundane thinking.

This was simply the lord appreciating his talent and Mi Heng’s talent, thus showing magnanimity!

How could he, with a petty mind, judge the lord’s noble intentions!