Chapter 259

Chapter 259

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 8: Chang’an Discusses Wine, Golden Autumn Brings Change Chapter 259: Walking into the Trap

“So, how did Your Lordship arrange for Wang Zhongxuan?”

When Guo Jia came to report to Qiao Yan and heard about this situation, he laughed for a long time, and the frustration of being banned from drinking before the alcohol restriction decree was issued dissipated quite a bit.

Seeing the recent reactions of the Chang’an populace to the new road, he couldn’t help but think of his own situation when he first arrived in Leping.

At that time, he wasn’t considered one of their own in Leping, and because of the various novel things there that he had never seen before, he once swallowed toothpaste mixed with water.

Now, in Chang’an, someone using a knife to hack at the cement road, which was deliberately guided by Qiao Yan, isn’t a big problem.

But thinking about someone writing a “Goddess Sends Off the Expedition Ode” for the goal of that year, submitting it at just the right time, and making Qiao Yan organize a writing contest to solve the problem of the article’s reasonable appearance, Guo Jia finds it all very interesting.

Especially hearing that Wang Can, after being invited by Qiao Yan, even took out her policy essay from eight years ago and asked her to inscribe it, Guo Jia wonders if such a rare situation will ever happen again.

Qiao Yan glanced at him and saw the mischievous look on his face.

When she first realized Wang Can’s fan behavior, Qiao Yan was a bit stuck, but having seen many big scenes and now with her subordinates’ responsibilities expanded, a “Goddess Sends Off the Expedition Ode” is nothing to be flustered about.

At most, if Wang Can really gets into the top three, they’ll have to keep it quiet and not say that his fan behavior started eight years ago with that feudal discourse, making a big move today.

Otherwise, the significance of holding this writing contest would be diminished.

In the end, it’s just self-promotion.

Of course, if Wang Can were to speak for himself, it’s not entirely through the idol’s filter that he views Guanzhong.

As Qiao Yan knows, Wang Can is indeed better at realistic literary compositions, and his photographic memory makes him habitually observe the minutiae of life and record others’ words and deeds.

So, in the display of the new Chang’an road, he also paid attention to the reactions of the people around him. More than the special materials of the road, how indestructible it is, or how elite Qiao Yan’s troops are, it was the various reactions of the Chang’an populace that moved him more.

Especially the innkeeper, who, seeing his thin figure, mistakenly thought he was homesick and unable to eat, and thus shared half of his egg with him, giving Wang Can a direct impression that the world’s rituals and music are still intact.

It was these things that prompted him to write this article, not entirely because of Qiao Yan’s foresight and her role as a model.

By now, Wang Can has returned to the inn satisfied with the silk bearing Qiao Yan’s autograph.

Meanwhile, Qiao Yan replied to Guo Jia, “I told Zhongxuan that since his father was the Chief Clerk in He Jin’s Grand General’s Mansion, he should come to my Grand Marshal’s Mansion as the Chief Clerk. It’s a beautiful name spanning two generations.”

Now it was Guo Jia’s turn to be dumbfounded.

Currently, the Chief Clerk of Qiao Yan’s Grand Marshal’s Mansion is none other than Guo Jia himself.

If Wang Can were to take this position, wouldn’t that mean he would have to step aside?

But seeing Qiao Yan’s amused expression, he suddenly realized it was just a joke.

“I’m joking with you. The Grand General’s Mansion back then and the Grand Marshal’s Mansion now are not the same, and naturally, the position of Chief Clerk wouldn’t be handed over to someone else. I intend to have Zhongxuan first serve as a Clerk in the Grand Marshal’s Mansion, temporarily in charge of documents.”

“Recently, the matter of Chang’an’s new paper still needs someone to share the burden for me, and I can’t put all the heavy responsibilities on Zhaoji alone. In about ten days, let him specialize in this matter. There will also be someone to draft future correspondence.”

Guo Jia pretended to breathe a sigh of relief and then sat opposite Qiao Yan, “That’s fine.”

Although he knew Qiao Yan wouldn’t make any arbitrary personnel arrangements, he pondered that if he were to write, he probably couldn’t produce Wang Can’s “Goddess Sends Off the Expedition Ode,” at most writing about the fancy uses of cement.

In this regard, he had to admit, different strokes for different folks.

He sighed, “Fortunately, with Wang Zhongxuan here, Your Lordship can initiate such activities. Although it’s themed on Chang’an, without someone setting a precedent to show the style of the competition, some people probably wouldn’t participate.”

This is exactly why Qiao Yan had Wang Can post that poem on the third day.

After all, fishing for participants is also a skill.

“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore,” Qiao Yan said. “After Zhongxuan joins the Grand Marshal’s Mansion, let him follow you to recuperate.”

Even without Wang Can stepping forward first, yesterday’s display of the Chang’an road was enough to make some people weigh the pros and cons, although the situation might not have fermented so quickly. Overall, the current progress is still within Qiao Yan’s control.

More special is the news revealed by Yuan Yao.

It’s suspected that Yuan Shao’s second son, Yuan Xi, has arrived in Chang’an to contact Tian Feng. How should they make good use of this situation?

Qiao Yan asked Guo Jia, “What do you think Yuan Xi should take back to Ji Province?”

Guo Jia laughed, “Your Lordship is already sure that this isn’t Yuan Gonglu’s son mistaking someone in the crowd?”

Qiao Yan raised an eyebrow, “Fengxiao, if I remember correctly, wasn’t it your idea to publish Tian Feng’s deeds in the Leping Monthly Report?”

At that time, Guo Jia proposed this idea just as Qiao Yan had a falling out with the Qiao family of Yanzhou.

As an observer at the time, Tian Feng didn’t realize the “sinister intentions” behind Guo Jia’s proposal, thinking it was just a dutiful subordinate comforting his superior, never imagining the calculations behind Guo Jia’s idea.

Therefore, now that they’ve really attracted someone, it seems only right to hand this matter over to him to handle.

“I have a hunch that the person who came is indeed Yuan Xi,” Qiao Yan said firmly. “So, this matter, I’ll trouble Fengxiao to handle.”

At this moment, Yuan Xi, staying at the inn, sneezed, feeling a chill down his back, unaware that he had already been targeted.

He was wearing inconspicuous clothes and came downstairs to ask the front desk to send dinner to his room. While paying for the meal, he heard people outside on the street talking about yesterday’s events.

A look of worry couldn’t help but appear on his face.

He didn’t know that his cousin Yuan Yao was also in Chang’an, and he was more worried about his father’s situation.

The strength and demeanor shown by the Chang’an court formed a stark contrast to those of the Ye court.

Yuan Xi had no doubt that even if Ye suddenly obtained some novel and rare item and sent people to Chang’an to show off, as Princess Yang’an did in Ye last year, the public opinion here probably wouldn’t be easily stirred into a mess.

Thinking about what he saw and heard yesterday, Yuan Xi felt an increasing sense of responsibility.

He could fully imagine the waves that would be caused when these messages reached Ye.

Under the circumstances where his father lost the initiative in the battle for Yu Province, such developments were adding insult to injury.

What made Yuan Xi even more worried about Yuan Shao’s situation was that when he walked the streets of Chang’an the next day, preparing to observe Tian Feng near the Hongwen Hall as he had done the previous few days, he suddenly heard a piece of news—

The Grand Marshal intends to use “Chang’an” as a theme to collect manuscripts and ink from all sides, firstly to celebrate the completion of the new road in Chang’an, and secondly to test the ink and color retention effects of several newly made papers.

Two thousand sheets of new paper were brought to the end of Chang’an Road, instantly causing another wave of onlookers.

To be honest, the second reason sounded like a filler.

As the manufacturer of these two types of paper, Qiao Yan must be clear about their performance. At the very least, there are plenty of people in her Leping Academy who could complete this test for her, so there’s really no need to involve others.

So, overall, it’s for the first purpose.

But the existence of the two reasons clearly provides a stepping stone for some people.

Yuan Xi looked at the two stacks of paper and also wanted to take a few sheets to ensure he could report back to his father upon returning to Ji Province. Unfortunately, after following these people to join the excitement, he learned that the paper could only be obtained by…








He carried fake identity proofs, but to avoid exposure, it’s better to be cautious.

Surprisingly, not many people came to collect the paper.

“Maybe they’re just watching,” someone nearby said. “Taking the paper means they have to write something, which is different from just boasting about Chang’an’s grandeur in conversation. Putting it into writing shows their stance.”

“Besides, who would want their writings compared to those of street vendors?”

Yuan Xi wanted to say that street vendors wouldn’t even understand the value of these papers, so why compare?

But he realized there was some truth to it. Such competitions always need an authoritative standard.

However, the chance to have one’s poetry published in the Leping Monthly Report was still a big temptation for scholars seeking recognition. Some began registering with their name cards and travel permits to collect paper.

The turning point came on the third day.

An unremarkable, thin young man posted his work in the poetry section, shocking many with his piece.

The “Ode to the Goddess Sending Off the Expedition” became a hot topic.

Though some thought it was flattery, when they saw the author’s name, they retracted their criticism.

It was Wang Can!

A descendant of the prestigious Shanyang Wang family, though no longer wealthy or powerful, Wang Can had no need to say insincere words.

Moreover, in the eyes of scholars, writings reflect one’s integrity.

This was indeed a great ode!

Though young, Wang Can had proven his talent and the value of the competition. There was no need for him to tarnish his reputation.

So, even though Wang Can was just following Qiao Yan’s instructions by posting his work, his move inspired others to start writing.

Whether they could match his skill was uncertain, but as the saying goes, “In literature, there’s no clear first place.”

For example, Yang Xiu noticed Ni Heng also took paper and started writing.

Previously, Ni Heng had indirectly criticized Qiao Yan’s alcohol ban, leading to Yang Xiu being punished as a receptionist. Now, Ni Heng was biting his pen, carefully choosing his words, which amused Yang Xiu.

Ni Heng calmly stated that he wanted to show Wang Can that winning didn’t require supernatural themes.

“Then what does it require?” Yang Xiu asked.

He sensed that Ni Heng’s lack of criticism towards Wang Can was unusual.

But he didn’t mention this to Ni Heng.

Ni Heng rolled his eyes, “Using metaphors, perhaps.”

Yang Xiu wanted to ask more, but Ni Heng refused to elaborate.

The commotion wasn’t just caused by Wang Can’s submission.

On the same day “Ode to the Goddess Sending Off the Expedition” became popular, another paper was posted in the evening.

Not in the poetry section, but in the calligraphy and painting section.

It was a “Chang’an Ode” written in clerical script by Zhang Chang.

Though Zhang Chang was already associated with the Chang’an court due to Wei Ji’s earlier visit, he felt the need to mitigate the fallout from Zhang Meng’s reckless actions, leading to this submission.

While not as literary as Wang Can’s work, Zhang Chang’s calligraphy was exceptional, creating a balance between the two submissions.

Later, Qiao Yan spoke to Zhang Chang about Zhang Meng.

“Your gesture to apologize for your brother’s loose tongue is understood, but who can truly take full responsibility for someone else’s life?”

Qiao Yan had no intention of hastily promoting Zhang Meng just because he had some martial skill and was Zhang Huan’s son.

She had no shortage of generals, especially those who were overconfident but lacked ability.

Moreover, Zhang Meng was thirty, not three. Why should his nearly sixty-year-old brother worry about him?

Seeing Zhang Chang’s troubled expression, Qiao Yan said, “Don’t overthink it. Let’s see who wins this competition. Your brother’s arm injury needs treatment, so he’ll have to stay put for a few days.”

The recoil from Zhang Meng’s strike wasn’t something that would heal quickly.

So, Fan A was summoned from Bingzhou to Chang’an to treat Zhang Meng before heading to Yu Province with Yuan Yao.

Zhang Meng was still drinking that bitter medicine.

But compared to Zhang Meng’s bitterness, Yuan Xi’s situation was even worse.

Wang Can’s poetry and Zhang Chang’s calligraphy sparked a wave of submissions in Chang’an, making Yuan Xi realize that his father’s opponent was more formidable than he thought.

He couldn’t afford to delay any longer.

Fortunately, through his observations, he confirmed that Tian Feng’s behavior didn’t match someone who had truly risen in Chang’an.

Tian Feng wasn’t unwilling to return to Ye City to report to his father, but his circumstances didn’t allow it.

As an assistant in Hongwen Hall, his treatment was decent. He no longer had to share a courtyard with others and had his own residence.

But in the newly reorganized capital of Chang’an, space in the inner city was limited.

Thus, Tian Feng found himself in a situation where his colleagues from Hongwen Hall lived nearby, making it hard to act without being noticed.

At most, he could glance eastward on his way home, claiming to miss his family in Ji Province when asked.

But to Yuan Xi, this was a sign that Tian Feng was still loyal to the Yuan family.

So, Yuan Xi decided to approach him.

Fortunately, due to the recent activities in Chang’an, many scholars lingered in Hongwen Hall, discussing poetry or reviewing submissions, making it easier for Yuan Xi to blend in.

Dressed as a scholar, Yuan Xi followed the crowd into Hongwen Hall and quickly approached Tian Feng.

He wisely didn’t reveal Tian Feng’s identity, instead whispering, “Mr. Yuan.”

Tian Feng stopped writing and looked up.

Seeing Yuan Xi, he nearly dropped his brush.

Why was Yuan Xi here?

Countless thoughts raced through Tian Feng’s mind.

He had been waiting for Yuan Shao to send someone, but it couldn’t be the second son!

This was Yuan Shao’s son!

He grabbed Yuan Xi’s hand and urgently said, “Come! I’ll take you away from here.”

Hongwen Hall was a mixed place, and someone might recognize Yuan Xi.

Tian Feng had trimmed his beard and gained some weight over the past six months, making him look different, but standing with Yuan Xi made them more noticeable.

With Chang’an’s growing appeal to scholars, some might act quickly, especially those from Hebei.

Capturing Tian Feng and Yuan Xi could be seen as a merit.

But before Tian Feng could leave, Guo Jia approached.

Guo Jia glanced at them and asked, “Your son?”