Chapter 272

Chapter 272

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 8: Discussing Wine in Chang’an, Autumn Brings Change Chapter 272: Arrival at Xia Pi

Book: Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 272: Arrival at Xia Pi

In the second year of Zhongping, the second year since Qiao Yan arrived in Bingzhou, Zhang Yi, due to his performance during the locust plague, had his authority as the Governor of Bingzhou stripped by Qiao Yan, who took over the disaster relief efforts in Bingzhou.

Logically, this was an act of overstepping and usurpation by Qiao Yan. However, in her memorial to Emperor Ling of Han, she wrote that her actions were solely for the welfare of the people and not for personal gain, and she did not care about the offense she had committed. Although she pleaded guilty, she also managed to gain some favor from Emperor Ling by naming herself.

Because of this, Emperor Ling, delighted to have a loyal minister and future pillar of the Han dynasty, did not impose any real punishment on Qiao Yan at that time. Instead, he placed her under house arrest in Leping for protection, while also removing Cui Lie, who had proposed abandoning Liangzhou, from his position as one of the Three Excellencies and “exiling” him to Bingzhou to serve as Governor.

Thus, the former Governor of Bingzhou, Zhang Yi, was sent to Guangling to serve as a Prefect.

Poor Zhang Yi, at that time, thought he had the backing of the Yuan Clan of Runan and was a genuine victim in this power grab, deserving of compensation. When he finally mustered the strength to meet Cui Lie, he thought Cui Lie was there to help him denounce Qiao Yan.

Little did he know that Cui Lie was not there to help him but to replace him.

At that time, the Provincial Governor System had already been implemented, and the status of provincial governors had risen accordingly. Being transferred from the Governor of Bingzhou to the Prefect of Guangling was considered a demotion, a reprimand for his inability to hold onto his own authority.

Moreover, the Yuan Clan of Runan had supported him in becoming the Governor of Bingzhou to implement a plan devised by Yuan Shao and Xu You, which was to secure the family’s future by controlling the north. His loss of office completely ruined this plan.

In the fourth year of Zhongping, Qiao Yan successfully became the Governor of Bingzhou through her achievements in the frontier battles and the selection of the Du Liao General. When Emperor Ling passed away, she presented a formidable cavalry to oppose Dong Zhuo. Yuan Shao did not think that Qiao Yan’s success in such a barren place as Bingzhou was due to her abilities but rather blamed Zhang Yi’s incompetence for fundamentally undermining his plans.

With Yuan Wei’s death and Yuan Ji’s illness, the Yuan Clan of Runan’s influence in the officialdom was divided between Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, leaving Zhang Yi with no support.

All of this indirectly led to one result: although Zhang Yi had several years of governance experience in Guangling and had done a decent job, when Tao Qian became the Governor of Xuzhou, Zhang Yi’s power gradually diminished, and Ze Rong took over his position.

After Tao Qian transitioned from Governor of Xuzhou to Governor of Xuzhou, Zhang Yi was stripped of his position as Prefect of Guangling by a decree, and Yuan Shao did not pay much attention to the matter.

Subsequently, Ze Rong’s actions became more and more brazen, and Zhang Yi became increasingly invisible in Xuzhou, or more precisely, in Guangling.

Suddenly, Zhang Yi’s name appeared in the papers written by Qiao Lan, and it took Qiao Ting a while to remember him.

It would undoubtedly be difficult for Zhang Yi to regain his former position.

In the Ye City court, Yuan Shao held a grudge against him and considered him incompetent, thus useless.

In the Chang’an court, it wouldn’t have been difficult for him to seek a position based on his previous official experience, but he was too embarrassed to do so because of Qiao Yan’s position as the Grand Marshal of Bingzhou.

He could have simply retired after losing his position, but he didn’t. Instead, he remained in Guangling, living in seclusion, as if waiting to see who would replace him.

This piece of information was hidden among the thousands of pieces of intelligence gathered by the sisters over the past few months, seemingly as insignificant as Tao Qian having guests over for dinner, but Qiao Lan still managed to dig it out.

She said, “Starting with Chen Deng and Lu Su to address the situation in Xuzhou is to see if these talented individuals might notice the flaws in Tao Qian as he ages and, considering the interests of the local elites, develop conflicts with Tao Qian, which would benefit our lord’s future actions. This is using righteousness to counter evil.”

Qiao Ting smiled upon hearing this, “I understand. According to elder sister’s choice, this is using evil to counter evil.”

This method of using evil to counter evil is indeed in line with Jia Xu’s style!

Just from this choice, it’s clear that Qiao Lan has been diligently following Jia Xu’s teachings and has gradually developed her own way of thinking.

However, if Zhang Yi knew that he was considered “evil” in the eyes of these two sisters in the context of Xuzhou’s situation, he might cry foul.

Being tricked by Qiao Yan once was bad enough, but now he has to deal with the schemes of her two nieces?

What kind of world is this where people keep getting tricked like this!

Moreover, due to Qiao Yan’s bottom-line rules, Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting can only appear as merchants and not as “strategists,” meaning he won’t hear any direct advice from them, keeping him in the dark.

But still…

With the turmoil in Xuzhou, he might have a chance to be reinstated, which wouldn’t be a bad thing for him, right?

After the incident with Liu Yang galloping on horseback outside Chang’an, Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting encountered no further troubles.

Their carriage passed through Tong Pass and entered the territory of Henan Yin via the Xiaohan Road.

Here, the sisters made a brief stop.

Although their destination was Xuzhou, they were well aware that Qiao Yan’s goal for them was not just to complete a mission to prove their abilities.

Xuzhou was merely the beginning of their careers.

The stops along the way were both to allow them to match the intelligence they had received with reality and to further refine their merchant identities to avoid being detected.

“The majority of the goods we are transporting to Xuzhou are Shu brocades previously purchased by the great sage from Shu. We also supplemented some paper and ink in Chang’an during our meeting with the lord. These are all intended for the high-end market in Xuzhou,” Qiao Ting analyzed.

“From a merchant’s perspective, since we are just starting to expand into Xuzhou and cannot guarantee harmonious relations with the local elites, we need to further fill the demand for mid to low-end goods to ensure that this trip can cover its expenses,” Qiao Ting continued after some thought.

“So—” Qiao Ting pondered for a moment and concluded, “We should select some goods that rely on cheap labor and can be considered specialties of the Si Li region.”

According to the saying, “Do not transport grain over a thousand miles,” such handmade goods cannot be priced too low, as it would violate the profit principle of long-distance trade.

After discussing with her sister, Qiao Ting finally decided on floral cloth and green pottery as the goods.

Luoyang was no longer the imperial capital, and its population of one million had dispersed over the years. However, because it was located in a tug-of-war position between the two courts and was not the front line, the remaining half of the population was unwilling to abandon their hometown.








The soil has left.

The market is quieter than before, but the prosperity of the past years can still be vaguely seen.

The items sold here still carry a hint of the former glory.

After all, this was once a place under the feet of the Son of Heaven. Wax-dyed and flower-dyed fabrics, green-glazed pottery different from the gray pottery commonly used in the Han Dynasty, and palace lantern styles that appeared since the Guangwu period all appeared in the local market and were sent to the capital for sale after the reconstruction of Chang’an this year.

In Qiao Ting’s view, except for the last item, which is really not suitable for transportation, these items, due to their unique style and demeanor different from those in Xuzhou and Yangzhou, can serve as a backup for their Shu brocade.

With this batch of goods, they have become more accustomed to their new identities and are increasingly adept at their disguises and altered voices.

The expanded caravan then entered the territory of Yu Province.

If Yuan Shu and Liu Bei were still in conflict earlier, they might have worried about potential troubles, but now there is no need.

Yuan Shu, having suffered a sudden attack by Ju Shou and Gao Shun, is currently in a state of retreat.

Not long before the Qiao sisters set out from Chang’an, Hua Tuo’s disciple Fan A followed Yuan Shu’s son Yuan Yao to Runan to diagnose his father.

Because of Yuan Shu’s defeat, Liu Bei, who had been pushed to the northern part of Pei State, returned to the situation of dividing Yu Province with Yuan Shu along the Wo River.

In other words, Yuan Shu’s previous offensive against Yuan Shao failed, and Ju Shou’s counterattack was in vain. Without a sudden change, this balance is likely to continue for a while.

“Liu Bei’s territory is not large, and his reputation was low during the campaign against Dong Zhuo, but his abilities seem considerable.”

Once crossing the Wo River, Qiao Ting no longer sat in the carriage but rode a horse with Qiao Lan to better see the scenery along the way.

The reason for saying Liu Bei’s abilities are considerable is that in the previous disputes in Yu Province, counties south of Pei State, such as Guyang and Longkang, had once returned to Yuan Shu’s hands and were later recaptured. However, observing the local livelihood, the damage caused by the repeated stationing of troops by both sides seems to have quickly subsided.

The fields and houses by the roadside are orderly, presenting a peaceful scene.

Thus, it seems that Liu Bei and his followers, who killed Qiao Rui and entered Pei State last year, have made significant progress in their half-year of governance here.

Even though Liu Bei has a blood feud with the Qiao sisters, they have to admit this.

To prevent their hidden hostility towards Liu Bei from showing, Qiao Lan pointed to the east and said, “Let’s not stay here long. To the east of Pei State is Xuzhou’s Xia Pi. Entering Xuzhou early will help us complete the lord’s task sooner.”

Xuzhou, with its flat terrain, often becomes a battleground during wars. But in the current situation where all sides are fighting except Xuzhou, it has become a prosperous place favored by merchants from all directions.

The Huai River estuary in Guangling and Haizhou Bay in Donghai County form a docking area for sea vessels, an important economic source for Xuzhou.

While most people are still in the agricultural stage, the interconnected water network formed by Hongze Lake, Gaoyou Lake, and the Huai River in Xia Pi and Guangling, along with the irrigated farmland, can be considered another basic condition for prosperous livelihoods.

Thus, when entering Xia Pi, the characteristics of Xuzhou, with its rare wars and superior conditions in recent years, are presented before them.

Compared to the previously praised Pei State, this place has a more intuitive abundance.

No wonder some places are still struggling for food, while Guangling can afford to hold a Bathing Buddha Festival.

They directed the caravan to temporarily settle in Xia Pi, not rushing into the troubled Guangling area or intending to visit the Xuzhou prefecture first to register this sizable caravan with Tao Qian.

Although Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting have different intentions after entering Xuzhou, their first step upon entering Xuzhou is the same.

A successful merchant must establish good relations with local powers.

Since they have arrived in Xuzhou and Xia Pi first, it is natural to visit the Chen family in Xia Pi.

As Chen Deng, the Diannong Commandant, is either in the prefecture or traveling within Xuzhou, when Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting submitted their visiting cards to the Chen family, the person in charge was Chen Deng’s father, Chen Gui.

The Chen family in Xia Pi, though slightly declined in recent years, is still a prestigious gentry family.

Chen Gui’s uncle was Chen Qiu, who was recommended by Qiao Yan’s grandfather Qiao Xuan and eventually promoted to the position of Grand Commandant.

Chen Gui’s cousin Chen Yu is currently serving as a court advisor in Ye City, another cousin Chen Cong is the prefect of Runan, while Chen Gui himself, having been recommended for filial piety and integrity, quickly resigned from his county magistrate position and has been idle at home, making him more of a private individual.

Suddenly hearing of visitors, he was quite surprised.

Upon hearing that it was a major merchant from Shu seeking his advice on survival in Xuzhou, and that the visitors claimed the surname Huang, he no longer found it strange.

The Qiao sisters had chosen a very suitable surname for themselves, as this Huang character likely represents the Huang clan from Langzhong in Baxi.

In these times, it is a development path for the children of powerful families to first accumulate resources and manpower before seeking a career.

Such people often understand the ways of survival and the rules best.

Chen Gui replied, “Please invite them in.”

Almost at the same time the Qiao sisters arrived in Xuzhou, Zu Lang in Yangzhou welcomed a guest from the north.

After initially receiving a rejection from Mi Zhu, Ze Rong was not discouraged. Due to his grand ambitions, he patiently continued to interact with Bao Hong, who had returned to Guangling.

At the same time, he began to court another potential ally he could win over—

The Shanyue in Wu and Danyang counties, who were heavily suppressed by Sun Ce.

Ze Rong clearly knew that if he acted any later, allowing Sun Ce’s control in the area to grow stronger and the Shanyue’s living space to be further squeezed, these Shanyue would either be annihilated by Sun Ce’s subordinates or submit to Sun Ce.

Now, precisely because Sun Ce is still in the midst of expanding his territory, there is a possibility for him to win them over.

However, he certainly would not say something like, “I intend to plot against Xuzhou, would you join me in making a move against Tao Qian?”

Such a proposal would be unlikely to be accepted.

The monk he sent bowed to Zu Lang and said, “The master has sent me to inquire if Commander Zu is willing to visit Guangling to listen to the teachings of Buddhism.”

Zu Lang was almost amused by this invitation and coldly asked, “What, do you think I need your salvation?”

“Not at all,” the monk calmly replied. “The master’s intention is that Sun Bofu’s killing spree in Yangzhou violates the harmony of heaven and wishes to invite Commander Zu to spread Buddhist teachings through the sound of bathing Buddha.”

Zu Lang asked suspiciously, “What do you mean by that?”

The man chanted a Buddhist mantra, “Those not aided by the gods will naturally suffer heavenly punishment.”