Chapter 273

Chapter 273

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 8: Discussing Wine in Chang’an, Autumn Brings Change Chapter 273: Essay Topic

Honestly, Zu Lang doesn’t really believe in all this mystical stuff.

After all, whether it’s Taoism or Buddhism, their spread within the Han Dynasty hasn’t been particularly long, and their theoretical systems aren’t fully developed yet.

For the common folk oppressed by the powerful families, these religions might offer a strong spiritual refuge, but for someone like Zu Lang, who calls himself the “Great Commander of Jing County,” it’s a different story.

So, naturally, he doesn’t believe that Buddhism, spreading in Guangling County of Xuzhou, could bring divine punishment upon Sun Ce.

If this were to reach Qiao Yan’s ears, it would sound even more like a joke.

If there really were such things as karmic retribution and divine punishment, Ze Rong, who uses religion to deceive the masses, would be far more deserving of punishment than Sun Ce, who merely mishandled his relations with the noble families.

Ze Rong has managed to thrive because no one has exposed his true nature, making him the de facto representative of Buddhism in the southeast.

However, despite his skepticism, Zu Lang still plans to visit Xuzhou.

After all, translating Ze Rong’s message into plain language, it’s essentially:

“I’m hosting a Buddha Bathing Festival. Come visit, and I’ll help you deal with (curse) Sun Ce.”

That doesn’t sound too bad.

Local Buddhism hasn’t even established dietary restrictions yet, so there’s no ban on alcohol either.

Zu Lang recalls rumors from Guangling County reaching Danyang and guesses that the festival won’t lack food and drink, possibly even better than what he gets in Jing County. So, why not check it out and bring his men along for a few free meals?

But as soon as he makes a move, word reaches Zhou Yu.

“Zu Lang is going to Guangling?” Zhou Yu looks up at the messenger, a hint of surprise on his face.

Since the Shanyue people are the biggest source of instability in Yang Province, more straightforward than the backstabbing noble families, Zhou Yu had Zu Lang and others closely monitored after Sun Ce moved south to Yuzhang, to prevent any sudden attacks.

The report comes from his trusted aide, so it’s highly reliable.

But Zu Lang’s sudden move isn’t against Sun Ce—it’s a trip north to Xuzhou.

Powerful landowners like Zu Lang are deeply tied to their territories and usually don’t travel far.

But even Zhou Yu has to admit, Zu Lang picked a good time to leave.

When the new emperor ascended the throne in Chang’an, Zhou Yu went to congratulate Liu Yu and struck a deal with Qiao Yan:

Yang Province would give one-third of its increased grain production in exchange for Bingzhou’s farming expertise.

Since Yang Province is newly under Sun Ce’s control, implementing these farming methods would be easier than for Yuan Shao.

But it’s still the first year, so Zhou Yu has been busy with internal military training and agricultural supervision, aside from supporting Sun Ce’s southern campaign and preventing Yuzhou from falling to Yuan Shao.

If he were to launch a campaign against the Shanyue now, he simply couldn’t.

First, his grain reserves aren’t enough to support a two-front war while backing Sun Ce. Second, the Shanyue aren’t a single force—if Zu Lang is gone, someone else will take his place.

Rather than uprooting the Jing County forces and letting others rise, it’s better to hold off for now.

But Zu Lang’s trip to Guangling isn’t a normal signal, and Zhou Yu’s temporary inaction doesn’t mean he’ll ignore it.

Theoretically, Xuzhou is also their enemy, so he needs to find out who invited Zu Lang and whether this sudden invitation could have a destabilizing effect on Yang Province.

After considering his options, Zhou Yu makes a few decisions.

He asks Zhang Zhao to temporarily take over internal affairs in Jiujiang, Danyang, and Wu County, with Lu Kang assisting him.

Han Dang, who didn’t accompany Sun Ce to Kuaiji, will help Zhang Zhao suppress Yan Baihu’s remnants in Wu County, while Ling Cao, assigned by Sun Ce, will continue monitoring the Shanyue in Danyang.

Then, Zhou Yu himself will head to Xuzhou.

If only he had more capable subordinates who could assess the situation and react accordingly, he wouldn’t need to go himself.

Unbeknownst to him, Lu Su, who should have been his close ally, was sent by Qiao Yan to serve Tao Qian, and Lu Meng, known for his later brilliance, is still only 13 or 14 and not yet useful, leaving Zhou Yu short-handed in this unexpected situation.

Fortunately, Yang Province isn’t the same as when Sun Ce first arrived, and with the harvest still a month or two away, Zhou Yu has some time to spare.

So, as Zu Lang leads his men to Guangling for a feast, Zhou Yu follows like a lurking predator.

But little do they know, there’s another trap waiting behind them.

For Chen Gui in Xia Pi, the newly arrived merchant brothers from Langzhong Huang Clan seem highly likely, as he suspected.

Though they haven’t introduced themselves as such, their demeanor suggests they’re not from a small family.

The elder brother is steady, handling the big picture, while the younger is sociable and attentive, handling relationships. Their steward also shows signs of good education.

Despite his usual dislike for merchants, Chen Gui finds their conversation about their goods and their request for advice refreshingly free of vulgarity, instead revealing a merchant’s wisdom.

So, he advises Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting: “The two counties most likely to absorb your goods are Donghai and Guangling.”

These two counties are relatively more economically developed.

Chen Gui sips the new Shu tea they gifted him and adds, “I don’t recommend Donghai County.”

“Donghai County, along with the provincial capital Tan County, is heavily influenced by the governor’s preferences. Recently, the governor has taken a liking to cotton clothing, which, though still rare, has driven down the price of Shu brocade there.”

“Guangling County has fewer such issues, but you still need to be careful where you sell.”

Chen Gui frowns slightly, “Some people are good at avoiding notice and often bully the weak. If your guards seem capable, consider making some of the Shu brocade into monk robes and selling them in Gaoyou. If you want to observe first, start in Haixi and Sheyang.”

Qiao Lan replies, “Thank you for your advice, Lord Chen.”

Chen Gui’s advice is a great help.

The “some people” he refers to are, of course, the ambitious Ze Rong.

Ze Rong’s Buddhist temples are near Gaoyou, spread across central and southern Guangling, with few in the north near Donghai, clearly showing his disregard for both the emperor and Tao Qian.

Interestingly, the former Guangling Prefect Zhang Yi is now in Sheyang County.

Following Chen Gui’s advice, Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting have a plausible reason to act.

Qiao Ting takes most of the patterned cloth and green pottery to Tan County.

After all, Tao Qian’s preferences only affect the price of Shu brocade, not their other goods. Tan County, being the provincial capital, won’t affect the price of their Luoyang specialties.

The more prosperous parts of Xuzhou are more likely to absorb their goods.

Qiao Ting can also approach Chen Deng, thanks to Chen Gui’s earlier advice, aligning with her plans for Xuzhou.

This is still within the bounds of her role as a merchant interacting with officials, not violating Qiao Yan’s requirements.

Meanwhile, the retired Zhang Yi learns that a wealthy merchant from Shu has arrived on his street.

Returning from a stroll, he hears his wife has already bought many things.

Looking at the brightly colored fabrics, wax-printed patterns, and green-patterned pottery, Zhang Yi feels a headache coming on and can’t help but say, “What’s the use of buying all this? Don’t you think the colors are too… too flashy?”

“You don’t understand,” his wife retorts, “Your luck has been bad for the past seven or eight years. With your background as a Yuan Clan disciple and your age, you should either be a prefect with popular support or a court official by now. Instead, you ended up as the prefect of Guangling—”

“That’s fine, at least it’s north of the Yangtze, not barbarian territory. But now?”

Now… now he’s a commoner.

Even under the somewhat capricious Emperor Ling, it’s rare to strip someone of their official position entirely for saying the wrong thing.

After all, those who can reach such a position must have some intricate interpersonal relationships.

As long as you don’t get caught in the conflicts between scholars and eunuchs, and don’t side with the overbearing relatives, the demotion would generally be limited.

But Zhang Yi happened to encounter this confrontation between the two courts, which is truly the first time in the 400-year history of the Han Dynasty.

If you say it’s bad luck, you’re not wrong.

Seeing that he didn’t refute, his wife added, “The new merchant brought not only Shu brocade but also many goods from Luoyang. Whether it’s floral cloth or green pottery, they all have festive patterns. Buying them to decorate our home might change your luck.”

Zhang Yi couldn’t help but mutter, “Luoyang is no longer the capital. Wouldn’t buying goods from there bring more bad luck?”

But thinking of Luoyang, he couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic and swallowed his words.

While moving the potted plants to new green pottery pots, he listened to his wife continue, “It’s quite funny. The bandits in Guangling who claim to follow Buddhism are even known to outsiders. When asked why they only come to Sheyang, the merchant hesitated. Yet Tao Qian seems unaware and lets them run wild here.”

“They just held a Buddha bathing festival in April, and now they’re doing it again in June. What’s the logic? Can’t be that two months count as a year in their Buddhist rules. If so, why not make crops mature in a month?”

Zhang Yi didn’t respond.

He didn’t know whether to say that Tao Qian surely knows about Ze Rong’s actions but finds the current situation beneficial, or that if Ze Rong could really make crops mature in a month, he wouldn’t bother staying to watch.

After moving the last pot and placing the green pottery jars in the kitchen, Zhang Yi walked back to the house with his hands behind his back.

But halfway there, his wife said, “I’ll go out again after dinner.”

Zhang Yi’s eyelid twitched, “Haven’t you bought enough yet?”

“Not at all, I’m going to listen to stories,” she replied proudly. “Since Shu has been cut off from the outside, it’s rare to have a merchant from there. I want to hear more interesting tales, like how the Grand Marshal hunted in Hanzhong with Liu Yizhou and drove out Zhang Lu. The merchant, being from Langzhong in Baxi, must know these stories well.”

Hearing “Grand Marshal,” Zhang Yi’s face turned pale even before Qiao Yan’s name was mentioned.

Regardless of Qiao Yan’s later achievements, the psychological shadow she cast when she shot an arrow through his official hat remains.

“Why would a merchant be responsible for telling you stories? Don’t get sold without knowing it.”

His wife’s voice came from behind, “You underestimate me. It’s because I know people in Sheyang who can afford Shu brocade and can help them find buyers. By the way, should I repeat the story for you when I return?”

Zhang Yi quickly declined his wife’s suggestion.

He didn’t want more unpleasant news in his already troublesome life.

This banter made him aware of a new neighbor without doubting their identity.

After satisfying Zhang Yi’s wife’s gossip cravings, Qiao Lan recorded all the information she gathered from Mrs. Zhao in her notebook.

It wasn’t yet time for her to start stirring the pot.

If the water isn’t muddy, how can she strike with her harpoon?

She took out the note Jia Xu gave her before leaving, which read “Observe from the sidelines.” Realizing her actions today were somewhat risky, she decided to be more cautious.

Fortunately, Zhang Yi’s current situation had dulled his sense of crisis, but when the situation in Xuzhou becomes unclear, he would become alert.

She needed to be even more careful.

Although Qiao Yan was worried about Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting going to Xuzhou, she knew it was a necessary test for their careers.

With many guards around, it wouldn’t be hard to retreat safely from Xuzhou.

Without such trials, they would only remain Jia Xu and Li Ru’s disciples, not their true selves.

Meanwhile, in Chang’an, there was also a test for the younger generation.

Since Ma Lun fell ill with a cold last year and recovered, she hasn’t returned to her pre-illness state. Even with Hua Tuo in Leping, her health only remains stable.

Ma Lun felt that instead of taking up the position of Grand Historian in Chang’an, she should stay in Leping to train new technical talents and recommend Ren Hong for the position.

This recommendation was a significant test.

From Lingtai Assistant to Grand Historian is not just a small step.

Although the Grand Historian is only a 600-dan official, equivalent to the salary of 20 meritorious deeds that Xi Zhicai once despised, it is a proper court official, unlike the Lingtai Assistant who works in a special department.

Ren Hong has only been involved in astronomical observations and data calculations for three years.

To be precise, two years and ten months.

Ma Lun was appointed Grand Historian by Liu Hong himself, and due to her background as Ma Rong’s daughter and her outstanding knowledge, it didn’t cause dissatisfaction. But passing this position directly to Ren Hong, a former lady-in-waiting, would surely raise objections!

Qiao Yan solemnly told Ren Hong, “I won’t assist you in this matter. You must withstand these doubts on your own, but I believe in Madam Ma’s expectations for you, so I will suppress those who deny you based on age and gender.”

“Whether you can truly soar depends on your own efforts.”

Hearing Qiao Yan’s words, Ren Hong’s eyes showed no hesitation, and her face even became more determined.

Since leaving the Han palace and changing her name, she has been trying to change her fate, and now she won’t retreat half a step!

Watching Ren Hong leave after promising not to retreat, Qiao Yan smiled.

The summer heat rose, the sky was clear, and everything was thriving.

Her talents were also growing vigorously, making her feel excited.

She didn’t want these names that shone in history to only be beneficiaries of favorable situations but hoped they would be waves in this era of change.

Qiao Lan, Qiao Ting, Ren Hong, and the students of Leping Academy were all like this!

Surrounded by the mountains of Leping, they received plenty of news from Chang’an.

Especially the most outstanding or talented ones.

To prevent leaks, Qiao Yan even designated a library in Leping Academy as their meeting place.

Reports from Chang’an and other regions, deemed necessary for them to know, were sent to a mailbox here, read aloud by one person to the rest.

This was to maintain their sensitivity to the world’s situation and broaden their knowledge.

Of course, recent topics were mostly about Chang’an.

Some of them attended the new emperor’s enthronement and the completion of Hongwen Hall, like Pang Tong, who came to Leping around that time, almost half a year ago.

Pang Tong had already informed Qiao Yan of his decision to lift some restrictions on information.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t attend the completion of Chang’an’s new road in May.

Although they had seen cement before, not witnessing others’ reactions to the road was a regret.

Another regret was—

“If we were there, Wang Zhongxuan wouldn’t have taken the top spot in the Chang’an road essay contest.”

This was said by the always ambitious Pang Tong.

As soon as he finished, Lu Lingju burst into the study, shouting, “Enough about the Chang’an road essay and art contest! Look at this!”

Everyone turned to see her holding a piece of paper.

To be precise, a letter.

Xi Zhicai followed slowly behind Lu Lingju, somewhat helpless with this overly energetic academy leader.

Her excessive energy needed to be directed to the battlefield someday.

Fortunately, there was something to distract them now.

Seeing everyone’s attention, Lu Lingju cleared her throat, “The Marquis has assigned us a topic for an essay.”

Lu Yi and Zhuge Liang, who had been given a problem about animal formations by Qiao Yan before, had a bad feeling.

But this time, Qiao Yan’s assignment was quite serious.

Like the essay contest in Chang’an, it was for practical purposes.

Moreover, this wasn’t an assignment for all students of Leping Academy but only for those she saw potential in.

Considering its unusual nature, even the younger ones were temporarily excluded.

The topic of this essay was—

How to persuade Gongsun Du to surrender.

Not Gongsun Zan, but Gongsun Du, the current Prefect of Liaodong.