“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 273: The Themed Essay
To be honest, Zu Lang didn’t really buy into all this spiritual mumbo jumbo.
After all, both Taoism and Buddhism have only recently spread within the Han Dynasty, and their theories aren’t exactly fleshed out yet.
They hold considerable allure for the common people who have been oppressed by the noble families, likely looking for some spiritual refuge, but for someone like Zu Lang, who fancied himself the “Great General of Jing County,” not so much.
So, naturally, he didn’t believe that Buddhism, which had taken root in Guangling County, could lead to Son Ce suffering some divine punishment.
If this rumor reached Qiao Yan’s ears, it would probably sound like a joke.
If such karma or divine punishment really existed, then Ze Rong, who relied on his ability to deceive the masses, would be in line for retribution way before Son Ce, who merely struggled with dealing politely with the noble families.
Ze Rong managed to thrive as a spokesperson for Buddhism in the Southeast precisely because nobody could—and maybe nobody even thought to—expose his true nature.
However, even though Zu Lang remained skeptical, he still planned a trip to Xuzhou.
Essentially, what Ze Rong said, when translated into plain language, was —
“I’m hosting a Buddha-bathing festival. Come over to visit, and I’ll help you curse Son Ce.”
Which didn’t seem too bad.
The local Buddhism still didn’t have any restrictions on meat or alcohol, so Zu Lang figured it would be a good time. He recalled the rumors that made their way from Guangling County to Danyang and guessed those two things would be part of the Buddha-bathing festival, probably even better than the food back in Jing County. Plus, he could take some of his crew there for free meals.
But the moment he made his move, someone tipped off Zhou Yu.
“Zu Lang went to Guangling?” Zhou Yu glanced up at the messenger, a hint of surprise crossing his face.
Considering that the Mountain Rebels were the number one security threat in Yang Province, more direct than any noble family that might stab you in the back, Zhou Yu had set watch over Zu Lang and others after Son Ce headed south to Yuzhang, to keep them from launching a surprise attack.
This intel came from his most trusted person, so it was reliable.
But Zu Lang’s sudden movement wasn’t aimed at Son Ce; instead, he was heading north to Xuzhou.
The reason why wealthy landlords are considered wealthy landlords is linked to their close ties with the land they occupy, so under normal circumstances, they shouldn’t be wandering around.
Yet even Zhou Yu had to admit that Zu Lang had picked a rather opportune time to travel.
When the new emperor ascended in Chang’an, Zhou Yu had gone to congratulate Liu Yu and made a deal with Qiao Yan —
Yang Province would supply one-third more produce in exchange for agricultural expertise from Bingzhou.
Because Yang Province had only recently been taken by Son Ce, implementing these farming techniques would be much easier than dealing with Yuan Shao.
However, this was still the first year of implementation, so aside from recently mobilizing troops to support Yuan Shu to prevent Yu Province from falling to Yuan Shao and putting Yang Province in a precarious position, Zhou Yu had mostly been managing military training and agricultural oversight.
Given the chance to strike against the Mountain Rebels while Zu Lang was temporarily away, he could only say he wouldn’t be able to.
Firstly, there weren’t enough food reserves to support dual campaigns while also backing Son Ce’s southern advance, and secondly, the Mountain Rebels weren’t just some small force; without Zu Lang, there was still Zhang Lang to contend with.
It was better to keep the troops in check for now than to uproot the force in Jing County only to let others seize the upper hand.
However, Zu Lang heading to Guangling was no ordinary signal. Zhou Yu’s apparent inaction didn’t mean he’d be ignoring Zu Lang’s activities.
Theoretically, Xuzhou was also considered an enemy to them, so he had to get to the bottom of who was inviting Zu Lang to Xuzhou.
Such a sudden invitation might just have a revolutionary impact on Yang Province.
Zhou Yu took stock of his affairs and made a few decisions.
He asked Zhang Zhao to temporarily take over the internal affairs of Jiujiang, Danyang, and Wujun, with support from Lu Kang.
Han Dang, who hadn’t marched with Son Ce to Kuaiji, would work with Zhang Zhao to suppress the remnants of Yan Baihu in Wujun, while Ling Cao, assigned by Son Ce, continued to keep watch over the Mountain Rebels in Danyang.
After that, Zhou Yu decided he would pay a visit to Xuzhou himself.
If only he had more capable hands among his subordinates who could accurately assess the situation and respond accordingly once they arrived in Xuzhou, he wouldn’t need to undertake the trip himself.
What he didn’t know was that Lu Su, who should have been his expert confidant, had been early on shoved into the service of Tao Qian, and Lu Meng, who was supposedly no longer just a rising star, was still just thirteen or fourteen and couldn’t assist him in such unexpected circumstances.
Fortunately, Yang Province was no longer the way it was when Son Ce first arrived. With still a couple of months before the autumn harvest, he had some leeway to travel.
So while Zu Lang was off on his eating and drinking spree in Guangling County, a little yellow sparrow was tailing behind him.
However, among all the players on this stage of Xuzhou, no one felt more like a yellow sparrow than the other hidden mechanism set to ensnare them all.
For Chen Gui, lounging back in Xia Pi, the newly arrived merchant brothers in Xuzhou likely hailed from the Huang Clan of Langzhong, just as he suspected.
Although they didn’t introduce themselves that way, during casual chats, it was obvious their demeanor was not characteristic of some small-time traders.
The older brother was steady, controlling the overall direction, while the younger brother was sociable yet astute, fostering connections. Their steward also gave off vibes of having received a good education.
This impressed Chen Gui, who wasn’t inclined to deal with merchants. Listening to their product offerings, quality, and their desire for pointers, he found their conversation surprisingly lacking in commercial sleaziness, instead showcasing some savvy survival skills.
So he advised Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting, “The most viable markets for your goods within Xuzhou are Donghai County and Guangling County.”
These two counties were relatively affluent.
Chen Gui took a sip of the new tea they brought as a welcoming gift and continued, “I wouldn’t recommend you go to Donghai County.”
“Donghai County has the county seat of Tancheng, and the so-called ‘top down and bottom up’ applies most distinctly here. Recently, the governor has taken a liking to cotton clothes, and though the numbers are still low, it still influences the prices. With a trend like this, the brocade from Shu isn’t fetching much here.”
“Compared to that, Guangling County has fewer issues, but you still need to be cautious about where you sell.”
Here, Chen Gui frowned slightly, “Some folks are used to dodging the public eye, pulling some shady antics. So if you think your guards are looking good, just make those appropriate colors among the Shu brocade into monk robes and sell them in Gaoyou. If you want to watch the situation for a bit, head to Haixi or Sheyang first.”
Qiao Lan replied, “Thank you for the guidance, Chen Gong.”
Chen Gui’s advice was a boon for them.
When he talked about those shady “some folks,” he clearly meant the ambitious Ze Rong.
Ze Rong’s Buddhist temple was being built near Gaoyou, primarily in the central and southern parts of Guangling County, with little presence on the neighboring north side to Donghai County, clearly showing his disregard for the emperor’s distance and Tao Qian’s involvement.
Interestingly, the former prefect of Guangling, Zhang Yi, had also taken up residence in Sheyang County.
Following Chen Gui’s advice, Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting found a reasonable excuse to act.
Qiao Ting took the lion’s share of the flowery fabrics and green pottery to Tancheng.
After all, Tao Qian’s preferences only affected the prices of the brocade from Shu and didn’t impact their other goods. As Tancheng was the seat of governance in Xuzhou, it wouldn’t harm the prices of local specialties from Luoyang.
The more prosperous Xuzhou was, the more it could digest their batch of goods.
Thanks to Chen Gui’s previous “guidance,” Qiao Ting could also approach Chen Deng, aligning perfectly with her earlier plans for Xuzhou.
Once again, she was networking with officials under the guise of a merchant, without contradicting Qiao Yan’s wishes.
Meanwhile, back at home, the idling Zhang Yi learned that a wealthy merchant from Shu had arrived on the same street.
Strolling in after wandering outside, he overheard that his wife had bought numerous items.
Zhang Yi looked at the pile of brightly colored fabric, wax-block stamped patterns, and green-motif pottery and felt a headache coming on. Unable to hold back, he exclaimed, “What are you going to do with all this stuff? Don’t you think the colors are too… too gaudy?”
“What do you know?” His wife shot him a sidelong glance. “Your luck hasn’t been great since seven or eight years ago. Considering your starting point as a member of the Yuan Clan and your age, you should be in the court as a civil servant by now. But look at you—stuck here as the prefect of Guangling—”
“At least you’re still north of the Yangtze and not in some barbaric land, but look at you now?”
Now, huh… now reduced to nothing.
Even with Emperor Ling of Han, who was known for his temper, it was rare to find one who could strip someone of their office after a single misstep.
“After all, getting to this position requires a tangled web of connections.”
As long as you don’t get caught up in the brawl between the scholars and the eunuchs, or side with the rowdy relatives of the emperor, overall, the demotion won’t be too severe.
But wouldn’t you know, Zhang Yi found himself in the middle of this unprecedented standoff in court politics—something that hasn’t happened in four hundred years.
If you call it bad luck, you’d be right!
Seeing his lack of resistance, his wife added, “Perfect! This new merchant brought not only Shu silk but also plenty of goods from Luoyang. Whether it’s floral cloth or green pottery, they’re all lively and festive designs. Buying these for home should turn our luck around.”
Zhang Yi couldn’t help but mutter, “Luoyang isn’t even the imperial capital anymore. Buying goods from there surely brings bad luck instead, right?”
But thinking of Luoyang, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of nostalgia, swallowing those words back down.
As he accepted the task of moving his potted plants into new green pottery pots, he listened to his wife continue, “It’s funny. There’s a band of bandits in Guangling flaunting their Buddhist connections, even outsiders know about it. When asked why they only struck in Shuyang, the merchant hesitated before answering. Meanwhile, Tao Qian seems to be blissfully unaware, letting them wreak havoc.”
“They just held the Buddha Bathing Festival in April, and here they are again in June. What’s the deal? Two months can’t qualify as a year in their Buddhist rules, can it? If so, they should perform a miracle and make crops mature in a month!”
Zhang Yi said nothing.
He didn’t know whether to argue that Tao Qian was, of course, aware of Ze Rong’s antics but found the current situation more advantageous for himself, or to say that if Ze Rong really could make crops mature in just a month, he’d be too lazy to stick around and watch.
After moving the last flower pot and a few green jars into the kitchen, Zhang Yi strolled back into the house.
But halfway through, he heard his wife say, “I’ll go out again after dinner.”
Zhang Yi raised an eyebrow, “You aren’t still shopping, are you?”
“Not at all. I’m going to hear some stories.” She replied proudly, “Since this merchant from Shu rarely interacts with the outside, I want to catch up on interesting happenings, like how the Grand Marshal went hunting with Liu Yizhou in Hanzhong and drove Zhang Lu away. Since this merchant is from Bashu’s Langzhong, he should know these things well.”
Hearing “Grand Marshal” made Zhang Yi’s complexion pale even before he got wind of Qiao Yan’s name.
No matter how much one might argue that, compared to her future military exploits, her earlier shot that pierced his official cap was a mercy act, it still left him mentally scarred.
“Why should a businessman be obligated to tell you stories? Don’t get sold before you realize it.”
His wife’s voice came from behind him, “You underestimate me! Of course, it’s because I know the people in Shuyang who can afford Shu silk and help them find buyers. By the way, want me to come back and recount it to you?”
Zhang Yi hurriedly declined her offer.
He had no intention of adding more unpleasant news to his already complicated life.
This little back-and-forth made him realize there was a fresh character among the neighbors, without raising any suspicions about who they might be.
Meanwhile, Qiao Lan satisfied Zhao, Zhang Yi’s wife’s gossip cravings, jotting down all the tidbits she gleaned from her.
Now wasn’t the time for her to shake things up.
If the waters were still clear, how could her spear fish?
She took out the note Jia Xu had given her before his departure, on which “watching from the sidelines” was scribbled. Reflecting on her actions today, she realized they were somewhat daring, so she decided to tone down her approach.
Fortunately, Zhang Yi’s situation had dulled his sense of crisis, but when the chaotic situation in Xuzhou arose, he’d surely grow wary.
She needed to be even more cautious.
Although Qiao Yan worried about Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting heading to Xuzhou, she recognized that it was a rite of passage in their career paths.
After all, they had plenty of protection around them, so safely retreating from Xuzhou wouldn’t be too hard.
If they didn’t experience this hardship, they’d just be Jia Xu and Li Ru’s pupils, not their true selves.
Over in Chang’an, a similar test awaited the younger generation.
After recovering from last year’s wind chill illness, Ma Lun still hadn’t returned to her former self. Even with Hua Tuo in Leping, her health was merely stable.
Ma Lun thought it might be better to clarify her intention to stay in Leping for training a new generation of talent instead of taking on the Grand Historian’s role, pushing for Ren Hong to be appointed as Grand Historian instead.
This recommendation was quite the test.
One must understand, moving from Lingtai’s assistant to the Grand Historian wasn’t just a step forward.
Although the Grand Historian was a mere six-hundred stone title, equivalent to the twenty-shou salary once scorned by Xi Zhicai, it made her a legitimate court official as opposed to an assistant in a specialized department like Lingtai’s.
Ren Hong had only spent three years learning about astronomical observations and calculations.
To be specific, it was two years and ten months.
Ma Lun’s Grand Historian title was personally conferred by Liu Hong, and due to her remarkable knowledge and her lineage as Ma Rong’s daughter, no one complained. But if she were to hand this position directly to her former student, a woman who once merely arranged clothes for officials, it would surely stir discontent!
Qiao Yan seriously told Ren Hong, “I won’t assist you in this matter; you’ll have to face the doubts alone. But I trust Ma Lun’s expectations for you, so I’ll suppress any criticism against your age or gender.”
“Whether you can indeed soar to great heights depends on your own efforts.”
Hearing Qiao Yan’s first half of the speech, Ren Hong’s eyes showed no wavering; the latter half even brought a spark of determination to her face.
Since leaving the Han Palace and adopting her new name, she had been trying to reshape her destiny and certainly wouldn’t take a step back now!
As Qiao Yan watched Ren Hong leave after giving her an unwavering assent, she leaned on the railing, smiling.
The heat rose, the sky cleared, and everything was thriving.
Her talented subordinates were also flourishing, stirring uplifting emotions within her.
She didn’t wish for those names that historically shone to merely benefit from favorable circumstances; she hoped they could all become the mighty surge of change.
So were Qiao Lan, Qiao Ting, and Ren Hong!
The students in Leping Academy were the same!
These individuals, embraced by the mountains of Leping, had received plenty of news from Chang’an.
Especially some of the most outstanding or talented among them.
To prevent any potential leaks of information, Qiao Yan even arranged for a library within Leping Academy to serve as their place of communication.
Letters and reports deemed important for them to know from Chang’an and across various provinces would be sent to this mailbox, retrieved by one person to read out loud to the rest.
This was also to maintain their sensitivity to world affairs and broaden their perspectives.
Of course, recently the topics discussed here were mostly about Chang’an.
Some of them had gone to witness the new emperor’s coronation and the inauguration of Hongwen Hall. Pang Tong was among those who visited Leping around that time, and it had been nearly half a year since.
Pang Tong had also informed Qiao Yan in advance that he had decided to lift some restrictions on information flow.
Too bad they couldn’t go during May when the new road in Chang’an was completed.
While the attendees had seen the appearance of concrete, the lack of witnessing others’ reactions to this road remained a regret.
Another regret might be—
“If we were there, the essay competition for this new road in Chang’an wouldn’t just let Wang Zhongxuan steal the spotlight.”
This came from the often overly high-spirited Pang Tong.
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Lingju burst into the study, exclaiming, “Alright, stop discussing the Chang’an road’s essay competition! Look at this!”
Everyone turned toward her, seeing the piece of paper in her hand.
To be precise, it was a piece of letter paper.
Xi Zhicai followed behind Lu Lingju, walking in slowly, somewhat exasperated by this overly energetic head of the academy.
This girl needed to channel her excessive vigor onto the battlefield one of these days.
Fortunately, they now had something to distract them from their worries.
With everyone’s attention on her, Lu Lingju cleared her throat, saying, “The Marquis assigned us a writing prompt.”
Lu Yi and Zhuge Liang had once been tasked by Qiao Yan regarding the arrangement of soldiers, so they couldn’t help but feel some trepidation.
However, this time, Qiao Yan’s assignment was quite serious.
At least like her essay competition in Chang’an, it came from a practical perspective.
Moreover, this wasn’t a writing prompt sent out to everyone in Leping Academy, but specifically to the promising talents she had her eye on.
Given its unusual nature, even those too young had been temporarily excluded.
This writing prompt was titled—
How to negotiate with Gongsun Du.
Not Gongsun Zan, but the current Grand Prefect of Liaodong, Gongsun Du.
