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“Can a strategist not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 275: The Game of Six Sides…
When Mi Zhu arrived in Guangling County, it was already mid to late June.
A full month had passed since the wine discussion in Chang’an and the unveiling of the new roads.
As poems and lyrics about Chang’an’s new roads circulated like catchy tunes, the news gradually made its way to Xuzhou via the traveling merchants.
The merchants from Shu, named “Huang Yi” and “Huang Ting,” might have been among the wealthier parties, but they were certainly not the only ones.
Qiao Lan, following Jia Xu’s advice to stay out of the fray, only stirred up a bit of attention on her first day in Sheyang, after which she blended in as an ordinary merchant.
On the other hand, Qiao Ting merely visited Chen Deng to convey Chen Gui’s regards to his son and then sold Luoyang goods in Tancheng.
This made them seem even less conspicuous.
If anyone could understand the impact of the top moneybags from Donghai, Mi Zhu, on market price fluctuations in Donghai County, it would be him.
However, in their intentionally low-key operations, he did not expect that the two sisters would be related to Qiao Yan, or more specifically, her kin.
Qiao Yan had considered keeping Mi Zhu out of this intelligence network, so she certainly wouldn’t let the sisters’ identities slip into Mi Zhu’s awareness.
At this moment, as Mi Zhu and Bao Hong rushed towards Gaoyou, all they knew was—
Bao Hong suspected Ze Rong’s invitation to Mi Zhu was a bit fishy and reported it to Qiao Yan, who suggested that Mi Zhu feign compliance with Ze Rong to fully understand his intentions.
If she didn’t do so, it would be hard for her to treat the problem from afar.
“Calculating, while I’m from Xuzhou, I haven’t been to Guangling for several years,” Mi Zhu said, riding along while scanning the surroundings.
Even before officially entering the Gaoyou territory, he noticed that the situation here was quite different.
In the suburbs of Gaoyou, Buddhist temples of all sizes were everywhere.
But, perhaps because he held a prior bias against Ze Rong, this invasion of foreign Buddhism didn’t evoke a sense of religious sanctity but rather sent chills down his spine.
Just as Mi Zhu mused this, a commotion arose from the back of the caravan. He turned to see a group of monks carrying a wooden frame, but due to the narrowness of the road, the two groups began to overlap.
Even through the crowd, it was hard not to notice the grand Buddha statue perched on the frame.
The statue gleamed with gold, absolutely luxurious. With Mi Zhu’s keen eye, he could immediately tell that regardless of the material inside, the outer layer was genuine gold!
Real gold.
Looking at how heavily they walked, it was highly unlikely that this Buddha statue was hollow.
It could only be a solid bronze statue, coated with a thick layer of gold!
This thing must’ve cost a pretty penny…
Moreover, Mi Zhu didn’t believe he would just coincidentally encounter the one Buddha statue finished and sent to Gaoyou.
He turned to Bao Hong, “How many of these Buddha statues have you seen before?”
Bao Hong pondered for a moment, “I think it was three?”
So including the one in front of them, there were at least four.
Mi Zhu couldn’t help but feel startled.
But don’t get the impression that creating such Buddha statues was a common occurrence.
Bao Hong might think this was just extravagant fanfare while Mi Zhu vividly remembered how Emperor Ling of Han faced massive criticism for creating bronze statues, some of which were hollow.
Since the mining of copper was limited, these bronze creations often relied on melting down currency, akin to exploiting the people.
And then there was that gold on top of the bronze, which represented a particularly significant expenditure.
As Mi Zhu contemplated, the procession of the statue passed them after they deliberately stepped aside, and at the end, one of the attendants brushed past him.
He could clearly see a group of modestly dressed, even patched up common folk.
Thank goodness it was summer, so their slightly breezy attire wasn’t much of an issue.
But what struck Mi Zhu was the expression on their faces.
They seemed completely oblivious to the fact that with their conditions, they had no surplus funds to flaunt, following this statue in a pilgrim-like manner.
He immediately had one of them intercepted for questioning, only to receive a look that asked why he was sticking his nose in.
According to that person, he had given his family’s leftover wealth to the earthly representative of Buddha and believed it would ensure the family’s well-being and exempt them from labor.
Mi Zhu’s forehead twitched upon hearing this, “Ze Rong is not the Prefect of Guangling; how can he directly exempt these people from labor?”
The reason Tao Qian still held some respect for Ze Rong despite his rather peculiar way of accommodating the refugees was simply because—
When overseeing the transport of military provisions, Ze Rong had efficiently ensured the villagers from three counties were delivered to Donghai without any issues.
He hadn’t publicly gone against Tao Qian!
But if believers could enjoy such treatment, does that mean those who didn’t comply with this faith in Guangling would have to double their labor?
Bao Hong finally caught on to something being amiss from Mi Zhu’s tone.
He cautiously asked, “So, what you’re saying is that Ze Rong is forcing non-believers to double their labor to make them appear to accept his faith, aiming to convert Guangling into his followers, so he can exploit their wealth to flaunt and enjoy himself?”
Mi Zhu looked at Bao Hong, somewhat helpless. In some ways, this guy’s naivety was a bit ridiculous.
He had been in Guangling for quite some time, and it was a bit surprising that he had only just figured this out.
Perhaps his only commendable quality was that when Ze Rong approached him, he was a tad sensitive about choosing sides.
No wonder Cao Cao, part of the same cohort as him, had already risen to the position of Governor of Yanzhou while Bao Hong hadn’t received much notice from Qiao Yan.
But considering he probably didn’t have aspirations for high posts and was content with his current “exile” life, Mi Zhu felt there was no need for further comments.
He replied, “It’s not just for show or indulgence; it’s also possible he’s amassing military funds through these means.”
The four golden-bronze Buddha statues were theoretically just the face of the faith, but with brass being talked about as “gold” in trade, they were solid hard currency.
Ze Rong wasn’t foolish, at least he didn’t turn all his wealth into consumables.
But that still didn’t change the unusual nature of his actions.
If it weren’t for the need to feign cordiality with Ze Rong, Mi Zhu felt he wouldn’t be able to calmly ask about the Buddha statue when meeting this “Buddhist Saint.”
Without the prohibition against meat consumption from Emperor Wu of Liang during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Ze Rong seemed to enjoy his meals, and due to his robust physique from martial training, he appeared quite hearty and approachable.
Especially when he let his eyelids droop, giving him a somewhat compassionate demeanor.
Perhaps it was this facade of greed being masked that made people not perceive him as a sinister executioner.
When Mi Zhu asked, Ze Rong replied, “This is a ceremonial offering to the gods; the Donghai Mi Clan possesses immense wealth, and these four Buddha statues are merely my humble contributions.”
Mi Zhu kept silent, with no response to this.
Whether it was a humble contribution or not, he had an inkling.
The Donghai Mi Clan, as rich as they were, had never intended to act like him.
This statement from Ze Rong truly left Mi Zhu speechless.
However, Ze Rong interpreted Mi Zhu’s silence through his lens.
He recalled Mi Zhu’s earlier refusal to his invitation and decided it was better to lower the guard for this visit, saying, “Mr. Mi, it is an honor for you to come from Donghai County for this Buddha bathing ceremony. Please, come in and rest; tomorrow I will take you around the area.”
Mi Zhu readily accepted Ze Rong’s suggestion, but when the next day he roamed around Gaoyou County with Ze Rong, he struggled to suppress the amazement on his face.
The Buddhist temple Ze Rong had built looked like a stack of copper plates, rising into nine levels, with various multi-storied towers below.
The heavy temple could accommodate three thousand people for chanting, according to Ze Rong’s own words.
And with each celebration, it drew from this central site…
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Stretched out, it was a sight to behold—tables on the street filled with lavish feasts, truly a scene of friends gathering like clouds.
Ze Rong, with a hint of pride, turned to Mi Zhu and said, “Although this place isn’t as rich in resources as Donghai County, bustling with merchants, it can still be said that the people here live contentedly, with hearts straying towards Buddhism. I’ve heard that there’s a new road in Chang’an, renowned for being impervious to sword and axe, but I reckon this golden road before the Buddhist pagoda, providing food and aid to countless lives, inspires goodness just as much, if not more.”
Mi Zhu was left speechless.
How dare Ze Rong say such a thing!
The wonders of this Buddhist temple and pagoda had turned the local folks into mere puppets, misled by him.
If we were to speak of livelihoods, Leping in the fourth year of Zhongping was far superior to this place!
Yet, as Ze Rong spoke, he seemed to genuinely believe it.
But Mi Zhu quickly realized that comparing this pagoda and the road of feasting to Chang’an wasn’t just casual chatter.
If in his mind Gaoyou in Guangling could be compared to Chang’an, then what about Tan County in Donghai?
Could Ze Rong be seeing himself as above Tao Qian?
Mi Zhu found it hard to believe that this man, who governed Guangling through such manipulative means, could harbor even bolder ambitions, laid bare before visitors to Guangling.
Perhaps his wealth from Donghai allowed him to dismiss the results of his governance, or maybe the praises from the people fleeing Wu County gave Ze Rong the guts to make bolder choices.
Of course, there’s no such thing as a drinking ban in Xuzhou, so Ze Rong inviting Mi Zhu to drink while discussing Buddhist philosophy made a certain kind of sense.
But after a few rounds, watching Mi Zhu appear half-drunk, Ze Rong abruptly tested the waters.
He said to Mi Zhu, “I think at this moment, to gain something, one must be willing to lose some. Tao Gongzu should give a portion of the profits from the salt fields in Donghai to you all, that’s the long-term strategy for him in Xuzhou.”
At this remark, Mi Zhu instantly sobered up!
He wasn’t actually drunk.
After tasting the high-purity spirits distilled from Bingzhou, the light drinks Ze Rong offered were hardly different from plain water.
He often traveled and needed to be cautious about getting too tipsy and accidentally signing contracts.
Even so, Ze Rong’s comment wiped away the last remnants of his inebriation.
Mi Zhu understood perfectly what Ze Rong meant.
What he was implying was, had he been in Tao Qian’s position, he would have granted Mi Zhu a greater share of the profits.
But how could he be in Tao Qian’s place?
Naturally, it could only mean usurpation.
He not only wanted the people of Guangling to become followers of the Buddhism he preached but also coveted Tao Qian’s position as Governor.
And now he was trying to test Mi Zhu; it was clear this wasn’t a sudden thought.
Mi Zhu’s heart raced—Xuzhou was likely to descend into chaos because of this!
No wonder Qiao Yan specifically mentioned in her letter to remember one principle when arriving for the meeting: to gain, one must be willing to lose.
If chaos erupted in Xuzhou, the Donghai Mi Clan would be caught up in the turmoil as well.
Luckily, he had a backing; if the situation turned bad, he could always retreat to Bingzhou. Knowing ahead of time gave him some room to maneuver.
But it wasn’t quite the worst of times yet; Ze Rong tended to aim high but miss low, so even if he caused some trouble, it would likely be limited.
Mi Zhu’s mind raced through countless thoughts, yet it seemed he struggled to respond right away, appearing dazed from the drink before finally saying, “Salt and iron state-managed operations are the norm; even for profit, there’s no reason to meddle in this matter. I prefer to rely on popular trade to make my money.”
Ze Rong chuckled, “That’s true; Mr. Mi deals in big business, a side gig like this doesn’t matter.”
This trial balloon was punctured and floating away.
Not hearing an agreement from Mi Zhu didn’t surprise Ze Rong; feeling thwarted was hardly the sentiment.
After all, this Eastern Sea tycoon was already here; it wouldn’t hurt to wait until after the Buddha bathing festival to formally probe him again.
Today, Ze Rong dared to compare his domain to Chang’an, naturally believing he could stack up in other areas too.
For example, after demonstrating her prowess in Chang’an, Qiao Yan hosted a wine banquet that turned the powerful of noble families into her followers, even yielding the lucrative wine trade.
So, when Ze Rong showcased Guangling’s unity in beliefs during the Buddha bathing festival and demonstrated the strength of his military forces, wouldn’t that lean Mi Zhu towards a more favorable decision?
Unbeknownst to Ze Rong, behind Qiao Yan’s success lay a myriad of careful planning and exchanges, but he obliviously fell asleep dreaming of grand schemes.
That night, Mi Zhu sent out the report of Ze Rong’s ambitious aspirations.
Ze Rong’s subordinates kept an eye on Mi Zhu and his group’s movements, just in case Ze Rong’s slightly overstepping inquiry got reported back to Tao Qian, though they failed to realize that the message sent out was by a seemingly random bird pecking at grains on the windowsill.
Meanwhile, Qiao Lan’s subordinate, who was in Guangling, stayed alert for any signal pigeons flying out and caught wind of Mi Zhu’s message.
“Looks like my lord’s earlier judgment was right,” she mused privately, then commanded, “Send this news to Tan County to inform A Ting, and also relay the intel you gathered earlier.”
Ze Rong’s recruitment of Yan Baihu and the arrival of Zu Lang hadn’t escaped Qiao Lan’s notice.
Anyone could tell this looked like quite a gathering of various forces.
For Xuzhou, which had formerly been calm, this was nothing good, but for Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting, the more chaotic, the better.
So these people showing up came at just the right time!
Moreover, Ze Rong might not realize it, but Qiao Lan, trained by Jia Xu, wouldn’t miss the underlying uncertainties here.
From an outsider’s perspective, could the movements of Yan Baihu’s old subordinates and Zu Lang possibly go unnoticed by Yang Province?
Not a chance!
If Qiao Lan were in Zhou Yu’s position, she certainly wouldn’t overlook such signs.
As for Yang Province, would it be better for Tao Qian to swiftly put down Ze Rong’s rebellion only to have Lu Su take over Guangling?
Or would it be better to let Xuzhou spiral into deeper chaos, leaving them no time to consider situations in Yang Province?
It was probably the latter.
After all, Xuzhou and Yang Province stood in different positions when it came to which court to support; hoping the other side would sow chaos was hardly a vile sentiment.
Tao Qian had once employed Sun Guan and Zang Ba and neglected Ze Rong’s antics, so now, the troubles he faced were a result of his own choices.
Upon receiving Qiao Lan’s letter, Qiao Ting in Donghai County had similar speculations.
Before her lay a blank sheet of paper, filled with names.
Just like when Li Ru led her to analyze the Yizhou situation, she listed the forces involved in this Xuzhou dispute.
Then she crossed out those who couldn’t fundamentally influence the situation, like Sun Guan, who was used by Tao Qian against the Yellow Turbans in Xuzhou.
These folks didn’t have geographical advantages outside like Ze Rong, nor did they possess his persuasive methods, so they could at most be seen as Tao Qian’s henchmen.
Right now, the real game was being played by—
Tao Qian, Xuzhou’s governor, surrounded by soldiers, with Chen Deng and Zhao Yu representing the Xuzhou literati, and Lu Su standing for the local gentry.
Ze Rong, the expert in spreading Buddhism, with his followers, Yan Baihu’s old subordinates, and Zu Lang and others who were just there to mooch off food and drink.
Zhang Yi, the former official of Guangling, according to Qiao Lan’s investigation in Sheyang, still held some local favor, so he wasn’t a complete loner.
Then there were Sun Ce and Zhou Yu from Yang Province, who certainly counted as spectators, perhaps ready to lend a hand if needed.
And lurking in the dark was Qiao Yan, the final player, who had deployed her sisters Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting and had Mi Zhu and the intermediary Bao Hong in Xuzhou.
After mapping out these five forces, Qiao Ting pondered for a long while, adding another name as a sixth faction that could also take the stage in this grand theater.
During her conversation with Chen Deng, he praised someone’s agricultural and land management skills.
He mentioned that this person didn’t make defeating Yuan Shu his top goal but prioritized the livelihood of the people in Yu Province and Pei State, focusing on governance instead, truly selfless and admirable.
And it seemed this individual actually had a chance to step in.
That person was—
Liu Bei.
Just a step away from Xuzhou, Liu Bei!
So within this seemingly insignificant Xuzhou, we had a true six-way contest brewing!
