Chapter 279
The strategist can’t ascend to the throne? Volume Eight: Chang’an Discussing Wine, A Change in Golden Autumn Chapter 279: Under Currents
The clash over Hongze Lake didn’t last long.
By the time Tao Qian’s subordinates discovered the unusual reinforcements climbing aboard the sinking ship, Tao Qian had already met his end at the hands of these assassins.
His suspicions before death turned out to be spot on.
The arrow fired by Zu Lang was a genuine poison arrow.
Even if he hadn’t succumbed to internal injuries, this toxic arrow would’ve sealed his fate.
His subordinates arrived just in time to find him dead, but nothing could change that grim outcome.
To make matters worse, these assassins seemed to have a thorough understanding of the waterways around Hongze Lake and quickly managed to shake off the pursuers after landing, disappearing without a trace.
At this moment, countless questions raced through their minds.
Who sent these people?
Who had the audacity to assassinate the governor of a whole province?
Considering Tao Qian’s purpose in traveling from Xia Pi to Guangling, they all had a vague suspicion in their hearts—
Ze Rong!
Only Ze Rong would need to obstruct Tao Qian’s actions towards Guangling and perhaps see it as necessary to silence him!
Ze Rong certainly fit the profile; he had the means to coordinate a hit.
The guards following Tao Qian were mostly those he picked when he first became the governor of Xuzhou, so their loyalty to him was not in question.
With the captain of the guard also dead, they quickly designated someone to take charge and decided to bring back evidence from the dead assassins along with Tao Qian’s body, intending to return to Donghai County as swiftly as possible.
With Tao Qian dead, driven by the belief that a soldier should die for his worthy leader, they felt compelled to avenge him.
Meanwhile, although Tao Qian’s two sons had never ventured into politics, they were bound to inherit their father’s legacy, thus they had to continue their efforts for the succession of Xuzhou.
“Destroy the ship and cover up the news,” said one guy. “We suspect Ze Rong had a hand in this to thwart the governor’s inquiry, but we lack proof linking him directly. However, anyone making moves right now will be the prime suspect.”
But such plans sounded great in theory; executing them was no easy feat.
Tao Qian, as governor, was not keeping a low profile during his inspections.
His departure from Xia Pi and journey to Xuzhou was witnessed by many.
Beyond the disguised fishermen, some authentic fishermen were around and they saw the assassination unfold.
Tao Qian did not continue his inspection; instead, under the escort of his subordinates, he hurried back to Donghai, never to appear again, not even consulting a physician in Xuzhou. Thus he likely didn’t just suffer injuries during the assassination but actually lost his life.
This narrative wouldn’t be easily quelled!
And in no time, news spread to Xia Pi and Guangling, escalating into a swirling uproar.
In Xia Pi, hearing the news, Chen Gui was so shocked he dropped his cup.
“What did you say?” he looked at his subordinate, bewildered.
This was even more shocking than when he heard of Ze Rong’s miracles in Gaoyou; he couldn’t believe his ears.
How long had it been since Tao Qian left Xia Pi?
He hadn’t even made it to Guangling yet.
Chen Gui quickly sent someone after the reinforcements returning Tao Qian to Donghai, hoping for confirmation.
Because if Tao Qian truly had died, it would strike a monumental blow to Xuzhou.
The order restored in Xuzhou over previous years was built on Tao Qian’s governance.
Even disregarding the shadowy figures behind the assassination, the first person Chen Gui suspected was Ze Rong, leaving Chen Gui pondering how Tao Qian’s sons would navigate taking over Xuzhou.
Tao Qian’s death would inevitably turn Xuzhou into a target.
As for the answer Ze Rong gave Zu Lang, he could naively claim that Xuzhou’s neighbors weren’t in a position to act against Xuzhou. Yet for Chen Gui, the only neighbor truly lacking the clout to intervene was Cao Cao.
His relationship with the gentlemen of Yanzhou was still being smoothed out, absolutely not suitable for making any advances towards Xuzhou now.
At the same time, his title as governor of Yanzhou was bestowed from the court in Ye City; encroaching upon Xuzhou would undoubtedly pit him against Yuan Shao.
He couldn’t afford to act foolishly.
However, others would certainly have their own ambitions.
So he had to quickly verify whether Tao Qian’s death was true, and then come up with a reasonable strategy!
But what Chen Gui didn’t expect was that his inquiry would lead to trouble.
The guards escorting Tao Qian’s body took his concern as suspicious behavior; not only did they refuse to answer his question, they apprehended the person he sent to inquire.
They hurried into the territory of Donghai County, followed by returning to the state capital of Tan County, where they met with Tao Qian’s two sons, Tao Shang and Tao Ying, and proposed a plan—
In the absence of any evidence linking Ze Rong to the assassins, Chen Gui, as the first to ask about Tao Qian, naturally fell under suspicion, leading them to believe he might be involved in the governor’s death.
To ensure nothing went awry, they thought it best to detain Chen Gui’s son, Chen Deng.
“Is this really the moment to randomly suspect others and stir chaos?” Lu Su entered just in time to hear such a ridiculous suggestion and reprimanded sternly, “Use your brains, what motive would Chen Yuanlong have to harm the governor? Did he not work diligently in Xuzhou? Is the governor unfair in his treatment of him? No? So what’s there to discuss?”
Lu Su’s position as steward was indeed quite close to Tao Qian’s.
Since being appointed by Tao Qian, his judgments seldom missed the mark.
Thus, despite his youth, the attendants didn’t dare underestimate him.
As he delivered his fierce line of questioning, the leading attendant quietly replied, “If what the steward says is true, what should we do now?”
Lu Su cast a glance at the brothers Tao Shang and Tao Ying.
Considering they had not been groomed as successors, it was only natural.
They seemed utterly unaware of the implications behind the earlier doubts cast upon Chen Deng and Lu Su’s rebuttals, still fixated on Tao Qian’s body.
Tao Qian’s death may not necessarily signify the collapse of Xuzhou, but for them, it felt like the sky was falling.
Because of the poison arrow, Tao Qian’s lips retained a hint of bluish black, and due to the summer heat, the body hastily brought back from Hongze Lake began to emit a foul odor.
As Lu Su shouted for a young lord, Tao Shang suddenly rushed aside to gag, looking green as if he’d just realized something grotesque, while Tao Ying broke down crying, finally grasping a horrific truth—
He no longer had a father.
If this was in a different setting, Tao Ying’s display could have earned him praise for being filial. But not when he was not just Tao Qian’s son, but also the son of the Xuzhou governor, this behavior seemed exceedingly inappropriate.
Looking at how Sun Jian’s death at Liu Biao’s hands had spurred a series of responses from Sun Ce, and comparing that to the reactions of Tao Qian’s crying and retching sons, Lu Su didn’t know what to feel.
But as a representative of Xuzhou’s powerful families serving under Tao Qian was his own choice; it wasn’t the time to worry whether these two could shoulder responsibilities.
Faced with the dilemma on what to do now, Lu Su replied, “Immediately bring the deputy head and the steward in, along with the suspicious tenant captain. This is not the time for mutual suspicion; uniting the forces of Xuzhou is the main goal.”
But how could Xuzhou still unite?
As Zhao Yu, Wang Lang, Chen Deng, and even Chen Gui himself were gathered, they all reached a unified conclusion: let Tao Qian’s sons take over the position of Xuzhou governor and request a formal title from the court.
Though such a position should rightfully be filled by merit, considering the peculiar circumstances, the best transitional solution was to elevate someone with a blood relationship to Tao Qian.
Firstly, Tao Qian’s appointed subordinates, direct army, and various clans with vested interests would temporarily accept this outcome, at least allowing for an organized handover for the next year.
Secondly, both Tao Shang and Tao Ying were over thirty; they posed no “young leader” problem, making them relatively acceptable to the people of Xuzhou.
Yet their plan sounded good until Tao Qian’s two sons objected.
They not only lacked the capability to assume the role of governor, but neither did they possess the ambition for it.
Upon hearing this arrangement, Tao Shang immediately asked, “If we are to seek a formal title for Xuzhou governor from the court, then… why not simply have the court directly appoint a new governor to replace us?”
If it could be done that way, why push them into the spotlight!
Chen Deng felt an involuntary twitch at his temple upon hearing this.
Was this something to casually say?
When Tao Qian was in charge, he balanced the internal powers of Xuzhou admirably, granting suitable promotions and benefits.
As the governor among the people, aside from some risks in tasks assigned to Sun Guan and Zang Ba, and lack of consideration while appointing Ze Rong, he largely met the expectations of Xuzhou’s scholars.
But if a governor was just dropped in from outside, who knew if it would lead to situations like in Yizhou? There, it was a battle between the Eastern states’ gentlemen and the Yizhou gentry; what about Xuzhou?
If Yuan Shao’s position in Ye City were to be reached, Chen Deng had no doubt that he might send his son to take over Xuzhou.
If it really came to that, they might as well choose someone from their own ranks to illegitimately take over, or just keep Tao Qian’s body in the governor’s position!
In the glances exchanged among Chen Deng, Zhao Yu, Wang Lang, and Lu Su, their current thoughts were clear.
If Tao Shang could propose such an idea, it showed he was entirely lacking in political sensitivity.
“Tao Qian was regarded as a legendary figure; how could he have such two sons?” After their meeting ended in a lack of consensus, Lu Su couldn’t help but vent to Chen Deng.
Though one was of noble lineage and the other a local strongman, they both hailed from Xia Pi County and were of a similar age, having quickly formed a friendship after serving under Tao Qian.
Of course, friendship aside, Lu Su’s defense of Chen Deng indeed stemmed from his judgment, not merely out of personal favor.
Chen Deng sighed, “How could we even suggest having the court appoint a new governor for Xuzhou? That’s just too naive.”
Had it not been for Tao Qian’s recent death, some thoughts would have been too inappropriate to voice, but already Chen Deng wanted to express what he had in mind.
Another path is laid out in the open.
Since they’d rather choose their own Xu Province governor than have the Ye City court assign one, to ensure the interests of the people of Xu Province.
So…
Could they consider an outsider who genuinely cares about the people’s livelihood, has blood ties to the Han royal family, and possesses a reputation for virtue?
Someone who genuinely cares about the people’s livelihood could quickly resolve the crisis in Xu Province.
Having royal lineage means he can overlook some qualifications when taking the position of governor.
Besides, if the scholars of Xu Province offer him support, it’s only reasonable he reciprocates!
This candidate is precisely the person Chen Deng mentioned in his conversation with Qiao Ting—
None other than Liu Bei, currently in Pei State of Yu Province.
His various actions within Pei State perfectly align with Chen Deng’s requirements for the Xu Province governor position.
But before Chen Deng could find a suitable opportunity to suggest this candidate, the situation in Xu Province turned upside down.
In Guangling, Ze Rong declared his deep sorrow upon hearing of Tao Qian’s death.
What pained him even more was that the likely perpetrators behind Tao Qian’s murder, the Chen father-son duo, were still involved in deciding who would dominate Xu Province going forward for their ulterior motives—turning Xu Province into a gift to curry favor with certain powers and further their own ambitions.
Ze Rong firmly stated that as someone loyal to both Tao Qian and the Buddha, he could not allow such a situation to arise in Xu Province.
Tao Gongzu’s death was murky, and he must seek justice for his lord to repay his kindness.
Thus, he called upon the people of Guangling, urging those who had once benefited from Tao Qian or were loyal to the Buddhist sect to join him in forming a force to march north against Donghai County, take down the Chen father-son duo, and clarify the circumstances surrounding Tao Qian’s death.
Unbelievably, this rhetoric of his did have quite the mobilizing power.
Zu Lang looked on with a mix of admiration at Ze Rong’s declaration, noting the armor he donned over his monk’s robe.
If it hadn’t been for the fact that the fatal arrow that struck Tao Qian came from his own hand, and if he hadn’t been the one to convey the news of Tao Qian’s death to Ze Rong instead of mere rumors from Hongze Lake, he would’ve deemed Ze Rong a true loyal minister under Tao Qian.
So not only did the people of Guangling respond to Ze Rong’s passionate words, but even rumors spread to Donghai County, where there were also doubts being voiced about the recent closed-door meetings of the state government.
“This is utter nonsense!” Chen Gui, who was usually respected and regarded as wise and virtuous by the people of Xu Province, never experienced such suspicion!
If it weren’t for the need to catch thieves red-handed, they would’ve already accused Ze Rong of embezzling military supplies and possibly killing Tao Qian for it.
Yet here was Ze Rong, crying “thief!” instead—what kind of logic is that?
“Father, right now, it’s not about whether Ze Rong is talking nonsense,” Chen Deng replied calmly. “We both know how strong the Yellow Turban Army was back in the day. Ze Rong’s forces are also influenced by religious ideology, and he’s capitalizing on the remnants of Tao Gongzu’s influence, raising the banner of avenging his death. This means we have to consider a more pressing issue.”
“Without the governor coordinating the command, can we withstand their offensive?”
Ruthless figures like Zang Ba would follow Tao Qian’s lead but might not want to heed any orders afterward.
He, along with Sun Guan and others, was stationed in Kaifeng County of Langya, forming a power of their own. If they seize the opportunity to act independently, no one can effectively restrain them, and even their bonding with others could give them the courage to push for negotiations.
If we disregard those guys, there aren’t many generals left in Donghai County to stand up against Ze Rong’s aggressive advances.
Some might argue that Lu Su could do it.
But Lu Su’s experience under Tao Qian was too brief for him to make a leap into a commanding position.
Thinking this way made Chen Deng even more inclined to bring Liu Bei into the fold for Xu Province.
Liu Bei’s generals, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, are fierce warriors. He himself has experience from the Yellow Turban Rebellion and battles against Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shu—handling Ze Rong shouldn’t be tough!
Aside from Liu Bei, who else could quickly stabilize the chaos in Xu Province and bring down Ze Rong?
I fear there’s no one!
Chen Deng continued, “By the way, what about Mi Zhu from the Donghai Mi Clan? What’s his stance right now?”
Mi Zhu, having been invited by Ze Rong to Guangling, hadn’t sent any word back yet.
This doesn’t mean he’s pledged allegiance to Ze Rong, so they certainly can’t make any rash moves against the Donghai Mi Clan.
As long as Mi Zhu’s stance remains uncertain, they dare not freely send Mi Clan’s followers to clash with Ze Rong, lest unpredictable consequences arise.
That’s yet another problem.
If Mi Zhu truly picked Ze Rong without thinking, it would mean they’d face troubles far greater than before.
However, Chen Deng and the others probably didn’t need to worry about that anymore.
Because while Ze Rong was busy rallying his forces in Guangling, Mi Zhu had already slipped out from Gaoyou!
Whether Ze Rong blew a gasket upon hearing this news is anyone’s guess, but Mi Zhu had taken advantage of Qiao Lan’s arrangement—
To stay “hidden from Ze Rong’s pursuit” and settle in Sheyang, and then “accidentally” pass by Zhang Yi’s residence.
This order didn’t involve switching sides; even if it was merely the intel department of Qiao Yan making the arrangement instead of Qiao Yan herself, Mi Zhu promptly executed the plan.
Then, according to Qiao Lan, he temporarily lay low and observed until he got official instructions from Qiao Yan sent over from Chang’an.
The earlier pretense with Ze Rong left Mi Zhu feeling quite queasy; now, finally liberated, he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
It’d still be eight to nine days before the news from Chang’an arrived; at least, Ze Rong and Chen Deng’s clash wouldn’t wrap up quickly, and it wouldn’t affect the Donghai Mi Clan, giving Mi Zhu a perfect chance to rest.
But he was relaxed, while not far away in the courtyard, someone was jolted upright by the words of a young man across from him.
Zhang Yi stared in disbelief at the calm Zhou Yu standing before him, unable to fathom how Sun Ce’s right-hand man had appeared here proposing such a collaboration.
Have him become the Xu Province governor?
This sounded far too unrealistic!
He was indeed miffed about Tao Qian pushing him out of the Guangling Prefect position, but he only wanted to see who would take over for him in Guangling.
Regardless, he could never stand Ze Rong’s way of doing things.
He hadn’t inflated his ego to think he could lay claim to the Xu Province governor’s position!
However, Zhou Yu believed that Zhang Yi might just be a suitable candidate for the role.
Earlier, Zhou Yu only intended to join forces with Zhang Yi to curb Ze Rong, to prevent him from aiding Zu Lang and creating a mess in Yang Province.
But given the current situation, he dared to think bigger.
Because Tao Qian was dead!
With Tao Qian gone, Xu Province changed from a simmering undercurrent to a complete mess.
On one hand, the gentry of Xu Province had their own positions.
On the other, even the northern Yuan Shao, despite facing a threat from Qiao Yan, would inevitably try to take a piece of the pie due to Xu Province bordering Qing Province.
So could Yang Province not also get involved?
Yuzhang and Kuaiji counties hadn’t formally fallen into Sun Ce’s hands yet, meaning their available military strength was limited. But if they let this opportunity slip, Zhou Yu would be hard-pressed to feel satisfied returning to Yang Province.
If they could push their defense line northward to the Huai River border in central Xu Province, the constraints facing Jiangdong during their development would greatly lessen.
Just that alone was enough to prompt Zhou Yu to take a risk!
He wasn’t just limiting himself to getting Zhang Yi back into the Guangling Prefect position; he should also attempt for the Xu Province governor role.
Coincidentally, the conditions for that were indeed present.
Zhang Yi was yanked down from his position by Tao Qian due to his lackluster abilities, making him appear incapable in specific contexts. But what if he had an opportunity now to change that image?
For instance, if he could expose the truth behind Ze Rong’s fabricated divine presence and pin Tao Qian’s death on Ze Rong, with help from Yang Province launching a strong strike at Ze Rong from the rear, at least the Guangling area south of the Huai River would have a chance to return to his governance.
Zhou Yu couldn’t help but feel grateful for the lantern he had in hand, having made that hasty choice to chase out of Gaoyou City—it was indeed one of the best decisions he had ever made.
This was one of the internal conditions that could enable Zhang Yi to rise.
Likewise, there were favorable external conditions beyond Xu Province.
Zhou Yu then addressed Zhang Yi, “Why not? If I were Lord Zhang, I definitely wouldn’t want to see Ze Rong use Tao Gongzu’s death to rally an offensive northward, turning all of Xu Province into his mission field, leading to a standard of thriving hardship for the people, and endangering your own future.”
He wasn’t being alarmist; judging by Ze Rong’s behavior when preaching in Gaoyou, he didn’t strike Zhou Yu as someone who knew the meaning of restraint.
Seeing Zhang Yi ponder over this, Zhou Yu continued, “Furthermore, if Lord Zhang wishes to work together with Yang Province, we’re willing to draft a petition to the court in Chang’an on your behalf.”
Upon hearing about a petition to the Chang’an court, Zhang Yi’s face instantly turned pale.
But before he could respond, Zhou Yu continued, “Don’t think for a moment that your old grievances with the Grand Marshal would affect this matter. The battle for Xu Province is also a contest for the ownership of a state between the Chang’an court and the Ye City court. Given the Grand Marshal’s insight, she would never linger on past grievances. On the contrary, she would definitely support you to show her magnanimity.”
The previous Xu Province governor was appointed by the Ye City court; if the new one is appointed by the Chang’an court and can truly establish a footing in Xu Province, would Qiao Yan let go of that name?
Zhou Yu felt confident that she wouldn’t!
This would be a real investment for Qiao Yan.
And what about Zhang Yi? He knew full well Zhou Yu’s so-called “mutual support” was laden with ulterior motives, yet he couldn’t resist being stirred by the prospect of restoring his position or even gaining a promotion.
Even if that promotion placed him in a far more dangerous situation than now, Zhang Yi’s chaotic thoughts condensed into one question, “What do I need to do now?”
He couldn’t expect to receive an appointment from the Chang’an court without taking action.
Before that, he needed to deliver tangible results.
Zhou Yu smiled at his response.
Zhang Yi’s answer was a decree for him to make a decision.
He replied, “There’s no rush on gathering your forces. First, Lord Zhang should visit someone.”
Someone who didn’t seem inclined to cooperate with Ze Rong and hadn’t sided with Chen Deng or Lu Su.
Mi Zhu of the Donghai Mi Clan.
And as fate would have it, he was right here.
