Chapter 28
Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 1: The Yellow Turban Rebellion, The Clear Voice of a Young Phoenix, Chapter 28: The Name That Must Be Fought For
When the current Son of Heaven issued the edict of enfeoffment, he never imagined that in Huangfu Song’s urgent military report, Qiao Yan, who was hailed as the future pillar of the Han Dynasty and the successor to Lord Qiao, was actually a woman.
Has the Han Dynasty ever had a woman as a marquis?
Yes.
Xi Juan, one of the eighteen marquises who contributed to the founding of the Western Han, died in battle. In the sixth year of Emperor Gaozu’s reign, because Xi Juan had no sons, his mother, Lady Di, was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Lu, to highlight the Han Dynasty’s filial piety.
Four years after Xiao He’s death, his son Xiao Lu passed away. At that time, Empress Lü was in power. To legitimize the mother inheriting the son’s position, Xiao He’s wife was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Zan, and later, her sister Lü Xu was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Linguang.
Additionally, the great fortune-teller Xu Fu, who predicted that Emperor Gaozu would reach the pinnacle of officialdom, was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Mingci Pavilion after Emperor Gaozu ascended the throne. The wife of Emperor Gaozu’s elder brother was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Yin’an.
However, during the suppression of the Lü clan’s rebellion, the Marquis of Linguang was beaten to death. When Emperor Wen ascended the throne, he stripped Xiao He’s wife of her marquis title and enfeoffed Xiao He’s youngest son, Xiao Yan, as the Marquis of Zan. Throughout the generations of emperors in the Han Dynasty, no woman was ever enfeoffed as a marquis again.
Although it was often because the Han emperors were young when they ascended the throne, and the empress dowagers ruled in their stead, taking the Eastern Han as an example—
After Empress Deng Sui of the Hexi era passed away, the Deng clan was immediately purged. The Empress Dowager Dou, who welcomed the current Son of Heaven to the throne, overstepped her bounds and was confined to the palace until her death.
Clearly, even with the high status of the empress dowager and the authority to welcome the Son of Heaven, it did not prove that the Han Dynasty could produce a sixth female marquis.
Therefore, when Zhang Rang first saw Qiao Yan, he knew that the edict in his hand could never be proclaimed!
No matter how much he used the excuse that the Son of Heaven had already issued the edict, proclaiming it would only be a matter of going with the flow, but he still couldn’t do it!
If Liu Hong changed his mind after learning of Qiao Yan’s gender, Zhang Rang would become a criminal!
He had already been treading on thin ice, trying to gauge the emperor’s thoughts, and could not bear such responsibility.
In the midst of these swirling thoughts, he couldn’t help but look at Huangfu Song with a bit of resentment.
On the way here, even when he entered the military camp and learned of the victory, Zhang Rang still thought that Huangfu Song was indeed a blessing to the Han Dynasty and his savior. But now, he only had one thought left—
Huangfu Song, you’ve caused me great harm!
For Zhang Rang, hiding the imperial edict was a crime, and proclaiming it was also a crime. He could only choose the lesser of two evils. But what about Huangfu Song?
Even if Yanzhou didn’t count as his military achievement, the merit of breaking through two provinces of Yellow Turban Bandits was undeniable. Liu Hong would never punish him. Moreover, he had merely followed the usual practice and didn’t mention Qiao Yan’s gender when writing about the grandson of Lord Qiao.
Zhang Rang felt that he had a good grasp of Liu Hong’s mindset. He knew that Huangfu Song’s oversight as a highly meritorious general at this time would give Liu Hong an opportunity to settle accounts in the future, and it would also make Liu Hong less dissatisfied with his actions.
How could an emperor be dissatisfied with a general who left a handle?
He would be delighted.
“Eunuch Zhang, you’ve come a long way. Are you feeling unwell from the journey?” Lu Zhi’s question immediately snapped Zhang Rang out of his reverie.
He suddenly realized that his behavior since entering the military tent had been too abnormal.
Especially the expression he had been trying hard to suppress, which looked like there was something unusual.
To avoid being forced into a difficult situation, Zhang Rang quickly put on a smile, pretending that the enfeoffment edict didn’t exist.
“The bandits retreated upon seeing the royal army’s flag, so we didn’t encounter any trouble. It must be the merit of you two generals. How could I dare to feel unwell?”
Zhang Rang, preoccupied with his thoughts, couldn’t help but tone down his usual domineering attitude from Luoyang, which surprised the young eunuch Zuo Feng following him.
But at this moment, there was obviously no room for him to interject.
He could only mutter to himself that if he were in Zhang Rang’s position, he would definitely make these generals offer some benefits from their successful siege. After all, officials these days didn’t dare to offend the emperor’s close attendants too much.
The pillow wind was fearsome, and those who could influence the emperor’s daily life were equally fearsome.
But Zhang Rang was…
Scared out of his wits by that report…
But then he heard Zhang Rang say, “This time, His Majesty sent us to reward the army, so I really couldn’t afford to be sick.”
Zuo Feng couldn’t help but be surprised.
Reward the army? Not proclaim the edict?
He exchanged a glance with Chunyu Qiong, both seeing the surprise in each other’s eyes.
Zhang Rang had brought the enfeoffment edict, and both of them knew about it. On the way here, they had heard Zhang Rang mention it many times, expecting a big reward.
Chunyu Qiong vaguely knew that the edict was somewhat unusual. Seeing a young girl in the military tent, he recalled what the Minister over the Masses had said before leaving Luoyang and had a rough guess in his mind. He was just surprised that Zhang Rang chose not to mention the existence of the edict at all.
Zuo Feng, however, was thinking—
Eunuch Zhang’s appetite is too big!
In recent years, the practice of officials paying money before taking office had formed a fixed impression in Zuo Feng’s mind.
He didn’t know that the edict also included Qiao Yan’s enfeoffment, and all he had heard on the way was Zhang Rang’s praise for Huangfu Song’s military achievements. How could he know the intricacies?
He only thought that Zhang Rang intended to extract enough benefits from Huangfu Song before revealing the edict!
Thinking about it, this seemed quite feasible and indeed less likely to leave a handle than coming in with a domineering attitude.
At this thought, Zuo Feng looked at Zhang Rang with a bit more admiration.
The three of them each had their own thoughts, but Lu Zhi didn’t think too much. He asked suspiciously, “His Majesty sent you to reward the army, but you brought nothing?”
“…” Zhang Rang realized he had misspoken.
He had intended to say he was here to supervise the military situation, but upon seeing the astonishing progress of these two Middle Generals in suppressing the Yellow Turbans, he subconsciously didn’t dare to position himself as a supervisor and ended up saying he was here to reward the army.
But as Lu Zhi said, if it was to reward the army, how could he bring nothing?
That would be too ridiculous.
But he was known for his flattery and eloquence. Even when caught in a slip of the tongue, he didn’t show any sign of it on his face. He just said, “His Majesty probably didn’t expect you two to defeat Zhang Jiao so quickly. He likely thought that since we rarely face the enemy directly, if the rewards were seized by the Yellow Turbans, it would harm morale.”
Zhang Rang then bowed to the two generals and said, “I am here on His Majesty’s behalf to convey a message. The two generals’ merit in suppressing the Yellow Turbans will surely be rewarded with enfeoffment. Please ensure that the Yellow Turban Bandits are completely eradicated, leaving no future troubles, so as not to disappoint His Majesty.”
Huangfu Song had never had a good attitude towards eunuchs. Even though Zhang Rang was being respectful, it didn’t improve his expression much.
Lu Zhi stepped in to smooth things over, “The envoy has come a long way and must be tired. Why not rest first? The matter of clearing out the Yellow Turbans is being discussed with Yizhen, and there will be no oversights.”
“That would be best.” Zhang Rang, seeing that he had managed to bluff his way through, couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
He didn’t notice that Qiao Yan’s gaze had never left him, the envoy from Luoyang. After observing his emotional changes, she lowered her eyes and showed a thoughtful expression.
After returning to her tent, she said to the system, “He didn’t finish what he was saying.”
“Although I don’t know what was written in General Huangfu’s military report, given the enfeoffment practices during the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, it’s impossible that the reward for meritorious generals would only be verbal praise from three people.”
[Are you saying he’s hiding something? But what good would that do him?] the system asked.
With Huangfu Song’s decisive personality, it’s unlikely that someone would try to extort him.
“I don’t know, but I have a strange intuition that if I don’t figure it out soon, I might regret it,” Qiao Yan replied.
[But, you can talk to Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi based on your merit in suppressing the Yellow Turbans and their connection to Qiao Xuan. How are you going to get information from Zhang Rang?]
“Who said I’m going to start with Zhang Rang?” Qiao Yan had a plan after some thought. “Since Zhang Rang didn’t finish his sentence, no matter how much I hint, I won’t get any results. But the escort might be able to reveal something.”
[You mean… Chunyu Qiong?]
Qiao Yan replied confidently, “Yes, Chunyu Qiong! And conveniently, there’s the most suitable person here to ask him for information.”
Liu Bei was quite surprised when Qiao Yan approached him.
He was even more so when she asked him to dismiss the attendants for a private discussion.
He had just led his troops from Quzhou to the north to clear out the remaining Yellow Turban forces and had returned late at night, so he should have been resting in the camp.
But remembering that Qiao Yan’s previous actions were mostly prudent, even in…
He still decided to hear what Qiao Yan had to say.
“May I ask what the lady has to instruct?” Liu Bei asked while having Guan Yu and Zhang Fei guard the door.
“Has the Military Supervisor noticed Zuo Feng among the Emperor’s envoys this time?”
Hearing Qiao Yan mention this name, Liu Bei was also stunned.
He really hadn’t noticed Zuo Feng.
Who would have thought that Zhang Rang and the others not only didn’t bring any edicts or rewards for the army, but since Guangzong and Quzhou had already been taken, there was no need for a Military Supervisor. They were like three mascots. He really didn’t need to pay attention to these three.
But seeing Qiao Yan’s serious expression, it seemed like this person was of great importance.
“I really haven’t noticed this person. May I ask why the lady mentioned him?”
“Today, when I asked Mr. Zhongde to return the chessboard to Lu Gong, I heard some news.” Qiao Yan couldn’t help but feel like someone had sent a pillow when she was sleepy. “He actually went to Lu Gong to ask for bribes and was scolded out.”
“…He actually has such courage?” Liu Bei was both shocked and angry.
Zuo Feng really dared.
In the original history, it wasn’t Zhang Rang who came here, but this little eunuch Zuo Feng.
As soon as he arrived at Lu Zhi’s army, he openly demanded bribes from Lu Zhi, was scolded and refused by Lu Zhi, and then went back to tell Liu Hong that Guangzong was actually easy to attack, but Lu Zhi was just holding the camp and waiting for heaven to destroy the Yellow Turbans.
Upon hearing this, Liu Hong was furious and had Lu Zhi imprisoned, sent to the capital in a prisoner’s cart, and only reduced the death penalty by one level due to pleas from others.
This behavior shows that Zuo Feng’s courage is indeed not ordinary.
At this time, when he mistakenly thought that Zhang Rang intended to withhold the imperial edict first and wait for Huangfu Song to give enough benefits before taking it out, his mind also became active.
The benefits from Huangfu Song’s side were probably marked by Zhang Rang, so Lu Zhi’s side was probably where he could act.
However, Lu Zhi had left some face for Zhang Rang in the previous conversation, but he really didn’t intend to leave any face for the person who came to extort, and directly kicked him out.
Regardless of how Zuo Feng resented Lu Zhi in his heart, Qiao Yan now used this as a talking point.
She continued, “Regarding the defense of Quzhou, I am grateful to Lu Gong for giving me the opportunity to take on this heavy responsibility. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Lu Gong has a nurturing grace towards me. The eunuch’s extortion failed, and he will surely seek revenge on Lu Gong. This matter can be big or small, but at the time when the merits of suppressing the Yellow Turbans are about to be rewarded, we must think of the worst.”
“Indeed, what the lady said is very true,” Liu Bei replied.
Was Qiao Yan only talking about Lu Zhi? Not entirely.
She was also talking about him.
Lu Zhi had a nurturing grace towards her, and Liu Bei also had a friendship with her from fighting together.
If Zuo Feng said something bad about Lu Zhi at this time when the merits were being decided, causing Lu Zhi’s easily obtainable merits to be lost, then Liu Bei, as Lu Zhi’s subordinate and disciple, would definitely be affected.
He lost his father early and had a past of weaving mats and selling shoes. Only after becoming Lu Zhi’s disciple did his social status change. He believed that as a relative of the Han royal family and with considerable ability, he needed the promotion from the normal reward of merits as a ladder for further development.
But now there was an unknown factor, and Liu Bei, still young and not yet steady, couldn’t help but lose his composure.
Qiao Yan continued, “I don’t want to see Lu Gong harmed by villains. I want to ask the Military Supervisor to do something.”
Seeing Liu Bei’s strange expression, Qiao Yan quickly added, “But don’t worry, I don’t mean for you to kill Zuo Feng to eliminate future troubles. I just want to ask the Military Supervisor to talk to Chunyu Qiong and see if you can find out some leverage on Zuo Feng and Zhang Rang, to find a countermeasure.”
After some consideration, Liu Bei agreed.
This matter might be related to the interests of this young prodigy, but it also concerned Lu Zhi and Liu Bei’s development.
She didn’t make it clear in her words, leaving some room for both sides’ actions, which was just right.
Liu Bei didn’t need to make it clear, as he also needed to protect his own interests.
Even if he wanted to save the country, he needed corresponding authority.
Moreover, the first step Qiao Yan proposed was not something he couldn’t do.
Chatting with Chunyu Qiong to get information? He was very familiar with that.
Liu Bei was very popular in his place of study, among his local community, and in the military camp. Although Chunyu Qiong was a disciple of the Yuan Clan from Runan, he was still within Liu Bei’s usual circle of friends.
As for how to start the topic? Just say that he admired the officials in the capital and wanted to learn about the customs and practices of Luoyang’s garrison.
It turned out that Qiao Yan’s choice to have Liu Bei gather information was not wrong.
Perhaps the diplomatic skills in the Han royal bloodline were perfectly inherited by Liu Bei. Chunyu Qiong didn’t expect Liu Bei to be probing for information. He just thought Liu Bei was pleasant to talk to, had a somewhat unusual appearance, and as a disciple of Lu Zhi, was in the same camp as the Minister over the Masses, making him a good person to befriend.
He originally thought that escorting Zhang Rang and Zuo Feng here, if the frontline in Ji Province was still fighting the Yellow Turbans, might require him to go to the battlefield, which made him a bit nervous.
After all, he knew his own limits and felt the future was bleak.
Now, not only did he not have to fight, but there was also Liu Bei who could talk him into a daze.
Chunyu Qiong, without any guard, talked from the camps in Luoyang to his dissatisfaction with the two eunuchs.
And Liu Bei somehow got a small pot of wine. He didn’t drink it himself, but it all went into Chunyu Qiong’s stomach, making Chunyu Qiong less and less cautious as he spoke: “Brother Xuande, I’ll tell you something, but you mustn’t tell anyone else.”
Liu Bei quickly nodded in agreement.
Chunyu Qiong said, “The Minister over the Masses mentioned that His Majesty visited Qiao Gong’s residence half a month ago, seemingly intending to enfeoff Qiao Gong’s grandson as a Marquis. Zhang Rang held the imperial edict but lied about it, probably related to this.”
He patted Liu Bei’s shoulder, “But this matter has nothing to do with us, so just listen and forget it.”
Enfeoffment as a Marquis?
Liu Bei was shocked.
After some consideration, he relayed all the information Chunyu Qiong inadvertently revealed to Qiao Yan.
Qiao Yan also didn’t expect such news.
“Enfeoffment as a Marquis…” She muttered these two words, her heart in turmoil.
This was indeed news that she might regret not knowing in time!
Previously, she only wanted to use the name of filial piety to place herself in a position where she could advance or retreat. Even if the world changed, she had a background to rely on.
But if she could have the opportunity to directly become a Marquis through the merits in suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion, it would indeed be much better than just having the empty fame of “Qiao Yan entered the enemy camp at ten to avenge her father.”
Whether it was due to Huangfu Song’s oversight or intentional action that caused Emperor Liu Hong’s edict to have such a situation, and now it was temporarily withheld due to gender, this at least provided a possibility.
A possibility that might be realized.
Just like how Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Lu Zhi, the three main generals, wouldn’t have thought that a variable like her would appear in the suppression of the Yellow Turban Rebellion and find such a breakthrough in the battle—
Then who says the enfeoffment as a Marquis can’t become a reality!
The system saw Qiao Yan sitting at the desk in deep thought after sending away Liu Bei, who came to report, and couldn’t help but ask: [Is enfeoffment as a Marquis that important? Anyway, in a few years, it will be Dong Zhuo’s rebellion, and this Marquis won’t be of much use, right?]
Qiao Yan laughed in her heart at the naivety of this newbie system.
A Marquis and a commoner are completely different statuses.
But she couldn’t tell the system all her thoughts, so she just said, “Do you remember what I said before, that the world’s top strategist, if he could help the lord feed these refugees who turned to banditry, wouldn’t there be such hard-to-distinguish right and wrong?”
[Of course I remember.]
“If I have the position of a Marquis, I can get a fiefdom, enjoy the taxes and the control of the farmers in the fiefdom. Do you know what that means?”
“From the first year of Zhongping to the sixth year of Zhongping when Dong Zhuo rebelled, the five years in between are enough for me to make many attempts and test feasible methods in troubled times.”
Before the system could express its opinion, it saw its host slam the table and stand up. Although she was still a child and lacked some aura, her eyes reflected the camp’s candlelight with a burning intensity.
“So this position, I must fight for it!”
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