Chapter 280

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“Can a strategist not ascend to the throne?”

Chapter 280: Salt Port and Sea Tombs.

The suggestion to visit Mi Zhu came from Zhou Yu, catching Zhang Yi off guard while simultaneously making a certain kind of sense.

His intrigue with Zhou Yu’s plan to seize the Xu Province Prefect position wasn’t just because it seemed a golden opportunity; it was also because it represented a significant risk worth taking for Yang Province.

Pushing the front line north to the Huai River was precisely the defensive strategy of holding crucial waterways.

Of course, that kind of talk wasn’t on the table just yet.

Currently, Xu Province was key because, during Emperor Xiaoming’s reign, Wang Jing had worked on the Yellow River repairs, restricting its southward flow, while dykes were built on the Bian River to allow its merging with the Si River in Xu, establishing its important position as the “lock for the north” and “stronghold for the south.”

In simpler terms, if Sun Ce and his crew could help Zhang Yi solidify their foothold south of the Huai River, it would be invaluable for launching an offensive into the Central Plains from Yang Province.

Since Yang Province wasn’t just altruistically offering a slacker elder a chance to get back into the game, but rather acting in their own interest, this cooperation felt much more genuine and trustworthy.

Getting him to talk to Mi Zhu made sense under the same logic.

As the wealthiest figure in Xu, Mi Zhu had extensive trade connections with all corners of the world and, notably, a pretty cozy relationship with the Chang’an court, making him a local bigwig with a roster of capable followers.

If he stood by Zhang Yi, it would greatly benefit Zhang’s ambitions in the region.

Moreover, it would also serve Yang Province’s interests quite well.

Sun Ce’s foundation in Yang was still too shaky; he needed to tread carefully against the powerful families in Yang Province, especially those from Wu Commandery, who often hindered his efforts due to his youth.

In this scenario, leveraging wealth to unlock military recruitment became Yang Province’s pathway to breakthrough.

Mi Zhu’s connection with the Chang’an court didn’t preclude him from seeking support locally in Xu; securing local backing was essential for his foothold.

If he had no interest in Tao Qian, could he possibly become an ally for Sun Ce?

Even without offering direct support to Sun Ce, if Mi Zhu could gain greater benefits from the upheaval in Xu, it would prompt him to reciprocate, making it a win-win trade for Yang Province.

Zhou Yu hadn’t realized that Mi Zhu had already dismissed regional biases early on and had placed his bets squarely on Qiao Yan.

He also hadn’t expected Mi Zhu would show up in Zhang Yi’s Sho Yang, not to avoid Ze Rong and assess the war’s status, but because of arrangements made by Qiao Lan.

He was still a bit green, and facing such a tantalizing prospect for Yang Province made rationality waver in deciding to partner with Zhang Yi—it was hard not to see it as good luck, whether Tao Qian suddenly met his demise at Ze Rong’s hands or if Mi Zhu emerged as a crucial force in the region.

He had to maneuver Zhang Yi into making this happen!

Zhang Yi clearly saw the shared interests between them, so after some contemplation, he agreed to Zhou Yu’s suggestion.

But how to persuade Mi Zhu to join their cause was undoubtedly a significant challenge.

The Mi family’s foundation was in Donghai County, having a plethora of resources from fishing ports to mines.

Even with the provincial government of Xu being situated in Donghai, Mi Zhu had to develop under Tao Qian’s watchful eye, which would impose some restrictions, though those limitations were relatively minor.

Why would he want to support Zhang Yi, who was previously ousted from power?

Logically, that didn’t quite add up.

As a merchant and the current head of the Mi family, Mi Zhu was much more astute when it came to weighing interests than most people.

This conundrum was raised while they were en route to seek him out, prompting Zhang Yi to inquire with Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu replied, “Let’s give him a share of the authority over Salt Port.”

Zhang Yi nearly jumped at Zhou Yu’s response.

What on earth was Salt Port?

As a county under Guangling, it was renowned for its sea salt, and because of the iron officials needed for salt production, in the fourth year of Yuanshao, Emperor Xiaowu had established iron officials in the Han domain, placing Salt Port among those sites.

So, it was also the center for Guangling’s salt and iron trade!

Handing over this territory to Mi Zhu equated to giving a portion of government power to a merchant.

But as Zhang Yi thought it over, he found Zhou Yu’s suggestion quite sound.

For a merchant who had built his wealth to such a level, it was those powers that were previously out of reach that held a far more direct allure for him.

Zhang Yi sighed, “They say you must give to receive, yet people still hesitate to let go. But upon reconsideration, if you aren’t even willing to make this sacrifice, what’s there to discuss about gains?”

Zhou Yu added, “Zhang Taishou sees it clearly.”

Agreeing to this plan meant Zhou Yu would have to do less convincing.

Having Mi Zhu pocket a piece of Salt Port’s salt and iron shares was merely a matter of verbal fine print for him but was a significant cut for Zhang Yi, weakening his authority as the provincial governor.

This was exactly what Zhou Yu wanted to see.

As for whether Mi Zhu occupying Salt Port and shifting family businesses over to it would impact Yang Province’s benefits, for now, it was hard to say.

Interestingly, in the first year of Lingdi’s reign, Sun Ce’s father, Sun Jian, had made a name for himself by pacifying the rebel forces in Kuaiji and was appointed as the Salt Port’s vice prime. During his four years in charge, he left a lasting influence here, and it was also where Sun Ce was born.

Should this territory connect with Yang’s lands, it could be an inspiring testament.

Zhang Yi wasn’t aware that Zhou Yu had additional thoughts brewing as he responded, “This isn’t about seeing things clearly; I previously held myself in high regard and now simply view things from a normal perspective.”

He stood, saying, “I’ll visit Mi Zhu; this matter requires prompt action.”

With Ze Rong aiming for an upper hand in the North, no matter how much the southern waterways slowed his advance, he would undoubtedly strive to act quickly.

If he seized control of the narrative and scored a victory, rallying a significant number of followers, then even if they tried to utilize Zhang Yi’s waning influence in Guangling to recruit troops and launch a surprise attack with Yang’s support, the threat to Ze Rong would still be limited.

They risked being devoured by Ze Rong’s forces first.

For Zhang Yi’s efficiency, Zhou Yu was quite pleased, stating, “Alright, I’ll accompany you.”

Though this would expose him within Xu, building ties with the Donghai Mi Clan made the exposure a minor issue.

Interacting with a savvy individual like Mi Zhu, there was no need for any shifty schemes.

It made more sense to lay everything out plainly to show their sincerity.

Simultaneously, Zhou Yu’s involvement also signaled to Mi Zhu that even if Zhang Yi became the nominal Xu Prefect soon, the real power still lay with Jiangdong. No one should misinterpret this.

Perhaps it was this honesty, or maybe the allure of granting a merchant some salt and iron authority that piqued the Donghai Mi Clan’s interest, but during Zhang Yi’s visit, Mi Zhu, while not giving an outright affirmative, showed signs of consideration.

Before leaving, Zhou Yu remarked, “Mr. Zi Zhong may not have much time left for hesitation.”

This certainly wasn’t alarmist chatter.

Ze Rong’s advances into the North were happening far faster than Xu’s gentlemen could conceive.

Tao Qian’s death hadn’t been immediately explained, and even Tao Qian’s sons failed to step up to stabilize the situation quickly enough, leaving the blame that fell on Chen Gui and Chen Deng to resonate as fact for some in Xu.

Those benefiting from Tao Qian’s kindness weren’t few, and with Zu Lang and Yan Baihu’s former troops involved, when Ze Rong’s advance force clashed with Donghai’s defenders across the Huai River, they did indeed gain the upper hand.

Zhao Yu hastily marched north, seeking out Zang Ba and others in Linyi to muster forces.

Wang Lang led an army south, intending to eliminate this thorn in Ze Rong’s side.

In this rapid clash, the weaknesses of Xu Province’s civil-military divide became glaringly apparent.

If the factions north of the Huai River couldn’t—

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“We need to get enough military support fast, or else we’re going to get trampled by Ze Rong’s unreasonable religious crew.”

Mi Zhu might consider heading back to Donghai County right now to use the power of the Donghai Mi Clan to back up the Huai North camp.

After all, that would be a solid favor in a time of need, and it could potentially score him quite a few benefits.

But as Zhou Yu put it, even if Mi Zhu did that, who’s going to be the final governor of Xuzhou? Is Mi Zhu really going to shine brighter than Chen Deng or Lu Su under him?

If not, then why not grab Zhang Yi, who’s a bit short on manpower?

Anyway, this too would count as a timely assistance.

However, Zhou Yu probably didn’t anticipate that things were way more tangled up in Huai North than he first thought.

As Zhao Yu headed north, Wang Lang moved south, and Lu Su held the fort at Tancheng while Chen Gui returned to defend Xia Pi, Tao Qian and Tao Ying were still reluctant to take the Xuzhou governor position. Chen Deng persuaded others to go straight west with a few followers.

This night-time dash was all about heading to Pei State to get Liu Bei to muster troops and take over Xuzhou!

They had no room left for hesitation.

Even bringing in an outside candidate for Xuzhou was a million times better than letting Ze Rong seize the entire region and bring disaster to the gentry of Xuzhou!

“Liu Bei sure does have good luck.” The shifts in power in Xuzhou due to the clashes had led to Qiao Yan receiving quite a few letters lately.

Even with Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting in Xuzhou, they still managed to send their intel separately to save time crossing the Huai River.

If it weren’t for Qiao Yan dispatching some carrier pigeons to Xuzhou last time she sent orders, they would probably be sitting on a pigeon shortage right now.

The news she had in hand was just about Chen Deng making his way to Yu Province.

Recalling how historically Chen Deng was a big advocate for Liu Bei becoming governor of Xuzhou, it went without saying what his current mission was.

As for whether Liu Bei would agree to move to Xuzhou, that was a no-brainer.

He might turn it down citing seniority or the law, acting all high and mighty to avoid taking a position through someone else’s misfortune, but he wouldn’t outright refuse Chen Deng’s suggestion—

Having a character like Ze Rong ruling Xuzhou was practically a death sentence for most of the common folks there.

You could call it moral pressure on Chen Deng’s part, or call it Liu Bei seizing an opportunity, but bottom line was, he had to move to Xuzhou one way or another.

Yuan Shao might be unhappy about Liu Bei pulling out of Yu Province, but what terrified him more was losing even Xuzhou without the title to Ye City’s court, forcing Liu Bian to issue an edict to appoint Liu Bei as Xuzhou’s governor or prefect.

But how could Qiao Yan let that happen without a hitch?

Ethically, she had no real issues with Liu Bei, and even held some respect for him, but since they were enemies, she couldn’t hold herself back from stirring the pot a little.

She preferred to see various Southern powers in disarray rather than letting Liu Bei settle in Xuzhou to balance forces against Yang Province, constantly draining each other’s strength.

Sun Ce hadn’t fully taken Yang Province yet, and the prefect of Yu Zhang County, Huang Zu, held a grudge against him for killing his father.

Xuzhou shouldn’t be left too intact either.

The situation prompted by Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting to cross the Huai River for governance was what would ultimately favor Qiao Yan the most.

This would create at least four factions influencing both Yang and Xuzhou.

Qiao Yan picked up the note from Mi Zhu which mentioned Zhou Yu and Zhang Yi trying to win him over, asking if he should agree.

“Yan Du…” Qiao Yan looked over the map of Xuzhou County in front of her, her eyes sweeping across the coastal county names of Guangling. “Even if they don’t bring it up, I’ve been planning for Mi Zhu to have Yan Du in hand anyway. Cutting the chit-chat a bit isn’t so bad.”

But truth be told, Yan Du wasn’t exactly the port she needed her sisters to secure from the chaotic Xuzhou.

This port, serving a pivotal role in naval operations, being in Mi Zhu’s hands wasn’t quite the same as having it in her own grasp.

Considering the importance of salt and iron commerce to Xuzhou, Qiao Yan felt that even if they relinquished some control to Mi Zhu in power or interest, the military presence wouldn’t be lacking.

This kept some matters relatively discreet, unsuitable for open dealings.

So, she needed to pick another location.

Conveniently, she had just the chance to do so.

“If Liu Bei were to enter Xuzhou with the court’s decree from Ye City, no, even without that, Zhou Gongjin would need to persuade Zhang Zitao to send a messenger to Chang’an requesting a formal title to govern Xuzhou and battle Ze Rong. How about I say I’ll station troops in Hailing in exchange for this title?”

Station troops in Hailing!

Hailing lay north of the Yangtze River, in the southern part of Guangling County, right where the Yangtze meets the sea.

This request for troop placement…

Guo Jia replied, “If I were Zhou Yu, my first reaction would definitely be that the Lord is using this troop placement request to pressure Yang Province.”

“Doesn’t he need a warning?” Qiao Yan shot back.

Let’s not kid ourselves; there’s no way Zhou Yu would just come to Xuzhou out of curiosity regarding Zu Lang’s movements while also meddling in the leadership of the province. He couldn’t just pull a power move because of his past dealings with Chang’an.

Giving him a warning was totally reasonable.

Guo Jia added, “Of course, but this might be interpreted differently by Yuan Shao. It indicates a direct support of Lord Zhou to Zhang Yi. Though he isn’t directly involved in the fighting along the Huai, it still shows where he stands.”

Qiao Yan chuckled, “But neither of these things are our top priority right now.”

She needed the real motives behind wanting a port, which had already shown up in the assignment for the students of Leping Academy.

To further downplay this goal, she’d have Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting reinforce the narrative for the first two missions within Xuzhou.

In any case, not only was she operating behind the scenes, but she also held the most advantageous position between moving forward or retreating.

Guo Jia bowed slightly to Qiao Yan, expressing admiration for her subtle tactics as she dispatched Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting to fulfill their objectives. “You simply need to ensure Mi Zhu agrees with Zhang Yi first, then wait for Zhang Yi’s envoy to arrive in Chang’an; that would be enough.”

“Who knows…,” Guo Jia pondered about the old grudge between Qiao Yan and Zhang Yi, adding, “Perhaps you could even showcase a selfless attitude in the court.”

“You overthink things, Fengxiao,” Qiao Yan teased.

This was merely a byproduct of recent changes; whether she chose to deepen others’ impressions of her was entirely optional.

Rather than worrying about that, Qiao Yan was more keen on two other tasks.

“Now, send out two messages towards Bingzhou.”

“First, instruct the Middle General at the Taihang Mountain pass to prepare to deploy troops.”

She knew she had no intention of sending troops just yet, but Yuan Shao didn’t know that!

Last year they launched a surprise attack before the autumn harvest; with a solid force and provisions this year, an invasion of Ji Province wasn’t out of the question.

In essence, making Qu Yi appear as if he were gearing up for battle would force Yuan Shao to shift his focus heavily onto defenses along Taihang Mountain, leaving him no chance to meddle in Xuzhou’s affairs.

This would provide Liu Bei more help, while also easing some pressure off Zhang Yi.

Or maybe it would even disrupt the morale of Ye City’s court?

She continued, “Secondly, inform the two over in Shangjun about all that my two nieces are doing in Xuzhou.”

Qiao Lan had drawn Zhang Yi out from the chaos in Xuzhou and brought Mi Zhu to the forefront at just the right time; Qiao Ting came up with a way to create buzz around Ze Rong with flying lanterns and crafted public sentiment around Tao Qian’s death. In Qiao Yan’s eyes, these actions were quite commendable, and it wasn’t easy to pick a clear standout among them.

But if she remembered correctly, wasn’t there supposed to be a competition between Li Ru and Jia Xu over who could train their apprentice better?

“Have them settle the score; the loser must come to Chang’an for a visit. If they can’t persuade each other, then they should come together.”

Just then, Qiao Yan paused, “Wait, I forgot… I had initially told Mr. Wenhe he should come to Chang’an after the autumn harvest. So either way, he has to show up regardless of who wins or loses.”

With the autumn harvest approaching, detailed arrangements and progress on various matters in Chang’an needed to be sorted —

These two had hands, feet, and brains, so why on earth should they continue resting in Shangjun?

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