Chapter 281

Chapter 281

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 8: Chang’an Wine Debate, Autumn Changes Chapter 281: Northern and Southern Governors

Belonging to the book:


Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 281: Northern and Southern Governors

Guo Jia laughed out loud.

To be honest, he had been envious of Jia Xu and Li Ru’s work-life balance for quite some time.

And he dared to swear, it wasn’t just him. Those who knew Jia Xu’s past, including Cheng Yu and Xu Shu, were all envious of Jia Xu’s current retirement life.

Although Jia Xu’s previous stint with Dong Zhuo was tough, but what can you say?

If after that stint, one could just relax and be credited with a major achievement by the lord, then they might as well take some acting classes and try this challenging job.

But now, with the many affairs in Guanzhong, Jia Xu was being recalled, and Guo Jia was all set to enjoy the show.

Although, upon hearing that Qiao Yan offered Jia Xu a four-day workweek with two days off, he started to feel envious again.

“Actually, I think I could also go join Yuan Benchu…” Guo Jia didn’t finish his sentence before meeting Qiao Yan’s warning gaze. He quickly coughed and said, “Just kidding, I can’t just go and claim kinship because there’s a Guo Tu over there, right?”

He wasn’t that bored.

Although they were both from Yingchuan and shared the surname Guo, being from the same region and having the same surname didn’t necessarily mean they were related.

Pretending to defect, especially for someone like him, the Chief Secretary of the Grand Marshal’s office, wasn’t very credible.

He’d better go deliver the message.

It’s just a pity he couldn’t witness the argument between Jia Xu and Li Ru over the Qiao sisters’ performance.

Jia Xu’s return to Chang’an was inevitable.

A year had passed since Dong Zhuo’s death, and the current Guanzhong no longer discussed how Qiao Yan took Chang’an. The topics had shifted to the new emperor’s ascension, Chang’an’s new roads, and the wine debate. Jia Xu wasn’t the main culprit of the Han court’s turmoil, so his return wouldn’t cause much of a stir.

Li Ru was the same. From his capture by Qiao Yan to now, enough time had passed for people to forget his special status under Dong Zhuo.

But whether people remembered or not, and whether they wanted to come, were two different things.

After all, being in Shangjun didn’t stop them from advising Qiao Yan or seizing necessary opportunities to make outstanding contributions.

Why bother coming to the muddy waters of Chang’an?

But since everyone was in the same situation, how could one be on duty while the other remained idle?

In Guo Jia’s view, Jia Xu would surely argue for his disciple’s merits to drag Li Ru into the fray, and Li Ru would probably do the same. The verbal exchanges between those two would be quite entertaining…

Guo Jia sighed regretfully.

If the confrontations and verbal battles in Shangjun were thrilling, the turmoil in Ye City was also quite interesting.

Upon receiving the news from Qiao Yan that the Eastern Expedition Middle General Qu Yi was mobilizing troops, seemingly intending to march through the Taihang Mountains into Ji Province, Yuan Shao immediately gathered all his strategists and generals.

As Qiao Yan had guessed, her early efficient military movements had given other forces a false impression—

If conditions allowed, her annual large-scale marches could crush her enemies like a tidal wave.

So now, the news of Bingzhou’s troop mobilization was undoubtedly a declaration of war!

A very dangerous one.

The only thing Yuan Shao found comforting was that the horseshoes, due to their low technical threshold, had been successfully implemented after Yuan Xi’s trip to Chang’an. From June to July, all his cavalry had been equipped.

If there were cavalry clashes, his warhorses’ wear and tear would be significantly reduced.

With the autumn harvest approaching, some of the stored grain in the government storehouse could be allocated as military rations, alleviating the pressure on food supplies.

But this didn’t change the fact that when Yuan Shao heard Qiao Yan had chosen this moment to boldly send troops, his first reaction wasn’t anger at being targeted as prey, but—

Anxiety.

This anxiety was also clearly seen by his subordinates who arrived later.

But none of them could criticize Yuan Shao for this mindset. After Yuan Xi brought those enemy items from Chang’an to Ye City, the stark differences displayed before everyone couldn’t be ignored.

Fortunately, Yuan Shao was asking how to respond, not how to counterattack and win, which slightly calmed the gathered crowd.

“Speaking of which, isn’t the timing of this troop movement too coincidental?” Shen Pei spoke up first. “Just a few days ago, we learned that Tao Qian died in Xiapi County, and Xuzhou fell into internal chaos. Today, Bingzhou is amassing troops at the Taihang Mountains, showing signs of advancing.”

“Are you suggesting… Tao Gongzu’s death is related to Qiao Yeshu?” Yuan Shao asked.

“Not exactly,” Shen Pei shook his head. “I mean, is it possible that Xuzhou, as one of the few provinces aligned with the Ye City court, could have provided support to you, my lord. With Tao Gongzu’s death, you’ve lost an ally, prompting Chang’an to decide to send troops now.”

“If that’s the case, the other side, though farther from Xuzhou than us, clearly received the news earlier, leading to such a rapid mobilization.”

Yuan Shao frowned.

Although it was uncertain how much help Xuzhou could provide, it had nominally responded to him.

With the chaotic Xuzhou excluded, even adding the unruly Youzhou, it was only four provinces.

But the Han Dynasty has thirteen provinces!

It was precisely because this disparity in strength was becoming more apparent that Qiao Yan didn’t even wait for the autumn harvest to send troops!

This made complete sense.

His other point was also valid.

From receiving news of Tao Qian’s death to deciding to send troops, to the military orders reaching Bingzhou and Qu Yi mobilizing the troops, all required time. Thus, Qiao Yan must have learned of Tao Qian’s death much earlier than Yuan Shao.

Unless she had detailed knowledge of Xuzhou’s every move and constantly monitored it, it would be impossible to achieve this.

If she was so attentive to Xuzhou, what about Ji Province?

A sense of caution arose in Yuan Shao’s heart, realizing that Shen Pei’s mention of this was to remind him to be wary, lest their defensive preparations also be leaked.

He said, “The two most crucial passes connecting Ji Province and Bingzhou are Fukou Pass and Jingxing Pass. I intend to have two generals station troops at each pass, and another to patrol between them, to fill any gaps or find opportunities to disrupt the enemy’s offensive. What do you all suggest?”

Ju Shou replied, “In the current situation, it’s better to defend than attack. Bingzhou’s choice of this offensive timing is both a disadvantage and an advantage for you, my lord. If you can endure this setback and temporarily hold off the enemy’s advance using the mountainous terrain, it would actually disrupt their plans.”

Qiao Yan’s military campaigns have been unstoppable, almost forming a fixed perception.

So even if Yuan Shao didn’t defeat her once, just holding the defense could boost their own confidence.

Defending was much easier than counterattacking, especially since—

They now had a suitable candidate for defense.

It was Gao Shun, whom Ju Shou brought back from his trip to Yuzhou.

For Yuan Shao, this was indeed a trustworthy candidate.

But before Ju Shou could finish his suggestion, someone outside loudly shouted “Urgent report from Yuzhou,” interrupting Ju Shou’s words.

Yuan Shao immediately signaled to pause the current discussion and have the urgent report brought to him.

Hearing “urgent report from Yuzhou,” Yuan Shao instinctively thought of Yuan Shu.

This guy had earlier broken his leg due to Ju Shou and Gao Shun’s attack, but based on Yuan Shao’s understanding of Yuan Shu, a broken leg wouldn’t stop him. Instead, it would make him find other ways to vent his frustrations since he couldn’t go out for fun.

His hands were still good, right? Then he could still write things like “Shao is not a son of the Yuan family.”

His mouth could still speak, right? Then he could still curse.

When the envoy Jian Yong sent by Liu Bei was brought before Yuan Shao, Yuan Shao was still thinking this way.








He even felt that Yuan Shu had made some progress this time, at least knowing to spread rumors up close, not giving him any chance to intercept the letters.

However, as soon as Jian Yong spoke, Yuan Shao realized he was mistaken.

Jian Yong said that the scholars of Xuzhou had approached Liu Bei, hoping for him to take the position of Governor of Xuzhou.

Yuan Shao’s expression instantly became quite colorful.

When he had previously used Liu Bei as a pawn against Yuan Shu, he never imagined that due to the proximity of Pei State in Yu Province and Xuzhou, Liu Bei would gain such an opportunity.

But not only did Yuan Shao not expect this, even when Chen Deng rushed to Yu Province and appeared before Liu Bei, Liu Bei had not anticipated such a situation.

The death of Tao Qian had already shocked Liu Bei, and the internal turmoil in Xuzhou made him realize how quickly a power could disintegrate and fragment. The suggestion to involve him in this situation made Liu Bei lose his composure.

After recovering from the shock of this news, Liu Bei immediately rejected Chen Deng’s proposal.

According to his own plans, he should gradually defeat Yuan Shu’s forces in Yu Province, step by step expanding his territory. Whether starting as a Prefect of a commandery or rising to Governor of Yu Province, it should all be a steady progression.

This method of promotion would be enough to offset the weaknesses in his early career.

But what was this now?

Xuzhou suddenly leaderless, hoping for him to parachute in?

This not only had the suspicion of taking advantage of the situation but also… if he really took this position, such a sudden rise would inevitably cause some friction between him and Xuzhou.

To say that Liu Bei was not at all tempted by the position of Governor of Xuzhou would be to underestimate his desires.

Since his youth, he had liked dogs, horses, music, and fine clothes, and he still retained some of these habits. However, he was more aware than those driven by desire of what he could achieve through his own abilities.

The position of Governor of Xuzhou was clearly a fine garment that might not fit well.

But Chen Deng told him two things.

The first was what Qiao Yan had guessed.

He brought up the people of Xuzhou.

Liu Bei was not from Xuzhou and did not have a direct understanding of the harm caused by Ze Rong’s promotion of Buddhism in Xuzhou.

However, he had witnessed the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

When Chen Deng spoke with a seriousness that left no doubt about the truth, telling Liu Bei about the unconditional trust and sacrifices of the people in Guangling Commandery for Ze Rong, the special corvée methods and the construction of Buddhist temples and pagodas, and the military provisions stolen by Ze Rong in Pengcheng and Xia Pi, Liu Bei couldn’t help but form some associations, and his expression became serious.

Then he heard Chen Deng ask, “General, you cannot bear to see the people of Pei State卷入战乱, preferring to promote civil affairs before confronting Yuan Gonglu, but can you bear to see the people of Xuzhou陷入水火?”

The second was that Chen Deng said, since Liu Bei joined the military in his early years, he had only been a miscellaneous general without political power, being driven by others, acting as a pawn, despite having fierce generals like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, he had no open territory to develop his power, ultimately because—

He was neither like Qiao Yan, who could strategize deeply and carve out a path from the cracks, nor like Yuan Shao, who had many strategists planning for him.

Although Liu Bei’s development process couldn’t be considered a life of wandering and constant relocation, hearing Chen Deng’s words, he couldn’t help but feel moved.

Especially when Chen Deng added that Liu Bei was now in Yu Province, and if scholars from Yingchuan and Runan commanderies were interested in him, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to come and join him. But they either went north to join Cao Cao or Yuan Shao, or west to Chang’an to serve under Qiao Yan. Who came to Liu Bei to offer help in his time of need?

No one!

The only person who could still be called a strategist on Liu Bei’s side was Jian Yong, who had known him since his youth and was also from Zhuo County.

Unfortunately, he was better at debate than strategy.

Chen Deng then said that this situation arose because most scholars, when seeking a place to entrust themselves, not only assessed the potential and character of their lord but also looked at how scholars with similar or different conditions were treated under their command.

Since Liu Bei had none, how could he attract more?

But now it was different. The scholars of Xuzhou were willing to make this start, even willing to elevate Liu Bei to the position of Governor of Xuzhou.

They only asked Liu Bei to do two things—

First, quickly send troops to Xuzhou to suppress the chaos caused by Ze Rong in the south of Xuzhou, restoring peace and stability to the people of Xuzhou.

Second, he must not betray the kindness of the Xuzhou scholars who helped him today.

Chen Deng’s words were like a strong medicine directly targeting Liu Bei’s heart.

With the lives of the Xuzhou commoners as a trust and the sincerity of the Xuzhou scholars presented before him, how could Liu Bei still refuse?

The only thing he said was that although the request of the Xuzhou scholars moved him, he could not rashly send troops to Xuzhou without permission. He had to inform the court in Ye City.

Chen Deng accepted Liu Bei’s reasoning but had one requirement: speed was essential.

Military situations were like putting out a fire. If the troops in Xuzhou did not quickly move to the Huai River line, and Ze Rong directly attacked the provincial capital, who knew how many of the scholars willing to support Liu Bei would remain.

So Jian Yong, carrying Liu Bei’s letter, the petition of the Xuzhou scholars, and the resignation letter written by Tao Qian’s son with the official seal of the Xuzhou government, quickly rushed to Ye City.

Yuan Shao, looking at these complete documents, was momentarily speechless.

If he were still in his original stable situation, he might have the capital to think that Liu Bei was not qualified to sit in the position of Governor!

What kind of absurd thing was this in the world?

But now, with Qiao Yan’s troops in Bingzhou showing signs of advancing, and Shen Pei just saying that Qiao Yan’s military movements were likely due to the death of the Governor of Xuzhou, reducing Yuan Shao’s support, if Liu Bei could replace Tao Qian as Governor of Xuzhou and still stand on his side, wouldn’t that be a fortunate thing?

Yuan Shao’s expression changed repeatedly, and when he turned to see the approving looks from his strategists, he suppressed his unwillingness.

Looking at Jian Yong before him, he said, “I will petition His Majesty tomorrow.”

Let him have one more night to calm his emotions.

Just thinking about how his former pawn was about to become a Governor on equal footing with him due to the changing times made Yuan Shao feel like vomiting blood.

Perhaps this feeling was also due to the constant threats posed by Qiao Yan.

And what he didn’t know was that when Jian Yong was settled in the posthouse in Ye City by his subordinates, a group of special guests also arrived in Chang’an.

The leader was Zhang Yi’s subordinate.

The journey from Xuzhou to Chang’an was much longer than from Xuzhou to Ye City. These people had to travel almost day and night with two horses per person to appear before Qiao Yan as early as possible.

Qiao Yan, who had been waiting for this moment, didn’t delay at all and immediately reported it to Liu Yu. Subsequently, an emergency meeting of the court’s important ministers was held in Chang’an.

Hearing about the unexpected developments in Xuzhou, even the usually steady Lu Zhi was a bit stunned. When they heard that Zhang Yi had voluntarily submitted to the Chang’an court, raising troops to suppress Ze Rong, and that Yang Province was willing to send troops to assist, everyone’s eyes turned to Qiao Yan.

The feat of Qiao Yan shooting the Governor with an arrow was directly brought up by Emperor Ling of Han in court, so it was no wonder they still remembered it vividly.

“Why are you looking at me?” Qiao Yan raised an eyebrow. “To know one’s mistakes and correct them is a great virtue. If I still intended to hold a grudge over past events, why would I have His Majesty urgently convene this meeting?”

Her light tone made it seem as if the past conflict between her and Zhang Yi was just a matter of one person splashing water on another.

Then they saw Qiao Yan step forward and bow to Liu Yu, “Although Xuzhou’s terrain is not dangerous, it is still part of the Han territory. Former Governor of Guangling, Zhang Zitai, dared to take on heavy responsibilities, denounce Ze Rong, and recover Xuzhou. Rewarding him with the position of Governor of Xuzhou is appropriate. If Your Majesty is concerned that Xuzhou and Yang Province are remote and difficult to control, leading to potential chaos, why not establish a garrison at the border of the two provinces for supervision?”

Her gaze swept over Zhang Yi’s still somewhat anxious subordinate, and she added, “North of the Yangtze River estuary, there is a city called Hailing. In my opinion, we can station troops there to show the might of the Chang’an court!”