Chapter 285

Chapter 285

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 9: The Calamity of Drought and Locusts, Flying Troops to Liaodong Chapter 285: Changes in the Weather

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Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 285: Changes in the Weather

That was not only a geographical boundary but also a line of power division created by them.

When they witnessed this scene of flowing water, an intangible sense of pride filled their hearts.

When Qiao Rui died in battle, and they were almost sent away as gifts, all they sought in Bingzhou was a place of refuge.

At that time, they would never have imagined that they could have such a day, where they could use information asymmetry to change the situation of an entire region.

Now, after successfully achieving this, they have a clearer understanding—they can rely on their own abilities to become their own protectors!

The lord is also happy to provide them with such a platform to showcase their talents.

Thinking about the salt monopoly managed by Mi Zhu’s family and the military presence of Zhang Yang in Hailing, which will soon play their unique roles, they can see the sense of accomplishment in each other’s eyes.

This is their first small test, but it won’t be the last.

Next time…

“Next time, we’ll do it more steadily,” Qiao Lan said.

“But for now, let’s be happy for a while,” Qiao Ting smiled at her sister.

Let’s just say they are happy because they survived the power struggle in Xuzhou and successfully completed the trade journey from Yizhou to Guanzhong, and then from Guanzhong to Xuzhou.

When they returned to Chang’an, both of them appeared calm and composed.

The caravan stayed in the outskirts of Chang’an, while they entered the city to meet secretly with Qiao Yan.

Chang’an seems to be constantly updating its atmosphere. When they entered the city, they noticed that in just over two months, significant changes had occurred.

“Food is our confidence,” Qiao Lan sighed.

After their trip to Xuzhou, both of them subconsciously collected various pieces of information around them, and this habit didn’t change after entering Chang’an.

From the conversations of passersby, they heard about the events that had taken place before their return.

According to the current tax collection schedule, taxes were collected from each household after this year’s autumn harvest.

Although the five-zhu coin system was still in use, and the grain price in Chang’an remained relatively stable, the Chang’an court decided to use grain as the hard currency for tax payments.

This was to facilitate the future scheduling of military provisions.

Thus, a scene unfolded outside Chang’an.

Taxes collected from the surrounding areas were delivered to the granaries of Chang’an.

How much was it?

Taking a family of five as an example, with a yield of five dan per mu this year and a tax rate of one-thirtieth, each household needed to pay about seventeen dan of grain. If the head tax was converted into grain, it would be roughly equivalent to the land tax, so let’s say each household paid thirty dan of grain. With over a hundred thousand households in the Guanzhong region, the total grain collected was about four and a half million dan.

This was a staggering income, four times the amount stored at the beginning of the year!

Originally, people thought that the one million dan of grain might be a safety net for unexpected events, but not only was there no need for a safety net, but an even more considerable amount of grain poured in during the autumn.

And that’s not all.

The autumn harvest in the south was earlier than in Guanzhong.

The three prefectures of Jiujiang, Danyang, and Wu in Yangzhou had completed their autumn harvest and tax collection before Zhang Yang arrived in Hailing, Xuzhou.

Despite some resistance during the tax collection process, Zhou Yu still sent the promised grain to Chang’an, arriving almost at the same time as Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting.

At the same time, Liu Biao’s tax payment from Jing Province also arrived.

It’s no wonder Liu Biao acted this way.

First, Qiao Yan sent troops from the upper reaches of the Han River, passing through Jing Province, giving him a scare. Then, the grain convoy from Yangzhou passed through his territory, making Liu Biao, who had a grudge against Yangzhou, almost think that Sun Ce was using the tribute to the Chang’an court to accuse him.

He hadn’t heard any news about these two events from his eldest son, Liu Qi, who was serving in Chang’an.

So Liu Biao hastily had the taxes from Jing Province calculated and sent the portion beyond the necessary expenses for the provincial government to the court.

Thus, the grain stored in the Chang’an government warehouses reached almost eight million dan.

Qiao Lan’s assessment was not wrong.

Food is our confidence!

And these eight million dan of grain are the confidence of the people of Chang’an!

However, when they briefly stopped on the streets of Chang’an, they heard another piece of news, which wasn’t exactly good.

Shortly after they left for Xuzhou, the position of Grand Historian was about to change.

According to the previous Grand Historian, Ma Lun, this position could be handed over to Ren Hong.

Since she came to Chang’an last October to oversee the construction of the Lingtai and Mingtang Biyong, assisting in the emperor’s enthronement ceremony, and then took over Ma Lun’s duties at the Lingtai in the first year of Jian’an, she had not made any mistakes. Therefore, her identity, gender, and age should not be limiting factors.

There was no explicit rule stating that someone like her, who had served as a palace maid in the Han court, could not become the Grand Historian, just as there was no rule that only descendants of noble families could hold official positions.

But many still felt that Ren Hong’s qualifications were too shallow.

The salary of the Grand Historian was not high, but the position was significant, and it was not yet time to hand it over to her.

Qiao Yan said she wouldn’t directly help Ren Hong but would provide a relatively fair competitive environment, and she was not wrong.

She didn’t use her overwhelming power to completely suppress these criticisms.

So when Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting returned to Chang’an, besides the granaries, this matter was frequently discussed in the city.

There was talk of a test for Ren Hong.

Although the two sisters were not close to Ren Hong, perhaps out of a sense of solidarity, after reporting their trip to Xuzhou to Qiao Yan, they still asked about this matter.

“There’s no need to worry too much. It’s not just the items in our lives that are advancing with the times, but also some things whose significance is hard to realize, are also being updated,” Qiao Yan replied. “For example, the eclipse cycle.”

“Thirteen years ago, Mr. Yuan Zhuo used his unfinished Qianxiang calendar to predict a solar eclipse. Unfortunately, the prediction failed, but this doesn’t mean the Qianxiang calendar’s algorithm is inferior to the Sifen calendar. On the contrary, this is a necessary path for a new algorithm. During the years Madam Ma and Mr. Yuan Zhuo researched in Leping, the Qianxiang calendar was further refined, with more detailed calculations of the time difference between solar and lunar eclipses.”

Qiao Yan replied with satisfaction, “Wait and see. Some of the data was calculated with the assistance of our Grand Historian, and she is bolder than you think.”

In the calculations led by Liu Yuan Zhuo, the data for the perigee was only 0.000021 days off from modern calculations, and the definitions of the eclipse year and the angle between the ecliptic and the lunar path were also more detailed.

This means that the time of solar eclipses can be predicted more accurately.

What Ren Hong never gave up after arriving in Chang’an was calculating the next solar eclipse time based on Liu Yuan Zhuo’s theory.

She would never miss this opportunity to prove her abilities.

Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting did not mishear; when Qiao Yan said “our Grand Historian,” she was referring to Ren Hong.

In the ninth month of the first year of Jian’an, carrying Qiao Yan’s trust and the name symbolizing soaring ambition, Ren Hong stood before everyone.

She stepped forward and declared, “I want to make a bet with everyone. If I win, please judge with a fair eye whether I am worthy of the position of Grand Historian.”

When Ren Hong said this, no one paid attention to her overly beautiful face, only the determination in her eyes and her resolute words.

Her firm demeanor vaguely reminded people of Qiao Yan.

At this moment, the Grand Marshal watched her performance with a calm gaze, full of approval.

Someone in the crowd said, “You have to tell us what you’re betting on before we can decide if it’s feasible, right?”

Ren Hong replied frankly, “Let’s bet on whether there will be a solar eclipse in the Central Plains on the first day of the new year. If not, I will resign immediately and face the five punishments. If there is, then as I said, we will decide the position of Grand Historian again!”

A solar eclipse on the first day of the new year?

Everyone looked at each other in surprise.

Even if there were one, those who calculate solar and lunar eclipses usually avoid such dates to prevent unnecessary trouble.

But Ren Hong seemed unafraid, stubbornly presenting her well-founded calculation to everyone.

In a bold way, she informed everyone that her courage was enough for the position!

On the first day of the first year of Jian’an, a solar eclipse occurred, observable in the central regions of Yanzhou and Yu Province.

For many, this seemed to indicate that the first year of Jian’an was not very peaceful.

But perhaps because Ren Hong, acting as the Grand Historian, had already predicted this last October, and Qiao Yan had always insisted that a general amnesty would not show the emperor’s magnanimity but would embolden some prisoners, Chang’an continued with its pre-spring plowing training and explained in the monthly journal that solar eclipses were normal phenomena, without taking any other actions.

After all, last year’s bountiful harvest left every household in the three provinces with surplus grain. Compared to a general amnesty, further reducing the head tax might be more beneficial.








They felt more at ease.

The court in Ye City announced a general amnesty on the 14th day of the first month.

The scope of the amnesty included Youzhou, Ji Province, Qingzhou, Yanzhou, Pei State in Yu Province, and the area north of the Huai River in Xuzhou.

This was just the beginning of the year.

In late May of the same year, thunder struck multiple times in the capital region without any clouds. In June, strong winds and even hail fell in Youfufeng, and a corner of Mount Hua in Huayin collapsed.

On the 11th day of the 10th month, an earthquake struck Chang’an.

On the 13th day of the 11th month, another earthquake struck Chang’an.

Even though phenomena like thunder without clouds and summer hail had been explained through climate patterns over the years, earthquakes, with their tectonic causes still far beyond human observation, couldn’t be accurately explained to the public.

Since October, rumors had been spreading that the disasters were heaven’s wrath for the Chang’an court not issuing a general amnesty at the beginning of the year to appease the heavens.

Or perhaps, Chang’an, a place where royal energy gathers, couldn’t tolerate someone unworthy of virtue residing there, hence the warning from Mount Hua.

“Unworthy of virtue? Who is he saying is unworthy?” Qiao Yan flipped through the gathered reports and sneered, “But Yuan Shao has indeed improved.”

Yes, he had improved.

It had been over three years since Liu Bian was enthroned in Ye City, and Yuan Shao couldn’t remain on the defensive forever.

He had now learned to use public opinion as a weapon.

Without the means to create a Ye City Monthly Report like Qiao Yan, Yuan Shao still realized the importance of controlling public discourse.

Following his strategist’s advice, he capitalized on the natural disasters in the capital region to stir up public sentiment.

Yuan Shao indeed reaped the benefits of this move.

Since Qiao Yan’s feint attack on Ji Province from Bingzhou last year, she hadn’t made any further military moves.

From Yuan Shao’s perspective, she was too busy assisting Liu Yu in adjusting policies across three provinces to prevent civil unrest, leaving her no time to consider military action.

Internal troubles alone were enough to keep her occupied.

In the autumn of the first year of Jian’an, Lu Zhi, due to his advanced age and poor health diagnosed at Chiyang Medical Academy, temporarily stepped down from his position as Grand Commandant.

To Yuan Shao, this meant Qiao Yan had lost another staunch supporter in court.

Even though Huangfu Song succeeded Lu Zhi and Lu Zhi’s son, Lu Yu, enrolled in Leping Academy after a year of study with Chen Qun, it didn’t change the fact that Qiao Yan’s influence in court was weakening.

Yuan Shao slept soundly for several nights upon hearing the news.

But in reality?

Qiao Yan didn’t find these developments fatal.

While the common people were easily swayed and few could maintain their own judgment in terms of knowledge and experience, they had one straightforward criterion:

The quality of life under their rulers.

In the first year of Jian’an, farming became more stable, and last year’s yield of five dan per mu was just the beginning.

Yuan Shao dared not disrupt farming norms, but Qiao Yan had no such reservations.

With last year’s success as proof, the people of Guanzhong spontaneously followed the court’s decrees, resulting in a yield of seven dan per mu by harvest time.

It had increased again!

Even though Qiao Yan didn’t publicize this increase in the Leping Monthly Report, the yield data dealt a blow to Yuan Shao in the autumn.

No matter how much people talked about “unworthy of virtue” or the “false court of Chang’an,” it didn’t matter much to the people of Chang’an.

A court that could feed them was a good court.

Moreover, although an earthquake struck Chang’an in October, the court’s efficient response was commendable.

They quickly repaired collapsed shelters in the capital and compensated households for their losses.

To prevent further damage from earthquakes, in November, during the winter farming lull, the government organized efforts to optimize the structures of existing and new buildings.

Liu Yuanzhuo’s abacus finally showed its broader application value in such large-scale calculations.

Cotton, planted for the third year and expanded, was harvested in October and turned into cotton clothes for mass sale in the capital by November.

When the November earthquake struck, people huddled in their cotton clothes on the streets, discussing how their houses had held up.

Fortunately, both the October and November earthquakes were relatively mild. While above-ground structures were affected, the water conservancy projects in Guanzhong suffered more damage. However, repairs during the winter dry season ensured no impact on the following year.

These orderly measures undoubtedly infuriated Yuan Shao.

Ju Shou advised him to focus on accumulating military supplies and expanding his army during this stable period rather than using public opinion to trouble Qiao Yan.

Although he was doing these things, hearing about Chang’an’s developments, even knowing they had suffered disasters, he felt immense pressure.

Thinking of cotton and soy sauce, which had spread from Guanzhong to other provinces, Yuan Shao found the items he got from Tian Feng less appealing.

Horseshoes were useful, but in a state of truce, he had little use for them.

As for the rest, the mules were still too young to be of use, though their potential for farm work and military logistics was promising in a couple of years.

Garlic extract remained elusive, and strong alcohol was no match for soy sauce or cotton.

Yuan Shao couldn’t help but feel disrespected by his own cotton clothes in this comparison.

He considered contacting Tian Feng again for new information to narrow the gap, but instead received another piece of bad news.

As Chang’an developed, fewer official positions remained vacant, leading to a change in Hongwen Hall’s recruitment methods.

Considering Leping Academy’s regular monthly and biannual exams to ensure knowledge application and identify promising students, a similar approach was tested in Chang’an.

However, Hongwen Hall’s selection differed from Leping Academy’s exams, requiring careful consideration to avoid missing specialized talents or selecting empty talkers.

In mid-Jian’an’s first year, a specialized exam design team was formed, including Chen Ji, one of Hongwen Hall’s four directors.

Although there was no imperial examination system yet, Qiao Yan, from a future perspective, proposed anti-cheating measures alongside the exam-based selection.

As the exam format was still being refined, locking the question designers in a room for months or even a year was deemed too extreme. Instead, they were closely monitored by the Imperial Guards.

As Chen Ji’s disciple and assistant, Tian Feng also received this treatment, cutting off Yuan Shao’s access to further information.

Yuan Shao tried sending more spies, but none matched Tian Feng’s talent and luck.

What could he do?

He could only continue his public opinion attacks.

Yuan Shao didn’t realize that, in a way, he and Yuan Shu were indeed brothers.

He turned to Ju Shou, who was gazing out the window with a hint of concern.

“What are you thinking, Gongyu?”

Ju Shou replied, “Don’t you think this winter’s climate is unusual?”

Someone in Chang’an said the same.

The Lingtai recorded the daily weather since winter began, and Ren Hong presented the data to Qiao Yan.

Her accurate prediction of the solar eclipse on New Year’s Day was a gamble that paid off, securing her position as Grand Historian.

Since this year, astronomical and meteorological records were her responsibility, to be compiled and submitted.

With the capital moved to Chang’an and no Lantai, historical compilation was suggested to return to Lingtai.

However, Ren Hong’s experience was insufficient for the full historical duties of the Grand Historian, so Cai Yong, holding a nominal title, continued compiling the Dongguan Han Records.

Thus, Ren Hong reported on the weather.

She said, “This year’s weather is truly unusual. The heavy rains in June needed special recording for future historical reference, but this winter, not a single snowfall has occurred.”

“Not just the lack of snow, but the wind and temperature resemble the records from the fifth year of Guanghe.”

And the sixth year of Guanghe was a year of severe drought.

Frowning, Ren Hong voiced her concern under Qiao Yan’s gaze, “My lord, I fear the weather may change next year.”