Chapter 293

“Or do you, Chen Gongtai, have some magnificent work to print in Chang’an to make a name for yourself?”

This was just absurd!

Chen Gong countered, “Have the droughts of the past ten years slipped your minds, reducing Daye Lake’s water levels to what they are today?”

It might still be mid-March, but true farmers wouldn’t judge the year’s disaster based solely on a little less rainfall. The signs from nature also acted strangely before a major disaster. If Chen Gong hadn’t visited various towns, where would he have gotten this conclusion?

What did these people think he was?

If they truly were facing a drought, the rivers and lakes they mentioned would hardly be their lifelines—those water sources were inadequate for their crops to grow.

They just couldn’t bear to part with their pride, unwilling to put in resources before gaining any returns!

Looking at their unyielding expressions, Chen Gong realized that even comparing the current situation to past occurrences might not persuade them.

He turned to leave, leaving behind a disdainful remark: “It’s futile to discuss this.”

“Hmph… futile to discuss? Seems like Chen Gongtai’s been working with Cao Mengde for too long, forgetting his name and where he hails from,” sneered the Wang family scion of Shouzhang as he watched Chen Gong’s retreating figure.

Among those in Yanzhou who welcomed Cao Cao to take on the governorship, some were convinced by his achievements as the East Commandery governor. Others just went along with the crowd.

In the shadows, some even hoped for an accident to befall Cao Cao soon.

The Wang family of Shouzhang was one of them.

In these latter years of the Eastern Han, they had produced a notable figure named Wang Fen.

Due to the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the seventh year of Guanghe, the Prohibition of Factionalists was lifted, which included Wang Fen.

After Huangfu Song stepped down from his governorship, Wang Fen even briefly held the position of governor of Ji Province.

However, in the fourth year of Zhongping, the same year Qiao Yan became the governor of Bingzhou, former Grand Commandant Chen Fan’s son, Chen Yi, and a diviner named Xiang Kai visited Wang Fen. During their meeting, Xiang Kai claimed the celestial signs were unfavorable towards the eunuchs, predicting their downfall, leading Wang Fen and the others to conclude the time was right to plot against Emperor Ling, aiming to replace him with the Marquis of Hefei as emperor.

Thanks to Cao Cao’s actions after the Yellow Turban Rebellion and his fury at resigning from office, Wang Fen was inclined to invite him.

But Cao Cao firmly rejected him in a letter, stating that dethroning an emperor was ominous; only Yi Yin and Huo Guang throughout history had done such things, both wielding great power and facing immense difficulties in their actions.

“What’s the difference between your unstudied plan and the Rebellion of the Seven Kings?” he questioned.

In fact, it wasn’t just Cao Cao who declined Wang Fen’s actions. The renowned scholar Hua Xin also commented, saying Wang Fen was careless in character, unskilled in military affairs, and now publicly issuing invitations—who knew if it would end in failure and bring harm to his family?

These refusals didn’t quench Wang Fen’s ambition; if anything, they convinced him the hopes of the world rested solely on him. He decided to act anyway while Liu Hong was northward in Hejian!

Who would have thought that the Grand Historian would mention it was ill-advised to travel, leading Emperor Ling to abandon the plan?

Shortly afterward, he ordered Wang Fen to the capital, which Wang Fen took as a sign his plot was exposed and ended his own life.

Since this incident didn’t quite amount to a defeat, even Xu You, who had a hand in the conspiracy, merely hid for a while before resuming his work at He Jin’s Grand General’s Mansion. Perhaps even Emperor Ling himself barely remembered it, and the Wang family of Shouzhang faced no fallout.

Yet their resentment towards Cao Cao remained.

In their eyes, had it not been for Cao Cao, Tao Qiong, and Hua Xin successively rejecting Wang Fen, and the timing of Emperor Ling’s refusal to travel to Hejian, Wang Fen’s plan to dethrone the emperor could have succeeded. Why did it have to end in suicide out of fear?

With the other two not in Yanzhou, and especially since Tao Qiong had passed away, the target of their ire was inevitably Cao Cao.

Being vague in their opposition towards Cao Cao was noteworthy enough; they’d never cooperate with his move of exchanging books for grain.

“After the eunuchs, it’s clear that even the son of a bought Grand Commandant is getting jumpy at any little trouble.” The person who had been irritated by Chen Gong’s departure couldn’t contain his frustration, spitting as he shut the door. “I’d rather have Zhang Mengzhu as the governor of Yanzhou!”

Zhang Mengzhu, or Zhang Miao, was also the prefect of Chenliu, had some ties with the Wang family from Shouzhang, but he too had connections with Cao Cao. He quickly sided with Cao Cao during the campaign for Yanzhou, and their frictions were really just a matter of ideological adjustments over the past couple of years. If they expected him to oppose Cao Cao, that wasn’t happening.

At this point, it seemed only the Qiao family of Yanzhou had any potential common ground with them.

Who knew if they could team up with others dissatisfied with Cao Cao’s governorship to report him to Ye City!

“I think they’re just too full!” When Chen Gong reported the results of his visit to Cao Cao, Cao Hong happened to be there and slammed his palm on the table.

Noticing Cao Cao looking his way, signaling him to mind his manners, Cao Hong muttered, “I’m not wrong, though. A few years ago, with Zao Xiao’s agricultural policies and practices coming from Bingzhou, those families in Yanzhou have been living far too well. I see them all fat and happy now, with their fortress storages overflowing. Even if a disaster hit them, they’d be fine for years!”

Chen Gong instantly felt a frown form on his face.

Cao Hong was blunt, but he understood matters well. This could very well explain why Chen Gong had been met with so many closed doors recently.

But putting it all together, they couldn’t just storm the fortresses of these obstinate wealthy families.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be sending a clear message; it would just cause internal chaos before the drought even arrives!

Cao Hong knew this too. So only after Chen Gong decided to take his leave to ponder solutions, did he say to Cao Cao, “If you ask me, what Qiao Yan Shu did in Liangzhou was quite impressive. When the four families of Hanyang defied her orders, their guilty parties were punished and the innocent released; after such a clean-up, those who needed to behave did.”

“Since they were dealt with nearly three years ago, all I’ve heard is that a talented person among the Hanyang families became her right-hand man in Liangzhou. Where’s their rebellion there?”

Cao Cao shot him a glance.

Cao Hong, as both a cousin and subordinate, quickly shrugged, “I know this sounds like nonsense. Liangzhou resisting Chang’an’s control for a long time means those who need to be punished will be. You also told me that it’s a different scenario from Yanzhou. I was just venting about how those Yanzhou families are acting!”

Cao Cao smirked, cursing him lightly, “If you really want to give me a break, wouldn’t it make sense to take care of your troops first? Last I heard, you were gambling with Zixiao about horses. How can you be organizing the military like this?”

Cao Hong was a bit exasperated. “This isn’t my fault! There’s just no outside enemies to fight. Big brother, back then we had the Dong Zhuo campaign as a chance to kill foes now that we’re in Yanzhou; even in conquering Jiyin or Dongping you said to hold back, for the sake of future governance. I totally understood that.”

“But now? It’s even more uncomfortable! Because I’m sure our elite troops in Yanzhou can take on any province like Yu Province. Yet first, Yuan Shao’s sealed Liu Bei as the pacifying general to take on Yuan Shu, and Liu Bei turned around to take on Xu Province! What’s up with that?”

“You might be siding with Qiao Yan Shu over your friendship with her and not putting trust in Yuan Shao, which is why you haven’t attacked Hedong or entered Luoyang, and I get that. But now suffering from these Yanzhou families’ attitudes? That’s truly vexing!”

As he reached this point, Cao Hong noticed Cao Cao’s expression. Seeing his older brother didn’t seem displeased at his grumbling, he quietly added, “Big brother, back in the day, you mentioned wanting to be the General of the West; but look where that idea’s gone.”

Cao Cao understood that Cao Hong suddenly bringing this up now wasn’t disappointment with him but a reminder that despite being the governor of Yanzhou, he faced numerous limitations. He hadn’t gained leverage through his tenure in Yanzhou; his ties there didn’t seem to lessen the hurdles, and that was quite disheartening.

A fleeting complexity flashed through his eyes as he waved him off, “You can go now; let me think alone for a while.”

The Yanzhou aristocracy’s unwillingness to cooperate was indeed the resistance he faced before the disaster hit, but it perhaps also served as motivation for him to make transformative measures.

Truthfully, if it weren’t for his position as the governor of Yanzhou and the stance of the Yanzhou families, he would likely favor Chang’an over Ye City.

Recalling the time spent drinking and chatting with Qiao Yan felt almost like yesterday.

Had he not thought that way, he wouldn’t have sent his second son, Cao Pi, to study at Leping Academy, nor would he have made a deal with Qiao Yan for grains in exchange for cotton.

But throwing caution to the wind and leading his clan to join Sili was still beyond him.

Who knew if it was because Qiao Yan had grown in power or if her recent actions hinted at seizing control over the Han court? Watching those similar-looking prints from the newspapers often made Cao Cao wonder: if she could defeat Yuan Shao and unify the Han, would the realm still truly belong to the Han?

And is the Han really the best dynasty to oversee the world?

They say the best understanding comes from an opponent; although he doesn’t strictly regard Qiao Yan as an eye-to-eye rival, he could see unusual things among the smaller details.

This uncertainty rendered Cao Cao somewhat hesitant.

However, he also recognized from Chen Gong and Cao Hong’s words that regardless of how much he hesitated, some significant changes needed to be made, ensuring that whatever happens next in this situation, he’d still have room to maneuver.

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“Especially with this natural disaster at hand, one must preserve the forces within their domain as much as possible.”

Fortunately, what he received today wasn’t all bad news.

Earlier, Chen Gong had recommended Man Chong from Shanyang to him, and Cao Cao took it seriously, opting not just to send a letter inviting him to the provincial office, but instead directly sending Cao Chun on a mission.

Cao Chun was quite young, only four years older than Qiao Yan, but he had already served as a Yellow Gate Attendant in Luoyang before the chaos caused by Dong Zhuo. He had also accompanied Cao Cao in recruiting troops for battle, and due to his good sense of decorum and ability to respect the worthy, Cao Cao valued this cousin highly.

Sending Cao Chun to request Man Chong was a clear display of humility.

Man Chong didn’t disappoint Cao Cao’s expectations; after a brief chat with Cao Chun, he set off right away from Shanyang to Dong Commandery and spoke with Cao Cao with great eloquence during their first meeting.

What surprised Cao Cao most was that, while Chen Gong only mentioned Man Chong’s strict law enforcement as suitable for establishing new regulations in Yanzhou during these changing times, Cao Cao could tell from experience that Man Chong had excellent military acumen as well.

This was a typical talent who could handle both military and political affairs!

As Cao Cao gained a fine strategist, his resolve in his heart strengthened.

A few days later, Yuan Shao, who was in Ye City, received two messages in quick succession.

One was from several clans in Yanzhou, who confidentially reported that Cao Cao intended to surrender to the Chang’an court, hoping they would bring out the rare ancient texts in their possession to curry favor with the court, urging Yuan Qingzhou to be cautious.

The other report was from Cao Cao himself, stating that due to the increasing stabilization of the situation in Yanzhou over the past two years, to demonstrate the court’s authority, it would be better to expand outward.

He wanted Yuan Shao to request permission from the Son of Heaven, so that if the situation allowed, he could send troops to Yu Province to eliminate Yuan Shu and bring the area under the control of the Ye City court.

In return for deploying his troops, he hoped the emperor would issue an edict that any clans in Yanzhou that took the lead in donating military provisions could receive court titles.

“How does Ziyuan view Cao Mengde’s actions?”

Since it concerned Cao Cao and was related to Ju Shou’s previous expedition to Yu Province, Yuan Shao instinctively sought out Xu You, posing the question.

Xu You glanced at the previous letter, noting the Wang clan from Shouzhang and the Qiao clan from Liangguo, and immediately understood, “Well, my lord, isn’t this just a gathering of longstanding grievances from various parties?”

The Wang clan was dissatisfied with Cao Cao, the Qiao clan was upset with Qiao Yan, and coincidentally the two were old friends. Plus, Cao Cao’s intention to levy military supplies would inevitably stir internal conflicts.

This time, it escalated a bit more than usual, turning directly into a complaint presented to Yuan Shao.

But who doesn’t have a few old friends?

Given the clear advantage of the current situation for Qiao Yan, Cao Cao was merely maintaining his transactional relationship with her, and hadn’t made any aggressive moves against Ye City, which could be considered quite normal.

If he were to retaliate because of such petty grievances, it would only push him into a hostile position.

On the other hand, Xu You found Cao Cao’s proposal to deploy troops particularly interesting.

He analyzed, “If what Qiao said is true this year, the drought and locust disaster is unavoidable. Compared to Ji Province, Qing Province, and Yanzhou, it’s actually Yu Province that’s most likely to spiral out of control.”

Just think about it, what kind of “talent” is Yuan Shu, the governor of Yu Province!

Even with the likes of Yuan Huan and Yan Xiang assisting him, it doesn’t change the fact that he has turned his household into a complete mess and is hardly attentive to governing Yu Province.

If it weren’t for the connections to his local community, and the status of the Yuan clan from Runan, Yuan Shu would have been ousted long ago. He wouldn’t stand merely on those previous setbacks.

Now, if an external factor is applied, it would inevitably lead him to a situation of being overwhelmed on all sides.

In such circumstances, it would indeed be a great opportunity to seize Yu Province.

However, Yuan Shao still dared not treat the neighboring Bingzhou lightly, as the military campaign through Yanzhou to Yu Province had already been proven a negative example with the death of Wen Chou, implying that using Cao Cao’s forces to achieve the goal seemed the most appropriate!

A flicker of reflection passed through Yuan Shao’s eyes, “Are you suggesting we grant him the power to deploy troops?”

Xu You nodded, “Yes, grant it to him! My lord, there’s no need to fear that in this situation, it might allow Cao Cao to stride across Yanzhou and Yu Province, turning into a threat to you.”

He raised the first confidential report in his hand, saying, “Isn’t this a means to keep him in check?”

Yuan Shao suddenly understood.

Indeed, if Cao Cao chooses to act at the right time this year, it might allow external gains to fill internal gaps, but it would also rapidly ignite the contradictions within Yanzhou. Whether it’s a blessing or a curse remains uncertain.

One thing can be confirmed—

This will definitely be a disaster for Yuan Shu!

Jushou had made Yuan Shu suffer just a bit with Gao Shun, which didn’t completely relieve Yuan Shao’s frustrations; instead, it would be better to have him completely give up the power he shouldn’t possess in the face of this shifting situation!

While Yuan Shao in Ye City made this decision, Qiao Yan also received two letters.

These were certainly not from Yanzhou, but sent from Yizhou.

Both letters were.

One was from the covert operative she had placed next to Liu Xie, regularly reporting his situation to the intelligence officers in Yizhou, who would relay the information to Qiao Yan, but there’s no need to elaborate on that.

In Yizhou’s relatively closed and secure environment, the probability of Liu Xie encountering any life-threatening dangers was quite low.

The other letter was from Jia Xu.

“This old fox talks about taking a holiday while still getting things done,” Qiao Yan couldn’t help but chuckle after reading the opening.

Jia Xu was overwhelmed by the persistent questions of those crafty youngsters, so he simply started practical teaching with them.

Truth be told, Qiao Yan had chosen a fine path for them.

This trip to Yizhou was just in time to inspect the various defenses established by Xu Shu in Hanzhong, alongside staging intimidation tactics against Zhang Lu in Guanghan and Liu Yan in Shuchuan to avoid any misunderstandings caused by her years of internal management without making external military interventions against those two, who were ensconced in mountainous redoubts.

After completing these checks, she brought a few men down the river towards Hailing.

Among those accompanying her, two were borrowed from Liu Yan.

One was Zhang Ren, a local from Shuchuan in Yizhou, who had just taken the position of a personnel officer under Liu Yan.

Zhang Ren had considerable ambition and courage in his youth, but Liu Yan, currently Zhun’s governor, preferred to appoint scholars from the Eastern provinces rather than him, the son who was elevated through support from Yizhou literati.

Thus, although Zhang Ren served in name as a personnel officer, he was far from being comparable in status to those personnel officers who had served under Qiao Yan when she was the provincial governor of Bingzhou.

In the back-and-forth between Jia Xu and Xu Shu, where Jia Xu played the role of the good cop and Xu the bad, Zhang Ren had even been assigned by Liu Yan to act as a guard for Jia Xu and the others.

Whether Zhang Ren liked it or not was probably irrelevant. The fact that Jia Xu had brought “students” and got a military figure to tag along was what truly mattered right now.

The other person brought from Yizhou was Gan Ning.

However, what made Jia Xu chuckle in his letter was that Gan Ning wasn’t persuaded to come by them, nor did he join because of his friendly ties with Chu Yan and Ma Chao; it was all due to Lü Lingju’s teasing challenge.

Upon realizing that this coincidental meeting with Qiao Yan was indeed about bringing Gan Ning along, she immediately hatched a plan.

Based on what she had gathered upon arriving in Yizhou, Gan Ning was notably fond of showmanship and had a strong competitive spirit.

She discussed with Lu Yi whether the Southern naval forces were stronger than the Northern ones.

As for the arguments for the Northern side, one was that back in the day, Qiao Yan had tricked Dong Zhuo by leading her troops across the river using sheep-skin rafts, establishing the foundation for her conquests, and another was that the Yellow River water route between Wuwei Commandery and Bingzhou had skilled boatmen who could roam freely unlike those ridiculous decorated sails, which were not nearly as imposing.

Once she “discovered” that Gan Ning had overheard her conversation with Lu Yi, she didn’t forget to put her hands on her hips and shout, “What’re you looking at? I’m not wrong; whatever talents Junhou has, no need to boast about. That Yellow River is managed by my father Lü Fengxian. If you’re not convinced, go on over to Bingzhou and settle it with him!”

Gan Ning almost laughed out loud from frustration.

Since he made a name for himself in Yizhou, he hadn’t experienced such provocation.

Yet here he was, facing two kids—he couldn’t exactly just start throwing punches.

But the thought of heading north to face Lü Bu or Qiao Yan for a showdown didn’t sit right with him either…

We all know the saying: powerful dragons don’t bully local snakes; this has been true since ancient times.

He was unfamiliar with the ways of Bingzhou and might not even be able to take his capable subordinates with him; if he lost, it wouldn’t only be embarrassing, but also humiliating.

Thinking about what he heard from Lu Yi regarding their current task to go to Xuzhou to inspect the progress at Leping Academy and challenge the rebels across the Huai River, he suddenly got quite interested.

After all, crossing rivers was something they both had in common. Back then, Qiao Yan crossed the Yellow River while facing Dong Zhuo’s army led by someone like Niu Fu, while now they were crossing the Huai River, where they had troublemakers like Liu Bei, Chen Deng, and Lu Su across the way. Comparing the two scenarios made it seem like the latter might pose even more difficulty!

If he could succeed, wouldn’t that prove that the Southerners were just as formidable in naval battles as the Northerners?

Gan Ning was a man who lived by the thrill of vendettas and doing as he pleased; once he thought of it, he was determined to follow through. He immediately asked Liu Yan for a transfer, saying he wanted to join this group heading to Xuzhou.

Liu Yan… perhaps Liu Yan would never forget the last time he brought Gan Ning to Hanzhong for a meeting with Qiao Yan, when that guy’s whistle almost knocked him out cold! Getting rid of this troublemaker from Yizhou might very well be a good idea in some twisted sense.

So when Jia Xu and the others prepared to set off, Gan Ning was indeed in the mix.

Among the two Yizhou fellows traveling with them, one was pushed along while the other volunteered to prove himself, forming a stark contrast simply from their expressions.

But overall, whether they were coerced or tricked, neither was an earnest way to join the crew. In a way, Jia Xu felt an unprecedented satisfaction, so much so that his letter to Qiao Yan overflowed with joy.

Qiao Yan couldn’t help but chuckle again.

She picked up her pen and wrote two letters.

One was for Lü Bu, informing him that his daughter was quite capable and even smarter than him, so he mustn’t slack off in Bingzhou, as this year might present opportunities for him to deploy troops. He needed to ensure his army remained strong.

The other was for Jia Mu, saying that his old man had regained his confidence, and appeared particularly outstanding even at the transit station in Yizhou. She reckoned he would surely shine at Hailing as well. As his son, he better not lag behind. With drought looming, water management was extremely important, and if there’s anything undecided, just consult with Lu Yuan.

Qiao Yan set down her pen and called for someone to deliver the two letters.

Having finished all that, she instructed, “Make a trip to Hongwen Hall and invite Tian… please ask Yuan Feng to come meet me.”

Since they were to supervise each other across the generations, how could he be left out!

Speaking of which, it had been nearly two years since Yuan Xi last visited Chang’an, hasn’t it…

This kid is truly something else when it comes to filial piety!

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