Chapter 295

Chapter 295

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 9: The Calamity of Drought and Locusts, Flying Troops to Liaodong, Chapter 295: Digging Wells for Water

Even someone like Tian Feng, an “external enemy,” couldn’t help but show a bit of admiration upon hearing Qiao Yan’s words.

Her phrase, “The phoenix tree grows into a forest, attracting the phoenix to perch,” rolled off her tongue so smoothly that no one sensed any resentment in it.

It wasn’t until the top three exam papers were taken away, ready to be sent to the court for a second round of evaluation, that everyone learned from the mouths of Guo Jia and Cheng Yu that Qiao Yan’s invitation to Liu Ba wasn’t just a casual remark two years ago.

Liu Ba had no intention of entering officialdom and, shortly after receiving the invitation, temporarily headed south to Jiaozhou to observe the situation. Yet, Qiao Yan still sent a book to his location.

This book, a section from the emergency medical texts, contained the Chiyang Medical Academy’s methods for treating southern miasma diseases, ensuring Liu Ba wouldn’t fall ill while staying in Jiaozhou.

Though she never mentioned the invitation again, her thoughtfulness made Liu Ba, even while in Jiaozhou, keep an eye on the central plains’ situation.

He was particularly interested in how the Chang’an court handled the frequent disasters in the Guanzhong region last year.

Shi Xie, the Prefect of Jiaozhi who hosted him, even suggested that since he was so concerned about Chang’an’s situation, he might as well return early.

In the south, ambitious people like him wouldn’t stay long.

Compared to Liu Ba’s treatment, another person seeking refuge with Shi Xie couldn’t help but feel envious.

This person was none other than Xu Jing, Xu Wenxiu.

After his comment in Yang Province comparing Sun Ce to Xiang Yu, Xu Jing didn’t dare stay long in Kuaiji Commandery. Hearing of Sun Ce’s plans to head south, he fled to Jiaozhou, where Shi Xie received him.

Even though his host was a powerful figure in Jiaozhou, Xu Jing’s treatment was quite good. However, Jiaozhou wasn’t the central plains, and for Xu Jing, it wasn’t a place to retire in peace.

Yet, he had no good reason to return to the central plains.

When Xu Shao, Xu Zijiang, made his famous comment about Qiao Yan, “The young phoenix has a clear voice,” Xu Jing had already fallen out with his cousin and wasn’t present, missing a chance to build a connection with the Grand Marshal.

Forced by Sun Ce from Yang Province all the way to Jiaozhou, Xu Jing’s escape was anything but glorious, tarnishing his reputation.

Watching Liu Ba head off to Chang’an upon hearing of the exams, Xu Jing sighed, “The world today depends on the performance of these young people.”

Shi Xie asked, “In your opinion, how long can the Grand Marshal maintain her fortune?”

Xu Jing, noticing Shi Xie’s serious expression, realized this wasn’t a joke.

Shi Xie, who always respected scholars from the central plains, wasn’t just comparing Jiaozhou’s stability to the north’s turmoil but genuinely wanted Xu Jing’s opinion.

Xu Jing, for once, didn’t give a vague answer, replying, “Before the autumn harvest, if Guanzhong remains stable, the Grand Marshal’s future is limitless.”

Xu Jing felt his answer was sound.

Signs of changing weather were less obvious in Jiaozhou, but news from the north was full of them.

Drought was a certainty.

Judging the outcome between the two courts, their response to natural disasters was crucial.

If Guanzhong, bearing a population far exceeding Wei County’s capacity, could survive such a calamity, and considering the relationship between Liu Yu and Qiao Yan, it was only natural to conclude that her future was limitless.

A loyal minister like Qiao Yan, who helped revive the Han dynasty, could even break the rule that only the Liu family could be enfeoffed as kings.

But when Xu Jing looked at Shi Xie, he noticed a strange expression.

“What is Prefect Shi thinking about?”

Shi Xie shook his head, suppressing his odd expression, “I’m thinking about two things. One is when our Jiaozhou Governor, Zhang Jin, will stop his antics.”

Zhang Jin, the Governor of Jiaozhou, was also obsessed with using religion to govern. Unfortunately, being far from the central plains, no one reprimanded him for his actions. Ze Rong of Xuzhou had already been executed, Zhang Lu of Yizhou was reduced to a road-building tool, and only Zhang Jin remained, having his followers wear red headbands and study Taoism with him.

Shi Xie had long harbored complaints about him but knew that as long as the Han court had the capacity to focus on Jiaozhou, Zhang Jin would remain the undisputed Governor of Jiaozhou, wielding significant power.

He continued, “The other thing is, what kind of performance will Liu Zichu put on in Chang’an?”

The Hongwen Hall selection exam wasn’t as grand as the imperial examinations of later generations, as only a few could participate in this assessment.

But when the top three exam papers were posted in front of the Hongwen Hall, this relatively simple announcement didn’t stop the eagerly awaiting crowd from quickly surrounding the area.

“Though we had guessed that the Grand Marshal’s preferences in governance would influence the exam questions, the final questions still came as a bit of a surprise,” someone in the crowd muttered.

This comment immediately drew agreement.

“Exactly, there were so many calculation problems in the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank sections. Were they afraid we couldn’t handle the accounts? The abacus in the exam hall gave me a headache. If it weren’t for the strict time limit, I’d have been afraid of hearing the sound of the abacus while writing the essay.”

Just as he finished, a young voice behind him said, “If you can’t handle calculations, wouldn’t you end up like Yuan Benchu, a laughingstock for the world? It’s better to be clear with the numbers.”

This sparked a wave of laughter.

Since the Leping Monthly Report started selling, most participants in this exam had read the collected editions to understand the Grand Marshal’s governance style.

So even if someone hadn’t heard of Yuan Shao’s debt joke before, they surely knew it now.

In this light, Qiao Yan’s exam setup made perfect sense.

Having taught the enemy a lesson, she couldn’t let her own people suffer the same fate.

But for those accustomed to the old system of recommending filial and incorrupt individuals, adapting to this new exam format wasn’t easy.

The same person continued to complain, “Fine, the calculations are one thing, but why do we need to answer questions about the Qiang people in Liangzhou? Everyone knows that in the current Chang’an court, the Western Qiang are an important part, but historically, generals come from west of the pass, and ministers from the east. We’ve already shifted to a policy of using the Qiang to govern the Qiang. Why must we all be experts in this?”

The same young voice replied from behind, “If that’s how you feel, why didn’t you choose the classical literature exam? No one forced you to go into practical governance.”

“You…” The man couldn’t help but turn around to see who was criticizing him twice. Seeing a face that looked too young, probably not even twenty, he felt it beneath him to argue with such a greenhorn, which would only make him look bad. He simply retorted, “Who are you?”

The young man spoke lightly, suggesting one could choose the classical literature exam, but those choosing the Hongwen Hall were mostly aiming for positions in the Chang’an court.

With the impending recovery of the east, more positions would open up, offering real power.

If one wanted to showcase literary talent in front of Qiao Yan, they should follow the examples of Ni Heng and Wang Can, not participate in this literary exam.

Only a few could produce satisfactory poetry and prose in the exam hall.

This was indeed a naive thought only a young person could have.

But the young man’s temper was quite good. Despite the harsh tone, he politely replied, “I am Fa Zheng from Fufeng.”

As he spoke, the young man clasped his hands in a respectful gesture.

This made the complainer feel a bit guilty. “Oh, Fa Zheng…”

“Fa Zheng? Who’s Fa Zheng?” Just as he muttered this, he heard an excited voice from the front.

The overly enthusiastic tone piqued his curiosity.

Wondering if he had missed some important figure in Chang’an, he stepped aside, creating space in front, and heard the answer through the noisy crowd, “The examiners and the court meeting both ranked Fa Xiaozhi as the second in this exam. His paper is posted here. Where is he?”

Hearing “second place,” the crowd in front of Fa Zheng slightly parted.

Though the Hongwen Hall selection wasn’t just picking two or three people, it was clear that only the top three papers would undergo a second round of court evaluation to ensure the judgment wasn’t one-sided. Those who had seen the three papers upfront raised no objections, indicating this was likely the final result.

These three had made a name for themselves before the emperor and court officials, naturally having much brighter futures. Making a good impression was better than questioning their abilities and making enemies.

But then they saw Fa Zheng’s overly young face.

The young man quickly made his way through the crowd to the three posted exam papers.

Though he noticed different annotations on each paper, Fa Zheng instinctively looked at the first one.

After reading the essay question on the first paper, Fa Zheng’s initial confusion vanished, replaced by admiration.

Losing to someone more suited to the times wasn’t shameful at all!

He quickly turned back to the crowd, asking, “May I ask, where is Liu Zichu from Lingling?”

As fellow exam participants, they might even be considered classmates. Having a talented classmate was a good opportunity for exchange.

Unfortunately, after asking twice, he received no response from Liu Ba.

Only after being escorted away by the attendant assigned to him did Fa Zheng learn that, simultaneously with the exam results being announced, Liu Ba had already been summoned by the Grand Marshal.

“With the urgency of formulating monetary and economic policies during the disaster, it’s no wonder the Grand Marshal is so anxious,” Fa Zheng thought, finding nothing wrong with it.

He wasn’t surprised that, after submitting his strategy-focused exam paper, he didn’t go where Hongwen Hall selectees were supposed to but was directly assigned to the Grand Marshal’s residence, placed under Guo Jia.

With a one-month trial period, Fa Zheng wasn’t immediately entrusted with military secrets but was first tasked with assisting Guo Jia in managing the Chang’an garrison’s personnel allocation and reorganization during the disaster.

Meanwhile, Liu Ba stood before Qiao Yan.

To his surprise, Qiao Yan didn’t bring up the old invitation or ask about his experiences in Jiaozhou. Instead, she posed a question to him…








Liu Ba was asked a straightforward question, “From Zichu’s perspective, if the drought continues for a year, how much control over the grain market in Chang’an would you need to stabilize the grain prices? And what if the drought lasts for two years?”

After weighing his options, Liu Ba replied, “I cannot give a direct answer to the Grand Marshal. At least, I need to know how many provinces you plan to conquer this year and next, as this will determine how much grain is needed for military campaigns and how many refugees will flood into Guanzhong from other provinces.”

“But I can give you a definite answer. If the Grand Marshal is willing to trust me, I will ensure that the plans outlined in the previous report are fully implemented.”

Qiao Yan, looking at Liu Ba’s calm and confident face, smiled and said, “I previously told Yuanfang that with you and Fa Zheng here, this assessment should be called ‘Phoenixes Perching on the Parasol Trees.’ Unfortunately, our parasol forest is a bit dry. I hope these phoenixes won’t mind the lack of sweet springs.”

She handed Liu Ba a memorial and continued, “I have already petitioned His Majesty to appoint you as the Pingzhun Ling under the Grand Minister of Agriculture. I believe you are well aware of the responsibilities of this position.”

Instead of accepting immediately, Liu Ba asked, “Then, who is the current Junshu Ling?”

To his surprise, Qiao Yan pointed at herself.

She replied, “You can consider me the current Junshu Ling. But if you have any changes to the transportation strategy, you can report them to me.”

Junshu and Pingzhun were economic strategies proposed by Sang Hongyang during the Yuanding era of the Former Han Dynasty. They adjusted the phenomenon of local specialties being transported to the capital and have been used ever since, becoming two important positions under the Grand Minister of Agriculture.

The task of Junshu was to determine what needed to be sent to the capital and what did not, participating in regional allocations and transporting goods to nearby areas with high demand and prices to increase fiscal revenue and currency circulation.

Qiao Yan jokingly referred to herself as the current Junshu Ling of the Chang’an court, which wasn’t entirely wrong.

Earlier, after capturing Liangzhou, she sold the Qiang people’s cattle and sheep to Bingzhou during the New Year, which was essentially a Junshu action.

As for Pingzhun, it involved the official buying and selling of goods to stabilize market prices.

During the reign of Emperor Ling of Han, the Pingzhun Ling was renamed Zhongzhun Ling and moved to the inner court, controlled by eunuchs. In most cases, it only managed price information and no longer handled specific regulatory matters.

But Liu Ba understood the implication in Qiao Yan’s earlier question.

She asked how much grain was needed to stabilize prices in Chang’an, clearly intending to restore the authority stripped from the Pingzhun Ling.

Junshu and Pingzhun were strictly tied together. If a competent Pingzhun Ling encountered an unreliable Junshu Ling, and the Grand Minister of Agriculture couldn’t balance and coordinate, Liu Ba would have to resign, no matter how capable he was.

Fortunately, the number of provinces under the Chang’an court’s jurisdiction was limited, and the few Junshu allocations were handled by the Grand Marshal herself. Liu Ba had a clear understanding of his role and the working environment.

He bowed to Qiao Yan and said, “Earlier, I left Your Lordship and went to Jiaozhou, which was my shortsightedness. I am grateful that Your Lordship still trusts me with such a high position and heavy responsibility. I will serve you with all my heart to repay your kindness.”

Liu Ba soon realized that coming north from Jiaozhou to Chang’an and joining Qiao Yan’s ranks was probably the best decision he had ever made.

Because the bureaucratic environment he found himself in was quite different from what he had seen in Jingzhou and what he had imagined on his way here.

The Grand Minister of Agriculture was Cheng Yu, Qiao Yan’s absolute confidant.

The Dunei Ling was Qin Yu, who had served as a Bucaocongshi in Bingzhou.

The Jitian Ling was Tian Chou, who excelled in agricultural affairs.

The Tunxiao Wei, who was responsible for military funding, was Guo Yuan, a disciple of Zheng Xuan whom Qiao Yan had promoted.

In short, from the Grand Minister of Agriculture down to his subordinates, all were elite individuals who spoke little and worked hard.

So Liu Ba found that he didn’t need to play guessing games with his colleagues or get stuck at any point.

Moreover, due to the fiscal accumulation in the first and second years of Jian’an, the grain stored in the Chang’an government storehouse was quite substantial, making Liu Ba wonder if anyone placed in the Pingzhun Ling position could achieve the goal with such grain reserves.

Of course, he wouldn’t say that.

He knew that Qiao Yan chose him for this position to achieve precise regulation with minimal consumption, requiring strong real-time calculation and market observation skills.

At the same time, Qiao Yan’s question about a two-year drought likely wasn’t casual but a hope that he could complete the task with a long-term plan.

Thus, his job wasn’t that easy.

Additionally, he was troubled by three things.

First, it was said that the Grand Minister of Agriculture aimed to serve the court until he was eighty before considering retirement, and the Dunei Ling aimed to outlive his son, the current Hanzhong Prefect Xu Shu.

Thus, the entire Grand Minister of Agriculture and its subordinate offices were filled with an overly health-conscious atmosphere, making Liu Ba feel like he was heading down a strange path.

Second, Fa Zheng, who had participated in the same assessment, seemed unusually interested in him, often asking him questions.

Liu Ba preferred dealing with finances and found Fa Zheng’s military mindset a bit incompatible. He even suspected that Fa Zheng wanted to extract knowledge from him to regain face in some internal official assessment.

But he didn’t know that Fa Zheng was simply trying to build good relations with his colleagues during his internship.

The third matter was indeed serious.

Qiao Yan metaphorically said that Chang’an was like a dry parasol forest…

Liu Ba looked up at the sky and sighed.

This was a fact.

Even though water conservancy projects in Guanzhong had started two years ago and were renovated this year, they could only change the current state of surface water flow, not the weather.

These water storage projects couldn’t fully restore the area to last year’s condition.

After half of April passed without a drop of rain, even the slowest should realize something was wrong, especially with the Grand Marshal in the capital constantly having subordinates convey measures to prevent drought and locust plagues.

The situation was becoming more apparent.

“The Wei River is shallower,” Qiao Yan said, standing by the river with a heavy expression.

It wasn’t yet the peak of drought or the season of strongest water evaporation, so the shallowing was still limited.

But in the separately excavated reservoirs, the water level changes were measured daily and reported to her, so she couldn’t miss them.

Although the weather was warming, theoretically, the glaciers on the Bird and Mouse Mountain upstream should have some melting snow supplementing the Wei River. But last winter’s lack of rain and snow meant less meltwater this year, and with two seasons of missing rainwater, the water level was bound to drop.

Thinking about facing such a persistent worsening climate and bearing the lives of millions, she felt an immense weight on her shoulders.

Survival is the top priority for anyone.

The April issue of the Leping Monthly Report, under Qiao Yan’s direction, abandoned promoting the Hongwen Hall assessment, Fa Zheng and Liu Ba’s appointments, and the anonymous examination system. Instead, it detailed the well irrigation and drainage projects, especially the well irrigation in riverside areas.

The depths of well irrigation in various environments were clearly defined.

County and prefecture officials coordinated the construction of well and canal projects.

The newspaper also illustrated lever-operated impact drilling equipment for deep wells, informing the public of deep digging methods.

It wasn’t that Qiao Yan hadn’t had these deep wells dug earlier.

The last page of the newspaper mentioned that before spring plowing, almost all labor for the Guanzhong water conservancy projects was used on the “Qinling Mountain Front Underground Reservoir.”

The seventy-two valleys of the Qinling’s northern slope formed a considerable vertical leakage as they entered the Guanzhong Plain, creating a natural underground reservoir.

Even in the dry season, this underground reservoir held a substantial amount of water.

By exploring the terrain and selecting suitable locations for deep wells, they provided a final lifeline for Guanzhong.

With the underground reservoir wells completed, the next step was to hope that the people of the three provinces would cooperate with local officials to fully implement the well irrigation projects before the surface river regulation weakened, delaying the need to tap into the Qinling underground water diversion project.

At least in the first year of the drought, unless absolutely necessary, Qiao Yan didn’t plan to use this lifeline.

But not using it and not having it were two different things.

The public might not all be literate, but they could recognize the clear illustrations in the newspaper, showing the location of a vast underground lake, giving them confidence in the face of drought.

When the drilling pulleys entered villages, the fear of drought turned into motivation to assist in the drilling!

Moreover, the third page of the newspaper brought good news.

The deep plowing and straw returning they had done to prevent locust hatching, as per the previous issue, were also beneficial for dryland farming, providing stronger resistance to drought.

Although reduced yields were inevitable this year, they wouldn’t be left with nothing.

“I told you we should follow the Grand Marshal’s decrees!” someone exclaimed after the local official explained the newspaper’s content.

Holding his newspaper and seeing the orderly irrigation, he couldn’t help but feel grateful for the regulatory measures, imagining the dire situation without them.

However, while listening to the drilling arrangements, he quietly asked his wife, “Do you think the Grand Marshal is afraid that such good things might spread to other provinces and help our enemies?”

This question was also asked by Zhaoji to Qiao Yan as she prepared the May issue.

“Even if other places don’t have our detailed measures like the underground reservoir, just the well irrigation and drainage for drought resistance…”

Qiao Yan sighed, “Zhaoji, I actually hope they can learn all this.”

“In this world, people just want to survive. Why is it so hard?”