“A strategist can’t ascend the throne?”
Chapter 298: Don’t Forget the Roots
So, the whole notion of a pirate ship seems a bit off.
As Gan Ning traveled from Yizhou to Xuzhou with them, he gathered some insight from their chatter. It seemed that once these young folks, who studied at Leping Academy, completed this practical training in Xuzhou, they’d be serving under Qiao Yan.
Even if they didn’t have an official position in the court, they’d still be direct subordinates of the Grand Marshal.
So, that wouldn’t be a pirate ship; it’d be more like an official ship.
But as soon as Gan Ning thought that, he realized he was being a bit silly.
The type of ship doesn’t really matter given the situation he found himself in.
Even with the Grand Marshal backing him up, you can’t just magically turn a Huai River ferry into a sea vessel!
Let’s not look too far back; during Emperor Xiaowu’s reign, there were records of seven sea patrols. They repeatedly tried to sail from Donglai to find the immortal beings of the sea, even establishing maritime routes from Liaodong to Bailun River and Xuwen to Hepu. Closer in time, there were also great envoys from Qin arriving by sea bringing rare treasures—
Sea travel still held an air of mystery and was fraught with danger.
Gan Ning might be good at navigating turbulent rivers, but that doesn’t mean he could handle the open sea!
He was a river pirate, not a four-masted sailor!
Yet, here he was—hoping against hope while being dragged along by these youngsters to see a big ship, realizing that turning back now was not really an option.
So, when Lu Lingju asked him how the ship was, he tossed her a question back, “Are we trying to emulate Emperor Xiaowu’s warships at Kunming Pool and fly across Hongze Lake?”
Hongze Lake is indeed in the Huai River basin, the same place where the former Xuzhou Governor Tao Qian met his end, so if the ships here were larger, that could make some sense, after all, Emperor Wu had done such things.
He dug a square lake forty li across southwest of Chang’an, stocking it with warships for drills. The largest ship there, without counting its flags, was ten zhang tall—shaped like a house.
Because of the widespread development of these ships, “warships” became the general term for them, and naval commanders were henceforth called warship generals.
Explaining it this way almost made sense to Gan Ning.
But just after he spoke, he noticed Tai Shici giving him a look that seemed to say he was acting foolishly. “If we were really doing what you suggest, then why are we building ships at Hailing instead of by Hongze Lake?”
If it were just small boats, maybe they could manage it, but for a ship of this size, it clearly needed to set sail from the nearby Yangtze River, not to mention transport it over land…
And it’s not just about the difficulty—it’s like announcing it to everyone in broad daylight!
Gan Ning, still reluctant to give up hope, asked, “So we’re using the warship to scare Jiangdong?”
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Lu Lingju climb aboard and poke her head out, calling down to him from above, “Gan Xingba! Can’t you aim a bit higher! If we’re proving that the southern navy is stronger than the northern, of course, we have to fight across the sea to show our true heroism!”
“Our target is Gongsun Du of Liaodong.”
Meanwhile, at the shipyard, the shipbuilders brought in from Yizhou and Chang’an, along with others rigorously controlled locally, had already been cleared out, leaving just them—mere onlookers.
This led Lu Lingju’s words to echo around the empty space, giving Gan Ning quite the sour feeling.
Gongsun Du? What do we want with Gongsun Du?
This sounded even crazier than claiming they were going to attack Ryukyu!
Starting from Donglai towards Liaodong, just passing through Bohai Bay could lead to disaster, let alone launching from Xuzhou, sailing across the East China Sea, then into Bohai!
Gan Ning glanced at the enthusiastic figure exploring the ship, wondering if he heard right when Lu Lingju and Lu Yi had their little chat. Was it really this coincidental or were these two just egging him on?
If they believed the southern navy wasn’t strong, why contemplate building ships here to go north across the sea to confront Gongsun Du?
But arguing about all this seemed pointless now; even a reckless guy like him couldn’t shake the absurdity of this long-distance goal. He couldn’t help but turn to Jia Xu, the most stable one among them, hoping for some solid reassurance.
“Mr. Wenhe, is this your idea? Choosing such a daunting target for us students. Is it really too difficult? The sea is volatile and directions uncertain; how can we ensure we reach Liaodong without getting lost out there?”
Jia Xu calmly replied, “This isn’t my idea; it’s the lord’s idea.”
Just as Gan Ning was about to dig deeper into that, Zhuge Liang, standing beside Jia Xu, added, “Gongsun Du in Liaodong thinks because he’s isolated from the Central Plains, he has ambitions to claim kingship there. If we don’t act against him, he’ll eventually ally with Gaogouli, Fuyu, and Wuhuan, solidifying his power. Even if we deal with Yuan Shao, we might not be able to quickly regain Liaodong. Better to strike now while he’s discontent, prepare our chariots and cavalry, and plot to take him down directly while we can.”
Not sure if it was Gan Ning’s imagination, but when Zhuge Liang spoke of claiming kingship and solidifying power, it felt like he was speaking not of Gongsun Du, but of Liu Yan.
However, looking at the composed face of this wise young man, it didn’t seem like he was hinting at anything.
Just when Gan Ning was starting to buy into this reasoning, Lu Lingju called from above, “That’s the compass laid on the ship, right? If we get lost like this, it’d be time to head home and relax!”
The compass on the ship?
Gan Ning’s eyelids twitched as he turned toward the source of the voice, seeing Lu Yi by the ship railing pointing him towards the way up.
With a sigh, he caught the thrown rope ladder.
He really couldn’t be blamed for being swayed by such a ridiculous plan; he had to fault these brilliant kids whose banter made him think attacking Gongsun Du was a necessary venture—a feat he had to undertake and could indeed manage.
Of course, what he didn’t know was that once he boarded the ship, Tai Shici asked Zhuge Liang, “So when are we crafting the chariots and cavalry to plot against Gongsun Du?”
Due to geographical conditions, Qiao Yan’s spies spread across the lands had yet to reach Liaodong.
Nowadays, Liaodong is famous for its black soil; but back then, it was still a vast empty land. If anyone there suddenly showed up out of place, chances were high they’d draw suspicion.
So from the first year of Jian’an until now, there hadn’t been much news traveling back and forth from Liaodong to the Central Plains.
Thinking back to when he left Liaodong with Bing Yuan, Tai Shici wondered if what Zhuge Liang told Gan Ning was true?
Zhuge Liang answered, “Times have changed. Back then, with His Majesty in Youzhou, Gongsun Zan had to retreat to Liao West, close to Gongsun Du. With wolves at their backs, and their status unsteady, Gongsun Du had to focus on self-preservation.”
“Now Gongsun Zan is advancing towards Yuyang, holding his ground against General Wen Yuan at Juyong Pass. Gongsun Du now has breathing room, and the situation has shifted; his development in Liaodong is much smoother than in earlier years.”
“I’ve heard he started as a minor official in Xuantu, and due to sharing a name with the late Xuantu Prefect’s son, he received significant favor, helping him win a chance to study, eventually rising to the prefect’s position. Such a person either knows the struggles of the lower class or is blinded by wealth and power.”
“When he first became the Liaodong Prefect, while like General Ziyi claimed, he stabilized the region and became a refuge for scholars escaping the turmoil; he didn’t hesitate to outright beat Gongsun Zhao, the county magistrate of Xiangping, to death in public because of a dispute. And because the Tian Clan of Liaodong didn’t offer him any favors, he sought to exterminate their clan…”
“More than ten families, probably the latter.”
“The current situation favors them, undoubtedly fueling their greed and cunning.”
Tai Shici listened intently, thinking about the local tyrants in Liaodong and realized it was indeed as Zhuge Liang had said, but then he noticed that the young man had changed from his earlier composed tone to a more relaxed one: “Of course, all of this is merely speculation before seeing Gongsun Du, convincing Gan Xingba would suffice.”
Zhuge Liang’s calm demeanor translated to “It doesn’t matter if the inference is wrong; we still need to follow Qiao Yan’s advice to intimidate Gongsun Du.”
“……” Tai Shici fell silent for a while and said, “I’ll board the ship to check out that celestial cart.”
Thank the heavens, he wasn’t like Gan Ning, who had been duped.
But if he had to say something, Zhuge Liang’s words weren’t entirely groundless.
Since the end of Liu Yu’s battle against Gongsun Zan in the late Guangxi year, when Liu Yu retreated from Youzhou to ascend in Chang’an, Gongsun Du realized this could be his opportunity.
He had developed his influence in Liaodong over several years, finally with the potential to soar after getting rid of a strong enemy.
Though the title of Marquis of Liaodong was granted to Wuhuan Tadu by the Ye City court, this guy’s power diminished after losing troops in Yuyang.
Thus, leveraging the manpower Gongsun Du gathered through strict laws and the talents drawn by Liaodong’s reputation as a safe haven, he first sent troops to conquer Fuyu, and then married his clan’s daughter to Fuyu’s king Wei Qiu Tai, forming an alliance.
Given the current disparity in strength between the foreign tribes and the Han Dynasty, along with Gongsun Du’s approach of military action followed by diplomatic courtesy, the initiative for this alliance naturally rested with Gongsun Du.
This all happened in the first year of Jian’an.
Then in the second year of Jian’an, Gongsun Du teamed up with Wei Qiu Tai to continue expanding eastward, attacking Goguryeo.
In this show of might, Gongsun Du, hailing from Xuantu, once held subordinate positions in Xuantu County, making him well-acquainted with Goguryeo.
Even though Goguryeo people were noted in Han records for being “fierce, strong, battle-hardened, and raiding enthusiastically,” Goguryeo’s king Baegu still fled in a panic, forced to submit to Liaodong.
In the autumn of the second year of Jian’an, as Gongsun Du subdued the Fushan bandits, Baegu was even forced to dispatch troops to assist him.
Because of this expansion, what Gongsun Du gained was not only strength but also his ever-growing ambition!
Let’s not forget, in the same year, Qiao Yan was occupied with domestic affairs due to various celestial anomalies in Chang’an, while Yuan Shao attacked from the side, learning from the knowledge brought back from Chang’an.
Closest to him, Gongsun Zan and Zhang Liao occasionally launched probing attacks in Yuyang and Shanggu, looking for weaknesses in each other.
Neither side had the extra energy to pay much attention to him.
How relaxed he was.
On the borders, the king of Fuyu had become his nephew-in-law, the king of Goguryeo sent his subordinates as representatives, showing a posture of submission to him, and within the land, with the deaths of Gongsun Zhao and Tian Shao, no one dared question his origins or current position anymore.
Even though Liaodong was a bitter cold place, lacking the luxuries of Yizhou’s Liu Yan that could fashion grand carriages for himself, with the collapse of the Han court’s order, Gongsun Du essentially ruled Liaodong like a feudal lord, and he didn’t mind crafting a show of luxury for himself with nine phoenixes and feathered riders.
This year, because of the drought, the atmosphere was tense, but Liaodong’s climate was not much different from earlier years, making Gongsun Du feel quite at home.
Thus, just as Zhuge Liang made a deduction regarding Gongsun Du’s performance, Gongsun Du and his subordinates stood before a giant stone.
This was in the Yanli Society of Xiangping County, a subordinate state of Liaodong.
The former magistrate of Xiangping was Gongsun Zhao, who was killed by Gongsun Du, and now Gongsun Du’s son, Gongsun Kang, temporarily took over.
The locals discovered a large stone about several zhang long, with three smaller stones underneath as a base, looking like a crown.
The village chief informed Gongsun Kang that this stone resembled the crown stone of Emperor Xuan of Han, and that the name of Yanli was the same as Gongsun Du’s father, Gongsun Yan’s name—clearly a good omen.
Upon hearing this, Gongsun Kang thought it seemed true and immediately reported it to his father.
Gongsun Du wouldn’t think that this was merely a deception by the people of Xiangping, fearing retribution for their former magistrate; he touched the stone and said to his followers, “If the Han Dynasty is truly nearing its end, then we shall plot for the throne.”
If the imperial family of the Han were to perish due to these consecutive natural disasters and internal conflicts, it would indeed be time for him and his subordinates to scheme for the throne!
This statement was really bursting with ambition.
“Sometimes, I really envy the temperature in Liaodong,” Qiao Yan was initially discussing the stability of the eastward military plan with Guo Jia and Xun You, but probably due to being busy with the recent irrigation in Guanzhong and the acceptance of refugees proposed by Xun Yu, she steered the topic back.
The winter might be cold there, yet it had its advantages; at least during the transition between April and May, the small ice age’s climate meant it wasn’t warm enough for locusts to hatch in Liaodong.
Though the same could be said for Liangzhou, Liangzhou was after all just a part of her administrative area, and there were other troublesome matters. Liaodong, occupied by Gongsun Du, was almost entirely his territory.
A place without the likelihood of a locust plague happening.
Sounds kind of nice.
In the reports received by Qiao Yan, traces of locust larvae had already appeared in the fields across Guanzhong, entering the phase of extermination.
Guo Jia cleared his throat, “My lady, what you said sounds…”
Kinda annoying.
She envied Liaodong’s temperatures, while others were envious of Guanzhong’s orderly disaster response.
Yuan Shao was more thankful than ever for his instinctive wariness of Qiao Yan, leading him to believe in the impending disaster’s signs earlier than others and to prepare early.
Even if he didn’t prepare to the extent Qiao Yan did—having everything from food to well-digging tools ready—at least he wasn’t caught unaware.
Worst case, he was just so busy he couldn’t pay attention; his brilliant strategist Tian Feng, who had provided him with plenty of intelligence, was now brought in front of Qiao Yan, taking up a position in Chang’an’s Shangshu Tai.
Counting now, in less than three years, Tian Feng had climbed to a higher position in the courts of Chang’an than he did under Yuan Shao.
On the surface, Tian Feng showed no unusual reaction, but internally, he scoffed quietly—there’s probably nothing more absurd than this.
What is Shangshu Tai?
That’s the core of the court’s internal politics!
To be elevated from working in a farming tools factory to this position without anyone thinking something’s off, and for them to see him as a model worker? Seriously?
“Previously, I promised you, Zigu, that if you could contribute during this examination of Hongwen Hall, I’d help you secure an official position in the court so you could bring your family over and enjoy the joys of life together. The selected Liu Zichu and Fa Xiaozhi are indeed extraordinary talents, it’s only right I fulfill this promise.”
Qiao Yan paused and added, “Moreover, since you have real accomplishments, you should be rewarded with gold and silver. However, given the current special circumstances, I’d like to deliver this reward in a different manner that might be more suitable.”
Listening to Qiao Yan’s assured tone, Tian Feng couldn’t shake off a terrible feeling.
Following Qiao Yan to the courtyard, he spotted something familiar lying on the ground—it was a shovel used for digging wells.
This shovel was a bit different; it had words etched on the handle saying “Gifted for digging wells by Yuan Feng for the township.”
Qiao Yan pointed at it and said, “I intend to send this along with the news of your promotion to Jizhou. When your family comes, this shovel can still benefit the community, as a sign of not forgetting your roots—”
“What do you think?”
Indeed, in these times, that shovel held immense value!
