Chapter 301

Chapter 301

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 9: The Plague of Drought and Locusts, Flying Troops to Liaodong, Chapter 301: Shen Ting’s Invitation

Book: Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 301: Shen…

No need for Yuan Huan’s subordinates to answer this.

Due to the speed of the galloping horses, Qiao Yan’s army had already moved closer to the walls of Linying by the time he asked this question.

He suddenly realized that the appearance of the Qiao commander’s banner didn’t just signify the presence of Qiao Yan’s troops here.

Though he couldn’t clearly see the faces of the newcomers, Yuan Huan vaguely spotted a figure surrounded by stars among them, and from the silhouette, it seemed… it seemed to be Qiao Yan herself!

For some reason, upon realizing this, Yuan Huan felt a slight numbness in his fingertips, even his tongue momentarily paralyzed, unable to utter a word.

Only when the sound of hoofbeats became clearly audible in his ears did he finally snap out of his speechless shock and blurt out, “Open the west gate, let them in!”

Linying lies between the Ying River and the Sui River, with the two rivers converging east of Linying. Thus, although Cao Cao’s army had intentions to besiege the city, for the convenience of stationing troops, they camped east of the river confluence, avoiding the intricate network of waterways.

Qiao Yan came from the west of Linying, not only far more convenient than Cao Cao’s attack route but also avoiding Cao’s scouts.

The series of actions to open the city gates and welcome them in went smoothly, and due to the orderly nature of Qiao Yan’s escort, they didn’t make any noise to alert the enemy.

But even though he had already recognized the Grand Marshal’s personal arrival on the city walls, when Qiao Yan herself stood before Yuan Huan, he still felt an indescribable sense of unreality.

Too fast!

She arrived way too fast!

Although legendary horses are said to travel a thousand miles a day, the number of horses that can truly do so is pitifully small, and even in the midst of military campaigns, such speed cannot be sustained for long.

How did she manage to get here so quickly?

Yuan Huan originally didn’t hold much hope for his ability to deal with Cao Cao’s army, knowing full well that he wasn’t skilled in commanding troops, only able to accurately judge the relationship between allies and enemies during conflicts, which led to the previous alliance with Sun Quan against Liu Bei.

But now, he was tasked with pure defensive warfare, which was entirely different.

Once Cao Cao’s main force pressed in, he would have no chance to fight back.

It was only because Runan, which Cao Cao’s main force had occupied first, was five times the size of Yingchuan, and after Yuan Shu’s death, there were still many small forces causing trouble for Cao Cao, that Yuan Huan got a bit of breathing room.

Even so, Xiahou Dun, a relative of Cao Cao, had already pressed against Linying.

He was responsible for sweeping the westernmost part of Runan, conveniently attacking Yingchuan.

“Xiahou Yuanrang?” Qiao Yan pondered the name, then took off her cloak and handed it to a nearby attendant, no longer looking as travel-worn as before.

After accompanying Yuan Huan to the other side of the city wall, Yuan Huan watched as she took a cylindrical object, placed it over her eyes, and looked towards the distant camp.

Her brows furrowed slightly, “Not just that, why is Ji Ling also on the other side?”

Among the flags raised in the opposing camp, besides the Cao banner representing Cao Cao and the Xiahou banner representing Xiahou Yuan, there was also a Ji banner.

She hadn’t expected Cao Cao to mobilize troops at this time, but she was well aware of who was under Cao Cao’s command.

Among the generals serving Cao Cao, there was no one with the surname Ji.

On the other hand, Yuan Shu had a general named Ji Ling, who was somewhat of a standout among his mediocre subordinates.

Yuan Huan tried to shift his gaze from the novel object in Qiao Yan’s hands and replied, “There was a mutiny in Pingyu City, and the casualties during Cao’s siege led to the deaths of Generals Feng, Huang, and Zhang under our lord. General Ji was captured by Cao’s forces and… defected.”

General Feng referred to Feng Fang, who had once been selected as one of the Eight Commanders of the Western Garden in Luoyang and had joined Yuan Shu’s forces during the campaign against Dong Zhuo.

General Huang referred to Huang Yi, Yuan Shu’s son-in-law.

And General Zhang was Zhang Xun, who had also participated in the battles against Wen Chou and Liu Bei.

Ji Ling didn’t die but chose to defect to survive, which, given Yuan Shu’s death, couldn’t be considered betrayal. Thus, when Yuan Huan spoke of this, there was no tone of accusation in his voice.

Qiao Yan nodded, indicating she understood the situation.

The deaths and defections of Yuan Shu’s generals made her all the more grateful for her quick decision to support Yingchuan at Huanyuan Pass.

Perhaps if she had arrived any later, Yingchuan would have been lost.

“Let’s go, rest at the government office first, and wait for Cao’s army to make a move.”

Such passive defensive words coming from Qiao Yan’s mouth felt somewhat strange, but perhaps due to the Grand Marshal’s steady governance of Bingzhou, Liangzhou, and Guanzhong, Yuan Huan followed without question.

At most, as they walked back to the government office, Yuan Huan carefully looked at Qiao Yan’s calm profile and asked the question that had been puzzling him since he saw the Qiao banner.

How did she manage to get here so quickly?

Qiao Yan countered, “You don’t think I came from Guanzhong, do you?”

Yuan Huan indeed thought so.

She shook her head, “They say speed is crucial in war, but people are still people; they can’t just appear wherever they want.”

“At the turn of spring and summer, the situation in Guanzhong was still manageable, but locust plagues were about to break out everywhere. If the regions couldn’t handle the disaster, Sili still had farmland to plant, making it a place for relief.”

“I was originally inspecting the situation in Hongnong and Henan, but I didn’t expect to receive such unexpected news.”

Yuan Huan couldn’t help but sigh, “The Grand Marshal has the people in her heart.”

In contrast, Yuan Shu’s end seemed somewhat self-inflicted.

But the dead are gone, and there’s little point in dwelling on Yuan Shu’s misdeeds now.

It’s more important to focus on the situation outside the city.

Upon arriving at the government office, Qiao Yan gathered Yuan Huan, Yuan Yao, Yan Xiang, and others present, along with Xun Yu, Xu Huang, and Dian Wei who had accompanied her on this trip.

With Qiao Yan, an outsider, present, Yuan Yao, as Yuan Shu’s son, had to maintain some decorum, trying to appear calmer than before.

He had forgotten that in the first year of Jian’an, when he went to Chang’an, he had once spotted Yuan Xi’s traces in the city and reported it to Qiao Yan, leading to Yuan Xi being outmaneuvered by her. He didn’t know the outcome then but was now filled with hope, thinking that with the Grand Marshal here to take charge, he might have a chance for revenge.

With this in mind, his gaze towards Qiao Yan held a glimmer of hope.

But he soon realized that even though Qiao Yan’s arrival had increased the number of defenders in Linying by over a thousand, they were still outnumbered compared to Xiahou Dun and Ji Ling.

Although Cao Cao had only brought fifteen thousand soldiers when he arrived in Runan, after several days of fighting, that number was certainly much higher.

Yuan Huan said to Qiao Yan, “Xiahou Yuanrang is responsible for capturing cities and lands in western Runan. According to scout reports, his forces include three thousand elite troops assigned by Cao Cao, about four thousand soldiers gathered from various garrisons west of Pingyu, and two thousand under Ji Ling and his subordinates.”

“Nine thousand men… with Linying’s city defenses, that’s enough to take this place,” Qiao Yan’s fingers lightly tapped the table.

During her earlier inspection of the city walls with Yuan Huan, she had already noticed the city’s problems.

This was indeed the border between Runan and Yingchuan, but most of the time, it didn’t require extra defense, as it wasn’t a state border or a specially established fortress.

In peacetime, this wasn’t a big deal; it was just an ordinary town. But in wartime, it couldn’t stop the enemy’s advance.

Yan Xiang, another strategist under Yuan Shu present, was both delighted by Qiao Yan’s arrival and felt that their situation was still unfavorable.

He wanted to ask about Qiao Yan’s backup plan but remembered that during the campaign against Dong Zhuo, he had played a part in the plan to welcome the Emperor, making him feel somewhat guilty in front of Qiao Yan.

Yuan Huan noticed Yan Xiang’s hesitation and asked for him, “Grand Marshal, your cavalry arrived first. How many infantry are there?”

Qiao Yan shook her head slightly, “You don’t need to consider reinforcements for now; they won’t arrive anytime soon.”

She had sent Guo Jia back to Guanzhong to mobilize Zhao Yun’s stationed troops. Not to mention the time it would take for the message to reach them, large-scale troop movements couldn’t match her speed in reaching Yingchuan.

It would take at least seven days for real reinforcements to arrive.

Until then, they had to rely on themselves.

“Don’t look so worried,” a faint smile appeared on Qiao Yan’s face, “You didn’t expect me to arrive here so quickly, did you? Do you think Xiahou Yuanrang expected it either?”

This was a great opportunity to surprise them!

Xiahou Dun and Ji Ling indeed hadn’t expected that while they were preparing to attack Linying once their siege equipment arrived, Qiao Yan had already openly entered the city from the other side under the cover of the city walls.

However, Xiahou Dun was still somewhat wary of the city walls.

Having followed Cao Cao since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, as Cao’s deputy, it would be an underestimation to consider him just a brute.

After all, he hadn’t neglected his studies and seeking knowledge even in the military, though he looked rough.

“They say Yingchuan produces scholars, but it’s hard to tell if they’re just pedants or true strategists. As you said, Yuan Yaoqing has some民心 (people’s hearts) from governing Yingchuan and some tactical talent, so we should be cautious,” Xiahou Dun said, with a hint of regret, “If only Yuanchang were here, but he’s not suited for combat, so he stayed in Yanzhou instead of joining us in Yuzhou.”

The Yuanchang Xiahou Dun referred to was Zhong Yao.

He was an old acquaintance of Qiao Yan from the Battle of Changshe.

In April of this year, he suddenly went north to join Cao Cao, citing Yuan Shu’s unreliability as the reason.

Zhong Yao’s arrival further solidified Cao Cao’s resolve to launch this campaign.

Unfortunately, as Xiahou Dun said, Zhong Yao was more adept at governance than warfare, better suited to holding a region than participating in lightning raids.

But in Xiahou Dun’s view, the pacification of Yuzhou was inevitable. Even if Yuan Huan could cause some trouble, it would be limited.

As long as they could succeed before reinforcements from Guanzhong arrived, there would be no problem.

With this in mind, Xiahou Dun made sure to prepare thoroughly for the siege, aiming for a swift victory.

Thinking this, he turned to Ji Ling and asked, “Are you sure Yuan Yaoqing had no prior dealings with Sima Jianggong?”

Xiahou Dun wasn’t worried about Yuan Huan mobilizing Linying’s citizens to defend the city or even calling for reinforcements from other counties in Yingchuan.

The quality of Yuan Shu’s soldiers had been evident when they invaded Runan.

Numbers couldn’t make up for the gap in quality.

He only worried that Sima Fang’s Henan garrison might come to assist, adding to his troubles.

Ji Ling quickly replied, “Sima Jianggong not only had no connection with Yuan Yaoqing but also no connection with my… with Yuan Gonglu.”

With this assurance, Xiahou Dun felt relieved.

With this relief, he had some leisure to notice other things.

For example…

Ji Ling’s deliberate change of wording brought a cold smile to his face.

If it weren’t for Ji Ling being one of the few surviving defectors from Yuan Shu’s camp, Xiahou Dun would have looked down on him, as Ji Ling had clearly defected for his own advancement.








Cao Cao, who had surrendered, insisted on finding a “just and honorable” reason for himself.

He told Cao Cao that Yuan Shu had died while fleeing at night, and his body couldn’t be taken away by those who escaped. Using his loyalty to Cao Cao as leverage, he asked Cao Cao to spare Yuan Shu’s corpse and give him a proper burial.

This sounded quite noble and righteous.

If Xiahou Dun hadn’t overheard Ji Ling and his subordinates discussing the need to exterminate Yuan Yao after capturing Linying City.

But now they were still colleagues, so Xiahou Dun didn’t bother to argue over such matters.

After all, with Cao Cao’s temperament and strategy, he would naturally have a plan for someone like Ji Ling.

Xiahou Dun replied, “Alright, we’ll prepare the siege equipment overnight and advance towards Linying. By tomorrow, the battering rams and ballistae should arrive. Then, General Ji, you can lead the charge with me to capture this gateway to Yingchuan!”

Ji Ling didn’t sense Xiahou Dun’s disdain for him. He thought Xiahou Dun was just trying to persuade the defenders in Linying City to surrender once more.

For someone like him, who had held a high position under Yuan Shu, to still be involved in such crucial battles showed that Cao Cao didn’t intend to exterminate them. This was a great example.

Eager to prove himself to his new lord and ensure no relatives of Yuan Shu remained to cause future trouble, Ji Ling charged ahead with his three-pointed double-edged blade during the next day’s siege.

Compared to Pingyu City, which Yuan Shu had been fortifying for two years, Linying City was in a sorry state.

The siege forces’ powerful ballistae created a devastating barrage, even forcing the archers on the city walls to lose their footing.

If the shield soldiers on the walls were used to such scenes and could coordinate well with the archers, they might not have been so overwhelmed. But clearly, most of them were facing such a siege for the first time, relying only on the city walls and gates.

But how long could such desperate resistance last against the siege ladders?

When the first ten ladders reached the walls and the battering ram struck the eastern gate with a loud crash, Ji Ling felt he could almost see the city falling and his victory assured. He pushed his cavalry forward.

Whether the battering ram would breach the gate first or the soldiers on the ladders would scale the walls—

As soon as the gate opened, he would charge into the city!

“There are quite a few cowards on the walls,” Ji Ling muttered, seeing the soldiers climbing the ladders disappear quickly.

But what did it matter!

Under the repeated strikes of the battering ram, the gate was on the verge of collapse, as if the defenseless city would be exposed any moment.

“It’s just a last-ditch effort!”

The moment Ji Ling thought this, the gate, pushed by human effort to resist the ram, was finally breached.

Ji Ling’s face lit up, and he charged forward without hesitation, leading his cavalry into the city.

During today’s advance, Xiahou Dun’s forces had gradually surrounded Linying City on three sides, leaving the western gate open according to the strategy of “surrounding three sides, leaving one open.”

With the eastern gate breached, the defenders would likely retreat through the western gate to the next city.

Although Xiahou Dun had said that capturing three cities with minimal losses would secure Yingchuan and eliminate any opposition, Ji Ling thought it would be better to capture Yuan Huan and Yuan Yao directly, ending the battle once and for all!

Why bother with all this trouble!

But just as his horse was a hundred steps from Linying City, a twist occurred.

Hundreds of arrows suddenly rained down from the walls, targeting his position.

Ji Ling quickly raised his shield, blocking the arrows.

But before he could feel relieved, he felt a sharp pain in his throat.

At that moment, an arrow, different from the barrage, slipped through the gap between his shield and his soldiers, piercing his throat.

He barely saw the white feathers on the arrow’s tail before falling from his horse.

Not just him.

From Xiahou Dun’s position, it was clear that the chaotic defense on the walls had turned orderly the moment Ji Ling fell—or rather, when his forces crossed the safety line.

It was a world of difference.

The shields and archers on the walls now moved with trained precision.

“Damn it, they were feigning weakness!” Xiahou Dun exclaimed.

But before he could finish, another change occurred on the walls.

The flags representing the Yuan clan of Runan suddenly fell, replaced by flags bearing the character “Qiao.”

This sudden change was unexpected, but the sheer number of flags made it clear.

Xiahou Dun froze.

“Qiao?”

How could it be “Qiao?”

The only person who fit this surname was none other than the Grand Marshal Qiao Yan, who held immense power in Chang’an!

But why would she be here?

Even if all messages were delivered by fast horses, even if she could mobilize troops without Liu Yu’s approval, and even if she didn’t rest on the way, she couldn’t have arrived so quickly.

But the facts before him suggested that her presence wasn’t a ruse by Yuan Huan to force a retreat.

If Yuan Shu’s forces had such elite discipline and ferocity, they wouldn’t have been able to penetrate Runan so easily and make the siege of Pingyu look so ridiculous!

He suddenly realized that the arrow that killed Ji Ling might have been shot by Qiao Yan herself!

Her archery skills were legendary, and this proved it.

But even if she was there, she was safely behind the walls, out of Xiahou Dun’s reach.

Just as he realized Qiao Yan’s unexpected presence, a soldier rushed to him from the northern and southern flanks, shouting, “General, there’s a large dust cloud to the west! It seems the enemy is approaching. Should we engage?”

Xiahou Dun was startled.

He instinctively looked towards the city.

In that short time, the gate breached by the battering ram had been closed, and the ladders on the walls were now burning. These facts clearly told him—

Everything had been a trap to lure Ji Ling into a false sense of security and kill him.

With Ji Ling dead, his two thousand surrendered soldiers from Runan were either dead or in disarray, making them hard to command.

The defenders in the city remained disciplined.

Their reinforcements had arrived!

If Xiahou Dun hadn’t heard about Qiao Yan’s presence, he might not have believed that these approaching forces were her reinforcements from Sili.

But there were no “ifs” in this world.

Xiahou Dun looked at his troops and saw fear in their eyes—fear of Qiao Yan’s military prowess.

So he made a decisive decision: “Sound the retreat!”

They couldn’t fight anymore!

He knew his forces could overpower Yuan Shu’s troops not because they were invincible, but because Yuan Shu’s men had little real combat experience.

Against Qiao Yan’s elite troops, that advantage vanished.

To prevent further losses, it was better to retreat.

But he didn’t know that Qiao Yan, standing on Linying’s walls, smiled meaningfully as his forces withdrew.

She soon met the leader of the approaching forces.

This wasn’t Zhao Yun’s troops from Guanzhong.

It was Xun Yu’s retinue from Yingyin and Yuan Huan’s men who had left the city earlier.

Behind them were hundreds of cattle, sheep, and horses dragging branches to create the illusion of a large army.

These “reinforcements” were herded into the city without pursuing Xiahou Dun.

But then a cavalry unit left the city, led by Qiao Yan herself!

She wasn’t satisfied with just scaring Xiahou Dun away.

After killing Ji Ling and eliminating one of Xiahou Dun’s allies, she wanted to teach him a real lesson.

Her cavalry, well-rested from the previous night’s preparations, was eager for battle.

After two years of preparation, they were more eager than Qiao Yan to prove their prowess and show they hadn’t lost their edge.

Led by Yuan Huan, they reached an ambush point between Linying and Pingyu faster than Xiahou Dun’s retreating forces.

This place was called Hei Lü Jian.

As Xiahou Dun regrouped his forces, planning to join Cao Cao and strategize against Qiao Yan, he never expected an ambush on his way back.

His scouts were watching for pursuers, but in Runan, Yuan Huan knew the shortcuts better than anyone.

When Qiahou Dun’s cavalry charged out, Xiahou Dun finally saw the famous Grand Marshal.

But in this ambush, before he could reach her, he was pinned to the ground by a pair of iron arms.

It was Dian Wei, Qiao Yan’s general!

When Cao Cao saw Xiahou Dun, he was silent for a long time.

Xiahou Dun had left with the ambition to sweep through Runan and Yingchuan, but now he returned with a bruised face.

Not only that, he was wearing mourning clothes with a white cloth tied around his head.

If the patrols around Pingyu hadn’t found him, he might have stayed tied to that flagpole for who knows how long.

“Did you lose to Yuan Yaoxing?” Cao Cao asked, though he found it hard to believe.

He knew Xiahou Dun’s capabilities. Losing was possible, but being reduced to a lone commander by Yuan Yaoxing? Impossible!

But Xiahou Dun, after a long pause, gave an answer that shocked Cao Cao: “I was defeated by Qiao Yeshu.”

As he spoke, he slowly removed the white robe someone had put on him and laid it out before Cao Cao.

Inside the robe, written in bold, flowing characters, were five lines:

“It’s been years, Brother Mengde. How have you been?

Regrettably, we meet again on the battlefield, both acting without prior notice.

Remembering our past conversations over wine, I wish to meet again.

Three days from now, I will come alone with one horse and one attendant to meet you at Shen Pavilion outside Pingyu. Please bring a few attendants and the body of Yuan Yuzhou, so his son may claim it.

Signed, Grand Marshal Qiao Yan.”