Chapter 315

Chapter 315

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 9: The Calamity of Drought and Locusts, Flying Troops to Liaodong Chapter 315: Arrangements in Yizhou

This is no longer the era of Liu Yan and the previous generation.

Perhaps, there is another layer of meaning in these words—

This is no longer the era of the Liu clan.

In times of turmoil and exhaustion among the people, it is also the moment when someone who can provide the people with a sense of security can replace the Han imperial family.

Qiao Yan doesn’t mind revealing the truth to Liu Yan. After all, when she walked out of Liu Yan’s residence, one of the earliest governors of the late Han had already stopped breathing, completely exiting this era.

“Announce the news of the Yizhou Governor’s death in Chengdu. Say that Zhao Wei and Liu Zhang delayed Liu Yizhou’s treatment. Now, upon hearing of his youngest son’s actions, his illness flared up, and he died.”

To say that Qiao Yan bears little responsibility for Liu Yan’s death is an understatement. The old diagnosis by the doctors proved that his death from the recurrence of old injuries was only a matter of time.

The doctors detained by Zhao Wei and Liu Zhang in the provincial government also corroborated Qiao Yan’s account.

However, upon hearing the news of Liu Yan’s death, Liu Zhang felt as if struck by lightning, then went mad, lunging at the bars of his cage: “This can’t be! My father could still announce the succession. I am his rightful heir. How could he die just like that!”

Liu Yan could have died from severe illness, but he absolutely could not have died because of Liu Zhang’s schemes.

In the Han Dynasty, where filial piety governed the world, the crime of patricide was far more fatal than seizing the governor’s power.

It also provided Qiao Yan with a more suitable reason for her sudden military action in Yizhou.

What right does a patricide have to take over a province?

Even if he bears the name of a hero, he has no such qualification!

Liu Zhang, no longer fearing Qiao Yan, shouted: “Why was my father fine before, but something happened after the Grand Marshal arrived? This is clearly not my fault.”

But what use are these words now? The act of declaring the succession was performed in public, and the doctors who treated Liu Yan earlier had already judged that if Liu Yan could rest in a suitable environment, he might have lived a few more days.

With the medical skills of the doctors from Leping Medical College, whether they could save him or not was not something that could be easily determined.

Who knows, a miracle might have happened?

If the Grand Marshal wanted to harm Liu Yan, she wouldn’t have given up the position of Grand General, which was within her grasp, to Liu Yan as a gesture of goodwill. Nor would she have merely sent troops to Hanzhong as a warning when she learned of Liu Yan’s disloyalty. She could have directly taught Chengdu a lesson, just as she did in this military action.

The people wouldn’t care whether the Yinping Road, without the road-building efforts of Zhang Lu and others, was a viable route to Chengdu. Nor would they care about Qiao Yan’s true feelings towards Liu Yan—

In any case, the truth she revealed to Liu Yan, a man near death, is now known only to one person after Liu Yan’s death.

What the people know is that Liu Zhang’s evil deeds failed, and he was captured by the Grand Marshal who descended upon the area.

Subsequently, in Ba Commandery, Xu Shu and Chu Yan, who came south from Hanzhong, joined forces with Wu Yi, who led the Chengdu garrison north, to attack Yan Yan at Xuanhan County by the Ba River, capturing the general and bringing him back to Chengdu.

In Yan Yan’s confession, he replaced Pang Xi as the Prefect of Ba Commandery, having received the appointment from Liu Yan, but he never actually saw the ailing Liu Yan. This is further evidence of Liu Zhang and others imprisoning Liu Yan to seize power.

It also completely sealed Liu Zhang’s fate.

When the Yizhou government storehouse data, completed with Jiang Jiao’s assistance, was presented to Qiao Yan, she sent a letter each to the east and north.

The letter to the east was sent along with a batch of supplies, transporting part of the grain stored in the Yizhou government storehouse via the Yangtze River to Hailing, with Ma Chao and the repentant Yan Yan responsible for the safety of this transport.

Upon arrival in Hailing, this grain would be divided into two parts.

One part would be used to support the war in Xuzhou.

With Zhang Yi’s forces south of the Huai River not holding much advantage, the grain would compensate for the losses caused by the drought, boosting the people’s morale to defend the city.

At the same time, the news of the Yizhou upheaval would be conveyed to Jia Xu and Pang Tong, who were still in Xuzhou, letting them decide when to reveal this information to the areas north of Xuzhou.

If Yizhou continuously provides backup support to Xuzhou and Yang Province, a prolonged war in northern Xuzhou is out of the question. But if they want to take a risky path, they must see if they can match Jia Xu, the old fox, and Pang Tong, the young phoenix.

The other part, along with the repositioning device exchanged by Qiao Yan, would be sent from Xuzhou by sea to Liaodong.

The purpose of the first batch of grain is to cover for the latter, but the existence of the latter means—

Once this grain is successfully delivered to Liaodong in Youzhou, the hunt for Gongsun Zan will officially begin!

And it’s not even harvest season yet!

“Why am I only responsible for transporting grain and not participating in the war in Xuzhou?” Ma Chao asked indignantly.

When he first heard that Qiao Yan wanted him to go to Xuzhou, he thought that his performance in assisting the Lord in intimidating Zhang Lu, capturing Chengdu, and then capturing Yan Yan in the north had been outstanding. He was no longer the reckless youth of old, so the Lord thought him capable and gave him an additional assignment.

But the subsequent words made him realize that he didn’t have as much room to shine as he imagined.

He muttered, “I am straightforward and have said a few bad things about Jia Xu, the traitor who surrendered again, thinking he disgraced us Liangzhou people. But when it comes to sincere cooperation, I won’t mess up.”

How could he only be a transport officer and not be allowed to fight?

He heard that in northern Xuzhou, under the Xuzhou Governor appointed by the Ye court, there were still a few capable generals. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have escaped the trap set by Zhuge Liang and others earlier. Isn’t this the perfect opportunity for him to shine?

The Liangzhou people should earn another merit under the Lord’s command.

Seeing Ma Chao’s eagerness to fight, Qiao Yan replied, “I’m not denying Mengqi a chance to shine, but if you have this desire, don’t the people of Yizhou have it too? General Yan and General Zhang, who went to Xuzhou with Jia Xu earlier, are from Yizhou and are caught in the crimes of seizing power or rebellion. They urgently need a military merit to establish themselves. How can I not give them this opportunity?”

Ma Chao thought about how he and his father Ma Teng also had a history of rebellion and indeed relied on actual achievements to erase those accusations. He swallowed his words of requesting to fight.

Then Qiao Yan continued, “Besides, I’m not just assigning you to transport grain. Why feel disappointed so early?”

“I have two tasks for you. First, after arriving in Xuzhou, make it appear that you are reorganizing the Xuzhou cavalry, cooperating with the generals in Xuzhou to create the illusion that Xuzhou is the breakthrough point after the Yizhou upheaval.”

This strategy sounds perfectly logical.

Yizhou, a relatively disobedient region, has returned to the control of the Chang’an court. Similarly, Jing Province and Yang Province in the south also respect Chang’an. Since the Huai River front in Xuzhou could be a breakthrough point, why not make a decisive move there?

“Second, when passing through Jing Province, greet Liu Biao and warn him not to let the news of the ships passing through spread outside Jing Province.”

Liu Biao couldn’t possibly be unaware of the ships passing through. Although the route this time, unlike when Zhang Yang went to Xuzhou, didn’t pass through the Han River and Xiangyang, it was still within Jing Province.

How Liu Biao would interpret this warning to not spread the news outside Jing Province is something only he knows.

As for why this warning task was given to Ma Chao, it’s probably because, among the people she could currently assign, only Ma Chao could exude such overwhelming arrogance.

Sometimes this arrogance is not a good thing, but in this case, it clearly is.

Ma Chao didn’t fully understand Qiao Yan’s meaning, but with the first and second tasks, it seemed he wasn’t just a grain transport officer, so he accepted the orders and left.

The other battle report to the north was handed by Qiao Yan to Fu Gan, who sent it to Chang’an.

This letter passed through Hanzhong to Chang’an and was delivered to Liu Yu.

“Capturing Chengdu?!” Liu Yu instinctively stood up upon reading the beginning of the letter.

How is this possible?

Why was Yizhou set up as a province in the first place? Wasn’t it because the place was so isolated that the court had long lost control over it?

Even if Qiao Yan once took the Luogu Road straight to Hanzhong, in the eyes of most, her ability to intimidate Liu Yan’s ambitions was only because Liu Yan still harbored fear of the Han court. It didn’t mean she could directly reach the core of Yizhou and achieve such results while on a long expedition.

But now she has done it!

Regardless of how she did it, this letter to Chang’an makes it clear.

Yizhou Governor Liu Yan’s arrow wound recurred, and he fell ill. His youngest son, supported by local Yizhou magnates who disobeyed Liu Yan, seized power, imprisoned him in his residence, denied him proper treatment, and intended to take over Yizhou before reporting to the court, concealing the facts and claiming he had taken over Yizhou.

Yizhou is a remote place. If such a change occurs, the court cannot respond in time.

Fortunately, Zhang Lu, who was once defeated by the royal army, while building roads and assimilating in Guanghan, still kept an eye on Shu. Upon noticing anomalies, he sent the news to Qiao Yan.

Although Liu Yan once harbored thoughts of usurping the throne, his position as Yizhou Governor was recognized by the court, making him the legitimate highest authority in Yizhou. If the position of Yizhou Governor can change through such patricide, the court’s control over Yizhou is in name only, so it must be curbed.

To prevent the news from leaking and allowing Yizhou to prepare in advance, Qiao Yan ordered Xun Yu to hold Luoyang for her while she personally led troops from Wudu Commandery to attack Yizhou, heading straight for Shu from Guanghan where Zhang Lu was.

Who would have thought of such a route?

Even if someone realized she might go to Yizhou to quell the rebellion, they would never have imagined she would choose to abandon the advantages she had already built in Hanzhong to take this unknown, treacherous path.

If it weren’t for the fact that her previous actions against Zhang Lu—first expelling him from Wudu Commandery, then nearly encircling and killing him in Hanzhong—were witnessed by all and beyond reproach, one might think she and Zhang Lu had staged a performance.

“Isn’t Yanshu placing too much trust in Zhang Lu?” When Liu Yu read this letter in court, even Huangfu Song, who knew her temperament, couldn’t help but remark.

But as soon as he spoke, he realized that his concern was unnecessary, for without Qiao Yan’s trust in her former enemy, they could never have achieved such a remarkable victory.

The letter to Chang’an stated that upon her arrival in Chengdu, Liu Yan, unable to sustain his illness, passed away. Liu Zhang and his accomplice Zhao Wei were all captured, and from Chengdu…








The forces marching north and the Hanzhong garrison joined hands to swiftly pacify Ba County.

Thus, aside from the few counties controlled by the southern barbarians, the majority of Yizhou’s counties could easily fall into their hands.

Compared to the previous situation where Liu Yan stood independently in Shu, the current situation has clearly made a breakthrough!

What’s even more exciting is that Qiao Yan mentioned that while dealing with Liu Yan’s family affairs and the Yizhou scholar uprisings, she took the time to inventory the government storehouses across Yizhou, especially in Shu County.

Aside from other hard currencies like gold and silver, the grain stored in Shu County alone amounted to over ten million dan, almost matching the tax revenues and farmland yields of Guanzhong over the past two years!

And this was after Qiao Yan had Jiang Jiao audit and return a significant portion of unreasonable taxes and land seizures, leaving what remained in the storehouses.

This was the stockpile Liu Yan had managed to accumulate over his ten years in Yizhou, despite constant civil wars and high expenditures.

Just this number alone makes one marvel at Yizhou truly deserving its title as the “Land of Abundance.”

No wonder… Liu Yan, who controlled this land, began to entertain thoughts unbecoming of a Han official.

While others were still troubled by natural disasters, Yizhou had the Dujiangyan irrigation system as its backbone, naturally fertile land for farming, and geographical isolation as a security barrier. Who wouldn’t look at the ever-increasing wealth in the storehouses and let their desire for power run wild?

Wait!

Wang Yun, who had always been wary of Qiao Yan, suddenly thought of something and asked, “What are the Grand Marshal’s plans for Yizhou moving forward?”

This place, under Liu Yan’s control, was already difficult for the court to manage deeply. In the hands of someone like Qiao Yan, who is a military genius, it becomes an impregnable stronghold!

This place is even more dangerous than Bingzhou and Liangzhou under her control.

So dangerous… that one might suspect she could establish a small court there.

Wang Yun felt that he couldn’t be blamed for being overly cautious about this.

The Yizhou campaign, from its initiation to its preparation, gave the Chang’an court no sense of involvement. The only thing that hit them was this shocking result.

If the internal calculations of Yizhou didn’t take the Chang’an court seriously and even played both sides between Chang’an and Ye City, then how much respect did Qiao Yan, who seemingly aimed to support Liu Yu in restoring Han rule, show for Liu Yu through this swift military action?

Even though Qiao Yan clearly stated in this letter, or rather memorial, that there were too many uncertainties in this campaign, forcing her to keep all plans secret from Chang’an.

But the court has been established for almost three years now, and she knows all the key figures well. There should have been at least a few people who could have been informed, but in reality—

None.

Not even Huangfu Song.

It’s just that at this moment, it seems only he is expressing such concerns in the face of this great victory, making him wonder if Qiao Yan has simply managed her image too well, or if he’s just being contrarian while everyone else is celebrating the benefits of the Yizhou changes.

At least Emperor Liu Yu didn’t catch the subtext in Wang Yun’s words and replied, “Yan Shu has already held a funeral for Liu Yizhou in Shu. Although some irregularities were found in the expenditures of his wives, concubines, and children, as well as in the storehouse inventory, since the man has passed away, it would seem petty to delve into these mistakes. Thus, he was buried with the honors of a governor.”

“Given that Liu Junlang ruled Yizhou for ten years, it would be ideal to use figures closely associated with him for a smooth transition. However, during the inventory of Yizhou’s storehouses, some of his tricks with the people’s taxes were exposed, which could be said to have damaged public sentiment.”

“Moreover, when Liu Zhang and Zhao Wei joined forces to change the power structure, they went so far as to poison his elder brother to keep him firmly under control. Although the man was saved, his mental state is far from what it used to be, making it difficult for him to take on heavy responsibilities.”

“It would be better to abolish the position of Yizhou Governor and appoint an Eastern Scholar who followed Liu Yizhou into Shu as the Yizhou Governor, ceding two counties to Yizhou locals to serve as prefects and oversee the area.”

Qiao Yan’s arrangements in this letter were clearly well thought out.

And Liu Yu made this clear to the court officials.

The Eastern Scholar taking over as Yizhou Governor must not have overly strained relations with other Yizhou scholars, should have some connection with the former Yizhou Governor Liu Yan, and must have merit in the eyes of the Chang’an court, with a reasonable justification for reward.

Coincidentally, there is such a person.

It’s Wu Yi, chosen by Qiao Yan.

As a representative of Liu Yan’s Eastern Scholars, he is closer to a military general than a civil official, rarely involving himself in Yizhou’s internal disputes, making him more likable to Yizhou scholars than Pang Xi.

His sister married Liu Yan’s third son, Liu Mao, making him somewhat related to Liu Yan, which helps in managing Liu Yan’s remaining influence in Yizhou.

Most importantly, before Qiao Yan attacked Chengdu, Wu Yi, stationed in Fuxian, was “persuaded” by the court’s righteous cause to pacify Yizhou and participated in the attack on Chengdu, later assisting Xu Shu in pacifying Ba County.

If such a person isn’t fit for the position of prefect or governor, how can the court’s control over Yizhou be accepted by the people?

Wang Yun: “…”

This speech is nothing if not grand.

But considering that Wu Yi is from Chenliu in Yanzhou, sharing hometown ties with Qiao Yan’s loyal general Dian Wei, and clearly having struck a deal with Qiao Yan to assist in the campaign, Wang Yun feels a lump in his throat.

So rather than this being a smooth transition of power in Yizhou by using Liu Yan’s Eastern Scholars, it’s more like Qiao Yan has indirectly taken control of Yizhou.

This undeniable main theme makes Wang Yun somewhat distracted as he listens to the subsequent arrangements.

But even without his full attention, he can’t help but admire Qiao Yan’s skill in manipulating these frontier forces.

She mentioned that Yizhou needs to be brought back under control while making some concessions to local forces. The two prefect positions should be given away, but before that, it’s better to divide the counties within Yizhou.

The southern counties of Yizhou, like Zangke and Yizhou, which were never under control, need not be considered for division. However, Ba County can be divided into Badong and Baxi, with half given to local Yizhou governance.

Many Ba people hold grudges against Liu Yan, especially after the major clans in Ba County were brutally suppressed to establish authority. The Chang’an court’s concessions would undoubtedly help stabilize Ba-Shu.

At the same time, the real power in Hanzhong and Badong remains in the hands of the Chang’an court, with Wu Yi in central Shu, forming a surrounding and containing force against the central Baxi County. Isn’t this a form of division?

In central Shu, on one hand, they executed Zhao Wei, a treacherous official who usurped power, to uphold Chang’an’s legitimacy. On the other hand, they sent Yan Yan and Zhang Ren to the Xuzhou front, giving them opportunities to earn merits, establishing the prefecture’s central position while managing relations with Yizhou. This can be seen as a move to win hearts.

With all these measures laid out, one can only feel that Qiao Yan’s practical operations in balancing power across the three provinces have reached an unparalleled level.

The most interesting part is the final measure she proposed.

The southern part of Yizhou, which Liu Yan didn’t heavily involve himself in, might still be worth a try.

But the prerequisite for this attempt is to appoint someone to a position—

Yao Chang.

The former Protector of the Qiang, Yao Chang.

“Why can’t the position of Protector of the Qiang be adjusted?”

Yao Chang never thought her position could change after accepting the appointment, but when Qiao Yan brought it up, she saw the feasibility.

Qiao Yan said, “The Qiang people are similar to the southern barbarians, with dozens of tribes within a single province, some allied, some long-time enemies due to disputes over rivers and mountains. The same approach of suppression and conquest alongside appeasement can be applied. You know my stance in Liangzhou, so you know how to treat the southern barbarians.”

Yao Chang replied, “If as you say, the Qiang in northern Yizhou can also be our allies in the southern campaign.”

“Exactly, so this position should change from Protector of the Qiang to…” Qiao Yan paused, then smiled, “Since there’s a Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu, why can’t you be promoted from Colonel to General? Given your achievements, let’s call you Protector-General of the Qiang and Southern Barbarians.”

“But will Chang’an approve this appointment?” Yao Chang couldn’t help but ask.

She’s not only Qiang but also a woman. Even with Qiao Yan as Grand Marshal, having a female general in the army, alongside a female Grand Historian and a female Assistant Governor of Yizhou managing astronomy and calendars, is no small feat.

However, all she saw was Qiao Yan’s determined gaze, “Before they can reclaim southern Yizhou, I will use the Qiang to govern the barbarians, walking a path no one has taken before. What’s wrong with creating a new position?”

“Moreover, I will have someone assist you. I intend to have Zhao Ang of the Hanyang Zhao clan take the position of Prefect of Zangke County to help you pacify the southern barbarians.”

Qiao Yan looked south, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Hopefully, Zhao Ang’s wife, Wang Yi, can also become Yao Chang’s ally.

And as long as there’s a possibility of breaking through in southern Yizhou, Fa Zheng, who was selected through the Hongwen Hall exams to serve under her, will also be sent there as an assistant.

Though Yao Chang didn’t know Qiao Yan’s plans, she firmly replied, “If so, I will spare no effort to achieve this for you!”

While things are going smoothly in Chengdu, with everyone in harmony, it’s not so comfortable in Chang’an.

Wang Yun walked out of the Zichen Hall, pondering the situation in Yizhou.

With Yizhou now under control, it seems that the eastern part of Sili, Bingzhou, Liangzhou, and Yizhou have firmly encircled the Chang’an court, making him feel an even heavier burden.

At this point, if Qiao Yan wants to stifle the Chang’an court’s voice and have her decrees represent Liu Yu’s commands across the realm, it’s no longer a difficult task.

Does she really… have no other intentions?

Just as he thought this, someone called his name from behind, interrupting his thoughts.

To avoid showing his concerns, Wang Yun quickly composed himself and turned to see Qi Zhou, a subordinate of the Grand Herald, hurrying towards him.

Wang Yun couldn’t help but feel curious.

This person had never been close to him, so why the sudden approach?

As Qi Zhou reached him, Wang Yun saw him mysteriously pull him aside and whisper, “Minister Wang, I want to ask you something. Could you give me some advice?”

Qi Zhou looked around to ensure no one was watching, then continued, “It’s about my trip to Yizhou back then—”

“I suspect there’s more to what happened back then.”