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“Can strategists not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 316: The Outlook of Youzhou
This hidden truth wasn’t something Qi Zhou discovered today; it just suddenly clicked with him amidst the recent changes in the Yizhou battle situation.
He initially wanted to share this with Xianyu Fu, thinking he was a definite ally. But then he worried that mentioning it might lead Xianyu Fu, the commander of the Golden Wolf Guards, to spill the beans to Liu Yu.
Considering Your Majesty’s attitude, he might get a good scolding for his troubles.
After mulling it over, Qi Zhou decided he needed to resolve his doubts, so he paid close attention to the faces of those departing from the Purple Hall.
Wang Yun thought he was hiding his “patriotic concern” pretty well, but for a keen observer, it was as obvious as a bright lamp.
Qi Zhou hastily trotted after him, leading to their little convo.
Seeing Qi Zhou seemed serious, Wang Yun whispered back, “This isn’t the place for us to chat. Wait until we’re separated, then come visit my house.”
Around noon, Wang Yun welcomed Qi Zhou through the back door, leading him into a private study for a talk.
“What brings you here, Qi Ling?” After ordering tea and dismissing everyone, Wang Yun got down to business.
After taking a moment to compose himself, Qi Zhou replied, “You know, back when I was heading to Yizhou to deliver the decree to appoint Liu as Grand General, some unexpected events popped up that exposed his less than loyal intentions, leading to the appointment of the Prefect of Bingzhou as Grand Marshal, and her army’s deployment against him.”
“To be fair, Liu’s actions were valid. But reflecting now, those facts wouldn’t have appeared unless someone guided them deliberately. Liu isn’t foolish enough to show such signs while the court was firmly planted in Chang’an.”
Liu Yan certainly couldn’t be considered dim-witted.
Seizing the chance while the Han’s control was weakening to secure the position of Prefect of Yizhou for himself? He’d have to be sharp.
Sure, he might have connected his ambitions to the prophecy mentioned by Dong Zhuo, but it likely wasn’t blatantly obvious.
Otherwise, being the Prefect would undermine the Han’s authority.
Wang Yun had sensed something was off back then, but Qi Zhou was so sure about what he saw in Yizhou, those irregularities received a definitive “case closed.” And the subsequent campaign to capture Hanzhong didn’t just bolster the Chang’an court’s reputation but also secured important grain supplies. For those in power, digging deeper into these matters was probably unnecessary.
But what if they weren’t the ones benefiting?
Then they had to revisit the past!
Wang Yun asked, “Why bring this up now?”
Qi Zhou frowned, “Because I found someone who was with me on the trip to Yizhou who seems off!”
“One of the guys who came with me was appointed by the Grand Marshal and called himself Li Meng.”
This name was quite unfamiliar to Wang Yun.
Qi Zhou continued, “This guy acted like a slacker on that trip, even dragging along a disciple for leisure in Shu. It looked like the Grand Marshal was making a show of not overshadowing Your Majesty by picking a nondescript subordinate. But six months ago, I realized that’s not the case!”
Back when the stand-off in Xuzhou kicked off two years ago, Li Ru and Jia Xu couldn’t convince each other whose disciple performed better on that trip and ended up in Chang’an to assist Qiao Yan.
Of course, to put it plainly, Jia Xu, who had things to do, dragged Li Ru into the mix.
But nonetheless, both of them showed up at the Grand Marshal’s residence.
Li Ru was a recluse, and Qi Zhou’s position as a Grand Master of Ceremonies generally didn’t overlap with the Grand Marshal’s duties, so they shouldn’t have crossed paths.
But the capital is small, so dining out always had a chance for run-ins, and that’s how Qi Zhou spotted Li Ru.
Wang Yun: “…?”
Suddenly pulled into that comparison, Wang Yun found it a bit absurd, but he understood Qi Zhou’s point.
“Tell me this man’s physical traits and all the tiny details of your trip to Yizhou. I’ll investigate his background.”
Qi Zhou had indeed shared everything back then, but with limited time, he hadn’t suspected Li Ru enough to relay their conversations until now, revealing those seemingly harmless recollections that actually carried some intent.
When Qi Zhou finished, he cautiously asked, “Do you think I’m overthinking this, Wang Situ?”
Overthinking?
Wang Yun’s brow knitted tighter than a tangled string.
If Qi Zhou’s guesses were considered overthinking, then the notion of political games in the court was pointless.
He clearly had been led step by step into a trap, only now beginning to catch on!
Those actions were anything but ordinary; at least, they weren’t the kind of behaviors exhibited by someone who intended to lay low under the decree.
Wang Yun stated, “I’ll look into him. Don’t share news of today’s visit with anyone, and keep this to yourself until I have more info.”
With the Chang’an court established here for two and a half years, and with Wang Yun as one of the Three Dukes, many offspring from the Qixian Wang family had come to serve, making it easier for him to find help when needed, especially for investigating someone who was just a minor figure in the Grand Marshal’s office.
The man called “Li Meng” had left traces in Bingzhou, and soon a report on him was laid out before Wang Yun.
Even though he was prepared for possibilities like “the guy might be a secret operative trained by Qiao Yan,” he was completely blindsided by the result—
Li Meng was merely an alias; his real name was Li Ru.
The same Li Ru who offered strategies to Dong Zhuo!
Five years later, Wang Yun, having mingled with Li Ru a few times, could hardly remember his name. But as he pretended to run into Li Ru on a well-traveled road in Chang’an based on the investigation, he suddenly matched the face from his memory with the “shrewd and calculating” expression Qi Zhou talked about.
Once he confirmed this, Wang Yun couldn’t help but gasp.
Li Ru defecting to Qiao Yan wasn’t the frightening part.
It had been three years since Dong Zhuo’s death, and even two years prior to that, when Qiao Yan led the Bingzhou troops to conquer Luoyang, Li Ru had already fallen into Qiao Yan’s hands, subsequently getting locked up.
His past loyalty to someone like a rebel couldn’t serve as a death sentence.
But to think Li Ru could suddenly turn into this underachiever who accomplished nothing while sent to Yizhou? Wang Yun couldn’t believe it.
This made Qi Zhou’s insinuation even more credible.
What if Li Ru’s very existence was meant to nudge Qi Zhou into concluding Liu Yan had rebellious intentions, thus requiring someone to check on him? This way, Qiao Yan could get the Grand Marshal position by making a case against Liu Yan, pushing her right to the top!
Back in the day, Li Ru had advised Dong Zhuo to seize Luoyang at a fitting moment, playing mediator among Lu Zhi and the Yuan brothers’ soldiers until he became the power in Luoyang. Today, Li Ru could very well orchestrate for Qiao Yan, allowing her to legitimately become the ruler of Chang’an!
Knowing this history, Wang Yun felt a chill run down his spine.
Thinking that Qiao Yan might be climbing to the Grand Marshal position on the back of Liu Yan, and recalling the events from today in Yizhou that involved Liu Yan’s life aiding Qiao Yan, Wang Yun’s heart sank even deeper.
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“I suspect I’ve found some solid evidence.”
No way, if I let things continue like this, it won’t be long before we find ourselves in a situation like when Wang Mang overthrew the former Han. And the current Son of Heaven, Liu Yu, has no capable heirs to count on. Even if Wang Yun wanted to help the Emperor expand his power, he could feel the situation was incredibly dicey.
For all we know, this development isn’t half as good as things were under Qiao Yan’s rule.
At that moment, Wang Yun regretted more than ever how easily Liu Xie was taken away by Li Jue during the Chang’an upheaval.
If Liu Xie were still around, with his potential and youthful advantage, he could have swept those unsettling factors right under the rug and played the waiting game quietly. But alas, there’s no “what if” in this world.
After informing Qi Zhou about this investigation result, Wang Yun locked himself away in deep thought, contemplating what Qiao Yan would do when she returned to Chang’an victorious after pacifying Bashu, given that there were no titles left to bestow. Little did he know, Qiao Yan wanted to bring back more than just a victory.
Fu Gan wasn’t just delivering a message to Chang’an.
After delivering the news, he had plans to head back to Liangzhou for duty, taking the route north from the highlands, but instead veered east into Bingzhou without catching anyone’s attention.
Upon reaching the provincial capital, he promptly contacted Xi Zhicai, drawing supplies from the Bingzhou government storehouse, along with another classified order, which made its way to Yunzhong and ended up in Lü Bu’s hands.
“Are you really sending me into battle, my lord?” Lü Bu asked, his eyes sparkling as he sprang up.
He had been waiting forever for this news, almost thinking he was good for nothing but carting salt and serving as a deterrent, looking far from a general who earned his title through military achievements, more like someone with a cushy job.
Especially with all these talented youngsters coming up, it gave him a gnawing sense of crisis, the feeling of being replaced.
Earlier this year, Qiao Yan had actually sent him a letter, mentioning Lü Lingju had brains to accompany her martial prowess, indicating that Lü Bu needed to step up his game. She also hinted he better prepare because there could be chances for military action this year.
With the drought troubles, Lü Bu was already bracing for changes in plans. If he got an itch for action, he could always ask Xi Zhicai to go skirmish with the rogue Xianbei tribes that didn’t listen to Budugen, while also working on building a bond with the Red Hare for better synergy in actual combat.
So even if delaying plans another year was understandable, it was clear that Qiao Yan never backed out on her promises to her subordinates.
Since she promised Lü Bu a chance to take military action this year, he’d best be let loose!
Fu Gan responded, “Middle General, better read this classified order fully first; my lord has laid down some restrictions on you.”
As he said that, he tore open Qiao Yan’s order, only to grimace, “Really? I think a father-daughter duo hunting down Gongsun Zan sounds pretty impressive.”
The order explicitly stated that Lü Bu was to take supplies from the Bingzhou storehouse, meet Zhang Liao stationed at Juyong Pass, and launch an assault on Gongsun Zan at the end of July.
If they failed to intercept Gongsun Zan within Yuyang County, Zhang Liao would pursue him, and Lü Bu would immediately retreat.
And this retreat wasn’t to Zhang Liao’s original location at Shanggu, but to Zhuo County, which was closer to Ji Province and lacked mountain barriers, in case Yuan Shao attempted to disrupt Qiao Yan’s campaign in Youzhou.
Let’s be real; if failing to capture Gongsun Zan meant turning their sights on Yuan Shao, that wasn’t out of the question.
However, Qiao Yan had specifically said, while Lü Bu was stationed at Yuyang, he couldn’t cross the boundaries of the Juma River and Baiyangdian. In other words, he wasn’t allowed to leave Zhuo County, and because of Juma River’s position, part of Zhuo County would be handed over to Ji Province.
“My lord says you’re a mature general now; to transition from Middle General to General, you’ve gotta project a sense of stability and set a good example for the generals that come after you.”
Fu Gan was on an equal footing with Lü Bu, and when he said this, Lü Bu didn’t suspect any deceit in his words, perceiving it as Qiao Yan’s expectations of him.
He clenched his jaw, swallowing the annoyance of being possibly unable to cross swords with Yuan Shao while keeping watch over Zhuo County, and listened as Fu Gan continued, “My lord doesn’t necessarily mean to impose restrictions on General Lü; for one, General Lü’s cooperation with the Red Hare is unrivaled in the world of martial arts. If you were to station troops north of the Juma River, Ji Province would certainly be in a panic, fearing you’d march south. Secondly—”
“Why would General Lü assume he wouldn’t catch Gongsun Zan within Yuyang County?”
That “secondly” was something Zhang Liao had echoed when they met up at Juyong Pass.
“I’ve been stationed at Juyong Pass for nearly three years now. Gongsun Zan has kept his distance ever since my lord gave those orders, thinking we had no chance to strike.”
Zhang Liao gestured out toward the pass, and Lü Bu spotted the unpainted white feather arrow, the very one Qiao Yan had shot when coming to Liu Yu’s aid at Juyong Pass. Due to sun and rain, the arrow’s tail had become a bit ragged, yet it still stood there as a landmark.
Though Lü Bu hadn’t seen Qiao Yan shoot that arrow, he could still sense a thrilling boldness from Zhang Liao’s words about Gongsun Zan keeping a distance.
Zhang Liao added, “General Lü, Gongsun Zan has no idea we’re preparing to move now. Why not consider intercepting him right in Yuyang?”
Their full-on effort would catch Gongsun Zan completely off guard from enemies approaching from the east!
Before Fu Gan even arrived in Chang’an, Ma Chao and Yan Yan had already headed towards Hailing.
As Qiao Yan had specifically instructed Ma Chao, Liu Biao was still wondering why her troops had entered the Yangtze River route when he received a rather smug declaration from Ma Chao about the shifting ownership of Yizhou, strictly prohibiting Liu Biao from spreading the news.
Not to mention spreading it, Liu Biao practically wished he had missed the news entirely.
Qiao Yan’s timely assistance in Yingchuan had already made Liu Biao feel the danger. Now, out of the blue, Liu Yan was killed at the hands of Liu Zhang, and Qiao Yan’s swift arrest of Liu Zhang soon led to a massive haul of supplies moving from Yizhou to Xuzhou.
Wait a minute, could there really be no fishing for evidence involved here?
Liu Biao pondered this question as he looked at his second wife, Cai, who favored his younger son Liu Cong, for quite some time, until she thought her makeup had smudged and didn’t catch him saying a thing.
From Cai Mao, he had learned that a fleet departing from Yizhou was heading towards Xuzhou, seemingly signaling some movement in that direction.
But this wasn’t just about Xuzhou.
The two largest ships escorting Zhuge Liang and company to Liaodong, guided by compasses and maritime maps, had long since headed back to Xuzhou right after Gongsun Du had said to surrender, and were now docked at the shipyard in Hailing.
As soon as Ma Chao and Yan Yan arrived, they loaded half of the supplies onto the ships, sending them setting sail back to Liaodong.
And almost just days before the planned deployment time agreed upon by Qiao Yan and Lü Bu, these two ships loaded with military provisions docked at Tashi Port in Youzhou.
Lü Lingju was already waiting here, and immediately teamed up with Gan Ning to deliver the provisions to Xiangping in Liaodong.
Right to Gongsun Du’s front.
Gongsun Du was already prepared for the possibility he would have to send troops and supplies for the attack on Gongsun Zan. If it weren’t for these youngsters displaying tactics he couldn’t counter in those three victories over him, asking him to shell out resources felt akin to having his flesh cut off with a knife.
But now that the military supplies had arrived, and with a possibility of having leftovers after this campaign, which could replenish his own resource storehouse, he felt a bit of goodwill towards the Grand Marshal he had yet to meet.
Just make sure not to appear in Liaodong in such an unexpected manner next time.
The youngsters, blissfully unaware or simply too lazy to care about Gongsun Du’s complex feelings at that moment, stood ready.
The designated combat time had arrived, supplies were in, and the allied forces were in position—
It was truly their time to shine and seize control of the entire Youzhou region!
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