“Can strategists not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 320: Incredible Battle Achievements…
Y-Y Youzhou has been secured?
Wang Yun nearly bit his tongue in shock at this sudden news.
Under the impact of this revelation, he almost forgot what he intended to discuss with Qiao Yan.
Should he mention that Qiao Yan’s actions in Yizhou have several breaches of protocol? Or that her military strategy was too reckless, risking chaos in Chang’an if her plans failed? Or should he say she ought to make the Emperor’s name known in the remote areas of Yizhou, not let it be remembered only as Qiao Yan’s domain?
The news that “Gongsun Zan and Tadian have met their ends, not only in Liaodong but also in Youzhou” left Wang Yun with just one thought—
Is it possible he was… hearing things?
But he quickly realized he wasn’t imagining it.
As he looked around, his colleagues displayed the same bewildered and dazed expressions, all in a state of shock as if in a dream.
Lu Yu at the top wasn’t doing much better.
No matter how calm their demeanor, they were thrown off balance by the news of Gongsun Zan’s death.
Youzhou, the most distant realm!
If Qiao Yan’s previous statement about relying on maritime routes from Xuzhou to Liaodong to convince Gongsun Du to surrender had already stunned them, this latter piece of news was simply beyond their wildest imaginations.
Earlier this year, Chunyu Jia had criticized Qiao Yan for her lack of military actions over the past two years because of her preparations against natural disasters.
But by mid-year, with the drought occurring in Guanzhong, attention inevitably turned to that issue, especially since Qiao Yan’s earlier preparations not only safeguarded lives there but also provided for the refugee population in Eastern Sili.
Whether it was out of fear of Ni Heng’s sharp tongue attacking her again or simply to avoid further conflict, Chunyu Jia had momentarily backed off.
With those controversial voices suppressed, even if she focused on internal matters this year instead of outward expansion, no one dared to criticize her in the slightest.
Yet she didn’t stop.
The death of Yuan Shu leading to the fall of Yuzhou was the perfect trigger for her to launch an offensive, seizing a foothold from Sili to Yuzhou, namely Yingchuan.
Lu Yan’s son Liu Zhang and Zhao Wei attempted to usurp the position of the governor of Yizhou and even break away from the court, only to be met with Qiao Yan’s surprise raid through the Yingping path, taking Chengdu and thereby controlling Yizhou.
If these two military actions were merely reactions to crises, using offense instead of defense to achieve her goals and cleverly obtaining substantial benefits and territory, then this last part…
There hadn’t been any cross-border attacks or succession battles in Youzhou; it was clear that Qiao Yan had meticulously planned this plundering war!
How difficult would it be to secure all of Youzhou?
Lu Yu, once the governor of Youzhou, knew this well, having been chased out by Gongsun Zan himself.
The idea of Gongsun Du’s surrender, mentioned so casually by Qiao Yan, seemed near impossible to Lu Yu.
Youzhou, which was more remote than Bingzhou, if Gongsun Du had indeed strengthened his position there, Lu Yu thought independence wouldn’t be out of the question.
So what if ships reached Liaodong? As long as their numbers were fewer than the local populace, he could sink them at sea.
Not to mention convincing these locals to support Gongsun Du against the invading Tadian!
And sitting in Juyong Pass was Zhang Liao, who was busy with horse breeding and salt transportation, while Lü Bu, if not for Qiao Yan mentioning their names, many would have almost forgotten they participated when she sent troops beyond the borders.
How could anyone forget their sheer ferocity back then?
Once they mobilized, they were like tigers unleashed!
Still, upon hearing that even Gongsun Zan had fallen to them, Lu Yu couldn’t shake off the disconnection he felt.
Almost three years had passed.
Since his eldest son Liu He died amidst the chaos against Gongsun Zan’s forces, nearly three years had gone by.
Was it because of the narrow escape from death he experienced during the maritime battle three years ago, when it was Zhang Liao’s timely rescue that saved him? Those situations, pulled back from the brink of death, had plagued his mind countless times in the dead of night, shaping his perception of Gongsun Zan into something almost unfathomable.
Now suddenly hearing of his demise, Lu Yu’s first reaction was not relief, but instead an unsettling bewilderment.
Gongsun Zan was no fool, yet Qiao Yan, in her few sentences about her battle achievements, made him look like one.
And what about him? The one who once faced defeat at Gongsun Zan’s hands, what was he now?
With her resounding announcement of “Congratulations Your Majesty, Youzhou has been secured,” Qiao Yan seemed completely unaware of Lu Yu’s feeling of defeat. She looked around and said, “Why the long faces? Gongsun Zan knew only to drain the people’s resources to train his army. Despite being called the Governor of Youzhou for years, he never held real power; at most, he had local militias.”
“Thanks to Your Majesty’s past benevolence toward the people, Wen Yuan stretched forth the name of the Chang’an court from Juyong Pass, and the few fortifications Gongsun Zan had were abandoned. If victory in the battle was to be achieved, it would not be hard.”
This sounded easy, but if Gongsun Zan were truly incapable of even defending the borders, how could he lead his elite cavalry?
Qiao Yan might have some truth in her words.
For instance, she claimed Gongsun Zan used Youzhou’s tax revenue to fund his army, with no regard for the people’s suffering, which had high probability of being accurate since Lu Yu’s conflicts with him stemmed from this very issue.
But that mention of open gates leading to surrender? That likely only happened after Gongsun Zan’s death.
Yet why would they need to expose her wordplay now?
Youzhou and Yizhou were remote, yet Qiao Yan had no motive to lie about her achievements.
Thus it appeared that in less than half a year, the Chang’an court, after two years of buildup, doubled its territorial expansion. Who could lift a finger against this capable Grand Marshal?
Even if… her tone today didn’t seem as humble as usual.
She then addressed Lu Yu, “With Youzhou under our control, only two matters remain.”
“One is the defense of the territory adjacent to Youzhou and Jizhou. Wen Yuan will temporarily mobilize personnel, but Sima Zhongda still lacks experience in military strategy. As this line of defense involves multiple regions, I intend to send Gongda to Zhuo County for assistance, but we’ll need a military supervisor for that.”
Just relying on Xun You’s position in the Grand Marshal’s office wouldn’t suffice.
If Qiao Yan personally led the troops, having a military advisor would be fine, but with Lü Bu and Gan Ning, two strong personalities下, it wouldn’t work.
Lu Yu asked, “What position do you seek for Gongda?”
“Perhaps a cavalry commander. That Ju Shou, beneath Yuan Benchu’s command, has held this position for years; with the situation in Youzhou changing and military forces at the boundaries, the person dispatched from Jizhou will likely be him. At the very least, we can’t let Gongda suffer in front of the enemy.”
“Moreover—” Qiao Yan paused and added, “The accomplished individuals from pacifying the internal disorder in Yizhou have already been honored, and the same goes for the Youzhou campaign; surely, Your Majesty will reward the generals.”
Lu Yu thought there was nothing wrong with granting awards, and even Wang Yun could rarely find fault, as long as Qiao Yan wasn’t seeking any indecent gain for herself. For a title like Marquis of Leping or Grand Marshal to aspire to some higher rank, he could suppress his doubts for now.
But when Gongsun Zan’s corpse was brought to Chang’an, everyone was left speechless.
Qiao Yan pointed at Gongsun Zan’s body and said, “Due to the obstacles posed by his White Horse Legion during the siege, those involved had to shoot arrows; ultimately, he bore these wounds. Regrettably, by the time we extracted Gongsun Zan from the chaotic troops, he had already passed, and we cannot discern which arrow claimed his life.”
Wang Yun and Chunyu Jia exchanged glances, suddenly alert.
Qiao Yan continued, “How about Your Majesty rewards all four individuals for their persistent efforts in striking down the bandit leader?”
Wang Yun: “…”
Chunyu Jia: “…”
This feels like a performance!
How could one person have four fatal wounds and still expect to award every assailant for their contributions?
If Qiao Yan were to speak her mind, she could indeed claim she followed the principle of truthfulness without exaggerating Zhang Liao and the others’ achievements against Gongsun Zan. The competition for recognition among these four was merely a coincidence.
But in Wang Yun’s eyes, who held “prejudice” against her, this was nothing but a jumbled attempt to claim battlefield glory for her subordinates!
Right!
This Grand Marshal was no longer suited for further promotion; otherwise, it would certainly appear to violate her past promises to Emperor Ling of Han. However, promoting her subordinates individually would not be out of the question.
If any of them had initially held a minor position or even remained humble, wouldn’t this just suggest she aimed to establish an intricate power structure within her ranks?
The Yuan Clan in Runan didn’t even get here!
Wang Yun remained silent for a long while before finally saying, “Grand Marshal, your actions seem somewhat unreasonable.”
Qiao Yan sneered and countered, “Unreasonable? You, Minister Wang, haven’t seized a prefecture or county with your bare hands, yet rely solely on the accomplishments of the past…”
“So, what’s the deal with your impressive rise to the Three Dukes position?”
“If you were to lead troops in Youzhou, I’d be curious to see how you could possibly mess it up like the last emperor!”
“You!” Wang Yun’s face turned a shade of ripe tomato in an instant.
Qiao Yan, not one to give him an inch, chimed in, “What? Am I not speaking the truth? In these tricky times, if you can’t offer enough rewards to the generals, let’s see how keen they’ll be to march south for you. Or, they might just turn to Yuan Benchu for some better offers. If they switch sides and head to Ye City, who knows what goodies they’d get!”
“I can bet Yuan Benchu won’t mind picking up some scraps from us!”
This isn’t just about picking up scraps!
Even the youngest of them has shown qualities of a top general or strategist, turning what was once a mocked graduation test at Leping Academy into a showcase of talent.
If Yuan Shao isn’t blind, he must know how terrifying they’ll become if they grow stronger.
Forget just a few holes in Gongsun Zan; even if Gongsun Zan were turned into a porcupine, Qiao Yan wouldn’t mind using that to secure their achievements.
“If you don’t reward the achievements, who would want to continue risking their lives in this game? Not everyone can sit high up like you, Minister Wang, in the Hall of Enlightenment.”
Without even glancing at Wang Yun’s expression, Qiao Yan turned to Liu Yu, “Your Majesty, please make a wise decision on this matter.”
Liu Yu: “…”
The ball was now in his court.
What’s trickier is that while pressing Wang Yun, Qiao Yan didn’t even hint at what standard they should use for promoting the subordinates.
The only suggestion she made was to appoint Xun You, who was heading to Zhuo County, to challenge Ju Shou with his position as cavalry commander.
But those who actually fought in the battle for Youzhou—against whom should they be measured?
This is quite a headache.
He first calmed the squabble between Qiao Yan and Wang Yun with some carefully chosen words about needing to think this over, then gathered the officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to brainstorm.
Unfortunately, Xun Yu, who could have provided valuable suggestions, was still in Luoyang dealing with local governance issues for Qiao Yan, leaving the position of Minister of Personnel vacant and limiting the number of people he could consult.
He had no idea that among those called to be consulted was Tian Feng, a once hopeful underling now feeling lost and questioning his life choices.
Who can tell him why he had to deal with such a conundrum while moving up in the ranks?
What does it mean for a position of someone about to launch an attack on his old boss to be in such a state?
If he told someone back in Ji Province about his situation, no one would believe the coincidence.
Yet, such things actually happened.
As Liu Yu looked at him with expectation, clearly wanting an answer, there was no way to dodge it now.
But wait!
Originally feeling a bit down about being pulled into this mess, Tian Feng suddenly realized something.
The Son of Heaven wants to reward the heroes of the Youzhou battle, and since this is coming from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it usually means someone from within needs to read the decree and handle military rewards.
For the favor-seeking Han Lingdi, this task often falls to the Yellow Gate officials and chamberlains, which also conveniently becomes a way to collect bribes. But Liu Yu could either let his subordinates from Youzhou handle it or give it to the members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs helping with advisory duties.
Zhuo County—just a hop away from Ji Province.
If he can preside over the proclamation, then returning home isn’t far off!
This isn’t a miserable chore; it’s his best chance to get back to Ji Province.
Right now, all he has to do is come up with a set of promotions that satisfies both Liu Yu and Qiao Yan to ensure the decree falls into his hands!
The undercurrents swirling in Chang’an add a shadow over what should be a swift victory over two provinces, but all in all, this is still a win—definitely better than the mess in Ye City.
When Yuan Shao saw the messenger rush in as if he were about to trip over his own feet, his brows knitted tighter than a scowl could convey, “What’s with all the fuss?”
Isn’t there enough shocking news this year already?
Yuan Shao felt his mental endurance had been tested to the limit.
First, there’s the drought just like Qiao Yan predicted, then the locust plague that keeps giving him headaches.
He’s trying to manage public unrest caused by these disasters while feeling anxious about the printing press making waves in Chang’an.
Right amid all this mess, the news of Tian Feng’s promotion came with Qiao Yan sending a digging tool to Ji Province, leaving him scratching his head in confusion.
Then there’s the war in Yuzhou, making him uneasy about Cao Cao’s rising power and perplexed about Qiao Yan’s rapid reactions, while also feeling that since Yuan Shu kicked the bucket, this might actually be the best outcome for him.
But the chaos hasn’t settled down!
Just over ten days ago, news from Chang’an reported that Liu Yan, the Prefect of Yizhou, has passed away, leaving Yizhou without a governor and returning to being overseen by the local governor. This means they’ll now be completely subject to orders from Chang’an, with supplies flowing through the waterways to Xuzhou, which stands opposed to them.
This news directly wiped out any agricultural edge Yuan Shao thought he might have.
Under his subordinates’ persuasion, he confirmed that, given the transport difficulties between Yizhou and Guanzhong, and the fact that Yizhou isn’t neighboring his realm, the danger he faces is probably not as severe as he imagined.
Even so, Yuan Shao still flipped out.
With such “treasures” on the table, how come his subordinates weren’t trained to handle stress better?
This flustered attitude, if it gets out, would make him a laughingstock for mismanaging his subordinates!
The messenger felt utterly wronged.
Who wouldn’t panic over a sudden piece of news like this?
Yuan Shao had once even stationed Liu Bei to deal with Yuan Shu, fearing Gongsun Zan might push southward, showing just how tangled this can get.
At that time, Gongsun Zan was in Youzhou; now, though…
“My lord! Major crisis!”
The messenger’s tone was tinged with a sense of urgency, “Youzhou’s governor, Gongsun Bogu, has perished under the ambushes from Gongsun Du and Zhang Liao! Youzhou has fallen into the hands of the False Court in Chang’an, and they’re already amassing forces in Zhuo County. The nearest General Gao has already rushed to the scene. They’re still on the other side of the River Juma, but if they deploy their entire army, General Gao isn’t sure he can hold them back. We need troops sent quickly!”
The General Gao spoken of wasn’t the one stationed at the Taihang Mountain pass keeping an eye on Qu Yi but rather the renowned Gao Lan from Hebei.
He had been sent by Yuan Shao to the north to monitor Gongsun Zan and never expected that instead of Gongsun Zan making waves, he’d hear this terrifying news through the mouths of civilians directly affected by the war and the Zhuo County defenders.
On the opposite side of the River Juma, instead of Gongsun Zan’s forces, it was Lü Bu’s troops!
They even had a naval force prepared at Baiyangdian!
Gao Lan had never heard of the notorious Jin Fan rebels from Yizhou, and it’s clear Gan Ning’s contributions in the battle for Youzhou hadn’t reached Gao Lan’s ears yet. All he could infer was that his opponent was no greenhorn.
Just having Lü Bu as an opponent was already enough trouble; now he also faces a naval commander whose origins are unknown—what a nightmare!
Gao Lan, while discreetly sending someone to Youzhou to find out what’s really going on, rushed to inform Yuan Shao of the incoming news.
This is certainly not the best time for a war for Ji Province!
They need supplies, but they’re running low.
They need weapons, but a lot of excavated iron has been repurposed for digging tools.
Geographically, they don’t hold the advantage either.
With Youzhou changing hands, the Bingzhou army no longer needs to traverse the Taihang Mountains to invade Ji Province; they can march straight down—now that’s a scary thought!
Yuan Shao’s cup shattered on the floor.
As the news hit him, countless thoughts raced through his mind, not much different from Gao Lan’s when he learned of the situation.
Rather than springing up and leaving in haste, the inner turmoil made him appear dazed and lost, as if he didn’t know whether to sit or stand.
But now is definitely not the time to zone out!
Yuan Shao quickly collected his thoughts and asked the messenger, “What about the Tabula’s partner, Tadan?”
He took his subordinates’ advice to split the Tadan and Wu Huan factions as a means to prevent creating trouble between him and Gongsun Zan, but he hadn’t directly weakened Tadan.
Why didn’t Gongsun Zan think to seek Tadan’s aid after once considering an alliance with Ke Biner’s Xianbei branch to assault Liu Yu?
The messenger hadn’t received any relevant information when departing from northern Ji Province, so he was, of course, in the dark.
However, another piece of news soon arrived in Ye City, possibly because the faster horse was harder to catch. Just as Yuan Shao had gathered his subordinates, a new messenger soon appeared before him.
“General Gao asked me to inform you that the Youzhou troubles are… not just the western part. Gongsun Du of Liaodong has surrendered to Chang’an, several Wu Huan factions have been decimated, and Tadan is dead! With no signs of internal strife left, they could mobilize towards Ji Province at any minute.”
“My lord, please send reinforcements to General Gao immediately!”
If they don’t send troops to defend now, Ji Province is really going to face destruction!
