Chapter 321

Chapter 321

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 10: The World in Chaos, the Time of Struggle Chapter 321: Thoughts from All Sides

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Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 321: Various…

Gao Lan could not have falsely reported military intelligence to Yuan Shao, nor would he have mistaken the news from the north.

Back when Yuan Shu sent that letter to Gongsun Zan stating “Shao is not a son of the Yuan family,” Gao Lan had already been stationed in the north under Yuan Shao’s orders, allowing him to intercept the letter.

Now, the entire border between Ji Province and Youzhou is almost entirely defended by Gao Lan’s forces, which is why he could quickly learn about the series of changes in Youzhou.

There are few generals trusted by Yuan Shao, and Gao Lan is one of them.

But the news he brought back this time is truly shocking.

“The entire territory of Youzhou?!” Many of the strategists summoned by Yuan Shao for discussion turned pale.

If the power transition in Yizhou most directly affected the Nanman in the south of Yizhou and Liu Biao in Jing Province, then the change of hands in Youzhou would most directly affect Yuan Shao in the Central Plains.

The change in territory is secondary. After all, Gongsun Zan has always been unruly, originally just wanting a legitimate title as the Governor of Youzhou from Yuan Shao. Can Youzhou really be considered part of the Ye City court’s territory?

Probably not.

The biggest issue lies in the defense line!

Originally, the north was guarded by Gongsun Zan. As long as he was there, not only were the Wuhuan and Xianbei people in Youzhou under his control, making it impossible for them to cross into Ji Province, but the standoff between Gongsun Zan and Zhang Liao at Juyong Pass also prevented Qiao Yan’s forces from crossing the Taihang Mountains at the Jundu Mountain pass.

Defending the natural barrier of the Taihang Mountains is much easier than guarding against an enemy advancing south from Youzhou.

But now it’s different.

Although the Juma River flows through a valley flanked by mountains, the presence of Baiyang Lake in the area indicates there are many places where troops can easily pass.

Whether to increase troops or not is not even a question—defenses must be strengthened.

But here’s the problem.

Ju Shou, who has long held military authority under Yuan Shao, immediately thought of the defense lines in Ji and Qing Provinces.

He barely recovered from the shock of the news and said, “The areas where Youzhou borders Ji Province—Zhuo County, Guangyang County, and Yuyang County—especially Zhuo County, have too long a defense line. General Gao alone cannot possibly oversee the entire area. If you permit, I will immediately go to Hejian County to join General Gao.”

The most likely breakthrough point from Youzhou into Ji Province is from Zhuo County towards Hejian County.

According to Gao Lan, Qiao Yan has at least two generals on this offensive line, possibly with a strategist behind them. Yuan Shao cannot leave Gao Lan alone in the north.

Someone like Gongsun Zan could be dragged into Ji Province, cut off from his supply lines, and blocked there, but this tactic would have limited effect on Qiao Yan.

A few days ago, in the analysis of the situation in Yizhou, Ju Shou had already told Yuan Shao.

The appointments in Yizhou reveal a lot.

For example, the position of Governor of Yizhou.

Wu Yi, in terms of stance, should be Liu Yan’s loyalist.

Although he is from Yanzhou, it’s almost impossible that he has any familial or friendly ties with Qiao Yan.

Yet he supported Qiao Yan in establishing herself in Chengdu and became the Governor of Yizhou after the Chang’an court reclaimed it, indicating some agreement between them.

In other words, with no backup support, Qiao Yan managed to persuade Wu Yi to join her side, switching allegiance to her.

How many people could achieve such a feat of convincing an enemy after a deep incursion?

If she succeeded in Yizhou, could she do the same in Ji Province?

The chaos of the famine has significantly reduced the control of local governments in Ji Province. Although they now claim loyalty to the Son of Heaven in Ye City and serve Yuan Shao as the Governor of Qing Province, how much they will hold out when Qiao Yan invades is uncertain.

Yuan Shao clearly understands this. Seeing Ju Shou volunteer to oversee the situation, he added, “Should Junyi go with you?”

“That won’t be necessary. Have you forgotten, Lord, that Qiao Yanshu has already stationed Zhao Zilong in Sili? If she wants to attack from Luoyang to Henei County and then directly to Wei County, it would be much more efficient than invading from Youzhou and moving south through multiple provinces.”

Ju Shou said this without showing any change in expression, but he couldn’t help sighing inwardly.

Yuan Shao’s situation has always been too passive!

If he had extricated himself from the famine earlier, directly countered Gongsun Zan, or gained more initiative in dealing with Cao Cao, the Governor of Yanzhou, forcing him to expel Qiao Yan’s forces from Luoyang at any cost, he wouldn’t suddenly find himself facing enemies on three fronts.

The tactic of “Feint to the East, Attack to the West” is old but effective, and Qiao Yan is indeed skilled in its execution. With three potential routes to attack Ji Province, this tactic becomes even more likely to be used.

This overwhelming force feels like a mountain collapsing and a sea surging, leaving one with a bitter taste.

Wait, no!

Ju Shou was still pondering which route Qiao Yan might choose as her main attack when he suddenly thought of a serious question.

Could it be that they are not facing three routes, but four?

He suddenly left his seat and approached the messenger, asking, “Did General Gao have someone investigate why Gongsun Shengji, the Governor of Liaodong, chose to surrender to Chang’an?”

They, who have been neighbors with Gongsun Du across the sea, know his temperament well.

It’s almost impossible for him to be persuaded by words to become someone’s subordinate!

He might as well choose to secede in Liaodong.

If not for that, why would he have officials from Goguryeo serve him and form marital alliances with the king of the small state of Buyeo, if not to establish diplomatic relations with independent states and foreign countries?

Only under the threat of overwhelming military force would he consider defecting.

But such military deterrence is incredibly difficult!

To be honest, because of the Bohai Bay, Ju Shou had considered the possibility of taking Liaodong first to then seize Gongsun Zan’s territory.

Unfortunately, due to Qiao Yan’s frequent distractions and the weak naval forces in the north, in the Bohai State of Ji Province and Donglai County of Qing Province, only civilians fleeing disaster have headed towards Liaodong, not naval forces landing at the port of Tashi in Liaodong to threaten Gongsun Du.

To prevent unnecessary consumption of resources and since this was not the primary conflict, Yuan Shao ultimately abandoned this plan.

Because of this consideration, Ju Shou sensed that there was something extraordinary behind the brief news of Gongsun Du’s surrender.

The messenger hesitated, “Liaodong is quite far, and the news is inevitably delayed…”

Ju Shou interrupted him, “No matter how delayed, we must find out first.”

Seeing Yuan Shao’s puzzled expression, Ju Shou quickly explained, “Lord, this is not an exaggeration. If Gongsun Du surrendered because Qiao Yan sent troops to intimidate him, where do you think those troops came from?”

Along the Bohai Bay, Ji and Qing Provinces are their territories, and further down is the northern part of Xuzhou—which is not under Qiao Yan’s control but under Liu Bei’s jurisdiction, so it’s unlikely to be the source of Qiao Yan’s troops.

That leaves only the southern part of Xuzhou and Yangzhou!

Yuan Shao’s face darkened as he realized the implications of Ju Shou’s words.

Even if the troops sailed from southern Xuzhou, transporting a force large enough to intimidate Gongsun Du would be costly and require advanced maritime technology.

When did they start preparing this force? When did they set sail for Liaodong? How did they ensure a successful voyage without being affected by storms? They knew nothing about it.

And if such a force exists, capable of crossing the sea from the south to the northern frontier, could they also sail from Liaodong to the East China Sea or Bohai Sea?

Once this is proven, they could be surrounded on all sides!

Thinking of this possibility, Yuan Shao didn’t dare delay and immediately sent the messenger to investigate.

Fortunately, Yuan Shao’s self-proclaimed talent pool is indeed impressive.

Among those serving under Gao Lan is a man named Qian Zhao.

In this mission where Gao Lan sent scouts deep into Youzhou, Qian Zhao boldly and carefully infiltrated the recruitment office set up by Lü Bu, using his early-learned Zhuo County accent to gather much information. He then feigned a leg injury during training, received compensation, and left the military camp.

After Gao Lan received him, he quickly had him transported to Ye City and presented to Yuan Shao.

When he appeared, Qian Zhao was still limping.

While seating him, Yuan Shao heard from Shen Pei about Qian Zhao’s background.

Some distinctive features…








If he had a sworn brotherhood with Liu Bei. However, after Liu Bei obtained the position of Bing Cao Yuan Shi in Qinghe County following the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Qian Zhao was still in Luoyang, studying under his teacher Le Yin, who was the Chief Secretary of He Miao. The two did not travel together.

Later, during the Dong Zhuo Rebellion, Le Yin was killed. Qian Zhao risked his life to send Le Yin’s body back to Ji Province and then joined Yuan Shao’s forces after the establishment of the court in Ye City.

It seems a bit ironic that when Liu Bei received Yuan Shao’s commission to march south, Qian Zhao was already in Gao Lan’s team. Otherwise, Liu Bei, the Governor of Xuzhou, could have had one more subordinate.

“He is indeed a loyal and righteous man,” Yuan Shao said with a pleased expression.

Before the scout arrived in Ji Province to provide him with information, the pressure on Yuan Shao was immense.

All he could do was have Gao Gan and Gao Shun take charge of the Taihang Mountains defense line, Ju Shou and Gao Lan handle the northern Youzhou defense line, and Zhang He guard the southern River North County. He also issued orders to strengthen the defenses in Bohai and Donglai, where Jiang Qi and Yuan Tan were stationed.

Under the pressure of Qiao Yan’s remarkable military achievements, finding another capable subordinate made Yuan Shao feel somewhat relieved.

The fact that Qian Zhao had a connection with Liu Bei was not a problem at all. As long as he didn’t have any ties with Qiao Yan, Yuan Shao considered it a great blessing.

Unfortunately, the news Qian Zhao brought was not good.

According to Qian Zhao, this information was no secret in Lü Bu’s military camp.

For Qiao Yan, there was no need to hide it anymore.

Her goal of achieving a surprise attack and intimidation had already been accomplished. With Gongsun Zan being killed so quickly, even if Gongsun Du regretted his previous actions, there was no possibility of reversing the situation.

Thus, with Qiao Yan’s tacit approval of the inside story of the surprise attack on Liaodong, Lü Bu began to shamelessly show off his daughter within the troops he commanded.

“The Liaodong campaign was a graduation exam for the students of Leping Academy, including Lü Bu’s daughter,” Qian Zhao said. “As Mr. Ju guessed, they indeed came from the south of Xuzhou, specifically Hailing, where the Xuzhou garrison was established.”

“After setting out from Hailing and arriving in Liaodong, they defeated Gongsun Du three times, forcing him to surrender. Then, together with his troops, they attacked the Wuhuan chieftain Tadun, who was beheaded. The rest, as you know, is history.”

“As for the naval commander Gan Ning stationed at Baiyangdian, due to his slight interaction with Lü Bu’s army, his background was also known. Originally from Jing Province, his family moved to Yizhou. He was a water bandit recruited by the late Liu Yizhou and later traveled with the teachers and students of Leping Academy to Xuzhou, eventually reaching Liaodong by crossing the seas.”

“Given his expertise in naval warfare, he was assigned here. Despite being a water bandit, his martial arts and command abilities should not be underestimated.”

Qian Zhao glanced at Yuan Shao’s expression.

It wasn’t his imagination; Yuan Shao’s grim expression wasn’t just because Qian Zhao’s words confirmed the existence of a capable naval fleet that could potentially surround him, but also because…

The source of this immense pressure was a group of underage children and characters like water bandits!

What made Yuan Shao even more agitated was that Qiao Yan dared to entrust the Liaodong affair to them, indicating that in her view, the situation in Youzhou could be handled even by children. Yet, why did he face so many obstacles?

Xu You, sensing Yuan Shao’s mood, thought it inappropriate to express such displeasure in front of Qian Zhao, who had risked his life to deliver the news. He interjected, “Looking at the Yizhou generals, Xuzhou fleet, and Liaodong campaign, it seems Qiao Yanshu had already planned for Liaodong two years ago. I think you should investigate whether there are any hidden agents in our Ji and Qing Provinces.”

Hearing this, Yuan Shao quickly put on a serious expression.

Indeed! To have the Hailing fleet set sail, arrangements must have been made two years ago when the port was established.

This meticulous planning, even more than her military achievements, sent chills down his spine.

Two years of dormancy had almost made people forget how she rose from being an orphan girl to her current position.

If not for her foresight, she wouldn’t be sitting as the de facto ruler of several provinces.

If she had put so much effort into planning for Youzhou, what preparations had she made for her greatest rival, Yuan Shao?

He tried to recall the things Yuan Xi brought back from Chang’an two years ago after meeting with Tian Feng, how he had to follow her lead repeatedly, and his growing reliance on the Leping Monthly Report, especially this year’s edition with its drought relief methods…

After dismissing his advisors to ponder the situation, he muttered to himself, “Could I be another Gongsun Du?”

After all, the exorbitant price of the grain debt was only revealed two years after she issued that promissory note!

With such thoughts, even when he returned home and saw Yuan Xi, he felt his son’s features looked somewhat unfamiliar, as if he had been replaced.

Yuan Shao’s inherent suspicion, already a flaw in his character, was pushed to its peak after the Youzhou upheaval.

But perhaps anxiety could spur some quick thinking. After a night of contemplation, he gathered his advisors again and asked, “With Qiao Yanshu’s military achievements, do you think Liu Bo’an truly trusts her as much as he did two and a half years ago when he appointed her as Grand Marshal?”

At least Yuan Shao felt that compared to his situation, Liu Yu’s was even more exaggerated. He couldn’t help but be wary of Ju Shou, who was both scholarly and martial, rarely made mistakes, and could act independently.

How could Liu Yu, sitting on the throne, still find no issue with this Grand Marshal?

Xin Pi replied, “When you asked us to consider this yesterday, I thought the same. Especially in recent years, Liu Bo’an’s children have rarely made a name for themselves, unlike Emperor Ling’s sons Bian and Xie. And the officials in Chang’an are seldom heard of, only the generals and advisors under the Grand Marshal. It’s indeed unusual.”

Yuan Shao asked, “So, should I send more people to Chang’an to see if we can find an opportunity to sow discord?”

Whether this move would succeed was another matter, but Yuan Shao couldn’t help but think of Tian Feng, who had been away for nearly three years. If another “meat bun thrown to a dog” situation occurred, he would have nowhere to cry.

Fortunately, Xin Pi quickly added, “Not to Chang’an. Chang’an is surrounded by the provinces under Qiao Yan’s control, and any movement would likely be noticed. Instead, send someone to Youzhou. Many participated in the recent capture of Youzhou, and Qiao Yanshu will surely seek titles for them. If we can stir up trouble in Youzhou and see how Chang’an reacts, it might reveal something.”

Yuan Shao showed some interest.

Youzhou was nearby, and even if something went wrong, it wouldn’t be as out of reach as Chang’an.

Xin Pi added, “If we can find discord among the generals who participated in the Youzhou campaign, we might be able to dismantle a threat for you.”

He cupped his hands, “If you trust me, let me handle this.”

He would go to Youzhou to probe the Leping students and those generals!

Yuan Shao immediately agreed to Xin Pi’s request and also approved another suggestion from Xu You—

To inform Cao Cao and Liu Bei of the intelligence gathered in Youzhou.

This wasn’t to boost Qiao Yan’s prestige but to ensure that these two would be vigilant against any possible attacks.

Losing Gongsun Zan as an ally had already put Yuan Shao in a precarious position. If Qiao Yan’s forces quietly took Yanzhou and northern Xuzhou, it would be time to surrender!

This divine stroke of crossing the seas to attack Liaodong must be explained to Cao and Liu.

Thus, the news quickly reached Cao Cao, who had just returned to Yanzhou from Yuzhou.

Seeing Cao Cao’s grave expression as he handed the letter to Chen Gong and passed it to others, including Cao Ang, everyone tensed up.

Don’t say that the change in Youzhou’s ownership had nothing to do with them in Yanzhou.

After the Yingchuan campaign, Qiao Yan had successively taken Yizhou and Youzhou, meaning she could easily seize Runan and reclaim Yuzhou, originally under the Chang’an court.

Whether to do this depended solely on her will.

Or, given her agreement with Cao Cao to demarcate Yingchuan and Runan, her next target might not be Yuzhou but Yanzhou!

With her troops stationed in Luoyang, she might indeed have such an opportunity.

“Why are you all looking so mournful? It’s not like you just found out today that Qiao Yanshu is a genius,” Cao Cao suddenly laughed, slapping his thigh. “Alright, I’m actually regretting something else!”

“If only Pi’er were a few years older, wouldn’t he also be part of Leping Academy’s graduation exam?”

Cao Hong: “…”

Wait, if he remembered correctly, his second nephew was only eight years old, right?

Not only did you not bring him back, but you also have such high hopes for him…

By then, it wouldn’t be the heartwarming tale of Lü Bu and Lü Lingju fighting side by side, but a father-son showdown on the battlefield!