“So, which book does the lord plan to pick for the second volume?”
Xi Zhicai flipped through the documents Qiao Yan handed him, noticing they were all letters sent to Bingzhou from various factions.
The impact of printing technology was quite limited under Qiao Yan’s restrictions, making everyone feel like she was very accommodating.
Just like the Xiping Stone Classics, which only preserved a few Lu poems and some differing traditional characters, the scriptures from different families likely mirrored this.
The letters sent were nothing but pleas for legitimacy for their own families.
When large-scale printing first appeared in the Leping Monthly Report, they had already done this once, but after witnessing the impact of this summer’s rapid printing, they returned to engage in negotiations before the release of the second volume.
Some were more tactful, suggesting that they didn’t want to squeeze out the other factions but rather “bring this one to the forefront.”
“Who do you think deserves this second volume? The Xun family of Yingchuan or the Ma family of Fufeng?” Qiao Yan shook her head. “I’m not in Guanzhong, and I have no time for their games. There’s another meaning—”
“In all the external communications, we control the initiative. Now that we hold the five provinces, we don’t need to be tied down by them.”
Xi Zhicai confidently replied, “Then the lord won’t be printing poetry anymore.”
Qiao Yan got up and walked to the window, looking out at the sky.
This year had seen almost no rain; even when it did, it was only enough to dampen the surface of the ground. It barely qualified as rainfall, yet amidst this dry sky, there was a vague sense of impending storms.
She spoke up, “Go fetch Zhaoji and Tingzhi.”
Cai Zhaoji and Fu Shou were both in Luoyang, working on its reconstruction. Under Qiao Yan’s direction, they returned to Bingzhou and stood before her.
Even before they could guess that Qiao Yan had called them back for anything straightforward, the moment she handed over the plan and several pages of documents, both women instinctively showed signs of surprise. “My lord, what is this?”
“There will be dissent no matter which family’s documents are chosen for this second volume, unless we’ve expanded the territory we control.” Qiao Yan replied, “So rather than let them argue over qualification, why not just choose something… more interesting?”
Fu Shou listened intently, her eyes glued to the words on the document in Qiao Yan’s hand.
Years ago, in an attempt to convince Qiao Yan to let her participate in the river surveys west of Ziwuling, she submitted something that Qiao Yan named “Record of Mountains and Rivers,” aimed at documenting the landscapes and rivers of various provinces so people wouldn’t have to venture out to know the state of the world.
In the years since, from Bingzhou to Liangzhou, and from Liangzhou to Guanzhong, and then to the entire area under the command, Fu Shou had continuously improved the content of this document to a hefty extent, covering the vast majority of waterways in three provinces.
Within it, not only had she documented the tales heard from locals but also shared about the irrigation operations that had arisen and battles that took place during various military campaigns.
If this “Record of Mountains and Rivers” simply focused on these three provinces, it had a hint of the “Notes on Waterways,” but the reading threshold was even lower than what Qiao Yan remembered about the “Notes.”
However, even though Fu Shou regularly brought each update of this record to Qiao Yan for review, she never expected that Qiao Yan would choose this book for the second printing!
“Emergency printing allows the populace to learn to read and gain common knowledge; the Record of Mountains and Rivers makes it known just how vast the territories and mountains are.”
Fu Shou pondered and asked, “But don’t you fear that our enemies will learn too much about our lands and rivers, increasing the chance of invasion?”
Qiao Yan raised her hand, indicating Fu Shou to look further back.
Fu Shou flipped to the first page, penned by Qiao Yan, which startlingly listed hydrological and geographical information about other provinces.
Historically, there was a book named “Waterways,” but its circulation was limited. Fu Shou only encountered it after arriving in Bingzhou; the later “Commentary on Waterways” by Li Daoyuan was based on it.
But this book recorded only major rivers, neglecting minor streams, and merely used over 8,000 words to describe 137 rivers, indicating how much information was missing.
Now, this book that appeared before Fu Shou had adopted the outline of her record regarding the three provinces while streamlining certain expressions, needing just a bit more organization.
“I ordered people over the years to travel and compile the missing info. During the review, you both will process the information at the edges of our territories in a fuzzy manner, while the rest can be written as it is.”
It didn’t matter that the waterways and mountains of Liangzhou, Bingzhou, and Sili were published; everyone got the same treatment. Even in this publication, the effort put into hydrological governance in the three provinces would be clearly evident to the public, presenting a stark contrast!
They might not understand the folk stories tucked away in the side notes, but they’d definitely comprehend the distinctions between old and new waterways shown through thick and thin lines.
They might not have known how the Marquis of Leping expanded from a small territory to what it is today, but they could now see astonishing numbers mapping that expansion.
They might never have realized how large the world is, but now they could catch a signal—
If someone lacked the resolve to reclaim the world and restore unity, they had no need to undertake such a tiresome and thankless task!
This was undoubtedly the most suitable book for printing at this time!
Not just because it was a book that wouldn’t offend any side, but because it documented, alongside existing realities, the traces of their journey!
“I’ll assign the reorganization, proofreading, and printing of this book to you two, and… I need it done before the first day of the new year. Feel free to allocate manpower as needed, but do not delay the monthly publication of the Leping Academy’s reports nor the construction of the deep wells and channels around Luoyang. Any issues?”
The mention of the monthly report was directed at Zhaoji, while the part about the waterways was aimed at Fu Shou.
Completing that already demanding work alongside publishing this information-heavy book, or rather an atlas, was nothing short of a stringent chore.
Yet, thinking of how this book, second only to literacy publications, could eventually carry their names on the title and proofreading credits, just like the previous emergency print, it might even receive greater reverence than the Leping Monthly Report. The responsibility became more of a motivation than a burden!
The two women chorused, “Rest assured, my lord, there won’t be any problems.”
“Good,” Qiao Yan looked at the two emerging talents before her, thinking about Yao Chang and Lu Lingju, who were starting to shine on the military front. Her expression brightened with a hint of a smile. “I’ll take on all the obstacles to publishing this book; all I ask is for you to give me something that will leave everyone speechless.”
As she watched them leave to prepare, Xi Zhicai finally chimed in, “My lord initially planned to leave me in suspense; I thought you meant to create a deluxe edition of the highlights from the Leping Monthly Report. I was thinking, if that were the case, its info would be so extensive and diverse that Cao Mengde wouldn’t regret not sealing a deal earlier.”
Qiao Yan asked, “And now?”
Xi Zhicai smiled, not providing a clear answer.
But perhaps his answer was already concealed within that smile.
The emergency print was primarily about disseminating common knowledge; if it came packaged alongside the Record of Mountains and Rivers, it would be a full-scale display of power!
The appearance and mass printing of this book was like a declaration to her enemies that her exploitation and utilization of resources far surpassed anyone’s expectations, laid out boldly before everyone.
If they couldn’t retaliate against this, they would eventually have to confront a situation of the public leaking away.
Interestingly, Xi Zhicai had opened the initial version of the three-province record and found the battle of Gaoping City documented under Liangzhou.
With 8,000 of her soldiers decapitated in Gaoping, it made one rethink a particular fact—
She could be merciful to enemies, but she could also extinguish them entirely!
This was no longer a geographic book but clearly a military charter!
Those realizing this signal were probably not just Xi Zhicai; after Qiao Yan sent the printing plan and the first half of the book’s content to Chang’an, those who had reached out to her for favors before now only greeted her with brief salutations in their next letter to Bingzhou.
As for what the third printed book would be, it was secondary; when the Grand Marshal displayed such overwhelming ambition, they all…
It’s better not to poke her bad luck.
After all, amidst all the chaos, it’s definitely not the ones still in a partnership that will suffer.
The drought-induced liquor ban seemed like it would cut into their power a couple of years back, but now it feels more like a lifeline.
Maybe it’s because they’ve absorbed the message conveyed in this new book that they haven’t reacted to certain directives.
For instance, Fa Zheng went to Yizhou in October, serving as a clerk under the governor, Wu Yi.
He was tasked with managing expenses for Yao Chang and others dealing with the southern barbarians while providing strategic support for her. On the other hand, being a clerk is akin to the position Qin Yu held when Qiao Yan was the Bingzhou governor; given Yizhou’s role as a granary, it was also about monitoring and controlling Wu Yi.
Of course, as long as Wu Yi isn’t planning to turn against her, Fa Zheng’s primary role remains the former.
Another directive stated that with the permission of the Son of Heaven and the Grand Marshal, Yuan Yao would head to Nanyang to take the position of Prefect there.
Supposedly, with the governor of Jing Province in place, the role of Prefect could be recommended by them, but being assigned by the court also makes sense; after all, Nanyang is just a stone’s throw away from Sili, crossing the Wuguan will do the job. To ensure the pass is secure, some precautionary measures are necessary.
However, those with a keen eye were surprised that Liu Biao and Yuan Yao had no real relationship yet put on a cheerful façade during the handover of the prefectural position.
But really, only they knew what they were thinking.
Anyway, Yuan Yao was quite pleased.
He had a death pardon from Qiao Yan, temporarily avoiding some idiots in Chang’an, and the scholarly atmosphere in Nanyang differed greatly from the chaotic southern Jing Province, making it a perfect fit for him with hardly any effort required.
Liu Biao… was somewhat relieved, I suppose.
Sending those tough characters to his territory is no different from having a sword hanging over your head.
Looking at Yuan Yao’s naïve demeanor, he felt that despite the Grand Marshal’s harsh words towards Yuan Shu, he was surprisingly magnanimous when it came to Yuan Shu’s orphan.
He even managed to get a rare good night’s sleep.
The last decree was sent to Yang Province.
The former Prefect of Yuzhang, Huang Zu, was held responsible for mismanaging the area, particularly regarding Sun Ce’s campaigns; this was already noted in Sun Ce’s earlier memorial. However, the Prefect of Yuzhang, Zhu Zhi, who Yuan Ce appointed, met his end at the hands of the Mountain League, meaning the position required a reshuffling.
Even with Qiao Yan arranging for Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting to stir things up in Yang Province to unite all those dissatisfied with Sun Ce, nobody anticipated such an absurd incident with a court official being killed.
However, Zhu Zhi’s death was undoubtedly the last straw that stripped Sun Ce of any reason to keep his cool regarding the Mountain League!
This, in a way, was good news for Qiao Yan.
So she mentioned in her petition to Liu Yu that support from Yang Province might be needed for the standoff in Xuzhou. Therefore, maintaining stability within the various commanderies of Yang Province was extremely important.
Rather than using someone from a noble family in Yang Province, it would be better to further empower Sun Ce’s own team.
For instance, appointing Sun Ce’s uncle, Wu Jing, as the Prefect of Yuzhang.
It’s not something Sun Ce would ever suggest himself, but for Qiao Yan, there’s no “avoid promoting family” nonsense.
Wu Jing had been serving under Sun Jian shortly after his sister married him, also sharing military authority and battling alongside, and he doesn’t differ much in experience or capability from Zhu Zhi, who died at Huang She’s hands.
So this transition seemed quite logical.
But the real unstable factors in Yang Province were never in Yuzhang, but in Danyang and Wu Commandery!
What does a show of goodwill in the Prefect of Yuzhang matter!
What kind of repercussions this edict would bring upon reaching Yang Province isn’t too much of a concern for Qiao Yan.
She was already looking at reports sent from You Province.
But after just glancing at the beginning, she thought it was just a routine safe report and tucked it away.
Xun You wrote that something “interesting” happened in the military camp over there.
Lü Bu pulled off a stunt where he had soldiers stitch tiger teeth patterns on their clothes to express his satisfaction with the appointment given by the court and to show he’d remember the good wishes.
Unfortunately, those sewing kits were recalled because of Xun You’s intervention.
But due to a slight delay, some newly recruited soldiers, keen to strictly follow their general’s orders, went ahead and stitched up those tiger tooth designs anyway.
Though some looked more like triangles and others like radishes, these quirky bits were undeniably eye-catching in the camp.
But even more noticeable was the impressive training speed of these soldiers.
It’s uncertain if it was influenced by the tiger tooth insignia, but they excelled in tackling tasks from camp superiors, and their physical performance seemed notably better than average soldiers.
Not all, mind you, but the overall performance certainly indicated as much.
This thrilled Lü Bu to no end; he even approached Xun You, feeling they shouldn’t skimp on the sewing supplies.
“There’s no such mystical thing in this world.”
Qiao Yan whispered to herself upon reading this part.
At that moment, Xun You was thinking the same.
Achieving such an effect isn’t difficult; someone just needed to spy on which teams had the strongest physiques right when the sewing kits were handed out, and then sew patterns on their clothes first.
But since it was mixed with those who volunteered and trained actively, it’s impossible to pinpoint who tampered with what.
In Xun You’s eyes, there were probably quite a few spies among these new troops from Zhuo County.
Lü Bu was blissfully unaware of this connection.
For him at that moment, he had two main jobs: get these new recruits to heed his orders and intercept Yuan Shao’s troops while stationed at the You-Ji border.
The latter couldn’t be seen until formal combat commenced, but the former, well, he had figured out some experience after having stayed for a while at Suiyuan City; that was to show solidarity and display his martial prowess to these soldiers.
But what Lü Bu didn’t expect was that his little muscle show was merely imitating Qiao Yan’s actions back at Juyong Pass, and somehow within just a day or two, it ignited a wave of personal worship within the camp.
Even this wave of admiration managed to leak out to the outer world from the camp in just a few days, reaching the northern regions of Zhuo County.
People in Zhuo County were oblivious to all the assaults on Gongsun Zan by Zhang Liao, Qu Yan, and the likes; they thought the so-called “Tiger Tooth General” and the “Grand General” were pretty much the same, not to mention that he had even contributed to Gongsun Zan’s demise; it was said he even killed a previous Xianbei chieftain, so having him in Zhuo County felt like having a guardian right there!
This deserved some serious promoting.
The warrior spirit along the northern border was a norm in Zhuo County; Liu Bei had been able to gather a band of heroes there during his youth; switching to Lü Bu under similar circumstances, it’s pretty much as expected.
Even the influential merchants from Zhongshan, Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang, made a trip to Zhuo County to pay Lü Bu a visit.
This sort of fame was bound to keep Lü Bu from sitting still.
This guy naturally relished a showy entrance and felt his displayed martial strength lived up to the title.
With the help of Xin Pi, who intentionally avoided Xun You and Tian Feng, Lü Bu’s actions were closely observed, and he was convinced that his goals were on track.
Now that the target had been identified, and he’d spread his influence beyond the camp, he planned to find a way to slip out in a few days to avoid being exposed.
Yet neither Xin Pi nor Xun You, who penned that letter to Qiao Yan, expected that amidst this uproar of the Tiger Tooth General’s fame, Sima Yi would suggest to Lü Bu—
Maybe he wanted to exploit the fact that Zhang Liao was younger and held a higher position than Lü Bu, to elevate Lü Bu’s value and create conflict between the two.
If that’s the case, rather than suppressing Lü Bu and letting the other party back down, why not just go along with their plan?
But… instead of sending Zhang Liao to reel Lü Bu back to Yuyang County, it was suggested that Lü Bu take the opportunity to launch an attack on Yuan Shao’s encampment across the river!
This offensive plan was definitely not part of Qiao Yan’s intentions for the strategy on the Ji Province front.
However, upon receiving Xun You’s letter about Sima Yi’s suggestion, Qiao Yan immediately gave her approval and had someone hurry back to You Province by horse.
Instructing Lü Bu to catch the wind of this opportunity, crossing the Juma River to strike enemy camps and then return right after!
