Chapter 347

Chapter 347: Request from Xuzhou

Is it impossible for a strategist to ascend the throne? Volume 10: The Chaos of the World, The Time of the Deer Hunt, Chapter 347: Request from Xuzhou

Perhaps no one could calmly respond with “I’m fine” upon hearing the greeting “Long time no see” in such a situation.

If the appearance of the Donghai Mi Clan’s fleet had already made Liu Bei realize the extent of Qiao Yan’s trap in the Xuzhou battle, leaving him no room for retreat, her personal appearance now made him feel as if fate had captured him, leaving him with no escape.

She arrived swiftly and with precision!

Liu Bei stared at Qiao Yan for a long time, until her face became clear as the fleet approached, her archers aiming their arrows at him. She stepped steadily across the wooden plank bridge and stood before him, repeating her greeting. Only then did Liu Bei slowly calm his emotions and reply, “I’m still holding up.”

Indeed, it had been years since they last met.

It was rare for leaders of various factions to meet face-to-face. For Qiao Yan and Cao Cao to part peacefully after discussing heroes over milk tea was almost unheard of. By this calculation, it had been nearly six years since Liu Bei and Qiao Yan last met.

Back then, Liu Bei was still a member of the campaign against Dong Zhuo, led by Lu Zhi. At Hulao Pass, Guan Yu had slain Hua Xiong, and together with Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and others, they marched on Luoyang, where Liu Bei had a few brief encounters with Qiao Yan.

Today, their reunion was on the battlefield, in a situation where there was no escape, making it difficult to feel any joy in meeting an old acquaintance.

Even though, according to Lu Zhi, who had once been instructed by Emperor Ling of Han to teach Qiao Yan, they could be considered fellow disciples, Liu Bei now felt only awe for this formidable opponent.

The decisive actions in the Xuzhou battle, the three-front war, and the sudden reversal of the situation all bore the mark of her strategic planning. Her appearance now directly blocked Liu Bei’s last path to survival.

There was no other word to describe her but “flawless.”

But how could Liu Bei know that Qiao Yan had not originally planned to come herself? It was only after informing Madam Wu that she would ensure Zhou Yu’s survival in Xuzhou that Madam Wu asked, “Originally, you planned to go yourself, but now you’re staying in Yangzhou due to your son’s death. Could there be any oversight?” This made Qiao Yan change her decision.

The death of Sun Ce and the transfer of power in Yangzhou had all gone according to her wishes, but it seemed to have made her somewhat complacent.

Who was Liu Bei?

In his early years of poverty, he had received support from his fellow villagers and financial backing from the Zhongshan horse merchants.

Despite his background being far inferior to other heroes, he had managed to carve out a reputation for himself.

In the face of repeated near-death experiences, he maintained a calm demeanor, turning misfortune into fortune until he established the Shu Han.

If there were any mistakes in the pursuit of Liu Bei, allowing him to escape and become an ally of Yuan Shao, and if there were another Battle of Red Cliffs, giving Liu Bei a place to settle, then why had she orchestrated the chaos in Xuzhou years ago, leading to today’s hunt?

Her system-bestowed luck might have allowed her to survive a poisonous snake in her pot while crossing the Qinling Mountains, or to pass through the Yinping Trail without danger, but who knew if it would fail now, allowing Liu Bei to escape?

So she had to personally go north to ensure there were no mistakes!

This interception was chosen to take place at sea.

The news of Lu Su and Pang Tong heading north to Langya had already reached her through Jia Xu, effectively cutting off Liu Bei’s hope of entering Qingzhou by land.

The defection of Pei State in Yuzhou earlier this year might have been acceptable to Liu Bei, but in a desperate escape, people would instinctively avoid this path.

Moreover, with Lu Su’s defection, if victory leaned towards Qiao Yan, there might be a second defector, further weakening the credibility of the Donghai and Xiapi clans in Liu Bei’s eyes.

That left only one final path.

To join forces with Guan Yu and take the water route to Qingzhou!

Thus, after deciding to personally pursue Liu Bei, Qiao Yan left the political affairs of Yangzhou to Zhang Zhao, assigned Huang Gai and Cheng Pu to their respective duties, and had Dian Wei stay behind in Shouchun to oversee things. She then ordered the new Prefect of Yuzhang, Wu Jing, and Sun Ce’s cousin Sun Ben to lead the Jing and Yangzhou naval forces north with her.

Taking Wu Jing and Sun Ben with her, under the guise of strengthening the naval forces, was actually to prevent the Wu and Sun clans from joining forces and reclaiming Yangzhou.

The remaining followers of Sun Ce had various backgrounds, and the chance of them uniting to support Sun Quan was slim, given Sun Ce’s will and Yangzhou’s allegiance to the Chang’an court.

Whether this move would be useful or not, it was always better to be prepared.

The two forces she took with her would not affect the others’ ability to warn the Shanyue forces and ensure the four major families of Wu remained in prison until her return.

At least, there would be no issues before Xuzhou was pacified.

Once Xuzhou was settled, with troops and generals to spare, Yangzhou would be even less of a problem.

As it turned out, Qiao Yan’s decision to intercept Liu Bei by sea was not wrong. Her fleet, sailing along the coast, had just reached the Huai River boundary when they encountered Liu Bei and Guan Yu, who had escaped Ma Chao and Yan Yan’s interception.

Upon hearing that Chen Gui had been captured at Huaipu, Qiao Yan immediately continued sailing, betting that Liu Bei’s chances of taking the water route had increased. This led to the sea hunt, resulting in the capture of the Xuzhou Governor appointed by the Ye court.

As for Ma Chao’s feelings about failing to continue the pursuit on land, Qiao Yan couldn’t be bothered to care. At most, she would compensate him for the unfortunate death of his sweat-blood steed, given that he and Yan Yan had successfully captured most of Guan Yu’s forces, making her sea hunt easier.

Now, the pressing matter was how to deal with Liu Bei.

After escorting Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and others south by ship and landing at Yandu, she sent someone to report to Sheyang. Jia Xu didn’t delay and came to see her personally, informing her of the specific battle situation at Huaiyin.

Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting’s persuasion had clearly made Zhou Yu realize his position, successfully taking on the role of bait. The result was that Liu Bei and Zhang Fei’s forces were almost completely annihilated, either killed in battle or captured. Zhang Fei, Liu Bei’s right-hand man, was killed, and Guan Yu’s son, Guan Ping, was captured.

“Zhang Fei is dead…” Qiao Yan tapped the table, deep in thought.

Zhang Fei’s death was both good and bad for the current situation.

It was good because it meant revenge for Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting.

The Qiao Clan of Yanzhou, who had once tried to take advantage of the sisters, would never have helped them achieve this revenge. Now, they had accomplished it through their own efforts.

When she heard that Qiao Ting had noticed the change in the military formation and ordered Chen Wu to intercept in time, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but cheer for her.

However, it was also bad.

As a Han imperial relative who had risen to the position of a provincial governor, Liu Bei held a different significance for the Han Dynasty.

The blood relations between Liu Yan, Liu Yu, Liu Biao, and Emperor Ling of Han were hard to distinguish in terms of closeness.

If Qiao Yan were to execute Liu Bei now, even with her impressive record of conquering provinces at the beginning of the fourth year of Jian’an, she would inevitably face criticism. This was not the situation she wanted to see while Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were still around.

But if she didn’t kill him, Zhang Fei’s death would inevitably become an insurmountable grudge between her and Liu Bei.

Or rather, Liu Bei’s Han loyalty had already destined him to be of no use to Qiao Yan, and now there was just one more reason.

“Hard to use, can’t use, can’t kill, can’t release. Are you worried about this, my lord?” Jia Xu asked.

Although he didn’t understand why Qiao Yan valued Liu Bei so much more than Liu Biao—after all, Liu Biao of Jing Province had once been a hero who entered Jing Province alone, while Liu Bei’s performance in recent years hadn’t reached that level of resilience—since this was Qiao Yan’s concern, as a subordinate, he should share the burden.

Qiao Yan replied, “I have a suitable place for him, but I’m not sure how to make it more meaningful.”

After some thought, Jia Xu replied, “Then, my lord, you should first make it seem like you intend to kill him. The rest will be pushed forward by others.”

Qiao Yan raised an eyebrow, “By you?”

Jia Xu replied, “I don’t have the ability or the extra energy for that. As for who, my lord, you should already have an idea.”

“I see,” she said, “Then let’s not worry about Liu Bei’s situation for now. Just keep him imprisoned, and we’ll clean up the Xuzhou battle first!”

The destruction of the central army was almost catastrophic for the northern forces of Xuzhou.

The troops Guan Yu left in Qu County were also captured without a doubt as Ma Chao and Yan Yan advanced north.

This left only two forces that needed to be pacified.

Those still in the Xuzhou provincial government, such as Wang Lang and Zhao Yu, and those in Xiapi, such as Chen Deng and Chen Dao.

The former could hardly be considered Qiao Yan’s enemies, as the large Xuzhou provincial capital of Tan County, with Liu Bei’s three-pronged attack against the northern forces, had few defenders left.

Now that the news of Liu Bei’s capture had been sent to them, whether they would summon Yuan Shao’s forces to aid them or be quickly defeated by Qiao Yan seemed to have only one answer.

Rather than stubbornly resisting and bringing disaster to one of Xuzhou’s remaining two counties, it would be better to surrender outright. Given that Wang Lang was not only a strategist but also a scholar of the classics, and Zhao Yu was a renowned scholar, Qiao Yan would likely spare their lives.

When the letter of surrender from Xuzhou was delivered to Qiao Yan, another letter arrived, detailing the battle situation in Xiapi.

Chen Deng’s abilities were indeed worthy of his position in Xuzhou.

Earlier, he and Chen Dao had arrived to support Xiaqiu faster than Zhang Ren and Zhang Yang had anticipated. At the start of the battle, he had kept Xiaqiu in a state of apparent weakness, only launching a fierce attack when the enemy relaxed.

If not for Zhang Ren’s full display of his abilities as a Yizhou general, Zhang Yang and the others might have suffered a great loss.

In the subsequent standoff, Chen Deng used decoys to confuse Zhang Yang’s scouts, mobilized the people of Xiapi who had benefited from his water conservancy projects, and employed various city defense tactics. In short, before Pang Tong and Sun Guan’s forces arrived, Chen Deng had the upper hand.

Before Pang Tong reached Xiaqiu, he ordered Zhang Yang to feign a retreat, creating the illusion that the central route had changed and needed support. He instructed Zhang Yang not to overdo the act, just to perform a normal “feigned retreat.”

Zhang Yang didn’t quite understand Pang Tong’s intention, but he slowly retreated eastward while keeping an eye on Chen Deng’s movements, then headed north as instructed.

In Chen Deng’s judgment, Zhang Yang’s move was clearly an attempt to attack the next county, Tong County, after repeated failures at Xiaqiu.

If successful, it would be a good plan, bypassing Xiaqiu altogether.

Except… the person executing the plan was a bit foolish.

Chen Deng immediately sent troops to intercept Zhang Yang’s forces at Louting, only to find Pang Tong and Sun Guan lying in ambush to the north, trapping him there.

This happened almost simultaneously with the battle on the central route.

The rest was predictable.

Whether in terms of defensive equipment or government storehouse supplies, Louting was far inferior to Xiapi, which Chen Deng had previously defended. He was no longer facing an attacking force composed of two generals, and within three days, the city was breached.

Thus, when Qiao Yan accepted the surrender of Wang Lang and Zhao Yu and personally arrived at Tan County, Chen Deng and Chen Dao were also brought to her by Pang Tong and the others.

But what Qiao Yan found particularly amusing was that Pang Tong didn’t even think he had persuaded Pei State in Yuzhou to switch sides first.








He joined Cao Cao, persuaded Lu Su to surrender, and defeated Chen Deng in Xia Pi. What achievements are worth boasting about? He has already lived up to the name “Feng Chu” given to him by the lord. However, the surrendered bandit leader Zang Ba from Mount Tai seems quite proud of himself.

Back in the day, he served under Tao Qian, but he never fit in with the scholars of Xuzhou. Even when he went to Donghai County for official duties, he was often mistaken for a bandit.

Chen Deng, though not one of them, was highly respected by the Xuzhou scholars, making him the opposite of Zang Ba.

Zang Ba, not to mention his smooth progress in the central battlefield and capturing Guan Ping, his subordinates also contributed to his military achievements.

Chen Deng’s father, Chen Gui, was captured by his subordinates in Huaipu, and Chen Deng’s capture was also partly their doing. Rounding it up—it’s as if he defeated Chen Deng himself.

If he hadn’t joined Qiao Yan, where would he have gotten the chance to turn his life around?

Looking at it this way, his surrender was a pretty good deal!

“So, what appointment does the lord plan to give him?” Pang Tong asked.

Zang Ba’s personality makes him a reliable subordinate, as he has no ambition to become a larger-scale commander.

But how to use him effectively isn’t easy.

First, it’s certain that he can’t stay in Langya County.

With Xuzhou taken, Langya County has become a frontline against Yuan Shao. Zang Ba’s strength isn’t enough to guard the border for Qiao Yan.

He definitely can’t stay there.

If he faces greater threats, he might switch sides.

Qiao Yan replied, “Send him to Yang Province. Tell him I admire his subordinates, but they haven’t experienced enough battles. They only joined him out of hometown loyalty. Suppressing the Yellow Turbans in Xuzhou under Tao Qian doesn’t count as real combat. So, I intend to send them to Yang Province to fight the Shanyue and hone their skills. I’ll also periodically send students from Leping Academy who have reached the required age to join his forces.”

“Let’s see if he can deliver satisfactory results against the Shanyue and provide a platform for the potential talents I send.”

Finding the Shanyue in the mountains is a tedious task. Using her regular army for this would be a waste of manpower, especially considering the defense tasks across regions. The prolonged war’s consumption isn’t something Qiao Yan wants to see.

But coincidentally, Zang Ba’s appearance fills the gap for such low-tier combat forces. Given the common belief that the Shanyue are a persistent problem in Yang Province, this assignment is almost a promotion for him.

With the impending crackdown on the four major families in Wu Commandery, Yang Province won’t be a place for powerful families to thrive, making it a suitable space for Zang Ba.

With the addition of Leping Academy students in military drills, Zang Ba’s forces can be gradually dismantled through small-scale troop movements, at least preventing the chaos of amassing too many soldiers.

There’s no place more suitable for him than Yang Province.

Lu Su, also present, clapped his hands, “This plan is brilliant.”

Since Lu Su switched sides, this is the first time he’s seen the Grand Marshal, whom Pang Tong spoke highly of, and Qiao Yan’s first arrangement has impressed him.

“Speaking of Yang Province, one can’t help but think of Zhou Yu. How does the lord plan to handle him?” Jia Xu then asked.

Zhou Yu wasn’t present, but before this meeting of strategists, Qiao Yan had already spoken with Zhou Yu privately.

Lu Su didn’t know about the death of Sun Ce between Zhou Yu and Qiao Yan, thinking Jia Xu was asking how Qiao Yan would arrange for Zhou Yu, who played a key role as bait.

It shouldn’t be a difficult task, but as Sun Ce’s right-hand man, if Zhou Yu stayed in Yang Province with significant responsibilities, he would inevitably become a constraint for the next governor of Yang Province.

So, he needs to be given a suitable position.

“I’ve already discussed this with Zhou Yu,” Qiao Yan replied. “After Xuzhou is settled, I intend to recommend him to the Emperor as the Governor of Xuzhou.”

Governor of Xuzhou?

Hearing this, even with the precedents of Qiao Yan and Sun Ce, Lu Su was still shocked.

But then he heard Qiao Yan say, “In the recent Huaiyin battle, Zhou Yu held his ground against Zhang Fei and Liu Bei in the open field until reinforcements arrived, showing excellent military tactics. Back when Sun Ce was conquering Yang Province, Zhou Yu provided strategic support, excelling in both internal and external affairs. Xuzhou is a battleground with open terrain. If we need someone to command and coordinate here, Zhou Yu is the top choice.”

“The generals under his command will also be arranged accordingly. Besides, isn’t there you, Lu Su?”

“Me?” Lu Su pointed at himself in surprise.

Qiao Yan calmly replied, “You, Lu Su, can see Zang Ba’s attitude clearly. Can’t you see your own capabilities? With Xuzhou taken, you should be promoted. The position of Registrar is too low for you. Why not try the position of Xuzhou’s Deputy Governor?”

“Although Zhou Yu has been involved in southern Xuzhou affairs for years, understanding Xuzhou still requires the assistance of Xuzhou locals. Or… do you think you’re not up to the task?”

Lu Su stood up, bowed solemnly to Qiao Yan, “You don’t need to use reverse psychology on me. Since you have such confidence in me, I dare to take this position!”

“Good!” Qiao Yan responded, “Then I’ll be watching.”

What she didn’t tell Lu Su was that giving Zhou Yu the special position of Governor of Xuzhou was both a test for Zhou Yu and bait for other provinces.

But an obvious poisoned bait, given Qiao Yan’s unpredictable actions, is the least likely to be taken.

This psychological hint is precisely a protection for Xuzhou.

Thus, the only major problem left in Xuzhou is one.

Lu Su tentatively asked, “May I ask… how does the lord plan to handle Liu Bei?”

From the Xuzhou incident in June of the first year of Jian’an to now, it’s been over three years.

Liu Bei’s various measures in Xuzhou, though not comparable to Qiao Yan’s actions in Guanzhong and other provinces, are still commendable.

If Lu Su hesitated to switch sides for any reason, it would only be because of Liu Bei.

Now captured and stripped of power, what fate awaits him?

Qiao Yan sighed, “From the perspective of talent and character, I admire him. I’ve reviewed the registered information from northern Xuzhou over the past few years. It’s clear he’s a practical man. Most importantly, his early poverty allowed him to see the common people. Working with Chen Deng, they achieved smooth governance. But—”

At this “but,” Lu Su keenly realized that Qiao Yan would not go easy on Liu Bei.

“He is like a brother to Zhang Fei, who died in this battle. If I send Liu Bei to the central court, allowing him to rise again based on his experience, would the soldiers who fought in this battle truly have no fear just because he’s kind-hearted?”

“Last year, I advanced into Youzhou, stationed troops at the You-Ji border, and Yuan Shao still clung to the false court, relying on his control of the provinces. If I don’t execute a major traitor, how can I intimidate him and his subordinates?”

“If Liu Bei were mediocre, letting him go wouldn’t matter. But if he’s not, and hard to persuade, why should I spare his life and leave a future threat?”

After these three questions, Qiao Yan raised her hand to stop Lu Su from speaking, “You don’t need to tell me your thoughts might change, perhaps Liu Bei’s too. If he truly intended to serve the Chang’an court, he should have surrendered out of respect for his mentor, Lu Zhi, long ago. He didn’t need to wait until now!”

“Send word to the provinces. In three days, execute the traitors and rebels in front of the Xuzhou government office in Tan County, as a warning!”

“Didn’t you try to stop her?” Wang Lang, hearing Lu Su relay Qiao Yan’s three reasons, felt something was off upon closer inspection.

But regardless of whether the reasons hold, there’s a more crucial reason why Qiao Yan can’t kill Liu Bei now.

Liu Bei has the people’s hearts in Xuzhou!

To be precise, the hearts of northern Xuzhou!

As Qiao Yan told Lu Su when praising Liu Bei, although he was a governor, he didn’t act like a typical high-ranking official with his head in the clouds.

Three years is enough for someone to establish a foundation, especially for someone as down-to-earth as Liu Bei.

The repeated confrontations at the Huai River didn’t stop Liu Bei and Chen Deng from handling Xuzhou’s civil affairs properly, making him the recognized governor of northern Xuzhou after Tao Qian.

Whether he’s a traitor doesn’t matter to these people.

Suddenly announcing his execution would undoubtedly incite public anger!

This would do her no good after just seizing Xuzhou.

“That’s what I said… but the lord said she has her own ideas.”

Her own ideas?

Wang Lang slapped his thigh. Even if she has ideas, this isn’t the time for them.

Even if the news of Xuzhou’s change of ownership hasn’t reached the Ye court, it’s hard to guarantee no one will take advantage and attack.

Either kill him during the battle or detain and send him away. Either option is better than this public execution.

Wang Lang’s worries were justified. Almost immediately after the decision to execute Liu Bei was announced in Donghai County, thousands of people gathered around Tan County.

The mixed voices of the crowd eventually converged into one sentence—

Governor Liu cannot die; he’s a competent governor!

For this reason, even knowing that approaching the new ruler of Xuzhou might bring them great trouble, they still chose to gather here.

Hearing these messages, Qiao Yan didn’t even blink, continuing to discuss troop deployments in Xuzhou with Jia Xu, earning silent praise from Lu Su and Pang Tong for her composure.

But this cold treatment didn’t make the voices pleading for Liu Bei disappear. Instead, people from farther away came, surrounding the county city walls, leaving only a path for pedestrians and carriages.

These Xuzhou people chose the most direct way to express their stance: if a few voices aren’t enough, make them louder!

Isn’t this enough to save Governor Liu’s life?

From the perspective of the two opposing courts, Governor Liu indeed stood on the wrong side, but he never wronged Xuzhou.

So why not save him?

In the fervor of the petitioners, they didn’t notice a fast-moving carriage arriving, heading towards the government office.

As soon as the carriage stopped, a plainly dressed old man jumped out and rushed towards Qiao Yan, who had just left the office due to the commotion.

The old man, in his haste, lost a shoe but didn’t stop, continuing towards his target.

Perhaps due to his hurried journey, his dusty and anxious appearance made him look pitiful.

He grabbed Qiao Yan’s hand, barely catching his breath, and half-covered his face with his sleeve, crying out, “Yue Shu, show mercy! What does Yuan Tan have to do with the Yang Province incident? Punish him if you must, but don’t take his life!”

Only a few in the world could call Qiao Yan “Yue Shu,” and this old man was none other than Cai Yong.

But at this moment, Qiao Yan didn’t help the “weeping” elder or offer comfort. Instead, she slowly withdrew her hand and took a step back.

On her usually composed and mature face, a rare expression of pain and indignation appeared.

She looked at Cai Yong for a long time before speaking in a heavy tone, “Cai Gong, even you are forcing me now?”