Chapter 350

Chapter 350

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 10: The World in Chaos, the Time of Struggle Chapter 350: Military Report Arrives at Ye

The book it belongs to:


Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 350: Military Report Arrives at Ye

All rivers eventually flow to the sea…

Zhou Yu couldn’t be sure whether Qiao Yan was referring to the trend of the world reuniting, which had become an unstoppable tide due to her military campaigns, or whether Sun Ce’s death was just another part of this natural order.

But perhaps she was also saying that the relentless flow of rivers eastward to the sea was the state he should maintain at this moment.

One cannot keep looking back.

For Yang Province to no longer be a place where officials are exiled, to fundamentally change the situation of rampant bandits, and to allow the descendants of the Zhou family of Lujiang to step into the central government and realize their ambitions, he must stand on Qiao Yan’s side at this moment when there is no second choice.

The mutual selection between lord and vassal is not always so simple.

No matter how many unknown secrets lie behind, at least now he cannot have doubts, or else it will only give other enemies an opportunity.

And this enemy might not just be Yuan Shao and Cao Cao.

“I have a suggestion, I wonder if Your Lordship would like to hear it,” Zhou Yu suddenly spoke up.

Seeing Qiao Yan nod, Zhou Yu continued, “Please meet with Yu Fan, Yu Zhongxiang.”

Crossing the river, they arrived at Dantu in Wu Commandery, Yang Province.

After a day’s journey by fast horse, they reached Fuchun.

There was less than half a day left before Sun Ce’s burial.

Zhou Yu went to see Sun Ce one last time, and Qiao Yan did not intend to disturb this farewell between close friends. Instead, she pondered over Yu Fan, whom Zhou Yu had mentioned.

Yu Fan’s name had been mentioned to her by Lu Yuan.

At that time, Sun Ce had just received the position of Prefect of Kuaiji, recommended by Qiao Yan, and Lu Yuan had gone south to deliver Qiao Yan’s gifts to Sun Ce, while also sending some members of the Lu family to Bingzhou. Lu Yuan had mentioned that among the famous scholars of Wu and Kuaiji, few recognized Sun Ce’s potential, and Yu Fan was one of the rare exceptions.

Yu Fan’s father, Yu Xin, was the Prefect of Rinan in Jiaozhou, but at the end of last year, the Prefect of Rinan passed away, and Yu Fan resigned to observe mourning for his father.

Yu Fan, if one were to speak of his sharp tongue and blunt speech, could rival Mi Heng, but that was not his greatest skill.

Historically, Sun Quan once commented that even if Yu Fan couldn’t compare to Fu Xi, he should at least be on par with Dongfang Shuo, referring to his skill in divination.

Indeed, he studied the “Book of Changes” and criticized several predecessors who had annotated it, saying that Zheng Xuan and Song Zhong each had their own annotations, with Song Zhong slightly inferior to Zheng Xuan, but neither had truly grasped the essence, and their works were not worth reading. As for Ma Rong, the teacher of Zheng Xuan and Lu Zhi, one could study the “Book of Changes” with him, but not as a fellow disciple.

Among those who annotated the “Book of Changes,” the only one who could be considered superior to others was Xun Shuang, but unfortunately, he had misinterpreted a line, “Gaining friends in the southwest, losing friends in the northeast,” reversing its original meaning, and had also mistakenly placed the chapter praising the Great Expansion of the Four Symbols at the beginning, which was a laughable interpretation. But this was already better than most, so one couldn’t ask for more.

If it weren’t for the fact that Yu Fan truly had some skill, given that Zheng Xuan was still teaching at her Leping Academy and Xun Shuang was buried in the Taihang Mountains, Qiao Yan should have followed Sun Quan’s example and sent Yu Fan to Jiaozhou to sober him up.

“I heard you once told Sun Ce, ‘The white dragon disguised as a fish was trapped by Yu Ju; the white snake released itself, and Liu Ji harmed it.’ Did you really say that?”

“The white dragon disguised as a fish, trapped by Yu Ju,” refers to a white dragon descending to earth in the form of a fish and being shot in the eye by Yu Ju.

“The white snake released itself, and Liu Ji harmed it,” refers to the son of the White Emperor transforming into a white snake and being slain by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang.

These two phrases were meant to advise Sun Ce not to travel lightly with few attendants, as he might encounter unforeseen disasters like the white dragon and the white snake.

Unfortunately, even Zhou Yu’s straightforward advice would not be heeded by someone of Sun Ce’s temperament, let alone Yu Fan’s more roundabout way of expressing it.

Standing before Qiao Yan, Yu Fan, still in mourning clothes due to his father’s death, might also be wearing them for his chosen lord.

Most officials in Yang Province held a certain awe for Qiao Yan due to her decisive actions, if not fear, then at least respect, especially since Sun Ce had entrusted her with his legacy, seeing her as his new lord. Only Yu Fan stood there with an air of unyielding dignity.

When Qiao Yan asked, he replied, “What if I did say it? What if I didn’t?”

Qiao Yan responded, “Zhou Yu suggested I meet you, and I’d like to hear what advice you have for me.”

Seeing that Qiao Yan seemed genuinely interested, Yu Fan replied, “The Grand Marshal should not reside in Chang’an for the next two years. Today, I cast a hexagram and saw ‘Dui below Kan above,’ indicating a change in the fifth line to ‘Lin,’ suggesting the possibility of a violent end.”

Qiao Yan’s expression remained unchanged as she asked, “Then where should I reside?”

Yu Fan thought for a moment and replied, “The wealthy land of Chang’an.”

Whether the wealthy land of Chang’an was more suitable for Yu Fan than the exile of Jiaozhou remained to be seen.

But Qiao Yan had expected Yu Fan, due to his friendship with Sun Ce, to be a thorn in her side, but it seemed that was not the case.

Whether Yu Fan had discerned something during this time or Zhou Yu had written something to him before returning to Yang Province, his current attitude was not bad news for Qiao Yan.

Qiao Yan waved her hand, “Then go ahead, but—”

“I don’t believe in prophecies or fate.”

However, some people do believe, especially when they have some help.

Of course, at this moment, Chang’an had not yet received the report from Qiao Yan regarding the official appointments in Yang and Xu Provinces, nor had they heard Yu Fan’s remarks.

The first to receive news of the situation in Xu and Yang was still Yuan Shao.

Since the beginning of the year, with the continuous arrival of news from Xu Province, Yuan Shao, to prevent a repeat of last year’s sudden change in You Province, had formed a temporary council with Xin Ping, Guo Tu, Xu You, and Shen Pei, living next to his residence.

As he had not yet had time to reassign Xin Pi, he remained in the north for the time being.

This council had advised Yuan Shao to support Xu Province as soon as there were signs of trouble, to prevent Liu Bei and Chen Deng from losing their territory.

But the subsequent news of Qiao Yan’s troops in Luoyang and possible movements in You Province forced Yuan Shao to choose between prioritizing himself or Liu Bei.

Then he received news of Qiao Yan inviting Cao Cao to meet at Hulao Pass. After being reassured by his subordinates that Cao Cao’s move was to show he would not form an alliance with Qiao Yan, rather than to pressure Yuan Shao into granting the position of Governor of Yu Province, Yuan Shao finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But this series of changes had made it difficult for Yuan Shao to focus on his southeastern front, and he could only pay attention to the changes at the borders of the Sili Commandery, Yanzhou, and Yu Province.

He even considered temporarily assigning Xu You to Cao Cao, to have an extra person when meeting at Hulao Pass, but then thought such a move might make Cao Cao feel he was being doubted, so he ultimately suppressed the idea.

However, what eased his tension was not any breakthrough on the battlefield, but his young third son, Yuan Shang, stepping into the political arena with his tacit approval.

But Yuan Shang was not yet of age, and Yuan Shao felt he was not showing favoritism among his sons.

His eldest son, Yuan Tan, though adopted by his eldest brother Yuan Ji and no longer considered his son, still held the title of the main line and was stationed in Donglai Commandery, clearly acting as the Governor of Qingzhou on behalf of his father, who was often in Ye City.

In terms of status and position, Yuan Shao felt he had given Yuan Tan a lot.

His second son, Yuan Xi, though once deceived by the Chang’an court, Yuan Shao had not held him accountable and had even arranged a marriage for him with a daughter of the Zhen family in Hebei, planning to have them marry when Zhen Luo turned fifteen.

Whether in trust…








In matters of his children’s marriages, Yuan Shao felt he had given Yuan Xi quite a lot.

Calculating it this way, he only brought Yuan Shang before his subordinates and let him listen to these important military and political matters. How could that be considered excessive favoritism?

Yuan Shao, satisfied, looked at his handsome son sitting in the hall, feeling it added much glory to himself. He then unfolded the report from Liu Bei, brought by his subordinate, and was immediately overjoyed.

This letter was sent by Liu Bei and Chen Gui after intercepting a messenger from Yang Province, while launching a siege against Zhou Yu, hoping Yuan Shao could limit Qiao Yan’s actions in Yang Province while he was too busy to extricate himself from the war in Xuzhou.

The letter should have been sent earlier, but due to a horse falling ill on the way and being in Taishan County, it couldn’t be handed over to the courier station at the border of Yanzhou in time. Thus, when the letter arrived in Ye City, it was already more than two days late.

But Yuan Shao didn’t know this. He immediately noticed the mention of Sun Ce’s death in the letter.

Sun Ce is dead?

This was the first good news Yuan Shao had received since the beginning of the year!

Since Qiao Yan supported Liu Yu’s ascension to the throne in Chang’an, Yuan Shao had been thinking every day why the Grand Marshal, who personally led campaigns, didn’t die in some battle. Then he wouldn’t have to face so many troubles.

But everyone knew that Qiao Yan’s martial prowess was not inferior to top generals, and she was half his age.

Unless something unexpected happened, Yuan Shao would die first.

But now, the news of Sun Ce’s death seemed to offer a possibility that was once only a wishful thought.

The youngest among the provincial governors died unexpectedly while personally leading a campaign against Zu Lang!

Liu Bei and Chen Gui both judged that this was not a deceptive message from the enemy, nor would anyone joke about the death of a governor. The credibility was quite high.

If Sun Ce could die under such circumstances, why couldn’t Qiao Yan?

These young people, relying on their high abilities, acted recklessly and all stood against Yuan Shao. Now it was finally time for them to suffer.

But before Yuan Shao could rejoice for long, he saw the latter part of Liu Bei’s letter, stating that Qiao Yan had arrived in Yang Province, completed the campaign against Zu Lang, and taken control of the four surnames of Wu Commandery, possibly heading north to Xuzhou soon.

If they didn’t achieve the desired effect in the siege against Zhou Yu, Yuan Shao must quickly provide support to prevent Xuzhou from being unable to withstand the combined pressure of both sides when Qiao Yan personally joined the battle.

Yuan Shao’s joy froze on his face.

“Is she the King of Hell?” Yuan Shao angrily slammed the letter on the table. “She just arrived in Yang Province, and Sun Ce died, allowing her to smoothly take over Yang Province’s power and complete the task of annihilating Zu Lang.”

If only Qiao Yan’s forces had arrived in Yang Province a bit later, causing internal chaos due to Sun Ce’s death, preferably turning into complete disarray, he would have had the opportunity to win over people.

Zhou Yu, currently supporting in Xuzhou, would have to return to Yang Province to quell the chaos, breaking the stalemate in Xuzhou and even reclaiming the southern part of Xuzhou.

But Qiao Yan came too quickly and achieved results too efficiently, leaving no room for anyone to intervene.

Even though Liu Bei, in his letter, hoped Yuan Shao could interfere with Yang Province’s situation in his spare time, it was more of a last-ditch effort, placing more hope on his own scheme against Zhou Yu. After all, it was almost impossible for Yuan Shao to influence Yang Province from such a distance.

Unless Yuan Shao could cross the sea from Qingzhou to Yang Province and perform a military blockade.

But leaving aside whether Yuan Shao’s men had the capability for maritime warfare, the time for naval advancement, compared to Qiao Yan’s usual efficiency in wrapping up, would likely be too late.

“It might not be too late. I heard Sun Ce has a cousin named Sun Hao, who is quite arrogant and doesn’t get along well with Sun Ce. If we could recommend him as the governor of Yang Province, it might really cause some trouble for Qiao Ye Shu,” Xu You said after taking the letter from Yuan Shao and reading its contents.

“However, as my lord said, we might already be too late to influence Yang Province. Qiao Ye Shu wouldn’t casually issue such mobilization orders to Zhou Yu unless she had basically controlled Yang Province’s situation, ensuring that Sun’s old followers wouldn’t defy her, hence sending the letter to Zhou Yu.”

“It’s best to make some arrangements to support Xuzhou.”

“If father needs me, I am willing to share your worries,” Yuan Shang, who was present, immediately responded.

Xu You’s eyes drifted for a moment, but considering Yuan Shao’s fondness for Yuan Shang, he controlled himself and didn’t say anything like “this matter is not suitable for the third young master.”

He glanced at the others present and unsurprisingly saw similar expressions on their faces.

Perhaps only Yuan Shao himself would see this as a display of Yuan Shang’s filial piety, rather than the young man being overly ambitious.

But Yuan Shao still had some sense. He himself was no match for Qiao Yan, let alone his underage son.

After praising Yuan Shang, Yuan Shao turned to Xu You and asked, “Ziyuan, do you think it’s possible for Cao Mengde to take Xuzhou before Qiao Ye Shu heads north if we let him lead troops from Yu Province?”

Letting Cao Cao lead troops was a dangerous decision, especially when Yanzhou and Yu Province might face an invasion from the Sili region.

But dangerous as it was, it was worth a try.

After all, Qiao Yan and Cao Cao had that meeting invitation at Hulao Pass. If everyone thought Cao Cao was going to attend, who would expect him to attack Xuzhou at this time?

After some thought, Xu You replied, “It’s possible, but my lord must send troops from Henei Commandery to create some pressure on the west, simultaneously serving as Cao Mengde’s reinforcements, to make him feel secure in sending troops.”

Hearing this, Yuan Shao’s expression improved.

But before he could rejoice for long, the sound of an urgent report came from outside.

Even before the content of the urgent report was presented, Yuan Shao, conditioned by repeated blows, stood up and walked to the desk, fearing he might kick the table in anger again.

The messenger, unaware of the implications behind Yuan Shao’s actions, didn’t dare to look up at Yuan Shao. He quickly entered, knelt down, and said in a trembling voice:

“My lord, urgent report from Xuzhou. Liu Xuande has been defeated along the Huai River front, Zhang Yide is dead, Liu Xuande, Guan Yunchang, and Chen Yuanlong have been captured. Qiao Ye Shu personally led the northern expedition, landed by sea, and ordered all commanderies to execute Liu Shijun in three days. It’s likely only one day remains.”

Yuan Shao’s face changed dramatically, “What did you say?”

The messenger murmured, “I said… Xuzhou has fallen into Qiao Ye Shu’s hands. The northern forces of Xuzhou have completely collapsed.”

Yuan Shao: “…”

Hearing this, Yuan Shao felt a dizzying sensation overwhelming him.

“Father—”

Yuan Shang, participating in the discussion for the first time, never expected to witness such a scene.

He watched as Yuan Shao, bombarded by these messages, suddenly fell backward, fainting.

It wasn’t until the doctor was quickly summoned that Yuan Shao regained his breath and woke up.

Yuan Shao, still holding the earlier report on Yang Province, and recalling the messenger’s report, wondered if he was hallucinating. Perhaps the letter had been deliberately withheld for over a month, hence the unexpected sudden change.

Yang Province was taken by Qiao Yan—this wasn’t Yuan Shao’s territory anyway, so he could treat it as irrelevant.

But the complete loss of northern Xuzhou was like cutting another piece of meat from his already thin bowl.

What should he do now?

In any case, this was not the time to sit back and wait for death.

He grasped Yuan Shang’s hand and squeezed out a few words through his teeth, “Order… order Cao Mengde to return to court, Ye City for discussion!”

If they didn’t unite and attack, he was truly finished!