Chapter 352

Chapter 352: Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne? Volume 10: The World in Chaos, the Time of the Deer Hunt Chapter 352: Liu Bei Enters the Pass

The group heading to Chang’an was incredibly diverse in composition.

Even among the prisoners, Liu Bei and Lu Kang were in completely different states of mind.

For Lu Kang, the change of power in Yang Province and the downfall of the four great families of Wu Commandery at the hands of Qiao Yan was something that had been foreshadowed when most of them had no intention of cooperating with Sun Ce. Now, it was just that the executor had changed from Sun Ce to Qiao Yan.

At most, Lu Kang couldn’t help but sigh over Sun Ce’s untimely death and reminisce about the life-saving grace Sun Ce had once shown him.

However, Lu Kang wasn’t particularly worried about the future of the Lu family of Huating.

Not only had several members of the Lu family been taken away when Lu Yuan came to Yang Province, but also, traditionally, the status of a family was often determined by its highest-ranking members. Given this, Lu Kang didn’t feel the need to worry.

Lu Ji was now studying under Zheng Xuan, a top scholar in the realm, and with his talent, he was bound to achieve something. With further study, he would surely have opportunities to rise.

Lu Yi had already made a name for himself in the battle of Liaodong, making Lu Kang feel that he had done right by his deceased brother. As a key student of Leping Academy, Lu Yi’s future was completely tied to Qiao Yan, so Lu Kang had no need to worry about him.

As for Lu Yuan, she had an unexpectedly promising future and might even become a pillar supporting the Lu family.

A woman holding an official position, even rising to the rank of a provincial governor or prefect—such a position was something Lu Kang had never imagined before Qiao Yan’s rise.

With such clear prospects for the younger generation, Lu Kang had no reason to worry about suffering on his way to Chang’an.

As long as Qiao Yan, the Grand Marshal, maintained her position, losing his position as the Prefect of Lujiang wouldn’t be a significant loss for the Lu family of Huating.

On the road to Chang’an, although Zhou Tai was harsh and rude to him due to Sun Ce’s death, the higher-ranking leader Dian Wei treated him well enough to make the journey comfortable.

In contrast, Liu Bei seemed somewhat distracted on the journey.

He was no stranger to ups and downs, having experienced the withholding of his military achievements and political merits. The betrayal in Pei State of Yu Province this year hadn’t crushed him, but now he felt that he might never regain a position of initiative.

The defeat at Huaiyin cost him Zhang Fei, who was like a sworn brother to him.

The failed escape by sea cost him the chance to make a comeback and the remaining territory of Xuzhou.

The people’s petition for rescue in Tan County, under Qiao Yan’s careful planning, transferred the民心 (people’s support) he had gained from governing Xuzhou. Now, he was being sent back to Chang’an, separated from another trusted general.

Apart from the subordinates who had already been poached by Qiao Yan, the only subordinate allowed to accompany Liu Bei was Jian Yong.

Having followed Liu Bei since his youth, Jian Yong was now accompanying him on this journey to the prison of Chang’an, leaving Liu Bei with a sense of melancholy.

Holding Jian Yong’s hand, Liu Bei said, “Xianhe, if there’s a chance after arriving in Chang’an, try to seek a future for yourself. Your eloquence and grace are outstanding, and Chang’an lacks talents like you. It would be better than living in seclusion with me.”

Liu Bei had a clear understanding of his future.

Qiao Yan didn’t seem like someone who would spare his life, and since she had promised the people of Xuzhou to give him a sinecure, she wouldn’t go back on her word.

However, having been a crucial member of the Ye court and even holding the position of a provincial governor, he couldn’t possibly be entrusted with an important role during this period of conflict.

Even though he initially chose to serve the Ye court because Liu Xie was held hostage by Dong Zhuo in Chang’an, and his background required him to rely on the Ye court for an official position, his ties to Yuan Shao and Liu Bian now made it impossible for Qiao Yan to easily employ him.

For some reason, Liu Bei intuitively felt that Qiao Yan had other reasons for not using him, but this intuition was fleeting and soon disappeared.

Jian Yong replied, “My lord, there’s no need to worry. Chang’an isn’t solely under Qiao Yan’s control. You and the Emperor of Chang’an are both of the Liu clan, and you both worked for the people as provincial governors. It’s likely that you’ll not only keep your life but also have a chance to be reused.”

“Even if you can’t serve as a prefect or governor outside, there’s always a chance to hold a position like the Director of the Imperial Clan in Chang’an. Once the world is pacified, and there’s no distinction between the Emperor of Chang’an and the Emperor of Ye, you can once again become a regional governor.”

Jian Yong, unlike Liu Bei, couldn’t see the underlying tensions and thought that switching sides after a defeat might not be a bad thing.

However, when they entered Jing Province and saw Liu Biao’s attitude, he began to sense something was amiss.

As a member of the imperial clan and a provincial governor who had always submitted to the Chang’an court, Liu Biao should have been pleased to hear about the situation in Yang and Xuzhou.

Especially since his generals had played an important role in the battle and earned merits. When the Chang’an court distributed rewards, he would surely receive some credit.

Strangely, Liu Biao showed a mix of fear and confusion upon hearing about the two provinces’ situations.

He grabbed Zhang Yun and pulled him aside, “Tell me everything about what happened in Yang and Xuzhou.”

“Uncle, I was in charge of the fleet and didn’t go ashore much, so I only know a little,” Zhang Yun whispered. “When we arrived in Yang Province, Sun Ce was already half-dead. The Grand Marshal arrived and took over, then went into the mountains to capture Zu Lang, mostly using Sun Ce’s old troops, with only Wen Zhongye added.”

To Zhang Yun, Sun Ce’s death was a great boon for Jing Province.

If Sun Ce hadn’t died, given his vow to avenge his father against Huang Zu, once he firmly established himself in Yang Province, he would inevitably attack Jing Province, as Qiao Yan’s primary opponent was Yuan Shao.

This would have caused significant trouble for Jing Province.

Now that Sun Ce was dead, killed by the Shanyue forces within Yang Province, and Jing Province had no involvement, his uncle should feel relieved, not act as if another sword was hanging over his head.

“Uncle, relax. Wen Zhongye assisted Zhou Gongjin on the Xuzhou battlefield and earned merits in defeating Liu Bei and Zhang Fei. As for me, I followed the Grand Marshal ashore in Wu Commandery, captured the four great families, and then led the troops north at the right time—”

Zhang Yun, oblivious to Liu Biao’s increasingly grim expression, gestured triumphantly, “Just in time to catch Liu Bei fleeing by sea.”

“Although our Jing Province navy isn’t the best among the coastal forces, we performed well in this simple pursuit. We didn’t disgrace you, so rest assured.”

Seeing Zhang Yun’s confident demeanor, Liu Biao wanted to slap him to wake him up.

Rest assured? He could rest assured only if he were a ghost.

He had thought that sending Jing Province’s troops out would at least allow him to understand how Qiao Yan had developed her power to this extent, and perhaps his subordinates could learn something, improving themselves.

But whether they learned anything was uncertain; what was certain was that they had received plenty of shocks!

Listening to Zhang Yun’s account, Liu Biao was filled with questions that needed answers.

Beyond these questions, what chilled him even more was that last year Qiao Yan had seized Yizhou and Youzhou, and this year she had pacified Xuzhou and Yang Province. So—what would be next year’s target?

With Qiao Yan’s reputation far surpassing that of the Emperor in the capital, and the Liu clan’s power having declined since the fire in Luoyang, was it possible that she might target Jing Province next year, using his past association with Dong Zhuo as a pretext?

The more Liu Biao thought about it, the more possible it seemed!

Once she gained experience in pacifying the Shanyue in Yang Province, dealing with the clan bandits in Jing Province would be even easier.

If she sent Zhu Jun back to Changsha, first quelling the southern rebels in Jing Province, then bringing these forces north to arrest him on some charge, it might be the most advantageous outcome for her.

What use was the support of the Xiangyang noble families to Liu Biao!

These local powers in Jing Province and…








The situation of the four great families of Wu Commandery in Yang Province is strikingly similar.

The latter has now ended up exiled to Yizhou, can the former really withstand Qiao Yan’s might?

Liu Biao, filled with anxiety, waved his hand, signaling Zhang Yun to leave first.

Perhaps the only consolation for him is that compared to Liu Bei’s situation, he is much better off. At least he hasn’t formally opposed Qiao Yan, and this time he did nominally follow Qiao Yan’s order to send troops to Yang and Xu Provinces.

He thought for a moment and asked Cai Mao, “Do you think we should spend money to avoid disaster?”

Cai Mao: “What do you mean, Prefect?”

Liu Biao replied, “Look at Liu Bei. Because the people of Xu Province petitioned for him, he went from being sentenced to death to being appointed to a position in Chang’an. Shouldn’t we also try to win more民心 (popular support)?”

Cai Mao: “…”

He thought Liu Biao might be a bit paranoid.

Qiao Yan would have to be really bored to come after Jing Province…

But Liu Biao continued to ramble on, “No, no, we should first see how Liu Bei is treated in Chang’an. If we overdo it, we might regret it.”

He thought for a moment and added, “I’ll write a letter to Chang’an, telling Boyu to avoid Liu Bei there, so as not to bring any trouble to Jing Province.”

Cai Mao couldn’t help but say, “If you’re really that worried, why not send Wen Zhongye to assist the Grand Marshal in guarding Xu Province, to show Jing Province’s support for his actions.”

After all, Wen Pin and Cai Mao aren’t exactly on the same page. Sending him away would solve both his boss’s paranoia and his own problems—a win-win situation.

Liu Biao nodded in agreement, “That’s right, that’s right.”

As for Zhang Yun, he won’t be sent out. That guy actually thinks he contributed to the success of the naval advances. Who knows when he might cause trouble.

Feeling that this arrangement is perfect, Liu Biao finally calmed down from the shock of hearing those news.

During the journey from Jiangling to Nanyang Commandery, Liu Biao displayed the demeanor of a qualified governor, even making Jian Yong feel that the moment of Liu Biao’s earlier失态 (loss of composure) might have been just his imagination.

But if Liu Biao’s behavior made Jian Yong suspicious, the actions of Nanyang Prefect Yuan Yao made him feel that the Chang’an court was full of abnormal people.

In the past, Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao were domineering in front of Liu Bei, something Jian Yong had witnessed personally. But Yuan Yao, as Yuan Shu’s eldest son, despite experiencing his father’s death, should still have some youthful arrogance given his current position as Prefect.

However, what Liu Bei and Jian Yong saw was a rather idle and carefree Prefect.

While arranging for them to stay overnight, Jian Yong, being more free to move around than Liu Bei, approached Yuan Yao for a chat. Yuan Yao looked at him suspiciously for a long time before saying, “This habit of yours isn’t good. When you reach Chang’an, you need to know one thing: not everyone can be casually talked to.”

Not everyone has Yuan Yao’s luck in choosing sides.

Nor does everyone have his discernment.

Thinking of Liu Bei’s status as a defeated宗室 (royal family member), Yuan Yao couldn’t help but recall the greetings from Liu Yang shortly after arriving in Chang’an.

Seeing that Jian Yong didn’t seem to understand, Yuan Yao didn’t explain further. He just patted Jian Yong’s shoulder,示意 (indicating) him to take care, and then returned to the州府 (prefectural office) to斗蛐蛐 (fight crickets).

“This Prefect… seems quite different from Yuan Shao’s sons?” Jian Yong muttered, watching Yuan Yao’s retreating figure.

“Perhaps it’s due to different成长环境 (upbringing environments),” Liu Bei replied after some thought.

He had almost no prior interaction with Yuan Yao, so he couldn’t be sure if this behavior was a change after Yuan Shu’s death.

Nanyang is almost surrounded by territories already occupied by the Chang’an court, with no direct military threats. Yuan Yao’s无为而治 (governing by doing nothing) approach might be顺应 (in line with) Liu Biao’s wishes,出于 (out of) self-preservation, or a必然 (inevitable) survival strategy in such an environment, and there’s nothing to criticize.

Yuan Yao’s reminder to be cautious in Chang’an might not be just a casual remark.

Liu Bei said, “We are after all prisoners, and should indeed be as cautious as Prefect Yuan said.”

This is no longer Xu Province.

Even after passing through Nanyang, the number of people around him who can offer advice will decrease further, as Chen Deng needs to go to Luoyang via Yingchuan and the Huan Yuan Pass, while Liu Bei should head northwest through Nanyang Commandery and enter Guanzhong via the Wu Pass.

From here, they will part ways and not see each other for a while.

Just as he thought this, he saw Chen Deng approaching him and bowing deeply. “Prefect, take care on your journey to Chang’an.”

Liu Bei didn’t blame Chen Deng for switching to Qiao Yan’s side, even allowing him to go to Luoyang to assist Xun Yu in managing the local民生 (livelihood).

If not for Chen Deng’s choice, he might still be just a General of Pacification in Pei State, never having the chance to become the Governor of Xu Province.

If not for Chen Deng’s assistance in governing Xu Province, he wouldn’t have been able to accumulate such民望 (popular support) in Xu Province over the years.

And if not for Chen Deng’s陈述 (account) of his achievements, he wouldn’t have been able to be legitimately freed from the brink of execution.

Now that he has unavoidably fallen from grace, while Chen Deng still carries the hopes of his志业 (ambitions) and the Chen family of Xia Pi, how could he hold him back?

“From now on, there’s no need to call me Prefect. There is no longer a Governor of Xu Province, only the criminal Liu Bei heading to Chang’an,” Liu Bei said, helping Chen Deng up. “Besides, you’re going to Luoyang and I to Chang’an. It’s not like we’re facing a永别 (eternal separation). Since we’re both in the司隶 (capital region), we’ll surely meet again.”

“Yuan Long, I look forward to seeing Luoyang regain its百万民众 (million people).”

Chen Deng didn’t make such a promise, and Liu Bei didn’t press further.

As Liu Bei headed towards the Wu Pass, he turned to see Chen Deng still standing there for a long time, seemingly worried about his journey to Chang’an.

Until only a模糊身影 (blurry figure) remained, Chen Deng bowed deeply in his direction for a long time.

From then on, there was truly no more master-servant relationship.

Liu Bei sighed deeply, feeling somewhat relieved yet inexplicably怅然 (melancholic).

But upon entering the Guanzhong region, he no longer had the energy to consider Chen Deng’s situation.

Amidst the逐渐鼎沸 (gradually boiling) human voices, the fertile land of the Guanzhong Plain despite last year’s drought, the严防驻军 (strictly guarded garrisons) in the京畿 (capital region), and the merchants with various accents all came into Liu Bei’s view.

These people and things, moving quickly due to the宽敞宽阔 (wide and open) official road, flashed before his eyes like a走马灯 (revolving lantern).

The Lingtai and Mingtang buildings in the outskirts of Chang’an and the bustling spring scenery near the护城河 (moat) also appeared in his视线 (sight).

Until the speed of the carriage gradually slowed, stopping a short distance from the city gate, waiting for the inspection ahead, he had to get off the carriage and finally set foot on the land of Guanzhong Chang’an.

Is this today’s Chang’an?

Liu Bei was momentarily失神 (dazed) looking at the Chang’an city wall before him.

The wall still bore the斑驳 (mottled) marks of past battles—

Perhaps left by the Chimei Army’s attack on Chang’an, or by Qiao Yan and her troops entering Chang’an to kill Dong Zhuo.

In any case, these痕迹 (marks) didn’t seem to need any extra修缮 (repairs) just because a new dynasty was established here, turning it into a崭新洁净 (brand new and clean) state. Instead, they were坦然地 (frankly) displayed to the world.

But as a都城城墙 (capital city wall), its protective effect was sufficient.

On the faces of the往来民众 (coming and going people), no one seemed to think these划痕 (scratches) would affect the王城面貌 (royal city’s appearance) or its ability to provide安全感 (sense of security), as their faces showed a极具感染力 (highly infectious)平和 (peace).

A clearer hope for生计 (livelihood) than the people of Xu Province.

Dian Wei suddenly interrupted his沉思 (deep thought), “Prefect Liu, please proceed.”

Liu Bei gathered his thoughts and replied, “Alright.”

They didn’t enter the city like押解犯人的官兵 (escorting soldiers) and囚徒 (prisoners), sneaking in under the cover of night to bring him before Liu Yu. Instead, on a sunny afternoon, amidst the usual crowd at the city gate, they entered like officials coming to Chang’an for述职 (reporting duties).

They entered through the south gate of Chang’an, the new road of Chang’an.

As Liu Bei walked on this special水泥路 (concrete road), he恰好 (coincidentally) heard someone shout from a distant street, “Leping Monthly Report March issue, get it while it’s hot!”

He instinctively looked up at the sky. It seemed like just an ordinary day in Chang’an.