Chapter 353

Chapter 353

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 10: The World in Chaos, The Time of the Deer Hunt Chapter 353: Thunder on Dry Land

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Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 353: Thunder on Dry Land…

But for Liu Bei, this was by no means an ordinary day.

The city of Chang’an was originally unfamiliar to him, and now, after the various changes from the eighth month of the third year of Guangxi to the third month of the fourth year of Jian’an, it had become even more different from the court under the rule of Ye City.

The news of “March issue of Leping Monthly Report on sale” became clearer as Liu Bei, accompanied by Dian Wei, walked into the city, but soon this sound was drowned out by other noises.

Liu Bei felt he should be grateful for his good hearing, which allowed him to clearly hear these spreading sounds.

The area closest to the gates of Chang’an was perhaps also home to those of relatively lower status in the city, only slightly better off than those living in the outer districts of Chang’an.

Thus, mixed within were discussions about the price reductions in the city’s markets, the shouts of winter clothing shops offering discounts as the spring planting season approached, and announcements about the enrollment openings at Chiyang Medical Academy and the art academy in the north of the city.

Just then, two children passing by Liu Bei were talking about the content of the March issue, specifically this year’s cotton expansion plan.

“So that’s what cotton looks like… I always thought it grew like a bunch of clouds on a tree, looking like a giant mushroom.”

Hearing this, Liu Bei was suddenly stunned.

Wait, isn’t that how it is?

When cotton clothing first arrived in Ye City, Yuan Shao had intended to exchange cotton seeds with Qiao Yan, but the price she asked far exceeded what he could afford.

According to Yuan Shao, “Even if Qiao Yanshu finds it difficult to transplant cotton trees, since they are plants, it can’t be easy for us to grow them either. Dozens of sheepskins for one seed, and it would take years to grow to the point of bearing cotton. If not careful, it could die, making it a losing business.”

Of course, Yuan Shao wasn’t going to make this deal, as he wasn’t one to burn money for no reason.

Liu Bei had heard of this, leading him to imagine what cotton trees might look like.

But now, hearing this, it seemed that wasn’t the case.

He turned to Dian Wei and asked, “Could you trouble someone to buy a copy of the monthly report for me?”

Although Liu Bei was a prisoner, according to Qiao Yan’s words in Xuzhou, he wasn’t that restricted.

Before they left, Qiao Yan had even told Dian Wei that once they arrived in Chang’an, Cheng Yu would keep an eye on him, and there was no need to worry too much.

If Liu Yu, the Son of Heaven, granted Liu Bei amnesty, they wouldn’t need to impose any restrictions on him, especially not on his interactions.

Now, just needing a copy of the Leping Monthly Report, at most, he needed to understand more about the place after arriving in Chang’an, which didn’t seem to be within the scope of what needed to be restricted.

Dian Wei waved his hand, and someone immediately went to buy the newspaper for Liu Bei.

Liu Bei’s gaze briefly lingered on the road where travelers still stopped out of novelty, and before long, the March issue of the Leping Monthly Report was in his hands.

Opening it, aside from the warnings about this year’s natural disasters, the most space was indeed devoted to the cotton mentioned by the two children.

One page showed the image of cotton, its history, the path of its introduction, and the various challenges encountered in its cultivation.

Seeing the picture of the cotton plant and the scale of the cotton fields described beside it, Liu Bei thought that if Yuan Shao saw this newspaper, he would probably be furious.

And what was written here was not just about cotton.

Since cotton came from outside the region, the monthly report roughly mapped out the trade routes reopened along the Silk Road in Liangzhou over the past few years, and recorded the contributions made by Xu Rong and Ma Teng, especially in acquiring cotton and other crops from outside the region, along with horses.

These two generals, who had been overlooked by the central plains’ powers, suddenly reappeared in the Leping Monthly Report, making people once again marvel that Qiao Yan never misused a general and never hesitated to use anyone.

In the past, everyone thought that since Ma Teng had once conspired with Han Sui in Liangzhou, Qiao Yan would inevitably be wary of Ma Teng after killing Han Sui.

Using Ma Chao but moving him out of Liangzhou and sending Ma Teng to the remote Four Commanderies of Hexi was also a way to divide the power between father and son.

Similarly, Xu Rong, once a general under Dong Zhuo, even though Qiao Yan had persuaded him to defect before attacking Luoyang, his origins in Youzhou and his service under Dong Zhuo made it hard for people to fully trust him.

But today, their achievements were celebrated in this way, with the Leping Monthly Report printed in tens of thousands of copies and distributed to thousands of households, completely shattering various rumors and misconceptions.

Liu Bei couldn’t help but silently praise this.

Even though he hadn’t completely switched from being Qiao Yan’s enemy, he had to admit that this move would significantly increase the attractiveness of Qiao Yan’s side to generals.

Didn’t you see there was a line…

This year, another two hundred Ferghana horses were plundered from the Western Regions, some used to reward the generals, and some continued to breed with the good horses from Liang and Bing provinces.

This undoubtedly added more pressure on Yuan Shao.

The strategy of advancing into Liangzhou, which everyone thought was crazy six years ago, finally showed its terrifying influence.

But what was truly terrifying was not just the benefits brought by the expansion into Liangzhou.

Turning the page, Liu Bei saw that the cotton planting industry had fully taken off, with corresponding disaster prevention channels for various cotton pests and diseases, allowing for larger-scale cultivation.

The cotton spinning wheel, matching the cotton, had also been developed under the leadership of Huang Yueying, meaning that cotton cloth, which could only be supplied to the nobility in previous years, would soon be mass-produced under her direction.

The income from this would support the construction of an engineering college in Guanzhong and the expansion of Leping Academy in Bingzhou at the end of the year.

Even though the influence of her military campaigns in Xuzhou and Yangzhou was still ongoing, in the Leping Monthly Report, she had already displayed her ambitions in other areas!

This all-encompassing and progressive pace was truly heart-stopping.

Was being her enemy really the right choice?

With this thought, when Liu Bei was brought into the hall of Gui Palace to meet Liu Yu, he still felt somewhat dazed.

As a native of Youzhou, Liu Bei knew better than most what the place was like before Liu Yu took over as the governor.

To achieve trade and mutual markets here, balancing the relationship between the Wuhuan people and the Han, and even maintaining relatively low grain prices in the border areas during turbulent years, Liu Yu’s abilities were undoubtedly significant.

Liu Bei had even thought that for Qiao Yan to recognize this monarch, Liu Yu’s methods of governance must be good, just unlucky to have encountered the unreasonable Gongsun Zan before.

But the moment he faced Liu Yu directly, Liu Bei suddenly felt a strange sense of dissonance.

After bowing in salute, Liu Bei looked at Liu Yu and was shocked to see that the emperor’s temples had far more gray hair than someone of his age should have.

This was not the state someone who lived in comfort and heard frequent good news should be in.

But considering he came from the harsh lands of Youzhou and was accustomed to simple clothing, it wasn’t unexplainable that he aged faster than others.

Moreover, this dignified and aged demeanor also gave a sense of security brought by the tempering of time.

But when Liu Bei paid attention to Liu Yu’s actions, he realized that this sense of dissonance was not his imagination.

Liu Yu took the memorial sent by Qiao Yan with the team arriving in Chang’an, and for some reason, his movements seemed somewhat tired.

After hastily flipping through a few pages, he put it away without showing any opinion on its content.

The next moment, Liu Bei heard Liu Yu say, “Yanshu suggests that I place you in the Ministry of Imperial Clan Affairs, but directly appointing you to a position among the Nine Ministers might easily cause some controversy, and I think that’s indeed the case. Xuande has a reputation for virtue, and this time the people of Xuzhou have also petitioned for you, so how about starting as the head of the internal officials in the Ministry of Imperial Clan Affairs?”

Liu Bei was silent for a moment, then replied, “As Your Majesty commands, this criminal is already fortunate to be pardoned and dares not seek more.”

“Then it shall be so,” Liu Yu said. “Has Yanshu mentioned where you should stay?”

Liu Bei replied, “There is already a place to stay, no need for Your Majesty to trouble yourself further.”

Liu Yu: “That’s good, Xuande has come a long way and must be tired, so rest first.”

Liu Bei: “…”

If Liu Yu were a normal emperor, what he should have asked at this moment was not just where Liu Bei was staying and whether Qiao Yan had arranged guards to watch him, but also about the situation in Xuzhou and the current state of the court in Ye City from Liu Bei’s perspective. But Liu Yu showed no intention of mentioning either.

It was as if appointing Liu Bei as the “head of internal officials in the Ministry of Imperial Clan Affairs” was all Liu Yu needed to do.

This was wrong, very wrong!

As Liu Bei was led out of the palace, he turned to look at the palace shrouded in twilight and finally realized where the sense of dissonance lay.

In Qiao Yan and…








Liu Yu’s comparison is on!

That Grand Marshal, who holds everything in his grasp, already has the aura of swallowing mountains and rivers, almost like the Son of Heaven.

But Liu Yu… clearly still in the prime of his political career, already shows the lifelessness of old age.

Just like the palace before his eyes at this moment.

This is definitely not Liu Bei’s alarmist talk due to his bias against Qiao Yan!

Compared to Yuan Shao and Liu Bian in Ye City, the control relationship between Qiao Yan and Liu Yu, though subtle, is much stronger.

At this moment, what he’s thinking is definitely not about having a new official position as a starting point, but—

Oh no, coming to Chang’an isn’t a place suitable for waiting for the two courts to determine a winner, but more likely a dragon’s pool and tiger’s den!

A dragon’s pool and tiger’s den involving even more complex struggles!

“Isn’t Your Excellency joking?” Jian Yong was almost startled upon hearing Liu Bei’s speculation.

Throughout history, it’s only been heard of the Son of Heaven being young and controlled by powerful ministers as puppets, but never of someone like Liu Yu, who once served as the Governor of Youzhou and had subordinates to support him, being a puppet.

But Jian Yong believes in Liu Bei’s intuition.

Although this intuition didn’t help him escape Qiao Yan’s trap, it has helped them turn danger into safety several times along the way.

And now, since they have no extra manpower, Liu Bei certainly has no need to joke with Jian Yong.

“I wouldn’t joke about such matters,” Liu Bei responded very seriously. “I didn’t expect the former Governor of Youzhou to become like this today.”

“This might be related to the loss of his eldest son back then, but it’s also certainly related to the fact that in recent years he no longer needs to think about how to decide on political matters, deploy troops, arrange personnel, respond to disasters, etc.”

Qiao Yan has taken care of everything for him!

“He himself hasn’t realized that he has become a symbol of the Chang’an court. People long in Chang’an might have already gotten used to this subtle change, but…”

Jian Yong continued, “But we came from outside, and we know best what someone who could achieve Liu Yu’s political achievements back then should be like.”

Perhaps not necessarily the appearance Liu Bei shows, perhaps a bit more gentle like the elderly Tao Qian, but definitely not the Liu Yu Liu Bei sees today.

Not inquiring about some things doesn’t mean it’s a superior expressing trust in subordinates, it might also be that he has gotten used to delegating that power, so much so that he hasn’t realized that it’s actually his duty.

Liu Bei murmured, “Sometimes I think, should we strip away the concept of gender? If… I mean if someone of my age and gender had done a series of actions like Qiao Yan since taking over as the Governor of Bingzhou in the fourth year of Zhongping to now, what purpose would you think I had?”

He added, “And let’s temporarily forget that our defeat in the Xuzhou battle was all thanks to her.”

Jian Yong pondered for a long time before replying, “I wouldn’t think she just wants to be a powerful minister like Huo Guang, I would think—”

This conclusion is hard to say, even thinking about the label of saving the Han that everyone has engraved on her over the years, Jian Yong was somewhat uncertain when saying this answer.

But in the end, he still said it: “She might want to emulate Wang Mang.”

The March issue of the Leping Monthly Report still reinforces a signal.

Only under Qiao Yan’s command can generals play their roles.

Institutions like Leping Academy are still established in Bingzhou, with no intention of moving to Chang’an.

Under Qiao Yan’s governance, the people have moved from merely surviving to pursuing further development.

The latter three of the four occupations—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—have seen unexpected rises in status under her command.

In short, the soul of the Chang’an court is not Liu Yu, but Qiao Yan!

But this speculation is far more terrifying for the Han Dynasty than the opposition of the two courts!

Even if the courts are opposed, there will always be a time when one side overcomes the other. Even without Qiao Yan’s existence, the pace of conquest wouldn’t be this fast, and there would always be a time when one side’s power inheritance encounters problems, leading to a chain collapse, leaving only one side.

But if the world is unified and no longer belongs to the Liu family… how should it be turned back?

In the exchange of glances between Liu Bei and Jian Yong, they both saw the fear in each other’s eyes regarding this matter.

They are currently defeated captives, and even though they have discovered this silent shadow looming over Chang’an, they are utterly powerless to dispel it.

“Let’s eat first,” Liu Bei could only conclude with such words.

Their residence in Chang’an city was arranged by Qiao Yan through Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu always does things meticulously, and this time is no exception.

The courtyard arranged for Liu Bei is slightly larger than his official position as the Chief of the Imperial Clan, but smaller compared to his former position as the Governor of Xuzhou. The furnishings are comfortable without any overstepping, truly giving a sense of being at home.

Cheng Yu even considered that Liu Bei came without attendants, and it would be unrealistic to expect him to cook a hot meal by himself, so he had Cui Jun from next door prepare an extra portion of his household’s meal for Liu Bei, with Liu Bei to hire his own servants the next day.

But Liu Bei is also well aware that behind this comfort, there are certainly restrictions, such as the fact that the vicinity of this residence is mostly filled with Qiao Yan’s trusted ministers, making any chance of escape impossible.

What can he do now, besides going with the flow, unless he can wait for a turning point.

Seeing that Jian Yong also agreed with his decision to fill his stomach first, Liu Bei pulled out a pair of chopsticks and reached towards the already somewhat cold dishes, but before he could steady the meat on the plate, he suddenly heard a thunderclap in the night sky.

The sudden noise almost made him drop his chopsticks.

He instinctively looked out the window, but the wind blowing in from outside carried not a hint of moisture, not at all like it was about to rain.

“Dry thunder…”

This is not a good omen.

Especially during the dry season.

In this thunder without rain, who is more troubled than Liu Bei?

At least in Chang’an city, there are many who are not pleased with Qiao Yan’s victories in Xuzhou and Yangzhou. Hearing this thunder, they crumpled the newspaper in front of them into a ball and threw it forward.

“She says to release Lu Kang, and the Emperor releases him without charge, only removing him from his position as the Prefect of Lujiang; she says to release Liu Bei, and the Emperor assigns him the position of Chief of the Imperial Clan, waiting for him to atone for his crimes and then directly promote him to one of the Nine Ministers. What, if one day she says she wants to sit on the Emperor’s throne to feel its glory, will the Emperor also hand over the position to her?”

“Your Highness, be cautious with your words,” the person sitting below reminded.

“Cautious, cautious, if even we have to choose to be cautious, then there truly is no one left in the world to curb her actions. Minister Chunyu, the current situation is clear to both of us.”

The candlelight in the room clearly illuminated the speaker’s face, none other than Liu Yang and Chunyu Jia.

Thinking of the official appointment Qiao Yan sent to Chang’an a few days ago, which Liu Yu only made a few inquiries about before letting it pass, Liu Yang’s indignation was evident, “Could it be that even this dry thunder is to echo the drought predicted in the Leping Monthly Report?”

“If another year of natural disaster comes, with her achievements in digging deep wells and underground water channels, she will solidify her position as the savior in the eyes of the Chang’an people!”

After nearly four years, even people in Youzhou might not remember Liu Yu’s contributions, but for the people of Guanzhong, who their benefactor is, they probably wouldn’t give a second answer!

This phenomenon of one person’s success bringing prosperity to all, spreading with the appointment letter to more people, more young people, makes Liu Yang, who thought he was the future second-in-command of the Chang’an court, wish he could tear it apart and replace it with his own people.

But in the vast Chang’an city, how many would listen to him?

Looking around, there are only a handful!

Liu Yang wouldn’t attribute this problem to his own abilities, he even thinks that recommending Yuan Yao to the position of Prefect of Nanyang shows his ability to select and recommend talents.

Clearly, it’s Qiao Yan who is too overbearing, letting those teenagers sit in high positions like Deputy Governor of a province, just to prove the excellence of Leping Academy’s education, so much so that his recommendations haven’t been known by more people, and they haven’t come to serve under him.

And now she is even more domineering, fearing that one day there will be no voice in the Chang’an court other than hers.

Thinking of this possibility, Liu Yang is extremely anxious.

He rushed to Chunyu Jia in a few steps and asked, “Minister Chunyu, I want to ask you a question.”

“Your Highness, please speak.”

Liu Yang said, “Do you think Liu Bei, who was captured and brought to Chang’an, could be of use to us?”

It’s said that the friendship between Liu Bei and Zhang Fei is stronger than that of brothers, can the hatred between brothers be easily forgotten?

Overnight, he went from being a Governor to a subordinate official of the Nine Ministers, the position of “Chief of the Imperial Clan” sounds good but isn’t even as high as “Deputy Chief of the Imperial Clan,” could he really be without any resentment?

So—

Could Liu Bei possibly be Liu Yang’s best helper?