Chapter 358

Chapter 358

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 10: The World in Chaos, the Time of the Deer Hunt Chapter 358: The Spring Drought Has Arrived

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Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 358: The Spring Drought Has Arrived

Is Han Xin considered a Han minister?

Even the death of Han Xin is surrounded by controversy over whether he actually rebelled or not. Cao Cao’s question is quite intriguing.

According to the records left in the Han Dynasty’s government storehouse and the records of the Grand Historian, it is already a settled fact that Han Xin had the intention to rebel.

Whether there were actual acts of rebellion, or whether his planned methods of action could be executed, is beside the point. One thing is clear:

Han Xin still held onto the Warring States-era belief of carving out territory and becoming a king, thinking that his achievements entitled him to sit on the throne as the King of Qi.

He wanted to be a king of a different surname!

This ultimately led to the rift between him and the Han court.

What Cao Cao is really asking is whether Qiao Yan has any overreaching ambitions, or whether, having already achieved more than half of the world’s conquests, she intends to follow in Han Xin’s footsteps and demand a kingship.

She should not have such thoughts.

In the records of the Han Dynasty, Han Xin is a rebel who failed in his attempt, ending with his clan being exterminated and informers being rewarded with two thousand households. The Han Dynasty’s restriction that only those of the Liu surname could be kings was formally established with the White Horse Covenant, as the various kings of the early Han were demoted to marquises or executed.

Except during Empress Lü’s reign of terror, Wang Mang’s usurpation, and the restoration under Emperor Guangwu, the White Horse Covenant was strictly adhered to.

So, will it be torn apart under Qiao Yan’s rule?

After asking this question, Cao Cao carefully observed Qiao Yan’s expression but found no signs of anything unusual.

She seemed to be merely tasting the wine in front of her, wondering if the flavor had been altered during transportation, and then replied, “Is it just a matter of ‘the more, the better’ that makes Cao Yanzhou dwell on its origins and drag me into whether I am emulating Han Xin?”

“No wonder Gongsun Zan was sent to Chang’an after his death last year. I merely reported my subordinates’ achievements truthfully, and now I’m being questioned about whether I fabricated them.”

“In this matter, Cao Yanzhou and Minister Wang seem to have some common ground. Why not go to Chang’an and have a chat with him? He might be more suitable as your drinking companion.”

Cao Cao laughed, “I’m just interested in the historical records and wanted to take this opportunity to ask a few questions. There’s no need to bring up surrender in every matter.”

Qiao Yan’s evasive answer was exactly what Cao Cao expected.

If she had directly said something like “Han Xin was a traitor and cannot be considered a Han minister, I have no intention of emulating him” or “The Grand Marshal is already at the pinnacle of power, there’s no need to take another step forward and ruin her reputation,” not only would it have shown weakness in front of Cao Cao, but even if she had said it, Cao Cao might not have believed her conclusion.

Instead, her diversion from Han Xin to the topic of surrender was exactly the kind of thing the Grand Marshal should say.

She even followed up with, “But Cao Yanzhou is joking. When did I ever say I must persuade you to surrender? Conquering Yanzhou and Yuzhou, leaving you with no place to stand, and then sending you to Chang’an is also a way for you to meet Minister Wang.”

This calmly spoken sentence carried an undeniable sense of battle intent.

When Chen Gong went to Ye City to explain the reason for Cao Cao’s meeting with Qiao Yan, he mentioned that Yanzhou needed to show a strong enough attitude to ensure it wouldn’t become the first target of Qiao Yan’s attack, following in Xuzhou’s footsteps. But from the current situation, Cao Cao hasn’t shown a strong enough attitude, while Qiao Yan has already taken the lead in displaying an aggressive stance.

But if Cao Cao were to lose his composure over her challenge, he wouldn’t be Cao Cao.

He retorted, “As Qiao Bingzhou said earlier, this year there are signs of natural disasters. Luoyang intends to gather refugees from all over. If war breaks out between Sili and Yanzhou, wouldn’t that go against the goal of saving lives?”

If she truly had the intention to gather as many refugees as possible, she would never have the opportunity to win battles and escort people back to Chang’an.

The principle of trade-offs doesn’t change because of Qiao Yan’s aggressive actions; it’s an objective truth.

Cao Cao had to admit that Qiao Yan’s troops were elite, allowing her to defend all fronts, but that didn’t mean her resources could sustain such high consumption during offensive and defensive changes.

So this not only goes against the goal of “saving lives,” but it’s also something she genuinely can’t achieve.

But upon hearing Cao Cao’s objective judgment, she just shook her head and replied, “You’re not entirely correct. If I want my soldiers to have meat and vegetables, excellent weapons, and medical supplies on hand, ensuring a victorious invasion of enemy territory, then indeed, it’s not enough.”

“Not just this year, but even after several years of accumulation, it might still not be enough.”

“But the methods of warfare are constantly evolving. A few years ago, I used crossbows to defeat enemies in Liangzhou, and within a year or so, Yuan Shao and you, Cao Mengde, had developed similar capabilities. Now, I’ve introduced something new in Yangzhou, and even I can’t guarantee that you won’t gain something from it.”

When she mentioned Yangzhou, Cao Cao was momentarily confused.

It seemed there were changes there that he wasn’t aware of, but Qiao Yan clearly had no intention of enlightening him at the moment and continued, “Time waits for no one. If sacrificing the small for the greater good is necessary, I won’t hesitate.”

“The world is vast. If it’s divided in two, neither side can claim to be the master of the world. The resources to supply the army and court must come from half the land. Even with the intention to reduce taxes, one must not exhaust oneself to aid the enemy. If some sacrifices can bring peace to the land, free from internal and external troubles, allowing the people to enjoy long-lasting peace and prosperity, why wouldn’t I do it?”

This statement wasn’t wrong.

Although it somewhat contradicts Qiao Yan’s strategies over the past few years, if Cao Cao were in her position, he might also be willing to sacrifice a few for a long-term advantageous outcome.

In Qiao Yan’s determined gaze, he also saw an unyielding confrontational attitude.

No friendship could hinder her plans to march east.

No one could make her show weakness.

Cao Cao knew there was no need to bring up any other arguments.

After a brief exchange about the timing and the experience of nurturing the people, he ended the conversation at Hulao Pass.

However, as Qiao Yan was about to leave, Cao Cao didn’t rush to stand up. Instead, he remained seated, holding his wine cup, and said to Qiao Yan, “Yan Shu, I want to ask you again, do you still consider yourself a Han minister?”

This change in address, compared to the earlier reference to Han Xin, felt more like a question between friends.

Qiao Yan’s campaigns over the past few years, in some people’s eyes, were her doing her utmost in a time when the Han court was weak and isolated. But in others’ eyes, there was inevitably the suspicion of overreaching.

The people might be grateful for the benefits she bestowed…








She is considered the foremost loyal minister and good general in the world, as well as a good official who works for the livelihood of the people. However, when placed in front of those who are also playing the political game on the same stage, many of her actions are bound to be picked apart and criticized.

The fact that she had to act first and report later, without having time to seek the Son of Heaven’s approval during the pacification of the various provinces, might be one reason, but it is not a reason that can convince everyone.

These accumulated grievances and doubts will eventually explode under a specific trigger, making it difficult for her, even with political intelligence far surpassing that of Han Xin, to avoid becoming a target of清算 like him.

At that time, will Qiao Yan follow the old path of Han Xin, where “the cunning rabbit dies and the hunting dog is cooked,” or will she choose to rise against the wind, completely breaking away from the Han Dynasty and embarking on a path of no return just to save her own life?

Qiao Yan’s footsteps paused for a moment.

Contrary to the answer she had just given, she said, “In the past, my grandfather, because of my intelligence, warned me that in a chaotic world, seeking personal gain is human nature, but if the Han Dynasty does not fail me, I must never do anything to harm it. This has not changed in ten years.”

“If Brother Mengde asks me as a friend, then I can only say—”

“I hope so.”

She hopes she is a Han minister.

But what if someone forces her to face Han Xin’s fate?

This answer was not spoken by Qiao Yan.

Cao Cao also couldn’t judge it based on the situation at that time.

Liu Yu, the Son of Heaven, resided in Chang’an for a long time, rarely seen by outsiders, and it was even more impossible for Cao Cao, the Governor of Yanzhou in the Ye court, to meet him.

He was not like Liu Bei, who was currently in Chang’an, clearly feeling the dilemma and internal strife Liu Yu was facing, nor could he know that Wang Yun, whom Qiao Yan had mentioned, was not only deeply dissatisfied with her subordinates’ military achievements but had also secretly contacted Liu Yang, becoming increasingly obsessed with eliminating Qiao Yan.

He only became more clearly aware of one fact as he watched Qiao Yan’s departing figure.

The meeting in Luoyang during the fourth year of Zhongping had already become a thing of the past.

He felt a moment of melancholy before regaining his spirits and riding back east.

As soon as he reached his subordinates, he saw Cao Chun let out a long sigh of relief.

Clearly, even with both sides ready to support at any moment, Cao Chun was still worried that Qiao Yan, with few opponents left, might choose to directly attack Cao Cao.

“After all, the Prefect and the Grand Marshal are opponents. If she were to capture the leader first and then launch a large-scale attack while Yanzhou is leaderless, even if it causes some criticism, it would be a necessary act to restore the world,” Cao Chun said as he escorted Cao Cao back to his carriage. “If there is another such invitation in the future, the Prefect should be more cautious.”

“There won’t be a next time,” Cao Cao replied. “The next time we meet, it will be on the battlefield.”

From Qiao Yan’s abandonment of any attempt to persuade him to surrender, her silence about Cao Pi during this meeting, and her unyielding stance on the treatment of refugees entering Luoyang, Cao Cao could easily determine that unless he chose to side with Qiao Yan now, bringing Yanzhou and Yu Province under the rule of the Chang’an court, they would only have one outcome: war.

As Qiao Yan said, a long pain is worse than a short pain. This process of unification won’t be delayed by her for too long.

However, the answer she gave about the future of the Han Dynasty during this meeting did not satisfy Cao Cao.

Without experiencing the difficulty of holding the Son of Heaven in his hands and the true power of ruling the world as in history, the 400-year-old perception of the Han Dynasty still rooted in his mind made him feel puzzled about Qiao Yan’s current actions and her possible choices.

But what surprised Cao Cao was that shortly after returning to Dong Commandery in Yanzhou, he received a letter from the direction of Hulao Pass in Chenggao.

The letter was written by none other than Qiao Yan herself.

In the letter, she wrote that Luoyang was no longer the capital and indeed should not be overly populated. She would limit the number of people entering Luoyang from the end of the month to May or June, and how many people Cao Cao could keep would depend on his ability.

Cao Cao held the letter and pondered for a long time.

The problem of Luoyang being overburdened with people and prone to chaos showed no signs of being noticed by Cao Cao in the face of Qiao Yan’s strong stance during the Hulao Pass meeting.

The day after that meeting, he learned from Guo Tu, who was returning from Yang Province to Ye City via Yanzhou, about the bombing of the small building by the river. This made it clear that Qiao Yan’s weapon reform was indeed real.

This didn’t seem like a concession due to Qiao Yan’s lack of ability, but perhaps because—

“Does the Prefect think that Qiao Yeshu, influenced by your reminder, decided to slightly restrain her actions in Luoyang, hence this letter?”

Chen Gong, who had just returned from Ye City, was called by Cao Cao to inquire about this matter. He looked at Cao Cao’s expression and asked.

Cao Cao asked in return, “In Gongtai’s opinion, is there such a possibility?”

A question from an opponent and a concern from a friend, could these have prompted Qiao Yan to slightly restrain her originally aggressive attitude towards Luoyang?

Perhaps Cao Cao’s words also reminded her of her late grandfather. After all, Qiao Xuan’s last wish was to be buried at the border, ensuring the stability of the Han Dynasty’s frontier.

In the face of this legacy, her current overstepping actions being slightly restrained doesn’t seem unexplainable.

Chen Gong thought for a moment and replied, “Then we’ll have to see what her next move is.”

If this was just a deception to confuse Cao Cao’s judgment, some signs would surely appear in her next actions.

But a few days later, the news Cao Cao and Chen Gong received was—

After conducting an inspection tour in Luoyang, Qiao Yan returned to Chang’an.

Whether it was to personally report the war situation in Xu and Yang Provinces to Liu Yu or because she had indeed been away from Chang’an for too long, the result before them was the same.

The Grand Marshal has returned to the capital.

“Perhaps, this is indeed her concession to you?” Chen Gong was also a bit puzzled by Qiao Yan’s intentions.

But whether she was awakened by Cao Cao’s warning or not, another reality was already before them, leaving them no time to consider whether there were any other hidden meanings in Qiao Yan’s actions.

The spring drought had arrived.

With two provinces under his control, Cao Cao had no opportunity to be distracted if he wanted to keep the people in his territory!

In the face of this relentless weather, no one received special treatment.

They could only fight with all their might for a way out!

As Qiao Yan’s convoy entered the Chang’an region, they saw the Wei River estuary in front of Tong Pass, one of the natural barriers, flowing at a speed several times slower than last year.

At the end of this month, there was no joy of spring’s prosperity, only the struggling breath of this declining dynasty she was supporting, swallowing hard once again.