Chapter 360

Chapter 360

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 10: The World in Chaos, The Time of the Hunt Chapter 360: Troops Rise in Jiaozhou

Belonging to the book:


Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 360: Troops Rise in Jiaozhou

However, perhaps Zuo Ci still lacks some understanding of the land of Jiaozhou.

This really can’t be blamed on Zuo Ci’s ignorance.

After all, separated by the southern part of Yang Province, which is still considered uncivilized, Jiaozhou is too far from his original location.

He doesn’t really have the ability to see far like a god, to see what the place of Jiaozhou really looks like.

But when he arrived in Jiaozhou, he saw with his own eyes this strange and unfamiliar land.

He thought that the Shanyue in Yang Province were relatively barbaric, but compared to the truly wild Jiaozhou, Yang Province’s situation is still normal.

In Jiaozhou, except for the county and prefecture seats where formal marriage rules exist, other places gather in August to find suitable partners, and parents’ objections are useless.

It’s still March, not yet August, but besides this gathering scene, there are also those who find each other on the road and go together.

“The Nanhai Commandery is relatively better, as it’s not too far from Yang Province,” said the guide invited by Yu Ji. “Going southwest from Nanhai Commandery, you reach Jiaozhi Commandery, Jiuzhen Commandery, and other more remote places, where brother succeeds brother, and father succeeds son is common. Further south is Rinan Commandery, where it’s hot all year round, and people often walk around naked, with no inhibitions.”

Zuo Ci muttered in his heart, this place is somewhat similar to the situation outside the Great Wall.

He previously told Yu Ji confidently that this place is a land of harsh mountains and bad waters, needing their enlightenment. Now he can’t help but feel that if the people here are not much different from insects and beasts, it might not be so easy to enlighten them.

But as he thought before, in such places, the people’s understanding is not the main issue; the important thing is the local officials.

The treacherous terrain and the harsh conditions of snakes and miasma make it difficult for the local county and prefecture officials to be considered by the court, leading to the continuous growth of local family power.

The taxes from Jiaozhou are also hard to send to the Central Plains, so the pearls, ivory, rhinoceros horns, and tortoiseshells paid by the local people, along with the income from the fields, are directly sent to the prefecture and county offices, becoming the private property of the local officials.

This guide, who had once been helped by Yu Ji, dared to speak more boldly.

As he led them onto the carriage heading to Panyu in Nanhai, he said, “The officials in Zhuya are the most baffling. Besides collecting coral and pearls from the locals, they cut off the locals’ beautiful hair to make wigs. You two Taoist masters should avoid going there if possible. Zhuya is independent overseas and doesn’t listen much to Governor Zhang.”

“…” Zuo Ci and Yu Ji looked at each other, both seeing the astonishment in each other’s eyes.

Cutting off someone’s hair to make a wig is something that would never happen in the Central Plains.

What made them even more speechless was that the guide reminded them not to go there out of curiosity, lest they also be captured and become victims, obviously thinking they would also suffer if they went there.

Indeed.

These Taoist practitioners, to make their image more convincing, do have a decent appearance.

Especially to show they have the ability to prolong life, they all have hair no less black than that of young people.

Looking at it this way, Zhuya is really not a place to go.

Zuo Ci thought this was the limit, but then he heard the guide say, “Besides the fierce folk customs in Rinan, Jiuzhen, and Jiaozhi, the conflicts between the local people and officials are also the greatest. It’s better not to go there if possible. The former Rinan Prefect killed the Registrar due to insufficient supplies, and the people rose up. The Jiuzhen Prefect held a banquet for his father-in-law, and the Registrar forced the Prefect’s father-in-law to dance after drinking. The Prefect got angry and killed the Registrar, and then the Registrar’s brother shot the Prefect, and now he is confronting the Jiaozhi Prefect.”

“…” Zuo Ci was silent for a moment, unable to decide whether it was more terrifying to return to Yang Province and face Qiao Yan as an enemy or to stay in Jiaozhou and experience the absurd behavior here.

He couldn’t come up with an answer for a while.

Yu Ji was a bit more optimistic and asked, “Then in the area under the Governor’s jurisdiction, the situation should be better?”

At least there shouldn’t be any cannibalism, right?

The guide said, “You’ll see for yourselves. I can only say that for you two, it might still be a good place.”

In the four commanderies of Nanhai, Cangwu, Hepu, and Yulin in Jiaozhou, Governor Zhang Jin’s power is relatively large, sharing half with the local Shi family.

With the higher officials’ constraints, the people’s customs are much better than in Zhuya and other places.

But if this higher official has some personal hobbies, it’s not a good thing.

Before Zuo Ci and Yu Ji arrived in Panyu, they saw soldiers with red headbands walking on the road, very conspicuous. As they passed by, they could hear these people reciting the “Five Thousand Words of Laozi.”

When they reached the prefecture seat of Panyu, the Taoist scriptures along the road and the religious attire of the people became even more prominent.

But for some reason, even though these people could be considered fellow travelers, Zuo Ci felt an indescribable discomfort.

When Governor Zhang Jin of Jiaozhou came before him, this sense of incongruity finally reached its peak.

Is he hospitable? Of course!

As soon as he heard of Zuo Ci and Yu Ji’s arrival, Zhang Jin even rushed out without properly wearing his shoes and socks.

Zuo Ci avoided quickly, and Zhang Jin grabbed Yu Ji’s hand, exclaiming, “I have long heard of the Immortal Master’s widespread aid to the people in Yang Province, using holy water to cure diseases, which is truly a Taoist treasure, unlike Zhang Jiao’s holy water. Seeing the Immortal Master’s demeanor today, it is indeed extraordinary.”

Under Zhang Jin’s enthusiastic invitation, Yu Ji and Zuo Ci came to Zhang Jin’s guesthouse, where the somewhat “unprofessional” Governor Zhang hosted a welcome banquet to show his respect for them.

Then they saw the equally absurd scenes as in other commanderies of Jiaozhou.

Originally, Zuo Ci was puzzled why Qiao Yan insisted they meet Zhang Jin.

Even if Zhang Jin is somewhat obsessed with Taoism, their arrival might gradually gain influence with Zhang Jin, but this is still filled with uncertainty.

After arriving in Jiaozhou, he could completely ignore Qiao Yan’s potential threats and just enjoy himself in this isolated place.

But during the banquet, Zuo Ci realized that their existence might not interfere with Zhang Jin’s decisions, which might not be important to Qiao Yan. What she wanted was just the symbolic event of Taoist masters hearing of Zhang Jin’s actions in Jiaozhou and coming to join him!

The officials in Jiaozhou, even Zhang Jin from the culturally prosperous Nanyang, have become unrestrained due to the distorted officialdom here.

In the guide’s words, the Jiuzhen Prefect Dan Meng killed the Registrar for inviting his father-in-law to dance. Before them, Governor Zhang Jin of Jiaozhou also showed his unrestrained side after drinking.

He shook his wine cup and said to Zuo Ci and Yu Ji below, “I originally thought it would take years of cultivating morality to make progress, but in just a few years, two masters have come to me. It’s like the phoenix perching on the paulownia tree.”

“The Central Plains are in chaos, only Jiaozhou is remote, accumulating assets, expanding troops, and constrained by Taoism, gradually forming rules. If not for your arrival, I would have waited a few more years to establish order. Now it seems we can do it earlier, let’s drink to that!”

Establish order?

Zuo Ci’s face showed no change, but his heart was full of questions.

From what he saw along the way, perhaps due to the climate, Jiaozhou can have two or three harvests a year, with frequent yields, but the per-acre yield is not as good as Yang Province after the promotion of the curved plow, let alone the Sili and Bingzhou regions reported in the Leping Monthly Report.

The specialties of Jiaozhou are indeed rare in the Central Plains.








In the absence of trade with the Central Plains, rare treasures remain rare and have not been exchanged for equivalent food and weapons.

As for the soldiers bound by the rules of morality and classics!

Perhaps in terms of physical strength, they are not much inferior to the elite soldiers of Danyang due to their daily habits. However, even Zuo Ci, a Taoist who frequents the regions of Xu, Yang, and Jing, knows that relying solely on this is not enough to achieve victory in battle. Otherwise, the Shanyue would have already occupied the entire Yang Province, and they wouldn’t have been first suppressed by Sun Ce in multiple places and now choosing to surrender under Qiao Yan’s blockade.

But obviously, Governor Zhang, who has lived in his own cognition for a long time, will not understand this.

He continued with the joy of wine and the pleasure of welcoming guests: “The south of Jing Province is mostly troubled by bandits, and Liu Biao cannot pacify them. Since we have the strength in Jiaozhou, why not take over and pacify them, which will also enhance the prestige of Jiaozhou. I have heard that Mr. Wu Jiao is skilled in divination. I wonder if he would be willing to cast a divination for me to see when is the auspicious time to march?”

Zhang Jin has looked down on Liu Biao for a long time.

When Liu Biao took advantage of the chaos in Jing Province to seize the position of Governor, Zhang Jin was in Luoyang.

Being originally from Nanyang, Jing Province, although he could not become the Governor of Jing Province according to the laws of the Han Dynasty, he still tentatively submitted a response.

He thought what he wrote was quite outstanding, and even if he couldn’t become the Governor of Jing Province, he could still gain the Emperor’s appreciation, or His Majesty might entrust him with the task of pacifying the south of Jing Province, given the troubles in Lingling and Guiyang.

Who knew that in the end, Liu Biao took the opportunity.

Although he became the Governor of Jiaozhou at the end of the Zhongping era, holding significant power and conveniently avoiding the turmoil in the capital region, the unpleasantness of that time is still not something Zhang Jin can easily forget.

Now that his power in Jiaozhou is growing, and Liu Biao has been unable to effectively contain the forces in the south of Jing Province due to obstacles from Changsha, why not let him take over the governance of this place!

Moreover, Zhang Jin’s friendship with Yuan Shao and his past ties with Grand General He Jin mean that even if he hasn’t explicitly stated his stance, he naturally aligns with the court in Ye City.

If he could unexpectedly seize Jing Province, connect with Cao Cao in Yu Province, and after cutting off Chang’an’s support to the south, return Xuzhou and Yang Province to the court in Ye City, Zhang Jin would become the number one hero who lurked for years and then made a great contribution!

At that time, his status would be more than just the Governor of Jiaozhou.

Yuan Shao in Ye City should give him a high position like General of the Chariots and Cavalry or General of the Swift Cavalry.

Taoist classics obviously did not cultivate any sense of tranquility and inaction in Zhang Jin; they were merely tools for him to control his subordinates. As for Zuo Ci and Yu Ji, they were just gimmicks to add to his military campaign.

His desire for power has never been small.

But—

He considers himself the only smart person, but others are not really that foolish.

Zuo Ci looked at the fine wine and delicacies in front of him and then at Zhang Jin sitting at the head, full of ambition, and suddenly understood.

The moment Zhang Jin mentioned the plan to attack Jing Province, Zuo Ci fully realized why Qiao Yan had driven him and Yu Ji from Yang Province to this place!

She wasn’t trying to influence Zhang Jin’s actions through them to make him join her.

Instead, she wanted their existence as “immortal masters” to ignite the desire for conquest in Jiaozhou, prompting Zhang Jin to take a step further and trigger a confrontation between Jing Province and Jiaozhou in the south!

This move was not only subtle but also extremely clever.

Zuo Ci hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should fulfill Qiao Yan’s plan after experiencing her intimidation.

But even he had to admit that if he had to choose between Yuan Shao and Qiao Yan as the one who could pacify the world, it would never be the former as long as the latter existed.

So why should he go against the heavens?

He replied to Zhang Jin: “Governor Zhang’s reputation is far-reaching, not just limited to Jiaozhou. The same is true for Yang Province in the north, and Jing Province is no exception. If you march, you will surely gain something. If you allow, tomorrow I will divine the heavenly secrets for you, as a return for your hospitality.”

Zhang Jin was delighted: “Then I will trouble Mr. Wu Jiao.”

Thinking of Zuo Ci’s past teasing of Liu Biao and his current cooperation with him, this differential treatment seemed like another good omen.

The next day, Zuo Ci’s response made Zhang Jin even more comfortable.

Zuo Ci divined that the fourth month had a day of heavenly punishment and black path, suitable for出兵讨贼, and the heavenly punishment belonged to fire, benefiting the Han, which was the time for Zhang Jin to establish his merits.

The fourth month!

That’s even less than a month away.

Zhang Jin felt that if he delayed any longer, given Qiao Yan’s rapid advances in Xu and Yang Provinces, she might soon target Yu Province, completely severing his connection with the northern court.

If that happened, he wouldn’t be able to turn the tide!

It was time to act early.

In the fourth month, Qiao Yan and Liu Biao would have already shifted their attention from the south to the northern confrontations, which was precisely the time for him to make a surprise move.

Thinking this, Zhang Jin quickly mobilized the elite soldiers from the four counties under his command to participate in pre-battle training activities, ensuring a decisive effect in the subsequent northern campaign.

In modern terms, Zhang Jin’s actions might be considered a form of unique military culture building.

But his troop movements, while difficult for Liu Biao to detect due to the difficulty of information transmission from Jiaozhou to the Central Plains, could not escape the eyes of the locals in Jiaozhou.

Especially the Shi family.

Shi Xie, the leader, was indeed still dealing with the mess left by the Prefect of Jiuzhen, fighting against local rebel forces.

But it should be noted that the Prefect of Nanhai at this time was Shi Xie’s brother Shi Wu, and the Prefect of Hepu was another brother Shi Yi. These two counties had the most troops mobilized by Zhang Jin!

Zhang Jin’s usual preaching activities also involved troop movements, but never on such a large scale as this time.

Such actions naturally alerted the Shi brothers, who immediately reported the news to their elder brother.

“What does Zhang Ziyun mean by this?” Shi Xie’s face darkened upon receiving the news.

If Zhang Jin had been content with being the Governor of Jiaozhou and engaging in civil education, they could have coexisted peacefully, as Zhang Jin’s abilities were not enough to affect the Shi family’s status in Jiaozhou.

But his current actions clearly had ulterior motives.

Xu Jing, who had taken refuge in Shi Xie’s place from Yang Province and stayed to advise Shi Xie after sending Liu Ba away, replied to Shi Xie’s question: “Zhang Ziyun should not be so foolish as to gather troops to attack local powerful families. The only possibility is that he is planning to march north to Jing Province.”

“North to… Jing Province?” Shi Xie pondered, considering Zhang Jin’s behavior, and it seemed plausible.

If Zhang Jin had the courage to extend his hand to them after a few years in Jiaozhou, it was impossible!

But the move to Jing Province, while not disrupting the internal structure of Jiaozhou, would still have a significant impact on Jiaozhou.

He put down the letter, thought for a long time, and suddenly said to Xu Jing: “Last year, when Liu Zichu went north, I asked you a question about the prospects of the Grand Marshal who was concerned about Zichu’s entry into the court. You told me—before the autumn harvest, if Guanzhong remains stable, the Grand Marshal’s future is limitless. Now it is the spring of the following year, and we in Jiaozhou have seen the changes of this year clearly…”

“Then let me ask you again, if Zhang Ziyun really plans to march north to Jing Province, and we take his life from behind as a gift to Chang’an, can it secure the future of our Shi family?”

If Zhang Jin were to march north to Jing Province, it would mean going to war with Qiao Yan.

Shi Xie originally thought that the conflict between Chang’an and Ye City had little to do with him, but now he had to be wary.

Whether the war in Jing Province would spill over into Jiaozhou or not, he would never let Zhang Jin ruin his peaceful days!