Chapter 361

Chapter 361

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 10: The World in Chaos, the Time for Conquest, Chapter 361: Willing to Relocate?

Shi Xie indeed wants to occupy Jiaozhou, but not a Jiaozhou in turmoil.

Over the years, Shi Xie has come to understand Zhang Jin’s capabilities.

If the Central Plains remain in chaos without a clear victor, Shi Xie wouldn’t mind having a “renowned scholar” like Zhang Jin as the Governor or even the Prefect of Jiaozhou.

However, if the balance of power in the Central Plains begins to shift, potentially leading to reunification within a year, and the chief power in the Chang’an court is not one to overlook border regions—

Then, Zhang Jin’s actions not only conflict with Shi Xie’s interests but also appear particularly foolish.

This fool doesn’t realize his predicament, thinking Jiaozhou is still a place he can manipulate and use its isolation from the Central Plains to his advantage for sneak attacks.

But he is no Qiao Yan, and Liu Biao of Jing Province is not a vastly superior enemy.

In this situation, why should Shi Xie let Zhang Jin hold the position of Governor of Jiaozhou?

With his three brothers holding the positions of Prefects in three commanderies of Jiaozhou, Shi Xie has reached the pinnacle of wealth and power in Jiaozhou and has no need to sink with Zhang Jin.

Shi Xie’s decision was also influenced by Qiao Yan’s attitudes towards Gongsun Du of Youzhou, Ma Teng’s group in Liangzhou, and Wu Yi of Yizhou.

Even if Qiao Yan intends to strip the Shi family of their power when she has the leisure to control Jiaozhou, it won’t be to the extent of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, and there might still be room for cooperative win-win scenarios.

However, the potential for cooperation and the actual benefits at hand are different, causing Shi Xie some hesitation.

Xu Jing is also concerned about this.

Frankly, without Shi Xie’s support and care since arriving in Jiaozhou, Xu Jing wouldn’t have survived. If he doesn’t secure enough benefits for Shi Xie, he would feel guilty.

Xu Jing asked, “Can you accept not having the current absolute authority?”

Shi Xie replied, “Do you think that if Grand Marshal Qiao Yan controls Jiaozhou, she won’t grant us rights beyond the current situation?”

Xu Jing thought and replied, “Perhaps in title, it would be higher, but in actual power, it would decrease—this is common for balancing border regions.”

Shi Xie understands the balance of power, and Xu Jing doesn’t need to elaborate.

Shi Xie also understands the drawbacks of introducing central authority into Jiaozhou.

Xu Jing continued, “Let me just say a few words about the benefits. If the central government intervenes, the trade of Jiaozhou’s rare treasures will expand, reaching from the Central Plains to Funan and Rome, ensuring wealth remains undiminished. Additionally, the civil development of Jiaozhou is a significant challenge, and even if changes are sought, it won’t be an overnight success. Chang’an will rely heavily on you to establish norms, and even if the Prefect position doesn’t go to your family, you will surely be given another appointment.”

“But…” Xu Jing could see Shi Xie’s hesitation about fully committing and said, “There’s no rush to make a decision now.”

“Prefect Shi, why not let the bandits in Jiuzhen Commandery roam freely, recruit people under the pretext of suppressing bandits, and if Zhang Ziyun doesn’t use his gathered subordinates to attack Jing Province but instead turns against you, you can always counterattack.”

“If his forces aim for Jing Province, with your well-trained soldiers and ample supplies, you can cut off his retreat. Moreover—”

Xu Jing paused and said, “Adding flowers to brocade is not as good as sending charcoal in snowy weather.”

After some thought, Shi Xie said, “Thank you for your advice, I understand now.”

If he were to capture Zhang Jin now and hand Jiaozhou to Qiao Yan, it might show his foresight in choosing sides, but it would also make the Jiaozhou people seem too eager towards the Chang’an court, not showing enough value.

Let Zhang Jin make the first move to cause some impact, then the wisdom of the locals will be evident.

He can also observe Qiao Yan’s reaction to Zhang Jin’s actions to further decide whether to fully defect.

Zhang Jin is indeed no match for Liu Biao, but as the first to act, he still has some advantages.

Liu Biao’s constraints in southern Jing Province will also aid Zhang Jin’s northern offensive.

He can delay a few more days, wait until both sides are deadlocked, and then act!

However, Zhang Jin has his “reclaim the land” plan, Shi Xie has his calculations, and Qiao Yan in Chang’an also has her own thoughts.

“Your move of preemptive strike is indeed brilliant,” Cheng Yu originally thought that dealing with people like Wang Yun, Chunyu Jia, and Liu Yang, who lack self-awareness, would be troublesome, but now it seems their presence is beneficial.

Whether they can serve as a contrast to Qiao Yan or not, at least they don’t have the ability to cause trouble for her.

Qiao Yan’s act of pleading guilty upon returning to Chang’an also blocked their path to criticize her for recent events.

Her oversteps might not be obvious to the common people, but as public awareness grows, some will realize that Qiao Yan’s presence in the Chang’an court outweighs that of the Emperor.

But so what?

In this back-and-forth, she has clarified her stance.

Previous actions were either necessary or due to her youth and lack of awareness, but now they have been acknowledged by the Emperor.

Even Emperor Liu Yu sees no fault in these actions, only imposing a one-year salary deduction as punishment, so others can’t use them to bring her down.

“Let’s not talk about this, let’s wait and see what changes this unique provocation will bring. It’s only March, the year is long, and there are still things to arrange,” Qiao Yan said, “I won’t stay in Chang’an for long, no time to waste.”

“I heard Prince Yang is training under your Grand Minister of Agriculture’s subordinate position, no need to pay extra attention. This year’s poor weather is a fact, you and Zhongrao still have much to do.”

Cheng Yu replied, “I understand, according to last year’s arrangements, if the drought continues, we might have to use the underground reservoir in front of the Qinling Mountains. For areas where well irrigation can’t maintain soil moisture, we’ve conducted land surveys and will have them switch to sesame after visits, trading oil for grain. Millet’s drought resistance isn’t bad and can cover most areas.”

“Fortunately, the drought in Yizhou, Jing Province, and Yang Province isn’t as severe as in the north. With you coordinating, maintaining stable grain prices across regions won’t be difficult.”

In contrast, Yuan Shao, whose territories are all in the north, will have a much harder time.

Despite Qiao Yan needing to deploy more troops to various defense lines due to territorial expansion and spending considerable effort on internal pacification, the breadth of her territory also means greater ability to withstand disasters.

“I’ve always trusted Zhongde’s work,” Qiao Yan nodded, “Speaking of Yizhou, how is the situation in southern Yizhou?”

When Yizhou first fell into her hands, it only included the areas where Liu Yan had deep roots, while southern Yizhou remained active with the Nanman.

With Yao Chang, Chu Yan, and others assigned by Qiao Yan, and the balance of power between Yizhou’s local gentry and the new Governor Wu Yi, control began to extend southward.

In October, Fa Zheng, whom Qiao Yan had high hopes for, was sent to Wu Yi’s command to strategize for Yao Chang, who was pacifying rebellions, along with Zhao Ang and Wang Yi from Liangzhou to southern Yizhou, making a decent lineup.

Unfortunately, Qiao Yan was tied up with accommodating refugees from Luoyang and various changes in Xuzhou and Yang Province, leaving little attention for this matter.

Thus, in January, Qiao Yan instructed Yizhou that unless there was a breakthrough against the Nanman or an unsolvable problem, battle reports should first be filed with the Grand Marshal’s office and then forwarded to Cheng Yu for higher instructions.

Cheng Yu clearly understood Qiao Yan’s intentions.

After transferring some Grand Minister of Agriculture duties to Qin Yu, he took over the overall command of Yizhou.

Hearing Qiao Yan’s question, he replied, “In February, a branch of the Nanman clashed with the Protector of the Qiang and Nanman General’s troops. Our mountain warfare advantage is good, and we’ve recruited many local elite soldiers in Yizhou, but with the Ban Shield Barbarians backed by the powerful Yong Kai of Yizhou Commandery and a Yi army supporting them, we’ve reached a stalemate.”

One of Yizhou’s commanderies is also named Yizhou, located in the south-central part of Yizhou, bordering Qianwei Commandery to the north and Zhangqi Commandery to the east, an area Yao Chang and Wu Yi have yet to penetrate deeply.

With the Yi and Ban Shield Barbarians, also known as the Di people, allied and supported by the powerful families of Yizhou Commandery, it’s no surprise our side is at a disadvantage.

The southern Yizhou, inhabited by the Di, Yi, and Qiang, is truly a land of snakes, insects, tigers, and leopards, where even a strong dragon finds it hard to suppress the local snakes.

Qiao Yan rested her chin on her hand, pondering the alliance between Yong Kai and the Yi, feeling it somewhat familiar.

Cheng Yu continued, “Since you don’t intend to invest too many troops in Yizhou, relying on numerical superiority to pacify the Nanman is difficult. The local magnates in northern Yizhou also need enough soldiers to suppress, so in my letter to Yizhou, I wrote that we can only outsmart Li Hu, leader of the Ban Shield Barbarians, and Meng Huo, leader of the southern Yi.”

“In early March, before you returned to Chang’an, news came that Lady Wang, wife of the Prefect of Zhangqi Commandery, and General Yao set an ambush and captured Meng Huo. Fa Zheng is trying to use this to capture Li Hu as well.”

“Fa Zheng wrote in his letter that although they considered the strategy of three captures and releases used against Gongsun Du in Liaodong for these two barbarian leaders, they ultimately abandoned the idea due to terrain limitations. At most, they can use capturing these two to bring out the hidden Yong Kai.”

“With this ringleader in hand, other situations will be easier to manage.”

Seeing Qiao Yan somewhat dazed, Cheng Yu asked, “My Lord?”

Qiao Yan smiled, “It’s nothing, I’m listening. Progress is good, it’s worth placing them in these positions.”

She finally remembered why Yong Kai and the Yi sounded familiar.

Nanman Meng Huo!

The Nanman Meng Huo, recorded in many literary works and even the “Huayang Guozhi,” known for being captured and released seven times!

She couldn’t confirm if he was a real person, only that the Meng surname is prominent among the southern barbarians, but whether Meng Huo was really named Meng Huo and if the seven captures and releases actually happened, that was uncertain.

But now, with Yao Chang and others clashing with the Nanman, they’ve encountered a Yi leader with this name.

I wonder if this counts as some kind of fate.

As for the Ban Shield Barbarians, they’re not without their origins.

Li Hu’s descendant, Li Xiong, established the Cheng Han regime during the Sixteen Kingdoms period, proclaiming himself emperor in Shu.

But now, whether it’s Meng Huo or Li Hu, the Ban Shield Barbarians or the Yi, they won’t have the chance to continue seceding in the southern mountains of Yizhou.

Although the current pacification has only opened a gap in Yizhou and doesn’t mean Yao Chang and others can completely pacify southern Yizhou with this small victory, it will still take years of tug-of-war, but it represents a fact—

Zhao Ang’s position as Prefect of Zhangqi Commandery is secure, no longer at risk of being ousted by Nanman forces.

Additionally, since Cheng Yu mentioned that Zhao Ang’s wife, Wang Yi, contributed to capturing Meng Huo, Qiao Yan now has a legitimate reason to confer an official position on her.

“Write a letter for me to send to Yizhou, to Fa Zheng.”

Seeing Cheng Yu had prepared paper and brush, Qiao Yan said, “Since we’ve found a breakthrough with the Nanman, Fa Zheng’s task—”








The pressure has eased quite a bit. Currently, the relationship between the Governor of Yizhou and us is quite harmonious, so there’s no need for him to engage in any surveillance activities. Therefore, I have an additional task for him to undertake.

Whether Fazheng feels pressured by this new task is something he’ll have to balance. Once Wang Yi’s position is promoted, he’ll indeed have the opportunity to divert his attention.

“Zhangqi County is connected to Yulin and Jiaozhi counties in Jiaozhou. I want Fazheng to send some people to these two places. If Jiaozhou takes any military action, they must immediately send a message via carrier pigeon. Additionally, I want him to enter Jiaozhi from Zhangqi at an appropriate time to contact Shi Xie, the Prefect of Jiaozhi.”

Liu Ba, who has been serving under her, passed the Hongwen Hall selection exam last year and once discussed Shi Xie with Qiao Yan. Shi Xie has supported many renowned scholars from the Central Plains.

Compared to Zhang Jin, who once served under Grand General He Jin and is passionate about promoting Taoism, Shi Xie, the Prefect of Jiaozhi, is much more likely to be won over.

His judgment of the current situation and his steady approach make it possible for Qiao Yan to extend her influence beyond her borders.

Now that Zhao Ang, the Prefect of Zhangqi, has firmly established his position, it’s quite normal for Fazheng to send greetings to their neighbors, right?

It might even have some unexpected effects!

Cheng Yu replied, “I will inform him as soon as possible.”

To send news from Jiaozhou to Chang’an, one route is through Jing Province, another is to send the message to Yang Province first and then have the carrier pigeons return, and the third is through Yizhou.

Compared to the first two routes, passing through Yizhou is more suitable since it’s all under Qiao Yan’s control, and it doesn’t require traversing too far into Jiaozhou, saving time.

Unfortunately, with the changes in Yang Province, Qiao Yan’s use of carrier pigeons has become known. It’s said that Yuan Shao and Cao Cao have also started raising carrier pigeons, and Jiaozhou must have received the news.

Even with merchant caravans as cover, sending new carrier pigeons to Jiaozhou isn’t easy.

Fortunately, there are other ways to communicate, so it’s not a complete failure.

Looking at it this way, the south doesn’t require Qiao Yan’s immediate attention.

Zuo Ci and Yu Ji have already followed her instructions and gone south to Jiaozhou, arriving at Zhang Jin’s territory. They must have already made contact with him.

Liu Biao, the Governor of Jing Province, has started consolidating power in the south after Zhu Jun was transferred.

The progress in conquering the southern barbarians in Yizhou, though not fast, is quite satisfactory. Now, we can spare some attention to keep an eye on Jiaozhou.

Now, we just wait for Zhang Jin to make the first move, and such a move—

Will definitely not escape Qiao Yan’s notice!

With this confidence, Qiao Yan can turn her attention to other matters.

For example, deciding who will accompany her back to Luoyang.

When she apologized to Liu Yu, she mentioned that she planned to transfer Wei Ji’s position to Hongnong County.

Once the number of people Luoyang can accommodate exceeds its capacity, Xun Yu will relocate some of them to nearby Hongnong, where Wei Ji will take over.

Such a relocation would have been difficult when Luoyang was still the capital, but now it’s not a problem.

If anything, Hongnong County is closer to Chang’an and its irrigation conditions are not much worse than Luoyang’s.

Receiving Qiao Yan’s transfer order, Wei Ji naturally had no objections.

Perhaps the only troublesome matter is who will take over Wei Ji’s position as the Right Assistant.

“This matter should be decided by His Majesty,” Qiao Yan replied without hesitation when Wei Ji asked. “The Right Assistant is close to the Son of Heaven, one of the Three Supports. The position is equivalent to a Prefect. If I just apologized and then recommended someone for such a sensitive position, wouldn’t it be like setting up a spy near the Emperor?”

Wei Ji thought this didn’t need to be said so seriously.

But since even Qiao Yan said so, there’s no need for him to make any suggestions.

The current situation seems less favorable for her, requiring caution everywhere. It seems we subordinates should also be cautious in our words and actions.

With this in mind, Wei Ji swallowed another sentence he wanted to say and decided to return home immediately to prepare for the move to Luoyang.

But Qiao Yan is a sharp person, and Wei Ji’s hesitation didn’t escape her notice.

“If you have something to say, just say it. Why be so secretive?”

After some thought, Wei Ji asked, “I want to ask Your Lordship something on behalf of my younger brother.”

Hearing Wei Ji mention his younger brother Wei Zhongdao, Qiao Yan already sensed something. Sure enough, Wei Ji asked, “Does Your Lordship need to approve the marriages of the female officials under your command?”

Wei Zhongdao has finished his studies at Leping Academy. Due to his poor health, he didn’t return to Hedong County but stayed in Chang’an to receive treatment at Chiyang Medical Academy.

Years of treatment have improved his health significantly, and according to Zhang Zhongjing, his congenital deficiency has greatly improved.

So he thought, since his elder brother is here and Qiao Yan has returned from Yang Province, why not take the opportunity to ask his brother to inquire if he can propose to Cai Yong to marry Cai Zhaoji.

Normally, marriage matters only require parental consent and a matchmaker, but Cai Zhaoji’s situation is clearly different.

She holds an important position under Qiao Yan, though not officially high-ranking, her responsibilities with the Leping Monthly Report and publishing are crucial. Wei Zhongdao speculated that if she were to marry, Qiao Yan would need to be informed.

“Zhongdao also asked me to inform Your Lordship that as the second son, he doesn’t need to support the family, so he wouldn’t mind marrying into her family. This way, it wouldn’t interfere with Zhaoji’s official duties. He is skilled in literature and can assist Zhaoji in organizing documents and compiling the monthly report. The Wei family of Hedong has long been loyal to Your Lordship, so there’s no need to worry about his identity causing trouble. Additionally…”

“Enough, no need to say more.” Qiao Yan waved her hand, unable to hold back a laugh.

She never expected someone to propose marriage to her. She didn’t know whether to say Wei Zhongdao and his brother are particularly perceptive or that her authority among her subordinates has grown so much over the years that it led to this result.

But still…

“I don’t play matchmaker. If he wants to propose to Zhaoji, he should do it himself. No need to tell Zhaoji he already sought my opinion.”

Otherwise, it might influence Zhaoji’s decision.

Let the young people handle their own affairs.

Historically, Zhaoji and Wei Zhongdao were separated by his early death. Now, both are nearing their twenties. If they are truly compatible, Qiao Yan has no reason to stop them.

Wei Zhongdao even proposed marrying into her family, which wouldn’t affect Zhaoji’s official career, undoubtedly good news.

Qiao Yan doesn’t insist her subordinates can’t marry. For example, Wang Yi, who just made military achievements in Yizhou, is Zhao Ang’s wife. But someone making changes and setting an example provides another option.

Seeing Wei Ji still standing there, Qiao Yan asked, “Why are you still here? Does he expect me to propose for him?”

“Of course not!” Wei Ji quickly replied. “Whether the proposal succeeds or not, I thank Your Lordship on behalf of Zhongdao.”

They say an elder brother is like a father, but this elder brother has it tough.

But as he left Qiao Yan’s study, Wei Ji couldn’t help but smile.

If he hadn’t decided to meet Qiao Yan back then, Zhongdao’s illness might have led to his death, and he wouldn’t have met his perfect match. The Wei family of Hedong wouldn’t have reached this point.

He made the right decision back then.

After informing Zhongdao, he will set off for Luoyang!

“Luoyang?”

In a small house in Hanzhong, a young man with a scar on his face suddenly heard this decision and looked up in surprise at the couple sitting across from him.

Since the eighth month of Guangxi Year 3, when he changed from Liu Xie to Wang An, from the puppet Emperor of Han to the son of a woodcutter, his life, though poor, has been much more comfortable than the fearful days of his early years.

For Liu Xie, the days in Chang’an under Dong Zhuo’s control are already a distant memory, let alone the memories of Luoyang before Zhongping Year 6.

But now, this place name reappeared before him, in an utterly unexpected manner.

Hearing his foster father mention the intention to move to Luoyang, he even felt a surge of fear, mixed with a sense of unfamiliarity towards Luoyang.

He maintained his composure, continuing to pick up food, and asked his foster father, “Why the decision to move to Luoyang?”

Aren’t they doing well in Hanzhong?

The shipyard in Hanzhong, though most of its personnel have been transferred to Hailing, still sells firewood and mountain goods well due to Hanzhong’s development.

Living in the mountains, Liu Xie rarely interacts with people outside, and even if he does, no one would connect this scarred young man with the former Emperor of Chang’an.

But in Luoyang, it’s different!

Luoyang has hundreds of thousands of residents. Even if they blend into the crowd, there’s always a chance of encountering someone who recognizes him.

And Liu Xie doesn’t want to face that outcome.

This not only means the peaceful life he enjoys now will be shattered but also…

It means Liu Yu, who he thinks is doing a great job as Emperor, will face a dilemma.

No, it should be said, if he returns, it won’t be good news for him, Liu Yu, or even Qiao Yan, who supported Liu Yu’s ascension to the throne!

Who will sit on the throne then?

Liu Xie doesn’t think he needs to be the Emperor.

The messages from his foster father over the years and what he’s seen in Hanzhong all signal one thing—

The current Emperor is doing well, and the Grand Marshal supporting the Emperor is also doing well!

There’s no need for his existence to cause trouble for these people.

But his foster father, unaware of his identity, probably can’t understand his current turmoil.

He seemed to think his foster son’s question was about their plans and replied, “We’ve saved some money over the years thanks to Hanzhong’s development, and the Grand Marshal has reduced the cost of book printing. I thought it would be enough for you to study. But studying is better done in Chang’an or Luoyang, or even Bingzhou. But you said you don’t like Chang’an, and Bingzhou is too far, so Luoyang seems the best option.”

“I planned to save more for expenses, but there’s news from Luoyang that due to disaster capacity, the number of people entering Luoyang will be limited. If we wait too long, we might not be able to stay there.”

As soon as his foster father finished speaking, Liu Xie saw his foster mother looking around the house and adding, “We don’t have much to begin with. If we decide to go, it’s easier to leave early. If, as you say, those arriving later will be relocated, we should set off as soon as possible.”

The next moment, both their gazes fell on Liu Xie.

He clearly knew they were looking at him to convey that since this is for his education, he should make the decision himself. But facing their gaze, Liu Xie felt his hands holding the bowl and chopsticks turn cold.

The reasons his foster parents gave were utterly convincing, especially the part about Luoyang limiting numbers, making it seem like every word was filled with concern for him.

Yet, this very concern was so heavy it terrified him.

“Xiao An…” His foster mother noticed the momentary change in his expression and gently asked, “Don’t you want to go to Luoyang?”