Chapter 365

Chapter 365

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 10: The World in Chaos, the Time of the Hunt, Chapter 365: Celestial Signs Change

Book: Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 365: Celestial Signs Change

How much does it weigh?

Among these ten elephants, the tallest one stands at one and a half zhang. Guo Jia roughly estimates that it must weigh as much as twenty or thirty people.

“Even if you think these ten mounts are not enough to distribute among your generals, you don’t have to butcher them for meat, do you?” Guo Jia looks up at one of the elephants with a hint of regret. “I’ve heard that the meat of these thick-skinned creatures is much tougher than ordinary firewood, probably not very tasty. You should think twice, my lord…”

“Guo Fengxiao!” Qiao Yan, finding it both amusing and exasperating, quickly interrupts him.

She finally understands why Guo Jia was lured to Leping by Xi Zhicai all those years ago.

Even after eight years, his way of thinking hasn’t changed a bit.

“Who told you I was going to butcher these elephants?” Qiao Yan says helplessly. “I was just asking you, given the weight of these elephants, there’s obviously no scale that can measure them. How should we go about determining their weight?”

Guo Jia, fan in hand, chuckles. “This question, my lord, seems more suited for the April issue of the Leping Monthly Report.”

When the report is published, it will be the perfect propaganda tool.

Whether she wants to promote the Grand Marshal’s emphasis on mathematics, the special elephant troops under her command, or the surprisingly swift pacification of Jing Province and the subsequent submission of Jiaozhou to the Chang’an court—

That’s up to individual interpretation.

For Qiao Yan, this might lean more towards an assessment of her subordinates and students. But for Yuan Shao…

Well, calculating the interest on grain repayment and the weight of an elephant might be equally challenging for him.

He can’t solve either.

But when Qiao Yan actually follows Guo Jia’s suggestion and records the elephant-weighing incident in the “Strange Tales” section of the Leping Monthly Report, which is then printed and distributed in the April issue, Yuan Shao’s biggest blow comes from the developments in the Jing and Jiao Provinces.

Zhang Jin, the Governor of Jiaozhou, marched north to Jing Province without prior agreement with Yuan Shao. By the time the battle ended, Zhang Jin was still stuck south of the boundary between Guiyang and Lingling counties.

Not only was Yuan Shao unable to provide effective support from his position, but even if he had spies everywhere, he wouldn’t have expected such a sudden turn of events in southern Jing Province, an area even Liu Biao hadn’t fully controlled.

But given his already disadvantaged position, he should have been pleased with this responsive military action.

He couldn’t help but wonder: if he had managed to support Zhang Jin in time, and if his elephant troops had nearly eliminated Liu Biao, could they have taken Jing Province, connected it to Yu Province, and then, with the help of this east-west blockade, reclaimed Xu and Yang Provinces?

Alas, it remains just a thought.

As Yuan Shao puts down the report and the Leping Monthly Report that arrived almost simultaneously in Ye City, he meets Cao Cao’s gaze.

The joint effort to summon people back to Ye City to hear the Son of Heaven’s orders has temporarily stalled over discussions of hierarchy and authority, leaving no resolution even after Cao Cao’s ten-day stay in Ye City.

Yuan Shao, already displeased, now feels even worse with the news from Jiao and Jing Provinces. To make matters worse, Cao Cao remarks, “It’s a pity I wasn’t in Yu Province when the battle broke out.”

Yuan Shao: “…”

Though Cao Cao says it’s a pity, Yuan Shao hears a hint of sarcasm.

Why wasn’t Cao Cao in Yu Province? Because he had to come to Ye City to meet Yuan Shao!

So, he can’t blame Cao Cao for not providing timely support.

Yuan Shao’s frustration is indescribable, but he knows that after the failed response from Jiao Province, his only remaining ally is Cao Cao.

In this situation, not only can he not afford to break ties with Cao Cao, but he must also work harder to win him over.

“Mengde, you jest. Even if the news had reached Yu Province and informed you, by the time you mobilized, Shi Xie of Jiaozhou would have already taken control,” Yuan Shao replies calmly.

As he speaks, no one can detect any regret in his voice regarding the failed Jing Province campaign.

“This matter ultimately falls on Zhang Ziyun. How could he be so confident in breaking through Liu Biao’s blockade and marching north without contacting you first? Qiao Yanshu’s message delivery is fast; he should have known.”

Qiao Yan doesn’t hide her subordinates’ contributions in this matter. After acknowledging Shi Xie, the Prefect of Jiaozhi, for aligning correctly, she also credits Fa Zheng in her report to Chang’an, which Yuan Shao’s spies in the capital quickly uncover.

But if Qiao Yan were to comment, he would have been better off planting spies properly when he sent Tian Feng to Bingzhou as a mole.

Now, it only adds to his troubles.

For instance, Fa Zheng’s mission from Yizhou to Jiaozhou not only demonstrates her foresight regarding Jiaozhou’s changes and her timely communication with Fa Zheng but also yields little else.

Yuan Shao even has to admit that the selection process through exams was effective, as Fa Zheng is a competent talent discovered through it.

“You mentioned fast message delivery; I have a question,” Cao Cao suddenly interrupts Yuan Shao’s thoughts.

Yuan Shao says, “Mengde, speak freely.”

“I heard you’ve started researching pigeon messaging. Any progress?”

Cao Cao’s mention of this only angers Yuan Shao further.

He thought that with the changes in Yang and Xu Provinces, Qiao Yan’s revelation of using pigeons for messaging—explaining how she quickly reached Yang Province to handle Sun Ce’s aftermath—was excellent news for him.

It meant he could intercept Qiao Yan’s messages from Ji Province by capturing pigeons and also adopt her messaging method to quickly relay news from Chang’an to Ye City.

But he only learned of this in March. From March to April, he had subordinates in Ye City select and breed pigeons, only to quickly learn from pigeon breeders that pigeons recognize locations, not people.

In other words, pigeons can’t magically follow their owner’s scent to a new location but can only return to where they were raised.

So, the problem is: he needs to send a live pigeon to Chang’an first for it to return to Ji Province.

But after Qiao Yan revealed the use of messenger pigeons, does he still have a chance to do that?

Absolutely not!

Thus, messenger pigeons are only advantageous for Qiao Yan, given her vast territory spanning north-south and east-west, where traditional horse-and-carriage messaging can’t ensure timely delivery, necessitating pigeon messaging as a supplement.

It’s like mules—useless to Yuan Shao but too valuable to discard.

Yes, mules.

Years ago, after Yuan Xi brought news from Chang’an, Yuan Shao used a significant portion of his mares to breed mules.

But by last year, he realized that while the horses born that year were ready for battle, the mules were only useful for farm work, far from being able to transport military supplies.

Even after another year, they still fall short of his expectations.

Between “needing more time for the mules to grow” and “being tricked by Qiao Yan,” Yuan Shao leans heavily towards the latter.

But realizing he’s been tricked now, just as he learned of Zhang Jin’s march after he was sent to Chang’an, what can he do to recover?

Clearly, nothing.

All he can do is put on a brave face in front of Cao Cao, claiming his pigeon breeding has found suitable personnel and made some progress, promising to share his experience once the first batch is ready.

Half a month later, Qiao Yan receives news in Luoyang.

“Yuan Benchu as Grand General, Cao Mengde as General of the Chariots and Cavalry… Grand General Yuan can’t sit still anymore!” Qiao Yan shakes her head, unimpressed by Yuan Shao’s recent promotions and his attempt to further bind Cao Cao through these titles.

Years ago, Yuan Shao wanted to elevate himself to Grand General to rival Qiao Yan.

But first, Yuan Shu clashed with him over family background, and then Qiao Yan’s relentless pressure left him no time for such promotions, delaying his rise.

Now, it’s become inevitable.

“I think this isn’t just Yuan Benchu wanting a more prestigious title to face you directly but also the Son of Heaven in Ye City’s doing,” Guo Jia comments.

The lingering effects of Xu and Yang Provinces aren’t over, and Jiaozhou has unexpectedly sided with the Chang’an court.

Yuan Shao, panicking, urgently allies with Cao Cao to resist. But isn’t Liu Bian, the Son of Heaven in Ye City, also panicking?

Even though Yuan Shao has been the one facing Qiao Yan these past years, Liu Bian can’t remain detached.

If the Chang’an court ultimately wins this war to unify the realm, most officials in Ye City might still be pardoned and even appointed to positions based on their talents and backgrounds, but there won’t be a second Son of Heaven!

Liu Yu’s blood relation to him is already too distant, so if he’s forced to abdicate, whether he can safely return to being the Prince of Hongnong is uncertain.

And after tasting the power and wealth of being the Son of Heaven, he has no desire to retreat to being just another Liu clan member.

Yuan Shao wants titles and to promote Cao Cao? Then let him!

As Grand General, Yuan Shao must fight to the death for the survival of the Ye City court, striving to keep Liu Bian on the throne.

This appointment binds Yuan Shao and Liu Bian into a community of shared interests.

However, neither Yuan Shao nor Liu Bian chose to follow the Chang’an court’s example by reinstating the position of Grand Marshal, elevating Yuan Shao to Qiao Yan’s level.

Guo Jia doesn’t think this is Yuan Shao conceding out of inferiority.

It’s more like… making the Grand Marshal’s existence uniquely unreasonable.

“My lord, you should be careful.”

Easy to dodge an open spear, hard to avoid a hidden arrow. Faced with the disparity in military strength, some will inevitably choose underhanded tactics.








Qiao Yan’s current restraint is merely due to the limitations of the times, not because she lacks the strength to raise an army and destroy Yuan Shao. If he wants to help Liu Bian turn the tide, there’s only one opportunity—to bring down Qiao Yan, the Grand Marshal, and cause the forces already gathered around the Chang’an court to scatter and collapse.

Qiao Yan smiled and replied, “Fengxiao, this day has never been far from us, so why the caution?”

This is Yuan Shao’s last chance. And also… some people’s last chance!

At the end of April in the fourth year of Jian’an, the Governor of Jiaozhou, Zhang Jin, violated his duties by attacking Jingzhou to the north, resulting in the death of Zhang Yun, the naval commander of Jingzhou, and heavy casualties among Jingzhou’s soldiers. Under Liu Yu’s judgment, Zhang Jin was executed.

In the same month, the new Governor of Jiaozhou was also decided upon Qiao Yan’s recommendation.

Shi Xie had previously considered what kind of appointment Qiao Yan might give him when analyzing the future of submitting to Chang’an with Xu Jing. Xu Jing concluded that Shi Xie might be given a higher nominal position but with less real power.

Surprisingly, Shi Xie’s position as the Prefect of Jiaozhi Commandery remained unchanged, and he was even granted the title of Marquis of Wanghai by the court, increasing both his nominal and real power.

The real power also increased because Jiaozhou got a particularly special Governor—Lu Kang.

Lu Kang, who had failed to report Sun Ce’s death, was inevitably responsible. His reappointment after stepping down as the Prefect of Lujiang and being sent to Jiaozhou was essentially a chance to redeem himself through merit.

Before Lu Kang took office, Qiao Yan sent a letter to Shi Xie, expressing her hope that Shi Xie and Lu Kang would get along well. Due to Lu Kang’s age and his daughter serving under Qiao Yan, she hoped he would rest in Nanhai Commandery, leaving the western counties of Jiaozhou to Shi Xie’s management.

This meant that while Lu Kang was nominally the Governor of Jiaozhou, Shi Xie was the de facto Governor recognized by the Chang’an court.

The letter also mentioned the progress in Zangke Commandery, suggesting that a long-term trade route between northern Yizhou and Jiaozhou might soon be established, and hoped for Shi Xie’s support. Goods from Yizhou and Chang’an would first reach the western part of Jiaozhou under Shi Xie’s control, giving him exclusive distribution rights.

Qiao Yan’s approach was so accommodating that Shi Xie naturally reciprocated. When Qiao Yan suggested establishing good diplomatic relations with Funan and expanding the elephant army, Shi Xie immediately promised to do so in his reply.

Shi Xie didn’t realize that such a response should have been directed at the Emperor, not Qiao Yan. Perhaps the nearly sixty-year-old fox had realized but chose not to delve deeper.

Ignored were not only the rumors but also Zuo Ci and Yu Ji, who disappeared after Zhang Jin’s defeat. Zuo Ci escaped using his “immortal illusions,” while Yu Ji vanished from prison the night before Zhang Jin’s execution.

In May and June of Jian’an’s fourth year, even the question of whether the Grand Marshal had overstepped was temporarily ignored by most, let alone the whereabouts of these two.

The drought in the Central Plains worsened in May. Despite Qiao Yan’s preparations, she had to switch to drought-resistant crops in the most severely affected areas, relying on previous years’ reserves to stabilize grain prices. The situation was even worse in Ji and Yanzhou.

But the biggest trouble wasn’t the drought or the locust plague—it was the epidemic caused by the drought.

The war in Jian’an’s fourth year was relatively small-scale, involving the suppression of the Shanyue in Yangzhou, the end of the north-south standoff in Xuzhou, Jiaozhou’s attack on Jingzhou, skirmishes on the Ji-Youzhou border, and minor conflicts elsewhere.

Compared to the historical chaos caused by Li Jue and Guo Si in Chang’an, the current situation was much better. Yet, the drought still caused many deaths from famine, and the unmanaged corpses polluted the land and rivers.

“Yuanhua has effectively prevented some diseases from spreading from the Western Regions; Zhongjing has systematically described various epidemics in his ‘Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases’; the printing of medical books in June further improved emergency prescriptions; and official medical offices have been established due to the Chiyang Medical Academy—”

“I thought our troubles this year would just be digging deeper wells. Why is there an epidemic!”

In the face of the spreading epidemic, Qiao Yan couldn’t offer a definitive solution like digging wells. The only thing she could do was race against death.

She could protect her own territory but not Yuan Shao’s. She could protect towns but not remote villages.

Last year, many places didn’t receive the necessary tools for well-digging. This year, even with the addition of Xuzhou, Yangzhou, and Jiaozhou, it was impossible to cover every village.

She felt that the epidemic spread from Yuan Shao and Cao Cao’s territories due to her failure to unify the realm quickly. She also thought her rapid expansion might have made it impossible to record every citizen.

But what she hated most were the powerful families hoarding resources in their fortresses.

She had done her best to stabilize grain prices in county towns, but when these families faced reduced harvests, they cut wages and exploited their dependents instead of relying on their reserves.

“Wenruo, I thought I was compromising and balancing to make them remember I’m the one setting the rules, but I was wrong.”

After days of non-stop work to gather and treat the infected in Luoyang, even Xun Yu was exhausted. But Qiao Yan’s sudden words jolted him awake.

When he looked at her, he saw the anger in her eyes had turned into a calm but turbulent surface, hiding a devouring vortex.

“I now understand that some things must be broken, even if it means facing criticism and opposition. Only after breaking can there be rebirth.”

Xun Yu sensed Qiao Yan’s radical mood was dangerous, but before he could speak, she interrupted.

“Wenruo, did you see that couple fleeing today?”

“Just a dozen miles from the capital, the fortress owner let his subordinates starve to save food, buried the bodies carelessly, and the resulting disease was brought to Luoyang by desperate dependents, detected by medical officers, and sent to centralized control.”

“If we were any slower, Luoyang would face another disaster. But should we blame them?”

“It’s those who already have plenty, ignoring the law, acting selfishly, and abusing their power under the protection of high officials and family influence. How dare they act so recklessly when the world is not yet at peace!”

Xun Yu sighed. He understood Qiao Yan’s point. Even as part of the same class, he couldn’t remain indifferent to such blatant disregard for life.

Every record of Luoyang’s citizens had passed through his hands, every directive for people’s welfare had been carefully considered by him. He knew the weight of one person’s will.

But even if Qiao Yan wanted to act, it couldn’t be now.

“I know what you want to say,” Qiao Yan said first. “I don’t have the luxury of being任性 yet. I know exactly what they’re saying about me in Chang’an, even though I haven’t been there for months.”

“Due to the disaster, they don’t dare say it outright, only that I’m scheming to win over the people in Luoyang, controlling the rules here, and within three years, this place will be my private property, and I can change my title from Marquis of Leping to Marquis of Luoyang!”

She stood by the window for a long time. Xun Yu saw her back, not burdened but standing tall like a pine tree, intent on sheltering the land.

“Let’s save people first. Only when the waters calm can we think of changing them.”

Xun Yu felt there was more to Qiao Yan’s words, but with the epidemic still raging, he had no time to ponder.

The epidemic’s spread only began to ease with the autumn wind, leaving only minor ripples.

When the autumn harvest came, even though everyone knew the yield was 30% less than last year, they breathed a sigh of relief.

They had survived another year.

For most, that was the best outcome.

But it seemed this year’s troubles weren’t over with the harvest and the end of the epidemic.

Just a month after the autumn harvest—

On the Renyin day of the tenth month of Jian’an’s fourth year, the celestial phenomena suddenly changed, with a red aura piercing the Purple Palace.