“Can strategists really not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 37: Provincial Governor System
Dan Chi’s praise for the strategist is like saying a fledgling phoenix has a pure voice.
Such a lofty evaluation feels positively inflated.
It doesn’t even play by the usual game of adding a touch of mystique. Even if one speaks plainly, they often follow the rule of establishing a fake front before revealing the truth!
But here, she was genuinely elevated to an absolutely high position.
Yang Xiu, still quite young, couldn’t help but exclaim, “What on earth did you write?”
Qiao Yan noticed the middle-aged scholar making a gesture for them to come inside, and she pointed out, “I think once you meet Mr. Zijiang, your confusion will be cleared.”
The middle-aged scholar saw Qiao Yan remain serene despite receiving high praise from Xu Shao and noticed how she didn’t retaliate against Yang Xiu, who had clearly lost. That made him hold her in even higher regard.
He wasn’t exactly one of the renowned figures from “Ruying,” but he had accompanied Xu Shao and had some contacts in Runan, having seen quite a few young talents.
In his eyes, Qiao Yan had undoubtedly shown a gift for excellence that surpassed anyone he had met before.
This kind of person…
No wonder she could write such words.
While he was contemplating, he didn’t delay in leading the two kids inside.
The Dingzhong Temple could only be considered a temporary stop, a bit shabby in arrangement, but since Xu Shao was gathering with others who participated in the Monthly Appraisal, naturally someone had tidied it up, making it look more like a scholarly venue.
After passing through the main gate and the screen wall, Qiao Yan saw the eight key figures seated at their respective desks, as if they were in a courtroom.
Of course, in addition to these eight, there were also others invited inside, but they lacked the notable status of the initial few.
Upon seeing two newcomers, everyone couldn’t help but glance over at the two kids.
Sitting at the head table, Xu Shao was no exception.
Their first impression of the two kids made him silently praise them.
These two have quite the demeanor of great generals…
Yang Xiu, under the shadow of the Yang family, was just nine years old but had likely seen plenty of such occasions, so his calmness was understandable.
Qiao Yan, who grew up under Qiao Yu’s guidance in Yanzhou, was even more poised than Yang Xiu, exuding an extraordinary grace despite her young age.
Upon spotting Qiao Yan, Xu Shao couldn’t help but recall the seemingly casual remark she made at the beginning.
She said, “I returned from Jizhou, passed through Hulao to cross the Luo River, and finally reached Luoyang. Suddenly, I heard someone mention that the Yellow Turban Rebellion had erupted in the region, and it required the reopening of the provincial governor posts to bring order. I was taken aback.”
Whether Qiao Yan was actually surprised, he had no idea, but Xu Shao was genuinely astonished to see the article titled “Discourse on Provincial Governors and Feudalism” that followed.
At least when Yang Xiu and Qiao Yan’s proposals landed in front of him, he did not expect to come across such an intriguing article.
The second paragraph dove right into the main point.
“One must know that the provincial governor is like feudalism; it splits the realm into territories. In the Zhou, they divided the land and sealed it off under nobility, creating constellations of states, yet how can they gather to pay tribute if divided, lacking a unified heart among rulers…”
This was indeed a piece refuting the notion of provincial governors!
Let alone Xu Shao, even the others had not anticipated such a peculiar work from her.
When they were called over by Xu Shao, they expected some child’s babble, but upon seeing this article, they all shared Xu Shao’s astonishment.
This… could a child even write something like this?
Yang Xiu couldn’t mistake the awe on the faces of those present when he and Qiao Yan entered, but he was sure those looks weren’t directed at him; after all, he had merely received a faint praise for his talent.
That only made him increasingly eager to find out what Qiao Yan had written.
After greeting the group, he cupped his hands and asked, “I hope it’s alright for a brash kid to take a glance at Lord Qiao’s work?”
With Qiao Yan and Xu Shao’s consent, the silk scroll finally appeared in his hands.
Unlike Xu Shao, who began from the first paragraph, he immediately saw the title — “Discourse on Provincial Governors and Feudalism” — and turned to Qiao Yan, asking, “What made you think to write this?”
Qiao Yan casually replied, “It was a spur of the moment.”
But that was more of a half-lie; saying it was a spur of the moment felt a bit inadequate.
This piece looked like a self-assigned essay, yet it hardly was.
Considering who was present and their respective statuses, it drastically narrowed the range of topics she could address in this argument.
Who exactly was mentioned by the scholar as being inside the Dingzhong Temple?
Han Rong, Chen Ji, Wang Qian, Bian Rang, Wang Kuang, Chen Lin, Xu You…
None were anything less than renowned scholars of the day!
The biggest common ground among these distinguished figures was that they all served under He Jin.
Of course, serving under him didn’t mean they were completely captivated by He Jin’s “humble approach.” They were merely looking for a protector after the Prohibition of Factionalists had just lifted, seeking a buffer period to regain their political standing.
Joining the Three Dukes was one option. For instance, He Yong, who praised Xu Yu for his exceptional talent, later became an officer in the Minister of Works office and assumed a leading role in discussions at the three offices. Then there was Huang Wan, who was previously recommended by Grand Commandant Yang Ci in the court.
However, the turnover of positions among the Three Dukes could happen all too easily, especially with the ongoing turmoil across the regions and frequent natural disasters. If today’s Son of Heaven wanted to pin the blame for some disaster on someone, he could easily force one of the Three Dukes to resign in disgrace. And with Liu Hong’s unpredictable behavior, it wasn’t impossible for a simple dispute to get them ousted.
This is why He Jin, being a relatively safe choice and unlikely to be dismissed from his high position, became the top pick for these scholars.
Moreover, He Jin’s high power and short sight made him a likely “tool” for them to eliminate the eunuchs.
This was the commonality among those present.
Since they had come all this way, wanting to gain a good name through these people was a pragmatic thought, and thus Qiao Yan saw nothing shameful in the concept of “pleasing them.”
However, this please-them had to be done just right; for example—
She couldn’t say she wanted to join in on the plan to eliminate the eunuchs.
That kind of direct gesture could do her no good.
With Xu Shao’s reputation for the Monthly Appraisal, if Qiao Yan wanted to win people over, this essay had to be presented.
Therefore, writing something that seemed almost radical might please the scholar faction but could irritate Liu Hong, jeopardizing the County Marquis position she almost had and potentially leading its loss just because she set foot in Luoyang tomorrow.
The rapport she had with Bi Lan prior would also be practically useless.
So—
She could appropriately showcase views favorable to He Jin in this argument, yet she could never paint herself as a factional person.
To put it another way, she needed to refute something that would be disadvantageous for He Jin but not upset Liu Hong’s balance of power, ideally conveying a stance loyal to the Han Dynasty.
Was there such a proposition?
Indeed!
It was precisely her rebuttal of the provincial governor system!
This was the only viewpoint that offered no advantage to He Jin, possibly not benefiting the gentry either and posed a hidden danger to the Son of Heaven, which had conveniently been raised by the royal family to address the chaos in the realm.
On the way to Luoyang, crossing the Luo River, Qiao Yan heard this news from Bi Lan.
Though from Yang Xiu’s perspective, Qiao Yan’s writing flowed effortlessly, it was clear to her that when considering the “judges” of this debate, she had meticulously planned her thoughts many times over.
Moreover, she didn’t only differ from Yang Xiu based on age; she held the natural advantage of viewing the issue from a historical perspective.
“There used to be a similar situation in another era.”
After the Jianzhong Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty went from Tang Shunzong to Tang Xianzong, with the Son of Heaven’s authority weakening. Regional warlords started establishing their own territories. After Liu Zongyuan’s failed reforms during Yongzhen, he wrote an article criticizing the restoration of the feudal system, titled Discourse on Feudalism.
Is the fragmentation of power in the late Tang Dynasty similar to the Provincial Governor System at the end of the Han?
Somewhat similar, but not exactly the same.
Yet there is one similarity: After the An-Shi Rebellion, the military governors acted independently from the central authority, and the Tang Dynasty eventually fell at the hands of military governor Zhu Wen. The Provincial Governor System granted local governors the power to raise troops and govern independently, fueling the fragmentation of warlords at the end of the Han.
Liu Zongyuan utilized his article Discourse on Feudalism to strike against those defending feudalism, targeting the warlords. Qiao Yan could draw from this as well, publicly bashing feudalism while actually addressing the recently reintroduced Provincial Governor System in the court.
The only person who would get offended by her writing this would be the very proactive Tai Chang Liu Yan, who supports restoring the Provincial Governor System!
But cursing Liu Yan won’t bring her any serious consequences.
The Yuan Clan has students all over the world, holding high office; at this point, they don’t even consider dividing up their territory. Liu Hong’s first batch of governors would only go to figures like Liu Biao, Liu Yan, or Huangfu Song, loyal subjects holding military power, rather than to the Yuan Clan that has just recovered from the Prohibition of Factionalists.
The Provincial Governor System or feudal system doesn’t offer any benefits to the Yuan Clan at this stage; they wouldn’t care about Qiao Yan’s remarks and might even find her arguments plausible.
He Jin, as the Grand General, is quite popular, recruiting soldiers openly. Naturally, he’s not too fond of the Provincial Governor System either; while he wouldn’t necessarily block it himself, if someone else took that action on his behalf, he wouldn’t mind at all. In fact, he might even think there’s no conflict between them and see a chance for cooperation.
Among the broadest gentry crowd, as they rally around He Jin, aiming to sharpen the blade against the eunuchs, it becomes necessary to oppose any other forces within He Jin’s reach.
The top-tier among them don’t need to gain more positions through the feudal system to showcase their ambitions.
So Qiao Yan can write!
Not only can she write, but it’s also highly likely she’ll gain recognition from Xu Shao and a few other scholars, who would deem it fit to be presented as advice to the current Son of Heaven.
In fact, she guessed correctly.
A mere ten-year-old child was capable of manipulating the Yellow Turban forces, making them fight among themselves, refuting Zhang Jiao’s teachings in the Scripture of Great Peace to uphold the legitimacy of the Han, and now she was able to perceive the new political opinions in the situation, presenting her own views—they had to evaluate her on the same level.
If her arguments didn’t conflict with their interests, they would be inclined to consider her a kindred spirit, an extraordinary talent.
And if she also had a touch of the Son of Heaven’s favor, maybe she had already grasped some political capital—
Xu Shao and the others present would have to give her a high evaluation to express goodwill towards her.
However, Qiao Yan didn’t entirely rely on her ideas to earn this praise.
She wasn’t shameless enough to directly copy Liu Zongyuan’s entire essay, but learning from the structure and points in his work was definitely reasonable, right?
His writing combined parallel structures, concise sentences, while she maintained proper details, critiquing the current problems like a pro.
Moreover—
When Liu Zongyuan gave examples, he mentioned “Han’s knowledge from Meng Shu and Tian Shu, gaining Wei Shang from Feng Tang, hearing of Huang Ba’s clear judgment, seeing Ji An’s simple peace, could be appointed or restored, or leave it to manage a region.” So couldn’t she swap in some modern examples?
Wouldn’t this be the perfect opportunity for her to subtly eliminate conflicts with certain stances?
“Now the Son of Heaven knows Qiao Yan from Yang Gong…” Yang Xiu’s expression was a bit nuanced when he read this.
He glanced at Qiao Yan, seeing her unusually calm expression, as if she was merely mentioning that Yang Ci recommended Huang Wan to utilize talented individuals, just stating the advantages under the implementation of the Prefecture-County System, rather than trying to curry favor with the Yang Clan of Hongnong.
Even the mention of Liu Hong knowing the reputation of the attendees through He Jin felt like a casual remark from someone just happening to write this piece.
“The implementation of the Prefecture-County System allows for punishment for crimes, rewards for merit, can be acknowledged or refuted at court, and if one person governs a province, even if it’s anarchy, what can they do?”
This pointed out the flaws the Provincial Governor System could create after the feudal lords were established; if the governor of a province was insufficiently competent to manage it, or even incited local chaos, the citizens could just sulk about it.
“If a rebellion starts here, and they take advantage of the location to defend themselves, what would the court do?”
Yang Xiu was a bit less informed about the court news, but the people present knew that the Yi Province governor Qie Jian was being greedy and oppressive, killed by the Yellow Turbans, and Liu Yan was advocating for the Provincial Governor System to acquire the position of Yi Province governor.
What kind of place is Yi Province? It’s a fortified land of rich fields, a paradise—this is how Zhuge Liang described it.
Qiao Yan nearly pointed her finger at Liu Yan to scold him, “You propose the Provincial Governor System while wanting to be the governor of Yi Province; if you defend yourself at a stronghold, harboring any rebellious intentions, what will the court do about you?”
This statement made Xu You and Chen Lin, who were known for their sharp tongues, think that Qiao Yan was still slightly weak in her argument, probably because of her young age.
However, given this kind of remark, if it were phrased slightly more subtly, the Son of Heaven would surely appreciate it, and her evaluation would rise again.
“In the way of the world, the wise occupy the upper ranks, the unworthy the lower, if there are traitors but no traitorous officials, then the world harmonizes, and virtuous people are promoted…”
“……”
“Qin lost its position due to its politics, not the system. Now the government has established prefectures and appointed officials, and it’s rigidly unchangeable.”
“……”
“Qiao Yan doesn’t wish to see the Son of Heaven emerge during his time, being constrained by feudalism cutting off the central way, having no standing in the world, only presenting shabby arguments.”
Yang Xiu fell silent.
All of them were just nine or ten-year-old kids trying to make a name for themselves as child prodigies; how did she write a piece of this caliber?
He now realized that Xu Shao only gave Qiao Yan a glowing evaluation, somewhat borrowing her earlier retort against the scholars—“the phoenix chick’s song clearer than the old phoenix’s,” was probably said a bit restrained.
Yang Xiu’s political sensitivity wasn’t too sharp, but he could tell this truly was, as Xu Shao remarked, an article that could circulate among the politicians in Luoyang and reach the Son of Heaven.
The wrap-up might be a bit idealistic, but the so-called wise at the top, the sage standing firm, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion indeed conveys a message to uphold the Han legitimacy.
As he thought about this, he couldn’t help but lower his head, gripping tightly the silk cloth in his hands.
Even if he didn’t want to admit it, he had to concede that in front of this piece on the Provincial Governor Feudalism, his cleverly crafted Q&A looked like a child’s work.
But losing to someone like her…
He didn’t feel the least bit wronged!
When he raised his eyes to look back at Qiao Yan, he couldn’t help but think he resembled Xu Fu watching an idol, mixed with a competitive spirit for a showdown in a few years’ time.
That recovery speed was pretty quick, though.
However, before Yang Xiu could suggest any three-to-five-year agreements with Qiao Yan, the front door of Dingzhong Temple suddenly swung open.
Qiao Yan turned toward the sound and spotted a familiar face.
It was none other than Palace Attendant Zhang Rang!
And no matter how much the others present detested Zhang Rang, they couldn’t change one fact: when Zhang Rang, a special envoy of the Son of Heaven, appeared, no one could stop him from entering.
Zhang Rang was well aware of their plans, but he wasn’t here to engage with them; he simply didn’t care about their disdainful glares.
He looked directly at Qiao Yan and said, “His Majesty has heard that Marquis Qiao has come to seek Xu Zijiang’s Monthly Appraisal, so I was sent to announce the decree—”
Liu Hong’s imperial command to Zhang Rang was that if Qiao Yan truly received Xu Shao’s esteemed assessment, he should bring her to the palace for an audience, and Zhang Rang arrived just in time to hear that “phoenix chick’s clear voice.”
So this proposal was about to become a reality.
As Qiao Yan prepared to accept the decree, Zhang Rang continued, “Let the Marquis of Leping enter the palace to meet the Emperor.”
Qiao Yan’s eyes sparkled—this article of hers wasn’t written in vain!
It seemed she would finally have the opportunity to meet this ruling Son of Heaven!
