Chapter 377

Chapter 377

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Final Volume: The Rise and Fall of Royal Power, Unification of the World, Chapter 377: Gathering Momentum

Belonging to the book:


Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 377: Gathering Momentum…

Willing!

How could Lu Lingju possibly be unwilling!

Just by looking at her various performances in the battles in the Liaodong region, it’s clear that Lu Lingju is almost a devoted fan of Qiao Yan, often imitating Qiao Yan’s tactics in external warfare.

Her biggest dream is to legitimately gain Qiao Yan’s favor after achieving military merits, not just because she is Lü Bu’s daughter.

This way, when Qiao Yan personally leads an expedition, she can follow by her side.

She thought such an opportunity would only come after she concluded the Liaodong campaign, or perhaps not at all, given Qiao Yan’s current crucial position as Grand Marshal. She believed she had to perform even better to earn a spot in the final battle against Yuan Shao in Yanzhou’s Ye City. Who knew such a pleasant surprise would come now?

Before Lü Bu could even ask why Lu Lingju was chosen over him, the more capable fighter, he saw his daughter eagerly take Qiao Yan’s hand and reply, “My lord, rest assured, if you need me to protect you, I will charge ahead!”

So what if the lord herself is quite skilled in combat!

What commander wouldn’t prepare several generals to charge ahead?

Now is the time for her to be of use!

But speaking of which—

“Is the lord planning to attack Yanzhou or Yuzhou?”

Lu Lingju’s first thought was that Qiao Yan was planning to attack Yanzhou and Yuzhou from the direction of Luoyang.

First, take down Cao Cao, cutting off one of Yuan Shao’s arms, then use a ruse to make Yuan Shao think Lü Bu’s army is overconfident, setting them up for a deep strike.

This speculation isn’t without operational feasibility.

Qiao Yan’s past friendship with Cao Cao means she knows his style of governance well, making it easier to target him.

Yuzhou is particularly vulnerable to attack.

With Yingchuan as a springboard and Xuzhou to the east ready to provide support, if necessary, Jingzhou and Yangzhou can also offer reinforcements from the south.

Once Qiao Yan enters Yuzhou from Luoyang, Cao Cao won’t be able to hold his ground against a full-frontal invasion.

Even if they can’t seize all of Cao Cao’s base in Yanzhou, taking Yuzhou first and reducing Yuan Shao and Cao Cao’s four provinces to three would be a significant gain.

But to Lu Lingju’s surprise, Qiao Yan shook her head, “Not Yuzhou. The current situation is a bit unclear. For now, act as my personal guard. When necessary, I’ll inform you how to deploy the troops.”

Lu Lingju agreed without hesitation.

Though she didn’t fully understand why Qiao Yan would make such an arrangement when she already had Dian Wei as a personal guard, making her role somewhat limited.

But the chance to fight alongside her idol is once in a lifetime, why ask so many questions?

What if it’s just because Qiao Yan finds her pleasing to the eye? If she keeps probing, wouldn’t that embarrass the lord?

So when the three waiting in the courtyard saw Lü Bu and Lu Lingju again, the former was somewhat pleased but not overly so, while the latter was already happily bouncing around.

When Xun Yu went in to see Qiao Yan, and Xu Shu and Zhuge Liang questioned the Lü family, Lü Bu only knew he wouldn’t be idle for the next year but had limited information. Lu Lingju only knew Qiao Yan had invited her to join a battle, but the specifics were unclear.

Xu Shu, seeing the two ready to pick a fight with each other, couldn’t help but laugh, “This must be the happiness of a general.”

But truth be told, many generals are even more clueless than the Lü family, just doing their jobs.

Like Zhang Yang, still in Xuzhou assisting Zhou Yu and Pang Tong, or Ma Chao fighting in Yizhou, or even Zhang Niujiao, who has transitioned from a bandit to a logistics officer.

Even among the brainy generals, few like Xun Yu and Xu Shu can discern Qiao Yan’s intentions.

The gap between thinking the lord is consolidating her position as a minister and realizing she aims to become the ruler of the world is vast.

Only two who approached Qiao Yan were within her expectations.

One was Zhao Yun.

As the second general to follow her, Zhao Yun’s independent battles may seem few, but Qiao Yan always saw him as a versatile asset due to his calm and wisdom, more thoughtful about the situation than the average general.

This strength is still relevant.

If he didn’t fully grasp Qiao Yan’s intentions when the Changyan policy was promoted, by the time Xu Shu returned to Luoyang, Xun Yu suddenly became closer to Qiao Yan, and even Chen Qun sought her out, he sensed something unusual.

This isn’t just a routine year-start discussion; it feels like a storm is brewing!

When Qiao Yan returned from inspecting the northern garrison and stood briefly on Luoyang’s northern wall, looking towards the northern camp and the distant Beimang Mountain, Zhao Yun, seeing the surrounding patrols couldn’t hear their conversation, asked her about it.

“What do you think this represents, Zilong?”

Qiao Yan looked at Zhao Yun, seeing the mature general also gazing at the distant green mountains with a hint of confusion.

Hearing Qiao Yan’s question, Zhao Yun replied, “When I first followed you, it was to capture the bandits in the Taihang Mountains. I stayed in Leping because of your teachings on pacifying bandits to stabilize the people. During the drought in the second year of Zhongping, you risked your life to shoot the governor, and I pledged my loyalty.”

“Back then, you conquered Liangzhou, settled the Lushui River basin, mixed the Lushui Qiang with Han military settlers, giving the people of Liangzhou something to rely on. Though I felt your actions were more than just passing through, I never questioned.”

Qiao Yan asked, “And today? Are you asking me about governance?”

“No, not today either.” Zhao Yun withdrew his gaze, looking back at Qiao Yan, his voice firm, “One thing about you hasn’t changed since your days in Leping when you had a marquis title but no official position.”

“Back then, you were moved by people eating tree bark; today, you still see the suffering of the people. I don’t care what you say, only what I see.”

The current situation’s signs seem contrary to the teachings of being a loyal Han subject, but so what?

Under Emperor Ling’s rule, the Yellow Turban Rebellion erupted. Though Zhang Jiao and his brothers’ uprising was quickly quelled, the aftermath saw the Black Mountain Bandits threatening Zhao Yun’s hometown, Changshan.

These bandits weren’t eradicated by Emperor Ling but were tamed by Qiao Yan, who even found them a livelihood.

When Liu Xie was emperor, all he could do was beg for disaster relief while being a puppet to Dong Zhuo. He couldn’t even control his own fate, let alone effectively distribute relief.

In contrast, Qiao Yan pacified a century-long Qiang rebellion in Liangzhou through cross-province trade.

As for Liu Yu—

Zhao Yun once trained troops in Guanzhong under Qiao Yan’s orders. Those who thought he was just routinely training recruits underestimated him.

He knew the backgrounds of almost every notable soldier in the camp, and even after being transferred to Luoyang, they still regarded him as their superior and a respected general.

So when Shi Sunrui replaced Wei Ji, someone sent Zhao Yun a message.

Though it seemed like a routine transfer, Shi Sunrui’s actions under Liu Yu’s watch showed the emperor’s inability to control the situation, a failure.

But Qiao Yan is different.

Though she delegated military authority to trusted generals, her early achievements, strategic command, and intelligence network kept her highly respected in the army, allowing her to reclaim power anytime.

They say harsh laws are needed in troubled times, but harsh laws aren’t the solution; a wise ruler is.

“Zilong?” Qiao Yan noticed he had paused, seemingly lost in thought.

Zhao Yun quickly replied, “I was just thinking, if I’m not mistaken, my lord should watch out for movements in Youfufeng and Chang’an.”

Dong Zhuo nearly fell due to Li Jue’s power grab; if Qiao Yan doesn’t guard against Wang Yun and Shi Sunrui, a similar situation might arise.

Hearing this, Qiao Yan smiled knowingly.

His reminder showed he had chosen between protecting the Han and following her in rebellion.

For someone as steady as Zhao Yun, such a choice wouldn’t change easily.

So she didn’t mind sharing more.

Facing the young man’s worried expression, Qiao Yan replied, “I know.”

“I know about Wang Zishi and others aiding Prince Yang’s schemes, their thoughts of killing me, and their lack of real power to confront me directly, resorting to underhanded tactics.”

Though Zhao Yun had guessed some of this when news from Chang’an reached Luoyang, hearing Qiao Yan confirm it still filled him with anger.

How dare they!

Without Qiao Yan, they would have been Dong Zhuo’s victims or spoils of Gongsun Zan’s conquest of Youzhou.

Without Qiao Yan’s barriers around Chang’an, reclaiming the land province by province, they would face Qiang invasions, famine, or Yuan Shao’s forces capturing them.

Yet they repay kindness with betrayal!

“They…”

“Zilong, no need for such anger.” Qiao Yan interrupted, “The position of Grand Marshal is a double-edged sword. While it grants power above other ministers, it also brings greater dangers.”

Qiao Yan continued, “A wise and capable emperor doesn’t need a Grand Marshal to limit his power, even if the marshal’s subordinates achieve great military feats. Like Emperor Guangwu, who lamented the fall of the former Han due to emperors delegating power to ministers, so he handled most affairs through the Secretariat, not the Three Excellencies.”

“I’m not saying this method is good; subsequent generations overcorrected, leading to eunuchs and relatives monopolizing power, another extreme.”

“—I’m just stating the principle.”

“Wise emperors and foolish ones alike don’t want a nearby threat. Like the late Emperor Ling, who sought to eliminate Grand General He Jin in his final days.”

“Whether wise or foolish, the choice is the same. It’s not the Han betraying me, but once I reached such a high position, there was no way back.”

Though in today’s situation, Liu Yu isn’t wise or foolish, and Liu Yang, though foolish, isn’t yet emperor, the outcome remains unchanged.

As a powerful minister, one must bear the negative threats of power.








Zhao Yun furrowed his brows and asked, “But if it’s as you say, my lord, shouldn’t this be considered a problem that was already planted when you took over the position of Grand Marshal? Can’t we blame it on Prince Shi and others?”

“Not entirely!” Qiao Yan’s tone suddenly turned colder. “Another question arises: could I not be in this high position?”

“If they were so confident in their wisdom, they could have used their achievements from all sides to accumulate power and form a balance against me. As long as there were limits and checks, the Grand Marshal could become the Grand General or even an ordinary member of the Nine Ministers. But they chose to use the kind of mediocre tactics that only fools would employ, intending to use my death to shift power and bring about so-called peace.”

“But what can they do? Years of political turmoil have proven that all they can do is be mediocre officials who don’t drag down the peace. In these times, they are even more skilled at scheming to get Liu Bei in Chang’an onto their war chariot than they are at figuring out how to keep the people alive.”

“If we let them take power and place Liu Yang on the throne, it would only repeat the tragedy of the late Emperor Xiaoling. So—”

“I can only stand up!”

“The decline of the Han Dynasty did not start with Dong Zhuo’s chaos in Luoyang. The deep-rooted problems are not just about the difficulty of accommodating a Grand Marshal who campaigns in all directions, or the inability to produce an emperor who can turn the tide, but also about the struggle to accommodate the people who are trying to survive.”

“Zilong,” Qiao Yan suddenly softened her tone, speaking in a voice that seemed to come from the heart, “Even if this is the sorrow of the times, I do not intend to take a step back!”

Since taking a step back would only lead to her destruction, why should she do such a thankless task?

Since the hope for survival that the common people rely on is in her hands, and not in the hands of those who only know how to manipulate power, why shouldn’t she raise her voice and ascend to a high position!

“As you said, the soldiers around Chang’an are already being silently mobilized under their orders. Once this hidden plan surfaces, it will be time to tear off the mask. This is an unchangeable fact. The fact is, those officials who should be in high positions according to the old rules are just like this—they have no ability to quell chaos or govern the world. So, their reason for launching an inquiry is the celestial signs, and the timing of their denunciation is to lure me into the court. Presumably, the way they will handle the aftermath is just to put a scapegoat emperor on the highest throne.”

“But such a Han Dynasty is not the Han Dynasty that once won the hearts of the people! It hasn’t been for a long time!”

It hasn’t been since she was able to rise to power with various opportunities and even take the position of Grand Marshal.

Qiao Yan asked, “Zilong, do you still feel guilty now?”

Zhao Yun’s question originally had some reservations.

He chose to side with Qiao Yan because of their more than ten years of shared experiences, but he still felt some guilt towards the Han Dynasty due to his inherently sincere nature.

But Qiao Yan did not want him to carry this emotion, like Liu Yu, who tormented himself in the face of an inevitable future.

She also did not want the old Han officials, represented by Zhao Yun, to still harbor some unrealistic hopes, such as hoping that after eliminating “treacherous ministers” like Wang Yun, Chunyu Jia, and Shi Sunrui, they could still be in a situation where the Grand Marshal and the emperor ruled together.

She hoped that in the subsequent dynastic change, those who were truly loyal to her could wholeheartedly devote themselves to the great cause of pacifying and rebuilding the world, without any worries!

Hearing her question, Zhao Yun did not hesitate for long before answering, “No more.”

Qiao Yan had already given this explanation.

Even if it was not the Han Dynasty that betrayed her, but the schemes of petty men, when she had already taken that position that should not exist for the sake of the people and herself, the Han Dynasty was already beyond saving.

The accumulated problems might have been planted since the time of Emperor Guangwu, but it was only because of the hundreds of years of the Han Dynasty’s legacy that it continued in various unimaginable ways.

But rather than letting it drag down everyone’s faith and continue to struggle on the gravel, making it so that various policies for the benefit of the people still had to go through layers of approval, it would be better to smash that rickety carriage and replace it with a fast horse to move forward.

So, why should we still be immersed in this guilt of “treason”?

Why not forge ahead and do our best to suppress the storm in this revolution!

In front of him and Qiao Yan, the Mang Mountains were only mottled in the near distance in the dusk, and the distant view had completely become a blur.

In this dim light, Zhao Yun could no longer clearly see her expression.

But the words she spoke next made him feel as if he could see the expression on her face, and it made his blood boil, “Zilong, I really like what a wise man once said. I once saw his ‘Four Sentences of Hengqu’ in a miscellaneous book, and I have never forgotten it. He said, ‘One should establish a heart for heaven and earth, establish a life for the people, continue the learning of the past sages, and open peace for all generations.'”

“If we can truly achieve such a great feat, I hope to share this with everyone.”

After hearing this, Zhao Yun was silent for a long time, then bowed deeply to Qiao Yan, “Zhao Yun is willing to serve you, my lord, and will never regret it even in death.”

The words “never regret it even in death” were heavier than any promise.

What he did not regret was not only following Qiao Yan to overthrow the foundation of the Han Dynasty, but also the subsequent implementation of new policies, the struggle with noble families, the fight against local separatist forces, and the resistance against the inherent rules formed over hundreds of years—

He would never regret it even if he died a hundred times.

And this promise also appeared in the mouth of another person half a month later.

It was none other than the general whom Qiao Yan judged would realize the abnormality of the situation, just like Zhao Yun.

The Middle General of Pingliang, Fu Gan.

Two years ago, in the battle of Yizhou, in order to have enough troops to enter Yizhou from the Yinping Road, Fu Gan and his subordinates were also sent by Qiao Yan.

However, due to the distribution of troops in Yizhou, after completing the recovery of Yizhou, Qiao Yan first sent Fu Gan north to Chang’an to report, and then after a trip to Bingzhou, he returned to Liangzhou to station.

Although places like Jincheng County in Liangzhou were guarded by Duan Wei for a long time, and the Four Commanderies of Hexi were guarded by Xu Rong, Ma Teng, and others, Qiao Yan obviously trusted Fu Gan more.

Whether it was because Fu Gan had been educated in Bingzhou since his youth, or because Qiao Yan had the kindness of avenging his father, or because Fu Gan had a clear understanding of who could bring peace to the world, it all made Qiao Yan feel at ease with the powerful forces in Liangzhou when Fu Gan was stationed in the central part of Liangzhou.

“With the capture of Huang Yan of the Four Commanderies of Hexi and the Huang Clan behind him, my lord should feel more at ease with Liangzhou,” Fu Gan said as his opening statement upon arriving in Luoyang.

But Qiao Yan looked up at the young man who had hurried over and said, “This is not what you should say when you come back to report. The Governor of Liangzhou has already written this in his report to me.”

Fu Gan straightened his expression and replied, “When my father was surrounded by the rebel army in Liangzhou, I once said two things to him. One was, ‘The country is in chaos, so my father is not tolerated in the court.’ The other was, ‘Father, you should go to the countryside, lead the righteous, and assist those who have the way to save the world.'”

Fu Xie did not listen to either of these.

The former, the criticism of the Han Dynasty, Fu Xie knew very well, and he also knew that he would almost certainly face a deadly situation when he became the Prefect of Hanyang at such a coincidental time. If the court were not corrupt, this situation would not have occurred.

But his reply to Fu Gan was that he could not betray the Han Dynasty and that he would rather die like Boyi, who refused to eat the grain of Zhou.

Since the former was already the case, the latter, the idea of assisting “those who have the way,” naturally could not be realized.

Years passed, and Fu Gan still regretted his father’s choice and stubbornly believed that his father’s death to preserve his reputation did not intimidate the rebel army of Han Sui, nor did it make the emperor in the court feel any guilt. Only the measures Fu Gan had proposed back then could have a chance to set things right.

He continued, “I have seen those who have the way, and I am willing to follow them in their endeavors, never regretting it even in death.”

Back then, Fu Gan was just a young man willing to be Qiao Yan’s vanguard, hoping for a chance to gain experience in battle. Now, standing before Qiao Yan, he was an outstanding general who had shown more and more foresight through the trials of the times.

The long-standing difficulty of using Liangzhou in the Han court had already reduced his sense of belonging to the Han Dynasty, and Fu Xie’s death completely erased what little remained.

This was a good thing.

It saved Qiao Yan a lot of words.

And in Fu Xie, there were actually many shadows of border generals, but some of them did not have the same awareness as he did.

“Yancai, you said one thing wrong,” Qiao Yan replied, “We are not raising a banner to start a rebellion, but waiting for the right moment and dealing with things as they come.”

“Exactly as you say, my lord,” Fu Gan smiled and continued, “I came to Luoyang from Liangzhou, so naturally I passed through Chang’an. On the way, I happened to see something interesting.”

Seeing Qiao Yan signal him to continue, Fu Gan said, “Prince Yang, because His Majesty’s illness has not improved for several months, volunteered to climb Mount Hua to look at the moon and pray for his father’s health. To show his sincerity, he did not bring many attendants.”

Qiao Yan smiled, “If he really had such filial piety, he should have disciplined himself and learned some truly useful knowledge after coming from Youzhou to Guanzhong, instead of just having the airs and trappings of a prince without the exemplary role a prince should have.”

“What he intends to do in the deep mountains and dense forests, he knows in his heart.”

Mount Hua was not a tourist attraction these days.

Not many people had the leisure for such things.

This place was just like the Qinling Mountains, a remote and hidden place.

Perfect for an experiment.

An experiment crucial to Liu Yang.

He watched as the device made of gunpowder was inserted into the crevices of the mountain rocks, transforming from the half-finished state he had received it in to something resembling what he had seen before.

The long fuse was slowly pulled towards him by Zuo Ci’s hands.

“Your Highness, would you like to light the fuse yourself?” Zuo Ci asked.

Liu Yang chuckled awkwardly, and remembering what he had seen in the mines of Bingzhou, he instinctively took a step back.

So he naturally did not see the mockery that flashed in Zuo Ci’s eyes as they fell.

But the other’s tone was calm, showing no emotion, “Then I will do it for you.”

Hearing Zuo Ci’s words, Liu Yang quickly retreated further away.

The next moment, he saw the fuse catch fire and quickly spread towards the gunpowder package.

As the fuse completely disappeared from his sight, a burst of brilliant sparks suddenly erupted, followed by a loud roar, accompanied by the sound of rocks being blasted apart, rushing towards him and hitting his eardrums hard.

Half of the explosive only caught fire, but the other half released an astonishing force in the violent reaction, blasting the rocks it was rooted in into several pieces.

Seeing this, Zuo Ci shook his head, somewhat dissatisfied, “The performance of this explosive is still not stable enough.”

“No… no! This is enough!” Liu Yang’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the scene before him.

If the rocks could be blasted apart like this, could people escape?

With his limited knowledge, he was certain they could not.

Seeing this scene, Liu Yang felt extremely fortunate in his joy.

He was fortunate that last year, when Yu Ji and Zhang Jin were brought to Chang’an for trial, he had followed Yu Fan’s advice and quietly saved Yu Ji, making him disappear from the prison.

When he asked Yu Fan why he had done this, Yu Fan only mysteriously said it would be useful.

But a few days later, Liu Yang understood.

Because of the friendship between Yu Ji and Zuo Ci, a Taoist priest with miraculous abilities appeared at his residence.

Zuo Ci claimed that he had fled when Zhang Jin was defeated, knowing he could not turn the tide, but fortunately, heaven’s will was with the Han, and there was always a way for him to rise again, which happened to be on Liu Yang.

Such a strange and extraordinary person joining his ranks made Liu Yang extremely happy.

This kind of elusive method could very well be used to assassinate Qiao Yan.

And because of Zuo Ci’s Taoist alchemy skills, he took on the responsibility of researching gunpowder.

Compared to Yu Ji’s medical skills and health theories, and Yu Fan’s explanations of the I Ching and reasoning about heavenly principles, what Zuo Ci brought to Liu Yang was a miracle of turning waste into treasure. How could he not be delighted!

“I heard that last year in Yang Province, you were once intimidated by Qiao Yeshu with such a strange object, forcing you to flee to Jiaozhou, almost exiling you without any wrongdoing,” Liu Yang held Zuo Ci’s hand and said, “Now, with this, you can surely get your revenge!”

And this would also allow Liu Yang to regain all the face he had lost before!