Chapter 378

Chapter 378

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Final Volume: The Rise and Fall of Kingly Ambitions, Unification of the World, Chapter 378: Summoned to the Capital

This is gunpowder.

Before Qiao Yan revealed this in Yang Province, no one could have imagined that such a thing could replace human labor, even replacing her well-digging cart device, and unleash such power on the ground and among the rocks.

“Minister Wang, even if this thing still has some issues, with half of the explosives often misfiring, the other half should be enough.” After returning from Mount Hua, Liu Yang, as if presenting a treasure, handed over the other half of the explosives given to him by Zuo Ci to Wang Yun.

Neither Wang Yun nor Liu Yang had any doubts about Zuo Ci’s origins.

From Sun Ce’s death to his former minister Yu Fan’s resentment towards Qiao Yan, from Yu Fan to rescuing Yu Ji, who also hailed from Yang Province, and from Yu Ji, who was supposed to be dealt with alongside Zhang Jin, to Zuo Ci, who indeed possessed divine abilities, everything seemed seamless.

If these three had appeared together, Liu Yang might have suspected that they were spies sent by Qiao Yan to probe his situation. But now, not only did he not doubt these three capable individuals who appeared one after another, but his mind was also completely occupied by the gunpowder before him.

“Enough,” Wang Yun replied after hearing Liu Yang’s report on the gunpowder tests. “But the premise is that we must not let Qiao Yanshu escape. We must strike with precision. Otherwise, using gunpowder as a tool to attack her would be enough to bring us criticism.”

Qiao Yan’s ability to adapt in crises had been proven in various ways over the years.

The Yellow Turban Rebellion in Yanzhou, the drought and locust disaster in Bingzhou, Dong Zhuo’s rebellion in Luoyang, and Sun Ce’s death in Yang Province—none of these incidents failed to become opportunities for her to seek benefits.

Once the tiger is let into the mountains, even if Liu Yu himself were to take the stage to acknowledge Qiao Yan’s treason, Wang Yun had no doubt that Qiao Yan would turn her reputation around.

At that time, what kind of backlash would those who set traps for her receive?

They would be accused of being so greedy as to use the Grand Marshal’s weapons, meant to fight against Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, in such a despicable manner against her!

So they absolutely must not fail in this matter.

“Rest assured, with gunpowder in hand, our chances of success have increased manifold,” Liu Yang confidently replied.

If it were just about troop movements, Liu Yang was well aware of his own limitations.

No one could be sure if these soldiers would suddenly defect to Qiao Yan or if she would break through the encirclement with her years of commanding experience.

And relying solely on strong bows and crossbows might not be enough to take Qiao Yan’s life.

After all, even when she was just commanding the Bingzhou army, chain mail had already become standard equipment for her generals, resulting in few casualties among her ranks over the years.

But gunpowder is different.

This thing, which only recognizes its user and has the power to destroy buildings, will not yield to Qiao Yan’s strength. It will indiscriminately blow her enemies to pieces on the spot!

Liu Yang felt not only fortunate that Zuo Ci had improved the half-finished product into something usable but also grateful that Zuo Ci’s existence had forced Qiao Yan to reveal this weapon prematurely to avoid future disturbances.

Whether Shi Xie, the Prefect of Jiaozhi Commandery in Jiaozhou, surrendered because of this weapon was not that important, as the benefits the Central Plains could gain from Jiaozhou were hard to quantify.

But if Qiao Yan had waited until the official war with Yuan Shao to reveal this weapon, it would have caused unexpected casualties, perhaps allowing her to pacify the world even faster.

Fortunately, fortunately…

To avoid being tricked by Zuo Ci’s magic, she had revealed this weapon in such a manner, allowing Liu Yang to realize that Qiao Yan was not invincible and giving him a powerful new weapon.

Hearing Wang Yun acknowledge its usefulness, only urging caution to ensure success, Liu Yang couldn’t help but show a confident smile.

Wang Yun felt somewhat helpless, but just as Qiao Yan believed the situation was irreversible, so did Wang Yun.

The arrow was already on the bowstring; it had to be fired. That was the reality.

He could no longer abandon Liu Yang as an ally and choose someone else to work with. To prevent Liu Yang from becoming overly arrogant before taking action, Wang Yun interrupted Liu Yang’s reverie, “Your Highness, how is the situation with Commandant Xianyu?”

At this, Liu Yang’s expression darkened.

Liu Yu was ill and had no other sons, so Liu Yang, as the prince, should naturally be seen as the sole heir.

But in reality, Xianyu Fu, the leader of the imperial guards and holding the position of Commandant, showed little respect for Liu Yang, as far as Liu Yang could tell.

From the attitude Xianyu Fu displayed during their last encounter when Liu Yang visited his father, it was clear.

“He is unwilling to assist us,” Liu Yang said. After returning to Chang’an yesterday, confident in the gunpowder and increasingly sure of defeating Qiao Yan, Liu Yang immediately conspired with Xianyu Yin to persuade Xianyu Fu.

Many of the soldiers under Shi Sunrui’s Right Fufeng garrison had once served under Zhao Yun, making them much more uncertain compared to the Youzhou soldiers in the Imperial Guards.

If they could use the latter, it would be preferable.

But Liu Yang’s confidence was shattered by Xianyu Fu.

Upon hearing Liu Yang’s plan to capture and kill the traitor, Xianyu Fu sternly asked if Liu Yang had forgotten the promise Liu Yu had made him make.

Liu Yang had thought the so-called promise was just a few words to placate his ailing father, never expecting Liu Yu to take it seriously and inform Xianyu Fu.

Furious and humiliated, though not daring to execute Xianyu Fu directly, Liu Yang ordered Xianyu Yin to detain his brother.

Since he refused to cooperate, they would simply ignore him.

Those who couldn’t see the situation clearly deserved to be kicked out.

After explaining this to Wang Yun, Liu Yang asked, “Minister Wang, what should we do now?”

What should they do?

Wang Yun was almost driven mad by Liu Yang’s inability to prioritize!

While detaining Xianyu Fu was the right choice to prevent him from informing Liu Yu or Qiao Yan, the arrest of the Imperial Guards’ leader would inevitably disrupt the defense operations in Chang’an. If this continued for too long, the sharp-eyed Cheng Yu and others would surely notice.

He should have brought this up first, not the progress with gunpowder, and certainly not gloated about it!

But Wang Yun knew that blaming Liu Yang now was pointless. It was better to quickly remedy the situation.

He immediately said, “Have Commandant Xianyu take over the Imperial Guards immediately. If anyone asks, say the Commandant is ill. But this illness has a time limit; we have at most a few days.”

With Xianyu Fu’s situation, their original few days of preparation were gone.

Thinking that Wang Yun had originally planned to win over Huangfu Song, but now, due to Liu Yang, they had lost that buffer time. Rather than risk a confrontation with Huangfu Song, it was better to keep him in the dark, effectively losing another strong ally. Wang Yun was filled with frustration at Liu Yang’s incompetence.

Earlier, when Liu Yang failed to persuade Lu Zhi, Wang Yun could console himself by thinking that Lu Zhi and Qiao Yan had a teacher-student relationship, making him unwilling to believe Qiao Yan harbored any ill intentions towards the Han dynasty.

After all, by forging Lu Zhi’s jade pendant, they had managed to persuade Liu Bei to join them.

But this time, being forced to act prematurely and missing the chance to win over allies was entirely due to Liu Yang’s lack of ability!

“Can’t we just send him to Youzhou temporarily…”

Liu Yang’s words were cut short by a glare from Wang Yun, and he quickly shut his mouth.








“The operation through Bingzhou, do you think it’s possible to avoid Qiao Yan’s spies? How would you explain the sudden ability of the guards to fly and disappear?”

Liu Yang: “…” It really doesn’t seem possible.

“No more hesitation, I’ll immediately send a message to Liu Bei, informing him of the timing of the operation. You, along with Colonel Xianyu and my men, must first take control of the palace and secure the Emperor’s seal.”

Not the Imperial Seal, but the new jade seal carved when Liu Yu ascended the throne.

All the decrees issued over the past four years in Guanzhong have been stamped with this seal, and people have long accepted it as the symbol of the Emperor’s legitimacy, replacing the Imperial Seal.

Liu Yang asked, “And then?”

“Then, forge an edict to recall Qiao Yan from Luoyang, while fully controlling the Chang’an garrison and ordering Shisun to return with troops, ready to block the palace gates at any moment.”

“Remember,” Wang Yun said gravely, “you are currently just a man distraught over his father’s illness, not someone trying to capture Qiao Yan. You must wait for the Grand Marshal to return to Chang’an to stabilize the situation. Your Highness, if you act rashly and jeopardize the plan, even with our weapons, we will surely be counterattacked and suppressed, with no chance of recovery!”

“Do you understand?”

Wang Yun’s stern expression made Liu Yang feel a sense of pressure.

He quickly responded, “Minister Wang, rest assured, I will act with caution.”

The simplicity of Liu Yu’s harem, both in layout and personnel, made it not too difficult for Liu Yang to take control of the palace.

He was immensely grateful that although Qiao Yan had interfered with Liu Yu’s decisions, steering official appointments in her desired direction, she had not truly turned Liu Yu into her puppet.

The guards in the palace were mostly loyal followers from Youzhou or soldiers recruited by Liu Yu in Chang’an.

Without Qiao Yan’s elite troops, when Xianyu Yin’s personal guards and Wang Yun’s private soldiers disguised as imperial guards came to change shifts on this seemingly ordinary afternoon, and Liu Yang coincidentally arrived at the palace gate under the pretext of visiting his father, no one expected him to launch a sudden attack, leaving them unable to mount an effective defense.

The palace guards, having gathered their personnel, were about to accept the token from the man in front when a flash of silver from his sleeve revealed a hidden crossbow bolt that struck his throat.

This was not the only attack.

Unlike Xianyu Fu, who held the position of Guard Commander, they could not be eliminated as mere sacrifices.

At Liu Yang’s signal, soldiers expecting to rotate out for rest were suddenly struck down.

Months of drills allowed the attackers to quickly drag the bodies to hidden corners within the palace walls.

The lingering winter weather helped conceal the traces, and the meticulous records of the palace guard’s personnel allowed Liu Yang’s other team to notify the families of the guards, preventing any panic from their absence.

This force, entirely loyal to him—or rather, to Xianyu Yin and Wang Yun—quickly took full control of the Han palace.

To those outside, it appeared to be a routine shift change, with no issues among the guards on the city walls. But Liu Yang, walking within the palace, knew that soon the palace would be a labyrinth of traps, especially around the areas where explosives were placed.

But it wasn’t enough. As Wang Yun had said, he needed to secure the jade seal and continue the plan.

The sound of the door being pushed open startled Liu Yu, who was lying in bed.

Before he could rise, he saw Liu Yang swiftly heading towards the nearby desk.

Without a word of concern for his ailing father, Liu Yang went straight for the jade seal on the desk, clutching it tightly before immediately leaving to use it for issuing edicts.

Seeing this, Liu Yu could not believe that his son was trying to ease his burden during his illness; instead, he thought…

“Scoundrel! What are you doing?”

The jade seal was a symbol of ultimate authority. Even if Liu Yang were the crown prince, such an act of overreach was unthinkable.

In this act of theft, Liu Yu could see a hint of guilt in Liu Yang’s hurried steps.

He couldn’t possibly use the jade seal for good.

Startled by his father’s sudden question, Liu Yang nearly dropped the seal but managed to hold onto it as he stepped back, replying under Liu Yu’s cold gaze, “I’m doing what you should have done but never had the courage to!”

Liu Yu, not a fool, understood the implication.

Somehow finding the strength, he struggled out of bed to intercept Liu Yang.

As he moved towards Liu Yang, he shouted, “Have you gone mad? Have you forgotten what you promised me!”

Was Liu Yu’s insistence on not opposing Qiao Yan out of excessive trust and favoritism?

No, it was protection for Liu Yang.

But to the young man, confident in his explosives and control of the palace, Liu Yu’s words felt like suppression, not advice.

At this point, he could not retreat; he had to see this deadly siege through to the end!

He would prove to Liu Yu.

Qiao Yan was not invincible; her removal would be a boon for the Han.

Before Liu Yu could reach him, Liu Yang dashed out of the bedroom and had the door locked.

Facing Liu Yu’s furious pounding on the door, a flicker of fear crossed Liu Yang’s face, but he gritted his teeth and suppressed it.

“Father, anger harms your health. Please don’t do anything rash. I’ll ensure your meals are delivered without neglect.”

“With the jade seal in hand, I’ll inform the ministers to suspend court for a few days, giving you a chance to rest and recover.”

By the time everything was over, when Liu Yu could attend court again, the world would have changed.

Then everyone would know that Liu Yang’s judgment was correct!

And now, all that was left was for the target to enter the trap!

“Summon me to the capital immediately?”

Qiao Yan looked at Xianyu Yin before her and asked.

To prevent ordinary messengers from faltering before Qiao Yan, Liu Yang had sent him as the messenger.

Yet, even so, under Qiao Yan’s calm yet questioning gaze, Xianyu Yin, who had seen his share of storms in Chang’an, nearly took a step back, afraid that Qiao Yan might detect something amiss in his expression.

The phrase “victorious in every battle” not only made Liu Yang both respect and fear her, never daring to address her by her full name but as “Qiao Yanshu,” but also drove Wang Yun to devise intricate plots, fearing that Qiao Yan might escape their traps and cause disaster.

Xianyu Yin also feared her.

He tried to remind himself that if this plan succeeded, with the merit of aiding the Emperor and eliminating a traitor, even if his brother were released from house arrest, his status would surpass his.

And if Liu Yang, upon ascending the throne, assigned him to lead military campaigns, with the current grain reserves in Chang’an and the number of troops in Guanzhong, conquering Yan, Yu, Qing, and Ji provinces would be a straightforward, overwhelming task. By then, he would undoubtedly rank among the top generals in the realm!

What was the command of the imperial guards compared to that?

In the boiling ambition, Xianyu Yin also calmed down from his fear of facing Qiao Yan and handed her the imperial edict.

“Indeed, the Emperor has decreed, summoning the Grand Marshal to court for discussions.”