Chapter 409

Chapter 409

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Final Volume: The Rise and Fall of Royal Power, Unification of the World, Chapter 409: Proclamation Against the Qiao Clan

Chen Lin certainly couldn’t just send the proclamation to Qiao Yan’s jurisdiction in such a letter-like manner.

No proclamation from any side has ever been presented in such a lukewarm way.

That was merely a preliminary notice.

Two days after the proclamation letter arrived in Luoyang, and by the time it reached Qiao Yan’s hands, Liu Bian, standing on the high platform outside Ye City, looked down at the gathered soldiers and officials who formed the Ye City court. He took a deep breath and mentally rehearsed the proclamation he had memorized over the past two days.

He had no way out now; he had to—

He had to pour all his emotions into reciting this morale-boosting proclamation!

If it truly worked as Yuan Shao said, he could use this method to rally those loyal to the Han Dynasty to his side, and they might still have a chance to fight back.

Once this proclamation against the traitor was recited, the personnel dispatched by their Ye City court to various provinces would post the copied proclamations at the gates of government offices across the provinces within a few days.

This action might prevent them from ever returning to Ye City, but as Yuan Shao said, as long as more people could see this proclamation and hear the Han Dynasty’s cry for survival, it wouldn’t be in vain.

He wondered what Xun Yu, who should have received this proclamation by now, was thinking.

As a model of the Yingchuan noble families, had he truly given up struggling and chosen to completely submit to Qiao Yan’s intimidation?

But Liu Bian didn’t know that the proclamation had already fallen into Qiao Yan’s hands.

“Although I had long expected that Ye City might stir up something like this, it still feels a bit…微妙 (微妙 means subtle or nuanced) to actually see the proclamation in hand,” Qiao Yan joked with the system. “By the way, can this count as a strategist achievement?”

The system couldn’t take it anymore: [Your subordinates captured Yanzhou and Yu Province, and even got Cao Cao to join you. I gave you credit for those, but now you want to claim credit for being denounced in a proclamation? What kind of strategist gets denounced in a proclamation?]

Even though it had long accepted the fact that it wasn’t a proper strategist system, it still found the idea of being denounced in a proclamation utterly absurd.

Yet its host didn’t seem to find it the least bit stimulating and replied, “Fine, if it doesn’t count, let’s just treat it as a unique life experience.”

“It feels 微妙 because this proclamation is hard to write.”

“Look, in the proclamation against Wang Mang by Wei Xiao, he could write, ‘Policies change daily, official titles shift monthly, currency reforms yearly, officials and people are confused and chaotic,’ criticizing the flaws in Wang Mang’s new policies. In the historical proclamation Chen Lin wrote for Yuan Shao against Cao Cao, he could write about Cao Cao’s tomb-robbing activities, condemning him as ‘greedy, cruel, and extreme in his actions.’ In the proclamation Zu Junyan wrote for Li Mi, he could accuse Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty of ruining the country and harming the people by building canals, going on grand tours, and attacking Korea. What have I done?”

“Even the paper he used to write the proclamation was improved by us.”

The system muttered: [But he still wrote it.]

Qiao Yan laughed, “That’s why I want to know if the morale of the Ye City court can be sustained solely by the sentiment of the Han Dynasty rather than the villainy of their opponent.”

When Liu Bian recited the proclamation, he also harbored such doubts.

But Chen Lin’s words had already done their utmost to accuse Qiao Yan. No one else could have written it with such overwhelming force. He had no right to complain about such a proclamation.

“In the past, Emperor Gaozu rose against the tyrannical Qin, and now, four hundred years later, we have seen the likes of Lü Chan and Lü Lu monopolizing power, the Marquis of Jiang raising troops, Wang Mang usurping the throne, and Emperor Guangwu restoring the Han. Each time, in times of crisis, change was sought, and the royal way flourished.”

“Yet after the late Emperor’s passing, the world fell into chaos. First, the traitor Dong Zhuo invaded the court and oppressed the country, then Qiao Yan stole the imperial authority, leading to the decline of the Han Dynasty, the collapse of its laws, and the despair of its loyal ministers. The people were coerced, and none dared to speak the truth.”

“In the past, the weak ruler of Qin allowed Zhao Gao to seize power, leading to the fall of the Qin Dynasty in just two generations. Qiao Yan, as a minister, was already like this. Now that she has usurped the throne and overturned the sacred vessels, the disaster of the Han Dynasty is imminent!”

“Every time I think of loyal ministers being coerced by those who falsely occupy the throne, I cannot sleep, tossing and turning.”

“From Fuxi and Shennong to Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang, all revered the heavens and worked diligently, never oppressing the people or failing to fulfill their heavenly mandate.”

“Though Qiao Yan may have temporary success, the outcome is still uncertain. Therefore, I declare her crimes to the world, calling on all wise men to join in this great cause and unite to punish the traitor!”

In the proclamation Qiao Yan received, the word “朕” (I, the emperor) used by Liu Bian was replaced with “汉帝” (Emperor of Han), which seemed to lack some of the original force.

But the Han Dynasty did have the confidence to speak of fighting back in times of crisis.

After all, as Chen Lin wrote, the monopolization of power by Lü Chan and Lü Lu, and Wang Mang’s usurpation, were all corrected, as if the Han Dynasty was blessed by some divine favor, able to rise again after turmoil.

Even in the proclamation Qiao Yan wrote when she fought against Dong Zhuo, she said the same.

So there was still a glimmer of hope.

But Qiao Yan had already usurped the Han and established herself, occupying eleven provinces, leaving only two for the remnants of the Han Dynasty. With Liu Bian lacking the abilities of Emperor Guangwu, he could only toss and turn, weeping, grasping at any reason to boost his spirits.

Qiao Yan did not revere the heavens but instead ruled with violence and conquest, which could not last.

Didn’t this bring us back to the question of human effort versus heavenly mandate?

Perhaps even Chen Lin didn’t know what arguments to use, so he circled back to the old rhetoric.

Liu Bian tried to make his voice resonate, hoping more people could hear him, but as he thought of the following passages, he couldn’t help but grit his teeth.

Most proclamations list the background of the accused.

If they were denouncing Cao Cao, they could talk about how his grandfather, as a Palace Attendant, wielded great power, how his father once bought the position of one of the Three Excellencies, and how Cao Cao was the “ugly remnant of a eunuch.”

But what about Qiao Yan?

Her grandfather, Qiao Xuan, never did such things during his tenure. Instead, he made great contributions to the Han Dynasty’s borders and interior, selecting the worthy and serving with integrity. Her father, Qiao Yu, died in the Yellow Turban Rebellion, serving the Han to his last breath. Before declaring herself emperor, Qiao Yan, whether in quelling the Qiang and Hu rebellions in Bingzhou or suppressing Dong Zhuo and Li Jue, lived up to Emperor Ling’s trust.

What could they say?

That she disregarded Qiao Xuan’s expectations for family harmony and the care the Qiao clan of Liang gave her in her youth, and instead—

“Occupying a high position and wielding great power, she used tyrannical methods to divide the clan and establish her own branch.

The Qiao clan remained loyal to the Han, but Qiao Yan harbored rebellious thoughts, leading her to slaughter her own clan and act against all reason.”

Qiao Yan couldn’t help but laugh when she read this.

“Chen Lin’s conscience isn’t completely rotten. He didn’t fabricate some nonsense about the Qiao clan of Yanzhou helping me rise to power, only mentioning my childhood in Liang.”

“But this ‘slaughtering her own clan’… that’s quite unfair.”

Those from the Qiao clan of Liang who participated in the plot to seize Yanzhou likely died in battle due to their poor archery skills.

The rest were those who stayed in Liang, waiting for news.

Interestingly, many of the noble youths in Yanzhou had encroached on good farmland and harmed the local people, with some even having blood on their hands. Qiao Yan had instructed Qiao Ting to deal with them impartially. As for the Qiao clan of Liang… well, when ambition outpaces ability, the harm they can cause diminishes greatly.

In the end, they were sentenced to exile to Rinan County in Jiaozhou, which is now Laos and Vietnam, giving them a taste of traveling abroad.

This really doesn’t count as “slaughtering her own clan.”

They’re still alive and well.

If they can’t adapt to the southern climate, they might want to reflect on their own constitutions.

After all, historically, Yu Fan was exiled there by Sun Quan and lived to seventy.

Thinking this, she decided not to dwell too much on the Qiao clan of Yanzhou. After all, once she successfully separated from the clan and cut ties, they could no longer bind or hinder her.

Her gaze moved on to the next part.

When Liu Bian recited this part in Ye City, his aura was particularly strong.

Because in his view, this accusation was not wrong.

“Former Prefect of Jiujiang, Bian Rang, a man of great talent and fame, known for his uprightness and refusal to flatter, yet Qiao Yan, in her plot to seize Yanzhou, brought war upon him, leading to his beheading and an untimely death.”

“Former General Who Pacifies Bandits, Liu Bei, diligent in governance and beloved by the people, a model of loyalty and righteousness. Former Minister over the Masses, Wang Yun, who served in two high offices and enjoyed the highest honors of the state, yet Qiao Yan, over petty grievances, falsely accused them, leading to their downfall.”

“Former Prefect of Chenliu, Zhang Miao, former Governor of Jiaozhou, Zhang Jin, and former Governor of Xuzhou, Tao Qian, all had the heart to support the Han Dynasty, yet each met an untimely death. Qiao Yan, with the heart of a wolf, harbored treacherous schemes, aiming to weaken the pillars of the state, isolate and weaken the Han Dynasty, and eliminate the loyal and righteous. Truly, she is a great threat!”

“The court weeps, the people mourn. Alas, we cannot bring the loyal and good back to life!”

Never mind that Zhang Jin’s death might have been due to his overestimating his abilities and attacking Liu Biao in Jing Province. Never mind that Tao Qian’s death might have been because he and the increasingly ambitious Ze Rong could only coexist for so long. Never mind that Bian Rang and Zhang Miao might have initiated actions against Cao Cao, or that Liu Bei and Wang Yun might have detained Liu Yu while plotting to assassinate Qiao Yan—

When Qiao Yan, having replaced the Han, was accused by Chen Lin of intending to “weaken the Han Dynasty and eliminate the loyal and righteous,” the deaths of these “loyal ministers of the Han” could all be attributed to her!

If Chen Lin’s accusations seemed exaggerated to him, to Qiao Yan, they were not entirely inaccurate.

She even told Sun Ce about her actions…








What could they not do, and why would they care about Chen Lin’s accusations?

As for his subsequent writing of “Setting up officials and dividing duties, promoting relatives and friends,” accusing her of promoting Qiao Lan, Qiao Ting, and Cai Zhaoji, who was both a subject and a friend, to the positions of the Nine Ministers, and writing “Reversing the order of superiority and inferiority, disrupting the balance of yin and yang,” accusing her of ascending to the position of the Son of Heaven as a woman and repeatedly promoting female officials, disrupting the order of the court, it could not stir even the slightest ripple in her heart.

Such accusations might have been silently voiced in her Da Yong court, but for the opposing court in Ye City to bring them up, to rally those who agreed with such views and bind them closer together, what harm could it do to her?

Obviously none!

If it could stimulate more talented and discerning women, who had previously been confined to their homes, to come forward, she would rather hope that Chen Lin’s proclamation could spread even wider.

In the political games between these politicians and the accusations against her as a female emperor inevitably promoting women’s status, none of the accusations were about her monetary policies, laws, taxes, or people’s livelihood, but rather became a promotion for her.

How dare Chen Lin fabricate and write such condemnations as “exhausting the people’s strength and depleting the world’s resources”?

The widely circulated Leping Monthly Report had already clearly shown the kind of life the people of Da Yong were living.

The only thing Chen Lin could accuse her of in his political accusations was that Qiao Yan had elevated the status of merchants too much.

But this was precisely the harmonious relationship between her and the Donghai Mi Clan, who had supported her early on.

Not only did Qiao Yan find this proclamation of limited lethality, even Liu Bian, who tried to enhance its impact with his tone, felt that the lines should depict Qiao Yan as more like a fierce ghost.

But considering that her chance to wield real power was largely due to Emperor Ling of Han’s “keen eye for talent,” Liu Bian had to know when to stop.

Could he accuse his father of poor judgment in such a setting?

No, obviously not.

He was not the legitimate heir with the right to the throne, but a substitute placed on the throne by the Yuan Clan of Runan because Liu Xie was held hostage by Dong Zhuo. Even the Imperial Seal had been handed over to Qiao Yan by Liu Xie.

So he had to cling to Emperor Ling of Han’s achievements more than anyone else, continuing to represent the Han Dynasty as the eldest son of Liu Hong.

He had moved on to the next part.

Qiao Yan slaughtered clans, harmed loyal officials, and controlled most of the world, leaving the Han Dynasty like a dying candle flame, but so what?

“I cannot be a fleeing captive, trembling at the sound of arrows, kneeling before a tent.”

He could not be afraid!

Nor could he surrender!

Just as Yuan Shao had to pull himself together after repeated setbacks, not to fall, and continue to resist Qiao Yan’s Da Yong court.

“Though in a desperate situation, there are still talents like Qi Zi by my side, and the support of noble families, the heart to restore the Han Dynasty remains undiminished, the spirit to soar high remains strong. I ask you all to follow the example of Geng Yan serving Emperor Guangwu, Xiao He serving Emperor Gaozu, not just for gold seals and purple ribbons, canopies and red wheels, but for wealth to honor the past, loyalty to pass on to future generations, how grand it would be!”

He also had to praise these ministers who remained loyal to him, calling them talents like Qi Zi.

He also had to promise these companions in hardship that if they, and those who heard this proclamation and were willing to assist him, could help him restore the Han Dynasty and return to the old capital, their treatment would be no different from that of founding heroes.

Any high official position and generous salary would be within reach at the time of success.

Such empty rhetoric, after losing Yanzhou, Yu Province, and the River North County of Sili, and with Lü Bu just causing disturbances in northern Ji Province, whether it could achieve the effect Liu Bian wanted, he had no idea.

He could only first convince himself that the “gold seals and purple ribbons, canopies and red wheels” were indeed a possible future, and with a voice that had not diminished in volume, he said:

“Only hope that the Yellow River carries the earth, to show my words of blood and tears; the bright sun adorns the sky, to know my intention to restore the Han.”

“This proclamation is announced to the world, let all know! Respect it!”

When the last word was spoken, Liu Bian felt as if he had gone through a life-threatening long journey, finally reaching the end.

His gaze swept around, trying to see the mark and resonance of the Han Dynasty’s legacy in the soldiers who listened, but what he first heard was Yuan Shao’s “Swear to die loyal to Your Majesty,” followed by louder and louder cheers from around.

At this moment, Liu Bian’s heart felt as if it had been splashed with cold water.

This was supposed to be him, following Chen Lin’s proclamation, denouncing Qiao Yan far in Chang’an, making her feel that the remaining forces of the Han Dynasty’s two provinces still had the heart to resist her with all their might, but why was it that his heart had already started to waver.

But he still had some hope that when the proclamation spread to the provinces and counties, it would play its due role.

He would also firmly remember the sacrifices made by those who posted the proclamation.

However, Liu Bian probably would not have thought that after reading the last two sentences, Qiao Yan in Chang’an did not look for any evidence to exploit from the system, but called Cai Zhaoji over.

“I give you two days to release the supplementary issue for late March in advance.”

Cai Zhaoji was stunned: “In advance?”

Although she had already prepared most of the content for the April issue in advance, to avoid not being able to release it in time when April came, there were still many manuscripts to be proofread and selected.

Especially when there was Xu You’s biographical literature on Yuan Shao and Qiao Yan’s decree to recruit generals, the content to be matched would inevitably be somewhat special.

But as soon as she asked the question, she saw Qiao Yan hand her a letter.

“Take a look at this, the denunciation proclamation sent by the Ye City court against me.”

Cai Zhaoji quickly scanned through it, feeling that the other side’s shamelessness had exceeded her imagination.

But when she saw Qiao Yan’s still calm face, she felt that such anger was unnecessary.

“Your Majesty means to put this in the Leping Monthly Report too?”

“Don’t you think it would be interesting?” Qiao Yan clapped her hands and smiled, “We have introduced Yuan Shao’s resume in a fair and objective way, and what Ye City returns to us is such a proclamation. Since they want this proclamation to be known to the world, why can’t we generously help them!”

Cao Cao could use Chen Lin’s denunciation proclamation as a cure for his headache, Wu Zetian could say that not employing talents was the prime minister’s fault when facing Luo Binwang’s proclamation, could she not have such magnanimity?

Moreover, this was not showing weakness to the enemy.

Not to mention who would be more embarrassed when the two were compared, Qiao Yan did not intend to just post it out for everyone to comment on as a counterattack against Yuan Shao.

“When the new road in Chang’an was first completed, there was a call for submissions from all directions. Today, Yuan Shao has Chen Lin write this proclamation to insult Da Yong, and we also call for submissions from all directions to respond to Yuan Shao!”

“I want the April issue of the Leping Monthly Report to be filled with denunciations of the Ye City court from famous scholars!”

They may not exist in the form of a proclamation, but they must let Yuan Shao feel the “enthusiasm” of the people of Da Yong.

In terms of literary talent, does she not have people under her who surpass Chen Lin?

In terms of momentum, with the advantages she has accumulated over the years, she cannot be inferior to the other side.

In terms of merits and faults, she certainly will not lose to Yuan Shao!

The supplementary issue is just to build momentum for the following April issue!

“The denunciation proclamation against the false court for the Han Emperor… Chen Kongzhang’s reputation is likely to be greatly diminished by this proclamation,” Ni Heng sighed as he looked at the newly published newspaper.

Seeing his friend Yang Xiu’s face full of indignation, he felt he didn’t need to ask if he intended to participate in this proclamation submission.

Sure enough, the next moment, he heard Yang Xiu say: “I plan to seclude myself for two days, and must write a thorough denunciation of Yuan Benchu.”

Ni Heng resisted the urge to ask if Yang Xiu had completely forgotten that Yuan Shao was still his uncle, and it would be extremely interesting when it really appeared in the monthly report.

He just shook his head and said: “To deal with a thief like Yuan Shao, the trick Yuan Gonglu used to say that Shao was not a son of the Yuan family is enough, why bother with those elegant poems and essays, the so-called ‘why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut’ is nothing more than this!”

Yang Xiu: “…”

To be honest, you didn’t say that when you wrote the Parrot Essay!

Yang Xiu thought of the essay full of rare words that Ni Heng wrote at the Chang’an wine discussion meeting, and felt a headache coming on.

But Ni Heng’s words didn’t seem to be just talk.

“You don’t believe me? You don’t believe me, I’ll write it for you to see.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled out a piece of paper from the side and started writing furiously.

Not long after, Yang Xiu saw Ni Heng finish writing several lines on the paper and throw it in front of Yang Xiu.

Yang Xiu unfolded the letter and saw it clearly written:

[The characters under Yuan Shao’s command are nothing more than this, like a leaf blocking the view and not seeing Mount Tai, a blind man feeling an elephant and unable to see the whole picture, hence such absurd words about Da Yong’s Majesty as a rallying cry.

It’s better to remove them from their positions to make the best use of their talents.

Yuan Shao has good looks, can be used to welcome guests, Ju Shou has dignity, can be used to close doors, Guo Tu is good at eloquence, can be used to recite poems, Gao Lan has great strength, can be used to beat drums and gongs, Xin Ping can deliver letters and proclamations, Chen Lin can copy texts, Gao Shun can sharpen swords, Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi, Yuan Shang can be entrusted with the duty of herding horses and mules…

The rest are nothing but wine bags and rice sacks.

As for the so-called Son of Heaven of the false Han court, I heard that he learned Taoism among the people in his childhood, unfortunately not as good as the Five Pecks of Rice Sect’s Heavenly Master Zhang, can be called useless!]

Yang Xiu’s hand trembled, almost dropping the paper.

“Am I wrong?” Ni Heng replied casually: “The Five Pecks of Rice Sect’s Zhang Lu can use doctrine to constrain the people of Yizhou, making them build roads and bridges to transport rice from Shu to Guanzhong, and then support all directions. What else does this Son of Heaven, who still has the name of the Han Dynasty, have?”

Ni Heng suddenly sneered: “Forgot, he would read out Chen Kongzhang’s denunciation proclamation in Ye City when he knew the trend was irreversible, adding another joke for himself!”

“How do you like my response?”