“Can strategists not take the throne?”
Chapter 410: The Contest of Civil and Military Talents.
Yang Xiu thought, “…”
He really underestimated Ni Heng’s audacity!
Just a remark about Yuan Shao’s looks being good enough to host guests is already a direct jab at Ye City, completely belittling Yuan Shao’s political and military skills, not to mention taking a swipe at Ju Shou, Guo Tu, and Gao Lan.
Even the so-called Son of Heaven in Ye City, in his words, was just a figurehead, less useful than Zhang Lu from the Taishi Path.
The remaining influence of the Han court was utterly nonexistent in this wild man’s eyes.
But speaking of that…
Ni Heng seemed to hold no respect for Qiao Yan, yet his previous public mockery of Chunyu Jia and today’s onslaught against Yuan Shao showed no signs of disrespect towards her.
Yang Xiu decided not to delve into this conflicting sentiment any further.
The people’s reactions under the Son of Heaven of Da Yong were always the most genuine thing in the world.
However, it frustrated Yang Xiu that, even after he told Ni Heng he was going to take two days to compose a scathing rebuttal to Yuan Shao, he was interrupted before he even put pen to paper by a notification from Qiao Yan.
This call for submissions was open to everyone except Yang Xiu.
“Your father is still with Yuan Benchu, if you write a harsh criticism of him, wouldn’t that put him in a precarious position?”
Yang Biao’s situation was different from Xu You’s family.
Xu You reported the truth and if Yuan Shao overreacted, it would just show his rage.
But what Yang Xiu wrote would undoubtedly carry emotional accusations against Yuan Shao, and with the underlying conflict between Da Yong and the Han, no one could say for sure whether Yuan Shao wouldn’t lash out at Yang Biao.
Both were of noble status, but the Yang clan of Hongnong and the Yuan clan of Runan were also related by marriage, so Yang Biao couldn’t be considered safe amidst all this.
Qiao Yan looked at Yang Xiu’s belatedly stunned face and asked, “Moreover, without a response from your Yang Dezu, do you really think the literary submissions filling the pages of Leping Monthly Report will be lacking from this area of Chang’an, or even closer to the capital?”
The saying goes, “The master worries while the minister suffers; the master’s disgrace means the minister’s death,” which was deeply ingrained in the minds of the literati of the time.
Qiao Yan, in such a careless manner, published the proclamation sent by Yuan Shao in the Leping Monthly Report, treating it as a joke and not planning to respond personally, yet many couldn’t sit still at the accusations laid in it.
They couldn’t ignore Qiao Yan’s achievements while casting slurs on her governing ability, debating her ties with the Yanzhou Qiao clan, her relations with Wang Yun, and fueling the conflicts with Liu Bei and others. To critique her for employing female officials and disturbing the yin-yang balance while standing on the already fallen Han’s moral high ground was simply absurd!
If they were allowed to chastise Da Yong’s rule like this, who knows if there’d be a Chen Lin today and someone else tomorrow?
The Emperor might be lazy to act, but what about them?
Xu You had already prepared plenty of material to lash at Yuan Shao; this was no different from providing a prompt for a well-argued essay. If they couldn’t craft something sharp enough to stab directly at Yuan Shao now, then it was clearly their lack of skill.
Some were bold enough, just like Ni Heng had previously demonstrated to Yang Xiu, already set to aim at Liu Bian.
If the inheritance of the Han Dynasty was indeed as questionable as they claimed, and if Qiao Yan gradually weakened the power of the Han officials, usurping the throne through deceit, then—
Why hadn’t Liu Xie, who had clear succession rights, pointed anything out, instead standing with the people under her rule and entrusting the Imperial Seal to her?
Why had Liu Yu, once a Son of Heaven, chosen to execute his own son rather than let Qiao Yan face such injustice, even willingly relinquishing his authority in the face of popular demand?
Lú Zhí, who had once come to Chang’an to serve the Han, loyal to the dynasty over the opportunity to rebel, fit the mold of a true Han official. Yet why had they all accepted the end of the Han Dynasty’s glory and the establishment of Da Yong’s court instead?
When Liu Bian announced this proclamation to rally the city of Ye, whether it originated from Yuan Shao’s direction via Chen Lin seemed rather unimportant.
This Son of Heaven, who had taken the throne in such a peculiar manner, clearly believed every word Chen Lin dished out and had never truly seen the conditions in the other provinces. So how could he still hold onto the name of the Han Son of Heaven and enjoy such a unique status?
In this literary feast of writers clashing, he could only play the part of a target for their scorn!
After all, he was just a nominal leader of a false court.
“On top of that, isn’t this also a chance for me to shine?” Qiao Yan turned toward Yang Xiu again. “Compared to the strict selection at Hongwen Hall this year, where participants need to have a broad knowledge base, showcasing one’s talents through writing a proclamation could very well become a path to promotion.”
If by some stroke of luck one got selected and published in the Leping Monthly Report, and managed to infuriate Yuan Shao with sharp words, they’d achieve something monumental.
Thus, whether already serving under Qiao Yan or seeking advancement in Chang’an, everyone suddenly had their pens ready.
For example, the previous top performer Wang Can was grumbling about Chen Lin’s subpar writing while sharpening his ink, ready to deliver a devastating blow to Yuan Shao.
Then there was—
“Shouldn’t we also write a proclamation?” Fu Shou rested her chin on her hand, eyeing Cai Zhaoji and Huang Yueying and the others.
Don’t be fooled, Chen Lin may have brushed off Qiao Yan’s appointments of female officials as mere “assigning positions based on familiarity” and “disrupting the yin-yang balance,” but that was only because he didn’t want to stir an uproar over the opposition between Da Yong and the Han under a female emperor’s reign, or attract more negative attention.
If the Emperor took a step back on the day of female officials’ appointments due to Huang Wan’s protests, or if any among them made a mistake in their positions, Fu Shou had no doubt it would receive a glaring highlight in Chen Lin’s proclamation.
Including dragging the Emperor down for sitting on the throne as a woman!
But what power did Liu Bian, or even his father Liu Hong, possess to contend with Qiao Yan?
If they ignored such remarks today, one day it would surely be dragged out again as old accounts.
So naturally, they had to write, and even produce something of quality to ensure that their response from the perspective supporting the female emperor and officials wasn’t merely picked because one of them was an editor of the Leping Monthly Report, but because it stood on its own merit!
Cai Zhaoji said, “I want to write, but…”
But her position was equivalent to screening various literary submissions…
“Well, if you’re a judge, cramming your own work in there just raises eyebrows for favoritism.”
Fu Shou paused for a moment, “You know my skills; sure, I can help with flood control, but writing this fancy stuff? No way.”
“Besides… I can’t even argue!”
Fu Shou sighed, banging her head on the table.
Although she wasn’t Princess Yang’an’s biological daughter, the princess had instilled enough etiquette in her that she never embarrassed herself.
“No, no need to argue,” Huang Yueying suddenly chimed in.
Since Qiao Yan divided the minor palace duties and assigned Huang Yueying a role, she had been busier than ever. But thanks to the smooth establishment of this new department, she exuded a sense of confidence.
With Fu Shou and others looking at her, she continued, “Let’s let the facts speak for themselves.”
What were the facts?
“Take cotton, for instance. General Xu brought it back from overseas to Bingzhou and studied how to make it thrive, with women overseeing the cotton fields.”
That was Qin Yu fulfilling Qiao Yan’s orders.
At one point, Jia Xu was supervising too, but that was a story for later.
“We contributed a lot in picking cotton and separating the seeds.”
“The improvements in extracting cotton and spinning it into fabric were also thanks to the women.”
The textile machine improvements for cotton were Huang Yueying’s handiwork.
In a rare sharp tone, she declared, “If the court in Ye City finds such scenes so distasteful, they might as well strip off their cotton clothes, no need to act like dressed-up beasts!”
“Well said!” The Qiao sisters, finishing their work for the day, came in just in time to hear Huang Yueying’s remark. “Let’s write it like that.”
Who said they had to use flowery language to respond?
The emperor’s unchanging pragmatic attitude should also be reflected in their published writings!
And in the bustling Chang’an, fueled by the special March edition of Leping Monthly Report, it wasn’t just the literary types who were in action.
Let’s not forget, there was another piece of news in the monthly report, concerning Qiao Yan’s recruitment of military generals.
Zhang He, originally stationed in River North County under Yuan Shao’s command, decided to head to Liangzhou after the River North garrison failed to surrender in a recent meeting with Qiao Yan.
It was high time for some fresh faces to fill the ranks in River North.
At the moment the court in Ye City was issuing a document to eliminate the bandits, they couldn’t craft a piece of writing that would make the emperor proud, but they sure could dish out some muscle!
After a thorough assessment on military prowess and leadership skills, as submissions were flooding in like snowflakes to Cai Zhaoji, the selected list of generals appeared before Qiao Yan.
The top name was no surprise to Qiao Yan.
Wei Yan.
He had come to Chang’an alongside Liu Biao when Liu voluntarily stepped down as governor of Jing Province.
Previously, because of his impulsive nature and the fact he was Liu Biao’s recommendation, Qiao Yan had temporarily held him back in the minor palace as a subordinate.
But since Wei Yan had risked his life in the past to create opportunities, he wouldn’t miss this chance to rise today.
He wasn’t satisfied being just a simple watchman around Chang’an; he wanted a real chance to achieve something!
After all, this self-recommendation didn’t say one couldn’t already hold a position, so why not give it a shot?
If successful, he’d be one of the defenders stationed in River North.
If the emperor had intentions of personally leading a campaign, there was a strong chance he’d mobilize from River North straight to Wei County, and Wei Yan could snag a special achievement by fighting alongside the emperor.
His hunch turned out correct; this bold move caught Qiao Yan’s attention, who was not at a loss for generals.
When he successfully racked up the top score, he earned the title of Commandant of River North, leading three thousand garrison troops to River North, ready to team up with Cao Cao under the General of the Chariots and Cavalry’s command.
Joining him was another top contender, Pan Zhang, ranked second.
This historical figure was known as a loyal minister, hailing from Yanzhou, not Xu Yang, but he made a decisive move to Chang’an upon hearing about this opportunity.
“These two, one has ambition, the other is wild with temperament; the emperor really put Cao Mengde in a tough spot,” said Huangfu Song, the judge of this selection, clearly seeing pros and cons of both Wei Yan and Pan Zhang as they departed Chang’an.
Qiao Yan chuckled and shook her head, “Tough spot or not, if he can’t handle these two, he doesn’t deserve to be called Cao Mengde.”
This is what it means to fully utilize talent.
Placing this duo in River North would only give Yuan Shao headaches, not her.
With this last gap closed, she could fully concentrate on the public relations battle ahead!
I wonder how Yuan Shao felt, finding out that proclamation got out in this manner?
The very existence of Leping Monthly Report had cast a heavy psychological shadow over him, so when his subordinates rushed to deliver the latest issue, if they hadn’t informed him beforehand, he’d have nearly ordered it sent straight back!
When Liu Bian proclaimed that document in a passionate tone, Yuan Shao definitely benefited from it.
For example, Kong Wenju from Bohai made a beeline to Ye City, tearfully pledging allegiance to Liu Bian, ready to fight to defend the Han’s dignity. If he needed to pen a denunciation against Qiao Yan, he’d happily do it.
In this circle of intellectuals supporting the Han dynasty, it was quite a tale.
Moreover, Yuan Shao’s recent defeats in Yanzhou, Yu Province, and River North, along with Xu You’s truth bomb, were temporarily suppressed by the emperor’s condemnation over Da Yong matters.
But hardly had Yuan Shao relished his small victory when news hit him like a bombshell.
He needn’t worry about resistance from officials across various commandaries that proclamation would stir up much trouble; Qiao Yan had made a mockery of it, publishing it like a joke in the Leping Monthly Report.
Thanks to the astonishing printing capabilities, the number of copies issued could easily tally up to one hundred thousand!
Yet why did it seem like she didn’t care about this affecting her authority? Why didn’t she worry about it undermining her rule?
Instead, it felt like she was nonchalantly displaying an enemy’s harmless greeting, plopped right there in the monthly report, and then invited submissions and general recruitment.
This terrifying confidence only added strain to Yuan Shao’s already shaky self-esteem, completely obliterating what little morale he had left.
With a death grip on that monthly report, he glared at the messenger, “What’s the situation in various regions?”
“This was brought from Luoyang,” the messenger replied. “They said they printed extra copies before sending it out; Chang’an’s…”
In his quest to craft a response targeting Yuan Shao, knowing what he wrote was key, Leping Monthly Report was practically in every person’s hands in Chang’an.
Then—
“Within two days, the submission center had to open another storehouse to handle all the overflow.”
