Chapter 410

Chapter 410

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Final Volume: The Rise and Fall of Royal Power, Unification of the World, Chapter 410: Civil and Military Competition

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Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 410: Civil and Military Competition

Yang Xiu: “…”

He really underestimated Mi Heng’s audacity!

A single comment about Yuan Shao’s appearance being suitable for hosting guests was already a mockery towards Ye City, completely dismissing Yuan Shao’s governance and military skills, and thoroughly striking at Ju Shou, Guo Tu, and Gao Lan.

Even the so-called Son of Heaven in Ye City was, in Mi Heng’s words, nothing more than a figurehead, not even as useful as Zhang Lu of the Taishi Path.

The lingering prestige of the Han dynasty truly meant nothing to this madman.

But speaking of which…

Although Mi Heng seemed to have no respect for Qiao Yan, whether it was his earlier public mockery of Chunyu Jia or today’s scathing letter against Yuan Shao, it didn’t seem like he held any disrespect towards her.

This contradictory sentiment was something Yang Xiu decided not to delve into.

The reactions of the people under the rule of the Son of Heaven of Da Yong were always the most genuine things in the world.

However, what frustrated Yang Xiu was that he had already told Mi Heng he would seclude himself for two days to write a sharp, scathing denouncement of Yuan Shao and his ilk, but before he could even start, Qiao Yan notified him.

This essay recruitment was open to everyone—except Yang Xiu.

“Your father is still with Yuan Benchu. If you were to write a scathing denouncement of his actions, wouldn’t that put him in danger?”

Yang Biao’s situation was different from Xu You’s family.

Xu You reported the truth in the newspaper. If Yuan Shao reacted excessively, it would be out of sheer embarrassment.

But Yang Xiu’s writing would inevitably contain emotional accusations against Yuan Shao, and with the added tension between Da Yong and the Han dynasty, no one could be sure if Yuan Shao would take it out on Yang Biao.

Despite both families holding the prestigious status of “Four Generations of Three Dukes,” and the marriage ties between the Yang clan of Hongnong and the Yuan clan of Runan, it still couldn’t guarantee that Yang Biao wouldn’t become a sacrificial lamb caught in the middle.

Qiao Yan looked at Yang Xiu’s belated realization and asked, “Besides, without your response, do you think the Chang’an region, or even the capital area that managed to submit essays, would lack literary works to fill the pages of the Leping Monthly Report?”

The saying “When the ruler is worried, the ministers feel ashamed; when the ruler is humiliated, the ministers die” was deeply ingrained in the minds of scholars of the time.

Qiao Yan had published Yuan Shao’s denouncement in the Leping Monthly Report with a dismissive attitude, treating it as a joke and not planning to respond personally. However, faced with the accusations, many couldn’t sit still.

Ye City couldn’t ignore Qiao Yan’s governance achievements, so they resorted to criticizing her personal grievances with the Qiao clan of Yanzhou, her conflicts with Wang Yun, Bian Rang, and Liu Bei, and her appointment of female officials, all while standing on the moral high ground of the already fallen Han dynasty. It was utterly ridiculous!

If they were allowed to criticize the legitimacy of Da Yong’s rule in such a manner, who knew if another Chen Lin would emerge tomorrow.

If His Majesty didn’t want to act, that was fine—they would handle it.

Xu You had already prepared the materials for them to denounce Yuan Shao, turning it into a well-supported essay prompt. If they couldn’t write something that would hit Yuan Shao where it hurt, then it was their own lack of skill.

The bolder ones, like Mi Heng, were already preparing to direct their attacks at Liu Bian.

If the succession of the Han dynasty was as flawed as they claimed, and Qiao Yan had weakened the Han ministers step by step to seize the throne, then—

Why hadn’t Liu Xie, who had a clear line of succession, made any accusations against her? Instead, he stood on the side of the common people under her rule and handed over the Imperial Seal to her.

Why had Liu Yu, who once sat on the throne, chosen to execute his own son rather than let Qiao Yan suffer such injustice, even willingly relinquishing the authority of the Han emperor amidst the pleas of the people?

Why had Lu Zhi, who had come to Chang’an to serve as a loyal minister to the Han emperor, and Huangfu Song, who had the opportunity to rebel but chose to remain loyal to the Han dynasty, both accepted the fall of the Han and the rise of Da Yong, rather than following the examples of Geng Yan and Xiao He as mentioned in the denouncement?

When Liu Bian publicly read this denouncement in Ye City to rally support, whether it was written under Yuan Shao’s orders or not no longer mattered.

This emperor, who hadn’t inherited the Han dynasty in the usual manner, clearly believed every word of Chen Lin’s accusations without having seen the state of the other provinces today. So why should he still hold onto the title of Han emperor and enjoy such a special position?

In this “feast” of literary confrontation, he could only serve as a target for criticism!

After all, he was just a figurehead propped up by a false court.

“Moreover, isn’t this also an opportunity to showcase oneself in front of me?” Qiao Yan asked Yang Xiu. “Compared to the strict selection process of Hongwen Hall this year, which requires candidates to have a broad knowledge of various subjects, using a denouncement to display one’s talent and clarify one’s stance is also a path to advancement.”

If one were lucky enough to be selected and published in the Leping Monthly Report, and if their sharp words managed to infuriate Yuan Shao, it would truly be an unparalleled achievement.

So whether they were already serving under Qiao Yan or seeking advancement in Chang’an, everyone picked up their brushes at this moment.

For example, Wang Can, the previous essay champion, while criticizing Chen Lin’s work as subpar, was already grinding ink, ready to deliver a scathing blow to Yuan Shao.

And then there was—

“Shouldn’t we also write a denouncement?” Fu Shou rested her chin on her hand, looking at Cai Zhaoji and Huang Yueying.

Although Chen Lin had only lightly criticized Qiao Yan’s appointment of female officials with phrases like “assigning positions based on favoritism” and “disorder of hierarchy and yin-yang,” it was only because he didn’t want to overturn the primary-secondary distinction between Da Yong and the Han or give more ammunition to critics.

If Her Majesty had retreated under Huang Wan’s criticism on the day she promoted female officials, or if any of them had made a mistake in their positions, Fu Shou had no doubt that Chen Lin would have made a big deal out of it in his denouncement.

Even Her Majesty’s ascension to the throne as a woman would have been added to the list of crimes.

But what ability did Liu Bian, or even his father Liu Hong, have to compare with Qiao Yan?

If they ignored these criticisms today, someone would surely bring them up again in the future.

So of course they had to write, and write well, to ensure that this article supporting the female emperor and officials wasn’t selected just because its contributors were editors of the Leping Monthly Report, but because it truly had the quality!

Cai Zhaoji said, “I want to write, but…”

But her position was equivalent to screening various literary works…








Fu Shou paused for a moment: “You know my skills. I can participate in water management, but writing such flowery stuff is really not my thing.”

“Besides… I don’t know how to argue either?”

Fu Shou banged her head on the table in frustration.

Although she wasn’t Princess Yang’an’s biological daughter, the princess had trained her rigorously in etiquette, ensuring she never behaved improperly.

“No, no need to argue,” Huang Yueying suddenly interjected.

Since Qiao Yan had separated the Ministry of Works from the Minor Palace and appointed Huang Yueying as an official, her workload had increased significantly. However, the orderly establishment of this new department gave her a confident air.

Seeing Fu Shou and the others turn their attention to her, she continued, “We’ll let the facts speak for themselves.”

What facts?

“Take cotton, for example. After General Xu brought it back from abroad to Bingzhou, he meticulously studied how to make it thrive. The overseers of the cotton fields were women.”

That was Qin Yu’s achievement under Qiao Yan’s orders.

Jia Xu had also supervised it at one point, but that came later.

“We’ve also contributed significantly to cotton picking and seed separation.”

“The improvements in extracting cotton fibers and weaving them into cloth were also women’s achievements.”

The enhancement of the cotton weaving machines was Huang Yueying’s handiwork.

With rare sharpness, she said, “If the court in Ye City despises such gender role reversals, they might as well take off their cotton clothes first. Why act like hypocrites?”

“Well said!” The Qiao sisters, who had just finished their day’s work, arrived in time to hear Huang Yueying’s words. “Write it just like that.”

Who says we need to respond with flowery language?

His Majesty’s consistent pragmatic attitude should also be reflected in the words we publish!

And in the bustling city of Chang’an, stirred by the special March issue of the Leping Monthly Report, it’s not just the literati skilled in writing who are taking action.

Let’s not forget another piece of news in the report: Qiao Yan’s recruitment of military officers.

Zhang He, who had been stationed in River North County under Yuan Shao’s orders, had recently chosen to go to Liangzhou after meeting with Qiao Yan, as the River North garrison refused to surrender.

It was time for new blood to fill the River North region.

With the court in Ye City issuing a proclamation against bandits at this very moment, they might not be able to write words that would honor His Majesty, but they could certainly deliver a military blow!

After a series of tests on martial prowess and leadership, the list of selected generals appeared before Qiao Yan as submissions poured in like snowflakes to Cai Zhaoji.

The top candidate was no surprise to Qiao Yan.

Wei Yan.

Wei Yan, who had been sent to Chang’an by Liu Biao when he voluntarily demoted himself to Governor of Jing Province.

Previously, due to his fierce temperament and the fact that he was a general recommended by Liu Biao, it was unsuitable to promote him quickly. Thus, Qiao Yan had temporarily detained him, placing him under the Minister of Ceremonies as a subordinate officer.

But Wei Yan, who had risked his life last year to secure a future for himself, would certainly not miss this opportunity for advancement.

He wasn’t content with just being a patrol captain around Chang’an; he wanted a chance to make a name for himself.

Since the self-recommendation didn’t specify that it couldn’t be someone already in office, why not give it a try?

If successful, he would be one of the garrison commanders in River North County.

If His Majesty decided to lead a campaign, it was highly likely they would march from River North directly to Wei County, and he could earn a special merit by fighting alongside the Son of Heaven.

His guess wasn’t wrong. This gamble made Qiao Yan, who wasn’t particularly short of generals at the moment, take Wei Yan’s cultivation more seriously.

When he won first place, he was given the title of River North Commandant, leading three thousand Guanzhong garrison troops to River North to join Cao Cao and follow the orders of the General of the Chariots and Cavalry.

Among the generals accompanying him was Pan Zhang, who came in second, a native of Dong Commandery in Yanzhou.

This historical “Tiger Minister of Jiangbiao” wasn’t from the Xu-Yang region but was a northerner. After the shift in Yanzhou’s stance, he promptly headed to Chang’an and coincidentally encountered this opportunity, directly participating in the selection.

“These two, one ambitious and unruly, the other wild and unrestrained, His Majesty has really given Cao Mengde a tough challenge,” said Huangfu Song, who served as a judge for this selection, clearly seeing the strengths and weaknesses of Wei Yan and Pan Zhang. He spoke to Qiao Yan as they sent them off from Chang’an.

Qiao Yan shook her head and smiled, “A challenge is a challenge, but if he can’t even handle these two, he doesn’t deserve to be called Cao Mengde.”

This is what it means to make the best use of talent.

After all, placing such a combination in River North County would only give Yuan Shao a headache, not her.

With this last gap filled, she could now focus all her energy on this battle of public opinion!

I wonder how Yuan Shao felt when he discovered that the proclamation had been publicized in such a manner?

The existence of the Leping Monthly Report had already cast a deep psychological shadow over Yuan Shao. When his subordinates hurriedly brought it to him, if they hadn’t explained what it was first, Yuan Shao might have ordered it to be sent away immediately.

When Liu Bian read the proclamation with such fervor, Yuan Shao had reaped immediate benefits.

For instance, Kong Rong from Beihai rushed from Qingzhou to Ye, pledging loyalty to Liu Bian with tears, vowing to defend the dignity of the Han Dynasty at all costs. If needed, he could even draft a denunciation against Qiao Yan.

Among the circle of scholars supporting the Han, this could be considered a fine tale.

Moreover, Yuan Shao’s previous defeats in Yanzhou, Yu Province, and River North, along with Xu You’s factual attacks, were temporarily overshadowed by the Han Emperor’s denunciation of Da Yong.

But before Yuan Shao could rejoice for long, he received this shocking news.

He didn’t need to worry about how much of a stir the proclamation could cause among the officials of various provinces, as Qiao Yan had already published it in the Leping Monthly Report as if it were a joke.

With astonishing printing capabilities, the circulation of this report could even be counted in the hundreds of thousands.

But why did she seem completely unbothered by the potential impact on her authority, nor worried that this publication could shake her rule?

Instead, it was as if she was showcasing a harmless greeting from the enemy, boldly placing it in the monthly report, and then launching a campaign to collect manuscripts and recruit generals within her domain.

This terrifying confidence further shattered Yuan Shao’s already precarious morale.

Clutching the report tightly, he sternly asked the person who delivered it, “What’s the reaction in various regions?”

“This copy was bought from Luoyang,” the messenger replied. “I heard that even in Luoyang, they had to print extra copies to meet demand. As for Chang’an…”

Given the need to respond to Yuan Shao, the Leping Monthly Report had become almost ubiquitous in Chang’an.

And then—

“Within two days, the submission office had to open an additional storage room.”