Chapter 413

Chapter 413

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Final Volume: The Rise and Fall of Kingly Ambitions, Unification of the World, Chapter 413: Offering Hidden Households

In the face of this bizarre proclamation collection activity, Yuan Shao, who faced the storm head-on, ended up vomiting blood and fainting. Those noble families who were not the targets of the attack couldn’t help but feel terrified.

First, the noble families of Yanzhou were purged for “just” reasons, but everyone knew how much of it was due to their alliance with Yuan Shao to attack Cao Cao, and how much was due to their opposition to the Son of Heaven of Da Yong.

Then, Yuan Shao, as a representative of the noble families opposing Qiao Yan, suffered such a passionate blow.

Both were examples of killing the chicken to scare the monkey!

The only difference was that the latter, with his family background of four generations and three dukes, could be considered a more robust chicken.

And now, the chickens are either dead or injured, and the monkeys—

It’s time to show some performance.

If they still hide their dissatisfaction under the surface of obedience, rather than taking a clear stance of support, who knows if they will be the next to suffer when Qiao Yan finishes her campaign against the court of Ye City and truly frees her hands?

This proclamation collection only brought results for Yuan Shao, but for them, they could still see the process.

They saw the simple yet enthusiastic response of the people of Chang’an, the unstoppable momentum of the Leping Monthly Report, the close attention of the people of Guanzhong to current events, and the power of a voice that seemed weak alone but became formidable when united.

And this was only a few years after she officially began to enlighten the people!

In such a short time, the loyal civil officials and these gradually growing seedlings were enough to stir up such a terrifying storm.

She didn’t even need to worry about their possible united counterattack, because the bridge she held to transmit signals—

Had already unknowingly rooted itself deep in the rapids!

“Actually, the signs were already obvious when she ascended to the throne. At the previous alcohol restriction meeting, she used soy sauce as a concession, and when Zhong Changtong promoted the Changyan, she still carried a banner of self-preservation, even giving each family a chance to refute it. But today…”

Today, she doesn’t need to give any explanation or a gentle situation for both sides to step down, she just comes to ask for an answer.

When they received the invitation to Chang’an, it was as if an invisible contract was spread out before them, waiting for them to arrive and sign it.

If they didn’t want to follow Yuan Shao’s path, of course, they had to come!

Cai Mao sighed with Kuai Yue, who was also heading to Chang’an. “Today, we are the fish on the chopping block.”

He thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, “By the way, when was the Leping Monthly Report implemented?”

Kuai Yue replied, “In the first year of Guangxi, right?”

Six and a half years ago.

This newspaper, which originally seemed like a way for her to communicate the ruler’s actions to Bingzhou and later Liangzhou, along with introducing new survival skills, was something no one expected to have such a significant impact at the time of its release. With the advent of printing, it has become what it is today.

As long as she holds this channel, she has the sharpest weapon.

Unless she dies or her policies cease, she will never give anyone a chance.

But this talk of opportunity is just self-deception, how could it possibly come true?

She is only twenty-three years old!

Perhaps in ten years, some of them might still harbor a glimmer of hope, thinking that one day they could intercept her plan to make the world’s common people her talent pool, hoping that she would suddenly be persuaded by someone’s resistance. But what about twenty or thirty years?

If she still has enough time to cultivate a successor to execute her long-term plan, their resistance will be as laughable as an ant trying to shake a tree.

It would be better to follow the example of the Xun family of Yingchuan, putting more effort into cultivating their younger generation, which is an excellent way to maintain competitiveness in the new era.

Thinking of this, Cai Mao couldn’t help but sigh to Kuai Yue again, “We have indeed been isolated in Jingzhou for too long, and our vision has been limited.”

When the Leping Monthly Report was first published, no one paid attention to this new trick in Bingzhou, just as no one expected that Qiao Yan, who even then was uncertain about the plan to attack Guanzhong via Liangzhou, would step by step reach where she is today.

Cai Mao originally thought that Liu Biao, as a member of the Han imperial family who dared to submit a memorial to Emperor Ling of Han to enter Jingzhou alone, even if he couldn’t dominate Jingzhou when the Han dynasty was in turmoil, could at least maintain long-term wealth.

The Cai family marrying a daughter to Liu Biao as his second wife was a sign of cooperation.

But even so, as a noble family of Jingzhou, they still had a unique arrogance.

This arrogance of a strong dragon not suppressing a local snake made him unable to understand Liu Biao’s various friendly gestures towards Qiao Yan at first, and he still harbored some unspoken dissatisfaction with Liu Biao’s self-demotion from governor to prefect. But the facts proved that Liu Biao’s judgment was not wrong.

It was only shortly after he returned from Chang’an with Liu Biao’s submission to the Son of Heaven that they saw the situation in Da Yong develop at such a terrifying speed.

Thus, the Cai and Kuai families of Jingzhou had to make a trip to Chang’an.

To show their respect for Qiao Yan’s invitation, Cai Mao and Kuai Yue personally went.

Fortunately, Cai Mao still had a life-saving charm.

When he arrived in Chang’an, it was Huang Yueying who received him and took him to his lodging.

“Uncle, if you have any questions, just ask, no need to beat around the bush here.” Huang Yueying came to see Cai Mao after finishing her duties at the Ministry of Works, and seeing his hesitant expression, she spoke up.

Huang Yueying’s mother was the eldest daughter of Cai Mao’s father, Cai Feng, and Cai Mao’s sister, so she should call him uncle, which is slightly more solid than the uncle-nephew relationship between Yang Xiu and Yuan Shao.

Seeing Kuai Yue tactfully take his leave first, Cai Mao whispered, “Let me ask you a question, do you think His Majesty intends to hold us accountable this time?”

Although they didn’t do anything as outrageous as the noble families of Yanzhou, the price of being a step behind might not be something they could afford.

Huang Yueying smiled and didn’t answer directly, instead asking, “Now is the time to make the enemy bleed, don’t you think?”

So, does he want to be the enemy of the current emperor?

Since he has come personally, of course, he wouldn’t make such a foolish choice.

He quickly replied, “Indeed, the current top enemy is the shameless and unjust Yuan Shao, not us who are willing to follow His Majesty’s orders.”

“If I were you, uncle, I would be even wiser.” Huang Yueying led Cai Mao into the main hall of the lodging as she spoke. “Jingzhou hasn’t experienced any battles, and His Majesty has newly sent Zhong Yao to this place, what does that mean?”

Cai Mao pondered, then after a moment of silence, replied, “The spoils from the pacification of the southern Jingzhou bandits, I will persuade Liu Jingsheng to send them as assistance to His Majesty in pacifying the two provinces. The Cai family of Xiangyang will also assist Zhong Yuanchang in establishing himself in southern Jingzhou.”

Thus, the Jingzhou region was divided into three parts.

Above was Nanyang, where Yuan Yao was located, below was the southern part under Zhong Yao’s jurisdiction, and in the middle was Nanjun and other areas controlled by Liu Biao and the Xiangyang noble families.

After such a balancing act, the Han dynasty could never be restored under Liu Biao, a member of the Han imperial family, which is good for everyone.

“Uncle, you are indeed a smart man,” Huang Yueying stopped and turned back to Cai Mao, “If you don’t mind, after meeting His Majesty in Chang’an, stay a couple more days. My father is bringing my mother north to settle in Chang’an, and it would be good to meet them.”

With this nostalgic remark, Cai Mao’s heart, which had been hanging, was mostly at ease.

But what he didn’t expect was that just as Liu Biao had proposed the “single horse entering Jingzhou” plan, maliciously outbidding those who wanted to get the position of governor of Jingzhou from Emperor Ling of Han, today he, Liu Biao’s capable general, faced such a bidding situation.

The first to make such a move was Yang Xiu!

Last time, as Qiao Yan’s envoy, Yang Xiu visited each family involved in the wine discussion meeting, using the excuse that Qiao Yan needed manpower to brew strong wine, he poached many who should nominally be considered hidden households.

And after that incident, Yang Xiu knew exactly how many unreleased people each family had.

So in this gathering of noble families from Sili, Jingzhou, and Yuzhou, he directly proposed a reporting method, taking the lead in rectifying the Hongnong Yang family.

He would clean out a certain number of hidden households from his clan and send them to the local government for registration.

Given that Yang Xiu had not yet officially become the leader of the Hongnong Yang family, the hiding of hidden households was possible, and most likely done by his elders. Now, with his status elevated by Qiao Yan’s ascension, he first struck his own family.

And when Yang Xiu’s clear eyes swept around, even Cai Mao, who had no previous relationship with him, couldn’t help but feel that there seemed to be a signal hidden within—

He has made a start, and you all should not fall behind.

What strength each of your families has, he knows, and His Majesty should also know.

Cai Mao’s eyelids twitched.

He might have to bleed a little more.

Today’s invitation meeting was not held in the outskirts of Chang’an like the previous wine discussion meeting, but in the reception area of Hongwen Hall, and due to the arrival of the Son of Heaven, it was surrounded by the Imperial Guards, forming an iron bucket.

The surrounding lights of the Hall of Enlightenment enveloped Qiao Yan’s figure holding a cup in a bright and shadowy light, making it difficult to discern her expression for a moment, but intuitively, it wouldn’t be a friendly one.

If the presence of the Imperial Guards was not to protect Qiao Yan’s safety, but to put axes to their necks, it wouldn’t be unreasonable.

After all, this Son of Heaven is someone who can fight her way out of the palace with a spear and a horse, so why would she need to worry about any threatening moves from them?

To offer the population or not?

At this moment, it wasn’t difficult for everyone present to come to an answer, or rather, they had no other choice.

They had to hand it over!

Not only had to hand it over, but also had to do it willingly.

The resistance of the Yanzhou noble families led to those not sentenced to death being exiled to Rinan County in Jiaozhou. If they were to follow in their footsteps, it would be worse than death for them.

The uncivilized state of Rinan County is almost comparable to barbarians, a nightmare-like barren land for the well-read noble families.

Since they can live peacefully in the Central Plains, why put themselves in such a situation?

So immediately, someone followed Yang Xiu’s words, “The Hongnong Yang family has a long-standing reputation for integrity. Yang Wenxian was trapped in Ye City, but his son understands right and wrong, distinguishes black from white, which can be considered a blessing in disguise. Since the Yang family has set such an example, I, Dai of Qiao County, am willing to follow.”

This person spoke, and just as Cai Mao was calculating how many people the Xiangyang Cai family needed to offer, he heard him say, “When His Majesty was still the Grand Marshal, he established the Leping Academy. Now that he is the Son of Heaven, it is only right to rebuild the Imperial Academy in Chang’an. The Dai family is not talented, but we have some family assets and are willing to assist His Majesty in enlightening the people. Additionally, our family has the ‘Shi’s Commentary on the Book of Changes,’ passed down from Duke Huan of Liu during the reign of Emperor Ping of the Former Han, and we wish to offer it to the academy for storage,恳请陛下准允.”

The Leping Academy has scholars like Zheng Xuan, who are well-versed in the study of the Book of Changes, and disciples left by Xun Shuang who also study this path. Adding another commentary on the Book of Changes for error correction and verification is indeed a smart move.








The act of gift-giving, in response to Yang Xiu’s words, ended up causing significant trouble for the other parties present. The dilemma was whether to continue reporting numbers as Yang Xiu suggested, or to follow the lead of the Dai family by offering their own inherited texts. Alternatively, they could add more items to make the peace offering more substantial.

How could they bear to part with such treasures! Their noble status had granted them privileges far beyond those of ordinary people, and even those who had served as officials during the former Han dynasty still wielded considerable influence locally. Except during the Prohibition of Factionalists, when they had to lay low for survival, like the Yin family of Changping, who fled to Qu’a under the leadership of Yin Feng, they rarely needed to resort to such flattery.

But faced with an emperor as shrewd and decisive as Qiao Yan, and with no place left to hide, some among them had already stood up. Cai Mao was about to speak when Kuai Yue stood up first. The Kuai family had chosen Kuai Yue over Kuai Liang for a reason. Kuai Yue’s decisive actions against the Zongzei leaders after Liu Biao took over Jing Province showcased his resolute character. Though he hadn’t received Qiao Yan’s stance from Huang Yueying like Cai Mao, he could infer from Yang Xiu’s actions.

The gifts might not bring immediate benefits, but they would certainly erase any perception of their sluggish response. If they couldn’t secure a future for themselves now, how could they claim to be a prestigious family for generations? It was just a matter of people, books, and wealth. In the face of Da Yong’s rapid rise, holding onto people would only be a burden, books might become outdated, and wealth spent on survival was no loss!

Kuai Yue bowed to Qiao Yan and said, “The Kuai family, though not as wealthy as the Hongnong Yang family, offers half our wealth to honor the Son of Heaven. We also wish to assist in compiling Jing Province’s texts for the imperial academy. Since the Prohibition of Factionalists, Jing Province has seen little warfare, and many have fled south. The Kuai family is willing to fund their return to their homeland.”

Qiao Yan raised her cup slightly, “Then I thank you, Lord Kuai, for your generosity.” This simple “thank you” shattered any remaining doubts among the attendees. Cai Mao, fearing someone else might speak first, immediately followed Kuai Yue’s lead. Since they were all here together, there was no need to speak separately!

As Qiao Yan’s guard, Dian Wei had never seen these noble families so eager to part with their treasures, as if they were selling them off cheaply, all while fearing they might fall behind. He glanced at Qiao Yan, who remained calm, and couldn’t help but marvel. It seemed these nobles weren’t so different from the common laborers. Whether this gift-giving was an emotional outburst or not, Qiao Yan’s goal for this meeting had been achieved. Sometimes, you have to lose before you can gain.

However, Dian Wei didn’t know that Qiao Yan’s calm demeanor didn’t mean she had everything under control. After the noble representatives left, Qiao Yan looked at the empty seats and suddenly asked Yang Xiu, “When I asked you to serve in the Da Yong court instead of remaining as a subordinate in the Grand Marshal’s office, you refused, insisting on staying in that empty position. Was it all for today’s performance?”

Before Qiao Yan became emperor, Yang Xiu was the chief clerk in her Grand Marshal’s office. But after the title of Grand Marshal was abolished, his position became nominal. If he had held an official position, this act of offering the noble families’ hidden households would have carried a different meaning, such as bribery. It was precisely this loophole that made his actions seem so natural.

Yang Xiu replied, “Even lizards and rats have the wisdom to cut off their tails to survive. Shouldn’t humans have the same?” Yang Xiu was too clever not to realize that his actions would harm the Hongnong Yang family more than benefit them in the short term. The other noble families might even blame him for their losses. But in the face of dynastic changes and Qiao Yan’s sweeping reforms, there were always sacrifices. By seemingly striking at his own class, he was actually guiding them toward a more fundamental path of survival.

In the division of the Ministry of Works by Ma Jun and Huang Yueying, and the upcoming Hongnong Academy exams, Yang Xiu saw not only Qiao Yan’s unconventional talent selection but also hints of changes to the official system. Rather than letting these noble families cling to their hidden households and become targets in the next wave of reforms, it was better to follow Qiao Yan’s wishes and take a step forward.

Qiao Yan, observing Yang Xiu’s expression, didn’t comment on his possible ulterior motives but instead said, “Now that we have people from all sides, your idle days are over. Go to the Secretariat and take the position of Deputy Director.”

Yang Xiu bowed, “As Your Majesty commands.” The Deputy Director of the Secretariat, though only a 600-rank position, held significant power, especially since the Director’s position was vacant. This role would handle the Secretariat’s affairs, including the evaluation of officials, making it a crucial position in the inner court. Whether this was due to Yang Xiu’s qualifications or a reward for his performance today was left for the attendees to speculate. In any case, their sacrifices weren’t entirely in vain.

After taking office, Yang Xiu immediately began urging contributions from all sides. Between April and June, not only did the three provinces report a significant number of people, but even Bingzhou, Liangzhou, and Yizhou actively cooperated. When the June issue of the Leping Monthly Report arrived in Ye City faster than the spies’ reports, Guo Tu saw that it praised the noble families for their contributions to farming and grain storage, contrasting sharply with Yuan Shao.

This positive propaganda was like a cold blade to the heavily pressured Ye City court. Yuan Shao’s health, damaged by his earlier吐血, had been unstable for three months. If not for the warm weather reducing the risk of infection, Guo Tu often worried that a minor illness might push him beyond recovery. Even though he had quietly chosen Yuan Shang as his successor for his malleable nature, seeing Yuan Shao’s decline and loss of spirit made Guo Tu feel the panic of facing Chang’an’s relentless advance.

This news, disseminated through the Leping Monthly Report, meant they had lost another potential ally. Guo Tu clenched his teeth, hiding his panic, and entered the Grand General’s Mansion. In the garden, he found Yuan Shao, still listless, sitting in a wheelchair sent from Chang’an. Two months ago, Chang’an’s Ministry of Works had introduced a series of devices for wounded soldiers, including this wheelchair, clearly sent by Qiao Yan as a deliberate gesture.

Surprisingly, Yuan Shao hadn’t been angered but had accepted the gift, even using it due to his inability to stand for long. Upon hearing that tens of thousands of Leping Monthly Reports had infiltrated Ji Province in April, he immediately halted conscription in the remaining two provinces to prevent mass defections. He also didn’t oppose Guo Tu’s suggestion to divide power among his three sons.

Suddenly, Yuan Shao seemed unusually calm. But this calm, without the ability to lead troops, only added to his torment. In the four months since Qiao Yan’s ascension, the once vigorous Yuan Shao had aged dramatically, his hair now mostly gray, making it hard to believe he was only in his forties.

Hearing Guo Tu approach, Yuan Shao didn’t look up from the plant before him but asked, “Any news of attacks besides the north?” If there was anyone Yuan Shao hated more than Qiao Yan, it was Lü Bu. Lü Bu’s raids on Ji Province had become a bi-weekly routine. Initially, Gao Shun would intercept him, but later, Sima Yi and Tian Feng took turns planning his routes to push deeper into Ji Province. Yet, whenever casualties mounted or the situation turned precarious, Lü Bu would retreat swiftly.

Though not a major issue, Yuan Shao’s order to report all military movements, no matter how small, made him increasingly resentful. Each time, he braced for news of a full-scale invasion, only to hear of Lü Bu’s hit-and-run tactics. It was unbearable. When he heard that Ma Chao had been sent to the front in Xuzhou, Yuan Shao immediately ordered Yuan Tan to kill him on sight, fearing the relentless harassment from both sides.

This time, he wisely excluded Lü Bu from his question. Guo Tu hesitated whether to inform Yuan Shao of the latest report but ultimately did so in a restrained manner. Seeing Yuan Shao’s grim expression, he added, “Though the news is bad, it’s better than an outright attack. On one hand, your three sons, each holding a region, have the chance to grow and prepare, possibly turning the tide. On the other, her delay might be due to internal conflicts after her hasty ascension.”

But before Guo Tu could finish, Yuan Shao interrupted, “If you really think that, you might as well resign. You underestimate Qiao Yanshu too much. She’s not bogged down by other matters; she’s slowly boiling us alive, waiting for us to surrender under pressure!” But Yuan Shao refused to let her have the satisfaction of peacefully extinguishing the Han’s last embers. He was determined to make one last attempt.

“Send word to Yuan Tan to hand over Qingzhou’s command to Xin Ping and return to Ye City immediately. I have arrangements to entrust to him!”