Chapter 428

Chapter 428

Can’t a strategist ascend the throne? Final Volume: The Rise and Fall of Kingly Ambitions, Unification of the World, Chapter 428: Everything is Ready

From the book:


Can’t a Strategist Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 428: Everything is Ready

“In the seventh year of Guanghe, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion was quelled, I first entered Luoyang. Counting from then to now, it has been more than twelve years.”

Twelve years…

From the time I first arrived here to today, where I stand as the ruler of thirteen provinces after conquering the court of Ye City, this path seems unstoppable and invincible, yet it has been fraught with dangers and obstacles.

At any moment, she could have perished in this struggle for supremacy!

Fortunately, whether it was gaining the trust of Emperor Ling of Han, consolidating military power in Bingzhou and Liangzhou, conquering the nine provinces, or finally ascending to the throne with the support of the people accumulated over the years, or even this final battle for unification in Ye City, she has successfully endured to the end.

Whether her opponents or allies, whether they could witness this grand event or not, this celebration marking the pacification of the realm, different from the coronation ceremony of the past, will undoubtedly be held under the gaze of all.

It’s also interesting that among those who welcomed her back then was Bi Lan, a eunuch with great skills but only seen as a conspirator of the treacherous. Now, his talent for water management, starting from the Dragon Bone Waterwheel, has become a significant force between rivers and seas.

With the acquisition of Yanzhou, Jizhou, and Qingzhou, the repair of the Yellow River’s waterworks will soon begin downstream. He happens to be in Luoyang, discussing the reinforcement and dredging of the ten-mile water gate with Fu Shou, and will also be able to attend this celebration.

Among those who came to Luoyang back then was also Yuan Shao, a scion of a noble family, but his situation today is vastly different from back then.

As a prisoner still counting his days, he naturally cannot witness this scene.

“It’s a pity that we still need to station people in various regions to prevent any mishaps during the half-month to a month of preparing for the celebration. Not everyone can attend,” Ren Hong said with some regret.

If everyone could be present, it would be a grand scene to see how many capable ministers and generals are under Her Majesty’s command, a magnificent gathering that would be recorded in the annals of history, a truly thrilling spectacle.

But alas, those who cannot come still cannot come.

For example, Lu Yuan, who has already returned to Liangzhou with Yu Fan and Zuo Ci, is stationed at the frontier, tasked with planning the Western Regions Protectorate, and naturally cannot return for this celebration.

The time lost in traveling back and forth from the border, especially during wartime, could mean missing a golden opportunity.

Another example is Xun You, who is currently stationed in Youzhou.

Zhuge Liang can come south due to his transfer to Jizhou, but Xun You needs to ensure the news of the pacification of Jizhou and Qingzhou reaches all parts of Youzhou to prevent any small-scale unrest that could cause trouble across the thousand-mile Youzhou region.

Additionally, Jia Xu probably cannot return.

But for him, such a crowded occasion is not necessary to attend. Instead, it might lead to someone approaching him, the Governor of Qingzhou, and bringing up the old days when he plotted for Dong Zhuo in Chang’an.

It would be better to continue dealing with the officials of Qingzhou and uncover their secrets.

Among those who can attend this meeting, the most conspicuous is probably Lü Bu.

Guo Zhao, who was recently brought by Ren Hong, initially did not know Lü Bu, but on the journey from Ye City to Luoyang, his pride was especially evident, making it impossible for her to ignore.

She couldn’t help but whisper to Ren Hong, “The principle of ‘the moon wanes when full,’ Her Majesty, with her wisdom, must know. Why then does she allow General Lü to be so… ostentatious?”

Ren Hong shook her head, “This is Her Majesty’s wisdom in managing her subordinates. For those from noble families like Yang Dezu, Her Majesty must temper their sharpness and make them steady. For generals like Lü Fengxian, as long as they remember that above them is Her Majesty, the true leader, they will only strike at others. Besides, what is he proud of?”

Lü Bu, with his straightforward nature, is clearly not proud of his achievements in the southern campaign in Jizhou, as it was Lü Lingju who first seized the merit in the battle at Beiping County against Gao Shun’s troops. He seems to have lost out.

He is proud that he missed Her Majesty’s coronation ceremony before but now has not missed this reward ceremony.

When Guo Zhao intentionally slowed down and approached the cavalry led by Lü Bu, she heard him saying to his subordinates, “Back then, I saw Her Majesty and her guards returning from beyond the Guyang Pass, each on a tall horse with the heads of the Xiongnu hanging, a truly majestic sight. I said in the crowd, ‘A true man should have such feats.'”

“Now thinking back, I, Lü Bu, indeed have good judgment.”

Lü Bu is not Xiang Yu; he has no ambition to dominate the world. At most, he is a peerless weapon that needs someone stronger to control him. When he meets the right master, he becomes a perfect tiger general.

And under Qiao Yan’s command, how many generals and strategists are there who are assigned in such a fitting manner, not just Lü Bu?

Yang Xiu, who has earned Yang Biao’s trust and represents the Hongnong Yang family in the court, is clearly one.

Chu Yan and Yao Chang, who are making great strides in Yizhou, should also be counted.

Ni Heng, who uses his skills to provoke opponents, might count as half.

…

And then there is Xun Yu, who, as the Colonel Director of the Retainers, came out of the city to welcome this grand procession upon its arrival in Luoyang.

His hesitation during Qiao Yan’s campaigns in Liangzhou and Guanzhong, his step-by-step approach when she took the position of Grand Marshal to oversee the court, and his final decision as a model of the noble families when Qiao Yan was about to take the next step, all turned into admiration for this emperor.

His talent as a royal assistant might not be for the resurgence of the Han dynasty but for the prosperity and smooth governance of the Da Yong territory.

When the troops stationed at the northern outskirts of Luoyang, the area from Mang Mountain to Luoyang gathered many locals, looking at them with what Xun Yu thought should be called eager anticipation.

This made Xun Yu think of the time when Yuan Shao sent Zhang He and Xin Pi to attack Mengjin, and these Luoyang residents also showed such unwavering support, intending to help defend the Luoyang pass and block Yuan Shao’s troops.

This straightforward support, in the current situation, is far more impactful than the earlier term “Han people.”

This is what true public support looks like!

Their reactions to last year’s celestial omens, their support when Chang’an was in turmoil, their response to the call to arms, and their discussions when the noble families of Yanzhou passed by in prison carts, all turned into the response Qiao Yan mentioned in their conversation: “I am not at ease.”

And it is precisely because…








She couldn’t bear to hand over these people, who had finally escaped from hardship, to someone else. The people under her rule also held a fervent care for her.

In the October weather, there was already a hint of chill in the current climate, but the voices that rose to a peak with Qiao Yan’s arrival wrapped the city of Luoyang in a wave of warmth.

Xun Yu performed a grand salute to the triumphant procession.

This was the most formal act of submission since the last discussion of “wise rulers and loyal ministers.”

Luoyang officially became lively with the intense preparations for this celebration.

Unfortunately, Liu Xie had temporarily gone to Leping with his adoptive father, and with Qiao Yan’s “assistance,” he continued to play the role of an ordinary boy fortunate enough to be appreciated by Yang Xiu and thus able to attend the academy. Otherwise, he would have seen how busy his former neighbors were these days.

Both the North and South Palaces of Luoyang had been burned before, which was quite unlucky. It was only because the people of Luoyang united to resist the enemy that it could now replace Leping, Qiao Yan’s place of origin, and Chang’an, the capital where she ascended the throne, as the site of this celebration.

Of course, they couldn’t let their image drag them down now.

“Unfortunately, Luoyang doesn’t have the new cement-paved road like Chang’an, so Your Majesty’s heavy-armored cavalry probably can’t parade through the city. They’ll likely have to stay outside the city.”

The person who just muttered this suddenly got a knock on the head.

“If you think you can slack off on cleaning because of this, see how you’ll explain it to your neighbors.”

The man looked around and noticed many people cleaning the dirt outside their houses were now looking at him.

He quickly raised his hand to explain, “I’m innocent, everyone! I was just thinking if they need help with things outside the city. Of course, I wouldn’t slack off on the city’s renovation. Didn’t Your Majesty say that winter is approaching, and we need to clean inside and out to prevent sudden outbreaks?”

“Your Majesty has returned with troops from Guanzhong. Why would you need to worry about things outside the city?” a neighbor laughed.

They didn’t need to worry about more than just the construction for the celebration.

Grain from Guanzhong and meat from the north were steadily being transported to Luoyang.

This year’s harvest, after deducting the consumption from the military march, still left plenty of surplus, enough to support Qiao Yan’s plan to reduce taxes for a year starting next year.

Although this decree would likely be announced next January rather than now, the tens of thousands of troops stationed in the capital had not disrupted the people’s lives, and grain prices had not risen. For them, this was already good news.

Moreover, a new batch of cotton arrived in Luoyang just after the autumn harvest, coinciding with the troops’ arrival, allowing them to prepare winter clothes at relatively low prices before winter.

The man looked down to see his child touching his new clothes and asking, “Dad, will there be fireworks at the Luoyang celebration like in the newspapers?”

There probably would be.

Those were things only the people of Chang’an had seen, while others could only read about them or see drawings.

Now it was their turn to see them.

Seeing his father nod, the child asked again, “Will the sparks from the sky fall on the new clothes?”

“How could they?” Just as she asked, a female general passing by on horseback replied, “Your Majesty has the intention to protect the people, so the fireworks will naturally avoid them.”

The child nodded, though not fully understanding.

She didn’t understand why the female official accompanying the general turned pale upon hearing this, and as they walked away, there were a few raised voices in conversation.

“Don’t mislead children like that…” Huang Yueying sighed, “If she really believes the fireworks will avoid people and gets too close, causing a safety issue, it would be a big problem.”

Don’t underestimate a child’s curiosity!

Lu Lingju replied seriously, “You’re overthinking it. We follow Your Majesty’s military orders, whether breaking enemy camps or ensuring the safety of this celebration. If that child gets close enough to get hurt, we might as well quit.”

“Besides, did you see how the child was touching her new clothes while asking?” Her usually lively gaze showed a hint of nostalgia, fleeting but noticeable. Huang Yueying felt it wasn’t her imagination. “Don’t worry, she won’t get too close.”

“Instead of worrying about that, think about whether the fireworks in Luoyang can outshine those in Chang’an, or if the textile machines can be improved or expanded to give them more clothes to change into, right?”

Huang Yueying was about to praise Lu Lingju for her growth over the years when she suddenly changed the subject, “Speaking of clothes, I have a question. For this celebration, will Your Majesty wear armor or the imperial crown?”

Huang Yueying: “…Why are you suddenly thinking about this?”

Lu Lingju replied, “Because Your Majesty said this is a celebration for the merits of the campaign to pacify Ji and Qing provinces. Since she was the commander-in-chief when she called for troops from Chang’an, wearing armor would be appropriate.”

“But this is also a celebration announcing the unification of the realm. Wouldn’t it be more fitting to wear the imperial crown and robes?”

“Or maybe the twelve-beaded crown with armor?”

Huang Yueying was speechless.

She tried to keep her expression neutral and asked, “Do you think that would look good?”

She was sure that if Lu Lingju dared to suggest this to Qiao Yan, she’d probably get scolded…

But maybe such a clueless suggestion would actually win Her Majesty’s favor?

Huang Yueying pondered for a moment and decided not to comment.

After all, what to wear for the celebration was not the main point of the Luoyang gathering.

She thought of the special “merit record” Her Majesty had entrusted to the Ministry of Works two months ago and couldn’t help but smile.

It was a particularly unique “record of merits.”

Whether it was Xun Yu and Zhuge Liang’s achievements in governance, Guo Jia and Sima Yi’s strategic contributions, Zhao Yun and Lu Lingju’s battlefield exploits, Lu Yuan and Wang Yi’s border defense, or Zhaoji’s cultural dissemination, none of these were paths she could take.

But she could still carve her name into history with her mind and hands, and that was why she was here today.

And that was—

The significance of this Luoyang merit celebration!