Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 2: At the Foot of Taihang Mountains, Testing the Waters Chapter 44: Aiming for the Tiger

Can it be sold to the Southern Xiongnu?

With the relationship of Wang Rou, the Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu, this is naturally no problem at all, and it can even gain an advantageous position in trade.

It should be known that the Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu can “participate in litigation and observe movements” within the royal court of the Southern Xiongnu in Xihe Commandery, a position even higher than that of the Southern Xiongnu Chanyu.

Moreover, since the reign of Emperor Xiaowen, the prefect of Yunzhong has established military markets in the border areas, which are trading districts for soldiers. On the basis of these military markets, customs markets have also developed. During times of peace on the border, garrisoned soldiers can trade with the Hu people, further giving rise to some private markets.

If even Yunzhong Commandery, a frontline border region, is like this, then the Southern Xiongnu in Xihe Commandery, who have already surrendered, are even more so.

The productivity and nomadic lifestyle of the Xiongnu mean that even in a state of surrender and settlement, they have a significant demand for goods from the Han Dynasty.

This trade will not embolden the Xiongnu.

The battles of Jiluo Mountain in the first year of Yongyuan, Yiwu and Heyun North in the second year of Yongyuan, Jinwei Mountain in the third year of Yongyuan, and the two suppressions of Southern Xiongnu rebellions in the third year of Yongchu and the fifth year of Yonghe have made the Southern Xiongnu in recent years very fearful of the Han Dynasty, to the point of being submissive.

As long as the central government remains stable, whether the Northern Xiongnu roam outside or the Southern Xiongnu surrender within, this mutual trade will only allow the Xiongnu’s cattle, sheep, and horses to flow into the Han Dynasty, further promoting border stability.

The only thing to be concerned about is what Cai Yong mentioned in his memorial to Liu Hong before his demotion: “The passes are not strict, the prohibitions are full of loopholes, and fine gold and good iron all fall into the hands of bandits.” Therefore, it is necessary to strictly prevent Han ironware from falling into the hands of the Hu people.

This is also what the current Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu needs to do.

But alcohol is clearly not affected by this, especially good alcohol.

The Xiongnu’s grain cultivation has not yet reached a large scale, so how can they have surplus grain to brew alcohol?

Wang Yang remembers that Wang Rou once wrote to him mentioning that the Southern Xiongnu love alcohol, especially strong and mellow alcohol. However, the cost of brewing good alcohol is high, and the benefits from trading with the Xiongnu are not much different from sending it to Luoyang and other places, so the amount sold has always been small.

But according to Qiao Yan, the alcohol in front of them was not carefully selected in terms of raw materials, and can even be said to be on par with the most ordinary alcohol. Once the method is mastered, it can indeed be dumped on the Southern Xiongnu.

“Ordinary alcohol has a yield more than double, and this method is the same, without any loss,” Qiao Yan added, seeing that Wang Yang understood the subtext of her words and was clearly moved.

This sentence further acknowledged the cost of brewing.

Wang Yang unconsciously leaned forward.

“Why do I say that handing this method over to the Wang family is a great benefit? Precisely because, apart from the Wang family, no one else has the conditions for large-scale trade with the Southern Xiongnu. Moreover, the previous Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu made the Right Wise King the Chanyu, but the Left Wise King and Left Guli Wang are still restless. If alcohol trade can exchange for some Southern Xiongnu war horses, wouldn’t it also make Wang Shuyou’s suppression of the Southern Xiongnu more assured?”

“If a cart of rough alcohol could originally be exchanged for five fine horses, can the mellow alcohol brewed now be exchanged for seven horses with the Southern Xiongnu?”

Feasible! Why not?

Wang Yang quickly calculated in his heart.

He had personally tasted the difference between this alcohol and the product brewed from the same raw materials before. Although the Southern Xiongnu are a different race, they don’t have taste buds that work in reverse, so how could they not taste the difference?

They might even feel that the Han Dynasty has indeed given them a favorable deal in this trade, selling them alcohol worth ten horses for the price of seven.

The dissatisfaction of some among the Southern Xiongnu and the hatred of the rising Xiutu Tribes towards the Han Dynasty are two completely different attitudes. The latter must be suppressed by force, while the former only needs to be made aware of the benefits of submitting to the Han Dynasty.

After the previous Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu forcefully changed the Xiongnu Chanyu, the current Protector-General can indeed live up to his name and implement a policy of appeasement.

If there is now a way for the Wang family to assist him in this “appeasement” without damaging their interests, Wang Yang is naturally happy to do it.

And there is even a high possibility of making a big profit.

And in the “fame” that Qiao Yan mentioned, which brings both great fame and great profit, most of it will inevitably go to Wang Rou, which is equivalent to adding weight to their Jinyang Wang family!

The Wang family of Qixian produced Wang Zishi, who is now accumulating prestige in the subsequent suppression of the Yellow Turbans in Yu Province. Although he has not yet reached the position of Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu like their Jinyang Wang Shuyou, it is hard to say that he will not surpass them in the future.

Now, adding a bargaining chip is always a great joy.

In exchange, having him report a merit for Marquis Qiao after achieving the goal is enough.

Thinking of this, Wang Yang couldn’t help but slightly raise the corners of his mouth, but then he thought he shouldn’t show it so obviously and tried to suppress it.

He spoke: “If it is really as Marquis says, this matter is not only profitable for our Wang family, but it can also be said to be a great favor. I just don’t know—”

“Since Marquis has ten thousand households in Leping and many fields, why not do this yourself? You should know that the private markets in Xihe Commandery have developed to a considerable scale now. You can just take people there directly, without necessarily going through Shuyou’s route.”

Qiao Yan shook her head, “This is not correct. Leping is not as wealthy as Jinyang. To fully recover from last year’s natural disasters, it will take two or three years of continuous farming and grain storage. If we now turn the harvest into alcohol and sell it, what should we do if there is another drought or locust plague next year? This is no different from draining the pond to catch the fish, and I absolutely cannot do such a thing.”

“Secondly, the Wang family has a winery industry, and both manpower and utensils are much more economical than my temporary purchases. Moreover, dismantling the resentment of the Southern Xiongnu is not the thought of a single family, but a great benefit for the Han Dynasty. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the division of labor and achieve the goal as quickly as possible. My grandfather cared for the Han Dynasty and is buried in Leping. I cannot let him down.”

Hearing these two sentences, Wang Yang couldn’t help but feel that this Marquis Qiao is truly extraordinary.

Such a steady and sophisticated method would be the most terrifying thing in the world if placed in the hands of an opponent. Fortunately, she clearly does not have the arrogance of a genius in handling human relations, but instead first established a cooperative relationship with them.

Qiao Yan raised the still warm wine cup in front of her and said, “If I may say so, there is a third reason.”

“Please elaborate.”

Qiao Yan: “It is normal for people in this world to pursue fame and fortune, and there is really no need to avoid talking about it. The Wang family wants the profit from selling alcohol, the Southern Xiongnu want the profit from trade, so how can I, Qiao Yan, be exempt from this? Since I mentioned at the beginning that this is a transaction with the Wang family, I naturally also want profit. After all, the Wang family can give me this profit, so why should I let the common people of Leping rashly engage in the brewing business.”

“May I ask what profit Marquis wants…” Wang Yang asked.

“Good seeds, grain, and horses.”

As soon as Qiao Yan answered, Wang Yang no longer had to hold back and laughed.

What kind of profit is this?

Compared to the development of the alcohol industry due to the new method, which further squeezes the Tang family’s market, and compared to the political benefits Wang Rou would gain from selling low-priced fine alcohol to the Southern Xiongnu, Qiao Yan only wants some good seeds and horses, which in Wang Yang’s view is almost the same as asking for nothing.

Not to mention that Qiao Yan’s manner and the reputation she has already spread are enough to make Wang Yang willing to pay a certain price to win her over.

Good grain seeds are not difficult for the Wang family to collect given their status in Jinyang, and horses can be supplied after the transaction with the Southern Xiongnu is completed.

He decisively said, “Marquis, just speak your mind.”

He even considered whether he should select a fine horse from the Wang family’s collection as a gift for Qiao Yan, or perhaps he should have Shuyou pay special attention to this matter in future transactions with the Xiongnu.

After obtaining the Nine Brew Spring Wine method from Qiao Yan, the stone in his heart finally fell.

He handed the recorded method to his servant and invited Qiao Yan to a good feast. During the meal, he heard Qiao Yan mention that she had heard her grandfather speak of Wang Rou in Luoyang, praising him for having the demeanor of a great general. Wang Yang’s smile became even more genuine.

“By the way, there is one more thing I would like to trouble you with,” Qiao Yan added.

Wang Yang was not surprised to hear from her something that was still not difficult to achieve.

It was just that he needed to keep a low profile when transporting the subsequent ten thousand dan of grain to Leping, and to be more ostentatious after reaching the border of Leping.

Regardless of whether Qiao Yan wanted to create an image of surplus grain in the granary to reassure the people, or she wanted the people of Leping County to know that she had reached a cooperative relationship with the Wang family to facilitate the implementation of policies, or some other idea, it would not harm the Wang family.

“Marquis Qiao, rest assured, I will handle this matter properly for you. However, Marquis Qiao’s brewing method, in exchange for ten thousand dan of millet to slightly reduce the purchase price, really makes me, who has taken advantage, feel uneasy,” Wang Yang thought and said, “Let me decide, how about increasing it to fifteen thousand dan? I will also send a few Wang family generals to deliver it for you.”

Qiao Yan had no reason to refuse his goodwill gesture, as the transaction between them was mutually beneficial, and there would be opportunities for future interactions.

The Wang family of Taiyuan, apart from Wang Rou who is now the Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu, his younger brother is now the prefect of Dai Commandery, but in the future he will rise to the position of General of the East, and there may be opportunities to deal with Qiao Yan.

She cupped her hands and replied, “Then I thank you in advance.”

After this pleasant exchange, Wang Yang had the good seeds loaded onto the cart and personally escorted Qiao Yan out the door.

This treatment undoubtedly meant that Qiao Yan had gained the friendship of the Wang family of Taiyuan.

On the way back to Leping, she caught a glimpse of Yang Xiu’s unusually complex expression.

Even though Yang Xiu had known in Luoyang that Qiao Yan’s foresight far exceeded his imagination, otherwise she could not have written the Discourse on Feudalism outside the Dingzhong Temple, but today, comparing his suggestion of trading with the Tang family for greater profit and Qiao Yan’s proposal of dumping fine alcohol on the Southern Xiongnu while directly gaining the support of the Bingzhou nobility, it is clearly two different levels of strategy.

“How did you come up with this method?” Yang Xiu struggled for a while before asking.

“The night before my grandfather passed away, he told me about his career, especially his time as the General Who Crosses the Liao. The experiences of the previous generals in suppressing the Xiongnu were thoroughly understood by my grandfather during the months he spent training soldiers and nurturing scholars after taking office. The method of balancing Han-Xiongnu relations was also taught to me by him.”

Then, from the perspective of a later person’s overall judgment, she knew in advance about the Southern Xiongnu’s rebellion three years later and had to plan ahead to avoid the chaos of the Black Mountain Bandits just ending and the Bingzhou Xiongnu rebellion spreading. Even with the barrier of mountain terrain, under the iron hooves of the Hu barbarians, there would be no peace to seek.

Then Leping would be frequently affected by war, with no chance to catch its breath, let alone develop.

Qiao Yan added, “Come to think of it, it’s also thanks to you coming along. If I hadn’t wanted to give you a test, I wouldn’t have thought of this.”

A flash of inspiration is probably like this.

But she thought so, for Yang Xiu, this statement was clearly not human!

He couldn’t help but turn his head to look the other way, grumbling in his heart that no one gives others a test and then answers a question beyond the scope first.

But he had to admit that in Qiao Yan’s actions, he could indeed be said to have benefited greatly.

And even a person of Qiao Yan’s extraordinary talent had to make concessions in the balance of fame and profit to ensure the development of Leping.








The ladder of success, even Yang Xiu wasn’t this smart, so where did he get the capital to be proud?

He turned his head back and asked, “Should I continue studying the art of brewing?”

“Of course not,” Qiao Yan replied. “Previously, I had you focus on the nine-brew method just to quickly produce convincing results. Now that the Wang family’s wine business is expanding with incremental additions, it’s beyond our reach. But since we started this, I don’t plan to give up. I intend to use some clever tactics. Over the next two years, you’ll oversee the improvement of techniques and the development of new wine varieties. I have other tasks for you.”

Hearing Qiao Yan mention “these two years,” it was clear she wouldn’t easily dismiss him, and Yang Xiu breathed a sigh of relief.

“What can I do?” he asked.

Qiao Yan replied, “Since I govern Leping, I need personnel to handle political decrees. However, most people are illiterate, and due to Leping’s remoteness, few officials are assigned here. It’s better to select talented youths for education, like Xu Fu.”

“You started your education early, and it hasn’t been many years since then. I’ll trouble you to write an启蒙 manual. If you’re unsure about anything, feel free to consult Mr. Bojie.”

Yang Xiu accepted the task in confusion.

Having a child write启蒙 materials, only Qiao Yan could think of such a use.

But Qiao Yan vaguely remembered that during the Tang Dynasty, a man named Li Han compiled a children’s识字 textbook called “Meng Qiu,” which included a line about Yang Xiu’s quick wit and Luo You’s silent memorization. This method of combining名人 with their deeds for识字 purposes could undoubtedly be adopted now. With Yang Xiu’s quick wit, filling out an entire识字 poem would be very suitable.

This would also be less conspicuous than classics like “The Three Character Classic.”

She naturally wouldn’t share these thoughts with Yang Xiu, but seeing her serious tone in assigning the task, it didn’t seem like she was just brushing him off, so he started pondering on the way.

To teach识字, he needed to recall which characters he first learned when he started reading.

He certainly wouldn’t wonder why Qiao Yan, being of similar age, didn’t do this herself.

As the Marquis of Leping, Qiao Yan had too many tasks at hand to focus on this.

Cai Zhaoji could assist, but Qiao Yan had given her another task upon returning to Leping, leaving her no time.

Qiao Yan had her collaborate with Qin Yu to categorize the良种 they brought back, first整合种植 methods, write them down, and then distribute them to the county officials for distribution to households, ensuring each household received the良种 and could utilize them effectively.

Knowing Jinyang and Leping were close, and the良种 weren’t外来物种, this was a genuine improvement.

Qin Yu—Xu Fu’s mother—was clearly more knowledgeable about田桑 than Cheng Li and Xu Fu, and also somewhat literate, making her the most suitable person for this task.

Her impressive arrival by carriage left a good impression on Qiao Yan, and her outstanding teaching of Xu Fu made Qiao Yan consider her for educational roles. Now, placing her in charge of agriculture, Qiao Yan felt recruiting Xu Fu was indeed a划算 move, and she didn’t hesitate to appoint Qin Yu as the家丞 of the Marquis of Leping, aligning with Cheng Li’s earlier猜测.

With the家丞 position and the良种 distribution重任, Qin Yu immediately took action with Cai Zhaoji.

After receiving this重任, Qiao Yan added, “If stability is achieved, I wonder if one day I can credit Leping’s stability to you.”

This was undoubtedly high praise, stirring her heart.

In the Eastern Han Dynasty, where early marriages were common, Xu Fu was fifteen, and Qin Yu only in her thirties, hardly old.

She initially followed Xu Fu to Leping to seek Qiao Yan because she saw her son, who once only wanted to be a游侠, now eager to learn, deeply influenced by Qiao Yan in a positive way.

Thus, why not follow the example of孟母三迁 and accompany Xu Fu to Leping.

But what she didn’t expect was that Qiao Yan, the young Marquis, not only不拘一格提拔人才 but also appreciated talented women.

Her initial hesitation vanished with Qiao Yan’s words.

Indeed, being recorded as “Xu Fu’s mother” paled in comparison to leaving her own name in history.

Moreover, being Xu Fu’s superior now clearly had a motivating effect on him.

However, this meant Qin Yu couldn’t afford any懈怠 and had to accomplish Qiao Yan’s tasks.

With the Marquis of Leping’s limited resources, every良种 had to be used effectively.

Qin Yu had farming experience but wasn’t entirely versed in Bingzhou’s agriculture. However, having lived at the社会底层, communicating with Leping’s locals wasn’t difficult.

Initially, when the locals saw Qiao Yan bringing良种, they thought it was for the Marquis’s own land, but upon hearing Qin Yu’s explanation, they were eager to share their knowledge.

Thus, in Leping, one often saw a woman in her thirties询问 and a seven-year-old girl recording.

Qiao Yan, seeing the orderly agricultural activities, felt欣慰.

With tax reductions and良种馈赠施恩于民, and a基础库存 of fifteen thousand石粮食, she could proceed with her next steps.

Qiao Yan turned to Zhao Yun. “I see the刀兵 are ready. Would you accompany me?”

Despite Qiao Yan’s actions seeming more like基础建设 than military武装, Zhao Yun followed without反驳.

If he previously thought Qiao Yan was somewhat不务正业 in promising to show her actions within a month, after accompanying her to Jinyang and witnessing her performance and arguments before Wang Yang, that thought had vanished.

Using brewing methods to secure Leping’s存粮 and targeting the Southern Xiongnu with this stroke of genius was no ordinary feat!

Though Zhao Yun hadn’t seen many天下豪杰, he felt Qiao Yan’s performance was top-notch.

What particularly made him feel Qiao Yan deserved previous praise was her understanding of not竭泽而渔, showing benevolence in both tax reductions and良种 distribution.

Even if Qiao Yan claimed追名逐利 was normal and Leping’s situation was just following规律发展, Zhao Yun judged her by her actions, not words, feeling his hope to剿灭黑山贼寄托在 Qiao Yan was the right choice.

Following Qiao Yan into a county office room, he was stunned.

Without turning, Qiao Yan said, “In the past month, during leisure, I followed my grandfather’s notes and built this.”

In the room’s center was a large木板, raised to waist height, with泥土堆垒 forming山川地形.

Emperor Guangwu’s陇西之战 saw Ma Yuan using rice to form山谷地形, a雏形 of沙盘, so Qiao Yan’s model wasn’t破格.

But if the model’s山川 resembled a miniature Taihang Mountains, with陉口通道 clearly sculpted, mountains and valleys above, rivers below, it was indeed a神迹.

Zhao Yun’s gaze巡 over the Taihang Mountains around Leping, quickly finding where he met Qin Yu and Xu Fu, the坳口环境 matching his memory.

This was a scene he never imagined.

If Qiao’s grandfather weren’t长埋于地下, unable to respond, even the稳重 Zhao Yun would ask how such records were left.

In Qiao Yan’s hand was a书册, partially open, showing山脉图形 and密密麻麻的文字, likely an extraordinary图册.

But he soon had no time to ponder how the地图 was recorded.

Seeing Qiao Yan拿起一木块, placing it at a山脚, he followed her指尖所指方向.

This was a clear expression.

Qiao Yan, seeing Zhao Yun’s reaction, felt庆幸 about her decision.

With the system’s立体地图功能, Qiao Yan naturally thought of making a沙盘.

Only she could see it, which was a pity, as作战方略传达 could be不当, but now…

Seeing Zhao Yun recover from the shock, she said, “The fifteen thousand石粟米 from Jinyang’s Wang family will soon arrive in Leping. I intend to find a place to store it.”

“The太行山中匪首 aren’t just agile but also cautious. But with a tempting收益 within reach, I wonder if they can remain稳坐山中.”

The木块 marked the chosen粮仓位置.

To Zhao Yun, it wasn’t a寻常位置.

“I’ve heard that with enough利益, even冷静 people might铤而走险,践踏律法, and with利益数倍于付出, they might risk death,” Qiao Yan said with a slight smile. “Of course, that’s an exaggeration.”

“But no matter how exaggerated, there’s truth: with诱饵足够诱人, even knowing猎人在后, a猛虎 might think it can不仅吃掉诱饵 but also strike the猎人.”

Zhao Yun saw her拿起 something else.

It was—

A miniature帅旗.

With山川山道河流谷地 replicated, a miniature帅旗 was no challenge, and the赤红色帅旗 bore a张扬的 “乔”字.

He suddenly realized why Qiao Yan had Wang’s粟米 delivery to Leping be大张旗鼓—more for扰乱对方军心 than安定己方民心!

He saw Qiao Yan decisively插 the帅旗 between北山 and Taihang Mountains.

In this落子动作, there was a凛冽之意 matching her earlier兵戈不利 talk.

As she松开手回头, perhaps from the门扇之外的风, the “乔”字 on the帅旗吹开 over the缩小于一桌之地的田地.

Compared to the张扬的旗幡, Qiao Yan herself was more锋芒毕露 than usual.

Zhao Yun heard her语调虽缓 but with a雷霆乍惊的气势, “But猎人有工具,陷阱, and同伴.”

This followed her猛虎与猎人之说.

Next, she looked at him, “I aim for the猛虎, may I ask for your assistance?”