“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 460, Side Story Eight (4)
He really was too careless!
Facing multiple crises in such a short time, he naturally focused his energy on gathering intelligence about Da Yong, leading him to fall into the trap of their external appearances.
In the explosive information he had come across, Da Yong’s majesty had been ruling for twelve years and was just thirty-four years young, yet under her governance, the realm was already thriving. With advancements in artillery, the introduction of paper currency, and territorial expansion through overseas voyages, one could only imagine—
Under such a ruler, the state of affairs should be one of eager competition and vigorous progress, with everyone wishing they could lay a lasting foundation for Da Yong within a mere few decades.
The efficient operation of the Three Departments and Six Ministries and the influx of talent through the imperial examination system were evidently products of such a competitive atmosphere.
Everyone should complete their tasks as quickly as possible, given such an environment.
Out of this line of thought and eager to wrap things up in front of Qiao Yan, Guo Jia chose to report earlier.
But judging by the news from that little princess, it seemed he Guo Jia still maintained his habit of showing up just in time?
Thinking it over, he realized this was indeed possible.
If he had pushed his subordinates to their limits, then the Guo Jia of this world would certainly not have the robust physique he did, and Da Yong’s various enterprises should not still be flourishing. On the streets of Luoyang, the slow-paced life shouldn’t still be occasionally observable…
But now he was belatedly realizing this fact; it felt a bit late.
Luckily, it was just a five-year-old child who uncovered this, not the reigning Son of Heaven.
There should be some leeway…
“Guo Governor, do you know?” Qiao Huan tilted her head earnestly, interrupting Guo Jia’s thoughts, “Mother Empress said that look in your eyes is definitely scheming to trick someone. She told me not to forget the last time you almost got me to slip out the hunting list for Suiyuan City.”
Guo Jia: “……”
“Let me guess,” the future Emperor Taizong, who would later take delight in writing stories, displayed extraordinary observation skills at this moment and revealed her tendency to create wild speculations.
“Are you afraid that Mr. Xi will intercept you right outside the palace gates, and then trick you into giving away your fine wines buried under the trees?”
Xi Zhicai, after stepping down from the Ministry position, had been appointed by Qiao Yan as the young prince’s mentor while holding a leisurely title of Grand Master of the Honorary Han.
After discussing the state affairs he needed to consult with Xi and the young prince’s studies, he often exchanged gossip about court officials with this exceptionally clever heir.
Typically, a regular child might let it pass, but who was Qiao Huan?
Her memory was astonishing!
Seeing her tiny yet clever demeanor and her smug expression during the guessing game, Guo Jia couldn’t help but laugh.
This child had a knack for coming up with plausible reasons, and even suggested that after finding a solution to his identity issue, he could at least score a reward—by drinking that jar of wine.
This reasoning, how to put it, was something he could actually see himself doing.
A clever little one.
Seeing Guo Jia nodding in agreement with her inference, Qiao Huan waved her hand, “Alright, I won’t make things difficult for you anymore. If I delay any further, you’ll arrive just in time to meet His Majesty.”
Guo Jia smiled, “Then I shall take my leave.”
However, as he continued toward Lantai, gradually disappearing from Qiao Huan’s sight, he didn’t see her turning to Sun Ren beside her, saying, “I need to tell Mother Empress something; Guo Governor’s situation isn’t quite right.”
Sun Ren, who had been arranged by Qiao Yan to stay close to Qiao Huan since last year, temporarily took on the duties of the Jinwu Guard. He was undergoing training before formally assuming the role of a military officer, responsible for teaching Qiao Huan martial arts. Hearing her speak with such seriousness, he immediately asked, “Why is that?”
Having followed Qiao Huan closely to ensure she hadn’t strayed from her view, Sun Ren, though not intruding on the conversation, thought it seemed fairly harmonious if he hadn’t misjudged.
Qiao Huan tilted her chin up, replying confidently, “Each time he hears my guessed answer, he comes up with another excuse just to make me think a little more? This time he actually went along with my line, totally abnormal.”
“Just wait and see; he must be up to no good.”
With her hands behind her back, Qiao Huan was still quite young, often causing mischief, yet for some reason, Sun Ren felt that once she grew up, she would be incredibly sharp-witted, just like Her Majesty.
Meanwhile, Guo Jia, having been concluded by Qiao Huan as “up to no good,” stood nervously before Qiao Yan.
Seeing the prosperous scene under Da Yong, Guo Jia had countless speculations about this sovereign even before meeting her.
To break free from the chaos of the late Han and seize an opportunity to disrupt the developments of figures like Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Sun Quan, and Liu Bei, and replace the Han legacy in an absolute dominating fashion—what kind of person was this emperor, needed no further explanation.
She even shattered the common notion that women couldn’t rise to prominence, completely overcoming the gender biases that constrained her and sitting in this position of power.
What was more frightening wasn’t just her vision to gather talent early on or her growing military capabilities, but—
For others, becoming the ruler of the realm marked the peak of their achievements, but for Qiao Yan, it was likely just the beginning!
But one would think someone like her, even if she hadn’t climbed to prominence in the way this world had allowed, would have still seized other opportunities to rise rather than…
Not have even heard her name… right?
“Fengxiao?” Qiao Yan looked at Guo Jia with a red brush, interrupting his moment of distraction as she noted the flicker of surprise on his face.
Guo Jia instantly realized that no matter how many thoughts he had, he couldn’t reveal even a shred of them in front of this sharp-eyed emperor.
He should devote all his attention to expressing this performance report now, not ponder over how she ascended to the throne!
What Guo Jia hadn’t expected was that after he presented the report he had thoroughly integrated with Zhuge Liang’s assistance in a manner that sounded natural, prepared for all kinds of inquiries from Qiao Yan, he only heard her ask, “By the way, how is Yi Lang’s health?”
The Yi Lang mentioned by Qiao Yan, of course, referred to Guo Jia’s son, Guo Yi.
Upon hearing this question, Guo Jia almost blurted out without hesitation, “Thanks to Your Majesty’s blessings, he is doing much better now.”
Qiao Yan set the brush down on the desk, “That’s good to hear. I’ve recently been considering sending Huai Xu to Leping for studies. If Yi Lang’s health continues to improve, we might as well send him along, so they can look out for each other.”
She took the document Guo Jia handed her, flipping through a couple of pages, then added, “Honestly, we both know whether this report on Yanzhou is necessary or not. Recently, the priority still lies in the Western Expedition. Just follow the plan you outlined. I’m not ignorant; both you and Wenruo are overqualified for the governor positions. However, he’s not suited for the central court, while you simply don’t prefer to stay long in Luoyang.”
“But this time, let’s stay in Luoyang for a bit longer, and return after this paper currency issuance is complete.”
Guo Jia understood Qiao Yan’s implicit meaning.
Yanzhou was adjacent to Luoyang, and promoting paper currency would need his coordination as governor.
But having his carefully crafted statement brushed aside in such a nonchalant manner made him feel extremely uncomfortable.
“Do you have any other matters to report?” Qiao Yan raised her eyes and inquired.
Guo Jia replied, “None. I have an appointment with Wenruo, so I’ll excuse myself now.”
No matter if the lack of follow-up questions meant his preparations last night were wasted, at least Qiao Yan was far more agreeable than he had imagined, which was undoubtedly good news.
Now, it was time for him to discuss the next course of action with Zhuge Liang!
But as Guo Jia took his leave and the doors of Lantai closed behind him, Qiao Yan’s expression suddenly darkened.
Before the echo of the door’s closing faded, Qiao Yan’s voice sounded urgent, “Do you have the ability to investigate the situation of the outsiders?”
Even the child Qiao Huan was able to perceive something unusual about Guo Jia’s demeanor from just one action and one phrase; Qiao Yan had known Guo Jia for twenty years—how could she not notice this!
Even if Guo Jia felt he had successfully grasped a batch of knowledge of this world at the fastest speed, he still presented many inconsistencies in front of Qiao Yan.
Moreover, the one he was dealing with, the Empress herself, was a time traveler with experience of possessing another’s soul. She had an intuition more sensitive than anyone regarding such abnormal behavior!
Guo Jia’s manner today didn’t resemble someone facing her but rather an entirely foreign and assertive emperor.
Before the system could respond, Qiao Yan continued, “When I mentioned Guo Yi, he answered without hesitation, clearly indicating he had no doubts about being familiar with Guo Yi. It was a familiarity that could not be feigned. But he claimed Guo Yi’s health improved thanks to me, suggesting he had no memory of this world at all.”
Otherwise, he wouldn’t know that Guo Yi had already gone to Leping to study with Zhuge Ke last year, and was currently training in Lü Bu’s Suiyuan City during this July, and there was no issue with his health.
However, that question about Guo Yi’s health had been dropped so casually by Qiao Yan that Guo Jia—who had no memory of this place—couldn’t possibly think it was a question meant to probe his true circumstances.
He also never considered that the way he spoke today, combined with his response to Guo Yi’s name, along with the influence of living in the modern world for over twenty years before crossing back to the end of the Eastern Han, led Qiao Yan to make a judgment about his identity at first glance.
“If my guess is correct, he is another Guo Jia, right?”
The system’s somewhat delayed response echoed in Qiao Yan’s mind: [Yes.]
Upon receiving this reply, rather than something like “I don’t know,” Qiao Yan felt a slight sense of relief.
She followed up with, “So, as the most unscientific existence in this world, can you tell me how he arrived here, and where the original Fengxiao has gone?”
The system clearly heard the weight of authority in Qiao Yan’s tone as she spoke the latter part of her inquiry, illustrating her exceptionally clear stance.
Compared to why there was another Guo Jia appearing in this Guo Jia’s body, and if other systems had intervened in this world, she was far more concerned about the whereabouts of the original Guo Jia!
A classic question arises: When a person faces a turning point in their life and undergoes different experiences, can the divergent trajectories still be considered the same person?
At least by Qiao Yan’s standards, the answer was no!
The other Guo Jia had not experienced the process of founding Da Yong from scratch alongside her; he was not the one who, in response to Xi Zhicai’s letters, angrily rushed to Bingzhou and proposed the strategy of executing the barbarians to redeem the dead.
So, regardless of whether he shared the name Guo Jia or had some of the character habits formed in his early years, he wasn’t her Yanzhou Governor!
The system quietly replied: [I have to clarify that this situation can’t be considered my fault.]
Qiao Yan sighed, “Go ahead, I’m listening.”
“Ten years ago, you threw that ‘who’s the best strategist in the realm’ question at your subordinates, and after the main quest successfully wrapped up, I submitted the results. But, since there are lots of systems running at the same time, to avoid any shenanigans, we have designated personnel for outcome verification.”
“The timing of these checks is pretty random, could be immediate after submission or five, ten years later. In short…”
“So I just recently faced a check?”
“You got it! Then, because the person who came was a rookie, it triggered a temporary overlap between this parallel universe and the historical Three Kingdoms timeline, bringing several historical figures into this world.”
“But don’t worry!” the system quickly raised its tone, “Such rookie mistakes are definitely something we’ll fix. At most, within a month, these folks will be back on their original trajectories. In the meantime, just treat those subordinates of yours as spectators watching the current situation.”
Qiao Yan facepalmed; that “within a month” from the system didn’t ease her at all.
What really stunned her was the mention of “several” historical figures.
One would be fine, but several? Really?
The court system of Da Yong and the situation at the end of Han had drastically changed over the years; suddenly filling a crucial point with someone who doesn’t fit in would feel just as off as Guo Jia’s report sounded to her!
If a few more people showed up, it could lead to some serious hiccups in her governance.
Especially if Liu Bei, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, and Yuan Shao popped up here—they either had no corresponding bodies left or were tightly controlled by Qiao Yan.
But what if Cao Cao suddenly transformed into another-world Wei King Cao Cao while on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau? Who knows what kind of chaos he might stir up?
After twelve years in the emperor’s seat, Qiao Yan felt confident—in case he dared to establish a power base in Tibet, she would be able to quell it quickly. But if it risked straining her relationships with her subordinates, she’d definitely confront whoever caused this mess!
“Which characters from the original historical timeline got replaced? Also, why didn’t you tell me ahead of time?” Qiao Yan asked after some contemplation.
The system replied, “I thought with these people’s smarts and thrown into another world, they shouldn’t be easily recognized—it should be enough to conceal their identities before restoring order.”
Who knew Guo Jia would bump right into Qiao Yan and expose himself in such a rookie manner?
“As for who got replaced… we’ll know once the system maintenance crew arrives.”
What use is this system anyway?
Seeing that the system finally didn’t mess up the life-preserving tasks post-mission and had made indelible contributions to her early foundations, Qiao Yan didn’t voice her frustration. Instead, when Qiao Huan rushed to report Guo Jia’s weird behavior, she praised her a bit and assigned a task—to investigate who Guo Jia had interacted with.
And to secretly probe in Luoyang city if there were any other unusual occurrences.
Feeling she made a great breakthrough, Qiao Huan looked at her mother, curiously asking, “Should we keep an eye on them?”
“Nah,” Qiao Yan ruffled her hair, “It’s not an infectious disease.”
——————
This certainly wasn’t an infectious disease; it was just a sudden group of tourists.
Thinking about those who thrived during the turbulent end of Han, she couldn’t help but recall the Five Barbarians’ chaos from the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Qiao Yan suddenly felt that having a chance to interact with these people might actually be a good thing.
But these newcomers from another world couldn’t just lurk around—they had to work by her rules.
Fortunately, this revamped Da Yong territory didn’t provide them much leeway to hide themselves.
Perhaps this was a matter of aura difference.
After being noticed by Cao Ang, Cao Cao welcomed a delegation led by Cai Zhaoji and settled them in that military tent. Thinking he was adapting better after confiding in his eldest son, Cao Cao was blissfully unaware. On the very first night, Jiang Tang turned to Cai Zhaoji and asked, “Do you think Cao General’s situation is akin to yours?”
After years of living on the frontier, Jiang Tang had shed all traces of her Qiang origins while speaking Da Yong’s official language.
With a face weathered by the northwestern wind and sand, her eyes now sparkled with a sharpness that was unlike the confusion when she entered the Huanshu Valley.
She was indeed working as a translator, but for Da Yong’s campaigns with various small nations—not like your average bureaucrat.
Feeling the intensity of Jiang Tang’s probing gaze, Cai Zhaoji hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.
Shortly after becoming her other-world self, Jiang Tang noticed the peculiarity of Cai Zhaoji’s situation.
And she couldn’t be blamed for not hiding well.
She wasn’t like Cao Cao who was parachuted into the position of the highest military commander, with Cao Ang and Cao Hong providing back-up. Nor was she like Guo Jia or Zhuge Liang who found themselves in Luoyang with ample resources and the possibility of mutual assistance.
When she scribbled down the name Cai Yan, she fully exposed her unusual origins.
This world’s Cai Zhaoji would never write a name mirroring the emperor’s!
More troublesome for Cai Zhaoji was her difficulty in quickly adapting to the fact that women in this world could hold important official positions, even equal to the Three Dukes!
When she learned from Jiang Tang about Cai Zhaoji’s promotion history, it almost shattered her previous beliefs.
But the content in the compiled Leping Monthly Report bluntly conveyed that these were actual occurrences here, and text wielded astonishing power in her hands.
This was just one of many roles she had undertaken in her over thirty years of life.
Compared to her experiences of fleeing from the Xiongnu, being captured by the Left Virtuous King, raising two sons in captivity before being redeemed, then remarrying and having to save face after her husband committed a capital crime, this world’s Cai Zhaoji felt like a completely different person.
Perhaps the only overlap was that they both possessed remarkable memory and exceptional literary talents.
Because of this starkly different background, she felt like a thief who had stolen someone else’s position by sitting there.
Thankfully though, Jiang Tang didn’t detain her but recorded everything she said and arranged for someone to send a letter to Luoyang, before leading her up to this plateau to carry out the emperor’s appointed mission of meeting with the two queens of Tangmao.
However, before that, another twist happened.
Cao Cao was also a replacement from another world!
Both of them keenly picked up on the oddities in Cao Cao’s demeanor towards Cai Zhaoji.
In such a short time, Cao Cao from another world hadn’t yet shifted his perception. While he displayed respect towards the envoy, he hadn’t realized that this world’s Cai Zhaoji was an equal counterpart to him, not just another female officer.
He was somewhat missing the mark.
“What should we do now?” This unexpected twist made Cai Zhaoji unable to resist asking Jiang Tang.
Should they halt their actions temporarily?
Especially, when thinking about her current status as the commander of this troop, Cai Zhaoji felt the heavy burden was nearly crushing her instead of elating her with such an unexpected elevation!
However, Jiang Tang answered definitively, “No, even if Cao General got swapped, it can’t change our plan. The emperor wouldn’t want us to miss the prime opportunity to reclaim Tangmao.”
After pacing back and forth in the military tent, Jiang Tang continued, “We’ll notify the emperor about Cao General’s situation while keeping our actions going.”
Hearing the decision, Cai Zhaoji gritted her teeth, still asking the question that had been lingering in her mind for two days, “Aren’t you worried about my presence delaying this mission? Maybe it’s better to stop here and wait for the emperor’s orders.”
“No.” Jiang Tang shook her head, “While this isn’t a real battle, it’s just as time-sensitive. Thanks to Cao General and their swift victory, combined with the deployment of new artillery, everything needed for Tangmao to make a decision is already laid out. Any hesitation might lead them to think that Da Yong is still in awe of the mysterious Cangyuan mountains, which is absolutely not what the emperor wants to see.”
“If we dither now and the message gets delayed for half a month, then attempting to dispel those independent nations after reclaiming the western territories becomes a colossal headache!”
Jiang Tang’s judgment was spot-on, and Cai Zhaoji found herself convinced by her words.
But she was still worried…
“You see, your memory is flawless! Everything I’ve told you on this journey, you’ve retained.”
Jiang Tang crouched down, grasping Cai Zhaoji’s hand earnestly, “I’ve heard about your other life and know you have a stronger heart than anyone else. This belief is what we need to convey to those Qiang people.”
Isn’t that a portrayal of the spirit of Huaxia?
Cai Zhaoji was in a daze from Jiang Tang’s words when she felt something being slipped into her palm.
Opening her hand, she found a piece of candy wrapped in oil paper.
Jiang Tang smiled, “The emperor gifted me a ginger candy long ago, so here, have one from me. But once you’re done, we need to get back to work!”
“Oh, and perk up a bit! Don’t let your other self in this world underestimate you! After all—”
“How do you know she isn’t watching your performance right now?”
