Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Can’t a strategist ascend the throne? Volume 2: At the Foot of Taihang Mountains, Testing the Waters Chapter 48: The Planting Strategy

Book:


Can’t a Strategist Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 48: The Planting Strategy

Yingchuan’s Xi Zhicai—

This is a figure who existed as Guo Jia’s predecessor in the Cao Wei camp.

After his death, Xun Yu recommended Guo Fengxiao to Cao Cao.

This is also someone Qiao Yan never expected to appear in her territory.

Previously, when suppressing the Yellow Turban Bandits in Yingchuan’s Changshe, Qiao Yan hadn’t met any renowned scholars from Ru and Ying, and naturally, she didn’t expect to encounter such a person after arriving at her fief.

But who would have thought someone would come knocking?

This is entirely different from Zhao Yun coming to discuss the eradication of the Black Mountain Bandits.

Especially since…

Xi Zhicai initially didn’t reveal his identity, arriving in Leping as a “worker” in the brewing industry. His sudden self-disclosure carries some deeper meaning.

Qiao Yan met his gaze and asked, “Mr. Xi, why did you first use a pseudonym and now come to offer advice? This doesn’t seem like the way of a gentleman.”

Xi Zhicai, who even writes letters to He Yong in this manner, wouldn’t consider himself a gentleman. Hearing Qiao Yan’s teasing about his lack of straightforwardness, he just smiled and replied:

“One who offers advice must understand the actions and strategies of the one they assist to ensure the advice fits the situation. Moreover, having stayed in Leping for a month without prying into any secrets, stepping into any critical areas, or receiving a single coin, I dare not call myself a gentleman, but I mean no offense to Marquis Qiao. Please forgive me.”

He spoke the truth, turning his behavior of being content with just wine into proof of his discretion.

This ability to turn black into white is indeed something a strategist would have.

And he didn’t need to say more.

He didn’t need to mention that he revealed his identity because he saw in Qiao Yan’s actions against the Black Mountain Bandits, despite only controlling a single county and facing a temporary uprising with little strategy, her ability to manipulate people’s hearts was truly impressive.

This manipulation addressed the Taiyuan Wang family’s need to pacify the Southern Xiongnu, the Black Mountain Bandits’ need for food and the differences between their two leaders, and the Leping county’s support for their Marquis.

Her adept handling of her subordinates and her high regard for Zhao Yun, an unexpected guest, further elevated Xi Zhicai’s impression of her.

That night, when the Black Mountain Bandits attacked, though it might be inappropriate to say, he indeed saw the potential of a future ruler in this young Marquis.

As for strategists, those from noble families can become talents to assist a king, like Wang Yun and Xun Yu. But what about someone like him? Finding a suitable lord to fully display his talents is already a challenge.

Thus, his proactive disclosure and offer of advice isn’t unreasonable.

Qiao Yan’s subsequent actions confirmed his judgment.

After hearing Xi Zhicai’s response, Qiao Yan immediately rose from her seat, approached him, and solemnly said, “In that case, what advice do you have for me?”

Her demeanor showed no concern for his hidden identity nor any underestimation due to his lack of fame.

Xi Zhicai replied, “Marquis Qiao, you are wise. What you need now is a transitional strategy. Thus, I offer you an extraordinary plan.”

An extraordinary plan?

Such a claim is rare.

But when Xi Zhicai presented his suggestion, even Qiao Yan, who enjoys unconventional methods, had to admit that his plan was indeed extraordinary.

Three days later, the prefects of Shangdang, Changshan, and Taiyuan received letters from Qiao Yan.

When Qiao Yan first arrived in Leping, she sent polite greetings to these three.

At that time, the three were curious about their “neighbor,” as a young Marquis with ten thousand households was indeed astonishing, giving Qiao Yan ample reason to be proud.

However, the humility in her letter reassured them.

She wasn’t a difficult genius.

Thus, when they received her letter this time, they assumed it was a routine greeting after her first month in Leping.

But the letter began with big news!

Qiao Yan stated that her small territory of Leping, having stockpiled grain, attracted the attention of the Black Mountain Bandits from the Taihang Mountains. To protect Leping, she captured all the bandits.

Thus, they needn’t worry about the Black Mountain Bandits.

Though some bandits remain in the mountains, their leaders Zhang Niujiao and Chu Yan have been captured, shackled, and their elite forces subdued. The rest are negligible.

The three were shocked.

How long has this Marquis of Leping been here?

In such a short time, without even mobilizing the local populace to form a militia, she accomplished such a feat, truly astonishing.

At a time when areas outside the imperial army’s reach are still affected by the Yellow Turban Bandits, reporting this to the central government would surely bring rewards from Luoyang and praise from the Emperor.

But just as they were about to take this neighbor more seriously, they read on—

According to current strategies for handling the Yellow Turbans, these bandits, though not immediate followers of Zhang Jiao, formed a considerable force and should be treated like the remnants in Guangzong and Quzhou.

Either offer them a chance to buy their lives or send them to Wuyuan for labor.

But Qiao Yan thought of a better way.

She mentioned that during the attack, Zhang Niujiao could have killed the warehouse keeper but only knocked him out, showing some kindness.

Of course, this was just Zhang Niujiao’s way of stabilizing the situation, not true benevolence.

Additionally, after capturing the bandits, before deciding their fate, Qiao Yan had them help build a shrine for Qiao Xuan. Knowing their crimes, they didn’t flee.

Rebellion was for survival; now they could eat, so why rebel?

Through Qiao Yan’s embellished account, the Black Mountain Bandits became essentially good people forced into banditry, still redeemable.

The three prefects could almost imagine Qiao Yan’s idealistic thoughts.

They pondered how to correct this promising junior’s unnecessary ideas while reading on.

[Yan believes that serious crimes should not be lightly punished, lest others follow suit, leading to great trouble.]

Good, still salvageable.

[But since they show a desire to reform and aren’t Zhang Jiao’s direct followers, sending them to the border might be excessive.]

This does make some sense…

[In my humble opinion, having them labor to atone for their crimes would be commendable within a year.]

[Since arriving in Leping, I’ve noticed the surrounding mountains, though rich in resources, hinder movement. Why not have the Black Mountain Bandits open mountain paths to your regions, facilitating trade and mutual benefit.]

“…”

If words could describe the prefects’ expressions, it would be—

Don’t come over!

Qiao Yan’s idea sounds good at first.

Leping is surrounded by hills and mountains, with Taihang to the east. The current paths and Jingxing Pass connect it to the outside, but even the Wang family of Jinyang struggled to transport grain. Using the bandits to widen these paths for easier travel and trade seems mutually beneficial.

And using the bandits as laborers isn’t letting them off lightly, serving as a warning.

But this is only on the surface.

In reality?

In their view, bandits are bandits. Qiao Yan captured them this time, but if given the chance to build roads in the mountains, what if they escape?

If they flee into the mountains, having been defeated by Leping, they might avoid Leping and trouble Changshan, Shangdang, and Taiyuan instead.

Next time, catching them might not be so easy.

They could petition the court to pressure Qiao Yan to severely punish the Black Mountain Bandits, which might be feasible.





But alas… Firstly, Qiao Yan is still young, and with Qiao Xuan, her grandfather, being a loyal subject of the Han Dynasty, her somewhat idealistic actions aren’t inherently bad. Reporting her would seem like picking on an orphan girl. Secondly, under Xi Zhicai’s guidance, Qiao Yan added a line in her letter suggesting that if the Black Mountain Bandits were merely assigned hard labor instead of being punished according to the law, they could first follow the legal process. Emperor Guangwu once proposed a method to deal with bandits: “Five people killing one bandit can absolve their crimes.” This law was later compared to Emperor Wu’s strategies. Under this law, if five bandits killed another and surrendered, they wouldn’t be punished. Qiao Yan thought similarly: if you think my punishment is too lenient, we can follow this procedure. I’ll select the worst offenders, execute one in six, and the rest can be reformed through labor, not leniently treated. Somehow, even though it’s legal, it feels unsettling. If it were the Warring States period, connecting Taiyuan might cause disputes, but now it’s the Han Dynasty, with Luoyang as the capital! Taiyuan’s defensible state is acceptable but shouldn’t be openly discussed. Qiao Yan’s plan to connect regions is reasonable, but the thought of bandits threatening their lands makes them uneasy. Under Qiao Yan’s righteous and humane approach, they can’t criticize her as naive. They decided to support her with food supplies, suggesting she focus on developing Leping instead of trade routes. Qiao Yan had already reduced taxes in Leping, boosting agriculture. They advised her to utilize the mountainous areas within her territory. With the arrival of 50,000 dan of grain from three regions, Qiao Yan framed it as a reward for eliminating bandits. By mid-August, she distributed some grain to the county folk, signaling shared benefits. The locals, grateful, sent her gifts like wild vegetables and coarse cloth, showing their loyalty. In times of disaster, gaining民心 (people’s hearts) was easier. Qiao Yan, holding a basket of violets, thanked Xi Zhicai for his ingenious strategy, which prevented the three prefects from exploiting loopholes. Xi Zhicai, casually examining the local gifts, found a yam (薯蓣) and had an allergic reaction. Qiao Yan quickly had vinegar brought to soothe his rash. She then proposed cultivating yams in the hills, seeing their potential as a high-yield crop that could also reform the bandits through labor. Deciding to plant yams, she saw them as a perfect solution for utilizing the mountainous terrain and rehabilitating the bandits.