Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 2: At the Foot of Taihang Mountains, A Small Test of Skill Chapter 52: Remnants of Mountains and Rivers

Book: Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 52: Remnants of Mountains and Rivers

Although Xi Zhicai entertained such thoughts, they were merely fleeting jokes and not something he intended to act upon.

Leping is just a single county, and maintaining harmony within its small borders is sufficient. For Qiao Yan, having someone familiar with the flora and fauna of the Taihang Mountains might be more useful than a renowned talent from Yingchuan.

No matter how one might consider a county as a nation, it is not truly a nation.

He might as well bear this burden himself.

However…

According to the rules of the Han Dynasty officials, there is a day of rest every five days. On this rest day, Qiao Yan does not stop him from drinking, though she might slightly reduce the amount. On the middle day of the five-day period, he can relax with a small drink, but for the remaining four days, his cup is filled with something else entirely!

On the first day, it’s a thick drink made from yam powder to strengthen his foundation and replenish energy. On the second day, it’s pine needle water from the Taihang Mountains to dispel wind and evil spirits. After a day’s break, it’s poria tea to strengthen the spleen and stomach. On the final day, it’s goji berry and ginger soup to dispel cold.

As Qiao Yan had mentioned, according to the Han Dynasty’s definition of standard wages, earning two thousand coins a month is not just for skilled workers but for the robust among them. Since he insists on following the law, it must meet the standard.

These energy-replenishing, wind-dispelling, spleen-strengthening, and cold-dispelling measures are truly aimed at building him a strong physique.

What kind of situation is this!

Outside, the snow falls continuously, while inside, only the sound of the lamp’s flame crackles. Xi Zhicai glances at the ginger soup by his side, picks up his brush to write to his friends in Yingchuan, but hesitates for a long time.

If he writes about being subjected to dietary supplements by his chosen lord in Leping, given his usual sharp-tongued letters, he would likely receive mocking replies from his friends in a few days. That would be inappropriate.

Writing about Qiao Yan’s various measures in Leping would also be inappropriate.

A smart strategist naturally knows what can be revealed to the outside world and what should be kept within their own territory.

If it weren’t for this, he wouldn’t have advised Qiao Yan on the memorial to Liu Hong.

Although his close friends are trustworthy and know how to keep secrets, with the heavy snowfall of winter, it wouldn’t be strange if the letter got lost on the way.

And if the lost letter caused any consequences, that would be truly troublesome.

It might be better to wait a couple of years and invite them to see for themselves.

So, he only writes about the newly acquired sweet pea wine in his letter.

That day, on a whim, he stuffed peas into a clay jar. Later, as he got involved in Qiao Yan’s efforts to develop Leping, he forgot about it, leaving it for over a month.

When he opened the clay jar, the wine inside had a unique flavor. Infused with snow water from the pine branches in the courtyard, it had a refreshingly sharp taste amidst the strong alcohol.

He sends a small jar of this sweet pea wine along with the letter to show that his trip north was not in vain.

This is another way of reporting his safety.

After arranging for the letter and wine to be sent the next day, Xi Zhicai finally feels relieved. Since today is a rest day after five days of work, he leisurely strolls through the streets of Leping County.

The houses in the county look the same as when he arrived, only with a layer of white snow on the roofs and below. But what he sees is somewhat different from the winter scenes of towns he remembers.

In past winters, people would huddle indoors, hoping for the cold season to pass quickly so they could go out.

But as Qiao Yan had told him, the improved mulberry bark clothing, sold at twenty five-zhu coins per piece, is a price any household can afford and is willing to pay.

The mulberry bark clothing has proven to be worth more than its price.

The more scarce the resources, the more visible the changes brought by practical items.

This is what Xi Zhicai sees before him.

Wearing mulberry bark clothing under hemp clothes greatly alleviates the bitter cold. For the lower-class people accustomed to hardship, this is enough.

At least under this protection, they can now walk the streets, clear the snow in front of their houses, and even climb onto the roofs to clear the snow there.

They can even chat with neighbors while clearing the snow, instead of rushing back indoors as before.

A single piece of mulberry bark clothing doesn’t drastically change one’s quality of life, but it does improve their spirit.

This is crucial for a territory facing natural disasters and the incompetence of the Han Dynasty.

Just as Xi Zhicai thinks this, he sees Lu Yuan hurrying towards the county office and turns his attention to her.

Logically, today is a rest day, and Lu Yuan, as a herald, should be resting. But her behavior clearly indicates that Qiao Yan has assigned her a task.

Obviously, something has happened that made Qiao Yan decide to arrange something today.

If there’s anything special about today, it’s probably that last night, the residents of the county received the final batch of mulberry bark clothing, completed faster after the Black Mountain labor reform team received their wages.

For the county residents, one piece of mulberry bark clothing is enough to last the entire winter. Even if it gets damaged, it can be repaired like regular clothing.

This means the market in Leping County is fully saturated.

Xi Zhicai looks up at the sky.

Today, the snow has just stopped, and it’s a rare clear day. Going out now would be a good choice.

It seems Qiao Hou is planning to expand the market.

When Lu Yuan enters Qiao Yan’s study, she sees her examining the mulberry bark clothing hanging on the wall.

Hearing Lu Yuan enter after being granted permission, Qiao Yan doesn’t turn around but asks, “I’m thinking of finding buyers for this outside the county. What do you think?”

Lu Yuan ponders and replies, “Since Qiao Hou arrived here, it’s only been four months. Selling cold-resistant items in winter makes sense, but it might encroach on others’ territories. So, Qiao Hou probably wants to find a major buyer among the locals outside Leping, somewhat different from the previous one-time wine business?”

Qiao Yan turns to her with an approving look, “So, in your opinion, who should I approach this time?”

Lu Yuan replies, “The principle of balance applies to both the central and local levels. Last time, Qiao Hou chose the Wang family of Jinyang for other reasons. This time, why not choose the Tang family?”

Since the supplementary fermentation method affects the process and isn’t visible externally, and the Wang family of Jinyang tightly holds the improved method, the Tang family couldn’t grasp the key points and thus has been at a disadvantage in the wine business these past months.

Therefore, approaching them now would be like delivering coal in snowy weather.

“Exactly,” Qiao Yan says, “Since we’re all in Bingzhou, we can’t favor one over the other. We gave the Wang family a generous gift before, so we should also give the Tang family a similar one. But…”

“People dislike those who try to please both sides, and the same goes for business.”

“Qiao Hou means to approach the Tang family under a different identity?” Lu Yuan asks.

“No,” Qiao Yan answers decisively.

“There are no walls that don’t leak. Taiyuan and Leping are only a few mountains apart. If someone happens to travel here, it’s hard to hide anything. Moreover, frequent transactions after the deal is made would be noticeable. Not only are we smart.”

“So, we should lay it all out.”

She walks to the table, and Lu Yuan, following her gesture, approaches to see three chess pieces on the table. In the middle is a character “稳” (steady) she wrote during her calligraphy practice.

Qiao Yan points to the two close pieces and says, “The Tang family has declined over the years due to members moving away. Could the Wang family, with their capabilities, not have swallowed them entirely?”

Lu Yuan, watching Qiao Yan’s actions, seems to understand.








She thought, “Of course, it can be swallowed, but although there is competition among noble families, there are also marital ties, and it’s necessary to leave some room for maneuver.”

In this way, she seemed to vaguely understand Qiao Yan’s meaning.

“Since you are the herald of Leping, you also represent my stance, so I want to entrust this matter to you,” Qiao Yan said. “First, go see Wang Yang.”

“After meeting the head of the Wang family, mention to him that I would like him to act as an intermediary to make a deal with the Tang family.”

Those who can afford wine mostly don’t need mulberry bark clothing to protect against the wind in winter, so the overlap in the market between the two is not significant.

Since it’s not a relationship of encroachment, a win-win situation can be achieved.

Lu Yuan grasped the meaning in Qiao Yan’s words and replied, “If it really is as Marquis Qiao suggests, then for the Wang family, Marquis Qiao is giving them a reason to befriend the Tang family. They can say to the outside world that someone has developed this mulberry bark clothing, and because the Wang family is powerful, they sought them out for cooperation to quickly spread this life-saving item far and wide. However, the Wang family, being generous, did not wish to continue besieging the Tang family, so they led the person to the Tang family.”

This is the way for Leping to remain hidden.

Yielding profit for righteousness is something that should be widely promoted in the values of the current era.

Then the original developer of this item does not necessarily need to be known.

Of course, this does not prevent Leping from becoming a qualified processing site due to its people’s greater experience in making mulberry bark clothing.

Under the steady development pattern of not dumping goods externally and reducing further prominence, this is the best state.

Moreover, did the Wang family really yield profit?

The Tang family will surely be grateful and offer other conditions in exchange.

And Leping’s profit will certainly be more than what would be gained by directly approaching the Tang family, because the Wang family will definitely help adjust the profit sharing, allowing the Tang family to appropriately reduce their profit-taking.

Lu Yuan, coming from a noble family, how could she not understand the intricacies here?

And to start from the subtle relationship between these two families, to grasp the scale of this negotiation, it is indeed most appropriate for her to do it.

After confirming that she had fully understood Qiao Yan’s intentions, she decisively accepted the task.

The task Qiao Yan gave was indeed a heavy responsibility.

“From the proceeds from the Tang family, purchase some salt and meat from Jinyang City,” Qiao Yan calculated the volume of the transaction and, considering that Dian Wei’s appearance was too distinctive, added, “Take Zhao Yun and Xu Fu with you to transport the goods back.”

The Han Dynasty implemented a monopoly on salt and iron, especially cracking down heavily on the sale of private salt, so the Tang family naturally could not have any low-cost procurement channels.

Just pay enough money and establish proper follow-up cooperation terms.

This also allows her to take the opportunity to stockpile some salt in the warehouse for future needs.

It should be known that meat preservation still relies on pickling methods, and every household needs a lot of salt for daily cooking. Naturally, salt is more expensive than rice. Even in relatively peaceful times, the price of one dan of rice could at most buy four or five jin of salt, and in the subsequent period of frequent wars, it goes without saying.

If we don’t stockpile more salt now, it will be troublesome during the subsequent inflation period.

Although Lu Yuan is not as familiar with history as Qiao Yan, it is not difficult for her to glimpse some clues from the current situation.

Since Qiao Yan provided escorts, there is no need to worry about large quantities of salt being robbed on the road, so she naturally feels at ease doing this.

The mulberry bark clothing transaction should be done sooner rather than later, and she couldn’t care less whether today was a rest day or not, so she immediately went to find the two to set off together.

Not to mention that this was a task assigned by Qiao Yan, even if it was just because this transaction meant a stable income for Leping in the near future, and many people in Bingzhou might be saved from freezing to death, it was enough to make the personnel subsequently dispatched by these two people all perk up, striving to make the effect of wearing mulberry bark clothing look more outstanding.

Qiao Yan watched the convoy leave the city, leaning against the door of the county office, a hint of pleasure in her eyes.

Having someone to assist really reduces the pressure compared to going it alone.

It was at this moment that she suddenly heard the system speak up: [Connected! I’ve connected with the neighbor!]

Qiao Yan’s expression stiffened.

To prevent any abnormal expressions during her communication with the system, although she didn’t need to speak, she immediately returned to the room.

As she closed the door, she heard the system repeat somewhat excitedly, [I’ve connected with the nearest martial arts system 060, it said this exchange can be done, and it can just add it to its check-in rewards.]

“So, your check-in rewards only have temporary attribute cards because you don’t have much stock?”

Qiao Yan caught the key information from the strategist system’s words and immediately asked pointedly.

[…] The system stalled for a moment. [This… this isn’t important.]

How could it dare tell Qiao Yan that it originally went to ask without much hope, but although the system numbers only differed by 8, indicating that the production times were not far apart, the other system clearly had the demeanor of an old-timer.

The other system also mentioned that the rules of equivalent exchange were originally allowed by the system, especially in cases where some systems and their hosts were not completely compatible with their environment. For survival considerations, it was natural to find ways to seek life-saving methods first.

In comparison, it seemed that it was only most competent as an alarm clock and map.

No, it was also a qualified recorder. Before the neighboring system tried to determine what its host had to exchange, this strategist system first told the other system everything the host had said and done since being bound by the system.

“Let’s not talk about this, what did the other side say?”

Qiao Yan’s need for martial arts manuals largely stemmed from the fact that the strategist system did not have corresponding content.

Although it had evaluations for martial power and physique, these were more inclined towards a general framework for four-dimensional values and could not change its essence.

Being able to point out skills like horse riding was only because the standards for the Six Arts of a Gentleman since ancient times were rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics, and although charioteering referred to driving war chariots, it could also extend to the realm of horse riding.

However, spear techniques, knife techniques, sword techniques, and the like were not possible.

At least after Qiao Yan, out of curiosity, watched Zhao Yun perform a set of basic boxing and tried it herself, the system’s panel did not give a related skill judgment.

Therefore, upon hearing that the system had given a feasible statement for the transaction, she couldn’t help but feel a bit excited.

She indeed had high expectations for this matter.

The system replied: [It said that it has a lot of survival methods in ancient settings, and if it’s a transaction with money and goods, there’s no need…]

Firstly, Qiao Yan was far from being able to plunder wealth, and secondly, martial artists often break the law with their martial arts, so it wouldn’t be difficult for it to make the host rich.

[But it is very interested in one of your skills!]

Probably because it got recognition for its host from another system, it also felt quite proud and raised its tone a bit to say.

Although it didn’t know why the other system spoke in a somewhat strange tone after listening to Qiao Yan’s actions, but according to the protection clause that systems cannot lie, the other’s praise was genuine.

Fortunately, the other side indeed had something it needed, so this transaction could be completed, and it could give Qiao Yan an explanation.

[It said it really wants its host to learn your skill of speaking human language to humans and ghost language to ghosts…] Seeming to realize that this wording was somewhat inappropriate, the system quickly added: [It’s not criticizing you, it’s just saying that it feels that relying on the system library of eloquence can’t achieve your level, so it wants you to write some practical tips on how to talk to people.]

Qiao Yan felt somewhat amused and helpless.

She then heard the system say: [The other side also said that learning martial arts after all requires time and effort, so in order not to delay the effect of the transaction, it can give you the spear technique manual first, and then we can make up our side of the transaction chips later, but—]

[It doesn’t have many spear techniques, and after its evaluation, the one most suitable for you is only one.]

As the system spoke, it had already displayed this spear technique manual in front of Qiao Yan.

On the cover were seven large characters—”Broken Mountains and Remaining Waters” Lethal Spear Technique.