“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 53: The Prefect’s Restart
White-clad heroic cavalry, the “Broken Mountains and Remaining Waters” Lethal Spear Technique.
What a name!
Qiao Yan had never heard of this spear technique before, and it certainly didn’t sound ordinary.
After flipping through a few pages, she realized her suspicions were correct.
This spear technique was not for a regular spear, but rather for dual spears.
To be precise, this was a spear that could be split into two segments for attack.
Illustrations on the spear manual showcased the dual spears sweeping left and stabbing right, crashing down and smashing up, while attacking in intricate ways. The technique was vividly demonstrated, and when combined, the two weapons formed a single spear that was a few inches longer than a conventional spear, with tips at both ends.
In that case—
“This spear is incredibly cunning…” Qiao Yan stroked her chin, pondering.
Mid-sentence, she suddenly realized what impression this system must have of her if they felt this was the perfect weapon for her.
No wonder they asked her to write a book on practical conversation skills as a trade-off.
Looking at her naive little system, the comparison truly was beyond words.
She thought about this in her heart but didn’t bring it up like before when revealing the sign-in rewards.
To manage this trade means, in some sense, her little rookie system still had some skill.
Will this spear technique be too complex? the system mused, following along as Qiao Yan studied the manual.
But it soon heard her respond, “No, this is actually beneficial for me.”
“‘Broken Mountains and Remaining Waters’—this desperate lethal spear technique, with its fierce and agile style, can make up for my shortcomings in sheer strength.”
Currently, she was in Leping, and there wouldn’t be many opportunities to devise plots and strategies in a short time, especially with her role as a strategist earning her corresponding strategist points.
Unless there were specific opportunities or achievements to grasp, gaining strategist points to enhance her physical condition would be quite challenging—she would have to rely on her own growth and training instead.
Limiting her body and strength didn’t mean she was giving up on raising her combat prowess.
She could choose to fight with her brains!
As she compared the electronic spear manual projected by the system, Qiao Yan sketched the special spear to ensure that the central connection point was flawless, aiming to have the local craftsmen in Leping replicate it.
With this blueprint, she could first make a wooden spear.
Leping currently had an adequate grain supply, and she had high hopes for the mulberry bark clothing, which wouldn’t be ready until late March. Perhaps, due to the extreme cold, it might even be postponed to next month.
During this time, she couldn’t meddle in the central authorities of the Han and couldn’t ignore the productivity of Leping in terms of various facilities either. Instead of overreaching, it was better to focus on enhancing herself.
If anyone asked, she could just say it was because she saw Zhao Yun’s spear, which looked more intimidating than a sword.
As for building up her physical capabilities—
She had plans for her development in Leping and was quite aware of her situation. There was no way she would forget that she was still just a kid, still growing, just because she had a lower title.
Slow and steady, after all. A meal has to be eaten one bite at a time.
With a clearer understanding of martial arts, she picked up a bamboo slip and began jotting down her upcoming plans.
Aside from mastering her spear technique, there were still limited things to do in the cold winter, but life wasn’t at a standstill.
For instance, she could have Yang Xiu draft a literacy book using paired words, taking advantage of the opportunity to finish it in the cold weather while being stuck at home.
Cai Yong, having just finished crafting a number of inscriptions for Qiao Xuan, was quite interested in this project as well.
After all, during this snow-laden season, the roads from Taihang Mountain to the outside world were worse than before, and Cai Yong couldn’t even visit friends and family in his idle time, so he might as well help out.
Additionally, if Leping could produce mulberry bark clothing under such expedited conditions, there would be plenty of spare labor available, and given Cai Yong’s past experience in paper making, they could try producing some mulberry bark paper.
Of course, the main focus was still on the mulberry bark clothing.
Once the deal between Lu Yuan and the Tang family was settled, Leping would be half a supply factory, and their work wouldn’t stop just because farming was paused.
In fact, there were quite a few citizens in Leping eager to join in on this work.
The wages Qiao Yan offered weren’t that high, but with the extra income during this bleak season, plus being closely watched by the county marquis, how could they see it as a loss?
However, Qiao Yan was inclined to find something else for these villagers to do.
If you didn’t count the Black Mountain Bandits who occupied the Taihang Mountains, Leping had actually faced no substantial threats from the Yellow Turban Bandits.
Just like natural disasters such as cold spells and droughts, they had affected Leping to some extent, but could the plague truly be avoided?
From a relatively scientific point of view, places where plagues broke out were often battle zones, and the areas concentrated with infections mainly included populated regions such as Luoyang, Nanyang, Jiujiang, and Kuaiji. “Being ensconced in dense foliage” was a phrase all too common during the Han Dynasty.
Neglecting drinking water and overlooking environmental hygiene contributed to the spread of the plague.
Qiao Yan couldn’t ascertain whether this situation would settle the Yellow Turban Rebellion faster than in history, but with reduced fighting zones and casualties, would two major plagues show up now?
It was hard to say whether Leping would be affected under the mountains’ protection.
All she could do was prepare ahead of time.
With mulberry bark clothing, incidences of frostbite and subsequent illnesses would surely decrease, helping to guard against the potential outbreaks in the winter and spring.
But that wasn’t enough!
In her plans, keeping the houses clean and orderly was also something she intended to finish this winter.
It would be tough to ensure that thousands of households in the county maintained good health—even if Hua Tuo himself were here, he couldn’t manage that. All she could do was reduce the impact of the plague through environmental control.
These were the most pressing matters in Leping right now.
Qiao Yan set her brush down, opened a half-closed window, and looked outside. She saw the snow collected on the rooftops blending into the white sky above, and couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. Just then, a rare winter bird swooped by, catching her eye.
She couldn’t help but let her thoughts drift a little, pondering things beyond Leping.
“Just like Hong Xin wrote, I hope the Emperor pays attention to military matters amidst the plague.”
While Bao Hong was delivering messages to Luoyang, Qiao Yan was also dispatching a few letters.
The recipients were Cao Cao, Huangfu Song, Lu Zhi, and Zhu Jun.
From the reply Cao Cao received, it wasn’t hard to see what Qiao Yan was trying to convey in her letters.
She first acknowledged Cao Cao’s greeting, added a couple of lines about the Qiao Xuan Memorial Temple in Leping, and then swiftly pivoted back to the main point she desperately wanted to discuss.
“My lord in Jinan State, a hub of commerce.”
“Last year’s bitter cold caused thick ice on the waterways, preventing boats from entering the rivers. Given that this year is just as chilly, I expect no less power from the heavens.”
“Extreme cold causes illness, and severe cases lead to plague. This isn’t the work of spirits or something you can just ward off with talismans; it’s about hiding bodies in the wilderness to prevent contamination. The living need to bundle up and drink hot water, especially in this harsh winter…”
There were indeed many idealistic considerations here.
For instance, suggesting the living dress warmly and drink hot water. Not only was Qiao Yan still waiting for the first completed mulberry bark clothing when she sent this letter, but even if they were ready, she couldn’t supply an entire nation, especially since Bingzhou was much colder and needed this gear too.
Drinking hot water seems easy now, but back then, it was quite a luxury.
She could only somewhat reasonably hope that after investigating the Jinan population’s livelihood, the unexpectedly dead from illness or starvation could be swiftly dealt with to prevent bacterial growth and pollution, particularly of the water sources.
Besides that, like Qiao Yan’s suggestions for a clean sweep of households.
All she could do was remind these famous generals and dignitaries of the late Han dynasty, hoping they would prepare for the possible plague while dealing with remnants of opposition or focusing on restoring the people’s livelihood.
The letter bearers had returned, and Qiao Yan could only gauge their attitudes from the replies, as her previous matters hadn’t been dismissed as childish banter.
But how far she could reach with these people was a mystery to her.
She tried to refocus her attention on the good news her aide Lu Yuan brought back from Jinyang, feeling somewhat reassured.
“Just as you predicted, the Wang family did not refuse the intermediary.” Lu Yuan reported, “The Tang family indeed needs this business to re-establish themselves in Bingzhou, and since Leping has the trading leverage and manpower for the mulberry bark clothing, establishing their position in trade shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Qiao Yan chuckled as she read the letter from the Tang family head, “This price is lower than I expected; we have a decent cut here. How did you convey this to him?”
“I didn’t even need to say it,” Lu Yuan replied. “The Tang family’s reputation isn’t what it used to be, unlike the Wang family, which has several well-placed youths. While this is a great money-making opportunity, the Tang family has accepted the Wang family’s goodwill and is walking a path of both fame and profit.”
Qiao Yan sought out the Wang family first, hinting that as a noble family, they shouldn’t be shortsighted.
“Of course, I mentioned to him,” Lu Yuan continued, “The lord should treat me as if I’m using your power. I said this is from your good work in Leping.”
She planned to consider Leping’s development and stay low-key. What would happen if she secured a foothold in Bingzhou?
It might not be totally fitting to say “don’t underestimate the humble,” to describe Qiao Yan’s current situation.
She was becoming quite a force.
If today she could crush the Black Mountain Bandits and efficiently get them working for her, turning the mulberry bark clothing into a means of maintaining relations with the noble families in Bingzhou, then who knows what she might do tomorrow.
The Tang family was a long-standing ally on the rise, and this quick accumulation of wealth this winter was not a complicated judgment call.
“The envoys stand straight due to the nation’s strength; it gives me confidence,” Lu Yuan pointed to the convoy behind her. “The salt you bought was well worth it.”
The official salt price couldn’t be casually changed. Lu Yuan’s assertiveness towards the leaders of the Tang and Wang families undoubtedly boosted this deal’s prospects; perhaps this was even better than if Qiao Yan herself had handled it.
It was evident that the noble families were making assumptions about her status, and they might even wonder if her emerging potential led them to extend a hand early.
In this way, while she remained behind the scenes, she could also be the biggest beneficiary of this transaction.
This batch of salt was larger than what Qiao Yan had prepared for storage.
But it seemed that good news couldn’t follow endlessly.
In the second month of the Middle Peace era, startling news arrived at Leping that left Qiao Yan shocked.
At the very start of the month, five provinces—Ji Province, Yanzhou, Xuzhou, Yang Province, and Yu Province—were hit by a major plague.
While the symptoms in these five regions varied, once the pandemic was mismanaged, it could easily snowball.
And these places had previously been where the Yellow Turbans thrived.
But can we blame the Yellow Turbans? No!
The harsh conditions of survival and this unlivable environment made it easiest for the disease to infiltrate at the beginning of the new year.
This created an environment of displaced people in the late Han dynasty; where wouldn’t this opportunity be seized by the Yellow Turbans?
And then, right alongside this plague came another piece of news.
The Provincial Governor System was being re-implemented.
Liu Hong had previously told Qiao Yan that this was inevitable. Now, due to the plague, the hearts of the people across the realm were wavering, and he was exactly the one to bring it back to the forefront.
This move was easy to understand; the Han dynasty’s numerous ailments had reached a serious level, and Liu Hong, balancing power and authority, needed to deploy this powerful remedy.
Now let’s see who the first batch of governors would be.
The three governors were—
Governor of Youzhou Liu Yu.
Governor of Yizhou Liu Yan.
Governor of Ji Province Huangfu Song.
Aside from Huangfu Song who indeed earned this position through military merit, Ji Province was particularly active amidst the plague while Yizhou was a paradise and isolated, and Youzhou was on the border, thus not directly affected by the disaster!
What about the other provinces?
Cheng Li and Xi Zhicai glanced up at Qiao Yan, who couldn’t hide her heavy expression. They noticed she quickly gathered herself, restoring her calm demeanor.
“In this latest decree, Chen Wen has been made Governor of Yang Province, Wang Yun Governor of Yu Province, Huang Wan Governor of Qingzhou… and Zhang Yi Governor of Bingzhou.”
“With the Provincial Governor System rebooted, these governors may very well be promoted further—”
“Folks, looks like we might just have to meet Governor Zhang soon.”
