Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 2: At the Foot of Taihang Mountains, Testing the Waters Chapter 55: Zhang Liao and Zhang Yang

The heart of Bingzhou lies in Taiyuan, and the capital of Taiyuan Commandery is Jinyang. It is only natural that the newly appointed Governor of Bingzhou chose to arrive in Jinyang first.

If Qiao Yan wanted to meet this Governor Zhang, she would naturally have to go to Jinyang as well.

However, she didn’t plan to go openly.

The arrival of the highest-ranking official in Bingzhou, especially a newly appointed one, would undoubtedly have an impact on the situation in Bingzhou. The undercurrents in Jinyang alone were enough to give a glimpse of what was to come.

She decided to observe how others would react under the influence of this governor before deciding how to approach him.

Thus, she set out lightly equipped.

For this trip, she brought Xu Fu and Xi Zhicai.

As they rode leisurely, she glanced at Xu Fu and didn’t miss the nervousness in his eyes. “Yuanzhi, are you worried that bandits might attack and you won’t be able to protect the two of us?”

When Zhao Yun officially took up the position of County Captain in Leping, he returned to his hometown and adopted the courtesy name Zilong. Regardless of what Chu Yan, who wanted to challenge Zhao Yun’s position, thought, Xu Fu, who was also starting his career at this age, couldn’t help but feel a bit restless.

Using a courtesy name signified adulthood and recognition of one’s abilities.

This restlessness didn’t escape Qin Yu’s notice. The next day, when Xu Fu came to the county office, he publicly announced that he had adopted the courtesy name Yuanzhi and could henceforth be addressed as such.

Qiao Yan also felt that this name came at the right time, as she had often been unsure of how to address Xu Fu.

Leping was only a single county, and the positions it could offer were limited. Xu Fu still held the position of a retainer in the Marquis of Leping’s household, and it wouldn’t do to call him “Xu Shuzi.” Now, calling him Yuanzhi felt much more natural.

Xu Fu smiled wryly, “The Marquis is responsible for the lives of ten thousand households in Leping, a truly invaluable figure. Master Xi is resourceful and decisive, an indispensable talent for Leping. Although I was once a wandering knight, if bandits were to come…”

At this point, he instinctively gripped the sword at his waist, fully aware of the responsibility he bore.

But to say outright that he couldn’t win would somewhat tarnish the Marquis’s reputation, so he didn’t continue.

Xi Zhicai observed Xu Fu’s expression and confirmed that his words were not mere flattery but truly heartfelt.

It was said that Xu Fu initially held Qiao Yan in high esteem and admiration, even expressing a willingness to serve her as a humble servant. But now, having witnessed Qiao Yan’s various actions in Leping, his belief in her as a savior had grown stronger, and their relationship had become more like that of a lord and vassal.

He smiled and said, “Yuanzhi, why worry so much? Don’t forget that the road we’re on is the same one used for trading mulberry bark clothing with the Tang family. Don’t mistake the Tang family for a fallen noble house.”

This trade route was regularly patrolled, so it was unlikely that bandits would appear here.

Moreover, the Black Mountain Bandits, who once led the bandits in this area, had been captured by Leping. Without knowing how Leping had achieved this, ordinary bandits wouldn’t dare approach this place.

As for extraordinary bandits…

The most extraordinary “bandits” in Bingzhou were the Xianbei tribes north of Yunzhong and Shuofang commanderies, and the Northern Xiongnu and Hu tribes beyond Xihe Commandery.

But they wouldn’t suddenly cross the barrier of Taiyuan Commandery to reach this place.

“Marquis Qiao has always been bold yet meticulous. She wouldn’t put herself in danger just to avoid bringing along her bodyguard and exposing her whereabouts,” Xi Zhicai added.

As soon as he finished speaking, Qiao Yan clasped her hands towards him, “Master Xi understands me.”

“Enough, enough, no need to praise me now. If I can truly live up to the Marquis’s expectations in bringing me to Jinyang, then you can praise me later,” Xi Zhicai waved his hand. “The Marquis surely didn’t bring me along just because I once stayed in Jinyang and could help find a cheap place to stay.”

Qiao Yan naturally valued his top-notch judgment, which seemed lazy at first glance.

Besides, once in Jinyang, Qiao Yan wouldn’t need to find her own accommodation.

The Wang family had already arranged a place for her.

This place wasn’t within the Wang family’s mansion but in a courtyard in a neighborhood adjacent to the main street in Jinyang.

The neighborhood system in the Han Dynasty was similar in Luoyang and Jinyang, though the streets in Jinyang were slightly wider. In such an environment, if she wanted to observe the streets from her room, she would naturally choose such a place.

As for why the Wang family, or rather Wang Yang, the head of the Wang family, was so diligent in arranging Qiao Yan’s accommodation, it ultimately came down to his own interests.

Scholars and noble families weren’t necessarily on the same side, so he urgently needed to understand Zhang Yi’s attitude towards Bingzhou.

Previous governors of Bingzhou, though technically administrative officials, were mostly military generals. Such people were easier to deal with in a way, and it was simpler to figure them out.

But Zhang Yi had no military record, and his political career didn’t stand out like the other governors.

He seemed ordinary, but it was always better to think of people as complex to be prepared.

Hearing that Qiao Yan also wanted to assess Zhang Yi, Wang Yang was clearly pleased.

Qiao Yan had already proven with her negotiations over the price of Hero’s Wine that her vision wasn’t limited to Leping County alone. She had even foreseen the Southern Xiongnu crisis in Xihe Commandery and demonstrated her ability to clarify relationships and discern people’s intentions with the mulberry bark clothing affair. Thus, her judgment of Zhang Yi would naturally be valuable.

Moreover, Zhang Yi had never dealt with Qiao Yan before, which meant he might overlook the pair of eyes watching him.

The Wang family servant responsible for escorting Qiao Yan to her accommodation bowed respectfully and quietly withdrew.

Qiao Yan then glanced around the courtyard and noticed a two-story building near the outer wall facing the main road.

She went upstairs, pushed open the wooden window on the side, and the scene outside came into view.

This was the road connecting the north and south of Jinyang.

The street she could see was bustling with merchants, travelers, and local residents of Jinyang, who had to pass through here to get to various parts of the city, making it more lively than other streets. From the appearances of these passersby, Qiao Yan could easily discern their general identities.

In March, Jinyang had slightly recovered from the harsh winter, and the faces of the passersby showed more vitality.

March…

In the busy atmosphere of Leping, she hadn’t even realized…








Now, she suddenly realized—since coming to this world, a whole year had already passed.

A year ago, she was in Yanzhou, in a place where refugees passed through, almost starving to death. A year later, she had become a County Marquis with a fiefdom, and as a guest of a noble family, she could leisurely watch the flow of people in Jinyang City.

This was undoubtedly a contrast that made her feel as if time had flown by.

But this fleeting sense of disorientation caused by the year-long contrast only lasted for a moment. So quick that Xu Fu and Xi Zhicai, who had been paying close attention to her, didn’t notice any change in her expression. She withdrew her gaze from outside and said, “When we received the news earlier, Zhang Yi had just entered the Taihang Mountains. The time it takes from Linfen to Jinyang should be slower than our speed.”

“Zhang Yi will enter the city from the south and must pass through here to reach the Prefect’s Office in Taiyuan. We’ll just wait for a day or two.”

Qiao Yan reached out to Xu Fu, and he handed her a book from the bag.

It was indeed a book, not bamboo slips.

During the winter months, while continuing to produce mulberry bark clothing sold by the Tang family throughout Bingzhou, Leping had also made significant progress in mulberry bark paper.

With the foundation of Cai Lun’s improved papermaking technique and the mulberry bark chosen by Qiao Yan as the main material, it was only a matter of time before they developed mulberry bark paper suitable for writing, rather than the thick, fibrous material used for clothing.

Although the smoothness of the paper still left something to be desired, it was no longer in a state where it would easily tear if made too thin, and it was sufficient for Qiao Yan’s use.

If it weren’t for the fact that mulberry bark had to be prioritized for life-saving purposes, such as making cold-resistant clothing, there wouldn’t be such a limited quantity.

“Your Excellency, you’re here to observe Zhang Yi, and you even brought account books with you?” Xi Zhicai was stunned when he saw the familiar book.

“Who told you, sir, that these are my account books?” Qiao Yan shook her head with a smile. “Now that I’m sitting in this street-side pavilion, enjoying the bustling spring scenery, I should also take some leisure time. What I brought are naturally leisure books. Sir, don’t think of me as someone who never forgets official duties—that’s something Zhongde would do.”

Xi Zhicai sat down opposite Qiao Yan and, seeing that she didn’t object, he picked up one of the books. Opening it, he saw Cai Yan’s handwriting.

“What is this?”

Qiao Yan replied, “Bojie has an extensive collection of books. Previously, due to the rush to Luoyang for a funeral, he didn’t bring them with him. He has no intention of staying long in Leping, so naturally, he didn’t have those books sent from the Yang family of Mount Tai. But Zhaoji has a photographic memory and has memorized dozens of volumes. Since mulberry bark paper is convenient for writing, binding them into books means that one volume takes up at most two books. It’s better to use this method to review and enrich Leping’s book collection.”

“…”

If Qiao Yan weren’t so young herself, Xi Zhicai would have wanted to吐槽 that her actions in exploiting child labor were simply too outrageous.

But then he thought, having books to read while waiting wasn’t so bad. Why bother with so much psychological baggage?

He said, “Well, with these books to pass the time, waiting for the Governor shouldn’t be too unbearable.”

However, what Qiao Yan didn’t expect was that before the Governor of Bingzhou arrived, another voice reached her ears as dusk approached. The familiar name made her pause in flipping the pages of her book and immediately perk up.

The person shouted, “Zhang Liao, wait for me!”

Zhang Liao?

Qiao Yan casually shifted her gaze from the book in her hands to the streets of Jinyang, now bathed in the glow of the setting sun. She saw two young men walking one after the other.

The one in front was younger, around the same age as Zhao Yun and Xu Fu, about fifteen or sixteen.

The one behind looked to be in his early twenties, perhaps more appropriately called a young man, though his lively and spirited expression still gave him a youthful air.

Zhang Liao’s response undoubtedly confirmed Qiao Yan’s speculation.

Her eyesight was good, and she could see the slightly frustrated expression on the young man’s face. He stopped and turned back, saying, “Why are you following me? The Prefect’s Office said they won’t accept those who haven’t come of age. You, Zhang Zhishu, are old enough, so why don’t you stay?”

Because he stopped, the young man behind him was able to catch up and sling an arm over his shoulder, walking side by side.

Both were dressed in the typical martial attire of Bingzhou, their clothes unremarkable. The way they walked arm in arm made them look like brothers.

Qiao Yan heard the young man Zhang Liao called Zhang Zhishu reply, “What are you talking about? You’re from Yunzhong, and I’m from Yanmen. We happened to meet on the road and hit it off. We both dislike the way the border prefects act, so we thought, since there’s a new Governor, why not take a big gamble? That makes us even more connected. If you can’t get in because you’re too young, what’s the point of me going in alone?”

He laughed heartily and added, “Besides, we’re both Zhangs. Who knows, maybe we were from the same family a few hundred years ago. That makes us half-relatives, doesn’t it?”

As they walked and talked, they happened to pass right under Qiao Yan’s window, allowing her to see the somewhat helpless expression on Zhang Liao’s face.

This look of having something to say but being unable to say it, appearing on such a mature and calm face, was quite amusing.

But if he really was the Zhang Liao Qiao Yan suspected, then his hesitation was understandable.

After all, his original surname wasn’t Zhang, but Nie. He was a descendant of Nie Yi from the Mayi Conspiracy, and his family had changed their surname to Zhang to avoid trouble. So, he really couldn’t be considered the same surname as the young man beside him.

As for the other Zhang Zhishu…

Qiao Yan wasn’t initially familiar with his name, but given that he was with Zhang Liao and seeking a position in the Bingzhou government, narrowing down the scope made it easy for her to guess his identity.

This was Zhang Yang, Zhang Zhishu, who had once been a Military Officer in Bingzhou and later, for his merit in escorting Emperor Xian of Han, Liu Xie, back to Luoyang, was granted the title of Grand Marshal!

This guy clearly fit the typical image of a military officer, completely unaware of the subtle meaning behind Zhang Liao’s expression. He spoke in a brotherly tone, “If we can’t get a position in Jinyang, it’s no big deal. With your skills, Zhang Liao, you could start a bandit-hunting group and make a name for yourself. After all, in Bingzhou, we speak with our fists.”

“If that doesn’t work, how about we go to Leping? I heard the County Marquis there is young, and the County Captain is also young. They probably won’t care about age…”

The two had already passed under the window, and their voices came from a distance.

But Qiao Yan heard this sentence clearly.

She raised an eyebrow and immediately closed the book in her hand.

Historical records describe Zhang Yang as lacking vision, “holding a strategic commandery but lacking talent, ultimately falling into the hands of a commoner, his wisdom not worth mentioning.” But in her view—

This guy had great vision!