Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Can’t a Strategist Ascend the Throne? Volume 2: At the Foot of Taihang Mountains, A Small Test of Skills – Chapter 56: A Letter

From the book:


Can’t a Strategist Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 56: A Letter

Zhang Yang’s political insight is clearly flawed, but his comment about Leping being a good place was enough to improve Qiao Yan’s impression of him.

Although his words were largely meant to comfort Zhang Liao, who was turned away due to his young age, it also implied that Leping could now be considered a viable option for those seeking refuge in Bingzhou.

This was different from Zhao Yun, who had come seeking her help to quell the Black Mountain Bandits after hearing of her role in suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

This indicated not just hope for her personally, but for the entire region of Leping.

Bingzhou was known for producing fierce warriors, a result of the Xiongnu threat and the martial culture of the north. Qiao Yan coveted this unique resource but was constrained by her current focus on laying low and building a foundation.

But what if people came seeking her out?

Zhang Yang’s words were a reassurance.

Whether they came or not, being considered an option by others was a testament to her efforts in Leping over the past few months.

After all, this was only her first year in Leping.

Qiao Yan could hear the conversation of the two men passing below, and Xi Zhicai, sitting across from her, could clearly see the flicker of interest on her face.

She then tapped on the window frame.

Zhang Liao and Zhang Yang hadn’t gone far when they heard someone call out from above, “Gentlemen, would you care to come up for a chat?”

Zhang Liao looked up and saw two figures silhouetted against the setting sun, their faces hard to discern. But the hand on the windowsill confirmed that the voice was real and directed at them.

What struck him as odd was that the voice sounded remarkably young.

But with nothing to lose and confidence in his abilities, he replied, “Since the esteemed one invites, we shall come.”

As they entered the residence, they exchanged a glance, both thinking that this “esteemed one” seemed unusual.

The residence’s location and size in Jinyang suggested wealth, but the lack of servants and the young man who opened the door for them defied their expectations of a noble.

However, the young man, about Zhang Liao’s age, didn’t seem like a servant.

Xu Fu, under Qiao Yan and Cheng Li’s guidance, had become more composed, his martial spirit tempered by his studies.

The winter in Leping had also benefited Xu Fu, who had grown taller and more muscular, giving him the air of a future scholar.

But Xu Fu wasn’t the most unusual person there.

As Zhang Liao and Zhang Yang ascended the stairs, they met the girl who had invited them.

She was only about ten years old, dressed in boyish attire for convenience, but her hairstyle and features clearly indicated her gender.

What was most striking was her commanding presence, more like a leader than a noble lady.

This was unusual.

Perhaps because Zhang Yang had mentioned Leping, Zhang Liao thought of the County Marquis of Leping.

His keen observation noted that Qiao Yan was flipping through a thin book, different from the ones made of Cai Hou paper he had seen before.

He couldn’t pinpoint the difference, but it was there.

Setting aside his judgments, he bowed to Qiao Yan, “I am Zhang Liao of Yanmen, and my friend is Zhang Yang of Yunzhong. May I ask why you have summoned us?”

Qiao Yan replied, “I overheard that you two intended to serve the incoming Governor of Bingzhou, but were turned away from the Prefect’s Office due to your age. Is that correct?”

Her noble demeanor made her lack of self-introduction seem less rude.

Zhang Yang answered, “As you see, although the Prefect’s Office followed the rules, my friend here is already fifteen. By the old Han standards, he could have been enlisted. It’s a pity to wait a few more years given his skills.”

The Han’s conscription age had been lowered to fifteen during the Qin-Han transition due to population concerns, but Emperor Jing later raised it to twenty, then twenty-three. Due to recent disasters and border conflicts, it was often lowered to twenty, but fifteen was still too young.

“That’s not a legal conscription age,” Qiao Yan said, raising an eyebrow.

Zhang Yang glanced around the room, thinking that the scholar across from her and the young attendant didn’t look capable of subduing him and Zhang Liao. But her confident tone made him hold his tongue.

Perhaps Xi Zhicai, who looked frail, was actually a strongman.

Zhang Liao, unaware of his companion’s wild speculations, replied, “Whether Zhang Yang explains again or not, you’ve already heard our conversation. If you wanted to arrest us, you could have done so earlier.”

This was a more dangerous distance for Qiao Yan, as a commoner’s rage could lead to bloodshed.

Qiao Yan studied Zhang Liao’s expression and nodded approvingly, “With that statement alone, I can say that the Taiyuan Prefect’s Office made a mistake in turning you away.”

She could easily guess…








It was precisely due to such narrow-minded views based on age that Zhang Liao was only employed after Ding Yuan took office as the Governor of Bingzhou.

For a talent of great military prowess, this was truly a pity.

After pondering for a moment, she asked, “If I have a way to get the two of you successfully employed in the Governor’s office, what would you think?”

Although Zhang Liao wanted to prove that even at a young age, he could achieve great things by serving in the Governor’s office, he wasn’t just seeking an outcome.

He asked in a deep voice, “If it’s as you say, this would naturally be a good thing for me and Zhishu, but what benefit does it bring to you?”

He didn’t quite believe that he had any unique qualities that would make the other party go out of their way to help him, thinking he had great potential.

Qiao Yan could easily see his thoughts from the youthful face before her and replied, “Saying that I don’t want to see a gem covered in dust, or a hero wasted at a time when Bingzhou is troubled by barbarian invasions, you probably wouldn’t believe it. So, it’s better to be straightforward.”

“I want to see if the newly appointed Governor is worth my assistance by supporting you.”

This sounded quite boastful.

She was even much younger than the person she claimed to “support.”

But Qiao Yan’s next statement directly dispelled the doubts in Zhang Liao and Zhang Yang’s minds, “I am the Marquis of Leping County.”

This answer was enough to make her actions clear.

Being the Marquis of Leping County, it’s no wonder.

With her fief in Bingzhou, it’s natural for her to be concerned about Bingzhou’s future.

However, Zhang Yang felt a bit awkward; he had just advised Zhang Liao to first seek employment in Leping, somewhat treating it as a backup option, and now he was standing before Qiao Yan herself.

Fortunately, her gaze was more focused on Zhang Liao’s face as she continued, “I want to give you a merit, let you use this merit as a credential, to see if the newly appointed Governor can value you. To be precise, I want to see if he values young talents enough.”

Seeing Zhang Liao about to speak, Qiao Yan raised her hand and added, “You don’t have to think that I’m giving you something for nothing. At most, I’m offering you an idea and a bit of help. Whether you can achieve this still depends on your performance.”

“Before that, I also need to confirm that you indeed have the potential to accomplish this, and not just throw your life away.”

She had spoken so thoroughly that after pondering her words, Zhang Liao felt there was no need to refuse.

If it was as she said, without his own capabilities, even meeting a noble person wouldn’t help him rise quickly; she was just offering a path to advancement.

Moreover, this matter was clearly not only beneficial to Zhang Liao but also a way for Qiao Yan to pave her own future.

As county marquises were rare, even though Yunzhong and Yanmen were the northernmost commanderies of Bingzhou, both Zhang Liao and Zhang Yang knew a bit about Qiao Yan.

This county marquis was concerned about state affairs and the people’s livelihood, so being in the troubled Bingzhou, wanting to assist the Governor of Bingzhou was not hard to understand.

And if Zhang Liao was too young, wasn’t Qiao Yan also young?

As the head of the marquises, in Zhang Liao’s view, she couldn’t rashly make any moves to submit but chose to use him, an unexpected encounter, to test the waters, which was quite understandable.

Feeling that he had understood Qiao Yan’s thoughts, he replied, “If it’s as you say, Zhang Liao is willing to accept this test and obtain the credentials to meet the Governor.”

Zhang Yang also replied immediately, “I am also willing to act with my brother, hoping the Marquis can show us a clear path.”

Qiao Yan’s gaze turned westward, just outside the window, and she suddenly asked Xi Zhicai, “In your opinion, is it feasible for them to go to Yunzhong Mountain?”

When Xi Zhicai stayed in Jinyang City, he had visited both Lüliang Mountain and Yunzhong Mountain. Although Yunzhong Mountain was known as a fairy mountain, there was a den of bandits in the mountain. After revealing his identity in Leping, he had mentioned this to Qiao Yan in casual conversation.

These bandits were different from the usual Yellow Turbans, who rose up due to heavy taxes and inability to survive. They were more like the commonly perceived robbers.

Since the Xihe Commandery west of Yunzhong Mountain was occupied by the Southern Xiongnu, who were more aggressive in military terms, these mountain bandits targeted Taiyuan to the east, mostly plundering the villagers at the mountain’s base.

The terrain in Yunzhong Mountain was complex, and they never strayed far from the mountain, only reaching the nearest areas, striking and then retreating. The Prefect of Taiyuan had tried several times to eradicate them but failed.

Xi Zhicai, traveling penniless in the mountains, had naturally encountered them.

But as soon as he met them, he said he was in the mountains looking for a good place to commit suicide. Even though these people were reckless, they didn’t harm him.

Now, suddenly hearing Qiao Yan’s question and looking at Zhang Liao and Zhang Yang, he replied, “I think it’s feasible.”

Of course, Qiao Yan didn’t intend to send anyone to their death and naturally wanted to confirm first what level of martial prowess the fifteen or sixteen-year-old Zhang Liao possessed. If he were to die in the bandits’ den, causing the future General Who Pacifies Bandits, famous at Xiaoyao Ford, to perish prematurely, it would truly be a regret.

Since she hadn’t brought Zhao Yun or Dian Wei this time and lacked a high-level reference, she simply sought out the Wang family.

Since she had already lent out the mansion, having the servants spar with a young man was hardly a bother.

Wang Yang thought so.

But after his family’s guards and attendants were all defeated by Zhang Liao and Zhang Yang, he couldn’t help but smile wryly and say to Qiao Yan, “If I didn’t know that Marquis Qiao and my Wang family are on good terms, I would almost think that Marquis Qiao brought people to cause trouble.”

Zhang Liao’s performance was too outstanding.

But perhaps this wasn’t hard to understand. In the sixth year of Xiping, the military and civilians of Yanmen Commandery attempted to counterattack the forces of Tan Shihuai but failed and suffered heavy casualties, making Tan Shihuai, who rose outside the frontier, increasingly feel that Bingzhou could be incorporated into his territory.

Under such pressure, Zhang Liao had no choice but to become stronger.

He had even thought that if he couldn’t gain the Governor’s favor this time, he would try to start as a minor official in Yanmen Commandery, at least to accomplish something.

Unexpectedly meeting Qiao Yan might be a turning point for him.

After defeating the skilled fighters of the Wang family in Jinyang City, he wasted no time and headed straight for Yunzhong Mountain with the “token” given by Qiao Yan.

Only before ascending the mountain, he opened the “token” and examined it for a moment, recalling Qiao Yan’s instructions to ensure there were no omissions.

“Do you think this method really works? Isn’t this token too simple?” Zhang Yang asked, leaning over.

He made the same expression as when he first saw the object.

He frowned and couldn’t help but sigh.

What is this…

The “token” in Zhang Liao’s hand could also be considered a letter, but it was a piece of paper torn from a book made of mulberry bark paper by Qiao Yan.

On this page with ink writing, someone had circled the character “合” with charcoal, and the signature was—

A pattern of an ox horn.