Chapter 58

Chapter 58: Disciple of the Yuan Clan

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 2: At the Foot of Taihang Mountains, A Small Test of Skill Chapter 58: Disciple of the Yuan Clan

The ability of a regional governor to attract talent often reflects their inherent qualities.

The differing atmospheres among the Sun, Liu, and Cao factions largely depend on the ethos set by their leaders.

Even Dong Zhuo, with his fierce generals from Liangzhou and figures like Li Ru and Jia Xu, couldn’t have attracted such talent without some effort. The recruitment process, which aligns with the mutual understanding between ruler and subject, is essential.

Thus, Qiao Yan said she wanted to observe Zhang Yi’s reaction to Zhang Liao to judge his character.

Xi Zhicai, playing with a chess piece, remarked, “The arrival of this governor in Bingzhou is like throwing a stone into a turbulent pond. By recommending Zhang Liao to Zhang Yi, Qiao Hou has thrown another stone before the ripples from the first have settled.

If Governor Zhang is wise, he could let the latter’s ripples overshadow the former, making his reputation for recruiting talent surpass that of his arrival.”

This naturally involves some manipulation, as marketing in a new place isn’t easy. But as a governor, achieving such goals with some effort is feasible.

“It’s a bit of a pity,” Xi Zhicai continued, “I see Qiao Hou appreciates Zhang Liao. By giving him a connection to the governor’s office, he becomes someone else’s subordinate, making it harder to recruit him later. If another governor treats him well and gives him opportunities to grow, he’ll become even more loyal.”

Qiao Yan, noticing Xi Zhicai’s tone lacked genuine regret, laughed, “Master, you’re not speaking from the heart. Leping already has Zhao Yun, whose temperament will gradually take over the Black Mountain Bandits as the county’s defense force. Adding Zhang Liao would be a waste of talent.

Bingzhou, like Youzhou and Liangzhou, needs talented warriors to be placed in suitable positions early. If they can kill a few more enemies in battles against the barbarians, it’s a blessing for the border. This is what it means to make the best use of talent.”

She stopped speaking upon hearing Xu Fu leading Zhang Yang upstairs.

Zhang Yang, having cleaned the bloodstains from his recent battle on Yunzhong Mountain, stood before Qiao Yan and thanked her.

Honestly, Qiao Yan hadn’t expected to see Zhang Yang so soon.

She had thought both Zhang Liao and Zhang Yang would seek positions in Bingzhou’s government.

Especially Zhang Yang.

Given his age and exceptional martial skills, he was supposed to be assigned a good position by Zhang Yi.

With their recent victory against the Yunzhong Mountain bandits, where the two of them defeated over a hundred enemies, it made even more sense.

But what surprised her more was that Zhang Yang wasn’t just there to report or to let Zhang Liao shine. Instead, he asked:

“Do you have a suitable position for me in Leping?”

Qiao Yan almost thought she misheard.

She had considered Zhang Yang’s political acumen lacking, but his military talent wasn’t that poor. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to suppress bandits in Shangdang or escort the Emperor.

He could take on significant responsibilities in the governor’s office.

Choosing Leping under such circumstances was undoubtedly settling for less.

But Zhang Yang felt his reasons were valid, “If both Zhang Liao and I join the governor’s office, having two of us isn’t as valuable as having one. I’m not as adept at assessing situations as Zhang Liao, so it’s better to choose a place where I only need to follow orders.

Moreover, Qiao Hou previously mentioned that helping us eliminate the bandits wasn’t just out of kindness but also to pave the way for her own proposals. It seems she doesn’t plan to stay confined to Leping. After our journey to Yunzhong Mountain, I’ve come to admire Qiao Hou’s arrangements, so this idea makes sense.”

Zhang Yang’s reasoning wasn’t entirely about lacking ambition but rather about finding a platform to transition.

Qiao Yan observed Zhang Yang. Though his demeanor had a wild edge, his expression was resolute. His candid statement about two being less valuable than one impressed her, making her consider the possibility.

If she agreed, was there a position for him in Leping?

Perhaps there was.

Currently, Zhao Yun was only handling county office duties, gradually transforming the Black Mountain Bandits, who were working in “Leping’s manufacturing,” into a manageable force. They planned to select some county residents to form a structured Leping army.

But Zhao Yun was still young, and relying solely on martial arts might not be enough to command respect. His straightforward style might suit leading a regular army but not a force mostly composed of Black Mountain Bandits.

Qiao Yan had considered recruiting Chu Yan or Zhang Niujiao to serve as deputies but worried about giving the bandits back to them without substantial authority, which might breed inappropriate ambitions.

With Zhang Yang, adding another layer of authority could work!

She quickly assessed the situation but knew recruitment wasn’t that simple. She replied, “Leping is still a small place. Your achievements against the Yunzhong Mountain bandits show you’re a fierce general. Staying in Leping would be a waste. Let’s first see what kind of person this governor is. If you can serve directly in the governor’s office, there’s no need to settle for a small county.”

Seeing Zhang Yang about to speak, she raised her hand to stop him.

“Your high expectations of me are appreciated, but starting in the governor’s office is an excellent experience. The decision isn’t made this way. If the governor has a commanding presence, even if you claim not to understand intricacies, it won’t hinder your rise as a general.”

Seeing Qiao Yan’s firmness and her unwillingness to let talent be buried, Zhang Yang didn’t press further, deciding to wait until he saw Zhang Liao.

After leaving the building, he waited at the inn where he and Zhang Liao had stayed. It wasn’t until late afternoon that Zhang Liao returned.

Upon meeting, Zhang Yang noticed Zhang Liao didn’t look pleased.

He asked, “How was the governor?”

Zhang Liao replied, “He offered me the position of Military Officer in the province.”

“Isn’t that good?” Zhang Yang was puzzled.

The position of Military Officer clearly indicated significant responsibilities.

As a direct subordinate of the governor, overseeing military affairs, the authority was substantial.

Although the governor didn’t have direct military command, border regions often required such positions for quick decision-making.








The military officers on the throne didn’t have so many restrictions, and he had a great opportunity to learn and do more.

This was equivalent to directly rising from a commoner to the highest position he could reach at his current age and experience.

Logically speaking, hearing such news, even if Zhang Yang felt his pockets were empty, he would still want to celebrate with Zhang Liao over a drink.

But it seemed that the good news he thought it was, wasn’t entirely so for Zhang Liao.

He shook his head and replied, “This matter is a bit complicated, let’s talk to Marquis Qiao first.”

Since Qiao Yan had some favor in promoting Zhang Liao, he didn’t hide anything and recounted everything he saw today in front of Qiao Yan.

Perhaps, in his performance, it seemed more like the actions of the governor didn’t satisfy him, at least not matching Zhang Liao’s definition of a superior.

“Earlier, when I entered the provincial government and met the governor, he immediately asked if I was interested in serving in Luoyang, saying that with such martial prowess, I would surely make a name for myself in the capital,” Zhang Liao frowned as he spoke.

Not everyone is eager to serve in the heart of the Han Dynasty, striving for fame among the nobles and royals.

For example, Zhang Liao wanted an appointment in the provincial government, essentially to deal with the Xianbei and Xiongnu’s plundering of the borderlands, not to become some northern army soldier with his martial skills.

He naturally wanted to stay and work in Bingzhou.

But although the other party praised his abilities, it seemed they didn’t take his “willingness to defend the border for Bingzhou” to heart. Instead, after praising his achievements in eliminating the bandits of Yunzhong Mountain, they directly asked—if he was interested in going to Luoyang.

Qiao Yan didn’t think Zhang Yi’s strange move was giving reverse points, nor did she feel any pride about it. Instead, she pondered and replied, “Logically speaking, no matter how misjudged he is, or how eager he is to recommend talents to the capital, he shouldn’t have said it at this time. This isn’t a conclusion one would normally reach.”

Even if Zhang Yi thought Zhang Liao’s style was too bold and wanted to pass the hot potato, he shouldn’t have done it at this moment.

It wouldn’t even benefit him.

Qiao Yan then asked, “May I ask, was there anyone else by his side?”

Zhang Liao replied, “Marquis Qiao, you are wise. If not for that, I wouldn’t have told Zhi Shu that this matter is complicated. There was a captain by the governor’s side, probably escorting him here.”

“The governor’s status is far above the captain’s, but when I refused to serve in the capital and preferred to start as a county official in the borderlands, he first looked at the captain’s expression.”

Zhang Liao was also puzzled by this situation. If he hadn’t been so perceptive, he might not have noticed the exchange between the two.

Zhang Yi clearly only withdrew his decision to send him to Luoyang after getting that person’s approval, then assigned him a high military position in the province to justify it to the people of Bingzhou, showing that he valued achievements.

To the onlookers waiting for the outcome, this might seem like a perfect conclusion to the governor’s arrival, but after this twist, Zhang Liao couldn’t feel any loyalty towards Zhang Yi.

This showed that Zhang Yi didn’t truly care about the talents he encountered, and as a governor, he had to consider the opinion of a captain from the capital, lacking backbone.

How could such a person wield the authority of a province?

Although one shouldn’t judge based on a single performance, Zhang Liao felt he was too young to make an experienced judgment, relying more on intuition. But with this initial impression, he couldn’t help but hold some bias against Zhang Yi.

Fortunately, with the position of Military Officer that Zhang Yi reassigned, he could start by overseeing military affairs. Ignoring Zhang Yi’s performance, this wasn’t a bad start.

Having spoken his mind, Zhang Liao had mostly resolved his feelings and was ready to settle into his new position.

But thinking about what Qiao Yan had said earlier, that she would decide how to assist the governor based on Zhang Liao’s treatment, now that Zhang Yi acted this way, he couldn’t help but worry about the Marquis of Leping.

However, what he saw was Qiao Yan not showing any signs of unease about the unexpected news, only saying, “Could you describe the appearance of that captain for me?”

Zhang Liao recalled the person he saw earlier and replied, “He was about thirty years old, quite handsome, with an extraordinary demeanor. If I had to say…”

Zhang Liao thought about the day Qiao Yan had him and Zhang Yang compete at the Wang residence and found a reference, “This person resembles a noble family’s son.”

A noble family’s son?

This wasn’t a common occurrence, but Zhang Liao spoke with certainty, so it was probably true.

Considering Qiao Yan’s earlier inference that the appointment of these provincial governors was part of Liu Hong’s balancing act among the noble families after reinstating the Provincial Governor System, Zhang Yi consulting a captain from a noble family about Zhang Liao’s position wasn’t hard to understand.

And thirty years old, with an extraordinary appearance and demeanor, holding the position of captain…

In Qiao Yan’s memory, there was indeed one person who fit!

She quickly contacted the head of the Wang family.

In Jinyang City, to have someone followed, Qiao Yan couldn’t do it herself and had to rely on the local powers.

Whether that special captain left the provincial government to move around the city or stayed behind closed doors until leaving Jinyang to return to Luoyang, there would be an opportunity for the Wang family to keep an eye on him.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait long.

The escort team that brought Zhang Yi to Bingzhou wasn’t like Bao Hong and others who had to wait for Qiao Xuan’s temple to be completed before leaving.

Seeing that Zhang Yi had a brave warrior join him upon arrival, and perhaps having finished the necessary arrangements, the Luoyang soldiers left after two more days.

The team passed through the southern gate of Jinyang, which also caught Qiao Yan’s eye.

When this team entered the city, Qiao Yan had focused almost entirely on Zhang Yi, inevitably neglecting the soldiers behind him.

Now, scanning the faces of each soldier, she saw one indeed wearing a captain’s uniform, not at the front but mixed among the soldiers, with his face partly hidden by the helmet’s brim, lowering his presence.

This explained why Qiao Yan hadn’t noticed him before.

But Qiao Yan had seen him, and how could she not recognize him despite the slight cover.

Zhang Liao’s judgment that he was a noble family’s son wasn’t wrong.

This was Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu!

So, if Zhang Yi relied heavily on his opinion, was this Bingzhou governor a disciple of the Yuan family from Runan?

Qiao Yan’s brows furrowed for a moment before relaxing.

This seemed like bad news, but also good news at the same time!