“Can a strategist really not ascend the throne?”
In the Grand Hall, the words of Ye Shu expressed his thoughts directly, easing Liu Hong’s wariness towards Qiao Yan a notch.
A perfect young genius with absolute capabilities in seizing power—could he really be someone Liu Hong could manage? Could he be a suitable successor? That’s quite the head-scratcher.
But what if he were a ruthless minister?
There was a precedent—Yang Qiu, the Chief Clerk of the Capital.
It wasn’t only Lu Zhi who tackled the bandit problem around Jiujiang; Yang Qiu played a significant role too. His efforts in Jiujiang gained him recognition, leading to positions as the Prime Minister and Chief Clerk of the Capital.
When it came to eliminating the eunuch Wang Fu, Yang Qiu was right in the thick of it. His brutal methods forced the eunuchs to appeal to the emperor for help, which ultimately led to Cao Jie framing Yang Qiu, resulting in his imprisonment and execution.
Did Liu Hong truly believe that the “frame-up” was merely a fabrication?
Not likely.
He had utilized capable yet tyrant figures like Yang Qiu to dispose of the power-grabbing eunuchs Wang Fu and Hou Lan, thus seizing almost all power for himself. Once the remaining eunuchs, fearing for their lives, leaned towards him, he turned around and offed Yang Qiu as a way to curry favor.
Now, with Qiao Yan handing him the leverage of her extreme tactics to capture the provincial governor, was Liu Hong seeing a talent beyond Qiao Xuan, or merely a second Yang Qiu?
The Han Dynasty valued martial prowess, and Yang Qiu, embittered by his mother’s humiliation, collaborated with his allies to eliminate local officials while dealing with the banditry in Jiujiang.
This kind of person could be a raging fire that scorches the pests and dead wood in the moment, but inevitably, that fire would one day burn back onto themselves.
Even with Yang Qiu’s lesson fresh in mind from six years ago, some still aimed to follow in his steps—not seeking lasting high positions, merely wanting a fleeting spot in the annals of history.
In Qiao Yan’s extended pleas that hinted at “next time I won’t dare,” and the self-given nickname reflecting the burden of one person, Liu Hong caught on to that potential.
This was undoubtedly good news for him.
Zhang Rang, ever watchful of Liu Hong’s face, clearly noticed that the storm clouds that once loomed had given way to what seemed more like relief—a discovery of a new balance.
Qiao Ye Shu…
This was a name Zhang Rang hadn’t heard before.
But when linked with Bingzhou, it wasn’t hard to guess who it was.
It must be Qiao Yan.
Seeing the Marquis of Leping entangled with a significant matter again after a year, Zhang Rang couldn’t shake the feeling it was just as it should be.
Though perhaps some wouldn’t quite share in that satisfaction.
He soon observed Liu Hong picking up the two letters that accompanied Qiao Yan’s plea for forgiveness.
One of these letters was her official communication from when she completed the Dragon Bone Waterwheel project, dated three to four months prior.
And the other…
“Yuan Clan’s nonsense!”
Liu Hong had barely read a few lines before going from pleased by a future tool to furious, tossing the document to the ground.
He knew well about the Yuan Clan’s role in Zhang Yi becoming the Governor of Bingzhou; after all, it was part of the exchanges and balances he’d initiated under the Provincial Governor System.
But in Yuan Shao’s letter to Zhang Yi, the implication that he should navigate the Hu People’s influence post-Tan Shihua’s death, allowing him opportunities for fame, was clearly going to compromise the handling of provincial matters, sending Liu Hong’s anger skyrocketing.
Let’s overlook what might have happened if the locust plague hadn’t struck, and if he could truly leverage Qiao Yan and Quidou against one another to benefit the Han Dynasty. Just considering the present.
If Qiao Yan hadn’t suddenly chosen to seize control of the governor, commanding resolution for the locust plague in Bingzhou, could Zhang Yi—who still had to bow to the Yuan Clan’s orders—have made decisive moves to eradicate the plague? Could he move as rapidly to restore order as Qiao Yan did?
Compared to the capable officials Liu Hong had dealt with before, it was clear he could not!
In a scenario where Qiao Yan’s unexpected intervention didn’t exist, wouldn’t Bingzhou be at risk of becoming exactly like Liangzhou?
Bingzhou wasn’t without the potential for rebellion like Liangzhou had.
But Liangzhou had already stretched their forces thin; how many troops could Bingzhou actually spare?
Liu Hong couldn’t help but feel enraged.
Since he allowed the noble families to influence the nomination of governors, he wouldn’t mind Yuan Shao’s advice to Zhang Yi, but what he did mind was the factors undermining his authority in such a situation.
Another nominee from the noble families, Huang Wan, who entered the governorship as a Wong Family disciple, had already demonstrated his capabilities as a three-commander servant through excellent governance in Qingzhou.
In contrast, Zhang Yi’s performance was enough to give Liu Hong a toothache.
But thankfully, Zhang Yi’s existence wasn’t entirely useless; at the very least, he sharpened Qiao Yan into a fine blade through this grindstone.
The pressing question now was how to handle Qiao Yan’s actions.
The plea for forgiveness rightly pointed out that he couldn’t take the crime of overstepping against the governors lightly just because of Qiao Yan’s achievements after seizing power; if he did, it would surely inspire others to follow.
Indeed, there were others like Zhang Yi among the provincial governors.
For example, Liu Yan became the Governor of Yizhou precisely because of the corruption of his predecessor, Qie Jian.
Or more locally, take Geng Bi, Governor of Liangzhou—though not as villainous as Qie Jian, he was still merely a mediocre talent.
So, if Qiao Yan’s actions were directly validated by the court, the likelihood that similar-minded governors would replicate them was high.
It was unlikely many would have the same decisiveness and capabilities Qiao Yan did.
What would come of it except for chaos in the realm?
Thus, Liu Hong couldn’t just sit back and let it slide.
Nonetheless, he felt it would be a shame to punish this blazing fire, willing to burn herself for the Emperor’s benefit.
With such talent and determination as a sharp tool for the Son of Heaven, how could he bear to send her to Beijing for questioning?
He gestured for Zhang Rang to retrieve the document he had tossed, rereading it several times, as he contemplated in his heart.
Upon the upcoming court meeting in three days, sitting in the high seat, Liu Hong listened attentively to reports from below, especially regarding the disaster relief efforts around the Three Auxiliaries, and suddenly stated, “I intend to reinstate Yang Boxian as a Three Commander.”
Yang Boxian?
Yang Boxian, now that’s Yang Ci.
In the past year, several who had occupied the Three Commander positions were dismissed, and Yang Ci was no exception.
However, Yang Ci had prepared for this—being older, the burdens of a military position like Grand Commandant were too taxing for him.
Plus, his son, Yang Biao, had accumulated enough political capital, and in a few years, the Yang Clan would likely see another rise in the ranks.
Well, he really didn’t have anything to worry about.
This “retired” old man still had the leisure to write a few letters to Yang Xiu, giving him some pointers on his experiences managing things in Leping, advising him not to think that his grandfather’s stepping down was the end of the world—unless he was hanging onto that “I’m the Grand Commandant’s grandson” status to stay in Leping.
He did think at first that the reward for County Marquis Qiao Yan was a bit too generous, but through their correspondence, he realized his grandson was growing significantly, and that staying in Luyang was probably less promising than this County Marquis position seemed.
In fact, just a few days ago, he was pondering whether he should take a little trip to Leping while he was still able to breathe, and enjoy some companionship with Cai Yong.
But clearly, with Liu Hong’s words, his retirement plan was going to be cut short.
Now the real question was: with Yang Ci previously being the Grand Commandant, back to what position was he supposed to return?
Minister over the Masses Cui Lie turned pale at the mention.
A few days ago, after a heated debate over whether to abandon Liangzhou, Liu Hong directly sided with Fu Xie after his accusation of Cui Lie being either foolish or disloyal, firmly deciding to hold Liangzhou.
This meant that although he still retained his current position, he undoubtedly lost the emperor’s favor and was scorned by those colleagues who also supported Fu Xie’s idea of holding onto the Han dynasty’s principles.
So when he heard Liu Hong had intentions to restore Yang Ci as one of the Three Dukes, the first instinct was, naturally—he’s getting fired.
However, then he heard Liu Hong say, “Zhang Bo will carefully take on the role of General of the Chariots and Cavalry to quell the rebellion, leaving the position of Minister of Works open, I’ll have Yang Bo Xian take that role.”
Zhang Wen had gone to help Grand General Huangfu Song quell the Liangzhou rebellion, which conveniently opened up the Minister of Works position for Yang Ci.
Cui Lie sighed in relief.
But he quickly realized that Liu Hong’s words clearly held another implication.
What does “first take on the Minister of Works” mean? Doesn’t that just imply adjustments are coming later…
His position was still not safe.
Liu Hong didn’t care what Cui Lie was thinking at the moment; he continued calmly, “Although Yang Gong made minor mistakes previously while serving as Grand Commandant, he has no major faults. His recommendation of the capable and virtuous, and his diligence can be considered a standard for the Three Dukes. The Governor of Qingzhou, Huang Ziyan, is a pillar of our society; Yang Gong recognized his talent and recommended him to the central government. Thus, we have the current pacification of Qingzhou. I am restoring him as Minister of Works, does anyone have any objections?”
There were still quite a few members of the Yong family present in the court, and naturally, they wouldn’t have any objections to Liu Hong’s actions.
Just as Liu Hong mentioned, Huang Wan, who was recommended by Yang Ci, demonstrated extraordinary governance skills, so returning Yang Ci to the Minister of Works position, given his previous service and his recommendation, really wasn’t a big deal.
But no one expected that Liu Hong allowing Yang Ci to be Minister of Works was just a ruse.
He then continued, “Yang Ci recommended the Governor of Qingzhou for his accomplishments, so I must ask, what was Yuan Ci Yang’s meaning in recommending Zhang Yi?”
Yuan Ji, being the Grand Master, was one of the officials below, and upon hearing Liu Hong’s accusation, he froze for a moment.
Since Yuan Wei was currently dismissed, it was only appropriate for him to step up and respond.
Yuan Clan’s recommendation of Zhang Yi was exactly as Qiao Yan guessed, based on Yuan Shao’s idea of “occupying the south by the river, blocking Yan and Dai in the north, and also dealing with the hordes of nomads,” seeking a way out for the Yuan Clan, akin to sharing risks among noble families.
But since the Yuan family acted as one, this matter could not be evaded, and such a fallback plan could not be explicitly stated in front of Liu Hong; when Yuan Ji stepped up, he only lowered his body and said:
“Zhang Zitai was recommended for his filial piety and integrity, having been an exemplary local official, performing well in governance, making him suitable for regional leadership. Therefore, Lord Yuan recommended him as Governor of Bingzhou; I dare ask Your Majesty, has anything important occurred in Bingzhou?”
Liu Hong, with an unreadable expression, replied, “A locust plague might be considered a big deal?”
Yuan Ji hesitated, “What’s the situation like?”
A locust plague definitely counted as a major issue; just look at what’s going on in Luoyang to know that.
But of course, the severity of the issue needed to be established; a locust plague was a natural disaster and originated from the Sanyufeng area; you couldn’t just label the Governor of Bingzhou a failure because the locust plague impacted Bingzhou.
And digging deeper to address the recommenders felt a bit inappropriate.
“What’s the situation?” Liu Hong scoffed, “Quite good, actually. The locusts have been subdued. The locust plague caused almost no damage, and the citizens of Bingzhou are just waiting for the autumn harvest. Thanks to the swift handling of the locust problem, even the barbaric tribes dared not invade. It should be asked how right-favored wind, the governor, and the capital officials are handling things.”
“…?” Yuan Ji looked at Liu Hong in confusion and caution.
If what Liu Hong said was true, then Zhang Yi should indeed be considered competent rather than at fault.
No wonder there hadn’t been any reports from Bingzhou recently reaching the capital; clearly, they were waiting for the situation to stabilize before delivering the good news directly.
But hearing Liu Hong’s full name and title sounded like he was extremely dissatisfied, with blame heavier than compliments.
Before Yuan Ji even had the chance to pose his question, he heard Liu Hong slam the memorial on the table, “But what does any of this have to do with Zhang Yi?”
“The order to exterminate the locusts came from the mouth of the Marquis of Leping; what Zhang Yi did was merely refusing Qiao Ye Shu’s suggestion of building the Dragon Bone Waterwheel for locust disaster prevention four months ago.”
“Using locusts to exchange for grain, luring them at night with fire, irrigating fields with waterwheels, burying them in ditches—every single one of these plans came directly from the Marquis of Leping; what did Zhang Yi actually do?”
“He really brought shame to the office of a state governor.” Liu Hong’s accusatory tone was unmistakable, “Receiving urgent news about the locust disaster and failing to take appropriate measures, he was outmatched and captured by a child—it’s simply a laughingstock for the whole world!”
Let alone Yuan Ji, who was directly called upon to respond, all the officials present were left dumbfounded.
Liu Hong’s words carried a lot more weight than they anticipated.
What does it mean for Zhang Yi to be captured by a child? If there’s a child with such skills, besides the Marquis of Leping, there’s clearly no other possibility.
To unilaterally imprison an official of the court, especially a state governor—what sort of audacious character could pull such a stunt!
But in Liu Hong’s preceding statement, he painted a picture of a particularly wise and decisive figure.
To rapidly formulate policies to quell the locust plague, even being willing to go as far as to use locust-catching methods to combat the natural disaster—
Even though most officials present had risen through the ranks locally, none would dare claim they could achieve such levels of competence as Qiao Yan.
However, her approach might indeed have been a bit too extreme.
So considering all this, it makes complete sense that Zhang Yi was rebuked by Liu Hong in court, even implicating his sponsor, while Yang Ci, due to relative merits in his recommendation, was rewarded with the high title once more.
This Bingzhou situation is quite something; there hadn’t been any news before, but now things have escalated.
Yuan Ji was still at a loss for words, feeling like he had been struck by a bolt from the blue, when he suddenly heard Liu Hong turn to another person, asking, “Cui Minister Over the Masses, what do you think we should do about this?”
Cui Lie: …?
He really didn’t want to be singled out right now.
At a moment when he could be stripped of his position for stepping into the hall with the left foot first, why throw such a suffocating question at him!
