Chapter 71

“`html

“Can strategists not ascend the throne?”

It was August of the fourth year of Zhongping.

This was also the time when Guo Jia decided to head to Leping.

During this season, Xi Zhicai wrote in a letter –

“The yams on the mountain here have ripened again, but alas, I’ve already eaten my fill today; I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to make some cakes.”

However, considering the depletion of soil fertility from the yams, along with how many households had been newly registered in Leping over the past couple of years to cultivate their fields, this was actually an extension beyond the original two-year planting plan.

Qiao Yan hadn’t intended to push for a fourth year of planting, yet somehow it turned out this way in Xi Zhicai’s words.

She had no idea that this crafty strategist was inducing such agitation.

After all, aside from his letters sent to Luoyang that served as political weapons during his quarantine in Leping, his private letters to friends were none of her business.

Qiao Yan also had no idea he was continuing his pursuits involving fine food, wine, and fishing, and even caught a big one at this time.

The network among the scholars from Yingchuan was truly something magical.

The news they passed around formed an expanded reputation about their lord, like throwing a personal job posting into a social circle.

Of course, Xi Zhicai’s mix of rambling and daily musings made this seem particularly unserious.

But there was no denying that he was sending a signal to his friends in Yingchuan: Leping is great, I am very satisfied, interested parties, hurry up and come.

However, Guo Jia felt he was not hooked. He didn’t need to hear that news to decide his fate.

To put it bluntly, Leping was such a small place, even with Qiao Yan’s reputation for sacrificing herself to quell the locust plague as the Governor, it was merely a county. Having Xi Zhicai there was already considered underutilization of talent; what good would adding another do?

Even if he was young, by this age one could generally judge the tides of the times and the weight of plans. Otherwise, Xun Yu wouldn’t have received the praise of “Talent to Assist a King” from He Yong at such a young age.

Of course, he wasn’t just motivated by food and drink to want to visit Leping.

To put it in a slightly more formal way, he was going on an inspection.

In a slightly more private way, it’s like he told Xun Yu: “This year is turbulent and chaotic; it’s the perfect time to be vigilant. The carefree land in Leping is indeed odd; I want to go and have a look.”

Xun Yu didn’t intend to dissuade him.

At this point, the chaos after Liu Hong’s demise hadn’t erupted yet; it was merely a “turbulent situation.” As Guo Jia said, it was just a matter of going to take a look; after all, it was the place granted to the Marquis of Leping by the Son of Heaven, so it couldn’t be considered a poor choice.

Xun Yu was quite curious about Qiao Yan, another person who had also received the “Talent to Assist a King” title.

He hadn’t yet entered officialdom, while the other had already shown tangible results in Leping, or rather, in Bingzhou.

Since Guo Jia intended to check out Leping, maybe he could finally learn what kind of person this Marquis of Leping truly was, apart from all of Xi Zhicai’s praises.

This year’s turmoil hadn’t affected the road from Luoyang to Leping; if Guo Jia wanted to go, there shouldn’t be any safety issues.

If it was just a round trip to Leping, it could also be regarded as a study tour.

After watching Guo Jia leave, Xun Yu closed the scroll with a sigh.

The general amnesty announced in the first month of the fourth year of Zhongping had obviously not brought any signs of peace for the various rebels.

In February, the incident where bandits killed the magistrate in Xingyang seemed to usher in this chaos.

In April, the bandits from Liangzhou, who had previously been defeated by Zhang Wen, returned with a vengeance. Liangzhou’s prefect, Geng Bi, disregarded Fu Xie’s advice and insisted on leading troops into battle, only to be defeated by Han Sui.

At this time, Han Sui had absorbed the forces of Bian Zhang and Beigong Boyu, joining hands with the prefect of Longxi, Li Xiangru, and the prefect of Jiuquan, Huang Yan, gathering hundreds of thousands of troops at Jincheng, leading to the death of Geng Bi during his escape.

Han Sui then teamed up with Wang Guo from Hanyang and marched to besiege Hanyang.

The prefect of Liangzhou, who governed Hanyang, was none other than Fu Xie, a former general of Huangfu Song, and he was resolved not to abandon Liangzhou.

Fu Xie was outnumbered and isolated; how could he possibly fend off the bandits who came together?

At that time, thousands of Xiongnu cavalry were already in Han Sui’s forces. Grateful for Fu Xie’s integrity, they invited him to surrender and return to his homeland, but Fu Xie refused, saying, “Our sacred festival is approaching, I must hold fast to my dignity!”

Later, Fu Xie died in Hanyang, in Ji County. His son, Fu Gan, was taken away by the scribe Yang Hui amidst the escape and disappeared from then on.

Thus, the Han Dynasty lost another formidable general.

In June, Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju from Yuyang rose in rebellion, and the prefects of Youbeiping, Liaodong, and the Protector of Wuhuan all perished in the conflict. Zhang Ju even proclaimed himself the Son of Heaven and invaded Youzhou and Jizhou.

The court struggled with manpower shortages and ordered the Southern Xiongnu forces from Bingzhou to head to Jizhou for battle.

Amidst the frequent conflicts in the northern provinces, Bingzhou, likely due to the protective mountains surrounding it, could still be considered relatively peaceful.

But who knew how long this peace could last?

Xun Yu sighed at this thought.

Currently, the flames of war had reached the borders of the Three Auxiliaries, yet hadn’t invaded Yingchuan just yet, but as Guo Jia said, it was definitely a time of turmoil, and even sitting quietly at home reading was hard to remain tranquil.

So, could Xi Zhicai truly live comfortably in this place called Leping as he described in his letter?

Guo Jia pondered this question as he embarked on his journey northward.

Heading north from Yingchuan, he made a stop in Luoyang first.

Xi Zhicai was a mischievous old scamp, but Guo Jia wasn’t one to be too serious either.

It was hard to say whether these two were exchanging barbs or honing their literary skills in their correspondence, but anyway, Guo Jia, while thinking of the letter Xi Zhicai had sent him earlier, picked out a gift for him in Luoyang.

He Yong, who had been accompanying him in Luoyang for two days, fell silent as he looked at the gift Guo Jia chose.

“Are you really going to bring that to see Xi Zhicai?” he pointed at the chicken feather in Guo Jia’s hand with a complex expression.

“The Zhou rites say that when scholars meet, in winter one brings a live chicken, and in summer one brings a cured chicken,” Guo Jia shrugged, signaling that his actions were quite justified.

According to the Zhou rites, when scholars meet, especially close friends, in winter they bring a live chicken and in summer a cured one. But he would arrive in Leping in autumn; what should he do?

Thinking about it, this gift transitioning from winter to summer pretty much looked like this chicken feather.

He was adhering strictly to the scholar’s etiquette, and even went out of his way to prepare it here in Luoyang, so the gesture was light but full of sentiment.

Thinking about the saying “Throw me a wooden melon and I’ll repay you with a jade bracelet,” he brought this chicken feather from a long distance according to scholarly etiquette; it would be expected for Xi Zhicai to treat him to fine wine and food.

As Guo Jia wrapped up the chicken feather produced in the capital, he continued northward with a merchant caravan heading from Luoyang to Bingzhou.

However, as he was leaving Luoyang, he glanced back toward the northern gate, a hint of contemplation flashing across his seemingly carefree face.

The urgent situation of the bandits threatening the Three Auxiliaries seemed as if the tight defensive measures during the Yellow Turban Rebellion had birthed a bit of a false peace in Luoyang.

When he left Luoyang, it was early September, and Liu Hong had just issued an edict that spread within the city.

This directive was not uncommon at the time, known as “Command to Release the Captured Without Verdict.”

This was the seventh time this law had been enacted during Liu Hong’s rule.

It allowed those currently imprisoned without verdict to redeem themselves with silk.

In other times, this might have been seen as showcasing the Son of Heaven’s leniency, but given the current context, it seemed rather peculiar.

In the face of rebellions rising across Liangzhou, Jizhou, Youzhou, and Yuzhou, the central authority’s release of prisoners before any significant military victories would only make people feel the central government could be easily trifled with.

This was not a decision one would expect from an empire still holding onto its iron grip…

Just as Guo Jia thought of this, he was suddenly tapped on the shoulder by the leader of the merchant caravan beside him, “Don’t stare, is this your first trip?”

This young man, looking a bit shabby in the caravan, despite spending no more than others in the group, still had his decent looks and thus received some preferential treatment, especially when looking back towards Luoyang, as no one knew his thoughts were busy pondering the matters of State, they merely thought he was uneasy about leaving.

But Guo Jia, who was waiting to impress Xi Zhicai with his chicken feather gift, had no feelings of nostalgia about leaving Luoyang.

He pulled back his gaze and replied, “Thank you for your concern, but I’m not a Luoyang local; it’s just that I was seeing off a friend at the city wall and wanted to take one last look.”

This excuse sounded plausible enough.

After all, the direction of the northern gate led to the nearby market, with the Mang Mountain path just beyond, making it hard to see whether there were people moving about or if indeed someone was truly sending Guo Jia off, allowing for a reasonable glance back.

He then started chatting with the leader of the caravan, letting the earlier conversation drift away.

Coincidentally, the caravan leader mentioned that one merchant was planning to head to Leping.

Eager to hear others’ thoughts about Leping, Guo Jia seized the opportunity to engage with that person under the guise of visiting family.

Seeing Guo Jia’s youth and share a common destination, it was likely this merchant had family there who could help him, so he didn’t hide his thoughts and when night fell and they camped, the two chatted around the fire.

“Leping was just a small county a few years back, but ever since the Marquis of Leping appeared, its status within Bingzhou has changed significantly.”

As the autumn nights got chilly, the merchant inched closer to the fire and continued, “There are quite a few fresh things over there, but unfortunately, most are collaborations with the big families of Bingzhou. For example, mulberry bark clothing; it seems originally someone presented it to the Wang clan, then it was handed to the Tang clan, who chose Leping for production, but that’s just hearsay.”

“This must have been the work of the Marquis Qiao,” Guo Jia’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, realizing this merchant could see beyond the surface, “What do you mean?”

“From top to bottom, handling it all could bring the Tang family more benefits and fame. We in trade understand well what it means to count every coin, unless you’re not in charge of the profits yourself,” he shook his head, and added, “But the price cap for those mulberry bark clothes is set here; I’m not interested in that.”

“So what you want to trade in is the paper of the Marquis of Leping?” Guo Jia asked.

“Not really,” the man shook his head earnestly, “Given the current chaotic situation, even though the paper from the Marquis of Leping is stronger than that from the Marquis of Cai, the transaction volume is still limited. I’m after something a bit more interesting.”

He pointed to a nearby stream where they were camping, and asked, “Do you think the earnings from catching fish in the waters would amount to much in a year?”

Guo Jia pondered and replied, “It depends on the location. If it’s just in the northern streams, it may just sustain life, but if near the sea or rivers, employing fishermen would likely be a big business.”

This merchant from Xuzhou clapped with glee, “Exactly, but generally fishing isn’t much, yet Leping has come up with something new.”

“I love good wine; a while back, I had someone go buy some sweet wine from Leping, and the person who went out told me he saw Mr. Xi, who’s been overseeing the brewing, fishing on the lake with what’s not an ordinary fishing rod.”

As soon as Guo Jia heard the name Xi Zhicai, he sat up straighter, “What do you mean by an unusual fishing rod?”

The merchant gestured as he spoke, “An ordinary fishing rod has a certain length, the line starts from somewhere; to catch fish in the river’s heart, one has to row out to the center. But the fishing rod used by that Mr. Xi was quite strange. My subordinate could only see it from afar, so he didn’t get a clear look, all he knew was that this rod had a wheel on it, and the line was thrown out until it reached the distant water surface.”

He was only in his twenties, and speaking about it brought an uncontrollable excitement, “If I could get that item and use it in more suitable waters, it would surely outdo the mulberry bark clothes in terms of profit.”

Although Guo Jia was not a fishing expert, he could pick up some insights from what was said.

If what he claimed was true, making it possible to catch large fish without needing to row out would be quite a lucrative venture if the home had related industries.

Curiously, he asked, “Aren’t you afraid of someone jumping ahead to grab this business before you do?”

The merchant laughed heartily, “Young lord, you underestimate me! Everyone gathers for profit. Since the Marquis Qiao has facilitated the business of mulberry bark clothing, generating profits from yam cultivation for the past two years, and started a pig farming initiative last year that succeeded, it’s clear she excels not only in politics but also does quite well in commerce. Such a person will surely select the best partners from the transactions.”

“`

“Is there anyone more suited than me in the Mi clan to engage in the fishing rod business?”

With assets worth hundreds of millions and over ten thousand servants and guests, the Donghai Mi Clan has been a wealthy family for generations in Xuzhou!

Guo Jia had sensed something unusual about the demeanor of the Mi clan’s young man earlier, and now, with this revelation, he understood the reason.

However, he didn’t expect the Mi clan’s youth to come without many servants, but rather traveling light with the merchant convoy.

After exchanging names and learning that he was named Mi Zhu, Guo Jia finally posed his question.

Mi Zhu, being groomed as the future head of the Mi household, had no shortage of vision or charm. He was candid with Guo Jia about his background precisely because he saw a bit of a scholar’s air on the young man’s face. Now that he confirmed Guo Jia’s origins were indeed from Yingchuan, there was no need to hide such trivialities.

“Recently, there have been bandit disturbances in Hedong, frequently raiding the Bingzhou border. If a regular merchant convoy might not have much value, it’s a different story if my Donghai Mi Clan’s banner is raised—how many of those bandits do you think will come to attack us?”

Seeing that Guo Jia seemed puzzled, Mi Zhu asked, “Are you curious why the Hedong bandits don’t raid small teams but rather target larger merchants?”

“Exactly. Raiding small teams carries the least risk and is a guaranteed profit. Why would they engage in more dangerous schemes?”

“Because every raid is a gamble,” Mi Zhu signaled one of his attendants who presented a simple map. “Look here, Fengxiao.”

The map displayed the interconnected regions of Bingzhou, Sili, and Liangzhou, with Hedong clearly located in the area encompassing Hedong County, Pingyang County, and the southwest of Bingzhou. If they cross the Taihang Mountains via the Zhi pass, they would surely enter into Bingzhou through Pingyang County.

Mi Zhu had marked specific areas on this map.

“At this time of year, the greatest fear for those running businesses outside is this type of mountain bandit. I’ve been paying attention since late spring when they attempted to invade Bingzhou through the Fen River. But fortunately—”

“Even mountain bandits have their ranks. The Marquis of Leping has recruited the Black Mountain Bandits, and they nominally reside in Leping County but should really be called the Black Mountain Army. Since the Hedong bandits invaded Bingzhou, the governor of Bingzhou along with the prefects of Xihe, Taiyuan, and Pingyang have agreed that the Black Mountain Army will assist in the defense along the borders of Bingzhou and Sili.”

“The leader of the Black Mountain Army, Chu Yan, and Leping County Captain Zhao Yun, are a well-coordinated pair in battle. They know these mountain thieves like the back of their hands, so when the Hedong bandits attack, they will undoubtedly face encirclement. Therefore, they’re forced to go for big scores.”

Guo Jia stroked his chin, lost in thought. This truly was information one wouldn’t grasp without stepping foot in Bingzhou.

As for why these Hedong bandits, after enduring such pursuit and interception, would still choose to target passing merchant convoys or even households in Bingzhou…

Guo Jia was no naive gentleman from a high-status family and could naturally guess the reason.

Clearly, besides resorting to robbery, these folks had no other means of survival.

With that thought in mind, he casually replied, “So, it seems I’ve made the right decision.”

Mi Zhu chuckled, appreciating Guo Jia’s calm demeanor upon discovering unexpected circumstances. He wondered just how much truth there was to the Yingchuan scholar’s claim of seeking refuge with relatives in Leping.

However, there was no need to vocalize such doubts in their current conversation.

The next day, their entourage followed the route that Qiao Yan had taken to Bingzhou, first heading to Jinyang to unload before making their way through the Zhi pass.

Guo Jia had previously only traveled within the territories of Yanzhou and Yuanzhou, so his knowledge of Bingzhou’s landscapes was limited to vague mentions in Xi Zhicai’s letters. Now, witnessing it first-hand, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of novelty.

Mi Zhu was both dignified and humorous; having traveled extensively, his conversation with Guo Jia while riding side by side made the journey feel considerably enjoyable.

But—

Both of their luck seemed a bit off.

The merchant convoy had just passed Linfen when dusk fell, and everyone began to dismount and set up camp.

Perhaps due to the smooth travels throughout the day, the crew felt slightly relaxed.

Especially those tasked with the convoy’s security, who, after tying their horses to trees, gathered toward the stream to fetch water.

However, just after they stepped out about seventy to eighty paces from the horsemen’s range, while the rest of the group unloaded their goods and prepared tents, a sudden shout of murder rang out from the hillside, directed straight at their gathering.

Guo Jia looked toward the sound and saw a bandit force of several hundred rushing down from the mountains.

Given the area was a gentle slope, the group charged down rapidly, closing in on their position.

Guo Jia’s heart raced.

With Mi Zhu’s earlier explanation fresh in his mind, he wasted no time recognizing that the approachers were indeed those infamous Hedong bandits!

A brief exchange of glances with Mi Zhu confirmed his suspicions.

What a stroke of luck, encountering the Hedong bandits!

But in the face of such a crisis, there was no need to ask why the Hedong bandits, who usually avoided small convoys, changed their tactics—surviving was the priority.

The leading bandit brandished a bloody sabre, his fearsome visage becoming even more terrifying in the twilight.

Clearly, this wasn’t a group with whom they could negotiate for survival!

If what Mi Zhu mentioned was true, as they were being pursued, the wise course of action would be to kill swiftly and seize their goods for efficiency.

And as he had suspected, the first bandit to charge down leaped at the merchant convoy without giving any chance for the leader attempting to parley; he struck down with a single slash.

Pitifully, the leader fell, trampled under the hooves of the gang following close behind.

“Make it quick!”

The head bandit glanced disdainfully at the seemingly meager merchant group, but he knew this was the best option available.

Another of their teams was being shadowed by Chu Yan, unable to shake him off even now.

Fortunately, they had heard Zhao Yun returned to Leping the other day, and with Chu Yan stretched too thin, it was time to take advantage of this merchant convoy, no matter their size.

However, not everyone in the convoy was just waiting to perish.

For instance, Mi Zhu, while following the small merchant caravan, had attendants chosen for their combat prowess from among the Mi clan’s retainers.

As for Guo Jia, although it was his first encounter with such a scene, his natural bravado reminded him that this wasn’t the time to depend solely on Mi Zhu’s attendants for escape; rather—

He needed to devise a way to delay these bandits.

His mind clear and thoughts racing, he understood that quickly untying the horses and fleeing wasn’t the best solution.

Because those bandits were evidently aware of the situation.

After killing their leader, they rushed directly to the horses, swiftly cutting the ties that held them.

Though they were labeled bandits, few among them couldn’t ride as they aimed for agility rather than being grounded. A dozen or so had already mounted their horses, grabbing bows that had hung at the side of the saddle.

Those had originally been the weapons of those sent to fetch water!

Guo Jia witnessed this, maintaining his composure.

He noted that only a few among this gang were equipped with bows, and those who mounted were clumsily showing their inexperience. It became evident they were primarily there to prevent anyone from fleeing while the real fight was left to the knife-wielding bandits.

But that didn’t mean they weren’t aggressive.

The first to attempt a mounted escape was promptly shot down by a hail of arrows.

Determined, Guo Jia grasped the flint in his satchel, moved closer to Mi Zhu, and asked, “Does your lord have any skilled archers?”

If we’re talking about skill, Mi Zhu himself counted, as he carried a short bow at his side, enough to deal some damage.

But at this moment, with everyone scrambling for their lives, holding a bow was about as useful as painting a target on one’s back.

Seeing Mi Zhu point to himself, Guo Jia had an idea. He whispered, “Then I’ll create an opportunity for you; let’s try to shoot that leading bandit.”

Whether killing the leader would scare off the others was uncertain, but they at least needed to restore their morale.

This convoy was indeed small, but with around a hundred people, and given the bandits hesitated to fight a prolonged battle, they likely had a chance for a counterattack.

However, to create that opportunity, they first needed to plunge the bandits into chaos; at the very least—

They couldn’t let the bandits maintain their momentum!

His available resources were limited, but fortunately, quality over quantity sufficed!

For instance, if people couldn’t mount and escape, why not send a few horses still attached to empty carts toward the bandits?

With a plan forming in his mind, he couldn’t help but lament internally—having someone like him, with no physical prowess, set fire was quite the challenge.

Yet, despite the difficulty, he had to act.

Otherwise, if he ended up losing his life before even reaching Bingzhou, he could only imagine how Xi Zhicai would laugh till his teeth fell out.

He picked up a few dry twigs from the ground, preparing to use them as kindling. After Mi Zhu signaled two attendants to follow him, he swiftly darted towards that direction, hiding behind a cargo box.

Just as he lit the twigs and was about to rush the last stretch, he suddenly heard the sound of galloping hooves, instinctively pausing his actions.

This sounded distinctly rhythmic.

Compared to the typical noises of merchant caravans, it resembled a military force in quick march.

Before the hoofbeats drew near, a powerful whistling sound zoomed straight at them.

Amidst the chaos of shouting and fighting, it stood out distinctly.

Guo Jia peeked out from behind the cargo box, just in time to see a strong white-feathered arrow zip through the air, piercing through the head of the bandit leader, emerging from his forehead in the next moment.

That was a killing arrow!

The precision and lethality left him in awe.

This arrival without a doubt signaled the approach of another faction.

As the boundless presence surged closer, he quickly saw a second white-feathered arrow soar without any hesitation, eliminating a second bandit with the same degree of deadly accuracy.

What excellent archery!

Mounted archers capable of combining both riding and shooting were a rarity!

Yet these two arrows seemed effortlessly shot, demonstrating formidable penetrating power, indicating that the approaching cavalry was anything but ordinary!

As the fallen bodies created gaps, Guo Jia turned northward to gaze at the stream valley.

With the hoofbeats drawing closer, he could finally make out the riders.

The dim light of the setting sun from the southwest cast a shimmering glow over this fiercer cohort, especially the one at the front.

To his astonishment, it was a girl no older than thirteen or fourteen!

Dressed in dark attire with arrow sleeves, narrow boots, her hair tied neatly, she held a remarkably hefty longbow.

With her graceful posture, ready to nock another arrow in swift succession, this girl was undoubtedly the master of those two earlier arrows!

Her eyes sparkled with vitality as she drew the bowstring taut, morphing into a fiercely determined expression in an instant.

Then she released the arrow!

This shot struck down a bandit who had already swung his sword toward one of her comrades.

With just those three shots, she seized complete control!

Before the bandits could even think of returning fire, this formidable cavalry had already charged into the fray.

Guo Jia clearly saw the girl hang her longbow at her side and instead grasp two halves of a spear.