“Can strategists not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 73 of the book touches on Leping…
Upon hearing the name, Qiao Yan instinctively rubbed the jade pendant on her thumb.
Just moments ago, when Guo Jia saw her lead the troops into battle, that pendant was remarkably prominent.
It was the tool used to secure the bowstring.
Since she started learning archery more than two years ago, she got into the habit of wearing it. This helped with the transition between long-range archery and close-combat spear fighting, and over time, she developed the habit of fiddling with it whenever she was lost in thought.
Guo Jia, Guo Fengxiao…
Connecting the youthful gentleman before her, who was yet to pass his coming of age ceremony, with the future genius strategist of the Cao Wei camp felt a bit tricky, maybe because he lacked the usual traits associated with such a connection, but perhaps it was her exposure to many youthful prodigies that made her accustomed to it by now.
Thus, after a brief pause upon hearing the name, she just nodded and replied, “I’ve heard this name from Mr. Xi. Are you here to visit a friend?”
As she spoke, she jumped down from her horse.
From Guo Jia’s perspective, this county marquis who had just arrived with the force of a storm now appeared to be merely thirteen or fourteen, and her casual tone made her seem quite approachable.
The only thing that made her stand out was the bloodstains still visible on her black outfit, indicating that the battle Guo Jia had witnessed was not merely a figment of his imagination.
But when a subordinate rushed over to report on the battle conditions, her expression shifted back to that decisive demeanor she was known for.
Only when she heard that all the bandits had been eliminated and only four or five of her people were slightly injured did a smile finally emerge on her face.
Visiting friends?
Guo Jia contemplated how this reason wasn’t half bad.
Thanks to this unexpected event, Qiao Yan had certainly scored some major points with him.
However, being both cultured and martial didn’t automatically mean she could live up to Xi Zhicai’s praises.
In the midst of his leisurely life, Xi Zhicai had even written to him —
With the court reinstating the provincial governors, it wasn’t just Liu Yan and Liu Yu; if Bingzhou were to be established, she was the one who fit the bill perfectly.
That guy Xi Zhicai might not have the means to soar straight to the imperial court, but to secure a strategical role under a provincial governor, it was worth a shot.
That sounded a bit harsh.
Of course, Guo Jia wouldn’t take Xi Zhicai’s words and let them run rampant, but when assessing Qiao Yan, he knew he had to set a higher standard.
So when Qiao Yan looked at him again, after thanking her for saving his life like Mi Zhu had, he followed up with her remark, saying, “I’m indeed here to visit a friend. In his letter, he frequently mentioned that Leping has good wine. Surely, the Marquis wouldn’t reject an uninvited guest coming to Leping, would you?”
Qiao Yan laughed, “Why even ask about visiting friends? Previously, there was a barrier around Leping that prevented me from going out, but it didn’t stop anyone from coming in. Now that barrier is gone, and after the autumn harvest, it’s the perfect time for socializing. Should I really wait for heavy snow to block the mountains?”
“But…” Qiao Yan pointed at the White Wave Bandits over there and added, “Next time you want to visit, perhaps time it for after the bandits are dealt with.”
Guo Jia noted her confidence, seeming to think she had a solid plan to eliminate those notorious bandits, which sparked his curiosity.
But such thoughts were best left unvoiced, as he was here to visit friends, not to plot strategies.
He then heard Qiao Yan jesting, “It’s interesting to think about: when Mr. Xi traveled to Bingzhou, he ran into the Yunzhong Mountain bandits, and now Fengxiao runs into the He Dong bandits—looks like you all have a new topic for a drinks table.”
However, since the bandits Xi Zhicai encountered were merely perplexed by his solo presence and the ridiculous excuse he concocted, they wouldn’t dare mess with him; but Guo Jia’s situation with these bandits…
Qiao Yan frowned slightly.
If things went as they historically should, these He Dong bandits wouldn’t be truly formidable until February next year.
But perhaps because Bingzhou had escaped the devastation of the locust plague, it was somewhat “comfortable and prosperous” in this chaotic era, while He Dong and Pingyang counties were ravaged by the locust disaster, leading to a serious upsurge in banditry, spearheaded by the likes of Guo Tai and Yang Feng, which had accelerated the invasion of the White Wave Bandits.
She knew that while these bandits lacked the depth of vision of Chu Yan, who controlled the Black Mountain Bandits, the damage they had caused was undeniably real.
What Mi Zhu later shared about the merchant convoy losses only underscored this notion.
They were all about quick plundering, not caring about the direct loss of life.
That merchant convoy caught off guard was surely devastated; Qiao Yan had come swiftly, but still, over twenty men had died at the bandits’ hands, and thirty more were injured—this was a massive loss for a convoy of fewer than two hundred people.
Furthermore, during the pursuit, many goods were used to shield themselves from the bandits’ blades, as a significant portion included fabric and silk, which evidently wouldn’t survive this disaster intact.
If a small merchant convoy was being targeted on this road, one could imagine that the businesses previously eager to operate in Bingzhou would dwindle as well.
This was undoubtedly a loss for her.
Now wasn’t a time for lords to arise in chaos. Leping shouldn’t stand out too much; most transactions were reliant on Jinyang as a transit point, which is why she was particularly mindful of the Zhi Pass. As soon as she heard the White Wave Bandits were attacking, she loaned Chu Yan and Zhao Yun to tackle the problem.
Given the current situation, the opposing forces clearly didn’t learn their lesson, and with four factions tangled up inside, their internal conflicts hadn’t caused them enough pain.
Even if today this faction were eliminated, tomorrow another band of ruffians would emerge. And even if they took losses, in an environment where being a good citizen wasn’t as rewarding as being a bandit, replenishing their ranks wouldn’t be hard.
This was quite the nuisance!
Initially, the Han court’s mobilization of the Southern Xiongnu to reinforce Ji Province and Youzhou against Zhang Ju’s rebellion had been frequently mentioned in news that Wang Rou passed on to Wang Yang, along with recent transactions in the liquor trade that had stirred tensions. The local elite from the Southern Xiongnu were still disgruntled, and Qiao Yan intended to first neutralize this looming threat.
This current trip to the river valley was also an opportunity for her to test how much her skills had progressed over the past two years, after which she’d let Chu Yan and Zhao Yun continue to practice against this small band of White Wave Bandits.
However, given the unfolding circumstances, it seemed she might need to rethink the order of her actions.
Qiao Yan expressed her gratitude to Mi Zhu, directed some subordinates to deal with the White Wave Bandits’ corpses to prevent pollution of the Fen River, and asked another group to assist in arranging the remains of the merchant convoy.
She then turned to Mi Zhu and said, “Would you mind asking Zichong to bring me a few of the convoy leaders? I have a few words to share.”
Mi Zhu, who was already interested in striking a special deal with Qiao Yan, would have engaged her for conversation even without the White Wave Bandits incident. He had no reason to refuse.
Moreover, his curiosity and assessment of her made him want to see what she had to say to those merchants who had just experienced such calamity.
Among the convoy, many were loosely attached to the group, benefitting from mutual support, and it turned out about five merchants had died, including the leader of the convoy, while the others still survived. They all stepped forward to meet Qiao Yan.
Being saved by Qiao Yan amid the bandit attack was a stroke of luck, and even if the whole convoy had perished, in the current environment, they could only consider themselves unfortunate.
Qiao Yan looked at them, realizing they didn’t seem to expect any compensation from the provincial government but had an underlying apprehension about returning to this area.
She spoke, “According to the laws of the Han, bandits should face dismemberment. However, since these bandits are already dead, it would be cumbersome to send their corpses to the provincial government, so we needn’t enforce that law strictly. But I would like you all to accompany me to the provincial government as witnesses. Is that alright?”
The penalty of dismemberment involved cutting flesh from the bone.
When banditry was rampant, severe punishments were common, though there was a method of redemption. If these White Wave Bandits were indeed captured, they would be subjected to this penalty according to the law.
But as much as cruel punishments serve as a warning, now that the culprits were dead, obviously there wouldn’t be any warnings to issue, and dragging their bodies to the provincial government would yield little benefit.
The merchants exchanged glances and replied to Qiao Yan, “Your Highness has saved our lives; we must comply with your request.”
To be honest, some among them had wanted to make a direct dash back home, but since they were here, if they didn’t sell the goods they brought from the Central Plains in Jinyang, they wouldn’t be able to recuperate their losses, so they had to keep moving forward.
Moreover, Qiao Yan’s statement indicated that she wouldn’t be leaving now but would escort them to Jinyang instead.
With two more days of travel ahead, having her protection meant they felt significantly more secure.
Mi Zhu was somewhat surprised that Qiao Yan’s intention was just to say that one sentence.
However, as they handled the battlefield clean-up and then set off for Jinyang, he realized Qiao Yan had skillfully acted on all fronts.
Her initiative not only served to ensure safety by asking the merchant leaders to act as witnesses but also inadvertently revealed that the provincial government was recently inclined to offload goods to the Southern Xiongnu, and given the types of goods they brought, this was undoubtedly another way to recover their losses. It wouldn’t hurt to negotiate with the provincial government.
In her command of the cavalry, whispers could be overheard—she was coming out after two years of being confined and was eager to hone her capabilities against those White Wave Bandits.
Given her impressive archery skills and the cavalry’s effectiveness against the bandits, it was reasonable to believe that this trade route still held potential.
Through her practical dealings, although she said nothing more than formal words, she cultivated genuine goodwill and hope from others toward her or rather toward Bingzhou.
What’s more intriguing was that throughout her interactions, she never once made any promises nor tarnished her standing as a county marquis.
Including Mi Zhu, the others whom she brought to the provincial government to document the bandit incident noticed that shortly after arriving in Jinyang, the head of the Wang family urgently sought her out, seemingly with a request.
Though the details of their conversation were indistinct, the fact that the head of the Wang family came to her seeking favors suggested Qiao Yan had substantial backing!
For merchants, profit was everything—this was something Mi Zhu had discussed with Guo Jia previously.
With the Marquis of Leping back in action within Bingzhou, seemingly set to bring ample profit to the region, they could afford to overlook the recent losses from the river valley incident.
They might even seize this chance to forge a connection with this Leping Marquis.
Although Mi Zhu was aware Qiao Yan was employing some subtlety in her actions, he suddenly felt a hint of urgency.
But Wang Yang was blissfully unaware that his timely arrival had inadvertently provided a significant assist to Qiao Yan.
He genuinely had urgent matters to discuss with Qiao Yan.
“This morning you… how did you manage to send over that honeycomb coal?” Wang Yang asked in a hushed tone.
He simply couldn’t disregard this; he rushed over as soon as he heard Qiao Yan had arrived.
Since the Former Han began smelting iron with coal, most noble families and their external relatives held ownership of coal mines, especially in what would now be designated as Shanxi and Henan.
Of course, the Wang family of Jinyang was no exception.
After Qiao Yan’s living conditions improved drastically back in Leping, over the past two years, she had been purchasing coal cakes from the Wang family for winter heating.
Given their frequent dealings and Qiao Yan’s display of stellar potential, Wang Yang didn’t mind lowering the coal cake prices by ten percent.
Though, at that time, coal cakes were still referred to as graphite blocks.
Wang Yang was somewhat surprised when he received Qiao Yan’s “honeycomb coal,” but upon burning it, he found something distinct about it compared to the standard coal cakes.
Though he quickly figured out it might be due to the holes formed in coal cakes, once he crushed one of the samples of honeycomb coal and noted its composition included charcoal powder, clay, and lime, he realized trying to mix the original coal back with these ingredients and replicate the holes wouldn’t yield similar results.
There had to be some additional elements he couldn’t discern with his bare eyes!
While one could argue that this method of making honeycomb coal would likely yield better results than before, after witnessing something superior, how could Wang Yang settle for a crude version of honeycomb coal?
With every thought of the immense profits it could potentially bring, he felt increasingly distressed and couldn’t care less about any loss of composure from seeking her out, inadvertently pushing forward several of Qiao Yan’s goals.
Yet at that moment, Qiao Yan just casually replied, “Just added some special stuff.”
As soon as Wang Yang heard her tone, he sensed something was off.
Her demeanor wasn’t exactly warm.
Of course, that didn’t imply she was uninterested in the transaction. If she genuinely sounded disinterested, it was indeed strange.
“There’s absolutely no need for her to bring this in front of Wang Yang. It’s clear this isn’t something she’d just trade casually.”
But since everyone’s in Bingzhou and the Wang family has coal handy, if they really want to get into the honeycomb coal business, they should probably turn to their own people first. There’s always room for negotiation on how much leverage there is, as long as there’s the willingness to make a deal.
Fortunately, what he soon heard from Qiao Yan did not sound like she was trying to squeeze a fortune out of him.
Although the special manpower she needed is a bit hard to come by, there’s still a chance for the Wang family from Jinyang.
Wang Yang couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief and left immediately to make preparations.
He didn’t notice that as Qiao Yan watched him leave, her lips curled up slightly before she returned to her usual calm demeanor, giving a nod in acknowledgment to Mi Zhu, who was looking over from a distance.
She wasted no time and the next day set off back to Leping County to prepare her manpower after receiving news that those merchants were temporarily settled in Jinyang City.
Joining her were Guo Jia and Mi Zhu.
The former was there for ‘friendship’ purposes.
As for the latter, just as he said when he showed up yesterday, he was keen on doing some business involving fishing rods with Leping.
Of course, if Leping had anything else to trade with the Donghai Mi Clan, they could talk about that too.
Mi Zhu wasn’t naïve; revealing all his cards first would be a major blunder for someone from a big merchant family.
He could have easily claimed he wanted to visit Leping.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have a friend named Xi Zhicai, and he got his plans messed up by Qiao Yan setting up a strong competitor on the other end.
This is the truth of the strong dragon not suppressing a local snake.
The Donghai Mi Clan indeed has deep pockets and lots of followers, but it doesn’t change the fact that they are stationed in the territory of Xuzhou.
All he could offer Qiao Yan was money, but in the current situation, money is clearly less useful than local power.
He also sensed that what he could consider a trading partner in Leping probably isn’t just a bizarrely structured fishing rod.
However, riding on horseback, Qiao Yan was thinking—
While this wealthy Donghai merchant hasn’t become Liu Bei’s purse yet, she could still find a use for him.
She didn’t even have to invest her sister’s name, it’s downright considerate to have such a potential investment target.
Besides, for Leping, which is heavily restrained by finances in its development, genuinely nothing is more useful than money, so she’s definitely going to maintain a good partnership with the other side.
How wonderful!
But speaking of it, the item she used to lure the Wang family wasn’t picked randomly.
Even if Mi Zhu hadn’t come to Bingzhou, she would find a way to cooperate with the Wang family.
To say that something was added to the honeycomb coal isn’t exactly special; in modern terms, it’s just a combustion enhancer like nitrate.
As luck would have it, the land downstream of rivers like Fen River is mostly a bit nitrate-laden due to waste discharge issues.
When Chu Yan and Zhao Yun were engaged with the Baibo bandits, they conveniently collected a batch according to Qiao Yan’s orders without drawing anyone’s notice.
Then they mixed it with ash and nitrate to create a batch of nitrate, adding it to the honeycomb coal.
As for the fishing rod that Mi Zhu mentioned, that was indeed a rather unexpected trade item.
She initially just wanted Mi Zhu to feel more certain that Leping was a hidden gem, but didn’t expect him to secure a trading item first.
The fishing rod in Xi Zhicai’s hands is indeed a bit different than fishing rods today since it has a special wheel device attached.
This device, known as a fishing reel in modern times and referred to as a ‘fishing cart’ during the Tang-Song period, allows the fishing line on the rod to be thrown farther and still be pulled back after catching a fish.
It’s a miracle that Qiao Yan was able to come up with this thing.
Who would’ve thought Xi Zhicai, while not out on important business, might have succumbed to the pastime of actual fishing due to his friend’s unbreakable fishing failures in Yingchuan?
This fellow just doesn’t seem to catch anything; a day of fishing often leaves his basket empty.
Out of concern for her strategist’s mental health, Qiao Yan, recalling all the fishing carts that frequently appeared in ancient paintings, decided to replicate one.
She figured if she couldn’t catch fish from the shore, using something that supports long-line fishing should work.
Given the strength needed for casting, she could smoothly involve Xi Zhicai in the grand training agenda of Leping.
It couldn’t be any better.
Who knew that this item would not only satisfy Xi Zhicai’s needs but also attract another unexpected person?
But thinking about it, the fishing reel is notably useful for deep-sea fishing, and Xuzhou being near the sea aligns with the Mi Clan’s business acumen, making it only natural for them to have their sights set on the sea.
But this was just a technical buyout; as long as Mi Zhu got a finished product, it wouldn’t be hard for him to replicate it regardless of whether he understood the principles behind it.
Thank goodness this Mi Clan young man had some consideration for the life-saving grace he received earlier; otherwise, he could’ve just stolen Xi Zhicai’s fishing rod instead of seeking her out for business.
That being said, she still needed to think of another deal that could be sustained and maintain good relations with Leping.
In her contemplations, she couldn’t help but slightly overlook a certain genius.
However, Guo Jia was quite pleased with this environment where his personal safety and freedom could be ensured.
What pleased him even more was that based on Qiao Yan’s performance, it was clear Xi Zhicai hadn’t overexposed his situation to her; this made Guo Jia find greater trust in his words from the letter.
Now, let’s see what Leping really looks like!
Was it just Guo Jia’s imagination, or was it true that when he followed Qiao Yan into this place, he felt a distinctly different vibe from this county compared to similarly-sized ones?
Of course, he hadn’t entered the county city yet, just walking along the vast farmland outside.
But this leisurely path revealed farmers coming and going, their expressions full of vitality compared to those who have suffered wars and famine.
As he brushed past them, aside from the respectful avoidance from the County Marquis, when they looked towards Qiao Yan, admiration clearly sparkled in their eyes.
This was a show of respect not often seen between commoners and marquises enjoying thousands of households’ provision.
At this moment, the wheat in the field had been harvested, and the preparation for winter wheat had begun.
Since sowing for winter wheat would start by late September, these county folks needed to finish their plowing work before that, which is why Guo Jia only saw the remnants of roots still in the soil where wheat used to grow.
Although there was no wheat growing in the fields, the demeanor of the laborers indicated that this year’s harvest must have been decent.
He gazed across this unobstructed stretch of farmland and spotted well-groomed terraced fields.
The crops that were previously grown in those fields would have been the yams frequently mentioned by Xi Zhicai in his letter, but now they had all been cleaned out, leaving only a patch of land for next year’s sowing.
Because of this open view, Guo Jia could see a long wall standing high up in a place further along.
Due to the distance, he could only vaguely make out that this wall didn’t seem like one built from bricks or stones; it didn’t fit the usual earthen walls found in the countryside today, but he couldn’t quite identify it at the moment.
Moreover, within this special wall, a clear division created two sections; one half seemed to consist of single-story houses, where he could only see the rooftops from the direction of the farmland down below, while the other half had a look resembling a fortress, at least three stories high.
The lower buildings were not visible from the exterior walls, while the taller ones bore some resemblance to the outer walls surrounding the structure.
While Guo Jia was lost in thought, he was suddenly pulled aside by Mi Zhu.
Shifting his gaze back to the nearby area, he then noticed a group of well-equipped soldiers swiftly approaching along the ridge.
If he hadn’t stepped aside,, they would have nearly blocked their path.
His eyes naturally landed on the face of the young man at the forefront of this group.
He pondered if the County Marquis preferred to select young people for his forces because he believed in talent, or was he inclined toward peers, otherwise, how could he select a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy for the army?
Nevertheless, this young man was quite remarkable.
His aura was surprisingly cold; even though it was still autumn, he radiated a vibe reminiscent of winter.
If Guo Jia wasn’t mistaken, although the boy was young, he had definitely seen blood, and it was from direct combat.
Only as he passed by Qiao Yan did the boy’s gaze shift slightly, stopping the squad momentarily and greeting her with a respectful, “Your Excellency.”
“Yan Cai, how many more laps?” Qiao Yan asked.
The boy gestured three more laps before Qiao Yan waved him on.
He showed no curiosity towards Qiao Yan’s guests, merely adjusting the sweatband on his forehead before continuing on.
Compared to this cold demeanor, the soldiers trailing behind him seemed a lot more cheerful.
Unfortunately, their squad leader had already built a reputation for being incredibly tough since starting training in Leping, making it clear he was someone who pushed himself to the limits.
Had it not been for his reminder of how a son should aspire to be like Qiao Yan, they would have feared for their lives under this drill sergeant.
This group quickly disappeared from view of Qiao Yan and Guo Jia’s party as they arrived at the foot of Leping County’s city.
Guo Jia was somewhat surprised to find that despite the high combat readiness and martial spirit exhibited by the members of Leping, it hadn’t resulted in higher walls for the county city, which looked like it had been built years ago.
However, considering the presence of a training squad, they certainly didn’t need any extra defensive measures added to the walls.
He followed Qiao Yan into the county city, instantly struck by the cleanliness of the place.
It wasn’t that every household had brick walls, but that the corners of the houses showed no signs of average household clutter.
The houses were still the same, the roads still intact, yet it gave off an impression of refreshment and vitality.
At that moment, Guo Jia saw two children rush past in the intersection ahead, with windmills dancing in their hands as they ran in the autumn breeze.
This lightweight windmill must have been made from the paper of Leping Marquis mentioned by Xi Zhicai in his letter.
Initially, he thought Xi Zhicai was exaggerating in his letter, considering it was only a handful offered as gifts to friends; plus, with Qiao Yan’s notion of not showing off wealth, Guo Jia genuinely believed that the cost of Leping Marquis paper was exorbitant.
But seeing them now, it seemed entirely realistic as kids played with the windmills made from Leping Marquis paper.
It was almost comical that a flying piece of paper sailing through the air at that moment landed right on Guo Jia’s face.
It hit him squarely.
He immediately reached up to pull the paper off his face, and in doing so, casually glanced down and noticed it was a question and answer sheet.
Written by someone named Zhang Niujiao, it appeared that learning had caused his eyes some serious strain.
At a glance, the number of incorrect answers on the paper was just staggering…
But before he could express his concerns over whether such wasteful use of paper was appropriate, he overheard a conversation between two figures nearby.
One was shouting angrily, “I was studying! You suddenly popped up and scared me; if I can’t find that test paper back, you’ll regret it!”
The other laughed, “What were you thinking? I heard you even misspelled the character ‘Yan’ from the Marquis’ name; it just barely landed in the fail range. If Qiao Yan finds out, you’re done for.”
Clearly, the first speaker was none other than Zhang Niujiao, the owner of the paper.
After hearing this, his expression froze as he recognized the test paper being held by a stranger beside Qiao Yan.
“Q…Qiao Marquis?”
Qiao Yan squeezed the bridge of her nose.
These little troublemakers! Can’t they not embarrass themselves at this moment?
