Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 3: Galloping Through Bingzhou, Troops Depart from Hedong Chapter 74: Observations in Leping (Part 2)

The book it belongs to:


Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 74: Observations in Leping (Part 2)…

Appearing before Qiao Yan were none other than Zhang Niujiao and Zhang Yang.

Counting it up, Zhang Yang had once fabricated that his surname “Zhang” was bestowed by Zhang Niujiao. These two really had a bit of a kindred spirit.

Of course, Qiao Yan’s plans for the two were quite different.

Zhang Niujiao’s vision was limited; at best, he could command a thousand men. His greater talent was not in leading troops in battle but in connecting with surrendered bandits who were in similar situations.

With Zhang Niujiao as a bridge for communication, Qiao Yan could effectively and subtly implement the development philosophy she wanted to convey to these people in Leping.

In contrast, her expectations for Zhang Yang were higher.

After all, with Zhang Yang’s bravery, she was counting on him to be her vanguard.

But a vanguard general also needed sufficient experience and learning.

Experience was easy to come by.

Cui Lie, the Governor of Bingzhou, was quite easy to get along with. Zhang Liao served as a Military Officer, and the current Prefect of Yanmen was Guo Yun, an acquaintance. It wasn’t difficult for Qiao Yan to arrange for Zhang Yang to periodically participate in battles at the border for training.

As for learning…

It was exactly as she saw now. These two guys were currently studying at the Leping Academy, which had been systematically established over the past two years.

And now they stood before her, looking at each other.

Qiao Yan took Zhang Niujiao’s exam paper from Guo Jia’s hand and looked at the standard “remember half the character” notation, feeling a headache coming on.

Suddenly, Guo Jia asked, “Is Marquis Qiao imitating the Marquis of Bao’s ‘teaching without discrimination’?”

“Not exactly,” Qiao Yan shook her head and replied. “Leping has many things to be done, and the people are mixed. Firstly, we need to make people understand principles to avoid bandit thoughts. Moreover, in the past two years, I have followed the Son of Heaven’s will to study behind closed doors. I thought that if these county officials and the leaders of the gathered settlements could read and understand principles, there would be no need for subsequent punishments. Hence, this arrangement.”

“Secondly, Leping is just a small place, and the number of people who can enjoy household registration treatment is limited. It’s better to select through examinations.”

Of course, Qiao Yan wouldn’t tell Guo Jia at this moment that the exams were not about the answers Zhang Niujiao had just submitted.

They also included three specialized subjects: agriculture, engineering, and medicine. Passing one of these would suffice, and there was no need to force everyone to become scholars.

Thinking that most of the people in the academy were not in the county city but in the workshop on the mountain, Qiao Yan smiled and said, “There are many extraordinary talents in Yingchuan, especially in Yingchuan. If you don’t mind my Leping Academy, why not take a look?”

Guo Jia, who wanted to learn more about Leping, wouldn’t refuse this suggestion.

He looked in the direction Qiao Yan pointed and saw a building slightly taller than its surroundings, with exposed parts similar to the mountain houses and walls he had seen before, which piqued his interest even more.

As he got closer, he became more certain that this was not any known building material.

It looked somewhat like an ordinary earthen wall, solidified and then coated with a layer of decorative paint. But as he casually tapped the wall, he realized its strength was far beyond that of an earthen wall.

However, Qiao Yan had clearly decorated the academy to be low-key and inconspicuous, and she obviously wouldn’t tell him what this material was.

With his mind full of questions, Guo Jia could only turn his gaze to the only elegant thing on the otherwise plain exterior of the academy—

The inscribed plaque at the entrance.

He easily recognized that the characters on the plaque were in Cai Yong’s Feibai Script.

A significant portion of the works left by Cai Yong, the great calligrapher of the time, were not private documents but epitaphs, and the rubbings of his inscriptions became something most calligraphy enthusiasts had.

Guo Jia also had a few, and now seeing the familiar characters, he recognized them.

He was about to ask if Cai Yong was also teaching here when he saw Qiao Yan turn back to look at the two following behind her, giving Zhang Niujiao a look that clearly meant “I’ll talk to you later.”

This expression was quite different from her previous demeanor of killing enemies with three arrows and thrusting her spear like a dragon. Guo Jia couldn’t help but look away and laugh.

From what he saw, in Leping, Marquis Qiao was clearly more lively than outside, which explained why the people of Leping, while admiring her, did not fear her as a beast.

He then saw Qiao Yan straighten her expression and step into the Leping Academy’s gate. He also temporarily set aside his question and followed her in.

The material used for the outer walls was also applied inside the academy, making the buildings look equally simple. But with the scale of the academy buildings, it still had a certain grandeur.

However, compared to the buildings, Guo Jia could hardly help but focus on the papers posted on the stone slabs at the entrance.

The one on the left could be called a notice.

He glanced briefly and saw:

Today’s food list for the academy—foods that might cause wind diseases were separately marked.

A simplified map of the academy’s various functions—the representation was quite different from the current norms.

Today’s schedule—he indeed found Cai Yong’s name in it.

The one on the right was more special, with the largest section titled “August Results.”

However, below the title was a small line saying that since most of the exams were written, those who didn’t get high scores shouldn’t be discouraged.

Guo Jia guessed this was similar to the Q&A Zhang Niujiao had submitted.

He looked at the paper and saw the name at the top was Cai Yan.

Cai Zhaoji, the daughter of Cai Yong.

Guo Jia didn’t think she received any special treatment because of Cai Yong, but he couldn’t help but think that with Marquis Qiao and Cai Yan, wouldn’t everyone soon think that the character “Yan” was a great choice for names?

Thinking of this trend of蹭蹭 literary aura, he couldn’t help but find it amusing.

The second place was a person named Xu Fu. If it weren’t for the smaller characters “Yuanzhi” following it, the name would sound a bit rustic.

He looked down one more place and saw a name he had heard from Qiao Yan before.

“Is this Yancai the same Yancai we saw outside the city?” Guo Jia asked.

“Exactly.”

Hearing Qiao Yan’s reply, Guo Jia naturally looked at the name before “Yancai.”

Fu Gan… this was also a name Guo Jia hadn’t heard before.

But for Qiao Yan, Fu Gan’s arrival was especially significant.

In the fourth year of Zhongping, the Liangzhou rebels advanced into Hanyang, resulting in the death of Hanyang Prefect Fu Xie.

Upon suddenly hearing the news of his death, Qiao Yan was also shocked.








The last time she heard news about Fu Xie was during a casual conversation with Cui Lie, who had naively suggested abandoning Liangzhou, a proposal that Fu Xie had vehemently criticized in court.

Later, when Cui Lie was transferred to be the Governor of Bingzhou, Fu Xie was also appointed by the court as the Prefect of Hanyang, assisting Geng Bi, the Governor of Liangzhou, in battle.

However, the chaos in Liangzhou was overwhelming, clearly a situation that the court, increasingly losing control, could no longer contain. No matter how loyal and brave Fu Xie was, and despite his governance skills, it was difficult for him alone to confront the forces of Han Sui, who had expanded his army by annexing allies.

This was even different from the gathering of refugees during the Yellow Turban Rebellion; it was not something that could be swayed by mere words.

Fu Xie, who would not accept surrender outside the city walls, naturally had no choice but to sacrifice himself for the country.

His death seemed inevitable.

But the appearance of Fu Gan in Leping, after being escorted by the clerk Yang Hui, was truly unexpected.

The death of his father left the thirteen-year-old boy with an unusually cold demeanor. Even the hardships of the journey and lack of appetite only made him look somewhat disheveled, without changing the calmness in his expression.

When Qiao Yan asked why he had come here, he replied, “My father said that Clerk Yang was his Cheng Ying, and he was right. If it weren’t for Clerk Yang risking his life to protect me, I wouldn’t have escaped from Hanyang. I believe another thing my father said is also true: he said that having a son like Qiao Yeshu is truly a blessing. I want to avenge my father but don’t know how to start. Forgive my presumption in coming here, hoping that Marquis Qiao can show me a clear path.”

“I originally intended to seek refuge with General Huangfu, but now General Huangfu is not the main commander against Liangzhou. Even if he is reinstated within a year, if I were to kill my enemy in a fit of rage, it would surely lead to misjudgment and cause trouble for the general.

I also considered lying low in Liangzhou, looking for an opportunity to join someone hostile to Han Sui, but I feel that the bandits in Liangzhou are too formidable, and I might not find such an opportunity in a short time.

Han Sui decisively killed Beigong Boyu, leaving no remnants for me to rally… If Marquis Qiao does not reject me, Fu Gan is willing to serve you loyally.”

Fu Gan was not blinded by hatred.

In fact, in the original historical trajectory, he acted according to the second idea.

When the conflict between Ma Teng and Han Sui intensified, and coinciding with the war between Cao and Yuan, he persuaded Ma Teng to attack Guo Yuan, leading Ma Teng to side with Cao Cao.

However, he probably never expected that six years after Ma Teng entered the capital to serve as Commandant of the Guards, Ma Chao would ally with Han Sui against Cao Cao, resulting in Ma Teng’s death.

Fortunately, Han Sui was ultimately defeated at Weinan, and after fleeing back to Liangzhou, he was defeated again by Xiahou Yuan and soon died. Fu Gan then served as a military advisor to the Chancellor.

But now, unable to dissuade his father from returning home or prevent his father’s death for the country, he thought of his father’s praise for Qiao Yan and persuaded Yang Hui to bring him to Leping.

To Qiao Yan, Fu Gan was not just a brave son of a military family influenced by Fu Xie, but also a strategist with both moral integrity and intelligence. If nurtured properly, he would surely achieve great things.

Moreover, the great enmity of Fu Xie’s death at the hands of Han Sui and others meant that if Qiao Yan had the possibility of avenging him, he would surely serve her with his life.

Before Fu Xie’s death, Fu Gan could even say, “The country is in chaos, making it impossible for my father to remain in court,” showing that he was not purely loyal to the Han court.

But Qiao Yan did not make any promises directly. Instead, she sent him to Leping Academy to strengthen himself first before considering matters of Liangzhou.

Upon arriving in Leping, Fu Gan saw Qiao Yan training cavalry and demanding strict mastery of mounted archery and spear techniques. He became increasingly convinced of Fu Xie’s high praise for Qiao Yan and had no reason to refuse this proposal.

In this academy, which, aside from teaching literature, focused more on practical skills, Fu Gan armed himself with knowledge at an astonishing speed.

Qiao Yan was pleased with this, but what she was more delighted to see was—

Most of the women in the Black Mountain Army were first registered in Leping due to their merits. With the establishment of Leping Academy, while Zhang Niujiao and others sought to gain some academic advancement, these women also entered the academy to study.

They were initially educated by Lu Yuan, with Cai Yan as their leading example, showing that women could also be educated.

Qiao Yan did not put too much pressure on Zhaoji to top the posted rankings.

But under Cai Yong’s tutelage, whether in reciting and applying classical texts or in mathematical calculations, she was far ahead of others, so much so that even the exceptionally intelligent Xu Fu and Fu Gan could only trail behind her.

This was undoubtedly good news for Qiao Yan!

She needed to pressure these potential talents while motivating the girls trying to acquire new knowledge.

Thus, when Guo Jia accompanied Qiao Yan further inside, he also saw young women carrying books greeting Qiao Yan, exuding a unique openness and confidence not seen elsewhere.

Following behind, Mi Zhu, though not yet seeing what was taught in the academy, couldn’t help but think.

Marquis Qiao’s academy seems to be doing well. I wonder if I can send my sister here in a couple of years.

Regardless, the wealth of our Donghai Mi Clan is enough to give my sister confidence. If she can gain some academic confidence here, it would surely be a good thing.

But this matter should wait until the business dealings with Marquis Qiao are settled and the relationship between both parties stabilizes.

Thus, he said nothing more and simply followed the two ahead.

Qiao Yan naturally wouldn’t take these two to any confidential areas, especially the agricultural section.

The curved plow, made according to Qiao Yan’s description, was currently under testing, with further adjustments being made to the curvature and length of the plow. How could she let them see it?

As for the medical section, since Qiao Yan had borrowed a disciple from Hua Tuo, named Wu Pu, there were also some temporarily inconvenient matters to observe.

She turned her steps towards the rear of the academy. Passing through the front gate, Guo Jia looked up and saw Cai Yong’s inscription above, reading “Dongpo Garden.”

Guo Jia vaguely felt that the name was familiar. Remembering the Dongpo pork mentioned by Xi Zhicai, he subconsciously thought this was the academy’s dining hall and asked suspiciously, “Isn’t it a bit early for a meal?”

However, recalling the day’s menu seen at the entrance, which listed a dish called fermented glutinous rice balls, not mentioned in Xi Zhicai’s letter, he couldn’t help but feel interested.

But then he saw Qiao Yan giving him a strange look, “Fengxiao, what are you talking about? This garden is named Dongpo because it lies to the east of the Taihang Mountains. In fact, this place is the academy’s library.”

Guo Jia adapted quickly, replying immediately, “Books are food for thought, no wonder I feel hungry upon entering. Not strange at all, not strange at all.”

Yet, the moment his words fell, he met—

Xi Zhicai’s teasing gaze inside Dongpo Garden.

“Books are food for thought?”