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“Can strategists not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 76: The White Wave Prepares for Battle
Her Leping.
This connection that developed step by step within three years of her taking control here felt strangely natural when she spoke of it.
To those like Guo Jia and Mi Zhu, who passed through Leping, it seemed like a little city that had been reconnected and tidied up with comfortable pathways above and below ground.
Even the Leping Academy presented a playful nature by sticking the menu right on the stone door—
This was exactly what Qiao Yan hoped Cui Lie would see.
She had martial prowess but only to defend Bingzhou. In an environment where bandits from all sides were ready to pounce, this was merely an accepted status quo.
She had many innovative ideas, but when it came to everyday items like toothpaste and toothbrushes or cooking pork and planting yams, they were just mundane details of life.
But when the sun leaped over the mountains behind her and bathed the entire Leping County city in autumn’s golden glow, it truly looked like a city ready to ignite a spark of rebellion at any moment.
It was only surrounded by bustling mountains, temporarily not showing any outward aggression.
But now, what about now?
With the end of the fourth year of Zhongping approaching, as the central authority of the Han Dynasty crumbled, the noble titles of marquis within the golden seals and purple ribbons were soon to be something Liu Hong could trade at will.
This meant local powers with military might, and foreign forces both inside and outside, although still influenced by the remnants of the Han’s prestige, dared to extend their probing hands toward this nearly doomed dynasty.
In such a climate, Qiao Yan could no longer consider her title as the Marquis of Leping as sufficient.
Rather than merely defeating the White Wave bandits of Hedong to maintain stability in Bingzhou, ensuring smooth access through the Zhi Guanzheng pass, and allowing merchants from the Central Plains to arrive normally, she aimed to use this incident to elevate her previously accumulated fame into real authority!
Ambition…
Why shouldn’t she have ambition?
This year, she claimed to be in deep reflection about her past mistakes, but coupled with the recent disasters, Leping had a good harvest to show, which led Xu Fu to take some of the stored harvest to Luoyang for a visit.
By chance, his return coincided with Guo Jia and the others arriving at Leping.
Since following Qiao Yan and Cheng Li to learn, Xu Fu might not have the usual experiences one should gain in Nanyang, but he certainly had faced plenty of trials, showcasing exceptional political insight along the way.
From being a wandering knight to becoming an envoy to the Son of Heaven, he took this step with utmost stability.
He followed Qiao Yan’s instructions, presenting Leping’s youthful vitality and loyalty without trying to exhibit any extraordinary skills during his tribute submission in Luoyang, effectively acting as her eyes on the current state of Luoyang.
Xu Fu was always quite bold, and under Qiao Yan’s leadership, he was even bolder.
He appeared calm, but really…
You could tell just by what he said upon his return: “The current state looks like the sun setting in the west; the throne is becoming increasingly unstable with turmoil, and even though Leping is a small place in Bingzhou, it won’t be exempt, so the Marquis should prepare early.”
One particularly clear piece of information in that statement was that Liu Hong was nearing his end.
He looked a lot worse than before, with a level of sickness that couldn’t be masked by royal healthcare.
So Qiao Yan had to be prepared.
Her position as the Marquis of Leping came from Liu Hong’s rebellion, granting her actual control in Leping, unlike other counties that only had fiscal rights, which stemmed from her understanding of Liu Hong’s mindset.
But all of this relied on Liu Hong still sitting on the throne.
Once there was a change in the emperor’s position, it was uncertain whether Bingzhou would replace its governor or if historical changes would lead to an early appearance of a new governor of Bingzhou.
Especially if someone replaced Cheng Li, she would find herself in a precarious situation.
At this crucial moment, she had to leap forward!
Overrun with these boiling emotions, Qiao Yan didn’t show any outward signs of distress, especially considering she had to keep her little unfortunate system fooled. Rather, she calmly turned her gaze away from Leping below and back to the red-maned horse in front of her.
She patted the horse’s back and led it back along the mountain path she had taken.
This horse was gifted to her by the Wang family in gratitude for her help during the locust disaster in Bingzhou before she entered confinement, and she named it Zhu Tan.
Over the two years, not only had she grown taller, but the horse had also reached nearly seven feet in height.
This was the height of a young horse, yet it wasn’t fully grown—it still needed another two years to fully mature, coincidentally just as turmoil was to rise in the world.
Though it couldn’t compare to the fleetness of Red Hare or have the legendary prophecies associated with Lu, this border horse named Zhu Tan was undoubtedly the most harmonious match for her.
Following Qiao Yan’s commands, it walked down the mountain at a leisurely pace, arriving in front of the Leping County Office.
Had it not been for the incredible speed at which Qiao Yan had once ridden it, this slow stroll hardly resembled that of a fierce horse.
But after Qiao Yan patted its head a couple more times, it quietly followed her back to the stable.
“You seem quite lively, Marquis,” Xi Zhicai casually greeted as he strolled by the door, joining her inside the county office.
Yesterday, he had acted as a “tour guide,” nudging a fish he had caught towards the net, but today, he had serious business to attend to.
Clearly, Qiao Yan returning early to Leping wasn’t just a fun outing but was about strategizing.
Though not quite a case of honing a sword for ten years, Leping was finally preparing to genuinely engage in warfare along the border of Bingzhou and Silu. Even Xi Zhicai, usually laid-back, could not help but straighten up slightly at this moment.
“You’re up so early, feeling the pressure?” Qiao Yan teased.
This wasn’t the sort of behavior one would expect from a habitual slacker.
Xi Zhicai waved his hand, “Don’t even mention it. My friend got up too early, saying Leping has the best sleep. Only the mouthwash tastes weird, so they sought me out for breakfast. I figured it would be better to come here early and wait rather than having you send someone to find me.”
Hearing the term “mouthwash,” Qiao Yan couldn’t help but laugh, considering the cleaning methods of the time.
Fortunately, as Xi Zhicai said, after Guo Jia learned the proper use of toothbrushes and toothpaste, he certainly wouldn’t fly off the handle.
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Leaving that place, I managed to down an entire steamer of thin-skinned buns before heading off with Mi Zhu to explore the nearby hills.
The guards at the fortress workshop wouldn’t be opening up to them anyway, nor did I need to worry about their safety since the mountain bandits around Leping had already turned into upstanding citizens. So, I figured they could go on their way without a hitch.
Qiao Yan still had to focus on pressing matters.
Dealing with the Baibo bandits was definitely not as straightforward as that day when she led the cavalry into the river valley.
Based on archaeological findings regarding the Baibo’s encampment locations, they should be positioned west of the Zhi Pass, near Yonggu in Linfen.
Given Qiao Yan’s location during that day’s rush to aid, a systematic 3D map could now pinpoint this place.
At first glance, it seemed like a location for a tactical flank, ambush, or encirclement.
But reality wasn’t so simple.
“On the surface, the Baibo thieves are led by Guo Tai, but in truth, the four commanders below each fight their own battles and have their own troops and bases: Yang Feng, Han Xian, Li Le, and Hu Cai,” Qiao Yan began slowly, gazing at her assembled subordinates.
Just like Leping had rapidly grown over the past two years, Qiao Yan felt a sense of satisfaction gazing at her team. It was hard not to think along those lines.
In two years, the changes in appearance and physique weren’t just limited to her alone—strategists like Xi Zhicai and Cheng Li, who were already adults, barely changed, only looking a tad healthier as Guo Jia had seen.
But for those who were still teenagers, the transformations were particularly pronounced.
Take Zhao Yun, for instance.
When she first arrived in Leping, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old Zhao Yun had come to her doorstep. Now, three years later, he had truly developed the demeanor of a future general.
Just a few days ago, Qiao Yan had pulled him back from Zhi Pass. With no need to constantly guard against the Baibo’s unpredictable tactics, he seemed to look increasingly energetic.
Engaging in earlier small-scale battles was a rite of passage for any future renowned general, gradually honing the sharpness needed to break enemy lines.
But he was evidently not a reckless hothead charged into battle mindlessly.
As Qiao Yan glanced his way, she saw the young general seriously laying out a neatly bound account book of the county’s personnel in front of him, looking like he was diligently taking notes during a meeting.
Another individual mirroring his actions was Cai Zhaoji.
Zhaoji had taken on the position of managing documents under the County Marquis here, which was a thoroughly contemplated decision. Yet she hadn’t anticipated that this mission against the Baibo would involve her participation in strategy meetings as well.
However, just as Qiao Yan had told her, with a position comes the need for practical involvement. Whether it’s documenting events like a historian or analyzing insights from others’ discussions, she had to contribute something.
If she remained hidden behind the scenes, others might only know there’s someone propping up Qiao Yan’s writing, but wouldn’t know who that person really was or what they were like.
Was this what Cai Zhaoji wanted?
Of course not!
If she wanted to support her sister, she ought to be just like Qiao Yan and not fear stepping into the spotlight.
So, amidst the gathering, she earnestly took down everything Qiao Yan mentioned.
Yet, at just over ten years old, no matter how clever and quick at remembering she was, she couldn’t make her height keep up with the knowledge she was acquiring, leaving her a bit shorter than the rest.
Besides Chu Yan, who was still occupied with the guerrilla war against the Baibo, and Qin Yu, who, handling agricultural matters, didn’t take part in military meetings, the rest were already here, including Cai Yong, an outsider to the cultural sector of Leping, and Yang Xiu, who was still observing mourning rites for Yang Ci.
From Qiao Yan’s viewpoint, the morale displayed by the crowd undeniably provided her with a sense of stability regarding this battle.
She continued, “Among the Baibo four thieves, Yang Feng possesses the most strength and his reputation is as renowned as Guo Tai’s. Therefore, when people talk about the Baibo leader, Yang Feng’s name commonly comes up. Plus, he has a subordinate named Xu Huang, whose commands are always steady, and Chu Yan and Zilong’s few missteps were solely due to him.”
“So, in your opinions, how should we begin to eliminate the Baibo thieves?”
Xu Huang was undeniably one of the future old ministers of Cao Wei and one of the five stellar generals, but for now, he was just another soldier under the command of the Baibo’s Yang Feng—perhaps a “leader” would be the more fitting term.
At this moment, Yang Feng hadn’t yet made the sudden transformation from bandit to military commander after escorting Emperor Xian back east. He merely held a slight advantage among the various Baibo factions.
Yet, he vaguely felt he shouldn’t be this constrained.
The area around Baibo Valley could cut off a crucial pass among the Taihang Eight and, thus, could raid Bingzhou while also peeking at Hongnong and Luoyang. If the provincial authorities’ threats to bandits weren’t enough to frighten him, he could then advance into Anyi and such places.
But in reality, after Bingzhou avoided the locust plague and enjoyed financial enrichment, it hadn’t allowed him to extract enough profits to arm his troops—it rather squeezed his means for survival even further.
What he didn’t know was that with Xi Zhicai, Cheng Li, Zhao Yun, Dian Wei, and others gathered in Leping right now, a strategic meeting against him was underway.
Upon hearing Qiao Yan’s question, seeing that the more experienced Cheng Li was silent, Xi Zhicai took the opportunity to respond, “Do you plan to eliminate the Baibo bandits entirely, or would you consider adopting a strategy like with the Heishan army, bringing them under your control?”
Qiao Yan inquired, “What would the former entail, and what about the latter?”
Xi Zhicai replied, “If it’s the former, then encirclement, interception, night raids, and fire—anything goes.”
“If it’s the latter, you’d need to ensure their internal conflicts outstrip the external threats. Of course, this doesn’t mean you wouldn’t have to take action, but rather adopt a more clever approach.”
As he spoke, he stood up and, on the rough terrain of Baibo Valley that Chu Yan and Zhao Yun had roughly modeled after Qiao Yan’s layout, placed a five-cash coin at four distant spots.
Qiao Yan stepped closer to the edge of the sand table.
She still wore the red cloak from her morning journey in the mountains, which gave her a presence akin to that of a warrior even just standing there before the sand table.
After Xi Zhicai finished, she immediately raised her hand, scattering the earthen mounds beneath three of the five cash coins, then decisively placed those three coins atop the last one.
With a smile, she declared, “Then let’s make them go from far to near.”
“Zilong, take your orders!”
