“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 79: Eastern River Wei Ji
Well, the Wei and Fan clans are the pride of the Eastern River.
This was a remark later quoted from Du Ji.
They’re not quite there yet but not far off either.
Tracing back their history, it began when Wei Yao succumbed to illness while on a government mission in Anyi, East River. His whole family shifted here, inheriting his scholarly legacy and gradually establishing themselves among the local gentry.
Upon suddenly hearing the name “Wei Clan of East River,” Qiao Yan paused her pen that had been stagnant out of contemplation. “Please, let him in.”
The Wei Clan had contributed a lot in combating the Yellow Turban chaos outside Sili, and as Qiao Yan knew, they had gained quite the reputation within Xihe Commandery. Their unexpected visit did throw her off a bit.
The visitor’s identity was equally unforeseen.
After Xu Fu stepped out to receive him, Qiao Yan soon saw a young man in his early twenties saunter through the tent’s flap, standing before her.
“You send someone when the rightful heir of the Wei Clan comes to visit?” Qiao Yan looked up at him and inquired.
The young man cupped his hands in respect and replied, “Miss Qiao indeed sees clearly.”
Having acknowledged his identity, he continued, “I am Wei Ji of the Wei Clan. I previously mentioned to those outside that it was merely a mensaje from the Wei Clan because my whereabouts could not be made public. However, Miss Qiao’s sharp eyesight allowed her to discern my identity.”
It was a matter of eye power, really.
Qiao Yan gestured for him to take a seat while replying, “I’ve heard the Wei heirs possess a remarkable presence; your aura indeed surpasses mere messengers.”
Wei Ji complied and sat down, his attire flowing elegantly as Qiao Yan had noted, he undeniably had an extraordinary charm.
Once he settled, he said, “Miss Qiao, you flatter me. I am unworthy of such praise.”
And he didn’t actually have to feel unworthy.
Whether before or after crossing over, Qiao Yan had encountered the name Wei Ji.
He’d eventually become a renowned calligrapher in Cao Wei, rivaling Zhong Yao; his early fame had certainly spread across the East River region.
It wasn’t just because he was a young genius; his mastery of cursive writing gave him a distinct artistic flair.
No regular “messenger” would come in this caliber.
Besides, Wei Ji’s great-grandson was the famed Wei Jie of “Seeing the Kill” renown; he certainly didn’t lack looks or remarkable demeanor.
When someone like him says “Miss Qiao sees clearly,” Qiao Yan couldn’t help but wonder if the Wei Clan had some misconceptions about themselves.
Not recognizing him would be a joke.
But as Wei Ji sat before her, looking like a rather appealing décor, Qiao Yan dared not simplify him to just a pretty face.
When the north began stabilizing, during the turmoil of Dong Zhuo, Wei Ji wrote to Xun Yu proposing to allocate more officials to manage the returning populace from his refuge in the relationship with Jiang Zhong, until the regions stabilized.
After fleeing the management crisis, he eventually returned and was promoted to a position as a Minister.
Clearly, he was a governance talent.
If someone like him had come to her door, it probably wasn’t due to her previous actions against the Baibo bandits or the fact that the current station in Pingzhou County was but a stone’s throw from the East River.
He must have significant matters to discuss.
This significance wouldn’t change just because of his young age; he was at the age of maturity, so standing there represented the Wei Clan’s position.
Indeed, Qiao Yan soon heard him say, “I’ve come to borrow troops from you, Miss Qiao.”
Folks, this wasn’t just some friendly visit!
Qiao Yan concealed her reaction well and simply responded, “You’ve come quickly, so I assume you have a solid reasoning behind this request.”
Wei Ji, in fact, had come way too quickly.
From the time Qiao Yan repelled the Baibo to now had barely been a day.
This wasn’t nearly enough time for news of her stationed troops to spread to the Baibo or to reach the prefect in Xihe.
Yet, apparently, before the news even reached the Wei Clan, Wei Ji had set off.
This meant their decision to borrow troops likely came even before her own deployment.
Wei Ji scrutinized the girl across from him; while she showed no anger, her expression still carried an undeniable chill, prompting a silent acknowledgment of her fame. He respectfully said, “The Wei Clan comes with sincerity to borrow troops; I wouldn’t dare hide anything from you. This idea comes from your rescue efforts a few days back in the valley.”
The battle in the River Valley?
Qiao Yan raised an eyebrow.
At that time, there were no survivors for the Baibo bandits. They only knew their side fell to the forces from Leping and had no idea the one leading wasn’t Zhao Yun but Qiao Yan herself.
Yet, some people were aware of this.
Wei Ji continued, “Among the merchants, there are individuals traveling between Sili and Bingzhou from the Wei Clan.”
“Do not question why the Wei Clan relies on the merchants; if anything, it would be better to ask the Donghai Mi Clan’s thoughts.”
“In any case, this traveler has reported your impressive performance to the Wei Clan. I would not presume to guess your intentions, but I know you aren’t constrained by tradition. Now that you’ve lifted your seclusion, you must have strategies in mind against the Baibo bandits, so what you said about eliminating these thieves isn’t just a temporary plan for keeping trade routes safe.”
Seeing Qiao Yan’s intent to let him speak further, Wei Ji relaxed slightly and continued,
“However, the Baibo bandits are elusive in the mountains, as opposed to Leping County where one can orchestrate traps, they may very well slip away. With your reputation, they wouldn’t dare invade Bingzhou but would target the affluent amidst the East River instead. Thus, to secure their own safety, the Wei Clan seeks your assistance.”
Wei Ji forced a smile, “You might say that with the Wei Clan’s power, having retainers by our side is why we shouldn’t fear these thieves. But after all, as a clan that started from calligraphy, without prominent officials in the court, we cannot sustain ourselves with our followers amidst frequent calamities while being suspected by hidden ambitions. It would be wiser to lay off some followers that lack fidelity, retaining only those loyal to the Wei Clan, to guard against future turmoil.”
“In the face of common brigands, we might not flinch, but if these Baibo bandits truly felt threatened by you, then they would act like a cornered beast; our fortress can’t withstand their fury.”
With that said, he rose again and bowed, “I, Wei Ji, humbly request help on this matter. The Baibo bandit problem, the state bureaucracy cannot contain; this has led us here. The Wei Clan won’t risk raising an army unless provoked, only you dare offend the Governor for the people’s sake. It seems there’s a possibility for troops borrowing.”
With his serious expression, it was clear the Wei Clan was struggling against the Baibo bandits, likely deriving from their own analysis.
Moreover, they indeed didn’t seem to have a capable lineup like another Wei Clan member from the North.
Their talents lay more in governance and literary achievement.
Thus, after astutely deducing potential dangers, it was perfectly reasonable for them to seek a supportive ally swiftly.
“But the Wei Clan does not represent the entire populace.”
If it were anyone else, they would be swayed by Wei Ji’s eloquence, yet Qiao Yan interrupted him coldly.
Upon hearing this, a tinge of dejection flashed across Wei Ji’s delicate features, but he persisted, “Perhaps that was true before I came. But not anymore.”
He lifted his gaze to Qiao Yan with conviction, “May I ask, Miss Qiao, are you truly powerless to pursue thus leading to the escape of two Baibo commanders?”
Qiao Yan chuckled, not refuting his claim.
Though there sure are too many sharp-witted folks around these times.
If it weren’t for the fact that the current situation presented multiple advantages for her side, and given Wei Ji’s status, he would never consider siding with the Baibo, making it out of the question to disclose her secrets. She should really just take him down now.
She threw back, “So what if I am? What if I’m not?”
Wei Ji could verify that the assessment he’d formed upon arrival in Pingzhou was indeed sound.
He replied unshakably, “If Miss Qiao wishes to witness the tiger fight on the mountain, allowing your enemy to exhaust each other before you become their next option, then supporting the Wei Clan might very well be a rapid route.”
“With all forces gathered, provisions must be scarce; only plundering the East River is feasible, yet raiding towns demands an all-out assault. It isn’t so simple, whereas pillaging villages yields far less than plundering affluent clans. The Wei Clan cannot defend like the Fan Clan, making them undoubtedly the best target.”
“Should Miss Qiao agree to lend troops, we could defeat the raiders outside the Wei Clan’s fortress, worsening their predicament, perhaps enabling us to return to Leping sooner.”
With that, Wei Ji bowed deeply again, “I pray, Miss Qiao, consider this matter carefully.”
Qiao Yan could not help but clap her hands lightly.
Brilliant!
Wei Ji’s statements showcased the necessity of action from her end while maintaining the Wei Clan’s dignity; it was indeed a splendid speech.
In fact, he was right in that she had to prevent certain Baibo bandits from raiding the East River.
However—
“You might be slightly skewed in one of your statements,” Qiao Yan stated leisurely, “If provoking the Baibo’s discord is your end goal, it will likely be best for them to leave with nothing from the East River. After all, there are still ferocious tigers on the sideline, they will still remain an unbreakable force.”
She looked up, her youthful face brimming with an astonishing sharpness.
“From my perspective, the ideal scenario would involve them striking East River, where one faction returns with a bountiful haul, while the others leave empty-handed. So why can’t I make sure this fortunate group carves off a piece from the Wei Clan?”
“Is this not the idea, Wei Ji?”
Wei Ji’s complexion paled.
His mind raced, processing this possibility, suddenly realizing that leaving the Baibo bandits with nothing indeed wouldn’t incite internal strife as much as unequal benefits would.
Now that was a far better trap.
And as for the Wei Clan knowing her plan? That clearly wasn’t enough leverage for threats.
In the current state of affairs, only those with armies held true clout, and Qiao Yan obviously qualified as one; she proved her capability of commanding troops while achieving victories.
However, amidst his momentary anxiety, he suddenly noted Qiao Yan shifted from her previous depth to an unusually relaxed demeanor, her tone mellowing. “But I do enjoy negotiating with wise individuals; thus, the borrowing of troops is negotiable.”
What a turn of events!
Wei Ji promptly said, “May I ask, Miss Qiao, should you consider lending troops, what kind of reward might be expected from the Wei Clan?”
He was clearly aware that with Qiao Yan’s earlier comment, the balance of power had shifted.
But in times of crisis, whether to secure power or protect the family’s legacy was not hard to decide.
All he couldn’t fathom was why Qiao Yan hadn’t offered an answer immediately, her gaze now fixated on his face.
But it wasn’t her fault for overthinking; she suddenly pondered a certain matter.
Wei Ji’s name was Ber Ji; if memory served, Cai Zhaoji’s future spouse from the Wei Clan was Wei Zhongdao—likely Ber Ji’s younger brother.
Given her interest in Zhaoji, Qiao Yan was considering if she should avoid this marriage that lasted merely a year before the groom passed.
However, scrutinizing Wei Ji’s features and the Wei Clan’s overall reputation, she thought it unnecessary to completely disregard.
If Wei Ber Ji performed this way, then likely Wei Zhongdao would not be too bad even if he had a weaker physique.
The Wei family had repeatedly birthed talent during the Cao Wei and Jin dynasties—such as Wei Guan, among the three dukes of the Jin, and Lady Wei, who taught Wang Xizhi calligraphy. If Wei Zhongdao possessed any fraction of the family’s capabilities, he could be a suitable candidate for Cai Yan.
Anyway, Zhaoji is presently here for her clerical work. If things are fated, once they grow up, I can just bring over Young Master Wei Zhongdao when the time is right; I don’t need to rush making any decisions now.
No rush!
It was more pressing to focus on this Wei grand figure before her.
“So, you want to borrow troops like that, huh?”
Clearly, this girl is some kind of genius, running right up to her asking for soldiers while also smartly assessing the situation.
As he said, the foundation of the Wei family in River East County isn’t strong enough to stand firm in this chaotic world, and the local army isn’t really something they can rely on. They definitely need to find themselves some outside assistance.
This can be Cao Cao, with Wei Ji serving under him as a symbol of loyalty from the Wei family. But why can’t that assistance come from her, Qiao Yan?
Now that she’s started expanding beyond Leping, having extra help is definitely welcome.
However, opening with something like “Come with me” sounds a bit like a wolf showing its teeth, and it’s certainly not the way to talk to the aristocracy beyond Bingzhou.
Wei Ji had no idea that a million thoughts were flashing through Qiao Yan’s mind; he just heard her immediately say, “First thing, I can deploy a thousand men. The food for this thousand soldiers must be provided by the Wei family.”
“Of course,” Wei Ji said without a second thought.
Since he wants help, he’ll need to ensure they’re fed.
From his analysis of the inevitability of the White Wave Bandits’ plundering, this campaign likely wouldn’t last more than ten days.
The Wei family can afford that expense.
“Second thing, if I capture the White Wave Bandits, I will need to implement educational control over them like we did with the Black Mountain Bandits to prevent any further misdeeds. However, there aren’t many capable of teaching in Leping. I’ve heard the Wei family has an outstanding scholarly tradition, so I’d like to borrow two of your people.”
“That’s no issue.”
As the eldest son of the Wei family, Wei Ji has the authority to make that decision.
“That’s it then. Tomorrow I’ll send someone to lead the troops. Young Master Wei can stay in the camp tonight or head back to the Wei family.”
Wei Ji was left staring in disbelief.
That’s it?
He was expecting Qiao Yan to come in with some outrageous demands, but it turns out this is all she wanted.
But as a County Marquis and military commander, she wouldn’t joke around about the situation.
This was clearly her finalized condition.
Wei Ji immediately expressed his gratitude, saying, “I’ll just find a place to settle in the camp, thank you for your assistance, Qiao Marquis.”
“What’s the fuss about?” Qiao Yan thought sarcastically; there could still be negotiations down the line.
For now, however, they managed to send him off with warm hospitality.
Once Wei Ji left, Qiao Yan turned her attention back to pondering the military rewards and punishments.
She could linger on the details a bit longer.
But now that she agreed to Wei Ji’s request for troops, her forces would definitely face the White Wave Bandits again in battle.
With that in mind, it would be best for her to establish a framework for this reward system before deploying any soldiers.
Although she had built a respectful reputation among the soldiers over the past two years in Leping, it’s crucial to remember that in the face of life and death in battle, reputation isn’t enough to keep them going.
Once or twice might be fine, and minor skirmishes can still be handled, but if they set foot in River East County under the pretense of protecting the wealth of a noble family, they can’t rely solely on her fame.
Qiao Yan twirled her pen and wrote down the words “Initial Merit System.”
The “Initial” here isn’t the first, but rather the heads.
The Han Dynasty’s military merit system, like most laws, inherits from the Qin system, which proposed “awards based on the heads taken” since Shang Yang’s reforms.
But the Qin’s system was quite rigorous; for example, higher-ranked officers needed to lead their subordinates to earn merit, they couldn’t just greedily slaughter and claim heads, and they couldn’t kill civilians to falsely claim achievements either. They needed to prevent the “head counting” from including women and children.
However, by the late Eastern Han period, even the three-day public display rule and many of the regulations became hard to enforce.
That’s why when Dong Zhuo passed through Yingchuan, he executed all men participating in the February festival, hung their heads on the chariot, and claimed it was to suppress robbers.
This is the danger of killing innocents for glory.
Yet, it’s undeniable that while the Initial Merit System has its flaws, Qiao Yan can’t escape the Han system. At her current rank, with no real power, she can’t offer promotions, changes in position, or titles, so continuing the Initial Merit System, while pairing heads with specific material rewards, is unavoidable.
This is also the most suitable system for the current state of affairs; it’s not the right time for provocative changes.
However, she doesn’t plan to blindly follow the existing rules.
She wrote down a few more lines.
[Count heads as captives, group by sequences, merit based on performance, and establish a supervision team.]
Counting captives as heads is pretty straightforward.
If they only count heads for achievements, like in Ming Dynasty where a head was worth thirty taels of silver, given their current scarcity of supplies and currency, soldiers would definitely commit to such actions—
As long as Qiao Yan sets a price for heads, they would wipe out the enemy utterly.
But not only does she lack military achievements, she also lacks population; if they follow this rule, by the end of a battle, she’d see nothing but a pile of heads.
This certainly won’t help her develop the population under her rule.
Plus, counting captives rather than heads has an additional advantage in this environment, where one fights for whoever feeds them. Individuals switching sides isn’t uncommon; they might not even need ideological grooming, these captives could pick up weapons and fight for her side, which is undoubtedly way more efficient than chopping off heads on the battlefield.
Just think about the difficulty of severing a neck in the heat of battle.
That’s why Qiao Yan wrote “group by sequences.”
This idea has historical reference: Ming Dynasty’s anti-Japanese general Qi Jiguang.
After the Hongxi and Xuande reigns, the Ming military merit standards shifted from performance-based to head-count based.
Both have their downsides.
The former had a typical example in the Song Dynasty, where Tong Guan made use of suspicions about the reporting’s authenticity to have Han Shizhong executed for capturing the Western Xia supervisor’s prized achievements and only promoted him one rank. The latter’s downsides became painfully clear during battles against Japanese pirates.
They believed that “in battles, send a few pirates first, if victorious, the rest would advance; if not, wait for our soldiers to fight over heads and then pounce, thus achieving constant victories.”
This implies that as heads can be traded for gold, they’d send a part of members who could be sacrificed upfront, so while the Ming soldiers were busy fighting over heads, the pirates would swarm in.
All sorts of changes on the battlefield can happen in an instant; if one gets greedy for just a single head, it could lead to disarray in the ranks, providing opportunities to the enemy.
In this regard, Qi Jiguang provided a workable solution.
When fighting against the Japanese pirates in the south, he trained his soldiers to use a formation that separates the front and rear. All those wielding long weapons, including long shields and spears, were banned from carrying the knives meant for severing heads, with soldiers in the back holding short weapons tasked with that job.
In a world where a head was worth thirty taels, those in the front were in the most dangerous positions and were the ones to land the kills; they would receive twenty taels, while the soldiers assisting from the back would split the remaining ten.
This ensures that there wouldn’t be chaos in the ranks during advancement due to the greed for capturing heads.
Qiao Yan plans to gradually form her teams in a similar manner.
This, of course, isn’t a swift process, especially since there aren’t any qualified long weapon frontlines in her current troops.
But that’s fine; setting a framework for the system is a step in the right direction.
This is complemented by what Qiao Yan wrote as the fourth point: [Establish a supervision team].
Of course, when it comes to executing this, she’ll slowly explore whether to reference Qi Jiguang’s method of having a personal guard wear “merit” insignias to assist in severing heads and record achievements or stick to a text-based supervisory team during practical implementation.
Finally, the last point [Merit based on performance] serves as a supplementary explanation for the initial merit system.
In engagements, aside from killing enemy soldiers, there are particularly special situations such as slaying generals, seizing flags, leading advances, etc.
In those moments, such distinctive achievements will be categorized and supplemented under the achievement of initial merit.
With her plans in mind, Qiao Yan assessed how many rewards to offer based on this battle, then called over Zhao Yun, Zhang Yang, and Chu Yan.
When they learned Qiao Yan wasn’t going to hold back on rewards despite their advantageous position, and even intended to set a standard for future engagements, their eyes brightened.
Who doesn’t appreciate a generous boss? Plus, food rewards undoubtedly encourage loyalty.
This was beneficial for them as commanders too.
Zhao Yun considered for a moment and asked, “If it’s like what Young Marquis said, how much rice is given per head?”
Qiao Yan had already calculated that before they arrived; there was no hesitation now as she decisively replied, “Thirty stones.”
Xu Fu quickly calculated and realized this was indeed a fitting number, immediately praising her, “That’s marvelous!”
This reward and punishment system, given Qiao Yan’s thorough knowledge of Leping’s stock, didn’t need any further consent from the strategists.
So she just wrote a letter, sending a servant to run from Pingzhou County City to Leping to inform Cheng Li to reserve the rice as a reward.
Then, before allowing Wei Ji to set out for the battle, she called all her soldiers to line up outside the military camp.
With Chu Yan’s previously led guerrillas joining up, she now had three thousand soldiers in front of her. If you included the captives from defeating the White Wave Bandits, it was nearly five thousand.
Qiao Yan found a slightly elevated spot to stand on, looking down at them, feeling a bit like she was at a high school morning assembly.
Except with twice the number of participants.
No, no need to get too fanciful.
She suppressed those odd thoughts and addressed the troops before her.
With more people than when she spoke at the county office, she didn’t have a loudspeaker, but thankfully, soldiers in the ranks relayed her words, ensuring even those at the back could hear what she had to say.
But this also meant her remarks had to be short and powerful to avoid any misunderstandings.
This is military achievement!
Time to pump up the morale!
Even though she intentionally let some escape, this achievement is definitely commendable right now.
But that’s not the point she wanted to emphasize.
She continued, “This merit doesn’t belong to me, but to all of you.”
Thirty-five stones!
Thanks to her pacing and the shouting soldier relaying her words, the announcement of “thirty-five stones” echoed like a wave spreading among them.
Standing above, Qiao Yan saw the expressions below, clearly witnessing their joy and surprise at the news of this reward.
After three years of managing Leping, she’d never made a promise she didn’t keep, ensuring that no one would doubt the authenticity of her words.
Thirty-five stones! This was half of what a sturdy farmer could typically yield in the Han Dynasty’s average yield of three stones per mu.
Plus, they still had to pay taxes for farming, so this thirty-five stones was pure gold!
For the sake of the good people of Leping and this substantial combat reward, what’s a little loyalty to Young Marquis Qiao?
The compensation she later mentioned for those who lost their lives in battle also had reasonable amounts in their eyes.
Before they could even calm their excitement, Qiao Yan added, “Having completed three battles and holding back on merits, now I need a thousand of you to deploy towards River East and intercept the White Wave Bandits headed that way.”
A thousand? With their numbers, including those cunning White Wave Bandits, could be as high as five thousand!
Now she’s mocking them, right?
Before Qiao Yan could finish her “brave volunteers” part, she heard an inspiring, though not entirely unified, shout of agreement.
“Young Marquis—We are willing to go!”
