Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 3: Galloping Through Bingzhou, Troops Depart from Hedong Chapter 80 Twenty Merits

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Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 80 Twenty Merits

When three thousand, or perhaps more than three thousand, voices shouted together, the sound of “We are willing to go” blended into an indistinct, high-pitched resonance. Yet, the words “Lord Marquis” stood out clearly and distinctly!

Lord Marquis, though a marquis, also possesses the demeanor of a ruler.

This is indeed a respectful title for a marquis, but in these times, how many can be addressed by their subordinates in such a manner?

Wei Ji suppressed his astonishment and looked towards Qiao Yan, seeing the young girl in black robes and a red cloak standing firmly on the slope, unmoved by the waves of sound.

He had come to ensure that Qiao Yan would not renege on her promise to him and to guide the soldiers accompanying him to eliminate the bandits. Little did he expect to witness such a scene.

It’s hard to realize without seeing it firsthand that this is not merely a lure of wealth leading men to their deaths, but also a call to arms akin to scholars dying for those who understand them.

He had no doubt that even if the Hedong Wei family claimed to offer higher stakes, it would not be as enticing as the system Qiao Yan had established at this moment.

Such a call to arms is terrifying even when it appears in someone in their twenties or thirties, let alone—

Qiao Yan is only thirteen years old.

“Under a great reputation, there are no false scholars…” This was the sentiment Wei Ji had felt upon first meeting Qiao Yan, and now he couldn’t help but murmur it aloud.

On the way to Hedong, he couldn’t help but ask, “Has your Lord Qiao always been like this?”

“What do you mean by always like this?” Zhang Yang asked in return.

As this battle was a flatland engagement against pursuing enemies, Qiao Yan unhesitatingly chose Zhao Yun as the main commander and Zhang Yang as his deputy.

Thus, with Chu Yan left to guard Pingzhou County and lead the scouts, they could adequately defend against any potential enemy threats.

Since Zhao Yun was busy issuing orders to the troops, Wei Ji ended up talking to Zhang Yang.

“She doesn’t need to actually place the reward of thirty-five stones per person in front of them to make her soldiers believe they can earn this battle reward. At times when morale needs boosting, she precisely outlines the rules and regulations, and also…”

Also ensures that the chosen expedition members are convincing to all.

Faced with the reward for beheading or capturing an enemy, everyone wants to fight for a “future of wealth.”

Although Wei Ji has not experienced the hardships of the common folk, having witnessed the chaos caused by the locust plague in the three auxiliary regions without reducing the land tax, he can easily understand this mindset.

But when Qiao Yan escorted him out of the Pingzhou city camp, Wei Ji could confirm that the selection of these thousand men had gained the approval of others, or rather, even the留守 soldiers believed they would not miss the opportunity to achieve merit.

This strong sense of conviction made Wei Ji momentarily feel that seeking Qiao Yan’s help to borrow troops was a rather dangerous move.

Yet, she only requested that the Wei family provide the grain for the thousand soldiers’ march and a few individuals responsible for education, which was not too harsh a demand, making Wei Ji think he might have overthought it.

Moreover, assisting in quelling the Yellow Turban Rebellion, leading the fight against the locust plague, and now suppressing the White Wave Bandits, it all seems like a continuous lineage…

He snapped out of his thoughts to hear Zhang Yang reply, “What’s unusual about this? Lord Qiao’s word is as good as gold, we all believe what she says, and Leping can afford the rewards.”

Most of the soldiers present were former Black Mountain Bandits, and they had handled most of the grain harvests over the past three years. Although Chu Yan’s exchange of grain in Bingzhou was secretive, what they had seen was enough to cover the military rewards, so there was no need for doubt.

Zhang Yang’s blatant display of wealth momentarily choked Wei Ji.

But to be fair, Leping need not worry about such displays attracting unwanted attention; instead, the former Black Mountain Bandits have become loyal supporters of the area, and the White Wave Bandits have been forced into clustered living conditions by her.

Unfortunately, in the Hedong region, at least the Wei family could not muster such a force and had to rely on Qiao Yan’s assistance to complete this deployment.

Just as he thought this, he suddenly heard Zhang Yang say, “By the way, your name is quite auspicious, with both chicken and fish in it, sounding very prosperous. Leping can’t even eat like that every day.”

“…?” The slight gloom Wei Ji had just felt was completely dispelled by this remark.

His name is Wei Ji, styled Boji, not chicken and fish, you fool!

Wei Ji, only twenty-two, had come to borrow troops from Qiao Yan with calm words, displaying the decorum of a noble family, but he couldn’t help but feel some youthful exuberance. If Zhao Yun hadn’t called Zhang Yang away to arrange military affairs, he would have had to clarify these words with him.

Fortunately, no matter how headache-inducing this deputy under Lord Qiao might be, the ones to suffer next would certainly not be him, but the White Wave Bandits.

As Wei Ji had said when borrowing troops from Qiao Yan, facing a shortage of food, having previously been defeated by Qiao Yan, and with her holding Pingzhou, ready to strike at any moment—

Their best option for plundering grain was Hedong.

Even when picking persimmons, one should choose the soft ones. Following this logic, the most suitable target for plunder was undoubtedly the Wei family.

“I think it’s inappropriate,” Xu Huang, upon hearing several White Wave leaders gather and someone propose this target, did not find it feasible despite the unanimous praise, and said, “The Wei family has dismissed some retainers, and those remaining in the fortress are surely loyal to the Wei family.”

“What of it?” Han Xian asked with displeasure.

“This means the Wei family cannot be quickly defeated. If they defend stubbornly, there’s no guarantee that external aid won’t arrive.”

Xu Huang hadn’t expected the Wei family to so decisively borrow troops from Qiao Yan; he merely thought that with the Wei family’s status as a scholarly noble family, if they couldn’t be quickly overcome, might it attract the attention of the Colonel Director of Retainers?

But clearly, his reasoning did not convince the others.

Li Le’s temperament was slightly more restrained, but Han Xian snorted again and asked, “Then in your view, where should we target for plunder?”

Xu Huang had already considered this question and promptly replied, “The Zhao family of Ji County.”

“Ridiculous!” This time even Li Le found Xu Huang’s words utterly absurd and couldn’t help but speak out, “After the Wei family dismissed their retainers and closed their fortress, these brave individuals nearby joined the Zhao family. Now, their manpower surpasses that of the Wei family. Moreover, the Wei family’s men are mostly scholars, unlike the Zhao family, which is known for its bravery. How can you say the former is harder to attack than the latter? What exactly do you mean!”

Xu Huang wanted to retort that this wasn’t some game of comparing sizes.

The Zhao family’s methods of amassing wealth were brutal and lacked local support. Even in battle…








The sudden rise should not cause troublesome counterattacks or alerts, making it most suitable for them.

But seeing Yang Feng signal him not to speak at this moment, he temporarily held back the words that were almost out of his mouth.

Until several people present decided on the target of raiding the Wei family, with Li Le and Han Xian leading their troops as the main force, and Yang Feng providing a team as support, they left the meeting place one after another. Only then did he hear Yang Feng say, “Do you know why I stopped you?”

To be honest, Yang Feng himself felt that if they really attacked the Zhao family as Xu Huang suggested, it would be better to target the Wei family, who were like soft-shelled shrimp.

But Xu Huang had been under his command for a long time, and he was well aware of his capabilities. It was hard to say whether Xu Huang’s judgment was correct.

However, with other forces around at this time, such a risky decision was obviously not suitable to be voiced.

Xu Huang could suggest that Yang Feng decide whether to accommodate these parties, understanding the reasoning, but understanding was one thing, and speaking the truth for the sake of combat efficiency was another.

He cupped his hands towards Yang Feng and said, “Please give me eight hundred men, and I will go straight to take the Zhao family, surely bringing back another batch of grain for you.”

Eight hundred men?

Yang Feng muttered to himself and finally agreed to Xu Huang’s idea.

With his current numerical advantage over Li Le and Han Xian, losing eight hundred men was not a big deal. But if Xu Huang’s plan to attack the Zhao family succeeded, it would undoubtedly add another force to him.

If Xu Huang had asked for more men, Yang Feng might have hesitated, but the number Xu Huang proposed was just at his bottom line.

With the idea that it wouldn’t hurt to try, even when Li Le sarcastically suggested that since he supported Xu Huang’s idea so much, he might as well give his position to Xu Huang, he just replied, “Didn’t I support your ideas?”

He allocated eight hundred men to Li Le and Han Xian, led by his younger brother Yang Da, plus the half they originally brought, totaling over two thousand men.

No matter how impregnable the Wei family’s fortress was due to their unity, it was obviously impossible to withstand such an encirclement. If they chose a time when the enemy was unprepared to attack, wouldn’t it be a quick victory?

He spoke frankly.

Li Le, who had the idea of annexing his power, also knew that at this time, Yang Feng’s actions were not inappropriate, and since he had no food in hand, he could not act prematurely.

He quickly replied, “Brother Yang, what are you talking about? I just hope Brother Yang always remains vigilant.”

But halfway through his words, he felt that if the divisive tactic didn’t work, he might end up losing himself, so he immediately smiled awkwardly, “But Brother Yang’s military talent is far above mine, and naturally, you have a plan. I shouldn’t say more.”

His target was the wealth of the Wei family in Hedong!

The Wei family, which had developed for four or five generations in Hedong and started with Confucian classics, had no awe-inspiring status in the eyes of illiterate people like Li Le and Han Xian. They only saw them as children with wealth but no ability to protect themselves.

With two thousand men encircling them, as long as they acted quickly, they might return with the wealth from the Wei family’s fortress in two days.

So when they descended the mountain and headed straight for Hejin, the two commanders were full of their imagined beautiful prospects, completely ignoring Xu Huang’s reminder when they separated from his troops.

“This kid…” Thinking of the time when he was intercepted by Xu Huang outside the camp when he came to join, Li Le couldn’t help but spit.

But following that humiliating situation, he also learned some lessons.

He was caught off guard by Qiao Yan near sunrise, so could he also choose this time to attack the Wei family?

The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. After discussing with Han Xian, they set the time.

At dawn, this group of people pounced on the fat meat in front of them like hungry tigers!

However, just as they pounced under the fortress, intending to start climbing, the previously seemingly laxly defended fortress suddenly poured down dozens of buckets of boiling water, followed by a flurry of stones and arrows from the walls.

This defensive counterattack made Li Le and Han Xian gnash their teeth in anger. In their relief that they had not chosen to be the first to climb, they failed to notice that a team had already appeared behind them, cutting off their retreat.

The leader was a cavalry team of seventy or eighty men.

Cavalry!

In front of the Wei family’s iron wall, it was the perfect environment for cavalry to charge.

These seventy or eighty men could rival several hundred men!

Unless—

Under the threat of these iron hooves, these White Wave Bandits could suddenly grow wings and fly directly into the fortress.

But could they?

Not only could they not, but they would soon find out that some of the people in the team that had flanked them from behind had been their companions a few days ago.

But now these people thought that the reward of thirty stones per head was more appealing.

Zhao Yun, with a calm face, pointed his spear at the White Wave Bandits ahead and slowly lowered the spear tip.

This was the agreed-upon signal for attack!

Almost at the same time as the battle broke out near Hejin, Qiao Yan’s rewards for soldiers in battle and compensation for the dead reached Cheng Li and Xi Zhicai in the form of a letter.

Seeing Xi Zhicai’s face change after reading the letter and then burst into laughter, Guo Jia, who was sitting opposite him drinking, couldn’t help but ask, “Did something good happen?”

This was not like Xi Zhicai’s usual behavior.

He was not the type to hide his emotions, but he rarely laughed so freely and comfortably.

This was obviously not him being drunk, clearly something important was mentioned in the letter.

Xi Zhicai waved his hand, “It can be considered good news, but it’s not entirely appropriate to say so.”

Since this was something that would soon be implemented in Leping, even if Xi Zhicai wanted to hide it from Guo Jia, he probably couldn’t, so he simply handed the letter over.

Guo Jia read it word by word, and before reaching the end, he roughly guessed why Xi Zhicai had such a reaction. His expression became unusually serious.

He looked at Xi Zhicai and asked, “You expect Qiao Yan to be a provincial governor, but does a governor really need to plan to this extent?”

Xi Zhicai had already regained his composure and lightly tapped the table, casually replying, “A governor has military power, and Bingzhou is a place where barbarians gather and watch. If the soldiers are not willing to die for it, and the army cannot follow orders, not only will Bingzhou be hard to protect, but there is also the possibility of being killed in the chaos of the Qiang and Hu rebellions. Now it’s just forming regulations, how can it not be necessary?”

“Moreover, Leping has plenty of grain, these thirty stones are not the same as those thirty stones—”

Xi Zhicai suddenly stopped mid-sentence, stood up abruptly, “Wait, my current annual salary is only worth twenty heads?”