Chapter 84

Chapter 84

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 3: Galloping Through Bingzhou, Troops Depart Hedong Chapter 84: Outside Guyang

“Book Title: Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?”

Chapter 84: Outside Guyang

The question “How is Leping?” asked to Xu Huang two days ago, and the answer he would give two days later, were definitely not the same.

Two days ago, Leping left him with the impression of a fierce tiger hunting him and his companions into a corner. But two days later, after visiting Leping…

Xu Huang’s hand hidden in his sleeve slightly clenched, feeling the hard object pressing against his palm.

When he left Leping, a child, seeing him gaze at her windmill for a long time, whispered a few words to Chu Yan and then stuffed a paper-folded star into his hand.

According to her, this was something the Marquis of Leping taught them to fold in his spare time.

The windmill couldn’t be given to him, but this paper star could.

This made Xu Huang feel that Qiao Yan’s image was somewhat elusive when he saw her now.

She held a special cylindrical object leisurely, but when she asked, “How is Leping?” her words exuded an aura of dominance.

Xu Huang disliked lying and saw no need to lie now. He replied, “Leping is peaceful, and people have their homes. This is the merit of Marquis Qiao, and Xu Huang truly admires it.”

When Guo Jia arrived in Leping, he found it different from other places, full of vitality, let alone Xu Huang.

What Xu Huang compared Leping to was not the peaceful Yingchuan like Guo Jia, but the White Wave Bandits in the mountains.

What shocked Xu Huang even more was Chu Yan’s show of wealth.

What was this show of wealth?

He took Xu Huang to Leping’s granary!

In these times, the amount of grain was indeed an important benchmark for judging a faction’s strength, especially when showing the grain reserves to the temporary leader of a less affluent faction. The underlying message was, “We have wealth, will you join us?”

Xu Huang was still hesitant. Until he stood before Qiao Yan, neither she nor Chu Yan, who had led the way, had given any promises.

Qiao Yan leisurely replied, “The people who plant and produce grain are not me, but the county folks of Leping. I am merely the guardian of this wealth. For example, the mountain bandits’ descent routes have been completely cut off, and we can encircle them at any time. This is to prevent some from raiding Hedong and still not having enough to fill their stomachs, reaching out to others with surplus grain.”

Xu Huang was startled.

He suddenly realized that accepting Chu Yan’s invitation might not have been a wise decision. The quality of the White Wave Army in the mountains doomed them to be no match for Qiao Yan’s regular Leping troops without leadership.

His departure wasn’t to verify the truth of Chu Yan’s words but to remove their last line of defense!

He shouldn’t have forgotten, due to Qiao Yan’s polite yet firm approach, that it was her military actions that forced Li Le and Han Xian into Yang Feng’s territory, leading to their infighting.

But this was just after he returned from Leping.

With the thought “So people can live like this” still fresh in his mind, hearing Qiao Yan’s words about surrounding them made it hard to feel resentment.

Moreover, given the White Wave Bandits’ ways, it was indeed difficult to stand tall before the Marquis of Leping.

He couldn’t help but squeeze the paper star folded by the Marquis of Leping in his palm, took a deep breath, and said, “Marquis Qiao, why not speak plainly? If you truly intend to suppress the bandits, there’s no need to just block the main roads; you could directly attack the mountains.”

“You’re right, so this is also a choice I give you,” Qiao Yan replied. “I understand the principle of eradicating evil thoroughly. The mountain’s food isn’t enough to fill stomachs for long. To prevent Bingzhou from suffering in the future, it’s better to eliminate you all now.”

Though young, her words carried an undiminished air of authority.

Her strategic planning and grand maneuvers left no doubt about the truth in her words.

But since she mentioned it as a choice, there was clearly a second option.

“The second choice: kill to secure a path to survival.”

“What do you mean?” Xu Huang frowned.

This demand sounded strange and unlike something the Marquis of Leping would propose.

But the next moment, she raised the special cylindrical object in her hand and pointed north, “You can kill passing merchant caravans, the powerful clans of Hedong, can’t you kill the northern Qiang and Hu tribes?”

“A few days ago, Guyang County in Yunzhong was massacred by the Xiongnu. If not for the incomplete pacification of this area, I would have led troops north for a more meaningful battle. So now, I give you a second choice—”

“Lead the White Wave troops to join me in this expedition. Those who can kill in battle will enjoy the treatment of Leping’s citizens. Those who cannot will face death for their banditry.”

Before Xu Huang could respond, Qiao Yan called, “Chu Yan!”

“Here.”

“Tell him about the treatment of Leping’s soldiers.”

The White Wave Bandits made Qiao Yan even more uneasy than the Black Mountain Bandits, especially since—

Their bandit nature allowed them to easily switch allegiances, from Li Jue to the Xiongnu, to Lü Bu, and then to Yuan Shu. Even after such tumultuous changes, they continued their plundering ways in Xuzhou and Yang Province.

Except for Xu Huang, who turned over a new leaf early and, with his military talent, gradually rose to become one of the Five Elite Generals, the rest were mere casualties in the warlords’ chaos, still thinking of themselves as White Wave Bandits.

So even though Xu Huang was talented, and even though Yang Feng, Li Le, and Han Xian had already perished in internal strife, joining Hu Cai underground, Qiao Yan had no intention of warmly inviting Xu Huang to join Leping with open arms.

But this was clearly the most appropriate approach now.

Xu Huang’s resolve wavered.

He initially thought he shouldn’t have followed Chu Yan down the mountain, but then realized that even if he hadn’t, Qiao Yan’s thorough understanding of the mountain’s situation would have left them no chance to counterattack.

Now, hearing Qiao Yan’s two choices and Chu Yan’s description of the treatment in Leping’s army, Xu Huang looked at Qiao Yan with astonishment.

Just the reward of thirty stones per song, allocated by squad contribution, was enough to make joining Leping’s army highly attractive.

Moreover, the treatment of soldiers in Leping didn’t stop there.

Thus, exchanging the killing of barbarians for a more promising environment didn’t seem like coercion but rather like her offering a recruitment process when she could have just killed them outright.

Xu Huang took a deep breath and replied, “Marquis Qiao, I will convey your words and the situation here to the mountain.”








“Esteemed lords, please let Marquis Qiao give me…”

“Your time is only until sunset today,” Qiao Yan interrupted him. “Don’t forget, you were initially given two days, and now more than one day has already passed.”

The resolute tone in her words left Xu Huang with no choice but to believe that this was her final ultimatum.

The Marquis of Leping, who had been sitting at the head earlier, now stood up and walked towards him, handing him a cylindrical object. “Take a look.”

Xu Huang instinctively followed Qiao Yan’s gesture, placing the narrow end of the cylinder to his eye. After being led out of the military tent, he looked towards the nearby mountains and was startled once again.

This cylinder, crafted with water jade at both ends, actually allowed him to see the distant mountains clearly. Everything within his field of vision was magnified several times over.

It was clear that it was because of this device that Qiao Yan had been able to learn about the internal strife on their side earlier.

Although the water jade was expensive, and there were likely few craftsmen with such skill, having just a few of these would be enough to keep their every move under the watchful eye of this Marquis Qiao!

She wasn’t just answering his questions; she was applying more pressure.

Xu Huang respectfully returned the device to Qiao Yan and, without saying another word, exited the tent.

The answer that had to be given by sunset clearly didn’t allow for any delay, so he could only urge the others to make a decision quickly.

“If Xu Huang can really persuade the others to join us, can I borrow this new weapon of yours for a few more days?” Chu Yan asked immediately after Xu Huang left.

He had long known that the fortress workshops Qiao Yan had established after settling the refugees as hidden households in Leping were unusual, but he hadn’t expected something like this.

With this device, scouting the movements in the mountains would be much easier.

Unfortunately, there were only two prototypes at the moment. One was in the workshop as a template for production and to study improvements for clearer imaging, while the other was the finished product in Qiao Yan’s hands.

“Not yet,” Qiao Yan shook her head. “I intend for you to take over all patrol duties inside and outside Leping County after sending the elderly, women, and children of the White Wave Bandits back to Leping. I need to take this to the northern front. If you really want it—”

“If everything goes smoothly during this period, there should be another one soon, and that one will be yours.”

As for the telescope, Qiao Yan could roughly describe its shape and principle, but when it came to focusing or the curvature of the lenses, she was completely clueless.

Especially regarding the optimal magnification for use in mountains versus flatlands, she couldn’t provide any specifics, so she simply delegated the task to her subordinates.

Unfortunately, the only crystal deposits mined in Bingzhou were amethysts, and the small amount of clear quartz had to be purchased from Donghai County last year.

Thus, even though it wasn’t an overly complex device, the quantity on hand was worryingly low.

It was precisely because of this scarcity that when Qiao Yan said it would be his rather than a gift, Chu Yan’s face lit up with joy.

Speaking of which, after this achievement, he had originally intended to ask Marquis Qiao for a courtesy name, so he wouldn’t always be referred to as Chu Yan or by his nickname, Feiyan.

Having a courtesy name would make him sound more like Yuan Zhi, Zilong, and Zhishu.

But now…

Now that there was this thing called a telescope by Marquis Qiao, who cared about a courtesy name!

Just as Chu Yan was thinking this, Qiao Yan asked, “What do you think of Xu Huang?”

“I’ve fought him many times. His talent in leading troops is indeed remarkable, though I sometimes feel he hasn’t given his all. But once he surrenders, any reluctance should be forced out,” Chu Yan replied. “Marquis Qiao, rest assured, the trip to Leping and the heavy troops we’ve stationed at the mountain pass will be enough to make them make the right decision.”

In fact, before sunset, Xu Huang had already led his men to a decision.

With their leaders falling one after another, the White Wave Bandits were already filled with uncertainty about the future, not to mention being surrounded by the Marquis of Leping’s forces.

Now, seeing Xu Huang return, they clung to him like a lifeline.

However, what Xu Huang proposed was not an easy condition for surrender.

But as Guo Jia and Qiao Yan had demonstrated, in the eyes of the people, while the Xiongnu and Xianbei were fearsome, they were only formidable in raiding and bullying the weak at the borders. When facing regular armies, the historical battles had led to a perception that the barbarians were not so formidable after all.

Choosing to fight against the Xiongnu or to engage in a battle with Qiao Yan now was not a difficult decision.

When you’re at the mercy of others, you naturally choose the easier option.

Moreover, the merit-based reward system in the Marquis of Leping’s army, coupled with the ability to provide grain as rewards, provided further motivation for making a decision.

Qiao Yan looked at this group of surrendered soldiers, who were even more bandit-like than the Black Mountain Army, feeling some pressure but showing none on her face. She then showed them the military provisions sent from Leping to support their northern campaign, which had already arrived in the army.

And this army, led by the Marquis of Leping, in its full readiness, displayed the demeanor of a fierce and formidable force!

As Qiao Yan pointed her whip northward, there was an air of stern grandeur.

They seemed to be swept up in the sound of iron hooves and marching feet, only realizing they were nearing their destination when the border winds blew as they approached Guyang County.

Of course, this gust of wind brought not just the scent of the borderlands but also the arrival of troops from Dingxiang.

Leading this troop was none other than Zhang Liao.

Two years had been enough for this young man to grow significantly taller, and his frequent battles and command at the border had accelerated his maturity.

But these two years clearly hadn’t made him forget that his appointment as a military officer at such a young age was largely due to Qiao Yan’s help.

As he dismounted and walked quickly towards her, the respect on Zhang Liao’s face was evident.

“How is the situation in Guyang?”

As Qiao Yan inquired, she looked northward, where the outline of the mountains was faintly visible.

North of Bingzhou lay the Yin Mountains, known for “not letting the barbarian horses cross,” but unlike the difficult passes of the Taihang Mountains, the wide valleys formed by erosion in the Yin Mountains allowed the Xiongnu cavalry to easily enter Bingzhou.

This was why, ten days ago, Guyang had suffered an unexpected invasion.

“Before Marquis Qiao arrived, we had already gathered and buried the bodies in Guyang City,” Zhang Liao said, though his expression betrayed a deep-seated hatred, despite his experience with border raids. “However, the heads hanging on the walls and the remains in the cauldrons below could not be identified, so we had to bury them together temporarily.”

During these raids, the Han people were treated as food.

This was the way of the barbarians today!