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“A strategist can’t ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 85 is about the chaos in Guyang City when Qiao Yan arrives. Even though the blood has been mostly cleaned up, the remains of the battle still linger everywhere, and Zhang Liao’s men have collected the severed heads and limbs for burial. The sight is still ghastly, with stains creeping down from the city walls.
The remnants of tattered blood-soaked banners sway in the autumn winds, painting a bleak and desolate picture.
“How on earth was Guyang City breached by the Hu?”
She furrows her brow while looking up at the city and asks.
The Han Great Wall was built with inner and outer fortifications stretching across Wuyuan and Yunzhong, one overlapping with the Yanshan Mountains and a second layer, which retreated 30 miles inward, built with rammed earth and pebbles.
This second inner wall featured watchtowers and military passes, with Guanglu Pass being the most renowned of them all.
When Huhan Xie, the Chanyu, had submitted to the Han, he stationed troops here, later returned to the northern steppe, and asked to take a Han princess as his wife, leading to the tale of Wang Zhaojun—this was indeed Guanglu Pass.
Because Guanglu Pass is located just outside the Guyang Road, it typically would have around 700 or 800 soldiers stationed there and regular patrols on the watchtower, making incidents in Guyang extremely rare.
After hearing her question, Zhang Liao hesitated for a moment before replying, “Previously, during the Uhuan Rebellion in Youzhou and Jizhou, the court ordered the dispatch of Bingzhou troops. The governor reported the vital points at the border, but the recruiting officer disregarded this and took away over 400 men stationed at Guanglu Pass, alongside half of the troops at the Du Liao General camp.”
“The Uhuan Rebellion happened in June, and during the July recruitment, Qiao Hou was still under house arrest.”
Implying at that time, telling her would have been useless.
But this ridiculous strategy of pulling troops from a burning place without considering long-term defenses elsewhere was truly—
“Absurd!”
How could they recruit like this?
However, as Bingzhou only had the governor with oversight and recommendation powers, they couldn’t get too involved in military matters. Even if Cui Lie had intentions to block it, he wouldn’t have the means.
With no Du Liao General in charge now, no one could actually stop the evacuation of the troops.
Qiao Yan could curse freely under the title of Marquis of Leping, but Zhang Liao could not.
He could only sigh and say, “More than half of the men at Guanglu Pass are gone, and the remaining have been diligent. When they heard a large cavalry coming from Guyang Road, they sounded the alarm and led their men out to chase, but the numbers were just too mismatched, and they all perished.”
“What’s worse, the outer city walls along Yanshan’s border aren’t doing much for defense; the inner wall has a collapse in a certain section that had already been reported for repairs, but before it could be fixed, the enemy showed up.”
As Qiao Yan passed through Guyang City, the aftermath of the pillaging was a sight that could only fuel her deep-seated hatred for the Qiang and Hu.
The untamed nomads saw Han people as sheep, mercilessly tearing off pieces of flesh the moment they had the chance, truly barbaric behavior.
The bloodstains in the city wouldn’t easily wash away, and as Qiao Yan walked through, she was hit by the overwhelming smell of blood.
Her gaze fixated on a collapsed courtyard wall where a bloody handprint was clearly visible.
Based on the size of that handprint, its owner was clearly a child.
Not being able to bear it any longer, Qiao Yan quickened the pace of her horse.
Exiting through the northern gate of Guyang, she proceeded further to the inner Great Wall.
Zhang Liao pointed and said, “This is the place.”
Qiao Yan followed his finger’s direction, and indeed, she saw a noticeable collapse in the second wall built during Emperor Xianwu’s reign.
Dismounting and approaching the inner wall’s breach, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but frown again.
The cross-section of the breach showed only clumped mud and gravel, devoid of the typical vegetation used in earthen walls for stability.
This was perhaps a construction habit from back then and not something to quibble over.
However, the weathering marks on the wall, as well as evident signs of human destruction, were quite unmistakable.
It was no coincidence the Hu chose this spot to attack.
“Let’s check Guanglu Pass,” Qiao Yan said, remounting her horse and turning to head west northwest.
Not long after, Guanglu Pass came into view.
Once a major garrison for the Chanyu, it wasn’t exactly small and was designed to be narrow at the top and wider at the bottom, easy to defend, hard to attack. However, with only about 200 soldiers still stationed there, it looked rather pitiful.
It was only because of Zhang Liao’s troops arriving that it still retained some semblance of its original defense structure.
As she gazed into the military quarters at Guanglu Pass, she noticed the sun reflecting off the tiles on the roofs, forming the character “Gu.”
That same pattern was found in Guyang City, yet sadly, that hope of steadfastness clearly couldn’t protect either location.
“Did you send anyone to scout along Guyang Road before I arrived?” Qiao Yan asked while surveying her surroundings.
Zhang Liao replied, “Qiao Hou had someone send word to me that there was a plan for an attack. I reckon Qiao Hou didn’t want the invading Xiongnu to catch wind of our large maneuvers, so only sent a handful of scouts following their tracks to ensure they didn’t mistake their direction. The others simply pretended to repair the border defenses and gather the garrison.”
“These raiders came between the Yanshan and Yingshan, entering and exiting through that path, heading straight northwest.”
Qiao Yan was naturally complimentary of Zhang Liao’s cautious moves.
The Yanshan he mentioned wasn’t referring to the range itself but rather the Great Qing Mountain in the midst of it, while “Yingshan” referred to the eastern Wula Mountain, aka Wolf Mountain. The river valley between the two mountains was the Guyang Road, also known as Huyan Road.
Qiao Yan gazed north beyond Guanglu Pass; the jagged, reddish-hued mountains looked even bloodier in the dusk, and she stared for a long moment before turning to Zhang Liao and saying, “I have two tasks for Wen Yuan.”
“Just say the word, Qiao Hou.”
Qiao Yan continued, “First, I’m not too familiar with the border, especially outside of Guyang Road, so please select two guides from Guanglu Pass.”
As Zhang Liao held the title of Military Officer, he had the authority for this arrangement, while Qiao Yan wouldn’t be suited for it.
“Secondly, for this military operation, you must lead your troops out together. The manpower at Guanglu Pass is insufficient, so I’ll write a letter to the prefect of Wuyuan County, asking him to send a batch of reinforcements to ensure at least 600 soldiers remain stationed at Guanglu Pass to prevent any unexpected breaches.”
Regarding why there wasn’t a troop adjustment from the Yunzhong garrison…
They needed to keep some people back in case of Xianbei incursions.
“I’ll take care of this right away.”
It was nearing night, but that didn’t hinder the transmission of news, especially concerning the reinforcements at Guanglu Pass.
The prefect of Wuyuan County still had autonomy over troop dispositions; however, after dispatching the troops, he couldn’t help but remind her. Since Qiao Yan didn’t have border combat experience, it would suffice to augment the border garrison, and once the situation in Youzhou was stable again, they could pull back the men, making everything return to normal. Why risk it, given the status of a County Marquis?
Initially, Qiao Yan intended to ignore this but contemplated and replied instead: 【Having been under house arrest for so long, we need to send the word out to the Pass.】
This might come off as somewhat cheeky, but considering her usual style, it wasn’t surprising.
Moreover, throughout the history of the Han, youthful talents were known for pulling off a few outrageous stunts. If not for concern over Qiao Yan’s potential disaster beyond the pass, the prefect of Wuyuan might have even been indifferent to the matter.
In theory, Qiao Yan should be petitioning the Central Court for her expedition against the Xiongnu.
Yet, in her letters to the prefect of Wuyuan and Cui Lie, she wrote that to sharpen one’s tools, one must first take care of the necessary implements—referring to the Bai Bo bandits as this tool—but it took a lot of time to get it ready, and if she waited to petition the Central Court for permission to dispatch troops, it would undoubtedly delay the opportunity to act.
Thus, she would submit her petition afterward.
After all, she had done that before.
In her letter, she also mentioned that if the Hu invaded without receiving a lesson, Bingzhou might very well face troubles in You and Ji provinces.
With Zhang Ju forming alliances with the Uhuan and coordinating attacks, the governors of Youzhou, Bei Ping, and Liaodong met unfortunate ends; if Bingzhou shared the same fate, who would be the first to fall?
The prefect closest to Guyang and Guanglu Pass was indeed the one who received her correspondence from Wuyuan County.
Realizing the possibility raised in her letter sent a chill down the prefect’s spine.
Seeing her signal to send out news was akin to a threat, he chose to bite his tongue.
Let them fight; at least he could ensure his own safety, right?
However, what surprised Qiao Yan was that among the troops sent by this prefect to guard Guanglu Pass, there was a familiar face.
By the time night fell, and news had come from both places via swift horses, Qiao Yan managed to rest a bit before heading out at the agreed time for the military operation. When she set off from Guanglu Pass, glancing back at the border, she came face to face with a somewhat familiar figure.
It was—Liang Zhongning.
Clad in armor and wielding a long halberd, he stood atop the walls of Guanglu Pass.
Judging by his helmet that hid part of his face, Qiao Yan recognized him immediately, primarily due to the odd expression he bore.
Compared to the soldiers curious about the Marquis of Leping, his expression seemed much more complex.
But Liang Zhongning ought to feel a bit perplexed.
If he were still a petty criminal facing punishment because of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, sent to guard Guanglu Pass during such a critical moment, he wouldn’t find himself among those troops at all.
However, due to his good behavior over these three years and his record of killing enemies during regular dispatches, he now served officially as part of the border defense.
Conditions had surely improved compared to before, but if it hadn’t been for Qiao Yan, he probably wouldn’t have found himself in such a position today.
Yet, within this formal military environment, he gradually realized how easily the Yellow Turban Uprising they had sparked could be quashed.
Not to mention Qiao Yan—no, better to say Marquis of Leping—had been doing nothing but ensuring the well-being of the people in Bingzhou.
Two winters ago, while warming himself by a campfire with comrades, he heard someone talking about how if not for Qiao Yan swiftly dealing with the locust plague in Bingzhou, the first to starve would be them.
As much as Liang Zhongning didn’t want to admit it, he had to acknowledge that Qiao Yan had, in a way, saved his life.
Now, he found himself in a scene he never thought he’d witness, watching her lead a military expedition beyond the pass.
No matter whether her current troops, the Bai Bo bandits and Black Mountain bandits, had once raised the Yellow Turban banner during their initial uprising, so that when they fought for Qiao Yan, it brought a sense of déjà vu related to Liang Zhongning—
Undeniably, what she was doing now was about safeguarding the land and the people.
With that realization, Liang Zhongning’s complex expression shifted toward relief and respect.
He lifted his long halberd and, along with the soldiers stationed on the wall, cheered for this “debt collection” expedition.
This somewhat special blessing made Qiao Yan linger a bit longer in her gaze toward Guanglu Pass.
When Zhang Liao finally asked her about it, she merely smiled and shook her head. “Wen Yuan is just feeling the novelty of his first military expedition.”
As she turned back, her gaze ahead regained its usual calm.
There was no need to dwell on the past turmoil caused by the Yellow Turban Uprising; the matters at hand were far more pressing.
West of Guyang, the area now called Bayannao’er, which comprises the mountain and river regions, is referred to as Northern Jia.
This area is characterized by the red sandstone mountains stretching east and west between Yanshan and Yangshan.
This is exactly why, looking from Guanglu Pass, she would see the reddish hues of those mountains.
As they approached the mountains, she spotted certain symbols carved into the red sandstone cliffs. Some illustrations had faded due to rain erosion and weathering, yet it was clear most depicted scenes involving cattle, sheep, dwellings, hunting, and rituals.
These petroglyphs were ancient; they predated the founding of the Han, a time when the concept of nations hadn’t even materialized.
As they traversed deeper into the Guyang Road, the stone shifted from red to black, allowing the carved marks to pop against the contrasting colors.
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“Wait, what did I just walk into?”
For instance, her gaze drifted to a spot where a rock wall depicted a bunch of wild goats running.
But who’s chasing them—people or some other ferocious beast—left a blank that sparked her wild imagination to thousands of years ago.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, Xu Fu shouted urgently, “My lord, take a look here.”
His tone was far from his usual calm demeanor, so Qiao Yan rode over to Xu Fu’s side and saw that he was also facing a rock art piece.
This rock painting clearly had been created much more recently than the others; it looked fresh, like it had been done just days ago.
The moment she saw the next part of the rock art, Qiao Yan’s eyes widened.
It could’ve been another representation of nomadic life like the previous ones, but this depicted the Xiongnu throwing Han people into a boiling cauldron while celebrating around them!
This was a blatant provocation—such a permanent illustration could survive even two thousand years later, just look at the ghost valley murals.
Qiao Yan instinctively placed her hand on her two-section Three-Section Spear, ready for action.
It wasn’t just her—everyone who saw this scene couldn’t help but feel a surge of righteous anger.
If it wasn’t for the fact that the closest people to the wall were Qiao Yan and Xu Fu, that painting would’ve probably been wiped off the wall in the next second.
But she quickly switched gears in her mind, weighing the choice between destroying this disgraceful painting for the people of Guyang County and for the Han Dynasty, or keeping it as evidence against the Xiutu tribes. She eventually calmed herself down and chose the latter.
However, despite making that decision—
She intended to make her moves not just stick to the Leping area but to expand into Bingzhou territory; facing such a provocation, it didn’t seem too outrageous for her to act a bit aggressively!
They were getting far too cocky!
But as for these raiders from Xiutu, they could definitely afford to be even cockier.
Guyang, such an important stronghold, wasn’t even their initial target.
In their long-standing impression, the Han had always guarded the Guyang Road heavily.
After all, among the crucial passes in Yanshan—Shanyu Road, Guyang Road, and the ancient Shuo Desert Road—only Guyang Road lay right where the two mountains meet, with the Kundulun River flowing through it, allowing for a massive movement of carriages and horses.
This was the chosen path for the Xiutu tribes to invade Bingzhou as they rose in power.
Out of fear of the Han, they didn’t dare carry out a full-scale invasion; even rumors suggesting there were weak spots in the Great Wall or mentioning peculiar conscription practices in Bingzhou only led them to attempt a quick strike with five hundred cavalry at Guyang, just to test the waters.
If that worked, they’d reach out to the Southern Xiongnu nobles who had tipped them off for a joint offensive against Bingzhou.
After all, what could compare to galloping through the fortresses of Bingzhou instead of wandering around the grasslands?
The Xiutu tribes intended to replace the retreating Northern Xiongnu as the rulers of this grassland—and even Bingzhou.
Their confidence soared with the victory in Guyang.
After a portion of soldiers was dispatched, most remaining in Guanglu Pass were of slightly lesser combat training.
When they located the tracks of the Xiutu raiders to intercept them, they were utterly no match for the battle-ready Hu cavalry.
By the time the warning fires blazed in Guyang, the Xiutu raiders had already stormed the city.
In this slaughter surrounded by cavalry, Guyang held no advantage against helpless children.
What certainly inflated their confidence was how, after this pillaging, they waited on the other side of Guyang Road for quite some time but received no sign of a Han army coming—only cowards scouting who fled the moment they got close.
The Xiutu King realized their true opportunity might have arrived.
For that, he quickly gathered his fellow members.
The destination they aimed for after exiting Guyang Road was—
Shouxiang City.
In the sixth year of the Han Yuanfeng period, after the death of Chanyu Uwei, his son Ushi Lu’er ascended the throne. That winter was colder than usual, and heavy snow led to the deaths of many livestock within the Xiongnu. The left general of the Xiongnu intended to surrender to the Han, prompting Emperor Wu to order Gongsun Ao to build Shouxiang City for their reception.
Over the following nearly three hundred years, due to the withdrawal of troops defending the border, Shouxiang City changed hands several times between the Han court and the Xiongnu, but its name remained.
Now, Shouxiang City was a ghost town.
The Xiongnu retreated westward, and the Han, embroiled in recent domestic turmoil, lacked the capacity to expand border defenses, effectively regaining possession of Shouxiang City.
After the rise of the Xiutu tribes, this city sat within their controlled territory.
But the Xiutu King didn’t fancy this city.
Its origins represented a time when they had traitors among them who had fled to the Han during natural disasters, and the Han once extended their reach over the grasslands.
After leading the supplies and “food” pillaged from Guyang back, he still stationed his army outside the city before entering, where he wrought considerable destruction.
After all this, he stood atop the city wall, gazing into the distant expanse of autumn grasslands, feeling a surge of ambition.
Once he gathered the tribe members, he planned to let those impotent sheep see that one city of Guyang wouldn’t fill his belly!
Yet, little did he realize as his tribal members began receiving his orders, another force was also marching toward this location.
And they were moving fast.
In Qiao Yan’s view, if she wanted to attack the Xiongnu royal court like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, achieving the goal of seizing Wolf Mountain, with her three-dimensional map, she could likely avoid getting lost in the grasslands. However, her subordinates lacked the capability for such operations.
But if they were merely heading toward the direction of Shouxiang City as estimated by Zhang Liao, that clearly posed no issues.
She didn’t even need to bother opening the system to check the map because Shouxiang City connected seamlessly with the outer Great Wall that winds through Yanshan—it meant that—
Shouxiang City was right at the foot of Yanshan!
They only needed to follow the Yanshan mountain range, and there was no way they’d get lost.
To top it off, Qiao Yan carried binoculars on this journey, making it that much safer.
As the Yanshan mountain range connected to the interior of the Central Plains, it had a distinct slope. As it extended northward, the terrain didn’t rise much, forming a slight incline.
Therefore, Qiao Yan could order her men to survey the surroundings from atop the mountain, confirming there were no Xiongnu cavalry before proceeding swiftly.
Of course, her real concern wasn’t about being defeated in battle.
Since encountering that special rock painting in the Guyang Road river valley, her team felt like a pent-up fire ready to burst.
The Xiongnu, or rather, these raiders from the Xiutu tribes, should not underestimate the Han people’s commitment to protecting their fellow citizens and their pride.
This simmering rage grew as they marched on, and Qiao Yan doubted that if they encountered a Xiongnu patrol, the result would be anything but a bloody mess.
Her only worry was that their sizable unit might get spotted by Xiongnu cavalry before they could execute their lightning strike.
Luckily, as they made their way, thanks to the lookout horses’ assistance in scouting, they intercepted any Xiongnu cavalry they encountered, and from the questioning of the Xiongnu soldiers at Guanglu Pass who understood their language, they received exciting news.
There would be a special gathering beneath Shouxiang City!
During the pause in their march at nighttime, Zhang Liao fiddled with the binoculars sent back by the scouts, showing a hint of admiration in his eyes.
“If Qiao Yan’s new toy could be used at the border, it could really make a difference.”
“Unfortunately, before the manufacturing costs come down, there’s no way it can be used on a large scale,” Qiao Yan replied, shaking her head.
There should still be other places within the Han territory where white crystal mines exist, but as far as Qiao Yan knew, only regions like Donghai County and Jiaozhou in the south had anything substantial. Based on the current procurement prices, mass production would be a long way off.
“If Wen Yuan likes it, how about…”
How about waiting until she has a few more on hand and gifting him one?
But before she could finish her thought, she heard Zhang Yang, who had come along, express with mock sadness, “Qiao Yan, at least let’s stick to the rules of first come, first served! Chu Yan gets to use them for mountain battles since you’ve gifted him a share; can’t you arm your own guys first?”
Qiao Yan hesitated for a moment, thinking she wasn’t holding a binocular but rather a medal of honor instead.
But as a competent leader in the making, after a brief contemplation, she provided her answer, “Those soldiers will get rewards according to the merit system; you can figure something out.”
She raised the cylinder in her hand, “For this surprise attack under Shouxiang City, whoever takes the Xiutu King’s head will win this.”
“Does this plan work?”
She scanned around and clearly saw the determination on the faces of the three generals most likely to accomplish this goal.
Indeed, rewards spark motivation.
After thinking for a second, she added, “Just don’t forget to lead your troops well.”
Zhao Yun, Zhang Yang, and Zhang Liao chimed in unison, “Don’t worry, Qiao Yan.”
With these three, she truly had nothing to worry about.
For instance, Zhang Liao.
He had led a guide from Guanglu Pass before to Shouxiang City, so he had his own way of gauging distances.
Before Qiao Yan could even issue a halt, Zhang Liao had already reported they could slow down and wait for nightfall to strike.
Qiao Yan couldn’t be more sure that putting Zhang Liao in a military officer position for training rather than inviting him to start right away was indeed the right choice.
This incoming team gradually slowed down after communicating behind the scenes.
Maybe it was because everyone was tense, but this slowdown didn’t mean they were easing up; rather, it felt as if the bowstring was pulled back, ready to release at any moment.
As night descended, the Xiutu King remained blissfully unaware of the looming danger, thinking the Han were still hiding far away in Guanglu Pass, while an arrow was about to release, drawing a bead on his head.
He glanced at his surrounding tribesmen, full of himself as he stepped onto a temporary high platform made of dirt mounds.
To showcase the might of this campaign, he displayed the treasures plundered from Guyang atop the platform, lining up the captured Han people in front, and in the center, just like depicted in the rock art, he set up a bronze cauldron boiling over a fire beneath.
In this rare sight, he could clearly see the admiring glances directed at him from the elite of his gathered tribesmen.
He felt even more elated.
With this display, they would undoubtedly follow his lead in invading Bingzhou and plundering the Central Plains!
Feeling victory was within reach, the Xiutu King raised his blade and loudly proclaimed, “Please, everyone, lend me your ears!”
“We’ve dwelled north of Yanshan, enduring storm, snow, and hardships. We don’t wish to end up like Qiang Qu, constantly worried under the Han’s rule, especially fearing winter. Thankfully, we now have a chance!”
His eyes gleamed red in the glow of the fire, on the verge of revealing their intent to push into the Central Plains.
But just as he prepared to continue, a white feathered arrow suddenly flew through the air, piercing through the flagpole set up in his “speech venue,” interrupting him.
What was interrupted wasn’t just one speech.
The standard wasn’t as sturdy as a grand flag, and with this arrow’s strike, the flagpole snapped with a noise, slowly toppling down.
This was clearly a signal.
A signal of an enemy attack!
Before the flagpole fully fell, the Xiutu raiders within earshot heard a roar of battle cries closing in from all directions.
Amidst this cacophony, a particularly clear voice traveled from afar. Although most of them didn’t understand Han speech, it didn’t stop them from discerning the fierce battle intent within those six words.
“Everyone—follow me to kill!”
Kill the Hu!
