Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 3: Galloping Through Bingzhou, Marching Out of Hedong Chapter 87: Schemes and Calculations

When Zhang Liao first heard Qiao Yan’s arrangement, he was momentarily stunned.

But then he quickly realized that compared to the Xiutu tribes raiding the borders of Bingzhou, killing and cooking people while carving their deeds in stone, Qiao Yan’s decision to merely separate their heads from their bodies and hang the corpses on Shouxiang City was actually quite merciful!

What’s the big deal!

The only problem was—

He couldn’t sing.

Two years ago, when he was serving as a Military Officer alongside Guo Yun, defending Yanmen Commandery, after beating up the old soldiers who thought he was young and easy to bully, he sat around the fire with them, feasting and chatting. Someone suggested he sing a war song to boost morale.

The result was Guo Yun patting his shoulder and earnestly advising him not to engage in such indiscriminate attacks in the future.

This subtle hint was enough for Zhang Liao to realize that his singing talent was probably not great, at best he could shout a slogan.

But after Qiao Yan handed him the telescope, citing that although none of the three of them had managed to kill the Xiutu King, they had all contributed, and he was the one who needed it the most, Zhang Liao felt he shouldn’t disappoint Qiao Yan’s expectations… right?

While he was still纠结, Zhang Yang, who knew Zhang Liao’s tendency to overthink, had already reported him to Qiao Yan. So Qiao Yan assigned him an additional task.

The people of Guyang, who had been used as sacrificial offerings by the Xiutu King during their oath-taking ceremony, had been rescued. Although they were terrified of returning to Guyang, they wanted to retrieve their family members’ bodies for proper burial.

Since Zhang Liao had led the team to handle the aftermath for the people of Guyang County, it was only fitting that he now take care of the final arrangements.

Zhang Liao couldn’t say if this was a form of解脱, but at least Zhang Yang felt his ears were safe.

Now, the only issue left was deterrence.

However, before passing through Xihe Commandery, they had to go through Yunzhong Commandery and Wuyuan Commandery again.

Yunzhong Commandery had few residents along this route, but passing through Wuyuan inevitably drew attention.

A marching army of over 3,000 people was already a striking sight, especially when a significant portion were cavalry and clearly fresh from battle.

And if almost every one of those 3,000 soldiers carried a Xiongnu head?

The heads, crudely wrapped in mud, still oozed blood through the cracks, and despite the dirt, it was easy to tell from the facial features that these were not Han people but Hu people from beyond the frontier.

The people of Wuyuan Commandery, initially startled by the sight, soon realized this was a victorious return from a campaign beyond the frontier and gathered in crowds to watch the procession of triumphant soldiers.

Nearly 3,000 Hu heads!

This was a rare sight.

The recent bloodshed in Guyang had been brought back to Wuyuan by curious onlookers, causing widespread tension. But the fierce warriors of Bingzhou were not to be underestimated, and many had gone to the Prefect’s Office demanding to join the fight.

Little did they know, before they could even get an answer about recruitment, the culprits had already been annihilated?

Among the soldiers carrying Xiongnu heads, the most striking was undoubtedly Qiao Yan, riding her red steed.

While she had ordered the heads of the Xiutu tribes to be brought back, she herself had no intention of getting close to any of them, leaving that task to Dian Wei, who carried the Xiutu King’s head.

Thus, as the soldiers marched in grand procession, she alone appeared serene and untainted.

But this did not mean she was out of place.

No one could overlook the longbow and quiver on her back, nor the two sections of a long spear hanging by her steed’s side.

It only reinforced the impression that she was the unique commander of this force.

On this clear autumn day, her sharp gaze forward carried an intimidating锐利.

In Bingzhou, only one person could command such presence.

“Marquis of Leping…”

This was the Marquis of Leping!

It was said that just two months ago, she had been released from house arrest for her unauthorized handling of the locust plague two years prior. Who would have thought that her next shocking move would be against the Hu tribes beyond Bingzhou.

This was still for the good of Bingzhou!

To the common folk, having so many soldiers under Qiao Yan’s command was not seen as treasonous or excessive. Instead, they felt reassured that with Qiao Yan’s actions, they could at least sleep soundly.

However, among the crowd, one person’s thoughts were slightly different.

He stood out due to his height and robust build, almost like a crane among chickens.

He watched Qiao Yan’s procession until the last soldier disappeared from view, only snapping out of his reverie when someone nudged him.

“What are you thinking, Fengxian?”

He came back to reality and sighed, “A true man should be like this!”

Two years ago, after the state’s locust control measures were announced, he had thought that with his bravery, he might carry hundreds of pounds of locusts and shine in the exchange, perhaps even securing a position. But Qiao Yan’s subsequent orders forced him to abandon that plan.

However, he didn’t just wait for opportunities to come to him. He recommended himself to the Wuyuan Commandery Prefect.

Given his exceptional martial prowess, the Prefect had him start as the County Captain of Jiuyuan County, a decent beginning.

But a County Captain couldn’t go to the frontlines to kill enemies. Lü Bu often felt he could shoulder greater responsibilities.

So when he saw Qiao Yan leading her troops on horseback today, while others might find the Hu heads terrifying, he examined each face frozen in fear, feeling more and more inspired.

A true man should be like this!

No, a person should be like this!

How exhilarating!

“You’re mistaken. Marquis Qiao is a woman, not a true man.”

“What do you know?” Lü Bu snorted. “In Bingzhou, we value ability, not gender. Can you deny that Marquis Qiao is a remarkable person of our time?”

He wondered when he could achieve such military feats and have such a commanding presence.

He couldn’t help but ponder his own future.

But speaking of which, Marquis Qiao didn’t leave the Xiongnu heads beyond the frontier but brought them back as trophies. Wasn’t that a bit unusual?

This move alone was enough to give the Wuyuan Prefect a scare.

Having met the Wuyuan Prefect, Lü Bu knew him well enough.

Lü Bu’s guess was spot on.

The Wuyuan Prefect was already startled when he received the news. Seeing Qiao Yan’s procession pass by the state office, he nearly turned pale.

Considering he had been selected as Wuyuan Prefect based on his courage, with Guanglu Pass guarding the northern frontier and Guyang Road secured, unless Guyang was attacked, he could rest easy. During his tenure, he had only heard of border skirmishes.

The fact that the court hadn’t appointed a General Who Crosses the Liao recently indicated that battles weren’t frequent in this area.

After all, with the Northern Xiongnu migrating west, the most troublesome tribes were the Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Western Qiang, none of which were directly related to Wuyuan.

But now, suddenly faced with this display of heads…

If not for the Commandery Secretary supporting him, he might have stumbled.

He reminded himself that as the Prefect, he represented Wuyuan’s dignity and couldn’t show weakness, so he straightened his back.

“Marquis Qiao, what is this…?” he tentatively asked.

Though Qiao Yan dismounted and greeted him politely, not pressuring him from atop her horse, he couldn’t help but feel震撼 by the sight of two heads per body behind her.

Qiao Yan smiled, “Just killing a chicken to scare the monkeys. Don’t you want to sleep more soundly, Prefect?”

She pointed south, making it clear to the Prefect that she was referring to Xihe Commandery.

Recalling recent rumors, he suddenly realized Qiao Yan’s actions were indeed necessary.

It’s always better to nip threats in the bud!

Thinking this, the Prefect no longer felt weak in the knees. He even asked as he bid her farewell, “Do you need me to select a few more strong men to add to your procession’s grandeur?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Qiao Yan replied, thinking he might share some common ground with Cui Lie. “Don’t you think that with 3,000 against 3,000, and our minimal losses, it’s a perfect deterrent against the Southern Xiongnu?”

But the deterrence wasn’t just from the heads. There was also… the death of their conspirators.

The Southern Xiongnu tribes within Xihe Commandery were stationed in Meiji City, including their leader Qiang Qu and the restless Southern Xiongnu Left Division nobles.

The Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu resided in Dongsheng County, west of Meiji City.

Though the Protector-General often inquired about Southern Xiongnu affairs and conducted routine inspections, he rarely entered Meiji City.

This new Protector-General, perhaps due to Qiang Qu’s apparent closeness to the Han court, didn’t engage in leader替换 like his predecessor. He even allowed them some profit in the trade of wine for their livestock.

If not for the Han’s conscription making the Left Division nobles sense impending doom, they might have found this Protector-General quite agreeable.

But today… today was different.

He rode into the city alongside Qiao Yan, followed by a group of fierce soldiers, making it impossible to miss the Xiongnu heads they carried.

Only three days into the march, the heads hadn’t yet rotted beyond recognition.

Qiao Yan thought they all looked similar, but some in the city immediately recognized the Xiutu King’s head, now carried on Dian Wei’s shoulder.

While the people of Wuyuan felt reassured and admiring, the Southern Xiongnu in Meiji City saw it differently.

It was like a murderer killing your relative and then presenting the head to you.

The Southern Xiongnu Left Guli Wang hadn’t yet seen the scene but was informed by his subordinates, causing his expression to darken.

As Qiao Yan had guessed, the Xiutu tribes, though rising, didn’t fully understand the Han’s internal situation. If not for the Southern Xiongnu Left Division’s rebellious support and intelligence sharing, the Xiutu tribes wouldn’t have succeeded.

The one communicating with them was this Left Guli Wang.

Upon hearing of the Xiutu’s success and the massacre in Guyang, the Left Guli Wang thought the Han’s military defenses were indeed weakening.

Considering the conscription targeted not just the Southern Xiongnu but also the forces at Guanglu Pass and the General Who Crosses the Liao’s camp, as well as the Protector-General’s troops, he felt their束缚 had greatly diminished.

Once the Xiutu tribes connected with him again, it would be time for the Southern Xiongnu to seize Xihe!

But instead of an invasion after the Xiutu’s oath-taking, he received news of their annihilation, with even the Xiutu King’s head brought before him.

“What do they mean by this? Are they declaring war on us?”

The Left Guli Wang, livid, reached for his sword but was stopped by the Left General beside him.

“Calm down. The Han army killed the Xiutu tribes wandering beyond Yin Mountain. What does that have to do with us?”

The Left General added, “Do you really think they’d enter the city with just 3,000 men without any preparation, unafraid of us causing trouble?”

The Left Guli Wang paused, and the Left General pressed on, “Besides, don’t forget, Qiang Qu is a loyal dog of the Han court. We’re not without opponents in the city.”

He was right.

But with his potential allies suddenly dead and their heads presented before him, the Left Guli Wang found it hard to remain calm.

Yet he couldn’t just ignore this.

Given the Protector-General’s special status within the Southern Xiongnu, when he summoned key members, even the Left Guli Wang had to attend, despite his不满.

The authority to “participate in litigation and observe movements” contained too much information!

When he finally arrived at the square before the Chanyu’s residence, everyone who needed to be there had already gathered.








The people here have almost all arrived.

He also missed the conversation between Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu Wang Rou and Qiao Yan before he arrived.

Counting back, apart from Qiao Yan sending the recipe for Hero’s Wine and Wang Rou replying with “How dare I only repay with five thousand stones,” the two had not actually had any direct communication.

Wang Rou also didn’t expect to meet Qiao Yan under such circumstances.

Compared to the rumors two years ago about her forcing the Governor with an arrow, what she’s doing now is even more shocking.

Wang Rou is not as “soft” as his name suggests and has more courage than the Prefect of Wuyuan.

Even so, when he heard that Qiao Yan led a surprise attack on Shouxiang City, coincidentally encountering the Xiutu Tribes preparing for their pre-battle rally, he couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat for her.

But upon realizing the meaning of the rally, a sense of fear crept into his heart.

Fortunately… fortunately, the alliance between the Xiongnu inside and outside the Great Wall was destroyed by her swift actions. Otherwise, at the very least, he, as the Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu, would be punished for dereliction of duty, and at worst—

If the defense line around Guanglu Pass in the north fell and the Southern Xiongnu in Xihe Commandery rebelled, the damage would surpass even that caused by the Black Mountain Bandits and the White Wave Bandits!

“Marquis Qiao, do you think our intimidation will have the desired effect?”

Wang Rou watched as Qiao Yan’s troops displayed a fierce and intimidating aura, shouting loudly while stacking the heads of the Xiutu Tribes in the square. Under her command, some of them stood around the square, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of the Hongmen Banquet, and then he asked.

In his question, there wasn’t much anxiety for Qiao Yan to hear; instead, it seemed like he was asking if they could gain enough benefits.

Considering that during the tenure of the Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu, some had forced the Southern Chanyu to commit suicide, while others had directly raised troops to change positions, Wang Rou, coming from the Wang family of Jinyang with the support of a noble family, probably wasn’t afraid of such a scene.

Having such an ally, one who is most suitable to take action against the Southern Xiongnu, is indeed the most advantageous thing at this moment.

“Doesn’t the Middle General think that some people arriving late is the most telling sign?”

Wang Rou laughed, “Indeed, that’s true. But I must trouble Marquis Qiao to show a bit more authority here.”

Although there’s no saying about “one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop,” in Qiao Yan’s view, Wang Rou’s words were pretty much along those lines.

Before coming to Meiji City, they had already reached a consensus. Intimidation alone wasn’t enough to make these inherently fickle people remember the lesson; they had to strip a layer of skin off them.

In simpler terms, extortion.

With a fifty-fifty split, Qiao Yan wouldn’t lose out.

It was precisely because of their strategy that when the Left Guli Wang saw the mountain of Xiutu Tribe heads piled in the square and asked, “Why is this so?” a cold light suddenly flashed before him.

A broken spear landed just inches in front of his feet.

“…” The Left Guli Wang’s eyelids twitched.

If the aim had been slightly off, the spear would have either hit his foot or his chest.

This sudden act of aggression made him instinctively step back, only to accidentally fall to the ground.

As he turned his head to support himself, he saw a familiar face among the pile of heads—someone he recognized as the Xiutu King.

He was immediately startled and turned back, only to see that in that instant, another broken spear, or rather the other half of the spear, was now pointed at his throat.

“Outrageous! What are you doing?” he roared.

As soon as he spoke, he looked up and saw Qiao Yan’s calm face, and at the same time, noticed from the corner of his eye that the soldiers surrounding the square had all raised their weapons.

This brutal display of readiness to fight made him instinctively shut his mouth.

He then heard Qiao Yan casually say, “I am the County Marquis of the Han Dynasty, the highest rank among the five ranks of marquises. As the Left Guli Wang of the Southern Xiongnu, is this how you speak to me?”

County Marquis of the Han Dynasty?

The Left Guli Wang suspiciously looked at Wang Rou, seeing that the Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu didn’t refute her words, he guessed that what she said might indeed be true.

If she really was a County Marquis, her status was indeed above his.

Since the Southern Xiongnu had submitted to the Han Dynasty, even the Southern Chanyu was just a subject of the Han, needing to follow Wang Rou’s orders, and the title of “Lord” in the County Marquis’s title indeed placed her above him.

But while that’s the principle, killing the Xiutu Tribes first and then pointing a spear at him, the Left Guli Wang, was too arrogant!

However, before he could react, Wang Rou stepped forward with an unreadable expression and said in a seemingly gentle tone, “Marquis Qiao, please hold back. Don’t damage the harmony between the Han and the Southern Xiongnu.”

The Left Guli Wang let out a sigh of relief.

Wang Rou’s words sounded reasonable.

“Harmony? Since the Southern Xiongnu and the Han are allies, the Xiutu Tribes attacking the Han border should be our common enemy,” Qiao Yan coldly replied. “I brought the heads of the Xiutu Tribes here just to ask for an explanation, to show that we have no ties with this tribe. Your immediate question of ‘Why is this so?’—are you seeking justice for them?”

The broken spear in her hand wasn’t very long, but at such close range, it was enough to take the Left Guli Wang’s life.

And the implication in her words made this high-ranking Southern Xiongnu official, still sitting on the ground, tremble with fear.

He really wanted to hold this arrogant County Marquis accountable, but her words made it clear that she was here to clarify their relationship. If he insisted on making an issue of it, he would be implicated as well.

With her armed and displaying the Han’s usual dominance, he had no choice but to firmly deny any connection with the Xiutu Tribes.

Biting back his frustration, he carefully moved the spear away from his neck and replied, “Of course not. The Xiutu Tribes are a branch of the Northern Xiongnu and have nothing to do with us Southern Xiongnu. Even the Protector-General can attest that since we settled in Meiji City, we have been peaceful and have never intended to offend the Han.”

Qiao Yan raised an eyebrow, “Is that so?”

Wang Rou continued to play the mediator, “As the Left Guli Wang said.”

Seeing the spear completely removed from his neck and the soldiers around putting away their weapons, the Left Guli Wang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But no one told him that after they had clarified their lack of connection with the Xiutu Tribes, they still had to provide a sum of grain and horses as military supplies!

And the Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu’s words were quite reasonable.

He said that two years ago, when Qiao Yan seized the Governor of Bingzhou’s authority, she was only punished with house arrest. With the Han Emperor backing her, even if she mobilized the Bingzhou troops to wipe out the Southern Xiongnu, she would at most be under house arrest for another year or two.

Moreover, with the main force of the Xiutu Tribes annihilated, it would rid their Xiongnu community of a cannibalistic scoundrel, which was also a good thing. Providing some military supplies could be seen as a reward for that.

This reasoning, under the guise of promoting righteousness, was actually a massive loss.

Just as the Left Guli Wang suppressed the urge to vomit blood, he saw Qiao Yan have someone specially place the Xiutu King’s head in a brocade box and present it to him, giving him a bad premonition.

Sure enough, he heard Qiao Yan say with a hint of apology, “I heard that among the Xiongnu, it’s customary to use the skulls of brave warriors as wine cups. The Xiutu King died by my arrow, so he can be considered a brave warrior. I present this to you, Left Guli Wang, as a gift to ease your shock.”

“…” This was truly hard to respond to, and the Left Guli Wang, holding the brocade box, felt there was more to her words.

He then heard her change the subject, saying, “However, I hope you don’t one day become a wine cup I give to someone else.”

Her words trailed off, and she gave him a meaningful smile.

This County Marquis, only thirteen or fourteen years old, made him feel a deep sense of fear with her actions.

With that, she turned her faint smile into a loud laugh, pulled the broken spear from the ground, gathered it back into her hand, mounted her horse, and rode off. Following her lead, the soldiers quickly followed, led by Zhao Yun, Zhang Yang, Dian Wei, and Xu Huang.

This scene, where their momentum made up for their lack of training, left the Left Guli Wang stunned for a long time.

When he finally came to his senses, he suddenly realized that most of the military supplies given were from his own stock!

He wanted to curse Qiao Yan, but as he turned his head, he saw the mountain of heads again.

“…” The Left Guli Wang, with a pounding heart, looked away from another familiar face and decided to postpone his rise to power.

Fortunately, his loss of wealth to avoid disaster meant that Qiao Yan wouldn’t hold the Xiutu Tribes matter against him.

Thinking that his communication with the Xiutu Tribes hadn’t exposed his identity, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Even Wang Rou, before parting with Qiao Yan, said, “This time, the Southern Xiongnu handed over many horses. Even if they have thoughts of rebellion, they likely don’t have the resources to resist. With Marquis Qiao’s troops nearby and my own forces, we can suppress them. This matter can be considered concluded.”

That’s what he thought, but he didn’t notice the subtle look in Qiao Yan’s eyes when she heard the word “concluded.”

Concluded?

Qiao Yan muttered the word, shaking her head inwardly.

If she really thought that this battle with the Xiutu Tribes had demonstrated Bingzhou’s might and that the compensation from the Southern Xiongnu was enough to arm more cavalry, then she would be doing herself a disservice.

She always liked to achieve the maximum effect with the conditions at hand, and this time was no exception!

In fact, whether it was sending troops to Hedong to pacify the White Wave Bandits and bring them under her command, or leading troops beyond the border to attack the Xiutu Tribes and creating such a scene upon returning to Bingzhou, these actions would have been illegal if not for the tacit or written approval of the various prefects and governors due to special circumstances.

But what if—

What if she gained military authority in Bingzhou?

Or, what if she used this incident as a stepping stone to move from a nominal noble title to a position of real power in a commandery or province?

Then none of this would be a problem.

During the previous rapid march, or rather when she saw the tragic scene in Guyang City, aside from feeling sorrow, her more rational side was also considering this possibility.

She had previously managed to secure the position of Marquis of Leping through political maneuvering, neutralize the negative effects of coercing the Governor, and even gain Liu Hong’s recognition. Now, she could certainly put on another act.

After this act, she could quietly wait for the news of Liu Hong’s death.

But before that, she needed to see him one more time.

A crucial meeting.

After returning to Leping, she instructed Lu Yuan to prepare some things.

The next day, Guo Jia, looking like he hadn’t slept, came to her door and was startled to see Qiao Yan stepping out.

“What have you brought?” Qiao Yan asked as if unaware of his shock, using a normal tone.

Though surprised, Guo Jia instinctively answered, “Marquis Qiao, you previously entrusted me with the tasks of intimidation, pacification, and deception on the Bingzhou border, and you intended to adopt my method of killing barbarians to redeem death penalties. Therefore, it’s necessary to provide a report to the central government about this operation.”

“So I stayed a few extra days in the commanderies of Yunzhong and Wuyuan, recording the grievances of the common people troubled by the border.”

He bowed and handed the scroll to Qiao Yan.

This should have been a display of foresight, preparing in advance without waiting for orders, but when he looked up at Qiao Yan again, he couldn’t help but feel stunned by her unexpected move.

Marquis Qiao’s actions, Marquis Qiao’s actions—

Truly made him feel he hadn’t misjudged her!

Because she was now wearing a white mourning robe!

And though dressed in white, she seemed to exude an aura of bloodlust.

This was the killing intent she had brought back from her expedition beyond the border.

As she flipped through the scroll, she slowly explained her actions: “As the Marquis of Leping, with my grandfather buried in Leping, I consider myself half a Bingzhou native.”

“The tragedy of Guyang is just a microcosm of Bingzhou’s situation. Without a strong hand to govern and restrain, one day, today’s Guyang will be tomorrow’s Bingzhou.”

“The dead have no one to mourn them, and the living struggle to survive. As the Marquis of Leping, favored by His Majesty to be enfeoffed here, why not, three years after mourning for my grandfather and parents, now wear white to mourn for Bingzhou!”

She put down the scroll and looked at Guo Jia, “Don’t you think that’s the case?”

“Marquis Qiao is correct.”

Though aware that her actions were more about power than advocating for the people, Guo Jia couldn’t help but think that if she could truly bring stability to Bingzhou, who could criticize her?

If the result could be achieved, wouldn’t it be a heroic act to save a province!

As he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard Qiao Yan ask, “Fengxiao, would you like to accompany me to Luoyang?”