“Can a strategist really not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 88: The White-Clad Enters Luoyang
Guo Jia was stumped for a long time before finally asking, “You really trust me this much, Qiao Hou?”
Qiao Yan choosing not to submit documents but to personally rush to Luoyang was already within Guo Jia’s expectations.
After all, the path she intended to take was bound to be unlike any other—no one else’s rise could serve as a reference for her. This move of hers would definitely involve taking small risks for big gains, stepping into peril at every turn.
Yet she surprisingly said she wanted him to go with her.
In such a crucial matter, any interference from either side could risk her plans falling apart, and Guo Jia knew He Yong well enough to avoid giving her a lethal blow just when she seemed about to succeed.
This was even more unsettling for Guo Jia than the filial clothing she had showed him right off the bat.
But all he saw was Qiao Yan lifting the scroll in her hand and saying, “Since you know my thoughts and my urgency, and you’ve already prepared the documents for the common people, you clearly wish to push me up into the skies so that I can strategize here. If that’s the case, why should I doubt your intentions?”
“You have the courage of a youthful genius, with the free spirit of a wanderer. Why not join me in this dragon’s den?”
Courage? What courage?
Such questions that couldn’t just be defined by mere provocation made Guo Jia feel a surge of enthusiasm within, and he regretted not following Qiao Yan to the frontier to witness her shoot down King Xiu Tu in what could be called the “General’s Night Archery.”
He bent forward and replied, “Since you say so, how could I dare not accompany you?”
Compared to Xi Zhicai and Cheng Li, he was indeed the most qualified to tag along with Qiao Yan on this trip.
Though Guo Jia came from a side branch, he hailed from the Guo family of Yingchuan. Assisting Qiao Yan in the capital was far easier than for the other two, especially in an environment that emphasizes lineage in judgment.
Moreover, he could completely enter Luoyang separately from Qiao Yan—after all, not many knew he was already under her banner.
These two advantages were more than enough.
Qiao Yan was aware of this, and Cheng Li certainly wouldn’t be oblivious to it.
So when he sought Guo Jia after he left, he didn’t mention any intention of following along but calmly assigned responsibilities regarding the affairs that needed to be managed in Leping during Qiao Yan’s campaign against the White Wave bandits and surprise attack on King Xiu Tu.
Over the three years, despite all the population growth and trade changes in Leping, Cheng Li, relied upon by Qiao Yan and stationed as the local governor, still managed quite well.
Of course, those three years had also allowed him to determine whether he had misjudged Qiao Yan’s capabilities, and if accompanying her to Leping was indeed the right choice.
Tasking the position of a county governor to Cheng Li felt somewhat like wasting talent, but for him, it was more like sharpening the sword for three years and reaching a preliminary understanding with this superior.
Now he had come to a conclusion.
After fully reporting on all matters, he bowed his head to Qiao Yan. “Qiao Hou, your trip to Luoyang is a matter of survival amidst danger, not just for your own life but for the safety of Bingzhou. Please be very careful with your words and actions. The momentum brought forth by ‘Ye Shu’ has paved the way for you, but this path requires both yield and restraint.”
“I understand this matter well,” Qiao Yan said as she helped him up. Their gazes met, and some things were left unsaid.
Qiao Yan had always been adept at balancing this give-and-take. Though she sensed an opportunity, she seemingly remained composed enough not to lose her cool, which Cheng Li took as a sign that he didn’t need to worry about her.
He thought for a moment and said, “In the past, I dreamt of carrying the sun at Mount Tai, and when I chose to follow Qiao Hou, it felt as though I glimpsed a bright tomorrow. I believe your journey will surely succeed, and if you encounter difficulties, there’s no need to panic. All affairs in Leping will remain as usual after you depart; nothing will go awry.”
Cheng Li had always exhibited less of the lively spirit shown by Xi Zhicai, likely due to being older than Qiao Yan’s other subordinates. Yet, it seemed that his usual composure didn’t prevent him from feeling somewhat exhilarated now, revealing a long-held dream.
This statement… Clearly, it wasn’t just a wish for Qiao Yan’s success; it also blatantly declared his loyalty to her.
It was almost like betting his life on that choice!
Qiao Yan felt touched but also thought any sentimental promises at this point would come off as superficial…
So she replied, “Zhongde, if I’m fortunate enough to return, and I can ride freely across Bingzhou, may I ask you to do one thing?”
“Please, Qiao Hou, say on.”
“Please add a ‘sun’ character to your name, ‘Li’,” Qiao Yan said slowly, her tone clearly serious, not joking.
Cheng Li froze for a moment in the position Qiao Yan had just helped him up from, then suddenly laughed heartily, “Excellent! Changing it is very good!”
To contemporaries, being asked by a superior to change one’s name, especially when it isn’t due to avoiding bad omens, was a good omen rather than an offense. Especially since the character ‘Yu’ shines brightly, it’s truly a good sign.
The idea of carrying the sun in his dreams was condensed into this character, making the meaning of Qiao Yan’s name resonate with ‘Yu.’
This is what it means for a sovereign and his subjects to benefit each other!
Because of this sentence, Cheng Li couldn’t help but struggle to rein in his surging emotions, making sure he appeared just as he usually did as he left Qiao Yan’s residence.
He pondered that Qiao Hou’s journey likely wouldn’t be completed in just a few days. During this time, he still had to ensure that the areas of Leping that shouldn’t be seen remained well-guarded.
Of course, Qiao Yan didn’t plan to leave so quickly either; she still had preliminary preparations to make.
For instance, Mi Zhu, who had arrived in Bingzhou alongside Guo Jia, particularly strengthened her resolve to conduct this trade after Qiao Yan cleared the White Wave bandits and ensured that the Taihang Mountain paths were open for traffic.
After the Yellow Turban Rebellion, fierce leaders like Qiao Yan likely received remarkably high evaluations from someone like Mi Zhu.
However, hearing that Qiao Yan merely wanted to exchange exclusive sales of soap for low-cost purchasing rights for a jade mine in Donghai County somewhat surprised Mi Zhu.
Water jade, or white crystal, is definitely transparent and beautiful, but most nobles still prefer jade and gold ornaments. Furthermore, this Qiao Hou clearly leans towards practicality and probably isn’t just thinking of crafting items for herself.
Unlike the state monopolies on salt and iron, jade—specifically water jade like this, not appreciated by mainstream elites—was indeed something they could possess due to their influential family.
This also equated to an asset for them.
In this way, exchanging this limited-quantity asset for something with better prospects made Mi Zhu genuinely feel he had snagged a bargain.
If it weren’t for Qiao Yan noticing Mi Zhu’s expression and promptly adding a few more chips to the table, this young man from the Donghai Mi clan might have thought she was steering into some trap.
But little did he realize, in the ongoing battles against the White Wave bandits and Xiu Tu, Qiao Yan had increasingly confirmed that short-term significant improvements in weapon development were unlikely. The effectiveness of the telescope was genuinely astounding; they needed to boost production, not just…
There were just a few here and there, so naturally, I should prioritize this item for trade.
If there were no such thing, the grain production in Xuzhou would be something she’s quite envious of; she should really consider trading for that.
Fortunately, this was just the first transaction, and the chips could be adjusted later on.
Having secured Qiao Yan’s agreement, Mi Zhu didn’t need to linger in Bingzhou anymore, and set off immediately with the first batch of soap back to Xuzhou.
After sending Mi Zhu off, aside from wrapping up a few matters for herself, Xi Zhicai found himself relieved of the duty of socializing with others, but Qiao Yan quickly found him another task.
“Marquis Qiao, oh Marquis Qiao,” Xi Zhicai said with a shake of his head and a chuckle after hearing Qiao Yan’s words, “May I ask if I need to prepare a few more apology letters for your convenience?”
He couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry, as Qiao Yan’s new assignment for him was to pen another apology letter before she left Leping for Luoyang.
This… couldn’t possibly be because she was genuinely pleased with his last letter, right?
If that were the case, he’d be paving the way for a whole new line of work under Qiao Yan.
After some thought, Qiao Yan replied, “There should be at most one more.”
Hearing her sound so certain, Xi Zhicai figured he might as well take on the job; after all, it was just a matter of wording, rather than having to be as cautious not to let slip any news he had become accustomed to in Leping while chatting with Mi Zhu.
Once he accepted this task, Qiao Yan began to deal with the previous rewards system.
This wasn’t just about distributing grains.
Cheng Li had already set aside the grains needed for distribution, as it wasn’t the farming season, and Qin Yu didn’t have too many tasks at hand, so he delegated this matter to her.
With a registered inventory, they didn’t need to overthink the thirty-five stones from before; it’d be easy to distribute.
However, the previous battle with the Xiu Tu would be a bit more complicated.
Aside from those Hu people killed by the cavalry, most fell to the hands of the treacherous Baibo bandits at the front lines. According to the merit-based system, there was a difference in contributions between the front and back rows, leading to varying divisibility in rewards – some were half a share, some nearly a full, and others hit the mark.
Looking at the battle merit ledger in front of her, Qiao Yan felt a bit dizzy.
Those who filled a quota were straightforward; aside from compensating for their deaths, the rewards would match the contributions, along with the grain to be distributed for the Black Mountain army involved in the battle.
Once this batch of rewards was handed out, Leping County, particularly the troops under Qiao Yan’s command, became quite lively.
Her verbal promises couldn’t compete with tangible rewards, after all.
By now, it had begun to cool down; the soldiers rooted in Leping looked at the rice and grains they brought back, and they had something to report back home.
The remaining issue was those Baibo bandits who hadn’t yet been accounted for.
“I don’t plan to afford any leniency to the Baibo bandits who took part in cutting down the Xiu Tu,” Qiao Yan said when gathering people for a discussion, “Not even those who came just a hair’s breadth away from redemption.”
“Rules are rules, and must be applied rigorously; there can be no setting of a precedent.”
As she paced the room with her hands clasped behind her back, it was clear from her expression that she wouldn’t easily change her mind.
She then spoke, “What do you all think about getting them to repair the roads in exchange for winter supplies, while waiting for the opportunity to fight?”
This suggestion for road work had been raised by Xi Zhicai before, but at that time, it was to intimidate the surrounding prefects with the Black Mountain bandits. Now, it was a genuine request for road repair.
Bingzhou’s connections outside Taihang could remain as they were, with such natural protection; Qiao Yan felt much more at ease. However, as the connections between different areas in Bingzhou would inevitably strengthen with future exchanges, it was better to introduce some changes beforehand.
For instance, widening the roads enough for carts and horses to travel side by side.
Working on the roads in late autumn wouldn’t force these Baibo bandits to toil in harsh conditions, steering them towards thinking about running away.
But the compensation for these laborers would need Cheng Li to pay extra attention.
Without hesitation, Cheng Li accepted Qiao Yan’s request for the more capable workers.
Finishing this matter meant she could finally prepare for her visit to Luoyang.
However, probably due to the tense atmosphere of recent times in Leping, coupled with the previous battle with the Xiu Tu, Zhao Yun and Zhang Yang, who seemed evenly matched after obtaining the Xiu Tu king’s head, had taken the unusual step of approaching Qiao Yan to express their willingness to accompany her.
Qiao Yan, however, turned down Zhao Yun’s offer on the grounds that as County Captain, he couldn’t leave his post, and she declined Zhang Yang’s request because the cavalry selected from the horses extorted from the Southern Xiongnu still needed to be organized.
Additionally, since it was best for her to travel light, she also rejected requests from Lu Yuan and Xu Fu to join her.
In the end, aside from the driver, she only had Dian Wei and Guo Jia with her.
As one of the lucky companions, Dian Wei was a bit puzzled about why Qiao Yan wanted the carriage to go slower after leaving Leping.
This clearly wasn’t to make the ride smoother so that she could play a game of chess with Guo Jia in the carriage. Nor could it be that she was feeling sentimental about leaving Leping.
But since he had been with Qiao Yan, his savings had slowly built up, and now seeing Leping’s growth, he was benefiting from it too, so aside from the mandatory literacy lessons she enforced, he generally didn’t put his brain to work when it wasn’t necessary.
From his perspective, he might as well focus on building strength and perfecting his martial arts!
Plus, having Guo Jia around meant that there was someone to converse with Qiao Yan, so she wouldn’t grow bored on the way and pick on him as her student.
In some ways, Dian Wei had quite the effortless knack for slacking off.
Qiao Yan pulled back the carriage curtain and glanced at her “bodyguard,” who seemed lost in thought, and couldn’t help but chuckle.
She then heard Guo Jia say, “In late autumn, while we may lack the leisure for flower-viewing, listening to the rustling autumn winds and watching the blue sky while geese return is still a form of enjoyment.”
Qiao Yan withdrew her gaze from outside and asked Guo Jia, “Aren’t you curious why I’m not rushing into the capital, making the situation in Bingzhou seem all the more urgent?”
Guo Jia, finishing his move on the chessboard, replied, “I may not know why Marquis Qiao is waiting, but you’re surely waiting for an opportunity. Archery requires time to build momentum; this trip to Luoyang involves a novel situation, which requires patience. Your wit and adaptability, Marquis Qiao, are extraordinary; if you needed to strike fast, you wouldn’t be proceeding as before.”
Qiao Yan smiled and answered, “You understand me well, Fengxiao.”
Timing, huh…
She really was waiting for a moment.
Who knew this was the worst of times for the Han Dynasty?
In September of the fourth year of Zhongping, the uprisings in Liangzhou were suppressed without success; Ma Teng and Han Sui jointly supported Wang Guo as their leader, and once again pillaged the three regions.
In October of the same year, Lingling’s Guan Hu proclaimed himself “General of Peace,” invading Guiyang, and urgent reports were sent to the capital.
In the same month, the chaos in Youji had failed to quell the troops sent from all sides.
And it was also in this October that Marquis of Leping, dressed in white, entered the capital, pleading for the appointment of talented individuals and taking up the role of General of Duliang.
