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“Can a strategist not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 92: The Aspiration to Conquer the West
Let’s just say, Cao Ang was taken aback by his father’s generational seriousness, and Qiao Yan nearly couldn’t keep a straight face at that.
Cao Cao… truly lives up to his reputation!
This wasn’t exactly a sudden move on his part, and the reasoning he brought up was pretty solid too.
If noble titles determined status in inheritance, then the Qiao clan of Liang really would be led by Qiao Yan now. Of course, it wasn’t just because of her title; she also had the eloquence to connect with the grander audience.
For instance, Qiao Zhao, who had just taken up the prefectship of Dong Commandery, should technically refer to Qiao Yan as “Aunt,” yet his letter sent to Leping had hints of flattery and goodwill.
So when Cao Cao said that she was now shouldering the hopes of the family, apart from truly interacting with the esteemed figures of the world and adhering to the decorum of juniors, it was indeed inappropriate for him to abruptly call her something like “younger aunt” – he wasn’t wrong there.
But that meant…
That left Cao Ang, who was actually a year and a half older than her, as her “younger nephew.”
Qiao Yan said, “Well—Meng De, your words certainly gave Zixiu an extra elder to bow to. I rushed out and didn’t bring any gifts.”
“No worries, you can make up for it next time,” Cao Cao replied.
Anyone else would have said, “Look, Yeshou is still young, so gift-giving isn’t necessary.” But Cao Cao is not just anyone!
He could straightforwardly say, “We’re equals,” and just as easily add, “You rushed out without gifts; that’s fine, you can make it up later.”
Cao Ang clearly hadn’t learned to be so magnanimous from Cao Cao; he awkwardly cupped his hands at Qiao Yan, calling her “Lady Qiao.”
The big nephew’s skin wasn’t thick enough to shout out a relative’s title in public yet.
Probably out of the same straightforwardness, Qiao Yan decided to let him make up for it the next time they exchanged gifts.
However, with Cao Cao here, Qiao Yan temporarily set aside her plans to visit Lingtai.
She had wanted to see Ma Lun and inquire about the mechanical genius Ma Jun, but for now, focusing on this selection for the position of General of Du Liao seemed more pressing.
With Cao Cao so openly discussing lineage, Qiao Yan similarly didn’t hold back and raised the question.
Discussing matters in public had its inconveniences, so they had moved to a residence in Yanxi.
“I won’t hide it from Yeshou; upon hearing your letter from a month ago about the attack on Xiutu and intimidating the Southern Xiongnu, I felt a surge of lofty ambition. This truly is the duty of a hero; even if labeled reckless for a time, does it matter if I can match the martial prowess of General Huo? From what I see, our Han sons should be like this!”
Cao Cao had always known Qiao Yan could come up with exceptional strategies, just as she had coordinated the inside and outside during the battle of Changshe, and he knew her administrative abilities from her efforts in the Leping region. But hearing that she planned to assault the Xiongnu beyond the border made him realize he had underestimated her.
Or rather, what he previously knew was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Cao Ang chimed in, “Father was quite moved then, saying this matter is a great reprieve for the people, not something one could easily achieve.”
Since Cao Cao was idly at home, he grabbed his son for training, and Cao Ang naturally observed how his father reacted to the letter.
Although Cao Cao had excellent achievements as the Governor of Jinan, he often remarked that if he could serve as the General for the Han Dynasty to crush the chaos in Liangzhou, he would do so with all his might. Now, that Liangzhou was still in turmoil, whereas Qiao Yan had already taken the lead in marching north out of the Yanshan, launching counterattacks against Xiutu. This undeniably aligned with his aspirations.
“In that case, Meng De surely has something to discuss with Lu Gong,” Qiao Yan chuckled.
Lu Zhi had also mentioned the significance of alleviating people’s suffering.
Cao Cao understood that Lu Zhi, despite holding the title of Minister of State, lacked actual authority, but at present, he could do little to assist him, not even stopping his old father from pursuing his fancy of buying a government position.
He casually inquired, “I heard Yeshou is studying under Lu Gong. How’s it been going?”
Since news travels quickly, and given Cao Cao’s departure for Luoyang, Qiao Yan couldn’t slack off—she had quite a few lessons to report on.
“Yesterday, I studied the wine edict from the Book of Zhou.”
As soon as Qiao Yan finished speaking, she saw Cao Cao coughing in surprise.
Since they were hosting at home and not with children like Fu Shou, of course, the table was set with food and drink, but as Qiao Yan was studying the Book of Zhou, and Cao Cao was familiar with it too, he remembered the line in the wine edict that stated drinking was only permitted during sacrifices, and those who gathered for drinking should be sent to Gaokjing to be executed as a caution.
Though this wasn’t enforced now, Cao Cao still felt a chill run down his neck.
He quickly composed himself and said, “The wine edict? It states we shouldn’t be overly indulgent with drinks. I’m merely using wine to express my feelings and aspirations; it can’t be considered a calamity.”
Qiao Yan shook her head, “Meng De, you’ve got that wrong. Lu Gong had me study the wine edict, but what I learned wasn’t about punishment—it was the part that says, ‘one shouldn’t judge the world by reflections in water, but rather by the realities of society.’”
That saying sounds quite like Tang Taizong’s idea that one can learn from others’ successes and failures.
This has been a sentiment expressed by sages since the Book of Zhou, emphasizing that what can be seen in water is merely the surface, but what can be observed among the people reveals the true state of society. Lu Zhi particularly appreciated these two sayings, thus making them a key part of her education.
Cao Cao clearly understood the essence of the saying, “As long as I’m not uncomfortable, it’s others who should be embarrassed,” and seamlessly responded, “Those are wise words, but I’m just a plain man who only notices the word ‘wine.’ Speaking of this, let’s get back to discussing the General of Du Liao.”
Cao Cao, eager to learn about his rival, asked, “In your observations in the capital, who do you think is fit for this position?”
Qiao Yan didn’t intend to disclose Liu Hong’s intentions of appointing Cao Cao to the Eight Schools of Xiyuan, so she raised her cup and replied, “I previously suggested General Huangfu and Sun Wentai to His Majesty, but alas, His Majesty mentioned they have other plans. As for Meng De—”
“The position of Yilang doesn’t attract Meng De’s interest, but there are times to fight and times not to struggle. This position of General of Du Liao, I believe Meng De has the desire to compete for it; no need for me to comment on that.”
Cao Cao smiled at her words. “Yeshou, your insights resonate with me. At this moment, we have all kinds of leaders out here, but one thing that’s critical is having the heart and courage. Testing the competition for the Du Liao General role is indeed wise; if someone stands out from the crowd, they will surely lift their heads against the Xiongnu and Xianbei, not fall behind.”
Cao Cao clearly didn’t know about Liu Hong’s plans. At this moment, he genuinely felt a sense of duty to the Han Dynasty, so his words warranted true respect from Qiao Yan.
Perhaps spirits were lifted by the wine, he thought for a moment and added, “But speaking of which, if I truly succeed from this selection, I’ll be neighbors with Yeshou. Bingzhou is not just a land of talent gatherings; we have figures like Cai Bojie and Cui Weicao here. Plus, Yeshou is building that academy in Leping; I can send Ang Er there to study, and I hope you, as an elder, can take care of him a bit.”
At this, Qiao Yan nearly choked on her drink.
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She felt that Cao Cao might not only have a lot in common with Lu Zhi but also with Guo Yun.
However, these thoughts of hers were destined to remain just that—thoughts.
If Qiao Yan could indeed achieve her desired wish as she anticipated, then there would be no one else meddling within Bingzhou.
And even if she were to fail this time, Liu Hong would never arrange for Cao Cao to be appointed as the General of Duliang, just to avoid her unconventional self, the Marquis of Leping, teaming up with an equally ambitious ally to create some unstoppable outcome.
Thus, Qiao Yan said without any worries, “If that’s the case, we can let Zixiu and Yancai study together in both literature and martial arts; I will surely not let Mengde down.”
“Yancai?” Upon hearing this name, Cao Cao paused a moment but quickly realized who Qiao Yan was referring to—it was the descendant of an old acquaintance!
Qiao Yan had not mentioned in her correspondence that Fu Gan had also arrived in Leping, and now suddenly bringing it up made Cao Cao’s earlier concern about Fu Gan’s whereabouts finally ease, though mentioning Fu Gan inevitably reminded him of the late Fu Xie.
He sighed at this thought.
“How infuriating—the bandit faction causes chaos, incompetent officials ruin the country, and loyal subjects die for it.”
The bandit faction referred to Ma Teng, Han Sui, and the like, while the incompetent officials were the rashly engaging Liangzhou Governor Geng Bi, and the loyal ones were Fu Xie.
Whether it was because Cao Cao had experienced battles alongside Fu Xie or because he had ambitions of suppressing the west, he surprisingly said to Qiao Yan, “If I ever come across any remnants of Fu Nanrong, I’ll have Ang’er come to you just like Yancai.”
“Mengde, why such solemn words?” Qiao Yan replied, “Right now, we have wine in our cups and prospects ahead; I should be wishing for you to excel in the selection rather than speaking of what generals must face the inevitability of death.”
Cao Cao was the type to quickly feel the bittersweet emotions of heroes being out of time, and upon hearing Qiao Yan’s words, he laughed, “Exactly! Let’s finish this cup first!”
Beside them, Cao Ang couldn’t help but let out a silent sigh.
He figured out why these two were relating to each other as equals; their banter over drinks clearly reflected a shared openness, along with that mutual respect among heroes.
But it seemed that regardless of the outcome, he had to attend Leping Academy?
He had no clue what that place was like…
While pondering, he briefly shifted his gaze away from Qiao Yan and Cao Cao, only to see that sturdy and valiant guard beside Qiao Yan looking up at the courtyard wall and saying something. After a closer look, he realized there was a figure hanging there.
This strange and contrasting scene of conversation strangely felt completely appropriate here in the territory of the Marquis of Leping.
He returned his gaze back, realizing he must have missed something—either a line or a question directed at him.
Cao Cao was somewhat exasperated by his distraction and reiterated, “Yeshu asked you what books you’ve been reading lately.”
Cao Ang replied, “I’ve just read ‘Discussions on the Qin’ and ‘On Law and Order’.”
Thinking about how people’s expectations often came from the elders toward the younger generation, Qiao Yan contemplated and said, “Zixiu aspires to follow the governance of Jia Changsha, which is commendable, but he shouldn’t strive to be someone who was just out of luck.”
But whether it was about coincidentally being in the right place at the right time or being out of luck, even Qiao Yan herself, who had taken steps to take control, couldn’t conclude, let alone Cao Ang.
In the year 4 of Zhongping’s November, Grand Minister of Agriculture Cao Song bought an official position and was appointed Grand Commandant.
Also in mid-November, numerous officials, whether in active service or retired, who had requested to participate in the selection for the General of Duliang, arrived at the military camp in the western outskirts of Luoyang.
Liu Hong previously hadn’t had the leisure to go through the list of officials one by one, but now, as he prepared to select a private army through the Duliang General selection, he figured it was time to take a look.
The Northern Army from Luoyang made their way to this large camp in the western suburbs, and in the empty space of the camp, a high platform for inspection was set up.
However, standing beneath the platform were soldiers, and at the front were the candidates, while on the platform were none other than the Son of Heaven himself and his close ministers.
Cao Cao looked up at the platform and noticed Qiao Yan was among them.
Perhaps due to her achievements against the Xiongnu, she was brought in as a judge, or maybe it was because this Duliang General appointment was proposed by her to Liu Hong, which gave her this honor; or perhaps—
This was simply a reflection of the current favor she enjoyed from the Son of Heaven.
In any case, Qiao Yan had the best vantage point, allowing her to take in all the unfamiliar faces below as well as Liu Hong’s reactions.
Once seated at the head of the platform, a little yellow gatekeeper presented the list of participating generals to Liu Hong.
He looked through it, and while on the surface it seemed unremarkable, Qiao Yan instinctively sensed Liu Hong’s mood was not so pleasant.
It was certainly not in vain that she had intentionally tipped off the Yuan clan!
It turned out that the Yuan clan’s nominated candidates were mostly low-key, such as Han Fu and Ji Ling—they hadn’t yet made a big name for themselves and had no direct ties with the Yuan clan.
But since the Yuan clan believed there were no secrets that could stay hidden, and leaked the info to General He, the situation was very different.
Wu Kuang, Zhang Zhang—
These were the well-known loyalist supporters of General He.
These two even went so far as to kill He Miao, harboring grievances against Guo Yun and believing themselves extreme supporters of He Jin.
They had no need to participate in the Duliang General selection under beneficial circumstances for General He, yet here they were.
Dong Min—
He was the brother of Dong Zhuo and was also serving under He Jin at this time.
There was even someone whose identity was less than discreet.
Wang Kuang, an aide to General He.
This list practically slapped a message onto Liu Hong’s face.
Regardless of the exact purpose of this selection, it seemed General He aimed to gain some advantage.
Qiao Yan internally cursed the “butcher mentality,” but didn’t show a hint of it on her face, and after pondering again, she felt that if only General He’s people were exposed, they could use some more firepower.
She withdrew her gaze from the list and suddenly arose, cupping her hands toward Liu Hong, saying, “Your Majesty, may I say a few words?”
Liu Hong raised an eyebrow, “Speak.”
Liu Hong looked at Qiao Yan, who had come dressed for riding today.
It was clear from her attire that her motives had likely been brewing for some time, but since she suddenly brought this up, it obviously didn’t conflict with his interests, and she could be of use to him!
