“Can strategists not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 93: Fan the Flames of Skill
The esteemed Northern Army Five Divisions, bustling with mounted cavalry, light cavalry, infantry, and archers, were not just a standard battalion of less than a thousand men. Thanks to the chaotic Yellow Turban Rebellion, troops had been dispatched from Luoyang’s eight gates, fiercely defending their positions while also boosting the number of soldiers across each division. In peak times, some infantry battalions even reached a whopping ten thousand!
Of course, that was before the great plague swept through Luoyang, striking the military camps hardest since they were crowded places, drastically reducing the number of soldiers who fell ill and died. And let’s not forget the locust plague that made feeding the troops a real hassle, shrinking the numbers to a mere couple thousand.
But shortly after, the Western Liang conflict erupted, with the Northern Army Five Divisions gearing up once again.
Now, there were about a thousand men per division, including the “leaders” selected for this endeavor, which surprisingly featured Qiao Yan among the sixteen total. This meant each person had roughly five hundred men under their command!
Liu Hong, a master of fair distribution, ensured there was no favoritism concerning troop types, allocating one hundred each of cavalry, light cavalry, infantry, Hu cavalry, and archers to keep things balanced.
With a ten-day limit in place, everyone was tasked with training their soldiers, using sticks to replace weapons to minimize casualties, and whittling down their ranks for the grand showdown.
But right now—
This was definitely not the best time for a bout.
In mid-November, even though it hadn’t snowed like last year, Qiao Yan looked skyward and felt winter’s chill settling in.
Today’s grim, overcast skies cast an even heavier gloom, with only Liu Hong’s ornate canopy being a vibrant contrast against the dreary backdrop.
The Emperor had left the West Suburb camp, returning to the Southern Palace, yet the twelve-layered, colorful canopy on the high platform remained, as if signaling—
When the formal contest began, he would be back here, and if any of them could shine brightly enough, it could just pave the way to a bright future before the Son of Heaven!
Yet, the more eager Liu Hong became, the more convinced Qiao Yan was that she could take advantage of Liu Hong’s desperate gamble amidst the “surrounded by wolves” scenario for a winning play.
He was so keen on selecting capable generals this winter that he didn’t even want to wait until spring!
The most blatant signal was that as soon as Qiao Yan stepped into her camp, a special visitor arrived.
“What brings Jian Shuo here today?” Qiao Yan asked, looking at the newcomer.
This Palace Attendant was quite the unique figure among the sixteen.
Like Qiao Yan, he served as a benchmark and judge for selecting the General of the Liaodong region.
Only Qiao Yan knew that Liu Hong had placed significant trust in him, intending to make him the actual leader of the soon-to-be-established eight schools, even entrusting Liu Xie to him.
However, at this moment, Jian Shuo was just a “trivial little eunuch” to Yuan Shao and understood his place, not daring to act all high and mighty in front of Qiao Yan.
Liu Hong’s tone from that previous time he agreed with her participation was one filled with great expectations.
Qiao Yan’s connection to the Qiao family was tenuous. Being all alone in Leping for a year, no one from the Qiao family had set foot there, and the Emperor was keeping an eye on all of it.
It sounded odd, but within Liu Hong’s logic of faction, Qiao Yan and these destitute eunuchs were placed on the same level!
Yet due to her repeated contributions, Qiao Yan surely had a higher standing than the average Palace Attendant in Liu Hong’s eyes.
Jian Shuo, anxious about Liu Hong’s grand plan, felt a bit nervous. Fortunately, Qiao Yan was also joining the fray, easing some of his tension — more accurately, he was relieved when he said:
“His Majesty has a message for you, Qiao Hou; please take it to heart.”
Jian Shuo lowered his voice, “The Emperor says you can lose, but if you encounter these particular people, you must defeat them by any means necessary. With your record against the Black Mountain Bandits, White Wave Thieves, and the other Hu, this shouldn’t be hard.”
As he spoke, he handed her a slip of paper.
Qiao Yan took a look and unsurprisingly found the names of Wang Kuang, Dong Min, Zhang Zhang, and the like.
It was easy to understand Liu Hong issuing this order.
He Jin had quite evidently seized the highest military authority of the Han but still pressed on aggressively, seeking every advantage, which undoubtedly irked Liu Hong.
Yet due to the necessity of the foreign relatives’ military power, Liu Hong couldn’t afford to clash with He Jin openly. But now that Qiao Yan was stepping into the limelight, he had a relatively indirect way to resolve this issue.
Qiao Yan’s achievements in Bingzhou were hard to dismiss as mere chance. Liu Hong believed she could handle those opponents without much trouble.
However, the moment Qiao Yan heard about this directive, she couldn’t help but chuckle to herself.
Once those obvious Hen Jin lackeys were removed, those powerful noble families that once held sway would indeed dominate!
I wonder how Liu Hong will react when he learns the truth?
It’s like leading a tiger by the nose and inviting a wolf in!
Qiao Yan humorously thought that Liu Hong’s health was already precarious, and if he were to receive a particularly devastating blow, it might just shave a few years off his life!
But what did that have to do with her, the “loyal minister of the Han,” who was merely stepping up to assess the qualifications of the candidates for the General of Liaodong?
She was just lifting that veil to exert her influence a bit.
After all, they say that a good comparison can highlight the best! Now was the perfect time for that!
While pondering, when facing Jian Shuo, she merely wore a confused expression regarding the Emperor’s sudden instructions, “This is certainly in the Emperor’s handwriting, but why…?”
“No need to ask too much, Qiao Hou. His Majesty has other plans for them,” Jian Shuo replied.
“Then would it trouble you, Jian Gong, to inquire with the Emperor? If I am to fulfill this aim, I fear I am somewhat insufficient alone. I have a fierce warrior accompanying me to Luoyang; may I bring him into the camp to bolster my chances?”
Upon hearing this, Jian Shuo’s expression relaxed considerably. “Do you know something, Qiao Hou? The Northern Army’s divisions are roughly equal in numbers, but the organization of cavalry and infantry differs vastly in position. If you want to maneuver, bringing in just one would be no problem, even several would be just fine.”
“This matter doesn’t even need the Emperor’s approval; I’ll have someone make the arrangements right away, even if it’s to bring along your cart driver!”
Qiao Yan’s eyes lit up.
Now that’s the kind of talk she’s been waiting for!
While others might have a mere cart driver, hers was a “genius”!
A sly smile flashed in Qiao Yan’s eyes, yet all she did was bow slightly to Jian Shuo, replying, “Thank you, Jian Gong, in advance.”
However, before she could meet Dian Wei and Guo Jia, she welcomed yet another visitor.
This one had a voice that could be recognized even before seeing him.
“The other day, Ye Shu unexpectedly took a considerable advantage in our seniority, almost trading places with my son, who is about your age, and even toasted to mutual success! Why today are we set to compete head-to-head?”
Cao Cao may have said this, but Qiao Yan couldn’t pick up on any real annoyance in his tone. When she looked up at him, all she saw was a face reddened by the cold, not a trace of resentment.
Qiao Yan quickly replied, “Meng De, you can come here to ask me for trouble without even getting to know your soldiers first. That shows just how confident you are!”
She raised the roster of soldiers innocently and smiled.
Cao Cao found it tough to retort to that.
Qiao Yan added, “Meng De, don’t worry; the Emperor won’t let me take your place as General of Liaodong. I just wanted to step in and see if the rest competing for that post truly have the skills.”
She continued with a serious expression, “The Hu people are unpredictable and their strikes are sudden. Only those with the strength of a tiger can guard the borders. If one can’t even handle five hundred armored soldiers, they might as well become a centurion and not meddle in our Bingzhou affairs.”
“If Bingzhou falls into chaos, even my grandfather won’t find peace in the afterlife, so I will not relent in this matter. Let’s test you all!”
With her righteous statements, Cao Cao found himself at a loss for words.
However, instead of seeing this as needing to back down, Cao Cao was rather inspired by her high standards, laughing heartily: “Alright, let’s see who’s who on the battlefield!”
Why not have a benchmark to measure by?
Yet as he thought about it, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy that Qiao Yan’s family had such an outstanding granddaughter.
But then recalling that his own son was no pushover either, he figured it would be perfect for them to gain some experience in this drill, which would certainly expedite his son’s maturity, and he quickly dismissed that somewhat unrealistic hope.
Having exchanged a few words about the Northern Army while he was previously appointed as the cavalry commander, he took his leave.
The silent system finally managed to chime in at this moment—seeing the hope of its host becoming a leader behind the scenes, it couldn’t help but ask: 【What do you think of Cao Mengde?】
“Let’s watch and see,” Qiao Yan replied. “But if I can help the Emperor weaken the noble families and foreign relatives’ powers, shouldn’t that be counted towards my points as a strategist?”
“I shall act upon the Emperor’s command and lead troops to defeat Dong Min, Wang Kuang, etc. This should be a task for strategists to carry out, and if successful, it should count as the strategist’s merit, right?”
“Moreover, Bingzhou is a territory of the Han; reestablishing the General of Liaodong is a suggestion beneficial to the state. This reflects a strategist’s far-reaching perspective, doesn’t it…”
【Who refers to oneself as having a far-reaching perspective?!】 The system abruptly interrupted Qiao Yan, realizing it had forgotten that it initially wanted to ask if she considered appointing Cao Cao as the leader.
“Just say if it’s feasible or not,” Qiao Yan wrapped up her string of thoughts with a pressing question.
After some consideration, the system replied hesitantly: 【Under the evaluation standards, it should be possible.】
Though her approach seemed a bit off, from the angle of Liu Hong leading while she took a supportive role, this could indeed be counted as a strategist’s calculation…
Qiao Yan couldn’t help but chuckle.
With that assurance, all she needed to do was achieve her goal.
Though, it certainly wasn’t as easy as it sounded.
“The group under your command doesn’t carry the same sense of belonging as Leping’s troops. That’s one challenge,” Guo Jia began analyzing once he arrived at the camp.
“The Northern Army’s divisions all have their own specific allowances and payment systems. The modified merit system of Leping won’t hold here, and it won’t drive them to fight fervently against the enemy. That’s another challenge.”
Noticing Guo Jia taking notes for their strategic discussion, Qiao Yan continued, “And since other commanding officers expect their underlings to succeed, they’ll be eager for rewards for contributing, but it may look like I’m just playing with the Emperor’s favor, which could lead to laxity. That’s challenge three.”
“I’ve got Dian Wei and Feng Xiao with me; other leaders also have supporting personnel. That warrior beside Han Wenzhen has better control over Hu cavalry than we do. Moreover, Dong Shuying also borrowed men from his elder brother. That’s the fourth challenge,” Qiao Yan methodically added.
Guo Jia could see she was already calculating her next move.
Recognizing there was no need to dishearten her, after they meticulously outlined four challenges, he turned to discuss Qiao Yan’s advantages.
“Others need to gauge you, and whether they fight wholeheartedly to showcase their command ability or adopt a coy strategy to test your skills, compared to them, you have a fallback option to secure a steady victory. That’s advantage one.”
Qiao Yan’s achievements, surprisingly mature for her age, would indeed distort perceptions and lead to misjudgments, which was a significant advantage, even if it couldn’t persist throughout the battles.
“Two divisions within the Northern Army are comprised of non-Han folk, and since you’ve had success against the Hu, there is an inherent deterrent. That’s advantage two.”
Guo Jia continued, “You are well-versed in the needs and thoughts of lower-tier soldiers since you started from Leping. That’s advantage three.”
“Plus, your martial prowess is commendable; with only five hundred troops, you don’t need to adopt the usual methods of commanding from the rear, as leading from the front can encourage your men. That’s advantage four.”
By laying out these four challenges and four advantages, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but recall the famous ten wins and ten losses that were discussed before the battle of Guandu between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao.
But after summarizing that fourth point, Guo Jia added, “However, your advantages don’t stop there. To minimize injuries during this selection process, I made sure to check the situation beforehand. Not only were the lethal weapons swapped for wooden sticks, but even the arrows for archers are wooden-headed. As long as a strike doesn’t land on the throat or head, it won’t count as a knockout. This means—”
“The Archer division’s role will be significantly diminished in this battle, which means…”
“Without a doubt, aside from archery, Qiao Yan excels in horsemanship. Isn’t that the real advantage?”
“This is advantage number five.”
Qiao Yan smiled and said, “Xiao is still missing one thing.”
“First, while others know me for my clever strategies, they don’t realize I have a smart advisor with me. If I assign half of these five hundred soldiers to you, allowing you to adapt on the battlefield, our opposing forces would be up against two commanders—one primary, one auxiliary, working in perfect harmony, making it hard to find any flaws.”
“Second, the morale of the camp must be elevated. We can’t tempt them with rewards or wealth, so we’ll have to take an unconventional approach.”
Qiao Yan handed over a letter she had prepared for Guo Jia before his arrival.
Guo Jia unfolded it and found it was a letter addressed to another commander in the camp, and fortunately, this person happened to be an old acquaintance of Qiao Yan.
Years ago, when escorting Qiao Xuan’s coffin to Leping, the captain Bao Hong had been involved in delivering messages back and forth to Leping. Under Liu Hong’s reign, he had picked up a title, and subsequently, he took part in the battle of Liangzhou, managing to snag a victory that led him to vie for the position of Duluo General.
To say that he was a captain of the Northern Army’s five divisions came with a nice pay, but given that the funeral procession wouldn’t directly pull an active captain away from Luoyang for that long, he had actually been promoted from the ranks below. Thus, his title as captain was more grand than his actual power.
Moreover, Bao Hong considered himself an ambitious captain; clearly, the title of general was far more glorious.
He was also very impressed with Bingzhou, especially because—
While others might view the Marquis of Leping as a bother who could demand arrows at any moment, Bao Hong had seen how she initially secured grain for Leping and how she managed to defeat the Black Mountain Bandits with fewer troops, so he didn’t share that opinion.
In fact, he felt a sense of security with the Marquis of Leping around.
With this thinking, he increasingly viewed the position of Duluo General as a sweet deal and participated in this selection.
However, Qiao Yan wasn’t here for a stroll down memory lane.
Guo Jia skimmed through the letter and deemed it a message to settle a favor.
“Your plan is brilliant, Marquis. What’s the catch?”
“As for that… I can’t say just yet. You’ll find out in a day.”
After Guo Jia left the military tent, Qiao Yan pulled up her skill panel.
Since she officially announced the first merit system to her troops, a new skill called “Incitement” had appeared on her list of personal skills.
Perhaps it was because the size of her soldiers finally met the system’s criteria, or maybe there was some hidden conditional check like approval rating—whatever the reason, this skill hadn’t triggered when she urged Xue and the Tian family to fight to the death in the battle of Changshe, nor had it activated when she incited the people of Leping with grains to capture the Black Mountain Bandits, but it now showed up.
Luckily, it wasn’t too late, and Qiao Yan was well-prepared.
She still had some unallocated skill points available, so she invested into “Incitement.”
After adding points, Qiao Yan realized the difference between Eloquence and Incitement.
Eloquence is more about mastering the art of language to persuade others, while Incitement leans toward manipulating emotions.
Emotions, huh…
This was her final advantage.
A team that hadn’t had much experience working together couldn’t possibly be expected to act in unison within just ten days, especially considering these soldiers already had a systematic training model.
Ten days wouldn’t suffice for her to assert any advantages through dietary supplements or physical training that distinguished her soldiers from other teams.
The only leverage she had was morale.
But who said rallying troops’ spirits could only happen before battle with feasts and rewards?
The next morning, Qiao Yan gathered her five hundred soldiers.
Typically, the Northern Army’s five divisions wouldn’t interfere with each other, so the moment they were assembled, Qiao Yan thought it looked like they were divided into five distinct parts.
Fortunately, the situation was much better than she had anticipated.
While these troops seemed a bit lacking in spirit, they still knew that although she currently held no official position, the weight of being the Marquis of Leping was indeed considerable, and it wouldn’t be too difficult for her to make them suffer—thus, they stood firmly, not quite as fierce as Leping’s soldiers, but respectable enough under the Northern Army’s banner.
Qiao Yan’s gaze swept over the front row of soldiers. To them, the presence of this Marquis didn’t seem frivolous; on the contrary, she bore a sharp and perceptive air.
But even before Qiao Yan could ask them about their situation or make plans, a voice called out from outside the camp, coming straight for them.
A person clad in captain’s armor approached, shouting, “Marquis, wait!”
Since he also hailed from the Northern Army and was part of the Cavalry Camp, many recognized his identity immediately.
It was Captain Bao Hong.
The hundred soldiers in the Cavalry Camp exchanged glances, each with a look of confusion.
Everyone knew Bao Hong was competing for the position of Duluo General, so he should be commanding his troops instead of appearing here.
Of course, Bao Hong himself felt a bit helpless about being here, especially because…
Especially because he was about to play the villain.
Luckily, he had mentally prepared himself before showing up; he couldn’t let any cracks show on his face.
After all, he owed Qiao Yan a favor, and it was better to repay it now than to settle it later in a way he couldn’t afford.
Plus, Qiao Yan had mentioned that this exchange would lean in Bao Hong’s favor.
So, as long as he performed normally, making use of the skills honed during the battle in Liangzhou, she would definitely see to it that he got promoted.
Compared to other competitors, Qiao Yan’s words meant a lot more to Bao Hong.
No matter what Qiao Yan planned to do with him, he’d just follow her lead.
Thus, those drawn in by his “Marquis, wait” could see that he still wore a haughty expression as he said, “May I borrow you for a moment, Marquis?”
Qiao Yan immediately frowned, “Captain Bao, since you dare to leave your post, why shy away from speaking plainly?”
Speak plainly?
“Since you say so, then I’ll be straightforward.” Bao Hong chuckled. “I’ve envied the combat prowess of the Hu cavalry in the Changshui Camp for a long time. Having just this one hundred under my command is simply not enough to satiate that envy. I was thinking—”
“Marquis, your visit is not to compete for the position of Duluo General, but merely to assess our training standards, so surely you won’t mind if I have an extra hundred of Hu cavalry instead of a hundred of my own?”
“I wonder if you would be willing to trade with me?”
Bao Hong sat up straight, although everyone could see the lustful glint in his eyes as he gazed at the Changshui Hu cavalry.
The crowd was stunned.
Who would have thought that in such a seemingly serious competitive setting, someone would be scheming for a trade?
It made sense for him to choose this moment to approach as it was best to swap troops before official training started.
But this left—
Even if military discipline prohibited discussions now, every other camp shot him furious glares except for those he deemed valuable for a trade.
Especially from the Cavalry Camp and the Hu Cavalry.
Even though he had prepared himself, under the predatory gazes, Bao Hong almost took a step back.
But thinking about the general he had heard Qiao Yan mention, he steeled his resolve.
However, the glance Qiao Yan threw at him was icy, her aura having matured far beyond last year, making Bao Hong feel a sense of dread.
For a moment, he thought he was facing the Emperor.
No, that couldn’t be right.
Qiao Yan was indeed the Marquis of Leping and had experienced a lot of real combat, so her commanding presence wasn’t surprising.
As Bao Hong’s heart trembled, he forced himself to ask again in the hushed silence, “Marquis… what do you say?”
“What do I say?” The sharp-dressed young lady at the front of the ranks cracked her whip in her palm and sneered, “You should scram!”
Struggling to suppress his urge to flee, Bao Hong gritted his teeth and, with just a step left until finishing this little play, uttered the last line he was scripted to say, “Marquis, there’s no need for hostility. We’ve shared some history, wouldn’t it be better to assist each other rather than fulfill someone else’s agenda?”
“If you don’t leave now, I’ll have to make sure you’re kicked out!” Qiao Yan stepped forward, her frosty expression emanating a distinct lethal intent.
This look and her commanding presence made it obvious to all, including Bao Hong, that this was a well-orchestrated act.
With Qiao Yan’s current demeanor, Dian Wei also stepped forward.
Even though Dian Wei was holding a staff instead of his usual spear due to the competition rules, having accompanied Qiao Yan all this time, he was more imposing with each battle he had fought. Given the much better living conditions in Leping, his growing ferocity made him look like a grim reaper.
Seeing this, Bao Hong hurriedly turned to leave.
He thought to himself, thank goodness Qiao Yan didn’t assign him any other lines, or he guessed he wouldn’t have been able to say anything at all.
However, just as he reached the camp’s exit, he heard a sharp call from behind, “Stop!”
First told to leave and then told to stop; Bao Hong couldn’t quite decide which order to obey, but after mentally repeating “Duluo General,” he turned back to follow the more recent instruction.
Then he heard Qiao Yan say, “What you did today won’t reach anyone’s ears and won’t be reported to the Emperor regarding your attempt to disrupt the rules. Additionally, I hope you remember this—”
“Adding the Hu cavalry to the Changshui Camp doesn’t mean they’re superior to the Cavalry Camp and the Hu Cavalry. If Captain Bao thinks this isn’t true, then let’s wait and see which of my troops achieves the most merit in ten days!”
Bao Hong reflexively replied, “Let’s wait and see.”
Having said that, he acted like a qualified villain and elegantly left the scene.
However, halfway out, he suddenly realized that Qiao Yan’s maneuver was quite extraordinary.
His little display, coupled with that line from Qiao Yan…
Good grief! This way, within her camp, the competition would surely flourish, and each one would need to prove themselves as the best cavalry!
And the shooting camp, already receiving a significant nerf from the new rules, and the infantry, often overlooked, could they avoid such internal competition?
This entire show was pushing them to produce a trustworthy elite force!
Realizing this, Bao Hong felt a little queasy and began contemplating if he could imitate Qiao Yan’s approach to boost his own troops’ morale.
Unfortunately, no matter how he thought about it, he felt he lacked the conditions like Qiao Yan did; he didn’t have a partner willing to play the role he had just enacted.
So rather than dwelling on those impractical things, he decided it was best to hurry back to his own camp.
Otherwise, he might just be late!
However, the soldiers watching Bao Hong’s retreat couldn’t peer into his thoughts. When they turned their gaze back, they saw Qiao Yan looking at them.
This previously assertive Marquis suddenly asked, “What are your thoughts, everyone?”
What were their thoughts?
If you asked the members of the Cavalry Camp and the Hu Cavalry, they would surely be disgruntled.
But the Changshui Camp felt similarly offended!
As Qiao Yan clearly held a bias against the Hu cavalry due to her victories against the Hu, she caught sight of their expressions and remarked, “I can guess what you’re all thinking—you believe you’re the strongest among the Northern Army five divisions, huh? Let me cut to the chase.”
She raised her left hand, “Just like a hand has five fingers, losing one makes it hard to grasp heavy objects. The camp has five divisions; lacking any one means we can’t function properly and secure victory.”
“I don’t buy the idea that Hu cavalry is the king of mounted combat while the Cavalry must take a back seat, and I certainly don’t buy that our Han Dynasty’s armored cavalry or infantry is inferior. You should know, the Hu cavalry excels in charging, the Cavalry is best at shooting, the Troupe riders are nimble, and infantry is indispensable while the shooting camp provides aid—”
“This is the very reason the Northern Army five divisions were established, and it holds true even now!”
With her whip crackling against the ground, she proclaimed emphatically, “So, do you dare to fight with me to prove your skills!”
