Chapter 97

“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”

Chapter 97: The Governor’s Decision…

“For a moment, I can’t decide whether I should envy them for having these cultural activities to ease their spirits or sympathize with them for having to deal with all this pressure,” Qiao Yan said, watching the soldiers still gazing intently at the curtain.

Guo Jia truly lived up to his reputation as a genius, coming up with such a clever idea.

But there was no doubt that this was the best solution at the moment.

These soldiers needed some spiritual comfort, so entertainment was a reasonable option to choose.

At the same time, amidst this comfort, they couldn’t completely let their guard down. The entire unit still needed to maintain sufficient morale.

How to ensure that morale is sustained?

They could rely on internal healthy competition before, but now they could try incentives.

But unlike material rewards, this incentive turned into a shadow puppet theater performance, leaning more towards a folk-style “To Leave a Name in History.”

This had a surprisingly strong appeal for the lower-ranking soldiers.

Guo Jia replied, “Your Highness enjoys playing with people’s hearts, and I’m merely trying to show off in front of you. If I can provide assistance to you, that would be splendid.”

Seeing the soldiers returning to the military tent, their backs radiated enthusiasm, confirming he had made the right move, and a smile crept onto his lips.

This joy from witnessing the success of his strategy didn’t fade even when Qiao Yan spoke next.

She said, “You’re not suited to stay in the camp anymore.”

Guo Jia nodded, “Indeed.”

In fact, during the previous match against Dong Min and Xu Rong, it wasn’t just the captain of the cavalry camp whose name Liu Hong inquired about; Dian Wei, who could ride a fierce horse, and Guo Jia, who stood in for Qiao Yan, were also asked.

But Qiao Yan told Liu Hong that Dian Wei had followed her for over three years, simply wanting to be her top bodyguard. Liu Hong thought it unnecessary to poach someone’s prized subordinate.

As for Guo Jia, according to Qiao Yan, he had picked up the knack for commanding soldiers from them, which led to such results.

Moreover, in the subsequent battle against Han Fu and Ji Ling, Guo Jia hardly contributed, so Liu Hong bought the story.

But no matter how you slice it, to avoid Liu Hong suddenly recalling him and to prevent any connection he had with He Yong from reaching Qiao Yan, it was better for him to reduce his presence now or simply leave Luoyang City.

“Of course, before you leave…”

“Rest assured, Your Highness,” Guo Jia replied, “I will definitely accomplish what you entrusted to me before leaving Luoyang.”

Qiao Yan had no reason to doubt Guo Jia.

After all, it was just about passing on some information.

Whether the message would reach at the necessary time didn’t solely depend on Guo Jia’s ability to negotiate.

She also had another thing to ensure.

Under this prerequisite, only then could the behind-the-scenes machinations achieve their intended effect.

That was—defeat Cao Cao first, then Jian Shuo!

The latter wasn’t particularly difficult, but the former…

Cao Cao’s talents in politics, military affairs, and even literature were undeniably high. Even though he was at the early stages of military rebuilding, he wouldn’t underestimate him.

No matter how much cunning you possess, if the disparity in strength between both sides is stark, it likely won’t matter.

When Qiao Yan met Cao Cao before the duel, she saw that Meng De clearly looked surprised at how her soldiers maintained such high spirits.

Cao Cao thought this wasn’t an illusion; the way those soldiers looked at him was like starving wolves spotting a chunk of meat.

Unaware of the concept of breaking off a sentence’s power, Cao Cao, adhering to the mindset of not showing fear before battle, asked Qiao Yan, “Don’t you need another day’s rest? I was just on standby last match, don’t let me take advantage of you.”

Qiao Yan replied calmly, “Hasn’t Meng De forgotten a famous saying? To get fired up at one go is best; if you do it too long, you’ll lose steam. My soldiers have maintained their momentum from their previous victories, so how could we lose this one? Rather, Meng De, do take care; in battle, no mercy ought to be shown; don’t blame me for being rude.”

Cao Cao shook his head, chuckling.

Though young, Qiao Yan showed no intention of being at a disadvantage in this war of words.

As he returned to his side, she even quipped, “I must say, Cao Zilian’s horse is far superior to Meng De’s. Why not let him grant you a fine steed to evade arrows?”

Cao Cao waved his hand, “No need for that; the white horse is too conspicuous; it makes you an easy target.”

Cao Hong’s horse was indeed worth a thousand miles, strong as an ox, but such fine steeds ought to be ridden by generals, so why lend it to him?

However, for some reason, as the two forces lined up against each other, seeing Qiao Yan atop that exquisite steed, Cao Cao found himself feeling like he was slightly losing.

Might be time to switch to a better mount himself.

At that moment, he was even more convinced that the morale on Qiao Yan’s side exhibited an astonishing state; it was definitely not his imagination.

This made him wary; the other side might not choose a relatively safe strategy.

This suspicion was proven true when he saw Qiao Yan split her forces into two, charging straight at the left and right flanks!

This was a strong assault!

Qiao Yan spurred her horse into the right flank, while Dian Wei, though a master on foot, could also ride—he executed a flanking maneuver on the left.

After all, she knew that with her side’s fierce determination to win this battle, using any cautious means would only give Cao Cao the chance to adjust his formations.

Better to attack hard!

Crossing through the Three Kingdoms era, who wouldn’t want to take down Cao Cao? But how many truly dared to claim victory against him?

Qiao Yan could only hear the wind rushing past her ears, unable to tell if it was the winter chill or the swift breeze from her galloping steed.

But perhaps at that moment, her eyes glinted with more aggression than the winter wind.

She lifted her gaze towards the encircled formation of Cao Cao, revealing a determined demeanor.

Cao Hong, alongside Cao Cao, was notably a second-rate warrior in combat ability, but as long as Qiao Yan counted as a warrior herself, even if she didn’t match Cao Hong, she surely wouldn’t be easily captured.

With Qiao Yan and Dian Wei advancing from opposite sides, they put Cao Cao in a dilemma—

Which side should Cao Hong defend?

If he chose to defend against Dian Wei, then she wouldn’t hold back and would shoot an arrow right at his face as she had warned before.

If he chose to defend against Qiao Yan, with Dian Wei’s combat prowess, how could those Northern Army soldiers stop him from breaking through?

Moreover, in these dual advancing teams, each soldier hoped to achieve more notable feats than the rest, aspiring to become a member with an independent solo in the shadow puppet show.

When such emotions converged, it formed a momentum chilling enough to instill fear.

Indeed, they would follow Qiao Yan’s commands, but wouldn’t arrows that were just a bit more precise, or a more stable defense against the enemy, mean they could gain more honor in that “reward for achievement”?

Perhaps so!

The leading cavalry unit, with shields raised, blocked the first wave of arrows, following closely behind were the commanders from the two advancing teams.

In the vacant spot in front of the shields, Qiao Yan clearly saw Cao Hong advancing towards her side under Cao Cao’s orders, while his troops shifted to evade Dian Wei’s fierce advances.

But at that moment, the cavalry unit acting alongside Dian Wei turned their horses without hesitation, charging straight at Cao Cao, as if they had no regard for Dian Wei’s safety.

That was the signal Qiao Yan had initiated.

And almost simultaneously as the signal was sent, she tossed aside her long staff, intercepting Cao Hong’s attack.

“I’m asking you, Cao Zilian, is this white horse not something you’d consider lending to Meng De? I doubt he could outrun the Hu cavalry.”

Qiao Yan didn’t mind the habits of the Hu people; she was well aware of their adopted practices.

Having already won the earlier skirmishes against the cavalry units, they wouldn’t slack off when it came to sending Cao Cao off the battlefield!

Cao Hong couldn’t help but respond, “Is this really the question you should ask right now?”

Qiao Yan thought it was.

After all, this wasn’t a one-on-one duel.

As Qiao Yan triumphed, Cao Hong touched the cheek where he was injured, unable to suppress a cold gasp.

“Saying her martial arts are strong would be an understatement, but I genuinely didn’t expect that with one blow, I’d break her weapon into two, and she’d thank me for my cooperation,” Cao Hong complained to Cao Cao. “Who would have thought? When she faced Dong Shuying, I noticed she definitely wasn’t using a regular spear and ended up with dual weapons.”

Cao Hong, who thought he could defeat Qiao Yan, abruptly found himself on the receiving end of her broken staff.

And he was thrown off his horse by the cavalry that worked alongside her.

It was a difference of timing; even Cao Cao was thrown into disarray by the Hu cavalry’s ambush from Changshui camp, leaving him with no other option but to retreat.

Cao Cao didn’t feel frustrated about being caught off guard; he patted Cao Hong’s shoulder, laughing, “At least you figured it out now. Besides, you have put some pressure on her.”

Cao Cao gazed at Qiao Yan, who was massaging her wrist and palm, evidently from the impact of gripping her wooden stick just as it snapped; the recoil was a bit hard to handle.

While Cao Hong shared his woes with Cao Cao, Qiao Yan spoke to the system, “Good thing I’ve been leveling up my strength; looks like I have to boost it even further.”

The system struggled with whether to respond with “You’re a strategist!” or “How did you defeat Cao Cao?” but ultimately could only muster a single line—

“It’s all good, the fight’s almost over.”

What’s this? That’s a qualified alarm clock’s self-cultivation.

At this point, it only needed to cheer on its host.

As the system said, if going by Qiao Yan’s own expectations, defeating Cao Cao meant this selection for the position of general over Delyao was officially wrapping up.

Who knew Qiao Yan’s side still had over four hundred sixty people in fine fighting shape apart from those injured?

Jian Shuo, strong and capable, couldn’t truly compete with the other court officials, just having secured his place in the top two due to prior recommendations and byes, didn’t mean he had a real chance against Qiao Yan.

This was evident when the two sides battled just two days later; even though they all came from the Northern Army Five Divisions, there seemed to be a visibly distinct divide.

This time, Qiao Yan wouldn’t even need to lift a finger; it was enough to let Dian Wei lead the troop to push forward steadily.

After all, Liu Hong probably didn’t want to see the leader of the eight schools in the Western Garden appear too defeated after being chased around.

So, rather than a final showdown, it was more like a performance.

Qiao Yan had no objections to this.

She had already showcased her command abilities, so it was alright to relax a bit.

She even directed a portion of her attention to the high platform, catching a glimpse of the emperor lost in thought beneath the ornate canopy.

It seemed Liu Hong had arrived at clear decisions over the lengthy selection process.

Today was the day to announce them!

Let’s see, from October of arriving in the capital to now, has what she waited for come to fruition!

Liu Hong remained unaware that one of the commanders among the contestants had momentarily slipped into distraction.

He was still wrestling with his final decision.

Determining this wasn’t an easy task; although only nine candidates remained after two rounds of eliminations days ago, it still required careful consideration.

Liu Hong was quite cautious about allocating the candidates for the Delyao general and the commanders of the eight schools in the Western Garden.

Where would the personnel of the Western Garden Eight Schools come from?

The established Northern Army Five Divisions couldn’t spare any soldiers, so it would be necessary for the newly appointed commanders to personally recruit troops in the regions.

He really needs to weigh how many people these folks can recruit, just as a consideration for assistance.

That’s why he’s become increasingly reluctant to let the noble families and their relatives get their hands on this team.

Similarly, although Cao Cao had the capital to become the General of Duluo, he preferred to flaunt his skills at the colonel’s position instead.

The Cao family is rich, and this generation has many skilled wandering knights. For example, there’s Cao Hong, who was called up, and he’s quite tough. Rumor has it there’s also a 20-year-old Cao Zixiao in their clan, who has gathered a bunch of similarly aged young folks wandering around the Huai and Si rivers.

For Liu Hong, these are talents he aims to drag into the Western Garden army—better if he can grab them all at once.

But if he sends them off to the Bingzhou area, where the emperor’s far and wide, who’s to say a local noble family won’t sprout up? That goes against his original intention.

So, who should he place in the position of General of Duluo?

This person can’t be someone reckless like Ji Ling or Bao Hong, nor can it be cautious advisors like Feng Fang or Xia Mu.

After excluding Jian Shuo, there’s only one choice left—

Han Fu.

Can Han Fu take on this responsibility?

Liu Hong thought long and hard, figuring it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot.

As far as Han Fu’s stance goes, he’d probably be just fine.

He might seem a bit soft and gentle; he could be seen as weak for other general positions, but for the General of Duluo, he could actually work.

If he truly can’t handle the job of fending off the Xiongnu, there’s still the Marquis of Leping around to help out.

Plus, Han Fu has decent charisma, at least he can rally warlike officers like Qu Yi to his side, which can serve to keep Qiao Yan in check.

When you think about it, he’s quite a suitable choice.

After ruling out Han Fu, Liu Hong handpicked another from the remaining seven, thus forming a team of eight.

This eight—

These eight are those whom he can trust with his very life, and perhaps… perhaps even with the future crown prince!

After he finalized the list, he stared at it for a long while, adding a few notes before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

Don’t be fooled by how the last “exhibition match” ended, with Qiao Yan emerging victorious; Liu Hong stepped out from beneath that twelve-layered colorful canopy, appearing calm on the outside, but inside, he felt a storm brewing.

Fortunately, it was time for things to settle down.

Thinking of the outcome, his gaze couldn’t help but brighten as it wandered over the thirty-five assembled men…

Wait a minute!

Shouldn’t it be thirty-six in total?

“Have someone check if anyone’s missing!” Liu Hong instructed Zhang Rang.

Zhang Rang hurried off to see who hadn’t shown up.

From the stage, it was hard to see clearly down below, so he ran down to confirm.

After assessing the situation, he rushed back up to Liu Hong and reported, “Your Majesty, Dong Min is absent.”

Dong Min?

Liu Hong pondered; anyway, this person had nothing to do with what he was about to announce, so he didn’t plan to delay the declaration and simply waved at Zhang Rang, indicating him to find the guy.

He couldn’t help but grumble internally, this guy from Xiliang really doesn’t take him seriously, skipping out at this crucial time.

Thinking about how Dong Min came recommended by He Jin only made Liu Hong’s anger toward He Jin increase, though he kept his face neutral, standing up to address the podium: “Though I’ve gathered everyone here to select the General of Duluo, after nearly a month of training and sparring, I’ve noticed plenty of talented individuals in our Han Dynasty, and I believe just one General of Duluo isn’t enough to reward everyone’s skills.”

“I intend to establish the Eight Divisions of the Western Garden, directly under the Son of Heaven. The top ranks will be selected. With the chaos all around, the Eight Divisions can execute the will of the Son of Heaven and quell the unrest. This is a good use of talent.”

He Jin, Yuan Shao and the others who had been tipped off earlier were unsurprised to hear this announcement now.

But for Cao Cao, this was truly a pleasant surprise.

Initially he thought he had lost to Qiao Yan, and there was a good chance he’d be returning empty-handed, and then Liu Hong suddenly dropped this bombshell.

The concept of the Eight Divisions of the Western Garden had been around for years, but now it was shaping into a proper selection process, and with the chance to fight in battles across the land.

This was light-years ahead of the office he had previously declined.

Then he heard Liu Hong say, “Jian Shuo, Cao Cao, Ji Ling, Bao Hong, Zhao Rong, Feng Fang, Xia Mu, Zhao Jin, step forward.”

His name was in there!

“I intend for Jian Shuo to be the Upper Division Colonel, for Cao Cao to be the Middle Division Colonel, for Ji Ling to be the Lower Division Colonel, for Bao Hong to be the Duty Division Colonel, for Xia Mu to be the Left Division Colonel, for Zhao Rong to be the Right Division Colonel, for Feng Fang to be the Assistant Left Colonel, and for Zhao Jin to be the Assistant Right Colonel. This is—The Eight Divisions of the Western Garden.”

With Jian Shuo as the Upper Division Colonel, people found it a bit absurd, but those named seemed quite satisfied with their assignments.

The position of Middle Division Colonel is next in line from the Upper Division, and it used to be Yuan Shao’s position, so Cao Cao had no objections.

Within these eight, Feng Fang and Zhao Jin, who were from the second elimination round, were certainly well-suited as assistant colonels.

But with Han Fu remaining, aside from the Marquis of Leping, the remaining finalists were just one more?

At this point, people could guess the situation; seeing the congratulatory looks directed at him, Han Fu couldn’t help but straighten his back.

Just as expected, Liu Hong continued, “I appoint Han Fu as the General of Duluo, overseeing the military against the Xiongnu and Xianbei. Don’t let me down.”

Han Fu was utterly dumbfounded by this unexpected turn of fate.

Though he had been hinted at by Yuan, he still thought his chances were grim after losing to Qiao Yan.

Never did he anticipate the position of General of Duluo would fall into his lap instead of Jian Shuo or Cao Cao.

He hurriedly bowed and expressed his gratitude, “I would never dare to betray your expectations, Your Majesty.”

Liu Hong couldn’t help but feel pleased with Han Fu’s reaction.

Looking at the newly established Eight Divisions of the Western Garden, he felt even more satisfied.

But as he walked back, he caught sight of a little yellow door attendant whispering something in Zhang Rang’s ear, causing Zhang Rang’s expression to change suddenly.

This didn’t seem like a good sign for congratulating him on achieving his wish.

Especially when he vaguely heard “Dong Min” mentioned.

Zhang Rang quickly leaned closer to Liu Hong and reported the situation truthfully.

“Is the situation confirmed?” Liu Hong instinctively clenched his fingers, his face flashing a cold look.

“I’ve sent someone to investigate.”

Upon hearing Zhang Rang’s reply, Liu Hong managed to calm down a bit.

No, perhaps it wouldn’t be so easy to calm down!

Because his order hadn’t been issued, the newly appointed personnel below had yet to disperse and remained in formation.

Flags were waving, with fierce soldiers in view, and talented commanders leading the way.

Before he heard that troubling remark from below, he had felt quite triumphant.

Yet at this moment, he couldn’t shake off the rising anger of feeling toyed with!

What does it mean that Zhao Rong, Feng Fang, Xia Mu, Ji Ling, and Han Fu all owe their positions to the backing of noble families?

The fact that Dong Min was late due to drunkenness already made Liu Hong very unhappy, and then he threw out such an earth-shattering news.

Even though what he said hadn’t yet been confirmed, one could think of it as drunk words revealing truths!

If Dong Min truly thinks he’s a “sacrificial pawn,” how could he forget such an important occasion as an audience when blitzed?

The more Liu Hong thought about it, the more plausible it seemed!

What had he done?

When he noticed He Jin was meddling with the selection, he rigged the drawing order and even encouraged Qiao Yan to eliminate He Jin’s faction, but it seemed he had only stirred up a tiger and invited in a pack of wolves.

If not for the unexpected issue with Dong Min, he might very well have been in the dark until he considered these people trustworthy allies!

“Investigate!” he squeezed between his teeth, “We need to scrutinize all their actions upon entering Luoyang!”

The Emperor’s word is law.

His appointed orders had been dispatched, and at least for the short term, they couldn’t be revoked. Otherwise, facing the thousands of Northern Army Five Divisions soldiers, he would lose the authority that comes with being the Son of Heaven.

So even if the truth were as the drunken words suggested, he could only grit his teeth and swallow it down, taking the loss quietly.

Especially with Han Fu as the General of Duluo, he couldn’t change that easily.

After all, he was riding high on the selection of the General of Duluo!

The people below had no idea what their emperor was thinking as he stood on the lofty platform.

From mid-November until now, we’d officially entered the middle of December. This wasn’t exactly the best time for anyone to be standing outside for long.

But for Liu Hong, the suffocating feeling of being toyed with made it hard to care about the weather.

He also didn’t care that these soldiers, who should’ve been defending the capital from all directions, were now playing a loyalty selection game with him, while also having to wait for a verdict.

Thanks to his silence, a tense atmosphere enveloped the entire venue. But because there was no sound, no one knew the cause of this unusual shift.

He Jin looked in Liu Hong’s direction, but all he saw was the other’s tense, menacing expression.

He couldn’t help but frown.

Clearly in this state, it wasn’t suitable for him to provoke Liu Hong.

With that thought in mind, most others likely felt the same.

Thus, this unbearable silence persisted until dusk, when a little yellow door attendant presented a few silk sheets to Liu Hong, finally stirring a little commotion from the high platform.

Liu Hong took the sheets, unfolded them, and as he read the words before him, anger flickered in his eyes momentarily but was quickly concealed by his closed eyes as he contemplated.

He pondered deeply for a while, and finally recalled the anger he almost revealed, then stood and headed back to the front of the platform.

The setting sun cast a gloomy hue over the stage and crowd.

Liu Hong’s shadow stretched long in the fading light.

He certainly felt the tangible gazes on him from the crowd, but he also sensed other invisible eyes lurking around, watching his every move.

Suppressing the queasy feeling rising from being manipulated, he finally spoke, “I still have a few appointments to announce, and I wish for everyone to bear witness.”

Should the people below have been given a chance to speak, they would undoubtedly ask why he delayed sharing his decisions until now.

Why make them stand around like this?

Even Liu Hong himself felt like he was just kneeling there, while they were the poor souls left standing.

Yet at this time, when the emperor’s word reigns supreme, they naturally could not voice such dissent and simply listened as Liu Hong continued.

This ruler, who hadn’t known how many turns he’d taken in his mind, continued, “I appoint Dong Zhong as the—General of the Cavalry.”

He Jin was so shocked he jumped up.

What did this order mean?

After Empress He poisoned the birth mother of Emperor Xie, Liu Hong had, under the eunuchs’ plea, let Empress He off lightly without imposing punishment, but he had sent Liu Xie to the care of Empress Dong, thereby making Liu Xie dependent on the Dong family, hence he was known as the Dong Marquis.

While the General of the Cavalry wasn’t as esteemed as the Grand General, it was still a position of real power, and it was an indirect challenge to He Jin.

This method of promoting a relative of the empress inevitably made He Jin feel that rumors of Liu Hong wanting to crown Liu Xie as his successor were increasingly plausible.

After all, the name “Xie” was given because Liu Xie resembled him!

He Jin’s surprise and uncertainty had yet to settle when he heard Liu Hong say, “Marquis of Leping.”

Qiao Yan stepped forward in response.

Liu Hong looked at her.

He knew that the words he was about to say would undoubtedly stir quite the turmoil, but whether it was a case of acting in haste or being forced by circumstances, this was the best option available to him.

After all, Qiao Yan possesses the merit to crush her rivals and has her previous illustrious achievements in Bingzhou and during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, making it not completely outrageous to appoint her to this unprecedented position.

Considering he had so few people he could trust at this point, he could only entrust someone most likely isolated and solely loyal to him to take on this role for emergencies.

Marquis of Leping, huh…

Let’s hope he isn’t making a terrible mistake.

“I hereby appoint the Marquis of Leping, Qiao Yan, as—”

“Governor of Bingzhou!”

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