“Can a strategist really not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 98: Retreating to Advance
It had been quite a while since Liu Hong’s words fell, yet everyone present was still in a state of disbelief, almost thinking they had misheard him.
Promoting Dong Taohou’s nephew, Dong Zhong, to the position of General of the Cavalry was another result of the Han Dynasty’s age-old practice of allowing imperial relatives to hold military power.
Although it was surprising that Liu Hong would support Dong’s claim in the battle against He, making it quite clear he was wavering in his choice between Liu Bian and Liu Xie as his successor, at least there was some logic to it.
But then—
To appoint the Marquis of Leping, Qiao Yan, as the Protector of Bingzhou?
Under the Provincial Governor System, a commandery governor not only possessed the power to oversee local officials but was also granted command of the military, essentially wielding the authority over both military and civil governance.
When local officials have such power, it’s almost indistinguishable from warlordism.
Especially considering Bingzhou’s geographic location, sheltered by the Taihang Mountains, it had conditions for independence. Compared to Yizhou, with its vast fields yet hindered by perilous passes, it was still a different picture entirely. The looming threat from the Hu people made this power anything but trivial.
The crowd subconsciously glanced at Han Fu and, unsurprisingly, saw the remnants of what used to be a smile now frozen on his face.
Just a moment ago, Han Fu had felt he was taking on the grand role of General of the Liao, overseeing Bingzhou’s military efforts against the northwest and northeast—quite the hefty responsibility.
Although successfully keeping the Xiongnu and Xianbei off the Great Wall wouldn’t be an easy task, this military authority itself was already a significant launching pad. After all, Qiao Yan’s grandfather, Qiao Xuan, had also started from this very position before becoming one of the three dukes!
If he could achieve what Qiao Xuan did in three years—stabilize the borders and make the Hu people think twice about attacking—it would become a well-known feat.
But now, he was facing an unexpected twist.
With a Protector-General in place, since the General of the Liao was also stationed in Bingzhou, the Governor of Bingzhou would be the direct superior to the General, holding sway over the latter’s military authority. In most situations, Han Fu would have to comply with Qiao Yan’s orders.
In fact, with the Governor of Bingzhou also handling the duties of the commandery governor, this meant Han Fu’s promotion now faced a significant hurdle.
His position suddenly felt incredibly awkward.
If the Governor of Bingzhou were someone like Liu Yu, Han Fu might have found a way to coexist. But if it fell into the hands of someone as ambitious and remarkably active as Qiao Yan, then this would spell trouble for him.
Once she settled into her role, there wouldn’t even be a need for her to make an official request to express her intentions.
Because it would hardly qualify as overstepping for the Governor of Bingzhou.
Earlier, Liu Hong had felt stifled once he discovered those few were all old bureaucrats from noble families, and now Han Fu was experiencing the same suffocation with this new appointment.
Not to mention, this power was being handed over to a child barely over fourteen!
“Your Majesty, I believe this is not wise.”
After what felt like an eternity of silence, someone finally spoke up.
However, everyone soon realized it wasn’t someone bravely standing up to Liu Hong, but rather it was Qiao Yan herself making this response first.
No matter how much today’s exhibition may feel like mere showmanship, at the end of the day, it was a cavalry engagement. After defeating Jian Shuo earlier, she returned to the stage with sweat still lingering at her temples, now almost crystallized into frost from standing out in the open for so long.
This gave her a fierce presence when she spoke, seeming exceptionally resolute.
No one expected her to proactively refuse this power.
And her reasoning was remarkably well-grounded.
“Governor Cui Wei Kao of Bingzhou has been diligent in his duties, promoting education and quickly notifying the various commanderies after dealing with the local Hu bandits. He led an army composed of military officers under the command of the Bingzhou governor, gaining success through a surprise attack. Since he has not faltered, why should I replace him as the Governor of Bingzhou?”
Indeed, there were no vacancies among the three dukes, nor any apparent natural phenomena that would allow Liu Hong to dismiss someone.
Cui Lie clearly would not ruin his own reputation just to grab another duke title.
So, in a situation where the Governor of Bingzhou was essentially a promotion of the commandery governor, what was Cui Lie to do?
Qiao Yan’s statement posed no issues; in fact, if she hadn’t said it, it would have raised eyebrows.
After all, one of Cui Lie’s responsibilities in Bingzhou was to guide the erratic Qiao Yan, essentially making it a mentorship dynamic.
Taking the teacher’s position from the student amidst this newfound filial piety is certainly a great faux pas.
But Qiao Yan was simultaneously stressing an important point—
She had the military achievements against the Xiongnu, making her certainly qualified to be the Governor of Bingzhou.
In terms of actual performance, Han Fu could hardly compare to her, and after this round of General of the Liao selections, he’d already been outshone by her. If Han Fu could be that General, why couldn’t Qiao Yan be the Governor?
Liu Hong cast a glance at Qiao Yan. While he felt a tinge of displeasure at her act of resignation on the surface, internally, he was quite pleased.
However, at this point, both the noble families and the imperial relatives had driven him to the edge of a cliff, and he had to wield an even sharper weapon to carve out a bloody path, ensuring the Han royal dignity remained intact.
Among the eight schools in the Western Garden, a few could still be considered his allies, and they were weapons he could rely on, but Qiao Yan was likewise.
He replied, “Appoint Cui Wei Kao as the Prefect of Taiyuan, also overseeing matters in Xihe Commandery; these two prefects will be moved elsewhere, and Cui will continue his moral guidance over you.”
This was not technically a demotion, but with the presence of the Governor of Bingzhou, the power of a prefect would be considerably diminished. Although Xihe Commandery might seem sizable, its northern regions still had the Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu dividing the military power.
It remained uncertain how Cui Lie would feel if this appointment was actually executed.
Nevertheless, Liu Hong had addressed Qiao Yan’s objections.
Hearing his words, Qiao Yan didn’t stand up, continuing to speak, “Over three years ago, I wrote a treatise within Dingzhong Temple in Luoyang, arguing about the pitfalls of appointing a governor over a commandery, which allowed me to meet your Majesty.”
“Back then, I stated in my treatise—if one person governs a commandery and that person is chaotic, a simple punishment would suffice. But if their loyalties shift, and they are in a position to defend strongholds, how will the court respond?”
“I still hold that belief. The harm of a commandery governor lies not in the present but in the future. Currently, there are rebels among the Bagu Army in Yizhou and Zhang Ju, who proclaimed himself emperor in Youzhou, and with the governor overseeing military power, it is indeed an expedient strategy. If this is replicated in Bingzhou, Liangzhou, Jingzhou, and Yuzhou, governors could be installed. Yet, all current governors are relatives of the Han family, so using their old practices, appointing me as the Governor of Bingzhou is undeniably inappropriate.”
“Moreover, how could one be dismissed from a position only to take over another?”
Her argument sounded entirely dignified.
When Xu Zijiang gave her a glowing review, she had previously criticized this system.
To think she had written such an argument out of a desire to establish her own reputation and gain some recognition, and now she had hopes of securing the Governor of Bingzhou position while Liu Hong was still alive.
Yet here she was, using that very foundational article as her safety net.
Now, in front of the public eye, she was once again stating her position.
She thought the Provincial Governor System was flawed back then, and she still thinks it’s flawed now!
So how could she criticize this system for breeding rebellion while simultaneously grabbing the position offered by His Majesty without hesitation, because the power was so tempting?
That’s clearly against all logic.
Yuan Shao looked at Qiao Yan, suddenly realizing he had underestimated her.
If she hadn’t said what she did first, the others would have recommended her being unfit for that position using similar reasoning.
But now that she had spoken, under her preemptive strike, regardless of whether Liu Hong would retract his order or if her refusal was genuine, one thing was certain—
No one could stand on a moral high ground to criticize her over this appointment as Bingzhou Governor.
At least they’d need a new argument.
He couldn’t help but feel a bit wary about the fact that Qiao Yan had sent Guo Jia to inform He Yong.
But she had already said everything perfectly, reminding them to be careful in selecting candidates and not to push them too hard. It was clearly He Jin’s lack of restraint that had triggered Liu Hong’s vigilance first.
What caused the recent upheaval, Yuan Shao still didn’t know, but it was clearly not Qiao Yan’s fault.
Her breaking protocol to lead troops could already be seen as a significant gain for her; how could she have anticipated that Liu Hong would let her leapfrog so many ranks and take the position of Bingzhou Governor?
She wouldn’t even have dared to dream of such a thing!
So why bother with all this unnecessary fuss?
If Liu Hong knew she had spread such news, indirectly befriending the noble families, that wouldn’t be good news at all.
Yuan Shao pressed down his suspicions as he heard Liu Hong reply: “What you said is correct, but just as I told you back in the day, times change and politics evolve. Right now, having a Provincial Governor is necessary; I’m also considering establishing governors for Liang, Bing, Yu, and Jing provinces.”
“Marquis Huang Wan of Qingzhou has demonstrated outstanding governance within Qingzhou, so I will appoint him as the Yu Province Governor.”
“As for the remaining two governors, I will decide once I find suitable candidates.”
He Jin was already feeling numb from listening.
The military power was like a huge cake.
First, there was the establishment of the Eight Schools of the Western Park, directly under the Son of Heaven. Even if the troops weren’t selected from the Northern Army Five Divisions, they still held the power to mobilize troops in the capital. They had already taken a slice of that cake.
Then the establishment of the Cavalry General took another slice.
The General overseeing the Liao became yet another slice, although too distant to manage effectively, it still counted.
The Provincial Governors had the final say in local military matters. So, besides the resigned Huangfu Song, that took four more slices away from the cake with Liu Yu, Liu Yan, Huang Wan, and the most controversial, Qiao Yan.
What would be next?
Depose the Empress, and then boot him, who only got here thanks to his sister and the prince?
Not to mention, Liu Hong felt trapped by pressure from everyone, but He Jin felt like he was moving from a feast into destruction.
It took a long time for his stiff expression to relax, only to hear Qiao Yan say, “Although Your Majesty has your own considerations, I would still like to ask you to hear the opinions of the officials in court.”
“But if Your Majesty insists on making me the Bingzhou Governor, I will not forget your trust and my grandfather’s teachings. I will certainly serve the country with all my might, defend the borders, ensure the Hu people’s raids don’t disturb Your Majesty’s peaceful slumber, and ensure the citizens of Bingzhou suffer no chaos.”
This third statement still left no room for criticism.
He Jin felt he was really at a loss due to his lack of education, blocked at yet another path.
But what Qiao Yan said was certainly not casual.
The so-called three requests and three refusals, did she not have to go through this process to accept the throne? Wasn’t she also supposed to follow that protocol as someone suddenly promoted?
So when she mentioned listening to the court officials, it was precisely her way of finding a third reason to decline.
But one cannot just decline, especially for Liu Hong at this moment. If she lacked the courage to seize power and kept saying she was too young or that being a woman hindered her, how could Liu Hong continue to see her as a vital asset?
So she needed to retreat, but not fully.
Furthermore, she needed to boldly declare at this moment that if His Majesty didn’t change his mind, she could take on this challenge and dedicate herself to the wellbeing of Bingzhou and the stability of the borders, ensuring she wouldn’t disappoint Liu Hong!
As she looked up at Liu Hong, having removed her cavalry helmet, her face illuminated in the glow of the setting sun, her resolute words seemed to be bathed in the fiery sunset, radiating a youthful vigor.
Liu Hong was increasingly satisfied with her performance.
He might not have a Hou Cavalry, but having Qiao Yan as the Bingzhou Governor isn’t too shabby!
And though this appointment came unexpectedly, pushed by the abrupt news, now that the words were out, it was better to show him how many people in court were genuinely aligned with him!
“Very well, let’s return to the court for further discussion.”
As the imperial procession left the Western Suburb camp, a drunk and furious Dong Min finally arrived on the scene.
Since Liu Hong had used Qiao Yan to suppress He Jin’s faction, Dong Min simply received a punishment for disrespect, leaving him in complete oblivion as to his role in all this.
As a captain from Xiliang, he was often looked down upon in Luoyang. Only General He Jin, who came from a butcher’s background, treated him relatively well. However, in this selection, he had been deliberately placed opposite the Marquis of Leping.
Qiao Yan’s direct approach undoubtedly placed immense psychological pressure on Dong Min.
Her frequent “coincidental” appearances before him and her ostensibly provoking apologies only intensified this burden.
Until the list of the top nine candidates, mostly due to news from noble families, conveniently reached his hands at the right time, alongside some excellent wine meant for rewarding the troops that found its way into the barracks…
Did he simply get drunk enough for the little attendants seeking him to overhear? Or did he lose his mind up front? Or was it after this appointment announcement that he returned to the city, only to be further provoked by Qiao Yan, escalating the conflict and getting the news that should have been shared to reach the ears of the throne? It didn’t really make a difference.
In any case, this had to happen after the position of the General overseeing Liao was confirmed.
Because only then could she grab the position right above the General overseeing Liao.
However, everything seemed to be unfolding perfectly, even having a touch of pushing someone onto the stage theatrically.
Had it not been for the timing, Qiao Yan might have wanted to express her sincere gratitude to Dong Min.
Though he probably wouldn’t want to hear it anyway.
Finally sobering up, he heard about Qiao Yan being appointed as Bingzhou Governor, and seeing everyone returning to the capital with the procession, he blurted out instinctively, “What sense does this make?”
Yeah, what sense does this make?
Huang Wan getting appointed as Yu Province Governor could still be said to follow the appropriate process considering age and achievements, plus Yu Province isn’t far from Luoyang, making it easy to manage.
But Qiao Yan’s appointment as Bingzhou Governor was like a thunderclap striking Luoyang.
High-ranking officials in the court were likely struggling to sleep tonight.
Even though Lu Zhi didn’t believe Qiao Yan could handle such a position, he still felt compelled to rise and step into the courtyard during this chilly night as he sighed, “Tomorrow’s court session is bound to be lively.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Qiao Yan’s voice from the other side of the courtyard, “In your opinion, Lu Gong, will they lean more towards debating whether I can be the Bingzhou Governor, or—”
“Who should be the Governors of Liang and Jing provinces?”
