Lu Yuan explained, “Within Taiyuan County, there was a renowned scholar named Guo Linzong. Lord Qiao likely already knows more about him, so I won’t elaborate. Regarding the Jia family of Jiexiu, there’s an interesting anecdote. It’s said that…”

“In earlier years, Jia Zihou of Jiexiu, from the Jia family, committed an offense seeking revenge for his uncle and was arrested by the authorities.

He pleaded with Guo Linzong for help, and thanks to Guo Linzong’s intervention, he managed to survive.

After Guo Linzong’s mother passed away, Jia Zihou even attended her funeral to pay his respects.”

“The Jia family has a long-standing reputation, but Jia Zihou himself has a questionable character, known for his misdeeds.

During one event, Sun Wei, a prominent figure from Julu, came to pay respects and found it odd that such a virtuous man as Guo Linzong allowed a rogue like Jia Zihou to pay respects at his mother’s funeral without even entering the house before leaving.”

“Seeing this scene, Guo Linzong approached and said, ‘Although Jia Zihou has a fierce temper, he also has the potential for redemption. Even Confucius did not reject students from his hometown. Why should I shut the door on someone?’ While others may suspect he was indulging a rogue, Guo Linzong’s judgment of character was impeccable.

Jia Zihou was no exception.

Moved by his words, Jia Zihou turned over a new leaf.

For the next twenty years, he helped those in need in his hometown, becoming a respected figure in Bingzhou Province.”

“If Lord Qiao meets such a person, it signifies not only her intent to guide toward virtue but also her respect for Guo Linzong. It’s also a way to gain favor with the Jia family of Jiexiu.”

This is a tale of moral influence!

“Choosing Jia Shu and Jia Zihou is quite strategic. They bridge connections with the aristocracy and are linked to scholars through local gossip, all while maintaining a good reputation in their community. It’s an ideal choice.”

Qiao Yan asked, “So who should I meet in the third round?”

Seeing Qiao Yan’s pleased expression, Lu Yuan knew her analysis and selection were on point.

Aware of the numerous influential families in the Han Empire, Lu Yuan proceeded cautiously.

She replied, “For the third round, I suggest meeting the Taiyuan Linghu family.”

“The Taiyuan Linghu family, descended from Jin officials, trace their lineage to the Ji clan, titled Linghu, long based in Taiyuan.

After Zhang Ju’s attack on the Wuhuan Colonel Gao Qi Chou, the position of Wuhuan Colonel was filled by a member of the Linghu family.

Among the younger generation, Linghu Shao stands out as a capable military leader.”

“The Linghu family values martial prowess over scholarly pursuits, making them ideal for showcasing your determination to resist Xianbei and Xiongnu.

If Linghu Shao proves useful, consider appointing him as the Subordinate of the Shuofang Commandery.”

“This appointment sets the immediate tone for Bing Province’s external image.”

Having spent much time with Qiao Yan, Lu Yuan understood her style and was confident in her suggestions.

The three rounds of meetings she proposed aimed to establish Qiao Yan’s image as someone who values tradition, cooperates with aristocrats, supports reformed individuals, and promotes military virtues.

Lu Yuan continued, “As for the fourth round…”

Watching Lu Yuan speak confidently, Qiao Yan suddenly felt that her decision to accept Lu Yuan’s guidance years ago was indeed the right one.

She followed Lu Yuan’s suggested sequence of meetings.

The first visitor granted an audience was Wang Yang of the Jinyang Wang family.

Recalling how three years ago Qiao Yan had visited for negotiations over wine, and now seeing Wang Yang come to seek an audience, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but feel a sense of irony as Wang Yang glanced up at the provincial gatepost.

But upon careful consideration, there were indeed signs of today’s developments.

The last time he had come here was because of Qiao Yan’s manipulation of the provincial governor, and he had walked this path before.

Back then, she was still a criminal plotting to seize power in the province to deal with the locust plague.

Today, however, she was the rightful owner of this residence.

Wang Rou’s evaluation of her was indeed not wrong.

Even the position of Marquis of Leping was not her upper limit but rather her starting point.

Now, she was truly the master of this province.

Fortunately, from the beginning, the Wang family of Jinyang had never shut her out.

They had even given her additional rewards, and their previous cooperation had always maintained their relationship.

Now, she was also receiving reciprocation from this governor.

Wang Yang knew very well the significance behind the change from provincial governor to governor of this province.

Obviously, this was not a position that changed hands quickly like that of a provincial governor.

Therefore, after her appointment as governor was confirmed, there would certainly be no shortage of people coming to pay their respects to her.

And precisely, Qiao Yan had chosen him first!

This was enough to make him walk proudly through this door in a daze.

This was the trust placed in them by the Wang family of Jinyang!

But after seeing Qiao Yan, he restrained his pride and instead said, “I haven’t had the chance to congratulate Lord Qiao on her promotion to governor. With Lord Qiao’s achievements, I’m afraid no one else deserves the title of ‘young and promising’.”

“Elder Wang, you’re being too polite,” Qiao Yan gestured for him to take a seat. “If it weren’t for your courtesy, I wouldn’t have thanked Uncle You for informing Prince Zuoli in advance of my appointment as governor, suppressing his nearly rebellious thoughts.”

This was in yesterday’s report from Xihexian.

Yufu Luo, son of Qiang Qu, was still assisting the Han Dynasty in Jizhou, and the Southern Xiongnu’s Right Wing was unable to contain the ambitions of the Left Wing.

Despite Qiao Yan’s threats, they were still restless.

Fortunately, timely and well-delivered news prevented the need for armed suppression.

Wang Yang: “This was simply Uncle You’s duty. Qiao Hou, there’s no need to praise him.”

Qiao Yan smiled, “Very well, let’s not discuss Uncle You or the Southern Xiongnu. Let’s talk about why I’ve come to seek your help this time.”

Her straightforward declaration of purpose did surprise Wang Yang somewhat.

However, considering their previous exchanges, she had always been straightforward and direct.

It wasn’t surprising that she would speak this way now.

She slowly began, “I’m interested in engaging in the trade of these mineral resources with you.”

In Qiao Yan’s view, the mineral deposits in Shanxi were indeed astonishingly rich.

Although she planned to wait until sufficient defenses were established before mining the minerals, this did not prevent her from making preparations now.

Even with enough armed forces, at this stage, she found it difficult to monopolize the resources.

However, if the other party could provide a sufficient number of experienced workers, she could overlook this loss.

With the authority of the provincial governor, the monopoly over salt and iron in Bingzhou fell into her hands, along with the development rights to unclaimed mining areas, undoubtedly her greatest advantage.

However, what Qiao Yan found regrettable was that the Yuncheng Salt Lake in northern Shanxi did not fall under Bingzhou but under the supervision of the Sili Salt Administration.

Thus, the production of rock salt and saltpeter there was controlled by the Sili Salt Administration, limiting her advantage in salt production.

Fortunately, the quantity of iron and coal mines was enough to compensate for this loss.

During the stage of accumulating strength, these were the two most important resources.

There were numerous iron mines north of Wutai Mountain, around Yanmen and Dingxiang.

Likewise, there were many along the border between Xihe and Shangjun.

Not to mention coal mines, especially those in the Xishan and Yangquan coal mines in Taiyuan County, many of which were already in operation.

However, iron mines were strategic resources.

To prevent aristocratic families from raising too many private soldiers, Qiao Yan couldn’t use them as something to cooperate with the Wang family.

So she added, “To be precise, coal mines. But what I mean isn’t the usual bituminous coal trade, but the excavation of coal mines.”

“Wang Yang, do you understand?” He always thought Qiao Yan’s words were likely more than just ordinary coal mining.

Sure enough, he soon heard Qiao Yan say, “Bingzhou doesn’t just produce coal in Taiyuan County. Besides, don’t you think it’s much safer to have an open-pit coal mine than an underground one?”

The coal mines in Bingzhou, perhaps due to their residential area’s peaceful situation, were currently concentrated in Taiyuan County, roughly from Jinyang to Yangquan, but unfortunately, this area’s coal mines were all underground operations.

She had also once visited the coal mines in Yangquan and had personally witnessed the local coal industry, which was not much different from what she had seen in museums.