For Qiao Yan, this was definitely “the right time.”

Despite the chaotic situation, there was a clear distinction among the Xianbei leaders and their followers, especially with Bu Dugen in front of her.

From his clothing to the state of his followers, and his calmness in facing the crisis, it was evident that he was an important figure.

Such a person would not be unknown among the Xianbei tribe.

He hadn’t left with the group being pursued by Lu Bu but was instead running toward her, which was a pleasant surprise.

However, for Bu Dugen standing before her, this was not good news.

In the past, when Tan Shihuai was leading his troops, Bu Dugen had learned quite a bit of Han language.

Although he didn’t understand complex terms, he knew that Qiao Yan saw him as a big fish caught in her net.

Being viewed as prey was not a pleasant feeling, but under the current circumstances, he had no choice but to follow Qiao Yan westward, becoming a hostage who couldn’t be rescued by his tribe.

As the campfire was lit in the temporary settlement on the grasslands, Bu Dugen finally spoke: “What do you mean, Qiao Bingzhou?”

Qiao Yan didn’t answer him directly.

Instead, she looked up and said, “It seems you haven’t explained your identity to me yet.”

His ability to speak Han was certainly helpful, but she didn’t feel the need to praise him for it.

Learning that he was Bu Dugen and not Kui Tou made Qiao Yan feel better.

Bu Dugen was stronger than Kui Tou, but his youth had led him to take on the leadership role among the Xianbei.

More importantly, his attitude resembled that of the people from Bingzhou—he was willing to submit to the strong.

After Cao Cao rose to power in the north, Bu Dugen experienced several defeats, which made him closer to Cao Wei.

Regardless of how genuine this closeness was, it allowed him to focus on uniting the various factions within the Xianbei tribe instead of raiding the borders.

This was a situation Qiao Yan was pleased with, as it meant she could talk to this Xianbei leader.

But for now, she needed to wait for news.

She didn’t reveal her purpose, instead slowly turning the spit of the roasted lamb, creating a relaxed atmosphere that increased the pressure on Bu Dugen.

The other party was held back by Zhang Yang and couldn’t move, forced to watch as the young governor cut into the food in front of him with a knife.

For a moment, he couldn’t tell whether she was roasting a lost lamb or whether it was actually him, Bu Dugen, being treated this way.

This subtle pressure was lifted only when Lu Bu returned after pursuing Kui Tou and Qian Man.

Lu Bu met up with Zhang Liao, who was brought to this place by scouts sent out by Qiao Yan.

As he turned around, he noticed Bu Dugen’s uncomfortable expression.

What embarrassed him wasn’t that Qiao Yan had launched an attack with just four thousand men against the Xianbei royal court.

Given Lu Bu and his men’s elite status, it was understandable that such a sudden raid could scatter them.

What really troubled him was—

Why had such a large number of elite Han troops entered the grasslands without any prior warning?

Could it be that this Qiao Yan possessed some miraculous ability, like General Huo from the former Han dynasty, to summon troops out of nowhere?

His gaze briefly rested on Zhang Liao’s face.

Zhang Liao had been serving in Bingzhou for nearly ten years, and during his time stationed with Fu Luo and Han, they had fought many battles against each other.

Bu Dugen recognized him easily.

Recognizing Zhang Liao meant he also understood the Han army’s stance—they were willing to use the Yanmen garrison for this attack and weren’t afraid of Fu Luo and Han discovering the weakness in their border defenses.

Bu Dugen feared that Fu Luo might already be dead at their hands!

Within the Xianbei, relationships between brothers were more like alliances than close-knit ties.

However, Bu Dugen couldn’t remain indifferent to Fu Luo’s death.

He thought that their royal court’s prestige would surely be damaged.

After finally suppressing the Xianbei factions and establishing central authority, this would greatly undermine their credibility.

Just as he was processing this, he heard Qiao Yan ask Lü Bu, “What are the battle results?”

Lü Bu sighed, “That kid got away.”

Before Bu Dugen could relax, Lu Bu continued, “But that’s fine. In my charge through their defenses, I managed to cut off one of his arms and shot him with an arrow. With the medical conditions out here, there’s no way he can survive. Even if he does, losing an arm in a strength-based tribe like his would have serious consequences, unless he’s one of the wise ones among the Xianbei.”

Lu Bu didn’t think the other side had such potential.

“It’s a bit unfortunate; doesn’t this count as a military achievement?”

Qiao Yan replied, “If news of his death spreads, I’ll mark it as an achievement for you!”

Lu Bu’s face brightened at once.

He knew that with his accomplishments from this campaign, being promoted to a commandant/commander was already a significant achievement.

Since Qiao Yan was a fair leader who rewarded and punished accordingly, if she promised to recognize his effort, there would surely be a reward.

Thinking of that, he couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful.

While pursuing the Xianbei leader, Lu Bu noticed another person fleeing alongside him, someone younger and likely another Xianbei noble.

However, focused on his goal, he didn’t harm that individual.

He honestly reported this situation to Qiao Yan, who responded with an even brighter smile.

For Qiao Yan, regardless of Lu Bu’s battle results, this operation was not a loss for her.

Letting Lu Bu chase after the enemy was not about pursuing a desperate foe; it allowed his strength to shine.

After all, no one expected Lu Bu’s bow to have such power and long-range effectiveness.

Just one unexpected shot at the right moment was enough.

Even if he couldn’t kill the enemy, a leader being chased like a stray dog by the Han army wouldn’t have much dignity left.

The outcome was, in fact, the most advantageous for Qiao Yan.

This led her to reflect on the luck value she had assigned herself recently, wondering if it was manifesting now.

The current situation was:

The leader Kui Tou was shot and wounded, likely close to death.

The previous leader had escaped with his young son Qian Man, and Kui Tou’s brother Fu Luo was killed by Lu Bu. Now, Bu Dugen was in Qiao Yan’s hands as a hostage.

Looking at Bu Dugen, she noticed his increasingly grim expression.

Kui Tou had taken the leadership position from Qian Man partly because of his brutal nature and partly because Qian Man was still young when their father died.

But now?

The strong alliance formed by the brothers had fallen apart overnight, with some dead and others injured.

If Kui Tou died as well, the leadership might very well return to Qian Man.

The Xianbei were severely lacking in resources, forcing ambitious individuals within the tribe to seize power for themselves, which was exactly what Bu Dugen was thinking.

But now it seemed that if Bu Dugen wanted to achieve his goal of succeeding Kui Tou and uniting the scattered Xianbei people, it would be extremely difficult, unless…

“If I were to let you go, what would you offer in return?” Qiao Yan asked, while directing Zhang Yang to take the roasted lamb off the fire and place it on their wooden platter.

She looked at Bu Dugen.

Bu Dugen was stunned and found it hard to read her calm expression.

All he saw was her instructing someone to place another plate in front of her and then raising her hand, signaling him to sit down.

Despite the close invitation and the nearby warriors stepping back to give them space, Bu Dugen didn’t feel he could turn the situation around and threaten Qiao Yan.

This young leader was behaving unusually, having personally led troops into battle and demonstrating her impressive combat skills.