It was a pity that some of them, who were sent by Xu Rong to deliver messages at night, were left in Mang Mountain as per Qiao Yan’s orders to Lu Bu.

Furthermore, some who accompanied Xu Rong to support Mengjin Pass at night were killed by the heavily armored troops led by Qu Yi.

Such losses are unavoidable in war.

Standing on the city gate of Mengjin, Qiao Yan looked down at the soldiers spread out along the riverbank.

She saw that they had successfully completed the task of crossing from the north bank of the Yellow River to the south, and even expanded their numbers after the river crossing.

This filled her with immense satisfaction.

In the rapidly changing battlefield situation, she had no time to inquire about the results of the operations at Xuanmen Pass or Taigu Pass.

Even if both sides were still blocked at the passes, this was the time for her to advance into Luoyang!

Any further delay, and if Dong Zhuo began relocating the capital, it would only bring suffering to the million people of Luoyang!

Given the current situation, even if the attack on Luoyang leads to the worst outcome, she had already achieved all she needed—her objectives, prestige, and training goals were all met, with no regrets.

Then let’s fight!

Holding the imperial edict in her hand, she raised her voice and said, “The late Emperor did not underestimate me due to my youth, but entrusted me with the role of Governor and the heavy responsibility of eliminating traitors, bearing the hopes of the Han Dynasty.

Apart from leading the army into the capital, exterminating the treacherous, and restoring the state, I have no way to repay!

I am fortunate to have your assistance, which has allowed us to gather troops north of Mang Mountain today.”

“Marching at night is difficult, but I ask you to follow me on this path. At sunrise tomorrow, it will be the time to cleanse Luoyang of its bandits!”

“And also—”

“The time for you all to achieve greatness!”

The six words “time to achieve greatness” were spoken with a firm tone, and immediately echoed below the city gate with a chorus of agreement.

Qiao Yan dismounted from the city and got on her horse.

This time, apart from the relatively weaker strategists like Guo Jia and Jia Xu, who were left behind at Mengjin Ferry, everyone else would join her on the campaign.

Under the commander’s flag, Niu Fu was still cursing angrily, deeply unhappy that Xu Rong, after surrendering to Qiao Yan, could still command 3,000 soldiers and act as if it was his own home.

But no matter how much he complained, he wouldn’t be able to say much more.

Qiao Yan needed a ceremonial flag bearer for the campaign, and no one was more suitable than Niu Fu.

Suddenly realizing he wasn’t being left behind as a bargaining chip to threaten Dong Zhuo but was actually being sacrificed, Niu Fu quickly shifted from his anger to pleading when he met Qiao Yan’s gaze.

Before he could say more than a few words, Dian Wei’s axe came down, cutting off his pleas instantly.

Blood splattered onto the flagpole, and as Dian Wei carried it, the sunset reflected off the blood, turning it into a brilliant color.

Qiao Yan spurred her horse and waved her whip, signaling the march.

They were heading to Luoyang!

The last time she traveled this mountain path from north to south, she wore white to Luoyang to secure the position of the governor of Bingzhou for herself and the people.

This time, she was dressed in armor as a commander, for War!

“Don’t you have any questions for me?” Qiao Yan asked the system in her mind as she rode.

Within thirty miles of this mountain path, there was no one to obstruct her march.

She took a moment to calm her thoughts and looked at the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar mountain scenery bathed in the sunset.

Five years ago, the green mountains here were lush, and today they were even more verdant, seemingly unaffected by the changes in Luoyang.

As the designated site for the Eastern Han emperor’s tomb, Liu Hong was naturally buried here.

However, it was still quite far from their current route.

If there was more time, Qiao Yan would have liked to visit Liu Hong’s tomb, perhaps even weep for the tomb’s plundered state by Dong Zhuo, fulfilling the late emperor’s trust in the most genuine way.

Unable to do that, she decided to chat with the system.

[…You still remember me?] The system had been silent since she began her campaign against Dong Zhuo.

Her commanding presence during the swearing-in, the leader’s demeanor in the edict against Dong Zhuo, and the preparations she made for future needs… all these didn’t quite fit the image of a strategist.

Before, when she was fulfilling her duties as the governor of Bingzhou, she could fool the system.

Now it seemed the system might need a new name!

It was so naive!

Looking back, all the advice about needing a bodyguard like Dian Wei for personal safety, having a high-level strategist like Cheng Yu for exchange, achieving impressive military results to boost public support, and waiting to serve the right master seemed to have been just tricks to fool it!

Which strategist could manage an entire province and gather so many talented individuals under their command?

Taking another look at the development of the major factions in the Three Kingdoms era, it became apparent that compared to her, they were still far behind.

The system couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread.

Previously, it had thought that with Qiao Yan’s intelligence, she could help it, the novice system, achieve its goal of ruling the world.

Now, it felt like everything was falling apart.

In the future, who would dare to employ such a unique “strategist”?

Perhaps no one would.

But on closer inspection, this seemed like something with a clear path.

It recalled why it had chosen Qiao Yan as its binding target.

Among the scholars proficient in history it had seen, she appeared the youngest, most spirited, and during the archaeological exploration incident, she had demonstrated the strongest survival instinct.

Such a person, wherever she was, would strive for her goals and…

She was also unlikely to entrust her life to others.

So, rather than striving to be the greatest strategist in the world, it made perfect sense that she would choose to be a sovereign free from any constraints.

No, it couldn’t do this.

It was a strategist system!

How could it make excuses for this fraud?

Yet, it heard Qiao Yan say at that moment: “If I’m not mistaken, since the initiation of the anti-Dong Zhuo campaign, my strategist points have increased significantly. This should indicate that I’ve achieved certain objectives, right?”

【……】

“Dong Zhuo entering the capital, though it is still quite a distance from the actual Three Kingdoms period, marks the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era in public perception. As a system based on this historical period, a significant portion of the built-in achievements should start from this period, right?”

The system, not good at lying, stuttered for a while before responding with a【Yes】.

“Let’s discuss this. I believe the task of becoming the world’s greatest strategist is still achievable. However, I need your help.”

“If I am in the South Palace of Luoyang, is there any way for you to find out the whereabouts of the Imperial Seal?”

The system was silent for a while before responding, “Pay attention to your luck value.”

Luck value?

This was an unexpected answer for Qiao Yan.

She had thought she might need to trade with some fantastical system.

After all, she already owed a seal, so more debt didn’t worry her much.

But now, this answer was actually good news!

In the northern area of Luoyang, which was mostly inhabited by merchants, Qiao Yan had heard of a place called Shangshangli at the foot of Mangshan Mountain.

However, due to Dong Zhuo’s invasion of the capital, merchants with substantial money had become frequent targets of plundering.

Fortunately, escaping toward Mangshan was not too difficult, and many merchants had already fled.

Dong Zhuo was only concerned with keeping hostages in hand and didn’t pay much attention to those fleeing Luoyang.

But now, as Dong Zhuo planned to move the capital to Chang’an and needed the people of Luoyang to fill the population gap in Chang’an, he was no longer so lenient.

Earlier, a merchant from the northern city had just prepared to cross Mangshan when he was beheaded by the Xiliang soldiers patrolling the outskirts.

Under such military intimidation, the merchants were left trembling in their homes, disheartened by the impending relocation.

They had little choice but to resign themselves to the situation.

Relocating…

If given a choice, who would want to leave their homeland?

But such thoughts could only be shared behind closed doors with family or whispered in dreams.

Yet tonight, it seemed they wouldn’t even get a good night’s sleep, unable to finish their dreams.

Before dawn, the pounding sound of hooves grew louder and more distinct, accompanied by the rhythmic sounds of marching, causing the earth to tremble.

The residents of Shangshangli, startled awake, feared that Dong Zhuo’s relentless soldiers were attacking again!

However, this sound was different from the Xiliang cavalry’s passing.

“Mother, listen…” a sharp-eared child grabbed his mother’s arm.

The sound was coming from the north and heading south, with hooves and footsteps moving steadily toward the northern gate of the city, accompanied by the sharp sound of arrows piercing the air.

Mixed in was a repeatedly chanted slogan that pierced through the noise for anyone who could hear:

“Bingzhou Governor Qiao Yan has been ordered to eliminate the bandits—”