In Qiao Yan’s words, what surprised people was not her name.

As early as the letter she wrote to Cheng Li, she had confessed her identity, and using an inverted name as an alias was not something incomprehensible.

Furthermore, the mutual understanding between her and Tian Tao had already revealed her origin.

This was equivalent to being recognized as “one of us,” and now it was just being openly stated.

What really made those who heard her excited were the last four words she said.

Leave a name in history!

Who wouldn’t want to leave their name in history?

During the Han Dynasty, titles were granted for military achievements, and by the Eastern Han Dynasty, marquis titles were divided into five ranks.

The county marquis and the pavilion marquis mentioned in Qiao Yan’s words were the highest and lowest ranks respectively among these five ranks.

Along with the marquis of do-xiang, xiang, and do-ting in between, they made up these five ranks of titles.

The meaning behind Qiao Yan’s words was already clear.

Although she was young, she had the ambitious goal of making contributions to the country.

Although there was currently no opportunity to make military achievements by fighting against the Western Qiang and Xianbei, relying on repelling foreign invaders to make contributions, another opportunity was already in front of them.

That was the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Currently, the Han army was confronting the Yellow Turbans from Yuzhou at Changshe.

Under Qiao Yan’s secret instigation, the Yellow Turbans from Yanzhou had also been drawn here.

If they could use the method of borrowing strength to break the current stalemate, or even assist the Han army in pacifying the Yellow Turbans in the two provinces, they might be able to be granted titles for their contributions.

If they could take the head of Bo Cai, the fierce general of the Yellow Turbans, it would undoubtedly make them the number one hero!

Even though the people in front of Qiao Yan did not know, taking the example of Zhu Jun, a famous general at the end of the Han Dynasty, he was promoted from pavilion marquis to xiang marquis because of the defeat of the Yellow Turbans.

The following year, in the second year of Zhongping, he was promoted to county marquis for his merits in defeating the remnants of the Yellow Turbans.

However, this did not prevent them from seeing a sign from the recent promotions from pavilion marquis to county marquis—

The court was reenacting the old practice of rewarding meritorious deeds with marquis titles from the Guangwu period.

Whether this was an act of self-preservation in the late period of the dynasty or a balancing move in the factional struggle, for people like them who had the name of a powerful family but were far from being truly powerful, there was no need to investigate.

The Tian and Xue families rose to prominence through trade, money lending, and speculation, and they indeed needed a solid name.

If they could cooperate with her before, it was mostly out of a sense of alliance for self-preservation based on local factional views.

But now, with the goal of being rewarded for their contributions blatantly in front of them, who could remain indifferent?

Especially obvious was someone like Tian Yan, who was not very calm.

If there were subdivisions among the current powerful families, the “Eighteen Generals of Yuntai” who were ennobled during the Guangwu period and the bureaucratic powerful families represented by the Yang family of Hongnong and the Yuan family of Runan were undoubtedly at the top of the food chain.

Tian Yan might be sought after in places like Puyang because of the influence of his family, but he was nothing outside of Dongzhou.

The future prospects mentioned by Qiao Yan also hit the nail on the head.

Did he want to make a name for himself? Of course he did!

So, at the first opportunity after Qiao Yan finished speaking, he spoke up, “How do you need us to help?”

System: …

No matter how you look at it, the strong instigation in Qiao Yan’s words implied that what was needed behind the goal of leaving a name in history was undoubtedly the support of a daredevil squad.

Was Tian Dagong’s son jumping into the pit too enthusiastically?

But even Cheng Li, who was standing aside, understood Qiao Yan’s meaning and did not interrupt her plan.

It was better for it to continue watching the show.

Qiao Yan did not show any signs of delight at Tian Yan’s quick entry into the trap.

She just asked, “Do you remember in the battle to capture the Tian’s stronghold, I had someone play dead under the wall of the stronghold?”

Tian Yan hesitated for a moment. “…I remember.”

When he led his men here, those who pretended to be dead had already gotten up and invaded the stronghold like wolves and tigers.

But this did not prevent him from later hearing the process from his second uncle’s

Qiao Yan seemed to be unaware of Tian Yan’s embarrassment at this moment and continued in a normal tone, “I would like to ask a few of you to send a few people to act like this again when the Yellow Turbans attack Changshe. Then, under the cover of night, send a message into the city.”

She raised her hand, and Dian Wei distributed the prepared silk pouches to everyone.

She continued, “But I must make it clear to you in advance, a siege and an attack on a stronghold are completely different. Playing dead on the battlefield is not a way to save your life. On the contrary, it is even more dangerous than following the army into battle. Arrows on the battlefield, trampling during retreat, all of these could easily turn playing dead into real death.”

When mentioning the word “death,” Qiao Yan’s attitude was completely serious.

But it was precisely this attitude of clearly explaining the current crisis and opportunity that made these people somewhat less inclined to retreat at this moment.

“One who achieves greatness leaves countless bones behind” is an eternal truth.

Under the prospects outlined by Qiao Yan in a few words, this deadly danger could not stop these people from taking a risk.

If there was no danger, how could they have the opportunity to break free from their original status and receive the title of marquis and the honor of being appointed as a general?

The few people present glanced at each other, seeing the meaning in each other’s eyes.

Then, still led by Tian Yan, they took the lead and said after receiving the silk pouch handed over by Dian Wei, “We will follow Mr. Qiao’s arrangements.”

After completing this mobilization, Qiao Yan watched as these people returned to their camp, but she did not hurry to leave.

Instead, accompanied by Cheng Li, she slowly walked in the wilderness of Yanzhou.

From Puyang to Changshe, they passed through Chenliu State, which bordered Liangguo.

In Qiao Yan’s memory, although she had been plagued by illness for many years, she had once come here.

Now passing through, there was an inexplicable sense of melancholy.

After walking a distance, Cheng Li suddenly spoke, “Today I learned that you are not only good at planning and decisive, but also very capable in controlling people’s hearts.”

He was not a person who would be bound by conventional norms. If one were to look at his future accomplishments, his actions in handling urgent matters would be far more astonishing than what Qiao Yan did.

So, at this moment, there was no sarcasm in his words, but genuine praise.

Qiao Yan smiled at his words. “At my age, I still lack the maturity to probe into people’s hearts. However, when I was young, I once saw a book called ‘Strategies and Schemes’ in my grandfather’s study. Its author is unknown, but I remember one sentence vividly.”

Cheng Li asked, “Please tell me more.”

Qiao Yan continued, “To win people’s hearts, one must enlighten them with reason, move them with emotion, show them righteousness, and awe them with power.”

Cheng Li smirked, “But it seems to me that you are moving them with interest rather than emotion.”

Qiao Yan replied, “Because the reason, emotion, and righteousness mentioned earlier are for gentlemen. But in today’s world, there are not so many gentlemen. So, the more practical approach is the latter part of the sentence—’to win their hearts, you must cater to their desires.’ Mr. Zhong De said, is this the truth?”

Cheng Li nodded, “Things change but the essence remains the same. You have grasped the essence.”

Cheng Li could see very clearly that Qiao Yan was not just further inducing the local powerful forces of Yanzhou, but also insightful and thoughtful, not only in dealing with these local forces but also in dealing with that Yellow Turban leader.

This included the course she taught Liang Zhongning on this march.

With the “heavy troops” in hand, there naturally was a demand for military strategies.

Qiao Yan brought out those systematic things, which were also a targeted measure.

But whether these were to make the Yellow Turban army’s camp and fortifications more organized, reduce the possibility of the spread of epidemics, or for other purposes, Cheng Li, standing as an onlooker, could see very clearly.

He couldn’t help but wander in thought, and then he heard Qiao Yan ask, “Mr. Zhong De seems to have something to say?”

“It’s not so much something to say, but more of a question. Does the method you taught Liang Zhongning to set up camp and fortifications match what I’m thinking?”

Cheng Li had no intention of concealing it and spoke directly, “The Yellow Turbans of Yanzhou and those of Yuzhou are both rebel armies. When two rebels meet, chaos is inevitable. But it’s not like this—one is orderly, the other is chaotic.”

“Exactly, what Mr. Zhong De said is exactly what I had in mind.” Qiao Yan continued, “If this order is still not achieved, only discussing it on paper, the effect would be even better.”

Cheng Li replied, “Then I think I know how to add fuel to the fire.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the old and the young, who had a difference in age of thirty years, looked at each other and smiled, their expressions of cunning calculation strangely similar.

This was the advantage of dealing with clever people.

Shortly after passing through Weishi, the army entered the territory of Yingchuan.

Yingchuan, one of the eight counties of Yuzhou, had become a major county in the Central Plains by the end of the Han Dynasty due to its geographical resources and transportation hub role.

Furthermore, due to its academic atmosphere, it produced a large number of famous scholars and strategists during the period of warlords.

The Chens of Yingchuan, the Xuns of Yingyin, and the Zhongs of Changshe were all prominent figures.

Unfortunately, Yingchuan was currently the first front line of confrontation between the Yellow Turbans and the Han army.

The land that was once the capital of the Xia Dynasty was affected by the flames of war, temporarily preventing Qiao Yan from witnessing the magnificent scene of “Ruying is full of talents.”

Under Qiao Yan’s guidance, Marshal Liang Zhongning temporarily stationed the army in the Yanzhou area, and then sent a letter to the leader of the Yellow Turbans, Bo Cai, in the direction of Changshe.

To be honest, sending the letter at this time didn’t hold much significance.

Yanling was already within the territory of Yingchuan Commandery.

The Yellow Turbans of Yanzhou, having arrived here without any intention of turning back, would obviously not easily retreat.

Even if Bo Cai suddenly found himself with an additional force here, it was highly likely that the troops who did not obey his command would have some objections.

It was probably impossible to drive these people away.

At best, it was an expression that they had no intention of launching a surprise attack from the rear.

This was exactly what Bo Cai thought when he received the letter.

Although this delayed notification seemed polite, it still inevitably made him feel uneasy.

After sending off the messenger, he remained silent for a long time before squeezing out two words from between his teeth.

“Yanzhou…”

Before his army entered Yuzhou, they passed by Yanzhou, and he had a rough idea of the three Yellow Turban leaders in Yanzhou at that time.

Liang Jing, Bu Ji, and Zhang Bo were all somewhat capable, but that was about it.

At least, they did not have the ability to command as generously as now, nor could they confront the famous generals of the Han Dynasty.

If not for this, Yanzhou and Yuzhou would not have been picked by Bo Cai.

But in just a month, the situation of the Yellow Turbans in Yanzhou had changed significantly.

Qiao Yan asked Liang Zhongning to send a letter to Bo Cai, only roughly telling him what the letter should contain.

The specific wording was written by Liang Zhongning, who considered himself a “cultured person.”

On the letter that reached Bo Cai’s hands, it was written in three or two strokes that only one of the three Yellow Turban leaders in Yanzhou was “unexpectedly” left, and in the greeting to Bo Cai, there was an implication of being on an equal footing with him.

Due to the recent changes, Liang Zhongning did not realize the emotions he revealed in his tone.

Bo Cai, who suddenly received this letter, could see it very clearly.

This person was obviously not a qualified ally, and it was even possible that he was a hostile force!

Especially when he still held the upper hand in the battles against Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song, the sudden appearance of more than 10,000 troops did not make him feel surprised.

The consecutive victories made Bo Cai firmly believe that what the great and wise teacher Zhang Jue said, “The decline of the Han Dynasty is inevitable, the heavens are dead, and the Yellow Sky shall rise,” was indeed a truth.

In this case, he simply didn’t need any external support.

He could directly break through Changshe, capture the two middle-ranking generals of the court, and sacrifice their flags.

Liang Zhongning was obviously here to share the credit with him!

Bo Cai’s face was as calm as water, but he couldn’t think of a way to make these people retreat.

He knew very well the combat effectiveness of his own troops. People who couldn’t eat their fill would directly charge forward even if they were facing armored soldiers and sharp blades, just to get the reward of food.

When gathered into an army of tens of thousands, it was not easy to deploy and command them.

This was the situation on his side.

It was likely that Liang Zhongning’s side was no different.

If he really issued an order for them to return home, they would probably come straight to him to ask for an explanation.

He was left with only one choice: to accept these people into the territory of Changshe but strictly forbid them from seizing any credit.

Although he had a plan, Bo Cai couldn’t help but press his temples, feeling a headache coming on from this unexpected situation.

What troubled him even more was the behavior exhibited by Liang Zhongning’s troops when they set out from Yanling and moved into Changshe.

He had previously heard of Liang Zhongning killing Bu Ji and Zhang Bo to seize power, which instinctively made him think that the other party might have some potential for extreme ruthlessness.

However, now that he had seen the man himself, he felt that besides the “confidence” he had already shown in the letter, he seemed a bit… simple?

But when Bo Cai looked at the troops led by Liang Zhongning, he didn’t dare to make this judgment.

These people looked much better than his own subordinates.

Although their marching order was far from that of the regular army of the Han Dynasty, they could not be described as a “rabble.”

What made him feel that Liang Zhongning might not be simple was that when he directed these people to their campsite, they showed decent camping skills.

Bo Cai had military achievements under his belt, so he wasn’t so afraid of being compared to others.

However, after a month of fighting in Changshe, where the Han army refused to leave their defenses and several of his attacks on the city had been repelled, the military provisions plundered from all directions in his army were almost depleted.

In contrast, this new troop seemed to have some surplus food in everyone’s hands, and there were quite a few provisions in their army, which immediately put him at a disadvantage.

And these provisions couldn’t be moved!

Since he didn’t want Liang Zhongning to take credit, it was impossible for him to try to ask for food from Liang Zhongning.

Otherwise, it would inevitably give Liang Zhongning the reputation of “supplying food and cooperating in battle.”

However, while he maintained his stance, his subordinates were clearly resentful.

Soon after both sides camped adjacent to each other, conflicts arose between them.

The Yellow Turban soldiers were not easy to control. It was not easy to make them behave like the regular Han army, even during preparation for battle.

This looseness led to problems.

On the third day after Liang Zhongning’s troops arrived, one of his soldiers wandered into Bo Cai’s territory.

When Bo Cai’s soldiers found traces of him, instead of simply capturing him and sending him back, the soldier, perhaps too confident, tried to invite them to admire the majesty of their camp.

However, he was criticized by the other side from the camp to the well, from the toilet to the fence, leaving him speechless.

The soldier from Bo Cai’s camp became increasingly angry as he listened, but the other side’s criticisms were all valid, even using their own camp’s layout to make points, attributing it to their commander’s guidance, leaving him with no room for rebuttal.

The soldier from Bo Cai’s camp, rendered speechless, did not notice that the man who had accidentally stumbled into their camp quietly left after saying these things.

He then reported his achievements to a tall scholar, and scenes like this were not uncommon.

When Bo Cai received the news, strange rumors had already spread in the camp.

For example, the outbreak of dysentery half a month ago in the army was due to Bo Cai’s lack of experience in arranging toilets.

Also, they were not eating well recently because the location of the well in the camp was inappropriate, leading to unequal distribution of food. Moreover, they could have already captured Changshe, but because the construction of the defenses was not appropriate, the number of soldiers needed for night patrols had increased significantly, leading to insufficient energy during the day.

Bo Cai’s temples throbbed, and he almost went to find Liang Zhongning to settle the score.

However, before he could do so, Liang Zhongning had already found him.

As soon as Bo Cai and Liang Zhongning met, Bo Cai realized that the anger on Liang Zhongning’s face was not feigned.

He thought something was wrong.

But before he could inquire about what had happened, Liang Zhongning grabbed his collar and launched into a rapid-fire reprimand.

Bo Cai’s subordinates pulled the man away, and his tone was forced to calm down a bit, allowing Bo Cai to piece together the situation.

“You mean, your men are missing?”

Bo Cai frowned, feeling unjustly accused. “How is your missing man my concern?”