Qiao Yan also had to admit that although Cao Cao was surrounded by many skeptical anecdotes and tales in the records left by later generations, and there were also comments like “flawed in narrowness, lost in suspicion,” talking with him was indeed quite interesting.

It’s no wonder he could attract so many advisers and generals under him.

Apart from the leverage of having the Han emperor in his hands, his personal charisma was also not to be underestimated.

Qiao Yan needed to be extremely cautious with Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, but chatting with Cao Cao could be a bit more relaxed.

After all, the topic of conversation was just about the local customs and practices, such as how the name of Changshe County came from the prosperous growth of the trees in the temple, and so on.

What made it even more relaxing was that Cao Cao’s mind was sharp enough not to ask why she was dressed like this.

He had already guessed that Qiao Yan was the granddaughter, not grandson, of Qiao Xuan, and he was not surprised that she had changed back to women’s clothing.

His topic had now shifted to the prestigious families of Yingchuan.

“The Eight Dragons of the Xun Family, and the unparalleled Ci Ming. It’s a pity that Mr. Ci Ming fled south to the banks of the Han River over ten years ago, with his mind set on closing himself off to study, and never had the opportunity for us to meet.”

Xun Shuang, Xun Ciming, was undoubtedly one of the victims of the party’s imprisonment, but his seclusion and cultivation, becoming a great scholar of his time, was also a way out.

But when Cao Cao mentioned Xun Shuang, it was obviously not to talk about the great scholar who was now in seclusion.

The next moment, Qiao Yan heard Cao Cao ask somewhat pointedly, “Speaking of Mr. Ci Ming, I heard that you found a disciple of Zheng Xuan to act as a cover?”

“It was a temporary measure,” Qiao Yan replied calmly. “If Shishu wants to laugh at me for this, it wouldn’t be very respectful of an elder.”

For some reason, Cao Cao felt that Qiao Yan and he had a lot in common in terms of thick skin.

Qiao Yan pretended that Zheng Xuan was her teacher, and Cao Cao insisted that Qiao Xuan was an old acquaintance.

These two things didn’t seem to make much difference.

He chuckled and rubbed his beard, “Forget about that, let’s talk about the Xun family. Although Mr. Ci Ming is not in Yingchuan, the Xun family has many talents.

Xun Zhongyu has explained the Spring and Autumn Annals, and Xun Wenruo was praised by the famous scholar He Ye from Nanyang as a talent worthy of being a pillar last year.

I heard there is also a Xun Gongda, who is a generation younger than these two, and is also not a simple person. I wanted to meet him before.

Unfortunately, I was busy with the anti-rebellion tasks and couldn’t spare the time. Now that I’ve temporarily settled down, does my niece have any interest in visiting the Xun family with me?”

“…I wonder what reason Shishu wants to visit for?” Qiao Yan sensed that there was more to Cao Cao’s words, fearing that he had a plan in mind.

The Xun family was deeply affected by the party’s imprisonment and was known as a clean stream among the noble families.

Although there was the fact that Xun Yu married the daughter of the eunuch Tang Heng, this was mostly a result of coercion rather than seeking refuge.

But what about Cao Cao?

His father was the adopted son of the Grand Chamberlain Cao Teng, and Cao Song still held the position of Grand Minister of Agriculture in the court.

Even three years later, he would obtain the position of Grand Commandant by donating money, only to be quickly dismissed, undoubtedly becoming a laughingstock.

At this time, when it was not a critical moment of the decline of the Han dynasty, Cao Cao had not yet shown the charisma and ability he would demonstrate when he took the lead in the future.

If she were to go to his door…

She would probably be kicked out?

Cao Cao rubbed his beard and replied, “Zhong Yuan often sees bandits besieging the city. In his distress, he wrote a letter, which was quite interesting in its wording and strokes. I just want to borrow this as an excuse to ask the elders of the Xun family for their opinions. What do you think?”

Zhong Yuan was also known as Zhong Yao, and besides his political skills that were sufficient to stabilize the situation, he also wrote excellent calligraphy.

There are anecdotes in later generations that he once suffered from hemoptysis and illness because he couldn’t get a copy of a character model from Cai Boyi, showing that he was not only a first-class administrator but also a master who was obsessed with calligraphy.

However, Qiao Yan felt that Cao Cao’s reason was unreliable. “Mr. Zhong must have had quite a lot of dealings with the Xun family. If he has any insights into calligraphy, he could just go by himself. There’s no need to trouble Shishu to go there.”

This reason seemed to be contrived.

Fortunately, he still remembered to come up with a reason for himself.

But even if he came to admire the Xun family’s reputation, Qiao Yan probably wouldn’t find it strange if he barged in directly.

After all, “A New Account of the Tales of the World” would even fabricate a little story about him and Yuan Shao going to steal a bride, showing what people of that time thought of him.

Cao Cao chuckled twice, feeling a bit annoyed that this junior was so blunt in exposing him, and he simply said without hiding it, “So I wanted to ask my niece to accompany me on a visit, and I’ll just be a follower.”

“Shishu has a grand demeanor, not at all like a follower,” Qiao Yan’s words made Cao Cao somewhat happy to hear, but her next sentence was, “But I don’t think Shishu will have the opportunity to visit the Xun family in Yingchuan.”

“Why?” Cao Cao asked, hearing her speak so confidently.

“Shishu, do you think General Huangfu will sit idly by and watch the opportunity slip away?”

Cao Cao furrowed his brow.

Although he was able to become the Cavalry Commandant not solely relying on his father’s support, and while his tactical acumen could not be compared to what it would become in the future, he was also a man who often contemplated deeply, with his own considerations.

Once he pondered over Huangfu Song’s decision not to kill the Yellow Turbans, he began to understand something.

If it was really as he thought, then Changshe would not be able to stay for long.

Yingchuan was just a county. If he really wanted to visit the Xun family, and considering the formalities involved in visiting, it would likely take a lot of time, which would surely delay the military operations.

“I know that Shishu admires the talents of the Xun family, but military affairs are urgent, and the main thing is to focus on the task at hand,” Qiao Yan continued, “I think that Xun Wenruo, if he could get Mr. Boqiu’s evaluation of being a talent of great assistance, he must be extraordinary. Now that the disaster of party oppression has been resolved, if he becomes an official for the Xun family, Shishu will surely have the opportunity to meet him.”

How could Cao Cao know that by the time Xun Yu entered the court, the Han Dynasty would be in imminent danger of losing its royal status? Qiao Yan’s idea of serving as an official together was completely impossible.

Although he was a little regretful that he couldn’t visit in person, he couldn’t help but smile, “Military affairs are urgent, what my niece said is true! Talents are always visible, and dealing with the rebellion and extinguishing the fire is the current priority. Forget about it, let’s not mention these things.”

He understood the situation, and the gloomy feeling of not seeing anyone for a while also faded away.

Even before he managed to take Qiao Yan back to her place, a messenger had already come to find him.

As expected, General Huangfu Song had plans to move the troops.

After arranging for someone to take Qiao Yan back and heading to the military meeting place himself, he heard General Huangfu Song’s marching orders.

General Huangfu Song officially ordered Zhu Jun to lead Sun Jian directly to Wan City to join forces with Qin Zhe’s troops, ensuring that Zhang Mancheng couldn’t move north from Jingxiang and seize Yique Pass.

Huangfu Song himself would lead Fu Xie as deputy general, along with the reinforcements brought by Cao Cao, to attack Jizhou via Yanzhou.

Preparing for this military campaign required some time, especially since troops had to be allocated to guard the Yellow Turban prisoners in Yanzhou and Yuzhou.

This task was temporarily handed over to Zhong Yao, and the transfer of responsibility couldn’t be explained in just a few words.

Upon hearing this plan, Cao Cao realized that his idea of visiting the famous scholars of Yingchuan could be completely forgotten.

But was he disappointed? Not at all!

If Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Lu Zhi succeeded in quelling the rebellion this time, they would be recognized as great generals of the Han Dynasty.

For him, Fu Xie, and Sun Jian, what they lacked before was a chance to prove themselves and boost their reputations.

Now that they were about to face the main Yellow Turban forces, there was no room for regret!

Qiao Yan thought the same.

At this moment, what she needed was not to get acquainted with some influential people, as that wouldn’t significantly improve her position.

Her status as a younger member of the Qiao family wouldn’t earn her much respect from the aristocracy.

On the contrary, she needed her reputation to grow until no one could ignore her.

Whether as an advisor to a powerful leader or something else…

In this step, it made no difference.

Moreover, she had another important task: to make the most of her current resources.

Specifically, this meant Dian Wei and Cheng Li.

While Cao Cao and Sun Jian were busy preparing their troops and transferring responsibilities, discussing the importance of defeating the Yellow Turbans to secure Luoyang, Qiao Yan sought out Cheng Li.

Why not find Dian Wei first?

Dian Wei was actually not that difficult to mobilize.

Her actions ensured not only the safety of Dian Wei’s hometown but also guaranteed him substantial rewards for capturing the Yellow Turban leaders Bo Cai and Liang Zhongning.

For a warrior whose strength far surpassed that of ordinary people, achieving military success and gaining recognition was the ultimate life goal.

Even though the current achievements were merely against the Yellow Turbans, they were far more prestigious than being just a chivalrous avenger in the city.

Moreover, it wasn’t just Qiao Yan who wanted to bring this bodyguard along; Huangfu Song certainly wouldn’t miss out on such a formidable warrior.

Who knew if having such a strong fighter might turn the tide in some unexpected way?

But with Cheng Li, Qiao Yan was less certain.

Previously, she had persuaded Cheng Li to join forces with her because of his strong desire to protect his homeland in Yanzhou.

He had convinced the powerful Xue family to guard Dong’e to ensure the peace and stability of his hometown during the Yellow Turban rebellion, driven by his sense of local solidarity.

However, to have him deeply involved in fighting the Yellow Turbans, changing his previous idle status, might not be so easy.

Before he responded to Cao Cao’s call to join the cause, Cheng Li had repeatedly refused the summons from Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou.

This showed that he had his own views on the political situation and was selective about whom he chose to assist.

His dream of seeing Mount Tai holding up the sun might also be symbolic.

So now, Qiao Yan and Cheng Li were sitting across from each other.

She needed to talk to him personally.

They were in the city of Changshe in Yingchuan, staying temporarily at a property belonging to the Zhong family.

Finding a set of tea utensils wasn’t too difficult.

Qiao Yan had created a refined atmosphere, with a cup of hot tea placed before each of them.

The rising steam added an air of depth and mystery to her gaze.

After a long silence, she finally asked, “What are your plans for the future, Mr. Zhongde?”

Cheng Li wasn’t surprised by Qiao Yan’s question.

In the time they had interacted, it had become clear to him that her abilities far exceeded what her age might suggest.

Her thoughts and concerns were never as simple as she had mentioned in her letters.

In her excellent strategy of seeking revenge, if her only goal was vengeance, she could have already accomplished her mission and retreated.

At most, she might add a ceremony of setting up a memorial and using Bo Cai’s life as a blood sacrifice.

However, judging by her current demeanor, which didn’t suggest a burden lifted from her shoulders, Cheng Li deduced that she had further goals yet to be achieved.

Perhaps, as when he observed the siege of Changshe without fully grasping her intentions due to his lack of experience, he was in a similar situation now.

Nevertheless, he could provide a straightforward answer to Qiao Yan’s question. “Now that the Yellow Turbans in Yanzhou have been pacified, I will naturally return to Dong’e and study behind closed doors.”

Qiao Yan barely tugged at the corner of her mouth.

This statement was hardly believable.

Studying behind closed doors might make sense for a young person, but for someone like Cheng Li, who was already over forty and didn’t truly see scholarship as a career, it was pure waste.

However, conversations shouldn’t start by exposing the other’s superficial statements; they should be approached more tactfully.

She took a sip of tea calmly and then asked, “But do you truly believe that Yanzhou is pacified, Mr. Zhongde?”

Yanzhou had always been a land of many disasters, and to say it was troubled would be an understatement.

Currently, they had lured the Yellow Turbans from Yanzhou into Yuzhou, where the Han army had encircled them, but what about after that?

In the year 191, the Heishan army, led by leaders such as Du Yan, along with the Xiongnu troops from Hedong under Yufro, attacked Jizhou’s Ye City and also sent forces to invade Yanzhou’s Dong Commandery.

In the same year, Li Jue’s troops defeated Zhu Jun in Zhongmu, then advanced to Chenliu and Yingchuan, and as recorded in the Book of the Later Han, “they massacred men and women alike, leaving no survivors wherever they went.”

Also in that year, the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou, having been defeated by Taishan’s governor Ying Shao, retreated from Taishan County and moved west to Yanzhou, causing chaos in Rencheng and Dongping.

These three lines of invasion and plundering occupied seven of the eight counties.

This marked the two most chaotic years in Yanzhou.

Indeed, at any time before or after these events, Yanzhou had rarely been peaceful, earning its reputation as a battleground for warring factions.

Cheng Li couldn’t fail to see that Yanzhou’s location and its accumulated resources over the years would inevitably put it in such a dire situation.

In such an environment, it was impossible for him to remain uninvolved.

Rather than tackling one issue at a time, it was better to use the chaos of the Yellow Turban Rebellion to gain a clearer understanding of the current state of the Han Dynasty.

Qiao Yan continued, “Mr. Zhongde, you don’t need to answer my question immediately. I have a few more things to say. Please listen first, and then you can respond.”

“I am young and lack deep knowledge. If asked why these Yellow Turbans have risen in revolt, my answer would only scratch the surface. It’s not just because their Great Teacher has some divine power or the favor of the Yellow Heaven.”

“Some things may sound rebellious, but at its core, it comes down to one word.”

She had just placed her tea cup back on the table and now dipped her pinky finger in the tea, writing on the table.

Cheng Li looked down and saw she had written the character “田” (field).

“I have a heart to serve the country and save the Han. I invite you, Mr. Zhongde, to join me in going north to hear what the Yellow Turbans in Jizhou have to say.”

The next day, when the Han army set out, Qiao Yan brought Cheng Li and Dian Wei along.

Cheng Li ultimately agreed not to return to Dong’e to immerse himself in studies but to put into practice the saying “Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles” and join her in Jizhou to meet the key figures of the Yellow Turbans.

The system found this persuasion method somewhat unusual.

In terms of becoming the top strategist, it didn’t seem particularly meaningful, but Qiao Yan’s reasoning was hard to argue against.

She explained, “From the early Han when Empress Lü implemented the two-year statute, granting land to farmers, to the late Han when land consolidation by powerful families became a major factor in the Yellow Turban Rebellion, these changes are well-documented in history. But to elevate a warlord to the position of stabilizing the country, one cannot be half-informed.”

“I study history, not these practical land issues. It’s best to gather more information with the help of a local strategist.”

“Moreover, even if this effort strengthens Cheng Li, so what? To be the top strategist, there naturally has to be a comparison. I just need to ensure Cheng Li’s capabilities don’t surpass mine, right?”

The system: 【… I suppose so?】

The system could record everything its host said verbatim, so it reviewed Qiao Yan’s words again. It concluded that the main ideas were “investigate and learn” and “healthy competition,” which seemed perfectly reasonable!

As for Qiao Yan upgrading her horseback riding skills to level three, it was just to achieve this goal.

Very logical! It made perfect sense!

Seeing Qiao Yan refuse a personal carriage and instead ask Cao Cao for a gentle warhorse, the system felt her decision exuded a certain heroic and elegant aura.

Although this didn’t fit the traditional image of a strategist, comparing her to Cheng Li, the system reasoned that to surpass another strategist, one must outperform in all aspects.

Since Cheng Li was proficient in horseback riding, Qiao Yan couldn’t be lacking in this skill.

The system noted the admiring glances from Huangfu Song and others directed at Qiao Yan, guessing this display would further boost her reputation.

Just as the system was about to praise its host, a teenager, about fifteen or sixteen, suddenly emerged from the ranks and stood before Qiao Yan’s horse, interrupting its thoughts.

Qiao Yan glanced at him and immediately recognized that he wasn’t a regular soldier in Huangfu Song or Cao Cao’s forces.

Instead, he was one of the roving knights of Yingchuan, recruited to bolster the city’s defenses during the siege of Changshe.

His identity was evident from the non-military long sword at his waist.

After the battle at Changshe, Huangfu Song, to prevent leaks about their military plans, gave these volunteers two choices:

One, to stay temporarily in Changshe for a month before leaving on their own, during which they would continue to receive food supplies, and the Zhong family of Changshe would reward them with money and provisions for their service.

The other option was to join them in the campaign to Jizhou and participate in the surprise attack.

This young man had chosen the latter.

What intrigued Qiao Yan was that, unlike others who focused on impressing the charismatic Huangfu Song to gain favor and opportunities in the upcoming battles, this youth—

He unabashedly looked at the younger girl with respect and admiration.

When someone called him back to the ranks, he loudly declared to Qiao Yan, “I am Xu Fu from Yingchuan. Please allow me to assist you by leading your horse, young lady.”