The key heartland of Bingzhou was located in Taiyuan, with its administrative center being Jin Yang.

It was only natural for the newly appointed governor of Bingzhou to arrive in Jin Yang first.

If Qiao Yan wanted to meet this governor Zhang, she would naturally have to go to Jin Yang.

However, she didn’t plan to go openly.

When the highest official of Bingzhou arrived, especially a newly appointed one, it would certainly affect the situation there.

Especially in Jinyang, just from the hidden currents within the city, one could glimpse what might happen.

Qiao Yan decided to see how others reacted to this governor’s influence before deciding how to approach him herself.

So she left quietly and lightly, taking Xu Fu and Xi Zhicai with her.

As they rode leisurely, she glanced at Xu Fu and noticed the nervousness in his eyes. “Yuan Zhi, are you worried that there might be bandits on the road and you can’t protect our safety?”

Previously, when Zhao Yun formally took over as the magistrate of Leping County, he added the name Zilong.

Leaving aside how Chu Yan, who wanted to challenge Zhao Yun’s position, felt about it, Xu Fu was also of the age where he was starting to work.

Naturally, he too had some aspirations.

To be addressed by an additional name implied recognition of one’s ability as an adult working outside.

His aspirations did not escape Qin Yu’s notice.

The next day, when he came to the county office to work, he publicly announced that he had adopted a courtesy name and could henceforth be called Yuan Zhi.

Qiao Yan also felt that this name came at the right time.

Otherwise, she would often be torn about how to address Xu Fu.

Leping County was just this one county, and the positions it could offer were limited.

Xu Fu still held the position of a nobleman in the Marquis of Leping’s household. Obviously, he couldn’t be called Xu Shuzi, so calling him Yuan Zhi was undoubtedly much smoother.

Xu Fu smiled bitterly and said, “Junhou holds the lives and deaths of ten thousand households in Leping in his hands, and is truly a man of great talent, and Fu, although he has been a vagrant, if there are really bandits coming…”

Here he subconsciously grasped the sword at his waist, keenly aware of his heavy responsibility.

But to directly say that he couldn’t win would undermine Junhou’s reputation somewhat, so he didn’t continue.

Xi Zhicai paid attention to Xu Fu’s expression and confirmed that his words were not mere compliments but truly his heartfelt thoughts.

He had heard initially that Xu Fu’s attitude towards Qiao Yan was one of respect and admiration, even intending to emulate her.

That’s why he had said he was willing to stumble for her sake, like a horse being led.

But now, perhaps due to seeing Qiao Yan’s various actions in Leping, his conviction that she was a savior became clearer, resembling more of a lord and vassal relationship.

Xi Zhicai smiled and said, “Yuan Zhi, why worry so much? Don’t forget, the road we’re on now intersects with the Tang family’s route for trading paper and leather goods. Don’t mistake the Tang family for a fallen noble house.”

This trade route was regularly patrolled and wouldn’t allow bandits to roam freely.

Moreover, the notorious Black Mountain bandits, who once terrorized the area, had been captured by Leping.

In such circumstances, ordinary thieves wouldn’t dare approach.

As for extraordinary thieves…

The most unusual “thieves” in Bingzhou were the Xianbei north of the Yunzhong Shuofang region and the various northern Xiongnu and Hu people outside the Xihè Commandery.

But they wouldn’t suddenly cross the barrier of Taiyuan Commandery to come here.

“Lord Qiao has always been bold but cautious. She wouldn’t just leave without escorts to avoid revealing her whereabouts and put himself in danger,” Xi Zhicai added.

As soon as he finished speaking, Qiao Yan nodded towards him and gestured politely, “Sir understands me.”

“Don’t praise me at this time. If I can really live up to Lord Qiao’s intentions by taking me to Jin Yang, then it won’t be too late to praise me then,” Xi Zhicai waved his hand.

“Lord Qiao wouldn’t have taken me along just because I spent some time in Jin Yang and could help find a cheap place to stay.”

Qiao Yan valued Xi Zhicai’s keen judgment hidden beneath his seemingly lazy attitude.

Moreover, since they were going to Jin Yang, there was no need for Qiao Yan to find accommodations herself.

The Wang family had already arranged a place for her.

It wasn’t in the Wang family’s mansion but in a courtyard adjacent to the main street in Jin Yang City.

During the Han Dynasty, the system of li and fang (neighborhoods and wards) was structured similarly in Luoyang.

In Jin Yang, although the dimensions of the streets and alleys between li and fang were slightly wider, the overall setup was somewhat alike.

In such an environment, if she wanted to observe the street from her residence, she had no choice but to choose such accommodations.

As for the Wang family, or rather its head, Wang Yang, why he was so diligent in arranging Qiao Yan’s stay ultimately stemmed from his own self-interest.

Scholars and aristocratic families didn’t always see eye to eye, so he urgently needed to understand Zhang Yi’s attitude towards Bingzhou.

Previously, the governors of Bingzhou were mostly military commanders, which made them relatively easy to deal with in some respects. Understanding their ways was straightforward.

However, Zhang Yi lacked a military background and didn’t have any outstanding achievements in governance like some of the other governors.

On the surface, he seemed ordinary, but it was always prudent to prepare for contingencies.

Knowing that Qiao Yan also intended to assess Zhang Yi, Wang Yang clearly welcomed this.

Qiao Yan had already demonstrated, during their discussion on the price of hero’s wine, that her vision extended beyond just Leping County.

She had even shown insight into the crisis with the Southern Xiongnu in Xihè Commandery.

Her handling of the paper and leather goods affair proved her ability to navigate relationships and understand people’s hearts.

Therefore, her judgment of Zhang Yi naturally carried weight.

Moreover, since Zhang Yi had never dealt with Qiao Yan before, there was a good chance he might overlook these penetrating eyes.

After the Wang family servant who escorted Qiao Yan bowed respectfully and quietly withdrew, Qiao Yan glanced into the courtyard.

Near the outer main road, she noticed a two-story building.

Ascending to the upper floor, she pushed open a side wooden window, and the view outside unfolded before her eyes.

It was the road in Jin Yang that connected the north and south of the city.

On the street below, merchants, travelers, and local residents of Jin Yang moved about, making it more bustling than other streets in the city due to its central location.

From their appearances, Qiao Yan could glean their approximate identities without difficulty.

In March, Jin Yang had gradually recovered from the harsh winter, which brought a hint of vitality to the faces of passersby.

March…

Amidst the bustling atmosphere of Leping, she hadn’t realized it until now, but suddenly it dawned on her—

It had been a year since she arrived in this world.

A year ago, she was among the refugees in Yan Province, on the brink of starvation.

Now, she was a county marquis with her own territory, and could casually observe the flow of people in Jin Yang as a guest of a prominent family.

This stark contrast inevitably made her feel the passage of time keenly.

However, this momentary haze caused by the year-long comparison was quickly dispelled.

Xu Fu and Xi Zhicai, who had been watching her closely, didn’t notice any change in her expression.

She withdrew her gaze from outside and said, “When we received the news, Zhang Yi had just entered the Taihang Mountains barrier. His journey from Linfen to Jin Yang should be slower than our pace.”

“Zhang Yi will enter the city from the south and pass through here on his way to the Prefect’s mansion in Taiyuan. We should expect him in a day or two.”

Qiao Yan gestured towards Xu Fu, who handed her a package containing scrolls.

Indeed, they were scrolls, not bamboo slips.

During the winter months, in addition to continuing the production of paper and leather goods sold to various parts of Bingzhou through the Tang family, Yueping had also made significant progress in papermaking.

With the foundation of Cai Lun’s improved papermaking technique and the use of mulberry tree bark as the main material chosen by Qiao Yan, it was only a matter of time before usable paper could be produced, rather than the previous thick and fibrous state used for clothing.

Although there were still some shortcomings in the smoothness of the paper now, it was no longer as fragile once thinned, and was sufficient for Qiao Yan’s use.

If it weren’t for the fact that mulberry bark had been prioritized as a life-saving material for making warm clothing, there would have been more of it available.

“Marquis, are you bringing account books to assess Zhang Yi?” Xi Zhicai paused as he recognized the familiar scrolls.

“Who told you these are my account books?” Qiao Yan shook her head with a smile. “Sitting up here in this street-side pavilion, enjoying the spring scenery of the bustling market, I should also enjoy some leisure. Naturally, I brought along some leisure reading. Sir, please don’t mistake me for someone who forgets administrative duties; that’s something Mr. Zhongde would do.”

Xi Zhicai sat down opposite Qiao Yan. Seeing that she didn’t refuse, he casually picked up one of the scrolls and opened it to see Cai Yan’s handwriting inside.

Qiao Yan replied, “Mr. Cai Yong has an extensive collection of books. When he hurriedly came to Luoyang for the funeral, he didn’t bring them along.

Since he didn’t intend to stay long in Leping, he naturally didn’t have those books sent by the Yang family.

However, Miss Cai Yan has a photographic memory and memorized several dozen volumes by heart.

The paper and ink make it convenient to write books, and each volume occupies no more than two ordinary books when bound. Using this method to read enriches the library in Leping.”

“…”

If Qiao Yan weren’t so young, Xu Zhicai would have felt like vomiting from what she said.

Her method of exploiting child labor was too much.

But Xu Zhicai thought again, having books to read while waiting for someone was nice.

He said, “That’s fine. Having these books to pass the time will make waiting for the provincial governor less unbearable.”

But what Qiao Yan did not expect was that before the arrival of the governor of Bingzhou, another voice was heard close to dusk.

It was because of the familiar name that Qiao Yan turned the pages slightly and immediately focused her attention.

The person shouted, “Zhang Liao, wait for me!”

Zhang Liao?

Qiao Yan pretended to look away from the book in her hand and glanced toward the Jinxiang Street, where the setting sun cast a layer of color.

She saw two teenagers approaching, one in front and one behind.

The one in front looked even younger, around fifteen or sixteen years old, similar in age to Zhao Yun and Xu Fu.

The one behind looked about twenty, more like a young man.

However, because of the playful look in his eyes, he still seemed youthful.

Zhang Liao’s reply undoubtedly confirmed Qiao Yan’s speculation.

Her eyes were sharp enough to notice a slight hint of frustration on the young man’s face.

He stopped and turned around, saying, “Why are you following me? The governor’s mansion said they won’t accept those who haven’t come of age yet. Zhang Zhishu, you’re old enough to be on your own. Why not stay?”

With this pause, the young man behind him put his hand on Zhang Liao’s shoulder and walked side by side with him.

Both men wore common attire of the Bingzhou warriors.

Their casual demeanor, with arms around each other, made them look like brothers.

Qiao Yan listened as Zhang Zhishu, the young man called Zhang Zhishu, replied, “What nonsense are you talking about? You are from Yunzhong and I am from Yanmen. We happened to meet halfway and had a good chat. We both can’t stand the style of those prefectures and counties. We thought it would be more meaningful to await the new provincial governor, so we can apply together. What’s the point of me going alone if you can’t enter because you’re too young?”

He laughed heartily and added, “Besides, we share the surname Zhang. Who knows if we were related hundreds of years ago? We might be distant relatives.”

As they walked and talked, they arrived at the nearest building to Qiao Yan at that moment, allowing her to clearly see the somewhat helpless expression on Zhang Liao’s face.

His hesitation seemed funny, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t.

However, if he was indeed the Zhang Liao that Qiao Yan guessed, his hesitation made sense.

After all, his original surname was Nie, not Zhang, and he was a descendant of Nie Yi from Mayi.

To avoid trouble, he changed his surname to Zhang, which made him not exactly related to the young man named Zhang.

As for the other Zhang Zhishu…

Qiao Yan wasn’t very familiar with his name at first, but seeing him with Zhang Liao now, trying to get a job in the Bingzhou government, the possibilities became clear to her.

This was the man who once served as a brave warrior in Bingzhou and was later appointed as Grand Marshal for escorting Han Xian Emperor Liu Xie back to Luoyang, Zhang Yang – Zhang Zhishu!

This guy seemed to fit the usual image of a military leader, completely unaware of the subtle meaning in Zhang Liao’s expression.

He spoke again with a caring tone for his brother, “In any case, even if you can’t get a position in Jinyang, there’s no harm in it. With your skills, Zhang Liao, you can easily gather a team to fight bandits. We, the people of Bingzhou, understand the power of fists.”

“If it doesn’t work out, why don’t we go to Leping? I heard the county lord there is young, and the magistrate is also young. They surely won’t care about age…”

The two of them walked away from the window, their voices still audible from a distance.

However, Qiao Yan had heard this sentence clearly.

She raised her eyebrows, then closed the book in her hand.

Historical records may say Zhang Yang lacked vision and ended up in the hands of ordinary men, not known for his intelligence.

But in Qiao Yan’s eyes…

This guy really has good foresight!