Zhang Niujiao had finally managed to rise to a higher position in this group of a hundred people, barely qualifying as a small camp leader.

These days, he was busy to the point of aching muscles and back pain, precisely because of the careful weeding needed in the fields during the busy summer season.

As he straightened up, he saw Chu Yan leading recruits recruited from Changshan County patrolling on the mountain road above.

He couldn’t help but envy them to the point of toothache.

But then he thought, although he envied others for their drive and opportunities, county officials had to be literate and undergo regular evaluations.

Those who didn’t pass were sent back to be responsible for making fertilizer.

He felt it was better to be content with his lot.

The cake manure he had accumulated since last year, which was made by fermenting beans into cakes, was almost used up.

Now, supplementary fertilizer had to be obtained from the ducks raised by Qiao Yan at the foot of the mountain.

It seemed that farming was still easier in some respects.

Moreover, a few days ago when Chu Yan invited him for a drink, he had calculated how many live sweet potato plants were in an acre of land and estimated the yield based on the weight of iron rod yams they had previously collected.

Zhang Niujiao wasn’t great at calculations, but he trusted his brother.

Thinking about it, he felt Chu Yan had no reason to lie to him about this matter.

But if this were true, wouldn’t it mean that on their mountainous farmland, which was less than an eighth of the county’s original land, they were producing the same quantity as the others?

That was truly staggering!

If this was the case, not to mention the laborious intertillage stage now, even if they treated this field like the ancestral lands at home, it would truly be no problem!

According to Chu Yan, if he could persist diligently until the sweet potatoes matured in the month, his efforts would definitely contribute to the harvest.

At that time, there would be no escaping recognition and reward, especially since he was already a camp leader.

When the population census was reported in August, settling in Leping wouldn’t be difficult.

After the autumn harvest passed, as a resident of Leping, he could selectively engage in winter activities.

In his spare time, he could gradually participate in literacy and education courses.

Once he recognized a few more characters, it wouldn’t be too late to become a county official.

Everything was clearly planned out.

Zhang Niujiao was left dumbfounded by Chu Yan’s words.

He particularly understood why Chu Yan had rapidly risen to a prominent position under Qiao Yan.

If it weren’t for Qiao Yan bringing back Zhang Yang from his trip to Jin Yang, Chu Yan could have advanced even further.

However, no matter how Zhang Niujiao looked at it, he felt Zhang Yang might be a similar type to him…

All he could say was he hoped this fellow would find his own path.

….

The progress in farming and martial arts training at the end of May did not mean that Qiao Yan only received good news.

She wiped the sweat from her face after finishing her archery training and had just returned to the county office when she received a letter brought by Lu Yuan.

Two days ago, she had sent Lu Yuan back to Jinyang City.

If Qiao Yan were selfish enough, she should have kept it secret when the waterwheel was actually installed in the terraced fields of Leping, especially since in Luoyang City, it was only used to water roads and suppress dust.

However, considering the difficult situation of the people in the late Han Dynasty, Qiao Yan did not see the need to keep such beneficial things for livelihood and population maintenance a secret.

She was indeed planning to exacerbate the conflict between the local aristocratic families in Bingzhou and the newly appointed governor.

At the same time, in her report to Zhang Yi, she mentioned that since the beginning of spring, there had been insufficient rainfall in various parts of Bingzhou where there were natural water sources between two mountains.

Therefore, it would be beneficial to install these waterwheels to ensure irrigation of the dry fields.

This was to ensure the yield of Bingzhou during the autumn harvest and also to prevent the dry fields from being plagued by locusts.

This memorial was written in April.

However, Qiao Yan did not immediately receive a reply.

Instead, Wang Shi, due to Zhang Yi’s status as a student of the Yuan family from Runan, paid special attention to him and subsequently sent a reply to Qiao Yan.

In his letter, Wang Yang claimed that they highly valued the advice of Qiao Yan as their ally, and naturally used the waterwheel in their own fields.

He also mentioned to Qiao Yan that Zhang Yi had sent a letter back to Luoyang.

It was clear that this was to inquire about the opinions of the Yuan family on this matter.

Qiao Yan couldn’t help but furrow her brow as she read this.

Yuan Shi…

Yuan Shi probably wouldn’t take her idea seriously.

In recent years, the records of locust plagues in the Han Dynasty have mostly focused on the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River.

Besides, in the perception of the aristocracy, the Dragonbone Plow was merely an auxiliary tool, so why bother saving a bit of manpower?

Actually, Qiao Yan’s speculation was quite accurate.

In Yuan Shao’s letter to Zhang Yi, the gist was probably that as the current Inspector of Bingzhou, Zhang Yi should first establish his authority.

The issue of drought could be managed by having people fetch water more frequently; there’s no need to focus energy on making Dragonbone Plows.

Zhang Yi, though currently lacking direct military command, could oversee the work of various county officials in his role as Inspector and naturally make strategic recommendations.

Previously, in the fourth year of Yongguang, Tan Shihai passed away.

Tan Shihai’s successor, Helian’s son, died from an arrow during the campaign in the Northern Territory, leading directly to a temporary fragmentation of the dominant forces of the northern tribes.

Although this didn’t mean the borderlands suffered less disturbance, it was undoubtedly an opportunity for the Han court.

According to Yuan Shao’s analysis, at this time, instead of focusing his energy on making plows, Zhang Yi might as well try supporting Helian’s son, Qianman.

Being young, Qianman had his authority seized by Kuai Tou.

Supporting such a weak faction would naturally lead to their division, benefiting from it.

Reporting this to the court would certainly solidify Zhang Yi’s position as Inspector, as he would have achieved military success in external campaigns.

If circumstances were different, and if Qiao Yan knew what Yuan Shao had written, she might have to admit his foresight.

After Tan Shihai’s era, the power struggle between Helian’s son and his elder brother, Kuai Tou, indeed led to further division among the northern tribes.

The subsequent northern figures, Budugun and Ke Bineng, continued their rivalry into the Wei Ming Emperor’s era, culminating in Budugun’s death and Ke Bi Neng’s retreat to the northern deserts.

But this was a politically correct suggestion, not necessarily fitting with Qiao Yan’s current perspective!

More than a month later, Zhang Yi finally sent a delayed reply to Qiao Yan after receiving Yuan Shi’s advice.

While the letter did not criticize her suggestions, it adopted a somewhat patronizing tone, mentioning that Qiao Yan had managed the county of Leping for less than a year, and the benefits of her proposals were yet to be clarified.

The provincial government would consider them cautiously.

Consider them cautiously?

Though she understood this was due to different perspectives on future knowledge, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but curse at the lack of foresight.

As a county marquis, every word and action required careful consideration.

She only replied, “Ambition may be too great.”

Zhang Yi didn’t see this as an overly ambitious move neglecting the affairs within Bingzhou.

He appreciated Yuan Shao’s plan for him, undoubtedly marking the beginning of his ambitious plans in external affairs.

However, just a short month and a half later, urgent news arrived at Jinyang through the Taihang Mountains.

The message stated—

In the second year of Zhongping, July, locusts have appeared in Sannong.

What does “locusts in Sannong” mean? It signifies a locust plague in the Sannong region around the capital!