Where else dare he contact Yuan Shao within this short period of time?

Although Liu Hong did not express a word about this letter in the decree he issued, the arrangement to demote him from the Governor of Bingzhou to the Prefect of Guangling was sufficient to indicate his attitude.

This was by no means just because of his incompetence, but clearly also contained a warning.

Looking at it this way, going far away to Guangling and managing it in peace might not be a bad idea.

Qiao Yan watched Zhang Yi leave, with a smile on her lips.

Cui Lie, the newly arrived Governor, ask what the two had just talking about.

She replied calmly, “Last month, I saw a major work at Inspector Zhang’s place that was quite elegant.

Since there are renowned artists in Leping, I thought of borrowing it to see.

If he is eager to leave, he still needs a little time to retrieve this item.

However, although Inspector Zhang is somewhat unfamiliar with mundane affairs, he is genuinely open-minded in personal relationships and agreed to personally give it away.”

Cui Lie was too far away to hear clearly, but he felt that the relationship between the two should not be as simple as Qiao Yan said.

But since Zhang Yi turned and walked away without any objection, and Qiao Yan’s words were polite, it seemed like a normal conversation between juniors, so there shouldn’t be any problem.

Cui Lie stared at her eyes for a long time, but couldn’t figure it out, so he didn’t delve further into the matter.

However, he increasingly felt that Qiao Yan would not be an easy role to teach.

The calm demeanor she showed when receiving orders was extraordinary, and now her calmness in conversation made people think highly of her.

Moreover, although he didn’t have too high a talent for officialdom, he still had some insight.

For example, with a little thought, he knew that Qiao Yan had gained support in Bingzhou not only from Governor Guo.

To achieve the implementation of policies and their adherence below, she must have had something to do with this place as well.

The relationships among these aristocratic families were intricate and deeply rooted.

Cui Lie pondered silently, unaware that Qiao Yan had just exchanged a meaningful glance with Wang Yang among the crowd.

The implication in that glance was clear.

To be honest, the Emperor did not impose severe punishment on Qiao Yan, which was within her expectations.

From Qiao Yan’s performance, Wang Yang also guessed this.

However, directly replacing the Governor of Bingzhou was unexpected for both of them.

Earlier, when Qiao Yan was trying to win over Wang Yang, she had promised him that when Zhang Yi’s influence declined, it would be their moment to act as the aristocratic families of Bingzhou.

They just hadn’t expected Liu Hong to swiftly and decisively appoint a new Governor of Bingzhou, returning the situation here to its original state.

No… it wasn’t exactly the original state.

Qiao Yan knew little about Zhang Yi, but the name Cui Lie was familiar to her, and she vaguely knew about his buying of high official positions.

Considering Cui Lie’s background, the biggest difference between him and Zhang Yi was that there would never be someone like Yuan Shao meddling behind him.

For local powers like Wang Yang and others in Bingzhou, this might not necessarily be a good thing.

After all, with the position of Governor of Bingzhou already occupied by the former Minister of Works, the possibility of replacement again seems unlikely.

They couldn’t help but speculate on Cui Lie’s stance.

For Qiao Yan, though, this could be considered good news.

At least Cui Lie’s attitude in conversation showed some willingness to cooperate.

She glanced at Wang Yang, advising him to stay calm, then followed Cui Lie into the provincial office.

However, what she didn’t expect was that Cui Lie wasn’t just bringing good news.

Entering the study of the provincial office, the new Governor observed the orderly exchange of documents over the past month, feeling a sense of admiration for Qiao Yan’s efficiency in managing the recent harvest festival in Leping.

Thinking about his other purpose for coming here, he quickly withdrew his gaze from the surroundings and focused back on Qiao Yan, asking, “Is the grandson of Yang Gong still in Leping?”

At first glance, this question seemed like a formality.

With Yang Ci’s consent for Yang Xiu to remain in Leping, naturally, he should still be there.

But scholars these days often liked to travel and visit friends.

Cui Lie felt it necessary to guard against any unexpected situations.

Thankfully, Qiao Yan promptly confirmed his question.

Cui Lie breathed a sigh of relief.

“I will immediately send someone to Leping, or if you prefer, I can trouble Marquis Qiao to dispatch a messenger to swiftly inform Yang Xiu that Yang Gong is seriously ill.”

Cui Lie couldn’t help but want to say something, but the situation was already decided.

After Zhang Wen departed for Liangzhou, Liu Hong reinstated Yang Ci to his former position as one of the Three Excellencies.

Perhaps it was because the long-awaited rain finally fell, cooling Luoyang after the heat, or perhaps it was due to concerns over famine and people’s livelihoods over the past two months, but Yang Ci had not been in the best health lately.

Shortly after the appointment decree was issued, when Cui Lie was about to depart for Bingzhou, Yang Ci fell seriously ill.

It’s said that illness strikes like a mountain collapsing, and it seemed especially true for Yang Ci, who was not young anymore.

This inevitably made Cui Lie, who came to visit, realize that this could likely be a sign of his imminent end.

Therefore, he quickly took on the task entrusted to him by the Yang family—to deliver the news to Yang Xiu upon arriving in Bingzhou.

His journey to Jinyang was swift, not only to resolve the matter between the Governor of Bingzhou and Marquis of Leping as soon as possible, but also to deliver this news.

If Yang Xiu hurried, he could return to Luoyang before his grandfather’s passing.

Upon hearing the news of Yang Ci’s severe illness, Qiao Yan was momentarily stunned, then immediately responded, “I will send someone right away. The attendants of the Marquis may not be familiar with the route and could delay, so I’ll handle this myself.”

Life, aging, illness, and death are natural occurrences.

Yet upon hearing of Yang Ci’s illness, Qiao Yan became increasingly aware of the approaching end for this great man of Han, vividly confronted with the reality of aging and mortality faced by these loyal servants of the Han dynasty.

Moreover, it was already the second year of Zhongping, less than four years from Liu Hong’s own death.

To be precise, three years and nine months.

Qiao Yan didn’t mention these thoughts about the future to Cui Lie.

Instead, she spoke again, “Speaking of which, there’s no need to address me as ‘Marquis Qiao’.

Since His Majesty’s decree requires me to reflect on my past actions and follow your guidance, although we lack the formal master-disciple relationship, it can be considered as such in practice. You may call me Ye Shu instead.”

Cui Lie didn’t show any surprise at this.

Earlier, Liu Hong had already mentioned Qiao Yan’s courtesy name during court meetings.

To Cui Lie, it seemed to fit her character perfectly, especially judging from her demeanor when receiving the envoy from Luoyang.

Yet, the thought of this potential fire that could ignite at any time in his territory made him somewhat distressed.

Fortunately, as Liu Hong had stated, Qiao Yan must remain in Leping for two years to temper her overly assertive temperament.

People’s interactions should generally be peaceful.

Thinking this way, Cui Lie felt it was more important to worry about Zhang Yi than himself.

The former Governor, just before leaving Bingzhou, received a surprising blow from Qiao Yan.

Though Qiao Yan wanted to say she wasn’t deliberately targeting Zhang Yi, well… actions speak louder than words, and it’s better to treat him as someone informed.

“Inspector Zhang, please don’t take offense. Earlier, in order to rally the people of Bingzhou to eradicate the locusts, I wrote in the official documents that if there truly were a locust deity, the blame would fall on the Governor alone, not the people.”

Zhang Yi’s mounting his horse froze on the spot.

Qiao Yan continued, “It’s likely just superstition about this locust deity. If there were divine favor, how could we have possibly exterminated them all? Inspector Zhang, there’s no need to worry.”

“Marquis Qiao, your words…” Zhang Yi struggled to maintain his composure. “They strike right at the heart.”

Listening to her words today was as piercing as Cui Lie’s remark yesterday about him being a Governor.

But now, Zhang Yi couldn’t help but wonder if there truly was such a thing as locust deity retribution.

If all the credit for eradicating the locusts in Bingzhou fell on him alone, explaining his transfer from Governor to Prefect would make sense.

Yet the people gathered at the provincial office gate due to the arrival of the envoy from Luoyang wouldn’t feel any gratitude toward him for this connection.

Instead, they would see Qiao Yan, who carried out the Governor’s orders, as their benefactor in Bingzhou.

With the Emperor’s decree settled and the outcome clear, his underestimation of Qiao Yan’s swift actions upon discovering his stance resulted in his ultimate fate—exile to Guangling—was indeed unworthy of further discussion.

Fortunately, with one in the south and the other in the north, there should be no chance of meeting again.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yi finally found some comfort.

At just eleven years old, Qiao Yan already had such methods.

Who knew what she would grow into in a few years? Such matters would undoubtedly cause headaches for those at court.

After pondering over Liu Hong’s decision to protect Qiao Yan and abandon him, Zhang Yi discerned a different meaning after a restless night.

It was evident that Qiao Yan’s execution and administrative competence in Bingzhou had already surpassed the limitations imposed by her gender and age.

There was a high probability that, at the right moment, she would not only be a Marquis with a food-producing fief but also a powerful official.

Today, she could aim her short bow at a provincial governor; tomorrow, she might very well point her sword at the Three Excellencies.

Encountering such a dangerous character, the Emperor surprisingly didn’t suppress her completely.

Instead, he decided to use her, fearing she might cause trouble sooner or later!

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Zhang Yi continued until he left the Taihang Mountains.

Only then did he feel relieved not to hear any more about the aftermath of the locust plague in the border of the state of Zhenzhou.

But just as he thought this, he saw several familiar figures escorting a child on horseback, passing through his convoy and heading forward.

Zhang Yi’s eyelids twitched.