In the second year, Cui Lie, the governor of Bingzhou, wanted to discuss the completion of Dongguan Hanji with Cai Yong, and thus turned Qiao Yan’s visit for enlightenment into a visit from Cui Lie himself, slightly reducing Qiao Yan’s outings.

However, since the event of seizing power and suppressing locusts in the second year of Zhongping within the territory of Bingzhou, she had established her prestige, allowing her in Leping to find ways to listen to the opinions of the entire Bingzhou.

For example, Guo Yuan, the governor of Yanmen, joined forces with the fierce military officer Zhang Liao in the Yunzhong area of Yanmen to gain the upper hand in the battle against the leader of bandits, which made the Xianbei bandits choose Youzhou as a breakthrough rather than raiding You and Bing states.

Xi Zhicai also mentioned in the letter to He Ye, “[The leader’s younger brother Budu roots are ambitious, with the demeanor of a leader. There must be a battle on the border, and don’t know how the situation will turn out.]”

Of course, he did not confide in He Ye ( Yong ).

He quickly continued, asking whether He Yong could consider talking to the Emperor on their behalf, so that the Marquis of Leping could be released from house arrest sooner.

‘In Leping, we have enough to eat and wear warmly. As a result, even the entire area of Shangdang has seen the warlike tendencies that arose from meeting basic needs.’

Apart from the Black Mountain bandits who had previously surrendered to Leping, there were many refugees who had arrived in Leping after passing through Changzhi due to the locust plague in the Central Plains.

“This statement made He Yong unable to help but have some other thoughts in his heart.

If this kind of information had been disclosed by Xi Zhicai in a relatively peaceful period, He Yong would definitely have reported it and suppressed such a situation of having private military forces.

But the current situation is different.

With rebels everywhere and many local officials falling victim, having a sufficiently powerful armed force is particularly necessary for self-preservation in the local areas.

At a time when the eunuchs’ power is growing in the capital, whether Qiao Yan, who wields practical combat capabilities outside, can be a force that He Yong can cultivate has become a matter for his evaluation.

She does have some acquaintance with Bi Lan, and even the large-scale construction of the Dragon Bone vehicles in Yueping was Bi Lan’s masterpiece.

However, unlike Zhao Zhong and Zhang Rang, she has not intervened in court politics, and currently continues to oversee the construction of the Jade Hall Palace.

But what about Qiao Yan herself?

Due to Zhang Yi’s influence, Yuan Benchu had some slight complaints against her.

However, since she was enfeoffed for her merit during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, she has gained a reputation that sets her apart from ordinary younger generations.

Her political views expressed in discussions among provincial governors are considered moderate and far-sighted.

After receiving such praise from Xu Zijiang and other respected figures, it can be said that she has a certain acquaintance with literati and scholars.

With this introduction, there arose the possibility of discussing recruitment.

Developing a potential military and political force under her now might actually be a good thing.

Especially when he mentioned that Xi Zhicai could serve as a bridge for contact, all the officials of the Three Public Offices silently agreed to this idea during their discussions.

Yet, the potential displayed by Yueping is not limited to this aspect alone. It was even called by the bandits, led by Zhang Liao, with the name that Qiao Yan gave it—Leping Marquis Paper.

From the initial paper clothes to the study of papermaking, significant progress has been made in the past two years due to the increasingly mature papermaking technology.

He Yong did not know that within Yueping’s warehouses, moisture-proof measures had accumulated a considerable amount of Yueping Marquis Paper.

There was even enough to support the enlightenment education within Yueping County, considering that Qiao Yan had only revealed their papermaking achievements to Xi Zhicai through letter-writing.

Following the claim of high production costs, they stated that only small quantities could be supplied to trusted friends.

Furthermore, it was not just paper that was supplied, but also a handwritten copy of one volume of Cai Yong’s Eastern Han Records.”

“After sending it to He Yong, she asked if he thought there were any areas that needed revision.

He Yong was no fool; how could he not see that this was an attempt to enlist him for historical materials?

While feeling the paper, which was far less fragile than before, he thought that scholars’ discussions would surely spread further through this means.

He could only grit his teeth and send a batch of bamboo slips with his reply.

The implicit message was probably: ‘I’ve sent you what you wanted; now send me more paper.’

Qiao Yan knew well that she must maintain good relations with these scholars at this time.

After all, their criticism could shake a person’s reputation.

Therefore, she didn’t beat around the bush and promptly arranged for He Yong to receive a batch of usable Le Ping Marquis Paper half a month later.

Of course, before this, a larger quantity of paper had already been sent to Liu Hong.

In her report to Liu Hong, Qiao Yan wrote that since she began self-reflection and intense study, she had thought of improving paper due to the heavy load of documents.

Now, using materials like mulberry bark, she had produced this new paper.

However, the costs of some of these materials had not been reduced, unlike the cheaper Cai Marquis Paper.

They couldn’t be mass-produced yet and were initially supplied to the palace and some acquaintances in Luoyang.

She planned to lower production costs and then share the paper-making formula with the palace.

Even if Liu Hong had no intention of sending someone to Yueping to verify this excess, Lu Ping had strategies in place. This Emperor, renowned for his personal pleasures, did not delve deeply into such matters.

In short, although the reputation of Luping Marquis Paper spread, it remained mostly among scholars and bureaucrats.

Nevertheless, this alone raised Qiao Yan’s stature in He Yong’s estimation.

Beyond the Taihang Mountains, they had no way of knowing what undisclosed progress Luping had made during this period. But the belief that Qiao Ye would become a great figure after two years of quiet preparation was almost universally accepted.

Of course, Xi Zhicai also gained fame as the ‘Gourmet Judge of Lu ping.'”

It seems like the text you’ve provided has a mix of narrative, descriptions, and possibly some context or references that are not completely clear.

In the letter to He Yong, he would still negotiate with Qiao Yan to write something else in order to seek the elevation of Yueping’s political status.

However, in the letter to his friends in Yingchuan, he didn’t need to have these concerns.

This is purely a long-term plan, akin to something that could be named ‘A Taste of Lu ping.’

The strategy of relying on the mountains came into full play when limited to operating within the boundaries of Yueping.

As Xi Zhicai mentioned in his letter, not only is the meat of wild boars exceptionally delicious, but the mountains also abound with various rare and useful plants.

For example, there’s a plant called Quercus acutissima, not uncommon in the Taihang Mountains, typically used for making charcoal.

However, recently they discovered that its components are similar to those found in maize, making it suitable for brewing liquor that carries the essence of mountain wood.

Another example is wild grapes from the mountains, referred to as kudzu in the Book of Songs.

Xi Zhicai considered that if peas could be used for brewing, then wild grapes could certainly serve the same purpose.

Indeed, he successfully blended them to create a wine with a balanced sweet and sour taste, as mentioned in the letter he sent out.

At the end of his letter, he wrote:

‘With rice mixed with lard, accompanied by bean paste, a plate of wild vegetables, a bowl of pork rib broth, a pot of clear wine, sitting to observe mountain flowers, looking back to see children playing with windmills in the courtyard—where the windmills are made of Le Ping Marquis Paper—gazing at the fields where sweet potatoes are now ripe. However, today I am satisfied, and tomorrow I shall make cakes.’

If we calculate by nominal age, the recently turned eighteen-year-old Guo Jia slammed the table, facing the gaze of Xun Yu, and exclaimed, ‘Xi Zhicai has gone too far! I’m going to Leping to settle scores!’

Whether he’s going to settle scores or simply see what it’s like there… that’s a matter for later! Please remember: […].”