“Qiao Ye Shu of Leping?

That’s Marquis of Leping!

In the ninth month of the second year of Zhongping, the ban on travel orders was issued, and now in September of the fourth year of Zhongping, exactly two years later, it was time for the ban to be lifted.

But perhaps no one had expected that Marquis of Leping, who had established her reputation two years ago as the intimidating County Lord, would boldly appear at this moment.

Or perhaps…

In this world, someone like Qiao Yan, who gave herself such a name, must truly express her aspirations, with no possibility of mistake!

It had long been anticipated that she would possess such an unstoppable momentum!

The uniquely shaped double-pointed spear in her hand, with a trigger ring on her right thumb, was the only crimson spot amidst the plain iron of the mysterious clothing and iron spear.

This item was particularly special, highlighted by the glow of the setting sun, resembling a flame rising from her fingertips.

As she drew her spear, even the splashes of blood from the bandits were overshadowed by this vibrant hue.

In the next moment, that burning red point suddenly flared to the other side, along with the fine horses of Bingzhou she rode and the spear with its wooden shaft and iron tip, like a sudden thunderclap!

In this somewhat spacious mountain valley, dozens of cavalry were sufficient to inflict significant casualties on hundreds of mountain bandits, especially with Qiao Yan’s preemptive three arrows and her leadership in the assault, akin to a commander leading from the front.

This was the momentum of breaking through!

The Bandits of Hedong, gathered in the Baibo Valley, had already been deterred earlier in the year by Marquis Le Ping’s subordinates from their plans to raid Bingzhou, and now they were wary.

Now, Not seeing Chu Yan and Zhao Yun leading the charge, but the one leading is a girl.

Even though she was only a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl.

It did not diminish their fear and dread upon hearing Qiao Yan’s five words, “Le Ping Qiao Ye Shu,”

which clearly bound her fate with Le Ping inextricably, another demonstration of seizing the initiative.

Was this a release or a hunt, or perhaps a return declared through this assault after two years of prohibition?

Clearly, it didn’t matter so much.

From the perspectives of Guo Jia and Mi Zhu, what they saw was not just the martial prowess displayed by Marquis Le Ping.

As she turned her horse and headed straight towards the densely packed group of bandits, the rest of the cavalry behind her followed the commands she signaled with her left hand, forming a cohesive force for attack.

This was not just one person fighting through enemy lines; it was clearly a disciplined cavalry unit leveraging the momentum created by the earlier three arrows!

Apart from the spear in Qiao Yan’s hand sparking with the flurry of its thrusts, the cavalry’s long blades also rose in unison, asserting their might.

Hēhē.

The stark contrast between the two formations made Guo Jia confident that her side would surely win.

So, he decisively extinguished the newly lit flame in his hand and focused on observing this battle, which seemed to have the momentum of a pursuit.

He had come specifically to assess Qiao Yan’s situation.

After narrowly escaping death, he first thought was not one of relief, but rather to see what performance this Marquis of Leping could still muster.

Indeed, he did not disappoint as an observer.

At the forefront of the cavalry, among those closest to him were several skilled in archery and swordsmanship.

Thus, as they advanced into battle, their coordinated efforts effectively alleviated the impact she faced.

This skillful support enabled her to contribute more forcefully to the direct attacks, like a dragon’s strike, rather than fighting alone on horseback.

She certainly did not squander this assistance.

From the perspective of true cavalry elites, Qiao Yan herself lacked some strength.

Having just been released from confinement, she clearly lacked the experience to coordinate effectively with her subordinates in combat.

Given her age, she could only rely on martial training, her physique slightly stronger than that of an ordinary thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl.

But what does it mean to seize the initiative!

Now is the time!

One side sought to evade the patrols of Leping’s cavalry, while the other aimed to assert dominance.

Their mindsets were fundamentally different.

The more confident side had already inflicted significant casualties, leaving the ragtag group no choice but to falter before the sharpness of the attack.

Even the bandits who had earlier seized horses from the merchant caravan were now not thinking about charging forward to test their luck in killing enemies.

Instead, they aimed to use the horses’ speed to escape first.

Their only concern was to outrun others.

But how different was this mindset from those merchants who had earlier fallen under their arrows?

As soon as they turned their horses, they heard Qiao Yan speak for the second time.

This time, there were no elaborate words, just one command.

“Archers!”

Not only Qiao Yan but also the frontline cavalry coordinated with her, swiftly exchanging their weapons for bows.

Bowstrings hummed, and arrows flew together.

In the next moment, these arrows pierced the heads of the fleeing bandits.

Among them, the most striking was still the group with the white feathered arrows.

They continued

The arrows, precise as they were, pierced through their targets’ foreheads, showing no sign of hesitation from Qiao Yan despite her earlier actions with the spear.

The coordination between her command to shoot and the arrows themselves was decisive and swift!

Qiao Yan didn’t need to issue many commands.

As she turned with her bow aimed towards the fleeing bandits on the hillside, the cavalry who had already released their arrows moved in perfect harmony with her.

Under such focused archery, the bandits, driven only by their instinct to flee, had little chance of escape.

Guo Jia shook his head, deeply sensing the vast disparity between the two sides.

Reflecting on how these bandits could wreak havoc in Hedong, it wasn’t solely due to their incompetence, but rather the astonishing performance of Qiao Yan.

In the art of managemeny, Marquis Qiao Yan’s ability to suppress locusts — these were feats of civil officials.

But in this valley ambush, Qiao Yan displayed the prowess of a military commander.

Even if her opponents had underestimated her, her performance warranted praise based on skill rather than potential.

When Guo Jia looked at her again, her long spear no longer had an immediate target.

The flickering ember on her thumb, as she moved with the spear in hand, seemed to settle slightly.

She nudged her horse forward towards the surviving members of the ambushed merchant convoy.

From afar, Marquis of Leping had a stern and commanding presence, but up close, her demeanor softened, revealing a dignified air that matched the bloodstained tip of her spear.

Addressing Mi Zhu first, she said, “Please assess the casualties.”

Standing out from the crowd, she was conspicuous among both the cavalry and notable figures like Mi Zhu and Guo Jia amidst the chaotic merchants.

However, the position of Guo Jia with his recently extinguished twig and Mi Zhu still standing guard clearly indicated who was closer to a merchant’s status.

Upon hearing her, Mi Zhu respectfully bowed, “Mi Zhu of Donghai, I thank the Marquis for saving our lives. Your reputation preceded you in Xuzhou, and seeing you today confirms it.”

Not only were the onlookers shocked by Qiao Yan’s actions, but even Mi Zhu, known for his composed demeanor, couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

At this moment, it was hard to discern Qiao Yan’s eloquence or political acumen in this brief encounter.

But her military strength was unquestionably evident now.

In the territory of Bingzhou, amidst the chaos across the lands, Mi Zhu finds himself in an advantageous position.

Mi Zhu isn’t just a merchant.

As his business prospered, the Mi family of Donghai naturally became a target for local officials seeking support, like the governor of Xuzhou.

Mi Zhu was puzzled before by the governor’s reaction to discussing Qiao Yan, but now seeing her in action, he understood why she was praised as having the potential of a “young phoenix with the talent to assist a king.”

Though Mi Zhu thought highly of her, he didn’t show it.

Instead, he agreed to investigate the losses suffered by the caravan, as Qiao Yan requested.

After exchanging pleasantries and rising to approach the surviving deputy of the caravan, Mi Zhu didn’t notice Qiao Yan’s surprised glance towards him.

Mi Zhu, also known as Mi Zizhong, was appointed as an assistant by Tao Qian, the governor of Xuzhou, during the Yellow Turban Rebellion in 194 AD.

Later, Tao Qian sent Xuzhou to Liu Bei, who became Liu Bei’s strategist.

The wealthy Mi family of Donghai supported Liu Bei significantly during his times of poverty.

They even gave Liu Bei a wife after his first wife was taken by Lu Bu—this was Mi’s sister, who became Lady Mi.

Mi Zhu was not an ordinary person; he was considered one of Liu Bei’s important financiers.

If an ordinary merchant were to come to Bingzhou, there might be some possibilities, but why did Mi Zhu appear here?

Even though it was still a long way from when Liu Bei would settle in Xuzhou, Mi Zhu’s reasons for coming here were certainly not simple.

However, that wasn’t her concern at the moment.

She separated the two sections of her three-section staff and hung them back on her belt.

The system hesitantly asked, “Are you now a strategist or a warrior?”

Over the past two years, following Liu Hong’s orders, she had spent quiet times in Leping.

Training her physique and practicing archery and spear skills could easily be justified as ensuring her mental health and physical development.

Engaging in fishing, pig farming, and cooking in Yueping could also be explained similarly.

But after Zhao Yun returned to report to Leping, Qiao Yan, under the guise of scouting, temporarily took his place.

Today’s battle didn’t quite fit a strategist’s role.

On her status panel, her intelligence had never autonomously increased.

Instead, her physique had improved through training and skill points, while her martial ability had grown alongside her spear, archery, and riding skills.

This didn’t fit the typical image of a strategist.

[Name: Qiao Yan]

[Alignment: Han (initial)]

[Occupation: Strategist (system designation)]

[Age: 13]

[Physical: 74/100, Martial: 61/100, Intelligence: 80/100, Destiny: 65 (?)]

[Remaining attribute points: 0]

[Skills: History Lv. 7, Debate Lv. 7, Artifact Appraisal Lv. 4, Archery Lv. 7, Riding Lv. 6, Painting Lv. 3, Literature Lv. 4, Field Archaeology Lv. 5, Numismatics Lv. 3…]

[Remaining skill points: 3]

[Strategist points: 140] (Every 10 strategist points give 3 attribute points and 1 skill point)

During her two, no, perhaps three years in Leping, she had earned far fewer strategist points compared to the Yellow Turban Rebellion period.

If not for her handling of the locust plague, which resolved trouble for Liu Hong and provided him an opportunity to intervene in court affairs, triggering the achievement of “Assist Lord in achieving internal power balance,” she wouldn’t have gained these extra 40 points.

Despite providing many suggestions to stabilize Bingzhou to Cui Lie while under house arrest, the system’s verdict left her in a state of isolation.

Only decisions approved by Liu Hong himself could earn her strategist points.

Fortunately, she was released just as the Xiongnu and Yellow River bandits stirred trouble, a perfect opportunity for a big gain.

Her improved physique, supported by the system, enhanced her mastery of the Deadly Spear of Remnant Mountains and skill in mounted archery, without needing additional martial points.

With subordinates in cooperation, her strength deficits weren’t as noticeable as before.

In a way, she could be seen as a budget version of a versatile warrior!

Yet, while pleased with her progress, she still needed to deceive the system.

Appearing to inspect her cavalry sweeping the battlefield, she thought to the system, “This is a necessary move.”

“Since the fifth year of Zhongping, the Xiongnu invasion has shrunk Bingzhou by half, even into the Wei Dynasty period.”

“If Liang Xi hadn’t implemented his divisive strategies after taking office, Bingzhou, already devastated at the time, would have been even worse off. Despite that, at this point, some territories are no longer defensible.”

Following Liu Yuan’s invasion and defeating Sima Teng, Bingzhou fell completely into foreign hands.

“For those aspiring to future domination, reclaiming the lost territories of Bingzhou will require strategists and advisors like Liang Xi. Instead of waiting, I should achieve this now.”

“The greatest strategists must have foresight and think long-term, don’t you agree?”

“Seems about right,” the system concluded after considering her words.

Maintaining territorial integrity and preparing early for conflicts with the Xiongnu are indeed tasks befitting a qualified strategist.

Thinking about how determined its host was to achieve this goal, even while diligently training in martial arts and handling those two short spears, seemed quite inspirational!

With this understanding, the system decided not to inquire further about her plans.

Most likely, they involved a style more akin to a military commander.

Having realized this, the system decided not to ask her about her plans further.

Now, there was still one year and nine months until Liu Hong’s passing, so there was really no rush to choose a lord.

Just as it thought about this, it suddenly noticed someone approaching Qiao Yan’s direction and reminded her.

Qiao Yan turned to look and saw that the person walking towards her was the young man she had seen earlier seeking strategies to defeat bandits.

Perhaps because he was at the age where youth and adulthood intersect, he still looked harmless.

However, his calm and composed demeanor showed a hint of uniqueness.

Being able to maintain such composure in the face of such a crisis and confrontation, and even seeking a way to escape, made Qiao Yan curious about his identity even if he didn’t come forward.

But when he spoke, the name he mentioned surprised Qiao Yan.

He was someone she hadn’t expected to encounter in the territory of Bingzhou, just like Mi Zhu.

He said, “Yingchuan’s Guo Fengxiao, I have met you, Lord.”