“Return singing?” When he first heard Qiao Yan’s arrangement, Zhang Liao was momentarily stunned.

But then he quickly realized that compared to the Xiu Tu’s raids on the Bing Province border, their killings, cooking of victims, and even carving records into stones.

Qiao Yan’s plan of merely separating their heads from their bodies and hanging the corpses on the walls of Shouxiang City was indeed an act of mercy.

What harm was there in that?

The only issue was—he couldn’t sing.

Two years ago, while serving as a fierce warrior alongside Guo Yun in guarding Yanmen Commandery, after winning the respect of the older soldiers who initially underestimated him, he would join them around the campfire for feasts.

During one of these gatherings, someone suggested he sing a battle song to boost morale.

The result was Guo Yun patting his shoulder and advising him never to launch such an indiscriminate attack again.

That gentle advice made Zhang Liao realize his singing talent was lacking, at best suitable for shouting slogans.

But after Qiao Yan handed him the binoculars, acknowledging that although none of the three had killed the Xiu Tu King, each had contributed, and Zhang Liao needed the binoculars the most, he felt he shouldn’t disappoint her expectations… right?

While he was still struggling with this, Zhang Yang, knowing Zhang Liao’s tendency to get stuck on things, reported him to Qiao Yan.

So, she assigned him an extra task.

The people from Guyang, who were to be sacrificed during the Xiu Tu King’s oath ceremony, had been rescued.

Though they were filled with fear of returning to their homes, they wanted to recover and properly bury their family members’ bodies.

Since Zhang Liao had led the team to rescue the people of Guyang, it made sense for him to handle the aftermath as well.

Zhang Liao wasn’t sure if this was a form of escape, but at least Zhang Yang felt his ears were saved.

Now, the only issue left was how to instill fear.

Before passing through Xihe Commandery, they had to traverse Yunzhong and Wuyuan Commanderies.

Yunzhong Commandery had few residents along this route, but Wuyuan was a different story.

A marching force of over three thousand men was already a striking sight, especially since many of them were cavalry and clearly battle-worn, drawing even more attention.

What if each of these three thousand men carried a Xiu Tu head?

The heads, hastily wrapped in dirt to cover the severed necks, would still be recognizable.

Blood seeped through the cracks in the dirt, staining the earth.

Even though the heads were covered in mud, it was easy to recognize from their features that these were not Han people but Xiu Tu Army from beyond the frontier.

The people of Wuyuan Commandery, initially startled by the sight, quickly realized this was a victorious return from a campaign beyond the Great Wall.

They gathered in clusters to witness the soldiers’ triumphant procession.

Nearly three thousand Xiu Tu’s heads!

Such a scene was rare.

The recent massacre at Guyang had been a cause of great alarm. Curious individuals who had visited the site brought back news that kept everyone in Wuyuan on edge.

However, the brave warriors of Bingzhou Province were known for their combat skills, and many had rushed to the governor’s office, eager to join the fight.

But before they could even inquire about enlistment, the culprits had already been eradicated?

Among the soldiers carrying Xiu Tu heads, the most striking figure was undoubtedly Qiao Yan, riding her red dappled horse.

While she had commanded her men to bring back the Xiu Tu heads, she had no intention of personally handling any of them.

Instead, Dian Wei carried an extra head—the Xiu Tu’s King.

As the soldiers marched, she appeared serene and composed, yet she was far from out of place.

No one could ignore the longbow and quiver on her back or the two broken spears hanging by her horse’s side.

She was unmistakably the commander of this force.

With the clear autumn sky above, she gazed ahead with a sharp, cold determination.

In Bingzhou Province, there was only one person capable of such a display.

“Marquis of Leping…”

This was the Leping Marquis!

Word had it that in August or September, she had been released from house arrest, imposed two years earlier for independently dealing with a locust plague.

Now, she had made headlines again by confronting the Xiu Tu Army beyond Bingzhou Province.

She was still working for the good of Bingzhou Province!

To the people, Qiao Yan commanding such a large force was not an act of rebellion but one of reassurance.

They felt that with her actions, they could sleep peacefully at night.

In the crowd, one person’s thoughts might have differed slightly from the rest.

Tall and powerfully built, he stood out, towering over the others.

He watched Qiao Yan and her troops until the last soldier disappeared from sight.

As he stared into the distance, lost in thought, someone nudged him, bringing him back to reality. “What are you thinking about, Fengxian?” they asked.

He snapped out of his reverie and sighed, “A true man should be like this!”

Two years ago, when the provincial government announced the locust eradication system, he had hoped his bravery might earn him recognition.

He imagined himself carrying hundreds of pounds of locusts, displaying his prowess, and perhaps securing a good position.

But then came Qiao Yan’s supplementary order, shattering his plans.

Not one to wait idly, he recommended himself to the magistrate of Wuyuan County, who recognized his exceptional martial skills and appointed him as a county officer.

It was a promising start, though as a county officer, he couldn’t engage in battle.

Lu Bu often felt he could shoulder greater responsibilities.

Today, as he watched Qiao Yan ride past with her troops, others saw fear in the heads of those barbarians.

But he saw determination etched on their faces, and his admiration grew.

“A true man should be like this!”

“No, a person should be like this!”

How exhilarating!

“You’re mistaken,” someone interjected. “Lord Qiao is a woman, not a true man.”

“What do you know?” Lu Bu retorted coldly. “In our province, we judge by ability, not gender. Can you deny that Lord Qiao is an outstanding figure?”

He wondered when he might achieve the same fame and glory as Leping’s Marquis.

He contemplated his own path.

Yet, Qiao Yan’s unconventional action of bringing the heads of the Xiu Tu as war trophies rather than discarding them outside the border seemed to surprise the magistrate of Wuyuan.

The magistrate had seen Qiao Yan’s procession with his own eyes and had been visibly shaken.

As the magistrate of Wuyuan, he had faced tests of courage before, but stationing at Gao Lu Pass in the north, guarding against threats, had left him relatively sheltered.

He was aware of the border skirmishes but hadn’t seen real action.

Considering the lack of appointments for generals to manage the Liaodong region lately,…

In this region, battles weren’t usually this frequent.

After all, since the Northern Xiu Tu moved westward, the most restless among the Hu people were the Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Xiqiang, which had little to do with his Wuyuan County.

But now, suddenly facing such intimidating figures…

If the county magistrate hadn’t supported him, he might have stumbled and fallen.

He remembered he was a magistrate representing Wuyuan County.

How could he show such weakness? He straightened his back immediately.

“Marquis Qiao, what is this about…?” he cautiously asked.

Though Qiao Yan dismounted respectfully and greeted him, not pressuring him by staying mounted, just looking behind her where there were two heads and one body was truly impressive.

Qiao Yan smiled, “It’s just a warning to others, doesn’t the magistrate want to sleep more peacefully?”

As she said this, she pointed south, towards what was unmistakably Xiyue County.

Thinking back to some rumors he had heard recently, he suddenly realized that Qiao Yan’s actions were indeed necessary.

It was right to suppress any signs that threatened safety!

With this thought, the magistrate no longer felt weak in the knees.

When bidding farewell to Qiao Yan, he even asked, “Do you need me to select a few more strong men to add to Marquis Qiao’s team?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Qiao Yan replied, looking at him in a way that suggested they might have some common ground with Cui Lie, “Magistrate, don’t you think that with three thousand against three thousand, our losses are minimal, making it a perfect deterrent to the Southern Xiu Tu?”

But clearly, what would really deter them wasn’t just a few Xiu Tu heads, but also the death of the Xiu Tu King.

The Southern Xiu Tu in Xiyue County, including their leader Qiang Qu and his restless nobles, were stationed at Meiji City, a settled tribe within the county.

The Commander of the Xiu Tu Guard Wang Rou ( Related to Wang Family in Bingzhou), however, resided in Dongsheng County to the west of Meiji City. ( He was assign in Meiji City but he’s a Han Dynasty Official )

While this commander often dealt with many internal affairs of the Southern Xiu Tu and routinely made inquiries, he rarely entered Meiji City.

Perhaps this new commander, unlike his predecessor, who liked to replace leaders, showed a clear favor towards the Han’s court.

He even made concessions in their business dealings involving wine and livestock, benefiting them on many occasions.

If it weren’t for the Han Dynasty’s conscription that made the nobles of the Left Wing feel the signal of death, they might have been able to get along with this Commander of the Xiu Tu Guard.

But today… today was different.

He and Qiao Yan rode side by side into the city, followed by a group of fierce soldiers, visibly carrying the heads of Xiu Tu warriors.

They had marched here in just three days, not enough time for the heads to decay beyond recognition.

Qiao Yan felt they all looked similar, but some in the city immediately recognized the head of King Xiu Tu, which was being carried by Dian Wei on his shoulder.

When they passed through Wuyuan County, the locals felt relieved and admired them.

But for the Southern Xiu Tu in Meiji City, it was far from that.

It was as if a murderer had killed your relatives and then presented their heads to you.

Before King Gu Li of the Southern Xiu Tu Left Wing could see this scene, his subordinates had already reported it to him, causing his expression to change instantly.

As Qiao Yan suspected, although the Xiutu tribes had risen in power, they didn’t fully understand the situation within the Han territory.

If it weren’t for the Southern Xiu Tu’s dissent against Han leadership, their support and information wouldn’t have helped the Xiu Tu tribes succeed.

The one communicating with them was King Gu Li of the Southern Xiu Tu Left Wing.

Upon hearing of the Xiu Tu’s success, especially after the massacre at Guyang, King Gu Li couldn’t help but think that Han’s military defense was weakening.

The conscription didn’t just affect the Southern Xiu Tu, but also the officials at Guanglu Sai and General Duliang’s camps, along with the wary Commander of the Xiongnu Guard, reducing their restrictions by half.

If the Northern Xiu Tu tribes joined forces with them, the Southern Xiu Tu would take control of Xiyue!

However, instead of the Xiu Tu tribes invading after their oath, what awaited them was the sight of King Xiu Tu himself becoming a casualty of the Han army, his head presented here.

“What do they mean by this? Are they declaring war by showing us this?” King Gu Li asked angrily, ready to draw his blade, but restrained by his senior general.

“Stay calm. The Han army killed those Xui Tu outside the Yinshan and Yangshan ranges. What does it have to do with us?” the general reasoned.

“Do you really think they would enter the city with just three thousand men without being prepared for our retaliation?”

King Gu Li fell silent.

For a moment, the senior general seized the opportunity to ask, “And don’t forget, Wang Rou is a loyal dog chosen by the Han court. We do have opponents within the city.”

His words were true.

But with their imminent ally suddenly dead and his head delivered before them, King Gu Li found it hard to remain calm no matter how he tried.

Yet he couldn’t just sit idly by.

Given Wang Rou’s unique position among the Southern Xiu Tu, King Gu Li had to go when summoned, despite any dissatisfaction he might have.

The Commander Wang Rou held too much power in gathering important Southern Xiu Tu members.

As King Gu Li reluctantly arrived at the square in front of the Chanyu’s residence, most of the expected people were already there.

He missed the conversation between Commander Wang Rou and Qiao Yan before his arrival.

Apart from the recipe Qiao Yan sent for the Hero’s Wine two years ago, Wang Rou had only replied with “How could I accept just five thousand stones?”

They had never had a direct exchange before.