Cai Yong nodded and changed the subject with Qiao Yan, “I intend to invite Zhen Ji and her husband to stay in Leping for a few days. What do you think, Lord Qiao?”

Qiao Yan replied, “There’s no issue with that.”

Cai Yong didn’t mention his reasons, but Qiao Yan guessed the purpose behind his proposal.

Despite Cai Yong seeking refuge with the Yang clan, Zhen Ji, married to Yang Du, was from a branch of the Yang clan.

Her father was the current Tai Shou of Nanyang, succeeding Qin Jie last year.

Known for his incorruptible governance after pacifying the Zhao Ci rebellion, he famously hung a fish in his hall as a symbol of rejecting bribery, earning him the nickname “Fish-Hanging Tai Shou.”

Although Nanyang Commandery was wealthy, when his eldest son and wife visited him earlier this year, he refused to let his wife inside, claiming he had only blankets, short clothes, and minimal food, revealing that he had little to leave for his descendants.

With Yang Du yet to take office and lacking substantial financial resources, despite being a member of the gentry, they were not particularly wealthy.

Now that Cai Yong held the position of educational official and the respect gained from teaching disciples at Leping Academy, it was suitable to bring Zhen Ji closer for a while.

If Qiao Yan needed manpower, Yang Du could also be assigned tasks.

Yang Du’s eldest son, the child Zhen Ji protected at the cost of abandoning her own, Yang Fa, was born to the daughter of Kong Rong of Beihai and was now a few years old, soon to become a useful laborer in a few years.

Cai Yong hadn’t mentioned it earlier because he himself was still in the status of lodging here.

Simply having Zhou Ji take on a position at Qiao Yan was evidently not enough to persuade his eldest daughter to come.

But now, as the educational official under Qiao Yan, even his son-in-law… no, even his daughter herself could find a meaningful job under Qiao Yan’s command.

It would be perfectly natural for them to come and seek refuge.

Seeing Qiao Yan agree so readily, clearly understanding the unspoken implications, Cai Yong couldn’t help but feel relieved.

With this in mind, he had even less reason to leave.

Persuading Cai Yong to take up this position had unexpectedly turned into a “buy one, get one free” deal, or perhaps even “buy one, get three” or “get five” good fortune.

Qiao Yan was quite satisfied with how things had turned out.

She was increasingly appreciating the advantages of holding the position of governor.

Just the phrase “recruitment for the provincial government” was already an honor for those who hadn’t yet entered official service.

Not to mention the matter of selecting virtuous and filial candidates, which was also within the authority of the provincial government.

In a sense, this was about constructing a group of experienced officials for herself.

But Qiao Yan’s situation was even more special.

She couldn’t afford to deploy these recruited talents to others; instead, she needed to firmly grasp these resources in her own hands to ensure that the machinery of Bingzhou could operate smoothly.

Every component in this machinery was crucial.

After bidding farewell to Cai Yong, she stayed in Leping County for a day and then took Xu Huang up to the mountain stronghold.

To be precise, it was a mountain settlement that had been fortified into a stronghold.

It was here that Xu Huang learned from Qiao Yan what kind of people would be assigned to him in the future.

These refugees who had been brought under her command in recent years had transformed from their original emaciated state due to normal diet and rest into presentable individuals, bustling with activity even in the harsh winter months.

Qiao Yan didn’t explain each detail to Xu Huang.

Instead, she led him through the courtyard passages and arrived at the rear stronghold beneath the fortified walls.

Compared to the modest walls of Leping Academy, which were deliberately obscured, the material used for these walls clearly displayed their superior quality compared to ordinary earthen walls.

Upon Qiao Yan’s signal, Xu Huang reached out and knocked on the wall, feeling its exceptional strength.

“What is this?”

“I call this material cement,” Qiao Yan explained.

Previously, this name had been shown to Guo Jia by Zhan Zhi Cai, but the original information in the book that had the word “cement” was occupied by blank pages and had not been disclosed in advance.

She asked, “In your opinion, how feasible would it be to use cement to rebuild a section of the Great Wall’s Gongyang Pass?”

Qiao Yan’s main concern was defending the section of the Great Wall that allowed the Xiongnu to gallop in freely, particularly at Daqing Mountain and Langshan Gorge.

Although Xu Huang didn’t know the cost of cement production or whether it would be labor-intensive, he believed that applying it to just this section could be feasible without excessively draining manpower. “It’s feasible.”

Qiao Yan nodded. “Very well, with a heavy responsibility ahead, I’ll be watching your performance.”

She said it well, but since she placed this item in front of Xu Huang, it’s clear where her inclination lies.

Rice must be eaten one mouthful at a time. If she doesn’t fortify this external defense line tightly, how can she focus on farming in Bingzhou, especially utilizing its abundant coal and iron resources?

But before that, she needs to finalize her personnel arrangements.

From Xu Huang’s performance, assisting in the defense of the northwest front was expected, but the northeast front…

Two days later, she returned to Jinyang.

When she saw Lu Bu at the state capital’s training ground, she couldn’t help but furrow her brow.

Approaching thirty, Lu Bu not only possessed unrivaled personal martial prowess but also an unyielding youthful spirit.

So much so that when Qiao Yan glanced at Lu Bu on the left and Zhang Liao on the right, she felt Zhang Liao was mentally older than Lu Bu.

Lu Bu must be suppressed; otherwise, on the Yanmen battlefield, he would be a wild dog!

While he could indeed injure others if let loose, it could also adversely affect their strategic layout.

Seeing him leading those five hundred men, striding forward proudly, she could guess what he was thinking.

He naturally had his own leadership charm.

It wouldn’t be difficult to get those five hundred men to obey orders.

Therefore, he had strong confidence in defeating Zhang Liao and securing his position as a martial strategist.

But he didn’t understand the principle that arrogant soldiers will be defeated.

“Lord Qiao, there’s no need to worry,” Guo Jia, knowing he would soon deal with the border, stood beside Qiao Yan. “Lu Bu, relying on personal bravery to win battles, is a bit naive. Zhang Liao has fought against the Hu people for many years. Despite his youth, he is not an opponent to be underestimated.”

“I’m not worried about the outcome of this battle,” Qiao Yan shook her head. “Lu Bu clearly underestimates Zhang Liao’s abilities, which is not good at this time. What worries me is—”

What position should she give to Lu Bu?

He may lose, but we cannot discard him.

This position cannot simply be subordinate to Zhang Liao, or it will surely cause friction within the military camp.

Especially if Lu Bu initiates a challenge for normal reasons, it’s hard to guarantee that it won’t damage Zhang Liao’s prestige among the troops.

Moreover, Zhang Liao must be able to restrain Lu Bu’s military actions…

“Are you suggesting that Lu Bu be appointed as the Military Secretary under my command as the Yanmen Commandant, overseeing military affairs?”

Guo Yuan, the current Commandant of Yanmen invited by Qiao Yan in Jinyang, found this suggestion quite unusual.

He looked at Qiao Yan skeptically, only to see her maintaining her usual calm demeanor.