Liang Shuai?

Liang Zhongning forced a smile and replied, “There’s no Liang Shuai anymore. Calling me that is probably a mistake.”

The former leader of the Yellow Turbans had faded into history after the defeat at Guangzong and Quzhou.

Even though some remnants of the Yellow Turbans were still active, Liang Zhongning could no longer exist as a leader.

But this person, Qiao Yan—

He initially thought that her success in launching surprise attacks from Guyang and Xiu Tu against the Hu people was the best she could do with her title as Le Ping Hou.

He never expected her to rise even higher, now becoming the top authority in Bingzhou.

To be honest, when he sent his regards to Qiao Yan, part of him thought she would face punishment for her actions.

He believed she was risking her life for the stability of the border.

However, looking at the situation now, she not only came out unscathed but also broke the barriers of gender and age to secure her position as the governor.

It made sense.

After all, she had also taken risks in the past.

With the ambition to quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion, she boldly appeared before him, even branding herself as a disciple of Zheng Xuan, eventually becoming a trusted military advisor.

Liang Zhongning couldn’t help but sigh.

Successful people have their own methods, and this one was certainly exceptional.

Yet, some individuals who gain power beyond their abilities should return to their original positions, like him.

He didn’t understand why Qiao Yan had called him now, but she simply said, “I’m just reminding you that anyone capable of being a leader has their own strengths. Even if you can’t be a leader anymore, being a captain or lieutenant is still achievable.”

Her words sounded a bit strange, but Liang Zhongning felt he hadn’t been able to see through her intentions back then, and he certainly couldn’t now.

Sitting at the head of the table, her authoritative presence reminded him of the time she decisively ordered Dian Wei to execute Bu Ji and Zhang Bo.

It made him realize that the image of her as a military advisor might have been just an illusion he created.

She continued, “Or perhaps you think I’m just bored and want to reminisce. So, I’d like to invite you to dinner. How about it?”

As the ruler of Bingzhou, she was making an invitation, and as a soldier stationed in Guoluo Sai, Liang Zhongning had no choice but to accept.

What surprised him was that this dinner was a bit unusual.

She chose the courtyard for their meal, and the food served was quite simple—just a large platter of a piece of pork wrapped in white straw, two large pieces of thick bread, a plate of river shrimp paste, and two jars of wine.

Liang Zhongning’s memory wasn’t that bad; this was clearly the same food they had looted from the Tian Family’s stronghold after Qiao Yan assisted him in breaking through.

It was a meal they had once considered “rich.”

For someone who hadn’t tasted meat in a long time, it was indeed a feast.

But for a governor of Bingzhou hosting guests, it felt rather simple.

He quickly realized that Qiao Yan’s actions, just like when she called him “Liang Shuai,” had a deeper meaning.

As he took the half piece of pork she handed him, he hesitated and asked, “What’s the purpose of this, Lord Qiao?”

“I just wanted to recreate the scene from back then, but with one difference,” Qiao Yan replied with a smile.

Liang Zhongning thought she would mention their change in roles, but instead, she pointed to Dian Wei and said, “He’s not tied up this time.”

“…You’re joking, Lord Qiao,” Liang Zhongning was taken aback for a moment before continuing.

That was indeed a significant difference.

It sounded almost like a dark joke.

Thanks to her lighthearted comment, he felt a bit more relaxed and instinctively took a bite of the pork.

To his surprise, the quality of the meat was far better than usual.

He had heard that during her two years under house arrest in Le Ping, Qiao Yan had worked hard to improve the taste of the pork, and this dish was clearly a result of that effort.

The thick bread was freshly baked and tasted much better than he remembered.

Although Liang Zhongning had enough to eat while guarding the border, it wasn’t particularly delicious.

This meal, however, whetted his appetite.

Since he was here, he didn’t want to waste time thinking too much and gulped down half a jar of wine.

Qiao Yan leisurely played with her thick bread until he had finished half the wine, then said, “This counts as my first victory, and I remember it well.”

Liang Zhongning paused.

She said it was her victory, not one that helped him win.

Yet, technically, she wasn’t wrong.

He wiped the wine from his face and replied, “Yes, this is indeed your first victory, Lord Qiao.”

Qiao Yan continued, “Only the victors can enjoy wine and meat and secure enough food. That’s the truth of this world now.”

It was true then, and it’s true now.

“I’m making an invitation to you. As your strategist, I can help you avoid disaster and achieve victory. Now that I’m the winner, can I invite you to join me as my subordinate and continue winning together?”

Liang Zhongning guessed that Qiao Yan had some orders for him but didn’t expect such a direct approach.

After thinking for a moment, he replied, “I’m currently part of General of the North’s forces.”

Qiao Yan was leading the troops in Bingzhou, but he couldn’t just take subordinates from General of the North without causing chaos.

Hearing this, Qiao Yan shook his head and said, “You don’t need to worry about that. I just need one person, and General Han will support my request.”

Liang Zhongning added, “But I was once part of the Yellow Turbans. Are you sure you can trust me?”

This was the crucial question.

Without hesitation, Qiao Yan responded, “You should remember how, after Bu Ji and Zhang Bo died, you became the leader of their group and had their former followers with you.

The second truth in this world is that as long as people can eat, they’ll follow anyone, even former enemies.

And I can provide food for the people of Bingzhou—doesn’t that count for something?”

Qiao Yan understood that talking about promotions and personal ambitions wouldn’t mean much to someone like Liang Zhongning, who was more at peace due to his experiences.

Sometimes, the most straightforward words are the most effective.

Back then, he could become a leader of the rebel army to help the people who had no way to survive.

Now, he is willing to serve under Qiao Yan just because she said she could help the people of Bingzhou get enough to eat.

However, he was still somewhat different from people like Chu Yan and Zhang Niujao.

As he chewed on a small piece of meat in his hand, it was clear from his vacant gaze that he was struggling with his thoughts.

Respecting what Qiao Yan was doing and becoming her subordinate were two very different things.

But just like Qiao Yan said, the world operates under certain rules.

If she could truly ensure people would eat and survive, why should he cling to his past?

Even if that past included being one of the Yellow Turban captives and witnessing the downfall of Zhang Jiao’s legendary image.

After swallowing his last bite, he asked, “What do you need me to do, Lord Qiao?”

Qiao Yan seemed unfazed by his decision and replied, “First, help me Manage some things for me.”

Of course, before that, he had to take her handwritten letter, written in her capacity as the governor of Bingzhou, to the camp of General of the North.

He presented it to Han Fu, enduring his scrutinizing gaze as if trying to figure out his special abilities.

After receiving approval for the transfer, he returned to Taiyuan County.

At this point, he could no longer make excuses, claiming his decision was influenced by the drinking from the meal Qiao Yan had hosted.

He was now clear-headed as he stood before the state government’s gates and took a step forward.

It was hard to say whether he felt any lingering loyalty to the Yellow Turban leaders when Qiao Yan called him “General Liang,” but at this moment, he couldn’t and truly wouldn’t.

Qiao Yan was sharp and certainly noticed Liang Zhongning’s change in attitude.

She was obviously pleased with it.

Since he had joined, the manpower under the state government had stabilized.

It wasn’t entirely due to that agricultural book, but the exchanged book did play a catalytic role.

In any case, Qiao Yan had made a decision:

In the spring, they would attack the Xianbei!

They would make a quick profit from the first battle and also allow Feng Xiao to use this victory to plan his strategy for dividing the Xiongnu.

But—

“There’s still more than half a winter left…” Qiao Yan sighed as she looked out at the cold winter scene.

It really feels long. —

What can be done in one winter?

For the people of Bingzhou, who rely on spring planting and autumn harvest, it was impossible to spend winter huddled inside, saying, “With soft firewood and warm felt, I won’t leave my home.”

Winter was the perfect time to repair houses and weave clothes, but in the late Han period, that was considered a comfortable state.

Right now, many people had no land and had to rely on wealthy landlords, becoming laborers during winter to do road construction or other tasks.

From what Qiao Yan saw while traveling through the counties of Bingzhou, and due to the local customs, many towns and villages were training in martial skills during the winter to prepare for emergencies.

This was good for her, but the reliance on landlords—

This dependence couldn’t be drastically changed right after she became governor of Bingzhou.

Just like the established production chain in Lepin couldn’t be quickly promoted, she couldn’t introduce movable type printing at this time either.

However, this didn’t stop her from surveying the winter conditions in Bingzhou and making several decisions that needed to be addressed before spring arrived.

One of the tasks she decided on was to renovate the river channels during the dry season.

She called for laborers across Bingzhou in the name of the state government to carry out this work.

After Qin Yu and Jia Xu inspected the grain stocks in various counties, Qiao Yan confirmed that renovating the water channels around the better farmlands in Taiyuan and Shangdang counties wouldn’t place a heavy financial burden on them.

In addition to the original dragon bones for transport, she had the craftsmen create the tube wheels mentioned in the agricultural book, ensuring they would be installed in specific locations to prevent any mistakes in irrigation for the next year’s farming.