At the mention of entrusting his heir, Zhang Rang was nearly startled.

He immediately bowed and knelt, replying, “Your Majesty, please do not speak of such ominous words. It’s merely a winter chill that will pass as the season changes.”

The power of eunuchs must rely on imperial authority to exist.

Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong’s influence was due to Liu Hong’s favor towards them.

Therefore, more than anyone, Zhang Rang hoped that Liu Hong would not face any health issues, let alone a serious illness or passing.

But as he looked up, Liu Hong showed no joy at his words.

Instead, he rose from his seat, pacing the overheated room.

Suddenly, he spoke, “Do you think I am unaware of my own health?”

Since the later years of Guang and the end, although he still enjoyed leisure and drove his white donkey cart through the palace, with officials following pompously by his side, he was more aware than anyone that his health was declining, unable to escape the short lifespan typical of later Han emperors.

He stopped in front of Zhang Rang and said, “I only want you to answer me: do you think Qiao Yeshu can bear the responsibility of being entrusted with my heir?”

Zhang Rang knew that Liu Hong’s mention of entrusting an heir couldn’t possibly mean entrusting Liu Bian to Qiao Yan.

With Grand General He Jin and Cavalry General He Miao around, Liu Bian would naturally have protection.

As the oldest surviving son of Liu Hong, he was entitled to the throne.

It could only be entrusting Liu Xie to Qiao Yan.

To entrust a nine-year-old prince to a fourteen-year-old governor of Bingzhou sounded absurd to anyone who heard it.

Most entrusted ministers were not too young.

They needed both moral integrity to suppress other courtiers and, ideally, would be too weak to retain power once the emperor grew up.

By the former standard, Qiao Yan’s achievements were legendary, but she hadn’t yet suppressed all the courtiers.

By the latter, she was even less suitable.

To have a fourteen-year-old with such weight in Liu Hong’s mind as an entrusted minister, no one could predict how far this would develop as he grew older.

Liu Xie was indeed intelligent, but he might not be able to suppress her.

From Zhang Rang’s perspective, he would not oppose the suggestion of entrusting Qiao Yan as the minister of the heir.

Qiao Yan held military power and had accumulated fame during the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

If included in Liu Xie’s prospects, it would increase her chances of inheriting.

And Zhang Rang was more than anyone else unwilling to let Liu Bian ascend the throne!

The scholars and officials surrounding Grand General He Jin were mostly deeply affected by the stigma of partisanship.

If they gained the upper hand and became prominent ministers credited with the success of Liu Bian’s accession, the task of purging the eunuchs would surely be put back on the table.

He didn’t want to die, at least not in such a sorry state.

But for now, he maintained his composure and replied, “Whether to rely on Qiao Bingzhou as the prince’s support, Your Majesty surely has a firm opinion, and I dare not speak rashly.”

For such a perilous decision, his unspoken support was sufficient; he couldn’t voice it directly.

After a moment’s thought, he added, “Your Majesty now commands the Western Army’s Eight Division, with strong military support on hand. When their training is perfected, you can bear the title of Supreme General and command them to pacify rebellions across the land without fear of defeat. There is no need to rush into such decisions.”

Compared to Qiao Yan, Jianshuo, also a eunuch, was naturally more trustworthy in Zhang Rang’s eyes.

He subtly brought him up again at this moment.

How could Liu Hong not see through his cautious thoughts?

Yet Zhang Rang’s concerns were undoubtedly considerations that Liu Hong had pondered as well.

Qiao Yan’s current actions indeed resembled those of a loyal minister of the Great Han, but if a nine-year-old emperor were placed on the throne, it was hard to guarantee there would be no rebellious acts.

Moreover, her actions were indeed too fierce and radical.

Presented in this memorial, indeed, is a clear plan for attacking the Xianbei, appearing more cautious on the surface.

However, regardless, a newly appointed governor actively preparing for offensive operations amidst winter defenses clearly reveals her aggressive nature.

Amidst the current chaos in the Great Han, she is suited to be the sword that quells unrest, but not to assume the responsibility of a trusted minister for the heir.

Unless circumstances become dire, Liu Hong might even consider leaving her in the remote frontier of Bingzhou.

Unless…

When things truly worsen.

Now that he can see through He Jin’s framing of the Commandants of the Western Army’s Eight Division and understands He Jin’s covert schemes, there’s truly no need to make such a decision that could lead to endless consequences.

“Rise, and let’s observe a little longer,” Liu Hong remained silent for a long while before speaking again, “Let’s first see her performance against the Xianbei.”

Considering her detailed plans in the memorial, Liu Hong felt that the likelihood of her failure was minimal.

But as Qiao Yan had mentioned, after the passing of Tan Shihuai, the Xianbei had recovered from their previous fragmentation and decline.

The three ruling brothers, especially the arrogant and willful leaders among them, might pose unexpected challenges if any of them inherited Tan Shihuai’s qualities.

Let’s wait until she clears this hurdle!

Qiao Yan was far away in Bingzhou and couldn’t witness the negotiations between Liu Hong and Zhang Rang.

For her, whether or not she could obtain the responsibility of being entrusted with the heir wasn’t such a critical matter, but rather, not having it might actually be better.

What mattered was Liu Hong’s approval to deploy troops.

As the Governor of Bingzhou, she indeed had authority over military affairs throughout the province, but the Xianbei were located beyond the Yin Mountains.

While she could justify her actions against the Xianbei as a response to righteous indignation, there had been no recent border provocations by the Xianbei this winter.

Thus, leading troops into battle now seemed somewhat unjustifiable.

Today she could attack the Xianbei, tomorrow she could raid Liangzhou or Jizhou.

Because of these circumstances requiring operations outside of Bingzhou, she needed to report to Liu Hong.

Fortunately, the results she obtained were favorable.

Deployment!

At the end of February, this news reached her desk.

She looked out the window to see a scene of lush grass and singing birds as far as the eye could see.

Qiao Yan rode her horse along a path through the fields, beside which a creek flowed gently.

She gazed into the distance where the water from the Fen River tributary was being redirected by newly installed waterwheels, lifted to higher channels by wooden troughs, and carried to the mountains.

Amidst the gentle spring breeze, accompanied by the faint sounds of the waterwheels and flowing water, distant voices reached her ears.

It was Qin Yu explaining the use of plows and harrows to the villagers of Jinyang County, gathered here by summons.

Over the years, she had interacted with the people of Leping County extensively and now felt no hesitation.

Qin Yu glanced at Qiao Yan from afar, signaling that she knew the Governor was present and continued with her explanation.

For these farmers accustomed to handling agricultural tools, understanding how to use the plow wasn’t too difficult.

They understood the advantages of the curved plow better than anyone else.

The previous long straight plow was not only difficult to drag but also hard to maneuver.

However, the curved plow before them now could easily turn due to the action of the plowshare, making it much lighter and more agile compared to the original long plow.

During the demonstration of the curved plow’s use, they saw Qin Yu push the plow forward, allowing the plowshare to dig deeper into the soil, which enabled better tillage of their fields.

If only this agility could be seen in the hands of messengers guided by the provincial government.

Once they had a chance to try it themselves, they found it wasn’t difficult to adjust from their experience with the long straight plow.

They could easily handle the curved plow.

Ah, what a practical invention!

In today’s Bingzhou, while the neighboring north is ideal for grazing, it doesn’t mean that draft animals aren’t scarce resources.

With the curved plow, animal power could be significantly saved.

Everyone realized that the provincial government’s timing for showcasing this tool before spring planting was incredibly appropriate.

Someone immediately asked, “Do you know where we can buy this curved plow?”

They saw that the construction of the curved plow was excellent, but replicating its components exactly as demonstrated by Qin Yu, which involved eleven parts, would indeed be challenging.

Since the provincial government showcased this tool, there should be plans for its sale.

It wouldn’t make sense to gather people here only to spread it through word of mouth.

If that were the case, the time for spring planting would have already passed.

Qin Yu replied, “The provincial government has indeed considered the needs during the busy farming season and has produced a batch of curved plows and wooden-framed iron harrows in winter.

The first hundred people from each county who come with their household registration can receive them for free, while others can purchase them for fifty qian.”

Fifty qian?

Today, iron agricultural tools cost about ten qian per catty.

Calculating this way, the price of the curved plow is slightly lower compared to regular iron agricultural tools, which is quite suitable!

After all, the curved wood inevitably increases costs, and the plowshare is indeed made of iron.

If using the previous long straight plow, they would also need to rent an additional ox to plow several dozen mu of land, resulting in expenses far exceeding the price of the curved plow.

In any case, this is a worthwhile investment.

Moreover, there are also free slots for the first hundred to collect.

For those who happened to pass by and were invited to witness this, they should all be able to grab one of those first hundred spots.

As soon as Qin Yu finished speaking, they all dashed off without a trace, clearly going home to retrieve their household registrations.

Seeing everyone bustling around, Qin Yu couldn’t help but laugh.

As Qiao Yan rode up, Qin Yu greeted her with a bow and asked the question she had been curious about: “Why did Lady Qiao set the price for these curved plows in this way?”

“Did you see anyone protesting the price?” Qiao Yan asked in response.

Clearly, there were no objections.

If the price had been unaffordable for these farmers, they would have surely raised some questions before leaving.

But it seemed that even if they hadn’t secured one of the first hundred spots, they were willing to pay the money.

“The labor costs for making these curved plows were already covered by the provincial government. I am not a saint, and with the upcoming battles to quell chaos and defend our borders, I don’t have the luxury to give things away as gifts,” Qiao Yan said.

Looking towards the distant figures. “Rest assured, the farmers of Bingzhou will only praise the government’s actions. With the first hundred using these curved plows in their fields, there will be ample opportunities to spread the word.”

Just as she had to set a price for paper armor years ago, what she needed was for the people of Bingzhou to know that she was offering a fair deal, not trying to win their favor with gifts.

Whether to spend fifty qian or rent an extra ox wasn’t a difficult question for these farmers, but for the provincial government, it wasn’t just about recouping costs—it was also about accumulating funds for military purposes.

With this larger-scale transaction, there would be a precedent for future government outputs to be promoted among the people of Bingzhou.

“I’ll rely on you to spread the word to the other counties,” she said to Qin Yu, who agreed before she rode off.

As the governor of Bingzhou, she could handle these matters, but she had another task at hand.