Yan Zhong’s attempt to persuade Huangfu Song to rebel was out of trust in Huangfu Song’s character, not because he wanted to support the rebels.

The position of leader among the thirty-six rebel leaders in Xiliang was undoubtedly torment for him.

Even though he was given the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry by figures like Han Sui and Ma Teng, it held no meaning for him.

In his sorrow and indignation, Yan Zhong died.

Jia Xu had some acquaintance with Yan Zhong in earlier years, inevitably feeling a sense of sadness and loss at his death.

From what he observed, though Qiao Yan was young, she could manage relations with the current emperor above.

Focus on the livelihoods and labor of the people in Bingzhou below, engage in campaigns against the Xianbei to vie for supremacy after military strikes, strategize military affairs internally, command troops, and pacify the disturbances of Heishan and Baibo.

Perhaps within a year or two as governor of Bingzhou, she could develop this land into a solid territory.

She might also be a suitable object of loyalty.

However, it wasn’t time to rush. Let’s see what happens.

I don’t know if it’s because young people are used to making mistakes, but in his opinion, the Qiao Yan now has spread her net a bit too wide.

If she weren’t extraordinarily talented and fortunate enough to have Cheng Yu, Xizhi Cai, and Guo Jia’s assistance, it’s hard to avoid situations where the first is lost and the second is missed.

At least we had to wait until after the harvest to figure out what was going on.

Jia Xu thought about it and asked, “Lord Qiao has ordered Lu Bu to camp here for military exercises. I wonder if there’s anything else I should do?”

He wasn’t really looking for something to do, he just wanted to determine the boundaries of his relationship with Lu Bu.

But to Qiao Yan, his ability to ask such a question was quite surprising.

“Please, sir, just keep an eye on him for me. I have my own arrangements for him.”

Jia Xu could read between the lines with his brain.

Fortunately, two months later, after completing a series of popular science courses at the Leping Academy, Lu Bu was given permission to come to Baidao Chuan.

Jia Xu couldn’t help but think he was like a tired hound who had run for dozens of miles, with none of the bravado he had imagined.

He immediately saw Lu Bu take out a manual from his sleeve and execute it diligently and seriously, step by step.

The scene was somewhat comical.

He then heard that this was because Lu Bu was in the process of completing two courses that his daughter was already studying.

Even if according to what she said, these students have to wait ten years to enter school and inspect the border before they can formally graduate, he was not yet forty years old at that time.

This was during what Lu Bu considered the golden age of warriors.

If he was surpassed by these rising stars, where would he put his face?

Listening to Lu Bu’s endless chatter, Jia Xu fell silent.

For a moment, he didn’t know whether to say that he seemed to face such a crisis or to say that Qiao Yan had reason to spread his business so widely, given her profound understanding of how to instruct subordinates and stimulate competition.

But overall, ignoring the peculiar competition between these two generations, Bingzhou still presented a thriving scene in the fifth year of Zhongping.

Outside Bingzhou, however, the political situation in the court could be described as unpredictable and mysterious.

In April, due to renewed Yellow Turban uprisings in Runan and Qingxu, Cao Song, who bought his way into office, was dismissed from his position as Grand Commandant even before half a year had passed.

His successor was treated even worse than him.

In May, Liu Hong appointed Yan Le, the Yongle Treasurer, to take over the position of Grand Commandant.

Yet by June, Liu Hong, annoyed by frequent strong winds in Luoyang, dismissed Yan Le again, feeling troubled.

This reason for dismissal was even more bizarre than before, such as eclipses, regional rebellions, or even the birth of conjoined twins.

In July, Liu Hong decided to appoint Ma Ridi as Grand Commandant.

In such circumstances, even this most crucial position among the Three Excellencies of Han Dynasty remained unstable, not to mention other positions.

Everyone could see that Liu Hong’s physical symptoms were no longer just about straightforward coldness but had affected his mood, making him more irritable and volatile than before.

But no one dared to point this out at this time.

Amidst the hidden currents in the capital, He Jin and He Miao, warned by Liu Hong earlier, restrained themselves slightly but couldn’t help worrying about one thing.

Liu Hong might directly bring Liu Xie’s succession to the fore due to his emotional outbursts.

Meanwhile, another group of people had found their own way to survive at this time.

For example, Zhang Rang at this moment suggested to Liu Hong that since the establishment of the Western Armies Eight Division more than half a year ago, Governor Qiao Yan of Bingzhou had completed winter selection and training, enabling the troops within Bingzhou to be used for combat, achieving a great victory at the Xianbei royal court.

The teams of the Western Armies Eight Division should also be more well-trained by now.

“If Your Majesty feels stifled, why not hold another military drill outside the capital to showcase our military strength?”

Liu Hong adopted his idea and gathered the Western Armies Eight Division, now resembling more regular troops, to Pingleguan in Luoyang, showcasing their military prowess.

Following Zhang Rang’s advice, he also proclaimed himself as the Supreme General to display imperial authority.

Perhaps because of this confirmed show of military capability, it indeed gave Liu Hong a sense of security, slightly calming his restless mood.

So, at the next court meeting, he calmly announced a new military deployment decision—

Commander Meng Yi and Colonel Xia Mou were to go to Youzhou together with Cavalry Commandant Gongsun Zan, aiming to defeat the forces under Zhang Chun.

At the same time, he issued an order to Governor of Youzhou, Liu Yu, to pacify Zhang Ju’s main forces by the end of the year.

These changes in the capital were relayed back through Qiao Yan’s messengers to Luoyang.

In August, Qiao Yan received the final tribute from Budugen, consisting of a batch of paper clothes and coal, as a reward for “watering the leeks.”

After pondering over this information, she selected the best eight horses from this batch of cattle, sheep, and horses, sent them to Luoyang, claiming they were captured from Xianbei outposts.

Even though she now had a considerable advantage over many others, she couldn’t afford any slackness, especially during her superior’s irritable moments.

Because she had to successfully maintain her positions as Marquis of Leping, General Suppressing the Rebels, and Governor of Bingzhou until Liu Hong’s death in the sixth year of Zhongping, she couldn’t just focus on the harvest within Bingzhou but also had to maintain her connections with the capital.

In fact, her decision was quite wise.

The horses from the frontier appeared more untamed and majestic compared to those in the capital, fitting Liu Hong’s preferences perfectly, whether for roaming attacks or as offerings due to their exceptional qualities.

After having these eight horses depicted by artists, they became the steeds for his “Supreme General” chariot, and during court meetings, he lavishly praised Qiao Yan as a loyal servant of Han.

Of course, this wasn’t merely because Qiao Yan had catered to his preferences.

Qiao Yan’s move wasn’t just out of consideration for Liu Hong’s mood but also to set up another comparison.

Fu Gan, under Qiao Yan’s orders, led a group from Bingzhou to Liangzhou, uncovering some particularly crucial information.

Huangfu Song and Dong Zhuo joined forces to lift the siege of Chencang.

Although they did not inflict a decisive blow on Ma Teng, Han Sui, and others at that time, Dong Zhuo, a military man from the Western Liang region, used this opportunity to gather a substantial private army.

Huangfu Song sensed that something was amiss and reported it to Liu Hong.

Liu Hong took action.

Over half a year ago, when Qiao Yan took over as Governor of Bingzhou, Liu Hong had already expressed his intention to appoint someone as Governor of Jingzhou and Governor of Liangzhou.

However, at that time, the position of Governor of Jingzhou had been temporarily reserved by Liu Biao through malicious bidding, and the position of Governor of Liangzhou had not been settled.

This time, Liu Hong announced another position.

However, this position left no room for competition.

He directly ordered Dong Zhuo to use his recent military achievements to be promoted to Governor of Qingzhou, tasked with pacifying the remnants of the Yellow Turban rebellion in Qingzhou.

At the same time, Liu Hong transferred the soldiers and troops of Liangzhou under his command to Huangfu Song.

If it weren’t for Qiao Yan being in the position of Governor of Bingzhou, the most appropriate place to settle Dong Zhuo would have been Bingzhou, with Huangfu Song overseeing from the sidelines.

However, Qingzhou was not a bad choice either.

In short, Liu Hong’s intention was to separate Dong Zhuo and his ambitious subordinates.

However, Dong Zhuo refused this promotion decree.

Earlier, Liu Hong had suspected that Dong Zhuo might become a regional threat.

He had wanted to bring him to the central government under the guise of appointing him as Minister of Works, but Dong Zhuo refused, citing sentimental reasons like his followers pulling his chariot and not letting him go.

This time, Dong Zhuo’s response was even more grandiose.

He said:

“I have no old stratagems, nor any great accomplishments. By the grace of heaven, I have been in charge of military affairs for ten years. My soldiers have become familiar with me over time, and I am grateful for the care and upbringing they have received from me. I ask to be sent to the northern provinces to serve on the borders and demonstrate my loyalty.”

In essence, he expressed that he lacked personal ability but was willing to lead these loyal soldiers who were willing to die for him to guard the northern provinces and maintain order on the borders.

“I, Dong Zhuo, loyal servant of Han, will defend the border to the death!”

Dong Zhuo not only stated this in his decree to Liu Hong but also to his soldiers.

Implicitly, he clearly had the ability to take up the position of Governor of Qingzhou but chose to forgo the opportunity as a local military official for the sake of his soldiers’ loyalty.

This rhetoric once again rallied support to him.

Fortunately, his actions allowed Fu Gan to swiftly relay this message back to Bingzhou.

Qiao Yan couldn’t ignore the similarities between her past actions and Dong Zhuo’s, so she had to distinguish herself at this moment.

This was also another purpose behind the gift of the eight fine horses.

She presented these horses with the underlying message that she could return military authority to Liu Hong at any time.

Additionally, from the end of the fourth year of Zhongping to the autumn of the fifth year, she maintained a relatively friendly relationship with Han Fu, the General of Duliang.

Apart from establishing the Suiyuan City on the east side of Yunzhong Commandery, she rarely engaged in military actions between Wuyuan Commandery and the western side of Yunzhong Commandery.

This ensured that Han Fu never spoke ill of her in reports to Liu Hong.

Upon receiving a commendation decree from Liu Hong, she could be certain that she had temporarily passed this hurdle.

Qiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief and now had the extra energy to pay attention to the autumn harvest in Bingzhou.

Harvest time had arrived…

In the late Han Dynasty, eating a full meal was more important than anything else, and this was the time the people of the province most looked forward to!

Normally, the northern yield per mu was three shi, but after the dissemination of Sisheng’s book on improved farming methods and the implementation of the Qu Tian method, yields could reach between three to four shi per mu. And this year?

This year, Qiao Yan promoted deep plowing, meticulous farming, and scientific planting methods in Bingzhou.

She supplemented with ammonium sulfate and sulfuric acid as fertilizers, ensuring a significant increase in yields.

However, without the conditions yet for large-scale cultivation of good seedlings, Qiao Yan wasn’t sure how much of an increase could be achieved.

She could only roughly estimate from recent field observations that crops were thriving this year under favorable weather conditions.

Local farmers passing through the fields also noted better harvests compared to previous years.

Nonetheless, she still needed official statistics to announce to the people of Bingzhou.

As Qiao Yan watched Qin Yu lead the census, she maintained a composed expression.

But to Lu Yuan, who was also present, the Governor seemed reminiscent of students waiting for exam results at Leping Academy.

Having attended classes there, Lu Yuan felt she had some authority on the matter.

However, Qiao Yan gave her a warning glance.

“Don’t worry unnecessarily, Governor Qiao. Based on estimates from the elderly farmers, although most of Bingzhou’s land isn’t fertile aside from the banks of the Fen River, we’re seeing yields of up to five shi per mu based on the current earing conditions,” Lu Yuan smiled.

Qiao Yan’s current nervousness was even more apparent than when she harvested sweet potatoes in Leping, yet it didn’t diminish her wise image in Lu Yuan’s eyes; instead, it made her seem more genuine.

The census wasn’t a task completed in a day.

Qiao Yan decided to accompany Lu Yuan on visits to farmers and merchants throughout Bingzhou for several days until the yield data from each commandery was compiled and reported to her.

When Qin Yu handed over the yield data, Qiao Yan immediately noticed the average yield figure at the top.

Yield per mu—

5 and 1/3 shi!

What an inspiring number!