As the Han army entered Quzhou City through the gates opened by Zhang Liang, Qiao Yan said to the system.

“It’s probably human nature, right? I don’t understand this.” The system, which had been diligently serving as an electronic alarm clock recently, was also very frank in its response.

“I’m thinking, if the lord assisted by the world’s number one strategist could just feed these refugees from the rebels, would there still be such ambiguous matters?”

“That’s natural,” the system replied.

The system always felt that Qiao Yan had more to say, but she didn’t continue.

She had already set off towards Quzhou City.

For the Yellow Turban soldiers in the city, it was almost unimaginable that their own general would choose to open the city gates in the dead of night and let the enemy in.

This was even more of a blow to morale than Zhang Jiao being captured by the Han army.

If they hadn’t seen Zhang Liang following along with the Han army, they would almost suspect that this defection was just a fabrication by the Han army.

These Yellow Turban soldiers who reacted promptly to the unusual situation didn’t know for a moment whether they should directly turn their coats with their general or continue to fight for their vision of supporting the Yellow Sky.

However, in the face of the Han army, which had the numerical advantage, they actually had no choice.

Fortunately, there were not as many fanatical believers in Quzhou City as there were in Guangzong City.

When daylight once again came to the land of Jizhou, there was no sound of swords clashing in the city.

But what followed was an exceptionally serious issue.

The number of Yellow Turban prisoners had reached a certain level.

On the one hand, it was a good thing that the Yellow Turbans could be pacified, but on the other hand…

“If these people support another leader again and start another rebellion after we return to the capital, what should we do?”

“Lu Zhi asked, ‘The proposal put forward by Zhu Jun, “Benefit for a thief, surrender when there is no benefit, where is the law of the country?” to exterminate all the Yellow Turban bandits, seems a bit cruel in Lu Zhi’s view, but if they are not killed, it will easily lead to hidden dangers.

The current Han Dynasty is in a precarious state in the face of years of natural disasters, but whether it is the emperor, officials, aristocratic families, eunuchs, or relatives, they are all still focused on power struggles.

Lu Zhi saw this with his own eyes and felt sad in his heart.

He also knew that in the current situation, if human disasters only occur once, there is still room to reverse the situation.

But if they occur again and again, I’m afraid it will directly push the Han Dynasty into the abyss of division and disintegration.

“So we must first let the Taiping Taoism fall completely from its pedestal and not be elevated by others.”

Lu Zhi turned back to see Qiao Yan and Huangfu Song walking towards him, and the one who spoke was Qiao Yan.

Seeing Lu Zhi’s keen interest in her words, Qiao Yan continued, ‘I said to General Huangfu before that a deceased Zhang Jiao will definitely serve as a spiritual beacon in the hearts of the remaining Yellow Turbans.

As for the living Zhang Jiao, there is still some room for manipulation.

Let his image as an immortal collapse. Fortunately, General Huangfu did not think my words were naive, and successfully captured the living Zhang Jiao with Lu Gong.’

“If someone really takes you for a naive child, then they are truly ignorant,” Lu Zhi sighed. “Tell me, what do you have in mind?”

Qiao Yan clasped her hands and said, ‘I would like to invite Lu Gong to go with me to see Zhang Jiao and witness a bet.'”

Lu Zhi did not object to Qiao Yan’s suggestion.

After all, to report the situation in Jizhou to the emperor and completely calm the chaotic situation, it would still require some time for corresponding officials to be dispatched from the court.”

And the Yellow Turban prisoners could still be sustained temporarily by the grain reserves in Jizhou, so it might be worth a try to see what Qiao Yan could do.

This child, who was placed high hopes upon by him and Huangfu Song, especially made him feel that the future must be limitless.

After achieving these successive victories, she did not show any signs of arrogance or conceit in her words or actions.

He only saw this child often going to chat with Zhang Liang and the Yellow Turbans in Quzhou City, as if she wanted to find a way to deal with the Yellow Turbans by understanding them.

The three of them entered the dungeon in Quzhou City together.

To prevent the defense of the military camp from being insufficient, after occupying Quzhou City, in addition to leaving half of the troops in the military camp outside the city, the rest of the troops were stationed in Quzhou City, including Zhang Jiao.

He was moved here from the prison wagon.

This great and virtuous teacher maintained his dignified demeanor in the prison wagon, and he also displayed a kind of, perhaps one could call it the demeanor of a famous scholar, in the dungeon.

Qiao Yan raised her hand to signal Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song not to approach, but instead walked towards Zhang Jiao herself.

She did not conceal her footsteps, so Zhang Jiao naturally heard her approaching.

When he looked up and saw who it was, Zhang Jiao did not show any surprise in his eyes.

Although his brother Zhang Liang was a surrendered general and had contributed Quzhou, which led to the formal collapse of the upper echelons of the Yellow Turbans, his status determined that he could not temporarily have the right to freedom of movement, so he was also imprisoned in the dungeon, right next to Zhang Jiao.

A few days ago, when Qiao Yan came to chat with Zhang Liang, Zhang Jiao, who was resting with his eyes closed, also heard a little.

This was a child who seemed somewhat strange to him.

However, this time she was not here to find Zhang Liang, but to find him.

Because after passing by Zhang Liang’s cell, she continued forward until she stopped in front of him.

Zhang Jiao did not inquire about the purpose of her visit, and Qiao Yan did not speak immediately, so for a while, there was silence in the prison cell.

When Zhang Liang wondered what was going on, he heard Qiao Yan say to his eldest brother, “My father died at the hands of rebels, my mother was killed by soldiers driven by greed, and I miraculously survived, swearing to eliminate the two Yellow Turban thieves. What I see today does not fulfill my long-cherished wish.”

Zhang Jiao remained expressionless, but Zhang Liang couldn’t help but shudder.

The child spoke of her parents’ deaths and her own actions in such a calm tone, especially in such a gloomy dungeon, which made it hard not to feel a sense of dread.

As Zhang Liang tried to understand the deeper meaning behind her words, he felt a chill.

Killing the two leaders of the rebellion was not enough to satisfy her. Did she intend to kill him and his brother as well, to mourn her parents?

Two days ago, when he learned that it was Qiao Yan’s scheme that led him to mistake the arrival of eunuchs at their camp, and during the three-way melee, Zhang Liang realized that his worldview needed to be reshaped.

Especially now, hearing this precocious child speak, he felt the need even more urgently.

He then heard his elder brother ask, “What do you mean?”

Qiao Yan replied, “I think the Taiping Taoism practiced by the Yellow Turbans is wrong. If we do not break the flaws and shortcomings within it, it will be difficult to dispel the hatred in my heart.”

Zhang Jiao almost thought he was hearing things.

But as he looked at the outline of the prison cell, he saw that his brother had not moved a muscle, so he knew this was real.

When Qiao Yan looked towards him, the candlelight on the wall reflected her extremely serious expression clearly.

It seemed that not only was he not having auditory hallucinations, but her words were also the result of careful consideration.

He then heard Qiao Yan say, “I want to debate with you three times to seek a resolution.”

“… If the last sentence was enough to make Zhang Jiao feel unreal, then this one made him feel even more bizarre.

This was the most peculiar challenge he had encountered in the many years since he had started spreading the Taiping Taoism under the guise of treating illnesses until now!

But when he thought that it was this child’s assistance that had caused his lifelong efforts to be destroyed in an instant, and even questioned the results of his Taoist teachings, the emotions that he had almost been indifferent to success or failure were suddenly stirred up again.

Zhang Jiao could die, and the Yellow Turban Rebellion could fail, but he could not tolerate the core principles of the Taiping Taoism being refuted by a ten-year-old child!

His originally ethereal gaze also became focused in an instant, focusing on Qiao Yan’s face. “When shall we have the debate?”

After calculating for a while, Qiao Yan replied, “In half a month.”

Zhang Jiao glanced at her again before withdrawing his gaze and returning to his appearance of meditative rest, as if he was cultivating his spirit. “Good.”

Half a month later, the three rounds of debate!

Zhang Liang heard that this was a bet, not a death sentence to others, and couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

However, no matter how he thought about it, he felt that, based on this child’s abilities, she could not possibly surpass his elder brother in this kind of sectarian doctrine.

After all, if it weren’t for Zhang Jiao’s many years of cultivation in this Tao, he would not have achieved such results, let alone such remarkable charisma.

He couldn’t understand what this child was thinking.

Of course, it was not just him who thought this way.

Even Lu Zhi, who had previously heard from Qiao Yan that the key to breaking the deadlock was to break Zhang Jiao’s deified shell, and had some psychological preparation, now felt that it would not be easy to defeat Zhang Jiao purely with debating skills.

“If he is allowed to propagate the Taiping Taoism, it may even cause bigger problems.”

Lu Zhi’s unspoken words were clearly expressed in his worried eyes.

If Qiao Yan could not achieve this, perhaps it would not only be a matter of not achieving the goal, but it might also cause the victories and achievements she had previously achieved to vanish into thin air.

Lu Zhi knew that young people with abilities like Qiao Yan mostly had their own opinions, but he did not want these opinions to lead her to taste bitterness.

This was of no benefit to the growth of a genius.

“Seeing your concerns, Lord Lu, there is no need to worry. While I did say that I will debate with him three times, I also understand the importance of specialization. I have invited three people to assist in this matter, which General Huangfu is aware of.”

Lu Zhi looked at Huangfu Song and saw a slight relaxation on his face, so he temporarily set aside his worries.

Of course, there were still some worries, such as whether the invited guests could come as planned and whether they could come as scheduled in an environment where the Yellow Turban Rebellion had not been completely quelled.

From Yanzhou.

From Qingzhou.

From Jizhou.

These were the reinforcements Qiao Yan relied on.

However, what none of the three had expected was that the first to arrive at Quzhou City was not anyone previously sent out by Qiao Yan, but Zhang Rang and others who came with Liu Hong’s rewards.

To avoid being linked to the roots of the Yellow Turban Rebellion again, Zhang Rang and Zuo Feng immediately set off for Jizhou after receiving Liu Hong’s appointment.

But as soon as Zhang Rang left Hulao Pass, he started to regret his decision.

He was just an eunuch in the palace, not a strong warrior who could lift heavy things!

Before, he was protected by the Eight Gates of Luoyang, living in the safest place in the world, the inner palace.

Even if the Yellow Turbans were causing trouble outside the Eight Gates, they couldn’t harm him.

But now, he was out…

Even though Emperor Ling had only given him the imperial decree to deliver, without any military supplies, their carriage didn’t look simple.

The officer accompanying them, Chunyu Qiong, was known as a capable general in the capital, but Zhang Rang could tell he wasn’t very skilled.

This made Zhang Rang doubt whether Chunyu Qiong could really protect them.

Moreover, Zhang Rang knew some unwritten rules. Chunyu Qiong was likely there more as a representative of the Yuan family from Runan rather than a protector of the imperial decree.

The Emperor’s intention to reward those who fought the rebels had somehow reached the Yuan family.

Zhang Rang didn’t know what kind of message the Yuan family received from Yuzhou that made them send Chunyu Qiong.

Luckily, they hadn’t encountered any trouble on their way to Yanzhou.

After arriving in Yanzhou, Zhang Rang felt very safe because of the troops left behind by General Huangfu Song, who were securing the area.

“General Huangfu is truly a pillar of the nation,” Zhang Rang said with a sigh of relief.

Although Huangfu Song didn’t have a good relationship with the eunuch faction, if it weren’t for him, who knows if Emperor Ling would have pushed Zhang Rang out as a scapegoat, even after agreeing to his plans.

Seeing that Yanzhou was indeed as peaceful as Huangfu Song’s secret report to the capital had described, Zhang Rang felt relieved.

He was even more grateful when he finally arrived at the camp of Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi, after many days of worry.

As soon as he entered the camp, he exclaimed in surprise, “Why are there three banners here?”

The three banners bore the names Huangfu, Lu, and Qiao.

Of course, Qiao Yan hadn’t forgotten to instruct Dian Wei to find a thinner flagpole, so her banner wouldn’t overshadow Lu Zhi’s in size.

Earlier, they had set up the banners to deceive Zhang Liang, but now that Quzhou had been captured, it would be inappropriate to continue such a display.

Even with a thinner flagpole, the banner was still a noticeable marker in the camp, which surprised Zhang Rang.

Qiao Xuan, the grandson of Qiao Xian, whom Emperor Ling called the ‘Qilin Child of the Qiao Family,’ held no official position.

Setting up a commander’s banner here was actually an act of overstepping authority.

However, obviously neither Lu Zhi nor Huangfu Song placed any restrictions or condemnation on her behavior.

Zhang Rang even heard the soldier who had led him into the military camp say with a hint of admiration, “The young general previously temporarily assumed the position of General Lu and deceived Zhang Liang here.

General Lu took most of the troops out of the camp and, with General Huangfu, captured Guangzong, then returned to take Quzhou.

With such abilities, what harm is there in raising a military flag?”

“Furthermore, the young general has merits in the battles at Quyang, Guangzong, and Quzhou. Even if she is not from the Qiao family in Yanzhou, her merits deserve the highest rewards.”

As if realizing that it was inappropriate to speak this way to the envoy from the capital, he quickly apologized, saying, “Of course, these are not things we can intervene in. It’s just that the young general is indeed extremely capable, and we all admire him greatly.”

The astonishment on Zhang Rang’s face could not be concealed. “General Huangfu and General Lu are so efficient, they have already taken Guangzong. As for this rebel Zhang Jiao…”

“Of course, he has already been captured,” the soldier replied.

“Good… good! General Huangfu is truly a gifted general bestowed by the heavens!” Zhang Rang could hardly contain his joy.

With Zhang Jiao captured, the Yellow Turban Rebellion naturally could not be considered a major trouble anymore.

With the rebellious troops pacified everywhere, there would be no one to petition again, claiming that the chaos in the world was all because of them.

The meaning in the soldier’s words once again raised Zhang Rang’s evaluation of Qiao Yan.

The emperor had already favored Qiao Yan as a hidden gem.

If not, he would not have been given the title of Marquis of Le Ping, a position that could be promoted at any time.

The child has indeed not disappointed the emperor’s expectations and has shown impressive performance in the Battle of Jizhou.

Wouldn’t it be appropriate to continue rewarding him under the name of Leping?

Qiao Yan grew up in Yanzhou and has no connections with the influential families in the capital.

Even if Chunyu Qiong brings news from the Yuan family, I’m afraid it won’t gain much favor here.

This… this is giving Zhang Rang an opportunity to establish a good relationship with him in advance!

With this in mind, Zhang Rang entered the main tent of the camp.

His eyes unconsciously swept over the people in the tent.

Apart from Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi, the only one left should be that Qiao’s… son?

The moment he saw Qiao Yan’s face clearly, Zhang Rang’s expression froze on the spot.

If he wasn’t blind, he wouldn’t fail to see that the one sitting under Lu Zhi was Qiao Yan.

But she… she’s not a man!

Suddenly, Zhang Rang felt that the decree of enfeoffment in his hand became hot.